Downers Sand Club Sports Bar & Grill - Downers Grove, Illinois

Jay K.

*OWNER UPDATE*

Review: What kind of a jerk owner forces dancers to buy water bottles? EVEN AFTER buying drinks and food? Let’s do the planet a solid and quit that ish. It’s not inflation, it’s owners like you jacking up prices and taking advantage of patrons.

Update: Not 20 minutes after posting this I was informed by kind staff that if I did not delete my post I will be banned. I am quite blown away that the owner is trying to force me to delete a post of truth instead of altering his terrible business practices. But it seems like poor business practices go quite deeper than just water.

I will walk my happy self out and take the ban. I will NEVER support such an atrocious owner. BUT PLEASE support the west coast swing dance community in any way possible. I will not hold the community to such a sad human.

And while I have you VOTE NO on live video gaming. It is legal at my bar and since moving home after 8 years away it is the most devastating impact I have ever seen on my town. I watch people come in at open to play those games bright and early every single morning, I see people lose their houses, cars, marriages. I see people lose friendships because they can no longer hangout with their friends at a bar, they have to sit next to them while they press buttons all night and lose their money. As one regular says “I gotta go make my donation of the day”. Do you really want to lose all your extra money to a digital button?
The only people who win here are the owners. Pure profit off such evil.

To the owner,
See ya never!

Erin O.

Last night we went to Downers Sand Club Sports Bar & Grill to attend West Coast Swing dance class (they’re SO fun- highly recommend!!). Also, my friend had a birthday party here before & we loved the sand volleyball courts. The place is great, so this is unfortunate.

Walking in, the bouncer checked my purse for outside food/drink & saw I had 1 juicebox & told me I couldn’t bring it in. That’s normal. I said “I’m type 1 diabetic, I need it.” She walked away & the owner took over. “You need to leave that up here.” I repeated myself & he continued shaking his head. “I have plenty of drinks for you to buy up here.” I replied, “I have the same initial treatment for a low blood sugar every time. I drink a juicebox. It has the # of carbs I need with no added sugar. The nutrition facts tell me exactly that, so I’m certain of how I’m treating my low.” He repeated himself, again, as other people are walking past us & I’m embarrassed & late for class. I said “if my sugar goes low all the way in that back room, you’re making me walk all the way up front to buy a drink from you?” You bet, that juicebox stayed right there. We didn’t want to miss more of our class.

A grown adult making the choice (& re-affirming it) to demand that if/when my blood sugar drops, I need to leave the class I paid for, walk hundreds of feet (when I’m weak & dizzy) & purchase a drink instead of sitting down where I’m at & having the correct amount of carbs from a juicebox I brought is….truly a unique experience!

Lauralyn T.

Super fun place to play volleyball inside. Courts are a great size and ceilings are high. A great place to gather with friends, have a few drinks, and get all sandy.

Steven K.

We had an event here on the 20th of April. Some of the food is what you would expect, however, some of the food was fantastic. The Fries, the nachos, and tacos were really good! All the employees were super nice and helpful. There is indoor sand volleyball, so you have to expect that there will be traces of sand everywhere. Other then that, things seemed pretty clean.

Everyone I talked to at our event (which was over 100 people) all seemed to enjoy themselves and had a good time!

Jonathan S.

2019: Great venue for dancing. However, they don't have a drinking fountain, don't provide water & don't allow you to bring your own water, thus require you to buy water, which at a dancing event I would consider dangerous to not supply. This is the only dance scene I've seen like this. I recommend leaving water in the car and going out to it from time to time.

2024: Looks like many other reviewers are still mentioning the same. Removing 1 more star. It really hurts the community vibe & why I don't return more often, it's a pity. If Swinging at the Sands ever moves to another venue, I'll definitely visit more often, love this community.

Dani S.

Food and drinks are good, but cannot recommend visiting the bar on one of their event nights unless you are there to participate. I sat at an unreserved table after ordering food and a drink, but when the food came I was asked to move from the active area and into the unlit, closed second bar/dining area in the front, under a safety light as I wasn't there for volleyball or dancing. While I had originally came with the plan to stay, drink, and eat for an hour or two while friends danced, I ended up finishing my food and going to another bar to wait for my friends where I could sit at the bar.

Edit: I am unable to post a reply to the response but the table we sat at was as clean and ready as any table I've seen. Which is wonderful to have patrons that leave tables like that. However, as for a deal with the dance host, I did ask so I could just sit there since my friends would be dancing and I would not be, but was told I would have to pay the full fee.

I also would have loved to sit at the bar but we were specifically asked to move from the area to that table and weren't given another option.

Owen F.

This one should be pretty easy. Prices? Terrible. Food? Terrible. Service? Worse than terrible. The owner himself made us feel like an annoyance not a customer. Had a group party in one of the private rooms and private is an under exaggeration, we might have well been in the ghost room considering how no one could get a drink, much less even try to order one. Group of about 50 and 50/50 left wishing they’d picked another bar. Will NEVER be returning.

ItsSebHdz

I love it here! It's a very friendly environment, The food is amazing. The bar game are a great way enjoy you stay here! Especially on Sundays Karaoke night was a blast! So many amazing singers in the local area! I'm definitely returning with friends & family!