If you’ve been to Pinstripes Northbrook before and haven’t made it back since they went through bankruptcy and got picked up by the Punch Bowl Social crew, here’s the short version: the happy hour menu changed, the flatbreads are gone, and the food is actually better now.
Pinstripes Northbrook at a Glance
- Where: 1150 Willow Rd, Northbrook, IL
- Price: $$
- Vibe: Bowling, bocce courts, and a bistro. Same room as always under new ownership
- Order: Margherita pizza, pretzel bites
- Skip: Nothing outright, but take the margherita over the pepperoni
- Good for: Friday afternoon with kids, bocce and happy hour before the dinner rush
We went on a Friday afternoon with the kids, same tradition as always. Bocce ball, happy hour, get out before the dinner rush. We’ve been doing this loop for years and it’s still one of the better ways to spend a Friday afternoon in the suburbs. The space looks the same, the staff was friendly, and nothing about the experience felt off. You’d barely know ownership changed if you didn’t already know.
Bocce Ball Is Still the Move
Before we even get to the food: if you haven’t done bocce at Pinstripes, it’s worth the trip on its own. It’s $30 for two adults and two kids for an hour, which is cheaper than bowling and a lot more forgiving when you have younger kids who aren’t really keeping score. The lanes are big, there’s no pressure to perform, and it’s just a genuinely fun way to kill an hour before or during happy hour. We’ve done this with kids of all ages and it works every time.
If you’ve had mixed luck with entertainment venue dining in the Chicago suburbs, you’re not alone. We checked out Gameworks Schaumburg and their Works Kitchen, and that experience is a good reminder that a fun venue doesn’t guarantee good food. Pinstripes under new ownership is a different story.
The Happy Hour Changes Under New Ownership
Coming in with new owners meant changes to the happy hour menu, and we’ll be upfront about it: we noticed. High Noon and White Claw are completely gone from the menu, which is a bummer if that was your go-to. There’s no White Claw section, no hard seltzer situation at all now. If you’re a seltzer person you’ll be ordering off the regular bar menu at full price.
What replaced all of that is a cocktail and beer focus, and the Punch Bowl Social-style punch bowls I was honestly dreading seeing were nowhere on the menu, which was a relief. I had the Pinstripes Pilsner for $5. I’m not a beer drinker by nature, but for $5 during bocce it totally worked. Beer people will have more to get excited about than I did.
The happy hour food menu feels a little leaner than it used to, but what’s on it now is genuinely better. And that matters more in the end.
Pretzel Bites
These are a table order every single time, and they didn’t mess with them. Warm, golden pretzel bites served in a cast iron skillet with a beer cheese sauce and grain mustard on the side. The Pinstripes logo is right there on the menu, and this dish is basically the logo dish at this point.
Look: Golden brown and nicely salted, with a good sheen on them. The cast iron skillet presentation with two little dipping cups looks exactly like it always has.
Taste: The bites themselves were on the buttery and oily side, which isn’t a complaint exactly. It’s more of a heads-up. If you’re about to go play bocce, maybe eat these first and wipe your hands before picking up the ball. The cheese sauce is genuinely good and is the standout component here. The grain mustard is a nice option if you want something sharper.
Thoughts: Easy recommend as a starter. The cheese sauce alone is worth ordering these. Pro tip: ask for an extra cup of it when the fries come out later.
Margherita Pizza
This is where the new menu earns its stripes. The old Pinstripes happy hour ran flatbreads, and they were fine for what they were. Thin, a little crackery, serviceable. These new pizzas are a real step up, and the margherita is the one to order.
Look: Served on a wooden board, baked in what looks like a cast iron skillet based on the shape and the crust. The crust is puffy and deeply golden with some nice char on the edges. There are big dollops of fresh mozzarella across the top, bright red tomato sauce, and a generous pile of fresh basil chiffonade over the whole thing. It looks like a pizza you’d actually want to take a picture of before eating it.
Taste: The crust has real substance. It’s not a thin cracker-style and it’s not thick and doughy either. It’s right in the middle, with good chew and a little crisp on the bottom. The sauce is flavorful and not watered down. The fresh mozzarella is generous, not just a few scattered dots. The basil ties the whole thing together and keeps it feeling fresh.
