Sheep & Fiddle

This review is overdue as we have been going here for a while. All the food is delicious, and large portions! We’ve tried nearly all the burgers, boxtys and appetizers they have. Their fish fry is delicious, well seasoned and breading has a great crunch. Fried green beans are our favorite, with fried mushrooms as a close second. Mushrooms look HUGE but breading isn’t over powering, but wonderful light and buttery. Plus they have Magner’s which is the best cider in my opinion.

So we’ve been back several times.
Pleased with virtually everything on the menu.
The fish and chips are excellent, and I am not a fan of fish. Because of the level of grease… I have to bribe my husband to share this entrée with me. It shouldn’t be fully-​enjoyed by one human. :)
burgers are great.
Ruben is awesome
Service is always friendly.

Pop’d in for a drink, Guiness was poured perfectly. The owner definitely takes pride in his restaurant. Will have to check out the food next time.

We have been to the Sheep & Fiddle twice now. A year ago when we moved to the area from Las Vegas and a week ago to see any improvements or adjustments. Last year I had tried the Scotch Eggs and they were delicious. My husband who is from London, had a Sheep & Fiddle Burger — which was very good. This year, I went once more for the Scotch Egg and he had the Reuben… (I sampled too!) and it was excellent! Nice chunky corned beef, not the sliced deli crap!
We both agree it is a little more pricey but, what isn’t in this economy? And We also agree this is not an Irish Pub, but more of a theme.
Very clean, and welcoming. and the owners are quite friendly! I hope we don’t wait another year to go back. it was fun.

We stopped in here last night after visiting the nearby (and amazing) Hindu temple.
The staff was very nice and the service fairly quick.
My husband and I each began our meals with a soup. I got the potato and leek soup and he got the soup of the day, which happened to be corned beef and vegetables. I thought his soup was pretty good, and I really enjoyed mine. The soups were served with some sort of Irish brown bread, which I will have to research because it had an odd bitterness to it that made even my ice water taste sweet! Definitely make use of that butter they give you.
For our entrees my husband got some kind of crazy salad with bacon and all kinds of unhealthy stuff in it (I just checked — it was the Gaelic Cobbler), paired with warm bacon dressing! He said he both loved and hated it, being a bacon fan, but even he couldn’t get over the sheer unhealthiness of it. For my entrée I had the Beef and Guinness stew. The stew was not quite what I was hoping for. The sauce was tasty and the vegetables were good (but seemed to stay EXTREMELY hot the whole time). However, the beef was not quite as tender as I wanted. When my mom makes beef stew the beef is practically falling apart where you don’t even need a knife to cut it. This was a bit tougher and you definitely needed a knife if you wanted to take smaller bites. My standards were probably just wrong, but I do wish I had gone with something else. The beef stew came with colcannon, which I discovered was mashed potato with kale and leeks. I thought that was pretty delicious, if a bit redundant after my soup — the Irish can sure do potatoes, I’ll give them that!
If we lived closer we would probably stop in again to try some of the other stuff on the menu. It was a little pricey, though. Our bill came out to $ 30 before tip and we only had water to drink. If I had liked my entrée a little more the price probably wouldn’t have hurt quite so bad. ;)

The burgers at Sheep & Fiddle are awesome! And the monster, donut-​sized onion rings are, quite possibly, the world’s most perfect onion rings.
I ordered the pear & brie burger with a side of onion rings (well worth the $ 1 upgrade charge) and washed it down with a Blue Moon. My three girlfriends also ordered burgers, and they went with the bacon and blue cheese and «build your own» option. S&F is getting extra love for me because these burgers are served on pretzel buns. The burgers are huge though, and I had to eat mine with a fork & knife.
On Fridays, they have $ 2 domestic drafts. I must have misinterpreted «domestic,» since I ordered a Blue Moon and was charged $ 5. The waiter explained that since it’s a «craft beer» it isn’t included. I chose not to gripe about it. The beer list is a lot smaller than I expected, maybe 6 – 8 options on draft, but of course their focus is on Guinness. There is a cocktail menu as well, but none of us gave this a second thought.
It feels like a really nice, classy, sports bar in here. It worked out well for our ladies night, and there are TVs throughout the bar broadcasting games, as well as Guinness and other beer memorobilia on the walls, but it isn’t overdone. It looks like each piece of décor was chosen with purpose.
We received really great service. Although it was quite busy when we arrived at 7:30 on a Friday, we were seated immediately. We were too busy catching up with each other to notice that there was a lag in getting our drinks and having orders taken, but our waiter came back several times to acknowledge us and apologize. Sometimes there isn’t much you can do about slow service — all of the waiters and bartenders looked rushed — so I appreciated the occasional, «I’m sorry about that,» especially when none of us did the oh-​so-​obvious glance around the bar for our waiter.
The bustling restaurant died fast. By 9:30 (they close at 1am), the place was empty except for our group and a middle-​aged couple nuzzling each other’s necks at the bar. I’m used to more buzz and hustle on Friday nights at any bar, so I worry that S&F may not make it. There aren’t many options in the immediate area which, in addition to their food, is their strong point.

