Bluestone

Excellent food, quick service, friendly staff and easy access from street parking or Metra rail. A must visit if you’re in the area for a football game.

I really enjoyed my visit to Bluestone! Their food was great and the restaurant has a really comfortable and cozy feel. I ordered the smoked wings and the BCO and they were both delicious. My friend ordered the Basil chicken tomato basil pasta and was also happy with her decision. They had a good draft beer selection, and our server was friendly and knowledgeable, you could tell the server was genuinely happy to be working there which is always a plus and adds a good energy to the restaurant. I will definitely go back!

Still love that turkey reuben but the service last night was a joke. It was Saturday night at 8:30 and it was full but didn’t seem overly busy. We were a table of 2 & seated immediately. Lots of servers passing by but no one even greeted us for 10 minutes after being seated. Once they did, we ordered everything right away. Then we waited for my drink… and waited… and waited. Finally had to call someone over to inquire. Maybe an off night?

Love this always great local place. Warm friendly atmosphere great specials. Yummy smoked chicken wings, need a little kick sauce on the side. Wonderful sandwiches, fresh fish, all here is worthy. Nice bar too. Yummy desserts. Well worth the trip. Very attentive staff, always. During cold winter times try to sit near the fireplace. Feels more like I am at my favorite Colorado ski resort. Which is a good thing.
Did I mention the smoked wings! Yes, yes I did awesome.

This was the absolute worst restaurant experience I’ve ever had. After waiting 45 minutes for a table, I saw the hostess seat a group that came in after us. After complaining, the hostess sat us and the owner stopped by our table to apologize and give us free drinks. The niceties stopped there. After awhile, the bartender came by and finally took our order. That was it… no food, no server, no refill on drinks for another 45 minutes. In the past, if the service was marginal the food made up for it… tonight there was no remedy.

I seem to have the worst luck trying to get an order of the SMOKED chicken wings like I did when I first had them. A couple of months ago I ordered them (take out) & when we got them home they were the original buffalo wings not smoked… Although disappointed we shut up & ate them. Last night I placed an order (takeout) for two portions of Smoked wings. When I got them home (we live around the corner) again they were the buffalo wings not smoked… this time I brought them back. Your hostess was very pleasant & apologized profusely, said they were working on the smoked wings for us. I should have been suspicious when they came back out in only about 3 minutes. When I got them home for the 2^nd time it was a charred, burned mess that greeted us. We were hungry & I wasn’t going back for a 3^rd time so we ate what we could trying to put a happy face on the whole deal. My question is, how could you let something like this leave the kitchen? We give up ! Just have to be satisfied with smelling them when you are smoking out back. frown emoticon PS: While I’m at it… Had a glass of chardonnay while waiting the first time…$ 9.00 for a glass of jug wine… you have got to be kidding. frown emoticon again…

Bluestone, you have made me happy a few times. Most recently a few weeks ago. We came in looking for a decent lunch, a couple beers, and to be able to catch a game. All of this delivered. We enjoyed our visit, had fairly speedy service, and left happy.
This is a 3.5 stars. ITs not gourmet, but it doesn’t need to be.

Wow! This is my new go-​to spot. The BCO is the best sandwich I have ever had. Pair it up with their tater tots! I also recommend the smoked wings & nachos as appetizers. I mostly call ahead and pick it up to go, but I can still say the staff are very friendly.

Worst services ever! We waited for a table for 20 mins which was fine it was a Saturday night. And we didn’t mind waiting at all. When they called our name they asked if outside was good. I said no because it was getting cold and my children were cold. We were then told we had no choice since if we waited it would be another 35mins. We weren’t given water and j had to ask 3 different times. Finally after the 3^rd time we were given water that was room temp. We asked for crayons for our kids they never came, I have 2 kids with peanut allergies and told the waitress she said no worries she will let the cook know and as long as we don’t order peanut butter and jelly we are good. My kids ordered Mac and cheese and sure enough as they were eating we found parts of another meal we didn’t order in it. I will never eat there again

Great place why have we not been here years before. Good food service and drinks. Will be back with the child to try pizza. Definitely a hidden gem.

