Love the wings here. If you are going to order them you gotta get them Jimmied. The place is great for watching a game with the fellas. Always a great atmosphere and filled with some funny people. This is one of the best places in Barrington.
(5)
John A.
I want to like this place but the service is HORRIBLE. We have eaten here 3 times in the past two months with equal displeasure each time. Food is average with decent selections, but snooty waitresses kills the experience. Each visit, the waitstaff has been uninterested in work and more concerned with socializing with coworkers. Over the past 2 years we have eaten here approximately 10 times and very obvious that they are on the decline. I keep hoping things will change, but now we will never know. Unfortunately for us, we will have to find another sports bar because we will never return!
(1)
Mike M.
Wool Street, or as we like to call it in our office: Conference Room W, is a decent bar with typical bar food directly next to the Barrington metra station. It's a popular place to grab a few drinks after work for all the people in my office who commute from the city. It pretty much has that sports bar atmosphere, and we've been here before to catch some March Madness games and even to host our fantasy football draft. I usually go here with co-workers during our lunch hour or after work if we want to grab a few drinks before catching the train. In the summer they also have a decent outdoor patio if you wanted to eat outside for lunch. The food here is pretty average bar food. I've had a decent amount of their menu items and they weren't bad, but most weren't really amazing either. The prices are honestly a little high for the quality you get too. Wings - I've only tried a few flavors but overall they're good. They usually compete at the Chicago wingfest every year and even placed in the BBQ category in the past. Pizza - Pretty good thin crust pizza that you can customize with a bunch of different toppings. Macho nachos - Enormous pile of nachos that can be shared if you have a group. We brought in some pretty young, hungry dudes and were barely able to kill it. Stuffed burger - This is one of my go to items whenever I come here. It's basically a huge burger that has its center stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and little pieces of bacon. It's topped off with a huge onion ring too. This burger will definitely go straight to your arteries but it's so good. Once you take your first bite you pretty much have to keep holding it since the cheesy center is just oozing everywhere. On the side they also have some really good seasoned waffle fries that come with a special spiced sour cream. Overall, Wool Street is a good option for me purely based on how close it is to my work. There's probably a bunch of other places where you can get better food at the price, but it's good enough if you just wanna grab some food while drinking and catching some games on TV.
(3)
Very C.
Use to be really good until just the last couple of weeks more than half the staff quit due to poor management. Even the cooks quit. I ate here last night just to try it and see if the new cook/employees were any good and I'm sorry I did. Was up half the the night. Mindy the owners wife is a primadona. She is rude not only to the employees but the customers too. They use to have a second place in Cary and they closed. Now I know why.
(1)
Jim H.
I see other reviews that share my opinion, which tells me that my first visit was no fluke. I've heard about this place for a couple years but never got a chance to try it out. I finally did on Saturday nite, Labor Day Weekend. I was with 2 male friends and we just wanted a good place to hang out and watch college football. We arrived around 7:30pm, the bar area wasn't crowded and we got a good table for viewing their TV's. We were there for over 20 minutes and not one person greeted us, let alone acknowledged us....and we were seated right in the middle of the bar (this is no exaggeration). We were thirsty and wanted a beer, but we couldn't get any employee's attention, from the bartender to several waitresses that were "around". Extremely frustrating! We were actually talking about getting up and walking out before I finally got the attention of a server, who said "I'll be right with you". Now, keep in mind, the bar was not crowded by any means. There were several empty tables near us. I let the server know we weren't happy and from that point, she at least kept an eye on our table, albeit the service was still pretty slow. The long and the short of it is the food was decent (not bad, not great) and the whole sports experience was OK. My friends and I agreed they could've set up their TV"s better for a much better viewing experience. Bottom Line...thumbs up for ambiance, thumbs up for food quality, 2 thumbs down for overall service.
(2)
Michele B.
New chef and huge menu. Cobb salad was crisp,fresh and huge. Soup of the day was Cuban black bean and it was just what a cold day needed. Great service, nice atmosphere.
(4)
Marielle V.
This is an OK place to go and watch a game, but do not plan to have any large dinners or family gatherings there. I had a small party of 15 people planned there and I had to apologize to all my guests for the awful experience. I made the reservation well in advance, when we got there two tables were set up for our party. I was told this was the most convenient set-up for them. I had to move the tables myself, so everybody could sit together. There was one waiter for the entire room, who clearly could not manage the workload and was not very engaging. In short: our order was messed up, the drinks were horrible, the waiter did not come back to take coffee or dessert orders. The "manager", Carrie, got involved after I complained, but she had a horrible attitude. The best part was that they had the audacity to add 20% gratuity to my bill!!
(1)
Brett E.
Wool Street is okay for what it is, a giant bar/restaurant with TVs and a band area. Their menu is huge with some good options, but their bar and service is lacking. The servers and bartenders can be inattentive and they don't have much in the way of cocktails or drink specials other than beer. Friday is a pretty good fish fry and their outdoor patio is nice.
(3)
Peter T.
Normal Rockwell lives in Barrington. Or at least I thought he did when I picked it as the town to raise my family and keep them safe. Seems it worked. A quiet burg an hour by car or train from downtown Chicago, Barrington has been around since the 1850s. Today it's a cute little village surrounded by expensive homes, immaculately kept lawns, and million dollar horses grazing in back "yards." There are ordinary families like ours, and celebrity familes. "Rumored" to live in Barrington, or owning homes here are Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Chicago Bears Mike Singletary, and Walter Payton. I can attest to the latter two, as their kids were in school with my daughter. Singletary and I worked the pizza tent at the annual grade school carnival. The Wool Street Sports Bar is a rather new addition to the town. When we moved here 25 years ago, I'm not sure there was a bar. Well, maybe one. Now the village is host to the requisite hoity toity cuisine outlets, fancy grocery stores, and posh shops one would expect to find in an area like this, 78% of the people are homeowners, and the median house value is north of mid six figures......and well up in to the 8 figure range, as well. The 'town' is really four areas, Barrington itself, North Barrington, Barrington Hills, and South Barrington. Together they make up one of the wealthiest zip codes in America. Wool Street has a very lengthy menu of American bar food, burgers, salads, pizza, dinner plates. I went with the stuffed burger, Wool Street's version of the burger that made Minneapolis famous, the Jucy Lucy. (sic). This one was stuffed with gorgonzola and bacon, with a very nice flame finish, great char flavor. The interior cheese was very ample. The burger was parked on a soft bakery roll with an egg wash, and tomato and lettuce. A wide variety of sides come with each sandwich, I went with tots, which were more than satisfactory. This is a damned fine burger. Worth a trip to Barrington.Worth a stop
(4)
Larry W.
I am sad to say that I will no longer be spending my money there. I have been eating and drinking there for 7 years. It used to always be busy, good service, friendly staff and fair prices and the food was great. None is the same today. I have happily spent alot of money there over the years and now the service is bad, the prices have gone up, portions and quality of the food have gone down. I gave it 2 stars only because of the tv's and walking distance.
(2)
Gibson D.
Our "Go-to"spot when going out in Barrington. Not only do they have excellent "bar food," they have excellent food, period. Plus, they always have excellent affordable drink specials. Always a fun atmosphere, with cool & laid-back servers. Our personal favorites are Brendan and Danielle, but everyone there is great. Plus you can't beat being able to watch any major game while listening to some great tunes! Stop here next time your in town, or next time you've got a few minutes to catch a train because they do sell "to-go" beverages for your next train ride!
(5)
Represent the P.
Food and service here is very good. Also solid beer selection. Not fancy, but provides various good options of cuisine that is above and beyond pub quality food, and will leave you satisfied . Always tough finding vegetarian options at restaurants. Wool Street definitely caters to the masses, and there is something for everyone.
(4)
Nichole C.
Another day, another ride out to a random pub as an excuse to ride (and bonus for being able to drink a craft beer and mangia on some wings and burgers too!). Overall, Wool Street has great wings (you can get them grilled too...I think it was called Jimmy style?), good burgers (there's eggs to order and delicious bleu cheese), and awesome local craft beers (Onion Pub REPRESENT!). Unfortunately, I wasn't my usual ravenous self when I went here so I feel pretty good about everything I tried but I have no good adjectives for you. Sorry. I do know this: I WILL be back...so that's something, yes?
(4)
Brigette A.
Great wings (order them grilled) and even through train crawl, service u relentless. 5 stars !!
(5)
Jack L.
Love the wings here. If you are going to order them you gotta get them Jimmied. The place is great for watching a game with the fellas. Always a great atmosphere and filled with some funny people. This is one of the best places in Barrington.
(5)
Ashley S.
I've been here a couple times for fish fry. The first time we came the fish was good, but not really amazing or anything. Not that case this past Friday, the fish was AMAZING!!! They had $2.00 PBR's, and $9.95 all you can eat fish fry, does it get any better? My boyfriend got a burger.......SHOCKING, but ate a lot of my fish, and the best part is they don't even care, they just keep bringing out more! The breading is really light and the fish is perfect! To top it all off they have the best waffle fries EVER! Being a transplant to the burbs from Wisconsin has made me realize that a good fish fry is hard to find, so now that I've stumbled upon this tasty little joint I'm sure I'll be Duchess in no time flat.
(5)
Rob W.
OK, I've now been to both Wool Streets and I like the Cary one a bit better. Realistically, this place is 3.5 stars, a little better than average. Menus are the same at both places and the food is pretty good. I guess the difference is that the staff in Cary is a little more personable. The service here was decent, but given that the place wasn't all that busy, there was time to go the extra mile with some conversation or the like. Didn't happen. I'll likely return - it's a good place to watch a game, the food is good and there's a wide variety of beers. Just wish the staff there was willing to "shoot the breeze" a little more.
(3)
Ashley A.
I've been here three times; first time we sat in the dining room and ordered pizza, last two times we sat in the bar and ordered mainly drinks. The pizza is decent. The teriyaki friend green beans and portobello stack are pretty darn good; I recommend them. The beer selection is decent; they have a few more beers than your average selection including a couple microbrews. The second time we went, we happened to noticed a chalkboard at the end of the hallway before entering the bar that read $1 Blue Moon Abbey Ales. Yes, please! We ordered 14. I don't think our waitress was very happy about that, but we did order food as well and tipped her well. There is a room down a short flight of stairs next to the bar where it appears bands perform, but I've never been there to see any bands play. The place is located adjacent to the Barrington Metra station, so it is a good place to go while waiting for a train. There aren't a lot of bars in Barrington, but this one seems to be the largest. Since I live so close, I'll probably be back, especially if they have dollar beer specials again!
(4)
Mike U.
Great food, consistently each time. Great atmosphere as well.
(5)
Jason B.
We love to go here for Big Ten football games as a family. The service is great, food quality is excellent, wait staff are friendly & professional. Often we sit in the large multi-purpose room to give the 3 kids room to move around a little (w/o driving other patrons crazy). I've also been here for drinks w/friends & like their beer selection. Lively, fun bar area, quiet restaurant side with great quality meals for date night with the Mrs.
(5)
nicole h.
Nothing really noteworthy about this Wool Street. Prime location by the Metra station. Usually it's teeming with BHS grads and it often feels like you've stumbled into a high school reunion. Service is pretty good. Gets much too crowded for the quality of the food but they recently put on an addition so maybe things have changed...
(3)
john s.
nice place in the burbs. they have really good sandwiches and a nice outdoor patio. Good wings too. if your ever out in the NW Burbs and need a place to eat/drink this can be a good place.
(4)
bob t.
Average food and service. Nothing new as far as the menu. Extra $ for waffle fries??
(2)
Tiffany L.
Yum. YUM. Really. My sister has lived in Barrington for the last few years and had never been to Wool Street, so we figured it was time to head over there and give it a whirl. We were seated promptly during lunch hour on a Friday. The menu has some really great offerings, so much to choose from, but not menu overload by any means. We couldn't decide, so we decided to each pick a sandwich and split. We went with the Veg Out and the create your own Chicken Sandwich. The chicken was quite good and the veg out, holy crap is was amazing. Probably the best veggie sandwich I've ever had. It was soooo incredible that my sister and I went back the next night for supper because we couldn't stop talking about how good it was. It's amazing... roasted red pepper, portobello, grilled potato slice and goat cheese with a basil vinegarette on a ciabatta roll. I'm going to have to hit Wool Street every time I head out to Barrington, which lucky for me, is a lot. We also had the green bean apps. which were strangely awesome. The service both times was kind of..ehhh... at lunch, our server was certainly nice, but not very efficient. At dinner, our server was a a tad bit bitchy, but very effecient. Sooo whatever, I'm not looking for fabulous attitudes and stellar service at a place that cost $30 (tip included) for supper... I'll go back again and again and perhaps branch out and try more of the menu!
(4)
Ben M.
Visited the bar side with my wife on a Saturday night for dinner. In a nutshell: very good & attentive service, good prices, but the food tended towards the mediocre side. It certainly wasn't bad, but nothing really stood out and made you say, "Wow! This is really good!" Excellent beer selection, though. What stood out most to me was the split-level layout on bar side that made it a great place for live music: there's an upper section near the bar, and then a lower section where the band plays. It works out really well because you can stick to the upper level if you want to chat with friends and listen to the band in the background, or hit the lower level if you're mainly there for the band. Very cool.
(4)
Liz B.
One thing I do notice, is that when you get stuff to-go something is always different. How come I got regular salsa this time instead of the mango one it says it come with? They didn't include the bread it came with last time. How come the sauce is on it rather than in little to go cups like the other time I ordered this? Don't get me wrong, it's all still really good. The inconsistency is a bit annoying.
(4)
Matisse M.
Mmm... like a hometown chili's or friday's, except the food isn't as good.
(2)
John A.
I want to like this place but the service is HORRIBLE. We have eaten here 3 times in the past two months with equal displeasure each time. Food is average with decent selections, but snooty waitresses kills the experience. Each visit, the waitstaff has been uninterested in work and more concerned with socializing with coworkers. Over the past 2 years we have eaten here approximately 10 times and very obvious that they are on the decline. I keep hoping things will change, but now we will never know. Unfortunately for us, we will have to find another sports bar because we will never return!
(1)
Nichole C.
Another day, another ride out to a random pub as an excuse to ride (and bonus for being able to drink a craft beer and mangia on some wings and burgers too!). Overall, Wool Street has great wings (you can get them grilled too...I think it was called Jimmy style?), good burgers (there's eggs to order and delicious bleu cheese), and awesome local craft beers (Onion Pub REPRESENT!). Unfortunately, I wasn't my usual ravenous self when I went here so I feel pretty good about everything I tried but I have no good adjectives for you. Sorry. I do know this: I WILL be back...so that's something, yes?
(4)
Brigette A.
Great wings (order them grilled) and even through train crawl, service u relentless. 5 stars !!
(5)
Dean S.
Try the cuban
(4)
M. H.
Really great service. Extremely attentive, friendly, and fast. We only drank and had apps, and I only thought one of the three were noteable. The hummus was delicious and fresh. But the onion straws were bland and greasy ... and the 'spiced' sour cream was also bland. There were pieces of fried fish tails scattered in and amongst the straws, so that was gross since I don't eat fish. The other appetizer was sweet potato stix ... nothing extraordinary ... typical bar food. I'll update my rating once I have a full meal there. Overall I'd go back ... but it didn't blow my mind.
(3)
Brett E.
Wool Street is okay for what it is, a giant bar/restaurant with TVs and a band area. Their menu is huge with some good options, but their bar and service is lacking. The servers and bartenders can be inattentive and they don't have much in the way of cocktails or drink specials other than beer. Friday is a pretty good fish fry and their outdoor patio is nice.
(3)
Carrie c.
I think the food is awesome here. There are quite a few choices on the menu to satisfy most! I love the steak sandwhich and the veggie sandwhich! Service is average. We've been there a couple times w/ stellar, friendly servers, but most of the time the servers are just "ok". I think prices are very reasonable for the quality of food! Much better than any chain restaurant!
(4)
Mike M.
Wool Street, or as we like to call it in our office: Conference Room W, is a decent bar with typical bar food directly next to the Barrington metra station. It's a popular place to grab a few drinks after work for all the people in my office who commute from the city. It pretty much has that sports bar atmosphere, and we've been here before to catch some March Madness games and even to host our fantasy football draft. I usually go here with co-workers during our lunch hour or after work if we want to grab a few drinks before catching the train. In the summer they also have a decent outdoor patio if you wanted to eat outside for lunch. The food here is pretty average bar food. I've had a decent amount of their menu items and they weren't bad, but most weren't really amazing either. The prices are honestly a little high for the quality you get too. Wings - I've only tried a few flavors but overall they're good. They usually compete at the Chicago wingfest every year and even placed in the BBQ category in the past. Pizza - Pretty good thin crust pizza that you can customize with a bunch of different toppings. Macho nachos - Enormous pile of nachos that can be shared if you have a group. We brought in some pretty young, hungry dudes and were barely able to kill it. Stuffed burger - This is one of my go to items whenever I come here. It's basically a huge burger that has its center stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and little pieces of bacon. It's topped off with a huge onion ring too. This burger will definitely go straight to your arteries but it's so good. Once you take your first bite you pretty much have to keep holding it since the cheesy center is just oozing everywhere. On the side they also have some really good seasoned waffle fries that come with a special spiced sour cream. Overall, Wool Street is a good option for me purely based on how close it is to my work. There's probably a bunch of other places where you can get better food at the price, but it's good enough if you just wanna grab some food while drinking and catching some games on TV.
(3)
Danny L.
