I wouldn't typically drive out to Indiana to spend my Saturday night but my friend's band was playing here and it was only an hour. Â I can drive an hour to see his band in Illinois as well, we just happened to cross state lines for this show.
We went early to eat in the restaurant - had appetizers and the big baked cookie with ice cream for dessert. Â The food was decent, the service was decent. Â You can get in the other half of the place (the bar) with your receipt for free, otherwise they charge a cover at the door for the bands.
It was a warmer October night for the midwest and certainly WARMER in this place but, I could have more complaints...this is probably my only one.
The service at the bar was good, although it wasn't very crowded in there. Â They also let you get up and dance on the bar. Â That was a PLUS for my friends, not so much for me....
I'm not so sure I'd hike it out to this place again but it's a decent place if you're in the area.
This is a review STRICTLY for their Sunday breakfast buffet.
Simply said - IT'S FRAKING AWFUL!!!
1- the "French Toast" is straight out of a box, you know... the type you get at your local grocery stores frozen food section. It's the box labeled French Toast STIX
2 - Biscuits - dry, bland, bleh...
3 - Country Gravy - only if you want the biscuits to taste worse.
4 - Scrambled Eggs - I'm not even sure they're eggs... it was a solid yellowish, eggy tasting mass inside a pan.
5 - Bagels - may as well have been bagel chips
   Croissants - if you're desperate, go for it
   Quiches - you can buy better ones at Costco or GFS
   Homefries/Hashbrowns - GREASEFRIES & HASHGREASE
6 - Bacon/Sausage Links n Patties - again, frozen food section.
7 - Omelette station - SAVING GRACE and the only reason this review got 2 stars. The service was good, omelette was decently fluffy if a bit overcooked. REAL eggs, fresh looking veggies. Clean table too.
8 - Price - Too much for what it is... bad.
I really hope it gets better, Northwoods is great, just not for breakfast buffets on Sunday.
4.5 of us went here for Sunday brunch against the advice of a longtime local who knows good eats. Â Let it be known this was 4th on the list of places I gave everyone to choose from and I predicted they would leave here thinking "yep, that was breakfast". Â Guess I was a bit optimistic. Â
See, there just isn't that much you have to get right for a halfway decent brunch buffet. Â The number 1 requirement is: have food. Â Number 2? Â When you no longer have food, bring out more. Â The latter is much easier when the buffet line isn't a country mile from the kitchen. Â If that isn't possible, then at least pay someone to check things out...perhaps those bus boys that just stood around doing nothing could try? Â The final requirement is: don't poison people. Â
So, the surprising lowlight of the morning wasn't the empty food pans and practically having to beg for bacon. It was their orange juice! Â My wife said it tasted like it was mixed with alcohol and had hers taken off the bill. Â My daughter normally loves o.j. but simply set hers aside half finished, claiming she just didn't like it. Â We think it was rancid cuz my buddy chugged his before eating and immediately tossed all his cookies when we got back home. Â Talk about flushing money down the toilet.
Usually I'm the vocal one when situations are substandard, but today my wife and buddy said enough that I actually felt bad for our waitress. Â Hell, when she missed my glass and poured water on my foot, I could only tell her that's the main reason I wore sandals this morning. Â I did like that poor girl as well as my omelette...and most of the ice water.
It's funny, I really wanted to go to Chicago for a Peruvian brunch today. Â The thought of going another week without getting to munch on guinea pigs was as unsettling as...well...Northwoods orange juice. Â In the end, I didn't want to be the guy that ruined breakfast, so I agreed to come to this place and they did it for me.
Stopped on a Saturday night on our way back from Cedar Lake, and had great ribs and my wife had like a patty melt, she said was also great, when you go try the corn bread pudding, I guess that it is pudding, loved it a very unique flavor.
