The James - (Near Geneva, IL)

Joe Perez Good food, good size plates but a little pricey.

L D What a fun place to chill and have some cold beers and delicious cocktails. They even give you a free coozie for your beer! We werent hungry at all, but did buy wings to go. Our server was EXCELLENT and was so attentive and friendly. I love that you can bring your dog. Nice view of the lake at sunset. The music was great too. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Master Phillips I stopped by HotShots Bar & Grill around 3 PM and was impressed right from the moment I walked in. The service was quick—someone greeted me as soon as I stepped through the door, and within the first 30 minutes, I noticed the management (Drew) making their rounds, personally checking in with customers. That kind of attention to detail is always a good sign. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable. The music was playing at just the right volume—not too loud, not too quiet—and the lighting set a chill vibe without being too dim. Even though it was a slower time of day, the place still had a welcoming energy that made me want to hang out longer. Food came out fast and hot, just the way it should. My drink was perfectly mixed with the right balance—no heavy hand on the liquor or syrupy mess. And I’ve gotta give a shoutout to Bri, the bartender. She was amazing—friendly, on top of things, and made the whole experience even better. Definitely a spot I’ll be coming back to.

Jane kinney We stopped in here Friday night. The place was busy. Had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. The restaurant was cleaned well kept. Our server was very nice and attentive. Our food came out hot and plentiful. We would come back here again.

Joshua Daily Iron Spike nailed it for tasty beer and food! Traveling and exploring can be very taxing and you need to stop somewhere to refuel for the next adventure and that is exactly what we did at Iron Spike Brewing Company. Emily and I were full of coffee but running on E when it came to food, since it was around 1pm and we hadn’t had anything but the cinnamon roll at The Beanhive (which is like two doors over from here) for breakfast. We dropped in and the place was fairly quiet for a Friday afternoon. I am guessing we missed the lunch rush, which is fine by me. A nice young gentleman sat us down and gave great service while we placed our orders for food and drinks. He was quick to bring out my Flatback IPA and Em’s Caboose Juice… which every time it was said out loud lead me to having a giggle fit. Maybe I was super hungry and getting slap happy or maybe I was just having a great time on a beautiful weather day with my girlfriend but its a fun combination of words regardless. Emily ordered the Classic Smash Burger and I got the Black & Bleu Smash Burger. We both picked fries as our sides. I’d say our food came out in under 10 minutes, which was great since I was beyond starving and I could feel the few sips of my beer going to my head already. The food in front of us didn’t look like much, just a burger and fry but once we started digging in… I’m pretty sure both our toes curled. The french fries are the first thing I started on and they had this nice chewy aspect that made them not feel like munching on air that a lot of other fries give. The burger didn’t look like much in the checkerboard wrapping paper but once I dug it out and got to eating it, it was the perfect accompaniment to my beer, having fun with my girlfriend, and the perfect weather. I found the bleu cheese being a stark contrast to the rest of the burger and wished there was a little bit less on it so the difference wasn’t as pronounced but that didn’t stop me from inhaling the burger in minutes. Emily said she was in love with her burger from the first bite to the last. She said it was a bit salty but that comes with the territory for smash burgers. All-in-all, it was the best place we could’ve stopped for food and to kick our feet up for a bit. The waiter told us that the building used to be an old firehouse and once you look around, you really start to notice the small details that still remain from days of yesteryear. Here is another fun tidbit. I took the photo above back in July 2016, thinking it would be a cool place to visit some day. Who knew it would only take about 9 years to finally get around to revisiting Galesburg to finally get the chance! Also, they do have free stickers if you ask your server for some.

Lisa Hillman One of our fav Oswego eateries!! The kids love their kids meals and love going on Singo and Karaoke nights! We love their food and the atmosphere and the service! (Plus they have a great rewards program!) We went last night for the OHS state football game and had a blast with everyone there!