Every other week, I drive 20 miles from my house on Lake Cook Road to this restaurant. It takes about 45 minutes, but it is worth it. The inside of the place is great. They got a whole separate downstairs room with live entertainment at night, and a bunch of TV's. They even got one of those ITunes machines. They got a full bar with a blender. The Oriental Chicken salad they make is to die for. The best dressing I have ever tasted. The burgers are great as well. I just wish they would get rid of the Pepsi and switch to Coke, and bring back the steak they used to have.
(4)
Very C.
Use to be really good until just the last couple of weeks more than half the staff quit due to poor management. Even the cooks quit. I ate here last night just to try it and see if the new cook/employees were any good and I'm sorry I did. Was up half the the night. Mindy the owners wife is a primadona. She is rude not only to the employees but the customers too. They use to have a second place in Cary and they closed. Now I know why.
(1)
Jim H.
I see other reviews that share my opinion, which tells me that my first visit was no fluke. I've heard about this place for a couple years but never got a chance to try it out. I finally did on Saturday nite, Labor Day Weekend. I was with 2 male friends and we just wanted a good place to hang out and watch college football. We arrived around 7:30pm, the bar area wasn't crowded and we got a good table for viewing their TV's. We were there for over 20 minutes and not one person greeted us, let alone acknowledged us....and we were seated right in the middle of the bar (this is no exaggeration). We were thirsty and wanted a beer, but we couldn't get any employee's attention, from the bartender to several waitresses that were "around". Extremely frustrating! We were actually talking about getting up and walking out before I finally got the attention of a server, who said "I'll be right with you". Now, keep in mind, the bar was not crowded by any means. There were several empty tables near us. I let the server know we weren't happy and from that point, she at least kept an eye on our table, albeit the service was still pretty slow. The long and the short of it is the food was decent (not bad, not great) and the whole sports experience was OK. My friends and I agreed they could've set up their TV"s better for a much better viewing experience. Bottom Line...thumbs up for ambiance, thumbs up for food quality, 2 thumbs down for overall service.
(2)
Michele B.
New chef and huge menu. Cobb salad was crisp,fresh and huge. Soup of the day was Cuban black bean and it was just what a cold day needed. Great service, nice atmosphere.
(4)
Marielle V.
This is an OK place to go and watch a game, but do not plan to have any large dinners or family gatherings there. I had a small party of 15 people planned there and I had to apologize to all my guests for the awful experience. I made the reservation well in advance, when we got there two tables were set up for our party. I was told this was the most convenient set-up for them. I had to move the tables myself, so everybody could sit together. There was one waiter for the entire room, who clearly could not manage the workload and was not very engaging. In short: our order was messed up, the drinks were horrible, the waiter did not come back to take coffee or dessert orders. The "manager", Carrie, got involved after I complained, but she had a horrible attitude. The best part was that they had the audacity to add 20% gratuity to my bill!!
(1)
Carla B.
Great for lunch with friends, I love their salads! Great variety and choices. I love the one with berries, goat cheese, walnuts and tangerine that comes with a fat free dressing. Their Greek salad is also a great one. Enjoyed lunch with wine :D
(4)
Craig N.
I'm usually never in the 'burbs. I'm a city guy, born and raised. I was out with friends when we decided to get dinner and a drink. It was the first time I was there and the food was pretty darn good. Also looks like a great place to meet friends for a drink after work.
(4)
Peter T.
Normal Rockwell lives in Barrington. Or at least I thought he did when I picked it as the town to raise my family and keep them safe. Seems it worked. A quiet burg an hour by car or train from downtown Chicago, Barrington has been around since the 1850s. Today it's a cute little village surrounded by expensive homes, immaculately kept lawns, and million dollar horses grazing in back "yards." There are ordinary families like ours, and celebrity familes. "Rumored" to live in Barrington, or owning homes here are Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Chicago Bears Mike Singletary, and Walter Payton. I can attest to the latter two, as their kids were in school with my daughter. Singletary and I worked the pizza tent at the annual grade school carnival. The Wool Street Sports Bar is a rather new addition to the town. When we moved here 25 years ago, I'm not sure there was a bar. Well, maybe one. Now the village is host to the requisite hoity toity cuisine outlets, fancy grocery stores, and posh shops one would expect to find in an area like this, 78% of the people are homeowners, and the median house value is north of mid six figures......and well up in to the 8 figure range, as well. The 'town' is really four areas, Barrington itself, North Barrington, Barrington Hills, and South Barrington. Together they make up one of the wealthiest zip codes in America. Wool Street has a very lengthy menu of American bar food, burgers, salads, pizza, dinner plates. I went with the stuffed burger, Wool Street's version of the burger that made Minneapolis famous, the Jucy Lucy. (sic). This one was stuffed with gorgonzola and bacon, with a very nice flame finish, great char flavor. The interior cheese was very ample. The burger was parked on a soft bakery roll with an egg wash, and tomato and lettuce. A wide variety of sides come with each sandwich, I went with tots, which were more than satisfactory. This is a damned fine burger. Worth a trip to Barrington.Worth a stop
(4)
Larry W.
I am sad to say that I will no longer be spending my money there. I have been eating and drinking there for 7 years. It used to always be busy, good service, friendly staff and fair prices and the food was great. None is the same today. I have happily spent alot of money there over the years and now the service is bad, the prices have gone up, portions and quality of the food have gone down. I gave it 2 stars only because of the tv's and walking distance.
(2)
Gibson D.
Our "Go-to"spot when going out in Barrington. Not only do they have excellent "bar food," they have excellent food, period. Plus, they always have excellent affordable drink specials. Always a fun atmosphere, with cool & laid-back servers. Our personal favorites are Brendan and Danielle, but everyone there is great. Plus you can't beat being able to watch any major game while listening to some great tunes! Stop here next time your in town, or next time you've got a few minutes to catch a train because they do sell "to-go" beverages for your next train ride!
(5)
Represent the P.
Food and service here is very good. Also solid beer selection. Not fancy, but provides various good options of cuisine that is above and beyond pub quality food, and will leave you satisfied . Always tough finding vegetarian options at restaurants. Wool Street definitely caters to the masses, and there is something for everyone.
(4)
Dan O.
Have been here a few times and always had an enjoyable experience, which is why I chose it for me and another couple to meet up and grab dinner. We were seated quickly and received our first drinks and food in a reasonable amount of time. This is where our experience turned for the worst quickly. After getting our food, our server "Crystal" disappeared, and we were waited on by a random waitress. This wouldn't be a big deal except we almost stopped getting service completely. We had to wait around 45min to get another drink. After an hour we had to ask a random bus boy to get our check because we were taking the train home. After receiving our bill we only tipped 10% mostly due to lack of service. We would have easily ordered more food and drink had we been given the chance. Once we paid our bill, our original waitress "Crystal" appeared out of nowhere and collected it. She then looks at her tip and says "really a 9$ tip on a 90$ tab?" This was pretty shocking as I thought she should probably get less. Then we watched her go around with the money and show every server while pointing to our table. While walking out to leave we walked past her, when I told her the reason for the tip was we hadn't seen her all night. She then tells me to "F*** off." I have never had a staff member openly curse at me. I am usually at 20% tipper but if there is poor service I will give less. After returning home I call the restaurant to ask for a manager when the very same waitress picks up the phone and tells me there is no manager for the entire night. I find it hard to believe that a manager isn't working a Friday evening. This was confirmed when the other guests I was with called and claimed they talked to a manager 10min later. This place is a joke if they allow their servers to behave like children having a tantrum. I would never not tip a server, but 20% isn't guaranteed. The food was great which is a shame because I will never return to a place that allows customers to be cursed at and mocked.
(1)
Xan X.
So hard to find if you're not familiar with the town (or the train station), but definitely a hidden gem. Delicious sandwiches, perfectly prepared tater tots, and terrific service. Fantastic place for getting together with friends.
(4)
Tara M.
This is one restaurant on my (very short) list of places to return. As a federal employee down the road from this place, it (the bar area) was a favorite for goodbye dinners and after-work cocktails once in awhile. Now, it's (the dining room) a place I will meet friends and take family. We like the food and the service. I also like parking in the train station for free as I come after hours or on weekends. Not sure what I would do during regular business hours. There's plenty of street parking I guess. Thanks guys, we like you in Cary too, but I personally prefer the Barrington location as it has good atmosphere.
(4)
Ross P.
Great place to grab some bar food. Awesome wings and other unique appetizers. Hung out here a lot over the years and keep coming back. I do wish they had a better craft beer selection in bottles but not every bar can be Durty Nellies. I would call it the best bar in Barrington.
(4)
Gerry A.
Not many really beautiful lunch outside days left but we found one, and actually defaulted here after Kelsey's Roadhouse (Gino's East?) looked abandoned and the Onion Pub had a private party on their patios. It was about 1:30, a little early for us, but late enough to miss the lunch bulge on a really gorgeous day. Amanda served us faithfully and I can now go peacefully to my cremation having ordered Pot Roast (stickymeat) once in my life and it was VERY good here and an $8.75 lunch special on Thursdays. To round out our light lunch, we also went with a GuidoBurger, medium rare plus delicious sweet potato fries, you're not going to live forever. The pot roast roast had some color surprisingly, I would say even medium rare and fall apart tender. I've almost gotten used to getting overcooked burgers when they will let you order medium rare and our GuidoBurger was perfect with Pastrami and pickles to boot, NO leftovers on the burger, a little pot roast appetizer for another day. This is not a fast food restaurant, and it is not fast food. We thought our service, noted above, was faithful, certainly not fast but fine for the day and Amanda's trek from the kitchen out to the patio. We are fans. Do it.
(4)
Bob N.
Wool Street was one of our favorite restaurants when we moved to Barrington. The food, especially the burgers was very good. The owner seemed to be present and it ran pretty good . The last few times we have eaten there the food continues to be good albeit not as good but the service sucks. The wait staff seems to be angry, non engaged and you get a sense they wish they weren't there. Once served they disappear and you have to go find them, usually inside by the kitchen chatting rather than paying attention to the diners. We have noticed we don't see the owner anymore. I suspect that may be the problem
(3)
Kate H.
Wool Street is the local sports bar in Barrington. It gets pretty loud on a weekend night, so I try to avoid it at those times. The crowd is usually made up of fratty sports fans at those times. The restaurant dining room is on the other side of the restaurant from the bar, which is good. It almost seems like 2 businesses in one. The dining room side is very family-friendly. The food is okay, but not perfect. I generally go with the fish tacos because they're a safe bet. I do like the seasoned waffle fries that come with the seasoned sour cream to d
(3)
Mike B.
By far the best bar and grill in Barrington. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and excellent food. Menu has good variety, from sandwiches to pizza to steak. Wool Street also has the best burgers in town. Give them a try and you won't be disappointed. Great for the entire family.
(5)
K S.
Nice place for happy hour. Appetizers are awesome love the nachos, green beans, and wings!
(4)
Michael N.
I think every restaurant I've been to along the Metra Northwest Line has been awesome. Wool Street in Barrington shares the parking lot with Barrington's Metra station, therefore, Wool Street is awesome. I've been here a few times; the most recent being this past Friday night. My girlfriend and I went here for dinner before going to the movies. I heard good things about their fish fry, and we both loooooove fish fry. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple drinks. Blue Moon was on special for $3.50 (already a good start!). The bartender told us the fish fry was "perch, so you know....its perch." Meaning we shouldn't expect that much. However, I always say a good batter and tasty tartar sauce is what makes good fish fry. They serve you about seven pieces of fried perch with a very light batter. it has a nice crunch to it, but not a thick layer of breading like some places. It was very good. I ate my portion, finished my girlfriends, then ordered two more helpings. We had one more drink before heading out. All of the food is good here. My sister once had the tacos, which I thought was a bad choice since its a sports bar, but they were delicious as well. I've had a burger and a chicken wrap from here in the past, all were great. This would be a great place to have drink, eat some great food, and watch the Bears destroy the Packers :)
(5)
Bill M.
Worst experience. Very bad food worse service. After waiting for a table for a while, he promised to give us the next one - even pointed at it - only to give it to a group that came in after we did. Pizza was not fresh tasting. How do you screw up tater tots? Waiter was disinterested and never checked on us. We had to wave him down every time only to find him look very annoyed at simple requests. There are A LOT of places to eat and grab a beer. Get it together Wool Street. It can't be that hard!
(1)
Doug A.
Decent spot. Good beer selection. They have all of "Wild Onion" beers on tap which is a nice local touch. Menu is pretty standard. Burgers, pizza, wings, and other type of bar fare. It's a bit pricey in here. You really have to work the specials, which there really aren't that many. It's not a place where you go with your buddies to "tie one on" and watch a game. You'll be broke. Big bar area. They have big tables which are really nice for groups of six or more. The only issue I have with this place is if you are sitting at the bar, you have to crank your neck straight up to see the tv's. If you're at a table in the bar area you area bout 3 feet below the bar so there is usually somebody blocking the tv's. Best to get a big group and lock down one of those big tables across from the bar. Good viewing and lots of room. Plus your elevated. There is a big room below that has plenty of seating and a big screen to watch the game, I have never sat down there. All in all it's pretty standard. Only one urinal in bathroom with one shitter. Always a line. Somebody dueces in there and you might as well leave. The patio is decent in the summer. Average service.
(3)
Taylor M.
This place was a little hard to find... it is getting dark out earlier and I guess they either forgot to turn on the outside lights or change the timer because it was dark. Wool Street does not have a parking lot, but they said you are allowed to park in the train station lot at night for free. The restaurant section is really small but comfortable. We arrived around 5:45 PM and there were a couple tables of elderly people that seemed like regulars. By 6:15 PM the place was packed with young couple and kids. I overheard that there was a half an hour wait as well. If you are 21+ you can dine in the bar area which I thought was pretty cool. There are tables here as well as television and no children! I ordered the Angry Calamari for an appetizer and it was really good but the hot sauce seemed to fall to the bottom and was a little difficult to pick up with the calamari. This dish was spicy, I went through a lot of water. For my meal, I had the Twisted Mac and Cheese which was pretty good. However, I wish the bowl was bigger so I could mix it because the cheese fell to the bottom. I also tried a piece of the fish fry and it was amazing... I will order the all you can eat fish special the next time I go on a Friday!
(4)
Andrew W.
Great Sports Bar. Perfect for a lunch or dinner. Expect Great Service and Great Burgers.... Very Happy that Barrington has a few decent places to eat! Wool Street is definitly one of them!
(5)
Virl S.
Great sports bar to have locally. Several TV screens available. Their food menu is continually getting better. Lately I had their wings and they were excellent. Staff is friendly and ambiance is casual. Only downside is I think their beer prices are on the high side
(4)
Tim K.
If you're looking for a local sports bar with good food and a variety of high end beer on tap, go here! I have had plenty of good meals and good times at the Wool. The owner Jim is always fun and talkative about sports and beers. Great atmosphere and location.
(5)
Erik J.
I promise to never set food in this place again. Terrible service, food is lackluster, and god forbid you order take out. The airtight, plastic containers they use keep the heat and moisture in, soaking the food in water while it cools off. So you get soggy cold food.
(1)
Carla L.
A-OK... the food is quite good, service is also great and I really like the choices they offer for beer! I guess when you break it down, I must say that good beer + wings is always a good time. It is a place very close to my brother's house, we were visiting for the weekend and hit it up to have a good chat away from the 'li'l ones'. It was kind of early so it wasn't full and I must say that was perfect as we wanted some time to hang out.
(3)
Samantha R.
I've been here a few times and given it a good sporting chance, and it's about time I parted ways with Wool Street. I've been to a few banquet-type things there and the pizza is pretty good, and so are the waffle fries, and that's about all it has going for it. My friend and I ordered food for delivery one night and it was incredibly disappointing. I ordered a chicken burrito and my friend ordered a buffalo chicken wrap. On the menu, it says the burrito comes with everything inside, like beans, rice, tomatoes, sour cream, etc. I asked for the beans and rice on the side, which they did, but there was nothing else in the burrito except chicken and lettuce. My friend usually orders the buffalo chicken wrap, and this time she said it was really terrible. About an hour later, we both started feeling nauseous and the feeling lasted until the morning. We kept each other up all night burping and feeling generally horrible. I will not go back to Wool Street.
(2)
Cara W.
We had lunch here the other day. Great beer selection and attentive staff. I had a burger with gorgonzola and sweet potato fries. It's kinda hard to find but now that I know where it is it will be a regular lunch spot for us. I like trying different beers and this place had a nice selection apart from the standard Millers & Buds. I don't know about dinner or date nights, but for a quick lunch out of the office, it does the trick. Also, we didn't sit outside, but I think next time the weather cooperates we'll do that.
(4)
Taylor M.
Overall pretty good. The wings are pretty good as well as some of their salads. Some of the food tastes like it came from a freezer bag so i just tend to stick with the wings.
(4)
Ruth Ann M.
Wool Street is a great casual place to meet friends or family to talk and hang out over drinks or a meal. Their food is not amazing, but I have never ordered anything I thought was bad in any way. I do like their waffle fries with seasoned sour cream and the Fish Tacos with Papaya-Mango Salsa (ask for the fish to be grilled, not fried...it's much better that way). The service is consistently good in both the bar area and the dining area. A foodie may not enjoy Wool Street, but I'd say the average person would make it their regular restaurant if they gave it a try. The bar area is a great place to watch a game with friends. They have a large projection screen and a number of large-screen TV's, and all of the tables have a good view.
(4)
Shari S.
A nice place to watch the playoff games! I loved the variety of menu items and their selection of beer on tap was incredible. Service was great! We will go back just for the wings! Not too spicy, but perfect traditional Buffalo Wings!
(5)
Megan T.
Good beer selection. Food wise I have had MUCH better. I ordered a taco salad with little lettuce. What I got was a taco shell with a tablespoon of meat and misc. and a entire bowl full of lettuce for $11 My husband waffle fries that he paid a up charge for came with 6 fries. He was made that he paid extra for so little. He said his burger was decent, not the best to ok. I would recommend going into Cary to the Tracks for WAY better food and atmosphere!
