Barnaby’s Family Inn

I went there with some friends to catch the end of the Steelers vs. Bengals playoff game. We walked in and asked what time they closed? They told us 11:00pm. Perfect, we could have a drink and have plenty of time to finish the game. It was about 10:20 and the game was already late in the 4^th quarter.
After ordering, we grabbed a seat in front of the one TV in the entire restaurant. As some of you may know, this was an intense game and came right down to the wire. The Steelers were driving down the field in the final two minutes of the game. With 40 seconds left, an employee turns off the television and tells us they are closed. He provided us with no warning. Dismayed, I checked my phone to see it was 10:43pm. 17 minutes before they told us they were going to close.
That’s absurd. There were 40 seconds left in an NFL playoff game. At least give us a heads up before you turn it off. As a reference, the game ended well before 11:00pm. I doubt I will be returning after this blatant violation of social norms.

This place has the worst pizza ever. It tastes nothing like the Barnaby’s in Niles. The Barnaby’s in Niles is a different story, that place has the best pizza ever. I highly recommened the one in Niles.

There’s a dark ambience that reminds me of older restaurants as I walk in. The restaurant itself is an interesting layout, as I will describe below.
There are two counters. One for food and one for beverages. You order your food at the food counter, as this is fast casual dining. Prices are very reasonable — you can get away with a pizza, two sides and two drinks for around $ 20 or less. They do not deliver the food; you must go and get it when your number is called.
Beverages are at the other counter. Soft drinks are dirt cheap — 95 cents or $ 1.25 depending on size. But it comes with a catch — no free refills. Have some coin ready if you are really thirsty. Alcohol is also served at this counter but since I do not drink I cannot judge this aspect.
This food itself is good, not great. The pizzas are either 11″ or 14″ and they put plenty of toppings on the pie. The pizza here is of the thin crust variety and is cut into squares, which seem to be the case with most Midwestern places. I opted for the standard triangle cut and although it was honored, the manager on duty did not sound pleased at this request.
I can recommend this establishment for the inexpensive prices and unique experience, but some of the staff need lessons on treating customers with respect.

Service was pretty good. Had a large sausage pizza. Not the best but atmosphere was nice abd busy.

I have been getting pizza from Barnaby’s for over a decade, while it is not utterly amazing it is quite good. Nice and crunchy and I enjoy the cheese fries. I give this a 4 star rating because of the Friday Night Magic. I brought my grandson here for dinner and we were treated to some very cool magic from the resident magician, Mark Presley. We were all amazed and even a little confused as to how he did some of the things he did. I have not seen my grandson smile so much and be so genuinely interested in something other than a video game. Kudos for providing such a wonderful entertainer, very professional and family friendly!

Whenever I come back to Arlington Heights I always include a visit to Barnabys. I love the thin crust pizza and the fried veggie basket. Several beers on tap. Friendly service and amazingly reasonable prices.

Their pizza is a little thin for me. Their oven bakes the cheese well though.

This place has a awesome pizza. A nice crunchy crust with fresh ingredients. They are usually quick to make orders and the staff is friendly. It’s a comfortable atmosphere and a great place for great pizza.

I used to really like this place but I feel it has been slipping lately. The price is competitive which is the main reason I am giving them a 3 vs a 2.
The sauce is good and the crust is decent but the remaining ingredients are average at best and seem to be slipping my last few visits.
With Chicago area having such a fierce competition in the pizza market, this place is going to need to make some improvements or I predict their business will decline. I seriously hope they can make the changes needed and get back to its old self.

It’s been quite some time since I visited a Barnaby’s. This location is convenient for me and I’m glad I went.
Their ½ pound cheeseburger with fries garnishes and coleslaw goes for only $ 6.25. It’s better than many places that charge twice as much. For a change it wasn’t over cooked. I’d have liked more charbroiled flavor but this is fairly minor.
Everything tasted fresh and made to order. The split top roll was very tasty. Their onion rings were good if not outstanding.
Nice laid back ambience for a fast casual restaurant. Ample seating. Beer and wine available. Friendly efficient service.

Fun low-​key family style pizza eatery. I would imagine that it’s hard to not be happy eating here with friends/​fam. It was a fun change of pace for date night. The staff was friendly, but it was a slow night so some of them looked bored.
The garlic bread was boring and my Hawaiian pizza could have used more sauce. We also got one of their Combo pizzas which was much better. The crust reminded us of saltines. Would go back to try more of the menu.

Weird all the way around. I wanted to like Barnaby’s, the *family* pizza joint, but alas I left nonplussed. Allow me to simply divvy up my experience.
The Good:
–Plenty of booths
–The pizza was decent with a crispy crust.
The Meh:
–The high chairs were in need of a deep clean. Good thing I’m a little bit of a clean freak and carry around a ton of wet wipes to scrub said chairs before sitting my toddler in one.
–The place was absolutely empty at 5:30 on a Thursday. Not that I expect a vibrant crowd around this time, but it felt like a ghost town.
–It’s hella dark.
–The mozzarella sticks, salad and dressing were uninspired, packaged and unremarkable. Not offensive, just boring.
The Bad:
–The ordering system. What the hell? Order and pay food at one end, order and pay for ALL drinks (including non alcoholic) at the bar. This includes milk.
–Cash or check only. Yes. Check.
–The staff seemed genuinely sleepy and none too thrilled to be there.
Even though I recall enjoying Barnaby’s as a kid, I can’t imagine coming back here when there are so many other tasty and lively pizza options in the burbs.

Awesome thin crust, just the right amount of crunch to it. Good sauce and cheese balance too. Every location is a little bit different from the others, this one is our favorite. A super kid pleaser, thus is always a good choice for birthdays or after a game.
Note: they are cash only, but there’s an ATM in the restaurant.

Barnaby’s! I hadn’t been here in about 20 years and was excited to check it out after all these years!
When I walked in, I was expecting to be seated and have a server, but that wasn’t the case… you have to go up to the counter to order your pizza/​food/​drinks.
We ordered a pepperoni pizza and cheese fries. The fries were good, but the cheese was kind of gross. Didn’t care for the taste of it. The pizza was really good! The crust was perfect… not too crispy… not too soft!
It’s a nice casual place with a family friendly setting!
I will definitely be back… great childhood memories and the pizza still satisfies my taste buds!

Barnaby’s has been around my entire life (and even longer). I can remember many end of season team dinners happening there because it is super family friendly and super casual. No one is going to care that your kid is being a kid. There’s tons of other kids there.
One of the best things about Barnaby’s is the price. I ate here with my parents for under $ 20 and we didn’t even order a pizza. They both got burgers and I got mozzarella sticks. We split a pitcher of coke.
It’s a great spot when you’re looking for something cheap and casual but still want to sit down. You order at the counter, they call your number, and you go pick up your food.
Note: They only accept cash and checks, so be prepared!