Deer Path Inn Bar - Lake Forest

     The Deer Path Inn is an incredibly beautiful Hotel in Lake Forest. When you walk in, the staff, will make you feel underdressed while they escort you to a room, or any of the other lavish facilities the Inn has to offer. But we aren't concerned with fancy hotel rooms or dining halls, we want the BAR!

     When I descended the stone staircase from outside and walked into the bar, my first impression was, "Woah."The Deer Path Inn Bar is the type of place you imagine Oxford graduates in five thousand dollar suits to gather and sip dry martinis while discussing the stock market. In a word, its grandiose. The mahogany wood paneled walls fall on oaky brown and regal red leather chairs. The lighting is dim, but not too dim. The fire place, small lamps and the single candle on each table is enough to set the room aglow with a warm comfortable feeling. British lords on horseback commanding dogs at sprinting foxes occupy the frames of paintings on the paneled walls all around (giving the Bar its nickname, "The Hunt Room") interrupted only by the large window displaying the wine cellar.

To Eat:
     The menu is large and diverse, satisfying the expensive suit wearers with 10 oz filet mignon ($34) Veal Piccata ($25) and Lobster and Shrimp Risotto ($27) while having the range to satisfy a simple more classic taste with dishes like their Burger ($12), Chicken Caesar Wrap ($12) Pizzas ($12 on avrg), Quesadillas ($12) and much more. They also have an appetizer and side dish selection that ranges from fancy to traditional.

They added a sushi bar in the Hunt Room opposite the actual bar so you can drink and watch the chefs make your fresh seafood.

Deer Path Inn Full Bar menu: 

Behind the Bar:
     The bar is fully loaded with whatever you could possibly want liquor wise, as far as beers go they have a bunch of the basics on bottle while on tap they have imports like Chimay, Stiegel, Vanilla Porter Ale and Hofbrau.


In All Honesty:
      I really have nothing negative to say about the Hunt Room except maybe that their four on tap options are not beers I'll ever have a strong hankering for. If you're looking for an inexpensive basket of wings and a domestic brew to wash it down, this is not the place for you. The Hunt Room is calm, classy and refined and it attracts the same kind of people. Though the bar does not have a dress code, I recommend wearing a collar and tucking in your shirt so you don't feel out of place.

The Bar is open nightly. Food is served Mon-Sat: 4-10pm and Sun: 4-9pm

Official Deer Path Inn Web Site

Pictures from Web Site:

Chief's Pub - Lake Forest

     From its opening night on Halloween, 2007, Chief's Pub has been a town hit. Former Knollwood Fire Department Chief and Pub owner, Chuck Knesley designed Chiefs to have that classic fire house feel. The walls are painted with murals and covered in classic, historical Fireman paraphernalia like oxygen tanks, uniforms, helmets, and pictures. This vibrant sports pub is surrounded by flat screen Tv's, where you can find every major game as well as pay per view events. The medium sized menu follows the classic american bar cuisine covering the bases of burgers, wings, wraps and sandwiches while reaching to the lunch and dinner crowd with specials like ribs and pizza.


Behind The Bar: 
Chiefs has a decent selection of on tap options: Bud and Miller Light, Sam Adams, Blue Moon, Guinness, 312, and a few others.

In all honesty:
     Chiefs is a great place; its fun, inviting and different. The themed atmosphere is energetic and provides a great community gathering place. Drinks may be slightly more expensive than other pubs in the area but they have some nice nightly deals. The food is pretty good, I'd stay away from the paper thin pizza, but the burgers and wings go great with a Guinness.

Hours: Mon - Sat, 11am - 1am; Sun, 11am - 11pm

Photos: Facebook

The Lantern - Lake Forest

     The Lantern is a local favorite, splitting its large American style menu with a popular late night bar scene since the 1930's. The three-room bar/restaurant plasters its walls with short funny quips and various sports memorabilia. One of The Lanterns more charming qualities is the toy train that circles the ceiling of the three rooms, each car advertising a different local business. They toot their own horn by claiming their signature Lantern Burger is "the best in town," but you won't hear the locals saying any different. 

In all honesty:

     The Lantern is loaded with Lake Forest loyalty but if you show up after dinner looking for a quiet place to sip a brew and check on the game this is not the place for you. Between the large business district surrounding the bar and the Lake Forest College campus just down the street, it fills up fast and the atmosphere gets loud. If you're looking for loud and rowdy, join the mostly mid-twenties crowd for Wednesday Karaoke night or any night of the weekend.

     The Lantern is not overly expensive and they have good nightly deals. If you want a place guaranteed to show the big game, match or fight, a more comfortable spot would be Chief's Pub, the sports bar down the street.

Hours: 

Dining, Mon - Fri, 11am - 11pm; Sat - Sun, 10am - 11pm 

Bar: Mon - Fri, 11am - 1am; Sat - Sun, 10am - 1am

Video: YouTube, Photos: Facebook