Dukes ‘n Boots

Attentive, friendly staff. Live music. Cute decor. Nice patio. I think the best fries I've ever had. It drives me crazy when spots serve their fries unseasoned. Not only were they seasoned here, but there was some kind of special seasoning on them besides just salt and petter that was amazing. (Please tell me what it is so I can get it at home!) The GM Alexander and the bartenders took great care of us. Even the Bus Boy was cool.

Will try to come back. I respect what they are doing..and like a lot of it. Mac and cheese, Yes! Coors on tap?! Yes! No place even has Coors in the cooler let alone on tap. My biggest issue right now and I do not give criticism lightly.. The fries taste like they were outside in an open air freezer for a month. and the chairs...have. got. to. go. First week. No problem. But not a first restaurant. Again, chairs/stools. Feels intentional to make me leave in less than an hour.

Decided to have my bachelorette party here last night on 10/28. We had a party of nine. Our waitress, Ambrosia, was absolutely amazing. Very attentive, and kept our drinks filled. The general manager, Alex, was very friendly as well and made sure we were taken care of. Food was absolutely amazing! I got the footlong corn dog with fries. Would definitely come back here again!

Came here with my family for a Friday night meal. The wait for a table wasn’t awful, but we waited over an hour to get our food. Mediocre is too kind to describe this food. I had better meals at Willoughby South High School. Nothing is fresh and actually looks like it sat out in the open for a couple of hours. I for see a food poisoning complaints in the future here. They also ran out of glasses and started taking ours off our table. Beer selection is just generic. Go to Spirit down the street. Better Food Better Beer.

Disappointing experience. Food was mediocre, at best. Tasteless smash burger, and heavily breaded fried green tomatoes. Chicken was nothing special. Staff was polite and serving time reasonable. Place was relatively empty at dinner time on a weeknight.

Macaroni and cheese and cornbread were good. Chicken was tasty but a little dry. But what really gets me is the pickles. We ordered a jar of pickles and were given a cup of pickle chips...how did they mess that up...I just figured the menu was misleading until I mentioned it to friends who recommended the pickles and they said they got a jar of pickle spears, not a cup of pickle chips.

Third time here and it has definitely improved. Food is significantly better and as is the service. Our server Alex was perfect from start to finish, they made excellent recommendations, kept our drinks filled, cleared our plates once we were done with them, and gave us boxes before we even needed to ask, he definitely kept on top of it especially for a Saturday night! Highly recommend requesting Alex whenever you stop in! Overall, a huge improvement from our last visits. Looking forward to coming back and trying brunch next!

Audra was a terrific server!! Drinks were served fast and perfect. The food came out super fast and piping hot. Had the fried green tomatoes and they were terrific! Split a crispy chicken thigh sandwich and more than enough for 2. It was excellent. Marko the cook came out of the kitchen to say hello and see how everything was. Yes it was perfect Glad we tried this place and we will be back!

I only read their menu before they opened and decided the menu was crap. No need to walk in there for a high priced drink and bad food. It's a bar in America, stick to that...... they were all over the place with that menu, half sit down restaurant 1/2 small bites but it was a bar and only room for dancing drinking and not a place to sit down eat ribs. lol but ...... there they were. It didn't last long. Think people think. What am I ????? A unicorn or a fish?

Stopped by after walking around downtown Willoughby. Had the cowboy quencher and it was delicious! Our server was really nice. We arrived at 5:45 and were able to get a few happy hour drinks. I live fried green tomatoes and have some of the best on the south. These were definitely contenders! They were the right consistency and not greasy ! The dipping sauce was perfect ! My daughter and I split the smash burger and it was great for two. Plenty of burger and toppings. Her boyfriend had wings. The rub was excellent. You didn't even need the dipping sauce. But the sauce was good too. (Smoking hot sauce) Definitely would come back and recommend! PS. The manager I think his name was Alexander. He had the perfect mustache and outfit for this country themed bar. Well done !!!

Did you know that ambrosia is a dessert with marshmallows in it. It's also the name of a rock band. Most importantly it was the name of our awesome server at Duke's and Boots. I was really kind of disappointed with all of the reviews because the general rule of thumb is you don't review a restaurant right after they open you give them time to get their feet wet and figure things out. So that's what I did I gave it 6 months and then wanted to try it. Parking in downtown Willoughby can be challenging sometimes but you can park at the bank right adjacent to the restaurant as long as it is after banking hours. I confirm this with the restaurant they said it was cool. It was not that busy for a Saturday night and there was live music setting up we were there about 6:30ish. I was afraid that the reputation of the reviews had gotten to the place already. But again our awesome server said that a lot of people come there a little later to drink and that was totally true My wife and I started out with just a couple of beers and the menu is simple and not convoluted. Being as some of the reviews were for fried chicken I wanted to try the fried chicken. There really aren't very many good fried chicken places around so I figured I would give it a shot. I got the three piece fried Chicken breast thigh and drumstick. Ambrosia the server said my wife should get the chicken tenders which she did. We had been to this place when it was a burger place a couple of years ago and the restaurant was now in the process of enclosing the back bar and wrapping it for the winter which is a fabulous idea. It's really not that big inside but if you have the back bar as well it's more than comfortable. My wife got two different types of barbecue sauce a coffee barbecue sauce and then the house barbecue sauce. While we are waiting for our food which only took about 9 minutes we got another beer and again ambrosia was on top of it! I did order a salad as well even though they really don't have house salads on the menu they made me one for five bucks. My chicken came out in a little tin bucket and it was hotter than the surface of the Sun so I did have to give it a minute to cool. If you go there expecting to get fried chicken like KFC or Popeyes that is not what they have. It's not overly breaded. What it reminded me of was when I was a kid my mom would do the shake and bake style fried chicken and pan fried in a cast iron pan. This chicken reminded me of that. It was not overly cooked the breading was actually a seasoned very well. The chicken was not overly huge it was a good portion. My wife's tenders she got six of them and could only eat three and a half to maybe give you an idea of how big they were! They also came with shoestring fries. After I finished my chicken I could not believe what all of the reviews said because what I had was absolutely contradictory to most of the reviews. It was chicken that reminded me of home and of my childhood. At that time I happened to see the head chef come out of the kitchen and get himself something to drink. I did flag him down and we talked about it. Apparently they have made a personnel change in the kitchen and now he is the boss of it which I'm 100% fine with because he makes kick ass chicken. The band started up about 8:00 and after a couple of beers that's when we finished and ambrosia brought us a to-go box and our evening was complete. I don't mean to my expert in fried chicken but I know what I like and I like this chicken big time. Our food combined with our incredible server really made our night. That plus the awesome country music was the icing on the cake!

This was the second time my wife and I have had dinner at Dukes N Boots. It's a fairly new restaurant in Willoughby Ohio. The wait staff is very attentive and on the ball. The interior is well decorated, and the bar is one of those long old-fashioned ones with the brass rail at the bottom They have a good selection of bourbon and depending on the bartender you may or may not get a good drink. The menu was basic with some really good things. Their wings are big and medium and very tasty. If you'd like, you could get chicken legs or chicken thighs dipped in your sauce of choice. One item I was really impressed with. Is there a chicken tenders and french fry entrée. For eight dollars you get five big ass chicken tenders that are well seasoned with a really delicious crispy coating. Their french fries are hand, cut, and have great seasoning on them. That's a little bit spicy. Another item on their menu that I've not tried is their foot-long corndog. Patio in the back that was closed but looks to be a fun place to come and drink on a summer evening.

A good menu for what it is. Bar and Grill? Love the fried chicken. Nice place for food and drinks with a patio out back.

Their fried chicken is the best! This is our spot for Browns games, they have great food and drink specials. We went there tonight for a bourbon dinner collaboration they did with Western Reserve Distillery. Food was amazing, drinks were delicious. Left there full and happy. Great job to Chef Dante, Kevin from western Reserve and the staff at Dukes n boots. What a gem of a place we have in DTW.

Great service, great food! We were there early enough to beat the hectic rush of the weekend crowd and loved the food and service. We will be back!

Just not good. The chicken game in NEO is strong & this was extremely disappointing. Server was great. Food not so much.

My mule was strong and tasty. Wait staff was friendly. The music and decor fit with the theme. Unfortunately the fried chicken had a hard skin in a weird way, and was barely seasoned. The mac and cheese tasted fake. I ate less than half, and I usually devour mac and cheese.

