Itasca's QB Bar aims to up the game plan
Opened in September as a casual neighborhood hangout, QB Bar and Grill on Route 53 in Itasca is still in the process of making improvements. With an expanded craft beer menu and gaming in the works, the spot is striving to be a place where everyone can relax and enjoy some sports.
Motif: A big-screen TV set against the pearly tile behind the bar is tuned to sports, airing a mix of free wrestling events, NFL, NBA and soccer games. Round tables with red and black chairs provide space for dining. There are three video gaming machines and a digital jukebox. Walls are lined with photos of celebrities including Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood and Peter Falk. A DJ booth is positioned on the left side of the bar, though the owner is looking to replace it with a fish tank.
A couch with its own TV sits in one corner, which owner Natile Barsella said is meant to let guests feel like they're in their living room. For a $25 minimum, you can hang out there and watch your choice of sports game. In the next few weeks, QB will also add Wii, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles where you can play sports or party games from a collection hosted behind the bar.
During the day, the space serves as a social club for Italian men, and even at nights you can still find Italian television on two of the sets. QB hosts a Wednesday night poker league with no buy in and games awarding prizes like a free bar tab. You can compete in beer pong tournaments (played with water) on Thursdays.
Food: The menu offers basic bar food made fresh including nachos, fried mushrooms, wings, Italian beef sandwiches, pizza and build-your-own burgers. Salads are surprisingly popular along with chili and burritos.
Liquid consumption: Ale Syndicate is the only craft beer available, with the rest of the bottled beer selection devoted to standard domestics and imports. However QB is in the process of expanding its selection and plans to focus on Chicago and Midwestern beers from breweries including Goose Island Beer Company and Lagunitas Brewing Company. Eventually they want to have 10 to 15 craft beers at a time, using their single tap handle to serve a regularly changing draft. The bar also serves espresso and fresh ground coffee if you're looking for something nonalcoholic.
Crowd: We found a sparse crowd at 8 p.m. Saturday, with a small group of twentysomethings chatting with the bartender while he had his own dinner and an older couple dining and drinking together. The bar brings in a solid after-work crowd, with locals looking for a beer and a snack, and gets another surge later at night with 25- to 40-year-olds looking to watch sports.
Service: The bartender stopped by as soon as we walked in and checked in regularly, always making sure we didn't need anything else before moving on.
Music: QB has hosted bands for private parties and would like to start bringing in more live acts.
Parking: There are plenty of free spots in the strip mall lot.
Overall: While it's already building a following, the changes in store at QB Bar and Grill are sure to make it even more popular with locals.
QB Bar and Grill
5N105 N. Route 53, Itasca, (847) 250-5257
<b>Hours:</b> 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday