Rock Island Public House

Gonna be hard to beat this place. Food is where its at!! Very welcoming place. Good specials, free pinball on Wednesdays, and did I mention the food?! We had the guacamole, Cuban sandwich, crab ragoon, (my fav.) and the mole enpanadas. We'll definitely be back. Oh.. amd really good long islands, too.

This place makes you feel like you're at home, no matter where you're from! Friendly for all ages of bar patrons, the pinball is a plus too. If you're ever there ask for Dominique, his cocktail 🍸 game is on 🔥🔥🔥

The espresso martini is delicious. They used cold brew from a local café and it makes the perfect drink. Food is also so delicious. Had a pizzapuff that was a special on the menu and, I need 10 more. Great spot to hangout for a bit as well. Looking forward to going back.

Wow! This place is amazing. The service, the drinks. Everything is on point with this gem. Downtown Chicago is great but please, please make the trek to Blue Island and visit Rock Island Public House. They make you feel welcomed and are pouring the best craft beer and mixing the finest cocktails. Very comfortable and friendly, even when they are slammed with a crowd. It’s like a ballet watching them work the bar. This place is unmatched.

This place has a great vibe. Definitely worth checking out. Excellent beer selection with an amazing variety of food. They have a whole wall of pinball machines and a large beer garden.

me and my bestfriend went to retroz pizza (which was a disappointment) and decided to just walk around and stumbled upon this place. we were unsure if we wanted to go in, but im glad we did. we love it! and we have been back once a week since lol Dominic is a beyond amazing bartender! a real bartender! he remember our names and fav drinks after the first night. His drinks are A1, taste good and gets you where you need to go lol he was the reason we kept coming back until we had the food. the food is amazing! they have a weekly collab with the kitchen for a one night only dish and drink pairing. maybe for a limited time im unsure. music is rock which is not for me, its loud enough to hear but low enough to drown out. they have free pinball machines on a certain day, and something else on Sundays. they have a large outdoor area w/ a few outdoor games. i hope they have bonfires in the fall, they definitely have a space for it

The wings were supposed to have lemon pepper on them and they had NONE. There was absolutely No seasoning what so ever on the wings. The spicy mango margarita was really good. Not quite encouraged to make another visit.

The atmosphere here is cozy and inviting for nice evening out. I spent a date night here with hubby. The drink menu was impressive and the fries l, let me tell you those fries rock - never had better. We had a wonderful time and will definitely be returning.

Good local bar with good atmosphere. The food is good and the craft beer selection is very good. The cocktails are good as well.

I love this place. If craft beer is your thing, it's worth making a trip here. The bar is located on a one way street in Blue Island that has other bars and restaurants in the area with a real chill vibe. Met the owner (Dave) and he's super cool. He showed me their patio (which is cigar friendly - yay!) and their large selection of beer and whiskey. For food - they rotate between a couple of vendors, so depending on the day you could have Detroit style pizza (don't knock it until you've tried it) or tacos and other fare. Candidly I dug their thin crust pizza, but I don't think you could go wrong with anything. They do have a couple of TVs, but I spent my time on the patio. Also if you're a pinball fan - they offer a number of machines to choose from which is a nice touch. One more random point of information - they have a sour beer that tastes like Skittles. Give it a shot! Big fan of Rock Island, and I'll be back for sure.

Great food!! I got the bison burger and my brother got the chicken sandwich. We also got the nap buns and the fries - both spectacular! We had a lot of fun playing the pinball machines and the service was great. Look forward to coming back in the summer to use their patio.

The ambience is good. Drinks are good. The bartender wears a scowl on her sleeve. Horrible buzz kill!

Every now and again you walk into a space and it feels like you were meant to spend time there. This is the Rock Island Public House. It's a local Treasure and is worth a trip to Blue Island if you aren't local. Plenty of street parking when we went. Lots of special events and theme days or nights. Beer choices are varied and enough! Some food options that change depending on the day. Def worth checking out.

