Fox Park Grille

Guys– please work on service… Ours was some par and I want you to do well! Food was great… I had turkey burger and fries — yum. Waitresses didn’t seem to know about their beers and weren’t particularly helpful in general.

The inconsistencies of this place are its downfall. Hours change daily. Food availability is spotty, the menu is not up to date as to what is offered and the offerings are unimaginative. Beers on tap running out regularly. No credit card machine. All these things run together and spell doom for these current owners.
Same scenarios as when it was the previous Shenandoah bar and grill. Funny thing is that this neighborhood supported the location as «tanner b’s». But with the lackluster food and inconsistent management and operation you get lots of one visit customers. I know many neighbors who tried to support them. But finally just gave up. at one time they even distributed coupons to the neighborhood, but when we went to use it, the manager wasn’t onsite, and he was the only one who could redeem the coupon?!
very poor management.

Things have slipped a bit since the opening.

It takes a lot to get 1 star but this place was close. If my friends did not enjoy their meals (burger) it would be a 1 for sure… it looked like we were the first people to ever eat or order food in this place. I decided to go with the Turkey Club and could not even eat it. The reason, they took a block of deli meat turkey and cut chunks off for my sandwich. It was terrible. A fresh roasted turkey cut into chucks is one thing, but a block of wet pasturized deli meat… yuck. Now that alone does not deserve just 2 stars the fact they didn’t have diet soda (eventually found a 2 liter and poured drinks from that) or ranch dressing. Those 2 items kind of seem like a staple. In my mind, if an establishment can’t get those 2 things right it has a lot to say about their kitchen staff. I will not be back.

This place has pretty good food, I have tried a few things off the menu, both drunk and sober. They tasted great each time. The Cajun Burger is really good with Swiss and mushrooms on it. The Burger is seasoned well with a definite Creole flavor… can you say yum! This is my idea of a local place, where it gets better every time I walk through the doors. The owner is a really nice guy who will sit down and have a conversation with you. But, let me get to the best part … the bartenders. These ladies in this place are a diverse mix of personalities with plenty to say that will have you cracking up, or going what the hell did she say… or hula hoops. yes hula hoops. You’ll have to visit to find out about that one lol. They make have a shortage of taps I agree, but it is a newer business that is getting a feel for what its customer base wants. Trust me spend a few nights down there, let them become familiar with your face and this place WILL be your neighborhood bar!

Meh. This place is okay. I have been there twice and every time I get the bill, they over charge me for at least one thing. The first time, they made it right. The second time, I just didn’t feel like complaining again about this, especially since we had a coupon. But, the fried pickles, listed as $ 7, were $ 8 on our bill. And on Monday night they have $ 10 dollar bucket night. I guess yesterday was the exception, because they charged us $ 12 (after suggesting we buy it). For a bucket of stag, even. Before the bucket, we had a few stags. $ 2.50 each. I have never seen anyone charge that much for stag. I just went for it because they were out of Blue Moon (bottle AND draft) and Shock Top. No wheat beer? Stag will do, at least it will be cheaper.
As some of the other patrons, I live in the neighborhood — wanted to drink and walk home. Not really worth it. The food IS good, but not worth the price. I’d much rather drink at home than this place.

Ever wonder what a characterless neighborhood boozer looked like brand new? Stop into Fox Park Grille. Everything about this place is simple. Average chairs, average décor, average beer list, music from one of those internet juke boxes. Only three taps, small menu, and a light crowd. But it’s all new and clean. As Aimee K. mentioned, this place was eerily quiet on a Friday evening.
I never seem to understand dives that have no theme, no character, no kitsch. I assume there is no requirement that owners do nothing but provide a warm place with food and drink for patrons to wind down. But do they stay in business?
Everything about the experience is characterless until the food comes out. Who is in that kitchen? The meatball hoagie was really excellent. Homemade meatballs, perfectly toasted garlic bread and excellent fries. The wings were very flavorful. And, well, the beer was cold. Our server was working several tables alone while three bartenders hammed it up behind the bar for only two patrons. She assured us she was fine but I thought she could have used some help.
For a neighborhood boozer, there is little to complain about, but nothing to get excited about either. We live around the corner, however, so characterless or not, walking home doesn’t put Fox Park Grille on the ‘do not call’ list.

