All the way from FLORIDA just to visit many restaurants recommended and family of course. Haha. Excellent food, the tilapia was amazing.
(4)
Elaine M.
Went here recently for evening out with family and friends. Overall the place is average. Nothing too bad, too good, too boring or too creative. We went on a Saturday night when they the prime rib special available. Many us went with that. Unfortunately it was a bit of a disappointment. The meat was both under seasoned and under cooked. All of the people that ordered the prime rib either went with medium or medium rare. First, there was no difference between the two cooking preferences in the served product and they were both way under cooked! None of us could the center of the meat since it was pretty much raw. - Oh except the person who ordered it medium well and their's was so over cooked it could have been cow leather. The place was fairly empty when we arrived on that early Saturday but the music was turned up so loud we couldn't hear each other across the table. We had to ask for them to turn it down. If they did comply with our request it was imperceptible. The best aspect of the restaurant is the decorating. We especially appreciated the photos in the bathrooms.
(3)
Caitlin J.
This place is good, food, service and all. It is a nice place to go for a night out with the family. The waitress was very friendly, attentive, and helpful. I had the French onion soup and steak. Both were delicious. I will definitely go here again.
(3)
Jessica J.
Delicious, good service, nice matching atmosphere. Very classy. Perfect for a date. Well done!
(5)
john m.
We had to send the filet mignon back to the kitchen- it was THAT bad! The rest of the meal was overpriced and only barely edible. The service was the best thing about our dining experience (which doesn't say much for this dive, as our server only got half of our orders correct!)... We should've gone to the Oak Park Bar Louie instead (which, although pricey, has always been consistently good). ZERO STARS.
(1)
Bill M.
Food OK, service was inattentive at best down right rude at worst. We were there on a Sat night about 7pm, bar was pretty full but the restaurant half empty. Should have been a clue. Don't bother talking to the general manager, we did after paying and on our way out the door. We were not looking for a freebie or some kind of discount. His reaction was "that's to bad". As a rule successful restaurant owners like to know when there's a problem so it can be addressed. Guess there's a difference between managers and owners..
(1)
B L.
Sat at the bar and had a good experience with the bartender. He was animated, helpful and service minded. (When we sat a table a month ago, the experience was the opposite.) The management needs to CHANGE THE MENU. We struggled for things that were of interest. I will say though that the pork chop was good. Charming older building. Just broaden that menu!!!! Bring it up to date.
(3)
Stephen L.
Has the chef heard of seasonal food items? The menu needs help and the TVs need to go. It is the type of place you go to once as the menu is poor. Decor is cool and bar is fab. Redo the menu and more customers will come.
(1)
Lisa H.
I hosted a business dinner at Barclay's tonight and we had a reservation for 5:30 and were late. The staff sat us without issue and we gracious about it. We started with the beer battered deep fried bacon and it was delicious. I order the rib eye sandwich and it was good but not amazing, it was a little fatty. My counterparts ordered the pork loin and they loved them and the mashed sweet potatoes. Another person ordered the pork oscco and really enjoyed that as well. The 6 of us shared the chocolate cake and ice cream sandwich, and there was more then enough for all of us. I would not recommend ordering a dessert for less then 2 people. Overall our waitress was happy to substitute things in our meals, and to separate our dinner food from our drinks, and told us when she used the policy to add the gratuity. I hate when servers add the tip and don't inform you. Overall the new decor and service we great and I would definately go back.
I am very suprised to read such negative reviews of Barclay's! I've eaten here several times with my children, as well as extended family which has included as many as 7 children! We've always found the wait staff to be helpful, timely, and friendly. On many occasions they've seated us in the separate room across from the hostess stand, which is perfect for the kids. Their pomegranate sangria is absolutely delicious. My children love the mac and cheese and tator tots. My husband always orders the bacon wrapped pork. The french onion soup is delicious. I've also enjoyed burgers, steaks, and chicken quesadillas. They offer prime rib on the weekends which is also very good. The only item I've had that I found disappointing was the fried bacon, which was just too much for me. Overall Barclay's is a fine dining experience!
(4)
Donna F.
Horrendous!! No bread!! It costs &1.00 for a piece of stale french bread with the edges burnt and the rest of it cold as ice. Bad salad with stale nuts and lousy dressing. Bad mussels(every one of them). No cocktail fork to use for the mussels. Terrible trout dinner. Grilled asparagus(cold) with a ton of salt. All this and an inattentive server to boot! Go for the bar, but don't dare order any food. It's horrible! I do have to say that the calamari was excellent. I don't know how that happened. You would think a manager would have been alerted to our dissatisfaction, but we didn't see anyone who even resembled a manager. Not good business practice.
(1)
Bill K.
My go to place for a Burger. I've been here over 20 times. We go to eat a burger at the bar. Service is great. The burgers are good beef done to order. Chili is also very good. Bell's amber on tap. Like the variety of wines by the glass. Do wish there were some wine specials by the glass to liven things up a little. The flat bread pizza's are also very tasty. Steaks are a good deal for the money. I stay away from the fish and main courses. Seems like the quality and variety of fish her and at sister restaurant Poor Phil's has gone down in quality. That's a shame. Lively atmosphere. A great place for Oak parkers.
(4)
L. W.
Great new addition to the neighborhood. Loved the atmosphere and food. We liked the old Philanderer's in the last couple of years. We thought the chef was trying some very innovative stuff, however, it was expensive and not the kind of place you'd go all the time. Barclay's is different. The burgers are terrific and the sweet potato fries were wonderful. I had a salad that was also very good. It was curious that the meals didn't come with bread, but it probably makes sense in light of the reasonable cost for the food. The alcohol is a pretty typical Oak Park price--not like Chicago, but average for here in the burbs. Service was quite good and the manager was checking to make sure everyone liked the new place. He was very personable and spent time with all tables. Just a nice all around place.
(4)
DAVID C.
I went here for Thanksgiving. The menu sounded good and very few other places were open. It sounded as if they prepared for the holiday but obviously NOT! We were sat and given water then ignored for 30 minutes. I read it was a buffet but no one ever came to get our drink order or explain what was available. We walked out and told the staff how rude it was, they did tell the manager but never apologized. We even asked the guy refilling our water if anyone was waiting on our table. He said of course and would get the person. He passed our table several times afterward never apologizing for the exceptionally long wait or to assure us someone would be with us. The waiter never came so we left. HORRIBLE SERVICE! I guess everyone was disgruntled they had to work the holiday so took it out on the customers. Very nice!
(1)
Yvonne B.
I agree with Jenny Z. that Barclay's has good food, good service, and a nice atmosphere. I also agree with Anthony P that it's not too memorable. I am delighted that a place like this is so close to where I live. I give it an A-OK rating. Barclay's is clean and classy, but still with casual booths, and a large bar with flat screen televisions. It is definitely not a rowdy bar like Poor Phil's next door. It's a good place for a nice, relaxed dinner. My friend and I went for a Groupon hamburger dinner the other day and had a positive experience. My coffee-flavored martini hit a home run. The purple coleslaw was surprising, but good. My burger was cooked perfectly (pink in the middle), but had a disappointing charred taste on the outside. I also enjoyed the creamed spinach. My friend didn't comment about his burger or tots. We didn't eat the mac & cheese. I glanced over the dessert menu and am interested in returning for the chocolate mousse.
(3)
Anthony P.
We had a nice experience, but nothing too memorable. The inside is... visually loud? The food was good, even if the menu was a bit all over the place. We had the sweet potato french fries. It came with a flight of 4 of their sauces, which, incidentally, allowed me to sample all of them and know what I wanted my ribs to come with. Speaking of the ribs, they were fine themselves, but here is where the crazy menu comes in again... you get a choice of a few sides, including tater tots. It's an okay experience if you're staying in the hotel or in the neighborhood...
(3)
Jenny Z.
Tonight, Barclay's had the three things I look for in a restaurant 1) good food, 2) good service 3) nice atmosphere. We had a friendly and helpful waitress that offered seemingly genuine advice on what to order. I got the whitefish and my husband got the battered fish sandwich. We were both impressed with the quality of the fish and great flavors. We ordered a bottle of great red wine and some sorbet for dessert. The fries come in a cute little sachet, which is a nice touch. I had a healthy flavorful meal and my only complaint is that I noticed that the only thing you could order if you were a vegetarian is a French onion soup or the quesadillas appetizer. It would be nice to have more non-meat options!
(5)
Yvonne O.
