We decided to give the Happ Inn another try....Mother's Day lunch (they don't do brunch). We had a great time & the kids behaved, so mom had a great lunch. The restaurant was busy but not too chaotic..lots of families to contend with. The waitstaff seemed to have everything under control & the food was very tasty. Can't say enough good things about Travis. We will definitely be back.
Review Source:This is a great neighborhood restaurant for a quick weeknight bite, cocktail with a friend, or a celebration dinner. My favorite place to sit is around the bar in a high top; the crowd is a bit younger and the cocktail server, Ruth provides superb service with a smile. Service is always professional, prompt, and on point no matter where you sit.
The food never fails at the Happ. You cannot go wrong with their juicy burgers or broasted chicken. My favorite thing on the menu is a little outside the North Shore "box", the chicken enchiladas. The green sauce they are served with is absolutely divine ( I could probably drink a cup!).
The beverage program is clearly well thought out. The beer list is extensive and highlights local craft brews, as well as hard to find novelties. The wine and cocktail lists  are excellent and pair well with the food menu.
The Happ Inn is great destination for lunch, dinner or a drink in the suburbs.
This place is fantastic. What a wonderful selection of food. Just the right amount of everything. Best soup no matter what the selection anywhere I have ever been. Always pleased with my entire experience here. Oh yelp how I wish you would monitor the reviews. Such as, "they must be too busy and not want any more business". Well, I say if the restaurant is full with reservations should we seat your party of 4+ 2 and not accommodate the people that have made a reservation? I think not. I have said it before and I'll say it again. Unless you have been in the industry you have NO CLUE WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. Busy restaurants mean great place in my book. Happ inn is the best thing that has happened to the northern suburbs. Haters, go elsewhere this place is number one!!!
Review Source:This is a good find in the near north suburbs.  Located in the relatively small downtown area of Northfield, it's a good location and one of the better restaurants in town.  The décor is pretty typical of a bar and grill with low lighting and comfortable booths.  Parking isn't too bad for lunch but can be a bit of an issue at dinner. Â
The service is good and the waiters and waitresses knowledgeable about the menu which is pretty substantial. Â They have a decent selection of beers on tap but they are mostly major brewers and don't have the best selection of smaller craft beers. Â The food selection is pretty substantial and you should be able to find something you like.
The asparagus soup sounded strange at first but it is actually quite good with a deliciously creamy flavor that balances out the taste of asparagus. Â The green color is a bit off putting as I'm not a fan of soups like split pea but it's actually good anyhow. Â The wedge salad is equally good. Â It has a great balance of blue cheese and dressing mixed in with a sizeable portion of lettuce. Â It could serve as a meal in and of itself alongside the soup. Â
For an entrée I had the tilapia tacos.  They were really good.  The fish is well cooked and it served as a good base for the taco.  The taco comes with lettuce, tomato, and other vegetables and is balanced out with a kind of spicy mayonnaise that serves the taco well.  You get three of them and they make a full meal, even if you have a big appetite. Â
This is a great place to get lunch and it's pretty quick in and out. Â I recommend it.
Perfect place in the burbs to get some high quality "bar food" and watch a game. Â Not an easy feat out here but Happ Inn does the job. Â Skirt steak, pulled pork sliders, goat cheese app, tacos....its all good. Well, the falafel burger was not that good at all but well worth it to go here and a nice beer menu ta boot!
Review Source:I am not sure what all the rave reviews are about. It's not bad, but nothing special.
Went on a Saturday evening and it was packed! Why is this place so popular?
The food is not bad but is also nothing special.
I was expecting so much more considering the pedigree of the owners.
So overall, Food just OK, Service very lackluster bordering on bad, prices on the high side for what you get.
Probably won't be back.
This is our go to place when we want a casual, good meal. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and good food/drink. The pulled pork sliders are a must. The turkey chili is awesome as is the chicken tortilla soup. You can't go wrong with a burger or grilled chicken sandwich, both come on a pretzel bun. The crab cakes are fresh and tasty. They have several different salads that are large enough to serve two. Great place for lunch or dinner.
