The Happ Inn Bar & Grill

Love happ inn. Good is great. Burgers are all very good. Had shrimp with garlic cause and rice and plaintains and all very good. Been a fan of this place for a long time. Cookie with ice cream for dessert was also really good.

What a gem. We hung in the bar, great beer selection on tap. The guacamole was fantastic. Some of the best wings I can remember having. Excellent bartender.

So, I wish there was a 3.5 stars, but there isn’t. We are semi regulars at the Happ, and sometimes I leave pleased, and sometimes I leave thinking about where else we could have went. It was packed last night, and we sat in the bar area, which is typical for us. The service was just bad, and not because the servers where bad, but because ol’Happ did not have the foresight to have one or two additional servers on hand. This is absolutely not the first time we have experienced this here.
We had burgers last night, all three of us. Which were great, but alas at $ 13/​e, you would have thought them to be masterpieces, but pretty good. The fries, both regular and sweet potato, are box frozen like you would get at any fast food place. This is our usual take.
So, why is the place packed? It is a unique place in a unique location in the North Shore, the one that comes to mind when we can’t think of someplace else, like Hackneys which I can’t ever remember which one to go to. The Happ will always do well, and we will certainly go back every now and then for convenience. It is sad, for a nice of a place it is, that they won’t tighten the service and menu up a little a make it a great place.

It had been a while since I dined in. My last few meals were carry out, and both had issues. Such as paying extra for all white meat chicken but not getting white meat. Or a missing side dish. Ugh.
Pot roast special was awful. Served cold, flavorless and dry atop lukewarm mashed potatoes and covered with greasy fried onions. No gravy. Fatty. Not edible.
Fried chicken has gone downhill. First plate was served cold. Waiter offered to heat it up. We said no, you don’t heat up fried chicken in the microwave. Please make a fresh batch. Second plate was served hot but had no flavor. Seems like the recipe changed because it used to be delicious. Also there was very little meat. Not what it used to be.
Waiter was unapologetic and didn’t comp anything at all.
We will not be back.

I was starting to think it was impossible to find an unpretentious family restaurant with good food in the North Shore area. Thank you to The Happ Inn for restoring my faith.
Thank you for not looking terrified when we walked in with our three young kids in tow.
Thank you for accommodating us without reservations on a Saturday evening.
Thank you for seating us in the front covered patio, it was the perfect place to dine as a family. We look forward to returning as a couple to hang out the bar area and with our parents to dine in the formal back dining room.
Thank you for prompt and excellent service. Our server, Zach, was very responsive and kept things moving (important with three kids).
Thank you for having such an eclectic menu with Mexican, Italian and traditional fare.

I went to the Happ Inn after work this week because I was too hungry to wait for after my hour commute back downtown.
A huge positive was the service, as we got there at 5, there weren’t many people there and we were served extremely quickly. We had to get the famous guacamole due to all the rave reviews. I thought it was pretty good! Definitely not the best guac I’ve ever had but also not the worst! I got the spinach and goat cheese flatbread and it was great. The crust was the right combination of crispy and chewy and the sundried tomatoes were a nice addition. My boyfriend got the tilapia tacos. He though they were better than average, but not mind blowing. I think that actually sums up the Happ Inn well. I’ll definitely be back since it’s so close to my work but it’s not a place I would make sure to take visitors.

We got there early but there was no problem being seated. The menu was limited but it had a good assortment.
Had a salad which was big enough for 4. My friend and i shared and she took the leftover home. I had grilled shrimp on rice which was okay. The shrimp and rice could have had more seasoning. My friend had broiled whitefish which she said was tasty. The only problem was that when she was half done the fish was very red. They took it back and broiled it more. Service was good. All the waitstaff was pleasant.

Happ Inn is what’s happening in Northfield. Came here on a Tuesday for dinner with a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile and they had a very diverse menu. All kinds of protein and a few vegetarian things too. We split the goat cheese which was perfect for 2 very hungry ladies.
For dinner, I got the chicken vesuvio. It couldn’t be any juicier and lucky for me, the portions were big enough for me to save half for lunch the next day. The dessert menu has a handful of quality selections to satisfy your sweet tooth. I’d recommend the chocolate chip cookie a la mode. Great way to end the meal.
The only reason I knocked off a star is because the service wasn’t as attentive as I’m used to. After our meal order was placed we didn’t see our server after that. We ordered dessert from a guy that may have been the manager. When it came to closing the bill, our server magically reappeared. Odd…
Anyway, food is good. Service could be better.

