Unique bars pair drinks with bike repair, haircuts, jewelry shopping

Sure, nothing beats a cold beer on a hot day or a refreshing cocktail after work, but sometimes the usual bar routine just gets boring. Why just sit and drink when you can also shop, get your bike repaired or even get a haircut?

We found some unusual bars in the suburbs where you can do just that and more.

Grassroots in Barrington

What more could you ask for? Grassroots in Barrington is a general store, a clothing store, a barber shop and a bar all in one.

“A lifestyle brand is what we are,” owner Todd Rhodes said. “It's a venue. We have retail with posters, apparel, a full-blown skate shop, barbecue sauce, pickled vegetables, a sandwich bar. We have a full stage and a barber shop called Chopped and Hopped.”

The bar has 30 different kinds of bourbon and also serves beer, whiskey and wine. Their popular drink right now is the Rastarita, a frozen margarita made with rum instead of tequila.

The bar also offers live music from local bands Thursdays through Saturdays. Every Friday is open mic night starting at 8:30 p.m.

“This is everybody's store, so you walk in here and it feels like it's been here for 100 years,” Rhodes said. “We offer people what they're looking for. It's a home away from home.”

<b>Hours:</b> 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, noon to 10 p.m. Wednesday, noon to midnight Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday

<b>Location:</b> 211 Park Ave., Barrington, (847) 650-5478 or facebook.com/grassrootsbarrington

Alley 59 in Barrington

Down the street from Grassroots is Todd Rhodes' other store, Alley 59.

Alley 59 might look like just a vintage resale shop, but it has a hidden gem.

“It's a dive bar meets antique store,” Rhodes said.

At the back of the store is a bar with a pool table, a pinball machine, a jukebox, a popcorn machine, board games and TVs.

“It doesn't look like a typical bar,” Rhodes said. “It's not as threatening, and it's a great place to throw a party.”

Rhodes said there's plenty of seating and if you happen to like the piece of furniture you're sitting on, or any other piece of furniture, you can buy it.

“Everything's for sale,” Rhodes said. “If something is bought, we throw something else in there.”

<b>Hours:</b> 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday

<b>Location:</b> 107 E. Main St., Barrington, (847) 650-5478 or facebook.com/Alley-59-Tavern-1505995253041876/

Main Street Outfitter in Wauconda

Bob and Cari Berrelez wanted to bring their love for triathlons, music and people together, so they decided to open Main Street Outfitter, a place where patrons can listen to music and grab a beer while getting their bike fixed. While the bar is now under new ownership and in the transition process, the bike theme still holds true. Other than bicycle repairs, the bar also offers bike, kayak and snowshoe rentals and live music.

“People like the vibe,” new owner Tammy Harmon said. “It's a comfortable place for everybody to hang out. Nothing exotic or fancy, but just a down-to-earth little bar.”

From the outside, Main Street Outfitter looks like a house. The main room houses the bar and bike shop while video games and darts have their own rooms.

Currently, the bar has four beers on tap, Miller and Budweiser products and seven different wines. In about six months, Harmon hopes to add live music four days a week, a full bar and a kitchen that will offer simple foods such as soups, salads and paninis.

<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

<b>Location:</b> 513 S. Main St., Wauconda, (847) 526-7433 or mainstreetoutfitter.com/

K. Hollis Jewelers in Batavia

A wine bar inside of a jewelry store is not something you hear of every day. But when Karen Hollis, owner of K. Hollis Jewelers in Batavia, did exactly that, it wasn't for people to make impulsive decisions.

“The first night that we opened and kicked off the bar, we did sell a lot of diamond things, so we thought people were going to come back and return them,” Hollis said. “But they didn't, so that hasn't been a problem at all. We know our customers very well. Just 30-something-year-olds coming to hang out.”

Hollis initially just wanted a liquor license to serve alcohol at parties and events, but after obtaining a full liquor license, she decided to build a bar - it currently offers wine and beer.

Couples can sip on wine while shopping for jewelry or patrons can leave their significant other at the bar to enjoy a drink while they shop. Hollis said that it's all about the experience, and “the wine bar is just another extension to adding an experience to the store.”

“To put a wine bar in a jewelry store. There's nothing like that in Illinois,” Hollis said. “To be a little different, original is all we're about.”

<b>Hours:</b> 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The wine bar is open whenever the store is open.

<b>Location:</b> 147 S. Randall Road, Batavia, (630) 879-8003 or khollisjewelers.com/

Pepper Park Coffee in Barrington

“Wind up and wine down with us.” That's the motto at Pepper Park Coffee in Barrington. During the day, Pepper Park Coffee is your local cozy coffee shop. But from 6 p.m. to close Thursdays through Saturdays, the coffee shop turns into a wine and tapas bar.

“We only started this a couple of months ago,” Pepper Park manager Raj Choudhary said. “It's a new experimental idea for the area.”

The wine bar offers American-style tapas, cheese and meat platters, wine and local craft beers.

The lights are dimmed and candles are lit to change the ambience of the coffee shop to a bar.

“It's a different atmosphere, not like a noisy bar,” Choudhary said. “It's a relaxed setting.”

<b>Hours:</b> 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The wine bar is open from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

<b>Location:</b> 22000 N. Pepper Road, Lake Barrington, (224) 848-4913 or pepperparkcoffee.com/

Blarney Island in Antioch

Known as the “Key West of the Midwest,” Blarney Island brings the party to Antioch.

“We are the only bar that is located in the middle of a lake,” owner Rob Hardman said. “A mile offshore.”

Although the bar is located in Antioch, it was annexed into the Conch Republic and offers a taste of those college spring break days on just a normal weekend.

The only way to get to Blarney Island is by boat or helicopter. If guests don't have their own boat, they can arrive via the Blarney Island shuttle service.

They offer bar food and fruity island drinks like pina coladas, mai tais and strawberry daiquiris.

From rock to EDM, they offer a range of live music, and they often hold events such as Blarney Gras, their version of Mardi Gras that they hold in the summer.

While the bar is open to patrons of all ages during the day, only those who are 21 and older are allowed after dusk.

<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday

<b>Location:</b> 27843 W. Grass Lake Road, Antioch, (847) 395-3804 or blarneyisland.com/