fairmount park

Love doing Friday night Party at the Park they have a nice buffet with tasty food always seem to have drink specials for all walks of life. Love seeing the beautiful horses, enjoy all the fun names of the horses, fun time doing a little betting too.

Fairmount Park has been beset by economic issues and political in-fighting. The local casino's and politicians that are in their pockets have done much to hinder any growth with our local track.That being said, the track offers a good racing experience. Many people enjoy the "Party at the Park" on Friday evenings with a fine buffet and a live band.There is also Horse Hookey that takes place on Tuesday afternoons. I am making it a point to finish work early and get over here on a couple of nice spring and summer days.Now you have certainly read other reviews. Is this the cleanest facility? Maybe not. Do they offer the finest in vendor foods for the strange breed of human known as the "race track foodie". Uhhhh, NO....its a beer and a dog. In its defense, the place is nearly a 100 years old. It is a HORSE RACE TRACK!!!Ask yourself this, is Wrigley a dump. YES! Do you still want to take in a Cubs game when in Chicago. Without a doubt (this from a Cardinals fan). It is the experience...and we are LUCKY to still hear the track announcers call.If you are local to the area, tell your senator and representative to vote to allow additional gaming and save OUR track.

I went to Fairmont 10+ times this year, mostly for live racing. It is a fun time for not a lot of money. Place is old and worn out but it's a cheap evening when they have live racing. I recently went for TV simulcast racing and had a good time also. Televisions are ancient (tube) but they show a lot of different races throughout the country. If you like gambling it is an inexpensive place to go. The best is when they have live racing in the summer. The horses are second (or third) rate but it's a good time.

I go to the track several times a season to meet friends and have fun placing small bets and enjoying the atmosphere. This place offers several options for food from just snacks to full dinners and even has specials on certain nights with reduced prices on drinks and food. You can access information through their website and make plans with friends and enjoy a night or even an afternoon out without spending a great deal of money. The seating options are many and the fun is yours if you just give it a try. Rumor that this track may not remain if support and attendance don't improve are terrible to hear and I think more people need to be aware of the opportunities for fun that it offers.

This place was fun. There is nothing fancy about the place, but if you are looking for something different to do, it can be a fun night out.

We go to the races once or twice a year and always go to the Top of the Turf club for dinner.This visit was horrible in regard to service and food. Once thing to note about the service if the waitress comes by and asks once and you are not ready be prepared to wait. We did for quite some time. The meals are not the most expensive but they are not exactly cheap. There were 4 of use -Chicken - inedible-the chicken was so hard, dry and burnt that is was not edible. Steak-question if it was steak believe it may have been cooked hours before and warmed up, very tough. Prok steak-Very good. ordered three salads got two before dinner and one with dinner? Had vegatble mix with the meal and there was more water than vegtables on the plate had to soak it up with a napkin. The vegtables were more like baby food they were so overcooked and the waitress said the mix was mostly cauliflower and there was not one piece of cauliflower. The server was busy and paying more attention to those people who evidently are there often.. The topper to the horrible service was when the "Customer Service" person cam to our table and asked about the experience. We told her:( there was nothing done the inedible chick stayed on the bill. Wont be going back ashame it was a nice tradition.

We took our two boys ages 4 and 6 on a Tuesday. They really enjoyed watching the races and tell Dad which horse would win based on their favorite color. The food was reasonably priced and there was plenty of seating.

I've had several great nights here with friends. I've been to party at the park nights several times and enjoyed the all you can eat food, racing, and music. But, I enjoyed it more on a Saturday night when it was a little less crowded and you could real close to the horses.Fairmont is a fun, cheap night out. You don't have to be an expert at horse racing to do a little betting and have a great time.

The place is old, run down, smokey and dirty. It reminds me of a gross public bathroom on a rode trip. It can do the job but you'll want to shower after.Still we seem to go to the race track once every summer. Our children are 8 and 11 have a great time. Between each race we walk over to where the horses prepare for their event. Both kids pick who they think will win based on name, number, color or even which uses the bathroom before their race. We place our $2 bets then head outside to cheer and scream. All in all a fun evening. However there are some problems.

We were very impressed with the reception at the Top Of The Turf restaurant. We didn't think to make reservations for dinner and were told they were fully booked upon arrival. The restaurant manager suggested we have a chance at a table if a reservation gets cancelled. Within minutes she seated us at a front row table with a great view of the track. We can't say enough good things about the the superior service we received from her. The restaurant menu however is somewhat limited and service from restaurant staff was decent. We aren't very familiar with betting on horses but quickly realized that the odds weren't in our favor...I feel that to get the most for our money the casino is definitely a better bet. Fairmount Park is somewhat outdated, but a very fun place to spend a Saturday evening. We'll definitely be back again. Next time with a dinner reservation and more knowledge of the horses we're betting on.

Always a nice way to spend a Friday or Saturday night and if you have Tuesday afternoon off, go for it !!

Wow. Where do I start. This place is dark and dirty. You might think that's normal for a racetrack, but it's not at the ones we visit. Save your money and cleaning bills and don't go here.

The track has been around for decades and is still fun. There is a good restaurant and bar in the grandstand. Unfortunately, horse racing is having a tough time competing with casinos and as a result, there have only been 60 - 70 racing dates the last couple of years. If you like horse racing< I am sure you will enjoy your visit.

Went as a company outing and was a nice new experience. Watched and ate at the top of the turf. The area to watch you have to look at and around, would enjoy being closer to the track.

Good races on Illinois Bred Stakes Day, and being a Tuesday, $1.00 hot dogs and soft drinks. Free grand stand seating with a view of the big screen.