Dining bites: March Madness specials are a slam-dunk

March Madness

The NCAA basketball tournament is finally here. And suburban bars and restaurants are ready to welcome back basketball fans for three weeks of college hoops with food and drink specials. Here are some options:

City Works

1850 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg, (847) 584-2500; 929 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills, (847) 984-3571; 365 W. Dundee Road, Wheeling, (847) 941-0990; cityworksrestaurant.com/.

Old Town Pour House

1703 Freedom Drive, Naperville, (630) 448-6020, and 8 Oak Brook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 601-1440, oldtownpourhouse.com/.

It's March Madness from March 17 through April 4 when City Works and Old Town Pour House will be offering the limited-time shareable loaded totchos (Tater Tots, pepper jack cheese sauce, cheese curds, pickled jalapeños, pulled pork, avocado, cannellini beans, pico de gallo, pulled chicken tinga, sunny side up eggs, jalapeño salsa verde and cilantro lime crème) and the shareable 96-ounce Mega Mule, which can be ordered as Tito's Texas Mule, Dutch Mule, Kentucky Mule or Cucumber Mule.

Kings Dining & Entertainment

5505 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 233-0099, kings-de.com/. Kings will be showing all the March Madness games, plus hosting a daily bracket challenge, giveaways and samples from Bud Light Seltzer and more.

Michael Jordan's Steak House

1225 W. 22nd St., Oak Brook, (630) 828-2932, and 505 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, (312) 321-8823, michaeljordansteakhouse.com/oak-brook/. Catch all the March Madness games while dining on the Wagyu Big Mike, which is making a return to the restaurant from Thursday, March 17, through April 4 only. The special burger features a 10-ounce ground wagyu beef patty topped with aged cheddar, charred sweet onion, dill pickle, shredded iceberg lettuce and special sauce on a toasted sesame bun. Sip on specialty cocktails such as the Downtown Mule (vodka, gin, pomegranate and ginger beer) or the twisted Manhattan (rye, Domaine de Rancy, Angostura and rhubarb bitters).

O'Toole's

5572 Grand Ave., Gurnee, (847) 249-0800; 10 W. Grand Ave., Lake Villa, (847) 979-0600; and 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, (847) 984-2599; timothyotooles.com/. O'Toole's is primed and ready for March Madness. Now through April 4, the pubs will be offering bottomless chips and salsa, buckets of beers, burger and craft beer combos, Bloody Marys, jumbo draughts and more.

Gurnee specials: Thursday: $6 Holy Water, $8 Manhattan or Old Fashioned, $8 Long Island Iced Tea; Friday: $5 beer of the month and shot of the day; Saturday: $6 jumbo Miller Lite, glass of champagne or sparkling rose; Sunday: $22 Miller/Coors buckets, $10 jumbo Bloody Mary, $8 jumbo Blue Moon.

Lake Villa specials: Thursday: $4 select craft cans, $8 Manhattan or Old Fashioned, $8 Long Island Iced Tea; Friday: $5 beer of the month and shot of the day; Saturday: $4.50 jumbo domestic draft, $12 personal pitchers (Holy Water or margarita); Sunday: $4.50 jumbo domestic draft, $5 mimosa, $8 Bloody Mary.

Libertyville specials: Thursday: $8 Manhattan or Old Fashioned, $6 Holy Water, $4 tallboy can; Friday: $5 beer of the month and shot of the day; Saturday: $6 Mai Tai, glass of champagne or sparkling rose; Sunday: $5 jumbo Miller Lite, $6 mimosa, $8 Bloody Mary.

Pinstripes

7 Oakbrook Center Mall, Oak Brook, (630) 575-8700; 100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, (847) 844-9300; 1150 Willow Road, Northbrook, (847) 480-2323, pinstripes.com/. Throughout March, Pinstripes is offering four $12 sandwiches - spicy crispy chicken sandwich, grilled chicken club, open-faced grilled salmon sandwich and the cheeseburger - to keep basketball fans sated during March Madness. For dine-in only.

Yard House

2301 Fountain Square Drive, Lombard, (630) 495-1912, and 1880 Tower Drive, Glenview, (847) 729-9273, yardhouse.com/home. IPA Madness is back now through April 4. Sample a flight of four new IPAs - Stone Hazy IPA, Cigar City Fancy Papers IPA, Goose Island Hazy Beer Hugh IPA and Samuel Adams Wicked Hazy IPA - and then choose your favorite to enjoy as a pint for $15. Add on the IPA Madness Crowler four-pack to-go for $40; available at the Glenview location only.

Let's do brunch

Grab some friends and head to JoJo's ShakeBAR for the new brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays starting Saturday, March 19. The eclectic Naperville restaurant will be serving up smoked brisket hash, chilaquiles, baked French toast, pancakes and more. And, of course, don't miss the Brady Brunch milkshake featuring an Oreo and espresso shake garnished with French toast, a waffle and bacon. And there will be morning drinks, too, including the fruity Champagne Sangria and a Bloody Mary that comes with a mini Chicago dog. Make reservations via OpenTable.

JoJo's ShakeBAR is at 5 Jackson Ave., Naperville, (331) 204-6665, jojosshakebar.com/downtownnaperville.

Batavia Restaurant Madness Week

Batavia Restaurant Madness Week is back and ready to serve up deals Sunday through Thursday, March 20-24. This year, about 30 restaurants are offering specials, prix fixe menus, discounts and more. To find out what each restaurant is offering, see youtube.com/channel/UCrYOm5Cy3z_w16fReSsHuTQ. Participating eateries include Acquaviva Batavia, Batavia Creamery, Briana's Pancake House, Bocaditos Café, Bulldog Nutrition, Bulldog Red Hots, Burrito Parrilla Mexicana, Charlie Fox's Pizza, Crosstown Pub & Grill, Daddio's Diner, Dimples Donuts, Doc Watson's Smokehouse, El Taco Grande, Enticing Cuisine, Fernando's Street Kitchen, FlyLeaf Bakery, Gammon Coach House, Haylie B's Bakery, Hot Pan Noodles & Dumplings, Limestone Coffee & Tea, Oak + Swine, Pal Joey's Restaurant, Riverside Pizza & Pub, Rosati's Pizza, Swordfish, Taco Urbano, Tribella Grill, and WindMill Grille & Pizzeria. For details, see bataviachamber.org/.

Diver Cantina on the Shore

Wish you could head to a beach? Third-generation restaurateur Adolfo Garcia is bringing a taste of Mexican beachside towns to Highland Park with the opening of Diver Cantina on the Shore on Tuesday, March 22. Dine on dishes from the guacamole, ceviche, queso fundido and quesadilla bars; shareables (sweet corn elote and Brussels sprouts, coconut mussels, flautas, nachos); salads; soups; fajitas; enchiladas; tacos; bowls; and sweets (churros, caramel flan) while sipping on margaritas, berry mojito, Oaxaca Negroni, white sangria and more. Don't miss the Happy Hour from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday featuring Taco Tuesday ($3 tacos and $6 Mexican beers), Wine Down Wednesday (half-price bottles of wine and kids younger than 12 can eat for free with a paying adult), and on Thursday half-price pitchers of sangria and ceviche.

Diver Cantina on the Shore is at 1850 N. 2nd St., Highland Park, (847) 780-4739, divernorthshore.com/.

Events are subject to change. Send restaurant news and events to clinden@dailyherald.com.