Hogs Restaurant and Bar Delivers Neighborhood Feel to Lake Bluff

It's a weeknight at Hogs in .

Toby Keith’s, "I Love This Bar" is playing on the stereo as a couple of men stroll into the place that looks more like a house from the exterior, walking past posters of biker women and mini models of motorcycles hanging from the ceiling.

They get their ice cold Buds and Blue Moons and stop to talk with a friend, before taking a seat at the restored 1967 bar counter.

On the other side, six women are sitting together happily chatting, surrounded by two pool tables and a dart board, while they wait for their order.

For Hogs Restaurant and Bar, located just north of Route 176 on Skokie Boulevard next to Horvat’s Garden Center, it's another “fun night in a hangout, where everybody gets along with each other,” said customer Tim Olk.

Hogs owner Chuck Knesley, motorcycle enthusiast and Knollwood resident, believes he has come home in opening the place within the last two months.

“This is my hood," Knesley said "It is a neighborhood hang, a gathering spot where everyone is welcome.”

In contrast, Knesley also owns , a sports bar and family restaurant.

"It is totally different” said Knesley. “Here at Hogs, it is more about the party.”

Hogs restaurant, named after Knesley’s Harley Davidson, is not a tough guy spot. “There is a stigma that all bikers are bad, but this isn’t the 1960s anymore. We got to get over that,” said Knesley. 

“The other night we had about 100 people here, 50 of them bikers, most of them firefighters and paramedics from Wisconsin and Chicago," Knesley added.

Hogs menu is basic pub style fare. No burgers infused with five different flavors or a listing of the various incarnations of Wings. Instead, expect a 1/3-pound burger, cooked to your order, fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and wings, as well as sandwiches.

"We continue to add items to our menu,” Knesley said. “I know what people like, similar to Chiefs.”

Knesley began his career as a bartender at age 19 (when the drinking age was 19). He followed in his father’s footsteps, working with him as a heating contractor while volunteering for the Knollwood Fire Department.

“It is a lot of work running the two businesses, hardest I have had to work, but keeps me busy and out of trouble," Knesley said.

Two of Knesley’s kids are currently following their father’s footsteps by working in the restaurants and also in public service positions. Sarah Knesley is a Lake Villa paramedic and bartender, and Joseph Knesley is a North Chicago firefighter and paramedic.

Hogs is open Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sundays 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Live entertainment is featured Saturday nights. They are closed Mondays.