Good specials!
Good happy hour - $5 burgers and salads.
I got the chicken strawberry spinach salad which was good but pretty typical, my friend's turkey burger was really good. The best part of the meal was the fries.
Got there at 5:30 pm and we were the only table inside, about 3 tables outside, but our waitress was unwelcoming and short - maybe she was just having an off day.
The food here is pretty good. I've been here a few times for dinner and drinks and its always pretty good. Typical bar food. It gets really crowded at night, so make sure you go in with an open mind and don't mind getting drinks spilled on you when people are trying to get past you to go to the bathroom. It's nothing special but gets the job done.
Review Source:Human ant farm.
We bopped in on a whim and it was crowded as hickory heck. While we stood next to a hi top of preppy chads they offered it to us since they claimed they leaving and I asked the blond ringleader, Sir Mugs A Lot, why this place was so popular. He replied there's ----censored for Yelp---- in the back room. Yes, Bro you're very witty. *rolls eyes* We stepped out for a walk and returned all the tables were removed or being removed! It was a$$ to a$$. I don't even get why, there wasn't live music or a DJ. It was oppressive and intimidating.
Apparently there's a beer garden people love so that's worth checking out. The place has the typical decor of sports bars (and grills. That's important to credit to this place and others) of putting a bunch of eclectic stuff on walls with no real common theme. Bikes, old timey photos, rustic gear, sports stuff...I don't know?
I'd return on a week night or for the garden.
Pretty standard sports bar. They have decent bar food and above average brew selection. This is a good place to watch certain games (IU basketball to name one) and a decent place to go visit on a weekend afternoon. Late night on the weekend it gets pretty busy and skews to the age demographic of those who are just out of school. Not a bad place, not a great place, just a place and sometimes that's all you need.
Review Source:Kirkwood is a perfect bar if you are a mid twenties person who misses the college bar scene but know better than to actually try to go back to a college bar. This place recreates that scene pretty well (too loud radio pop/hip hop music, too crowded, lots of cocktail specials where the cocktails are kool-ade levels of  sweetness) bit with just enough of a grown up vibe that you don't feel out of place. What is a grown up vibe? I guess I mean the bathrooms are clean, the beer list is admittedly strong, and so is the food.  I've never had a bad time when friends suggest we meet here, but I've never considered suggesting we go here. And that is what makes this a three star locale.
Review Source:Would I go to Kirkwood on a Friday or Saturday night?
No.
Would I go there on a Monday for trivia?
Yes.
I like that they broadcast the trivia questions right on one of the big screens. Â No one wants to hear the trivia master repeat the questions over and over when we're trying to watch Monday Night Football. Â They also have great categories like "Political Sex Scandals" and "Hip Hop Videos." Â Dig it.
Above all else, though, the food rules at Kirkwood. Â I don't know that there's a more righteous salad around than the southwest chicken salad. Â It's carried at I think every Four Corners outpost and it's DELICIOUS. Â I also like to give props to the tater tots. Â They're super salty and very crunchy and you get a mountain of 'em with every order. Â
Weeknights - Yes.
Weekends - No.
If you want to make some new friends during a Husker game, just  toast your Domestic beer and yell a few "GBR" chants.
Our (cute) waitress offered my group excellent, friendly service despite the huge crowds.
I hear good things about the food and the patio - will be sure update my review accordingly on future visits.
This place is only getting a star at all because the food is ok and the waitresses are usually nice enough.
As an IU fan who has been trying to like this bar since I moved to Chicago 4 years ago, I can honestly say my patience is worn out. This has got to be one of the most ridiculously mis-managed businesses I have ever come across. I have had too many incidents that have left sour tastes in my mouth because of the management staff at this bar. Â I have had experience with "managers" mis-using their power for the sake of their friends in terms of reserved tables. I have had managers blatantly pull some questionable things regarding bar packages and times and expressly admitting they were just concerned with their bottom line.
The worst part is that when I contact Four Corners management about these issues (one incident was particularly bad and I felt the need to bring it up to them), my emails AND phone calls went unanswered. I've clearly had better business training than this group since I know it is the height of unprofessionalism to never acknowledge communications. It just goes to show that they clearly have no interest in how their bars are being mis-managed and that starts from the tone at the top.
