Glendale Heights' Q Bar chances comeback with music, OTB
The spot at 2240 Bloomingdale Road in Glendale Heights was Q Bar from 2006 to 2010, before new owners converted it to Shark City. When Shark City was on its way out, the owner of Q Bar locations in Darien and Plano bought the space in April to bring the concept back to Glendale Heights. While the bar couldn't close for even a day to ensure the spot kept its OTB license, the new owner has been renovating the space and now is looking to bring customers back.
Motif: Renovations included adding new booths and a bar with glowing lights that can be synced to change color with the music. The space has 20 TVs plus a 30-by-20-foot projector showing sports, with booths equipped with sets so you can tune in to the game or race of your choice. The walls and ceiling are decorated with neon beer signs and sports banners, with a bit of horse-themed décor to tie into the OTB. A beer garden, open even during the winter to accommodate smokers, has its own bar decorated with Corona decals, plus big cabanas and numerous metal tables.
There are plenty of places to sit around the eight pool tables if you're watching a game or looking for a place to chill between turns, though some of them are moved out of the way to make space when the bar gets to be standing-room-only for concerts. Q Bar also has a VIP section set aside for big shows with an elevated view and projector screens. Along with the popular OTB, you can also test your luck with video gaming.
Food: The menu, similar to what you'll find at the other Q Bar locations, offers quality bar food, including hand-cut and breaded chicken tenders served with house-made barbecue or honey mustard sauce or tossed in any of the bar's wing sauces. Also popular are the burgers, with varieties including a south of the border burger topped with jalapeños, salsa and guacamole, and the Italian egg rolls, which are stuffed with Italian beef, giardiniera and provolone cheese. Q Bar also serves breakfast until 3 p.m. daily as a boon to OTB patrons coming in for early races.
Liquid consumption: The bar mostly sticks to standard cocktails and domestic brews, offering daily specials including $3 Fireball shots on Sundays, $13 Miller buckets on Mondays and $5 martinis on Fridays.
Crowd: The spot was very quiet when we visited Saturday night while the bar was still under construction and the night's band had canceled, but the owner says that the spot has been drawing in plenty of players for its pool leagues and solid crowds for concerts. They're also hoping that the new TVs will make Q Bar a destination for Blackhawks fans and that they can draw in more patrons with bags and dart leagues.
Music: Live bands perform most Friday and Saturday nights, with upcoming shows including Blackened on Nov. 14. DJs spin on Thursdays. When the weather warms up, look out for acoustic acts playing in the beer garden.
Parking: There are plenty of spots in the free strip mall parking lot.
Overall: The new Q Bar offers a casual place to play some games, place a bet and rock out.
Q Bar
2240 Bloomingdale Road, Glendale Heights, (630) 893-9346, <a href="http://q-barandgrill.com">q-barandgrill.com</a>
<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday