Hackney’s

I’ve been coming here for 30 yrs, always great food, I love the buffalo burger, they have the second best martini. Great deserts if you have room, Sunday s they have a ballon guy come around to the tables to entertain the children, great family restaurant
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Above was last visit,
last night Monday had to change from 4 stars to one. We sat in Albert room, service was so so, onion loaf was good. However, the rest of our food was terrible. Grouper fish smelled fishy and no flavor. Salmon over cooked, steamed broccoli was soggy, French fries soggy and undercooked. This dinner was a big disappointment for a place once well known for food. Hackney on harms food 100 times better,

Well known local establishment. Food was marginal. Hackney burger 8 oz was small. Salad did not look good or taste good for that matter. Fish fry was ok. Fries good and beer excellent. Coleslaw good. Overrated. Service ok. Living off historical reputation. Older clientele.

Hackney’s is an institution. I’ve been coming here for decades. Always great service and always great food. Family place. Young to old. Even if the private parking lot looks full there will probably be no wait. Front lot was full but at 6pm on a Friday we just got in before the rush and were seated immediately.
We get the onion rings well done and broke apart so they are all crispy and delicious.
I’ve bee lax in writing this review but we stopped by again last night and we all had a great meal. Green river soda for the kids started a great conversation. Aside from the great burgers I finally tried something else. The Reuben Sandwich. No joke. The best Reuben Sandwich I’ve ever had and I love them so I’ve tasted a lot.
Desserts looked great but we were just too full. Homer’s ice cream for the ice cream aficionados out there.
And to top off a great meal we had fantastic service. Hispanic gentleman in his forties with a very unusual name. Sorry. Just can’t remember it. If I could I would definitely ask for him again. I’ll be sure to get it next time and update this review.
The only glitch, and it’s not enough to budge a perfect five star review, is that the kids liked the potato skins at the Hackney’s on Harms better.
See you soon!

I guess this place so an institution in this neck of the woods, but I thought it was just okay.
It’s a large space with plenty of private rooms for events which all were in full use on the night I was here, Service for the private event I was at was pretty sketchy and I finally gave up on the server and just went to the bar to get a drink. But that was clearly where the problem was as there was only one bartender working the bar and this place was packed!
Service got a lot better once I left the event and decided to eat at a booth in the back. Our server was terrific and took it all in stride even when some drunk guy we didn’t know decided to sit at our table and order some soup to sober up (it’s just that kind of a place!)
My food was okay– nothing remarkable that would have me driving all the way to Glenview to get it, but okay. I had the salmon and a salad and my friend had a patty melt but they also have other sandwiches, entrees and salads. And the décor can only be described as old and kitschy.
Parking here is probably easy on a normal night as there is a huge parking lot but it was so busy on the night I was there that I had to park in some auxiliary lot and hike in.
And the other thing that sticks in my mind is the average age of the patron here– well over 65 which is what their menu seems to appeal to (haven’t seen cottage cheese as a side dish in a long time)
Hackneys is like a throwback to another time and place. Might work for some but wasn’t really for me.

Over the years, I’ve liked this place, but they need to stop taking their customers for granted and pick it up several notches. The atmosphere great. But the food is mediocre and very high priced. It is not a good value considering the quality of the food you are getting.
Tonight, I was looking forward to trying a weekday special, meatloaf. It wasn’t cheap but it was more affordable than other things on the menu and seemingly more healthy. I got there at 6:00 pm and they said they had «run out» of meatloaf. The translation of this statement is that we are just too damn lazy to make more meatloaf for dinner tonight. A place that specializes in serving hamburger is not short of hamburger to make meatloaf. This was the last straw. This lazy, we don’t give a _​_​_​_​attitude really turned me off and I left and went to another restaurant for dinner. I will start patronizing a more deserving place with my family from now on.
If they are serious about attracting future customers, they need to start putting better quality items on the menu, with more options than fried this and fried that. When they do fry something, they need to change the oil in the fryers more frequently so the fries come out light, golden brown, and not overcooked and laden with old, overused oil. When they say they have a special of the day, they need to actually HAVE that special of the day, especially at 6:00 pm !
I’ve spent a fortune at this place over the years, and they are on a downward slide. I’m not paying a fortune anymore for mediocre food. I hope this place picks it up a notch and offers better food for the price in the future. Until then, they are not getting any more of my money.

In the decades I have been eating at Hackneys the quality of the food and the kindness of the servers has never changed. It doesn’t matter if it is the location on Lake where my extended family dined tonight or my immediate family’s favorite haunt on Harms it’s always pleasant.
Tonight we had the treat of hearing high school carolers decked in beautiful clothes sing us carols. With the weather foggy and not remotely Christmasy it put us all in the spirit.
Thank you Hackneys for so many years of memories.

