Latest reviews from Chicago
| 72 /100 904 WEST RANDOLPH STREET “We came here on 29.11.2021. Small Mexican brewpub. 10 beers on tap, a few lager styles and some pale ales. Liked all their beers (Christmas Punch Ale was my favorite) and staff was super nice. They did not charge us for a Sangria we did not like (too sweet).“ |
| 60 /100 1800 WEST CUYLER “We came here on 29.11.2021. Just a few minutes away from Dovetail. Small place with a few good beers. Unfortunately another place with plastic cups. Really hope this bullshit is stopping soon. The hazy IPA we had was good.“ |
| 80 /100 1800 WEST BELLE PLAINE AVENUE “We came here on 29.11.2021. A bit outside of the beaten track but worthwhile to be visited. Great German and Austrian style beers. The Vienna Lager and Rauchbier I had were top class. They also brew sour beers (cool ship). One of the highlights is the Lauter Grant behind the bar. We were here on a Monday early afternoon hence it was a bit quite but liked the place overall very much.“ |
| 70 /100 3155 N. BROADWAY “We came here on 29.11.2021. Located a few train stations outside of the city in Belmont. Small place with a long wooden bar and the brewhouse on the opposite side of the bar. Nice lay out. Like sitting on the bar and being able to see the brewhouse. +10 beers on tap coming directly from the bright beer tanks (no kegging). The ones we had were all ok but a bit overpriced (9$): a Wheat IPA, a hazy Pale Ale and a blue sweet Milkstout IPA.“ |
| 60 /100 2140 NORTH MILWAUKEE AVENUE “We came here on 28.11.2021. Less than 1 k from Revolution. Stylish place with 21 beers on tap. Serving beers in good glassware, a bit too cold though. Service just average and food needs to be ordered via QR code - insane. Had two Hazy IPAs, both quite good. Brewhouse visible to the right and an outside place to the left. Ok place but no soul and personality.“ |
| 62 /100 1725 W. HUBBARD ST. “We came here on 27.11.2021 after visiting Goose Island and a flight of strong Bourbon Stouts, hence our tasting sense was definitely impaired. Very large place with a good beer selection ranging from Pilsners to IPA’s and Stouts. Worthwhile to combine with a visit of Goose Island and Great Central.“ |
| 84 /100 1800 W FULTON ST “We came here on 27.11.2021. Walking distance from Great Central. We had a flight of their Bourbon Stouts. Very delicious! Super friendly service. As our Uber did not show up we got a couple of beers for free. Unfortunately all beers are served in plastic cups. Otherwise a great place and a must visit.“ |
| 82 /100 221 NORTH WOOD STREET “We came here on 27.11.2021 to visit a friend who is brewmaster of Great Central. Huge place with a 60 hl brewhouse, a lab and a canning line. They have around 10 own beers and the rest are contract brews for local Chicago breweries like Half Acre. We liked all the beers we had: Helles, Dunkles and Weissbier.“ |
| 86 /100 3057 N ROCKWELL ST “We came here on 27.11.2021. Great location directly on the Chicago river with a fantastic outside patio. Brewery exists since 2009 and moved here 4 years ago. The whole complex has other bars, coffee shops and restaurants. Really cool! Large U-shaped bar and great beers, mainly lagers (no IPAs). That’s a place I could stay the whole afternoon. Had my first Nitro tapped lager beer, amazingly good. Another highlight was a Nitro tapped Kölsch with infused coffee. Very good music and super friendly service.“ |
| 76 /100 Clark Street Ale House (Bar) 742 N. CLARK “We came here on 26.11.2021. Small nice bar in the Chicago city center with some good beers and a superb Whiskey selection. We had a delicious M-43 New England IPA (9 $ for a small pint) Nice interior, large brewery panting on the back wall and friendly service.“ |
| 68 /100 41 E. SUPERIOR ST. “We came here on 26.11.2021 (Black Friday). First beers on our 2021 Chicago trip. Long bar with an ok beer selection. Had Pale Ales from Revolution Brewery and 21st Amendment and a Surly Furios West Coast IPA (100 IBU). Service was not very attentive, but a good start of our vacations.“ |
