St. Andrew’s Inn

I really like this place. I’ve had a number of their craft beer selections. I especially like the Zhingou. As good and varied a selection of beers as any bar I’ve ever been. I’ve tried their cajun pasta, the penne rigate, seafood pasta, an alligator sausage pasta, their Reuben, their salads, ribs and a lamb chop special All good. Trivia night is fun. And they have live music too. I’ve seen some complaints about the prices, but in my opinion it’s well within the norm of its peers, but with better food.
Sorry to say St. Andrews is now permanently closed.

I’m pretty mixed about this place right now. I went in a few years ago and experienced the excellent beer menu with good prices. Then I tried a year ago, and they were having issues with the liquor license. Months later, my boyfriend and I ate delicious food on the quiet and intimate patio and had a great time. But this time I made a table reservation (not that I needed to), showed up and they weren’t serving food because of issues with kitchen staff? Why did they not call me? I still like the place but it’s very inconsistent. Definitely call ahead and make sure they can serve whatever you are seeking.

The place looks good but was totally dead the night I went. The televisions were small and away from the bar. the bartender was reirement age and moved like it and kept disappearing in the back. The location and view from small window of the street was decent. i imagine that if this place was happening it might be a pretty good place. The interior décor was good and the food menu looks decent.

No stars.
I arrived at St. Andrews after a long day of work and asked if the menu was available… then the bartender lazily refused me service saying «I wouldn’t want to over serve you.» Rude. His name is Julius, or so he says.
If I were you I wouldn’t waste my time on the bad food and over-​priced drinks when great and friendly service at Moody’s Pub is less than a block south.

super cute… oh and amazing. I had a ghost burger… better then Kuma’s, plus the cooks were sweet to accomodate my food allegies. (onions…weird I know) Oh they dont serve Stella, even though they have the place mats everywhere… serious the first thing you walk in and see is the words Stella Artois. But the cute bar tender reccomeded a french beer which was good.
If your looking for a chil thursday night spot its here. its not too formal where you can dress down, a great jukebox and solid food. The long wrap around bar with comfy stool is also a plus.

What a bizarre place. Looks like a dive on the outside. Kinda the same on the inside. Or something. Oddball kitschy art, a suit of armor, a rainbow disco ball, a mysterious locked chest. I could describe the décor as «eclectic» or, perhaps more accurately, «schizophrenic.» Definitely lacks a cohesive theme. Seems like bits of junk the proprietors have picked up through the years (and yes, the place looks like it’s seen a few decades) and decided to display in their pub.
Anyways, huge beer menu is awesome, the high point of the evening. Such a selection, it truly has something for everyone. Food menu seems as schizophrenic as the décor. Cajun food and Scottish/​British pub fare? Ok, weird again. Had some alligator sausage with red beans and rice. It was ok. Not great. I still can’t really figure out just what the hell is going on with St. Andrew’s Inn. Til I do, 3 stars.

This may earn me the wrath of the ghosts at the St Andrew’s Inn but the food hear was beyond bad.
After looking up the reviews on the place I figured it was a good choice. Matt M’s review of the Shepard’s Pie made me very interested. I talked my fiancée into a visit. We arrived early (7-​ish) and the place was nearly empty. We were shown to a nice table and given the menus. It all looks very good. Then we got the first bad news of the evening.
«We have no scallops, no Cheese Sticks, and no shrimp»
On a Friday they were missing three key items. ?? Oh well, We had no intent to those items so we went on to order.
We ordered soup to start. It was okay but a tad… Cool. The main dishes arrived some 15 minutes after finishing the soup. My Shepard’s Pie was nuclear hop while the Lady’s meat loaf was cold.
I cannot do justice to the state of the Mashed Garlic with potato flakes that topped the pie. It was so bad I could not eat it. It burned my mouth. The Meat and gravy was vile. Someone chose to add wine to the gravy. Shepard’s pie is poor person’s food. It doesn’t have wine. And there was more of the garlic. The only redeeming feature was the peas. They were not over cooked. They were barely warm but they were not over cooked.
We ordered dessert just to try and get the taste out of our mouths. That was pretty good.
The staff were very nice but there was nothing to overcome the bad taste of the food.
I cannot say we will go back. I cannot recommend it. I would warn anyone to eat the burgers. The few patrons we saw while there we all eating the burgers. I just wish we had known this when we entered.

I came here because I saw the sign there menu when I was walking by and it had Shepard’s Pie. Damn do I love Shepard’s pie.
What do I hate? Poorly executed Shepard’s pie. If you can’t pull it off, don’t do it. With that said. St. Andrew’s Inn can pull off a classy shepards pie. There patio is also really clean, pleasant, and enjoyable.
I subtract one star for the awkward placement of the patio. I don’t expect it to be on Broadway. I fully expect it to be out back. I just don’t like having to walk AROUND the bulding and then having to deal with the neighbors using it to get into/​out-​of their apartments. Kinda weird. But I digress. Very nice staff, very nice food!

Awesome beer selection.
Tasty food.
Cool bartenders.
Chill atmosphere.