I'm all for dive bars and supporting local businesses, and I love Blue Island....however, that being said, I found this place to be a dump. Dirty. Not friendly. My lavender lemonade with a splash of vodka was $9, and my two tiny tacos were $15, come on, this is Blue Island. I did like the wall of pinball machines, but just didn't like the vibe in this place. Too bad, I've heard a lot of great feedback on this place.

First time coming to this place , I had a great time ! I ordered some tacos from the kitchen "Don Fidel" tacos they where pretty good !! And I washed it down with #10 Warpigs . I'm a happy Customer!

Nice place with alot of charm in a not so well known city for any charm. Pinball games are in great condition and they have some CLASSICS!

16 different taps of beer, a kitchen, pinball machine and free jukebox. Went with Allagash White and Ohio city Oatmeal stout. When I go back I want to try the food. Cool movie posters in the restroom as well. Think it's really neat when a bar has a retro beer can collection. I always look for the Point Special cans first because it's the beer I drank in college.

Want to have waitstaff walk right past you? Come here. Terrible service. Came here with my family on a weeknight. It was slow inside, not busy at all. Regular locals seated at the bar. Every table was open. We like to support local, which is a real shame about this place that I even have to write this review. But the staff is absolutely terrible. We walked in and stood there for 15 minutes waited to even be acknowledged. Bartender would look at us and look away. Nobody came. Just stood there like statues for 15 minutes. What a shame. Went to open outcry instead in Beverly. As soon as we walked in we were greeted & sat. I guess this blue island establishment must be killing it financially to not gaf about their customers. Go somewhere else. Seriously. Support local elsewhere.

I love and frequent RIPH. I must say though it's not the same without Mike hence 4 and not 5 stars.

We had a nice time at Rock Island Public House. My husband and I had planned to go to Mario's Tacos across the street for dinner, only to find that it had been closed- so sad. So, we walked across the street and were pleasantly surprised. RIPH has a unique, hipster vibe with locally sourced beers on tap and old school pinball machines lining the walls. The bartenders were friendly and informative. The wait staff was accommodating and efficient. We ordered three dishes to share- decent sized plates that lent themselves well to our plan. The Uncle Sexy's Bourbon Habanero Fried Chicken Drumsticks were very good. They had a nice sweet heat and good crunch with a juicy inside. The Slowpoke Rodriguez Quesadilla was a pleasant twist on a classic with soy chorizo that was tasty. The Southside Serrano Poppers were slightly underwhelming. We did not try any of their pizzas but I would definitely go back to do so. Prices were very fare, and the relaxed vibe where you order at the kitchen window for food or the bar for beers was fun. I think this would definitely be a good place to meet friends for beers and a bite to eat!

I've stopped in twice now and both times have been great! My boyfriend lives local and has been here a few times before but we both love the spot. Everyone, staff and patrons, have been extremely nice and welcoming. They have a good craft beer selection as well as your typical cocktail. Inside, they have pinball machines and a jukebox. They do have a kitchen but due to the timing of me going, I've arrived as it has been closing or when it is already closed but I've heard good things. Outside, they have a lovely patio area along with different games, such as giant Connect4. They do also have outdoor music from time to time as well!

Was exploring my neighborhood and stopped by here for a bite to eat. The food was not very good. I had the ranch chicken wrap and it was very dry, not sure if it had ranch. My partner had the steak sandwich it tasted like canned meat and cheese on bread. The drinks were expensive and mostly ice. The staff is very hands off, wasn't a super friendly feeling place. Probably won't return. The establishment is cool on the inside tho and they have nice outdoor seating.

This bar is neat. I look forward to going back. Rare beers and cool vibes. Old western tea sports you to sone place else.

Amazing place! It's like a hidden gem, that you'd not think much about passing by but once you're inside, you'll become a constant visitor. The rotating craft beer list on draft is never disappointing and the vibe and personnel will make you feel that much more welcome. And if it couldn't get much better than that, there are pinball machines and photo booth. Definitely recommend.

