Great neighborhood bar. Cozy interior. Very friendly bartenders. Cool clientele. We will be back!
Kris N
Really fun local bar with good food and cocktails, also good beers on tap. Trivia on Tuesdays đ„°
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brad Straw
Wow. What a Great addition to the neighborhood. A lively pub with great American Classic menu items. Movies on the wall for kids. Live music. Back patio. Fantastic friendly and competent service. Great local beers. Best burger Iâve had in a long time (disclaimer: I live in Mexico now).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brenda Wolfe
A very fine place for drinks. The Caesar salad is great.
I ate the food because I was hungry, but it was disappointing and overpriced. I miss the Broken Record, but I won't write this place off yet. Maybe better luck next time.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Rick Faulconer
This is my favorite local place for food and drink. A nice selection of beer on tap and liquor. Good food, real Chicago dog!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dan Baxter
Halfway to Homeownership, All the Way to Happy Hour
After a long day of house hunting in San Franciscoâaka the Hunger Games with realtorsâI needed a break. I Googled ârestaurants near meâ and like a gift from the Zillow gods, The Halfway Club popped up. One review promised amazing food and drinks. Skeptical but starving, I decided to give it a shot.
First impressions? The place isnât big, but itâs got personality. The bar seats maybe 8, or 10 if everyone skips leg day. The front has some classic tables and chairs, and out back thereâs a larger space with a big screen showing the game. Beyond that? A sunny outdoor patio perfect for day drinking or pretending youâre not 12 tabs deep in Redfin.
The vibe is a mash-up of dive bar nostalgia and stylish clutter. There are old concert posters, a jukebox that seems more like a prop (no records, no labels), and liquor bottles that range from âstandard pourâ to âwhat is that?â Bonus points for the mini-library of cocktail history next to the register. I love a place where your hangover can learn something.
Now, letâs talk food and drink. I ordered the Wisconsin Old Fashionedâmade with brandy and a cherry/orange cordialâand it was smooth, sweet, and strong enough to lower your rent expectations. For food, I tried the BLT Dog, which is exactly what it sounds like and somehow even better. Crispy bacon, amazing tomatos (get it and you'll understand! ), a killer sauce, and a solid snap on the dogâserved with waffle fries that were perfect, and definitely not from a freezer bag.
The menu has fun curveballs too. Next time, Iâve got my eye on the Crab Rangoon Deviled Eggs (because why choose between appetizers when you can combine them?) and the Alaska Cocktail, which sounds like something James Bond would drink on PTO.
Service was friendly, fast, and chillâno fake smiles, just real hospitality. Itâs the kind of place where they learn your name, not because youâre famous, but because you came back twice in a week.
Even if I donât buy a house nearby, Iâll definitely be returning to The Halfway Club. Sometimes, the best finds arenât on Zillowâtheyâre behind a bar with a jukebox that doesnât work.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joseph Sekula
A neighborhood bar with quality comfort food. Everyone was friendly and I may adjust ratings as definitely worth a revisit
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Steve Nelson
The new oasis on Geneva ave. Tasty Americana grub, cold beers and live jazz.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan Yi
This place has so much potential and I want to see it succeed.
It's hard for me to justify going back there regularly though because the food is very overpriced for what it is.
$16 for a Chicago hot dog (as a Chicagoan born and raised, this is especially outrageous). Yes, it's a gourmet hot dog but I wouldn't say it's special enough to warrant that price point. $22 for a HWC burger. You get the idea.
The menu is also very heavy/fried, I wish there were a couple more lighter options available.
I appreciate that they're kid friendly, they have live music, and it's a very easygoing, chill vibe. The food just sadly does not match the price point.
I go because I want to support a local business and I appreciate that they're family-oriented.
We are from Wisconsin so I was STOKED to try this place. We had the French Onion Mac and Cheese (7/10 - could use more complex cheese sauce to balance the onion) and Crab Rangoon Deviled Eggs (10/10 - could eat a whole plate). The Mezcal Paloma was fantastic.
The Wisconsin Old Fashioned is not muddled nor does it have sweet soda in it. It is more of a KY Old Fashioned with cordials and brandy instead of bourbon. As a 20-year veteran dive bar and craft cocktail bartender, I was a little disappointed in that - but only because I was expecting it to be an actual WI old fashioned like back home. It is delicious, just a little misleading in the name. Had to adjust my brain to expect more of an IL style old fashioned (which checks out because the employees we spoke with are IL/IN/MI based). Delightful flavor profile regardless!
Service was a little slow/focused on the regulars - which we get - we ultimately left before ordering more drinks because we waited too long with empty glasses.
Must see, must stop - excited to have this in the neighborhood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Shae Inglin
Great edition to the Excelsior neighborhood. Super friendly staff ... delicious food ... and great drinks! What more could you ask for???
A âAlexâ A
Great spot for drinks and great bar food Cincinnati Chili fries are on point
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Lang
Xavier was great! He recommended food and drink options that I wouldnât have picked but was happy with his recommendations. Staff was really hospitable- nice laid back atmosphere- highly recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anett Roeber
A fundraiser brought me here. Loved the service and atmosphere.
