HopScotch Beer and Whiskey Bar

Mac and cheese bite –awesome. The Pesto Burger –equally awesome. Great place that makes me wish we didn’t live three hours away.

Their food blew me away. I did not expect a Franklin park bar to be operating at such a high level, but their wings (BBQ and sweet/​spicy) were excellent and their burgers are top shelf. The bacon Gouda burger comes on a pretzel bun, but not a big bulky pretzel bun like you’d expect. It’s a perfect bun to burger ratio. I would eat there again for sure and their beer selection is really good too.

We came here on a Wednesday evening. We parked in front and a whole bunch of hipsters were standing out front smoking. We walked in and all the hipsters followed us, apparently they were the staff. We ordered our drinks and ordered a appetizer (mac and cheese bites) about 20 minutes later the waitress told us they were out. We both found it odd that they were out, since they open at 3pm and there was no one in the place, (unless the hipsters ate all of them). We proceeded to wait another ½ hour for our food and was even told that it was coming up shortly (it wasn’t). We paid for a drinks and left.

The staff was very friendly.
The drinks were made properly, they actually use the correct amount is liquor.
Quiet, chill environment.
My only complaint is that I ordered plain fries and I got garlic parmesan (loaded with salt). I didn’t want to embarrass my date by saying anything to the staff. Though, they should have asked if everything wss okay and should have been observant enough to see the full plate of fries — minus five… I had to at least try them
I understand mistakes happen, but they really should have asked if everything was okay.

You want it to be one way but it’s the other
My very first experience with this place was that I was impressed… until I found out the chef wasn’t there and I had to eat elsewhere. (this was on a Saturday around 1−2pm) I came back a few weeks later and basically still had hopes for this place as I had recently found a string of burger joints that I really liked. The bartender talked up the food and looking from the photos I could tell they at least looked better than your average burger.
Pesto Hop Burger — Almond pesto aioli, fresh mozzarella, tomato, shaved red onion and balsamic syrup. Well I’m a fan of pesto so why not! Long story short. I loved it but really tasted more like a balsamic burger and not pesto. It was way too much balsamic syrup on the burger compared to the little amount of pesto I got on the burger You can clearly see it in the photo as well. Fires was good but as a customer I can’t believe I’m saying this but WAY too many. ! felt like I got 3 orders of fries.
HopWings — I didn’t have a stop watch but to say the wings took 30 minutes is not an a lying exaggeration to stress that it took long but because it took 30 minutes… and they were warm on the outside and slightly cold on the inside… WTF? I sent them back… in which they decided to burn them. My food wasn’t cooked inside so throwing them under the broiler for 10+ minutes only burned the outside. The photo I added was when they first bought them out and not burnt yet. Got two different style sauces on the wing and didn’t like neither. I understand they are brewed overnight in beer. The description also says baked and broiled to finish so I would like to think they would be some kind of crispiness to it. but they were heavily soggy. Bottom line. I would never order them again.
Bar/​Atmosphere — Although I only ate hear once. Both times I did come the bartenders had good conversation and allowed me to taste samples until I found something that I did like. The differently have a good amount of beer and whiskey to choose from. Seems like everyone is choosing to brand this place hippy which I guess but It’s really a laid back spot. It was only four other people at the bar when I was there but felt way more laid back then a lot of places I’ve been too. I would actually come here for drinks alone. They have a pile of board games that you can play as the dinner tables are LARGE. I’m not exactly feeling the logo on the table being all scratched up as most of them are faded off the table.
So although the wings didn’t go over well with me especially having to send them back a 2^nd time. They removed it from bill so grateful for that. I was trying to wait to get 3^rd check in before I wrote this review as I didn’t want to give it 3 stars as it’s better than okay I am slightly a fan of the place but need to try more food to wash away the no chef/​bad wings experience I’ve had hear so far.

saw this place on tv, and figured I try it out bad news. I had the wings and ordered a burger, 4hrs later vomiting and diarrhea. I dine with 2 others and they both had the same symptoms. food poisoned. I have to give 1 star to post this review but really in my opinion it get no stars.

Wings are only 2 stars
Didn’t get to try my burger
They never brought it just forgot
Anyway maybe that is a good thing

Been here twice and both times it was super chill. Even when it was full of people on my second visit, it wasn’t overwhelming. It can take a little bit of time for a bartender to come over to you if you’re sitting at a table but it’s not too bad. Can’t comment on the food as I have yet to order from the kitchen but drinks are inexpensive and that’s always a plus.