(3)
Jen H.
While in town for a memorial service, I was introduced to this bar/grill. They actually held the reception for us after a memorial for a family member. They were very accommodating and quick with the service. We ordered pop, ice tea, quesadillas (only cheese and tortilla), veggies, sweet potato fries and chips/salsa for 75 people. I thought for the amount of food we didn't walk home with (didn't seem like many were eating, but I could be wrong), the prices were quite high - it added up fast. To save food for the others, a couple of us ended up on the bar side to have a beer and order off the menu. Definitely check out their wings. Now we're talkin'! Ask for the wings "Jimmy-style" and you will get them hot and grilled. They could have actually be a little more spicy, but they worked. We also tried these pizza bite things - dough rolled in Parmesan cheese with marinara dipping sauce. Not good...the bartender actually took them off the tab for us. She said they were trying them out and would pass on our feedback. Service was AWESOME! Even during shift-change. The prices were reasonable for the restaurant/bar. I would definitely stop in again as there were quite a few other items on the menu I would love to try. Wouldn't recommend for large groups as it was a little on the pricey side. They did work with us as far as moving the group downstairs and taking over one of their dining rooms. Kudos for the flexibility! Hope to see you all soon!
(3)
Amanda C.
I have been here to eat and to go to the bar. It is always packed on the weekends, and you're likely to find some middle-aged regulars who probably should be home with their kids. I don't love it, but it's not bad, and I think part of its popularity is due to it being the only place like it in town. I remember the wraps there being really good. I was with a large group last night for dinner and we split pizzas which were very cheesy just how I like them. However the service was sooo slow. I understand we were a large group, but it was about 45 minutes before we were asked if we wanted to order, and pizza takes awhile to make. It's a/(the only) good sports bar/meeting place if you want to go someplace like that in Barrington. The new room they added on with all of the TVs is pretty cool. They should add a pool table or something.
(3)
Bridget C.
We were at Wool Street on a Wednesday night in December with a group of 15. We felt the service was very attentive and the food and beverages very good as well. We ordered pizzas for the table. I had the vegetable pizza which was very good. It had good sized pieces of zucchini, mushrooms and onions. The BBQ Chicken got a thumbs down from the group...but in my opinion it is not the best flavor for pizza. The pepperoni seemed well received. We thought the prices were reasonable as well. One comment would be that our server should have suggested the largest pizzas especially since we had a large group of teen aged boys! I like that they serve Kilkenny on tap which is one of my favorites! We sat in the newer bar room and it had great energy with large screen tv's and comfortable seating.
(4)
Shauna D.
My parents are regulars here and its no mystery why. The food is bar food of course but its KILLER bar food. Amazing burgers, decent pizza, but most notably I will never pass up on THE WINGS. The wings are perfect, but ask for them "Jimmy Style" if you like em grilled crispy. I've eaten here so many times and with different people, no one has ever been unhappy with their food order. The only compaint would be the commonly slow service. On a Friday night, its not a bad idea to order your next drink as soon as your first drink comes because you might be waiting with an empty glass. Other than that, the servers and bartenders are friendly, the live music is usually good, and the patio is nice in the summer. If you like Cuban sandwiches, they make a good one!
(4)
Michael V.
The waitress lost my credit card on several occasions, and it happened again last night and when I called the next day to ask if they had it - (never returned it to me even after I payed) - the lady on the phone told me she would have to call me back because several people have been calling about their credit cards today. Thats good......glad I wasn't alone.....I feel better? I have to now go out of my way to go back and get it when it was their mistake and not mine.
(1)
Chris S.
My family recently went to Wool Street for their $5 burger night. Even though the place was empty, we waited an extraordinary long time for our food. Our server was forgetful and unwelcoming...it seemed as if our presence was an inconvenience. The burger was alright for the price. I was not impressed enough to have any desire to go back.
(2)
Mark H.
suburban beer drinkers delight. After a few pints of pilsner urquell everything tastes good. They have the traditional. Sports bar, a family room and an outdoor patio. Difficult to go wrong. Food includes typical sports bar fare although they asterix a number of dishes where they excel. The buffalo chicken salad for example is really good. The chicken is served in a sauce rather than calorific batter.
(4)
Brian S.
Entrees are not great. Basically Applebee's-fare. Out of my party of six, we had two happy with their food and both had the 1/2 lb. Burger. I guess you can say they have great burgers. Appetizers were good. Beer and wine selection were excellent. Dead Guy Ale on Draft? Wow. Service and environment were good.
(3)
Keith M.
Love this place great food and drink. Plenty of space and service is top notch.
(5)
Theo S.
Ribs on Saturday nights are awesome! Great place for families on the restaurant side. Service is excellent and food is top notch.
(5)
Rolf A.
It's ok, had better service!
(3)
Bobbi S.
Our first time but went with my MIL who is a regular. We went in for the Monday night deal, $5 burgers. The service started out a little slow and continued to be inconsistent the rest of the evening. Couldn't figure out why because the place was slow, maybe 3 tables when we arrived. Started with a new item, onion scoops. The batter on them was really spicy. The kids couldn't eat them. The burgers were ok. Reminded me of meatloaf so thinking they put a lot of fillers in with the meat. Waiter returned 3 times before remembering drink orders after coming to tell us that they had run out of a beer. He brought the water pitcher to refill and spilled a little. Not a huge deal. But instead of wiping it up, he put down a bunch of paper napkins to soak it up and left them there. WTF?? It's not like he had other tables to go rushing off to tend. Later they put a table of really loud guys next to us when the whole place was empty. They couldn't put these guys a little further away? I guess I'd go back if I were hitting the bar but not for a meal.
(2)
nicole h.
Nothing really noteworthy about this Wool Street. Prime location by the Metra station. Usually it's teeming with BHS grads and it often feels like you've stumbled into a high school reunion. Service is pretty good. Gets much too crowded for the quality of the food but they recently put on an addition so maybe things have changed...
(3)
john s.
nice place in the burbs. they have really good sandwiches and a nice outdoor patio. Good wings too. if your ever out in the NW Burbs and need a place to eat/drink this can be a good place.
(4)
bob t.
Average food and service. Nothing new as far as the menu. Extra $ for waffle fries??
(2)
Tiffany L.
Yum. YUM. Really. My sister has lived in Barrington for the last few years and had never been to Wool Street, so we figured it was time to head over there and give it a whirl. We were seated promptly during lunch hour on a Friday. The menu has some really great offerings, so much to choose from, but not menu overload by any means. We couldn't decide, so we decided to each pick a sandwich and split. We went with the Veg Out and the create your own Chicken Sandwich. The chicken was quite good and the veg out, holy crap is was amazing. Probably the best veggie sandwich I've ever had. It was soooo incredible that my sister and I went back the next night for supper because we couldn't stop talking about how good it was. It's amazing... roasted red pepper, portobello, grilled potato slice and goat cheese with a basil vinegarette on a ciabatta roll. I'm going to have to hit Wool Street every time I head out to Barrington, which lucky for me, is a lot. We also had the green bean apps. which were strangely awesome. The service both times was kind of..ehhh... at lunch, our server was certainly nice, but not very efficient. At dinner, our server was a a tad bit bitchy, but very effecient. Sooo whatever, I'm not looking for fabulous attitudes and stellar service at a place that cost $30 (tip included) for supper... I'll go back again and again and perhaps branch out and try more of the menu!
(4)
Ben M.
Visited the bar side with my wife on a Saturday night for dinner. In a nutshell: very good & attentive service, good prices, but the food tended towards the mediocre side. It certainly wasn't bad, but nothing really stood out and made you say, "Wow! This is really good!" Excellent beer selection, though. What stood out most to me was the split-level layout on bar side that made it a great place for live music: there's an upper section near the bar, and then a lower section where the band plays. It works out really well because you can stick to the upper level if you want to chat with friends and listen to the band in the background, or hit the lower level if you're mainly there for the band. Very cool.
(4)
Liz B.
One thing I do notice, is that when you get stuff to-go something is always different. How come I got regular salsa this time instead of the mango one it says it come with? They didn't include the bread it came with last time. How come the sauce is on it rather than in little to go cups like the other time I ordered this? Don't get me wrong, it's all still really good. The inconsistency is a bit annoying.
(4)
Michael G.
I went here with a friend to sample the wings. This is one of 20+ restaurants competing in Wingfest this year, an annual competition to see who has the best wings in Chicagoland. Wings are priced at 10 for 8.95, so with tax it comes out to about $1/wing. My friend and I split four flavors: rajun cajun, giner teriyaki, pineapple habanero bbq, and a rather spicy number called "Sick in the Cabeza." Here's a breakdown of each one... Rajun Cajun- very unimpressive, tasted like a very basic buffalo sauce (my least favorite) Ginger Teriyaki- decent, a little hard to taste the ginger but still very good, the teriyaki flavor complements the moist meat very well (my favorite) Pineapple Habanero BBQ- expected spicy but came up short. These had the most flavor though, and it was a refreshingly sweet one at that Sick in the Cabeza- coated in a mysterious mustard-yellow sauce, these bad boys will leave a burn on your tongue. Disappointing though, because when you take a bite, there's no flavor. It tastes like someone made a sauce by dumping a shaker of spice into a pan. Not salty, not sweet, just void of flavor. I doubt Wool Street will win any awards at Wingfest this year. Great service, average food. Stop here for a drink, otherwise head elsewhere.
(3)
Tiffany T.
Good place to hang out but I prefer the old Bronco Jack's that they tore down to make a bank parking lot. (They seem to love to do that in Barrington - they also did the same thing to the old RSVPs) Same owners, bigger place. Bigger is not always better, however, as this bar is missing the charm from the old place. But, it's hard to stop progress, I guess. Good food, great beer specials, bar can get crowded and is very noisy. And the best part is no kids in the bar after 9pm - a plus in my book!
(3)
Raw F.
I really enjoy dining here during the school year. During the summer when it's BHS reunion time, the crowds are a little overwhelming, rude, and extremely loud. The food is good and the beer/ drinks are not over priced. The overall selection of booze is good. My friend Otis gives it two thumbs up, I give it only three stars.
(3)
Bridget C.
We were at Wool Street on a Wednesday night in December with a group of 15. We felt the service was very attentive and the food and beverages very good as well. We ordered pizzas for the table. I had the vegetable pizza which was very good. It had good sized pieces of zucchini, mushrooms and onions. The BBQ Chicken got a thumbs down from the group...but in my opinion it is not the best flavor for pizza. The pepperoni seemed well received. We thought the prices were reasonable as well. One comment would be that our server should have suggested the largest pizzas especially since we had a large group of teen aged boys! I like that they serve Kilkenny on tap which is one of my favorites! We sat in the newer bar room and it had great energy with large screen tv's and comfortable seating.
(4)
Shauna D.
My parents are regulars here and its no mystery why. The food is bar food of course but its KILLER bar food. Amazing burgers, decent pizza, but most notably I will never pass up on THE WINGS. The wings are perfect, but ask for them "Jimmy Style" if you like em grilled crispy. I've eaten here so many times and with different people, no one has ever been unhappy with their food order. The only compaint would be the commonly slow service. On a Friday night, its not a bad idea to order your next drink as soon as your first drink comes because you might be waiting with an empty glass. Other than that, the servers and bartenders are friendly, the live music is usually good, and the patio is nice in the summer. If you like Cuban sandwiches, they make a good one!
(4)
Michael V.
The waitress lost my credit card on several occasions, and it happened again last night and when I called the next day to ask if they had it - (never returned it to me even after I payed) - the lady on the phone told me she would have to call me back because several people have been calling about their credit cards today. Thats good......glad I wasn't alone.....I feel better? I have to now go out of my way to go back and get it when it was their mistake and not mine.
(1)
Chris S.
My family recently went to Wool Street for their $5 burger night. Even though the place was empty, we waited an extraordinary long time for our food. Our server was forgetful and unwelcoming...it seemed as if our presence was an inconvenience. The burger was alright for the price. I was not impressed enough to have any desire to go back.
(2)
Mark H.
suburban beer drinkers delight. After a few pints of pilsner urquell everything tastes good. They have the traditional. Sports bar, a family room and an outdoor patio. Difficult to go wrong. Food includes typical sports bar fare although they asterix a number of dishes where they excel. The buffalo chicken salad for example is really good. The chicken is served in a sauce rather than calorific batter.
(4)
Brian S.
Entrees are not great. Basically Applebee's-fare. Out of my party of six, we had two happy with their food and both had the 1/2 lb. Burger. I guess you can say they have great burgers. Appetizers were good. Beer and wine selection were excellent. Dead Guy Ale on Draft? Wow. Service and environment were good.
(3)
Jason B.
We love to go here for Big Ten football games as a family. The service is great, food quality is excellent, wait staff are friendly & professional. Often we sit in the large multi-purpose room to give the 3 kids room to move around a little (w/o driving other patrons crazy). I've also been here for drinks w/friends & like their beer selection. Lively, fun bar area, quiet restaurant side with great quality meals for date night with the Mrs.
(5)
Carla B.
Great for lunch with friends, I love their salads! Great variety and choices. I love the one with berries, goat cheese, walnuts and tangerine that comes with a fat free dressing. Their Greek salad is also a great one. Enjoyed lunch with wine :D
(4)
Craig N.
I'm usually never in the 'burbs. I'm a city guy, born and raised. I was out with friends when we decided to get dinner and a drink. It was the first time I was there and the food was pretty darn good. Also looks like a great place to meet friends for a drink after work.
(4)
Carrie c.
I think the food is awesome here. There are quite a few choices on the menu to satisfy most! I love the steak sandwhich and the veggie sandwhich! Service is average. We've been there a couple times w/ stellar, friendly servers, but most of the time the servers are just "ok". I think prices are very reasonable for the quality of food! Much better than any chain restaurant!
(4)
Bobbi S.
Our first time but went with my MIL who is a regular. We went in for the Monday night deal, $5 burgers. The service started out a little slow and continued to be inconsistent the rest of the evening. Couldn't figure out why because the place was slow, maybe 3 tables when we arrived. Started with a new item, onion scoops. The batter on them was really spicy. The kids couldn't eat them. The burgers were ok. Reminded me of meatloaf so thinking they put a lot of fillers in with the meat. Waiter returned 3 times before remembering drink orders after coming to tell us that they had run out of a beer. He brought the water pitcher to refill and spilled a little. Not a huge deal. But instead of wiping it up, he put down a bunch of paper napkins to soak it up and left them there. WTF?? It's not like he had other tables to go rushing off to tend. Later they put a table of really loud guys next to us when the whole place was empty. They couldn't put these guys a little further away? I guess I'd go back if I were hitting the bar but not for a meal.
(2)
Michael G.
I went here with a friend to sample the wings. This is one of 20+ restaurants competing in Wingfest this year, an annual competition to see who has the best wings in Chicagoland. Wings are priced at 10 for 8.95, so with tax it comes out to about $1/wing. My friend and I split four flavors: rajun cajun, giner teriyaki, pineapple habanero bbq, and a rather spicy number called "Sick in the Cabeza." Here's a breakdown of each one... Rajun Cajun- very unimpressive, tasted like a very basic buffalo sauce (my least favorite) Ginger Teriyaki- decent, a little hard to taste the ginger but still very good, the teriyaki flavor complements the moist meat very well (my favorite) Pineapple Habanero BBQ- expected spicy but came up short. These had the most flavor though, and it was a refreshingly sweet one at that Sick in the Cabeza- coated in a mysterious mustard-yellow sauce, these bad boys will leave a burn on your tongue. Disappointing though, because when you take a bite, there's no flavor. It tastes like someone made a sauce by dumping a shaker of spice into a pan. Not salty, not sweet, just void of flavor. I doubt Wool Street will win any awards at Wingfest this year. Great service, average food. Stop here for a drink, otherwise head elsewhere.
(3)
Tiffany T.
Good place to hang out but I prefer the old Bronco Jack's that they tore down to make a bank parking lot. (They seem to love to do that in Barrington - they also did the same thing to the old RSVPs) Same owners, bigger place. Bigger is not always better, however, as this bar is missing the charm from the old place. But, it's hard to stop progress, I guess. Good food, great beer specials, bar can get crowded and is very noisy. And the best part is no kids in the bar after 9pm - a plus in my book!
(3)
Raw F.
I really enjoy dining here during the school year. During the summer when it's BHS reunion time, the crowds are a little overwhelming, rude, and extremely loud. The food is good and the beer/ drinks are not over priced. The overall selection of booze is good. My friend Otis gives it two thumbs up, I give it only three stars.
(3)
Matisse M.
Mmm... like a hometown chili's or friday's, except the food isn't as good.
(2)
Jennifer G.
I just moved to Lake Barrington from Chicago and I ate at wool street in last night. The food was good - I had chipotle bbq chicken wings and a ty cobb salad. They even have a sauvignon blanc as well which I thought would be rare in the burbs. I guess I have a lot to learn about suburban life. Good food, good prices, good service - all around good place.
(4)
Cindy R.
Good place whether you're looking for a restaurant or bar. The bar seems to be quite the after-work hangout (it's right near the train station). Their fish fry is good; the best item on their menu is the chocolate cake! It's a must!!
(4)
Mike D.
This place has two great areas. There is a family friendly resturaunt with TVs and a very casual atmosphere. Plus there is a really great sports bar. The food here is your typical sandwich and fries, salad and American diners. They have a good Cuban sandwich although I don't think they really press it correctly (not flat enough). They have good Cubans at Hooters too, but I havn't trotted the family in for one yet. The beer selection is very good and not too pricy.
(4)
Dan B.
