Spears- Bourbon-Burgers-Beer

[rating=4] Many years ago, Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling was known as “restaurant Row”. One dining spot after another from Hackney’s to Le Francois and everything in between. I used to enjoy Octoberfest at Hans Bavarian Lodge and then there was Fulton Street Fish Market. The street has changed over the years and many of the great spots of yesteryear are long gone. In some cases, the new arrivals are very close to what we recall, but others are now just faint memories.

As Wheeling is rebuilding its image with the addition of the Town Center, movie theaters and much more including a great deal of new upscale residences, additional dining spaces will also hit the scene. Several years ago, a new spot opened up. Spears -Bourbon-Burgers-Beer opened up in the front space of The Westin Hotel. At the same time a few other spots opened up including a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant in the hotel. I am not really big on “sports bars” which is what I thought Spears would be. After all, what else would you anticipate with a hotel behind and another space at the corner that is sort of a man cave place called “twin peaks” which has dual meanings and is now closed. This area is a “family friendly” one so real food and atmosphere is what the public wants.

I will say that one summer night, about two years ago, we did stop at Spears for a drink and some wings. They were tasty and the drinks well served, but we did not even look at the menu. Over the time since then, we have thought about a return visit. Many of our friends go there on a regular basis and told us that there have been some great changes in their  menu. So, off we went to dive into the menu of Spears.

Our server, Kenny ,made sure that he went over the new items on the menu and the specials. The starter menu has some items that are new to many diners and thus some questions. Gator? Yes, they serve alligator tail as an appetizer and as a sandwich. We did the “starter” hand battered and served with a great jalepeno honey mustard. I never miss a deviled egg plate and the Spears “bourbon bacon deviled egg” are delish. Candied bourbon bacon. scallions, smoked paparika and lemon arugala- wowie! We also had some delicious fried pickles served with  a Cajun ranch sauce and we tried the Spears Hummus served with grilled pita bread. In addition to these there are a seven more items not including their special wings- traditional and smoked.

There are several soups and salads and about a dozen sides to complete the meal.

Lots of Burgers-( grass Fed) from Wagyu to elk. To turkey and bison and even a black bean burger. I truly think there is no way that anyone cannot find the best burger for their taste. Marty selected the Skirt Steak sandwich, topped with chimichurri, sliced red bell pepper and arugula served on a toasted baguette. The girls did the burger route with the Turkey burger and the Hangover topped with an over easy egg, hickory smoked bacon, Merkts cheddar cheese and crispy onions. We also had one of their  flatbread pizzas and being the meat lover that I am, I selected the Bourbon Bacon Pork Chop sautéed with Applewood smoked bacon, apples, caramelized onions and spicy bourbon maple sauce. With all the side options, I decided to try their mac and cheese along with a baked potato. I think I selected just right- the mac n’ cheese is a delight. By the way, their chips and fries are “to die for”.

The menu is much larger than the four of us could handle and you can see it all at www.spearschicago.com

They had a few choices for dessert, but we opted for the apple fritter ( one of my favorite dishes EVER!) and this was “to die for”. I even brought some home for a late night snack.

While Spears has a bar flavor and lots of TV’s above the bar, I think they are a very family friendly dining spot with a great menu that should make everyone happy and very satisfied. They have a number of salads, fish and for you Gluten Free people, they offer a bun that is perfect for you ( there is an extra charge). The menu is affordable as well as satisfying and I hear they have a special “cotton candy” dessert that is perfect for a celebration.

Spears Bourbon-Burgers-Beer is located at 723 N. Milwaukee Avenue ( just south of Lake Cook Road) in Wheeling. The hours are:

daily 11 a.m.- 2 a.m.

Sundays- Wednesday  kitchen hours  11 a.m.-10 p.m.   from 10 p.m.-midnight late night menu only

Thursdays -Saturday  11 a.m.-11 p.m. late night until 1 a.m.

Bar closes at 2 a.m.

For reservations call 847-353-8909

You can order online as well and there is plenty of free parking.

www.spearschicago.com