I thought the fried chicken was very good. I split a 6 piece bucket with a friend and it was more than enough. Sauces cost extra, so we only ordered the buffalo sauce, which was weird and too tomato-forward for buffalo sauce (felt more like a marinara). We also ordered the cornbread, which I didn't like as much; it was too sweet and had too many flavors going on. (And I say this as a person that loves both cornbread and jalapeños.) Otherwise the meal was good. We decided to eat inside the restaurant as it was a hot day and we wanted the AC, but I'd be interested in coming back to check out the patio and try more of their menu items.

Let me start by saying we are huge Dante fans, love all his restaurants until now. This was a big disappointment. Let's start off with the positives, corn bread was amazing and service was fine. Food quality is poor not the quality we have come to expect from a Dante restaurant. The chicken was overcooked. Way too much breading that was dark and hard. Fried Green tomatoes were bland. Braised greens was like 3 pieces of kale for $8, way over priced. Mac and Cheese was strange. We did tell the staff about our concerns, honestly I don't think they cared. We are very disappointed and we will not be returning. I hope they turn things around or this restaurant will not be successful.

Service was lacking. Didn't seem to have any experienced bartenders. The menu option for pieces of chicken implies you can order any type of chicken piece you like, breast, thighs, drums, but no, they give you what they want. Seems to say you get what they have leftover. Waited so long for a new place but underwhelmed. Now on a great note....the Mac and Cheese is to Die for!!

Newish bar, decided to bring my bachelor/bachelorette party here to check it out and the serving staff and management gave us such a hard time. Basically strip searched everyone at the door asking for ID's when it's clearly an of age party. I get trying to do your job but after you figure out the first few people are in their 30s you'd think they would get the point. They totally made my wife and I super uncomfortable and quite frankly very frustrated. We left before we even tried to order food. Wouldn't recommend this bar because of the service alone.

This is not a serious attempt to be a restaurant. We drove further than usual to visit a "Celebrity" chefs new place. Big mistake. To start they have a woeful wine list. They were out of the short list of wines. They also did not have the draft beers that are listed on the drinks menu. The food menu is strange for a "Bar B Q joint. The only Q was a half slab of ribs for $28. Other than that you can get a $14 hot dog. My cheeseburger salad and my wife's smash burger were pathetic. You can visit any neighbor hood bar and have better food and drinks for a lot less $$.

The cleanest bar/restaurant I've ever seen. Always great, friendly service. The menu is not very big, but the food is delicious and reasonably priced.

Cool atmosphere and patio. Ribs fell off the bone but the coffee sauce that come on them was not so my liking. Chicken sandwich was average.

Chicken is very good, fries are excellent. Service was friendly and prompt. Cool decor and good music. No downside at all.

Visited Dukes N' Boots opening night & was happy we did. The fried green tomatoes were one of the best bites of the night! And you have to try the fried chicken bucket. The dum dum sauce was our favorite by far. You can tell there are still a few kinks to work out - but that's to be expected for a new restaurant - but I would still recommend this to anyone. Love having a country bar so close to home w great live music! Can't wait to bring the pup to the patio!

The name says it all. Dante should consider doing what he does best, and this is certainly not it. This is a trendy, over-rated, overpriced and tasteless establishment. Wish I had something good to say about it. Would not recommend even though the flashy sign is adorable.

Nice decor and great service, but the food is just not good, at all, especially for the price. The bartenders seemed to struggle with mixing cocktails, just good at pouring beer.

Great vegetarian options! Fries, house-made pickles and cornbread were all spot on. Friends said the chicken was awesome. Such a fun cocktail list, and tons of craft beer. Atmosphere was a vibe, and the patio is one of the best around. Service was friendly, fast and helpful.

Although the menu was limited, the food was excellent. My wife & I split the 6 piece chicken and it was more than enough. All sides are extra, which is a bummer. We shared the fries and they were really good. Service was excellent. Tatum was our waitress and she was tremendous. Outdoor patio was awesome. I would have given 5 stars, if it weren't for the bees. They were annoying.

Have t eaten here since we went in twice and nobody even greeted us. Not busy at all. Went to the outside bar first (it was summer time) took forever to get a bartender to come over. They sure were having fun talking with other at the bar. Won't go back. It's sad we really wanted this place to succeed. If the service stays like this they won't.

Great scene on a cold Sat night. High energy crowd, food MUCH better than regular bar food, plenty of screens to watch playoff games, and great live music. Bartenders and servers kept things coming despite the large crowd.