Review Source:Nice people. Nice decor. Good food. Burgers are outstanding - I'm a big fan of the blue cheese burger with bacon.
I do have to say that I was told by the waittress that the Mexican Turkey Burger was very good - only to be very underwhelmed by it. Also not worth it to pay extra for truffle fries though sweet potato fries are very good. They have very good soups as well.
I wouldn't say this is in my normal rotation but is definitely a solid restaurant.
Having lived in the neighborhood for close to two years now, I can completely appreciate having an awesome restaurant that you can always count on. Â I will say Happ Inn is a bit on the pricey side, but their quality is always spot on and I've yet to eat something I haven't liked.
That said, I've tried a wide variety on the menu. Â Their goat cheese appetizer is awesome, as is the tortilla soup. Â Fish and chips were awesome, and this coming from someone who hardly ever orders them. Â Knowing the chef has some Mexican culture, don't shy away from the Mexican entrees- I had the enchiladas one night and they were really quite good. Â And of course, the burgers are always awesome.
Seeing how crowded this restaurant typically always is, I see it being a staple for quite some time.
I've been here a half dozen times, and it hasn't disappointed yet.
The food is amazing... sometimes I just randomly pick something off the menu, and look forward to its arrival. Â The staff has always been quite accommodating as well.
This is officially one of my new favorite lunch spots, in the burbs.
We've become regulars to some extent; it's a great place to bring kids, but excellent adult food, great beer selection, consistently good service, and many reasonably healthy options.  They have a limited menu, but everything we've ever tried has been reliably perfectly prepared.  Our favorites are the fish and chips, the niçoise salad with impeccably cooked salmon, the half roasted chicken, and the fish tacos.  Bonus points for serving the fish and chips with malt vinegar without prompting!
Don't bother ordering the fried fish sliders; somehow they don't hold up to the full-fledged fish and chips. Â Also, men, don't panic when you enter the men's room like I and many others probably did: the urinals are in stalls. Â The private dining room, when unoccupied, is a great place to let your rambunctious kids run rampant. Â Otherwise it looks like a really cool place to hold a small private event.
Had a very nice Wednesday evening at The Happ Inn. Â It was busier than I expected for a Wednesday night, but I guess half price bottles of wine helps bring people in :D. Â Although there was a good number of people we were seated promptly as the place is much bigger than it looks like. Â I actually really liked the atmosphere of the place, kind of upscale without being stuffy and fairly laid back. Â This is not something I usually mention in reviews, but I really liked the lighting; in the area we were seated the lights were fairly dim but there were kind of like little spotlights directly over our tables so we could see what we were eating. Â A nice touch, something a little different than the usual.
Moving on, our server Zach was great, very friendly and able to answer all our questions and made some great suggestions. Â We started off by ordering a bottle of the Backhouse Moscato which was really great for my unsophisticated palate that generally prefers juice over wine (it was very sweet). Â Next came Freddy's Famous Guacamole which was also really good, very fresh. Â It came with a little thing of salsa on the side that I liked just as much as the guacamole.
While the heavier items were very tempting, I ended up ordering the Tilapia Tacos which were as good as everyone else has said. Â The slaw in the tacos didn't really have much flavor, but the chipotle mayo made up for that. Â It came with a side of Mexican Rice which was not that great. Â But, the tacos themselves were good! Â My friends ordered the House Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich and the Sunrise Burger. Â They were both very satisfied. Â There was a little mixup with the sides, but it was very quickly rectified.
Overall food was good, they're fairly generous with the portions. Â Service was excellent. Â Really enjoyed the atmosphere.
Disappointing. Â We had several problems with our meal, and I didn't feel the place was worth the price. Â
Service pretty good, maybe a bit too buddy-buddy for me, but I'm pretty reserved.
We sat on the enclosed patio, a bit cool when the heater wasn't running, a bit stuffy when it was.
My burger was underdone - I asked for medium and it was just past rare.
Asked for sweet potato fries and got regular. Â When they did appear they were NOT crisp, but sort of limp, very sweet and very little seasoning.