| 72 /100 Sheffield’s (Bar) 3258 NORTH SHEFFIELD AVENUE “Visited in the evening and the place was absolutely packed. Seems very popular with the locals. Loud music. Unfortunately that means guys behind the bar are barely managing to serve everybody. Also the beer is served in plastic glasses. Plenty of taps, but lots of not so interesting stuff. Anyway not really a beer establishment, more a place to go out with friends.“ |
| 82 /100 904 WEST RANDOLPH STREET “Visited in the afternoon. Medium sized place with patio outside. Was packed during my visit so I've barely managed to find a place at the bar. Very vibrant and lively atmosphere. Good selection of Cruz Blanca beers. The imperial stout I had was delicious. Kind service. Would like to come back someday.“ |
| 78 /100 737 WEST RANDOLPH STREET “Visited in the afternoon. Large brewpub with a large bar. There is a back room with a bar as well, but it was closed for the private event. As mentioned with TVs and football going on it has this sports bar feel to it which I don't particularly dig. Lots of their own beers on taps, the Marzen I've tried wasn't that good. Worth checking out.“ |
| 62 /100 600 NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE 2ND FLOOR “Next the South end of the popular Magnificent Mile, on the second floor of a building, next to a cinema. Largish taproom as part of the brewery itself. They had only five of their beers available when visited. The beer was not bad at all. They also have a small food menu with a very tasty hamburger. Nice stop while doing some shopping or other tourist things.“ |
| 84 /100 The Beer Temple (Beer Store) 3185 N ELSTON AVE “Visited later in the evening, not many people inside. Sat at the bar, did not check the shop (not sure if it was opened) which seems quite interesting looking at the online shop. About 20 taps on with all kinds of different beers. Was too tired to go through it properly so it's on my re-visit list.“ |
| 80 /100 Monk’s Pub (Restaurant) 205 W. LAKE ST. “Struck me as great replica of classic pub. Lots of wood and beer paraphernalia all over the place. The tap list looked quite good with several interesting beer among 15 drafts. Solid bottle list. Friendly service. Certainly worth checking out if you're in the area.“ |
| 80 /100 2323 NORTH MILWAUKEE AVENUE “Medium sized taproom, was quite dead during my visit. Large central bar. Good selection of different stylds, but was hoping for some more exclusive barrel aged brews. Kind service.“ |
| 82 /100 Off Color Brewing (Beer Store) 3925 WEST DICKENS STREET “As I understand this is just a brewing facility now and taproom has moved to Mousetrap. However I was welcomed here by one of my friends who works as a brewer. We've shared some beers and I've enjoyed the tour.“ |
| 82 /100 Kumas Corner (Restaurant) 2900 W. BELMONT “Visited later in the evening. Pretty dark place with metal music playing on the speakers. Nice tap list with various styles and stuff I haven't seen at other places. Burger was fantastic - one of the best I've had ever. Friendly service.“ |
| 72 /100 Sky’s Beverage Depot (Beer Store) 4635-37 N BROADWAY “Neighborhood liquor store with surprisingly good beer selection. Lots of usual suspects and 4/6 packs. But they had Surly Darkness (regular and BA), BBA Prairie, special beers from FW, barrel aged Revolution goodies, even two BCBS variants. Some beers are refrigerated. Good for a neighborhood store.“ |
| 82 /100 1800 WEST BELLE PLAINE AVENUE “Nice medium sized taproom with industrial interior. Came just before the last call so as expected it wasn't crowded. Good selection of different lager styles and sours. Quality wise the beers were very good. Friendly service.“ |
| 90 /100 Binny’s Beverage Depot - Lincoln Park (Beer Store) 1720 NORTH MARCEY STREET “Huge liquor store just across the Goose Island brewpub. They have 15 or so fridges and rows of shelves filled with beer. There has to be couple of thousand beers there. Plenty of different breweries and styles, but also a good selection of meads and ciders. On draw would be that most of the beer is not refrigerated. Was a bit disappointed they did not have any BCBS. Other than that great store.“ |
