Love The Lucky Monk! I come here every chance I get. Any time I got some extra cash and want some good food I’m here! I love their beer selection. Always get to try something new. Food is always fresh and properly done. Tastes so good. They occasionally make some changes to the menu but you know for the most part they will have their strong usual items. Can’t go wrong with any of the burgers or appetizers. Those are my favorite. Try the fried pickles — delicious! If you’re looking for a nice romantic spot, this isn’t the place. It’s loud and active and really a fun vibe. You going out with your friends, then come here!
Joanna W.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Palatine, IL
Overall good restaurant, clean, great staff. Truffle fries are excellent. Kids love the options as well. Great hummus app.
Effie D.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Skokie, IL
Nice ambience. Diverse menu options. Ordered the bbq salmon which was cooked on cedar plank. I thought it would have had a rich smokey taste; maybe the strong tangy bbq sauce wiped it out. Either way, it was tasty that I finished it all. Large beer selection, but the taste of their own brewed beers didn’t stand out. our waitress was great; very attentive and checked in on us fairly often. I would have considered giving a higher rating, but the poor service at the hostess stand put a bad taste in our mouths as soon as we walked in. They first said its 45 min wait at 8:00 for a party of 7(3 were kids). Then they told us they’d seat us sooner since we had 3 small children and everyone else waiting were couples. As we patiently waited, we watched the bus boys clear up several tables and sit empty as the hostesses continued to have personal conversations. It must have been a juicy topic b/c they were laughing and not paying much attention to the guests standing around. As we stared at a few large tables ready for seating, we watched the hostesses seat everyone including parties of 2 that just walked in. Then when we were the only party left waiting, my husband walked near the hostess stand and obviously looked behind them at the large empty table that had been empty for a good 10 – 15 mins. It was just then that the hostess noticed and said«I can seat you now.» They really made us wait 45 mins. I don’t expect special treatment b/c we have small children with, but I don’t appreciate hostesses making promises they don’t keep, servicing others coming in after us, and us having to interrupt their conversations to hint to them that there is clearly a table ready and there was no one waiting. The parking lot was packed but not surprised for a sat night. They offer complimentary valet parking, but the line was pretty long that it was faster for us to follow those leaving the restaurant and taking their spot. We’ll likely return after a few months in hopes the service upon entry has improved.
Jessica Z.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Chicago, IL
I’ve been to the lucky monk a few times for dinner and drinks and it is delicious. The service is very good but the food is what really stands out. Great place to go with a group of friends to share/split meals!
B R Hungry X.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Chicago, IL
Such a cool brewery and restaurant. Would classify as a gastropub. Must haves are their nachos, pickle spears, and truffle fries. Beer is good. Will come back to try more menu items.
Clint R.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 McHenry, IL
Showed up with wife after catching a movie at the AMC30. Really nice place on the inside. Service was good. We sat in the bar area. We ordered the Trappist Trio appetizer and split a 50⁄50 burger which was plenty of food. Food was well done. What drains the rating is the beer. Place is a brewery which means beer should be the shining star. We got a flight of what they currently had to split and wasn’t impressed with any of them. Most of them were light on the malt which gave them a watery, thin, weak beer. The second round I got a Revolution Fistmas and wife got a Hoffbrau Dunkel in a bottle. On a side note, I am not sure how you claim to be modeled after monks and not have a Trappist ale or a Bock beer on tap. And if you are a brewery and people come to eat and drink other peoples beer, then you have issues.
Melissa K.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Wauconda, IL
Cannot say enough good things about this place I’ve been a couple times their cheese curds are to die for yummy beer batter and dipping sauces the fish tacos are some of the freshest tasting I’ve tried their burgers are yummy fresh the toppings are so yummy and crunchy and the bun is toasted and not soggy at all and my fav is the chopped salad it’s so crunchy fresh and yummy the chicken is delish and the dressing is amazing I will continue to come here again and again
D S.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Bolingbrook, IL
Vegetarian review: Excellent service on a busy Sunday afternoon. Jason was awesome in providing vegetarian options to choose from. Started out with the Pickle Fries, chips not strips. Delicious, but greasy. We were starving so they were amazing. We ordered the Patty Melt(forgot the full name) and the Hot Pepper burger with the spelt patties. Both were amazing and huge portions. I’ll have enough for another two meals. For the sides we chose truffle fries and cheese curds — also pretty darn good. Nice décor, great service, great food. I’ll be back again for sure.