Wife's margarita was weak
ambient noise was high for my taste.
This was fun place to grab some dinner with an old friend.
Great ambiance - classic and upscale. The noise level was fine - not too loud, as I could easily hear my dining companion who was seated across the booth from me. The place was not full, as it was a Wednesday night, so perhaps it would be noisier on the weekends.
As for the food, the portions are huge! We ordered guacamole to share between the two of us. I usually have no problem finishing guacamole, but here, they give you enough for at least 4 people!
Needless to say, when our dinners arrived, I was already getting rather full. I ordered a mushroom and Swiss burger, which came with a very large side plate of fries. I ate half the burger, half the fries, and took the rest home to enjoy for lunch the following day.
The staff and our waitress were also very accommodating. We originally were sat at a table, but when my friend asked for a booth, without hesitation our hostess moved us to one. My friend also got the fish and chips, and substituted out the fries for roasted veggies. Finally, when picking a bottle of wine to share, we asked our waitress a few questions about the selections, and I was impressed by her knowledge. She brought out the wine we selected, and gave us a sample to make sure we liked it. We did. Our waitress was attentive, but not overbearing. I liked her.
As mentioned above, we went on a Wednesday, which was half price bottle of wine night. Nice!
Looks like we'll be adding this restaurant to into our weekly dinner rotation.
I've been here two more times since my original review. Â I wanted to add that there's a ridiculous sharing charge for the all you can eat fried chicken special on Wednesday night. Â The special is $15.95 for bottomless chicken. Â The reality is that the same size portion is usually $13.95. Â It comes with a huge serving of fries, cole slaw and four pieces of chicken: breast, wing, leg and thigh. Â Congrats to you if you can eat more than this gigantic portion but for the normal people who can't, just order the regular size. Â If you even share a french fry, management will charge an extra $15.95. Â Have you eaten at a militant all you can eat sushi restaurant? Â Imagine it's like that but with delicious fried chicken.
Review Source:You will be confused as hell when you walk into the men's room because all the urinals are in stalls. I know I walked out and looked at the sign twice to make sure I wasn't in the women's room.
Pretty good food, not outstanding. Prices were OK and it wasn't too crowded. They do have a sports bar in front that gets the MLB and all those channels, which was nice while I waited.
Have been back a number of times for business lunches and dinners with friends. They've found their groove. Service is much more relaxed. Food is dependably good. Location is really convenient. I can't retract my earlier post bc that was my experience at that time. But I will give them a solid endorsement now. Looking fwd to many good meals at The Happ Inn in the future.
Review Source:We had an exceptional time from the moment we entered. Â My date met me in the bar before being seated. Â The atmosphere was lively, appropriately lit (I hate when it's so dark you can't read a menu or so bright you could get dental work done), and well, clean. Â Most bar tops seem to be littered with napkin remnants or crumbs, so for a clean, yet busy bar on a Friday night it was a good start.
We were seated with Abby, who was sincerely cheerful. Â She took her time to answer our questions and was knowledgable about the menu. Â We started with the margarita flatbread, which, thankfully, just had dollops of cheese and pesto, and fresh basil chiffonade. Â The tomatoes and sauce were lightly smeared, which was a welcome change from most places that just slaughter the flatbread with cheese and sauce. Â The buffalo wings had a frisky little kick and the cilantro ranch was a fun accompaniment.
For entrees I had the smoked pulled pork sandwich served on a soft pretzel roll with a delightful tangy barbecue sauce. My date had the pulled chicken enchiladas and was very pleased. Â
I love that they have an extensive gluten-free menu, but since I already succumbed to the Firestone Walker on tap, I figured the jig is up and I'm eating bread. Â
The manager, Mark, stopped by as we were finishing up our main course and we spoke for a few minutes. Â He was very approachable and seemed to genuinely care about our experience. Â We made sure to tell him how happy (no pun) we were with our first visit to The Happ Inn and we will certainly return again.
It was dicey starting out, but now I know I'm gonna go back.
I'm a single diner. It's what I do. How some people like to play World of Warcraft and others enjoy badminton, I like to eat by myself. It is my creepy fun hobby.
