Fort Willow

As a huge fan of Ada Street, I was extremely excited to try Fort Willow and it did not disappoint! Its taken over as my new favorite DMK restaurant.

Ambiance: The design of the restaurant is amazing and the tree in the middle is the coolest thing I have ever seen. You immediately get a "throwback to childhood" feeling - there is even a hanging swing! The setup of the tables allows the space to be both intimate and open. There is a line of booths that fit 4-6 people, a long bar across from them, a hightop and in the back, there is a large table that's covered so its like your own mini-fort. Perfect for celebrations. Every table was filled when we were there but it did not feel too crowded. The lighting is soft, the staff was all friendly and the music level was perfect. We could hear it but still hold a conversation.

Food: YUM!!!!!! The food is fantastic. I love small plate menus as it allows you to try multiple items and not leave hating how full you are. There were 4 of us and we were able to try 10 of the 12 items, plus a second round of our favorites. My personal favorites were the labneh, cauliflower, rock shrimp and the meatballs. The people I were with also raved about the crudo, and I'm excited to go back and try it.

Drinks: Unfortunately, I am pregnant so I was unable to try the cocktails. The Daisy Pusher was a huge hit with everyone else I was with though, along with the traveler's sour. Our waitress could not have been nicer and had the bartender make me a few "mocktails" so I could join in the fun. I can assure you, this does not happen at every restaurant and its always much appreciated when someone goes the extra step.

We did have the bar peanuts while we were waiting for everyone to arrive. They gave us the heads up they typically come with anchovies when we ordered them so we simply requested them without. Easy enough.

Price wise, we were surprised when we got the bill - in a good way. It was completely reasonable. I think the highest amount was about $10/$12 for one of the plates. We definitely got a full meal, several drinks and nobody broke the bank.

It was one of their first few nights being open and everything ran smoothly from our view. Multiple people checked in with our table to ensure we were enjoying ourselves and we filled out comment cards at the end. Five stars to the staff, no question.

Overall, we all loved our experience there, highly recommend it and we will all be returning!

Like other reviewers have mentioned, this bar is located in a very remote part of the Lincoln Park area. It is mainly surrounded by quiet businesses/factories that are normally closed at night. If you do drive over, there is free parking available on the street or you could take the nearby North Ave bus.

After walking in, I immediately noticed how beautiful and unique the ceiling was. The ceiling is literally a piece of art. This place does have a food menu, but I only tried some of the french onion dip that someone had ordered. The french onion dip was okay, but not memorable. They have other appetizers that are part of their menu (oysters, mac n cheese, etc). The focus at this place tends to be on the drinks. They use fresh juices and ingredients in their cocktails. Most of the cocktails on the menu are ones found at many bars, but are still very good. They also have regular and craft beers on their menu as well.

New cocktail joint in the middle of nowhere! lol!
Seriously located in a very industrial, secluded portion of Elston Ave.

Came here recently for a date and it was a magnificent time. The entrance has a glowing light as you walk in from the parking lot. Once you walk in through the hallway the first thing you see is the tall wooden tree extending over the bar area. The staff told us as we walked in, to grab a seat anywhere we see fit and luckily a table became available. As we sat down, the very awesome Cameron came over and greeted us...she was really a fun gal and definitely knowledgeable about the menu.

Whenever I go to chill, sexy cocktail joints I normally go for a whiskey/bourbon crafted drink, but I figured I would go a little different this time around. I started out with the champagne cocktail which was good as it included cava, aperol and cube sugar...pretty good. I then went with the Highball which includes Japanese whiskey, lemon and soda..was pretty good as well and a bit refreshing. The Amarillo cocktail was amazing and my favorite of the night...it included scotch, beer and ahi pepper. I got pretty hungry so I was advised to go with a Big Bite which is on the chef's whim and that particular night the chef was whipping up a grilled sriracha, peanut butter and jelly sandwich...I know it sounds funny but that damn thing was good as hell! You won't find it on the menu as I mentioned it was the chef's whim under Big Bites which is listed on the menu. My date got the Labneh which was whipped goat cheese, lemon and za'atar...pretty good!

As mentioned earlier, this place is sexy, chill and has interesting decor. It has a speakeasy feel while at the same time giving a vibe of being in joint near the beach. I see myself paying more visits here and sampling more cocktails and bites.

It didn't take much for me get through the door at Fort Willow, I didn't even need to look at the menu (although that helped). I was mesmerized by the tree aesthetics - from the website background photo to the tree that appears to grow out of the restaurant floorboard. Fort Willow resembles a tree-house in the middle of an uncrowded, industrial riverside neighborhood. Furthering the allure, the restaurant is dimly lit, with unique light fixtures scattered above the bar, at each table and stationed at each booth.