Kayla F.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Knoxville, TN
Wanted to grab dinner really quick without feeling awkward about sitting alone, so I went to this amazing bar! I’ve been here for lunch before and had the poblano chili(mmmmmmmmmm), so I knew I’d have amazing choices for dinner. I got the steak tacos, it comes with 5 mini tacos then rice and beans. The beans were amazing, I’ve never had black bean refried beans before. Couldn’t of had a better experience. Will definitely be back for more!
Debbie F.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Lindenhurst, IL
Arrived in the late afternoon on a Sunday(about 2). We ordered a a grilled cheese burger medium rare and no onions, twisted chicken sandwich, a plain cheeseburger and two kids cheese pizzas. The food was dissapointing. The grilled cheese burger came over cooked with onion, the kids pizzas were very, very salty. sweet potatoe fries were burned and cold. The twisted chicken was ok but didn’t see any bacon, avacado was a smear on the bun. By the time the server checked on us it was a bit late to get things fixed. It is a shame the menu made the food sound fabulous and filling. The portions were very small and we left hungry. For what you get the prices were too high also. Would not go again unless some serious changes are made.
Melissa B.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Bartlett, IL
This place has gone downhill I came here specifically because I had a taste for their fantastic pretzels. Well they are fantastic no more. They now taste like those bad ones you buy in a box at the grocery store. Nothing special about them at all. I had crab bisque and an adequate Waldorf salad. My Old Fashioned was all watered down with ice and thus I received ZERO buzz on this typically strong drink. The only good thing this place now has going for it is its beer selection.
Melissa G.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Lake Zurich, IL
After a horrible experience here, our family will not be back. It’s unfortunate because it seems this establishment is well liked. It was crowded so we took a table at the bar. We were on a time crunch and let them know that when we were seated. The assured us that it was no problem. However, the four of us sat at that table for over an hour with only our drinks. The food we had ordered was no where to be found. Finally we had to simply cancel our order and asked for our check. They didn’t even bat an eye when we explained why we were leaving. Every time we go to a movie, we look at the Lucky Monk, and then opt to go elsewhere.
T B.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Barrington, IL
Dinner with friends before Christmas service last night. Not sure why they stopped making the pretzels in house they now taste cheep! My burger was good not great, I must say the beer is the reason to stop in. Our server was friendly… gets a thumbs up! Sorry I can’t do better then three stars it seems that they are now longer focusing on quality.
Kevin P.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Chicago, IL
This is a great restaurant ! They do a lot with burgers and beer, so if that’s your thing, you would like this place. The servers are all attentive and friendly. The atmosphere is casual and very laid back. But they do have private rooms too if you had a party. Overall a great place !
Susan B.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Chicagoland, IL
Have to update my review as I was just here for a baby shower and the experience was very poor. Since I didn’t contract the event, Unilocal won’t let me comment on that portion of the experience. Let’s just say Lucky Monk isn’t a place to hold larger events as there is a lot of miscommunication. *My* experience with the service was fine, however the food was very disappointing. I specifically asked for my burger to be well done and it came out mooing. I could smell the blood as I carefully ate the more cooked edges. I’m not one to send food back to the kitchen so I just dealt with it. Brownies provided by Lucky Monk were like bricks… I couldn’t even stick my fork into it! Glad I didn’t bite into it because I’d be sending my dental bill to management. Anyways, I’d avoid holding any type of event here as it doesn’t seem to be something they can handle.
