BAKE’S sports theme restaurant

Stopped by Friday and had the fish fry. I raised my review from a 4 to a five. One of the best fis fries I have ever had. Light crispy breading on the fish, crispy fried and coleslaw very good

Beer selection is great. Almost anything you can think of they have in bottles or cans. Staff is very friendly. I only had the nachos tonight but they were delicious. Plus they got served in a bowl with a spatula. Never seen that before and it’s very smart.

I haven’t been to Bakes for years, so I went for the Friday night fish fry, the beer battered cod. It was beyond delicious. Dense, yet flakey and the batter was perfectly seasoned and crispy, without being greasy. The coleslaw was finely diced and really good. The calamari appetizer needed some seasoning, but the batter was also light and delicious. The rest of the meal was pretty lackluster. Their French fries are like McDonald’s, they’re good for about 30 seconds when they’re hot, but then they’re hard and gross. I got the French onion soup, which was super cheesy, but the soup underneath was barely warm. And, it was garnished with paprika which was a bit weird. It came with the most unimaginative bread/​cracker basket with two plain white rolls and saltines.
The regular menu is pretty ordinary, but the daily specials are unique. Guess I’ll give it another shot one these days.

True definition of «hole in the wall.» Food was excellent though. Definitely going back.

Love the vibe of this place. Lots of different things going on at once. Good beer selection, great food. The burger was very good!
Highly suggest dining here if you’re looking for a different place to go that’s not on Center street.

Great hole in the wall. The specials are all homemade and super creative, nothing like any sports bar around. We love going to local places that still make homemade items unlike chain restaurants. If your looking for great ambiance and décor this isn’t the place for you. There food is as good and varied as anything you can find.

Mussels were very good-​gigantic portion. Pork chops were tasty but a bit dry. Our waitress Annetta was quite attentive. A big selling point is the daily changing specials. Photo included.

First visit to Bakes and we had a great experience. Nice eclectic décor. Looks like a good spot for watching sports. Friendly servers who know the menu well. Loved the choice of daily specials. Great beer selections. Tried the mussels and they were fresh with a great broth for dipping your bread in. Gyro was excellent as well. The owner, Tony, was very hospitable and really made us feel welcome as first time guests. We will be back often.

We ate dinner here, and initially was not sure, I am gluten-​free. Walked in the waitress was fabulous and knew the menu pluses. My husband ordered mussels and raved about them, I had a gyro with no pita, it was great. The menu is varied and offers way more than just bar food. The owner is there and makes everyone feel welcome. Dont miss this diamond, lots of kids in on Friday night, will become our go to easy eats place.

First timer — nice place with a huge selection of beer in bottles and on tap– there is also a restaurant /​I didn’t eat but some of the food I saw looked good– prices seem moderate for IL /​I say this is a local spot worth checking out! And there aren’t any other places to get a beer around here!

This isn’t a new review but an update. The owner reached out to me to reconcile my visit. I’ve not been back but in fairness I think it’s necessary to note that the establishment did respond quickly.

Wasabi burger was the shit.

Long time customer who has supported Bakes through good times and bad. Went for dinner tonight, waited 40 minutes for food, which was in turn cold (potato) rock hard (meatloaf) and disgusting (maybe a veggie, not sure). Talked to owner about food, he said he would take care of it. 30
minutes later, waitress came, sent disgusting food back, ordered a drink,
told her we talked to Tony and he said he would take care of it. She came back with bill, charged us for disgusting food since they apparently made another plate, which never appeared in the 30 minutes we waited. We sent the drink back and waited for the food which she said she would box up. 15 minutes later, still no food, we told her we only had the one drink, she said Tony said we ordered it, and even though we sent it back after he screwed us over on meal, we were charged for it. Never did get the food. Told Tony to credit the drink, left waitress 30% tip, since it wasn’t her fault. Let’s hope he didn’t screw her over too. Did I mention we were long time customers? That’s not how you treat any customer, let alone a loyal one.

Great Spot! Food is great, excellent beer selection, friendly staff and service. The owner (Tony) is usually around and is always hospitable. They have a creative menu for a sportsbar and just about everything I’ve tried there, I’ve loved. Give it a shot, you won’t be disappointed!

I grew up coming here with family when I was young. I have many memories of watching Le Mans, NASCAR, F1, you name it here. Never been much for other sports, so I don’t really pay attention to those. I work in Libertyville along 45 and live in Lindenhurst, so this is on my way to and from work. I make a point to stop in at least once a week and it’s definitely one of my favorite «local joints» to stop in at for food. Still tastes the same as it did when I was younger, and it’s still owned by the same guy (Tony)
The bar and dining areas are always clean and the servers and bartenders always know how to take care of a customer, even picky ones like myself.
I guess it’s been in business for 25 years, I’m 26. do the math. If it can stay in business, they’re doing something right. You owe it to yourself to stop in. There’s always some stuff going on and it’s one of those warm, welcoming types of places. Don’t really get that or good local service anymore. Love it.

Love coming here! Small and quiet fun bar! Food is always good. The waitress and owner are so nice. The owner is always around coming to tables asking how the food is. Great place to come sit at the bar and play the video slots. Never out of control which I like! Come here it’s fun and worth it! Been coming here since I was a child.

Great little dive. Always order takeout since bars aren’t my seen. The burgers are really good and the chicken tenders were nice and crispy. Will I order again absolutely !

Great good, huge menu. Service has been outstanding every time. Great bar to watch sports. Blue collar dive bar but over 70 beers and good sized tv’s. I will be back again and again. Try it, you won’t be sorry

Kinda looks like a dive bar but offers over 70 beers. Staff is friendly and food has been good. Great place to stop after a round of golf right across the street. I’d say give it a try.

Had dinner here on Friday night, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. This place is a hole in the wall which is right up my alley. After walking in I reflexively ducked fearful I might hit my head on something (it isn’t that cramped, I am just tall).
I sat in the bar area. The bar was packed but the tables were pretty open. Our waitress took our drink orders, and I knew immediately that we would get along great. She was fun and gave my buddies a hard time. She was pretty knowledgable about the beers we asked about which is impressive because they have a huge bottle list.
For dinner I had a buffalo chicken sandwich and side salad. The buffalo chicken sandwich was excellent. My buddy had a patty melt which I tried and it was amazing. I wanted to order one after finishing my chicken sandwich but I settled on another beer instead.
Overall this place is a great hole in the wall bar that you can grab a decent bite to eat.