The bouncers and manager of this bar questioned the authenticity of my ID to the point of damaging my real one. They wanted to be right so badly that they continued to bend and pick at my ID ruining it and now I have to go get a new one. I'm from Pennsylvania but the staff should be educated on all of the ID's and how to know if they're real or fake. Terrible staff behavior in my opinion.

Welcome chef Dante Boccuzzi to Willoughby! This is just what we need! Southern comfort food with a honky tonk vibe!

I wanted to love this place because I'm a fan of Dante's, but my experience there makes that impossible. The decor is cute, and our server was very nice, but she did forget our appetizer. When she brought it- friend green tomatoes- it was really just awful. Not what my party expected. The limited offering of fried chicken was a disappointment. Not great quality and pretty dry. Nothing special breading. The cocktails were very good tho. Our bill, including a good tip, was outrageous. We have no problem with pricey meals as long as they're good. This was not. Sadly, we will not be returning. I'm sorry to be negative, but I'd feel badly if another family wasted their hard earned money on an anticipated good experience.

Didn't know much about the restaurant but it was new to Willoughby and we set out to try. It was very disappointing. The staff was fine but the food was terrible. I ordered the fried mushroom and got an over fried burnt mess that I couldn't eat. My husband's fried chicken was over cooked and also burnt. The mac and cheese and cornbread were OK, but otherwise I would not recommend the restaurant.

Waited over an hour for our food. The fries tasted old, chicken was undercooked. They over charged us by $60 saying the menu & prices they give you, are the OLD menu. The mng did honor the prices on the menu but when we asked to see the NEW menu, there isn't one! $28 for 3 rib bones is outrageous! $15 for 3 pieces of chicken is outrageous! They do not give you a copy of your bill, they simply tell you the amount.

Horrible food. Chicken burned to a crisp. Staff nice enough, but I get the impression they know they are serving on the Titanic.

Best fried chicken? No way. The breading is so thick it falls off of the chicken. I had high hopes for this place but was very disappointed.

Excellent beverage and cornbread. Fried chicken was ok, but nothing to write home about. Fried green tomatoes had no flavor whatsoever.

I was super excited to see a new establishment in DTW with a country flair. I LOVED the decor and ambiance. Our server, Matt, was great. Two of my friends enjoyed the burgers but felt they were overpriced. I had the roasted vegetables in buffalo sauce. I love spicy food but this was so extreme that even I couldn't eat it. Brought it home and waited for it to tone down the next day. Drinks were incredibly expensive and mediocre at best. Possibly the worst margarita I've ever had. Fun evening because of the company and atmosphere, but will not go back or recommend.

Cool venue, otherwise nothing good to say about it. I sat at the bar, and was invisible to the bar tender. I'm not exaggerating when I say I sat there for 15 mins with zero acknowledgment of my existence, despite the fact that the bar tender was continually right in front of me. Once I finally did get service, all he did was point at me. I ordered a beer and asked for a menu. He got the beer, but didn't bring the menu. Eventually, someone else showed up and asked if I needed anything. I asked for menu, received, and ordered a 3-piece chicken. It was okay, but I've had muuuuuch better fried chicken. I grew up in the south. Dante should stick to what he knows and does well. Southern food is not it.

The food is expensive for Chicken. The fresh made to order cornbread came out cold. The butter didn't even melt. How is it made to order? The service was ok. And the venue was great. If they do not work on their prices and the food they won't be around long.

Was pretty excited to try fried chicken by Dante. Folks, it was not good. On the bright side, the cornbread was Awesome. The Cowboy Candy on top was delicious. Loved the pop of the coriander seed and it worked well with the sweet honey butter. I enjoyed the chicken wings. Not your typical fried chicken wings but had a nice flavor and texture. Not a fan of the Blue Velvet Sauce(just weird) or the Buffalo Sauce(tastes like spicy chopped jarred garlic). We did go for the fried chicken though and that was a huge dissapointment. The breading was super thick and hard. like, break a tooth hard. Very dark too and not the typical southern fried chicken seasoning. paprika and garlic powder was the main flavor. The service was great for being so busy and understaffed and the beer was COLD. I understand they are still working things out so we will be back to try the mac n cheese and ribs but unless they change the chicken my recommendation is beer and cornbread.

great food, great food prices, excellent service (thx Brenda)