This is the spot all the college kids come to reunite with their fellow Barrington High students. It used to be Bronco Jacks until that went down.
(3)
Jennifer G.
I just moved to Lake Barrington from Chicago and I ate at wool street in last night. The food was good - I had chipotle bbq chicken wings and a ty cobb salad. They even have a sauvignon blanc as well which I thought would be rare in the burbs. I guess I have a lot to learn about suburban life. Good food, good prices, good service - all around good place.
(4)
Ross P.
Great place to grab some bar food. Awesome wings and other unique appetizers. Hung out here a lot over the years and keep coming back. I do wish they had a better craft beer selection in bottles but not every bar can be Durty Nellies. I would call it the best bar in Barrington.
(4)
Gerry A.
Not many really beautiful lunch outside days left but we found one, and actually defaulted here after Kelsey's Roadhouse (Gino's East?) looked abandoned and the Onion Pub had a private party on their patios. It was about 1:30, a little early for us, but late enough to miss the lunch bulge on a really gorgeous day. Amanda served us faithfully and I can now go peacefully to my cremation having ordered Pot Roast (stickymeat) once in my life and it was VERY good here and an $8.75 lunch special on Thursdays. To round out our light lunch, we also went with a GuidoBurger, medium rare plus delicious sweet potato fries, you're not going to live forever. The pot roast roast had some color surprisingly, I would say even medium rare and fall apart tender. I've almost gotten used to getting overcooked burgers when they will let you order medium rare and our GuidoBurger was perfect with Pastrami and pickles to boot, NO leftovers on the burger, a little pot roast appetizer for another day. This is not a fast food restaurant, and it is not fast food. We thought our service, noted above, was faithful, certainly not fast but fine for the day and Amanda's trek from the kitchen out to the patio. We are fans. Do it.
(4)
Bob N.
Wool Street was one of our favorite restaurants when we moved to Barrington. The food, especially the burgers was very good. The owner seemed to be present and it ran pretty good . The last few times we have eaten there the food continues to be good albeit not as good but the service sucks. The wait staff seems to be angry, non engaged and you get a sense they wish they weren't there. Once served they disappear and you have to go find them, usually inside by the kitchen chatting rather than paying attention to the diners. We have noticed we don't see the owner anymore. I suspect that may be the problem
(3)
Kate H.
Wool Street is the local sports bar in Barrington. It gets pretty loud on a weekend night, so I try to avoid it at those times. The crowd is usually made up of fratty sports fans at those times. The restaurant dining room is on the other side of the restaurant from the bar, which is good. It almost seems like 2 businesses in one. The dining room side is very family-friendly. The food is okay, but not perfect. I generally go with the fish tacos because they're a safe bet. I do like the seasoned waffle fries that come with the seasoned sour cream to d
(3)
Mike B.
By far the best bar and grill in Barrington. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and excellent food. Menu has good variety, from sandwiches to pizza to steak. Wool Street also has the best burgers in town. Give them a try and you won't be disappointed. Great for the entire family.
(5)
K S.
Nice place for happy hour. Appetizers are awesome love the nachos, green beans, and wings!
(4)
Cindy R.
Good place whether you're looking for a restaurant or bar. The bar seems to be quite the after-work hangout (it's right near the train station). Their fish fry is good; the best item on their menu is the chocolate cake! It's a must!!
(4)
Mike D.
This place has two great areas. There is a family friendly resturaunt with TVs and a very casual atmosphere. Plus there is a really great sports bar. The food here is your typical sandwich and fries, salad and American diners. They have a good Cuban sandwich although I don't think they really press it correctly (not flat enough). They have good Cubans at Hooters too, but I havn't trotted the family in for one yet. The beer selection is very good and not too pricy.
(4)
Dan B.
This is the spot all the college kids come to reunite with their fellow Barrington High students. It used to be Bronco Jacks until that went down.
(3)
Xan X.
So hard to find if you're not familiar with the town (or the train station), but definitely a hidden gem. Delicious sandwiches, perfectly prepared tater tots, and terrific service. Fantastic place for getting together with friends.
(4)
Tara M.
This is one restaurant on my (very short) list of places to return. As a federal employee down the road from this place, it (the bar area) was a favorite for goodbye dinners and after-work cocktails once in awhile. Now, it's (the dining room) a place I will meet friends and take family. We like the food and the service. I also like parking in the train station for free as I come after hours or on weekends. Not sure what I would do during regular business hours. There's plenty of street parking I guess. Thanks guys, we like you in Cary too, but I personally prefer the Barrington location as it has good atmosphere.
(4)
Dan O.
Have been here a few times and always had an enjoyable experience, which is why I chose it for me and another couple to meet up and grab dinner. We were seated quickly and received our first drinks and food in a reasonable amount of time. This is where our experience turned for the worst quickly. After getting our food, our server "Crystal" disappeared, and we were waited on by a random waitress. This wouldn't be a big deal except we almost stopped getting service completely. We had to wait around 45min to get another drink. After an hour we had to ask a random bus boy to get our check because we were taking the train home. After receiving our bill we only tipped 10% mostly due to lack of service. We would have easily ordered more food and drink had we been given the chance. Once we paid our bill, our original waitress "Crystal" appeared out of nowhere and collected it. She then looks at her tip and says "really a 9$ tip on a 90$ tab?" This was pretty shocking as I thought she should probably get less. Then we watched her go around with the money and show every server while pointing to our table. While walking out to leave we walked past her, when I told her the reason for the tip was we hadn't seen her all night. She then tells me to "F*** off." I have never had a staff member openly curse at me. I am usually at 20% tipper but if there is poor service I will give less. After returning home I call the restaurant to ask for a manager when the very same waitress picks up the phone and tells me there is no manager for the entire night. I find it hard to believe that a manager isn't working a Friday evening. This was confirmed when the other guests I was with called and claimed they talked to a manager 10min later. This place is a joke if they allow their servers to behave like children having a tantrum. I would never not tip a server, but 20% isn't guaranteed. The food was great which is a shame because I will never return to a place that allows customers to be cursed at and mocked.
(1)
Michael N.
I think every restaurant I've been to along the Metra Northwest Line has been awesome. Wool Street in Barrington shares the parking lot with Barrington's Metra station, therefore, Wool Street is awesome. I've been here a few times; the most recent being this past Friday night. My girlfriend and I went here for dinner before going to the movies. I heard good things about their fish fry, and we both loooooove fish fry. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple drinks. Blue Moon was on special for $3.50 (already a good start!). The bartender told us the fish fry was "perch, so you know....its perch." Meaning we shouldn't expect that much. However, I always say a good batter and tasty tartar sauce is what makes good fish fry. They serve you about seven pieces of fried perch with a very light batter. it has a nice crunch to it, but not a thick layer of breading like some places. It was very good. I ate my portion, finished my girlfriends, then ordered two more helpings. We had one more drink before heading out. All of the food is good here. My sister once had the tacos, which I thought was a bad choice since its a sports bar, but they were delicious as well. I've had a burger and a chicken wrap from here in the past, all were great. This would be a great place to have drink, eat some great food, and watch the Bears destroy the Packers :)
(5)
Bill M.
Worst experience. Very bad food worse service. After waiting for a table for a while, he promised to give us the next one - even pointed at it - only to give it to a group that came in after we did. Pizza was not fresh tasting. How do you screw up tater tots? Waiter was disinterested and never checked on us. We had to wave him down every time only to find him look very annoyed at simple requests. There are A LOT of places to eat and grab a beer. Get it together Wool Street. It can't be that hard!
(1)
Doug A.
Decent spot. Good beer selection. They have all of "Wild Onion" beers on tap which is a nice local touch. Menu is pretty standard. Burgers, pizza, wings, and other type of bar fare. It's a bit pricey in here. You really have to work the specials, which there really aren't that many. It's not a place where you go with your buddies to "tie one on" and watch a game. You'll be broke. Big bar area. They have big tables which are really nice for groups of six or more. The only issue I have with this place is if you are sitting at the bar, you have to crank your neck straight up to see the tv's. If you're at a table in the bar area you area bout 3 feet below the bar so there is usually somebody blocking the tv's. Best to get a big group and lock down one of those big tables across from the bar. Good viewing and lots of room. Plus your elevated. There is a big room below that has plenty of seating and a big screen to watch the game, I have never sat down there. All in all it's pretty standard. Only one urinal in bathroom with one shitter. Always a line. Somebody dueces in there and you might as well leave. The patio is decent in the summer. Average service.
(3)
M. H.
Really great service. Extremely attentive, friendly, and fast. We only drank and had apps, and I only thought one of the three were noteable. The hummus was delicious and fresh. But the onion straws were bland and greasy ... and the 'spiced' sour cream was also bland. There were pieces of fried fish tails scattered in and amongst the straws, so that was gross since I don't eat fish. The other appetizer was sweet potato stix ... nothing extraordinary ... typical bar food. I'll update my rating once I have a full meal there. Overall I'd go back ... but it didn't blow my mind.
(3)
Ashley S.
I've been here a couple times for fish fry. The first time we came the fish was good, but not really amazing or anything. Not that case this past Friday, the fish was AMAZING!!! They had $2.00 PBR's, and $9.95 all you can eat fish fry, does it get any better? My boyfriend got a burger.......SHOCKING, but ate a lot of my fish, and the best part is they don't even care, they just keep bringing out more! The breading is really light and the fish is perfect! To top it all off they have the best waffle fries EVER! Being a transplant to the burbs from Wisconsin has made me realize that a good fish fry is hard to find, so now that I've stumbled upon this tasty little joint I'm sure I'll be Duchess in no time flat.
(5)
Rob W.
OK, I've now been to both Wool Streets and I like the Cary one a bit better. Realistically, this place is 3.5 stars, a little better than average. Menus are the same at both places and the food is pretty good. I guess the difference is that the staff in Cary is a little more personable. The service here was decent, but given that the place wasn't all that busy, there was time to go the extra mile with some conversation or the like. Didn't happen. I'll likely return - it's a good place to watch a game, the food is good and there's a wide variety of beers. Just wish the staff there was willing to "shoot the breeze" a little more.
(3)
Ashley A.
I've been here three times; first time we sat in the dining room and ordered pizza, last two times we sat in the bar and ordered mainly drinks. The pizza is decent. The teriyaki friend green beans and portobello stack are pretty darn good; I recommend them. The beer selection is decent; they have a few more beers than your average selection including a couple microbrews. The second time we went, we happened to noticed a chalkboard at the end of the hallway before entering the bar that read $1 Blue Moon Abbey Ales. Yes, please! We ordered 14. I don't think our waitress was very happy about that, but we did order food as well and tipped her well. There is a room down a short flight of stairs next to the bar where it appears bands perform, but I've never been there to see any bands play. The place is located adjacent to the Barrington Metra station, so it is a good place to go while waiting for a train. There aren't a lot of bars in Barrington, but this one seems to be the largest. Since I live so close, I'll probably be back, especially if they have dollar beer specials again!
(4)
Mike U.
Great food, consistently each time. Great atmosphere as well.
(5)
Taylor M.
This place was a little hard to find... it is getting dark out earlier and I guess they either forgot to turn on the outside lights or change the timer because it was dark. Wool Street does not have a parking lot, but they said you are allowed to park in the train station lot at night for free. The restaurant section is really small but comfortable. We arrived around 5:45 PM and there were a couple tables of elderly people that seemed like regulars. By 6:15 PM the place was packed with young couple and kids. I overheard that there was a half an hour wait as well. If you are 21+ you can dine in the bar area which I thought was pretty cool. There are tables here as well as television and no children! I ordered the Angry Calamari for an appetizer and it was really good but the hot sauce seemed to fall to the bottom and was a little difficult to pick up with the calamari. This dish was spicy, I went through a lot of water. For my meal, I had the Twisted Mac and Cheese which was pretty good. However, I wish the bowl was bigger so I could mix it because the cheese fell to the bottom. I also tried a piece of the fish fry and it was amazing... I will order the all you can eat fish special the next time I go on a Friday!
(4)
Andrew W.
Great Sports Bar. Perfect for a lunch or dinner. Expect Great Service and Great Burgers.... Very Happy that Barrington has a few decent places to eat! Wool Street is definitly one of them!
(5)
Virl S.
Great sports bar to have locally. Several TV screens available. Their food menu is continually getting better. Lately I had their wings and they were excellent. Staff is friendly and ambiance is casual. Only downside is I think their beer prices are on the high side
(4)
Tim K.
If you're looking for a local sports bar with good food and a variety of high end beer on tap, go here! I have had plenty of good meals and good times at the Wool. The owner Jim is always fun and talkative about sports and beers. Great atmosphere and location.
(5)
Erik J.
I promise to never set food in this place again. Terrible service, food is lackluster, and god forbid you order take out. The airtight, plastic containers they use keep the heat and moisture in, soaking the food in water while it cools off. So you get soggy cold food.
(1)
Carla L.
A-OK... the food is quite good, service is also great and I really like the choices they offer for beer! I guess when you break it down, I must say that good beer + wings is always a good time. It is a place very close to my brother's house, we were visiting for the weekend and hit it up to have a good chat away from the 'li'l ones'. It was kind of early so it wasn't full and I must say that was perfect as we wanted some time to hang out.
(3)
Samantha R.
I've been here a few times and given it a good sporting chance, and it's about time I parted ways with Wool Street. I've been to a few banquet-type things there and the pizza is pretty good, and so are the waffle fries, and that's about all it has going for it. My friend and I ordered food for delivery one night and it was incredibly disappointing. I ordered a chicken burrito and my friend ordered a buffalo chicken wrap. On the menu, it says the burrito comes with everything inside, like beans, rice, tomatoes, sour cream, etc. I asked for the beans and rice on the side, which they did, but there was nothing else in the burrito except chicken and lettuce. My friend usually orders the buffalo chicken wrap, and this time she said it was really terrible. About an hour later, we both started feeling nauseous and the feeling lasted until the morning. We kept each other up all night burping and feeling generally horrible. I will not go back to Wool Street.
(2)
Cara W.
We had lunch here the other day. Great beer selection and attentive staff. I had a burger with gorgonzola and sweet potato fries. It's kinda hard to find but now that I know where it is it will be a regular lunch spot for us. I like trying different beers and this place had a nice selection apart from the standard Millers & Buds. I don't know about dinner or date nights, but for a quick lunch out of the office, it does the trick. Also, we didn't sit outside, but I think next time the weather cooperates we'll do that.
(4)
Taylor M.
Overall pretty good. The wings are pretty good as well as some of their salads. Some of the food tastes like it came from a freezer bag so i just tend to stick with the wings.
(4)
Ruth Ann M.
Wool Street is a great casual place to meet friends or family to talk and hang out over drinks or a meal. Their food is not amazing, but I have never ordered anything I thought was bad in any way. I do like their waffle fries with seasoned sour cream and the Fish Tacos with Papaya-Mango Salsa (ask for the fish to be grilled, not fried...it's much better that way). The service is consistently good in both the bar area and the dining area. A foodie may not enjoy Wool Street, but I'd say the average person would make it their regular restaurant if they gave it a try. The bar area is a great place to watch a game with friends. They have a large projection screen and a number of large-screen TV's, and all of the tables have a good view.
(4)
Shari S.
A nice place to watch the playoff games! I loved the variety of menu items and their selection of beer on tap was incredible. Service was great! We will go back just for the wings! Not too spicy, but perfect traditional Buffalo Wings!
(5)
Megan T.
Good beer selection. Food wise I have had MUCH better. I ordered a taco salad with little lettuce. What I got was a taco shell with a tablespoon of meat and misc. and a entire bowl full of lettuce for $11 My husband waffle fries that he paid a up charge for came with 6 fries. He was made that he paid extra for so little. He said his burger was decent, not the best to ok. I would recommend going into Cary to the Tracks for WAY better food and atmosphere!
(3)
Jen H.
While in town for a memorial service, I was introduced to this bar/grill. They actually held the reception for us after a memorial for a family member. They were very accommodating and quick with the service. We ordered pop, ice tea, quesadillas (only cheese and tortilla), veggies, sweet potato fries and chips/salsa for 75 people. I thought for the amount of food we didn't walk home with (didn't seem like many were eating, but I could be wrong), the prices were quite high - it added up fast. To save food for the others, a couple of us ended up on the bar side to have a beer and order off the menu. Definitely check out their wings. Now we're talkin'! Ask for the wings "Jimmy-style" and you will get them hot and grilled. They could have actually be a little more spicy, but they worked. We also tried these pizza bite things - dough rolled in Parmesan cheese with marinara dipping sauce. Not good...the bartender actually took them off the tab for us. She said they were trying them out and would pass on our feedback. Service was AWESOME! Even during shift-change. The prices were reasonable for the restaurant/bar. I would definitely stop in again as there were quite a few other items on the menu I would love to try. Wouldn't recommend for large groups as it was a little on the pricey side. They did work with us as far as moving the group downstairs and taking over one of their dining rooms. Kudos for the flexibility! Hope to see you all soon!
(3)
Amanda C.
I have been here to eat and to go to the bar. It is always packed on the weekends, and you're likely to find some middle-aged regulars who probably should be home with their kids. I don't love it, but it's not bad, and I think part of its popularity is due to it being the only place like it in town. I remember the wraps there being really good. I was with a large group last night for dinner and we split pizzas which were very cheesy just how I like them. However the service was sooo slow. I understand we were a large group, but it was about 45 minutes before we were asked if we wanted to order, and pizza takes awhile to make. It's a/(the only) good sports bar/meeting place if you want to go someplace like that in Barrington. The new room they added on with all of the TVs is pretty cool. They should add a pool table or something.
(3)
Keith M.
Love this place great food and drink. Plenty of space and service is top notch.
(5)
Theo S.
