Every time we visit the delightful town of Long Grove, Illinois we enjoy a meal at the Village Tavern. This old fashioned eatery and saloon was established in 1849 and is so much more than just a local restaurant. The Village Tavern is a merchant of art, furniture and other folksy knick knacks as well as host to an array of lively musical entertainment. In fact, you can purchase a piece of artwork right off the walls at the tavern and even the tables and chairs are for sale! And, six days a week the Village Tavern features piano tunes, sing-a-longs, open mic night and great live music by popular local bands.
The tavern even presents their very own singer and pianist; Roger Pauly. Pauly has penned TV and radio jingles for many famous franchises including McDonald’s. And he has worked with many renowned musical personalities like: Jerry Lee Lewis, Chicago, Crystal Gayle, Alicia Keys and Fats Domino.
While enjoying Pauly’s “Big Easy” style melodies, you will notice that the interior of the eatery is bathed in dark wood tones with ceiling beams, stocky furnishings and stained glass light fixtures. Generous windows provide a natural brightness and views of the charming downtown shopping district. And an elongated bar area invites patrons to partake in a cocktail while tapping their toes to catchy tunes. Customers can also rent “The Speak Easy” room for private parties, showers, business meetings and more.
We always start our meal at the Village Tavern with the restaurant’s savory cheese and cracker basket blended with bacon bits and a dash of sherry for $6.95. You can also choose from an assortment of other tasty appetizers like: onion rings, chicken wings, potato skins and toasted ravioli stuffed with cheese, sausage, artichoke and spinach.
For our main course, I usually order a good old cheeseburger. The Village Tavern makes them plump and juicy and offers many flavorsome toppings such as: bleu cheese, bacon, grilled onions and more. Our other favorite meals include: steaks, pork and lamb chops, shrimp, ribs, tilapia and orange roughy. Entrees are priced between $8.00 and $20.00. And to cap off your home cooked meal, consider a delectable Beer Mug Sundae for just $5.95.
The Village Tavern in Long Grove, Illinois also boasts several daily specials like: all you can eat crispy broasted chicken on Wednesdays, a family style fish fry every Friday and succulent prime rib on Saturdays. The tavern is closed on Tuesdays. For more information, menus, daily specials and entertainment schedules, log onto www.villagetavernoflonggrove.com.