This group has lost my business. I'm glad there are other IU bars to choose from in the city that appreciate their fan base.
Pluses - This bar is literally next door to me. Has a great beer garden.
Minuses - Routinely horrible service.  Pretty much without fail my service here sucks.  Expect any food or drink order you put in to take forever and come out wrong.  My most recent experience included my waitress not agreeing with her  tip so she just upped it herself.  Management first blamed my bank and then eventually the manager agreed to adjust it, at a time pleasing his schedule of course, 3 weeks later.  He barely offered an apology and didn't mention the offending waitstaff at all. Did she get reprimanded? Do they encourage their waitresses to change their tip to whatever they deem appropriate? Who knows? Not me.
Eh, as others have mentioned the atmosphere is great on the patio. Â My friend and is enjoyed a summer night there with some nachos and a few drinks. Â The nachos were standard bar nachos so they worked. Â The drinks were ok - Â I'd go elsewhere for specialty cocktails. Â Overall, I don't think I would ever seek out Kirkwood again. Â My friend lived nearby but that was really the only benefit.
Review Source:My review for Kirkwood is basically just for their fantastic beer garden. Â I came here with a group of friends Saturday just for drinks. Â They had a great stadium cup special for Coors light. Â The beer garden is so big and nice!
This is a great summer spot, I cannot wait to come back!
Trendy but with a very nice patio, good drinks/specials, and some very good fish tacos.
Clientele can sometimes be loud and obnoxious, but the staff is friendly and quite easy on the eyes (bonus points!).
I will most definitely be going back for drinks, particularly on clear, cool evenings so that I can enjoy the patio (though they tend to close it around 11 for noise ordinances) and one of their famous skillet cookies.
One random Sunday a couple weeks ago I ended up here. It was rather busy so I took that to be a good thing, thinking the brunch buffet was going to be great! It was "ok". They have a create your own omlette bar which was disappointing, so I didn't even try one. The big overflowing bowl of fresh fruit looked super promising and delicious but one bite into the kiwi and cantaloupe and I wanted to throw it at someone! It was harder than crap = NOTE RIPE. Duh! Whoever cut the fruit either knows nothing about fruit or didn't care. Figure it out people, if the kiwi doesn't juice when you slice it, it's not ready.
Things I enjoyed:
+chicken wings!
+sliders!
+TATER TOTS!
+Our server at the bar
+FREE ICECREAM TREAT AT THE END OF DINING!
The rest needs a little work....
Fantastic food! I always thought that this was more of a bar than anything, but the other weekend when my roommate and I shared a Chicken Pesto sandwich, we were completely impressed with the quality of food. The fries are to die for, although sometimes too heavily-seasoned.
The ambience of this bar is great, I love the layout, and the food (when you want to eat it) is very, very good. This has to be on my list of top favorite bars to frequent, especially during the week.
My only complaint has to be about the bathroom situation. There are only three women's toilets, in addition to the Port-o-Potty's out back. Not fantastic.
Kirkwood is one of my local bars. Couldn't tell you how many times i've been there. The food is decent and you get a lot. Drink specials aren't that great but their prices are already cheap relative to some bars in the area. The real time to go is when the patio is open. It's big and plenty of tables. The bar is almost always busy and summer just intensifies it. During the winter the bar can get real packed and somewhat uncomfortable if you don't have a table. However I recommend you go cause it will be a good time.
Oh p.s. if you can stomach High Life it is just $4 for a tall boy can
I went to Indiana University and am therefore a fan of almost all things IU related. Â Some of my best memories from college (and life) took place on that wonderful strip of restaurants and bars in Bloomington known as Kirkwood Avenue. Â I had my first drink at a bar (Upstairs), won and lost countless games of "Sink the Biz" (Nick's), and even met my wife (Kilroy's) on Kirkwood Ave.
What I'm trying to say is that my review will be completely biased.
