The Berghoff

The BerghoffThe Berghoff
The BerghoffThe Berghoff
Bar, Eatery

17 W Adams St
Chicago, Illinois, 60603-5502
United States

(312) 427-3170 | map
theberghoff.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.65
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
32
pDev:
11.78%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of NCSapiens
Reviewed by NCSapiens from Indiana

3.76/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4.25
Classic place for German food. It’s a bit tired now, and it isn’t really a destination for the beer per se. But if you hanker for some German food and beer it’s a solid option.
Apr 01, 2023
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

3.71/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.75
Let it be known that I'm essentially treating this as a review for Adams Street Brewery, as it's technically separated from the rest of the Berghoff restaurant proper (essentially, the restaurant's bar area is more of a relatively small-ish version of a beer hall that just happens to brew its own beer). I remember visiting the restaurant years ago and thoroughly enjoying it, but I haven't partaken of that area since, so I can't say much (aside from remarking on the quality of the house root beer).

That out of the way, this place is hanging on Adams, a fairly spacious wood-laden area with mostly free seating and a long bar area. There are screens, but they're not all that obstreperous. It can get somewhat crowded on weekend evenings, but other than that it's mostly clear of heavy traffic. The selection is usually pretty strong, with a surprisingly wide range of styles, and most of them tend to taste pretty good, as well. The bartenders are generally amiable and knowledgeable, but service is often somewhat slow (something I chalk up to being busy from both the bar and restaurant areas). Overall, were I to return to my office in the Loop, I could easily see myself making at least a monthly trip here, as I have yet to have a bad experience.
Jul 01, 2021
 
Rated: 3.93 by Eman17 from Illinois

Mar 07, 2019
Photo of PapaGoose03
Reviewed by PapaGoose03 from Michigan

3.69/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
We stopped here for a quick beer to find out what their beers were like and to check out the place for dinner the next day with other family members. Some remodeling was ongoing on the main floor so we ended up in the lower level bar. Only three house beers were available so we ended up having all three before we were done. Although the beers are brewed correctly to style, I was disappointed. For a place that reeks of tradition, I thought the beers would be top-notch examples of German beers. They were not bad, but certainly not exciting. Besides three guest beers also on tap and a dozen bottles/cans of macros and imports, the bar in the lower level also offers liquor and wine for the non-beer drinkers. If you do come here, the pretzel is a must-order. It's about 12” in diameter and comes with three dipping sauces. This made the visit worthwhile.

We came back for dinner the next day and were seated in the main dining room at street level. The food menu was exciting, but I ordered a guest beer on this visit. It turns out that the food was not what I was expecting. Everyone in our group liked what they ordered, but no one said the food was outstanding. Our visits were an okay experience, but there are other places in this city to try before coming here again.
Aug 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.43 by cryptichead from Illinois

Dec 30, 2016
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.56/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.5
Enough people have said enough about this historic Chicago institution, its bar's abundant wood decoration and its average menu. I can't add more.
But what I find interesting is Berghoff's staying power, some 125 years brewing from before Prohibition , restarting during the Depression and reinventing itself to compete with craft brewers. The restaurant has similar longevity. Both have changed owners and methods. Yet, the tourists and downtown workers keep packing the joint.

I find odd the idea that this may have been Chicago's original gastropub; but instead of fancy food or high quality beer, it is ambience and reputation that keeps brining them in.
To me, the flight of five beers said "average" to me. The menu looked below that.
But successful, Berghoff is.
Oct 01, 2016
 
Rated: 3.68 by BeerOps from Illinois

Apr 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.86 by bowzer4birdie from Illinois

Sep 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.3 by twb0392 from Wisconsin

Feb 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.91 by Irishace9 from Illinois

Jan 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.9 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

Dec 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by TheRealPour from Illinois

Nov 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Nuggetz from Texas

Nov 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by yemenmocha from Arizona

Sep 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by BUNZILLA from Indiana

Sep 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Beerpiggie from Illinois

Aug 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by SkinniePost from Wisconsin

May 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Storning from Virginia

Mar 06, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by ToddGingerich from Indiana

Feb 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by leprechaunandfatman from Ohio

Feb 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Will_Turner from Illinois

Feb 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by scottwurst from Illinois

