Barbee Hotel & Restaurant

Great food, fun atmosphere

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Busy but cozy old hotel dining room that is very (!!) popular w locals and visitors alike! Chatty wait staff who multi task well! Love the food here! Generous portions! Prime rib on weekends is pretty impressive!!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Walleye, Caesar Salad, Ribs, Prime Rib and Loaded Baked Potato, Lava Cake

We went as a group of 6 and made a reservation for 7 PM. It was busy when we arrived but when we finally got seated, it died down. We didn’t get seated until almost 7:45 and it took another 10 minutes for our waitress to greet us. Our server Dana kept coming up missing. It took almost an hour to get our appetizers and she kept blaming it on being “swamped”, we were one of maybe 7 tables in there… she even missed one of the appetizers and we had to remind her. We ordered more drinks and could see them sitting at the bar and they sat there for at least 10 minutes, again with no Dana in sight. She came out probably half an hour before our food came out and said they were all out of baked potatoes and could give us regular mashed potatoes if we liked. We agreed because only 3 of us were getting baked potatoes. When she finally brought our food out half of us had real mashed potatoes and the others were instant ( you could tell because half had the peels in them and the other didn’t, not to mention the taste too). We had asked for a refill on the pops as well and she never brought the one we asked for. She came and checked on our table once while we were eating and it was almost when we were finished. We waited until 9:30 with no Dana in sight again and went to the bar twice to ask where she was because we wanted to leave. She finally came around and we were able to pay and leave. As we were boxing the food up, a person in our group told her about the instant potatoes not being good and she replied “hmm that’s weird”. Needless to say, we were her one of two tables and the service from her was terrible. The other waitresses were busting their butts and their tables that came in after us and ordered after us left at least an hour before we did. We have never had service that bad here and were disappointed.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 4

Service: 1

The food was mediocre and service was slow. We sat across from a table with a small child that dropped a lot of food on the floor. After the family left the staff did not bother to clean the floor and left the food all over the floor then sat another party at that table. It was noticeable enough that no one wanted to sit at that spot. This is unacceptable and gross. My husband ordered the Prime Rib which was very fatty. I had the filet which was over seasoned and salty. The grilled asparagus was soggy and over cooked. We will not be back and do not recommend this restaurant!

Great place to eat and to have a drink! I've been going there since the early 2000's and never had any problems.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Service was a bit slow but food was EXCELLENT. A bit pricey.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 2

Food service around the bar sucks but otherwise this is one of my favorite places bar none

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

We recently visited the Barbee Hotel & Restaurant with a party of 8 and overall had a good experience, though there were a few things that kept it from being a full five stars.

The building is very old and packed with history—there are stories about famous past guests like Al Capone, which definitely adds a unique atmosphere. That said, the lighting is extremely low. It felt like we were dining in a speakeasy; you could barely see the person across the table. Ambience might be romantic for some, but it’s a little too dark for a large group trying to enjoy a dinner together.

Service was excellent—friendly, attentive, and on top of everything, especially for a party our size with a reservation.

We started with bruschetta, calamari, and goat cheese marinara dip. The bruschetta was solid with fresh tomato and toast, and the calamari had potential but was way too salty. The goat cheese dip was a miss for us—tasted exactly like the name and not in a good way. Just goat cheese in sauce, without any balance or excitement.

For entrées, we had a wide variety: ribeye (ordered medium rare with extra char—done well), lasagna, a fish sandwich, a flat iron steak (unfortunately chewy), potato skins, Caesar salad with chicken (heavily overdressed), and a filet. Everyone found something to like, though we were disappointed to hear they were out of the salmon and couldn’t make the broiled seafood platter.

Prices were reasonable, especially considering the portion sizes and historical setting.

The biggest issue—aside from the lighting—was the noise. Some nearby tables were loud enough that it was tough to carry on a conversation. If you’re hoping for a quiet meal, maybe aim for an off-peak time.

Overall, a cool spot with a lot of character, some standout items, and very good service. Just a few tweaks to the food and atmosphere would push it to 5 stars.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 5

Went last night for our anniversary. Arrived at 4:30 when they opened. Asked for a booth and even though they were all vacant, we were directed to 1st booth to the right. We were also told there was a 5:30 reservation for this booth. Did not understand with the other numerous booths still unoccupied why put us there. We left at 5:30, still ALL booths were empty and the 5:30 reservation was not there. When I questioned girl at the front door, she said she was told not to put 2 people in a booth.
What??? Food was mediocre. WE WILL NEVER GO TO THIS RESTAURANT AGAIN.

Wonderful all the way around! Appetizers, side salads, then food all timed perfectly. Very impressed!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I like everything about the Barbee Hotel and the history.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

I would come here with my late mother since we are Chicago natives and she moved to Indiana, we would absolutely love the pizza as it reminded us of home. I love love this place. Hope to return soon

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Fantastic old school restaurant with continued delicious food & drinks

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Best thickest prime rib and best service

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Everything was delicious

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5