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Bars of the Western World #2: Meier Tavern, Glenview

Bars of the Western World #2: Meier Tavern, Glenview
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  • Bars of the Western World #2: Meier Tavern, Glenview

    Post #1 - July 1st, 2004, 12:47 am
    Post #1 - July 1st, 2004, 12:47 am Post #1 - July 1st, 2004, 12:47 am
    Bars of the Western World #2: Meier's Tavern, Glenview

    Finding myself in Glenview around 5:00 today, and coming up on a 6:00 conference call, I parked myself in a bar (it was convenient, plus doing business in a tavern sends the right message to clients about what it’s going to be like working with me).

    I’d been by Meier’s Tavern a load of times, and today, as the sun cut golden through the windows of this white wood roadhouse, nothing looked better than my frosty mug of Dab (far from the world’s greatest beer, but equally far from the worst).

    This place is a throwback, specifically to the 30’s (there’s a photo at the front, by the candy bars and smokes, of the place during “the height of the depression,” (as it was oxymoronically captioned). The walls are wood-paneled; there’s a nice- looking long bar, packed with business men and construction workers -- a bunch of television sets and checker board tablecloth tables set up in two rooms. Out back, there’s a lot of space for parking, and a wooded area for whatever.

    I ordered a platter of tater tots. Tater tots are a marvelous invention; unfortunately, they are frequently consumed at home, and thus rarely deep fried, which is the only way they (and so many other things) shine. The tots at Meier's were pretty much exactly as they should be: crunchy on the outside, fluffy in the inside, and not at all greasy.

    The rest of the menu was, well, somewhat lengthy but limited. Lots of the usual bar food type things, and a Gourmet Sandwich. I queried my waitress, and she averred that this was the fanciest thing on the menu: turkey, ham, cheese and thousand island dressing. Sounded pretty good, but as I was meeting the wife at Ravinia later for dinner and Lyle Lovett, I stuck with the tots.

    Seated at the back of the place, I had a good view of the kitchen, where one elderly man cranked out mostly sandwiches and fries for what must have been 50 or so people at the dinner hour. He didn’t crack a sweat.

    Meier’s is a fine little place; I’d like to check it out after-hours.

    Meier’s Tavern
    235 Lake Street
    Glenview, IL
    847-724-0477
  • Post #2 - July 1st, 2004, 7:49 am
    Post #2 - July 1st, 2004, 7:49 am Post #2 - July 1st, 2004, 7:49 am
    Are you aware that Meier's Tavern was one of the prime locations for a short-lived evening soap called "Winnetka Road"? I never watched it, but they supposedly used exteriors in the credits, and may have duplicated the look of the interior.
  • Post #3 - July 1st, 2004, 7:57 am
    Post #3 - July 1st, 2004, 7:57 am Post #3 - July 1st, 2004, 7:57 am
    Joelf,

    Among the many distractions of a work-at-home dad, watching soap operas is not one of them. :lol:

    That's very interesting, though, about using Meier's as a location; the place has a lot of personality (and space, and good light), and I could see how it would attract a producer/director. You've been there?

    David
  • Post #4 - July 1st, 2004, 10:24 am
    Post #4 - July 1st, 2004, 10:24 am Post #4 - July 1st, 2004, 10:24 am
    I've never been in there, but passed by there nearly daily on commute. I just remember the news flurry when the show started up. I didn't watch the show either.

    There's a little detail at TV Tome: http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-446

    I haven't been able to find references to the original articles.
  • Post #5 - July 1st, 2004, 10:35 am
    Post #5 - July 1st, 2004, 10:35 am Post #5 - July 1st, 2004, 10:35 am
    Quite a cast for a show that lasted only two months.

    Josh Brolin as...Nick Passion. Too funny.

    David
  • Post #6 - June 14th, 2016, 5:33 pm
    Post #6 - June 14th, 2016, 5:33 pm Post #6 - June 14th, 2016, 5:33 pm
    Have not been to Meier's Tavern in 5-6 years, even better than I remembered, in other words, pretty damn good!

    Med-rare burger, tots, crusty yet friendly bartender, conversation amongst folks at the bar and very little cell phone use.

    Meier's Tavern
    Lunch like a steel worker. Burger, tots and shot of Jim Beam!
    Image

    Meier's Tavern, Count me a Fan!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #7 - June 17th, 2016, 3:02 pm
    Post #7 - June 17th, 2016, 3:02 pm Post #7 - June 17th, 2016, 3:02 pm
    A nearly twelve-year boost! :lol:
    I'll put it on my long list. :)
    Valuable links for survival, without the monetization attempt: https://pqrs-ltd.xyz/bookmark4.html
  • Post #8 - June 12th, 2021, 6:15 pm
    Post #8 - June 12th, 2021, 6:15 pm Post #8 - June 12th, 2021, 6:15 pm
    Sold a car at Carmax today and finished up around lunch time. Meier Tavern seemed like a good call and it was. It’s been several years since we’d stopped in but this place does not change. At all. 2 patty melts and one tuna melt, tots and coleslaw. We all left satisfied. Service was friendly and quick. Lots of regulars holding court at the bar. My daughter loved how “cozy” it is and was fascinated by all the old beer signs and lights. I’m glad it’s still there and that the mugs of DAB are still frosty.
  • Post #9 - June 12th, 2021, 7:19 pm
    Post #9 - June 12th, 2021, 7:19 pm Post #9 - June 12th, 2021, 7:19 pm
    LynnB wrote:At all. 2 patty melts and one tuna melt, tots and coleslaw. We all left satisfied.

    Is it still 7 tots with a burger? Not 6, not 8, 7.