So, one Saturday or Sunday, I had planned to go to Yardhouse in Glenview, but decided I probably didn't have enough time before my impending 5pm dinner shift. I remembered Happ Inn and after a quick Yelp scan, decided to give it a go.
I was expecting some kind of divey well-loved suburban place...much to my surprise, the ambiance was a bit upscale (read casual, but updated?). A sweet hostess sat me at good ol' single diner-style table, and I was let loose. No beer list on the normal menu. Waited a few minutes for my server to show up...waited, waited...saw him at other tables. Finally he approached me and I requested the list. I received it immediately and ordered *something*. Dear god, am I that old already that I have forgotten so fast? It was a delicious lighter-style beer, like a Weiss..hrm.
Beer: good, whatever I had.
Ordered a Carlito's Way (pepperjack cheese, fried jalapeno, pico de gallo with pineapple, chipotle mayo) sub veggie patty and sub sweet potato fries ($2 upcharge). The menu states they're happy to sub chicken or veggie for any of the burger selections- kickass.
The wait felt like a while, but perhaps I was just being a weirdo...it's my tendency to get uptight/extra picky about service as I work in the industry...but I don't tend to make a fuss...just observe like some sort of psychotic perfectionist.
Anyway-
got my burger and ordered a second beer. my server brought me a taste of Goose Island Mission Fig while he was at it. That is just awesome...way to go Mr. Server. I love stuff like that. He followed up and asked me about it, which again, just makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
It was definitely a house-made veggie patty...falafel-esque, with diced carrot bits, which I appreciate greatly...I wish there had been more of the pico, and in retrospect I should have asked for more, and I ended up not eating most of the bun, though it was high quality...brioche-ish with sesame seeds. (Veggie burgers be made with grains, yo...bun + veggie burger = so much carbness/filling). I think I remember there being an offer to serve with a lettuce wrap, which I will so jump on that next time.
Declined dessert; nothing was terribly appealing to me (I am a snob, though, no worries) and I was getting short on time.
That taste of beer is just *awesome* service to me...thanks Happ Inn. :)
I'll be back.
I was probably a little harsh in my initial review. I've been to Happ Inn a few more times since my first visit and it's gotten consistently better with each one.
The food is reliably good, the prices are very reasonable, and the service is quite personable and efficient. The menu is broad enough to appeal to many palates and it's ideal for a large group - there's truly something for everyone.
Happ Inn is also the perfect place to take your parents. As David R. said, it pleases multiple generations.
Best of all, it's a quick drive from the city, just off the West Willow Road exit off the Edens. Don't you city dwellers let the suburban location prevent you from giving it a try.
Happ Inn is definitely "as good as it gets."
I won't go so far as to wish I lived in Northfield, but I do envy Northfielders their Happ Inn. Â On my one visit, I had to try the veggie burger, naturally, and was not disappointed. Â In fact, it's one of the most inventive I've had: it's a combo black bean and falafel burger, with a Mediterranean accent thanks to the cucumbers and tzatziki on top. Â The tzatziki on this burger reminded me of when Sheryl Crow was a backup singer for Michael Jackson on his Bad tour. Â Both talented, but sometimes a little less of one makes them both shine together. Â Â Â
We also had the salsa trio, which was so so so good, especially the middle one. Â The green was also good. Â They were generous with the chips, too. Â Â
Â
I appreciate that some of the desserts come in miniature versions, which is probably just the USDA's version of a normal serving. Â This is a step in the right direction for the Paula Deens among us. Â And by that I mean lovers of sugar and buuutter, not the other Paula Deen stuff like riding things.
Unfortunately I live too far away for regular visits, but I do hope to go back whenever possible. Â They have a tuna steak sandwich I'd probably like, plus pizza and a couple other things that tend to float my boat. Â But knowing myself, which I do, I'd probably just get the burger again. Â Or else force someone else to so I could steal half when they were distracted, I guess. Â
[I ran the spellcheck before posting and the word "tzatziki" came up, as you might expect, as the spellchecker is not Greek. Â The word it suggested in its place? Â "Testis." Â I leave you with that. Â -B. R.]
