Such a fun bar and not sure what so many people are whining about. The staff is so nice, the food was great. Also, it is refreshing that there are still places that are real and don't push agendas. A perfect 10
Squirrely Dan
They had chili on special but it was not good. It was 5.50 for a bowl and it was barely as good as a can of Hormel. The bartender was a bit of an airhead and forgot my friends chili order twice. Good atmosphere though, pool, darts, and slot machines.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
susan d.
Been trying to find a good burger at a good price in Palatine for 18 months. Finally found it on July 25, 2023 at TJ O'Briens Bar & Grill! Woo hoo! The place is humble, and the décor is what you'd expect to see at a local bar. However, if you're more interested in good food than fancy ambiance then this is the place for you. I got the "O" burger with fries for under $10 and it was by far the tastiest burger I've had in all of Palatine by far! You'll pay over $15 for a burger at Tap House across the street and it's not even close to what you'll get here. The tomato, lettuce and onion were super fresh (not the wilty mess you get at some places), the burger seasoned and delicious, and the fries crispy and good. My husband got the beef with onion rings and said the onion rings were the best he's ever had! Kudos to their chef! I'm not sure why other reviewers haven't figured out how good the food is here, but that's okay...more for me! I'm gonna be back.
Sam garner
Katie n Heather were great!!! Good times high energy!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Liz B.
This place rocks. A hidden palatinian gem. Such good vibes in this bar. I love it here. Feels like a truly comfortable dive bar but classier than that bc its more fun. The prices? The best you will get in palatine. Music? Always playing. Unlike some awkwardass music-less spots across the street. But the food - omg. Amazing!!! You would never think this place serves a tasty platter but believe me, they DO. 5 stars honestly.
Donna Christian
Nice little bar!
Atmosphere: 5
brendanmcawesome
Wow. I absolutely love TJ O'Brien's. I went there on a Wednesday afternoon for a quick drink before my dinner date. Service was very fast and the bartender was nice. I always appreciate a bartender that's willing to have a genuine conversation and crack a few jokes (shout out Jaclyn!). Other bar patrons were friendly and made it feel like a home away from home. I can't recommend this spot enough if you're looking for a drink in downtown palatine!
Shannon Gardner
I'll never go back to this place again. Door man/ bartender can't even recognize a real ID lol. Carded us at the door. Im well over 21. And he insists our ID was fake ? He was rude and tried to over compensate for his lack of intelligence. No thanks. We were here a few weeks ago and didnt even get carded. That time, food was horrible but stayed for drinks in which we spent alot and tipped even better....My friends and I will never give this business another dime. This dump is a big pass!!
Eli
I left my card on Saturday before closing time and came back at 1:50am to get my card and sign off my bill. They did not let me in whatsoever and said I needed to come back the next day bc “they closed the registers” well don’t state on your store that you close at 2am then! Anyways I work early the next day and I’m out of town and have spoken that I was going to pick up my card sometime this week. Keep in mind they had already charged my card for my original tab $27 since i checked my bank so i basically did not owe anything. I still didn’t even check if they charged me right but whatever. A few Days later I got charged AGAIN a different amount on my card of $32. So I got charged two separate charges when I’ve only been there once! When I spoke to the lady on the phone her excuse was “well they added tip so the servers could get paid” that’s totally illegal to add tip without my consent or me signing anything. Anyways they still committed fraud of doing another transaction even though I didn’t not come in a second time. BEWARE.
Trondon (Trondon)
For a smaller bar, this place can get pretty busy. The vibes have always been pretty good. And pretty much every staff interaction Ive had had been good. From the bartenders to the guys working the door. Just been there to drink haven't had the food.
I love this place! The owners are so nice!Drinks are great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jake Greenwald
Great food good prices and all the employees are very welcoming had zero problems
Eli G
I left my card on Saturday before closing time and came back at 1:50am to get my card and sign off my bill. They did not let me in whatsoever and said I needed to come back the next day bc “they closed the registers” well don’t state on your store that you close at 2am then! Anyways I work early the next day and I’m out of town and have spoken that I was going to pick up my card sometime this week. Keep in mind they had already charged my card for my original tab $27 since i checked my bank so i basically did not owe anything. I still didn’t even check if they charged me right but whatever. A few Days later I got charged AGAIN a different amount on my card of $32. So I got charged two separate charges when I’ve only been there once! When I spoke to the lady on the phone her excuse was “well they added tip so the servers could get paid” that’s totally illegal to add tip without my consent or me signing anything. Anyways they still committed fraud of doing another transaction even though I didn’t not come in a second time. BEWARE.
Kevin Bullock
Always have a Good Time when I go here.
Elizabeth G.
I left my card on Saturday before closing time and came back at 1:50am to get my card and sign off my bill. They did not let me in whatsoever and said I needed to come back the next day bc "they closed the registers" well don't state on your store that you close at 2am then! Anyways I work early the next day and I'm out of town and have spoken that I was going to pick up my card sometime this week. Keep in mind they had already charged my card for my original tab $27 since i checked my bank so i basically did not owe anything. I still didn't even check if they charged me right but whatever. A few Days later I got charged again a different amount on my card of $32. So I got charged two separate charges when I've only been there once! When I spoke to the lady on the phone her excuse was "well they added tip so the servers could get paid" that's totally illegal to add tip without my consent or me signing anything. Anyways they still committed fraud of doing another transaction even though I didn't not come in a second time. BEWARE.
