Literally pass by this bar on my way home from work almost every day. Not going to lie, I thought it looked like a total sh*t box upon first seeing it.
A couple coworkers decided they desperately needed to try it, and I reluctantly agreed. WOW WOW WOW, looks can be deceiving. Super friendly and divey (in a good way) atmosphere, amazing service, DIRT CHEAP BOOZE, and the tater tots... oh those tater tots.
I ate three orders... THREE ORDERS! This place is not what I was expecting at all, but it is nice to be completely surprised every once in awhile. Will be coming back again soon!
It was my first time here, but obviously it is a fixture in the Wilmette neighborhood for many years. It's a little run down bar & grill. Food is served on paper plates and disposable silverware.
Sandwiches and drinks are good and prices are decent. There isn't anything special on the menu but always draws a crowd.
I wouldn't make an effort to travel to eat here, but if in the neighborhood already it would be decent.
Service is friendly.
I love this place. I should say "we" love this place, because after our first visit, Christopher was the first to suggest going back. Meiers is so old school that it is more like backwoods. It reminds me of the places I frequented over 40 years ago up in the north woods of Wisconsin.
You have to see this place to wrap your mind around the retro charm of it. It just feels like the right place to be when you walk through the door. Yes, it is kinda run down, heck it has been in business since the 1930's. If ya don't like it, go find one of those fru fru, trendy, minimalist martini bars and shut up. If they ever remodel Meiers, I think I will cry real tears.
The burgers are good and you can get them with tots. I mean seriously folks, tots!!!! The onion rings are quite good as well. I had the Friday fish fry and it rocked. The only thing I was not nuts about was the slaw. It was rather tasteless. Food is served on paper plates. Deal with it.
It is cash only, but they have an ATM on site. The service has always been friendly when we have been there. Be warned that on Sundays when Northwestern games are being broadcast it can get a bit packed, but it seemed like a nice crowd. Even when the place was packed, we found ample parking in their lot.
Well, it's an old-school dive bar in the middle of the suburbs. Â That should tell you all that you need to know. Â But you have to respect a place that is soaked to the bones with history, a trait which is not at all common these days. Â Based on the architecture and the proximity to 94, it looks like this place started as a late-19th-century inn. Â How cool is that? Â The inside maintains the same appearance that it probably had in the 1950s and 60s, except for the flat-screen TVs above the bar.
"What beers do you have on draft?" Â
"DAB, Budweiser, Miller Lite, and Coors Lite." Â
Oh dear. Â Well, DAB it is, I guess. Â But they serve it in a big, chilled, faceted mug, and they serve it with a smile. Â And four of them cost $19.75 (I have no idea how this math works). Â There are two types of dive bars: Â those where they love the regulars but treat everybody else like shit, and those which seem to welcome everyone. Â Meier's is the latter, so between that factor and the character of the building itself, this is a great after-work watering hole despite the limited beer selection.
Like the others we found it old and a bit dingy, but the beers were cold so what do you say. Â We were there on Friday - fish fry night - and thought the fish was just so- so. Â It was over fried and a bit greasy.
The server was good and overall I'd probably go back if in the area, but it's not a place I would seek out.
Very consistent. Â
Service is good. Â Burgers are excellent (and cheap.) Â Had the Reuben once or twice and the beef is very lean. Â
Great selection of beers.
My only suggestion is that they do a full (deep) cleaning of the place. Â Maybe even replace the carpets and furniture. Â Its WAY old.
But I like it overall. Â Its a "go to" place for me when meeting friends in a convenient location only a block off the Edens.
Friday fish and chips were quite good. Place was  little noisy, but fun. Beer selection is limited. Worse, they do not have a beer list. When I asked, they told me they had pretty much any bottled beer I would like; but then, when I started asking about beers I liked, they did not have them. Instead, the waitress said that they had "normal" beers like Bud, Miller etc. If you have a limited set of beers, you ought to have a beer list so one does not have to guess what to order.
Review Source:I grew up at this place. Â I feel like many people did. Â They've been open since the 1930's, and they're going to be open for a while yet I feel like.
Meiers is so solid. Â It's actually one of the quirkiest, weirdest places I know of. Â It's like, on the level of Billy Goat quirky and weird. Â It's like the Suburban version of it, minus the whole legend and aura and all that stuff.