A friend of mine had been telling me about this place for about 2 months. I finally made it out to B.I. and checked it out. I LOVE IT!! So much to look at, read, play and drink. I'm not a beer drinker but I did sample the Coconut beer - it was like a dessert but not too sweet, almost like a coffee. The owners are too cool and friendly. They really made a special place in that little corner of the world. They have a kitchen now. I got the pimento cheese platter and it was excellent. They also had fried chicken w/sage waffles and sausage pizza. (didn't try but heard was awesome) To the owners: I wish you guys continued success and laissez les bons temps rouler!! CHEERS :)

WAITING, ON "PINS" & NEEDLES Following the conclusion of the Black Friday Ball in nearby Marionette Park, I decided to stop by the nearest business where I could get my pinball fix. RIPH popped up on the Pinside database as having 6+ pinball tables, so the choice was easy. I walked in and saw that they were hosting a holiday event for charity, which was nice. They were doing a toys for tots donation, though the bouncer was cool when I came in empty handed. I made my way over to the bar and waited for a beer. And waited. And......waited. And waited some more. A solid quarter hour passed before one of the bartenders finally took care of me; the 15 minutes was even rougher since I was parched and my earlier buzz was wearing off (oh the horror of sobriety!) The Bret Michaels look-alike barkeep tapped an Allagash White Ale for me at the standard price of $6. As I made my way over to their rather impressive lineup of pins, I noticed one thing right away: none of them had cupholders! Any barcade worth its salt should know better than this, because the alternative is either A) setting your drink glass on the ground, underneath the table, or B) setting it behind you/off to the side/out of arm's reach on some random ledge. Unsanitary not to mention unsafe. Tables were for the most part in okay condition: Elvira and the Party Monsters, South Park, (a gorgeous) Pirates of the Caribbean, Playboy, Jurassic Park, and Mata Hari, an older machine. Most were 50¢, the newest model (Kiss) was $1.00. Replays were set very high, which surprised but didn't deter me. Gameplay was pretty good overall for the tables I played. Rock Island Public House is a decently cool place, but much to my dismay I was told that they don't have an on-premises kitchen. The lack of drink holders for their seven pinball tables is kinda jank (considering that having holders bolted on is the norm nowadays), it took forever just to order a beer, and the clientele was almost entirely townies. All that said, I was on the fence about 3* or 4*. But the bottom of the receipt printout had an amusing note that made me chuckle juuuuust enough. It said: "oh sh*t, the holidays are coming!!" Funny stuff, so I'll give RIPH the benefit of the doubt. If the bar/food situation was better, I'd return. Unfortunately, Blue Island is way too damn far for me to come back to just for pinball and a beer that may or may not take an interminably long time to procure.

RIPH is a great hidden gem in historic Blue Island. They've gotten creative and have begun offering Free Drive-In movies Fri/Sat. during the Covid Pandemic. The free Drive-In accommodates 10-12 cars and is 1st come, 1st parked. Friendly staff, Mike and Ashley greeted us and gave us the low down on the drive-in. 3 large shipping containers that are heated with each having picnic tables. There is also a patio with fire pits, still, I'd suggest dressing warm if you're easily chilled (like me). As always, they have a great craft beer selection and have added hot mulled wine and irish coffee, plus the usual bar cocktails. An onsite pop-up caterer (Butter Upon Bacon) provides a rotating menu which is not to be missed. We had Chicken Gumbo and Espresso Hot Coco Cake for dessert. Both were DELICIOUS. So if you're looking for something to do, check out RIPH and support small businesses! They are following social distance guidelines and have plenty of hand sanitizer.

I stopped by for a date night and woah was I blown away! Starting with the menu the food was great! Tried Mexican hot chocolate made with mezcal and it was amazing. Flavors blended really well. On top of that we got posters for the movie feature which was Donnie darko. Over all I will be back sooner than later to see what else they have to offer. Great people great food great drinks!

