Yankee Doodle Inn

Great ambience to see some locals and commuters coming off the train. Drinks are fairly priced and you can black out fairly quickly if you pregame the right amount. You might see some hardo’s trying to play darts but they are usually cool once you get to no them. You might run into some BHS Alumni so be ready to have some conversations. All in all, great bar, great spot, and great vibes! BarBoys

I like this place but all Tappers are down tonight so 3 stars is all they get from me. Sorry no excuse for this as they have awesome beers on tap when pouring including 2014 Goose BCS FOR $ 9. All that aside a decent little bar right near the train station in downtown Barrington !!

My dad used to get bombed in here, along with many other dads, after coming home on the commuter train. I remember being dragged in here once by my father when I was a boy. Probably so he could pay a off a gambling debt and/​or knock back a quick shot. It was pitch black in there, as it was only lit by the red glow of an old neon beer sign. This was the kind of bar that people hid away in, a real salty old dive. Those days are gone.
The Yankee Doodle is a fun, small pub serving up a surprisingly good craft beer list. The bartenders are kind, knowledgable, and on the ball. The staff is also not shy with a stiff pour in a cocktail. The interior is almost exactly the same as it has always been, except the lights are on and you are not afraid to touch things.
So maybe before taking the train downtown to catch a Cubbies game, or commuting home from a rough day at work, or doing one of the kick ass train-​stop-​bar-​crawls, stop in to this old Barrington watering hole and slam a beer or two in Dads honor.

There aren’t many bars in Barrington but the Doodle sure is a hidden gem.
Since I’m from Barrington, I go here every time I’m in back in town. Even though I’m not a regular, each and every time, I feel at home. The bartenders are awesome. The drinks are cheap. Even their food is good (try their grilled cheese). It’s a great place to hang out in Barrington on a Friday night. Thankfully, it’s not a shabby, sketchy bar in town where old men would hang any more. It definitely gained back it’s reputation from over the years.
I started coming here after I graduated college. It’s definitely an interesting crowd. It’s mainly middle aged to older townies looking to grab a drink with neighborhood friends. Then, mixed in, you have the young crowd who come back from college.
The vibe, overall, is really what you make of it. Whether you’re here for a drink or two to grab a drink or two with a friend or play darts with a group of people, there’s really something for everyone. There’s a jukebox to the side to jam out on a Friday night and a gigantic Jenga that’s always fun to play tipsy. Just fair warning, if you’re a townie like myself, you will probably ALWAYS run into someone you know.

It’s the doodle. That’s all you can say. It’s a dive, and that’s part of the charm. Fine for a late night but not where you go to try something different or special. It’s the after Wool Street/​McGonicals bar.

Hidden gem of Barrington. Surprisingly large craft beer selection and friendly staff. Real cozy inside. Food is alright. Nothing special. Fun place to be.

Awesome beer selections. Had some root beer beer last night that was out of control. So delish. Something about this hole in the wall that just makes you feel at home. Probably just became a new favorite part of our stomping grounds.

Nice little dive bar. Good tap selection and cheap Martinis.

Barrington’s finest. You say Wool St. is too crowded, McGonigal’s is too expensive, the Onion Pub is in the middle of nowhere, and the Blue Heron is on the wrong side of the tracks. But wait what’s this a bar in Barrington with colorful people and an open seat always waiting for you? Is this a mirage before my tired no eyes? No good sir you are at the Yankee Doodle «a place where friends gather». Grab a Grolsch, put on the Bob Seger, order up the duck tenders, throw some darts, and get ready for the most fun you can have on East Main St.

There are not many bars in Barrington and I wanted to check out a place I had not been to yet, so my boyfriend suggested Yankee Doodle. It is sort of hidden in what seems like a mini strip mall in the back corner of the building, adjacent to the Barrington Metra train station parking lot.
It is a divey bar and not very spacious. They have jukebox and fireplace (but it wasn’t on, which would have been great considering it was such a cold night). Washrooms (at the least the women’s) were not very clean. The patrons consisted of both a younger crowed (20’s & 30’s) and older adults; it was probably a ⁶⁰⁄₄₀ ratio.
The beer selection was decent. It’s getting to the point where I’ve tried so many beers that not every bar has ones that I have not had yet, but Yankee Doodle did have a few. I can’t remember which beer I ordered, but it was new to me and a special of the day.
The thing that irked me about this bar was the bartender. She was plain rude. I told her nicely I needed a minute to decide on a beer and when I was ready to order, I looked her right in the eyes, we made eye contact, yet she still walked away & basically ignored me. I continued to look up and right at her, an obvious signal that I’m ready to order. She even took the order of a guy standing next to me, even though I had been standing there before him. I gave up and had one of the guys I was with order for me. Surprise, surprise, she waited on him. Seems like she picks the males to wait on, maybe in hopes of getting a better tip. Luckily, there was also another older male bartender behind the bar, so for the next round, I ordered through him.
Another thing that tainted my impression of this bar was during the last few minutes before the bar closed. The bartenders announced that if everyone wasn’t finished with their drinks by time the exact closing time came around, they would collect the drinks regardless if you were finished or not. I’ve actually experienced this at one other bar, but it seems these people enforced the rule more so. I understand the bartenders probably wanted to get out of there as any employee usually does at the end of a shift, but you have to understand it’s a bar! It’s one thing to keep announcing that the place would be closing soon or that everyone needs to get out (after the closing time). I’ve seen many bars do that, otherwise they would have belligerent drinkers sit around all night, but to take paid drinks away is plain rude, in my opinion.
I really can’t see myself ever returning to this bar, mostly because of the rude service. I’d rather drive to another town than to go here again, even though it’s probably one of the closest bars to my house.

