Hawthorne's Backyard

A great place to eat. We (wife & I) attended a fund-raiser for a local park district. The team at Hawthornes Backyard provided a fantastic luncheon for the friends and families in attendance. Approximately 200 attended the event. The main course was smoked pulled pork, which was fantastic. I would highly recommend this establishment, for a great casual dining experience.

Found this great neighborhood restaurant while out traveling. Menu was full of great options but went with Thursday night special which was a rake and half of ribs and pile of fries. Highly recommend the ribs! Great service and cold beer. This is worth a visit.

Updated: I appreciate the quick response and taking ownership. We can chalk it up to a misunderstanding. Great place to go when the weather is nice. Food was good and Noemi was a great server. The bartender (Sunday 6/1) was rude on two separate occasions. First was when I walked into the bar area and started heading towards the server station. She said "Hey! Where are you the going, that's the server station. Outside is over there. I apologized and told her it was my first time there. The second time was when I was walking my 6 year old son in to go to the bathroom. I walked through the bar and into the dining room. When I came back into the bar looking for the bathroom she said "The bathroom is over here and there is a huge sign, I don't know how you missed it (as she pointed at it)."

Go! If the weather is great and you like being outdoors, then this place is for you. Good drinks and tasty food. The outside has music, bags, adult beer pong, volleyball...so cool. Our group drinks and the appetizer sampler, curds, and Caesar salad...all were very good. The inside is smaller and darker....just meh. Go outside and have some fun!

I hadn't been here for a couple of years. Went today to listen to a band. There were a couple of fundraising events going on, so facility was packed. There are multiple gaming areas available; sand volleyball, bags,etc. Despite large crowds, staff was busy attending to needs of attendees. Would seriously consider this place for future fun/entertainment. Parking however can be challenging when busy.

It just happened to be a very windy and cool evening to be outside so my review is based off of this. They have no outside heaters for the chilly nights, which for a place that has all the stuff outside to do is sort of weird. Our party was freezing the whole time so we could've had a much more enjoyable time if the weather was better.

I recently visited Hawthorne’s Backyard, and while the outdoor area is admittedly very nice—with games and space that’s perfect for both adults and kids—my experience was completely overshadowed by the behavior of the management and staff. I was sitting on the patio, enjoying the beautiful weather, when things took a turn for the worse. The manager suddenly began yelling at a large group seated nearby. I was close enough to overhear him swearing at them and then kicking them out of the restaurant. The whole scene was shocking and embarrassing for everyone in the area. From what I could see, the group was completely unconfrontational and seemed very kind. Even the kids with them were polite; I heard them saying “excuse me” and “thank you” as they walked by my table. Unfortunately, the situation got even worse when a waitress started yelling and swearing at the same group. The entire episode was handled terribly by the manager, who came across as a hot head and was unnecessarily rude to people who didn’t deserve it. It made it impossible to relax and enjoy the atmosphere, and I genuinely felt bad for the group that was targeted. Based on this experience, I will not be returning to Hawthorne’s Backyard. There are plenty of other places with nice outdoor spaces where you don’t have to worry about being subjected to such unprofessional and uncomfortable behavior.

Great food, service, and atmosphere. The blackened salmon salad was delicious! There is always music and games going on here. They have family feud, bago, volleyball, etc…neat outdoor space too!

Its been awhile but Hawthorne's looks to be back on their game. I ordered a full slab rib dinner, pulled pork sandwich and brisket dinner for a birthday dinner. They did not disappoint. Going to consider trying fish fry again.

Ribs are fantastic and smoked. Prices are reasonable. The outdoor patio has great places and activity for kids and is great on warmer days to eat on the patio.

Overall nice neighborhood restaurant and bar, burgers, bbq, fries, the usual. Service is nice but can be slow at times even when they're not over busy. Food is okay nothing fancy or wow factor. The draw here is their outdoors is like a giant backyard with tons of outdoors games and a playground for kids.

The food here was very good. Went here on a Saturday at 5 with 11 men. We waited less than 30 minutes to be seated- very fair for a group this large. Our waitress was hustling- she did a great job. The outdoor atmosphere was very unique and fun! I absolutely recommend Hawthorn.