So… I wanted to like this spot a bit more than I did, but it is a solid place if you just want a beer and a burger.
My friends and I went for a quick bite for dinner a few weeks ago. The beer list is large, but they were out of a bunch of beers (perhaps because it was around St. Patty’s…). The food was ok, nothing special, but it was ok. I will give the food/​drinks a 3.
Service…was friendly, but super slow. Considering we were the only ones there, I was a bit disappointed. Service was a 3 (and only because he started out really great… so I didn’t knock him more points).
The bathroom was a bit gross. a 2. I think they were out of soap.
The atmosphere is a bit dark and dingy. Ok for a dive I suppose, and the utensils were spotless, so I have to assume they are going for dark and dingy as an atmospheric tool… so, a 3.
Value…not bad. A definite 4 based upon quantity.
So, overall a 3. I definitely won’t seek this spot out, but if there (and if everything else was packed).I might return (probably not).

I play trivia here a couple of Thursdays a month and always have a good time. There have been some extensive renovations in the past couple of months and it seems like the shift is for St. Andrew to become a gastropub. They have an extensive collection of beers, there liquor selection is not as robust though. If you are a micro-​brew fan this might be the place for you as it seems like they are consistently bringing in new beers. They are also great about giving you a taste of some of the micro-​brews they have a tap which was nice.
Another feature I like is that the walls feature art from local artist here in Edgewater.

I used to be a regular until I witnessed the demise of this place.
The food used to be great and now quality has steadily gotten worse. I used to enjoy the atmosphere of this place. Great music, an adventurous beer menu to exceed 100 beers, great staff and the regulars are a good bunch. I used to bring friends and others who worked in the service industry for a relaxing and enjoyable time.
Not so anymore. The owner belittles the wait staff in front of the customers. He nickel and dimes the patrons and does not take criticism lightly. Expect to pay twice as much for your favorite beverage and food.
Sadly, no more live blues music or Karaōke, only Jazz on select evenings.
One of the perks of this place used to be a regular bartender. I haven’t seen him there since he was replaced by a new manager who is as polite as the owner, hovering over people and treating them rudely.
I absolutely do not recommend this place for good service. They have just opened a beer garden but good luck getting service.
I hope this place turns around again.

The food is good, not great. The prices are a bit high for what you get. Not a bad atmosphere for sitting around a pub on a Saturday night with your friends, but the owners don’t seem to understand what they are — a corner pub with a small, older clientele that also appeals to younger folks seeking a relaxed evening at a bar.
I was always willing to forgive the food and prices, but on a recent night when the local theater was hosting a major event, I walked in with four friends to get a table and have some drinks. The host refused to seat us at any of the tables if we weren’t ordering dinner and told us the only place we could sit was the bar. He clearly wanted to keep the tables open for the theater crowd that he expected (any moment now!).
Rejecting customers who live in your neighborhood in favor of passers-​by who will never come there again is bad business. Plain and simple. You should never make people feel unwelcome in your bar. The result? Fewer regular patrons. Which I suspect is the reason their scrounging around on busy nights so desperately.
Long story short, go to Moody’s for drinks, go to Indie for far better food, or walk to Andersonville for a much better atmosphere than anything St. Andrew’s will offer.

The beer list is overwhelming, but the burgers are great. I got the St. Andrew’s Ghost burger (I’m sure there’s a story behind the name which I’ll find out eventually) and it was awesome. It’s a weird mix but it works, BBQ sauce, swiss, and guac… who woulda guessed?
Laid back atmosphere, nice staff, but its def more of a neighborhood spot. Hit up Moody’s Pub down the street if you’re looking to do a beer n’ burger night.

It is hard to beat St. Andrew’s Inn for this price. The food is top quality, perfectly prepared every time. If nothing else, you need to go for the all you can eat fish and chips on Friday’s (and regular order is on the menu every day of the week). The fish is very lightly breaded so it’s not too greasy, and very hot and flaky. Other stand out dishes are the Shepard’s Pie and Ribs. You just aren’t going to get it any better for his price.
The beer selection is great. No, it’s not as extensive as Hopleaf (for those familiar) but they do have something for everyone’s liking. The staff has been with SAI for a long time which speaks highly of the owner. And, the owner is always present and ensuring everyone is having a good time and enjoying their food.
This is one of my two neighborhood favorites. Call me if you’re going and I will probably meet you there!

This is a good place to relax and enjoy live jazz sometimes. The food isn’t that great and I’ve had a consistent problem with the owner. Seems he reacts to people differently because a few reviews say he’s friendly but I haven’t had one friendly experience with him.
Superbowl one year was dead inside but we had a difficult problem not only getting service but the owner glared at us from 5 feet away the entire night. Apparently there was no table around that could fit us to his liking and we had to pull teeth to sit together while he hoped more people would trickle in mid-​game and demand the space a group of 5 took. We had to promise to split up during dinner if more people came in. It could’ve been because we were young and the usual clientele are older but we were nothing but polite, paying patrons on a dead night.

