Exterior

Interior

Mirrored wall

Barrel booths

Broccoli

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 21 Bourbon

**** (4 stars)

This is a great addition to Evanston’s bar scene. The place has a superb atmosphere, with its funky barrel booths, mirrored wall, and rough-hewn tables. It manages to be eclectic, tavern-like, and a sports bar, all at once, depending on where you sit.

The menu includes sports bar staples, but also interesting items such as bacon wrapped dates and a delicious roasted broccoli.

Service was extremely friendly. I was early, and the bartender was waiting on all the tables, too, and she did a great job. The front desk staff also seemed really happy to great each customer.

In fact, the only reason I haven’t rated it five stars is that, ironically, I wasn’t that impressed with their whiskey selection. It’s almost all mass marketed products, whether blended or single malt. I was hoping for a larger selection of obscure and eclectic offerings, including some higher end brands. I did enjoy the Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 21 Year Bourbon I had. The generous pour in a good whiskey tasting glass was well worth the $21 price.

Whiskey Thief Tavern
616 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 859-2342
https://www.yelp.com/biz/whiskey-thief-tavern-evanston