[Kicks self]
[Kicks self]
[Kicks self repeatedly]
How and why have I been working within three miles of the Happ Inn for over five years and never made it in until recently? Â Whyyyyy??? Â I have been missing out on a top-notch restaurant.
I tried to go once a couple of years ago for lunch when I was craving fried chicken, only to find to my dismay that they serve that dish only at dinnertime. Â So it was merely random chance that brought me there last month for a dinner with my wife and in-laws. Â Fried chicken expert Melanie S. had given their version high marks, and it was tormenting my salivating brain all week. Â Boy did they deliver: Â perfect chicken, excellent french fries...mmm, even the cole slaw was very well prepared. Â We ordered a calamari appetizer which was better than average, and the salsa trio was surprisingly deeply flavorful.
Our waiter Domingo was warm and attentive; he kept my diet soda filled, brought us an extra basket of chips when we devoured the first, and peppered us with cheerful hospitality throughout the evening.
Since then I've been back for lunch a few times: Â superb pulled pork sandwich; Â excellent "Mexican" turkey burger (served with a nice guacamole and fire-roasted salsa); a straightforward but fresh and lively southwestern chicken chopped salad. Â The table servers are always good, but their hostess staff could learn to have some more respect for the solitary luncher, especially one who comes in at 1pm when the dining room is starting to empty.
Other than that one annoyance, this joint is the perfect bar and grill. Â They aren't reinventing the culinary wheel here, but they execute the concept with quality and class.
My first (and probably last) experience at the Happ Inn was an interesting one, to say the least. Our group had been planning to go to brunch and had originally decided on a different restaurant; however, after seeing the ridiculous wait time we decided on our second option: The Happ Inn.
Upon arriving I immediately noticed the décor, which I liked. It's bordering between trendy/upscale and casual. The dining area is definitely a cozy atmosphere with reds and deep browns.
When we were seated we asked about brunch, which we had specifically come for, and were told that they did not serve brunch. When we questioned this, as their website as of 2/4/12 had a BRUNCH menu, the server became annoyed and told us that they "hadn't served brunch in over a year" and "people should stop asking about it". Someone mentioned that perhaps they should remove it from the website then, and we got an even more snidely response by being told that "our IT guys are awful" and that there was an "omelet special" should we really be in the mood for brunch. No apology, just attitude.
So we ordered lunch. It came out quickly, and looked good. Luckily, it also tasted good. I had the butternut squash soup and the lettuce wedge salad with tuna. My soup was awesome! It actually tasted like butternut squash instead of sweet and potato-y like many restaurants versions. The soup was finished with a sprinkling of toasted pepitas, which added both flavor and texture. I probably could have eaten the entire pot they made up for the day, instead of my tiny little cup. The wedge salad was pretty standard as far as wedge salads go; a wedge of iceberg lettuce can't be dressed up too many ways. I will say I wish it came with less dressing, I had to practically search for the actual salad beneath the globs of dressing. The tuna was cooked very nicely, pink in the middle with a nice sear all around. I also tried a bite of the tilapia sliders which were really good too.
Sadly the meal ended with more sarcasm/rudeness about the whole brunch ordeal when our waitress made a final attempt to "apologize" about the whole situation. Needless to say, even though the food was good, I probably wont be back because of the poor attitudes of the staff.
This place has become a staple for our family. Great food and good for kids as well. The Mexican turkey burger is excellent and you can't go wrong with their guacamole.
It is popular on the weekends and service can be slow when they're swamped (I've seen some reviews complaining about service). However, most restaurants like this can be reviewed the same way.
We've had good, pleasant servers every time we've been.
I'm being a little generous on the 4 star mark...debating between 3 and 4, I opted to go with 4, because I would definitely return, and look forward to it.
Went to The Happ Inn on a Sunday evening to give their fried chicken a whirl. I am always delighted with good fried chicken...and I was impressed with Happ's. Huge portion and very yummy stuff. I wasn't too keen on how it was served...it was in a bucket, on top of the sweet potato fries (that I substituted for regular fries). It made it somewhat difficult to eat, it was this big mound of food. And where am I supposed to put these bones? But, I'm not bougie, I'll deal.
