J&D's Bar & Grill

This place is all about price.  The service is spotty (varies) because they're usually so busy their wait staff is overworked.  That said, for bar food it's well above standard.  Go on a weekday and see how many geriatrics are there for lunch - always a good way to judge if a place has at least okay food at a good value.  I guarantee you they won't be empty.

As for the quality - other reviewers who said such negative things must be completely retarded.  A tarragon sauce for a $5 chicken sandwich where I can actually taste the tarragon?  Are you kidding me?  For $5?  Who cares if the chicken isn't some free range no hormone blah blah blah... it's $5 and it's pretty big and it's awesome!!!  $5 for a half lb of snow crab legs and a potato?  So it's not Shaw's fresh... it's $5!!!  The grocery store can barely match that, and you didn't have to cook it.  $5 for a 1/2 rack of ribs, so I can get 2 different kinds and both will come with extra fries for $10?  Go pay $20 each in downtown Chicago for almost the same things if you're going to be super picky Mr. Super Foodie, there are places that make food into chemistry for you.  I actually appreciate the low price for decent things!  If you like Anthony Bourdain you'll like this place.  If you prefer Andrew Zimmerman you'll hate it.

Is this Chicago Prime or Mortons?  No.  Does the seafood rival Shaw's or other local non-chain high end places such as Dover Straits or Bob Chins?  Hell no.  Will you have the best meal you have ever tasted here?  No.  This is a bar and grill with awesome good food for dirt cheap, not a high end gourmet restaurant with gourmet prices (though it does offer some high end things for very cheap).  Will you be able to order 2 meals for $10 and get completely stuffed, and have a beer if you want while you're at it?  Damn right you will.

5 stars.  Call me a simple man, but I would rather have my birthday dinner here than at Palm Court in Palatine (also EXCELLENT in a very different way).  At least here I can order 5 meals for $25 and not feel so guilty about the cost to whoever is paying if I don't like one of them.  There is fancy, there is good, and there is both.  Some places are both (Palm Court), some are neither (err.. leaving that one blank).  This place has occasionally fairly fancy food but is not fancy itself.  What it is is good, and inexpensive, all the time.  Burgers.  Fish.  Greasy (but not to greasy) fries.  Ribs.  Juicy chicken sandwiches dressed up with crazy fancy sauces to make them a little better than average.  Normal food you would make for yourself if you weren't so damn lazy (well, maybe that's just me).  You know, for like, when you get hungry.  Not for when you want to review a place, but you know, when you actually just want to forget about it and eat dinner.

Like I always say... if you're not going ultra high end... walk in at 4pm, see if there are seniors eating, if there aren't then walk out!  This place is always packed... businessmen at lunch, seniors at early bird dinner, college kids at night... yep... they're terrible and about to go out of business, that's why the service staff can't keep up and occasionally ignores me and my wife.  They can't hire enough servers and seem to have high turnover.  The horror!!!

Started coming here this Summer, and now my wife and I stop in at least twice a week. Why? Well, their prices can't be beat, the food is great for the price and the servers are very friendly. Drink specials everyday. $2 you call it , all day Wednesday.  $2 top shelf margaritas? That will keep us coming back!  $5 food specials everyday for lunch. Check them out!

This place is surprising.  It doesn't look great from the outside, but once you go inside it is much larger and cleaner than expected.  The prices for drinks are very cheap, especially for being in such close proximity to the millionaires of North Barrington.  The food is not the greatest, but its cheap, and its bar food.  You also get a lot in terms of proportions.  I can say that this is the only time I have ever ordered loaded nachos and got more beef/cheese, etc. than nachos.  I typically only go there on Sundays to watch NFL games as I am not a Bears fan and cannot watch my Steelers on regular cable.  That being said, Sundays have $2.00 domestics and $5.00 for EVERYTHING on their menu.  If people complain about J&D's food on a Sunday, just think to yourself its $5.00.  $5.00 wont even get you a beer at Goose Island Brewery, and they make it there.  Lastly, the service.  If you can sit at the bar, then you will be served promptly as the bartenders are good.  However, everytime I have sat at a table in the bar area, the service has been slow.  We usually order our beers with the bartender and the food with the server, its faster that way.

In summary, this is a great place to grab a cheap bite, have cheap beers, not be too crowded, and watch a sports game.  I will be back every Sunday!  

BTW, this place is cheap on Friday nights too!