I found this place because of Groupon and I am glad I did. Â The entrance was a little weird because you walk in and no one is there so you have to walk the bar area to ask for a seat. Â Once seated, everything was awesome.
My boyfriend and I could not decide between the fried pickles (him) and the cheese curds (me) so we decided to order (and finish) both! Â Both were pretty good. Â I prefer my fried pickles in slices rather than spears, but that is my own pickiness. Â The cheese curds were okay, but I have had better.
I had a Blue Iris to drink and it was incredible. Â For dinner I ordered the saltimbocca burger (which bumps my review to four stars) with a side of mac and cheese that our waitress was raving about. Â The burger was huge and fantastic. Â The mac and cheese was a bit watery and just average.
The owner came over and greeted us which was nice.
I will return for half price burger night on Mondays.
This was totally worth the trip to Elgin. The fried pickles were exactly what I wanted out of a fried pickle appetizer. The burgers and fries as well were delicious. It was a slow rainy day so my staff experience was probably atypical, but the bartender, Dave, introduced himself and was extremely well versed in all the beers the bar held. That alone will get me to come back. Friendly and knowledgable staff. The only compliant if it can even be called that is that the lighting was just a tad to dark for mid-rainy day. But overall definitely worth a visit or two.
Review Source:I'm bumping EPH up a star to the coveted 5-star status!
We come to EPH regularly and each time the food has been delicious. Â From sandwiches and burgers (my favorite burger of all time is here) to pork chops, mac n cheese, meatloaf, etc., it's all been soooo very good. Â They have your standard bar fare but plenty of other items on their extensive menu - something for everyone.
I'm bumping them up a star because their service has improved. Â The service has always been friendly but was previously on the slow side...like, turtle slow...but over the past few months it's definitely sped up and consistently stayed that way. Yay!
Also, they have daily specials so check out their website. Â Mondays are half-price burgers!
They also have a big selection of tasty brews to wash down all that delicious food.
Been here twice in one week. I'd say it's an alright place to hang out with friends on a late night. This place is great because it is right next to the Medusa Night Club.
Service:
Nothing spectacular. Service ranges from kinda good to okay. I had one condescending waitress that stated that their Bison burgers was the best I will ever have. If only right? I don't like getting hype and then being disappointed lol. I have had amazing burgers in my lifetime though, so it can't be helped.
Food:
Food quality is fairly good. Nothing was really memorable, but they have a vast selection of food. Everything was tasty and the portions were satisfying. I wouldn't recommend paying the premium for the Bison burger. It was pretty disappointing after paying the high price and being hyped over it. The Kobe burgers are about 8/10 on the burger scale for me. I don't like paying the high premium price of upwards $15+ so I probably won't get these burgers again. The quality is there though in their menu, and I can appreciate that considering Elgin is kind of dry when it comes to good food in general.
Atmosphere:
Probably what will bring me and my friends back. The music is pretty awesome, but it isn't too loud. Everything is fairly clean with lots of stimulating lights and decoration in the background. The place is designed for groups and the atmosphere is definitely a very enjoyable medium between bar and restaurant. Nothing like rocking out to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" with friends and bar folk.
I'd go here again on a late night with friends for sure! I can't imagine going here alone for the food though. Great place next to the Medusa Night Club too! The sports fan would definitely enjoy this place I feel. The music is great if you love that good ole classic Rock n Roll!
I have been here twice now. Â Once on a date and another with family. Â Both times were wonderful. Â The service was helpful and friendly. Â The food was fantastic. Â I recommend the friend pickles as an appetizer.
I have had the Kobe Burger and it was delish! Â I also had the Pulled Pork Plus (with coleslaw). Â I will be back for that meal again.
There was a huge selection of beer, although a Blue Moon suited me just fine. Â Great place to dine & relax!
The staff here is pleasant and very helpful. I decided to come here last min with some family. They staff is very knowledgable about their daily specials. I tried their BLT sandwich along with a very tasty strawberry cannoli for dessert. And the dessert is $1! Â How awesome is that? VERY AWESOME!
