Restaurants, Traditional American Restaurants
$$, Dine At The Bar, Late Night Dining, Live Music, Local Favorite, Lunch Spot
The high-energy suburban outpost of the Lincoln Park favorite is a sprawling 22,000-square-foot entertainment complex featuring a restaurant and bar on the main floor and a stage for live music, dance floor, DJ booth and oversized booths geared towards large groups upstairs. Kick back on the lower level, featuring Barleycorn's eclectic nautical theme with handmade model ships, ship paintings and boat-themed artifacts or head to the second floor for a sleek contemporary look with a lofty 27-foot ceiling, rustic beams and exposed brick walls. The two-story space, which can accommodate 40-950 for private parties, is fitted with dozens of 50-inch flat-screens and a large projection screen for complete sports coverage. The menu features Barleycorn signatures such as gourmet half-pound burgers and beer-battered fish and chips, but also offers heartier entrees.
I've been here twice to meet up with co-workers. The food isn't bad and is decently priced. The service was really slow and our server could never keep our drinks straight. If you had to choose a place to go, don't put this on the top of your list.
Posted 06/15/09 | Report Abuse
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If you're late 20's or Older, Stay Downstairs!!!
by rpajcox
I've been a couple times for dinner and drinks downstairs at the Schaumburg John Barleycorn. I think the food is not expensive at all, and everything I've had is really good - it's exactly what you're expecting walking in the door. The downstairs bar is what someone who's over the "club scene" is looking for - good drinks, good atmosphere, although you can stay in the restaurant area and have drinks and discussion for hours. I had the "pleasure" of being roped into some sort of 13-year high school reunion this past weekend in the upstairs club area of the establishment. I guess it's been way too long since I've wanted (or cared about) that scene - it was ridiculous. The music is definitely too loud to allow for conversation. The drinks were fine - we had two hours all you could drink for $25/person. After that, call liquor drinks were $7. The scene was a spectacle, for sure. Girls (early 20 somethings) wearing things too short and too plunging that shouldn't be, guys dressed like pimps and looking like they could probably shave once a week and be fine, and seriously two girls dressed like tramps dancing on the stage to the ridiculous club music. If that's your scene, hey, it's only $10 to get in - go for it. Otherwise, I recommend you stay downstairs and enjoy the bar and restaurant down there. You'll be none the wiser, and ignorance is truly bliss in this situation!
Pros: Great bar and restaurant downstairs, good value on food and alright on drinks
Cons: Upstairs isn't for everyone, insufficient parking
Posted 01/11/09
Do not waste your time & money!!!!!
by boxxlady456
This place is a complete waste of time and money. On their website they said they were going to be showing a UFC fight and there would be no cover charge. We get there and they are not showing the fight and there is a $10 cover they didn't even have a band playing. The music sucked and was way too loud. The drinks were too expensive $10 & up for mixed drinks, $5 for beer when you could even get a bartender to make you a drink because half the time they would socialize with their co-workers. We had a party of 15 people pay their cover and after one person had 3 beers in the course of 3 hours was asked to leave for no reason. No one could tell us why or give us a valid reason. He was outside talking to people for 30 mins and we he tried to walk back in that's when they decided he had to leave. For what?? There are mooches in the bathroom collecting $ everytime you want to use the bathroom. There are COPS IN THE PARKING LOT right in front of the door waiting for you to go to your cars. The food is expensive and not that great.
Pros: absolutely nothing
Cons: no parking, rude staff, cops in parking lot, expensive
Posted 08/10/08