Thoughts: This is the pizza to get. It’s genuinely good, not just “acceptable for a sports bar.” If you’re into pizza and entertainment venue combos, this holds up better than most. We’ve been to Izzy’s Arcade Bar in Niles for the pizza and games combo and the food there is solid, but the Pinstripes pizza edges it out.
Pepperoni Pizza
Straightforward and exactly what you want from a pepperoni pizza at happy hour. No surprises, no gimmicks, just a well-made pepperoni pizza that does what it’s supposed to do.
Look: Loaded. There’s a lot of pepperoni on this pizza. Full coverage across the top with good cheese underneath and the same golden crust as the margherita, this time on a wooden board instead of the cast iron skillet setup.
Taste: The pepperoni had a little crisp to the edges, the sauce underneath was the same solid base as the margherita, and the cheese was right where it needed to be. Nothing revolutionary, but nothing to complain about either.
Thoughts: If you’re bringing kids, just order this. They’re going to want it and it delivers. Both pizzas together are a big upgrade from what Pinstripes used to put out on the old happy hour menu. The flatbreads always felt like an afterthought. These feel intentional. For more great pizza options around the Chicago area, the Parlor Pizza Bar in Wicker Park is doing some really interesting things if you want to go deeper on the pizza front.
French Fries
The truffle fries from the old menu are gone. We noted it. New owners, new menu, it makes sense. But the regular fries that replaced them are actually worth ordering, which is not always a given when a venue makes that kind of swap.
Look: A generous bowl of thin-cut fries, crispy, with what looks like a parsley or herb toss and a small cup of ketchup on the side. Clean presentation, solid portion size.
Taste: Nice and crispy all the way through, well seasoned, not soggy. These are legitimately good fries. The ketchup is fine but honestly the move is to ask for an extra cup of the pretzel cheese sauce and use that for dipping. We didn’t do it this time and we’re still thinking about it.
Thoughts: Worth ordering alongside the pizza. Would reorder. Still a little sad about the truffle fries, but these earn their spot on the menu.
The Verdict
Pinstripes Northbrook is still the go-to for a Friday afternoon bocce and happy hour situation. Losing the hard seltzers stings if that was your order, and the happy hour menu feels a little smaller than it used to, but what’s on it now is better than what came before. The pizzas are a genuine upgrade over the old flatbreads, the pretzel bites are unchanged and still great, and the fries are solid.
Bocce at $30 for two adults and two kids remains one of the better deals for a low-pressure afternoon out. The space is comfortable, service moved fast, and nobody made us feel rushed even though the place started filling up as the afternoon went on. The new ownership hasn’t broken what worked. They just updated the parts that needed it.
We’ll keep coming back. Same time next Friday.
If you want dinner before or after bocce, our Kouklas review covers a Greek spot in nearby Niles that pairs well with an afternoon here.
Pinstripes Northbrook is located at 1150 Willow Rd, Northbrook, IL 60062. Check out their current happy hour menu and reserve bocce lanes at pinstripes.com/northbrook.
AntiFoodie Rating: 7.5/10
Pinstripes Northbrook FAQ
Did Pinstripes Northbrook change after the new ownership?
Yes. The happy hour menu changed and the flatbreads are gone, but the food is actually better now. The space looks the same and the staff was friendly, so you would barely know ownership changed if you did not already know.
What should I order at Pinstripes Northbrook?
The margherita pizza. The crust is puffy and golden with real chew, the fresh mozzarella is generous, and it is a genuine step up from the old flatbreads. The pretzel bites are still excellent.
Is Pinstripes Northbrook good with kids?
Yes. Bocce on a Friday afternoon before the dinner rush has been our tradition for years and it still works.
Is bocce ball still available at Pinstripes Northbrook?
Yes, bocce is still the move and still the best reason to build an afternoon around the place.
Does Pinstripes Northbrook still have a happy hour?
Yes, though the menu changed under the new ownership. The pizzas replaced the flatbreads and the food is a genuine upgrade.