I haven't been here in years and when the husband decided he wanted prime rib, I thought we should give it a try. Well, Saturday night at 7 and they were still taking walk-ins, which I found really surprising. That should have been my clue. I ordered the French onion soup and the pork tenderloin with spaetzle. Husband had the blue cheese chips and the prime rib with baked potato. The soup was ok - nothing special. He thought the chips were just "okay" - they had a weird alfredo kind of white goop on them that he did not like. The pork was fine as to the slices made in the middle of the meat, but the two outside ends were tough and inedible. When you are only getting about 7-8 slices, losing 2 is really unacceptable. The spaetzle was clearly not house made either and there was about a half pound of red cabbage on the plate to take-up space. Add a few drinks and we were at $85 before tip. The crowd here was typical Oak Park old folks - pontificating on drab topics and at full volume. For that price, we could have gone elsewhere and had better results. Very good service in the bar area from our server, though!
(2)
Magen R.
My family and I went to Barclay's for Christmas Eve dinner. I started with the white pomegranate sangria. It was very potent and had a great flavor combination. My Mom had the Christmas sangria and it was red, she enjoyed it but liked mine better! My sister who is into craft beers really enjoyed their selection and sampled two and liked them both. For appetizers we tried the mussels (on special) and the maytag blue cheese chips. The chips were phenomenal, I literally could've eaten the whole bowl! The mussels were also good, the broth was heavenly and came with delicious garlic bread for soaking the broth up. All in all the appetizers were excellent. I had the steak bites appetizer and Brussel sprouts for my side. My sisters both had burgers, my mom had the caprese pizza and my dad had the chicken parm sandwich. We all enjoyed our meals and everything I didn't try looked delicious! I loved the steak bites they came in a mushroomy oniony broth with more of the delicious garlic bread, plus a side of creamy horseradish! I'd definitely recommend them. I also really enjoyed the Brussel sprouts. I'd definitely return to Barclays. The food is great and so are the drinks. Judging on the sample of appetizers I tried it would be a great place to go for happy hour and cocktails as well.
(4)
Mike J.
Right off the hotel so easy dinner after my day if travel. Service was good and plenty of tvs to watch. Menu was good with done different options. Went with roasted chicken and it was ok. Smashed sweet taters were different as well. I would defiantly give them another try.
(3)
Michael H.
Barclay's is like a TGI Friday's but in a hotel. Nice atmosphere, but more casual that I expected. Food was fine - sister had a turkey burger which she seemed to like and I had the roasted chicken with a weak amount of mashed potatos on the side. Order the mac and cheese to assure a full stomach, but it was highly dissapointing. Service was fine both at the bar and in the dining area. I would return to watch games at the bar since they do have nice daily specials.
(3)
Brian F.
This review covers two separate experiences that I had with business dinners here over a 4 month time span. Not really sure if the restaurant has improved by now, but my colleagues and I agreed that we would not give this restaurant another shot. Months ago I ordered their Elk special. Elk and deer meat have so little fat that it is REALLY important to serve it medium-rare or less in order to prevent it becoming like shoe leather. The waitress even told me that the chef preferred to serve it medium-rare. What arrived on my plate was so well-done that I could have driven a nail with the steak. I sent it back for replacement and again received something akin to granite on my plate. Giving up on a succulent Elk dinner I again sent it back and asked Osso Bucco which would be much more difficult to screw up. More recently we stopped in again. This time the lobster bisque was so salty that it burned my tongue and I and another colleague felt ill for about 24 hours after eating the soup. It couldn't possibly have been tasted in the kitchen before serving. Why oh why did we eat it instead of sending it back?? That same evening 2 of us ordered steak medium-rare. Guess what? Every one of them was well-done when they arrived. I just don't get it. They have a superb menu, prime ingredients, good service, great atmosphere. How could they not have top-notch kitchen staff to execute?? Please Barclay's, call Kendall College Culinary School and get some new help. We could use another top-notch restaurant in the neighborhood! Let me know when you do and I'll give the restaurant another try.
(2)
Scott W.
A creative menu, complimented by superior service makes this a great casual dining spot in the Marion Street area of Oak Park.
(5)
Victoria M.
The waitress was rude. Looked at my ID year and said "I just made it" to the legal drinking age while in fact I was 24 at the time. I was there with my entire family, all who shared the same last name as me and were in fact over 21. When I informed her that I was actually 24 she just walked off instead of apologizing. A simple apology would have been fine but the fact that she walked away after I addressed her shows how poor public service skills the waitress had. Very disappointed in the rude service.
(2)
Jonathan M.
Yeah, so this is a nice place with alright service and alright food. We had a 5:30pm reservation for a Sunday, and the restaurant opened at 5. It took 35 minutes to get burger and pasta, and this seemed a bit long considering we were one of three tables... The food was pretty good -- my boyfriend said his "build-a-burger" was "one of the best he's had," but my shrimp pesto dish only had five shrimp and left a lot to be desired. Probably won't come back anytime soon.
(3)
Thatgirl T.
I must tell you that my favorite thing about this restaurant is the memories I have of eating here the Thursday before our Saturday night wedding with my parents and sister who were in town for said event, as well as how much fun we had having our tasting for our wedding here. I think Barclay's is a great local place. It's always consistent. They could do some things better. We can always get a table when we go on a Saturday night. When there is a game we want to see, we head there, and know we can count on a good meal, a great beer selection, and consistent service. We've eaten almost everything on the menu. My personal favorites are the quesadillas, the fish tacos, the burger, and any of the fish dishes. They also have great salads and good sides. I like the brussels sprouts and the curried cauliflower, though I do think it could use a little more fat/oil to it. Last night my husband had the chopped salad, which was really good, and I had the blacked Mahi-Mahi sandwich. When you go, choose the tator tots over the fries. One thing I'd change if it were me is I'd change the bun that the mahi-mahi sandwich comes on, it totally was white and doughy, like a cheap hamburger bun. I took the fish and the delicious cole slaw off of the bun and ate it by itself, and it was delicious. We had the carrot cake for dessert, which was delicious, and a trememdous improvement from what it used to be - it was previously a carrot muffin, which was terrible, but they changed it to a three layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a caramel sauce, and it was very good.
(4)
Marlene S.
Have been there a half a dozen times b/c I live near by and it's an OK place. Service is a little slow. Mac & cheese wasn't cheezy enough, mini angus burgers too well done, and why was my crab cake broken apart on the plate? Looked like someone was checking to see if it was done! Atmosphere is good - plenty of seating options - TVs at the bar, quite booths, tables and alfresco dining. Menu has plenty to pick from - both foods and drinks. Must say that the chocolate cake is a favorite - provided you have 6 people at the table to share it with. It's that big!
Ok, you probably read Lisa H.'s review of this place by now, and let me say that her observations are pretty accurate. However, I do not think she goes far enough. Yes we started out with the beer battered deep fried apple smoked bacon. As I have stated in reviews, you can never go wrong with bacon! The plate comes out with 4 strips but each strip can easily be halved and shared. As a condiment they have a great bbq sauce for dipping. The pork loin that I ordered was tender, juicy (you know that is a word that just sounds dirty no matter how you use it, sort of like the word moist but I digress), and very flavorful. The mashed potatoes were creamy and light. And you have read about everyone else's experience. However, I happened to have gone back the next night with people so that we socialize a bit. On that night we just ordered appetizers and drinks. In addition to the beer battered, deep fried bacon we also ordered the sweet potato fries with BBQ sauces. The fries were near perfect in taste, saltiness, and texture. There were 4 bbq sauces to choose from and they were all very good. The second server was able to split our bill individually without any hassle. The location is great for those coming from the city, it is only a block's walk from the Metra or Green Line to the restaurant which is located in the Carleton Hotel. In case you don't feel like going home, it is a convenient place to stay for the night. The decor is cozy and warm, not too loud though the place is active, and has outdoor seating if you so desire. My one complaint is that the beer selection was a little short. The choices they had were all excellent options but it would be nice to have it be a little more robust. It is a great place to go to, if you are wanting a day away from the city.
(4)
Mary Ann C.