    Meier's Tavern, count me a Fan!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #10 - June 13th, 2021, 8:12 pm
    Post #10 - June 13th, 2021, 8:12 pm Post #10 - June 13th, 2021, 8:12 pm
    Gary, I did not count my tots, but can confirm it was not an overly generous portion. That said, combined with the sandwich and beer, I was fully satiated. Next time I visit, thanks to the seed you planted, I will be counting my tots. :)
  • Post #11 - June 13th, 2021, 8:28 pm
    Post #11 - June 13th, 2021, 8:28 pm Post #11 - June 13th, 2021, 8:28 pm
    Nice to hear about a place from one's past that hasn't vanished. Haven't been there in a long time, but when I worked fairly nearby, I counted on those tater tots.
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #12 - June 13th, 2021, 8:42 pm
    Post #12 - June 13th, 2021, 8:42 pm Post #12 - June 13th, 2021, 8:42 pm
    The next investment bubble will be in Totcoin.
  • Post #13 - June 14th, 2021, 7:37 am
    Post #13 - June 14th, 2021, 7:37 am Post #13 - June 14th, 2021, 7:37 am
    LynnB wrote:Gary, I did not count my tots, but can confirm it was not an overly generous portion. That said, combined with the sandwich and beer, I was fully satiated. Next time I visit, thanks to the seed you planted, I will be counting my tots. :)

    I can be a bit greedy when it comes to Tater Tots, and always found it amusing they counted out each order.

    I was a semi-regular at Meier's a long while back, used to work in the area and went for lunch a few times a month. Always consistent, even to this day. Used to be a haven for day drinking, not me so much but one could not help but notice. I sat next to a talkative mailman/priest one day who was 75% in his cups, made an interesting amusing lunch.

    Then there is that time I went with my brother in-law, who lived in Glenview, to pick up pizza right down the road. We stopped at Meier's for a quick beer, did not leave for 2-hours. Came home mostly blotto to a full house of hangray folks.

    Meier's Tavern, count me a Fan!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #14 - June 14th, 2021, 11:21 am
    Post #14 - June 14th, 2021, 11:21 am Post #14 - June 14th, 2021, 11:21 am
    G Wiv wrote:Is it still 7 tots with a burger? Not 6, not 8, 7.

    If you look at the Meier's photos on Yelp and tote up the tater tots, you'll see every plate has more than seven. The tot count varies, but nine or ten seems common. I guess they like Yelpers better.
  • Post #15 - June 14th, 2021, 12:57 pm
    Post #15 - June 14th, 2021, 12:57 pm Post #15 - June 14th, 2021, 12:57 pm
    Rene G wrote:
    G Wiv wrote:Is it still 7 tots with a burger? Not 6, not 8, 7.

    If you look at the Meier's photos on Yelp and tote up the tater tots, you'll see every plate has more than seven. The tot count varies, but nine or ten seems common. I guess they like Yelpers better.


    Slow Clap for this thread. It calls to mind an imagined Sula article (played out in the now-inaccessible comments) from ten years back on the development of the saltine, in which the final golden number of 14 holes was discovered. ("10 was too few, 16 too many.")
  • Post #16 - June 15th, 2021, 1:37 am
    Post #16 - June 15th, 2021, 1:37 am Post #16 - June 15th, 2021, 1:37 am
    Rene G wrote:If you look at the Meier's photos on Yelp and tote up the tater tots, you'll see every plate has more than seven. The tot count varies, but nine or ten seems common. I guess they like Yelpers better.

    First of all, I love you. Who else but Rene G would think to go to y*lp to count tots.

    Things change, 7 tots with the burgers was written in stone when I went on a semi regular basis. 7, not 8, not 6. I often ordered a side of tots to supplement my tot intake. Not that I needed them just, as mentioned, I can be greedy with tots.

    Rene G, count me a Fan!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #17 - June 15th, 2021, 10:19 am
    Post #17 - June 15th, 2021, 10:19 am Post #17 - June 15th, 2021, 10:19 am
    I remember eating there pre-pandemic and one of the regulars remarking my plate contained a few extra tots, so the chef "must really like me". I want to say the current expectation is either 11 or 13 tots...I remember it being an odd number.
  • Post #18 - June 15th, 2021, 8:21 pm
    Post #18 - June 15th, 2021, 8:21 pm Post #18 - June 15th, 2021, 8:21 pm
    Just sayin’, I am really feeling the weight of not counting my tots last Saturday.
  • Post #19 - January 9th, 2022, 8:50 pm
    Post #19 - January 9th, 2022, 8:50 pm Post #19 - January 9th, 2022, 8:50 pm
    Hi,

    Just returned from Meier Tavern in Glenview.

    There were 11 tater tots on each of our dishes.

    I ordered their Patty Melt with Swiss cheese cooked to rare to medium-rare, it came within acceptable range. I did advise I was not interested in medium-rare to medium.

    We speculated on the dessert offerings as chocolate covered tater tots. They do not offer dessert, though candy is available at check-out.

    Apparently our request for a reserved table highlighted our newbie status, though they were quite nice about it.

    One thing is for sure, I would not be reluctant to go there again.

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #20 - January 9th, 2022, 10:05 pm
    Post #20 - January 9th, 2022, 10:05 pm Post #20 - January 9th, 2022, 10:05 pm
    I can agree completely with Cathy. I didn't get any pix, but there wasn't anything that wouldn't look familiar to anyone. The menu sets the bar low, and achieves it admirably. The tater tots and the onion rings are of the manufactured and frozen type, but handled well in-house. But the real attraction is the ambiance — reminiscent of a rural Wisconsin bar from 50 years ago or so. Across from our table, there was a phone booth. I'm not even sure any of my nieces or nephews would even know what a phone booth was.

    (Unfortunately, although there was a sign saying they needed proof of vaccination, no one asked any any of us to show a vaccination card, as required in Cook County.)

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