Ribs on Saturday nights are awesome! Great place for families on the restaurant side. Service is excellent and food is top notch.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Music : Live, Juke Box Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : No Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Dean S.
Try the cuban
(4)Jack L.
Love the wings here. If you are going to order them you gotta get them Jimmied. The place is great for watching a game with the fellas. Always a great atmosphere and filled with some funny people. This is one of the best places in Barrington.
(5)John A.
I want to like this place but the service is HORRIBLE. We have eaten here 3 times in the past two months with equal displeasure each time. Food is average with decent selections, but snooty waitresses kills the experience. Each visit, the waitstaff has been uninterested in work and more concerned with socializing with coworkers. Over the past 2 years we have eaten here approximately 10 times and very obvious that they are on the decline. I keep hoping things will change, but now we will never know. Unfortunately for us, we will have to find another sports bar because we will never return!
(1)Mike M.
Wool Street, or as we like to call it in our office: Conference Room W, is a decent bar with typical bar food directly next to the Barrington metra station. It's a popular place to grab a few drinks after work for all the people in my office who commute from the city. It pretty much has that sports bar atmosphere, and we've been here before to catch some March Madness games and even to host our fantasy football draft. I usually go here with co-workers during our lunch hour or after work if we want to grab a few drinks before catching the train. In the summer they also have a decent outdoor patio if you wanted to eat outside for lunch. The food here is pretty average bar food. I've had a decent amount of their menu items and they weren't bad, but most weren't really amazing either. The prices are honestly a little high for the quality you get too. Wings - I've only tried a few flavors but overall they're good. They usually compete at the Chicago wingfest every year and even placed in the BBQ category in the past. Pizza - Pretty good thin crust pizza that you can customize with a bunch of different toppings. Macho nachos - Enormous pile of nachos that can be shared if you have a group. We brought in some pretty young, hungry dudes and were barely able to kill it. Stuffed burger - This is one of my go to items whenever I come here. It's basically a huge burger that has its center stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and little pieces of bacon. It's topped off with a huge onion ring too. This burger will definitely go straight to your arteries but it's so good. Once you take your first bite you pretty much have to keep holding it since the cheesy center is just oozing everywhere. On the side they also have some really good seasoned waffle fries that come with a special spiced sour cream. Overall, Wool Street is a good option for me purely based on how close it is to my work. There's probably a bunch of other places where you can get better food at the price, but it's good enough if you just wanna grab some food while drinking and catching some games on TV.
(3)Very C.
Use to be really good until just the last couple of weeks more than half the staff quit due to poor management. Even the cooks quit. I ate here last night just to try it and see if the new cook/employees were any good and I'm sorry I did. Was up half the the night. Mindy the owners wife is a primadona. She is rude not only to the employees but the customers too. They use to have a second place in Cary and they closed. Now I know why.
(1)Jim H.
I see other reviews that share my opinion, which tells me that my first visit was no fluke. I've heard about this place for a couple years but never got a chance to try it out. I finally did on Saturday nite, Labor Day Weekend. I was with 2 male friends and we just wanted a good place to hang out and watch college football. We arrived around 7:30pm, the bar area wasn't crowded and we got a good table for viewing their TV's. We were there for over 20 minutes and not one person greeted us, let alone acknowledged us....and we were seated right in the middle of the bar (this is no exaggeration). We were thirsty and wanted a beer, but we couldn't get any employee's attention, from the bartender to several waitresses that were "around". Extremely frustrating! We were actually talking about getting up and walking out before I finally got the attention of a server, who said "I'll be right with you". Now, keep in mind, the bar was not crowded by any means. There were several empty tables near us. I let the server know we weren't happy and from that point, she at least kept an eye on our table, albeit the service was still pretty slow. The long and the short of it is the food was decent (not bad, not great) and the whole sports experience was OK. My friends and I agreed they could've set up their TV"s better for a much better viewing experience. Bottom Line...thumbs up for ambiance, thumbs up for food quality, 2 thumbs down for overall service.
(2)Michele B.
New chef and huge menu. Cobb salad was crisp,fresh and huge. Soup of the day was Cuban black bean and it was just what a cold day needed. Great service, nice atmosphere.
(4)Marielle V.
This is an OK place to go and watch a game, but do not plan to have any large dinners or family gatherings there. I had a small party of 15 people planned there and I had to apologize to all my guests for the awful experience. I made the reservation well in advance, when we got there two tables were set up for our party. I was told this was the most convenient set-up for them. I had to move the tables myself, so everybody could sit together. There was one waiter for the entire room, who clearly could not manage the workload and was not very engaging. In short: our order was messed up, the drinks were horrible, the waiter did not come back to take coffee or dessert orders. The "manager", Carrie, got involved after I complained, but she had a horrible attitude. The best part was that they had the audacity to add 20% gratuity to my bill!!
(1)Brett E.
Wool Street is okay for what it is, a giant bar/restaurant with TVs and a band area. Their menu is huge with some good options, but their bar and service is lacking. The servers and bartenders can be inattentive and they don't have much in the way of cocktails or drink specials other than beer. Friday is a pretty good fish fry and their outdoor patio is nice.
(3)Peter T.
Normal Rockwell lives in Barrington. Or at least I thought he did when I picked it as the town to raise my family and keep them safe. Seems it worked. A quiet burg an hour by car or train from downtown Chicago, Barrington has been around since the 1850s. Today it's a cute little village surrounded by expensive homes, immaculately kept lawns, and million dollar horses grazing in back "yards." There are ordinary families like ours, and celebrity familes. "Rumored" to live in Barrington, or owning homes here are Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Chicago Bears Mike Singletary, and Walter Payton. I can attest to the latter two, as their kids were in school with my daughter. Singletary and I worked the pizza tent at the annual grade school carnival. The Wool Street Sports Bar is a rather new addition to the town. When we moved here 25 years ago, I'm not sure there was a bar. Well, maybe one. Now the village is host to the requisite hoity toity cuisine outlets, fancy grocery stores, and posh shops one would expect to find in an area like this, 78% of the people are homeowners, and the median house value is north of mid six figures......and well up in to the 8 figure range, as well. The 'town' is really four areas, Barrington itself, North Barrington, Barrington Hills, and South Barrington. Together they make up one of the wealthiest zip codes in America. Wool Street has a very lengthy menu of American bar food, burgers, salads, pizza, dinner plates. I went with the stuffed burger, Wool Street's version of the burger that made Minneapolis famous, the Jucy Lucy. (sic). This one was stuffed with gorgonzola and bacon, with a very nice flame finish, great char flavor. The interior cheese was very ample. The burger was parked on a soft bakery roll with an egg wash, and tomato and lettuce. A wide variety of sides come with each sandwich, I went with tots, which were more than satisfactory. This is a damned fine burger. Worth a trip to Barrington.Worth a stop
(4)Larry W.
I am sad to say that I will no longer be spending my money there. I have been eating and drinking there for 7 years. It used to always be busy, good service, friendly staff and fair prices and the food was great. None is the same today. I have happily spent alot of money there over the years and now the service is bad, the prices have gone up, portions and quality of the food have gone down. I gave it 2 stars only because of the tv's and walking distance.
(2)Gibson D.
Our "Go-to"spot when going out in Barrington. Not only do they have excellent "bar food," they have excellent food, period. Plus, they always have excellent affordable drink specials. Always a fun atmosphere, with cool & laid-back servers. Our personal favorites are Brendan and Danielle, but everyone there is great. Plus you can't beat being able to watch any major game while listening to some great tunes! Stop here next time your in town, or next time you've got a few minutes to catch a train because they do sell "to-go" beverages for your next train ride!
(5)Represent the P.
Food and service here is very good. Also solid beer selection. Not fancy, but provides various good options of cuisine that is above and beyond pub quality food, and will leave you satisfied . Always tough finding vegetarian options at restaurants. Wool Street definitely caters to the masses, and there is something for everyone.
(4)Nichole C.
Another day, another ride out to a random pub as an excuse to ride (and bonus for being able to drink a craft beer and mangia on some wings and burgers too!). Overall, Wool Street has great wings (you can get them grilled too...I think it was called Jimmy style?), good burgers (there's eggs to order and delicious bleu cheese), and awesome local craft beers (Onion Pub REPRESENT!). Unfortunately, I wasn't my usual ravenous self when I went here so I feel pretty good about everything I tried but I have no good adjectives for you. Sorry. I do know this: I WILL be back...so that's something, yes?
(4)Brigette A.
Great wings (order them grilled) and even through train crawl, service u relentless. 5 stars !!
(5)Jack L.
Love the wings here. If you are going to order them you gotta get them Jimmied. The place is great for watching a game with the fellas. Always a great atmosphere and filled with some funny people. This is one of the best places in Barrington.
(5)Ashley S.
I've been here a couple times for fish fry. The first time we came the fish was good, but not really amazing or anything. Not that case this past Friday, the fish was AMAZING!!! They had $2.00 PBR's, and $9.95 all you can eat fish fry, does it get any better? My boyfriend got a burger.......SHOCKING, but ate a lot of my fish, and the best part is they don't even care, they just keep bringing out more! The breading is really light and the fish is perfect! To top it all off they have the best waffle fries EVER! Being a transplant to the burbs from Wisconsin has made me realize that a good fish fry is hard to find, so now that I've stumbled upon this tasty little joint I'm sure I'll be Duchess in no time flat.
(5)Rob W.
OK, I've now been to both Wool Streets and I like the Cary one a bit better. Realistically, this place is 3.5 stars, a little better than average. Menus are the same at both places and the food is pretty good. I guess the difference is that the staff in Cary is a little more personable. The service here was decent, but given that the place wasn't all that busy, there was time to go the extra mile with some conversation or the like. Didn't happen. I'll likely return - it's a good place to watch a game, the food is good and there's a wide variety of beers. Just wish the staff there was willing to "shoot the breeze" a little more.
(3)Ashley A.
I've been here three times; first time we sat in the dining room and ordered pizza, last two times we sat in the bar and ordered mainly drinks. The pizza is decent. The teriyaki friend green beans and portobello stack are pretty darn good; I recommend them. The beer selection is decent; they have a few more beers than your average selection including a couple microbrews. The second time we went, we happened to noticed a chalkboard at the end of the hallway before entering the bar that read $1 Blue Moon Abbey Ales. Yes, please! We ordered 14. I don't think our waitress was very happy about that, but we did order food as well and tipped her well. There is a room down a short flight of stairs next to the bar where it appears bands perform, but I've never been there to see any bands play. The place is located adjacent to the Barrington Metra station, so it is a good place to go while waiting for a train. There aren't a lot of bars in Barrington, but this one seems to be the largest. Since I live so close, I'll probably be back, especially if they have dollar beer specials again!
(4)Mike U.
Great food, consistently each time. Great atmosphere as well.
(5)Jason B.
We love to go here for Big Ten football games as a family. The service is great, food quality is excellent, wait staff are friendly & professional. Often we sit in the large multi-purpose room to give the 3 kids room to move around a little (w/o driving other patrons crazy). I've also been here for drinks w/friends & like their beer selection. Lively, fun bar area, quiet restaurant side with great quality meals for date night with the Mrs.
(5)nicole h.
Nothing really noteworthy about this Wool Street. Prime location by the Metra station. Usually it's teeming with BHS grads and it often feels like you've stumbled into a high school reunion. Service is pretty good. Gets much too crowded for the quality of the food but they recently put on an addition so maybe things have changed...
(3)john s.
nice place in the burbs. they have really good sandwiches and a nice outdoor patio. Good wings too. if your ever out in the NW Burbs and need a place to eat/drink this can be a good place.
(4)bob t.
Average food and service. Nothing new as far as the menu. Extra $ for waffle fries??
(2)Tiffany L.
Yum. YUM. Really. My sister has lived in Barrington for the last few years and had never been to Wool Street, so we figured it was time to head over there and give it a whirl. We were seated promptly during lunch hour on a Friday. The menu has some really great offerings, so much to choose from, but not menu overload by any means. We couldn't decide, so we decided to each pick a sandwich and split. We went with the Veg Out and the create your own Chicken Sandwich. The chicken was quite good and the veg out, holy crap is was amazing. Probably the best veggie sandwich I've ever had. It was soooo incredible that my sister and I went back the next night for supper because we couldn't stop talking about how good it was. It's amazing... roasted red pepper, portobello, grilled potato slice and goat cheese with a basil vinegarette on a ciabatta roll. I'm going to have to hit Wool Street every time I head out to Barrington, which lucky for me, is a lot. We also had the green bean apps. which were strangely awesome. The service both times was kind of..ehhh... at lunch, our server was certainly nice, but not very efficient. At dinner, our server was a a tad bit bitchy, but very effecient. Sooo whatever, I'm not looking for fabulous attitudes and stellar service at a place that cost $30 (tip included) for supper... I'll go back again and again and perhaps branch out and try more of the menu!
(4)Ben M.
Visited the bar side with my wife on a Saturday night for dinner. In a nutshell: very good & attentive service, good prices, but the food tended towards the mediocre side. It certainly wasn't bad, but nothing really stood out and made you say, "Wow! This is really good!" Excellent beer selection, though. What stood out most to me was the split-level layout on bar side that made it a great place for live music: there's an upper section near the bar, and then a lower section where the band plays. It works out really well because you can stick to the upper level if you want to chat with friends and listen to the band in the background, or hit the lower level if you're mainly there for the band. Very cool.
(4)Liz B.
One thing I do notice, is that when you get stuff to-go something is always different. How come I got regular salsa this time instead of the mango one it says it come with? They didn't include the bread it came with last time. How come the sauce is on it rather than in little to go cups like the other time I ordered this? Don't get me wrong, it's all still really good. The inconsistency is a bit annoying.
(4)Matisse M.
Mmm... like a hometown chili's or friday's, except the food isn't as good.
(2)John A.
I want to like this place but the service is HORRIBLE. We have eaten here 3 times in the past two months with equal displeasure each time. Food is average with decent selections, but snooty waitresses kills the experience. Each visit, the waitstaff has been uninterested in work and more concerned with socializing with coworkers. Over the past 2 years we have eaten here approximately 10 times and very obvious that they are on the decline. I keep hoping things will change, but now we will never know. Unfortunately for us, we will have to find another sports bar because we will never return!
(1)Nichole C.
Another day, another ride out to a random pub as an excuse to ride (and bonus for being able to drink a craft beer and mangia on some wings and burgers too!). Overall, Wool Street has great wings (you can get them grilled too...I think it was called Jimmy style?), good burgers (there's eggs to order and delicious bleu cheese), and awesome local craft beers (Onion Pub REPRESENT!). Unfortunately, I wasn't my usual ravenous self when I went here so I feel pretty good about everything I tried but I have no good adjectives for you. Sorry. I do know this: I WILL be back...so that's something, yes?
(4)Brigette A.
Great wings (order them grilled) and even through train crawl, service u relentless. 5 stars !!
(5)Dean S.
Try the cuban
(4)M. H.
Really great service. Extremely attentive, friendly, and fast. We only drank and had apps, and I only thought one of the three were noteable. The hummus was delicious and fresh. But the onion straws were bland and greasy ... and the 'spiced' sour cream was also bland. There were pieces of fried fish tails scattered in and amongst the straws, so that was gross since I don't eat fish. The other appetizer was sweet potato stix ... nothing extraordinary ... typical bar food. I'll update my rating once I have a full meal there. Overall I'd go back ... but it didn't blow my mind.
(3)Brett E.
Wool Street is okay for what it is, a giant bar/restaurant with TVs and a band area. Their menu is huge with some good options, but their bar and service is lacking. The servers and bartenders can be inattentive and they don't have much in the way of cocktails or drink specials other than beer. Friday is a pretty good fish fry and their outdoor patio is nice.
(3)Carrie c.
I think the food is awesome here. There are quite a few choices on the menu to satisfy most! I love the steak sandwhich and the veggie sandwhich! Service is average. We've been there a couple times w/ stellar, friendly servers, but most of the time the servers are just "ok". I think prices are very reasonable for the quality of food! Much better than any chain restaurant!
(4)Mike M.
Wool Street, or as we like to call it in our office: Conference Room W, is a decent bar with typical bar food directly next to the Barrington metra station. It's a popular place to grab a few drinks after work for all the people in my office who commute from the city. It pretty much has that sports bar atmosphere, and we've been here before to catch some March Madness games and even to host our fantasy football draft. I usually go here with co-workers during our lunch hour or after work if we want to grab a few drinks before catching the train. In the summer they also have a decent outdoor patio if you wanted to eat outside for lunch. The food here is pretty average bar food. I've had a decent amount of their menu items and they weren't bad, but most weren't really amazing either. The prices are honestly a little high for the quality you get too. Wings - I've only tried a few flavors but overall they're good. They usually compete at the Chicago wingfest every year and even placed in the BBQ category in the past. Pizza - Pretty good thin crust pizza that you can customize with a bunch of different toppings. Macho nachos - Enormous pile of nachos that can be shared if you have a group. We brought in some pretty young, hungry dudes and were barely able to kill it. Stuffed burger - This is one of my go to items whenever I come here. It's basically a huge burger that has its center stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and little pieces of bacon. It's topped off with a huge onion ring too. This burger will definitely go straight to your arteries but it's so good. Once you take your first bite you pretty much have to keep holding it since the cheesy center is just oozing everywhere. On the side they also have some really good seasoned waffle fries that come with a special spiced sour cream. Overall, Wool Street is a good option for me purely based on how close it is to my work. There's probably a bunch of other places where you can get better food at the price, but it's good enough if you just wanna grab some food while drinking and catching some games on TV.
(3)Danny L.