I love this place. I went here with my mom and stepdad before a movie. They are so friendly and they have a ton of beers! The cocktails are also quite strong and everything is pretty cheap. They have outdoor seating as well so if you are a smoker, you won’t have to go down the block to smoke. They have a lot of TVs and they even have an electric dart board that they encourage people to use. I thought it was kind of a dive when we drove up but it ended up being pretty awesome. This place is low key with no frills. This place isn’t scary at all. I haven’t eaten here so I can’t vouch for the food.

Amazing customer service, friendly service, super awesome bartender named Lauren mon-​wed nights! The owner is always there inspiring games of darts and telling great stories! Definately NOT the hole in the wall I’ve been told it was! Great mix of white and blue collar folk after six. Always great specials and amazing burgers and brats. You get 2 brats for next to nothing and amazing crowd of fun friendly people with whom you can carry a convo ranging from economics to the state of the Cubs :) as a vet i find this a great place. Chek it out!

Who decided the ‘Doodle needed sprucing up? Sometime between the death knell of the Bush era and the omnipresent suburban smoking ban, someone decided to do the unthinkable: clean up the Doodle. Why? Who knows, but the bar is been replaced with Corian (Corian? What an odd choice of materials) and there are now far too many light bulbs to see the dregs around you. Gone are the days where a thick smoke of darkness would envelop you as you walked in the door. Still, when you don’t need 3 or 4 more drinks, and the clock is on the wrong side of midnight — the Doodle is your final destination. Long live the Doodle.

The Yankee Doodle is an anachronism! That’s why it continues to exist in an upscale suburb, like Barrington. You don’t find many places like that in the NW suburbs,
There are, in fact few «just bars» left. I have spent a couple of afternoons in the place, just drinking beer & BSing. My brother [who lives in Barr.], his next-​door neighbor & I find it to be a nostalgic s_​_​t-​hole, kind of like some of the places we used to frequent in our younger day.
Some call it scary! I really don’t see it that way. Just different from what a younger generation would expect. It also is the kind of place you might expect to see a bunch of Harleys parked in front of, though, I’ve never seen any there.
Anyway, it’s a cool place to infrequently visit — maybe once a year.

Pros: Strong, cheap cocktails, decent jukebox, comfortable chairs, smoker-​friendly, down-​to-​earth, friendly staff. There is nothing «scary» about this place, and if you think there is, you’ve been hanging out at Wool Street too long. One of my favorite bars ever.
Cons: For some reason they see fit to charge $ 6 for a Fat Tire bomber for which you could pay $ 4 at Jewel two blocks away.
Sometimes they play the Cubs game, if you call what the Cubs play a «game».

This is a gem of a bar located in the village. Wonderful service, great atmosphere, and great prices on drinks! Oh yeah, if you’re Otis from Mayberry. The only reason to go here is if you were recently dumped, divorced, fired, laid-​off or you found out you have lung cancer. Probably from sitting in this bar. Really, it is a great bar!

Do you want to experience what it would be like to be on a days-​long bender without the inconvenience of being gone for days? Do you want to inhale the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes without the added bother of actually having to light up? Do you want to wake up the next morning and not really know what the last three hours of your previous evening was like? Then… «the Doodle» is the place for you!!! A Barrington institution, conveniently located next to the train station for a not-​so-​quick getaway, the Doodle is a great place to get a load on before going downtown on the train, or just to hang out and pretend you’re the town drunk for a few hours. Yes, it’s dirty, yes, it’s scary — but I personally wouldn’t change it for the world.

Be white moss with white moss… this place has brewed up some great town alcholics, and is in no rush to pump out more. Alcoholics have been produced at a young age at this watering hole. Right by the Barrington train station and right next to the liqour store. General area is a great place not to own a car. During off season is the best time to vist as there are less lame high school yuppies… cheers!