We Had a Great Time
Written: Mar 07 '06
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Pros: great steaks, nice service
Cons: Supposedly not accessible but it was accessible enough
The Bottom Line: We'll go back
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| Saxguy's Full Review: The Tavern |
A warm thank you to the category lead, Megugrrrl, for adding this restaurant to the database.
In late January, my son was off for the weekend and so my wife and I wanted a place for a Friday dinner.
This restaurant has been on our radar for a while. My wife had seen the restaurant featured on a local favorites segment on the Food Network and wanted to go. I called them up and asked if they were accessible, since my wife needs a wheelchair to go out, and the restaurant answered no. So she called them back and determined that they were accessible enough. There were only two stairs between the rear entrance and the dining room. There were more stairs between the dining area and the restrooms, but that was not a concern. So, we made a reservation.
The tavern is located in downtown Libertyville, a northern suburb of Chicago. They are right on Main Street in Libertyville. They have a storefront but apparently no front entrance. The entrance is from the back, off a parking lot.
We had no problem getting in and seated. A few waiters lifted the wheelchair over the stairs, although I think we could have gone down ourselves. we were appreciative for the help. We were seated at a nice table on the street side with a nice view of the street. The décor was brass and brick.
The waiter offered to store the wheelchair and gave us menus. He also carefully recited the specials for the evening. My wife was asking a lot of questions, which she usually does, and the waiter was extremely patient. We received some warm bread while waiting.
We settled on appetizers of Duck Tacos for her and wild mushrooms in truffle oil for me. The Duck Tacos were in a crispy shell, spicy and fairly heavily sauced but we could taste the duck. The mushrooms were served in truffle oil. I thought the mushrooms were a little too heavy and the oil obscured the taste a little bit. Still, I enjoyed the mushrooms.
While having the appetizers, she and I shared a Veltins, a light German ale I hadn’t had before. The waiter said that it was fresh and newly added to the beer list. There aren’t that many beers that my wife and I both. I tend to like the heavy or the hoppy; she tends to like the smooth. Still, we both enjoyed the Veltins.
The Tavern’s specialty is steak. Prime steak. So, we perused the menu. She settled on an 8oz Rib Eye and had it done medium, with a blue cheese topping. She asked the waiter about it and he replied that the restaurant loved the publicity, but the blue cheese was not a menu item. He said they could do it, though. I had a 12oz organic New York strip steak, also done medium.
The steaks were served with an order of house mashed potatos. Supposedly, they were specially blended with garlic and horseradish but I found them unexceptional. The steaks were tasty and tender. We shared small pieces with each other. Hers had slightly more flavor than mine, but it was also more expensive and I expected the organic beef might be a little less tasty. It was still great. The steaks illustrated our differences. I love blue cheese and I love steak, but I’d never obscure the taste of a great steak with blue cheese. While eating the steaks, we shared a glass of Red Seal Ale, which I liked a lot but my wife thought was a tad bitter for her.
Then, there was dessert. I love all things raspberry. berries, sorbet, shampoo, bodywash, everything. So, when I saw a chocolate torte made with Chambord raspberry liqueur, I was all over it. The torte was rich and chocolaty, with Chambord drizzled over it. The Chambord was a little too much for her and she said it would have been a little better without it. Me, I think it could have used more Chambord. We both enjoyed it, though.
During this time, the service was relaxed and patient. There was no pressure at all.
We settled up at a total of under $130, and then we got a little surprise:
The place IS accessible
There is a little service entrance that opens to the front. There is no step at all. They have a busboy station there, but it was very easy to navigate around. They don’t publicize the entrance because they do not meet the legal definition of accessible because of the stars between the dining area and the restroom.
The waiter said that they were looking out the front before we arrived thinking we might try to get in that way. Since it hadn’t been mentioned beforehand, we didn’t know about it.
We’ll certainly go through the no longer secret front entrance the next time we come.
We had a great dinner and I can recommend it highly. I think we’ll have different appetizers next time, but, other than that, the food and beer was great, as was the service.
Thanks for reading. God bless!
You might enjoy some of my Chicago area restaurant reviews.
Millenium Park Grill
Davis Street Fishmarket
Dee’s Chinese restaurant
Bob Chinn’s Crab House
Hackney’s Restaurant in Glenview
Twin Anchors Restaurant in Chicago
Pavilion Restaurant in Chicago
Szechuan East Restaurant in Chicago
Maggiano’s Little Italy
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations The rib eye and the organic strip steak were great. So was the Chambord torte.
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
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