Mark B.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Chicago, IL
We had a late dinner, on a Friday night, at Lucky Monk with some friends and had a tasty meal. Décor: The interior is decorated like a restaurant(mainly) and a brewery(secondly). It’s a nicer place and is quiet large — any size group you have should be able to be accommodated. The lighting is decent, not super bright as to set a more relaxed and laid-back mood(which works). I did not, however, get a look at the bar area but it, too, looks nice. Bathroom: clean and inviting, well looked after — just make sure you go in the correct one(I accidently went into the woman’s room at first… I guess it pays to double check haha… thankfully it was empty) Staff: Our waiter was pretty nice but seemed a bit off. It was just small occurrences, however, like him not hearing our orders(and it wasn’t exactly loud/busy in there). For example, we had to correct him several times on our ordered items as he was walking away. Drinks/Food: We had beers and wine(some homemade craft brews and some other) and they were tasty. We started with the hummus(decent) and the chicken wings(good sized and good flavor) before moving on to our meals: the Trout(enjoyable), the salmon(tasty, the sauce was decent), a burger(amazing! Their burgers are GREAT!), and the roast beef(yum). Everything was tasty and fine, but nothing blew us away(except for the burger, which was outstanding). The food selection on the menu is solid, the execution is just on par. Value: The prices are about what you’d expect but I think the drink prices are a bit high($ 5 for a Miller light?). Overall, Lucky Monk is a decent place to try if you have never been. We’d return for another burger but other than that…
Jacqueline B.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Aurora, IL
Lucky Monk… I like what you’ve got going on. This bar does bar food right, has a well balanced menu, and offers a fun ambiance for hanging out. I met my sister here for dinner and really enjoyed my experience! The hostess asked if we wanted to sit in the dining room or the bar, so we opted for the bar area. Even the bar had a nice mix of high top tables and some booths, so I was happy to be sat at a booth. Our waitress was nice and attentive. She checked up on us a lot and was a trooper when it came time for us to order, because it took us forever to decided since we kept gabbing away! The menu has a great mix of mouth watering appetizers, salads, soup, pizza, fish, sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and desserts. It was hard to choose! My sister recommended the tacos, so I went with that and got the skirt steak tacos. These babies include 5 mini tacos filled with pasilla & ancho chile marinated skirt steak, avocado, five-chile cheese sauce, roasted salsa, and sour cream. Plus is comes with a side of Mexican rice, refried black beans, and a lime. These little juicy bites were delicious! Well worth $ 12.95. The best part was that this meal was the perfect portion. I definitely cleaned my plate, but felt perfectly content afterwards(not stuffed and not starving). I was going to stick with just water, but then I of course started browsing their beer list. I was intrigued by their own beer on draft, so I ordered a pint of their Confessional which is an American IPA and a hop lovers dream. I definitely suggest giving it a try. My sister lives and works nearby The Lucky Monk, so I look forward to plenty of future visits! Lots more of this menu to try…
Ryan H.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Prospect Heights, IL
I’ve changed my 5 star review to a 2 star for multiple reasons. The Lucky Monk has always been one of my favorite places to eat but they’re gone downhill. We always start out with their warm pretzels and NO restaurant comes close to the Lucky Monk’s pretzels, mainly their dipping sauces. This last time we also ordered the cheese curds, once again delicious! The drop in 3 stars has been coming for a while now. First, their quality in beer has declined, sometimes it’s a carbonation issue and other times it’s the taste. I have noticed my favorite beer«the fallen angel» has gotten more bitter of late and is unappealing to me anymore. I tried their Oktoberfest the other day and wow… one of the worst Oktoberfests i’ve had all year. Not east to drink at all. Secondly and most importantly, they keep changing their menu and not in a good way. First they removed their ever popular beer braised short rib pasta, that was a huge mistake. This dish was my wife’s favorite and was often so popular that they wouldn’t have the short rib in stock. So my wife found a new favorite dish. and once again they changed their menu and removed that dish from the list. Basically all the Lucky Monk has become is a pizza and burger restaurant. There has been a sign in front for a while now that reads hiring ALL positions. That could have something to do with these changes. Did a head chef leave along with all the delicious food? Did the head brewer leave? Finally, please do something about your fries. they are not tasty. They taste burnt every time.
Chris M.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Bloomingdale, IL
The girls picking up the phones need training… Friday at 5pm I called in and asked for a table for 2 for 5:45. The hostess said she can’t reserve a table less than an hour in advance. So I ask if there’s a wait at the very moment and she said no and she can’t guarantee there won’t be a wait when we arrive. We show up at 5:45 and maybe 80% of the tables are available. Maybe it was her first day? This receptionist needs better training by restaurant management in serving customers. If someone calls in requesting to eat at their restaurant you put a smile on and do whatever it takes to meet their needs. Forget policy, customers don’t care. They choose to eat at places with great customer service and that usually comes with the same level of food & ambience. I’m giving 5 stars again because our server Dan(Red) was great; he knows the beer list and the food menu inside and out. The burgers are the perfect portion with a balance of great ingredients, but the fries are below average… quite soggy.
Mary H.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Falls Church, VA
We wanted to go beer tasting and have lunch so we decided to try this place. It’s big, spacious, with plenty of parking. They had numerous tasting sizes to fit your mood. The beer was good and the menu had a nice variety of options. I went with the steak mini tacos… They looked sooo good. But they were sooo salty! It made me drink my beer faster along with a couple glasses of water. The calamari was crispy and just as salty. I guess that was the going theme of our lunch. Staff was friendly and attentive. Maybe it was my food choice. I would try this place again, later…