| 64 /100 1800 NORTH CLYBOURN AVENUE “I was excited to visit, but it turned out to be a disappointment. Large industrial interior with central bar in the main room. There seemed to be more room in the back, but it wasn't used. The place was moderately busy. They had around 15-20 taps with nothing super interesting except few beers. Regular BCBS on tap. Went for Matilda which was forgettable. Great bottles selection of vintage BCBS covering various years and bunch of variants. Unfortunately they come at ridiculous prices, specially to-go. The other issue I had with this place was the service. One barman busted his ass off to serve the whole bar. Sitting at the bar I've waited for 10-15 minutes to place an order and most of that time barman was running around. Not sure if it had something to do with the strike, but that's no way to do business. So a good place if you're looking to splash $$$ on BCBS and service problems are solved.“ |
| 72 /100 Bub City (Restaurant) 435 N CLARK “BBQ place in lively neighborhood full of restaurants and bars. Pretty big with patio outside. They place was packed with just couple of free tables. They actually have pretty decent tap list with Revolution, Allagash, Pipeworks and to my surprise Dovetail. Of course plenty of macro stuff as well. Good service. Food was tasty, moist brisket is excellent.“ |
| 50 /100 3446 NORTH SOUTHPORT “Late October visit. Nestled in a street of boutique shops at the edge of a residential neighborhood, not really close to any mass transit stops. Pleasant, no brewpub vibe, could be mistaken for any generic trendy eatery. Busy lunchtime crowd, sat outside. Small beer selection and predictable pub grub only menu, at least for lunch. Good wait service, but my food order was wrong the first time. Okay griddle cooked burgers, very greasy and drippy. (Ketchup served on the side tasted like allspice and was pretty awful with the fries). Two IPAs we had were clean, uninspired, and bland. Best part was the peoplewatching and interesting double-stacked fermenters that I haven't seen anywhere else.“ |
| 78 /100 235 N. ASHLAND AVE. “Dark, dingy looking place with a great historical vibe to it. Tons of character. 2 separate bars both pouring the same offerings. They had live music when I was there for an optional $10 cover; it was in a different room so it doesn't really affect you unless you want it to. My server was exceedingly nice and willing to give insider info about all of their beers. The beer was pretty good. Cool place.“ |
| 76 /100 417 N. ASHLAND AVE. “Very cool concept. Lacking the character and personality of traditional style breweries, but a good time nonetheless. You enter into a large gift shop and package store; here is where you get your card. When you go to the next room, there are 4 separate walls of taps, you pour your own & keep track of it on the card, paying as you leave. 4 breweries are located here: Bold Dog, Around the Bend, Burnt City and Casa Humilde. Most of what is on tap is available in the package store so you can truly try before you buy. There is a restaurant on site, I didn't eat but it looked good. You could spend a whole evening here.“ |
| 84 /100 Binny’s Beverage Depot - Downtown (Beer Store) 213 WEST GRAND AVENUE “I was blown away by all the exclusive and hard to find beers in this one spot. I live in MO; there were at least a dozen breweries distributed here that I can't find in my home state. Since I have to review all other aspects, it is a cramped space, close quarters and hot. The service was not very attentive but I don't need it to be since I know what I'm looking for. Actually, I don't like employees bothering me while I'm beer shopping. You cannot do any better for finding whales in downtown CHI than this place. Maine Beer Co, Alesmith, Mikerphone, Allagash, Untitled Art just to name a few. A must stop.“ |
| 60 /100 500 NORTH LASALLE STREET “Famous deep dish pizza place with better craft beer options compared to other pizza restaurants. They had 12 local craft options on draft, one on their name (Gino's Helles) brewed by Grand Central Brewing for them. Considering that the other famous pizza restaurants in Chicago don't have much in craft beer, it's a good option.“ |