The service was....not very good. It was crowded, and I hope either they were surprisingly understaffed or our server was new. It took awhile for him to make it to our table after we were seated, we were not offered refills on our drinks, and we got the check before being asked if we wanted coffee or dessert. It may have just been an off night, and any server/restaurant can have one, which is why I gave 4 stars instead of 3. Hopefully, the service will not be so *haphazard* next time. Get it? Happ-hazard? Ok, I'll stay away from open mic night at The Improv...
Snaps to the upper middle aged couple at the next table, who were obviously on their first date. Keep the fire burning!
Happ Inn was an unintended delight, and ohhh how I love happen-chance dinners like that! My boyfriend and I intended to do dinner at La Gitanas Tapas nearby, but discovered they were closed for the holidays. Happ Inn was across the street and looked promising. They didn't disappoint!
I can tell Northfield residents come here in droves because it was packed (and we were dining at like 8 o'clock on a Monday night!). They have a really nice bar and I would definitely go back and gladly just relax there.
What I really liked about this place is the wide variety of foods they offer. My boyfriend was in a Mexican mood, so he drank a margarita and ate guacamole before downing a big. juicy burger. I was in a wine mood, so I did a nice pinot noir and bowl of butternut squash soup. All choices were great. Like I said if we were in the area, I would definitely go back!
Don't tell my company's HR... but most days I work through lunch. I nibble on a handful of almonds, sip some coffee, and read a few personal e-mails before work, that sweet temptress, gets me back into her clutches. On the days that I can sneak out of the office, though? Happ Inn is a delicious option.
I was excited to try Happ Inn for the first time, eager to see what had happened to the space of one of my old favorites, Brasserie T. The answer? Gourmet burgers. Massive salads. Heaping portions of both standard french fries and sweet potato fries. Delectable desserts. The lunch hour was bustling-- packed with area business-men and -women, families, and those North Shore Ladies Who Lunch, sipping iced tea and barely picking at their dry salads-- and the decor was much the same as prior tenants. Parking was surprisingly difficult for, well, a strip mall.
My dining companion and I each ordered a burger. He got a grass-fed beef burger and I requested a bleu cheese burger sans bun. And we waited. And waited. And waited, watching everyone around us get served and file out. Finally our meals showed up, mine in a bun and his without his requested side. After a little prodding and a friendly visit by the owner, Carlos, everything got straightened out.
The hamburgers were great. Despite both of us ordering our sandwiches relatively cooked through, the patties were juicy, thick, well-seasoned, and flavorful. My pal's brioche bun was soft and appeared incredibly fresh. My bleu cheese was sharp and tangy. The sweet potato fries? Perfectly crisp and not too salty. I'm stunned by how I managed to put away that whole plate of food but, man, was I in a food coma for the rest of that afternoon.
Anyhow, Happ Inn? Great burger joint. Mediocre service, however. Hopefully in the near future the management and kitchen can get their act together, staff the place adequately, and then I'll be able to swing by without having to allocate nearly two hours for lunch.
This is a perfectly, if unspectacular, neighborhood restaurant - something that is all too rare in the North shore. Very good burgers and the Cuban sandwich was terrific - very flavorful pork, not at greasy, and thankfully not too gooey. The roll was well pressed and excellent.
For brunch, lunch, or a casual dinner I would definitely recommend it. The menu is a good assortment of salads, burger/sandciches, and some more adventurous entrees. My preference - this is definitely more of a burger or salad place. The service is fine, and absolutely appropriate for the locale. The room is nice, though for some reason the high ceilings, which normally I like, make it feel a bit sterile. I'm not sure why that is, it is otherwise a good layout with tables well spaced for good conversation.
I was so pleased with my experience here!! First off, I kind of rate a place right off the bat by how good their iced tea is, and it was perfect!
I ordered the rice and vegetable soup to start and it was really good. I don't normally like cilantro, but the little hint of it in this soup was actually perfect.
