Mystery Diner in Fox River Grove: Dead End Bar & Grill quietly offers quality pub fare

Compared to some of the more prominent restaurant rows along the Fox River, such as those in McHenry or Algonquin, The Dead End Bar & Grill is rather unassuming. Set along the waterway in Fox River Grove, it’s perched true to its name on a dead-end street.

If you’ve hit a dead end in your search for hidden culinary gems, The Dead End might just be the spot.

The dining area is fairly small with about a half dozen tables and high-tops each, and a prominent bar taking up much of the room. Multiple television screens, video poker machines and electronic darts line the walls. On a Saturday night, the bar was crowded, but not uncomfortably.

While the menu is standard, with an offering of pub favorites such as sandwiches, wings and pizza, the food itself is what separates the establishment from similar venues. Dishes are made from scratch based on recipes from the tavern’s founders.

The thin-crust pizza, especially, can compete with some of the best in the area. I was intrigued by the Italian Beef Pizza ($15 for a 12-inch).

It did not disappoint. The Dead End doesn’t skimp on the ingredients; in particular, the pizza was loaded with hot giardiniera. I thought the pizza sauce was top-notch: not too sweet with a little bit of a kick to it, and a generous amount made it onto the pie. Often my gripe with thin-crust pizzas is that edge pieces are too skimpy in toppings.

For a thin-crust pizza, I found the crust to be nicely crisp but not cracker-dry.

The hot wings were also a standout; the kitchen team fries them extra crispy, so they almost look like popcorn chicken or jalapeño poppers. The wings are super spicy and had a nice crunch. For those who prefer their wings slathered in sauce, extra hot or Buffalo sauce is available, and wings come with ranch or bleu cheese.

I ordered the BBQ Beef ($12) to try some variety. The fries were tasty and traditional. The sandwich was hefty, and the beef of good quality. The barbecue sauce was on the sweet side, but I thought it was a good contrast to the pizza and wings.

The bar offers an appealing selection of beers and cocktails, as well. And an outdoor seating area is just waiting for warmer temperatures.

According to its website, The Dead End location was a resort back in the 1920s. The current owner’s parents, Dan and Yukiko Frantz, bought the bar in 1990, and added the food menu a few years later. The restaurant notes that it uses homemade recipes for pizza, chili and other items. Many of the recipes are Dan’s, according to a feature on Chicago television.

Overall, it is a place worth seeking out if you are craving pub favorites or are in the mood for an appetizing pizza.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at the Northwest Herald. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. The Mystery Diner visits a restaurant and then reports on the experience. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

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IF YOU GO

WHAT: The Dead End Bar & Grill

WHERE: 98 Northwest Highway, Fox River Grove

PHONE: 847-639-2535

INFORMATION: deadendpizzabarandgrill.com