Hackney’s is the healthiest food in town. It’s like a more casual version of Applebee’s but for the calorie conscious. I got the health-​reuben with a side of diet fries. I felt my waistline shrinking as I ate this delicious nutritious meal.
For dessert, I got a fat burning protein choco chip cookie with health fudge and skinny cow ice cream. I’m convinced Arnold Schwarzenegger ate at Hackney’s triweekly in his prime; there’s no other way he could’ve been such a health machine.
If you’re vegan, come to Hackney’s. If you’re not vegan, come to Hackney’s. If you look like the mom from Honey Boo Boo and need to lose some weight, come to Hackney’s.
In conclusion, get on the Hackney’s diet.

Going downhill. I have given up ordering burgers as the last few were terrible. I ordered fish and chips. I received basically two fish sticks and a tiny amount of tartar sauce. Hackneys need to upgrade or they will all be gone (like Wheeling and Lake Zurich). Need to bring in new customers instead of the same people and their grandkids.

Between my hubby and son, we had the bleu cheeseburger, the regular 4oz burger with cheddar cheese and the stir fry. The burgers were always good as usual, but I didn’t realize the 4 oz burger comes on a different bun from the regular burger. Probably would not get that again. The stir fry was amazingly good. The entrée itself was huge with lots of nice sized chunks of veggies and chicken. It had really good flavor and next time I just might get that. WE also had the german chocolate cake which we weren’t crazy about and the apple strudel which was a healthy sized piece and very good.
We also had the ½ onion stack which was a big hit with everyone. It was huge and was thin sliced pieces of onions with a nice light crispy coating on them.
The décor in there is old school and kind of dark.
Of course, we will be back.

I have been coming to Hackney’s as long as I can remember. Every time I remember the strange room layout and the great burgers. We knew we wanted a casual and affordable place for our rehearsal dinner. Hackney’s fit the bill.
The friendliness of the managers was a bit of a crapshoot when I called for information. One manager, a woman, was very personable and thoroughly explained the options. There was a man who was not as friendly. Either way, we were able to book a private room for about 25 people. The package we got included onion rings, unlimited pop, and a choice of entrees.
Service was as efficient as it could be for a group of 25 people. They gave us one server which seemed strange for a group our size. The food kept on coming, however. Everyone was happy with their food. There was one glitch with the package but we do not know whether it was our memory or if they wrote it down. Otherwise, it made for a memorable evening.

Very good night! They were so
Accommodating and let us bring an ice cream birthday cake. I always get their patty melt on dark rye with American. Better than meals that I have had in a 5 star restaurant. You need to get the onion loaf well done. You won’t regret. Half price wine on Monday and Tuesday is great! Great fun night and the cubs beating the cardinals didn’t hurt. The only negative (depending on the kids age) is the game room that no one wants to leave. Games are fun but your odds at the stuffed animal game aren’t very good which caused some heart ache with the tots.

Heard about this place for a while, finally got a chance to come here, the Lake ave location. The place is big and white, with large pillars, it looks like a government building. Inside its dark, quiet and vintage like a funeral home. This place is pretty old and they have alot of customers who seem to be coming here for years, the avg age in this place seemed to be 60+. The food was not bad reminded me of a standard diner. The famous «claim to fame» french fried onions were tasty, and if they really did invent them I give them props. For this place to be open for nearly 70 years is very impressive, I feel a large part of that is because of their loyal senior citizen customers. The food is good, but not enough for a second visit for me.

The first time I visited Hackney’s was in 1962, when I was a college freshman at UIUC, I was in the Chicago area for the weekend and I went with some college friends who knew about this place way out in Glenview, and thought it would be a great place for a late-​night meal.
I remember that they offered a nice, big hamburger served on dark bread, accompanied by fries and a small serving of cole slaw. They also offered this huge brick of deep-​fried onion rings that seemed ample for at least six people.
I also remembered that I got gas from the onion rings.
Fast forward to my dotage, and Hackney’s is still there, offering pretty much the same fare as I experienced, although it seems like the Hackneyburger was a bit smaller than I recalled it, and it did not taste as well as it did when I was a wee lad of 18. It seemed a bit greasy for my tastes.
Our daughter was getting married, and we hosted a rehearsal dinner for about 25 people at Hackney’s because it was at a convenient location and a decent-​enough place for visitors from out of town. They assigned one waitress to our party, closed the doors to our area (so nobody could see ugly me), and our entire group proceeded to eat, eat, and eat. We paid for the grub, but they didn’t drink much because we set up a cash bar arrangement.
Something seemed to be different than my recollection. As I said, there seemed to be something «off» with what they served — or perhaps they prepare it differently than during the Kennedy administration. It sure cost a LOT more: in 1962, they charged something like $ 1.50, vs. $ 11.95 today. However, they offer unlimited (slightly underdone) fries.
Otherwise, it hasn’t changed much, nor has it been redecorated. The décor seems to be pretty much the same as it has been for more than 50 years. The menu, although expanded a bit, still features the same items as then. And the way you check in and how you are served, remain frozen in time. This is not to be overly critical, it just reminds me of a particular point of time in my life.
I am awarding Hackney’s four stars: three as an actual evaluation, plus one for personal nostalgia.
PS: I ate just a few onion rings at the rehearsal, but I still got gas. Ah, nostalgia. :)

