Babcock's Grove House

08/28/2026

Great event! Thanks to all who made it possible.

Now, bring on the fall. Annual Oktobeerfest menu dates coming soon.

08/28/2026

Nothing I can do, partial eclipse of the heart!
Expecting 96%. Go look now!!

and don’t skip the bug spray (you’re welcome).

08/22/2026

Last Cruise Night TONIGHT featuring Hi Infidelity. We love our summer Saturdays but are also ok going back to normal.

Festival nights are fun and also, honestly, pretty intense for small businesses like ours and others. We’re serving a whole lot of people all at once, and our crew works incredibly hard to make it a great night.

One thing years in hospitality (we won’t say how many!) has taught us, we all have a little hand in creating the experience we want to have. A little patience, a little grace, a sense of humor goes a long way on both sides of the counter/bar.

Basically, in the immortal words of high school musical’s Gabriella and Troy, we’re all in this together!

(Btw, this is not based on anything other than vibes. Do with it, what you will. And many, many thanks to all the great people and employees who grace our doors everyday. We’re very lucky).❤️

08/22/2026

Everybody thinks this historic building rocks. And we agree! Built in the time of Lincoln, possibly for the national convention.

Not mentioned but worth a discussion as Halloween begins to approach, is it haunted?

From unexplained noises and footsteps to people in old timey attire appearing in the ballroom and asking about “the fire” and then disappearing to workmen hiding from “entities” in the closet, we’ve heard the tales, but have no definitive answers. Any vibes from patrons? Let us know.

08/07/2026

Happy international Beer Day! Fun history from our beloved historical society!

Happy International Beer Day!

Did you know there was a time when Lombard had just one place to buy a drink?

The Dram Shop inside the Lombard Hotel held Lombard's only liquor license after the Village decided in 1887 to issue just one. Even then, there were rules with the license. No Sunday sales, no alcohol sold before 4 a.m. or after 11 p.m. on weekdays, and no sales to minors or anyone convicted of "drunkenness."

The man behind the bar for many years was Peter Weigand. He eventually purchased the hotel and earned a reputation as a respected businessman, active in both the community and the Illinois Liquor Dealers' State Protective Association.

If you've ever eaten at Babcock's Grove House, you've been inside the old Lombard Hotel! Far from the rough and tumble saloon some imagined, the business was a well-known part of downtown life.

And if you've ever wondered what a "dram" is, it's a small unit of measurement once commonly used to serve spirits, giving the Dram Shop its fitting name!

Pictured is an undated photo of the old Lombard Hotel.

07/29/2026

Not our best garden year by a long shot. The weather, the bugs and the bunnies are winning.

And sad news, the storms took Nemo the single peach. We’re not sure where but he is officially missing or maybe he purposely “es-ca-pay”’d.😅

And yet, we persist.🙃
(Hope you all have power again!)

07/28/2026

We HAVE power and are OPEN for business. Join us.

07/21/2026

Great night for cycling in downtown Lombard! Come eat trackside. Insider tip. Ride your bike (or walk!)

07/10/2026

Um, just learned it’s NATIONAL FRENCH FRY-DAY. Just thought you should know.❤️

07/10/2026

Last year’s peach harvest vs our current situation. One peach. We’ve decided to call it Nemo.
In any case, pies tonight are not peach. Stay tuned for the options which are being “discussed”.