Karaōke on MK on Friday night is awesome. No one mixes like MK. The staff here are friendly and remember who you are… as in have a drink ready when you sit down friendly. The food is really excellently prepared also. Give it a try and you won’t regret it. The customer service is what got them a five star rating.

While this place started out as a really great place to hang out with good food, I do have to say the food quality has gone down increasingly since we started going. A few key menu changes have made the menu more like regular bar food than a place you may want to go more than just get a few drinks. They took off the cheese bites (which had different cheese fried) and replaced them with regular mozzarella sticks which all the cheese leaked out of leaving me with empty mozzarella shells, and took off the mac & cheese & shrimp from t he menu — which was actually some of the best mac & cheese I’d had. Even better than nicer restaurants I’d been too.
It’s been incredibly loud at night when we go in to grab dinner, and when your server tells you her «Specialty» shot is a lemon drop, it’s probably not a place that will be known for their drinks.
I had high hopes but in the end I guess if I want a cheap beer and some bar food I’ll know where to go. As a bright spot they do still have the turkey burger.

I’ve been waiting to get over to Fox Park Grille since I’m in the neighborhood a lot, and tonight I finally made it in! I didn’t have the best experience, but my entrée choice was a pretty good one. I’m pretty middle of the road when it comes to this place.
When we walked in, there were a few people at the bar and no one at any of the tables, and WOW was it quiet! I don’t mean the music was a little low, I mean it was completely silent to the point where it was eerie. The guys at the bar seemed to all be there alone, and were just staring down at their drinks. Feeling like I was in the twilight zone a little, we grabbed a table and decided to go for it anyway. (Side note: some music did come on shortly after we sat down… but there would be 5 – 6 minutes of silence in between each song…)
The bartender/​server came over and got us some drinks, and cautiously asked us if we wanted to order any food. This is where my biggest issue exists. When we first got there, the cook kind of peeked his head out to see if he was going to have to cook anything — it was pretty obvious. When my friend ordered the crab stuffed mushrooms, the server was completely annoyed… so we asked her if the kitchen was closing or something. «No,» she replied… «I just remember we were out of some things last week… I dunno… I guess it’s fine.» Um, HUH? My friend then asked her what the steak fries were like, to which the server replied, «they’re pretty much like regular ones. I don’t know. I don’t really eat fries.» I can’t make this stuff up, folks. I ordered the meatball sub and it actually was very good. I only could eat about ¼th of it because it was so huge, but I really liked it a lot. It came with chips and salsa, which I thought was great! (Another side note: come to find out, the kitchen closes at 10 during the week… so I’m not sure what the big deal was!)
We paid our bill and then wandered out in a bit of a weird mood and wondering what just happened. I don’t think I’ll be back here, but they DO have different specials every night of the week which might be worth checking out. Wine specials on Friday night and $ 4 Bloody Mary’s on Saturday. Might be worth a shot, but be prepared for a strange dining experience if you go on a Monday night!

We finally stopped in the new restaurant a couple blocks away, and we’re glad we did! We started with the jerk wings… And no kidding, they were some of the best wings I’ve ever had. The sauce on them was amazing. Delicious. Then we got some of the burgers. Big. Juicy. Great flavor… And the prices were very reasonable. A great neighborhood addition & we will definitely be back.

There were some pluses and minuses about our dinner.
The pluses: wonderful meat loaf, excellent grilled cheese, tempura-​like onion rings, and a nice change of pace for vegetarians: a goat cheese stuffed pepper. Salad was an old fashioned iceberg lettuce wedge — nice to see a childhood classic.
The minuses: overly salty hamburger, a missed drink order, no take-​out boxes, and the credit card machine was broken.
Why get 4 stars after all those minuses? Because everybody in the restaurant was clearly enjoying themselves. A nice atmosphere.

Went down there for dinner tonight and everything was great… the steaks were really good and the fried pickles were the best I have ever had… they are not your typical fried pickles… the cook they have there is friggin’ awesome. Can’t wait to go back and try some of the other items we were looking at on the menu. The only thing I wish they had that they didn’t tonight was Iced Tea as I prefer Tea with a good meal over soda or beer. We will be back though as I’m dying to try some of the other food items.