Great bar and restaurant. The servers are attentive and the ambience is nice. We had Martinis and they were delicious.

Smoked Buffalo Wings! That bears repeating: Smoked Buffalo Wings.
Yep, they are good, and the only ones around so far as I know. (At least, I haven’t come across any others nearby worth mentioning.)
These wings, while well made, lack a certain «melt your face off heat» that I so often crave, so next time I’ll bring some with. ;-)
However, the 5 dollar vodka lemonades and tater tots were a nice addition, and the pizza looked inviting as well.
They have veggie burgers and salads for the mindful among us as well.
It’s taken me many years to get to Bluestone for some reason, though I sure am glad I did.
Cheers!

Finding a place with nice ambiance, an interesting menu with a variety of items at reasonable prices (and where the food is truly worthy of your time and money) isn’t always easy in the Chicagoland area. However, Bluestone delivers. Great drink menu (I highly recommend the Whiskey Ginger and the Smoky Margarita), nice appetizer selection (the Smoked Wings are like no other wings you’ve ever had), and great menu items from salads and sandwiches to a few creative entrees — including a few specials that are creative and interesting.
My husband had his hands full chipping away at a huge plate of ribs smothered in a nice coating of red sauce which he couldn’t polish off despite his best efforts. Suffice it to say that he loved them. I ordered one of the specials, a stuffed onion served in a bed of mussels with shrimp, andouille sausage, and asparagus orzo. It was so flavorful!
The beer selection features a wide variety to satisfy any palate. I skimmed the wines and I don’t think you’d be disappointed in the choices there, either.
Abby was an amazing server, very attentive but not intrusive. Drinks were never dry. The other tables were filled with a wide variety of patrons: young folks on dates, families, and retirees. Everybody appeared to be enjoying themselves. A few televisions were tuned in to baseball games, and the background music was just that, but I could easily recognize the tunes — I am happy to report that I heard the Red Hot Chili Peppers at least 3 times over the course of a couple of hours, but there was a nice variety of music styles.
After dinner, we enjoyed a nightcap at the cozy bar area, which appears to seat about 30’ish quite comfortably.
Give them a try. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

I moved to Evanston about five months ago, and when I looked for where to find a neighborhood pub, I found Bluestone. I could not have felt more at home when I walked in there on that first Sunday I was in town. I was greeted when I walked in by the bartender, along with some of the staff just saying hi. The bartender, Jen, was very helpful and walked me through the menu, the specials, and what was good on tap. After I ordered a drink, Jen totally realized I wasn’t from the area and started giving me some helpful tips and info about the area. Really felt like I was being welcomed to the neighborhood, not just another patron at the bar.
The food is always delicious, from the sandwiches to the pizza, and the smoked wings are off the chain. The chef’s specials are always tough to pass up, and the beer selection is always solid too (they just added Metropolitan Fly Wheel, one on my favorites). Add in the fact that all the servers I have had there have always been helpful and very attentive and it really just adds to the whole positive atmosphere of the place.
This place is hands down my neighborhood pub for sure, I take all my friends and any one who comes to visit me there, and we always have a great time. Highly recommend it, especially if you can get Mario or Kristen to help you out, they are the best!

Solid beer selection and fantastic food.
Came here after a Purdue men’s b-​ball victory over the ‘Cats at nearby Welsh-​Ryan and it was (unsurprisingly) packed to the rafters. Getting a beer at the bar was a lengthy ordeal, as only one bartender was staffed. You’d think that on a Saturday night after a basketball home game they’d have several barkeeps to handle all of the thirsty fans, but nooooope.
Lots of great stuff on tap including a Bell’s white ale, which I was enamored with. Plenty of familiar names (Two Brothers, Revolution) mixed with some lesser-​known but equally-​wonderful microbrews. Food was tip-​top; the buffalo chix sammie I ordered had excellent breading and terrific flavor. Opting for the soup instead of the fries, I was rewarded with a bowl of heaven. The name escapes me now, but it was a chicken-​tortilla-​lime soup that totally floored me. Small noodles, fresh vegetables, and a broth that must’ve been made by the big man himself, it was THAT good.
Service was timely and our food came out faster than anticipated. There looked to be a plethora of good choices on the menu, and everyone around us was enjoying something different.
4.5 stars; dreadfully slow bar service, but was quickly redeemed by a stellar soup + sandwich combo. Would happily return!