Our first time here, looking forward to trying some authentic Irish food. It was a nice place, clean, bright, multiple TVs and the bartender was very friendly and service oriented. He took great care of us all night. We started with a combo appetizer — corn beef bites, onion rings and pot roast sliders. The pot roast sliders were good, unique and the onion rings very fat and crispy, we liked those. The corn beef bites were OK, similar to what we have had elsewhere, but nothing to get excited about. They give you sauce for both the onion rings and corn beef, I would have liked extra gravy for the sliders too. For dinner, we had the corn beef and cabbage and the prime rib sandwich (yes, I know, not Irish, but it looked good and menu said it was a favorite). My corn beef and cabbage was OK, usually the meat is more tender, this was a little tough, but flavor was good. My wife liked her sandwich, although the fries that came with it were the skinny fresh cut fries. Don’t get me wrong, i think those kind of fires, but at an Irish restaurant I expect the big fat fries you can pour malt vinegar on. We were curious if the skinny fries were also served with the fish and chips, that would have been weird. So everything was good, nothing was exceptional. Still a nice place to eat, we would go back, but food is about the level of Ballydoyles

This place is pretty much a grill pub but they do have high chairs. We were looking for a different place to eat and wanted to check out a local establishment. There was a hawks game so we figured we would get some grub and food while watching the game. They have a lot of tv’s and a big rectangular bar area in the middle.
We sat in a table in the corner which was fine for us.
Yes they have Guinness.
We got the Reuben bites as an appetizer. Wow. They are great, I highly recommend them especially if you are a fan of the great Reuben sammich.
I got one of the boxtys and my wife got her favorite which is Shepherd’s pie. I liked the boxty. It had a lot of flavor. The Shepherd’s pie was also good, but I prefer the one at Ballydoyles. But I still enjoyed it.
I liked the atmosphere and will definitely check out the place again.

We went for the Hawks game last night. They have plenty of flat-​screen TV’s all around so it was easy to keep up with the action. I had already signed up for their texts (info on their website) & they were having ½ price burgers w/​beverage purchase during the game. Perfect!
Hubby tried the Porkie Burger & I had the Brie & Pear Burger — both were oh so yummy, and oh so messy! They weren’t really structurally sound because of all the fantastic toppings so at one point I started using my knife and fork to eat mine. We both upgraded to onions rings as a side, which were also good, and I asked for a side of their horseradish dipping sauce as I saw on the menu that is served with them if you order rings as an appetizer. I could put that sauce on everything! My arteries would protest, but my mouth wouldn’t care! Oh, and we started with some wings so we could try their Jameson Honey Gold sauce — ooooh, nice! Kinda sweet, kinda sour & just the teensiest hint of heat (could have been much hotter in my opinion but good for those who don’t want the spiciness).
They were slammed busy before the game & during the first two periods with just the bartender/​manager & server waiting on all the tables (yes, the bartender/​manager was waiting on the tables, too, including ours). I’ve got to say those two were amazing! They never came off as flustered, were smiling and hurried to make sure everyone was helped — we never once felt like we were neglected so hats off to those two. They also have a nice mix of seats at the bar, high tops and regular dining tables (perfect for someone like me who has an aversion to high tops).
We’re looking forward to coming back and trying some of their Irish items on the menu. Their chef is from Northern Ireland & the Irish items on the menu truly had my mouth-​watering. I see they have live music there every so often as well so I’m looking forward to coming back & hearing the Blues band playing there June 1^st. (The Kelsey Harbor Blues Band, we’ve heard them before, really good, so happy to see them coming here!). Oh, and they have Wednesday Night Trivia, too. :-D