Great neighborhood bar. Cozy interior. Very friendly bartenders. Cool clientele. We will be back!
Really fun local bar with good food and cocktails, also good beers on tap. Trivia on Tuesdays đ„°
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow. What a Great addition to the neighborhood. A lively pub with great American Classic menu items. Movies on the wall for kids. Live music. Back patio. Fantastic friendly and competent service. Great local beers. Best burger Iâve had in a long time (disclaimer: I live in Mexico now).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A very fine place for drinks. The Caesar salad is great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Rangoon Deviled Eggs, Mixed Pickles
I ate the food because I was hungry, but it was disappointing and overpriced. I miss the Broken Record, but I won't write this place off yet. Maybe better luck next time.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
This is my favorite local place for food and drink. A nice selection of beer on tap and liquor. Good food, real Chicago dog!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Halfway to Homeownership, All the Way to Happy Hour
After a long day of house hunting in San Franciscoâaka the Hunger Games with realtorsâI needed a break. I Googled ârestaurants near meâ and like a gift from the Zillow gods, The Halfway Club popped up. One review promised amazing food and drinks. Skeptical but starving, I decided to give it a shot.
First impressions? The place isnât big, but itâs got personality. The bar seats maybe 8, or 10 if everyone skips leg day. The front has some classic tables and chairs, and out back thereâs a larger space with a big screen showing the game. Beyond that? A sunny outdoor patio perfect for day drinking or pretending youâre not 12 tabs deep in Redfin.
The vibe is a mash-up of dive bar nostalgia and stylish clutter. There are old concert posters, a jukebox that seems more like a prop (no records, no labels), and liquor bottles that range from âstandard pourâ to âwhat is that?â Bonus points for the mini-library of cocktail history next to the register. I love a place where your hangover can learn something.
Now, letâs talk food and drink. I ordered the Wisconsin Old Fashionedâmade with brandy and a cherry/orange cordialâand it was smooth, sweet, and strong enough to lower your rent expectations. For food, I tried the BLT Dog, which is exactly what it sounds like and somehow even better. Crispy bacon, amazing tomatos (get it and you'll understand! ), a killer sauce, and a solid snap on the dogâserved with waffle fries that were perfect, and definitely not from a freezer bag.
The menu has fun curveballs too. Next time, Iâve got my eye on the Crab Rangoon Deviled Eggs (because why choose between appetizers when you can combine them?) and the Alaska Cocktail, which sounds like something James Bond would drink on PTO.
Service was friendly, fast, and chillâno fake smiles, just real hospitality. Itâs the kind of place where they learn your name, not because youâre famous, but because you came back twice in a week.
Even if I donât buy a house nearby, Iâll definitely be returning to The Halfway Club. Sometimes, the best finds arenât on Zillowâtheyâre behind a bar with a jukebox that doesnât work.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A neighborhood bar with quality comfort food. Everyone was friendly and I may adjust ratings as definitely worth a revisit
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
The new oasis on Geneva ave. Tasty Americana grub, cold beers and live jazz.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place has so much potential and I want to see it succeed.
It's hard for me to justify going back there regularly though because the food is very overpriced for what it is.
$16 for a Chicago hot dog (as a Chicagoan born and raised, this is especially outrageous). Yes, it's a gourmet hot dog but I wouldn't say it's special enough to warrant that price point. $22 for a HWC burger. You get the idea.
The menu is also very heavy/fried, I wish there were a couple more lighter options available.
I appreciate that they're kid friendly, they have live music, and it's a very easygoing, chill vibe. The food just sadly does not match the price point.
I go because I want to support a local business and I appreciate that they're family-oriented.
Check it out, just be prepared to spend $$$.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
We are from Wisconsin so I was STOKED to try this place. We had the French Onion Mac and Cheese (7/10 - could use more complex cheese sauce to balance the onion) and Crab Rangoon Deviled Eggs (10/10 - could eat a whole plate). The Mezcal Paloma was fantastic.
The Wisconsin Old Fashioned is not muddled nor does it have sweet soda in it. It is more of a KY Old Fashioned with cordials and brandy instead of bourbon. As a 20-year veteran dive bar and craft cocktail bartender, I was a little disappointed in that - but only because I was expecting it to be an actual WI old fashioned like back home. It is delicious, just a little misleading in the name. Had to adjust my brain to expect more of an IL style old fashioned (which checks out because the employees we spoke with are IL/IN/MI based). Delightful flavor profile regardless!
Service was a little slow/focused on the regulars - which we get - we ultimately left before ordering more drinks because we waited too long with empty glasses.
Must see, must stop - excited to have this in the neighborhood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Great edition to the Excelsior neighborhood. Super friendly staff ... delicious food ... and great drinks! What more could you ask for???
Great spot for drinks and great bar food Cincinnati Chili fries are on point
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Xavier was great! He recommended food and drink options that I wouldnât have picked but was happy with his recommendations. Staff was really hospitable- nice laid back atmosphere- highly recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A fundraiser brought me here.
Loved the service and atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
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