Awful service. Our waitress was nice, but the guy running the food to help her was nuts. He was screaming in our ears the food orders and scared everyone at our table (small kids). Then he dropped the food everywhere (instant karma). They did absolutely nothing for us to better the situation, but continue to tell us they have been having issues with him for over a week now! Why would you tell us that and then let him continue to work and bus our table when we are still sitting there?! No way we will go back. Food was blah anyways.

Went to see a band but it got rained out. Stayed to have lunch. Large portions. Fast service. I had tomato artichoke soup which was different but not bad. Friend had the chili which had a BBQ taste. My southwest salad was excellent. Friend's Woodsman Nacho with pork was very filling. We'd go back again and hopefully hear some music.

Had a great time here, food was good and staff was friendly. The outdoor patio is large and inviting, it does feel like you're in someone's backyard. It's surrounded by trees and backyard games (bags, giant beer pong, playground, etc.). There are 2 large tents that were hosting private parties. Wings $14.25 - 10 wings, sauce or dry rub option, only 1 flavor per order. Tasty, lightly breaded and crispy on the outside. Ribs $17 - Fall off the bone meat. There were 2 choices in soup that comes with the entree, I went with the tomato artichoke and it was good. This came with 2 sides, I chose smash potatoes (which is just fancy mashed potatoes) and apple cobbler (which is just sliced apple cooked in sugar covered in crumbles). They were ok, I would have preferred fries or tots, which are also option for the sides. Coors Light Draft $3.50 Bags for the corn hole game are available at the inside bar with a picture ID. .|\---/| | o_o | .\_^_/..2022

Hosted a large baby shower in one of the outdoor tents this past Saturday with a pig roast! The food was amazing! The tent area was perfect & beautiful. The staff is always wonderful from the waitresses & bartenders to the cooks & servers. The owner & his wife are wonderful people too. I can't say enough about the people at Hawthorns, the service & the place itself. All of our guests had nothing but great things to say. We were very happy with how everything turned out! Martin & I thank you all!!

This is a nice, hometown place. The decor has a cabin-type of look with paneled walls and wood chairs and tables. There is a volleyball court and outdoor picnic tables and a traditional bar. We ordered a variety of entrees from soup, fried shrimp and blackened grouper. Everything was well prepared and delicious.

Lou, this place used to be the spot with exceptional service. As of late, quality has dropped way off. My bartender was Brenda and she was pretty rude and inattentive. Food was cold and below average, only good thing was the drink. I would hear the bartender and servers talking negatively about their tables in front of other guess. I get it,crappy customer are everywhere but don't let other customers hear your conversation. Over all i wouldn't recommend to this bar to people anymore unless you get some servers that seem like they actually enjoy being their. It's really Too bad, this place used to be great

We went there last week after a round of golf at a nearby course. We were sitting at the bar, a couple of us had menus, and one who did not asked the gentleman behind the bar if we could have a menu. He gruffly said, "well hello to you too", and threw a menu on the bar for us. Perhaps he was preoccupied but nonetheless, we were the guests. The food was good, but the service was less than the quality of the food.

My family and I came here after a few people recommended it. The pros: Large outdoor seating area with games and ambiance. Definitely a fun place to grab a few drinks and listen to music, play trivia, toss some bags, etc. The cons: probably the worst food I ever eaten at a restaurant. I ordered the Half Backyard BBQ Chicken for $18.50. The description states tender juicy dry rubbed chicken served straight from the smoker. Comes with two sides and soup or salad. I ordered the artichoke soup not knowing that there would be pieces of soggy bread/croutons within. The soup did not look appeasing, and wondering why soggy bread pieces would be inside. I didn't eat the soup. The main course was the chicken listed above. For my sides I went with the smash potato and steamed vegetables. The chicken was very rubbery lacking any flavor with a strange aftertaste and dry. The veggies were okay as it's hard to mess up frozen veggies. The potatoes had a strange film over them. Judging on the texture and temperature food it led me to believe that the kitchen heated up my meal in a microwave. I hope I'm wrong, but I know some places still incorporate a microwave in their kitchen. Our server was very friendly, but lacked knowledge of the food that was offered. She didn't really come check up on us, but in her defense it was very busy. Lastly my family member ordered a beer upon arrival and it took 40 mins for it to be served. They offer a large menu with plenty of different options. In my opinion this restaurant would thrive if they reduced the options of what they serve and focus on quality over quantity. In closing I will never return here again. I was very disappointed with my meal which I paid 20 dollars for and barely ate it. If you're looking for a fun place to grab a drink then this is the place. But I would avoid their food.