Stopped yesterday 6-9-12 for the second time, was better then the first, ribs were Great all the food was great, and our super server Megan was also Great, I'm glad that their not closer to Alsip Illinois, cause I would have to go there and Bartolini's at least once a week
Wow. Â What a cool restaurant/bar out in the middle of nowhere. Â Â This place is absolutely GIGANTIC. Â It was built by a company that builds log cabin homes so it was designed to look like a cabin in Canada. Â However, once you step inside there are tables everywhere and there's a huge bar/club in the back. Â Â When the building was designed, they put in an alcove in the back corner that is designed for their nightly live music acts Thursday through Sunday. Â Outside there's a giant wood deck overseeing a retention pond with even more tables for waterfront al fresco dining.
The food itself can be described as homey Americana. Â Steaks, burgers, chili, cornbread and a surprisingly good chicken and noodles plate.
I will definitely try to come back for more of their hearty fare as well as to check out the late-night scene.
I didn't realize that there is actually another one of these in Crete, IL, until I read the other reviews.
Terrible. Went with a friend, who (for whatever unearthly reason) loves the place. We went on a Tuesday night at 6 and there was hardly anyone there. That was my first clue. Our server was nice but acted sort of inconvenienced that we were there. I asked what their signature dish is and she said they don't have one but that lots of people order the fish. So I did. The breaded fish itself tasted freezer burnt. I picked at it but it wasn't good. The tartar sauce was horrible. It looked like straight mayonnaise and I'm not certain it wasn't. The baked beans were cold and I didn't care for their flavor. The cornbread was okay, but it had one flavor: butter. All in all, I was very very disappointed. And it was expensive for what I got. I'm not a picky eater, but this was just bad. I think their menu was way too large. For the amount of people coming in there's no way they can keep enough fresh food on hand to serve all those meals well.
Review Source:We always enjoy the menu here. The atmosphere is charming, too; it almost makes you feel as though you were away at a resort.
The food itself, I love. I make a meal out of the chicken bobbers and the corn bread with brown sugar. Both are delicious!
The only thing I don't care for is the service. In our experiences none of them are particularly friendly or personable.
northwoods always puts on a good show. live music 3-4 nights a week, outdoor fests throughout the year and all around always a good time. the ambiance is unlike anything else in the NWI and it is always well decorated, especially around halloween/christmas. the food is hearty and the service is always top notch. thursday night ALL alcohol is half price!!!! friday/saturday nights there is a cover charge for the bar, but if you "LIKE" them on facebook, they frequently send texts for free admission. it can get quite loud (90db+), so be prepared for that and make sure sure to say hi to the sound man, Â you wouldn't find a cooler dude planted in the region. great place for families during the day and a great late night bar for 21 plus.
Review Source:I had a bad experience here and have not gone back in some time. Â The decor is great, but the waitress was complaining to us about the management and the food, by the time it got there, was cold. Â I blame the waitress because she took FOREVER! I hate giving bad reviews, so I will check it out again soon.
Review Source:Ugggg....disappointment! I have been to this Northwoods and the one in Crete many times. I was so disappointed with this particular trip though. Here's why:
- Waitress took almost 10 min to get to us when we first sat down
- NO drink specials for a Sat night! Unheard of!
- Food took 35 min to get to us (we ordered a bread bowl of soup, a chicken salad and a turkey sandwich...they must have had to kill the chicken and the turkey!)
- Seats are very uncomfortable to sit in for almost 2 hours
But there is some good that came out of my experience:
- Decor is different and makes you feel like you are really in a cabin
- Food is good I have to admit (but still shouldn't take 35 min)
- They have waffle fries!
So even though I was disappointed with the overall outcome, I will probably come back for another wild turkey sandwich....YUM!
Hello, FOOD SNOB here.
I sure wish I was 21 again. Â I would give it 5 Stars for the areas best hangout. Â Great Bar, and some really good area bands. Â My 22 year old son Jake goes here when he's home from school.
It seems the food is not as good as the ones in Illinois. Â To me it kind of seems the food is pre-made then heated. Â Although the sandwiches are really good.
Nice place to hang out with a group and have some fun!!
Northwoods is my go-to Friday night hangout. Okay, not every Friday, but after work a couple of times a month...The reason I keep coming back? The excellent barstaff and the ever-so-tasty menu.