My last review of a stupid 2016 goes to a place I first came to in 2013. I should say "omg how have I not reviewed this place yet??? Lolz". But I hate people who say that shit. I don't come to Rock Island as often as I'd like, because Blue Island is far south of everywhere in the world. But I'll be damned if this place isn't dope. And their formula is really simple: fantastic beer list, & a fun atmosphere with minimal amount of fuckboys. That's not to say a fuckboy or two don't come here once in awhile. Hell, I can tell just by the other reviewers of this place that a few fuckboys have been here. Rock Island doesn't have a kitchen, which I'm fine with. It allows it that restrained ambiance that I enjoy, and allows drinks to be the focal point. Take your ass to Maple Tree Inn or the Mexican restaurant across the street if you're hungry. If you're still a child at heart, they have pinball machines and board games. This pimp game is all the game I need though. They have a jukebox that still plays CD's. That's compact disks. Even I almost forgot what it stood for. It's funny they once thought they were "compact". I digress. I've never had a problem with the service. In fact a few of the dudes that work here are really cool. Definitely should be accredited with hidden gem status. A must whenever I'm down this way.

AN ACTUAL GEM!!! I absolutely LOVE this place!! I have ZERO complaints. I seriously feel like everyone should check this place out. It's my go to spot to take people when they visit me on the south side of Chicago.

This is my favorite bar ever. I host little events here with friends such as Galentine's Day and Friends-mas. It's a nice, chill place to hang out with friends, have a couple beers, and watch older movies. We caught up on Roadhouse the last time we we're here so that was neat. The owners are amazing as well as the bartenders. I love that they open their kitchen on Fridays and Saturdays and have the menu switched up every month. I also love that they host events such as Brunch Sundays, yoga Saturdays, DJ Fridays. I've never had a bad time here and I've been coming here often since 2013.

This place is amazing. Friendly people, fun atmosphere, great staff, and the food and drinks are WELL beyond anything we were expecting. The old fashioned was perfect, the I am fully convinced that duck confit should be used as a condiment far more often than it is currently. Try this place, you absolutely will not be disappointed.

Love this joint. Especially the strange encounters Saturday night iykyk... MEZCAL!!!!!!

We went for the first time to check out their drive in set up and it was so fun! Very well organized and the beer selection was great! The owners were super nice and the inside seemed like a lot of fun, so we're looking forward to coming back to check out another movie or to enjoy the inside set up when the COVID days are behind us

Friendly staff. Tried a couple craft beers all were good. Has a few old fashions, great taste. Had a good COVID re opening procedures. Can't wait to stop back bye.

Love this place. I went here for a baby shower and loved the place. I'd never thought about a bar for a baby shower but it was so much fun and open bar. I'd love to plan an event here except for street parking only.

Warm and welcoming atmosphere, impressive and clearly curated craft beer list, fantastic mixed drinks, the best jukebox I've seen in years, a wall of pinball machines, a friendly and knowledgeable staff, outdoor patio seating, and great food from the Butter Upon Bacon kitchen (attached). My new favorite place!

Pricey for the area. Great selection of craft beers. Batman pinball was a lot of fun.

I love this place! Cant wait to go back when all this stay at home crap is behind us. I really like it. The only drawback is that I have to uber. Beer is potent!

Probably the only craft beer bar in blue island, and most of beverly for that matter, always has a great beer selection, that changes often too, it has a cool vibe, isnt too expensive, has board games and pin ball machines and TVs, its pretty damn awesome, ive only been there 3 times, but would love to go more

I've been here several times and will keep coming back. The beer is great and the cocktails they make most bars don't have. Their is also a large selection of pin ball which is really cool, and they are for the most part kept in good condition. The owner is a good guy and the bar has an overall down to earth atmosphere.

