Spears- revisted “better than ever”

***** Every so often, I like to revisit a restaurant to see if they have handled the years with grace and style. Tonight, with our in-laws moving back to town, we chose Spears in Wheeling as a spot to revisit. Spears- Bourbon- Burgers -Beer is more of a young people’s bar and dining spot with plenty of space and a great number of bourbons to try. In fact, we ran into our great Nephew and his buddies tonight and my granddaughter keeps saying this is the perfect space for great appetizers, drinks and desserts.

Our server Katie , was great. She knew every menu item and helped us with the indecisions that Jane and Bette seemed to have. They have a great selection of appetizers ( or as they call them “starters”). We chose “bacon at the bar” a dynamite  item- thick cut Applewood smoked bacon with a bourbon glaze. I could eat these all night. We also had the amazing  Bourbon Bacon deviled eggs, that were delicious their fried pickles ( hand breaded slice pickles) served with a Cajun sauce that is a pure delight to the taste buds and last but not least, an item that was scary to read off the menu, but a taste delight to try, the “gator” ( hand battered alligator tails cooked golden with jalapeno honey mustard). While everyone was skeptical at first, they all loved every morsel and there was nothing left in the serving dish. The starters were just the beginning of a wonderful dinner!

When we do a restaurant, we try to taste as many things as possible. Tonight we were able to try the Marinated Skirt Steak ( an 8 oz steak grilled to our taste served in our case with the amazing crispy brussel sprouts as one of our sides. The fries were the” best that my sister-in-law ever had “. We also enjoyed tasting the Fish & Chips ( Atlantic  cod dipped is seasoned beer-batter and cooked golden. served with those amazing fries and wonderful creamy cole slaw).

We also had one of the many burgers offered on the menu. We selected the Bison Burger ( with provolone cheese, caramelized onions, shitake mushrooms, Spears secret sauce served on a pretzel bun)- to die for! The selection of burger choices is amazing. You could go there every night, and order a different one. The last item ordered were the filet sliders ( 3 filet, crispy onions, horseradish cream on slider buns) they were juicy and delicious.

Of course the menu is much  larger than this. They have chicken, salmon, short ribs and their Bourbon Apple Pork Chop ( next time for sure) as well as several sandwiches and soups and mac’n’cheese and of course a great selection of salads. The deserts were limited in numbers but as delicious as the dinner. We only ordered two- the Bread Pudding ( this was probably the best bread pudding I have ever tasted, and the chocolate chip cookie served in a skillet ( takes 15 minutes) with a scoop of ice cream as a topper. They have several more items like Apple Fritters and beignet donuts that are on our to eat list for next visit.

If you have not tried this amazing pub/restaurant in Wheeling, you owe it to yourself and family ( they have a great kids menu) to drive over to 723 N. Milwaukee Avenue and have a wonderful dining experience. When you walk in, you might feel that you are in a sports bar as they have walls lined with TV’s and right now, the sports on TV is powerful, but relax, have a drink ( bourbon is their specialty but they have a full bar, so order what you want). By the way, they have a cotton candy desert that is pretty amazing in itself. Another fact- they have 242 bourbons in stock!

The website: www.spearschicago.com

HOURS:

Tuesday-Sunday  11:30 am- 1 am

CLOSED MONDAY

phone:  847-353-8933

They have a limited “late night menu” after 10 p.m. til bar closes at 1 a.m.

If you are seeking delicious ( everything) and flavors to savor- this is the place! Enjoy! Ask for Katie- she knows her stuff and will make sure you leave with a smile on your face and a belly that is full!