Every other week, I drive 20 miles from my house on Lake Cook Road to this restaurant. It takes about 45 minutes, but it is worth it. The inside of the place is great. They got a whole separate downstairs room with live entertainment at night, and a bunch of TV's. They even got one of those ITunes machines. They got a full bar with a blender. The Oriental Chicken salad they make is to die for. The best dressing I have ever tasted. The burgers are great as well. I just wish they would get rid of the Pepsi and switch to Coke, and bring back the steak they used to have.
(4)Very C.
Use to be really good until just the last couple of weeks more than half the staff quit due to poor management. Even the cooks quit. I ate here last night just to try it and see if the new cook/employees were any good and I'm sorry I did. Was up half the the night. Mindy the owners wife is a primadona. She is rude not only to the employees but the customers too. They use to have a second place in Cary and they closed. Now I know why.
(1)Jim H.
I see other reviews that share my opinion, which tells me that my first visit was no fluke. I've heard about this place for a couple years but never got a chance to try it out. I finally did on Saturday nite, Labor Day Weekend. I was with 2 male friends and we just wanted a good place to hang out and watch college football. We arrived around 7:30pm, the bar area wasn't crowded and we got a good table for viewing their TV's. We were there for over 20 minutes and not one person greeted us, let alone acknowledged us....and we were seated right in the middle of the bar (this is no exaggeration). We were thirsty and wanted a beer, but we couldn't get any employee's attention, from the bartender to several waitresses that were "around". Extremely frustrating! We were actually talking about getting up and walking out before I finally got the attention of a server, who said "I'll be right with you". Now, keep in mind, the bar was not crowded by any means. There were several empty tables near us. I let the server know we weren't happy and from that point, she at least kept an eye on our table, albeit the service was still pretty slow. The long and the short of it is the food was decent (not bad, not great) and the whole sports experience was OK. My friends and I agreed they could've set up their TV"s better for a much better viewing experience. Bottom Line...thumbs up for ambiance, thumbs up for food quality, 2 thumbs down for overall service.
(2)Michele B.
New chef and huge menu. Cobb salad was crisp,fresh and huge. Soup of the day was Cuban black bean and it was just what a cold day needed. Great service, nice atmosphere.
(4)Marielle V.
This is an OK place to go and watch a game, but do not plan to have any large dinners or family gatherings there. I had a small party of 15 people planned there and I had to apologize to all my guests for the awful experience. I made the reservation well in advance, when we got there two tables were set up for our party. I was told this was the most convenient set-up for them. I had to move the tables myself, so everybody could sit together. There was one waiter for the entire room, who clearly could not manage the workload and was not very engaging. In short: our order was messed up, the drinks were horrible, the waiter did not come back to take coffee or dessert orders. The "manager", Carrie, got involved after I complained, but she had a horrible attitude. The best part was that they had the audacity to add 20% gratuity to my bill!!
(1)Carla B.
Great for lunch with friends, I love their salads! Great variety and choices. I love the one with berries, goat cheese, walnuts and tangerine that comes with a fat free dressing. Their Greek salad is also a great one. Enjoyed lunch with wine :D
(4)Craig N.
I'm usually never in the 'burbs. I'm a city guy, born and raised. I was out with friends when we decided to get dinner and a drink. It was the first time I was there and the food was pretty darn good. Also looks like a great place to meet friends for a drink after work.
(4)Peter T.
Normal Rockwell lives in Barrington. Or at least I thought he did when I picked it as the town to raise my family and keep them safe. Seems it worked. A quiet burg an hour by car or train from downtown Chicago, Barrington has been around since the 1850s. Today it's a cute little village surrounded by expensive homes, immaculately kept lawns, and million dollar horses grazing in back "yards." There are ordinary families like ours, and celebrity familes. "Rumored" to live in Barrington, or owning homes here are Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Chicago Bears Mike Singletary, and Walter Payton. I can attest to the latter two, as their kids were in school with my daughter. Singletary and I worked the pizza tent at the annual grade school carnival. The Wool Street Sports Bar is a rather new addition to the town. When we moved here 25 years ago, I'm not sure there was a bar. Well, maybe one. Now the village is host to the requisite hoity toity cuisine outlets, fancy grocery stores, and posh shops one would expect to find in an area like this, 78% of the people are homeowners, and the median house value is north of mid six figures......and well up in to the 8 figure range, as well. The 'town' is really four areas, Barrington itself, North Barrington, Barrington Hills, and South Barrington. Together they make up one of the wealthiest zip codes in America. Wool Street has a very lengthy menu of American bar food, burgers, salads, pizza, dinner plates. I went with the stuffed burger, Wool Street's version of the burger that made Minneapolis famous, the Jucy Lucy. (sic). This one was stuffed with gorgonzola and bacon, with a very nice flame finish, great char flavor. The interior cheese was very ample. The burger was parked on a soft bakery roll with an egg wash, and tomato and lettuce. A wide variety of sides come with each sandwich, I went with tots, which were more than satisfactory. This is a damned fine burger. Worth a trip to Barrington.Worth a stop
(4)Larry W.
I am sad to say that I will no longer be spending my money there. I have been eating and drinking there for 7 years. It used to always be busy, good service, friendly staff and fair prices and the food was great. None is the same today. I have happily spent alot of money there over the years and now the service is bad, the prices have gone up, portions and quality of the food have gone down. I gave it 2 stars only because of the tv's and walking distance.
(2)Gibson D.
Our "Go-to"spot when going out in Barrington. Not only do they have excellent "bar food," they have excellent food, period. Plus, they always have excellent affordable drink specials. Always a fun atmosphere, with cool & laid-back servers. Our personal favorites are Brendan and Danielle, but everyone there is great. Plus you can't beat being able to watch any major game while listening to some great tunes! Stop here next time your in town, or next time you've got a few minutes to catch a train because they do sell "to-go" beverages for your next train ride!
(5)Represent the P.
Food and service here is very good. Also solid beer selection. Not fancy, but provides various good options of cuisine that is above and beyond pub quality food, and will leave you satisfied . Always tough finding vegetarian options at restaurants. Wool Street definitely caters to the masses, and there is something for everyone.
(4)Dan O.
Have been here a few times and always had an enjoyable experience, which is why I chose it for me and another couple to meet up and grab dinner. We were seated quickly and received our first drinks and food in a reasonable amount of time. This is where our experience turned for the worst quickly. After getting our food, our server "Crystal" disappeared, and we were waited on by a random waitress. This wouldn't be a big deal except we almost stopped getting service completely. We had to wait around 45min to get another drink. After an hour we had to ask a random bus boy to get our check because we were taking the train home. After receiving our bill we only tipped 10% mostly due to lack of service. We would have easily ordered more food and drink had we been given the chance. Once we paid our bill, our original waitress "Crystal" appeared out of nowhere and collected it. She then looks at her tip and says "really a 9$ tip on a 90$ tab?" This was pretty shocking as I thought she should probably get less. Then we watched her go around with the money and show every server while pointing to our table. While walking out to leave we walked past her, when I told her the reason for the tip was we hadn't seen her all night. She then tells me to "F*** off." I have never had a staff member openly curse at me. I am usually at 20% tipper but if there is poor service I will give less. After returning home I call the restaurant to ask for a manager when the very same waitress picks up the phone and tells me there is no manager for the entire night. I find it hard to believe that a manager isn't working a Friday evening. This was confirmed when the other guests I was with called and claimed they talked to a manager 10min later. This place is a joke if they allow their servers to behave like children having a tantrum. I would never not tip a server, but 20% isn't guaranteed. The food was great which is a shame because I will never return to a place that allows customers to be cursed at and mocked.
(1)Xan X.
So hard to find if you're not familiar with the town (or the train station), but definitely a hidden gem. Delicious sandwiches, perfectly prepared tater tots, and terrific service. Fantastic place for getting together with friends.
(4)Tara M.
This is one restaurant on my (very short) list of places to return. As a federal employee down the road from this place, it (the bar area) was a favorite for goodbye dinners and after-work cocktails once in awhile. Now, it's (the dining room) a place I will meet friends and take family. We like the food and the service. I also like parking in the train station for free as I come after hours or on weekends. Not sure what I would do during regular business hours. There's plenty of street parking I guess. Thanks guys, we like you in Cary too, but I personally prefer the Barrington location as it has good atmosphere.
(4)Ross P.
Great place to grab some bar food. Awesome wings and other unique appetizers. Hung out here a lot over the years and keep coming back. I do wish they had a better craft beer selection in bottles but not every bar can be Durty Nellies. I would call it the best bar in Barrington.
(4)Gerry A.
Not many really beautiful lunch outside days left but we found one, and actually defaulted here after Kelsey's Roadhouse (Gino's East?) looked abandoned and the Onion Pub had a private party on their patios. It was about 1:30, a little early for us, but late enough to miss the lunch bulge on a really gorgeous day. Amanda served us faithfully and I can now go peacefully to my cremation having ordered Pot Roast (stickymeat) once in my life and it was VERY good here and an $8.75 lunch special on Thursdays. To round out our light lunch, we also went with a GuidoBurger, medium rare plus delicious sweet potato fries, you're not going to live forever. The pot roast roast had some color surprisingly, I would say even medium rare and fall apart tender. I've almost gotten used to getting overcooked burgers when they will let you order medium rare and our GuidoBurger was perfect with Pastrami and pickles to boot, NO leftovers on the burger, a little pot roast appetizer for another day. This is not a fast food restaurant, and it is not fast food. We thought our service, noted above, was faithful, certainly not fast but fine for the day and Amanda's trek from the kitchen out to the patio. We are fans. Do it.
(4)Bob N.
Wool Street was one of our favorite restaurants when we moved to Barrington. The food, especially the burgers was very good. The owner seemed to be present and it ran pretty good . The last few times we have eaten there the food continues to be good albeit not as good but the service sucks. The wait staff seems to be angry, non engaged and you get a sense they wish they weren't there. Once served they disappear and you have to go find them, usually inside by the kitchen chatting rather than paying attention to the diners. We have noticed we don't see the owner anymore. I suspect that may be the problem
(3)Kate H.
Wool Street is the local sports bar in Barrington. It gets pretty loud on a weekend night, so I try to avoid it at those times. The crowd is usually made up of fratty sports fans at those times. The restaurant dining room is on the other side of the restaurant from the bar, which is good. It almost seems like 2 businesses in one. The dining room side is very family-friendly. The food is okay, but not perfect. I generally go with the fish tacos because they're a safe bet. I do like the seasoned waffle fries that come with the seasoned sour cream to d
(3)Mike B.
By far the best bar and grill in Barrington. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and excellent food. Menu has good variety, from sandwiches to pizza to steak. Wool Street also has the best burgers in town. Give them a try and you won't be disappointed. Great for the entire family.
(5)K S.
Nice place for happy hour. Appetizers are awesome love the nachos, green beans, and wings!
(4)Michael N.
I think every restaurant I've been to along the Metra Northwest Line has been awesome. Wool Street in Barrington shares the parking lot with Barrington's Metra station, therefore, Wool Street is awesome. I've been here a few times; the most recent being this past Friday night. My girlfriend and I went here for dinner before going to the movies. I heard good things about their fish fry, and we both loooooove fish fry. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple drinks. Blue Moon was on special for $3.50 (already a good start!). The bartender told us the fish fry was "perch, so you know....its perch." Meaning we shouldn't expect that much. However, I always say a good batter and tasty tartar sauce is what makes good fish fry. They serve you about seven pieces of fried perch with a very light batter. it has a nice crunch to it, but not a thick layer of breading like some places. It was very good. I ate my portion, finished my girlfriends, then ordered two more helpings. We had one more drink before heading out. All of the food is good here. My sister once had the tacos, which I thought was a bad choice since its a sports bar, but they were delicious as well. I've had a burger and a chicken wrap from here in the past, all were great. This would be a great place to have drink, eat some great food, and watch the Bears destroy the Packers :)
(5)Bill M.
Worst experience. Very bad food worse service. After waiting for a table for a while, he promised to give us the next one - even pointed at it - only to give it to a group that came in after we did. Pizza was not fresh tasting. How do you screw up tater tots? Waiter was disinterested and never checked on us. We had to wave him down every time only to find him look very annoyed at simple requests. There are A LOT of places to eat and grab a beer. Get it together Wool Street. It can't be that hard!
(1)Doug A.
Decent spot. Good beer selection. They have all of "Wild Onion" beers on tap which is a nice local touch. Menu is pretty standard. Burgers, pizza, wings, and other type of bar fare. It's a bit pricey in here. You really have to work the specials, which there really aren't that many. It's not a place where you go with your buddies to "tie one on" and watch a game. You'll be broke. Big bar area. They have big tables which are really nice for groups of six or more. The only issue I have with this place is if you are sitting at the bar, you have to crank your neck straight up to see the tv's. If you're at a table in the bar area you area bout 3 feet below the bar so there is usually somebody blocking the tv's. Best to get a big group and lock down one of those big tables across from the bar. Good viewing and lots of room. Plus your elevated. There is a big room below that has plenty of seating and a big screen to watch the game, I have never sat down there. All in all it's pretty standard. Only one urinal in bathroom with one shitter. Always a line. Somebody dueces in there and you might as well leave. The patio is decent in the summer. Average service.
(3)Taylor M.
This place was a little hard to find... it is getting dark out earlier and I guess they either forgot to turn on the outside lights or change the timer because it was dark. Wool Street does not have a parking lot, but they said you are allowed to park in the train station lot at night for free. The restaurant section is really small but comfortable. We arrived around 5:45 PM and there were a couple tables of elderly people that seemed like regulars. By 6:15 PM the place was packed with young couple and kids. I overheard that there was a half an hour wait as well. If you are 21+ you can dine in the bar area which I thought was pretty cool. There are tables here as well as television and no children! I ordered the Angry Calamari for an appetizer and it was really good but the hot sauce seemed to fall to the bottom and was a little difficult to pick up with the calamari. This dish was spicy, I went through a lot of water. For my meal, I had the Twisted Mac and Cheese which was pretty good. However, I wish the bowl was bigger so I could mix it because the cheese fell to the bottom. I also tried a piece of the fish fry and it was amazing... I will order the all you can eat fish special the next time I go on a Friday!
(4)Andrew W.
Great Sports Bar. Perfect for a lunch or dinner. Expect Great Service and Great Burgers.... Very Happy that Barrington has a few decent places to eat! Wool Street is definitly one of them!
(5)Virl S.
Great sports bar to have locally. Several TV screens available. Their food menu is continually getting better. Lately I had their wings and they were excellent. Staff is friendly and ambiance is casual. Only downside is I think their beer prices are on the high side
(4)Tim K.
If you're looking for a local sports bar with good food and a variety of high end beer on tap, go here! I have had plenty of good meals and good times at the Wool. The owner Jim is always fun and talkative about sports and beers. Great atmosphere and location.
(5)Erik J.
I promise to never set food in this place again. Terrible service, food is lackluster, and god forbid you order take out. The airtight, plastic containers they use keep the heat and moisture in, soaking the food in water while it cools off. So you get soggy cold food.
(1)Carla L.
A-OK... the food is quite good, service is also great and I really like the choices they offer for beer! I guess when you break it down, I must say that good beer + wings is always a good time. It is a place very close to my brother's house, we were visiting for the weekend and hit it up to have a good chat away from the 'li'l ones'. It was kind of early so it wasn't full and I must say that was perfect as we wanted some time to hang out.
(3)Samantha R.
I've been here a few times and given it a good sporting chance, and it's about time I parted ways with Wool Street. I've been to a few banquet-type things there and the pizza is pretty good, and so are the waffle fries, and that's about all it has going for it. My friend and I ordered food for delivery one night and it was incredibly disappointing. I ordered a chicken burrito and my friend ordered a buffalo chicken wrap. On the menu, it says the burrito comes with everything inside, like beans, rice, tomatoes, sour cream, etc. I asked for the beans and rice on the side, which they did, but there was nothing else in the burrito except chicken and lettuce. My friend usually orders the buffalo chicken wrap, and this time she said it was really terrible. About an hour later, we both started feeling nauseous and the feeling lasted until the morning. We kept each other up all night burping and feeling generally horrible. I will not go back to Wool Street.
(2)Cara W.
We had lunch here the other day. Great beer selection and attentive staff. I had a burger with gorgonzola and sweet potato fries. It's kinda hard to find but now that I know where it is it will be a regular lunch spot for us. I like trying different beers and this place had a nice selection apart from the standard Millers & Buds. I don't know about dinner or date nights, but for a quick lunch out of the office, it does the trick. Also, we didn't sit outside, but I think next time the weather cooperates we'll do that.
(4)Taylor M.
Overall pretty good. The wings are pretty good as well as some of their salads. Some of the food tastes like it came from a freezer bag so i just tend to stick with the wings.
(4)Ruth Ann M.
Wool Street is a great casual place to meet friends or family to talk and hang out over drinks or a meal. Their food is not amazing, but I have never ordered anything I thought was bad in any way. I do like their waffle fries with seasoned sour cream and the Fish Tacos with Papaya-Mango Salsa (ask for the fish to be grilled, not fried...it's much better that way). The service is consistently good in both the bar area and the dining area. A foodie may not enjoy Wool Street, but I'd say the average person would make it their regular restaurant if they gave it a try. The bar area is a great place to watch a game with friends. They have a large projection screen and a number of large-screen TV's, and all of the tables have a good view.
(4)Shari S.
A nice place to watch the playoff games! I loved the variety of menu items and their selection of beer on tap was incredible. Service was great! We will go back just for the wings! Not too spicy, but perfect traditional Buffalo Wings!
(5)Megan T.
Good beer selection. Food wise I have had MUCH better. I ordered a taco salad with little lettuce. What I got was a taco shell with a tablespoon of meat and misc. and a entire bowl full of lettuce for $11 My husband waffle fries that he paid a up charge for came with 6 fries. He was made that he paid extra for so little. He said his burger was decent, not the best to ok. I would recommend going into Cary to the Tracks for WAY better food and atmosphere!