One of my earliest memories as a kid, and being in a restaurant, is here. Â (What is it with me and having childhood memories of restaurants off of Lake Ave)
They used to have this really cool Miller Genuine Draft display light that hung from the ceiling, and it had like fake snow inside it that was blown around by a fan or something. Â I was really, really upset when the fake snow stopped being blown around. Â I still loved my burgers though. Â I'll always remember the beer washer though (as my mom and I used to call it).
It's also weird because it's like, inside of a cottage. Â I mean how quirky and weird is that?
There's very few places in Glenview and Wilmette where you can get decent bar food, but this is definitely one of them. Â I feel like it's not really people from Glenview and Wilmette that are going here, too.
Good burgers. Â Good grilled cheese. Â And they also offer tater tots (and have ever since I can remember.) Â Good draft beers. Â They have DAB...
Great location too. Â Just a jump off of 94 to the west.
Overall, so nostalgic, and you won't feel out of place or spend a lot of money to go there. Â Like, this is a place that has had regulars for 30 years but they treat you like you have been going there for years and years even if you haven't.
Great spot, not whored out either.
After doing a little fly fishing in the cornburbs, I was driving back with my friend and it was time for a beer.
We came across this little place and pulled in. Â Being it was late afternoon, it was open, but only a few people were eating.
We bellyed up to the bar and placed a beer order. Â FYI...no credit cards....only cash.
This isn't what I would call a dive like some folks have here...I'd just call it old. Â Staff were nice and the beers cold.
The place has enough stuff to keep you occupied just staring at it all.
Lost of character here. Â Not sure if folks in the city want to make a drive up to this place, but if you happen to be in that neck of the woods...check them out.
we where, as always looking for an interesting place for dinner close to the hotel. Meiers looked interesting and the reviews seemed interesting.
Got right in and sat at a table in the bar. Dive bar would be correct very cool interior and decor. Watress came quickly brought back very cold mugs of beer. Ordered the wings to start. Came out hot from the fryer and where tasty. Asked for hot souse as they came with BBQ. We where presented with a bottle of Tabasco? Oh well the wings where good.
Moved on to the recommended burgers, 1 w tots, 1 fry's. Fry's where under cooked. Burgers where ordered Med rare and came out cooked perfectly.
This is a cool burger place with a friendly bar crowd. They do not accept credit cards but have an ATM inside. Dinner and a bunch of beers for 2 under $50. If you are looking for a 5* steak joint keep driving. If you want a good burger and a few drinks in an interesting environment with friendly regulars this is a must try!
Be sure to ask for the dessert tray!
The food is meh + simple --the burger couldn't be cooked to order...c'mon medium rare isn't good enough?... But, I'm assuming the drinking crowd would dig this spot. It's definitely a no-frills, dingy spot (as I recall there was carpet on the floor?).
My beef was with the waitress... after we nicely mentioned we were on a lunch break and kinda in a hurry, she was very unattentive. And it was two o'clock in the afternoon and the place was practically empty (with exception of those drinking at the bar).
I've passed by this spot a zillion times and thought that the number of cars in the parking lot can't be wrong. Â My instincts were correct - I'm just not sure what has taken me so long to visit.
This is definitely a no frills spot - the perfect example of a dive. Â Seating is first come, first serve. Â There are no napkins on the table and no silverware. Â Plates are of the interesting plastic blend variety. Â I asked for their white wine options and was given...one...a chardonnay. Â What the hell...I'd try it. Â I have no idea what it was, but it was tasty and at $3.75...it was reasonable for whatever it was!
I had the cheeseburger with tater tots. Â I love my burgers - seriously - and this is one fantastic burger. Â It was juicy, not greasy and had great flavor. Â You can choose to get grilled or raw onions (I chose neither), along with tomato, lettuce, pickles (good ones at that) and quite possibly one of the best burger buns ever. Â Delicious - I finished every bite and could have licked the plastic-ish plate!
Don't go to this spot if you are looking for fine dining - this is a casual, laid back, delicious burger joint (no menus - it's on the table!). Â Service was friendly, helpful and efficient. Â
One of the most reasonably priced, delicious burgers in the area!
It's a quintessential dive bar.
Cheap food, cheap beer no frills whatsoever. Burgers are decent for what they cost. Better service at the bar than sitting at a table.
Ranking this place anything higher than three stars would be an injustice to a dive bar. Ranking it anything less means you were expecting too much to begin with!
