'Cool vibe' at the heart of Naperville's Empire
With its name in Broadway-style lights and a bustling, hip crowd to match, the industrial-tinged Empire in downtown Naperville is already making a name for itself. Though it touts burgers + brew under its name, this newer club serves up much more, including a retractable rooftop deck, three patios, a stage for live music, tap takeovers, open mic and trivia nights and the Empire Locker Club.
<b>Motif:</b> Empire has taken the historic spaces that once housed Italian restaurant Rosebud (which moved down the street after a 2010 fire) and the building east of it and completely revamped the venue in the vein of rustic meets old-fashioned industrial factory. From the gears in the logo to the metalwork designs on the outside of the windows to the bundle of old-timey incandescent lights hanging by the bar, the theme runs throughout the space.
“It just has a cool vibe,” says general manager Raffi Demerdjian of Empire, which was opened in July by the owners of Ballydoyle.
On a recent Saturday night, we were greeted in the two-story lobby, decorated in exposed brick and light reclaimed wood, and told we'd have a wait of about 30 minutes for a table (Empire doesn't take reservations). If you want to grab a craft beer or a mixed drink, head to the wraparound bar, which is set back in the open dining room. The only problem is a few of the wood high-tops and tables are relatively close to the bar, so there's not a lot of room for standing around if you don't snag a seat. The crowd was already two to three deep, so we grabbed two of the leather- and steel-trimmed lounge chairs in the small waiting area.
The elevated music stage sits directly to the right of the entrance. If you drop in when a band is playing, my guess is that the hostess will have a hard time hearing you.
In the main room, leather-backed booths along the south wall offer a picturesque view of the DuPage River while tables on the north side look out on busy Chicago Avenue. Flat-screen TVs showing sports hang above the bar, next to various bottles of liquor. More screens dot the rough-hewed walls. Small white twinkle lights framing the windows and running along the rafters add an air of whimsy in contrast to the many stark industrial lamps hanging from the black ceiling.
If the main room is too crowded, head upstairs to the glass-enclosed retractable rooftop deck, which would be a perfect place to hang out during warmer months.
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Crowd:</b> The vibe is decidedly trendy, with groups of 30-somethings to 50-somethings meeting up for drinks, dinner or to hang out on the rooftop bar. The crowd tends to get younger as the night wears on - it's 21 and older after 10 p.m. But earlier, there were a few families sprinkled in.
<b>Music:</b> While no live band was playing while we were there, rockers Semple, featuring Keith Semple of “The Voice” fame, is scheduled to take the stage at 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. Demerdjian said the plan is to schedule at least two bands a month as the turnout for live music has been very positive.
The soundtrack on our visit varied from pop to rock to emo to industrial, with the volume cranked up near the bar but more manageable once we were seated at our table.
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Liquid consumption: </b>There are 36 beers on tap, including local varieties such as Naperville's Solemn Oath, Geneva's Penrose, Lemont's Pollyanna and Half Acre, Off Color and Goose Island from Chicago. Plus, there's a menu section labeled On Deck, where a few specialty beers are available for a limited time. That's where we found Exit Strategy American Pale (Forest Park), which satisfied. The Stella Artois Cidre was a perfectly pleasant light cider. Empire also offers a full whiskey menu, red and white wines, and craft cocktails that were designed by a mixologist. Demerdjian said that they make their own bitters, too.
A unique feature Empire offers is the Empire Locker Club. Demerdjian said they have 40 personalized lockers where whiskey, wine and beer connoisseurs can store their specialty bottles to enjoy during visits.
<b>Food:</b> While Empire is a burger bar, the four Bites on the menu are a good way to start. We particularly enjoyed the spicy Empire tots - a grown-up version of tater tots filled with bacon and cheddar and topped with a fried egg and green onions. The habanero ranch drizzle was the real kicker. With only four tots to an order, we craved more for the price. The dirty chips and burger cigars sounded tempting. The Shredder salad - grilled chicken, strawberries, cranberries, kale, broccoli, walnuts and goat cheese - was a nice mix, but was missing the Brussels sprouts, a disappointment for my dining partner. The avocados in the Southwestern salad were a little mushy. Five sandwiches grace the menu, but the focus is on the 10 burgers. The Key West turkey burger arrived dripping with the maple bourbon glaze. Add to that pineapple rings and caramelized onions and it was a huge mess waiting to happen. I appreciated the pretzel bun, but I knew the bun's heft wouldn't be able to contain the juices. So, I ate the burger with a knife and fork. I would suggest adding more flavor to the patty (onions in the mix, perhaps) and going lighter on the sauces.
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Service:</b> When we first sat down, we noticed that one of the water glasses on the table was visibly dirty. We pointed it out to our waitress, who removed it but didn't bring us another as promised. We also had to ask again for another menu. Service was efficient enough, but not very personable. She didn't explain about the specialty beers on tap (why are beers listed that aren't available?) or give any recommendations for dinner or drinks. We were left to figure it out on our own.
<b>Parking:</b> The free street parking is always filled, but the new Water Street parking garage is right around the corner. Valet runs $7 from 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
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Also:</b> A new speakeasy-type bar is set to open on the second floor within the next six weeks, Demerdjian said.
<b>Overall:</b> For a hip vibe with a citylike feel, Empire is a place to see and be seen.
Empire
48 W. Chicago Ave., Naperville, (630) 355-9000,
Hours: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday; 21 and older after 10 p.m.