This place is awesome for groups to chill and enjoy a good brew, or to enjoy a quick lunch.
#ResidentRec
I am a Resident Recommended Ambassador for the Elgin Area.
Title this one: VERY $PENDY BURGER BAR, variable and cloudy...
A recent takeout was some kind of green chile burger w/cheez...and it was HORRID! Hey, Jokers, get Out West and see how a chile burger is assembled. THOU SHALT USE BROADLY SLICED WHOLE GREEN CHILES, dumb*sses. NOT ground-up chile crumbs. Also, the CHEEZ was some UNIDENTIFIABLE CHEEZ-WHIZ! This was possibly the WORST burger I have ever had at a "restaurant. SOGGY and GREASY with CHEEZ-FRIGGIN'-WHIZ! Oh- I ordered it cooked M, and it was RAW/RARE/RAW. IF I was in the restaurant eating it, I'd have sent it back. It was takeout, the fam brought it home, so I forced it down...and it SUCKED OUT LOUD.
Continuing: I used to like this place...
A star off for miniscule portions on many items. Cajun shrimp app? Very tasty, but light on qty. And another star deduct for pretty darn high prices. The owner here is always in a good mood, as he must be raking it in- the menu is very spendy. I mean $10 for a burger? Come on, Chief, lighten UP! It seems every item is $2-4 more than it really needs to be. IF it were less expensive I'd come in more often...
Some decent "home made "soups that are far better than the typical CANNED soups that other regional franchises and indys serve up around here. I had the grouper sandwich and it was quite good, but SoCal $pendy- like $12+, EEK! Our last visit, we had a server named "Lincoln", I am not making that up. He was a young tat-meister, and did a good job. He was also QUITE LOUD AND SEEMED TO SHOUT EVERY WORD AS HE SERVED US! LINCOLN, TAKE IT DOWN A CUPPLA NOTCHES, OK? This is a rather common trait here in the bleak, dreary, salt-the-roads-so-your-new-car-gets-cancer  MidWest: The LOUD!!!!!! MIDWESTERN SPEECH AFFLICTION.
HEY, LINCOLN! Go..... EMANCIPATE my $7 BEER and BRING it to me!
Big selection of craft beers here. It's my main reason for going to EPH the last couple of times. I don't think they have much on tap, but they do have a lot of Black & ____ combos. Of course, the regular Black & Tan (Guinness and Bass), but also Black & Blue (Blue Moon), Black & White (Alagash White), Black Magic (Magic Hat), etc. I don't know if I would try all of those because some combos are weird, but the effort is nice.
They have a beer menu with different bottles from all over the place, divided up by region. It's interesting to set it up this way because you can try a beer from somewhere you've never been, or learn where one of your favorite beers is from. Though personally, I'd like to see it divided by type of beer (ambers, porters, stouts) but this is a nice spin on the beer list.
The food is pretty solid. The cheese curds are scrumptious and the grilled cheese is pretty good. They put three different kinds of cheese on there, so when you get it, it is oozing cheese. The New Mexican burger seems okay, but they use some kind of cheese sauce instead of regular cheese, so that's a little off-putting. Also, the pub fries could use some work. They're giant, but taste like the frozen kind. I much prefer thinner, crispier fries.
The appetizers are a little pricey, but if you split it with someone, it'll be worth it. Otherwise, just stick to the main courses. Also they have some pretty interesting dessert choices. I think the waiter told us they had Guinness cupcakes! But they ran out. Sad face.
Service here varies. Everyone is really nice, but even when it's not that busy, the two waiters I've had the past few times were a little inattentive and slow getting our stuff. It could be because the restaurant has a long layout, and customers can sit wherever, so they probably have to go from one end to the other.
I'll definitely come back here while employed in the Elgin area. The beer selection keeps me happy.
