Woody’s features food, drink and music
By Cindy Wojdyla Cain ccain@stmedianetwork.com May 8, 2012 6:10PM
Vickie Woods is the owner of Woody's Sports Bar & Grill as seen Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at 1600 Maple Rd. in Joliet. The establishment, which will have a grand opening on May 12, opened on March 16. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
If you go …
What: Woody’s Sports Bar and Grill, 1600 Maple Road, at the corner of Briggs Street and Route 6, just outside Joliet city limits.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to
2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Information: Call 815-722-8108 or email WoodysSports
BarNGrill@gmail.com.
Article Extras
Updated: June 10, 2012 8:04AM
JOLIET — There aren’t too many places in town where you can get breakfast, beer and jazz beats all in one building.
Woody’s Sports Bar and Grill, which opened in March, offers a food and music mix owner Vickie Woods thinks will become popular.
Woods operated Woody’s Chicken Shack in the Forest Park neighborhood for a while. She said her business was thriving so she needed to expand into a bigger site. Woods had been eyeing the building at the corner of Briggs and Route 6 just outside the Joliet city limits for a while. When it became available, she bought it.
The restaurant specializes in deep-fried chicken, but also offers catfish, pulled pork, brisket, jerk Jamaican chicken, baby back ribs and rib tips. The menu also features appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, sides, kids meals and salads. Breakfast offerings include chicken and waffles, omelets, pancakes and egg sandwiches.
A grand opening featuring live bands will be Saturday. Woods believes she’s providing food and entertainment to an underserved area, and she loves being near exits for Interstates 80 and 355.
“It’s an awesome location,” she said.
Woods said one of her best customers is the adjacent Lawson’s Garage Inc.
Woods likes that she can offer live music and food in a neighborhood atmosphere.
“It was always a bar for the most part, so we added a kitchen,” she said. “Our goal is to bring people together. What better way to do that than with food, drink and music?”
Originally, Woods said she was only going to serve lunch and dinner at Woody’s.
“People asked for breakfast, so we said we’d try it.”
Breakfast is available from 7 to 11:30 a.m.
Then customers asked for live music, so Woods is adding that, too.
“People are looking for a way to escape the everyday stresses of life,” Woods said. “If you come into Woody’s, it’s about having a good time.”
Woods plans to feature live music 9-11 p.m. Thursdays. New Orleans Beau and the Big Easy Band will be first up starting May 17. A DJ provides music from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. On Saturday nights, patrons must be age 30 and older to enter.
“Our place is small and quaint and intimate,” she said.