We have been coming here & to the Hackney’s on Harms since the late mid 70’s.
First of all we came back because we got an e-​mail saying that Hackney’s now had a Happy hour. My husband & I haven’t been to a Hackney’s in over a year. The last time we visited we were very disappointed with the food.
Plus my husband is from Ireland & he was very unhappy with the way the Guinness was poured.
Anyway we thought with the Happy hour ½ price appetizers & drink specials we would try it again. Well first of all false advertisement on the ½ price appetizer (s). The only appetizer that is half price is their French fried onions. The drink specials are good, but although they do make the best French fried onions, do not advertise ½ price appetizers!
We also had their mini hackney burgers which we’re very mini but the French fried were very good & we always love their coleslaw that has a touch of horseradish.
Not sure when we will visit again!

Wait, hold up — I have to hack up this burger that I just had here. Despite what others say about this burger being delicious I couldn’t wait to wash it down with the cold beer I had clenched in my hand. I may be a little dramatic, but I take my burger game very seriously, bro and if those burger juices aren’t running down my arms then it’s just not cutting it. I’d asked for the burger to be medium rare and yet it came to me as this chewy patty with no juiciness and practically no flavor. It was pretty much as boring as boring gets. I understand that they are a long-​standing institution with supposedly classic burgers, but sometimes tradition is conquered by innovation which is what a lot of these other burger joints in Chicago have on Hackney’s.
Although I did not fancy the burger I did enjoy the fried onion rings which came stacked super high on a plate. This one plate was enough to feed four people as an appetizer so just imagine how many fried onion rings you could have if you have less than four people in your party. Along with the fried onion rings we also ordered the cheese curds which just didn’t compare to so many of the others that I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in the recent past. These cheese curds seemed to lack cheese inside of the fried dough which somewhat defeated the purpose of having a cheese curd. Thankfully I was able to have a nice pint of Bell’s Oberon to wash down these mediocre cheese curds and burger, but it would have been nice to enjoy one of my favorite seasonal beers with good food. Even the beer was more expensive than what I’ve encountered at other restaurants in the local area.
The environment couldn’t even help me enjoy my burger more because there were so many kids running around the restaurant. I understand that this is a family restaurant so kids will inevitably be there, but would it be so bad to leave the children at home sometimes? I’m obviously not a kid-​lover so I wasn’t having it with the unrestrained children running around and screaming while I was trying to enjoy a meal. It seemed odd to me too that there was someone making blow-​up balloon animals for kids in a restaurant that seems to pride itself on its classy demeanor. Needless to say, I was a little confused about the entire experience.
Despite my lack of enjoyment at Hackney’s, they have a nice patio which would be a wonderful place to sit when it’s nice outside. I would almost rather come here to enjoy a beer out on the patio during a late summer evening, but other than that I can’t say that I’d ever desire to come back.

Unfortunately my friends and I had an unwelcoming experience here tonight. I have respect to all of those who deserve it, but I felt like we were disrespected and looked down upon by our waitress and the other patrons there as if we can’t afford your gastropub prices. Yeah right. Ha!
For example, someone sneezed and I said bless you. He just gave me a dirty look.
Our waitress was only pleasant to us towards the end of our stay when we sincerely complimented her with «thank you’s» throughout our meal, because as customers that is the right thing to do. But even at the end, she couldn’t handle closing out our tab. She left the job to another waitress. The younger hostess inside was very kind to us and the lady who closed out our tab. Thank you to the two of you for your kindness.
The food was good though. The 3 of us had: Mini hackney burgers which were literally small, but cute, clean and easy to eat, large fried onion rings were great, but seriously is made for more than just 1 person alone lol, and the hummus plate was plentiful for more than 1 person too lol.
2 stars for the food and young hostess and the waitress who closed out our bill.