They offer a truly unbelievable Seared Ahi Tuna sandwich. Â I get it almost every time I'm there for lunch. Â Warm ciabatta bread holds a generous portion of ahi tuna strips nestled in some onions and cucumbers, with a creamy sauce that has a hint of wassabi. Â It is addictive.
The pretzel rolls they have for other sandwiches are great too.
I checked in here the other day, then realized I've been here before. This was the source of my liquid courage before getting a tattoo across the street. My sister downed two delicious girl scout martinis and was down for the count. The very nice waitress helped my sister, brought her some grilled cheese and saved the day.
Fast forward to this visit
Very nice waitress again - although different - beer was delicious. Place is a tad confusing due to the split layout for food vs beer but only one door. For a Friday night, it wasn't crowded at all. There were several free tables at 10:00 pm. Overall, it's a nice bar and I'd go back... eventually.
I wanted to like this place. I truly did.
There were a couple of groups of people in front of us, but the hostess directed us to go upstairs because there was a table up there for two.
We walked upstairs to find all of the tables and the main bar completely full, so we sat at a bench on the side. Waited over 20 minutes for a menu, even though the waiter and waitresses were walking past, finally got one after the man flagged someone down.
We actually got our food pretty fast. I had the Burger Saltimbocca, it was pretty tasty. The prosciutto was nonexistant, but the bruschetta and red pepper aioli was a good combination. My husband ordered the patty melt but was not a fan, he said it was more like a grilled cheese sandwich because there was barely any meat on it. The flavor was still good though.
The food was the highlight of the evening, because it was all downhill from there.
Now, the beer menu is pretty cool. They have a wide variety compared to similar bars, and they have the menu divided up by region.
But, our waiter pretty much disappeared. He may have spontaneously combusted. Who knows. The bar area was full, but the tables were empty, so it was much less busy than when we had first arrived, but he was a no show. Some other people had met us up there though, and we were stuck for awhile, so the man ended up going up to the bar to get our drinks.
There was a line of people waiting to get drinks. Two women behind the bar, one just chatting away because " It's not her night to work the bar", but she gets paid to hang out there, which I guess is pretty cool. The actual bartender had friends at the bar that were drinking for free while getting massive shots in their mixed drinks. They made no actual attempt to hide it, as the friends would walk up, cut off the line of people waiting, and the friends and bartender would joke about how they were all drinking for free. Maybe she hasn't been a bartender for long, but I thought bartenders were supposed to treat paying customers more attention than their free-drinking friends, isn't the majority of their money made from tips?
There's a show on tv where a guy does a Bar Rescue, this place could definitely benefit from it.
The food was good, the beer menu is nice, but the service was just atrocious.
Good beer and food every time I've gone here, but they don't seem to update the menu frequently (beer or food). Â Good selection of craft beer and sometimes they have something unique on tap (Alagash once in a while). Â I usually get the steak sandwich with sweet potato fries and it always hits the spot.
Review Source:This is one of my friend's favorite spots. Came here one time when I went to go visit her. It was slow during the week, but they did have some people there when we went in so it wasn't dead. I do have to say that my favorite thing about the whole experience was their pretzel. Order that appetizer and it's like a meal. It comes out piping hot and exactly the way a pretzel should be: a sprinkling of salt, a bit of a crunch on the outside crust, but doughy on the inside. The dips just made it all the more enjoyable. My meal just didn't compare to the that. My friend does say they have good brunches so if ever I am out in Elgin on a weekend it may be worth a go.
Review Source:Everyone,
I have decided to start writing reviews on Yelp because, while I use the site frequently to read others reviews, I have found some times that the reviews are not reflective of my experience. Â
My own imposed rules for any review:
1. Must visit at least three times. Â Two of which must be distinctly different formats; i.e. one weekday night and one weekend night.
2. Must order something unique each visit.
3. If they have any "signature" items on the menu, you must order a "signature" item at least once.
4. Ratings are based on a 10 point scale with 5 being average, which does not mean bad. Â What a score of 5 means is that the category meets expectations for that establishments format.
Thanks.
Elgin Public House aka EPH
Location/Layout - 6/10: Â Located in a decent section of Downtown Elgin, with ample parking in a free garage across the street. Â Inside, while the restaurant is clean, you can tell that it was two locations merged, which has an odd feel with three distinct dining areas, two bars (plus an additional one upstairs) one of which is not used and unsupportive seats in the booths. Â The Pub 217 upstairs is a great space and offers a more intimate and unique experience.
Menu - 7/10: the options are good and range from standard pub fare to almost pretentious with certain items. Â Ultimately, there is something for everyone. Â Except a battered or fried chicken sandwich? Â Prices are average to slightly high for pub grub, but the ingredients taste fresher and lesser processed justifying the cost.
Service - 7/10: the service is friendly and fairly knowledgeable. Â I have yet to visit and had a server know the "side of the day". Â There always seems to be more servers/bar staff than necessary for the number of patrons, which leads to questions as to why you always have to ask for refills? Â Although they are quick with any requests and even had a particularly exceptional server create a custom chicken sandwich out of chicken fingers, see note above about battered chicken sandwich.
Food - 6.5/10: the main courses (almost always a sandwich) have always been good to very good. Â With the "signature" meatloaf melt and Sunday brunch being standouts. Â The Kobe line leaves a little to be desired when compared to their standard burgers and when compared to Kobe that I have had elsewhere - frozen maybe -. Â The sides are where my companion has loved EPH's several options with the exception of the Cajun Fries. Â She raves about the mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. Â I on the other hand did not care for the mashed, which are actually "smashed" and flavored with a cheese or cream that left a bitter aftertaste for me. Â I suggest sticking with the fries, they are solid and hardy. Â I will note that our orders have been wrong several times, but always quickly rectified. Â
Drinks - 7/10: Â this category is hard for me because I want to rate EPH much higher but there are strong reasons for a 7. Â First they have all the standard mixers. Â But were EPH excels is the list of both import and domestic including great craft beer options. Â Moreover they offer an above average whiskey selection. Â The problem is that the beverage costs especially the beers are high and they have next to no options on tap.
Overall Experience - 7/10: Â this is just a good local bar. Â I have enjoyed my time, the food, the beverages and the company every time I have visited. Â I do wish that they had more TVs with different sports options, every time I go in there is a huddle of bar/wait staff around a soccer game, while we needed refills and pined for baseball, American football, hockey, horseracing, boxing, Nascar, etc...our views on soccer had no affect on this categories rating...
Came here with my boyfriend with a groupon....let me tell you there is a reason they are selling their food at discounted prices constantly on groupon.....how gross!! Not to mention our service was by far some of the worst I have ever experienced.....
We asked the server what the best appetizer was and he quickly recommended a margarita shrimp appetizer....which consisted of like 5 frozen shrimp quickly heated that were not marinated at all on top of a super warm slimey bed of lettuce covered in "margarita" dressing....
We would of sent it back because after we both tried it we didn't finish it but our server never came to check on us. We ordered our meals with our appetizers and another server delivered our food, which might I add was wrong and our server never returned(no surprise) to check on us. We both barley touched our food and when he came back and put down our check, without saying anything we paid with no tip and swore never to come back . Coming from someone in the industry if I don't tip things really were awful....
I got a good laugh today when I got a notice they have another groupon....surprise surprise.....everyone in there had one when we went!!!
Just moved to town, testing out all of the establishments that are highly rated on yelp. Â Tried the public house tonight with some friends. Â It really does have some good food and a good environment. Â I noticed it's trivia on Wed nights, although I'm not good I will definitely try to make it to trivia sometime soon.
Review Source:Been there a few times lately. Â I love their beer menu (even if they always seem to be out of what I want). Â But the food is good and different than standard bar food. Â Last thing I had was the Ahi Tuna sandwich, and it was off the chain good. Â Wash it down with a couple Lefthanded Milk Stouts..
Review Source:We were on our way to Medusa's for a Friday the 13th Birthday Party and some people watching at Industrial Night... For this we needed some nourishment because it was going be be an interesting night indeed! Â EPH is a good local hang out with your basic offerings! Â If it were closer to us we might spend some time here! Â The only down side was that our drinks were a little higher priced than I had expected in comparison to our meals.
The boy went with the Meatloaf Melt. Â He enjoyed it for what it was. Â It wasn't the most amazing sammich he had, but it wasn't the worst. Â
I went with the Friday Tilapia Fish Fry with Sweet Potato Fries. Â I don't think I've ever had fried tilapia before... The breading had a good flavor. Â I could have eaten it as is, but I always feel like I need some malt vinegar when I get a fish 'n chips meal! Â The sweet potato fries were great! Â The perfect cut with just the right amount of salt! Â The meal also came with a small side of cubano style black beans. Â They had just a bite of spice to them. Â An interesting item to pair with the fish. Â There were a few hush puppies thrown in - a lot of onion flavor, but good.
So I've sort of been hitting all of my favorites that I've reviewed already...then along comes the idea of going somewhere new. Now understand I work in commercial photography and our seasons are way off. WAY. Like it's 100' outside and we are shooting Christmas NOW. If I see one more freaking ornament or flake of fake snow- I'm going to lose it.
Any how, a few on our crew decided to have a cold beverage after work. Up came the idea to hit this joint. I figured sure we'll have a beer and go home and have dinner. Well we walk in and headed to the bar. There we're given a giant beer menu. I order me some sort of craft IPA that was the bomb. I intended to only order one and couldn't refuse a second. Delish. Then we asked for a food menu and it was love at first sight. Was there anything that sounded like crap? NO! But we were still skeptical. Went with some apps- chips and salsa with guacamole, sweet potato fries, and a side of mac n' cheese. Hot DAMN we were expecting mediocre everything and it was beyond super good. Noodles were still al dente in the mac and cheese, guac super fresh and awe to the some, fries just out of the frier and were delivered with a side of ranch nestled with BBQ. We really wanted to keep ordering food but were stuffed on those goodies.
Bartenders super helpful and nice. I am already planning my return and I think I need to try a Kobe burger and some sort of new side. Do I start with a pretzel? Maybe one of their amazing sounding salads. I think I'll be back enough to try them all!
As we entered this laid back pub, we were seated promptly. Â The waitstaff wasn't annoyingly friendly, not unfriendly, pretty much a great mix, especially for date night. Â The server also made a fantastic beer recommendation. Â The food was tasty and perfectly seasoned. Â You must try the cajun fries. Â Overall, this was a great first experience. Â
I recommend this place if you are looking for someplace casual, but still impressive with an old world feel.
Now that I have been here a couple of times, both lit and unlit, I can tell you that this place is pretty, pretty, pretty, good. Â BUT, there are some drawbacks too... Â
Food: Â I pretty much get the cheese curds appetizer every time (HEAVENLY!) and the Bleu Horse burger add jalapenos and bacon and sub pretzel bun. Â It's a damn good burger if I may say so. Â Perfectly cooked, crusted with blue cheese and horseradish with the sweet addition of crispy onions (and jalapenos and bacon [and sometimes a fried egg] if you get it my way). Â I am totally in love. Â I will say this though: Â I tried a chili cheese burger yesterday (it was half price burger Monday! Â YAY!) and it was NOWHERE near as good as the Bleu Horse. Â Guess I should stick with what I know. Â My sister also ventured out and got the garlic mashed potatoes and they were a special kind of nasty. Â SO GROSS. Â I'm not even sure there were potatoes in them. Â So, this is all to say: Â Food is hit or miss. Â Some things are absolutely mind blowing and others will have you running. Â Â
Beer: Â There is enough craft beer to keep a snob like me satisfied. Â That is hard to accomplish. Â Also, the beer is organized on the menu by region which makes me so freaking happy, you don't even know.