Wow! Great, great addition to the neighborhood. We are Oak Parkers and were thrilled to see the remodeling/rejuvination of Phillanders into a modern, sleek, cool spot! We were greeted by the manager, who along with our server, explained the changes and the goals of the new concept. We were seated at a big booth in the bar with an individual plasma TV. There were so many TVs in the bar, and this was a treat, as we could enjoy an MLB playoff game with our dinner. The drink list was long and creative, even including a mosow mule (which you do not find everywhere). Decent and well thought out beer menu. Tried the blue cheese chips, crab cake, burger with tater tots, and a gnocchi special. Yumm. All was delicious, unique, and totally enjoyable. What a treat for dinner. I would like it if this spot was open for lunch and Sunday brunch. With a toddler, we like to dine early, and this would be a wonderful option.
(5)
Daina B.
The food was not impressive at all. Both times I've eaten here my food was comparable to the next door restaurant that is less expensive. Maybe they share a kitchen, but I'll probably just come here for drinks from now on. I liked the atmosphere and the service was great.
(2)
Mike L.
Yep - I was right. Was sick most of the day Sunday and I only had 3 beers so thanks Barclay's for serving the partially cooked BRAT!!
(1)
Jen A.
Barclay's opened up around the corner from my place in Oak Park, and I'd say it is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood. The previous restaurant seemed really stuffy, pretentious, and uninviting. Barclay's has a large menu of upscale bar food favorites, including ribs, burgers, and flatbread pizzas. My friends and I visited for drinks, but we'll definitely have to come back for the menu- the food looked great. Beer-battered bacon on the menu? Yes, please! The dining room was pretty spacious and comfortably lit with beautiful woodwork. We were seated in a booth with a private flat screen TV. The cocktail menu and beer menu looked pretty extensive. Barclay's doesn't have the beer variety that Poor Phil's has, but they did carry great options- Rogue, Chimay, Three Floyd's and more. On the way to the restroom, I saw a private dining room with extensive wine racks that looked like a great place to host a private party. I'll have to come back and try the food before I give Barclay's another star, but I'll definitely be back to try the beer-battered bacon.
(3)
Guy L.
Good food. Nice atmosphere. Reasonably priced. My friends and I come here a lot in the summer. It's one of the very few places that serves one of my favorite beers, Goose Island Greenline Ale. I usually get the Barclay's Burger, which comes with southwest BBQ sauce and apple wood smoked bacon. The bacon is really thick and they cook it were it's just perfect, not too soggy and not too crispy but right in the middle. I love the BBQ sauce at this place, it's very tangy and has just enough sweet and spicy which is a nice balance. The pulled pork sandwich is pretty good, the BBQ sauce makes this sandwich. I have also tried the fish and chips but they're nothing to write home about, they taste just like they're supposed to. As for appetizers I have tried the Baked Herb Goat Cheese which was good but my favorite would have to be the Maytag Bleu Cheese Chips. They were so good! They're homemade potato chips with bacon, asiago cream sauce and crumbed bleu cheese, they give you a whole plate full. I would defiantly recommend. This place is very low key, perfect for a date night. Kind of an older crowd hang out though. I'll defiantly be back.
(4)
Emily S.
I have to say I'm a bit disappointed in the reviews for this place. The interior was done extremely well, makes younger people feel like they're not in an old people's bar...even though the ages range from 25-80. The food is ok, i usually stick with apps and drinks, which are like fancy bar food. The #1 reason why I continue to go back there is one of their bartenders. I might not go half as much if he didn't work there. Wish I knew his name :( always recognizes me and my boyfriend, tells us good to see you guys again, and once in a while comps a drink. I work in hospitality and it is people like him that make a business flourish. Also, for drinks and apps, the prices are incredibly reasonable and much less expensive than the surrounding restaurants.
(4)
Brian F.
I would really rate this 2.5 stars if the option were available. Very nice and attractive space for casual American food. A fun menu. Beer battered, deep-fried bacon? Fun! Problem is a little too much batter. Too much batter on the craft beer battered walleye (but the fish was good). The bleu cheese chips appetizer is fun, but this one is actually perfectly done with warm, freshly made potato chips, just the right amount of bleu cheese, green onion and bits of bacon. Osso Bucco was very good, but plate was buried in onion straws. Too many. My daughter liked the ribs and my son liked the walleye (but too much batter). This does have a lot of interesting options. I have been back on a few occasions. It's definitely a step up from general tavern food, but doesn't quite reach the level of fine dining.
(2)
K. E.
Disappointed. This is a great location for where I live so I was eager to like it. Not much choice of draft beers - I would much rather drink at Poor Phil's. The food is only OK. I have been here 3-4 times so I have tried a few things. The porter burger was fine. A fish special I tried once was good. The appetizers are heavy, salty, greasy calorie-overloads. The choc mousse is terrible. Avoid the onion straws, yuck. If you like heavy, salty, greasy foods that are mixed up with slightly unusual combinations, you might like it. Service is VERY uneven - one night we had a terrific young woman very attentive to someone in our party with food allergies. Another time we had an older guy who seemed to not really understand what servers do.
(2)
Dan D.
Trying to summarize my experiences at Barclays (last night was my 2nd time eating there) rather than base my score on one lone visit. In both cases, the food was better than average, that being said for better than average and the prices listed, I think they have a bit of a mismatch. The beer-battered bacon, steak-bites, and goat cheese plate were all delicious as appetizers. In my first visit, the Barclays burger was pretty scrumptious, cooked as ordered. I love burgers and on my scale I'd give it a 8/10 (believe me, I've had some 10/10 burgers, and though this was good, it was not a 10/10). My 2nd visit I had the filet mignon and was a bit disappointed. The menu described the plate having a bed of vegetables including fingerling potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. Nevermind the fact that I'm allergic to mushrooms and asked for them not be included, but they still came--the vegetables as a whole looked like something that came out of a can and microwaved. The upside, the filet was good (8/10). For dessert the first time, the apple crisp was nothing to write home about, tasted pretty bland and otherwise not very notable (2/10). The 2nd visit was the Death By Chocolate w/ coffee--delicious! In both cases the services was good or better aside from the small misstep of the mushrooms on the 2nd visit, which the waiter was so apologetic about. Great atmosphere as well for a nice quite dinner.
(4)
Rasmus N.
Barclay's is a much welcome addition to Oak Park...not that Philander's wasn't good, but as a high-end supper club, didn't really have a solid place. Anyways, Barclay's is a nice upscale sports bar with great eats (try the ribs with strawberry barbeque sauce, chipotle buffalo chicken sandwich, pork osso bucco - yes pork - or any of the flat breads) and good service. Their hand cut fries are exceptionally good, but so is the red cabbage slaw. I hoped for a more "boutique" selection of wines by the glass, but hey, if they want Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, give it to them. Good selection of beers, including mcrobrews and a nice crowd of 30 - 40 somethings to look at. A nice alternative to the younger crowd that leans towards Poor Phils.
(4)
Meg X.
I had the duck appetizer, the goat cheese burger, and the cobbler. The duck and burger were just so-so, but the cobbler was disgusting. The service was great, the ambiance was nice, but overall it's not a place I'd be excited to go to again. Next time I'll just go to Poor Phil's.
(2)
Marie C.
My husband and I were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated at a table we requested. The drinks are great. The food is very good with large portions. The staff looked like they were very hard workers. In the booth next to us, a customer kept complaining about every little thing. Every little thing. Even that parsley was on her plate and that her grilled salmon was grilled! After two drinks I wanted to tell her to shut up already because I had admired her grilled salmon as it passed my booth. Well, she demanded the servers name. (It was an older waiter that works there.) She stormed up and complained. I had the same waiter and I think he did a great job. He was attentive and got our order correct and was friendly. He did nothing wrong. She went on and on and on about everything. I wonder if I can get a refund for my meal because of another customer Lol. I hope the waiter doesn't get into trouble because of her. Anyways, I didn't give five stars because the food was warm but I like it piping hot.
(4)
Cam s.