Came in around 9 pm knowing they closed at 10 pm and everything looked like it was closing down. A waiter walking in with us said– come on in just closing down but failed to direct my boyfriend and I where to sit, so after standing there like idiots for a minute we just sat at the bar.
It took about 5 minutes for anyone to acknowledge us regardless the fact there was one older gentleman and one younger one repeatedly walking behind the bar to put bar glasses away so I finally asked the older man if they are still opened? And he just said the kitchen? Yeah. And finally gave us water but I had to ask for menus. Honestly, my bf and I are quick eaters and we didn’t go to hang out. We just wanted dinner. I feel like if your service was quicker, the quicker we could leave and let you keep closing. An hour is ample time, I wouldn’t have shown up past 9 30. It definitely left a sour taste, and to top it off absolutely nothing is seasoned. No wonder they also greet you with condiments and halfway filled salt and pepper. Honestly, can’t find a reason to revisit. The food was bad, the service was bad… NEXT!

I just don’t get it.
I don’t get why my North Shore family likes this place.
I arrived for a reservation. I was meeting family. I checked with the hostess. She said no one from the party was there, so I said I would wait. I waited for 10 – 15′ when a member of my dining party texted me asking where I was. My party had already arrived and had already been seated.
The food is awful. It’s foodservice-​quality diner food: everything premade and frozen some things are still frozen when they come to your table, like the chicken wings, which had frosty insides. The outsides weren’t great either. When a member of my dining party brought this to the attention of Hackney’s staff, he didn’t do anything, say anything, or show that he cared just a little bit. The staff routinely mess up orders and don’t seem to care. These are not big mistakes, but careless ones.
The staff just doesn’t care. They seem nice enough but they are not trained well and don’t care about the diners. A member of the staff was clearing dishes and dropped a knife onto the back of a dining companion. He didn’t apologize to her, he didn’t offer to clean the grease off her shirt, he didn’t ask if the knife had injured her. He said, «next time I won’t miss.»
I asked a member of the staff for a Manhattan and she looked truly befuddled. No one in the front of the house should be ignorant of a few things, and a Manhattan cocktail is one of those things. I should have known better and ordered a beer in a bottle but I explained the Manhattan cocktail. She returned with something truly undrinkable that reeked of cheap vermouth that had spoiled on the rack.
I have not referred to members of Hackney’s staff by title (server, busser, etc) because its impossible to tell who has what role when there are so many different staff members working your table. I have had more than three or four people acting as servers for one lunch. They never introduce themselves or explain what happened.
Hackney’s staff deliver food on multi-​tiered carts that they push thru the dining room. It’s bizarre: the carts make a lot of noise, bump the chairs that diners are sitting in, and you have the weird experience of watching someone reach down on the bottom shelf to pick up your food. It’s disgusting.
From what I understand, Hackneys is known for two signature items: onion rings in a block and a hamburger on rye. Both are bizarre and disappointing; neither is an improvement on classic items of American food.
The best thing about onion rings is the maximum ratio of fried crunchy surface to interior onion flavor. Hackneys destroys this by mashing all of the free-​frying onion rings into a giant block in the deep fryer basket. The diners then get a big block of onions, dough, and grease. It’s disgusting and you can’t dip the onion rings in your sauce of choice because they’re mashed together in a doughy greasy block.
The hamburger on rye bread sounds reasonable enough but is truly disappointing for a burger fan. The meat is good enough but the rye bread is so thin and insubstantial that the burger drippings soak thru, disintegrate the bottom piece of rye, and when you pick up the sandwich, the burger patty falls thru the hole that the burger’s juices made in the bottom slice of rye. The diner is then left to pick thru the remains of the burger with a fork and knife.
My father summed up the problem with Hackney’s: it’s not just the awful food sold at a ridiculous mark up or the botching of American food favorites, it’s that at Hackney’s there is no dignity for the diner.

Pretty typical burger and fries kind of place. The building is pretty cool but that’s the only thing that stood out. We started with the onion stack which was just ok, I’ve had better. There were large pieces that were stuck together and the breading was falling off. I had a patty melt with broccoli. The melt was good, well cooked and juicy. The broccoli was plain steamed broccoli. My girlfriend got a side of steamed spinach, it’s just steamed spinach without any seasoning. Another person got the ham sandwich and was disappointed. They did have a selection of $ 3 beers which was nice. Overall I though it was ok, I might come back in the future.

AWFUL! My wife and I go sick on the Lake Perch fish fry. BAD. GREASY and the service was slow. We got our apps AFTER the dinner. BTW, I hate places that have multiple servers! Instead of having one server take 6 – 7 table which they cannot handle so they need help from others, try limiting them to 4 – 5 and this way patrons can deal with that server instead of having to deal with others to correctly order the meal.
Will not go back