Plank Road Tap Room — Restaurant in Plato Township

Can I give more than 5 stars? Plank Road Tap Room is the best bar in the suburbs, hands down! PRTR offers a stellar rotation of local brews and great craft beer from all around the country (and beyond) and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. There's always a nice variety... pils, lagers, IPAs, sours, stouts, porters, Kolsch, ales, barrel-aged, etc. If beer is not your thing or if you just want a change of pace, they have a nice selection of wines, ciders and craft cocktails; the old fashioned is my favorite!

My wife and I have been going to PRTR since they opened back in 2013 and are proud to count ourselves among the regulars. Over the years, PRTR has grown and evolved so much. The tap room itself has a cozy, comfortable, lodge feel; it is an old log cabin, after all. The patio and beer garden grounds are truly pristine; whenever we're there it feels like we're on vacation! The lounge pod provides a unique, private, VIP-like experience. Our favorite spot, however, is their front porch, such a relaxing way to enjoy a great beer!

Throughout the pandemic, PRTR demonstrated so much resiliency, perseverance, flexibility and ingenuity. Navigating all of the phases, mitigations and whatnot, they shifted to a bottle shop and craft beer to-go business model, added countless firepits to the beer garden for the winter and chilly evenings, launched a fast, convenient, contactless ordering system, opened up and heated their pole barn, and created a hiking/snowshoeing trail experience. As someone who erred more on the side of caution, I felt comfortable and confident with all of the COVID-safety protocols and mitigations they followed/implemented and was so glad to be able to continue to support PRTR. It really became our go-to in 2020.

Did I mention food trucks yet? How about live music & events? PRTR often has some of the best food trucks on site waiting to serve you: The Argonaut, Fork'n'Fry, El Zorro, ACE, The Roaming Hog, Chuck's, Biker Dude Burgers, Taco Madre, the list goes on & on. For live music, their "Music in the Garden" concert series highlights some amazing local talents: Make It A Double, Jimmy Marquis, One Man Ginger Band, Chicago Hot Five, New Vintage Strings ;) ...and so many more. The road trip/brewery tour experiences are really cool too. We also love all of the pairings (wine & cheese, charcuterie, doughnuts & beer, etc.) and yoga events. Elgin needs more of this!

The staff and beertenders/Cicerone(s) are so friendly, helpful, professional and knowledgeable. Tom, Melissa, Andy, Matt, John (and anyone else I might have missed) will take good care of you. The owners, Breanne & Alan, are all-around great people and true friends who care deeply for their customers and their community. We are so lucky to have PRTR in our neighborhood! Best people. Best beer. Best beer garden in Illinois. Best bar in the suburbs. Best music venue in the...

We were looking forward to our first visit to Plank Road Tap Room, sadly, it was a very poor experience. We were there Sunday August 20th at about 4pm. Immediately after we placed our order (my wife had the wisco tango foxtrot and I had a flight), we walked out the front door to enjoy our beers and the table was a little unsteady ( I jokingly said oops, I must have kicked the table). Regardless, I took the empty glasses back into the store, and I asked the owner for a towel, because I told him our entire flight spilled. He handed me a towel, without saying a word, and I went outside to clean the beer off of the table. I brought the soaking towel back in, he told me to put it onto the shelf by the window. He absolutely did not care. Before we left, my wife finished her beer, I took the glass back in, and the girl behind the bar said thanks, asked how it was, I told her the entire flight was lost as soon as we took it outside, but at she said. "Ohhhh". They are not obligated to refill once they've handed me the beers, I take responsibility, I should have checked the table for sturdiness. Oh well, I guess I could have purchased another flight, I was hoping to try at least one...

This place is hands down the absolute best neighborhood bar! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to chat or hangout. The beer selection is HUGE. Even the pickiest drinker can find something delicious on the menu. They have everything from local beer right down the road, to selections from both coasts. Don't know what to drink? They'll be happy to point you in the right direction. Not a big beer drinker? No problem! They have plenty of other drinks to wet your whistle. The food trucks are always amazing and delicious, and always pair well with a beer. They have special events all the time! From beer and donut pairing, to bacon and donut pairing, to beer and beer pairing! There's always people hanging out and playing bags, knocking out a board game, or being super imaginative (and mildly inappropriate) with Cards Against Humanity. You will not find a better place to drink a beer in Elgin. Plus, doesn't hurt that the owners are there all the time and SUPER...