I work at the high school nearby and drive by this place everyday. Finally had a chance to stop by and try it today with my fiancé. When we got there I think we were greeted by the owner who was also our waiter and very friendly. My fiancé and I both got the burger that was topped with pulled pork and bacon. It was so good! The BBQ sauce we were brought made it over the top good and my fiancé has mentioned a few times already about going back and getting it again. My favorite was the French fries. They are similar to the smashfries at Smashburger that are coated in olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt, only these are 10x better because I suspect they are fresh cut.
We can’t wait to go back and I’m excited to try their other offerings. They have Wednesday trivia and I’m hoping to try that some night as well.

My wife and I stopped in for a drink and to catch some of the NCAA basketball games. We had just eaten so I can’t comment on the food. The bar is nice and has a few Irish beers on tap (Guinness, Harps, and Smithwick’s). $ 5 for a pint is about normal. The bartender was nice and also a White Sox fan as he commented on my Sox hoodie. The place was pretty empty for a Saturday night so I hope they find a way to drum up some more business. I’d like to see this place stick around.
I saw a review in the local paper and I want to try the Guinness Stew. Sounds good on a cold night.

This is our first time here. I wanted to eat out for St. Patty’s day weekend.
Thanks for the Tips Unilocalers!
Service is good and attentive.
We had the potatoes and leeks soup flavorful, really like the dense sweet tasting bread that came with it!
Huge Onion rings beer battered with house made ranch dressing was hot and good.
Sheppard pie taste pipping hot with that dense bread, yum.
I’d liked that they were playing Irish music in the background, perhaps due to st. Patrick day weekend?
The beef stew dish was really hot, almost burned my tongue. I wish the meat was a bit softer, like melt in your mouth. I had to chew for a bit. I’m thinking this was a new batch that didn’t have enough time to sit and simmer. You can taste the Guinness but overall it was ok, I like the Sheppard pie better.
I’d come back for the fish n chips as I saw a lot of folks ordering it.
Overall, pretty good experience. A place to relax if you’re not in a hurry. Even the owner or the staff was outside and said to us have a good evening folks thanks for stopping by, which is nice to hear.

I agree with a previous reviewer that it’s not really an Irish pub but a sports bar with an Irish twist. That being said, they are (thankfully) not another pizza or Italian place in Bartlett and for that I am extremely grateful.
They have AMAZING food and the employees are always super nice. We have been here 4 or 5 times now and Joe has waited on us the last few times. That man knows his menu, both bar and food. He is extremely friendly and hospitable, even when they are understaffed (and the last couple of times they have been extremely understaffed, which is hard to watch — I just want to get up and help the poor guy!!) … Food is always great, well seasoned, correct temperature. Given the choice of chips or fries, go with the chips. Chips are amazing!

You’d probably get a more authentic Irish experience if you got the food to go, drank a pint at home and watched Leprechaun.
The Sheep and Fiddle is a strip mall restaurant, and while it tries to be more, it is not. Other than the pictures on the wall of Irish authors/​poets and some of the dishes on the menu, this place is not a pub. The décor inside is typical of any bar or restaurant. The top 40’s club music blasting during dinner, the bright lighting, the metal diner-​looking tables and lack of wooden interior design does not sell this place as an Irish restaurant.
While the food was decent and menu offered lots of choices, it is a bit over priced, and you’re better off ordering it to go. This place seems to be a sports bar with an Irish twist.