This place has gotten good reviews so I was very surprised at just how negative an experience I had here tonight. I ordered a pub salad and the ribeye (medium rare), They brought the salad out with the steak.... so  had my choice of eating one or the other warm. The "steak" was about the size AND thickness of a quarter pounder patty. I cut into it and it was quite well done. We had a few beers at the bar while waiting for a table and the bartender was quite attentive. We didn't have to wait for our first beer or any subsequent round. I might be tempted to go back for a beer or 3 (they probably have the best selection in town) but I won't ever plan on eating there again. This was a very disappointing experience overall
Review Source:Delicious food, a VERY big beer list, and a wonderful staff. Â Every week or so they have a brand new beer on tap, which is a great change of pace.
Monday nights they have their "1/2 Price Burgers" which is heavenly  (HIGHLY recommend the Bleu Horse Burger....my favorite!) And various specials throughout the week.  Their upstairs dining area is nice and cozy (very nice if you're just looking to have a drink...high tables, windows overlooking Chicago St.) opened on Fridays and Saturdays. Â
All in all, this is the place I suggest to all of my friends who visit Elgin, and are looking for a nice place to get a meal. Â Not only a great place for lunch or dinner, but a great place to grab a beer and catch up with old friends.
Now that I have experienced a lot more of what EPH has to offer, I feel good about updating my review!
Since coming the first time, I have been back MANY more times (for dinner, drinks, Halloween) and most recently for their Sunday brunch!!
What a spread! Â I would really recommend it to anyone, especially for the price! Â They keep the food fresh, well-stocked, and there wasn't a line to get to the food anytime I was ready to belly up to the buffet. Â
There was a good mix of standard breakfast fare (french toast, fruit, eggs, biscuits and gravy, and the ever-yummy funeral potatoes) as well as a huge assortment of lunch items as well. Â They had alfredo pesto chicken, tilapia, mashed potatoes, and a fabulous salad bar (they hit me in the right spot with that!!)
For the dessert spreak, they had some brownies, some orange cakey thing, and delicious donuts!
Everything was really good and tasted like it was fresh--not sitting out for hours!
Our server was really good, too. Â Included with the brunch, you get a tiny glass of orange juice, and he laughed when I asked for my "thimble-full of juice". Â He also accepted both of our groupons at the same table. Â Major brownie points for him! Â Plus, a dirty dish never sat on our table more than a minute before he came for a sweep.
I will definitely be back!
I went to this place on a date and was blown away by the contrast between their upstairs offering and their downstairs sports bar.
I arrived to this place after reading some Yelper's reviews on how it stands alone in Elgin as a great place for beer and mediocre food. Â After arriving with my date, which neither of us are from Elgin area and usually prefer the city, we were told by the hostess "you want to sit upstairs dont you?" Â Not really knowing what she meant, I assumed we of course wanted to sit upstairs. Â
She leads us through the sports bar and restaurant that looked local at best, up a staircase, and we seem to teleport into a new place. Â Upstairs is a dimly lit, candlelight strewn, romantic restaurant with a dark wooden bar, exposed brick, and a perfect array of tables to keep every party private. Â There was possibly 4 4-tops, 3 two-tops with leather chairs to sit at, and then 3 high 2-tops against the windows. Â Everything was lit by candles. Â It was such a surprise we literally thought we had traveled through time.
The beer selection is pretty good, and very average prices when compared with places downtown. Â Not the place to order a miller light, but try a micro-brew whiere you will pay $4-6 for a good beer, and some beers on the menu range to $10-12 for a higher alcohol content in larger sizes.
The food was mediocre. Â We ordered cheese curds as an appetizer, which I love, and are also hard to mess up. Â Then we both ordered a burger which was $8. Â The burgers were alright. Â Great intentions, but everything comes from the same kitchen which is a sports bar. Â They have a wider selection of food, but I'm assuming all their food is pretty average.
Overall, I would recommend this place because of the atmosphere and a great place to talk, have a couple drinks, be romantic, and a total surprise. Â Maybe use this place to get drinks after a meal somewhere else, or get appetizers and drinks.