Welcome to TGIFridays - a very expensive, over-priced TGIFridays! It is a shame what they did to a classic place that was Philanders. TVs everywhere, over-priced food for the atmosphere, bad music blaring from the speakers. As for the food, it was just OK. Nothing that I would ever crave and have to have again. I had the Goatee burger because I read a review of it, and my companion had the beer-battered walleye. As far as the burger, it was big, with a big bun (would have been better on a pretzel bun or egg-bun). I ordered it medium (supposed to be pink and juicy), and it was bone-dry. It came out almost immediately, which tells me that it was pre-cooked and all they did was re-warm it to serve any way the customer ordered. A typical trick in any fast-food restaurant. However, this is not a fast food restaurant. It is supposed to be upscale, and it has the prices to try to convince you. For burgers, I would rather go to Goldyburgers. At least they are made to order and fresh fresh fresh. On a positive note, the walleye was very good, with a light batter, but again, a gigantic bun to make you think you are getting a huge portion for the price. The service was OK, very rushed at first, then we were forgotten about. The Friday night that we went, it was not crowded at all, not even at that wonderful bar. I am all for restaurants reinventing themselves and remodeling. The new booths and tables looked nice, but they were sort of cheesey and cheap. None of the tables were solid and wobbled, and the chairs also were wobbly. The booths had a TV right there on the table. Really? Along with the other million TVs, this place was awash in a blue glow. Not a very relaxing atmosphere. The new style of the place appeared nice, but it was much nicer when they had live music. Much classier. Very relaxing, and the wait staff really knew how to take care of their patrons. The only redeeming value left at this place is Joe the bartender. He has been and still is the most amazing barkeep I have ever met. Joe, we will miss you, as we see no reason to go back to Barclay's. If you want sports bar and pub grub (at a better price), I would say the better bet is Poor Phils, on the other side of the building!
(1)
Laura T.
Came back & everything was very mediocre. Fried calamari may has well have been onion rings--served with bbq sauce...weird. Burgers overcooked & very unflavorful. Hopefully it was just an off night.
(3)
SuAnne L.
Nice atmosphere, big bar, good-looking menu. Our fried calamari was average, the blue cheese stuffed olives were good. Everything else went downhill from there. Waiter was inattentive, entrees -- rib eye and chipoltle chicken sandwich were mediocre. The plates appeared as if the food had been thrown on them. This indicated poor kithcen management . Firday and Saturday feature half off their reserve wine this where the average price was $200.00! We usually give a restaurant two chances, but when my husband became Ill afterward, we will not be returning
(1)
brady j.
First of all, I would like to address the "single star" reviews, because they're just not reviews. This is not Philanders. Philanders is gone. Yes, it was a great restaurant, but you can't give Barclays a poor review because it's not Philanders. Barclays however, is a welcome addition to the area. I would definitely NOT classify this as a sports bar, or even a bar in general. There is a bar, there are TVs, but those have always been there. The food is good, atmosphere is casual and comfortable, staff is friendly and professional. I will definitely be back much more often. Who could possibly say no to beer battered bacon for Gods sake?!
(5)
Beth F.
I am staying at the hotel and work late most nights, so I've been here twice this week. Of the items I've tried not one thing was worth what I paid. The French onion soup was close but the cheese was burnt and the taste permeated throughout the entire bowl. The pork tenderloin was good but the sides were cold. The eggplant is really a plate of melted cheese with a tough sliver of skin-on eggplant. The best things so far are the $2 pints of Miller Lite on Mondays. Because I am here most of the month, I will continue to test the menu in the hopes of finding something that tastes as good as it costs. I'm not holding out much hope. That's too bad because the place has potential. The atmosphere is very nice. Thank goodness I'm on an expense account. I wouldn't want to waste my money on this place.
(2)
Thomas C.
Made a reservation for Saturday after the Beer extravaganza and wife and I were lucky enough to score outside table. Per my previous review, I am a big fan of the Prime Rib and what better way to soak up the suds? Now, Server did warn me they were down to the end cuts which she said were medium/Well ... but what arrived at my plate never should have left the kitchen. This was well-done to be certain, probably would be too well done for those who order well done. I didn't eat most of it and am sorry for what I did eat. I was warned, so did not send it back, but memo to self (and anyone else who loves the prime rib here) DO NOT ACCEPT THE END CUT WHEN THEY SAY THAT'S ALL THEY HAVE LEFT. Rest of the meal was fine, coconut shrimp were very tasty, wife ordered two sides, her brussels sprouts were superb. Will go back, and will order the prime rib again ... just ... well, you get it.
(2)
Amy B.
The food was good overall. We had a family dinner there, full course with salad, an entree of our choice and gelato for dessert. The salad was great with various proteins and avocado. We got chicken, prime rib or salmon for entree. Chicken was a bit dry, prime rib was ginormous but some was cooked more rare than we wanted. The salmon I had was seared and seasoned perfectly. Garnishes were excellent. We raved about the sweet potatoes. Dessert came in 3 different flavors for guests to choose from. Each was nice and comforting. All in all, I would order the salmon again, but not so much the chicken. They do serve you half a chicken, so portion size is def great for the hungry.
(4)
Allison M.
Wide-ranging and mouth-watering menu with lots of good options for vegetarians, pescatarians, and meativores. I had the shrimp pesto pasta, which sounded great and the shrimp was indeed cooked perfectly! But the pesto had about quadruple the oil it needed. And the shrimp to pasta recipe was just a little, well, shrimpy. My fiance had the fish and chips, which he really enjoyed although again there was a LOT less fish than chips! Almost everyone else had the prime rib, available on Fridays and Saturdays, and seemed to enjoy it. One other menu item worth noting; my dad ordered the winter sangria which was really great... Exactly what you would hope a 'winter sangria' to taste like. Fruit, wine, and the holidays! The music playing here was really loud but when we asked them to turn it down they did.
(4)
Harold D.
Checked into the Carlton late Thursday night and wanted to get a quick bite. We split the calamari which was average, the waiter suggested the heirloom tomato, pesto and burrata salad which was not very good the burrata was dried out the cherry tomatoes were not heirloom and the pesto tasted as though it came from the local grocer. We finished off with the mini sliders which were tasty bar fare the deco is dated The drinks were generous which is the best thing I can say The name and look from the sidewalk made expect much better, the overall experience left us wanting
(2)
Livvy O.
This was my second time coming here. First time was happy hour with co-workers. I tried the brussel sprouts which were yummy. This second time was more formal with sit down. I really like this place. The food is good, I got a soup of the day which was a bit too spicy for me and fish tacos which were good. I like that they put the whole fish on there instead of chopping it up. As far as drinks, I had one of the ciders which was okay. I prefer Angry Orchard. Lol Overall, the service is always good. Everyone is very pleasent. I love the hotel lobby area. It's a very beautiful hotel.
(4)
Lukas S.
We came here several times when we lived in Oak Park! It was within walking distance from my apartment, which was nice because the drinks are strong! It's a fun atmosphere! The prices are middle-of-the-road and the selection is diverse. We always had good service and good food! I am always a bit leary of restaurants attached to hotels...but this is a definite hit!! Check it out!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Jackeline A.
All the way from FLORIDA just to visit many restaurants recommended and family of course. Haha. Excellent food, the tilapia was amazing.
(4)Elaine M.
Went here recently for evening out with family and friends. Overall the place is average. Nothing too bad, too good, too boring or too creative. We went on a Saturday night when they the prime rib special available. Many us went with that. Unfortunately it was a bit of a disappointment. The meat was both under seasoned and under cooked. All of the people that ordered the prime rib either went with medium or medium rare. First, there was no difference between the two cooking preferences in the served product and they were both way under cooked! None of us could the center of the meat since it was pretty much raw. - Oh except the person who ordered it medium well and their's was so over cooked it could have been cow leather. The place was fairly empty when we arrived on that early Saturday but the music was turned up so loud we couldn't hear each other across the table. We had to ask for them to turn it down. If they did comply with our request it was imperceptible. The best aspect of the restaurant is the decorating. We especially appreciated the photos in the bathrooms.
(3)Caitlin J.
This place is good, food, service and all. It is a nice place to go for a night out with the family. The waitress was very friendly, attentive, and helpful. I had the French onion soup and steak. Both were delicious. I will definitely go here again.
(3)Jessica J.
Delicious, good service, nice matching atmosphere. Very classy. Perfect for a date. Well done!
(5)john m.
We had to send the filet mignon back to the kitchen- it was THAT bad! The rest of the meal was overpriced and only barely edible. The service was the best thing about our dining experience (which doesn't say much for this dive, as our server only got half of our orders correct!)... We should've gone to the Oak Park Bar Louie instead (which, although pricey, has always been consistently good). ZERO STARS.
(1)Bill M.
Food OK, service was inattentive at best down right rude at worst. We were there on a Sat night about 7pm, bar was pretty full but the restaurant half empty. Should have been a clue. Don't bother talking to the general manager, we did after paying and on our way out the door. We were not looking for a freebie or some kind of discount. His reaction was "that's to bad". As a rule successful restaurant owners like to know when there's a problem so it can be addressed. Guess there's a difference between managers and owners..
(1)B L.