| 74 /100 Hopleaf (Bar) 5148 N. CLARK “Visited on a Monday night. Quite busy though at the time. A good selection of both foreign and domestic beer on tap. Limited menu due to post-Corona staff shortages. The bar food that we had was decent but not beyond that. Friendly staff. Nice stop.“ |
| 80 /100 West Lakeview Liquors (Beer Store) 2156 W ADDISON ST “Small beer room with a fairly small, but interesting selection. Decent cooler selection, but they don't allow breaking down of cans. Friendly service.“ |
| 80 /100 The Beer Temple (Beer Store) 3185 N ELSTON AVE “Nice place with both a bottle shop and taproom. Only visited the bottle shop. Great selection of local breweries, as well a good selection of regional beer. Not as much of a selection for breweries outside of the region or international. Taproom looked like it had a well curated selection.“ |
| 66 /100 Girl and the Goat (Restaurant) 809 W RANDOLPH ST “On a Friday night this place was busy. We waited in the lounge and ate at the bar. We went here for the food. The sour dough is good. The shrimp salad is interesting, well spiced, and good. My wife liked her Haddock. My ribs were okay. The berry dessert was good. The portions of everything was small. Service is good here. This place has quality food, but I did not find it a value. The dessert at $14 was quite high. I did find a can of beer to have with dinner. At $7 for a regular 12 oz. can, this is above average. The beer selection is somewhat limited. Not a place I would go often.“ |
| 66 /100 Binny’s Beverage Depot - South Loop (Beer Store) 1132 S JEFFERSON ST “Dedicated free parking, so pretty easy. This place is upstairs. Beers is mostly together. Good sized average ambiance beer store with coolers on one side. My biggest complaint is they will not break up 4-packs etc. There is a mix-six, but you are required to buy six. The selection is good, but not many rarities. Really the higher end mead was the highlight. I did leave this place empty handed. Service was average. For such a high rating disappointing.“ |
| 36 /100 Cardinal Wine & Spirits (Beer Store) 3501 N. CENTRAL AVE. “2/7/15 (Chicago, IL) - This store was formerly Edwards until it was sold decades earlier. They expanded the craft beer selection and added a beer cooler. Beyond Polish and AAL beers, they have some craft beers, mostly regional players.
In 2018, they were sold, most of the craft is mostly gone, no prices listed on remaining inventory. No longer shop here“ |
| 84 /100 417 N. ASHLAND AVE. “This place has been delivering fine beers to my house since the beginning of Covid-19 quarantine so I love it. I've actually always rather liked the place and it's where I frequently take out of town people just because it's four breweries at once. This is a pour your own place which takes some getting used to but I like it overall. There's staff there to help out if you somehow don't know what beer is and a little barbecue counter in the corner.“ |
| 80 /100 2140 NORTH MILWAUKEE AVENUE “A modern/comfy feeling taproom that doubles as a coffee house. Large bar in the back with plenty of seating throughout. No TVs. Service was good and bartenders knew the beer and offered good suggestions. A cool concept as a brewery incubator meant a large and varied tap list with and flights were available. I did not try to food on my visit and prices seemed in line with the area. Well worth a stop.“ |
| 86 /100 417 N. ASHLAND AVE. “A cool concept that is kind of a pour your own brewery hall with four different breweries on tap. A large open space with lots of communal seating and a nice modern feel. Service is really only present when you check in and they do a good job of cleaning tables/answering questions. 10 taps each from four different breweries makes it an ideal spot for ticking. Food was quite good, recommend the pastrami! Prices were inline with the Chicago area. A really unique concept that I enjoyed quite a bit.“ |
| 66 /100 Signature Lounge (Bar) 875 N. MICHIGAN AVE, 96TH FLOOR “So I have been here twice. Ask for a table near a window, great view. We had the buffet, which is only available at certain times is my understanding. The food quality on the buffet is quite good, but is pricey. Beer selection is quite limited. A better option in my assessment over the observation deck one floor above.“ |