I struggled a little before writing this review. There wasnt anything extremely wrong, but there wasn't anything great about this place either.
My husband and I bought a Groupon for Brunch for 4 at Elgin Public House. We made reservations so that they would know in advance that we would be bringing children along with us. Our reservation was for 4 adults, 2 toddlers and 1 child. Â We arrived and was shown to our table which was already set up for us. (Great). The hostess then told us a waitress would be with us shortly. After about five minutes and no waitress, we finally made it over to the buffet to see wait was being offered.
The selection was average. French toast, fruit, eggs, muffins, a selection of meats (chicken , bacon and sausages), pastas and deserts. There were other typical brunch items as well.  Missing: There were no breakfast cereals, hot or cold.  I've  never been to a brunch that didn't offer at least corn flakes.
After we'd all settled in, our waitress finally showed and took our drink orders. We asked for 3 coffees, a sprite, an orange juice and 2 milks. It took the waitress 10 minutes.
Some in my party did go for seconds. The selection was average as I said before, but it was good.
Our waitress did a check on us and we ordered refills on our drinks. When we were ready for the check, we were presented for a bill for $30. Drinks are not included and refills are not free. Normally, I wouldn't make a big deal about this, but this was not expected. Especially since we'd already presented the Groupon for the bill.
We should have been asked in advance if this was our first time here and introduced to the Buffet and told what was/was not included. This alone would have given my review at least a another star for the rating.
We probably wont be back to this restaurant, even if there is another Groupon deal.
My husband and I were excited to try this place after seeing the 5 stars. Made the mistake of not reading the reviews carefully. People who gave low stars were absolutely right! The food is mediocre and the price is too high. We ventured out from our usual pub. We ended of paying more at Elgin pub house with less quality and quantity with a higher bill. We are never coming back again. Â it goes to show to stick with something you already know and love. Â
We got the chicken fingers, cajun fries, and brats. Chicken fingers were small portioned for the price. Cajun fries had too much seasoning tossed with the fries, Â the brats were served on a stale pretzel roll. You can tell things are processed, not homemade.
Came here on a late Friday night to grab a bite to eat and surprisingly not as crowded as usual, it was nice because my friend and I got immediate service by the manager.
We enjoyed some amazing burgers and loved that we could choose any side, the Cajun spicy fries and sweet potato fries were delicious.
If this place were closer to my home, I would probably go more often.
I like the atmosphere, the staff is friendly, and they have a great selection of beer with tasty food.
Someone previously mentioned that they did not like the decor of this place, and i wondered if we were even at the same pub! The back portion does have vinyl covered chairs, but the bars are large, dark wooden structures that have a turn of the century feel. This place is also fairly large which allows for a small gathered or a large one.
I feel that the staff was pretty cordial, considering the antics they put up with the last time I was there with friends. I also like that they have a back exit through which you can disappear for a smoke, as opposed to walking through the restaurant to go through the front.
I have only been here twice, and eaten here once for lunch. I ordered a sandwich and shared other dishes amongst friends. Everything was pretty good, considering bar food is usually very salty an proportionally small. The beer selection is great, not too expansive, but it's lovely to see that they carry some local microbrews and a good selection of stouts. Very few places have imperial or cream stouts, so good job on that!
One last thing - because the beer selection here features microbrews, you may be surprised at the prices, some beers were like $14. Don't be alarmed, they aren't gouging you. I did not expect to see this (not that I'm complaining) but generally these beers are more suited for more "specialty" restaurants.
The Elgin Public House does not make their own beer, but their website promised a good selection of bottled beer and scotch along with better than average pub grub.
As is usual for me, I visited this establishment on a Saturday afternoon. I parked across the street in a free parking garage.
As we walked in it was pretty empty and we had our choice of seating. We chose to sit at a table in the small bar area. The decor was just what we like with a minimum amount of TVs and plenty of dark wood. Nothing too fancy. There was music playing at a reasonable volume that still allowed us to converse.