Appears to be popular among the locals, and had a boisterous crowd last night, a Friday night. But the food was just ok. Had the fried calamari and it was very greasy. Had the Tilapia tacos, ok, and falafel black bean burger was good, not great.
The «fruit infused margarita» was just grape fruit juice and tequila.
Maybe we hit this place at a really busy moment and didn’t get a good sample of what they can do, but we didn’t get the hype.

Great food and service. We had the calamari and Sunrise burger. Awesome!
On the downside — we didn’t know this place would be on the high end scale in terms of attire so we ended up sitting at the bar. Still got great service and loved our experience. Will come back again.

Not bad at all! A great place to jump in and get a good meal. The guacamole was really nice, not over salty than a lot of places in the area, really fresh.
Not a large menu, I will admit I was expecting more options. The fish and chips, fish tacos, and burgers are all good here. Bloody Mary on a hot Sunday afternoon for the win.

Can’t wait to come back to this hidden gem. Happ Inn is Northfield’s best kept secret!
What a nice atmosphere between the bar, 2 dining areas, and private room. Book your ressie via OpenTable, and you’re in!
K and I shared the beet salad to start, and as someone who has eaten many a beet salad, he said this one was the best he’s ever had! It may or may not have had to do with the candied walnuts, but I enjoyed the 2 colors of beets offered too. I had a plump mushroom and swiss burger. Hefty, juicy, and borderline too salty are the first words to come to mind. It was also unexpected that it was topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion, as m&s burgers usually aren’t, but I rolled with it. The chips here are homemade, and I found them to be a little bland, but the salt from the meat balanced that out.
Last note. Check out the fun décor: signs with an emphasis on the HAPP in happy, lots of coat hooks along the wall, and the hanging that tells you which bathroom is which («men to the left; women always right». LOL!).

This large establishment thankfully has a big parking lot, and they take reservations. They have expanded seating, a broad menu for all appetites, a full bar, games on the tube, and accommodations for kids.
The service staff on Saturday night was as packed as the patrons, and though busy, they handled themselves well.
The décor is pleasant, with soft lighting and colors that don’t offend the senses, spotlights that only light up the center of the tables from above, and wall sconces.
The table was big enough for six, and while many people were eating near us, I could still hear my friends and the server, which was nice.
The chips and guacamole is good for two or three people, as is the white flat bread and goat cheese, and all are quite tasty.
Regular iced tea refills arrived on time, and my friends who had bar drinks didn’t go thirsty. The latte, coffee, and cappuccinos were all well made also.
The chicken vesuvio was a hit, though you should get a side of Spanish rice to go with it, as the sauce is too good to leave alone. Apparently on Wednesdays it comes with a full half chicken.
My buddy loved his fried chicken, and the fish tacos were quite good, though next time I’ll order a side of lime with a side of their mild verde salsa to go with.
(Thankfully I bring my own hot pepper powder with me, so bring the heat with you if you want spicy.)
The desserts were all shared, and quite good.
They have Homers ice cream, and you can’t go wrong with that. The turtle cheesecake was a big slice, and the chocolate cake enough for two to split, though I’d eat the key lime pie all myself given a chance.
If you’re in the north burbs and need a place that has choices without much concern of the cost, I wouldn’t be surprised if you Happ Inn to drop by.
Cheers!

We loved this place… nice family-​like ambiance. Server was super sweet. Great kids menu choices.
I had the fish fry, it was ok, and not greasy. My husband had the crab cakes, it has good, great portion.

Enjoyed ½ price bottle of wine with a friend. We both ordered the Romaine & Kale salad. JP, the waiter was quite helpful & suggested avocado with the salad. The Parmesan crisp was quite large & perfectly done. The salmon was a great addition to my salad. My girlfriend had grilled chicken with hers. Definitely will go back.

Went here for lunch and had a great time. It is a restaurant that gives the feel of being in a high class place with high class service, without the high prices. The food was excellent. I had a cup of Chicken Tortillas soup, which was perfect. It had a bit of a zing to it… Incredible flavor. It had queso fresco in it which really enhanced the soup. I loved it. Then I had the Beet salad, which is arugula with feta cheese, nuts, and beets with a balsamic dressing. It was so light but still filling and very tasty! I’d have it again. Definitely make sure you have a reservation though, the place fills up fast and is really busy!
I’ll definitely be back to try more things there. A great place on the north shore!

