Arlington Tap House Beer Food Gaming — Restaurant in Wheeling Township

Planning a milestone birthday—especially a 30th—should feel exciting, celebratory, and special. Unfortunately, my experience working with Arlington Taphouse was anything but.

I reached out to the owner, DJ, on July 25th to begin coordinating a birthday celebration for my boyfriend, which occurred on September 13. While I did receive an initial response, communication was inconsistent from the very beginning—a red flag I now realize should have not been overlooked. After not hearing back for several days, I had to follow up just to confirm my interest and finally scheduled a meeting a full week later.

From that point forward, I made every effort to be clear and communicative. I submitted the requested food order two weeks in advance—as per DJ’s own instructions—and included the selected drink package. Oddly, I never received a response or confirmation for either, despite the approaching event date.

As the week of the party arrived and I still hadn’t heard back, I followed up with a phone call, during which we agreed to meet at 12 PM on the day of the event to finalize preparations. We discussed everything: start time (6:30 PM), room setup, food timing (7 PM), and other last-minute logistics.

When I arrived at 12 PM as planned, DJ was nowhere to be found. I asked a staff member, who informed me he might arrive around 3 or 4 PM. No call, no text, no communication—despite him clearly having my contact information. Even more disappointing, the party room was still dirty from a previous event: garbage had been left behind, streamers were still scattered on the floor, and the bathroom was in noticeably poor condition. We had to clean up the mess ourselves before the party could even begin—my sister ended up vacuuming and sweeping the floors because they were so disgusting.

I later returned 30 minutes before the event began, only to be met by DJ himself—who, instead of greeting me or offering any apology for the confusion, immediately launched into an unnecessarily harsh and defensive tone. He insisted the party was supposed to start at 6 PM (not 6:30, which we had clearly discussed), and expressed frustration that food was already ready—despite the fact that we had planned for it to be served at 7 PM. When I reminded him that we were supposed to meet at noon, he instead complained about being tired from working late and having a lot to do—though apparently not enough to communicate a single update or courtesy message.

The way I was spoken to—as a paying customer, hosting a major event—was nothing short of disrespectful. Demeaning, defensive, and completely lacking in accountability. To make matters worse, during the event itself, staff members were openly vaping and drinking while working, which I found incredibly unprofessional—especially while hosting a private party. It was yet another sign of the lack of boundaries and standards here.

While the party itself went smoothly, it was difficult to ignore the poor treatment I had experienced behind the scenes. To their credit, DJ and the host were polite to our guests during the event and offered complimentary shots to us hosts and a discount on the final bill. That said, basic courtesy should never come at the cost of basic respect. No one—especially someone planning a meaningful celebration for a loved one—should be made to feel like an inconvenience at their own event.

Ultimately, while the venue and staff were passable the night of, I would not recommend Arlington Taphouse for event hosting. A milestone like a 30th birthday only happens once in life, which makes it all the more unfortunate that this is how it had to...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic spot in Arlington!

Arlington Tap House is hands down one of my favorite places to relax, grab a drink, and enjoy great food. The atmosphere is always welcoming—perfect for a night out with friends or even a casual dinner. The staff is super friendly, and the service is consistently on point.

The food menu is way above your typical bar fare—everything we’ve tried has been fresh and flavorful. Their rotating beer selection is great, and the cocktails are crafted with care.

Karaoke / DJ music nights are a real treat and bring such good energy to the place. Shout out to the management for keeping the vibe fun, safe, and community-focused.

Highly recommend Arlington Tap House if you're looking for great food, drinks, and a chill,...

Just had lunch here with a buddy. Walked in and sat down, the place was pretty empty so we got a seat right away. Server came over and took our drink order then came back and took our food order. We both ordered bacon cheese burgers and we were both very impressed with the food. The burgers were great, well seasoned and cooked the way we asked. Fries were also very good and the server checked on us and refilled out drinks often.

Great first experience and we will be going back there now that we know the place is there.

Don't be scared off by the fact that the inside looks like a bar. The food is awesome and it's a great place to...