Chicago brewpub suggestions?

[chicagobrew]

I go to piece and revolution regularly since i live in the neighborhood. I have to say I'm surprised at all the calls for piece. i don't think it's that great. I don't even drink their beer when I'm there because it's average, at best. Another option not far from piece is Bangers and Lace. They have food, kids are welcome, and the beer selection is amazing. I think they have 36 taps and another 80 or so in bottle. If it tells you anything, they have Gose on tap. I've never even seen it in the store, so to have it on tap is pretty unusual. Revolution is also a good bet. Get the bacon popcorn app if you go. It's wicked good.

 

[olsond]

I definitely vote Half Acre. I love their beers. No food on site but there is a great little restaurant kitty corner from it called Bad Apple. It has a ton of beers on tap (including obviously Half Acre).

 

[Homercidal]

I am leaning towards taking a ride from the hotel to the aquarium, and bus or cab from there to everything else. I was young the last time I drove in Chicago (CES), and I still have nightmares from the experience!

 

[Swib]

I don't know if you went relatively shortly after they opened (they apparently didn't have enough beer made when they opened for the amount of business they got),

You're spot on. I went in the first few weeks after opening and was disappointed. I am glad to hear they have improved, sounds like I'll have to go back and try them again.

 

[Swib]

I am leaning towards taking a ride from the hotel to the aquarium, and bus or cab from there to everything else.

It seems like you'll be staying by Grant Park, so you'd have easy access to the Red line stop at Harrison. You could take the Red then transfer to Blue in order to get to Piece.
I know you didn't ask for places without beer, but you'll be so close to Manny's deli at Roosevelt and Jefferson that it'd be a pity if someone didn't point it out. Great NY style deli food, served cafeteria style. The corned beef is out of this world. I moved from Chicago about 8 months ago, and I miss Manny's something fierce.

 

[Homercidal]

Wow! Maybe it's just because it's lunchtime, but Revolution looks really good for both food and drink!

 

[Homercidal]

ANy advice for parking while we are here? They want almost $50 a day at the hotel.

 

[Homercidal]

Piece is really going to be out of your way.

Haymarket Brewpub is owned by former head brewer at Rock Bottom Pete Crowley and is in the West Loop area. They just opened before this past Christmas and supposed to be quite the selection and a nice restaurant too.

Just checked their website and Haymarket looks worth checking out. It's pretty close to the action (If by action I mean looking at stuff...)

 

[TheMan]

ANy advice for parking while we are here? They want almost $50 a day at the hotel.

HA! Cheap parking and Chicago don't even belong in the same sentence...That's $2 an hour, which is typically the going rate wherever you are.

 

[Homercidal]

Found a place that lists $40 for both days total, which I think is pretty good. The prices vary a lot between parking garages that are very close together. I hope I still have wheels on my truck by the time I leave!!

 

[DubbelDach]

Great thread that I will bookmark. Heading to Chicago for the first time in August thanks to my wife's CME. She'll be in conferences for 8 hours/2 days, and I'll have time to kill...

 

[adman]

Heck, hit both. I may have to swing by Revolution myself. This is going on tap tonight.

Tart With a Heart - A special release from our barrel cellar. We aged our strong brown ale in Jack Daniels and Bullet Bourbon barrels for six months along with Italian plums. The acidic fruit brought provided the tartness and the wood brought the warmth of the heart. A very complex ale. 10% ABV

I see we have another member of the Party on the boards. I'll be swinging by tonight to try the Tart as well as the new Maerzen:

God of War - a German Marzen beer with a lovely caramel sweetness. Highly drinkable. 6.0% ABV, 25 IBUs

As far as getting to Revolution, it's a very short walk from the California Blue Line stop, or there's generally plentiful street parking, which as another poster mentioned, is metered. It's $1.25/hr, thanks to the great parking meter debacle of 2009. But that's a topic for another thread...

 

[mochunk]

As someone from the burbs and feeling the possible "overwhelming chaos" that is the street grid/public transport setup... Haymarket is an easy to get to spot if you're starting along the lake/museum area. The other places are always great but a bit more out of the way if you don't already know your way around (I'm starting to, more lately). And it's got a worthy food and beer menu. Finally visited recently and love the place.

