Bars near Essex

“great food, fun, friends... ☺☺🍑“

“Cute place to have a drink. Lots of great martini 🍸 flavors to choose from. Staff was super friendly. We will be back“

“Food is great , never been disappointed with any of the food.“

“first time ordering there food and definitely give it a 10/10. hoagie and chicken Parm sandwich cooked perfectly! would definitely go back again and plan to!“

“My daughter & I stopped here the other night for dinner. The food and sercice was absolutely amazing!“

“I spotted a pub, a nice brick structure attached to a house. Like many neighborhood pubs, the sign showed the Old Style beer logo. I walked in through the doors. I attracted attention. Nobody cared that I had insisted on wearing a mask. I looked unfamiliar.A woman called out, "How are you doing, sweetie?" "Oh, I'm fine. Passing through. I stopped for Tom's Sweet Corn, and need to stretch my legs." A man smiled, "So, you're not a local." I thought, "It would take a lifetime to become a local. All I need to do is sit down and order an Old Style." "I live over in Streator," I offered, hoping to look local enough. A woman squealed, "I'm from Streator!" "How about that. I'm thirty miles east of Streator and I meet a neighbor!" I excused myself. I had downed an extra large soda at Jimmy Johns in downtown Kankakee.The rest rooms shared a sink in the hall between the biffys. The wood door suggested an age of one hundred years old or more. Wood gets drier and lighter as it ages. The door handles reminded me of the late Nineteenth Century, just a touch hand made.I wondered, "Should I buy a bar stool buddy a shot to say thanks for a clean restroom?" I walked over to the bar. I spotted a freezer stocked with six dollar frozen pizzas. Not one vegan pizza I felt sure. Hunger had arrived. A set of coolers showed off all the cans for sale. "Might I buy a Coke?" The woman bartending probably owned the bar. "Sure, that will be a dollar". Thank you I said as I gave her two dollars. "It's only a dollar, hon." "I wish to show my gratitude," I said with a smile."What brings you this way?" said the man who deduced my traveling status. "I was in Kankakee." "Kankakee? What brought you to Kankakee?" "I'm learning how to be a census taker. I count twenty at the pub. Let me write that down." He laughed. I had satisfied his curiosity by making him laugh. "You take care of yourself, hon," said the one woman who greeted me first when I came inside. "Yes, please take care of yourself, too. I'll be back".It seemed like the right thing to say. I stepped out the door into the rays of a sun setting to the west. A John Deere gator, a blend between a tractor and a golf cart, proceeded towards Tom's corn. I spotted a few more as I drove to Tom's to score a dozen sweet ears.Tom's yard looked like a John Deere commercial. One farmer arrived pulling a hay wagon full of people behind his yellow and green John Deere tractor. A man set at the wheel of his gator, closest to the picnic table where awaited the corn. "Hey, I bet you're Tom!" "That's right, I'm Tom." "Are you hosting a corn roast, Tom?" "Nope, it's a community gathering." "Might I pick out a few ears?" "Sure, hello yourself. There's the cash box. Put in what you want. Put in nothing. Take all you want."I started to fill a plastic bag after sliding two dollars in the slot cut in the cash box. I thought that fair for six ears. "What's the event, Tom?" "It's a community picture. We just repainted our town sign, and fixed up the landscaping." I hadn't noticed. People kept arriving in vans, by car and even by ATV. "Is this a Lions Club project?" "Nope. We disbanded our club. The national wanted too much money every year. We just do our own community club. A long time resident left money in a will for the sign".He patted the seat of his gator. "Any body need a ride." The sign stood right across the street. "Thank you, Tom. How long will you be picking sweet corn?" "Straight through Labor Day. You drive through often?" "First time by. Have a good night."I counted twenty people walking over from the pub. It looked as if every two hundred citizens of Reddick planned to pose, smiling at the sunset. Soon, I“

“Went here for lunch because I was in the area and was told that it was a good burger spot. I ordered the regular cheeseburger with a side of onion rings and a Dr. Pepper. I was very impressed with the burger, as it had a large patty with a lot of flavor and two different types of cheese. The bun was also very soft and toasted on one side. I was also quite impressed with the well fried onion rings. The atmosphere in this establishment was quite nice, however it was a bit quiet for my taste. The only criticism I had was that the sodas were sold per can and there was no fountain options. It is also worth mentioning that they only accept cash which was a slight disappointment. Overall worth visiting“

“It is a very nice place. My wife and I enjoy going there. Jay is also very nice and friendly.“

“Passing through town and I stopped by on a whim. Boy did I nail it! They were very welcoming. Seems like the perfect hangout for this small town. The bartender (Felicia) was awesome with a great sense of humor. If I lived in the area it would be my go to.Great local bar with top notch service!“

“I mean I don’t think I have ever been to a more genuine bar! The bartenders just serve the coldest beers and the sauciest wings east of the Mississippi. All the girls are just amazing!“

“Great place to have a cold one and enjoy the Atmosphere“

“I felt comfortable in this place. The staff were friendly and I've gotta say the women there know how to play 9 ball pretty well. See ya on my way back thru town. peace“

“Coaler’s bar has a great, friendly, and nice staff. Food is good with a big bar to get your drinks. So go get a drink from the best bar tender’s🤗🤗🤗 and jazz up your night! And maybe you’ll see me!“

“1.00 beer!!! Friendly bartender!! Free pool on Monday!!!!“

“We had a great night for a work gathering! Highly recommend!!“

“Best bar food ever!! Audrey was our server and she is absolutely amazing!! She ensured we were served promptly, our food was hot and the beers cold!! Hands down, best bar in the area!!“

“fun bar great music and great bartenders“

“Excellent staff, lots of laughs, great music inside and outside!!“

“Haydens is a great place to eat! they are the best restaurant in town. The food is wonderful and their soups are out of this world. I only wish they would get this website up to date and working properly. I try to check it every day and am often disappointed with it not being updated.“