City Works - Vernon Hills

This is a large and spacious sports bar/restaurant with a rather nondescript name. So nondescript I know we've dined here before several times but my companion doesn't remember the experience.

We didn't have a reservation but they seated us right away in a booth with good views of the numerous screens featuring March Madness games, as well as a large chalkboard with all of the beer selections.

There's a tempting assortment of apps and we ordered the fried pickles which comes in a cute fryer basket with a dipping sauce. It came out hot from the fryer. This is how the City Works.

My companion ordered a steak salad. I picked a Smokehouse burger which comes with pulled pork, provolone and onion rings (this is what sold me). I asked for it without the brioche bun and to substitute Brussels sprouts for the fries. Our server was ok with the subs because this is how the City Works

Our food came out hot, tasted good, and looked appealing. Someone at another table thought it looked good too and asked what we ordered. The pulled pork on top of my burger was a little tough and the sprouts could have been cooked a little more but overall the food was good because this is how the City Works.

Once we finished, our server quickly got the check, asked for payment and started clearing plates. I was expecting to be asked if I wanted dessert because I was leaning in that direction, but I was ok with going somewhere else. We were quickly in and out because this is how the City Works.

City Works - Vernon Hills is one of 8 locations. It is a great, cozy pour house that has a respectable selection of beer (they also have a full bar).

I sat at the bar and was received with a smile from the bartender. I order the Caesar Salad and the Nashville Hot chicken wrap. It was good - traditional bar food, but nothing you couldn't find at another local restaurant.

We went on a Friday night without reservations and were only able to sit at a high top. This was fine for us but keep this in mind if you want a table, make a reservation! They seated us quickly and brought out drinks right away as well. It's a clean place with lots of seating, tvs and alcohol options. You can stay here for hours if you wanted to sit and watch games all day/night. Lots of beer and plenty of other alcoholic and none alcoholic drinks as well.

I ordered the salmon entree. The salmon piece was small but tasted good. The puree with vegetables was excellent. The mashed potatoes were very dry and bland, would definitely skip next time. The dish actually comes with fingerling potatoes but I swapped them for mash.

It's a solid restaurant and always busy. Definitely will come back as the menu has lots of great options. The portion sizes are decent especially the salads. The prices are also very reasonable. 3 adults with drinks (no alcohol) with tip was $100.

The salmon was enjoyable, and the accompanying puree added a unique touch. However, the presentation could use some improvement. The smash avocado was decent, but there was minimal avocado, resembling spread butter, and the eggs arrived cold. The service was satisfactory; the server promptly replaced the eggs to ensure they were freshly made and warm. The atmosphere was like casual dining nothing super fancy.

If you want a bucket of grease this is your spot. The fries were greasy they didn't bother to strain them. I literally balled them up in my hand and strained grease from them. The chicken was not done it was supposed to be smoked and they were not cooked properly. The chicken sandwhich was bland. I don't know maybe the cook woke up and forgot to season the food but I'm confused/ the French toast again was greasy... they called it stuffed but I'm confused it wasn't stuffed with anything but grease

Good news! Voices were herd and City Works is a local sports bar we can watch games with the volume on! Went there for the Illini Sweet 16 with a handful of friends and the place was rockin'! Nothing better than somewhere to have ice cold brews and good bar food while listening to the game. Not ready to put five stars yet until we have volume on for more games, but great start City Works.
Pro Tip: Get the Nashville Hot Chicken Nachos and Fried Pickles with a Working for the Weekend IPA and thank me later

Ended up at City Works after the local bbq shop was out of ribs, chicken, and turkey. City Works turned a let down into pure delight. Their food was excellent and reasonably priced for what you got. Seen in my picture is pulled pork, ribs, chicken wings, sausage, baked beans, and corn. I also got fries that were excellent. Great service and food was mouthwatering.

Highly recommend.

Great beer selection and vegan/gluten free options.

Great food and atmosphere, with stellar staff and a clean environment.
Will definitely go back.

I have been here many times and it never disappoints.

For an appetizer, my family loves the pretzel bites. All 3 of my kids gobble these up. They are buttery and salty and the cheese dip is really yummy.

While I am not a vegetarian, my go to entree is always the Impossible Quesadilla. It is soooo good! I love that the menu is vast and that it offers diverse vegetarian options.

They have Kraft Mac and cheese, so my hard-to-please toddlers are also happy diners!

For dessert, we finished with the cookie skillet. The cookie comes out warm, soft and gooey! Great for people with a sweet tooth!

They also get extra points for having an online reservation system. That is a must for me!!

Sat at the bar. Cocktails tasted good. The bartender was friendly and attentive. Here's the rub: The value just isn't there for what you get. Shrimp taco was dry and bland. Fried shrimp seemed odd for a taco. My son's burger was ok. Fries for both of us were served luke warm. We each had three cocktails and the pretzel app. Total bill was $123 ----$148 with tip. Honestly what we were served was not worth $148. For $148 for 2 people, im expecting a much better experience and value.

My recommendation is to come for the cocktails, cranberry mojitos were excellent, and skip on the food.