Firkin — Restaurant in Libertyville

Arguably one of the best restaurants in Libertyville. However, they do not care about their take-out customers and are fine losing business of long-time customers over their absurd, forced 15% gratuity on take-out orders (Insane).

I ordered a to-go order in person recently. The total was higher than it should have been so I asked to see an itemized receipt which I never saw. I found out that I was being forced to pay a high 15% gratuity just for takeout. The hostess (who was very nice and helpful!) got her manager who was snotty and he pretended he didn’t know about the hidden 15% gratuity charge and refused to show me an itemized receipt. I told him I want to make sure I’m not being forced to pay that unfair forced gratuity charge that should not even be included. He then fessed up and said that’s their policy and I have to pay it. I asked him for what reason; I was not waited on nor was I served at a table. He told me its because of ordering over the phone (which I didn’t do), he then said its for the to-go containers and people packing the food. I told him I’m not paying it because its not right, so he reluctantly removed it and told me sternly, “next time you come you will have to pay it!; its our policy”. I told him there won’t be a next time and he could not care less he was losing long-term customers. All because an absurd, forced gratuity added to the bill which is just wrong to do for takeout. I hope the owner changes that policy immediately if they want to keep their business. And for the patrons who get takeout, make sure you look...

We visited Firkin Gastropub last week by accident when the restaurant we were planning on going to closed early. What a wonderful accident as Firkin is wonderful. We arrived around 8pm on Tuesday evening. Their entrance is in the back of the restaurant so you have to walk down an alley that is well lit with outdoor seating fir the restaurant. We were seated immediately and took some time to explore the pretty vast menu. We ordered the Goat Cheese and Tomato Appetizer ($10), the Plain Pretzel ($9), 2 French Onion Soups ($7) and a small House Salad ($6). Everything was delicious. The Goat Cheese and Tomato appetizer was amazing and served with sliced baguette. Such wonderful full flavor, I think we would return just for this. The Plain Pretzel was big and soft, served with two different mustards for dipping. The French Onion Soup was a bit different tasting that what we are used to. It seemed to have more of a balsamic vinegar taste to it which we enjoyed but know that some may not enjoy as much. The House Salad was more than we could eat so we took it home for lunch the next day and it was tasty then. The dining room featured a long and fully stocked bar and there were several tables throughout. Kind of an eclectic decor with festive lighting above not too bright but bright enough to read the menu. Service was perfect, friendly and well done by Nikki B. We really recommend a visit to...

My family (a party of seven, including four adults and three children) recently dined at this establishment. Upon being seated, we were informed that the restaurant was short-staffed and asked to be patient. As several of us have experience in the hospitality industry, we were understanding and prepared for potential delays. However, upon receiving our food—specifically the shrimp tacos—we discovered a small metal bristle, likely from a grill-cleaning brush, embedded in the dish. While we did not request any discount or compensation, as we understand that mistakes can happen, we were extremely concerned about the potential danger this posed. What was most troubling, however, was our server’s response. When we brought the issue to her attention, she replied, “This happens all the time, and I’m not sure why.” That kind of response is both alarming and unacceptable. If this issue is a recurring one, it raises serious concerns about food safety and the continued use of metal bristle brushes in the kitchen, especially when safer alternatives are available. Unfortunately, this experience has made it clear that we cannot return to this establishment. Regardless of how busy a restaurant may be, food safety should never be compromised, and the response we received did not reflect an appropriate level of concern or...