Dinner Before the Show: The Sandwich Opera House Fall Season and Bull Moose Bar & Grille

The Sandwich Opera House is one of the best things about living in this part of DeKalb County. Built in 1878 and restored as a working performance venue, it sits on Railroad Street in downtown Sandwich, Illinois, a short walk from our front door at 202 S. Main St.

Its season runs mostly through fall, winter, and early spring, and that season is starting now. Which means it is a good time to talk about what has become one of our favorite traditions: dinner before the show.

What is coming up this fall

Saturday, September 19 — Fortunate Sons. A tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival. If you grew up on "Bad Moon Rising" and "Proud Mary," this is your night.

More of the fall and winter season will be announced as it firms up. Check sandwichoperahouse.org for the current lineup, showtimes, and tickets, and we will keep this page updated as dates are confirmed.

Make it dinner and a show

We are a few minutes on foot from the Opera House, which makes the logistics easy. Come in beforehand, take your time with dinner, walk over, and skip the parking scramble entirely.

A few things worth knowing if you are planning around a show:

We serve lunch and dinner seven days a week, 11 AM to 9 PM on Friday and Saturday and 11 AM to 8 PM Sunday through Thursday.

Our dining room is built around an authentic 1893 Pullman Palace dining car with a connection to Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 campaign. It is a genuinely good place to eat before a night out, and it is the kind of room people remember.

On busy show nights, arriving 90 minutes before curtain gives you a comfortable margin.

"The Phantom of the Opera House"

Here is something new for this season.

Starting with the Opera House fall season, we are serving a burger called The Phantom of the Opera House. It is available only on Opera House show nights.

It is not on the menu. It will not be on the menu. Ask your server.

That is all we are saying about it right now.

Getting here

Bull Moose Bar & Grille 202 S. Main St., Sandwich, IL 60548 815-786-8002

Street parking is available along Main Street with additional lots nearby. We serve Sandwich, Plano, Somonauk, Newark, Yorkville, and the wider DeKalb County area.

CLUB members earn points on every visit, including show nights. See our current specials and upcoming events at bullmoosebar.com.