Great place with exceptional service! We came in with. Group of 18 of us and though they had a private party they made sure to take care of us. We were sat quickly, and the services was even better. It was a great place for us to take our baseball team after a tournament!

Have been wanting to come here for a bit and finally made it out. The building seems almost cabin-like, with an outdoor seating on one side and the main indoor seating/bar on the other side. It was dark, but I know from pictures there is more on the outside. Walked in and was immediately greeted by a very friendly hosted us who gave us our pick of tables. The place had great music playing in the background, which was loud enough to be heard but not so loud that you couldn't carry on a conversation. Loved the interior woodsy decor and it was decorated with Halloween decorations. They offer a number of nightly drink and food specials and have events as well. Menu has a variety of options including wings, sandwiches, burgers, salads and entrees with a decent amount of sides. Prices are about average. Server came fairly quickly, but was very unfriendly, not even introducing herself. She got our drink order and apps and then was gone a long time. She came back to let us know the drink we wanted wasn't available, so we opted for her alternative old fashioned. It took a bit for her to come back and take our orders. Salads arrived first and I didn't care for the vinaigrette, so I waited for her to come back to get a different dressing. That took quite a bit of time, but was worth the wait. The creamy garlic was to die for. Salads were decent sized and the garlic was thinner than the thick mayo-based garlics that most restaurants have. It was light, but with a powerful flavor. Our appetizer was the bacon parmesan pretzel fries, which were pretzel bites covered with parmesan cheese, with bacon/green onion in the bottom of the dish with a side of dipping cheese. Pretzels were soft and chewy, flavor was great and the cheese was a great for dipping. For the entrees, we went with the BBQ Beef Brisket dinner with bean and cole slaw and the half slab of ribs with beans and mac n cheese. The bbq sauce was on the sweeter side, the ribs were fall off the bone, the brisket tender, everything was moist. The cole slaw was in a creamy sauce, also more sweet than tangy, delicious flavor and the mac n cheese was super cheesy with no runny sauce. More like a mass of curly noodles in a mass of cheese. The beans were also on the sweet side. The hostess, the busboy were both fast and friendly, but our server just seemed like she didn't want to be there, wasn't friendly, never asked how our food was, if we wanted any drink refills (she missed out on a bigger alcohol tab because of this) and was not around much. Even at the end, we had to ask the hostess for our check and pay her. Our waitress never came back and was super inattentive all night. We would definitely go back again, hopefully we have a different server or that server is better.

Came here on a Friday night around 7pm for hub's b-day. Pro's: got seated quickly inside. Some of our meal was good. Con's: Had to ask for silverware and napkins, A/C was blowing on our table even though it was only 70 degrees outside (so-so ambiance), our drinks got low or empty and had to constantly look for where our server was to get refills. I had to ask where my cup of soup was as my husband had already finished his salad. Overall, we just had a not too attentive waiter unfortunately, but it appeared he had a larger party to take care of as well. Hubs got the ribs + burnt ends and he would not get their burnt ends again. I got the fish & chips, but probaby would not get again either. Overall, it wasn't the best dining experience, but clearly many people eat here, though maybe the fact that it was easy to get a seat at prime, dinner time was telling. Would we come back? Probably for just a drink or maybe try something else to eat. Waiters there definitely need to be more attentive and check on their tables more frequently to ask if anything is needed.

Arrived at 4:50 pm on a Saturday evening with a group of 4 for dinner and drinks. Were not allowed to go in the dining area which was empty, but were allowed to go to the bar area and order food. Very crowded bar and quite noisy. The bbq ribs were excellent. The cole slaw was nice, potato and salads were ok. The service was hit or miss. One great server, another was worthless. I would return

The food was excellent as usual. Got the pork chops and they were perfectly cooked. The service was excellent.

