Illinois Hotel Five Dock — Restaurant in Sydney

Edit;

I’ve returned since and now it’s worthy of a 4 😊😊 bar staff have improved along with ambiance 😊

I would give it a 3.5 but couldn’t bring myself to round it up to a 4.

This place is 100% a massive improvement from the previous establishment that was there which is great.

The beer garden is a nice addition but it requires more tables or smaller tables you’d be able to split up as even if you get there early most of the tables are already taken or reserved.

There’s a large selection of beers on tap and tinned beers supporting local beers like White Bay from Balmain so thats great to see.

The people behind the bar seem to have no idea what they’re doing. They’re slow, very young and seem to have little to no bar service at all. They’d work better if they worked with someone more experienced behind the bar.

In relation to the cocktails, they’ve got an espresso martini and margarita on tap. I had the margarita and it was disgusting. Do not order it. It doesn’t really taste or look like a margarita and is very watery and not the levels of tequila you’d expect in a traditional margarita and for $19 a pop, it’s expensive for a “pub”

The pub itself is beautiful and they’ve done a really good job but there’s still a way to go if you want...

What a fantastic renovation of such an iconic bar. Great outdoor beer garden where dogs are welcome. Fat Belly Jack's food truck completes the beer garden offering Nashville style fried chicken burgers, peices and crinkle cut fries together with their famous hot sauce! Fat Belly Jack’s is an American-inspired bar that specialises in Nashville-style hot chicken, American bourbon and boilermakers. The chicken is cooked by the quarter on the bone, and served with sauce that escalates in heat for a zingy kick. Select from southern-fried chicken burgers, breasts, thighs, wings or tenders, then ratchet up the spice from mild, to medium, red hot and ‘really f$!king hot’. The VIP gaming room is now larger and more spread out and offers a relaxing gaming experience surrounded by luscious greenery and vibrant atmosphere. The sports bar is much larger and more open offering huge screens for sports events and gatherings. Now all we need is live music and we are set! Overall, amazing 5 star improvements to a now family friendly...

What a wonderful find! We had such a fantastic stay at Hotel Illinois. The rooms are great, the food is delicious, and the price is an absolute bargain. I have to give a special shout-out to the manager, Jordan. I had accidentally booked our stay for the wrong weekend through an online travel site and was so stressed about it. Jordan was incredibly kind and went completely above and beyond to help us sort it out and get a refund. That level of customer service is rare and truly appreciated! Just a couple of friendly tips for future guests: if you're a light sleeper, you might want to bring some headphones, as the hotel is right on the busy Parramatta Road. An eye mask is also a good idea if you like your room to be perfectly dark for sleeping. Honestly, though, it was a brilliant experience. Thank you so much to Jordan and the rest of the wonderful staff for being so helpful...