Emmett’s Ale House

One of our favorite places to eat is Emmett’s Ale House in Downers Grove (they also have locations in West Dundee and Palatine, but we’ve never been there). In general, they are a bar & grill, with a nod to being a brewery as well (big tanks in windows, but otherwise not obvious). The food is decent, not great, but good and they have a decent variety. Specials every day of the week, from potato skin or wing nights, to prime rib, to our favorite, Kids Eat Free Sundays!

Generally we stick with the burgers, which are very good, with sweet potato fries our favorite side (though the regular fries are pretty good as well). I’ve had the baked macaroni and cheese (which unfortunately was pretty flavorless) and recently tried the BBQ Pork Sliders (which were awesome).

They take care of the kids by having coloring placemats and sometimes bags of junky toys, which the kids love. Their menu is standard fare, all of it good, but nothing outstanding or unusual. It would be nice to have more vegetables, even if they hid them in the sauces or something.

You can’t go to Emmett’s without trying their beer and the tasting paddle is definitely the way to go. If you order from the Small Bites menu (Appetizer Sampler, Pub Burger Trio, Seafood Trilogy, or BBQ Pork Sliders), the paddle is supposed to be discounted, though the waitresses are about 50-50 in remembering to give you the discount.

Pros: Easy to get to, decent food, free kids’ meals on Sundays!, good atmosphere

Cons: Somewhat pricey for level of food and service, service is spotty, no community interaction, limited veggie choices

Have you eaten at this restaurant (or one of the other locations)? Leave a comment and let everyone know how you liked it.

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