But honestly, this place has a ton of great things going for it. Â First and foremost, all IU basketball games. Â Second, the beer garden is easily one of the most lively and fun outdoor spots to be on a sunny afternoon in Lakeview. Â Thirdly, the beer selection is relatively deep for a sports bar - you will always find some unique seasonal crafts on tap as well as a longi-sh bottle list. Â Finally, the food is surprisingly delicious - try the Hoosier burger which is loaded with thick bacon and only $5 on game days.
Yes, the vibe is very "collegiate", which in my opinion is very appropriate but many people slam it for. Â Grab a table in their beer garden with some friends and a couple foam tops on a summer afternoon - I promise you won't be disappointed.
Kirkwoods is your average Chicago bar. It's decorated nicely, serves tasty food (I've been a little disappointed by the small portion size though) and has decent drink specials during the week. As others have mentioned, their patio is AWESOME.
Be prepared to be a bit overstimulated by sports when you come here, they have TVs everywhere. I'm not that into sports so I find it a little distracting when the volume is blaring, but great place to go if you're looking for that.
Kirkwood is fine - it's one of the Four Corners bars, and they are predictably fine. Â We went tonight to watch the Indiana game and the place was packed - not surprising. Â They had a few food specials and a few beer specials, which I wasn't expecting on a game night.
The menu has changed a bit since the last time I was here - everything still sounds good, but my friend ordered the tortilla soup which was a HUGE letdown! Â It used to be really spicy and flavorful, and tonight it was basically just tomato soup with some tortillas thrown in to it. Â Bring back the heat! Â The rest of our food (a salad, chicken nachos, and chicken tacos) were all good.
Also, our server (can't remember her name... Â long brown hair, was working the room to the left of where you walk in) was fantastic! Â She was crazy busy (and there was a huge table next to us), but she never forgot our orders, always kept tabs on us, and even noticed when the busboy hadn't brought us something. Â Well done!
Kirkwood was never our destination for the evening. Â Nope- we were headed to Fish Bar a few doors down. Â But since Fish bar was packed and standing there trying to get a drink was not high on my list, we put our name on the list and headed south to Kirkwood.
"Good choice", says my friend, a man who loves a cold beer and a seat at the bar. Â We got both at Kirkwood and the prices were cheap. Â On this night, beers were only $3.
The bartender offered us a menu after we told him we were going to Fish Bar. Â "You're in for a wait", said he. Â And the tator tots and burger almost swayed us from our original destination. Â
This place was jumping and on a weeknight too. Â And if you want to hang with a "young crowd" this could be your place. Â At some point in the evening (we went back after dinner) I think people thought we were someone's parents when we walked in!
Great beer garden, friendly service, and cheap beer. Â Now this is my kind of place!
A solid four stars.....
Great place to watch a Nebraska game. The place was packed with Nebraska fans when I went there last week to watch the Boise St vs. Nebraska game. I honestly wish we could have gotten there sooner because they had a real cool outside seating area. Also, it's not too far outside the city. The food was pretty good too.
If you're a UN alum, you gotta come here for drinks and to watch the Huskers!!
As in Indiana alum, I would like to strip this bar of its name. The last time I was there, I went to watch and IU football game. That idea was rejected. Nebraska football only. IU may not be the best team but I should be able to watch my team at a bar that that is named after an Indiana tradition. THIS IS NOT AN INDIANA BAR!! GET A NEW NAME!!!
HOOSIERS STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!!
I love Kirkwood's. They have one of the best beer gardens. Really spacious, cute/comfy furniture, and lots of outdoor TVs.
They play a good mix of music on the weekends and service is pretty solid.
Monday is $5 burger specials. They are good size burgers, and the Turkey burger is REALLY good. Mine was really well cooked, TONS of avocado, spicy mayo (if you like spice get the Pepperjack cheese with it, too).
Sweet potato fries were just OK (wish they were thicker cut). Tater tots were delish.
Lastly, I've had two celebrity sightings here! :)
Bottom Line Up Front: the new Hi-Tops
Let me start off with the positive; the food is good. Turkey burger with bacon and avocado was delicious and tater tots never fail to make me happy.