Good food and great beer selection. Also a nice fireplace. This will be our stand by as a restaurant that is close to home.
Edit — I had to take this place down a star after last night. I ordered a dinner salad and got a plate of white iceberg lettuce and a thick dressing and was supposed to be a balsamic ving. Disappointed for sure as it isn’t 1977 anymore. I really wanted a nice green salad with my pizza (that was very good) but for $ 4 it was terrible. They need to get with times.

Maybe I’m a little biased on this place seeing as how I’m one of its Startenders lol, but this is the only place Ive tended bar at that I actually go to when I am not working. I pop in and hang out with the regulars or order take-​out pretty often. Everyone’s friendly, the atmosphere is casual and relaxed, and the food and drink prices are very reasonable; nice portions and pours.
Some of my favs are the B.C.O (pulled pot roast sandwich with cheddar and onions), smoked wings (in-​house) and Scallop Risotto! I recommend our Angel’s Envy Ginger drink which has our homemade ginger syrup and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Bluestone ROCKS!!!

Great atmosphere, and cozy friendly environment! In the summertime there is a beautiful patio, and when its cold out a fire blazes in the dining room. The seasonal holiday decorations lend to the home away from home feeling.
I enjoy the fresh daily rotating specials, especially when the mussels make an appearance! The Lettuce Wraps, Scallop Entrée, and smoked wings are some of my other favorites! The staff always seems to be having a great time and enjoy working together, and the owners are hands on and always make you feel welcome.
My top neighborhood pick!

Went there during lunch. I didn’t feel like getting a big meal, so I settled with something small. I ordered the 8-​inch thin crust pizza…
The pizza itself was nothing more than a microwaved tortilla with a little bit of cheese. No sauce, no flavor, and overly burnt. Not even the ($ 1.15 per extra topping) dried cherry tomatoes could save it.
I’m giving it 2-​stars based off its pizza and slow service.

Once a month I meet a friend for lunch at Bluestone and as often in-​between these monthly events as possible +\- an annoyed wifey. After 8~ years I’d class the place as a ‘local’ … but I’ve got to be honest … if it weren’t for two long long time employees at the joint I’d probably not frequent the place again. The owner might possibly be the coldest fish some 5 blocks from Lake Michigan. Shame.
The food is comfort food — not incredible but certainly not awful. The place has a substantial number of regulars for a good reason: it has a good vibe. It’s just … hmm … that intangible but important friendliness is missing unless you’re lucky to be served by the two veterans that ‘get it’ and hold this place together (in my limited opinion).
Clearly I like the place but the difference between a wonderful tavern and a mediocre is the service you receive when you really REALLY don’t want to be taken for granted.
The owner (the owner’s mrs?) needs to drink some of their good gin selection and loosen up cos she’s a buzzkill. Is that unfair of me to suggest? Possibly but I’m the customer and dang it … I can be right sometimes.
UPDATE:
So two comments to share — two «cheekies» so to speak:
1) I’ve been back to Bluestone a few times since my mixed bag review (nice place, lovely good, cold service) including as recently as my birthday (end of Sep 2014) and the service was great, fun, and the proprietor (a bloke) sat my family and it was lovely and warm and a good time was had.
2) The proprietor lady owner was terrifically proactive and interested in my ‘cold fish’ comments about her specific service (Yikes!) and that is cool. Negative word-​of-​mouth can be positive WOM when surrounded by good /​polite /​tangible intentions.
Yay for that! Thanks. Fab.
Anyway. I’m a local at Bluestone. Can’t choose your customers but you can choose your restaurants. I like this place. R. 10÷1÷14