Now that Broadway is open again from the railroad construction it has again become one of my shortcuts through this area. And on the corner of Broadway and Olde Western is this gem of a drinking establishment. Its a double store front plus an outside area. Western Avenue is really old here because they spell old with an 'e' at the end of it. Run by a husband and wife team. She is from Blue Island while he is originally from New Orleans. I finally stopped in and checked them out. Why you should come here: Atmosphere. The buildout shows that this place is not just a business but a labor of love. Beer. Lets just say they know their beer as you probably gleaned from the reviews and photos of the business. They owners asked me what I liked and I left it up to them to pick something and they did a good job. I wound up with beers from Smuttynose and One Trick Pony breweries. Juke box. Probably one of the best juke boxes in the metro area. Go ahead, choose Cure for Pain by Morphine. This place is definitely a cure for pain for what ever may ail you. Maple Tree Inn and Mario's Tacos are nearby so you can make an evening of it. Bottom line: there's life and good beer outside of downtown Chicago. Downtown Blue Island is a nifty place. Five minutes away from the I-57 exit at 127th. Or you can just buy a house here so you don't have far to walk from the Rock Island Public House.

Oh, Rock Island. Considering this was the last stop on our little area pub crawl, I was nice and drunk by the time we got here. However, from what I can remember, I actually really liked this place. The worst thing about it? That stupid pinball machine. How can one possibly suck at pinball, you ask? You can't, unless you have the unfortunate luck of having the ball go straight down the center EVERY DAMN TIME. That was me. I gave up and moved on to another game. At least the bartenders were nice about giving us quarters. Solid enough beer menu, whatever wine I had hit the spot and they had a clean bathroom. I really can't ask for much more. Much bigger space than I was expecting with a nice patio on the side full of picnic tables. The only thing that threw me was the door, as I didn't believe that was actually the door to go inside. If you're down the street eating or plan on being down the street for food, do yourself a favor and walk on down to this bar.

I must admit I was a bit skeptical because of the businesses that have tried ( & failed ) to survive here in the past. The Hubs stopped in one night with one of his friends and told me it was worth a shot. When we walked in I was immediately relieved. The place had an open floor plan and it was very clean! You could tell (& smell) some major renovation took place in there. Brand new wood floors added an amazingly clean feeling in the place. Plenty of beer on tap for you to choose from along with some interesting whiskey. Friendly, informative staff on hand adds to the coolness. My favorite part? Well, other than the beer of course, there were pictures (which of course I uploaded ) in the women's bathroom that cracked me up & made my whole night. Priceless! So. If you are in the neighborhood, give it a shot.

Wow....Seriously! This bar exceeds my expectations. Once you set foot in this place you'll know why... The bar is gorgeous!! Exposed brick and ceiling beams, historical art work, an outstanding juke box, delicious wine and local booze, and the beer on tap is excellent. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. There's a warm comfortable feel, plenty of seating, purse hooks on the bar... I can go on and on. I'm thrilled to have such a gem of an establishment in Blue Island. There is a parking lot and a beer garden too. Definitely good times to be had here! Cheers.

Absolutely Love This Place! As a craft beer lover I am happy that they have a large tap selection. I get to try beers that I wouldn't find in any other bars around the South Side. The two bartenders I have met (Rudy and John) have been extremely helpful and make us feel welcome every time we are there. My only beef is that It's not closer to my house so its not easy to get there as much as I would like, but maybe that's better for my pocket. Great Service, Great Beer, Great Atmosphere, so go here and Drink Better!

I threw my sisters wedding shower here and it was perfect! Jen was professional and flexible with our needs for the space rental, and most of all friendly. The drinks were cold and delicious, and the bar has a chill, fun vibe. I got so many compliments on the venue choice from people of all ages. If you're looking to throw an event that's not the typical banquet hall party or want to have a drink in a place with a welcoming atmosphere, Rock Island Public House is your spot.

This place is the best addition Blue Island has had in years. RIPH is such a fun bar, with an amazing tap list. The staff is knowledgeable and they make some amazing mixed drinks(try the Bloodies on Sundays). It's definitely on the pricey side, but overall it's worth it. While they don't have food, they do have some weekend bites like hot dogs and tamales. They offer many special events per month like yoga, trivia, pop up craft shows, brunch, and much more. Definitely take a trip here and even to the other great bars on this street. It's very worth it.

This is a very nice place with an outside sitting area and pinball games. Lots of parking. The drinks are a good price and not watered down They have lots of sitting room at the bar and lots of tables. Unfortunately they don't sell food.

