Majority Of Skokie Businesses Tested Fail Underage Liquor Checks

SKOKIE, IL — When police and liquor control agents tested a dozen Skokie businesses last week on whether they would sell alcohol to a minor, more than half of them failed. Monday, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission said it carried out underage compliance checks at 12 business on Nov. 8 along with the Skokie Police Department, and seven of them came up short.

None of the businesses tested had any prior violations for selling alcohol to minors, according to a news release announcing the notable results of the operation.

Police and liquor control agents recruit underage participants from local high schools and colleges. They drop in on liquor stores, restaurants and bars around the state – sometimes randomly and sometimes in "communities with a high incidence of underage liquor sales" – to take a look at whether liquor licensees aren't selling to anyone under 21, according to the ILCC.

Who Failed?

Each of the following businesses sold liquor to an underage participant.

• Austin Liquors, 3505 W. Dempster St.
• The Boiler Shrimp & Crawfish, 3445 Dempster St.
• Real Urban Barbeque, 5238 Touhy Ave.
• Skokie House, 7887 Lincoln Ave.
• Tilted Kilt, 7070 Carpenter Rd.
• Walmart Supercenter 3626 Touhy Ave.
• The Village Inn, 8050 Lincoln Ave.

Who Passed?

Each of these business refused to sell liquor to the underage undercover purchaser.

• Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, 7020 N. Carpenter Rd.
• Holiday Inn Chicago - Skokie, 5300 Touhy Ave.
• Longhorn Steakhouse, 3300 W. Touhy Ave.
• Mariano's, 3358 W. Touhy Ave.
• Red Robin America's Gourmet, 7050 N. Carpenter Rd.

» Find out more from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission

_{Top photo: Wade Payne | Associated Press}