-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Binny's Beverage Depot - Lakeview
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)
3.89/5 rDev -4.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4
3.89/5 rDev -4.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4
This is a huge liquor store with a pretty decent selection of craft beer. The beers are tucked way in the back corner and are conspicuously almost entirely unrefrigerated save for a tiny selection of macro lagers. There was a pretty big selection (at least to non-local eyes), but there seemed to be pretty bad issues with freshness on IPAs (a big chunk of what they carry). Obviously this is made worse by the lack of more fridges. Anyway, I got a bunch of cool stuff, the people were nice and helpful and I wasn't disappointed. I imagine it is all more a question of the neighborhood than anything else. I imagine there are much better/curated stores in Chicago, but not in this neighborhood as far as I can tell.
Jun 07, 2018Reviewed by SD-Alefan from South Dakota
4.1/5 rDev +0.5%
4.1/5 rDev +0.5%
Stopped by during a visit to Chicago to stock up. A large selection of craft beers, both in the cooler and on the shelves. Lots of bombers available. I was looking for Chicago beers and this store did not disappoint. Plenty to choose from inc. offerings from Three Floyds, Revolution, Metropolitan and MANY others. Also an excellent selection of imports and a nice mix-a-six section. Prices seemed reasonable and there were a few really well-priced sale items. Staff seemed friendly and helpful but not pushy.
Oct 14, 2014Reviewed by joe1510 from Illinois
4.14/5 rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
4.14/5 rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
Lakeview Binny's is another warehouse type liquor store in the Binny's empire. It's not as expansive as the Lincoln Park or South Loop locations but it's large none the less. There's a cheese counter with some nice choices, a walk in humidor with some good sticks and great prices, and a wine cellar I've never been in so no comment. The Bourbon, Scotch, Tequila, and Gin selections are much larger than your standard store but smaller than other Binny's in the chain. All booze prices seem to be average with a good sale here and there.
The beer is crammed into its section pretty tightly. A row of coolers carry everything from cases of BMC to sixers of craft to 750s of Belgians. There are five shelved aisles in total, all well organized by country and brewery. Along with aisle stacks and end cap displays. They've simply run out of floor space for the beer stock. Prices are reasonable with a great selection of seasonals, sixers, and bombers. You have to stay on top of the limited releases for the sheer volume of customers that run through this particular store because things get picked over pretty quickly. The service has always been friendly and helpful.
The Lakeview Binny's isn't the best in the chain, or even in Chicago for that matter, but it is still a Binny's (making it a good store) and it's convenient to a lot of locations in the city whether you walk, drive, bike or take the train. Want to pick up a couple cigars and some bourbon? Also worth a stop.
Nov 01, 2013The beer is crammed into its section pretty tightly. A row of coolers carry everything from cases of BMC to sixers of craft to 750s of Belgians. There are five shelved aisles in total, all well organized by country and brewery. Along with aisle stacks and end cap displays. They've simply run out of floor space for the beer stock. Prices are reasonable with a great selection of seasonals, sixers, and bombers. You have to stay on top of the limited releases for the sheer volume of customers that run through this particular store because things get picked over pretty quickly. The service has always been friendly and helpful.
The Lakeview Binny's isn't the best in the chain, or even in Chicago for that matter, but it is still a Binny's (making it a good store) and it's convenient to a lot of locations in the city whether you walk, drive, bike or take the train. Want to pick up a couple cigars and some bourbon? Also worth a stop.
Reviewed by reizorc from Pennsylvania
4.21/5 rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4
4.21/5 rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4
Visited during visit to Chicago the week over the 4th of July. This place has a huge selection of Beer and Wine. The craft selections are back in the left hand corner as you enter the building. They have a huge selection of craft bottles as well as quite a large selection of Belgian and German beers.
Although, I was disappointed to not find any of Three Floyds beers I was able to obtain some Pipeworks Ninja vs Unicorn, Sam vs Unicorn and Marilime Law, which are all fantastic beers.
I was able to talk with the Beer Manager who was quite knowledgeable and gave some great advice on not only beer but wines for my wife.
Definitely recommend Beer and or Wine enthusiasts to stop in.
Jul 08, 2013Although, I was disappointed to not find any of Three Floyds beers I was able to obtain some Pipeworks Ninja vs Unicorn, Sam vs Unicorn and Marilime Law, which are all fantastic beers.
I was able to talk with the Beer Manager who was quite knowledgeable and gave some great advice on not only beer but wines for my wife.
Definitely recommend Beer and or Wine enthusiasts to stop in.
Reviewed by cnbrown313 from Illinois
4.03/5 rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
4.03/5 rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
I just moved downtown from the suburbs and I have been a Binny's customer for a long time, but The Lakeview (Invahoe Castle) just became my new Binny's location (3/2013)
Q - Binny's takes pride in stocking some of the best local and foreign beers and this location is no exception. I was hoping to find some good Belgian sours / wild ales and I was pleased to find a big selection of Fantome. They also had the newest and most popular releases from local breweries like Pipeworks, Revolution, Spiteful, etc...