(3)Jen H.
While in town for a memorial service, I was introduced to this bar/grill. They actually held the reception for us after a memorial for a family member. They were very accommodating and quick with the service. We ordered pop, ice tea, quesadillas (only cheese and tortilla), veggies, sweet potato fries and chips/salsa for 75 people. I thought for the amount of food we didn't walk home with (didn't seem like many were eating, but I could be wrong), the prices were quite high - it added up fast. To save food for the others, a couple of us ended up on the bar side to have a beer and order off the menu. Definitely check out their wings. Now we're talkin'! Ask for the wings "Jimmy-style" and you will get them hot and grilled. They could have actually be a little more spicy, but they worked. We also tried these pizza bite things - dough rolled in Parmesan cheese with marinara dipping sauce. Not good...the bartender actually took them off the tab for us. She said they were trying them out and would pass on our feedback. Service was AWESOME! Even during shift-change. The prices were reasonable for the restaurant/bar. I would definitely stop in again as there were quite a few other items on the menu I would love to try. Wouldn't recommend for large groups as it was a little on the pricey side. They did work with us as far as moving the group downstairs and taking over one of their dining rooms. Kudos for the flexibility! Hope to see you all soon!
(3)Amanda C.
I have been here to eat and to go to the bar. It is always packed on the weekends, and you're likely to find some middle-aged regulars who probably should be home with their kids. I don't love it, but it's not bad, and I think part of its popularity is due to it being the only place like it in town. I remember the wraps there being really good. I was with a large group last night for dinner and we split pizzas which were very cheesy just how I like them. However the service was sooo slow. I understand we were a large group, but it was about 45 minutes before we were asked if we wanted to order, and pizza takes awhile to make. It's a/(the only) good sports bar/meeting place if you want to go someplace like that in Barrington. The new room they added on with all of the TVs is pretty cool. They should add a pool table or something.
(3)Bridget C.
We were at Wool Street on a Wednesday night in December with a group of 15. We felt the service was very attentive and the food and beverages very good as well. We ordered pizzas for the table. I had the vegetable pizza which was very good. It had good sized pieces of zucchini, mushrooms and onions. The BBQ Chicken got a thumbs down from the group...but in my opinion it is not the best flavor for pizza. The pepperoni seemed well received. We thought the prices were reasonable as well. One comment would be that our server should have suggested the largest pizzas especially since we had a large group of teen aged boys! I like that they serve Kilkenny on tap which is one of my favorites! We sat in the newer bar room and it had great energy with large screen tv's and comfortable seating.
(4)Shauna D.
My parents are regulars here and its no mystery why. The food is bar food of course but its KILLER bar food. Amazing burgers, decent pizza, but most notably I will never pass up on THE WINGS. The wings are perfect, but ask for them "Jimmy Style" if you like em grilled crispy. I've eaten here so many times and with different people, no one has ever been unhappy with their food order. The only compaint would be the commonly slow service. On a Friday night, its not a bad idea to order your next drink as soon as your first drink comes because you might be waiting with an empty glass. Other than that, the servers and bartenders are friendly, the live music is usually good, and the patio is nice in the summer. If you like Cuban sandwiches, they make a good one!
(4)Michael V.
The waitress lost my credit card on several occasions, and it happened again last night and when I called the next day to ask if they had it - (never returned it to me even after I payed) - the lady on the phone told me she would have to call me back because several people have been calling about their credit cards today. Thats good......glad I wasn't alone.....I feel better? I have to now go out of my way to go back and get it when it was their mistake and not mine.
(1)Chris S.
My family recently went to Wool Street for their $5 burger night. Even though the place was empty, we waited an extraordinary long time for our food. Our server was forgetful and unwelcoming...it seemed as if our presence was an inconvenience. The burger was alright for the price. I was not impressed enough to have any desire to go back.
(2)Mark H.
suburban beer drinkers delight. After a few pints of pilsner urquell everything tastes good. They have the traditional. Sports bar, a family room and an outdoor patio. Difficult to go wrong. Food includes typical sports bar fare although they asterix a number of dishes where they excel. The buffalo chicken salad for example is really good. The chicken is served in a sauce rather than calorific batter.
(4)Brian S.
Entrees are not great. Basically Applebee's-fare. Out of my party of six, we had two happy with their food and both had the 1/2 lb. Burger. I guess you can say they have great burgers. Appetizers were good. Beer and wine selection were excellent. Dead Guy Ale on Draft? Wow. Service and environment were good.
(3)Keith M.
Love this place great food and drink. Plenty of space and service is top notch.
(5)Theo S.
Ribs on Saturday nights are awesome! Great place for families on the restaurant side. Service is excellent and food is top notch.
(5)Rolf A.
It's ok, had better service!
(3)Bobbi S.
Our first time but went with my MIL who is a regular. We went in for the Monday night deal, $5 burgers. The service started out a little slow and continued to be inconsistent the rest of the evening. Couldn't figure out why because the place was slow, maybe 3 tables when we arrived. Started with a new item, onion scoops. The batter on them was really spicy. The kids couldn't eat them. The burgers were ok. Reminded me of meatloaf so thinking they put a lot of fillers in with the meat. Waiter returned 3 times before remembering drink orders after coming to tell us that they had run out of a beer. He brought the water pitcher to refill and spilled a little. Not a huge deal. But instead of wiping it up, he put down a bunch of paper napkins to soak it up and left them there. WTF?? It's not like he had other tables to go rushing off to tend. Later they put a table of really loud guys next to us when the whole place was empty. They couldn't put these guys a little further away? I guess I'd go back if I were hitting the bar but not for a meal.
(2)nicole h.
Nothing really noteworthy about this Wool Street. Prime location by the Metra station. Usually it's teeming with BHS grads and it often feels like you've stumbled into a high school reunion. Service is pretty good. Gets much too crowded for the quality of the food but they recently put on an addition so maybe things have changed...
(3)john s.
nice place in the burbs. they have really good sandwiches and a nice outdoor patio. Good wings too. if your ever out in the NW Burbs and need a place to eat/drink this can be a good place.
(4)bob t.
Average food and service. Nothing new as far as the menu. Extra $ for waffle fries??
(2)Tiffany L.
Yum. YUM. Really. My sister has lived in Barrington for the last few years and had never been to Wool Street, so we figured it was time to head over there and give it a whirl. We were seated promptly during lunch hour on a Friday. The menu has some really great offerings, so much to choose from, but not menu overload by any means. We couldn't decide, so we decided to each pick a sandwich and split. We went with the Veg Out and the create your own Chicken Sandwich. The chicken was quite good and the veg out, holy crap is was amazing. Probably the best veggie sandwich I've ever had. It was soooo incredible that my sister and I went back the next night for supper because we couldn't stop talking about how good it was. It's amazing... roasted red pepper, portobello, grilled potato slice and goat cheese with a basil vinegarette on a ciabatta roll. I'm going to have to hit Wool Street every time I head out to Barrington, which lucky for me, is a lot. We also had the green bean apps. which were strangely awesome. The service both times was kind of..ehhh... at lunch, our server was certainly nice, but not very efficient. At dinner, our server was a a tad bit bitchy, but very effecient. Sooo whatever, I'm not looking for fabulous attitudes and stellar service at a place that cost $30 (tip included) for supper... I'll go back again and again and perhaps branch out and try more of the menu!
(4)Ben M.
Visited the bar side with my wife on a Saturday night for dinner. In a nutshell: very good & attentive service, good prices, but the food tended towards the mediocre side. It certainly wasn't bad, but nothing really stood out and made you say, "Wow! This is really good!" Excellent beer selection, though. What stood out most to me was the split-level layout on bar side that made it a great place for live music: there's an upper section near the bar, and then a lower section where the band plays. It works out really well because you can stick to the upper level if you want to chat with friends and listen to the band in the background, or hit the lower level if you're mainly there for the band. Very cool.
(4)Liz B.
One thing I do notice, is that when you get stuff to-go something is always different. How come I got regular salsa this time instead of the mango one it says it come with? They didn't include the bread it came with last time. How come the sauce is on it rather than in little to go cups like the other time I ordered this? Don't get me wrong, it's all still really good. The inconsistency is a bit annoying.
(4)Michael G.
I went here with a friend to sample the wings. This is one of 20+ restaurants competing in Wingfest this year, an annual competition to see who has the best wings in Chicagoland. Wings are priced at 10 for 8.95, so with tax it comes out to about $1/wing. My friend and I split four flavors: rajun cajun, giner teriyaki, pineapple habanero bbq, and a rather spicy number called "Sick in the Cabeza." Here's a breakdown of each one... Rajun Cajun- very unimpressive, tasted like a very basic buffalo sauce (my least favorite) Ginger Teriyaki- decent, a little hard to taste the ginger but still very good, the teriyaki flavor complements the moist meat very well (my favorite) Pineapple Habanero BBQ- expected spicy but came up short. These had the most flavor though, and it was a refreshingly sweet one at that Sick in the Cabeza- coated in a mysterious mustard-yellow sauce, these bad boys will leave a burn on your tongue. Disappointing though, because when you take a bite, there's no flavor. It tastes like someone made a sauce by dumping a shaker of spice into a pan. Not salty, not sweet, just void of flavor. I doubt Wool Street will win any awards at Wingfest this year. Great service, average food. Stop here for a drink, otherwise head elsewhere.
(3)Tiffany T.
Good place to hang out but I prefer the old Bronco Jack's that they tore down to make a bank parking lot. (They seem to love to do that in Barrington - they also did the same thing to the old RSVPs) Same owners, bigger place. Bigger is not always better, however, as this bar is missing the charm from the old place. But, it's hard to stop progress, I guess. Good food, great beer specials, bar can get crowded and is very noisy. And the best part is no kids in the bar after 9pm - a plus in my book!
(3)Raw F.
I really enjoy dining here during the school year. During the summer when it's BHS reunion time, the crowds are a little overwhelming, rude, and extremely loud. The food is good and the beer/ drinks are not over priced. The overall selection of booze is good. My friend Otis gives it two thumbs up, I give it only three stars.
(3)Bridget C.
We were at Wool Street on a Wednesday night in December with a group of 15. We felt the service was very attentive and the food and beverages very good as well. We ordered pizzas for the table. I had the vegetable pizza which was very good. It had good sized pieces of zucchini, mushrooms and onions. The BBQ Chicken got a thumbs down from the group...but in my opinion it is not the best flavor for pizza. The pepperoni seemed well received. We thought the prices were reasonable as well. One comment would be that our server should have suggested the largest pizzas especially since we had a large group of teen aged boys! I like that they serve Kilkenny on tap which is one of my favorites! We sat in the newer bar room and it had great energy with large screen tv's and comfortable seating.
(4)Shauna D.
My parents are regulars here and its no mystery why. The food is bar food of course but its KILLER bar food. Amazing burgers, decent pizza, but most notably I will never pass up on THE WINGS. The wings are perfect, but ask for them "Jimmy Style" if you like em grilled crispy. I've eaten here so many times and with different people, no one has ever been unhappy with their food order. The only compaint would be the commonly slow service. On a Friday night, its not a bad idea to order your next drink as soon as your first drink comes because you might be waiting with an empty glass. Other than that, the servers and bartenders are friendly, the live music is usually good, and the patio is nice in the summer. If you like Cuban sandwiches, they make a good one!
(4)Michael V.
The waitress lost my credit card on several occasions, and it happened again last night and when I called the next day to ask if they had it - (never returned it to me even after I payed) - the lady on the phone told me she would have to call me back because several people have been calling about their credit cards today. Thats good......glad I wasn't alone.....I feel better? I have to now go out of my way to go back and get it when it was their mistake and not mine.
(1)Chris S.
My family recently went to Wool Street for their $5 burger night. Even though the place was empty, we waited an extraordinary long time for our food. Our server was forgetful and unwelcoming...it seemed as if our presence was an inconvenience. The burger was alright for the price. I was not impressed enough to have any desire to go back.
(2)Mark H.
suburban beer drinkers delight. After a few pints of pilsner urquell everything tastes good. They have the traditional. Sports bar, a family room and an outdoor patio. Difficult to go wrong. Food includes typical sports bar fare although they asterix a number of dishes where they excel. The buffalo chicken salad for example is really good. The chicken is served in a sauce rather than calorific batter.
(4)Brian S.
Entrees are not great. Basically Applebee's-fare. Out of my party of six, we had two happy with their food and both had the 1/2 lb. Burger. I guess you can say they have great burgers. Appetizers were good. Beer and wine selection were excellent. Dead Guy Ale on Draft? Wow. Service and environment were good.
(3)Jason B.
We love to go here for Big Ten football games as a family. The service is great, food quality is excellent, wait staff are friendly & professional. Often we sit in the large multi-purpose room to give the 3 kids room to move around a little (w/o driving other patrons crazy). I've also been here for drinks w/friends & like their beer selection. Lively, fun bar area, quiet restaurant side with great quality meals for date night with the Mrs.
(5)Carla B.
Great for lunch with friends, I love their salads! Great variety and choices. I love the one with berries, goat cheese, walnuts and tangerine that comes with a fat free dressing. Their Greek salad is also a great one. Enjoyed lunch with wine :D
(4)Craig N.
I'm usually never in the 'burbs. I'm a city guy, born and raised. I was out with friends when we decided to get dinner and a drink. It was the first time I was there and the food was pretty darn good. Also looks like a great place to meet friends for a drink after work.
(4)Carrie c.
I think the food is awesome here. There are quite a few choices on the menu to satisfy most! I love the steak sandwhich and the veggie sandwhich! Service is average. We've been there a couple times w/ stellar, friendly servers, but most of the time the servers are just "ok". I think prices are very reasonable for the quality of food! Much better than any chain restaurant!
(4)Bobbi S.
Our first time but went with my MIL who is a regular. We went in for the Monday night deal, $5 burgers. The service started out a little slow and continued to be inconsistent the rest of the evening. Couldn't figure out why because the place was slow, maybe 3 tables when we arrived. Started with a new item, onion scoops. The batter on them was really spicy. The kids couldn't eat them. The burgers were ok. Reminded me of meatloaf so thinking they put a lot of fillers in with the meat. Waiter returned 3 times before remembering drink orders after coming to tell us that they had run out of a beer. He brought the water pitcher to refill and spilled a little. Not a huge deal. But instead of wiping it up, he put down a bunch of paper napkins to soak it up and left them there. WTF?? It's not like he had other tables to go rushing off to tend. Later they put a table of really loud guys next to us when the whole place was empty. They couldn't put these guys a little further away? I guess I'd go back if I were hitting the bar but not for a meal.
(2)Michael G.
I went here with a friend to sample the wings. This is one of 20+ restaurants competing in Wingfest this year, an annual competition to see who has the best wings in Chicagoland. Wings are priced at 10 for 8.95, so with tax it comes out to about $1/wing. My friend and I split four flavors: rajun cajun, giner teriyaki, pineapple habanero bbq, and a rather spicy number called "Sick in the Cabeza." Here's a breakdown of each one... Rajun Cajun- very unimpressive, tasted like a very basic buffalo sauce (my least favorite) Ginger Teriyaki- decent, a little hard to taste the ginger but still very good, the teriyaki flavor complements the moist meat very well (my favorite) Pineapple Habanero BBQ- expected spicy but came up short. These had the most flavor though, and it was a refreshingly sweet one at that Sick in the Cabeza- coated in a mysterious mustard-yellow sauce, these bad boys will leave a burn on your tongue. Disappointing though, because when you take a bite, there's no flavor. It tastes like someone made a sauce by dumping a shaker of spice into a pan. Not salty, not sweet, just void of flavor. I doubt Wool Street will win any awards at Wingfest this year. Great service, average food. Stop here for a drink, otherwise head elsewhere.
(3)Tiffany T.
Good place to hang out but I prefer the old Bronco Jack's that they tore down to make a bank parking lot. (They seem to love to do that in Barrington - they also did the same thing to the old RSVPs) Same owners, bigger place. Bigger is not always better, however, as this bar is missing the charm from the old place. But, it's hard to stop progress, I guess. Good food, great beer specials, bar can get crowded and is very noisy. And the best part is no kids in the bar after 9pm - a plus in my book!
(3)Raw F.
I really enjoy dining here during the school year. During the summer when it's BHS reunion time, the crowds are a little overwhelming, rude, and extremely loud. The food is good and the beer/ drinks are not over priced. The overall selection of booze is good. My friend Otis gives it two thumbs up, I give it only three stars.
(3)Matisse M.
Mmm... like a hometown chili's or friday's, except the food isn't as good.
(2)Jennifer G.
I just moved to Lake Barrington from Chicago and I ate at wool street in last night. The food was good - I had chipotle bbq chicken wings and a ty cobb salad. They even have a sauvignon blanc as well which I thought would be rare in the burbs. I guess I have a lot to learn about suburban life. Good food, good prices, good service - all around good place.
(4)Cindy R.
Good place whether you're looking for a restaurant or bar. The bar seems to be quite the after-work hangout (it's right near the train station). Their fish fry is good; the best item on their menu is the chocolate cake! It's a must!!
(4)Mike D.
This place has two great areas. There is a family friendly resturaunt with TVs and a very casual atmosphere. Plus there is a really great sports bar. The food here is your typical sandwich and fries, salad and American diners. They have a good Cuban sandwich although I don't think they really press it correctly (not flat enough). They have good Cubans at Hooters too, but I havn't trotted the family in for one yet. The beer selection is very good and not too pricy.
(4)Dan B.
This is the spot all the college kids come to reunite with their fellow Barrington High students. It used to be Bronco Jacks until that went down.
