Food, feel draw regulars to Prairie House
Five years ago, Gary Gilliam decided to give up the corporate restaurant business to open his own bar. The veteran of ESPN Zone, Chili's and Lawry's used his 10 years of experience to create Prairie House, a laid-back Buffalo Grove tavern that has earned a loyal following of regulars.
Motif: The space features a long wooden bar surrounded by high-back wooden chairs, plus a mix of small circular and long wooden tables. The brick walls are decorated with Bears, Bulls and Cubs signs and one wall features a mural showing the changes in Cubs uniforms from 1908 to 2003. If there's nothing on TV, you can entertain yourself by playing electronic darts or a golf video game. When the weather is nice, the patio is the place to be. It features umbrella-topped metal tables and chairs and a fence strung with lights with potted plants in the corners and a view of quiet woodland.
Crowd: The dining room caters to families while the bar is populated by regulars who sometimes come in four to five times a week. Families pack in Friday and Saturday to get dinner before and after games at Adlai E. Stevenson High School. The bar sponsors sports teams for kids and adults and they tend to hang out there in the summer along with college kids. Dress is casual, with many people wearing jeans and hoodies.
Service: Our server was friendly, checking in frequently and quick to ask if we needed refills. Gilliam is a regular fixture at the bar, chatting with regulars and newcomers alike.
Liquid consumption: The bar doesn't offer a cocktail menu and the beer list is pretty basic, with the exception of Delirium Tremens available by the bottle. Prairie House offers drink deals almost every day, including $12.50 Miller buckets Saturday and $5 margaritas Wednesday.
Food: Everything on Prairie House's menu is made from scratch, including the hand-breaded chicken fingers. The menu includes daily dinner specials, with a fish fry Fridays and $16.95 prime rib platter Saturdays. Stop in at lunch for all-you-can-eat pizza Monday through Wednesday or a $6 half-sandwich with soup or salad combo. Sundays the bar offers brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., served with $3 bloody Marys and screwdrivers.
Baby back ribs are among the most popular dishes, and for good reason. They're very meaty, covered with tangy sauce and so tender that it's easy to have the meat just fall off the bone when you pull them apart. The dish is served almost too hot to eat but it comes with very crispy fries you can snack on while the meat cools. The soups are made from scratch daily and the quality shows. Their Italian wedding soup is a hearty starter, filled with noodles, meatballs, greens and chunks of carrots, while the cream of asparagus features a thick broth with plenty of vegetable pieces.
Music: There's no live music, but Prairie House offers karaoke at 9 p.m. Thursdays.
Parking: There are plenty of spots in the free lot.
Overall: Prairie House's laid-back atmosphere and good food makes it welcoming to all.
Prairie House Tavern
2710 Main St., Buffalo Grove, (847) 415-2255; prairiehousetavern.com
<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday