Skoog's Pub & Grill

Brian J.

2024-01

The burger, tenderloin, fries are all amazing!!!! Gonna have to come back to try more off the menu! Stopped in here after a day of hiking at Starved Rock and it was absolutely amazing! I got a burger and fries, my gf got a tenderloin. We cut both sandwiches in half and did what we call “splitskeys” so we could both try the burger and tenderloin. Fantastic. Both are massive, the burger was a single 3/4#! Great service, sat ourselves right away after walking in and waitress was there within a minute. Very reasonable prices, gonna try the jumbo wings next! Family friendly atmosphere, plenty of space inside and the tables aren’t jammed in too closely. I highly recommend Skoogs, you should try it, you won’t regret it!

Lisa Whelpley

2024-03

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Jeff

2023-05

We were a table of 5 and chose to eat outside on the street. Great atmosphere and seating was comfortable. Our meals were large portions and delicious. We had a great server and we are all looking forward to coming back again

J Bisenius

2023-06

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Dominic Ventrella

2023-05

Highly recommend coming here if from out of town or if you just finished some hiking! The wings are certainly worth the title of famous. They were incredibly juicy and full of flavor. I also got the fish sandwich, which was juicy as well flaky with each bite. Portions are generous as well. You should definitely give them a try! Especially the wings!

Mike Hornback

2024-05

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Robert Mech (Rob)

2023-07

Time was 5pm and not busy for the evening and service was really slow. Hostess took our order but a waitress finally showed. Food was ok. Lots of sauces that are good but food itself was unremarkable. I really wanted to like this place but it was just another corner bar. Corn nuggs are really good and their salsa. Honestly the best part of the meal. Will try something different next time I visit but it was enjoyable visit here. Just was hoping for more.

Joe Dattilo

2021-05

Stopped here on the way back from starved rock. What a great place right downtown. Everyone was super friendly, and the service was quick. Indoor and outdoor seating. The food was fantastic, started out with garlic parm chicken wings that were delicious. My wife had the hoagie which she liked. My Italian beef was very very good. Meals come with a generous side of fries and coleslaw. Cant beat the prices either. All in all we had a great time, definitely worth stopping by if you’re in the area!

Christian Arturo

2024-04

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John Hamilton (jmh033089)

2022-05

Update: When on Saturday and got the prime rib and it made everything else not matter, everything was hot and tasted great. Only issue I had this tine was the waitress seamed to be over whelmed and was not able to handle more then a few tables. They also didn't have desert, lucky there is an ice cream place right acrossed from them.

James McFarlin

2023-06

We went here for our 29th anniversary. Our server Griffin clearly forgot about us twice. We had to send Seth to find him the second time. We got our sandwiches after 90 minutes. Then they brought out our wings which were cold. He took 10% off the wings. The Italian beef was pretty good. The other customers seemed to be getting good service so maybe it's worth a try again.

Bill Kindred

2023-05

OUTSTANDING BURGERS!!!Cooked Exactly as ordered & the Fries & Onion Rings were Perfectly Deep Fried!I've had a lot of Burgers from a lot of different places but I'll say this, by far the absolute Best Burger I've ever had, the seasoning was perfect, cooked Perfectly as ordered & with all the sides I was completely impressed!!!The Service was on Point & everything & everyone was just Great!!!If you're ever in the area Skoog's Pub & Grill is a Must Visit!!!

Jim MacMurdo

2024-04

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Joshua Daily

2023-05

Review Date: August 26th, 2015Skoog’s. Swedish for ‘jumbo tenderloin’.The first thing you’ll notice (or not) is that the bar signage for Skoog’s is overlaid on a Swedish flag. This had me wondering if we were going to experience some kind of Swedish/European eatery on the inside. Sadly, that wasn’t 100% the case.Inside Skoog’s was a pretty typical pub. It had a dining area and a bar area. It had this feeling of aged wood that has seen enough stories to last a lifetime. It had a small level of coziness and welcoming to it that seems to be hard to capture in words or replicated by other places. The decor on the walls was sparse but effective in making the walls feel full without being cluttered. But, I don’t remember there being much of a Swedish theme to the place. That really isn’t concerning as I was more curious if it would based on the signage out front.My girlfriend and I needed some grub and needed it fast. We spent the afternoon hiking at Matthiessen State Park, getting lost, and then hiking some more once we got ourselves re-orientated with where we were. Who knew getting lost could build up such an appetite.As we sat there, looking over the pretty standard bar menu, I noticed they served tenderloins. I was on a tenderloin addiction around this time of my life so it was only natural that I would get one here. My girlfriend got something different than her usual burger. She ordered some chicken tenders. If you aren’t familiar with tenderloins, let me fill you in. They are a big piece of deep-fried pork and is about 4x the size of the bun it’s served on. It is a sandwich that requires you to eat half of the pork patty before you get to the bun and toppings. It’s a big pain in the butt to eat and I love every second of it.The size of the tenderloin did not disappoint. It looked and smelled amazing. As I nibbled on the tenderloin, I knew it was just what I needed after a long day of hiking. The tenderloin was a bit juicy, which is how I like them. The toppings complimented the ‘loin perfectly. It was easily the best tenderloin I had in all of 2015. The fries on the other hand, were just okay. They looked great but only tasted so-so. My girlfriend agreed but said her chicken tenders were the bomb. Her words, not mine.After a long day, Skoog’s was perfect. Not a perfect score in my books but a perfect way to start the winding down for a relaxing evening. We did stop for ice cream at the Country Cupboard Ice Cream Shoppe, but that is another story for another day.P.S. – Skoog’s is actually Swedish for the word ‘forest’, not ‘jumbo tenderloin’.

