Jay@HG wrote:I think most people on site are more into food than beers, so I will stop my reply here.
curry71 wrote:I think I mentioned that I tried that one beer that comes in the hour-glass shaped glass with the little wooden stand on Wednesday (case in point, can't remember the name). It was outstanding. It tasted a lot like Fuller's ESB to me, maybe slightly lighter. But the alcohol content was something like 9%. I had two of those and I was pretty lit... Looking at the menu now and I think it's the Kwak.
I think I mentioned that I tried that one beer that comes in the hour-glass shaped glass with the little wooden stand on Wednesday (case in point, can't remember the name).
Binko wrote:Three more to add to your list, Giallo. Somehow, you managed to miss all my favorite beer bars.
Quencher's (2401 N. Western)
The Map Room (1949 N. Hoyne)
The Village Tap (2055 W. Rosco)
The Map Room used to be my favorite go-to for beer, but it's gotten a bit crowded and obnoxious in the last few years. Quencher's is my place these days.
If you want to talk local breweries and are willing to head a little outside Chicago proper
Goose Island Brewery (1800 N. Clybourn, Chicago, IL)
Flossmoor Station (Flossmoor Rd and Sterling, Flossmoor, IL)
Three Floyd's Brewpub (9750 Indiana Parkway, Munster, IN)
All have fantastic beers and great food. Three Floyd's is my second favorite brewery in the US (behind Bell's). Flossmoor Station is my favorite brewer in Illinois.
Giallo wrote:The Long Room (1612 W. Irving Park Rd) - Nice bar, laid back vibe. The owners and staff are pretty cool. They have a good selection of beers on tap (a mix of American micros, a few Belgians, and some imports) and a good variety in bottles. They also regularly rotate their selection (very important for a good beer bar). No food.
Bob S. wrote:Giallo wrote:The Long Room (1612 W. Irving Park Rd) - Nice bar, laid back vibe. The owners and staff are pretty cool. They have a good selection of beers on tap (a mix of American micros, a few Belgians, and some imports) and a good variety in bottles. They also regularly rotate their selection (very important for a good beer bar). No food.
Giallo, do you know if Philip still tends bar there at all? Back when I lived closer, a couple of years ago, the Long Room was a regular Friday night stop for me, and I really appreciated his ability to steer me to the better beers they offered -- whether we just had similar taste or he learned mine that well I can't really say, but he's one of the very few people I've ever trusted enough to just say "a glass of whatever's new and good."
Giallo wrote:Just asked a friend who tends bar there. She said Philip recently left. She wasn't sure to where.
Giallo wrote:The Hop Leaf remains my favorite beer bar in town, and I love the food (as a light bar meal for two, mussels for one and a cheese plate with a few Belgian beers can't be beat). It's typically pretty crowded, and The Check Please effect will not help.
I wouldn't call Chicago a great beer town, but we have some pretty good beer bars. Some alternatives to the Hop Leaf that I like:
The Long Room (1612 W. Irving Park Rd) - Nice bar, laid back vibe. The owners and staff are pretty cool. They have a good selection of beers on tap (a mix of American micros, a few Belgians, and some imports) and a good variety in bottles. They also regularly rotate their selection (very important for a good beer bar). No food.
Kuma's Corner (2900 W. Belmont Ave) - This is a fairly new place. I like the vibe here quite a bit. As far as I can tell it is run by a bunch of tall guys with shaved heads and long beards who really like heavy metal. Very friendly though. Beer-wise the highlight is that they have three different Three Floyds beers on tap at all times. They rotate at least one of the taps regularly. Most recently is was Alpha King, Robert the Bruce, and Black Sun Stout (which is really good). Their bottles are primarily American micros with a few Belgians and obscure imports thrown in. They also serve some good food. Their kobe beef sliders are excellent.
Jake's Pub (2932 N. Clark) - This place will surprise you. From the outside it looks like your standard Lakeview corner bar that fills up with meatheads after 11:00. I can't guarantee no meatheads, but this is one of my favorite neighborhood bars in the city. They have a surprisingly good selection of Belgians along with a few other rarities. They also have a good jukebox. The service can be painfully slow though.
Clark Street Ale House (742 N. Clark St) - The beer bar closest to downtown (other than maybe Jak's). They have an excellent variety of 20 or so microbrews on tap. Good liquor selection.
Small Bar (2956 N Albany Ave and 2049 W. Division St) - I prefer the Logan Square location, but both have good beer and decent food.
Edgewater Lounge (5600 N. Ashland Ave) - Small, divey place with some surprisingly good beer. They usually have a selection of at least three Rouge beers on tap along with a pretty decent variety of other taps and bottles. They also have above average bar food.
Underbar (3243 N Western Ave) - If you need a really good beer at 3:30 in the morning, this is your spot. Only late night beer bar I can think of. Gets really crowded after 2:00. The Blue Light next door is a fun spot, but it is not a beer bar unless your beer of choice is Iron City from an aluminum bottle (which isn't bad).
Resi's Bierstube (2034 W. Irving Park Rd) and Laschet's (2119 W Irving Park Rd) - A discussion of Chicago beer bars would not be complete without these two German spots. I generally prefer the beer at Resi's and the food at Laschet's, but it's hard to go too wrong with the food or beer at either place.
Jay@HG wrote:I stepped in Edgewater Lounge after a few beers last time. I do remember it was pretty lay back and had a friendly waitress.
Giallo - Do you know how many beers they have on tap, expecially Rogue?
aschie30 wrote:(I didn't bother checking out their wine selection, as I believed that this was the place to stick with beer.)
Kman wrote:Just curious what "mostly suburban types" look like
aschie30 wrote: If I wanted to eat, I would wait until later in the evening, when these early dining crowds shuffled out.