For dinner I ordered the "Bill Kurtis Tallgrass Burger" because if you know me, you know I only eat grass fed beef. This was DELICIOUS! They put gruyere cheese on it, which I never imagined would taste so good. The best part of this meal is that it comes with corn fritters. They are golf ball sized with a breading and corn mixed together - YUM!! My husband was "Mmmm-ing" his way through his meal as well.
The waitstaff was good. Never had to worry about a drink being empty, and the food arrived quickly without problems. We are definitely going to return here soon!
Erica and I joined Mr. Levin for a Sunday night dinner at Happ Inn. I had read good things about Happ Inn and how "Happy" people were eating there. We all agreed the meal was good with simple tasty food. The concept also works very well for the area and is very family friendly. If the goal is a family spot serving simple American fare at reasonable prices, they succeeded. However, our experience went downhill as time passed when we realized how poor the service was, how much we didn't like our server (we were served a different year of wine than what is listed on the menu) and that the dessert wasn't that great. The meal was always trending between a 3 and 4 out of 5, but by the time we left is was a solid 3.
We started with the Queso fun-dido, a melted cheese cup with various bread products for dipping (tortilla chips, pita and pretzels). The cheese was warm and smokey, and lacked a little salt. But the breads were great and provided the extra flavor for a nice starter.
My main dish that evening was a honey-glazed salmon served with green beans and corn tomale. I enjoyed the salmon and thought everything was well cooked with plenty of flavor and attractively presented. It would be something I would order again and recommend. Erica had the traditional Happ Burger, a half pound burger served with fries. She said it was very good, highlighting the flavor of the meat. Again, the first two courses were very good, and I'm sure other dishes are made equally well.
We ordered one dessert to top off the meal, the cookie sundae. It's a chocolate cookie with vanilla ice cream topped with a mound of whipped cream. It would have been very good if the ice cream was not already mostly melted. There was also too much whipped cream to dig through in order to get to the cookie and ice cream.
The meal by and large was tasty, but the overall experience had areas for improvement. The service was surprisingly sub-par, and the dessert did not keep up with the rest of the meal. The value is good with my main dish at $15, $9 burgers and $6.50 desserts. I would come back, or recommend this for quick and simple meals. I probably would stay in the bar area, and watch sports. But in any event, if the Happ Inn could shore up some basic service training, the total experience would be much better.
So, my coworker is pregnant. She's due very soon.
Departmentally, we decided it would be super nice if we all surprised her by taking her to lunch someplace. But we didn't want to have a trashy lunch. My boss decided on the Happ-Inn.
Only it wasn't really a surprise that we were going to lunch as a department. We have two new interns - and so, we wanted to welcome them aboard. So we tricked the pregnant lady.
I don't know if its actually nice to play tricks on pregnant ladies. I mean, we could have technically made her go in to labor if she was too surprised by the entire thing. It would not have been funny to eat my lunch while the wait staff was cleaning up after birth.
But the baby is still inside her, and we're done eating lunch. So I guess that's good.
At anyrate, we gave her a whole bunch of things to clean up baby puke, and bibs and things. Â Stuff pregnant ladies love.
The restaurant itself was actually really nice. Very busy (I had trouble finding noon time parking in the lot). Inside, it was packed. We had reserved a table for the lot of us.
I had a patty melt. It was very good, and I have to say, it was the thickest hamburger patty I've ever had in a patty melt. The rye bread tasted very fresh, and the fries were also tasty.
The wait staff was so attentive, that I never had to worry about my water glass getting low.
There was a cool display of vintage lunch pals on the back wall. I wanted to steal one, but thought better of it. Petty theft during a work lunch doesn't seem like a good idea. Then again, not wearing underwear also seems like a bad idea - but really its quite fun.
The buzz of the restaurant was low enough for us to have a great conversation at the table we sat at. The place was clean, and the wait staff seemed organized.
I would actually go back here again. It seems like a good place to take a Mom, Dad or Grandma from out of town. I don't recommend it for dates, marriage proposals or divorce settlements.
Check it out. Its totally happen-inn'.