It took a while to get greeted. I came in and sat down and got up after a few min and went to the bartender and asked for a menu. Than someone came to to my table. I told the server that I was waiting for a friend he informed me that the kitchen will be closing down and if I was planning on ordering food that I should probably order in which I did. The server was very nice he gave me a sample of the tamarindo beer which I thought was very nice. I got the chicken wings they where ehhh just ok I guess I had way better at wing stop. The wings just seem just a little under cooked, nothing special. The live music was great.

Bar is nothing special and female bartender was not friendly at all. She walked in looked pissed of at world and her mood stayed that way till I left. I did order wings and got half order buffalo & half order Asian tang. I know table behind me also got lots of wings so I waited over 30 mins for dozen wings. No prob bar was busy cause Cubs game was on. I took bite of sweet spicy Asian (I forgot name) and it was good. I took bite of my buffalo wings and they were cold. Not warm but cold like they came out of fridge. I also did ask for plain fries and they came out topped with cheese or something. I asked for my check and took off to eat somewhere better. Never going back.

Is Franklin Park becoming hip? Hopscotch has a great selection of bourbons and beers on tap. The food menu is a simple and well-​executed, using high-​quality ingredients. The staff is friendly and attentive. The space is comfortable and even has board games! Will definitely be coming back here to watch a game or just hang with friends.

Food is awesome! The bartenders know their stuff! Which is great when you walk in an see this long list of delicious sounding beers — they are able to point you to a good one (or 3) to taste!
Always a great time!

Not a bad place.
It had quite a few light bulbs out, so the area we ended up sitting at was awfully dark. No specials for a Thursday night but it had a good beer list. mac and cheese bites were ordered for the table and I ordered a bowl of chili. The mac and cheese bites were good but I wish the bowl of chili was bigger. Overall, the chili had a good taste though. The guy taking orders was helpful and attentive.
We didn’t order any other food items, but the menu looked very appetizing at reasonable prices.. Ill probably be back in the future.

Definitely a hidden gem. The whole atmosphere is unique and comfortable. They have a wide selection of adult beverages and are more than happy to help you choose one. The food was delicious! The mac and cheese bites are a must have. You can order a full entrée or do shared small plates. Either way, you won’t be dissatisfied.

Who’da thunk a nice beer bar like this would open out in Franklin Park, of all places? I remember the old bar here (when glancing towards its exterior, while walking by during a past Railroad Days fest) looking divey and dated years ago, and this is a nice improvement. It sure does seem like an unusual place for one to open up, but since I’d been noticing a growing number of reviews for here, naturally I had to check this place out towards the end of a Metra weekend pass trip I was doing.
Very clean (including bathroom), and while the beer menu is small, they do a decent job of choosing great beers for their menu. I agree with the other reviewer who said they shouldn’t price their food as high as it is, outside of the flatbreads being about $ 10.
My first visit was promising enough, that I hope the 2^nd visit will continue what I noticed here. Thinking I might order a flatbread when I return, and if my next visit is still good, I’ll push this up to 4 stars.

Came here because I wanted a decent drink while i was playing in Burbia.
The space itself is very handsome looking. There is ample seating, a full bar and some nice touches around the main room in the molding and furniture choices.
The even had a 3 dollar Lil’ Smpin’ Sumpin’ IPA on a Friday night. I was really enjoying this place until I looked at their food menu. Their burger start at 13.00. Um, excuse me? You can not be fo’ realz.
I asked the bartender, who looked like his 19 birthday was next week, «do you kill the cows yourself?» «Is this the free-​est rage beef in the world?»
He laughed, clearly wanting to sell products, but without a genuine answer. He replied, «just regular beef.» So what about this «regular» beef is so special you can charge between 13 – 15, bucks for it? He pointed me in the direction of their sharables. Those prices were equally laughable. 9.50 for fried mac and cheese bites?
i get that you may be the best thing going in a 5 mile radius, but get a grip. You are across the street from the last known open non-​adult video store in the world. I drank my beer fast and headed back to the city where competetion keeps the prices on «regualr» things low.

This place has really great, reasonably priced food, my boyfriend says a decent beer menu, and I even enjoy the bad early 2000s pop punk that’s played, but our service sucked. Our waitress never came back after we first got our food. So we never got any other drinks, or finished our food because we didn’t have anything to drink with it. It would be completely different if she had been busy, she was hanging out behind the bar just talking. Super frustrating, we won’t be returning, which is a shame because the food was so good.
If we had had good service it would have been an easy 4 stars.
To the dude who called me high maintenance I his review, I don’t think a drink refill qualifies as super demanding! Sounds like you just had better service than we did.

