Based on the views of a twenty-something young adult, such as myself, the top 3 bars in St. Charles, IL are as follows:
The Filling Station, otherwise known as the Filler is a typical bar inside and out, however what makes it unique is its location and its décor. The pub is situated on the corner of Route 64 and 3rd Street, giving you a prime position to people watch in their outdoor patio. The interior and exterior are peppered with old gas station memorabilia to give this bar the feel that it was previously an old corner filling station (get the name now?). The menu consists of the typical pub food with names to reflect the gas station/late 50’s feel. Try the 57 Thunderbird salad, or the 58 Edsel dog. A typical day you’ll find a mix of ages seated throughout the restaurant and patio enjoying the fare or taking in the sights, while cute waitresses tend the tables. But come nighttime the typical age group consists of early twenty something’s to mid thirties who mingle until the wee hours. It’s definitely the first place to visit if you’re the bar hopping type. The Filler has a great beer garden during the summer months.
Alley 64 is a fairly new biker bar (yes I said biker bar) in the downtown area, having opened the summer of 2008. Don’t let the term “biker” fool you however. While this bar is designed to reflect the down and dirty side of riding a Harley, it caters to everyone. This establishment is by far the largest in the area, boasting a huge bar, tons of seating throughout and an outdoor patio in the back (although the view isn’t as nice as the Filler’s). The crowd is usually a pretty good mixture ranging from the typical college student, to bikers, to MMA fans, sports fans, all the way up to patrons in their 60’s. Don’t think you’ll hear any Britney Spears or techno blaring from the speakers. The music is purely rock or country in here. Being that the inside is so large the Alley hosts different bands and shows throughout the summer months. The menu, again, is the typical bar fare with a few slight variations such as the Po-Boy sandwich or the Hummus Plate starter. This is a definite stop on anyone’s agenda who wants to kick back and have a good time.
The final of the three top bars goes to The Yard, which is situated right across the street from the Filling Station. The downstairs is your usual suburban bar with a couple of pool tables sprinkled in for fun. The Yard is definitely geared more towards the younger crowd however, with an upstairs that gets the party started. NV club (although there really isn’t much to envy) is the name of the small “nightclub” and it consists of a fairly small bar situated off to the side of a medium sized dance floor. On the weekends you’ll find all the young faces dancing and grooving until closing time. What makes this place unique are some of the interesting drinks that can can only be found here. There is the schooner of beer, which is fairly hard to come by in the downtown area and the pickling jar of beer (no pickling involved however). It is recommended that you stop by for one of those specials and then mosey on to the next place, preferably Pub 222 or the Beehive. There’s so many bars to chose from in close proximity to each other it really is a win win in downtown Saint Charles.