The bartender/waiter arrived promptly with menus. I started with an Aberlour scotch on the rocks and my wife had a Victory Golden Monkey.
The beer was served ice cold, but that can be resolved with a little waiting. The scotch was a new find for me and it was delicious.
After our first drink, we ordered food. The bucket of bones (ribs) was tasty. The "filet" steak sandwich was a little tough, but tasty. Both meals were served in small buckets. I wasn't particularly fond of this presentation.
Another round of beers and we were feeling full and happy.
Overall I enjoyed the Elgin Public House and I will definitely be back.
Visiting EPH again last night, I was reminded of just how extensive their beer selection is. I fear it is lost on the rubes, sadly. They still had Oberon on their menu, which tells me they don't move it since we're four months away from its debut for this season and they stopped making it many months prior to now. Nonetheless, it may be the only bar in Elgin that serves Smithwicks (albeit in a bottle), Chimay, St. Peter's, Ommegang, Three Floyd's, Left Hand, among many others. It's a seriously good list. Like, Kuma's good - but not exactly Hopleaf good.
My BLT was delightful with its no shortage of bacon, Texas toast and perfect amount of mayo. My friend's pulled pork got a thumbs up and had I more room in the ol' belly, I'd have opted for the fried pickles but alas... I had to leave room for beverages. Oh and steak fries, yum.
Elgin Public House has earned another star from me. Yes, four solid stars. I think the menu has changed significantly since my previous three star review and for the better. Now they have  these amazing sandwiches served on pretzel rolls. The pesto chicken one is absolutely phenomenal. The Cajun chicken sandwich also makes a delicious meal. Im not a big fan of macaroni salad (hello...I'm from Alabama, I want my macaroni with cheese thanks!), but theirs is actually good!
I went last night and had a great time because on Wednesdays they have Trivia Night. I love trivia and the Trivia guy was great! Â Elgin Public House provides good food, good drinks, and on Wednesday nights a competitive good time!
PS- Trivia is two dollars per person, but so worth it.
This review is for the bar only. I sampled some of my buddy's hummus which was really good, but I did not eat here. The bartender was uber friendly and the selection of great beers is why i give 4 stars. Full line of Sam Smith products, also a decent selection of small batch bourban. I'll deffinately be back if I am in Elgin again!
The music sucked though and was distracting.
I had a excellent filet mignon while sitting at the bar. Â Enough said. Â
Not really. Â We went on a Friday after work. Â I was pleasantly surprised by all the smiling faces and general good feeling I got within the first few minutes. Â The martini's were great, a lot of choices. Â A lot of beer/drink choices period. Â That being said, I can't remember what my boyfriend had, but I'm telling you that filet made it to my top ten list. Â
This place is very comfortable with a big bar and a nice seating area. Â Your typical bar/restaurant feeling but the food was way above average. Â Really glad I stumbled upon this place, and even happier it's so convenient in downtown Elgin!
The problem with bar food in the burbs - generally speaking - is that food isn't the primary concern...it only needs to be good enough to keep people from going elsewhere when hunger hits. Â Not so with the Elgin Public House, where food definitely seems to be the priority.
The regular menu is mostly burgers and sandwiches, with numerous specials to add to the options. Â However, what sets apart the Public House from most bar food is the quality. Â On my last visit I ordered a chicken sandwich off the specials board, topped with mozzarella, prosciutto and bruschetta. Â What I expected was melted processed mozzarella, a slice of ham and some diced tomatoes. Â What I got was thick slabs of mozzarella straight from an Italian deli, with real prosciutto and a delicious bruschetta topping.
And if food isn't in your plans, it's still a great place to grab a good beer.
I have no problem getting down with a heap of nachos or a platter of mini cheeseburgers, but it's nice to have options. Â If you're looking for a place to grab a bite in Elgin, pass on the Rock Bottom Brewery and check out the Elgin Public House.
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