For a resto up North, it’s definitely a 4-​star, as I’d much rather nosh at Happ Inn than hit the ever-​tantalizing «ultimate mushroom» at Little Ricky’s or the terrifying «pistachio talapia» at O’Neil’s, our other decades-​old Winnetka standbys — but outside the dining bubble of the North Shore, it’s no more than a perfectly good place to go with the fam for a casual dinner — in short, nothing that made my tastebuds wake up and do the samba.
Menu seems a bit frenetic as the owner, Carlos, is a beast and has a few other places and it seems as though HI is kind of a «best of» situation — you can start w tableside guac, herbed hummy (which needed more tahini, imho), shrimp ceviche, baked goat cheese, or… buffalo wings, to name a few — oh and the fried calamari w banana peppers was light and crispy, if a bit greasy.
If you’re feeling wild, for dinner do the chicken enchiladas, which, per Stevo are actually great — and on the lighter side, their entrée kale ceasar, greek, and nicoise salads are bountiful — and treat yourself to some protein and throw salmon or seared tuna on top — will it blow your mind? No. The dill potatoes w the nicoise were underdone and the greek needed more intrigue than a few kalamatas — but it was tastier than I expected.
Would I make a special trip here? No. But I appreciate having it w/​in a 10m drive for nights we’re too lazy to cook — starters are $ 9 – 12, entrée salads $ 12 – 23, burgers/​mains $ 12 – 25 — not somewhere for a romantic evening as there will definitely be at least four tables with small, questionably behaved children nearby, but a child/​AARP/​fussy eater approved din joint I’m never unhappy to end up at.

The owner, Carlos, gets it. His food and the décor are stylish, fun. (Debbie too, his wife/​partner).
I’ve had the Tossed Chicken Cobb, the turkey chili and a couple of burgers (the Sunrise with an egg and the Mushroom and Swiss burger) – all top of the line for that type of menu selection.
The focus is on the food, offering creative touches. A basic item is thought about and then taken the next step up in tastiness and creativity. Quality ingredients always!
Two added kudos:
The televisions are placed in the bar for those who want, not in the dining room for those who don’t want, but want to enjoy their meal and company.
Also, there is a gluten free menu. It seems so obvious that there are many diners who want this, but it is surprising to see how many restaurants don’t offer it. Here it is one of the many fine touches for this distinctive restaurant.

Late Sunday dinner with the husband. I tried the Shrimp Cappellini which was very good. However, the meal reminded me of Curb Your Enthusiasm episode «The Shrimp Incident.» Did you take my shrimp? There is unacceptably small number of shrimp.
Drink specials on Sunday are great: house bloody marys and mimosas for only $ 5! Score!
Beautiful patio too.

In honor of National Guacamole day…
Don’t worry, be happ-​y, cuz’ your beet salad for lunch will be more than alright… and so will the guacamole and chips… and the service… and the fun décor. I had a meeting here the other day, and I’m so ashamed to admit that it was my first visit. Why did I wait so long to make this stop?
The décor is cute!
All the signs on the wall have something related to being happy. Hence the Happ Inn, hence the Happ family (I think they are the ones pictured on the wall by the hostess stand). In a back room there is a wall of shelves displaying lunch boxes (not sure why), and for game day they have a ginormous screen in that same back room. The bar is off to the left when you enter and separated from the rest of the restaurant, which I think is nice.
The food is delicious. And if you don’t know this, they recently updated their menu. Carlos Nieto, a well-​known restaurateur took this place over, and there are some updates to the classics. I will say, having recently given up red meat, that I hear the burger is the way to go here, and I believe they are famous for it. However, I was good and opted for the beet salad… beets make me happy. It was tasty and colorful. However, the problem with any beat salad anywhere is the fact it has to *beat* out my favorite San Francisco beet salad from Gracias Madre with the giant clumps of almost dirty beets, and that hasn’t «happ-​ened» yet. Here they are beautifully sliced and clean with nuts and a light dressing — still delightful.
There is another room in the back for large private events, and up front off the bar is a cute outdoor tented area. I think this is used year-​round, but I’m not sure.
I was here for lunch and didn’t see many kids, but many friends of mine have suggested this place is extremely kid-​friendly. I’m sure just the way the Happ family would have liked. Oh yes, I will be back, and if there is a turkey burger on the menu, I’m splurging next time around.
All of you Unilocal reviewers with your trusty reviews have been screaming out to me, «go to Happ Inn!» I finally listened. You’re all so smart and make me just so happ-​y.