Sat at the bar and had a good experience with the bartender. He was animated, helpful and service minded. (When we sat a table a month ago, the experience was the opposite.) The management needs to CHANGE THE MENU. We struggled for things that were of interest. I will say though that the pork chop was good. Charming older building. Just broaden that menu!!!! Bring it up to date.
(3)Stephen L.
Has the chef heard of seasonal food items? The menu needs help and the TVs need to go. It is the type of place you go to once as the menu is poor. Decor is cool and bar is fab. Redo the menu and more customers will come.
(1)Lisa H.
I hosted a business dinner at Barclay's tonight and we had a reservation for 5:30 and were late. The staff sat us without issue and we gracious about it. We started with the beer battered deep fried bacon and it was delicious. I order the rib eye sandwich and it was good but not amazing, it was a little fatty. My counterparts ordered the pork loin and they loved them and the mashed sweet potatoes. Another person ordered the pork oscco and really enjoyed that as well. The 6 of us shared the chocolate cake and ice cream sandwich, and there was more then enough for all of us. I would not recommend ordering a dessert for less then 2 people. Overall our waitress was happy to substitute things in our meals, and to separate our dinner food from our drinks, and told us when she used the policy to add the gratuity. I hate when servers add the tip and don't inform you. Overall the new decor and service we great and I would definately go back.
(4)Richard B.
Let me start off by saying that I loved Philander's too. I lived two blocks away from it for years. I spent several Valentine's Days and New Year's Eves there, and watched hours of jazz there. You won't find a bigger Philander's fan than me. However, I also understand that the Philander's concept is becoming less and less suited to America's dining habits. Special occasions like V-Day, Mother's Day, or Father's Day? Can't do better. But a casual night out on the other 360 days of the year? You honestly can. There are two martini bars in Berwyn and Riverside (Olive or Twist and Calvetti's) and a good wine bar in Brookfield (Salt Creek Wine Bar) that have jazz and piano music, and you feel comfortable walking into those places in jeans. They are younger and more vibrant than Philander's ever was. And there are many steak houses in the City that are just as good and offer a better meat selection. In the end, I found myself going to my beloved Philander's about once a year for Valentine's Day. So I understand why the Carlton changed the concept. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Time marches on. And if you're strong enough to let the beloved "P" go, you're really in for a treat with this new place. Went on a Saturday night and was immediately impressed by the decor changes. Sure, I scared the heck out of the people sitting at the table next to where the old door was as I tried to open the window now there in its place (habit, sorry!) but other than that, wow. They did a great job modernizing the space without TGIF-ifying it. The TV's they placed over the bar in "hockey scoreboard" style are super cool, as is the art on the pillars. They also changed the awkward "bowl" layout of Philander's by creating a "stage" of sorts on the south end of the dining area. It makes access and movement so much easier, and makes the space look way more open and inviting. I also loved the cozy little "balcony" on the east side of the dining area that overlooks the whole scene. That must be great for people watching. You no longer have to set aside 5% of your salary each month to dine here. Prices are very reasonable, with plenty of burgers, sandwiches and flatbreads in the $10-12 range. If you want, the menu still has some steak and chop selections to remind you of P's. Started with the Maytag Bleu Cheese chips as an appetizer. These pub style chips are topped with an asiago cream sauce, bacon, green onion, and bleu cheese. Though I wish they had provided slightly more by way of toppings (they were good!), this appetizer was delicious overall. The chips were good enough to eat plain even after the toppings ran out. For dinner, I had a Goatee Burger (burger with sautéed onions and melted goat cheese) with a side of tater tots. This is the second place in two months that we've been to that has offered tots (Norb's in Lemont is the other). I love this trend! The burger was about perfect. I ordered it medium and it was red in the center and juicy without being greasy, and the melted goat cheese really contributed to a very flavorful burger. The bun was nice and soft and the burger wasn't obnoxiously large, which seems to be all the rage these days. The tots were perfectly cooked and not greasy at all. As to beer (can't have burgers and tater tots without beer!) the draft beer selection was decent, but Poor Phil's next door probably has more draft beers, Service, sometimes hit or miss at Philander's, was great on this night. The waiter was very friendly and was fast and attentive. In the end, was very happy with the quality of the meals, the service, and the overall experience. And oh yes, the place was crowded, which means that it appears to be catching on. So in short, I know some will hate this place because it is not Philander's, especially in a community that nearly slit its collective wrist when the Tasty Dog (for God's sake) was threatened by redevelopment. But if you can accept modern realities, and judge Barclay's for what it is - an upscale sports bar - you will not be disappointed. Nicely done.
(5)Courtney W.
I am very suprised to read such negative reviews of Barclay's! I've eaten here several times with my children, as well as extended family which has included as many as 7 children! We've always found the wait staff to be helpful, timely, and friendly. On many occasions they've seated us in the separate room across from the hostess stand, which is perfect for the kids. Their pomegranate sangria is absolutely delicious. My children love the mac and cheese and tator tots. My husband always orders the bacon wrapped pork. The french onion soup is delicious. I've also enjoyed burgers, steaks, and chicken quesadillas. They offer prime rib on the weekends which is also very good. The only item I've had that I found disappointing was the fried bacon, which was just too much for me. Overall Barclay's is a fine dining experience!
(4)Donna F.
Horrendous!! No bread!! It costs &1.00 for a piece of stale french bread with the edges burnt and the rest of it cold as ice. Bad salad with stale nuts and lousy dressing. Bad mussels(every one of them). No cocktail fork to use for the mussels. Terrible trout dinner. Grilled asparagus(cold) with a ton of salt. All this and an inattentive server to boot! Go for the bar, but don't dare order any food. It's horrible! I do have to say that the calamari was excellent. I don't know how that happened. You would think a manager would have been alerted to our dissatisfaction, but we didn't see anyone who even resembled a manager. Not good business practice.
(1)Bill K.
My go to place for a Burger. I've been here over 20 times. We go to eat a burger at the bar. Service is great. The burgers are good beef done to order. Chili is also very good. Bell's amber on tap. Like the variety of wines by the glass. Do wish there were some wine specials by the glass to liven things up a little. The flat bread pizza's are also very tasty. Steaks are a good deal for the money. I stay away from the fish and main courses. Seems like the quality and variety of fish her and at sister restaurant Poor Phil's has gone down in quality. That's a shame. Lively atmosphere. A great place for Oak parkers.
(4)L. W.
Great new addition to the neighborhood. Loved the atmosphere and food. We liked the old Philanderer's in the last couple of years. We thought the chef was trying some very innovative stuff, however, it was expensive and not the kind of place you'd go all the time. Barclay's is different. The burgers are terrific and the sweet potato fries were wonderful. I had a salad that was also very good. It was curious that the meals didn't come with bread, but it probably makes sense in light of the reasonable cost for the food. The alcohol is a pretty typical Oak Park price--not like Chicago, but average for here in the burbs. Service was quite good and the manager was checking to make sure everyone liked the new place. He was very personable and spent time with all tables. Just a nice all around place.
(4)DAVID C.
I went here for Thanksgiving. The menu sounded good and very few other places were open. It sounded as if they prepared for the holiday but obviously NOT! We were sat and given water then ignored for 30 minutes. I read it was a buffet but no one ever came to get our drink order or explain what was available. We walked out and told the staff how rude it was, they did tell the manager but never apologized. We even asked the guy refilling our water if anyone was waiting on our table. He said of course and would get the person. He passed our table several times afterward never apologizing for the exceptionally long wait or to assure us someone would be with us. The waiter never came so we left. HORRIBLE SERVICE! I guess everyone was disgruntled they had to work the holiday so took it out on the customers. Very nice!
(1)Yvonne B.
I agree with Jenny Z. that Barclay's has good food, good service, and a nice atmosphere. I also agree with Anthony P that it's not too memorable. I am delighted that a place like this is so close to where I live. I give it an A-OK rating. Barclay's is clean and classy, but still with casual booths, and a large bar with flat screen televisions. It is definitely not a rowdy bar like Poor Phil's next door. It's a good place for a nice, relaxed dinner. My friend and I went for a Groupon hamburger dinner the other day and had a positive experience. My coffee-flavored martini hit a home run. The purple coleslaw was surprising, but good. My burger was cooked perfectly (pink in the middle), but had a disappointing charred taste on the outside. I also enjoyed the creamed spinach. My friend didn't comment about his burger or tots. We didn't eat the mac & cheese. I glanced over the dessert menu and am interested in returning for the chocolate mousse.