Yawn. Â
I was not thrilled to hear that I would be meeting the in-laws here for dinner. Â I imagined that it would be a somewhat geriatric suburban crowd eating mediocre food in a loud and crowded atmosphere, and I was pretty much right.
The space was actually  much nicer than I had anticipated, and I was hoping that my gut feeling was wrong.  Although the restaurant was crowded, we were seated promptly and given our menus.  And then we waited.  And waited.  And waited.
After about twenty minutes of waiting, a manager came over and remarked that our waiter was also serving the party of about twenty people in our room and could he bring us drinks while we were waiting. Â Although it was nice that he noticed that something was up, I question the wisdom of seating our party at that station at all. Â But stuff like that happens, and within ten minutes, our waiter came over and took our order (burgers and sandwiches).
Fifty minutes later, we got our food. Â Dinner at a neighborhood restaurant shouldn't take two hours, and I'm guessing there's something seriously wrong in the kitchen if they can't turn out burgers, pizzas and salads any faster--even if it IS crowded. Â And the food was hot, so it wasn't a service issue). Â And the food itself was definitely not worth the wait. Â My grass-fed burger was really bland, the bun was nothing special, and even the sweet potato fries, while okay, weren't worth the hype and the extra $2. Â And to my dismay, the burger proved to be a little on the fatty and grisly side. Â So sad.... Â I don't order burgers very often and I prefer to really enjoy them instead of eating everyone else's food because mine wasn't worth the calories.
Honestly, given my prejudices, I probably wouldn't have been inclined to go back even if the food had been worth waiting for. Â I prefer to BE the geriatric person in the restaurant all the twenty-somethings in Wicker Park complain about. Â At least now I know for sure that this won't be on my list of favorite places near home. Â I can do better in my own kitchen.
Oh the conundrum of a Sunday night family dinner in the burbs. Â You want something tasty, that won't break the bank, and that everyone, including my grandmother, will enjoy. Â This is not an easy feat, yet Happ Inn certainly delivered. Â And did so with wonderful service (our waitress and the owner, who was wandering between tables helping out, could not have been friendlier).
The menu was slightly overwhelming - very broad and we all had trouble deciding. Â In the end, we each picked a different burger. Â I enjoyed my southwest turkey burger - as far as turkey burgers went it was really moist and flavorfull, but I wish they hadn't been so stingy on the salsa and avocado toppings. Â Everyone else loved their selections as well, judging by the clean plates at the end of the meal!
Unfortunately, they ran out of sweet potato fries just before we got there. Â That was a big disappointment. Â But I guess it means I'll have to come back to try them!
Overall I had a great time at the Happ Inn. Â It is such a relief to have an affordable, quality restaurant up in the north suburbs.
I went there with my dad, and both of us enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. Â With both a dining room and bar area, they were kind enough to leave the tv's out of the main room; both of us noticed how pleasant it was to not have the distraction.
My caesar salad was ok, but the ancho chicken soup was very nicely prepared: the chicken and noodles are brought out in the bowl, with the spicy and substantive broth poured over the top at the table. Â
The blackened blue burger and the chicken tinga pizza were both enjoyable, bordering on delicious. Â So many restaurants in the suburbs either overcook their burgers or just make them so they end up being dry. Â However, this burger was awesomely juicy and cooked to temperature. Â The blue cheese/ onion ring/ tomato combination on the pizza was solid, and I would like to try their other offerings. Â The pizza had a nice kick to it, with a nice balance of the chicken, chihuahua cheese, and sauce. Â The choices on the menu were not mind-blowing by any means, but each dish was made with quality ingredients and carefully prepared.
The service was friendly, and the owner makes frequent trips around to ensure that everything is up to par. Â It is obvious that he is making every effort to perfect the food and service and iron out every issue that comes with opening a new restaurant. Â I believe he said next week they will have been open for ten weeks.
A reservation is definitely recommended, especially during prime time on the weekends, when the wait can get up to two hours. Â Overall, a very respectable menu and drink list in a comfortable atmosphere make Happ Inn a place I will add to my suburban arsenal.
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