Now for the food:
Jerk Brussels Sprouts: delicious; i'm a sucker for brussels sprouts; generous serving of aioli
Dan Dan Noodles: pleasant blend of peanut and jalapeno. I have a low tolerance for spice and it was easy to consume.
West African Chicken: crispy rice was extremely unique - it's exactly how it sounds; the chicken was juicy but bland (perhaps that's the style of West African chicken)

I have already recommended this hidden gem to friends and plan on returning for a date night!

While I want to keep this gem to myself, this spot won't stay secret for long! Fort Willow, like Ada Street, is a bit off the beaten path on the industrial corridor on Elston. (Tip: Look for the neon sign on Willow Street for the entrance). The inside has a great ambiance. It is dark and cozy. The giant willow tree gives it a whimsical vibe.

The plates are designed to be small and shareable so you can try more things (they are smaller than Ada and priced accordingly). The food is so good you don't always want to share - I ordered a second fluke crudo to myself! It has a around-the-world theme with dishes inspired by spices around the world. It is a different concept but very approachable.

The cocktails were solid. I enjoyed the classics: champagne cocktail and dark n stormy. All very balanced but still boozy.

The food is delicious! We had the Fluke Crudo (twice), Labneh, Crispy Cauliflower, Crispy Rock Shrimp, Crab Salad, and Korean Short Rib. Everything was tasty and spot on. My husband was surprised by how smooth the goat cheese was in the Labneh. The Fluke Crudo's scallion vinaigrette was banging and the pickled chiles provided the perfect balanced heat. When it comes down to it, it is the food you just want to go back for more.

The prices were reasonable. We had about 7 dishes (and were stuffed) and 4 cocktails for about $125. They also have some daily specials too which I am sure we will try.

One thing to know: there are no reservations. It is first come, first served.

Best mule I have ever had. Customer service on point. Small bites and food excellent.

We will be back.

Who doesn't want to sit under a tree made with 4,000 planks of wood?? Out of Africa decor creative cocktails and "free cocktail shots", innovative bites( must try the Crispy Cauliflower in serrano-poblano hot sauce and homemade Lebnah with whipped goat cheese and fresh mini pita bread). Sit at the bar and chat with their uber friendly bartenders.

Fort Willow is a super fun place. Basically a nice upscale bar with great food. In a weird industrial area but not hard to find.

The atmosphere was really cool with the focal point being the wooden tree built in the middle and spreads across the ceiling.. It is a bit dark, no windows buy cozy and good music playing.

We had a group of 7 so just relied on the waiter to put together a sharing meal for us, which basically encompassed everything on the menu. The food menu, while small, was excellent.

As for drinks, the cocktails were good and some interesting ones. Not much whiskey so if you are looking for that go elsewhere but they are good for other cocktails and wine.

As for the food:

-We had all 5 of the spreads and bread which were all very food.
-The Oyster shooters were quite good.
-Shrimp brushetta were good with both the shrimp and greens
-Steamed Mussels - These were fantastic. One of our folks said it was the best mussels dish they have ever had. It had a lingering spice that was awesome
-The Crispy Cauliflower - This was amazing. One of the best dishes on the menu. An interesting spiciness to it. GET THESE
-The New York Sirloin - This was amazing as well. Cut with the fork, great chili arbol sauce with some spicy fries.

We also were given some dan dan noodles that will be new to the menu. These were fantastic too.

All in all a great experience and a fun place.

Really fun, cool, laidback cocktail bar in the middle of nowhere on Elston. We stopped in and had a couple drinks and small bites at the bar early on a Saturday evening. The bartenders and service staff were beyond welcoming. They chatted with us, suggested cocktails, and even made an off the menu spicy margarita for us.

We tried the spicy cauliflower, veggie curry, and maple spiced peanuts. The first two were stellar while the peanuts were forgettable. But, at $3, the peanuts are worth munching on!

The vibe is great, cocktails wonderful, service amazing. If you feel like venturing up Elston cooridor, this will be a lovely treat!

Check before you go because I think this place is closed.

It sounded really fun but then I noticed that all the reviews were old.

Fort Willow is a swing and a miss for DMK.

My boyfriend and I went for dinner and drinks on a Friday night. We made a reservation (but didn't need one). The hostess seemed annoyed and told us to just sit wherever.

We grabbed a booth and our server came over. My boyfriend tried to order a jack and coke, but she informed us that they had no soda..no coke, no club soda, etc. I couldn't even get my basic vodka soda lime. That was pretty surprising for a place that boasts of a full bar.

We settled on some cocktails that came in glasses so small, it was impossible not to spill.

For dinner we ordered:
Bread and spreads, chicken lettuce wraps, mussels, and bruschetta.

The food was decent (except for one of the spreads which was way too oily and the chicken which was too dry). The server brought everything all at once (which is annoying for small plates) and kept trying to clear things before we were done eating.

Yes the interior is cool, but the food/drinks/service were disappointing.