Great craft beer experience in Blue Island. Cool northside vibe and 16 beers on tap. 7 pinball machines and football games Sunday on the TV 's. Come check it out, you won't be disappointed !

I had this place bookmarked for a while and remembered when we were in the area. We were looking for a place to get food and beer, so we decided to drive over and check it out. At 4pm on a Saturday, the place was empty. I have a feeling that it gets packed later. There is a ton of beers on tap and the bartender was great - knowledgeable and helpful. I don't know a lot about beer, and usually just order what I know and like. He recommended something to me (don't remember the name) and it turned out to be great. Two of my friends got the beer flights - which is a great option. They had this chocolate mint stout that was incredible. So, the place does not serve food, bummer. But, they had menus from all the places up and down Olde Western in which you can order from and bring in. Mario's tacos is directly across the street, so we ordered from there and brought it over. The place is just cool. They have several pin ball machines and a few old school arcade games. They also had an assortment of board games (Life, Risk, Connect Four, etc.) that you could help yourself to and play. This is a place I would come back to and if you are in the area, be sure to stop by!

We stopped here after a great dinner at The Maple Tree Inn. This place was awesome. The bartenders know there stuff. I told them what I was looking for and they gave me a brew that was terrific. I had the Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yellow Pils. I wish we could have stayed longer. I thought the prices were in line with other brew houses. I felt like a 20 something hipster at The Rock Island Public House. Then I looked at my watch and realized it was 10 pm and we had to be headed home to take care of the babysitter. Back to the reality of a 45 year old married father of 3.

Pinball, old school juke box with great selection, craft beers, cool staff. Roadhouse DVD playing on the tv's Sweet. Bummer its way out of my area.

Even though this place is down the street from my parents' house, I only recently checked it out for a friend's birthday party. Little gem in Blue Island! Great bar with a large selection of craft beers, without the city prices. Loved the exposed brick, chalkboard, and filament lighting throughout the bar. There is a separate arcade area too and my husband loved their juke box selection of music. They currently do not serve food but you can cross the street and eat some fab Cajun food at Maple Tree Inn, grab some Mexican food across the street at Mario's Tacos or have food delivered to the bar such as some Guiseppe's Pizza which is just down the street. Sometimes it's difficult to find a good meeting place with friends on the south side while residing in the city, but this place is a perfect meeting spot. This bar is only a short walk to the Metra Rock Island train. I hope this bar is the spark to start revitalizing this area of Blue Island!

Hands down the best craft beer tap list on the southside. The staff is great and the space is nice

The place just opened but my hubby and I are already fans. A fun vintage feel enhances the enjoyment of a truly spectacular spread of craft beers. Tuesday night the offerings ranged from a Belgian sour to saison, ambers and IPAs, to an 'English old' style of beer. Best yet, a rocking good (and weird) mix of music on the jukebox opens the opportunity for many interesting conversations. Motörhead, Louis Sullivan, Warren Zevon, Devo, Regina Spektor, Reagan Youth and Blondie are but a few of the representative offerings. ------------------------ Update 2/12/2018 One of my favorite bars on the planet. It helps that it is local, but I'd love it even if it weren't. ;-) They still have a fabulous collection of beers on tap that is on a rotating basis. Check the website for the constant updates. The bartenders have been there forever and know the beers and the crowd well. If you want heavier spirits there is quite a collection of boutique liquors available (including, imho, the awful Malört! To each their own!) They've added a fine collection of vintage pinball games and have quite a collection of board games to play around with while enjoying your beer on a quiet night. They have also expanded their outdoor patio, which is lovely most of the year with planted hops and a good view of the Rock Island line with it's frequent trains in full view. They have propane heaters out there to expand its comfort range. People use it for a smoking terrace year round.

I love this place and wish I lived closer. The bar is clean and the bartenders are so friendly. Drinks are good and the craft beer selection is great.

Great craft beer selection. Bartender was friendly and able to give recommendations based on my group's tastes. Only downside is that they don't serve food. However my group was able to have Guisssppe's pizza delivered there which was nice. And bartender gave us plates.