(3)Anthony P.
We had a nice experience, but nothing too memorable. The inside is... visually loud? The food was good, even if the menu was a bit all over the place. We had the sweet potato french fries. It came with a flight of 4 of their sauces, which, incidentally, allowed me to sample all of them and know what I wanted my ribs to come with. Speaking of the ribs, they were fine themselves, but here is where the crazy menu comes in again... you get a choice of a few sides, including tater tots. It's an okay experience if you're staying in the hotel or in the neighborhood...
(3)Jenny Z.
Tonight, Barclay's had the three things I look for in a restaurant 1) good food, 2) good service 3) nice atmosphere. We had a friendly and helpful waitress that offered seemingly genuine advice on what to order. I got the whitefish and my husband got the battered fish sandwich. We were both impressed with the quality of the fish and great flavors. We ordered a bottle of great red wine and some sorbet for dessert. The fries come in a cute little sachet, which is a nice touch. I had a healthy flavorful meal and my only complaint is that I noticed that the only thing you could order if you were a vegetarian is a French onion soup or the quesadillas appetizer. It would be nice to have more non-meat options!
(5)Yvonne O.
I haven't been here in years and when the husband decided he wanted prime rib, I thought we should give it a try. Well, Saturday night at 7 and they were still taking walk-ins, which I found really surprising. That should have been my clue. I ordered the French onion soup and the pork tenderloin with spaetzle. Husband had the blue cheese chips and the prime rib with baked potato. The soup was ok - nothing special. He thought the chips were just "okay" - they had a weird alfredo kind of white goop on them that he did not like. The pork was fine as to the slices made in the middle of the meat, but the two outside ends were tough and inedible. When you are only getting about 7-8 slices, losing 2 is really unacceptable. The spaetzle was clearly not house made either and there was about a half pound of red cabbage on the plate to take-up space. Add a few drinks and we were at $85 before tip. The crowd here was typical Oak Park old folks - pontificating on drab topics and at full volume. For that price, we could have gone elsewhere and had better results. Very good service in the bar area from our server, though!
(2)Magen R.
My family and I went to Barclay's for Christmas Eve dinner. I started with the white pomegranate sangria. It was very potent and had a great flavor combination. My Mom had the Christmas sangria and it was red, she enjoyed it but liked mine better! My sister who is into craft beers really enjoyed their selection and sampled two and liked them both. For appetizers we tried the mussels (on special) and the maytag blue cheese chips. The chips were phenomenal, I literally could've eaten the whole bowl! The mussels were also good, the broth was heavenly and came with delicious garlic bread for soaking the broth up. All in all the appetizers were excellent. I had the steak bites appetizer and Brussel sprouts for my side. My sisters both had burgers, my mom had the caprese pizza and my dad had the chicken parm sandwich. We all enjoyed our meals and everything I didn't try looked delicious! I loved the steak bites they came in a mushroomy oniony broth with more of the delicious garlic bread, plus a side of creamy horseradish! I'd definitely recommend them. I also really enjoyed the Brussel sprouts. I'd definitely return to Barclays. The food is great and so are the drinks. Judging on the sample of appetizers I tried it would be a great place to go for happy hour and cocktails as well.
(4)Mike J.
Right off the hotel so easy dinner after my day if travel. Service was good and plenty of tvs to watch. Menu was good with done different options. Went with roasted chicken and it was ok. Smashed sweet taters were different as well. I would defiantly give them another try.
(3)Michael H.
Barclay's is like a TGI Friday's but in a hotel. Nice atmosphere, but more casual that I expected. Food was fine - sister had a turkey burger which she seemed to like and I had the roasted chicken with a weak amount of mashed potatos on the side. Order the mac and cheese to assure a full stomach, but it was highly dissapointing. Service was fine both at the bar and in the dining area. I would return to watch games at the bar since they do have nice daily specials.
(3)Brian F.
This review covers two separate experiences that I had with business dinners here over a 4 month time span. Not really sure if the restaurant has improved by now, but my colleagues and I agreed that we would not give this restaurant another shot. Months ago I ordered their Elk special. Elk and deer meat have so little fat that it is REALLY important to serve it medium-rare or less in order to prevent it becoming like shoe leather. The waitress even told me that the chef preferred to serve it medium-rare. What arrived on my plate was so well-done that I could have driven a nail with the steak. I sent it back for replacement and again received something akin to granite on my plate. Giving up on a succulent Elk dinner I again sent it back and asked Osso Bucco which would be much more difficult to screw up. More recently we stopped in again. This time the lobster bisque was so salty that it burned my tongue and I and another colleague felt ill for about 24 hours after eating the soup. It couldn't possibly have been tasted in the kitchen before serving. Why oh why did we eat it instead of sending it back?? That same evening 2 of us ordered steak medium-rare. Guess what? Every one of them was well-done when they arrived. I just don't get it. They have a superb menu, prime ingredients, good service, great atmosphere. How could they not have top-notch kitchen staff to execute?? Please Barclay's, call Kendall College Culinary School and get some new help. We could use another top-notch restaurant in the neighborhood! Let me know when you do and I'll give the restaurant another try.
(2)Scott W.
A creative menu, complimented by superior service makes this a great casual dining spot in the Marion Street area of Oak Park.
(5)Victoria M.
The waitress was rude. Looked at my ID year and said "I just made it" to the legal drinking age while in fact I was 24 at the time. I was there with my entire family, all who shared the same last name as me and were in fact over 21. When I informed her that I was actually 24 she just walked off instead of apologizing. A simple apology would have been fine but the fact that she walked away after I addressed her shows how poor public service skills the waitress had. Very disappointed in the rude service.
(2)Jonathan M.
Yeah, so this is a nice place with alright service and alright food. We had a 5:30pm reservation for a Sunday, and the restaurant opened at 5. It took 35 minutes to get burger and pasta, and this seemed a bit long considering we were one of three tables... The food was pretty good -- my boyfriend said his "build-a-burger" was "one of the best he's had," but my shrimp pesto dish only had five shrimp and left a lot to be desired. Probably won't come back anytime soon.
(3)Thatgirl T.
I must tell you that my favorite thing about this restaurant is the memories I have of eating here the Thursday before our Saturday night wedding with my parents and sister who were in town for said event, as well as how much fun we had having our tasting for our wedding here. I think Barclay's is a great local place. It's always consistent. They could do some things better. We can always get a table when we go on a Saturday night. When there is a game we want to see, we head there, and know we can count on a good meal, a great beer selection, and consistent service. We've eaten almost everything on the menu. My personal favorites are the quesadillas, the fish tacos, the burger, and any of the fish dishes. They also have great salads and good sides. I like the brussels sprouts and the curried cauliflower, though I do think it could use a little more fat/oil to it. Last night my husband had the chopped salad, which was really good, and I had the blacked Mahi-Mahi sandwich. When you go, choose the tator tots over the fries. One thing I'd change if it were me is I'd change the bun that the mahi-mahi sandwich comes on, it totally was white and doughy, like a cheap hamburger bun. I took the fish and the delicious cole slaw off of the bun and ate it by itself, and it was delicious. We had the carrot cake for dessert, which was delicious, and a trememdous improvement from what it used to be - it was previously a carrot muffin, which was terrible, but they changed it to a three layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a caramel sauce, and it was very good.
(4)Marlene S.
Have been there a half a dozen times b/c I live near by and it's an OK place. Service is a little slow. Mac & cheese wasn't cheezy enough, mini angus burgers too well done, and why was my crab cake broken apart on the plate? Looked like someone was checking to see if it was done! Atmosphere is good - plenty of seating options - TVs at the bar, quite booths, tables and alfresco dining. Menu has plenty to pick from - both foods and drinks. Must say that the chocolate cake is a favorite - provided you have 6 people at the table to share it with. It's that big!
(3)Susan M.
Wow. Restaurant was remodeled to a sort of an upscale sports bar -- flatscreens, casual, fancied up bar food. Lots of seating, booths, good vibe. Duck drumettes instead of chicken wings kinda thing, I was there Friday night. Super packed but found a seat by the bar right away. Service was great, we ordered the FRIED CALAMARI & SWEET PEPPERS - lightly battered calamari & peppers served with a spicy marinara & house-made saffron aioli. The calamari was tender and tasty, as were the peppers. The saffron aioli was the best thing I've ever tasted and I could slather it on everything. The two of us were literally licking our fingertips and dabbing them across the plate of crumbs. All this followed by a ribeye sandwich with tater tots -- omg. Perfectly done, the softest bread and the crispiest tater tots. So good, My friend had the THE GOATEE BURGER- sautéed sweet onions, melted herbed goat cheese and dijon mustard with slaw. We ate everything! Will be back. Great experience. Good prices. Two ppl, one app, four beers and two entrees = $55.00
(5)Rob B.