Oct 08, 2013
Photo of sportscrazed2
Reviewed by sportscrazed2 from American Samoa

3.1/5  rDev -15.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 4
I stopped in this place today for a mini trip to the loop. I had a corned beef sandwhich which was pretty good but nothing to write home about. I also had a pint of the pale ale which was way too sweet and malty and I couldn't tell if it they put any hops into it. Probably my fault for ordering a hoppy beer at a german restaurant. They have soccer on tv which is a plus for me because I can never get enough soccer. Overall the food was decent and fair priced but the beer was mediocre at best. It's alot cheaper than the elephant and castle down the street but they have fullers esb on tap which this place can't compete with
Feb 29, 2012
Photo of cagocubs
Reviewed by cagocubs from Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Atmosphere: I stopped in during a lunch break and the place generates a big crowd for their classic lunch line. Many businessmen that work in the loop frequent this place. It is crowded, but you can still comfortably find a seat.

Quality: The quality of beer is okay. It is not the greatest beers in the world, but they are tasty enough to compliment your food.

Service: Service wasn't great, but it was sufficient. Bartender was friendly and answered questions about the beers.

Selection: With seven beers on tap, the selection isn't great. Four of the beers on tap are actual Berghoff beer (ehh) and three guest draughts.

Food: The trick to the Berghoff is to eat at the cafe section where they are serving the lunch lines. The food is similar/same quality as the menu food at a fraction of the cost. The food is good overall.

The Berghoff is a great place to go for historical value. If you are looking to get amazing beer and service this may not be your place.
Aug 05, 2011
Photo of YonderWanderer
Reviewed by YonderWanderer from Colorado

3.1/5  rDev -15.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 2 | food: 4
The Berghoff in Chicago had pretty tasty food, but the beer definitely lacked a bit. Went there for lunch one day and enjoyed a tasty hamburger with their homemade chips. Also had perogies for an appetizer, which were great.

However, overall it was fairly uninspiring. The atmosphere is fairly bland overall. I imagine at night it might be a bit more lively in the bar. The food was good, the service was decent. The beer lacked, but I'll address that in the beer reviews. Good place for a meal at fairly reasonable prices, but not a lot else I can say about it. Average otherwise.
Nov 06, 2009
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

2.79/5  rDev -23.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 2
Kind of a bland experience here. Bar entrance on the left, restaurant on the right. The place was sold but kept in the family after all the hubbub in 2006 that it was closing. It's a Chicago landmark with historical significance, but not really a beer bar, more of a nice restaurant with some German and contemporary food. Crowd was mostly loop businesspeople and tourists.

The bar was long on the left side of the room, with an authentic wall fresco above the bar, along the ceiling. Under that was another interesting artwork, inlaid wood panels of more pastoral scenes, with a built-in clock that kept the correct time. Unfortunately that was the highlight of the visit.

Service was ok, although I was served a more expensive glass size than what I intended to order. A 16 oz. Berghoff Hefeweizen was $5.75... a 6-pack is maybe $7 at the store, Loop prices I guess.

About 10 bottles, all macros. There were 6 house taps and a root beer. They were out of the "seasonal" whatever it was, so there was a pretty limited selection: dark, amber, lager, hefe, and pale ale. Considering these beers are contract brewed (by Minhas, yuck) and available at most area grocery stores, I was hoping for something better at the bar they were named for. The menu sounded interesting, but expensive. "Berghoff Brewery: A midwest craft beer tradition" was on my glass, which was just plain confusing, since the beer has been contract brewed for half a century.

Trivia tidbit: Apparently this was a "men's only" bar until 1969.
Aug 07, 2009
Photo of orbitalr0x
Reviewed by orbitalr0x from Illinois

3.79/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3
The Berghoff was our first stop on the CTA/BA Pubcrawl. Due to the recent announcement that the restaurant would be closing...when we arrived we found what would have probably been a 2.5 hour wait for the restaurant with a line sprawling down the sidewalk. Luckily..there's the Berghoff Bar which is attached to the restaurant where we stopped to have some brews.