Pretty much backing up the good reviews for Fox Park Grille. Enjoyed the classic wings, cheese ball appetizer, meatloaf, turkey burger & BST (bacon, slaw & tomato). Everything tasted fresh and home-​made, i.e. not frozen in a bag bar fare. That goes for the fries too, which probably do come frozen but were perfectly cooked with a sprinkle of black pepper and parmesan? on top. Awesome portions & prices.
Gotta say the service was sub-​par, but since this isn’t fine dining who cares. Real laid back & friendly, like a corner bar should be.
I lament Tanner B’s like the rest, but this place is great in it’s own right.

Great first meal last night. The burgers were very good. Keep it up

I have been to Fox Park Grill twice since it re-​opened about a week ago. This is going to be a GREAT little neighborhood bar and grill.
On Saturday night, it was seriously hopping. There was a DJ and lively conversation — sometimes between tables –as we ate and drank merrily. Neighbors seemed to stop in for a drink and stay when they ran into other acquaintances. I half-​expected someone to shout «NORM!» each time the door opened.
On our Thursday night visit, there was an appropriate mix of diners and happy-​hour-​drinkers. Once again, people were chatting with other tables and with the customers at the bar.
Each time my husband and I visited (including the first time), the bartender greeted us each time as if we were regulars — this is a big plus. I had a burger and fries each time (Shroom and Swiss) — delicious. Others at my table ordered various burgers, and in one case fried pickles — and people seemed to find their food tastier than expected. The food is a huge improvement over recent past establishments at this location.
The service is also great so far. We bombard our poor 18-​year-​old waitress on their first night open with a table of about 10−12… she handled us with ease (and with a speedy kitchen churning out orders).
This bar has a much better vibe than Bo-de-ga’s or the bar that was briefly open before that. All they need to do now is fully stock their Schlafly beers… which I am told will happen next Monday (pale is already on tap).
I might get very fat going here this winter.
Recommendation: Try to find the hilarious typo on the menu…

Great new place! We tried the pork sandwich and the blue cheese stuff burger. Both were excellent. Loved the fries too. Great atmosphere and friendly service. Can’t wait to go back.

Great little neighborhood bar/​restaurant. I suggest you try the cheese trio (cheese balls). I also had their veggie sandwich, very good. My friends had the red pepper with goat cheese and said it was fantastic.

This place used to be good. The food sometimes took a while to come out but it was always worth the wait. The place always had a decent sized, friendly neighborhood crowd and it was fun to just hang out and chat while waiting. We’d go there at least once a week. Lately though, the food has taken a complete dive and there are hardly any patrons in there anymore. They have switched to plain, fried bar food and that wouldn’t be so bad if 1) it didn’t all taste terrible and 2) it didn’t take twice as long to come out as the good food did on the busiest days. It’s a shame. This place is in our neighborhood and we could walk there (and stumble home) on nice nights. But now it’s just not worth the walk. I can get a six pack and a tv dinner and have a better dining experience at home. We kept giving this place a chance even after repeated bad experiences but we’ve finally thrown in the towel.
Our last experience (and last straw) went as follows: we ordered a couple of appetizers, four entrees, and several drinks for our party of four. One of our party ordered a mixed drink and it had to be fixed three times before the bartender got it right. Mind you, this drink only has three ingredients. Then our first appetizer came out. Fried pickles. Wow were they bad! They were terribly overcooked so the breading looked the color of cardboard and the pickles themselves had turned to jelly. They were awful but they did come out about 15 minutes after we ordered them so there’s that. Then the entrees took an additional 40 minutes. We were one of only two tables and everything we ordered was ridiculously simple (bar food!) so we weren’t sure what the hold up was. Anyway, got our food and it was both undercooked (pink burgers) and overcooked (dark brown french fries). Get this: everything was covered in parsley! Everything! Even our hot dog had a heaping sprinkling of parsley on it. How fancy! And– just in case that wasn’t ridiculous enough– just as we had almost managed to force down our entrees, our second appetizer showed up. Yep, at least an hour after the first appetizer arrived our fried mozzarella sticks came. I am giving this place two stars because the waitress did seem genuinely embarrassed by everything and was very nice. In general we’ve always had nice waitstaff so this place at least has one thing going for it.
I really wanted this place to do well. The neighborhood is filled with young professionals and new families and we all want a gathering spot. But if the food continues to be awful I’m afraid no one will go there and it’ll eventually be shuttered. They have to get their act together with the food. They can have DJs, karaōke, trivia, $ 1.99 burgers, and any other gimmick but it won’t bring people in if the food is bad. I’m pulling for them, though and I will go back if they get better food. Here’s hoping.