Sat outside by the toasty fire and had drunken gummy bear cocktails. I thought I wouldn't like the drink, but it was not too sweet and the gummy bears rocked!

Very disappointed in a policy that our group of 8 was not aware of until our waitress informed us she had to put our bill on one tab. We asked if she could divide into two checks, and she refused. Asked if she would check with the manager as a one time exception. Never heard an answer until we received our bill of which all items were on one tab with a 20% gratuity! We would not have given our waitress 20%. As much as we enjoyed the place, we have no plans on returning due to this experience.

Here for a conference, wanted some bbq . All I can say is very disappointed, lacked flavor , the "elote" corn was just butter and a little seasoning. I had to go to my hotel and use actual seasoning to make this descent to eat . A majority of the brisket was very chewy . I will say the smashed potatoes were okay . The waitress was very nice and got my to go order together fairly quick.

Really good food and good specials. Would definitely visit again. Great outdoor area in summer. Also seem to have lots of events I have yet to had a chance to experience.

First time we tried it got seated quickly but waitress never showed up so we left. Second time we tried it the mixed cocktails were very weak. Went up to the bar to get a shot and they wouldn't sell us one and this was the only round we had ordered.

The food was delicious, the atmosphere was fun. The service was SO BAD. It took over 20 minutes to get one drink and we were never offered another. Someone else brought out the food. After our meal, we had to go inside to the bar to pay the bill because the server NEVER returned!

OVERALL A GREAT EXPERIENCE!!! Food tasted great...and large portions for a good price! Drinks were tasty and decently priced. Service was the best I have ever had in my entire life! Kelly S was so kind and attentive. Patio was clean and comfortable. 10/10 all around!!!

We love Hawthornes! not only is the food amazing and the atmosphere the best.... They have the best staff. The staff truly cares and is attentive to their guests always making it such a pleasant welcoming experience. special shout-out to Kelly Studt who goes above and beyond every shift for her fellow employees and guest! She's a rockstar manager and one of the many reasons I'll keep coming back for more!

Came here for a private event and it was so amazing. The bartenders were so sweet and we had a blast dancing and playing the backyard games they have!

Great concept but last two times the service was terrible. Food is just ok. They don't do separate checks for groups over 6 so if you are doing a group night out it's inconvenient........so pick some place else, we even asked if our party of eight could just do three separate checks....not eight checks but just three .."NO ITS ON OUR MENU." HONESTLY ITS NOT THAT HARD. We can go,to places like chilis and order and check out on our own....dont even need a server which is perfect if you,have servers like this. Dont think we will go here again. Looking for new places for,our group of 8-12 people to meet monthly. (Glad they don't need our business).

Great place, attentive staff, quick service, great beer selection, and best of all great food! Come for the lunch menu, discover all the "events" they can and do host. This is a bar; nice folks; not necessarily for "delicate flowers", but if you're the same kind of "salt of the earth" crew you'll find here, come enjoy this place; everyone is welcome here.

We visited on a weekday for lunch. Our server was wonderful, and our food was excellent and a great value.

I'm convinced that there is not a better backyard bar in the suburbs of Chicago than Hawthorne's Backyard. This place is fantastic! Now don't get me wrong, inside is nothing special; just your normal bar-bar (as opposed to a sports-bar). It's actually a bit uninviting. But the outside patio is the complete opposite! Not only is it expansive, with TONS of seating options, but there are activities galore! The night I was there they had a beach volleyball tournament AND trivia going on! Needless to say it was crowded (but not uncomfortably packed). In addition to the friendly and lively atmosphere, the menu had a little bit of everything and the service staff was on point. The food as well had my taste buds just as excited as the rest of me. To say that I enjoyed my visit would actually be understating it: this place is a blast!

Their. Wings. Are. The. Best. I don't know what kind of magic or sorcery they are using to get the wings this crisp but...approved. We order wings from them every week and they are consistently delicious. It's a fun spot to go to, the outdoor patio is very nice and sand volleyball tournaments are a good time.