 

[Homercidal]

So we get there and the place is busy (as expected) and while we wait the wife mentions that she's not happy we are taking the kids... WTF?? It's a friggin BREWPUB! We've been to a couple before, no problem... Then mentions I get to go to brewpubs all the time and it's supposed to be a family vacation.

What?? How many times do we go to CHICAGO?? So, can I please at least go to ONE SINGLE Brewpub??

Maybe it was just the overwhelming of being in a big city and having to wait in a noisy bar. I think it went well after all, and the people there were very friendly and the brewmaster even came over to the table to say hi and see how we were doing.

And since we were taking a cab anyway, the wife had a margarita and I think that helped settle things down.

Props to the brewer for the nice IIPA!

 

[DubbelDach]

Great thread that I will bookmark. Heading to Chicago for the first time in August thanks to my wife's CME. She'll be in conferences for 8 hours/2 days, and I'll have time to kill...

Reporting from the Goose Island Clybourn bar... I love Chicago!

Hit up Haymarket yesterday and LOVED it. Tasted all oheir beers and ate. Just had some fish tacos here at GI and am enjoying the beers.

Might head out to Peace and Revolution after this if I can figure a quick way west on North Ave. Still struggling with the pub trans, but getting used to it. Might just cab it there and brown line it back to hotel.

Anyway.... LOVE ALL THINGS CHICAGO (except Patrick Kane. As a Flyers fan, it's my obligation to kick him in the dick)

 

[heferly]

GI clybourn has some awesome selections! if you're going to revolution or peace, get there early!! they get packed really quick...revolution is probably already packed...good luck! have fun!

 

[DubbelDach]

Did not do my research... no pub at Metropolitan, Hopleaf not open until 3. No pub at Half Acre either but they were super nice and gave me samples and I bought a tee and a 4pack of Daisy Cutter. Right now I'm across the street at Bad Apple... GREAT, BEAUTIFUL bar with incredible selection. I am awaiting my "Elvis' Last Supper", a peanut butter and bacon burger....

Have not bumped into Patrick Kane yet.

 

[DubbelDach]

The Bad Apple... Lincoln Ave. One of my favorite bars ever. Anyone reading this thread, please hit it.

 

[DubbelDach]

Looks like I tried 37 beers, 2 meads, and a cider in under 60 hours or so.

Haymarket Brewery
Speakerswagon Pilsner
Pink Sock Monkey Raspberry Wheat
Oscar's Pardon Belgian Pale Ale
Mathias Double IPA
The Defender Imperial Stout
Indignant Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout
Lucy's Tripel
Mo-Jo Dubbel
Angry Birds Belgian Rye IPA

Goose Island Clybourn
312 Urban Wheat
Summertime Kolsch
Hefeweizen
Honker's Ale Bitter
Summer Camp IPA
Fleur Belgian Pale Ale
Pere Jacques Dubbel
Green Line Pale Ale
Liquid Inspiration Stout (cask)

Piece Brewery & Pizzeria
Golden Arm Kolsch
Worryin' Ale Rye
Flat Iron Stout
Top Heavy Hefeweizen
Camel Toe

Half Acre Beer Company
Daisy Cutter Pale Ale
Gossamer Golden Ale
Over Ale Brown Ale

Beers at The Bad Apple
5 Rabbit Cerveceria Passionfruit Witbier (5 Lizard)
Blushing Monk Belgian Ale (Founder's)
IPA (Flossmoor Station Brewery)
Hades Belgian Strong Pale Ale (Great Divide)
Re Ale Extra IPA (Birra del Borgo)
Dragon's Milk 2011 Stout (New Holland)
Ryan and the Beaster Bunny Saison (Evil Twin)
Modus Hoperandi IPA (Ska Brewing)

Rock Bottom
Fear! El Chupacabra Dark Lager
Chicago Gold Pale Ale
Red Ale (cask)

Other...
Blueberry Mead (Wild Blossom Meadery)
Apple Cinnamon Mead (Wild Blossom Meadery)
Original Cider (Crispin Brewing)

I love beer.