Shelley Lee

2024-04

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Geraldine GJ

2021-05

Good servie. Interesting fried appetizer options. Try the fried corn nuggets you wont be disappointed. Best wings in the area so come with an appetite. Fresh and large food portions.Visited this location during COVID-19 and the staff and establishment was following local municipal and state guidelines to ensure the safety of consumers. Appropriate documentation upon entering requesting for patrons to follow safety guidelines unfortunately employees were not wearing face masks or being mindful of indoor capacity for patron safety. Designated patio area on the side of establishment for outdoor seating is available as well.

Justin Zhang

2023-08

The little town of Utica has a wonderful setup just outside of Starved Rock. A delightful street brimming with bars and restaurants, offering outdoor seating and live music during the summer, welcomes visitors. After a day of hiking in the state park, we chose Skoog's Pub to unwind. We ordered some crunchy and well-seasoned fried wings, complemented by a good selection and also reasonably priced beers.Just as we were enjoying our wings and considering what to order next, we found a problem - an abundance of pesky flies persistently circled around our food. No matter how hard we tried to shoo them away, they relentlessly returned. Consequently, we reluctantly gave up ordering entrees, a blemish in an otherwise enjoyable time. The restaurant and the entire area are charming, but the fly problem needs to be addressed to ensure an outstanding experience for all patrons. I eagerly anticipate returning here soon, hopeful that the issue will have been resolved.

Beth Knoblauch

2023-05

Great food, staff and owners! Favorite place for a burger in the Illinois Valley, 3/4lb cooked perfectly. You can't go wrong with lunch, dinner or just some drinks at Skoog's! Great environment, lots of TV's with sports all around, specials to choose from also. Stop in, you won't regret it!Update 10/10/22 - recently remodeled and opened a section next door that can be used for events etc... Beautiful addition with very nice restrooms too. Food still as good as always!

Melanie West

2023-05

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wendy bernard

2021-05

Stopped in to support local business while camping at Starved Rock (and to take a break from camp chef duties). Food was fantastic. Ordered the appetizer sampler, wings with bourbon sauce amd a side of the raspberry habanero sauce (fabulous!), and fried chicken. Loved the appetizers so much I could barely do justice to my fried chicken. The amazing thing was, the chicken was as good (possibly more delicious) the next day and the next day with left over waffle from the Starved Rock Lodge.

Wes Stone

2024-02

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Greg Satterfield

2024-03

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Beth Dodson

2022-05

We arrived an hour before closing and they were so accommodating! Even brought out beer samples for our indecisive beer drinkers! The food was good. Big servings. Nachos and mixed sharing plate. Our 9 month old loved the broccoli fritters!

Homebody Miss Katie

2023-11

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george moder

2022-05

Food is very good and the prices reasonable. It has small inside dining but during the summer they have outside street dining. I had the italian beef sandwich and it was almost too big to eat and tastes very good wth peppers, onions and motzerella cheese.

Dan Myers

2023-05

Great burgers and they would have rated 5 stars but my sweet potatoe fries were burned. I really don’t mind paying an upcharge for extras but don’t serve them burned. If you had told me the cooked burned them I would have been happy to wait for new ones. Don’t serve burnt food.

Richard Lange

2023-06

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Warda Shafi

2023-05

This is a good spot if you are visiting Starved Rock. The downtown is very cute and you can sit outside on the patio.The staff is friendly and the service is good.

Jim Dial

2024-05

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Emily C.

2023-10

Went here for lunch after a day of hiking shortly after 2. Waited for 30+ minutes even though there were open tables on the patio. Put in an order for wings and a chicken sandwich. The food took another 30+ minutes to come out. The chicken sandwich was overcooked and dry, and didn’t come with the side of ranch that was asked (and paid for). The wings were a little cool temperature wise, but overall pretty big and had good sauces. It was a busy afternoon, so I’ll give them that, but the server didn’t come back to check on us until we were done and ready for the check. Finally paid and left after 4. Had higher expectations based on other reviews, but it was a subpar meal.