My husband and I just got married there on 10/8/22. We rented one of the tents and it turned out beautifully. I was highly impressed with the staff responsible for our wedding. They did an awesome job keeping us on schedule. We had so many guests compliment the wedding and how well organized it was. The food and service was amazing! I highly recommend planning your wedding or a special event here, you won't be disappointed! They made our day so special and we are so thankful to Lou and there wonderful staff! Thank you! Matt & Heather Murrie

This place is amazing. Wait staff is always happy and helpful. Keep up the great work. Barbecue ribs are the best !!!

Wow this place is so cool! We had no idea what to expect but pleasantly surprised by the size of the outdoor and the amount of activities! Volleyball and tons of other things going on. We didn't partake but it was fun to watch. We sat at a bar outside in the back and had the slab and half special - SO amazing!

Excellent service, good food, fun atmosphere! We played bags and hung out by the fire after dinner. Drinks are nice, healthy pours. There were 2 parties going on, but our service was still attentive and pleasant. Looks like a great place to have a party'

Outside filled with bees. I have never seen so many bees. We started catching them in cups. I would not recommend booking the outdoor area for any event it's pretty miserable.

Not only have I loved Hawthornes from when I was a kid growing up in West Chicago! It was the PERFECT place to have my wedding. Lou, Heidi and Kelly did fantastic and helped make my dream come alive! Every question I had they answered and were able to accommodate so much! Heidi was in CONSTANT communication with me and was able to give advice and help me through the whole process. Her suggestions were so helpful and she helped during the ceremony and reception. I could not have done it without them. This place treats you like family and has amazing service! When my husband and I went to pick up our things the next morning we were planning on taking 2 trips and Lou let us borrow his truck that is how amazing and friendly they are! WE LOVE YOU HAWTHORNES! Thanks for making our wedding the best day of our lives(: not to mention EVERY guest couldn't stop talking about how fun the venue was and there was something for everyone to do, wiffleball, volleyball, giant beer pong, bags, dancing, and more! Everyone was able to have fun the whole time!

I really like this place. It has a fun energy about it even though it is still the covid world. Our server was super friendly with great service. I started with the cream of gnocchi soup that tasted home made with kale in. My dinner was grilled salmon with a baked potato with all of the fixings and coleslaw. The salmon was a nice size piece cooked just right. The sides were tasty. My husband got the pork chops with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. All was really good! They have a lot options on the menu besides BBQ and different kinds of homemade drinks. I have been here a few times and never disappointed. I definitely want to go back when the weather is nicer and sit outside. So glad they made it through the covid shutdown.

I usually don't like BBQ, but there is something about Hawthorne's brisket that has made me a fan. I find myself dreaming for this delicious meal.

In a nutshell, my two 6 year old and 8 year old daughters went to the women's bathroom while I went to the men's. Two older girls video taped them attempting to go to the bathroom underneath the stall tonight. I can only estimate their ages at being slightly older; maybe 10 and 12? Our daughters went back to the table and immediately told my wife who ran back inside so she could identify the girls and pinpoint exactly what happened. After hearing our daughters' story, we told our waitress what happened, who then brought over another manager who was identified as a waitress because they were short staffed for the evening (it was very busy). We explained to her what happened and we were assured that their hostess and other staff would be made aware of the situation and watch to ensure that they would not re enter the building. Within 15 minutes, the hostess sat the two girls and their family immediately next to us, without acknowledgement nor explanation. My daughters were completely uncomfortable with the situation, as they asked us to leave several times. When they were sat next to us, our eldest daughter started crying. They were worried that they would get in trouble for telling us. This was heartbreaking as this is the direct opposite of how we ever want them to feel after sharing such as incident. Our waitress, whom we never saw again after initially alerting us finally came back to the table where I gave her my card to pay. As we left, my wife decided that she needed to say something to the waitress/manager who initially heard our grievances. I was very upset at this point and interjected to her that we had eaten there 5 out of 7 days and that we were "done with the place," due to the indelicate way that our evening was handled. We decided to contact the restaurant and speak with the head manager (maybe owner?) after we put the girls to sleep, as we really had positive experiences up until this point, however, we wanted to give them a heads up as to why we were frustrated. Lou began the conversation explaining to my wife that it was wrong when I made my comment that we would not be returning to their restaurant. Throughout their conversation, he was almost obsessed about this talking point. When she tried to redirect the conversation to the fact that my young daughters felt unsafe during our evening, she was stopped by him multiple times to iterate how busy the restaurant was that night, how they were unable to keep up with customers, and provided half apologies as to what exactly happened from their side. He told my wife that we should have directly confronted their parents regarding the matter, because "that's what he would have done." I'm trying to keep this review was factual as possible as it is fresh in our minds. Up until this point, this was our new casual restaurant to go to, as we have just moved to the area last October. We have had nothing but positive experiences there until tonight, and just thought we'd let y'all know what happened. Their blackened grouper sandwich remains one of the best and freshest sandwiches I've had in a long time, their ambiance is like a Hawaiian luau where everyone seems to know everyone, they have daily drink and food specials, however, the safety of our young girls is paramount above all else. Hope this review helps.