 

[FromZwolle]

Looks like I tried 37 beers, 2 meads, and a cider in under 60 hours or so.
I love beer.

that's a lot of beer! I was thinking of going to Piece for my birthday dinner, how was the beer and the pizza?

 

[moviebrain]

The Bad Apple... Lincoln Ave. One of my favorite bars ever. Anyone reading this thread, please hit it.

It's one of my favorites! I'm guessing you've already left town, but if you make it downtown during the week there is a place called Monk's Pub (mmonks.com) that has a great old pub feel with great food and a mean beer selection. They aren't really open during the weekend and have some squirrelly hours though.

 

[rico567]

HA! Cheap parking and Chicago don't even belong in the same sentence...That's $2 an hour, which is typically the going rate wherever you are.

Our solution, one word: Amtrak. We admittedly have the advantage of living in the Champaign-Urbana area, so we can just drive into Champaign, park our car FREE at the terminal, and take the two hour ride to Union station. Last time we did it was over Christmas, $34 each round trip. Stayed in the Allerton downtown on the Miracle Mile for what a Comfort Inn off I-90 in the burbs would have cost. Can't do it for that in a car, let alone pay the parking bandits.

And it's not going to get any better. Look to what's happening to private cars in cities like London and Amsterdam, and you see the future here. Might as well change now, and that's what we've done.

As far as places mentioned in this thread, we've been to the Map Room, Hop Leaf, both are great. Didn't know 3 Floyds and Flossmoor Station were that close......may have to hit the both some weekend.

 

[DubbelDach]

that's a lot of beer! I was thinking of going to Piece for my birthday dinner, how was the beer and the pizza?

Beer was really good... Unfortunately I had just eaten at Goose Island. The pizza smelled amazing! You can't buy buy the slice at the bar, or I would have tried it.

DISCLAIMER: 90% of those 37 beers were 1-4 oz. sampler sizes!

 

[cyclogenesis]

Another vote for Piece.. Great food and beer.. Half Acre is great beer..

I kinda feel the same about Goose... And if you are ever in the Burbs Two Bros is great... I'm still to try metro or Haymarket..

Luna, as was said, good beer little/no food... odd place

 

[DubbelDach]

I'm still to try metro or Haymarket..

Metro is not a pub unfortunately... Haymarket is, and was AWESOME. Great beers and food.

 

[cyclogenesis]

Further to Amtrack you can also use the Metra system.. google metra Chicago. Whenever we have out of towners visiting I always recommend finding a metra station to park at.. Weekend rates are $14 unlimited travel

 

[cyclogenesis]

Metro is not a pub unfortunately... Haymarket is, and was AWESOME. Great beers and food.

Ahh.. Kewl, thanks... Might have to check it out this weekend..

 

[jstuts2260]

The girlfriend is doing the Urban-Athalon Saturday, so I'm going with to play in Chicago for the weekend. Now the question is: Do I hit up a local brewery while I'm there or hit up a beer bar? FYI we're staying off Michigan ave by Grant Park and prefer to stay in the city and would prefer decent food.

Here's what I have it narrowed down to:

Gastropubs:
Hopleaf
Fountainhead

Brewery:
Haymarket Brewery
Revolution Brewing

Any thoughts? I'm torn on the subject because it will all be delicious brews

 

[rhoadsrage]

For gastropubs:
Fountainhead and hopleaf are a good cab ride away. Goose Island Clyborn is closer and has good beers (with a Binny's next door)

Haymarket is good beer and food that is a very short cab ride with another short cab ride to Binny's southloop (this one also has about 6 not-so-common taps after 3:00p.m.)

The Publican is also close to Haymarket and you can sit in a high end pig pen.

All your choices are good though.
Just check Beermenus.com they are pretty up to date.

 

[Pappers_]

Haymarket is closer to you than Revolution. Rhoads idea about going over to The Publican afterwards is a good one, just a block or two away and a very good Belgian beer selection. They do have a bar you can sit at, if you don't want to have dinner there.