Review of Chessies Restaurant in Barrington, Illinois

Chessie's Restaurant in Barrington, Illinois offers casual dining in an upscale setting. The restaurant offers contemporary selections for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

Chessie's is built around Barrington's former train station and features a vintage Illinois Central Railroad dining car. Chessie's has a comfortable atmosphere and award winning menu, from appetizers to full course meals.

Chessie's is located in the Ice House Mall in Barrington. The original structure was built is 1904 for Bowman Dairy and served as an actual ice house for 68 years. Today, the Ice House Mall houses a collection of unique shops and locally owned businesses. Chessie's restaurant site on the west end of the mall. The restaurant is named after the Chesapeake-Ohio Railroad. The early 1900's train station includes a vintage Pullman dining car.

We entered Chessie's from the west side entrance of the mall. There was a host station right at the entrance of the restaurant. The host was at the station, and escorted to to a table in the train car.

There are three separate dining areas in Chessie's. The bar is a spacious room with a big polished wood bar where local businesspeople gather. There are several heavy wood tables in the room, for people who want to dine in the bar room. There is a dining area with a more open feel, with high ceiling . The dining car is an actual railroad car, with a row of tables along the two walls of the train car. The train car has the coziest atmosphere of the their dining areas.

The tables are set with tablecloths and silverware in rolled cloth napkins. The server came and took our drink orders. We each ordered a glass of red wine.

A bus person brought a small loaf of warm bread on a small bread-board with a knife. We sliced the bread and began to eat it with butters.