Black Barrel Tavern — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

I come here so often, I recognize faces. I started coming here years ago after my late father introduced the restaurant to me. Our family home is just a few short blocks away, within walking distance. I’ve always loved the food and the vibes.

Unfortunately today, that was not my experience. My complaint begins when I waited about 30 minutes to be acknowledged in patio seating by the waitress, Lauren. A male patron walked up well after I seated myself, and was welcomed by the wait staff with bread and water right away. Shortly after, I noticed another couple sat down and was serviced right away. Then another woman sat, and got her bread, butter and water right away - whilst I still had not been helped.

Finally, after about another 15 minutes I asked Lauren, “Were you ever going to service me?” to which she began an unapologetic defensive back and forth about not helping me because I was on my phone.

While I do understand that I was having a quiet conversation on my phone, in the past I’ve never had to ask for bread, water, or service simply because I was on the phone. Lauren also never came back to check and see if I was ready to order. She continually walked back and forth to help other patrons that arrive after me, to the point where I was sitting there 45 minutes or longer waiting to be serviced.

I don’t typically complain or write reviews (as you can see from my Google Reviews profile) but my experience today was unacceptable.

Instead of engaging in the illicit back and forth with Lauren, I asked if she could just have another server help me, and she happily obliged.

Gloria recovered my experience, acknowledged me as a regular, and even gave me a free drink for the inconvenience.

While I do appreciate Gloria’s gesture, something about this encounter does not sit right with me as a young black woman.

I spoke to the owner, and the manager about what happened, but the fact that Lauren never came back to apologize or take accountability for the unacceptable service leads me to believe that the owner and manager were being dismissive because I am a young black woman.

Although this is a restaurant I refer friends and family to very regularly, this experience has me thinking twice about doing that in the future. I have enjoyed many nights here, and what a shame it is that I may not be coming...

I've been coming here on and off for some time now. The staff is always friendly and we are seated immediately.

I came in with my team (work lunch) to do some good Ole brain storming over some food and drinks. Our server was Leslie R, and she was a great, very attentive and making sure we were good with our meal, which, by the way, the fish and chips was dam good.

So why the 2 stars, you may ask? I mean, the service was great, the food was great, so what's with the low rating? Well, this one will not make many happy, but I just have to call it out. One of the patrons came in with a French bulldog, which, while a nice dog, should not have been there. I would have left it alone, but when a gentleman picked the dog up and was stroking it while sitting at the bar, it became concerning. To add to this, one of the bartenders started to pet the dog and then proceeded to return to serving drinks. It bugged me, and as I was going to call over Leslie, one of my colleagues asked that I leave it alone, but in all honesty, I can't.

If someone has a pet dander allergy and they were served a drink or even sat close enough to the bar, that would have become a problem. Service animals is one thing, but to handle a dog the way this one was is horrible and unsanitary, to say the least.

As much as I hate to say this, I won't be coming back, and my team agrees that this is not how a place that handles food should operate.

The only and I can't stress this enough reason why I gave them 2 stars is because the food and Leslie's...

I came here with a group of 9 for brunch on Sunday. We had a reservation, and they sat us and took drink orders right away.

The atmosphere of the bar and dining area is a good balance of cozy, modern, and laid-back. Really good vibes here overall. The food and drinks were fantastic. Everyone was very happy with their orders. I had the chilaquiles w/ chorizo which I absolutely loved. The homemade tortilla chips were incredible and I can honestly say this may be the best chilaquiles I've had. My first drink was a "cold fashion", a brunch-style old fashion with cold brew liquor. It made for a nice first drink of the day after having coffee.

What really compelled me to write this review right away was the service. From making a reservation all the way through the end of our visit, the service was top notch. The staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming, and they all seem to work together very well. Drinks and food were quick and made perfectly every time. Our server Gloria R was phenomenal. She was very friendly and expertly took care of our group of 9 with ease. Gloria R was a great help deciding what to order, as my brother and I wanted to order the entire menu. She used a combo of chef's recommendations, her experience, and our preferences to guide us which I always appreciate.

We will definitely be coming back here soon and cannot recommend this place enough! Sitting there watching burgers get delivered had me ready to order one even after I ate. We will be returning...