Elk Grove's At Work Sports Bar a welcoming place to play
Pool tables on one side. Foosball and video gaming on the other. And a room-length bar underneath flat-screen TVs. At Work Sports Bar & Grill in Elk Grove Village feels like the ultimate man cave, but it's the kind of suburban hangout most everyone can appreciate.
<b>Motif:</b> Despite its strip-mall location, At Work Sports Bar & Grill maintains a homey feeling, neighborhood-gathering-spot vibe. The decor screams “sports bar” with a row of flat screens high on the wall over the bar and the far wall covered with Chicago sports teams logos and banners. In between are tables and stools, which were filled on our midweek visit with a diverse crowd watching college basketball, hockey and NBA games. Patrons thirty-something and older were enjoying sports, chatting over drinks and participating in the weekly Wednesday trivia night contest. You get a “Cheers” feeling after hanging out in here for a while.
<b>Food:</b> At Work's menu features your typical sports bar staples, and anyone visiting after a long day on the job will find a variety of appetizers, burgers, pizzas and sandwiches. There are also a number of vegetarian-friendly options, including several salads and the option of substituting a black bean patty on any burger at no charge.
Some of the more eye-catching menu items include a grilled cheese made with four cheeses and a pineapple teriyaki burger. When it came time for our group to order, though, we stuck with the usual sports bar fare and went with garlic Parmesan fries and the Top Shelf Nachos, tortilla chips with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and charred jalapeños and paired with sides of salsa, sour cream and guacamole. Let's just say both plates were empty in a short period of time.
<b>Liquid consumption:</b> A fairly extensive beer list features the usual as well as plenty of unusual sports bar selections, including Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin and Krombacher Weizen. If you're more of a wine person, there are plenty of reds and whites from which to choose. At Work also carries a number of hard ciders as well as hard lemonade.
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Service: </b>During our visit, most tables were full and no one looked like they were waiting long for food and drinks. Our orders were delivered fairly quickly and, even if you do have to wait a bit, you can try your luck at video gaming consoles or get in a quick game of foosball or pool.
<b>Crowd:</b> The weekly Wednesday night trivia contest may have helped draw a larger than usual crowd as people hovered over plates of food, drinks and trivia game slips. If you're going for trivia, get there when games start at 7 p.m. to score the most points in trying to win prizes. Our group arrived after the game started, but we mounted a furious comeback. Credit goes to one table mate for knowing former tennis star Boris Becker's nickname - “Boom Boom.”
The diversity of the crowd is also worth noting. It was nice to see people of various backgrounds, ages and walks of life all in one room enjoying themselves and having a good time. The place has that “everyone is welcome” feel.
<b>Parking:</b> At Work is one of those places that you can easily drive by if you haven't been there before. It's in a strip mall on the north side of Higgins Road (Route 72), east of Arlington Heights Road. There's plenty of well-lit parking, but finding the front entrance can be a bit of a challenge for newbies. We went all the way around to the right of the jutted-out building before realizing the front door was to the left.
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Overall:</b> As At Work Sports Bar & Grill grows a loyal following and finds its niche, it's sure to become one of the better local places to meet up with friends and to catch a game.
At Work Sports Bar & Grill
1190 E. Higgins Road, Elk Grove Village, (847) 871-9490,
Hours: 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday