Herner's Hideaway — Restaurant in Genoa City

Made an impromptu stop at Herner's Hideaway for dinner on Saturday night. We were on our way out of Lake Geneva, heading toward Chicago, and scrolling Google to see if we could find a place to stop and grab a bite for dinner on our way home when HH came up. We had actually already passed it by 1.5 miles but luck (or fate?) convinced us to turn around to try it out. And boy are we glad we did! An awesome spot tucked away just off the highway (a true hideaway) with a large outdoor seating area giving off all the best vibes of the comfort of backyard patio relaxing (think patio tables, swivel chairs, fire pits, corn hole/bags games, and even basketball pop a shot!). There happened to be a band playing that night (HH has a full stage out back as well) and we were lucky enough to snag the last outdoor table. First, the food was excellent. Huge menu with something for everyone. I had a rueben which they say is the sandwich that put them on the map. It didn't disappoint. My wife had an avocado grillled chicken sanwich and the kids had kids meals (grilled cheese and a cheeseburger). All of the food was gone which speaks volumes, because we are not often members of the clean plate club. Their soft drinks are also served in small pitchers which is a sight to see, a great photo moment of the kids (and wife) drinking pop (and soda water with lime) from a pitcher! Kids get freeze pops with their kids meals which is a nice touch for the backyard vibe. Our server, Natalie, was top notch. Very kind, attentive, and welcoming. Lastly, the band, Pet Rock (Chicago). What a great stroke of luck to have had the opportunity to listen to (and sing along with) this band. They were excellent! Playing tons of hits from the 80's through today. Sitting out back, listening to great live music, enjoying a beer/drink. All is right. The vibe here on a weekend with live music is what makes HH a true gem. Plan to make a stop if you are in the area, or plan to come back to the area for this place. I'll bet you'll be glad you did. We...

We've been plenty of times and have had good experiences, but we most recently went on a Friday for the fish fry. Half of our party (5 of us total, including a toddler) arrived at 6 and were told to wait to the side for a table to open up. The others arrived at 6:15. While we waited, plenty of parties our size or bigger were sat. At 6:45 we decided to say something and ask about our status. The host didn't really have any idea when we'd be seated, nor did they take our names when we originally arrived, so it seemed like they didn't really have a system in place. A few minutes later we decided to say something and we finally were brought to an open picnic table way off in the corner.

We ordered at 7:03 (we know because we were told multiple times by our waiter what time we ordered), we got our drinks relatively quickly. The waiter told us that we'd need to pour our own water out of a cooler, but then brought us waters himself. By 7:40, we didn't have our food. We asked the server and he mentioned they were pretty slow in the kitchen, despite plenty of people around us being served and finishing their meals. He impolitely emphasized to us that we ordered at 7:03. At 7:50 the server came back and told us it would be another 15 or 20 minutes. We had a 2 year old with us that needed some food, so we decided to cancel our order. The server was visibly annoyed by this and told us yet again that we "only ordered at 7:03." We paid for our 3 drinks and left.

The food is good enough, but the lack of communication and accountability by the host and server left a poor taste in our mouths. And considering we didn't get our food, it was the only taste we left with for...

Not happy with this place. There is a wonderful Trivia night on Tuesday's, lots of fun. Our kids and some of their friends started going on a regular basis a couple of months ago, they are 17 and 18 years old. My wife and I decided to check it out and it was fun. About a month ago a waitress informed our kids that one of them had slipped out on a bill, not good or accepted. The following week they asked the waitress and she stated she covered it, so the group of kids left larger tips around the table to make sure the waitress was covered. This past week it was brought up again to the group of kids and they stated that no one had run out and that they had left larger tips the week prior to help cover the waitress loss. When my wife asked the waitress, it was discovered the missing bill was for a $2 soda, the kids had left $5 and $6 tips on $15 tabs, so we wondered why this was still coming up. Waitress told my wife and one of the other mothers that the owner didn't like them in the bar for trivia night because they weren't drinking and were taking up space on customers that would be drinking and were being turned away. Last night there were 6 of them with about a $100 tab and appropriate tip. Also, there were multiple open tables and seats at the bar. What it came down to, they weren't there getting drunk. It appears to be a family place with food and drinks, but that's not the vibe they really want. We will not be back and it's a poor way to treat people when your establishment is not the only game in town. My Star is too much but could not post...