Ok, you probably read Lisa H.'s review of this place by now, and let me say that her observations are pretty accurate. However, I do not think she goes far enough. Yes we started out with the beer battered deep fried apple smoked bacon. As I have stated in reviews, you can never go wrong with bacon! The plate comes out with 4 strips but each strip can easily be halved and shared. As a condiment they have a great bbq sauce for dipping. The pork loin that I ordered was tender, juicy (you know that is a word that just sounds dirty no matter how you use it, sort of like the word moist but I digress), and very flavorful. The mashed potatoes were creamy and light. And you have read about everyone else's experience. However, I happened to have gone back the next night with people so that we socialize a bit. On that night we just ordered appetizers and drinks. In addition to the beer battered, deep fried bacon we also ordered the sweet potato fries with BBQ sauces. The fries were near perfect in taste, saltiness, and texture. There were 4 bbq sauces to choose from and they were all very good. The second server was able to split our bill individually without any hassle. The location is great for those coming from the city, it is only a block's walk from the Metra or Green Line to the restaurant which is located in the Carleton Hotel. In case you don't feel like going home, it is a convenient place to stay for the night. The decor is cozy and warm, not too loud though the place is active, and has outdoor seating if you so desire. My one complaint is that the beer selection was a little short. The choices they had were all excellent options but it would be nice to have it be a little more robust. It is a great place to go to, if you are wanting a day away from the city.
(4)Mary Ann C.
Wow! Great, great addition to the neighborhood. We are Oak Parkers and were thrilled to see the remodeling/rejuvination of Phillanders into a modern, sleek, cool spot! We were greeted by the manager, who along with our server, explained the changes and the goals of the new concept. We were seated at a big booth in the bar with an individual plasma TV. There were so many TVs in the bar, and this was a treat, as we could enjoy an MLB playoff game with our dinner. The drink list was long and creative, even including a mosow mule (which you do not find everywhere). Decent and well thought out beer menu. Tried the blue cheese chips, crab cake, burger with tater tots, and a gnocchi special. Yumm. All was delicious, unique, and totally enjoyable. What a treat for dinner. I would like it if this spot was open for lunch and Sunday brunch. With a toddler, we like to dine early, and this would be a wonderful option.
(5)Daina B.
The food was not impressive at all. Both times I've eaten here my food was comparable to the next door restaurant that is less expensive. Maybe they share a kitchen, but I'll probably just come here for drinks from now on. I liked the atmosphere and the service was great.
(2)Mike L.
Yep - I was right. Was sick most of the day Sunday and I only had 3 beers so thanks Barclay's for serving the partially cooked BRAT!!
(1)Jen A.
Barclay's opened up around the corner from my place in Oak Park, and I'd say it is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood. The previous restaurant seemed really stuffy, pretentious, and uninviting. Barclay's has a large menu of upscale bar food favorites, including ribs, burgers, and flatbread pizzas. My friends and I visited for drinks, but we'll definitely have to come back for the menu- the food looked great. Beer-battered bacon on the menu? Yes, please! The dining room was pretty spacious and comfortably lit with beautiful woodwork. We were seated in a booth with a private flat screen TV. The cocktail menu and beer menu looked pretty extensive. Barclay's doesn't have the beer variety that Poor Phil's has, but they did carry great options- Rogue, Chimay, Three Floyd's and more. On the way to the restroom, I saw a private dining room with extensive wine racks that looked like a great place to host a private party. I'll have to come back and try the food before I give Barclay's another star, but I'll definitely be back to try the beer-battered bacon.
(3)Guy L.
Good food. Nice atmosphere. Reasonably priced. My friends and I come here a lot in the summer. It's one of the very few places that serves one of my favorite beers, Goose Island Greenline Ale. I usually get the Barclay's Burger, which comes with southwest BBQ sauce and apple wood smoked bacon. The bacon is really thick and they cook it were it's just perfect, not too soggy and not too crispy but right in the middle. I love the BBQ sauce at this place, it's very tangy and has just enough sweet and spicy which is a nice balance. The pulled pork sandwich is pretty good, the BBQ sauce makes this sandwich. I have also tried the fish and chips but they're nothing to write home about, they taste just like they're supposed to. As for appetizers I have tried the Baked Herb Goat Cheese which was good but my favorite would have to be the Maytag Bleu Cheese Chips. They were so good! They're homemade potato chips with bacon, asiago cream sauce and crumbed bleu cheese, they give you a whole plate full. I would defiantly recommend. This place is very low key, perfect for a date night. Kind of an older crowd hang out though. I'll defiantly be back.
(4)Emily S.
I have to say I'm a bit disappointed in the reviews for this place. The interior was done extremely well, makes younger people feel like they're not in an old people's bar...even though the ages range from 25-80. The food is ok, i usually stick with apps and drinks, which are like fancy bar food. The #1 reason why I continue to go back there is one of their bartenders. I might not go half as much if he didn't work there. Wish I knew his name :( always recognizes me and my boyfriend, tells us good to see you guys again, and once in a while comps a drink. I work in hospitality and it is people like him that make a business flourish. Also, for drinks and apps, the prices are incredibly reasonable and much less expensive than the surrounding restaurants.
(4)Brian F.
I would really rate this 2.5 stars if the option were available. Very nice and attractive space for casual American food. A fun menu. Beer battered, deep-fried bacon? Fun! Problem is a little too much batter. Too much batter on the craft beer battered walleye (but the fish was good). The bleu cheese chips appetizer is fun, but this one is actually perfectly done with warm, freshly made potato chips, just the right amount of bleu cheese, green onion and bits of bacon. Osso Bucco was very good, but plate was buried in onion straws. Too many. My daughter liked the ribs and my son liked the walleye (but too much batter). This does have a lot of interesting options. I have been back on a few occasions. It's definitely a step up from general tavern food, but doesn't quite reach the level of fine dining.
(2)K. E.
Disappointed. This is a great location for where I live so I was eager to like it. Not much choice of draft beers - I would much rather drink at Poor Phil's. The food is only OK. I have been here 3-4 times so I have tried a few things. The porter burger was fine. A fish special I tried once was good. The appetizers are heavy, salty, greasy calorie-overloads. The choc mousse is terrible. Avoid the onion straws, yuck. If you like heavy, salty, greasy foods that are mixed up with slightly unusual combinations, you might like it. Service is VERY uneven - one night we had a terrific young woman very attentive to someone in our party with food allergies. Another time we had an older guy who seemed to not really understand what servers do.
(2)Dan D.
Trying to summarize my experiences at Barclays (last night was my 2nd time eating there) rather than base my score on one lone visit. In both cases, the food was better than average, that being said for better than average and the prices listed, I think they have a bit of a mismatch. The beer-battered bacon, steak-bites, and goat cheese plate were all delicious as appetizers. In my first visit, the Barclays burger was pretty scrumptious, cooked as ordered. I love burgers and on my scale I'd give it a 8/10 (believe me, I've had some 10/10 burgers, and though this was good, it was not a 10/10). My 2nd visit I had the filet mignon and was a bit disappointed. The menu described the plate having a bed of vegetables including fingerling potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. Nevermind the fact that I'm allergic to mushrooms and asked for them not be included, but they still came--the vegetables as a whole looked like something that came out of a can and microwaved. The upside, the filet was good (8/10). For dessert the first time, the apple crisp was nothing to write home about, tasted pretty bland and otherwise not very notable (2/10). The 2nd visit was the Death By Chocolate w/ coffee--delicious! In both cases the services was good or better aside from the small misstep of the mushrooms on the 2nd visit, which the waiter was so apologetic about. Great atmosphere as well for a nice quite dinner.
(4)Rasmus N.
Barclay's is a much welcome addition to Oak Park...not that Philander's wasn't good, but as a high-end supper club, didn't really have a solid place. Anyways, Barclay's is a nice upscale sports bar with great eats (try the ribs with strawberry barbeque sauce, chipotle buffalo chicken sandwich, pork osso bucco - yes pork - or any of the flat breads) and good service. Their hand cut fries are exceptionally good, but so is the red cabbage slaw. I hoped for a more "boutique" selection of wines by the glass, but hey, if they want Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, give it to them. Good selection of beers, including mcrobrews and a nice crowd of 30 - 40 somethings to look at. A nice alternative to the younger crowd that leans towards Poor Phils.