Does anyone else remember the old Hi-Tops in Wrigleyville? It was the place that would serve you when you were 17 and gave out coupons for Plan B pills when you took their Jell-O shots. Well, all of their clientelle moved down Sheffield to Kirkwood Bar and Grill. Sloppy goofballs in their sperry topsiders and girls who borrowed their skanky older sister's "River North going out dress" mingle while sipping light beer in a place that reminds me of all of the shitty things about college.
Come here if you want to hang out with a bunch of idiots.
The stars are mainly for their beer garden. Â I've always had a good time out there, either for watching a game or hanging out with folks during an early afternoon. Â Which is the best time for a hang session with that couple with kids. Â It's hard to find places that would accommodate kids and if you do it early on the weekends (early afternoon), you won't run into any annoying ass customers. Â Since most are still sleeping off their drunken nights.
Appetizers are pretty good and I'd say the same for the service. Â On game days they would often have decent specials on food and beer. Â However, this is not a place I'd buy shots. Â One night I stopped in for a few shots of Alabama slammers, that's So-co and Peach Schnapps. Â Most would shake that with a few cubes of ice, not to downplay the booze too much. Â The bartender here, under poured me on the booze and shook it with too much ice. Â Charge was close to $20 dollars for three thimble sized water shots. Â B.S.
If you're on the prowl, head out early on a weekday. Â Ladies always go early, late night is for the sausages.
Bears Win! Bears Win! Bears Win!
And what that has to do with Kirkwood, exactly? Well, its been my new go-to spot for a positively fun and lively game day experience. Cue the NFL Theme Song!!! <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMW0QoCgxcHc&s=87cc89e319d836c566307be4db1d9a7c57a842ee535cd9d998191e759bce33db" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a> dah dah dum dah dah dum dah dah dah dah duuuuuuum, LOVE IT!
Kinda dig the energy here, especially for Chicago Bears football. Have to admit, there's definitely an air of a 'youngish' vibe here, but it's truly just the neighborhood association and not the legitimate locale demographic. Surprised to find late twenties, early thirties and beyond all having a great time hanging, eating, drinking and, of course, watching sports, right here in the heart of Lakeview. Not too shabby, my sophisticate friends. Granted, I'm not quite hip to what a typical weekend - or weeknight for that matter - looks like at Kirkwood. For all I know it could be a tragic fish bowl binge drinking meat market debauchery fest (hey, that could be fun, too), but what I do know is, I likes it for da Sunday Funday. Yep, I does.
Exceptionally good food (The Hoosier Burger with with Merkt's® cheddar spread & applewood smoked bacon served aside a mound of tots ain't messin' around!!!!!), really superb drinks (Fresh Squeezed Strawberry Lemonade + Vodka is tops) and a patio that even my Mom won't deny is absolutely effing fabulous (hey, it's still warm, go check it out) is what makes Kirkwood a triple threat when it comes to hanging in the 'hood.
A strong recommendation for the next game day on your team's lineup.
Ah, Kirkwood. You devil. You have everything that I want in every season. And I respect you for it.
Kirkwood always has what I need. Grabbing drinks & watching the game? Getting dinner with the girls? Finally scored a date with the hot guy & don't know where to take him? Looking for a casual dance party? Snuggling up by a fireplace? Getting rowdy in a beer garden?
All answers point to Kirkwood.
You can't go wrong with the food menu. Any place that offers tater tots as my side order ... well, let's just say I'm coming back again soon. The fish tacos rock. As does the southwest salad. As does the turkey burger.
I also like it as a low key bar. It can get quite crowded. My only gripe is that they take out a majority of the high top tables to accomodate crowd space. All good for packing people in, but sometimes a lady in stilettos needs a place to rest her feet.
The crowd is 20's, I'd classify it as more Big 10 grads than not. The man eye candy isn't bad ladies (I assume same goes for the fellas). It turns into a low key dance party on weekend nights. They also have a DJ on the weekends (and he played a few songs on request!)
All in all, I heart Kirkwood!
