Bar 145 Opens in Mount Prospect
Bar 145, a gastropub specializing in “Burgers, Bands, and Bourbon,” has opened in Mount Prospect.
Mount Prospect residents Deana and Lenny Rago are the entrepreneurs behind the new restaurant which opened in January in the space formerly occupied by Blues Bar.
“As a Mount Prospect resident, I felt the downtown was lacking a destination factor,” said Deana Rago. “Since Blues Bar closed, we didn't have any local venues with live music. We hope Bar 145 is joined by many other bars and restaurants to make the downtown a vibrant entertainment hub of our community.”
All burgers at Bar 145 start with all natural, grass fed angus beef. From there the possibilities are endless. House specialties and customer favorites are the Monte Cristo with ham, brie and fruit preserves; the apple pie with spiced apples and cream cheese; and the Breakfast Burger with bacon and a fried egg nested in between waffles. When you “Stack Your Own,” customers choose from eight artisan cheeses, nine sauces and more than a dozen toppings ranging from in-house cured bacon to duck confit, served on top of a choice of six different proteins including Kobe beef or bison.
Table starters like poutine fries, lobster mac and cheese and braised chicken wings are all made from scratch daily, adding to the eclectic, gourmet menu at Bar 145. The restaurant features a special burger of the month and the full menu changes twice a year to offer the best seasonal ingredients.
In addition to the elevated bar food, the other draws of Bar 145 are bands and bourbon. Bar 145 offers live entertainment six nights a week with live band karaoke on Tuesdays, acoustic acts on Wednesdays and Thursdays and the best party bands from around the Midwest on Friday and Saturday nights.
Bar 145's bourbon selection includes more than 20 varieties, along with creative bourbon cocktails including the BLT (Bulleit, Lemon and Tonic), Kentucky Lemonade (Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Lemonade, fresh Lemon and Bitters) and Bourbon Ball Manhattan (Woodford Reserve Bourbon, White Crème di Cacao and Frangelico liqueur served up or on the rocks).
Daily specials include Kids Eat Free on Mondays; Service Industry Night Tuesdays; Wednesday Wine Night with $5 glasses of house wines and $15 bottles; $5 burgers and $5 martinis on Thursdays; and Sangria Sundays with $5 sangrias and a bloody mary bar from 11:30-4 p.m.
Unique to Mount Prospect's Bar 145 is the upstairs with its mezzanine and private party room which together can accommodate up to 100 people.
“This is not a typical footprint of a Bar 145,” said Deana Rago. “Taking over this space presented some challenges, such as removing the police car, but we were determined to open in downtown Mount Prospect and be a pioneer in the redevelopment. The second floor was an added bonus to choosing this location and we are excited to host families, local sports teams and company parties upstairs.
I am delighted to be a business owner in my hometown.”
The Mount Prospect location is the seventh Bar 145 in the country. The first restaurant opened in Toledo, Ohio in May 2011. New locations will be opening later this year in Rochester, N.Y. and Dayton, Ohio. Bar 145 expects to open 3-5 more restaurants in the greater Chicago area over the next five years.
The Ragos are also owners of Panino's Pizza which they have owned and operated for nearly two decades. Lenny Rago is a 1987 graduate of Prospect High School, where the couple's two children now attend school.