(4)Meg X.
I had the duck appetizer, the goat cheese burger, and the cobbler. The duck and burger were just so-so, but the cobbler was disgusting. The service was great, the ambiance was nice, but overall it's not a place I'd be excited to go to again. Next time I'll just go to Poor Phil's.
(2)Marie C.
My husband and I were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated at a table we requested. The drinks are great. The food is very good with large portions. The staff looked like they were very hard workers. In the booth next to us, a customer kept complaining about every little thing. Every little thing. Even that parsley was on her plate and that her grilled salmon was grilled! After two drinks I wanted to tell her to shut up already because I had admired her grilled salmon as it passed my booth. Well, she demanded the servers name. (It was an older waiter that works there.) She stormed up and complained. I had the same waiter and I think he did a great job. He was attentive and got our order correct and was friendly. He did nothing wrong. She went on and on and on about everything. I wonder if I can get a refund for my meal because of another customer Lol. I hope the waiter doesn't get into trouble because of her. Anyways, I didn't give five stars because the food was warm but I like it piping hot.
(4)Cam s.
Welcome to TGIFridays - a very expensive, over-priced TGIFridays! It is a shame what they did to a classic place that was Philanders. TVs everywhere, over-priced food for the atmosphere, bad music blaring from the speakers. As for the food, it was just OK. Nothing that I would ever crave and have to have again. I had the Goatee burger because I read a review of it, and my companion had the beer-battered walleye. As far as the burger, it was big, with a big bun (would have been better on a pretzel bun or egg-bun). I ordered it medium (supposed to be pink and juicy), and it was bone-dry. It came out almost immediately, which tells me that it was pre-cooked and all they did was re-warm it to serve any way the customer ordered. A typical trick in any fast-food restaurant. However, this is not a fast food restaurant. It is supposed to be upscale, and it has the prices to try to convince you. For burgers, I would rather go to Goldyburgers. At least they are made to order and fresh fresh fresh. On a positive note, the walleye was very good, with a light batter, but again, a gigantic bun to make you think you are getting a huge portion for the price. The service was OK, very rushed at first, then we were forgotten about. The Friday night that we went, it was not crowded at all, not even at that wonderful bar. I am all for restaurants reinventing themselves and remodeling. The new booths and tables looked nice, but they were sort of cheesey and cheap. None of the tables were solid and wobbled, and the chairs also were wobbly. The booths had a TV right there on the table. Really? Along with the other million TVs, this place was awash in a blue glow. Not a very relaxing atmosphere. The new style of the place appeared nice, but it was much nicer when they had live music. Much classier. Very relaxing, and the wait staff really knew how to take care of their patrons. The only redeeming value left at this place is Joe the bartender. He has been and still is the most amazing barkeep I have ever met. Joe, we will miss you, as we see no reason to go back to Barclay's. If you want sports bar and pub grub (at a better price), I would say the better bet is Poor Phils, on the other side of the building!
(1)Laura T.
Came back & everything was very mediocre. Fried calamari may has well have been onion rings--served with bbq sauce...weird. Burgers overcooked & very unflavorful. Hopefully it was just an off night.
(3)SuAnne L.
Nice atmosphere, big bar, good-looking menu. Our fried calamari was average, the blue cheese stuffed olives were good. Everything else went downhill from there. Waiter was inattentive, entrees -- rib eye and chipoltle chicken sandwich were mediocre. The plates appeared as if the food had been thrown on them. This indicated poor kithcen management . Firday and Saturday feature half off their reserve wine this where the average price was $200.00! We usually give a restaurant two chances, but when my husband became Ill afterward, we will not be returning
(1)brady j.
First of all, I would like to address the "single star" reviews, because they're just not reviews. This is not Philanders. Philanders is gone. Yes, it was a great restaurant, but you can't give Barclays a poor review because it's not Philanders. Barclays however, is a welcome addition to the area. I would definitely NOT classify this as a sports bar, or even a bar in general. There is a bar, there are TVs, but those have always been there. The food is good, atmosphere is casual and comfortable, staff is friendly and professional. I will definitely be back much more often. Who could possibly say no to beer battered bacon for Gods sake?!
(5)Beth F.
I am staying at the hotel and work late most nights, so I've been here twice this week. Of the items I've tried not one thing was worth what I paid. The French onion soup was close but the cheese was burnt and the taste permeated throughout the entire bowl. The pork tenderloin was good but the sides were cold. The eggplant is really a plate of melted cheese with a tough sliver of skin-on eggplant. The best things so far are the $2 pints of Miller Lite on Mondays. Because I am here most of the month, I will continue to test the menu in the hopes of finding something that tastes as good as it costs. I'm not holding out much hope. That's too bad because the place has potential. The atmosphere is very nice. Thank goodness I'm on an expense account. I wouldn't want to waste my money on this place.
(2)Thomas C.
Made a reservation for Saturday after the Beer extravaganza and wife and I were lucky enough to score outside table. Per my previous review, I am a big fan of the Prime Rib and what better way to soak up the suds? Now, Server did warn me they were down to the end cuts which she said were medium/Well ... but what arrived at my plate never should have left the kitchen. This was well-done to be certain, probably would be too well done for those who order well done. I didn't eat most of it and am sorry for what I did eat. I was warned, so did not send it back, but memo to self (and anyone else who loves the prime rib here) DO NOT ACCEPT THE END CUT WHEN THEY SAY THAT'S ALL THEY HAVE LEFT. Rest of the meal was fine, coconut shrimp were very tasty, wife ordered two sides, her brussels sprouts were superb. Will go back, and will order the prime rib again ... just ... well, you get it.
(2)Amy B.
The food was good overall. We had a family dinner there, full course with salad, an entree of our choice and gelato for dessert. The salad was great with various proteins and avocado. We got chicken, prime rib or salmon for entree. Chicken was a bit dry, prime rib was ginormous but some was cooked more rare than we wanted. The salmon I had was seared and seasoned perfectly. Garnishes were excellent. We raved about the sweet potatoes. Dessert came in 3 different flavors for guests to choose from. Each was nice and comforting. All in all, I would order the salmon again, but not so much the chicken. They do serve you half a chicken, so portion size is def great for the hungry.
(4)Allison M.
Wide-ranging and mouth-watering menu with lots of good options for vegetarians, pescatarians, and meativores. I had the shrimp pesto pasta, which sounded great and the shrimp was indeed cooked perfectly! But the pesto had about quadruple the oil it needed. And the shrimp to pasta recipe was just a little, well, shrimpy. My fiance had the fish and chips, which he really enjoyed although again there was a LOT less fish than chips! Almost everyone else had the prime rib, available on Fridays and Saturdays, and seemed to enjoy it. One other menu item worth noting; my dad ordered the winter sangria which was really great... Exactly what you would hope a 'winter sangria' to taste like. Fruit, wine, and the holidays! The music playing here was really loud but when we asked them to turn it down they did.
(4)Harold D.
Checked into the Carlton late Thursday night and wanted to get a quick bite. We split the calamari which was average, the waiter suggested the heirloom tomato, pesto and burrata salad which was not very good the burrata was dried out the cherry tomatoes were not heirloom and the pesto tasted as though it came from the local grocer. We finished off with the mini sliders which were tasty bar fare the deco is dated The drinks were generous which is the best thing I can say The name and look from the sidewalk made expect much better, the overall experience left us wanting
(2)Livvy O.
This was my second time coming here. First time was happy hour with co-workers. I tried the brussel sprouts which were yummy. This second time was more formal with sit down. I really like this place. The food is good, I got a soup of the day which was a bit too spicy for me and fish tacos which were good. I like that they put the whole fish on there instead of chopping it up. As far as drinks, I had one of the ciders which was okay. I prefer Angry Orchard. Lol Overall, the service is always good. Everyone is very pleasent. I love the hotel lobby area. It's a very beautiful hotel.
(4)Lukas S.
We came here several times when we lived in Oak Park! It was within walking distance from my apartment, which was nice because the drinks are strong! It's a fun atmosphere! The prices are middle-of-the-road and the selection is diverse. We always had good service and good food! I am always a bit leary of restaurants attached to hotels...but this is a definite hit!! Check it out!
(4)