First, lets be clear. The only reason this place did not earn 1 star from me is 1. Their excellent beer selection, specifically Rogue Dead Guy Ale and 2. Their Shepard’s Pie.
My dinner-​mate and I have eaten here twice and I believe the ONLY reason we came back a second time was because their Shepard’s Pie is so dang good. I cannot deny that. If you come to this restraurant, save yourself heartache and order yourself a good beer and the Shepard’s Pie, don’t even look at the menu.
The menu is deceiving, it has tons of options but I am guessing, from what we have sampled other than the Shepard’s Pie, they are all terrible, poorly made dishes with poor quality ingredients.
First time we went my dinner-​mate ordered the Fish and Chips, they were okay, but left a lot to be desired and were in desperate need of salt. He said he would not order them again and he lamented not also ordering the Shep’s Pie.
The second time we came back my dinner-​mate finally got the Shep’s Pie instead of me. I ordered crab cakes but was told over twenty minutes later (see my comments on quality of service below) that they did not have any more. I panicked and ordered some steak sandwich. How can you go wrong with a steak sandwich, right? Well they did go wrong, VERY wrong. It was probably the most disgusting thing I have ordered in a restaurant to date. I don’t think I ate more than two bites. The meat was revolting, the mushrooms more disgusting than I care to relive. The sandwich had some mysterious flavor that did not belong. It was just a gross, cheaply made sandwich and I was very, very angry about it.
Their service is pretty atrocious as well, let me count the ways. 1. Extremely slow. 2. Slow to bring food, 3. Slow to bring beer, 4. Slow to take order. 5. Slow to tell me nearly a half hour after ordering my dinner that I would not be receiving my crab cakes after all (lets be honest, they were probably also disgusting). 6. You have to BEG for your check. 7. When you finally get the check they have charged you for beers you never ordered.
Despite their Shep’s Pie being uncharacteristically tasty I will never, ever ever EVER go back. We found another bar with Rogue Dead Guy Ale anyway. This place really isn’t worth it, for the price ($$) it’s really just garbage pub food.

We chose St. Andrew’s Pub for lunch today. I was surprised to see the buffet was still ongoing, so we chose that option. The food was very good. Lots of standard breakfast fare to choose from, .and some interesting things like chicken livers in a garlic gravy and grits with shrimp. Everything was very fresh and the buffet itself was well maintained and did not look the disaster that many buffets become with the passing of time.
The atmosphere is nice, not loud or tacky and the staff is very friendly and helpful. I would definitely go back, but will try items off the menu. I think $ 20 for the buffet was a little high for what was offered.

The best analogy I can use to describe my visit to Olé St. Andrew’s Pub is that it was like a roller coaster ride. There were ups, there were downs and there were moments when I wanted to scream like a little girl!
The ups:
* The crab-​artichoke dip was tasty and had a nice kick to it. My pita was a bit over toasted, but it didn’t ruin the dish.
* The jukebox had Squeeze on it
* Our server was nice and checked on us frequently. It almost, ALMOST, made me forget the shushing incident (see below).
* The staff was on top of the sketchy guys who popped in not once, but twice; the second time using the one room bathroom together, hmmmm. Once they finished their *business* they were promptly escorted out of the bar.
* They have board games
* Miller Lite was $ 2.50
The downs:
* We were shushed, in a bar. Enough said.
* Scattegories was missing the instructions so we couldn’t play
* All of the good board games were obscured by the table set up for brunch
* We were subjected to really bad muzak for almost an hour until brunch was officially over at 3. Seriously, we counted the time until we could put some real music on and end the misery
* They had Amy Grant on the jukebox, seriously?!?
The screams:
* We were not allowed to watch the MSU/​Illinois game on the main/​big TV because 2 old guys were *watching* it. Sorry, but there were about 10 of us and 2 of them and they were only glancing at the game occasionally AND sitting near 2 other TV’s.
* We were not allowed to watch the MSU/​Illinois on the next best TV because one guy wanted to watch golf. Golf! WTF? Who goes to a bar to watch golf anyway?
* The only TV with the game on was at the opposite end of the bar and so small we couldn’t see the game anyway.
Bottom line: It was just so-​so, if I came back it would be to play board games and drink for cheap

Ok, the first time I visited Olé St. Andrew’s Pub was when the Bears were in the Superbowl. It was about 12 below zero, and there was so much smoke in there that my eyes were literally burning out of their sockets. The overhead fans did not help (nor did the Bears’ poor performance)…seriously, it took me a few days to feel normal after that, and I think it tainted my experience. I hadn’t returned until this past weekend…
HELLO smoking ban, let’s be involved. I love you.
Without the haze of nicotine and death, this place is actually quite nice. Clean, comfortable, neighborhood feel. Pool table, large TV’s, kind of an old school, antiquey feel to it. Decent food, good beer on tap and a friendly staff… I wouldn’t go as far as to call it a «dive,» but more in the same vein as Richard’s. Too clean to be a «real» dive. (read: no vomit on the walls or urine in the doorway).
The molten lava chocolate cake=heaven. So good.
I’d go back for a drink before/​after Indie Thai, Broadway Cellars, etc… nice place to hang out (they have a bit of outside seating in the summer). Supposedly, it’s haunted too… if that’s your thing. :)