(3)Jennifer G.
I just moved to Lake Barrington from Chicago and I ate at wool street in last night. The food was good - I had chipotle bbq chicken wings and a ty cobb salad. They even have a sauvignon blanc as well which I thought would be rare in the burbs. I guess I have a lot to learn about suburban life. Good food, good prices, good service - all around good place.
(4)Ross P.
Great place to grab some bar food. Awesome wings and other unique appetizers. Hung out here a lot over the years and keep coming back. I do wish they had a better craft beer selection in bottles but not every bar can be Durty Nellies. I would call it the best bar in Barrington.
(4)Gerry A.
Not many really beautiful lunch outside days left but we found one, and actually defaulted here after Kelsey's Roadhouse (Gino's East?) looked abandoned and the Onion Pub had a private party on their patios. It was about 1:30, a little early for us, but late enough to miss the lunch bulge on a really gorgeous day. Amanda served us faithfully and I can now go peacefully to my cremation having ordered Pot Roast (stickymeat) once in my life and it was VERY good here and an $8.75 lunch special on Thursdays. To round out our light lunch, we also went with a GuidoBurger, medium rare plus delicious sweet potato fries, you're not going to live forever. The pot roast roast had some color surprisingly, I would say even medium rare and fall apart tender. I've almost gotten used to getting overcooked burgers when they will let you order medium rare and our GuidoBurger was perfect with Pastrami and pickles to boot, NO leftovers on the burger, a little pot roast appetizer for another day. This is not a fast food restaurant, and it is not fast food. We thought our service, noted above, was faithful, certainly not fast but fine for the day and Amanda's trek from the kitchen out to the patio. We are fans. Do it.
(4)Bob N.
Wool Street was one of our favorite restaurants when we moved to Barrington. The food, especially the burgers was very good. The owner seemed to be present and it ran pretty good . The last few times we have eaten there the food continues to be good albeit not as good but the service sucks. The wait staff seems to be angry, non engaged and you get a sense they wish they weren't there. Once served they disappear and you have to go find them, usually inside by the kitchen chatting rather than paying attention to the diners. We have noticed we don't see the owner anymore. I suspect that may be the problem
(3)Kate H.
Wool Street is the local sports bar in Barrington. It gets pretty loud on a weekend night, so I try to avoid it at those times. The crowd is usually made up of fratty sports fans at those times. The restaurant dining room is on the other side of the restaurant from the bar, which is good. It almost seems like 2 businesses in one. The dining room side is very family-friendly. The food is okay, but not perfect. I generally go with the fish tacos because they're a safe bet. I do like the seasoned waffle fries that come with the seasoned sour cream to d
(3)Mike B.
By far the best bar and grill in Barrington. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and excellent food. Menu has good variety, from sandwiches to pizza to steak. Wool Street also has the best burgers in town. Give them a try and you won't be disappointed. Great for the entire family.
(5)K S.
Nice place for happy hour. Appetizers are awesome love the nachos, green beans, and wings!
(4)Cindy R.
Good place whether you're looking for a restaurant or bar. The bar seems to be quite the after-work hangout (it's right near the train station). Their fish fry is good; the best item on their menu is the chocolate cake! It's a must!!
(4)Mike D.
This place has two great areas. There is a family friendly resturaunt with TVs and a very casual atmosphere. Plus there is a really great sports bar. The food here is your typical sandwich and fries, salad and American diners. They have a good Cuban sandwich although I don't think they really press it correctly (not flat enough). They have good Cubans at Hooters too, but I havn't trotted the family in for one yet. The beer selection is very good and not too pricy.
(4)Dan B.
This is the spot all the college kids come to reunite with their fellow Barrington High students. It used to be Bronco Jacks until that went down.
(3)Xan X.
So hard to find if you're not familiar with the town (or the train station), but definitely a hidden gem. Delicious sandwiches, perfectly prepared tater tots, and terrific service. Fantastic place for getting together with friends.
(4)Tara M.
This is one restaurant on my (very short) list of places to return. As a federal employee down the road from this place, it (the bar area) was a favorite for goodbye dinners and after-work cocktails once in awhile. Now, it's (the dining room) a place I will meet friends and take family. We like the food and the service. I also like parking in the train station for free as I come after hours or on weekends. Not sure what I would do during regular business hours. There's plenty of street parking I guess. Thanks guys, we like you in Cary too, but I personally prefer the Barrington location as it has good atmosphere.
(4)Dan O.
Have been here a few times and always had an enjoyable experience, which is why I chose it for me and another couple to meet up and grab dinner. We were seated quickly and received our first drinks and food in a reasonable amount of time. This is where our experience turned for the worst quickly. After getting our food, our server "Crystal" disappeared, and we were waited on by a random waitress. This wouldn't be a big deal except we almost stopped getting service completely. We had to wait around 45min to get another drink. After an hour we had to ask a random bus boy to get our check because we were taking the train home. After receiving our bill we only tipped 10% mostly due to lack of service. We would have easily ordered more food and drink had we been given the chance. Once we paid our bill, our original waitress "Crystal" appeared out of nowhere and collected it. She then looks at her tip and says "really a 9$ tip on a 90$ tab?" This was pretty shocking as I thought she should probably get less. Then we watched her go around with the money and show every server while pointing to our table. While walking out to leave we walked past her, when I told her the reason for the tip was we hadn't seen her all night. She then tells me to "F*** off." I have never had a staff member openly curse at me. I am usually at 20% tipper but if there is poor service I will give less. After returning home I call the restaurant to ask for a manager when the very same waitress picks up the phone and tells me there is no manager for the entire night. I find it hard to believe that a manager isn't working a Friday evening. This was confirmed when the other guests I was with called and claimed they talked to a manager 10min later. This place is a joke if they allow their servers to behave like children having a tantrum. I would never not tip a server, but 20% isn't guaranteed. The food was great which is a shame because I will never return to a place that allows customers to be cursed at and mocked.
(1)Michael N.
I think every restaurant I've been to along the Metra Northwest Line has been awesome. Wool Street in Barrington shares the parking lot with Barrington's Metra station, therefore, Wool Street is awesome. I've been here a few times; the most recent being this past Friday night. My girlfriend and I went here for dinner before going to the movies. I heard good things about their fish fry, and we both loooooove fish fry. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple drinks. Blue Moon was on special for $3.50 (already a good start!). The bartender told us the fish fry was "perch, so you know....its perch." Meaning we shouldn't expect that much. However, I always say a good batter and tasty tartar sauce is what makes good fish fry. They serve you about seven pieces of fried perch with a very light batter. it has a nice crunch to it, but not a thick layer of breading like some places. It was very good. I ate my portion, finished my girlfriends, then ordered two more helpings. We had one more drink before heading out. All of the food is good here. My sister once had the tacos, which I thought was a bad choice since its a sports bar, but they were delicious as well. I've had a burger and a chicken wrap from here in the past, all were great. This would be a great place to have drink, eat some great food, and watch the Bears destroy the Packers :)
(5)Bill M.
Worst experience. Very bad food worse service. After waiting for a table for a while, he promised to give us the next one - even pointed at it - only to give it to a group that came in after we did. Pizza was not fresh tasting. How do you screw up tater tots? Waiter was disinterested and never checked on us. We had to wave him down every time only to find him look very annoyed at simple requests. There are A LOT of places to eat and grab a beer. Get it together Wool Street. It can't be that hard!
(1)Doug A.
Decent spot. Good beer selection. They have all of "Wild Onion" beers on tap which is a nice local touch. Menu is pretty standard. Burgers, pizza, wings, and other type of bar fare. It's a bit pricey in here. You really have to work the specials, which there really aren't that many. It's not a place where you go with your buddies to "tie one on" and watch a game. You'll be broke. Big bar area. They have big tables which are really nice for groups of six or more. The only issue I have with this place is if you are sitting at the bar, you have to crank your neck straight up to see the tv's. If you're at a table in the bar area you area bout 3 feet below the bar so there is usually somebody blocking the tv's. Best to get a big group and lock down one of those big tables across from the bar. Good viewing and lots of room. Plus your elevated. There is a big room below that has plenty of seating and a big screen to watch the game, I have never sat down there. All in all it's pretty standard. Only one urinal in bathroom with one shitter. Always a line. Somebody dueces in there and you might as well leave. The patio is decent in the summer. Average service.
(3)M. H.
Really great service. Extremely attentive, friendly, and fast. We only drank and had apps, and I only thought one of the three were noteable. The hummus was delicious and fresh. But the onion straws were bland and greasy ... and the 'spiced' sour cream was also bland. There were pieces of fried fish tails scattered in and amongst the straws, so that was gross since I don't eat fish. The other appetizer was sweet potato stix ... nothing extraordinary ... typical bar food. I'll update my rating once I have a full meal there. Overall I'd go back ... but it didn't blow my mind.
(3)Ashley S.
I've been here a couple times for fish fry. The first time we came the fish was good, but not really amazing or anything. Not that case this past Friday, the fish was AMAZING!!! They had $2.00 PBR's, and $9.95 all you can eat fish fry, does it get any better? My boyfriend got a burger.......SHOCKING, but ate a lot of my fish, and the best part is they don't even care, they just keep bringing out more! The breading is really light and the fish is perfect! To top it all off they have the best waffle fries EVER! Being a transplant to the burbs from Wisconsin has made me realize that a good fish fry is hard to find, so now that I've stumbled upon this tasty little joint I'm sure I'll be Duchess in no time flat.
(5)Rob W.
OK, I've now been to both Wool Streets and I like the Cary one a bit better. Realistically, this place is 3.5 stars, a little better than average. Menus are the same at both places and the food is pretty good. I guess the difference is that the staff in Cary is a little more personable. The service here was decent, but given that the place wasn't all that busy, there was time to go the extra mile with some conversation or the like. Didn't happen. I'll likely return - it's a good place to watch a game, the food is good and there's a wide variety of beers. Just wish the staff there was willing to "shoot the breeze" a little more.
(3)Ashley A.
I've been here three times; first time we sat in the dining room and ordered pizza, last two times we sat in the bar and ordered mainly drinks. The pizza is decent. The teriyaki friend green beans and portobello stack are pretty darn good; I recommend them. The beer selection is decent; they have a few more beers than your average selection including a couple microbrews. The second time we went, we happened to noticed a chalkboard at the end of the hallway before entering the bar that read $1 Blue Moon Abbey Ales. Yes, please! We ordered 14. I don't think our waitress was very happy about that, but we did order food as well and tipped her well. There is a room down a short flight of stairs next to the bar where it appears bands perform, but I've never been there to see any bands play. The place is located adjacent to the Barrington Metra station, so it is a good place to go while waiting for a train. There aren't a lot of bars in Barrington, but this one seems to be the largest. Since I live so close, I'll probably be back, especially if they have dollar beer specials again!
(4)Mike U.
Great food, consistently each time. Great atmosphere as well.
(5)Taylor M.
This place was a little hard to find... it is getting dark out earlier and I guess they either forgot to turn on the outside lights or change the timer because it was dark. Wool Street does not have a parking lot, but they said you are allowed to park in the train station lot at night for free. The restaurant section is really small but comfortable. We arrived around 5:45 PM and there were a couple tables of elderly people that seemed like regulars. By 6:15 PM the place was packed with young couple and kids. I overheard that there was a half an hour wait as well. If you are 21+ you can dine in the bar area which I thought was pretty cool. There are tables here as well as television and no children! I ordered the Angry Calamari for an appetizer and it was really good but the hot sauce seemed to fall to the bottom and was a little difficult to pick up with the calamari. This dish was spicy, I went through a lot of water. For my meal, I had the Twisted Mac and Cheese which was pretty good. However, I wish the bowl was bigger so I could mix it because the cheese fell to the bottom. I also tried a piece of the fish fry and it was amazing... I will order the all you can eat fish special the next time I go on a Friday!
(4)Andrew W.
Great Sports Bar. Perfect for a lunch or dinner. Expect Great Service and Great Burgers.... Very Happy that Barrington has a few decent places to eat! Wool Street is definitly one of them!
(5)Virl S.
Great sports bar to have locally. Several TV screens available. Their food menu is continually getting better. Lately I had their wings and they were excellent. Staff is friendly and ambiance is casual. Only downside is I think their beer prices are on the high side
(4)Tim K.
If you're looking for a local sports bar with good food and a variety of high end beer on tap, go here! I have had plenty of good meals and good times at the Wool. The owner Jim is always fun and talkative about sports and beers. Great atmosphere and location.
(5)Erik J.
I promise to never set food in this place again. Terrible service, food is lackluster, and god forbid you order take out. The airtight, plastic containers they use keep the heat and moisture in, soaking the food in water while it cools off. So you get soggy cold food.
(1)Carla L.
A-OK... the food is quite good, service is also great and I really like the choices they offer for beer! I guess when you break it down, I must say that good beer + wings is always a good time. It is a place very close to my brother's house, we were visiting for the weekend and hit it up to have a good chat away from the 'li'l ones'. It was kind of early so it wasn't full and I must say that was perfect as we wanted some time to hang out.
(3)Samantha R.
I've been here a few times and given it a good sporting chance, and it's about time I parted ways with Wool Street. I've been to a few banquet-type things there and the pizza is pretty good, and so are the waffle fries, and that's about all it has going for it. My friend and I ordered food for delivery one night and it was incredibly disappointing. I ordered a chicken burrito and my friend ordered a buffalo chicken wrap. On the menu, it says the burrito comes with everything inside, like beans, rice, tomatoes, sour cream, etc. I asked for the beans and rice on the side, which they did, but there was nothing else in the burrito except chicken and lettuce. My friend usually orders the buffalo chicken wrap, and this time she said it was really terrible. About an hour later, we both started feeling nauseous and the feeling lasted until the morning. We kept each other up all night burping and feeling generally horrible. I will not go back to Wool Street.
(2)Cara W.
We had lunch here the other day. Great beer selection and attentive staff. I had a burger with gorgonzola and sweet potato fries. It's kinda hard to find but now that I know where it is it will be a regular lunch spot for us. I like trying different beers and this place had a nice selection apart from the standard Millers & Buds. I don't know about dinner or date nights, but for a quick lunch out of the office, it does the trick. Also, we didn't sit outside, but I think next time the weather cooperates we'll do that.
(4)Taylor M.
Overall pretty good. The wings are pretty good as well as some of their salads. Some of the food tastes like it came from a freezer bag so i just tend to stick with the wings.
(4)Ruth Ann M.
Wool Street is a great casual place to meet friends or family to talk and hang out over drinks or a meal. Their food is not amazing, but I have never ordered anything I thought was bad in any way. I do like their waffle fries with seasoned sour cream and the Fish Tacos with Papaya-Mango Salsa (ask for the fish to be grilled, not fried...it's much better that way). The service is consistently good in both the bar area and the dining area. A foodie may not enjoy Wool Street, but I'd say the average person would make it their regular restaurant if they gave it a try. The bar area is a great place to watch a game with friends. They have a large projection screen and a number of large-screen TV's, and all of the tables have a good view.
(4)Shari S.
A nice place to watch the playoff games! I loved the variety of menu items and their selection of beer on tap was incredible. Service was great! We will go back just for the wings! Not too spicy, but perfect traditional Buffalo Wings!
(5)Megan T.
Good beer selection. Food wise I have had MUCH better. I ordered a taco salad with little lettuce. What I got was a taco shell with a tablespoon of meat and misc. and a entire bowl full of lettuce for $11 My husband waffle fries that he paid a up charge for came with 6 fries. He was made that he paid extra for so little. He said his burger was decent, not the best to ok. I would recommend going into Cary to the Tracks for WAY better food and atmosphere!
(3)Jen H.
While in town for a memorial service, I was introduced to this bar/grill. They actually held the reception for us after a memorial for a family member. They were very accommodating and quick with the service. We ordered pop, ice tea, quesadillas (only cheese and tortilla), veggies, sweet potato fries and chips/salsa for 75 people. I thought for the amount of food we didn't walk home with (didn't seem like many were eating, but I could be wrong), the prices were quite high - it added up fast. To save food for the others, a couple of us ended up on the bar side to have a beer and order off the menu. Definitely check out their wings. Now we're talkin'! Ask for the wings "Jimmy-style" and you will get them hot and grilled. They could have actually be a little more spicy, but they worked. We also tried these pizza bite things - dough rolled in Parmesan cheese with marinara dipping sauce. Not good...the bartender actually took them off the tab for us. She said they were trying them out and would pass on our feedback. Service was AWESOME! Even during shift-change. The prices were reasonable for the restaurant/bar. I would definitely stop in again as there were quite a few other items on the menu I would love to try. Wouldn't recommend for large groups as it was a little on the pricey side. They did work with us as far as moving the group downstairs and taking over one of their dining rooms. Kudos for the flexibility! Hope to see you all soon!
(3)Amanda C.
I have been here to eat and to go to the bar. It is always packed on the weekends, and you're likely to find some middle-aged regulars who probably should be home with their kids. I don't love it, but it's not bad, and I think part of its popularity is due to it being the only place like it in town. I remember the wraps there being really good. I was with a large group last night for dinner and we split pizzas which were very cheesy just how I like them. However the service was sooo slow. I understand we were a large group, but it was about 45 minutes before we were asked if we wanted to order, and pizza takes awhile to make. It's a/(the only) good sports bar/meeting place if you want to go someplace like that in Barrington. The new room they added on with all of the TVs is pretty cool. They should add a pool table or something.
(3)Keith M.
Love this place great food and drink. Plenty of space and service is top notch.
(5)Theo S.
Ribs on Saturday nights are awesome! Great place for families on the restaurant side. Service is excellent and food is top notch.
(5)Rolf A.
It's ok, had better service!
(3)