Such a fun bar and not sure what so many people are whining about. The staff is so nice, the food was great. Also, it is refreshing that there are still places that are real and don't push agendas. A perfect 10
They had chili on special but it was not good. It was 5.50 for a bowl and it was barely as good as a can of Hormel. The bartender was a bit of an airhead and forgot my friends chili order twice. Good atmosphere though, pool, darts, and slot machines.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Been trying to find a good burger at a good price in Palatine for 18 months. Finally found it on July 25, 2023 at TJ O'Briens Bar & Grill! Woo hoo! The place is humble, and the décor is what you'd expect to see at a local bar. However, if you're more interested in good food than fancy ambiance then this is the place for you. I got the "O" burger with fries for under $10 and it was by far the tastiest burger I've had in all of Palatine by far! You'll pay over $15 for a burger at Tap House across the street and it's not even close to what you'll get here. The tomato, lettuce and onion were super fresh (not the wilty mess you get at some places), the burger seasoned and delicious, and the fries crispy and good. My husband got the beef with onion rings and said the onion rings were the best he's ever had! Kudos to their chef! I'm not sure why other reviewers haven't figured out how good the food is here, but that's okay...more for me! I'm gonna be back.
Katie n Heather were great!!! Good times high energy!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
This place rocks. A hidden palatinian gem. Such good vibes in this bar. I love it here. Feels like a truly comfortable dive bar but classier than that bc its more fun. The prices? The best you will get in palatine. Music? Always playing. Unlike some awkwardass music-less spots across the street. But the food - omg. Amazing!!! You would never think this place serves a tasty platter but believe me, they DO. 5 stars honestly.
Nice little bar!
Atmosphere: 5
Wow. I absolutely love TJ O'Brien's. I went there on a Wednesday afternoon for a quick drink before my dinner date. Service was very fast and the bartender was nice. I always appreciate a bartender that's willing to have a genuine conversation and crack a few jokes (shout out Jaclyn!). Other bar patrons were friendly and made it feel like a home away from home. I can't recommend this spot enough if you're looking for a drink in downtown palatine!
I'll never go back to this place again. Door man/ bartender can't even recognize a real ID lol. Carded us at the door. Im well over 21. And he insists our ID was fake ? He was rude and tried to over compensate for his lack of intelligence. No thanks. We were here a few weeks ago and didnt even get carded. That time, food was horrible but stayed for drinks in which we spent alot and tipped even better....My friends and I will never give this business another dime. This dump is a big pass!!
I left my card on Saturday before closing time and came back at 1:50am to get my card and sign off my bill. They did not let me in whatsoever and said I needed to come back the next day bc “they closed the registers” well don’t state on your store that you close at 2am then! Anyways I work early the next day and I’m out of town and have spoken that I was going to pick up my card sometime this week. Keep in mind they had already charged my card for my original tab $27 since i checked my bank so i basically did not owe anything. I still didn’t even check if they charged me right but whatever. A few Days later I got charged AGAIN a different amount on my card of $32. So I got charged two separate charges when I’ve only been there once! When I spoke to the lady on the phone her excuse was “well they added tip so the servers could get paid” that’s totally illegal to add tip without my consent or me signing anything. Anyways they still committed fraud of doing another transaction even though I didn’t not come in a second time. BEWARE.
For a smaller bar, this place can get pretty busy. The vibes have always been pretty good. And pretty much every staff interaction Ive had had been good. From the bartenders to the guys working the door. Just been there to drink haven't had the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I love this place! The owners are so nice!Drinks are great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food good prices and all the employees are very welcoming had zero problems
I left my card on Saturday before closing time and came back at 1:50am to get my card and sign off my bill. They did not let me in whatsoever and said I needed to come back the next day bc “they closed the registers” well don’t state on your store that you close at 2am then! Anyways I work early the next day and I’m out of town and have spoken that I was going to pick up my card sometime this week. Keep in mind they had already charged my card for my original tab $27 since i checked my bank so i basically did not owe anything. I still didn’t even check if they charged me right but whatever. A few Days later I got charged AGAIN a different amount on my card of $32. So I got charged two separate charges when I’ve only been there once! When I spoke to the lady on the phone her excuse was “well they added tip so the servers could get paid” that’s totally illegal to add tip without my consent or me signing anything. Anyways they still committed fraud of doing another transaction even though I didn’t not come in a second time. BEWARE.
Always have a Good Time when I go here.
I left my card on Saturday before closing time and came back at 1:50am to get my card and sign off my bill. They did not let me in whatsoever and said I needed to come back the next day bc "they closed the registers" well don't state on your store that you close at 2am then! Anyways I work early the next day and I'm out of town and have spoken that I was going to pick up my card sometime this week. Keep in mind they had already charged my card for my original tab $27 since i checked my bank so i basically did not owe anything. I still didn't even check if they charged me right but whatever. A few Days later I got charged again a different amount on my card of $32. So I got charged two separate charges when I've only been there once! When I spoke to the lady on the phone her excuse was "well they added tip so the servers could get paid" that's totally illegal to add tip without my consent or me signing anything. Anyways they still committed fraud of doing another transaction even though I didn't not come in a second time. BEWARE.