SERVICE - Someone asked me right away if I needed any help, but that was about it (which was cool, because I like to browse anyway). They are usually pretty busy, but I did enjoy the service I received in the suburbs much more... not that there's anything wrong with it here.
SELECTION - Not quite as big of a selection as the South Loop store, or with as many rarities as WLVL - but those stores aside... it's a pretty huge selection. You will most likely find what you are looking for.
V - Prices are on par with all of the other Binny's locations, and they do offer very fair prices across the board. With the quantity that Binny's buys in, odds are you won't find high end beers cheaper anywhere else.
O - Except for maybe a handful of fine liquor stores, this is most likely your best option in Chicago for reasonable prices on hard to find beers.
Mar 07, 2013Q - Binny's takes pride in stocking some of the best local and foreign beers and this location is no exception. I was hoping to find some good Belgian sours / wild ales and I was pleased to find a big selection of Fantome. They also had the newest and most popular releases from local breweries like Pipeworks, Revolution, Spiteful, etc...
SERVICE - Someone asked me right away if I needed any help, but that was about it (which was cool, because I like to browse anyway). They are usually pretty busy, but I did enjoy the service I received in the suburbs much more... not that there's anything wrong with it here.
SELECTION - Not quite as big of a selection as the South Loop store, or with as many rarities as WLVL - but those stores aside... it's a pretty huge selection. You will most likely find what you are looking for.
V - Prices are on par with all of the other Binny's locations, and they do offer very fair prices across the board. With the quantity that Binny's buys in, odds are you won't find high end beers cheaper anywhere else.
O - Except for maybe a handful of fine liquor stores, this is most likely your best option in Chicago for reasonable prices on hard to find beers.
Reviewed by crossovert from Illinois
3.44/5 rDev -15.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
3.44/5 rDev -15.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
This Binny's has a decent sized lot which is nice. It is castle themed which is funny.
Inside it is bigger than you would expect form the exterior. Tons of wine at this place, the beer is in the back right corner. There is a row of coolers and a few rows of craft. The set up here is a lot different than most Binny's I feel. It didn't seem to have quite the amount of skus as say Lincoln Park and I didn't see a beer manager.
The mix 6 pack was pretty good, I hope Binny's eventually expands this to include all 12/11.2 oz bottles.
The prices are in line with other Binny's maybe a tad more expensive.
Mar 20, 2012Inside it is bigger than you would expect form the exterior. Tons of wine at this place, the beer is in the back right corner. There is a row of coolers and a few rows of craft. The set up here is a lot different than most Binny's I feel. It didn't seem to have quite the amount of skus as say Lincoln Park and I didn't see a beer manager.
The mix 6 pack was pretty good, I hope Binny's eventually expands this to include all 12/11.2 oz bottles.
The prices are in line with other Binny's maybe a tad more expensive.
Reviewed by gtermi from Texas
3.89/5 rDev -4.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
3.89/5 rDev -4.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
I went in because it was right down the street from my best friends apartment. This place is very big and has a nice section of beer on the right side of the store. They have a place to do mix and match 6 packs, which I find very nice so I can try some decent local beers. They also have a lot of great beers that are pretty hard to find. The guys there were sort of dickheads and they made it seem like they knew everything and I was an idiot. They were wrong on so many things and I just ignored them and went on my way. I really think this is a great place to buy beer. Though there are a few bad eggs working here, there are some people that are nice and actually know what they are talking about. I would recommend this place to anybody.
Jan 25, 2012Reviewed by supercolter from Wisconsin
3.46/5 rDev -15.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4
3.46/5 rDev -15.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4
A pretty reasonably priced liquor store with a decent selection. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that they had no Half Acre and only two FFF beers. However, one of the FFF's was Arctic Panzer Wolf, so I suppose that makes up for it. There is a pretty nice sized section laid out for the beer, but the space is not used the best. Mini-walls of excess beer arranged in no particular order surrounding a fairly well organized set of shelf beers. Oh and no Cantillon was also quite disappointing. The service was lacking, but not awful. Your were acknowledged, but appeared to be a pit of a nuisance.
Aug 13, 2011Reviewed by ktrillionaire from Florida
3/5 rDev -26.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3
3/5 rDev -26.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3
I stopped at this Binny's the week after Dark Lord 2011. It was actually the first time I have set foot in a Binny's. I was not terribly impressed with the place. It seemed to me to be a very average jumbo liquor mart and did not seem to be substantially better, if at all, than Lakeview's Jewel-Osco or Whole Foods. The lone bottle of BA Shipwreck Porter was the onky eye-catching inventory I noted. I bought a Vitamin Water, just a Vitamin Water, and was ID'd for the privilege of buying it; strange policy.
May 12, 2011
Binny's Beverage Depot - Lakeview in Chicago, IL
Place rating:
4.08 out of
5 with
65 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the place's attributes plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!