I was surprised that Hopscotch had such a cute name and hipster interior from the streetview. The building and neighborhood seems old-​school blue-​collar and not the place for a trendy restaurant and bar like Hopscotch. At first it’s hard to think of an excuse to venture to Franklin Park and then reasons start tumbling in: Angela P suggests it, there’s a HUGE outlet mall 10 minutes away, and maybe a good place to wait for someone’s flight to O’Hare. Eventually, one of those reasons will simply be «Hopscotch,» because you’ll go once and it will become a great destination in itself!
I went for lunch and was happy to see such a well-​crafted menu and nice bar. Jay (a juvenescent owner) recommended a delicious brew to go with my meal and launch my day-​drinking.
The prices of menu items included tax which made calculating my bill (and tip) easy. The menu had a solid variety of salads, wraps, sandwiches, wings, and burgers, all priced around $ 10. I decided on wings and sweet potato, parmesan garlic French Fries.
The wings came in a variety of flavors and also a dipping sauce option. I chose the mango habenero flavor with no dipping suace. I enjoyed the spicy-​sweet combo. It had enough heat to make my lips tingle but not enough to bring tears to my eyes. They came with celery and carrots which were nice for cooling my mouth.
The sweet potato, parmesan garlic fries were scrumptious. The skinny cut fries were beautifully seasoned and topped with parmesan cheese. I liked dipping them in the mango habenero sauce on my plate of wings. As an asside, I also really enjoyed Angela P’s fries. Hers were regular fries, thicker cut, and also seasoned. Since those fries were thicker I was able to appreciate the slight cripy exterior and the soft interior.
I am eager to return to Franklin Park to try more of Hopscotch’s alluring menu items. This next time will be for Hopscotch and not just because it’s close to the mall/​airport and suggested by Angela P!

I walked in to a mostly empty restaurant on a Tuesday afternoon. The wide window at the front of the restaurant lets in lots of natural light, and the wood floors and walls give this place an ultra hip feel. Accompanied by Oasis’ «Wonderwall» playing aloud and seeing 20+ craft beers on draft, it was love at first sight.
I still can’t believe that this place is in Franklin Park! There’s nothing wrong with FP, but among all of the fast food chains and tacquerias, industrial parks, and old residential areas… who knew there was room for a craft beer bar?
The owner, Jay, was tending bar, taking orders, running food, and chatting with guests. Looking at his bar and attire (plaid shirt and dark rimmed glasses), he’s straight outta Logan Square with the intrigue of drawing FP and the surrounding area’s residents. City folks who embrace the suburbs have a special place in my heart.
Jay is super cool. He showed me the menu while I was waiting for my pal, Yvonne B. Jay explained that they’re always changing the menu, but currently it’s loaded with many different sandwiches, Panini, wraps, and wings. They’re sauces are all made in-​house. He is super enthusiastic about his menu and proclaimed, «if you don’t like it, I buy it.»
The prices are great. Beers are $ 5 – 7 each on average. I forgot the brewer, but I had a Ginger Lemon beer that was fantastic. He brought out a sample first. It’s the perfect summer brew, fruity, light, without the heaviness of most beers. I could’ve spent all day just touring the beer menu.
For $ 6 (menu prices include tax!), I had an ooey-​gooey grilled cheese sandwich with fries and a pickle on the side. Hopscotch scores so many points with me on this one. The grilled cheese had cheddar, parmesan, and their «beer cheese», a melted concoction of some other cheeses. It was uncomplicated but good. Even the fries, which are usually a pretty ordinary thing, were crispy with a soft potato inside and a unique seasoning. And there was a nice, big pickle on the side — a must with any sandwich.
The Parmesan Garlic fries can be substituted with sweet potatoes. DO IT. I tried one of Yvonne’s and could’ve face planted myself in that plate with little to no regret.
There are many tables and lots of open space at Hopscotch. Board games are stacked up in the corner, so you’re welcome to come with a group and stay awhile.
I’d go back tomorrow.

Since moving, I can no longer come here as often as I like. HopScotch be like «this coulda been us Mark Geezy, but you playin». It’s okay HopScotch, you’re still my side chick.
My reason for only 3 stars prior to this update is they didn’t serve food to absorb all the beer I consume. They changed that. They’re doing big things, people.
This is the only craft beer bar in this plainly blue collar suburb, and I can’t help but eavesdrop on the locals conversations, because they’re hilarious. I witness them drinking Sapporo and Krombacher, while raving about Stella being this «really good Belgian beer». I become amused while dying a little inside when coming to the realization that this is them «venturing out» into the «craft beer» world.
Love this place.