I love the atmosphere of this place. It's a giant log-cabin with taxidermied animals (fake or real? dunno). Very rustic! They always have decorations on the inside that matches with the season/upcoming holidays. They used to only play country music to add to it's down-home feel, but they've branched out. I'm glad, because I hate counrty! For example, last Friday an 80's band was going to be playing at 10...Leading up, they played mostly 80s music (no country). Plus, all of the staff was wearing 80's attire. Nice touch!
The menu is huge! If you can't find something appetizing on this menu, you have a problem. Any night of the week I can come up with at least 2 or 3 items I have a taste for simultaneously...My favorites include the meatball sandwich (hello mozzarella cheese forcefield!), the italian beef (with hot giardenera, yum!), and chili in a bread bowl (yay for carbs). This isn't health food, it's comfort food!
The drink selection is decent...Leinenkugels on tap (I'm a fan of the seasonals--Summer Shandy and Fireside Nut Brown) but pretty much any other standard beer available in bottle-form. They have a martini menu and a slew of other mixed drinks, but that's not really my thing. The Strawberry Daiquiri's are delicious, though.
The barstaff is great...We usually eat at the bar and they are very attentive. Nobody waits long for a refill, food comes out in a timely manner, and all the bartenders are just plain friendly! These ladies and gents deserve a raise--whatever they are making isn't enough. If you stop in, please tip them generously!
This is an awsome place. A rustic log cabin that is huge. They have a bar upstairs and an outdoor patio. It was about 11:30 and the place was empty. They have a large lunch buffet that is very resonable. It was almost 10 bucks with a drink. I had the pulled pork b-bq sandwich. And it came with big ass waffle fries. Everything was really good. They give you a boat load of food. My boss had the blackened chicken. He thought is was over the top. It must have been a pretty big chicken for it to cover half of the plate. They place started to fill up around noon. I would come back here. Real comfort food. With great service.
Review Source:Though I'm a fan of the Northwood's restaurants, I don't care for the food here. Â It has different owners that seem to have altered the recipes a bit. Â The food is bland compared to the other sister restaurants. Â I like the atmosphere and love to go for their drink specials. Â It's a pretty big space and can get a bit noisy too.
Review Source:2 friends and I went to the Northwoods in St. John on Friday and it was the first time we all had been there. Â I always look up menus of places we plan to visit in advance to get an idea of what they have. Â
The atmosphere was really cozy. Â The only complaint about that was the dimness of it, which I know was part of the ambiance, and that is fine. Â I just personally get headaches in dim light, so I shold not complain.
I ordered the Roast pork with gravy. Â It was over stuffing, mashed potatoes and green beans. Â It was quite delicious. Â It was a plate full and so filling. Â My friends Laura and Liza both had the same thing, the pot roast. Â They said it was so good and Laura cleaned her plate, which was a first, she never finishes her food!! Â She said it was so good. Â The green beans were amazing, Â and the mashed potatoes had a peppery taste which made them so good. Â Real home made tasting. Â We passed on dessert. Â The bread they brought for us was so soft and hot, the butter just melted on it. Â
I had a strawberry daquiri and it could have been better. Â you could not taste liquor, and you could not taste strawberry. Â
Overall, I will definitely go back and try other menu items. Â I like places that have home cooked style food.
I have been here several times and have tried everything from the salads to the steaks just to keep giving it a chance. I'm not impressed with the food at all - I can only describe it as bland, cafeteria like, and mediocre. If this is suppose to be comfort food, it isn't the food I remember or even want to remember. Instead of having so many dishes, why not do a couple dishes really good!
I don't get what everyone sees in this place. I know this place is always packed so they must have dialed in the right formula to keep the masses happy. As for the service, it was just OK once you get in and get seated but I question why wait for a seat when the food doesn't stand out. Maybe a better place to be seen than to experience.
