Whiskey Bend Gastropub Opening In St. Charles Friday

ST. CHARLES, IL — A new gastropub is set to open Friday in downtown St. Charles and its name, Whiskey Bend, has historical ties.

In June 1896, a trolley system that ran through St. Charles, Batavia, Aurora, Geneva and Elgin, began offering service to local residents and conductors would let passengers jump off at the intersection of Main and Third streets, which became known as Whiskey Bend, to grab a drink, according to the Whiskey Bend website.

Now, Colm Headley, who helped run McNally's Pub and The Beehive Tavern and Grille in downtown St. Charles, is part of a group that will run Whiskey Bend, which is set to open in the former location of Pub 222 at 222 W. Main St., according to the Kane County Chronicle. The same group is also responsible for taking over The Office in downtown St. Charles.

The gastropub will serve up sandwiches, including burgers, a grilled blackened grouper sandwich and a tuna tomato melt; a variety of appetizers, including fried corn and bacon hush puppies, southern-style poutine and build your own Mac-and-cheese; and some house specialities, like mussels and pan-seared whitefish.

Whiskey Bend will open at 11 a.m. Friday, according to the restaurant's Facebook page.