Owners, Jeff and Sarah, have a pretty cool thing going on here. I know nothing about Irish food, so you may want to take my review with a grain of salt. Anyhow, these owners are pretty sharp. They’ve hired Irish Chef Simon to handle their menu. I think it’s a pretty authentic take on Irish pub food.
We stopped by the first time on a Sunday evening. It was almost right o’clock. And although they were open, the kitchen wasn’t. So, we missed our first dining opportunity. Fast forward a week to a hungry moment. We pull out of the driveway and decide to try again. This time it’s mid-​afternoon on a Sunday and not only are they open, but so is the kitchen. When we walk in, there are three people at the bar. This was a sign to leave, but it was too late. So we seat ourselves at the bar and Joe, the bartender/​server, appears with menus. We quickly learn that he knows all there is to know about this menu.
So here’s what we tried… corned beef and cabbage egg rolls, shepherds pie and a Guinness beef stew. Funny enough, neither of us are big corned beef and cabbage fans. So why order the egg rolls? When in Rome… Anyhow, we were split on these. I enjoyed these and their unique flavor with the bold dipping sauce. The hubby wasn’t as impressed. He ate his half, but wasn’t raving. He ate the shepherds pie for his meal. Again, he didn’t love it, but did like it. He loved my Guinness beef stew though! And so did I! It was loaded with tender chunks of beef, carrots, a rich sauce and their take on mashed potatoes. They actually load the mashed with leaks. There was a story behind this combo, but I honestly don’t remember the reasoning. I liked the potatoes but didn’t love them. Now, the Irish brown bread that was served with the shepherds pie was really great when paired with butter!
Overall it was a really nice experience and we will go again. I’m glad we didn’t let the strip mall location and limited number of guests deter us!

So I would DEFINITELY come here if I was drunk and had the munchies and needed some decent bar food. The pot roast sliders and rosemary seasoned fries were TOP NOTCH.
That being said, the rest of my dinner was very BLAH. Fish and chips were slightly mushy and overly breaded (I like them crispier). Potato leek soup was very bland. The dessert– bread and butter pudding– was downright gross. I am angry that fellow Unilocalers ranted and raved and made me waste my money on this solid piece of meat-​resembling hard cake. It was nothing like «pudding». It tasted like a stale fruit cake. I am such a dessert person and this pudding was such a let down.

Ok, I should have updated this before, but now is a good time!
Since that first review we have eaten here many times. I’ve also gone to just hang out and drink beer.
We love this place. The food rocks, even my almost 9 month old loves it.
The people are always nice, and the beer is always cold, they even have Fat Tire now, which made my cold grey heart grow two sizes. It’d be cool if they added some more craft beers, maybe from somewhere local like Two Brothers brewing, but I can be happy with Half and Halfs and Fat Tire all night!
Here are our favorites:
Pot roast sliders
Potato skins
Potato and leek soup
Colcannon
Guinness beef boxty
Everything is good, but that’s what we order the most consistently.
And now I have a taste for Sheep and Fiddle!

Not bad, minimall bar, lacking some character I think.
Thanks for your comment on my opinion. If your food is what sells, that sounds like you should turn the characterless bar into more tables and make some money.

Anyplace that has Guinness on tap is good in my book! We stopped here on a Friday night for dinner, just two of us. We found a spot and were greeted by a server quickly.
Of course we had to enjoy the Guinness and we had the green bean fries as our appetizer. They were yummy! I had the Beef and Guinness Stew (do you see a theme here?) and hubby had the Sheep and Fiddle Boxty. It was hot and fresh and full of flavor. I couldn’t even eat all the stew, I had to take some to go.
This is a small place in a strip mall, so if you sit near the windows you get a view of the parking lot. Inside there are 5 or 6 flat screen tvs so you can enjoy a sporting event or just laugh at the ESPN guys yammering away about the events of the week.
I did notice that many people who were there when we arrived were still there when we left. It didn’t seem like the tables turned over very quickly, so keep that in mind if you are going on a weekend. There also is not an «official» kids menu, but if you ask your server, they will tell you what’s available.
Overall this was a good dining out adventure

I will admit my friend and I choose this place based on the logo, who can’t resist a sheep who fiddles?!
It took awhile to find since my on-​star navigation and google maps both kept saying we past the bar before we reached it. Finally found the facebook fanpage & the bar on foursquare to direct us to the location.
I will say walking into the bar I wasn’t expecting too much. It looks like your normal bar so nothing fancy although it looked nice and smelled clean.
We had the sampler appetizer with the green beans, mushrooms and ruben bites. They were all good while the mushrooms & ruben bites were different than we expected (different good).
Our entrees were the Corned beef & cabbage and the Beef stew. They came out looking like we were in a 5 star restaurant, presentation was very impressive! Both dishes were very good, also impressive. I think this is the best irish food I’ve ever had in the chicago area.
Service was excellent as well. I will defiantly be back to try more items on the menu and enjoy a drink or two!