OK, the menu is predominantly 3 star home-style American food... everything from meatloaf to fried walleye and all kinds of Leinenkugel on tap. If you want to gorge yourself, try the Paul Bunyan burger, whoa. But the greatest part about this place (worthy of 4 stars) is the decor... the it's a huge log cabin with cute woodsy critters, metal cookware, carved wood art, and a beautiful stone fireplace. Stop by around Christmas for a real treat. Forget the restaurant, I want to move in :)
Review Source:Hello all!! Â Sorry I've been away for so long, but you know how it is with personal obligations and such. Â It's also killed whatever creative streak I've had. Â But yesterday, the Hub and I lunched at this little eatery...ok, not so little...it's actually a huge log cabin located in St. John, IN which totally has my tummy in a tumble and my emotions in a jealous state, and I was inspired to write this review. Â The Northwoods Saloon is supposedly a franchise with locations in IL and IN, but this particular location is said to be NOT a part of the actual franchise and is privately owned. Â So I can only speak of this particular Northwoods location. Â We were told that many of the menu items are similar to the Northwoods' other location in Crete, IL, but there were many items that were not the same. Â What they are, I don't know and I don't care...all I can tell you is that this place is THE place for comfort food. Â I tell ya, I was in comfort heaven. Â This is the type of restaurant the Chicagoland area needs for the upcoming winter.
My recommendations...while all the following are fried foods, you just have to trust that the taste is well worth it. Â Isn't that what comfort food is all about anyway? Â Try the Chicken Logs, Boat Cushions and Corn Nuggets. Â There are many variations of the Chicken Logs in other restaurants, and this one is fairly similar. Â But the flavor of this dish stands out. Â The Boat Cushions are a variation of fried raviolis, but the jalapeno kick makes this dish more unique. Â What you really have to try are the corn nuggets. Â We were expecting something similar to corn fritters. Â I can't explain the texture exactly, but it was like a corn bread pudding that was fried. Â It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Â But it's really the flavor that outdoes normal corn fritters. Â It's awesome...so awesome, I ordered some to take home. Â And that was just appetizers.
I ordered the Pot Roast Noodle Soup and it was delicious. Â Full of flavor and each bite as savory as the next, I could easily replace chicken noodle with this soup. Â There was this huge chunk of pot roast which I expected to tough to chew, but it was so tender, it almost melted in my mouth. Â Yum!!
For the entree, I got the Chicken and Dumplings and the Hub got the Big Fish Story, a variety of deep fried fish in assorted coatings. Â Comfort food, people, think comfort food. Â While I never grew up having Chicken and Dumplings, this is what I would expect Chicken and Dumplings to taste like. Â Just the right amount of seasoning and the right balance of chicken to dumplings. Â The amazing part of this is that they used chicken breast, which in most stewlike dishes, gets really dry or tough to chew. Â In other words, not my favorite part of the chicken. Â But the chicken in this dish was surprisingly very tender and as a result, very tasty. Â Now I've had many a dumpling, from very dense to so fluffy they fall apart in the broth. Â But these dumplings were just perfect. Â Dense enough to withstand the sauce but light and fluffy and flavorful. Â With the bacon & onion green beens, this plate of comfort can fill most appetites.
The Hub's dish was really exciting too! Â Walleye, perch and white fish make up this combination in beer-flavored, tater crust and Tabasco-flavored batters. Â Each were crunchy to bite but tender and not overcooked. Â Just delicious!! Â With the option to select two sides, the Hub chose carrots and bread pudding. Â The carrots were slightly overcooked, but the cinnamon flavor was really unique. Â The bread pudding...oh my God!! Â This was delicious, almost dessert-like. Â It wasn't too mushy and the taste was delectable...not too sweet, not too bready. Â
And while the desserts are NOT homemade, it did not take away from the delightful lunch that we had. Â A simple apple pie ala mode and a pumpkin pie with whipped cream topped off a perfectly wonderful meal.
Add the fabulous atmosphere (any hunter's dream) and the wonderful service, this would really make the trip worthwhile. Â So this is where the jealousy streak arises. Â From our house, the ride to Northwoods is about an hour. Â As much as I LOVE this place, I don't know that I would drive an hour just to go eat there. Â That's why I'm so jealous of all those St. John/Schererville residents. Â For anyone in the general vicinity, GO CHECK THIS PLACE OUT!! Â As for me, I await the next excuse to head in that general direction to check out the rest of the menu. Â My next choice...the perfect pot roast!!! Â YUM!!
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