One of the worst places I have been. Don't waste your time or money. We got seated right away, but it took the waitress another 45 minutes to take our order, and that was only after we flagged her down. She was very brief and rude. When we couldn't get drinks in the dining area, I went to the bar. This was no better. When my chicken sandwich came, it was greasy and we couldn't get any napkins. Also it came with 10 tater tots. That's right, I guess potatoes must be really expensive. After all the poor service and food, I resigned myself to getting my bill and going some place else.
Review Source:Went here last night for a cheap night out, and we were not disappointed. The atmosphere was great. Our waitress was very nice and very attentive. The onion rings were fantastic. My boyfriend got the enormous Dab, and I was happy to be able to get a Schlitz. The place wasn't too loud even with both of the TVs in the bar area playing basketball. We were still able to carry on a quiet conversation in the corner. The menu is simple, but anything fancier wouldn't fit with the vibe of the place.
We went on one of the first cold days in November, and the heat could have been turned up a little higher, but that's the only reason they didn't receive the full five stars from me. If I could give them a 4.5 that would be spot on.
We'll definitely be going back.
I love this charming old watering hole! North Shore low-key cool. Lots of pricey European autos outside, but attitudes and pretention are left at the door. Great cheeseburgers, patty melts (with tater tots!) and giant DAB drafts go great with the old cozy bar and friendly service. A great place for sports without the sports bar vibe. The kind of classic place you bring your old man to.
Review Source:We stopped into Meiers before heading to Northwestern for a basketball game. We walked into the hole-in-the-wall and found a little table in the back corner. Took in the atmosphere. Prepped ourselves for some good burgers. We sat and sat and sat... Â seriously a good 30-40 minutes before we were even greeted. The waitress took our drink orders and did not return for another good 20 minutes with drinks. After that, she made us wait another 10 minutes before taking our orders.
YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME, RIGHT?
At this point, we were annoyed, but telling ourselves that the food will be so good that it'll make up for it.
NOT. SO. MUCH.
Burgers were good but no better than IN N OUT or Five Guys.
Another negative (sorry, Debbie Downer over here today folks), CASH ONLY. We gathered cash from our table and went to pay. The owner was manning the cash machine and was very impatient with us. He kept yelling at us that there wasn't enough. (SERIOUSLY?) He also did not let us pay one at a time (there were 4 of us) using cash. He reprimanded us while having a conversation with a buddy. Â Really, dude?
Seriously, disappointing. I will never come back here and discourage anyone else to. Terrible service, bad management and absolutely NO customer service. Food is subpar but not worth going through the headache of waiting/disrespect from the owner/workers.
Ugh, get me back to the Chicago. Â The suburbs just aren't for me. (ok, so i'm exaggerating. i'm not much of a suburb dweller so this experience really left a bad taste in my mouth.)
Wow this place is terrible!! Read the reviews on yelp and decided to try it out on a Friday with friends. I am not sure how anyone would rave about the service. We arrived and sat down in a corner (maybe that was the problem) and waited for the waitress - yeah there was only one. Maybe she had an off night but seriously, we had to wait for her to come back and get us drinks. When we ordered we were never quite sure if she got our order or not. A couple of times we had to order again because she forgot our drinks. Maybe we got sub-par service since we were not regulars.
Food was not that great but it was cheap - and was disappointed when a vegetarian friend order tots and got about 15 on a paper plate and they were not that good, If you want good tots and a decent quantity go to Dick's River Road House on Milwaukee or buy a bag of Ore-Ida and make them yourself.
I don't mind the dive bar atmosphere and was not expecting much in ambiance but this place is filthy. It looked like it needed a good cleaning - the windows need to be washed and the bathroom was absolutely disgusting.
All 5 of us that visited gave it a one star and would never return again.
Service = 1 star
Food = 2 stars only because it was cheap
Atmosphere = 1 star
I saw this place showcased on the news, so I thought I would give it a whirl....