Pour one out for Pops. Â At least when they occupied this location, they were unique. Â Not that Kirkwood is a bad place. Â The garden is fantastic. Â I also don't mind being the ugliest guy there. Â Do you just get the feeling that when you step in here, that you've been to too many places like this. Â I'm probably just too old and crusty for it, at 32. Â The great decor and awesome staff was ruined by over crowding and two Chad meat-heads almost getting in a slap fight. Â I don't want to emasculate the Chads, but when they start getting heated I always feel like I'd get a better fight if Michal Baryshnikov squared off against that Lord of the Dance dude. Â Actually, I don't want to emasculate dancers by comparing them to Chads. Â
Anyway, that's the only really big detractor and it was actually kind of funny. Â A potential slap-fight between two dudes in $200 jeans within a cloud of Paco Roban is not Kirkwood's fault. Â $4 Miller Lites, however, is Kirkwood's fault.
Notice how I'm saying "Kirkwood" and not "The Kirkwood". Â See, to me, the joint is already like your favorite uncle that was always cool to you, but has a few B&Es on his record and then when you get your own place, he's always crashing on your couch and having sex with chicks he met on the Internet in your bed. Â Then all of a sudden your TV is missing. Â Not your good TV, but the one in the spare room that you kept from college. Â So going to this bar is like that. Â You love Kirkwood, but you have to keep your eyes on him.
A miniature, slightly-older version of Duffy's. Â So, if you're looking for 25-26 year-old ex frat boys and and girls who speak Valley, this is your spot.
We came to check it out on Thursday around 8pm, and it was SO f'ing loud, we had to sit outside just so we could hear each other. Â Food was nothing special. Â
Bottom line: Â Even if you DO want a collegiate/Lincoln Park atmosphere, you can do much better than this place: Redmond's, Tin Lizzie, Sedgwick's, Charlie's Ale House.
Don't waste your time on this generic, overpriced, rich kids joint.
From the same people who brought you Gaslight, Brownstone, Schoolyard, etc (Four Corners), they took over the former Pops for Champagne/Star Bar space & all wooded it up.
I waxed nostalgic for Pops/Star as I realized that something was wrong with the speakers in this joint ... they were too far away from each other or something because I could only hear specific parts of songs. Â Like the bass line. Â Or the high hat. Â It took me a while to even recognize the song. Â So very odd.
Anyways, because this is just what I do, I ordered their version of the same salad they serve at the other locations: the Oaken Southwest Salad or something similar. Â In case you weren't aware, the menu is pretty much exactly the same at all of their restaurant/bars with different location-specific names & few variations, which, at first I thought was kinda cool, but then I realized it's kinda lazy.
Anyway, the variation on the salad this time was that it was huge portabellas that you have to cut to eat. Â Call me crazy, but I don't like having to use a knife when eating a salad. Â Another variation was the addition of corn & black beans. Â The corn went unnoticed, but the beans were a bit mush, er, I mean much. Â I like my salad fresh & crispy-crunchy, not to be marred by a squishy bean.
Our waitress was fine, but she did make a few mistakes. Â The bf asked for a Hoosier sandwich (which, if you're from St. Louis or the South, "hoosier" does NOT mean someone from Indiana), which included bacon. Â He did not receive bacon. Â We also ordered the mixed pretzels as an appetizer sans the dipping cheese (which is so gross), but with a side of ranch & Merkt's cheddar. Â She said, "I'll see what I can do," which we smiled at because, being that we've ordered this a zillion times from the other locations, we knew she could do just fine. Â We got a side of dipping cheese (so gross), & half a side of Merkt's. Â No ranch.
So I'm okay with waitstaff getting an order incorrect, we've all done it at some point, & it's really not a big deal to just remind the person, but the thing that really chapped my hide is that she was one of those waitresses who didn't write our order down.
Honey, if there's even a slightest chance you're going to mess up our order, WRITE IT DOWN! Â No one is going to think any less of you! Â We're not going to tip you any less for GETTING IT RIGHT.
Other than that, the decor was cool (still with that fresh coat of paint smell), but really, it would have been nice to have one side of the bar without the tvs on. Â That way, if we wanted to watch 6 screens of basketball we could, but if we wanted to have a nice date night dinner, I could have it without reminding the bf that it was not sports night, but, in fact, DATE night, thanks.
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