Friday 4th of June 2010 07:29:28 PM

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7/08
Parked in back and walked around front. We entered the front door to the bar area, and sat at a table, no problem. Side door is for the restaurant, but you can also get food in the bar area.

I'm not sure what the other negatively described reviews are getting at, this place was neither corporate or a yuppie haven from my point of view. It was relaxed and more upscale than the Rock Bottom locations i've been to. Dark wood and brass on the bar, vintage tile flooring there also. Old framed photos lined the walls. There was one silent tv in the corner above the bar with the cubs game on, but it wasn't intrusive. There was a small bottle selection with craft standards like 90 minute, as well as shelves displaying awards won from brewing competitons. People of all ages and walks of life, plenty of couples.

There were around 10-12 taps, 3 were guest. A couple were doubles of their more popular house beers. I had the excellent American IPA, and also the good McCarthy Red. Both fresh as tasted great with dinner. We had a margherita pizza, and a couple appetizers. Everything was hot, fresh, and tasty. Service from the bartender was prompt, friendly, and attentive.

Emmett's is a solid option if you find yourself in the quaint river town of West Dundee.

Wednesday 8th of October 2008 08:16:59 PM

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My wife and I recently visited Emmett's in West Dundee on a Saturday evening in late September. This was actually our second visit.

The first thing you will notice when going to Emmett's is that the parking situation is bad. It is located in "downtown" West Dundee. The fact that M.T. Barrels is practically right next door and another restaurant is right behind it does not help the matter.

We eventually got lucky and found a spot on the street over one block. A short walk and we were ready for some beer and food.

I ordered the sampler, because I wanted to try everything.

Munich Light - yellow, tasteless. If you like American macro brews, you'll like this.

1 A.M. English Ale - nice body, interesting, yet subtle flavor. I would drink this again.

Victory Pale Ale - nice and hoppy as I would expect. Not an exceptional example of the style, but very drinkable.

McCarthy Red Ale - This was a pleasant surprise. It was flavorful enough to keep me interested and the spice of the hops kept my mouth happy.

Double Barrel Stout - this tasted a lot like coffee. I usually love this style of beer, but the DBS did not excite me. I didn't dislike it, it just didn't stand out as a strong stout like I would have expected. To be fair, I wonder if my tongue was a little too amped up from the Victory and McCarthy that I drank prior to this one.

There were two seasonals on tap in addition to the 5 standards.
They were Oktoberfest and German Altbier. I found both of them to be fair, but nothing of note. I would not get them again.

The price of the sampler was very reasonable. I think it was about $6. But one thing that I found odd was that they only gave me a half of a sample of the two seasonals. This made for a terrible presentation and limited my ability to get a good taste. They should just charge whatever they think is fair for full samples. I would have gladly given them another dollar or two. Instead I was left with a negative feeling about that aspect of the experience.

The food was not very good in my opinion. It wasn't bad, but it just didn't meet the expectations set by the hefty prices.

I ordered a special salmon that was supposed to have a sauce with dill and hops on it. I had never heard of hops being used in cooking like this before. Being a hophead when it comes to beer, I just had to try it. Unfortunately, I could detect nothing different about the flavor. It tasted like a little dill had been sprinkled on top and nothing more. It was almost bland. On top of that the serving size was tiny. I know fish is expensive, but for $18 it should not fit in a sardine can. Perhaps I should try something a little less challenging, like a burger, in the future. Come for the beer, stay away from the "fancy" food.

Our server did a good job. I like to pace myself slowly through meals, especially when I am tasting beer. It is sometimes hard to get servers to understand this. If I make the mistake of ordering when they want me to, I end up with my entree arriving before I have finished enjoying my appetizer. So I gave this server a specific time (10 minutes) at which he could return to take my order. He got the hint and kept his distance.

We sat in the dining room at the rear of the establishment on this visit. We were hoping that it would be quieter than the bar. Unfortunately, the small space was quickly filled with loud talkers and perfume hosers. This detracted from our experience somewhat, but it was more the patrons fault than Emmett's.

On our previous visit, we sat in the bar area and I would probably do that next time I go there. The room felt better and by coincidence, our server gave off better vibes.

So my overall impression is that Emmett's is good for a beer, but don't expect too much from the food. I would return, but the parking situation might make me think twice.

Sunday 18th of November 2007 03:08:25 PM

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Went out to dundee... I really recommend a walk around the neighborhood if you like old houses.... that being said...

Beer selection was like house 7 beers.... they had on 5 standard and two special house beers.... one of the beers was infected, a new ipa... but the award winning red was on, and it was.... okay.... I usually drink the centennial or the victory.... it's their taste great/less filling... if you like hoppy then malty, you'll go victory, if you like malt then hops, you go centennial.... but both are good... the oatmeal stout has improved since the last I've had it.... and currently they have vintage bottles of barleywine and impy stout for sale.... $20 bucks is your outlay, but the stout was suprisingly smooth after a year of age on it... They have guest taps as well... 4 of them.... goose, trumer, and two others, I never get the guest taps unless I'm at oswego...

This emmett's is WAY nicer than the other two... two floors and a downstairs/upstairs bar as well... this place can pack them in with comfort.... the place is a conflict of themes.... it wants to be english, a speakeasy, and french all at the same time.... the dundee one wants to be a bit colonial as per the neighborhood... (go upstairs and note the old piano and such.. Emmett's never really had an identity imo, just a place where they make good food, and someone else handles the beer.... The hop shortage'll show whether this place continues or cuts back with it's beer as it's primarily a food place... But it's nice... take a look around.

Service is.... okay... I know the bartenders at my emmett's in dg, so being there and having to wait made me prissy for a second... but I got over it... it was a little busy as I went in during a football game and all...

The food's good.... downers has daily specials, as I assume but didn't check at dundee as I ate at M.T. Barrels... the porkloin sandwich is nice, as is the meatloaf. mondays half price apps...

I wasn't real sure on the public transpo... I'm sure there is some, it wasn't apparent where tho...

they also had a cask offering here, something they don't have at dg... this is the special emmett's apparently....