Fatty’s, not just a pub

One restaurant stands out from all the others on the busy street of West Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, Illinois. The astounding Fatty’s Pub and Grille is the place to go if one is looking for a good time and great food.

The pub and grille has a normal exterior, with dark brown layered bricks that seemed welcoming. The bar is neat and simple. The counter is polished dark brown with a large shelf of many different assortments of alcoholic beverages. The walls of Fatty’s are lined with high definition flat screen televisions. It’s a very family and friends orientated style of dining.

There are several sections to this establishment. If someone is having an important gathering or a reunion there is even a room for that. The pub has a very elegant dining room just for big gatherings. The room is painted tan with a crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the room. The room is filled with several round tables that seat up to eight adults.

There are even places to eat outside. Fatty’s has several tables setup outside if a guest prefers to enjoy a meal outside. Occasionally they host bags tournaments and other games, where guests come to the restaurant to unwind and enjoy some food.

If there is a restaurant for any day of the week then Fatty’s is it. Fatty’s is always celebrating something whether it is sports games, holidays, or even it being half way from a holiday. The pub occasionally has some live music where local bands can show their talent to the patrons at Fatty’s.

Saturday’s, when there is a home football game, is a very busy day to dine there. Wild and cheering football fans dressed in the Husky colors fill the tables after watching the Huskies dominate the opposing team. Returning guests of Fatty’s say that it’s the “Official Pre-game and Post Game Tailgate Headquarter of NIU football games.”

The menu at Fatty’s is wonderful. There are a plethora of pleasing entrees to choose from. One of Fatty’s specialties, the locally famous beer battered hot wings is a crowd pleaser. The wings are big, bigger than most wings at other restaurants, and are really good too. The cook(s) choose wings with a good amount of meat on them. The batter that surrounds the wing does a great job absorbing the sauce. When eating this entrée, eat with care as this dish does get somewhat messy, so make sure you have enough napkins. These wings come with a choice of Thick Bleu Cheese or Tangy Ranch with a side of celery. This is a very good choice for people who have not dined here before.

Another local favorite at Fatty’s is its signature “The Fat Boy.” The Fat Boy is a gigantic burger that contains two one-third pound burgers of mouth watering Angus beef, layered with Cheddar and American cheese. Also topped with grilled onions and drizzled with a top secret house sauce unique to Fatty’s. This burger comes with a side of fries or potato salad and a choice of coleslaw or baked beans. Fatty’s also offers a smaller size version of this burger called, “The Little Guy.”

There are an assortment of fountain sodas, shakes, and Alcoholic beverages for those who are of age to choose from.

With everything good there is always some bad. The waitresses were very friendly and welcoming, but took a considerable amount of time taking orders from guests. The preparation of the dishes was about average, the chef’s didn’t put very much effort at all into presenting it. “The service was kind of lack luster. It seemed like the waitress had more important things to do.” Said Adam Raslawski a patron of Fatty’s who enjoys dining here.

Overall, Fatty’s pub and grille is a great place to enjoy food with friends and family. The dishes at Fatty’s are almost free since most food that taste this good, run a pretty a penny compared to what Fatty’s is charging, Adam said, “Not very expensive great for a college town.” What more do you need? Stop waiting, head out to Fatty’s with some friends or family and go have a great time.

Rating – **** ½
Fatty’s Pub & Grill1312
West Lincoln Highway
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
(815) – 758 – 7737
Open 7 days a week.
Entrée Prices: $3.79 - $20.99
Noise level: Normal, enough to talk with guests at the table.