Love this place! Great bar and grill decor and atmosphere. Warm and welcoming inside with an amazing outdoor patio, bar, and game playing area. So reasonably priced for what you get, which is excellent food and great service. Lou & Lea have created such an enjoyable environment that we can't wait to come back and tell others about it! See you there! Steve & Chris, Wheaton

Food is okay. Service has been subpar all 3 times we've been here. I tried so hard to like it because the atmosphere is pleasant, but they need more experienced servers.

Lia the bartender/ owner is always on top of her game taking care of folks at the speed of light always with a hello and a smile, the place is amazing inside and the outdoor space and live music is incredible, great drinks and specials and fabulous food and service.

Avoid this place. Forgot my 3 yr olds order. Took my daughter's barely eaten baked potato while her restroom break. Didn't bother to adjust the forgotten order even when it finally arrived I just said, box the stuff up. My subtotal was $66 and $74 after tax and THREE PERCENT CREDIT CARD SURCHARGE. Guess what? She ran my card for $148. Yeah, double. I waited another five minutes for them to square it all and even after telling her I was shocked she didn't adjust the mac and cheese, a bill for full. Whatever. You all suck. This was our first and last and I will tell anyone that will listen to avoid this tick bug haven under the trees... I killed two on my table as I ate... not a single bug repellent device to be seen. Eat inside you say? closed for a private party. Hope the bride doesn't get Lyme disease tonight. Good luck.

Good food and service nice value. Atmosphere is welcoming and enjoyable. I would recommend to people who want a good neighborhood experience.

I think this is mostly known as a neighborhood bar but the restaurant is not to be overlooked! Went twice with family and all the food was great both times (except maybe the bacon garlic parmesan pretzel bites, which were good but could have blended the ingredients better). That Cookie Monster dessert lives up to the name. Waitress was friendly and attentive both times as well. Restaurant is a little quiet but deserves to be busier.

The tomato artichoke bread soup here is simply delish. Who thinks to order soup at a bar?!?! Well... me. And I have 0 regrets here. Not to mention that our server was absolutely awesome. The vibes are immaculate and I can't wait to go back. Especially on bingo nights!

We are moving to West Chicago soon so we wanted to check out the local fare. We were not disappointed. We came for dinner on a Saturday night during covid. The staff was great. They were following all precautions. The dining room was large and they spaces guests out. Our server was Eric and he was fantastic. Quick, helpful and funny. We ordered a lot because we love leftovers. Everything was great. From the Italian wedding soup to the taco egg rolls, to the mac and cheese brisket, ribs and carrot cake! Fabulous! This will def be one of our new spots! I forgot to add, their WINGS!!!!! OMG! I was over here eating Jewel wings, nope, no more, these were the best!

Love love loveee this place! The vibes/energy are amazing, definitely if you're looking to have fun with your friends and family. They have games, live music, and comfortable seating. The food and drinks are great along with the staff, our server was so nice and attentive!! 100% recommend !!!