Rueben with tots, cheddar cheese burger with fries, 4 beers - all under $35. Â Best rueben I have had in a long time. Â Really yummy
Bad thing - Cash only. Â (just as long as you know this in advance)
(minus one star for having to dash to the cash machine....:(
I have never gotten food so fast. Seriously, from the time I walked in, to the time I finished my food, only 12 minutes elapsed. Â Definitely good if you're in the neighborhood, need food and don't have time or a whole lot of money. Â
If you come in here thinking you'll be blown away by this "restaurant" you will have problems because this place is clearly a bar that isn't trying to be a culinary masterpiece. Â The menu is small, mostly sandwiches but then surprises like shrimp dinners and some sides. Â That being said, I didn't think the burger was all the rave a lot of people on here say it is, but for only $6 and a small side a small side, I'll take it. Â The people are nice too.
a seriously bare bones tavern. a menu with about 15 items, a single waitress (marge), paper plates and ketchup in mustard in packets on the table. needless to say, marge runs a tight ship. they're pretty busy around lunch time and she seems to have everything under control.
the interior is dimly light and slightly dusty (which i like). the crowd is local, mostly male and also slightly dusty. they do serve tots though, and they are seriously tasty.
gimme some of your tots!
This little NorthShore bar is for all your old-school tavern needs. They serve the food in little baskets and serve tater tots instead of fries. The burgers are what people rave about and they should be raving about them because they are great!
This place also frequents the male after-work crowd, but you will find families in here for a quick, cheap bite to eat.
If I remember correctly, they serve some beers in cans and always with a smile.
If you're in the neighborhood it's worth it to check it out but it's not a date spot or a place for a special occasion.
Thinking back on my life this place might be the contributing factor to my love for two very delicious, but very unhealthy things. Â Patty Melts and Tater Tots were thrust into my life at this wonderful establishment. Â We used to come here after baseball games and fill up on the wonderful amazement of fried food.
Review Source:Meiers Tavern looks and feels like it was loaded onto a truck in Milwaukee, employees and all, and transplanted to Chicago's north shore. Â Of course, this is because this place is a relic from a time long past and places like it are a rare find in Chicagoland. Â Wisconsin still embraces this kind of place, which is why you'll find them all over Milwaukee I suppose.
A great neighborhood tavern with an inch of dust on everything, really tacky (in a good way) beer signs from the 60's and 70's on the walls, bottles of booze that must be forty years old, cheap beer, and cheap eats served on paper plates. Â The menu consists of burgers served on grocery store buns, grilled cheese sandwiches on white bread (add ham if you'd like), and other basic stuff all served with fried tater tots. Â German DAB beer on draft is perfect way to wash down all of this no-nonsense picnicky pub grub. Â If you're feeling thirsty and want to grab something for later, Meiers also sells booze, beer, and wine to go from their little liquor store section by the main entrance.
A great place that still manages to survive in the midst of corporate crap bars taking over Chicago. Â I highly recommend a visit to this great slice of Americana while it lasts.
Sure, my brother's wife would find her way to this bar at 15 yrs. Â And that is in no way pathetic that I liked it so much. Â
This is your perfect dive bar. Â Cheap beers. Â Drinks over 2 ingredients are discouraged. Â Did I mention the cheap beers? Â It really is like stepping into the twilight zone of dive bars past. Â
This place is a piece of Americana that is quickly disappearing from a landscape that favors Applebee's and TGI Fridays. Â It is downright unAmerican to dislike this place. Â Its a good beer at a good value.
I'm a little upset that we've never held a Happy Hour here before. Â Most perfect of dive bars, it's a package liquor store as well, has wood paneling and tasseled roman shades, is dark enough that it takes awhile for your eyes to adjust upon entering, has very attentive staff and is teeming with regulars. Â Simple grilled sandwich menu, all served with your choice of fries or tater tots. Â Like there's really a choice involved. Â
**CASH ONLY
There is something about a hand-pattied burger served on a store-bought bun. Â I think the juices from the meat soak into those buns more quickly, making the bread portion of the burger almost indistinguishable from the burger itself; the real role of the bread in the burger/bun equation is to ensure that the user doesn't burn his/her hands on hot meat (please to note: this is the first time I've alluded to someone burning themselves on hot meat, but likely not the last). Â
Also, skip the fries in favor of the tots. Â You've been warned.
Classic old suburban beer joint/ roadhouse located in Glenview. Reminds me of some place from the forties where a guy and his dame could stop for a cold one. It's cozy inside and has a lot of tables and chairs and a decent size bar. They serve food and have another seating area off to the side. Package goods are for sale (that is beer to go, and other sundry items). Look for the classic neon sign that will take you back to a better era.
Review Source:
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