The bar is a bit like walking into a time warp. There's a long wooden bar on the left hand side with ornate woodwork and lots of old time pictures of the Berghoff. The bartenders are all dressed up rather formally which was kinda cool. There was some nice banquet style food selections on the right...however they kinda cramp the bar and make the walkway narrow. The place was pretty packed when we were there. Basically the entire Berghoff line is on tap for around $4 a pint. I had the hefeweizen, which was quite nice on tap, being that it's one of my favorite bottled selections. Bartenders were nice and attentive even though it was crowded.

This would not be a destination bar for me unless I was in the area...but it was cool to get the chance to stop by and check it out. Rumor has it that the bar will be staying open even if the restaurant closes. Berghoff is a classic Chicago landmark and a nice vintage bar..check it out if you're travelling in the area and try the hefeweizen!
Feb 01, 2006
Photo of Pepeton
Reviewed by Pepeton from Mexico

4.2/5  rDev +15.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Great place, pricey though.
But for an outsider like me it was a truly memorable stop on a memorable trip.

My party and I arrived past 10 pm and the captain warned us that the kitchen was about to close.
So we dealed with him to order real quick so they could fix us our dinner. No hesitations on his part.

We enjoed our simple meals with good beer. Then we had just another pint in the bar, that had another hour or so to closing time.

Granted. I have had better beers, but never ever with better food nor better service.

Beautiful surroundings, great service, excellent food and more than a decent dunkel beer.

¡Salud!
Jan 11, 2006
Photo of BeerZack
Reviewed by BeerZack from North Carolina

2.83/5  rDev -22.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4
Let me first of all give a warning to anyone without an ass-load of money who plans to stop by this place for dinner - the place gets really expensive after 5pm.
We were shown what was apparently the lunch menu outside ($7--10 avg prices), but when we decided to go inside, it was a few minutes after 5 and the prices increased to $12--25+ per entree; with "steins" of beer (a pint) for $3.75, I could only afford to try one of the beer styles. Anyway, we both had the "Dark" and it was super quaffable. Not a "great beer" by most standards, but I could drink this dunkel all night with sauerkraut and sausage (if I could afford to spend big bucks on beer and sausage). I would go back to check out the bar -side of this place, but will shun the establishment after 5pm without a doubt. I give it a 2 for service because even though you get 2 or 3 servers coming around your table, it was still slow and very lacking.
Jun 23, 2004
Photo of DrunkMcDermott
Reviewed by DrunkMcDermott from Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
A Chicago institution, worth a visit by any beer geek because... even though they might not have as big a selection as your average brewpub, they sell drafts for $3.25, That's a bargain in any downtown bar. Anyway, a great place to soak up some of the ambiance of a century of Chicago bar history; heavy old bar fixtures and German decorations. This was originally a "tied house" for Berghoff Beers, and technically still is, as it's one of the few places to serve it, even though the beer is now contract brewed in Wisconsin by Huber. Bar area is separate from the restaurant. During lunch hours, they put on a nice cafeteria style lunch spread in the bar of mostly German vittles: Brats, potatoes, kraut, some halibut, etc., and there's a luchtime cafe in the basement for quick meals. German menu may not be to everyone's liking, but there's plenty of lighter fare, too. After you've kicked back a meal, be sure to try some of their branded liquors!
Jan 19, 2004
Photo of jackndan
Reviewed by jackndan from Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +7.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Although there is little that need be added to Red’s fine review, I’m not going to let that stop me. Berghoff is a Loop institution, and well worth a stop. I’m not truly partial to their beers, but the weiss is nice, and the “dark” ain’t bad. They have a number of beers available by the bottle as well, and there is something that will make a BA happy.

The atmosphere is terrific, beautiful wood throughout, and yes the bar is stand up, although they have squirreled in a few stools for the tables around the perimeter. At lunch, they have a long serving counter, where they dispense very nice brats, carved turkey, meat loaf sandwiches. There ain’t nothing better than a late mid-afternoon lunch, with a brat on a bed of Kraut, a pickle and a hard boiled egg: it’s a Atkin’s delight, until you order the mug of beer.

There is a large restaurant, but the food is not as authentic German as it once was.

They are putting in a big cafeteria style café in basement, and I’ll have to withhold judgment on the effect that will have, if any, on the ambience.

Well worth a stop if you are in the loop.
Oct 09, 2003
Photo of Redrover
Reviewed by Redrover from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
The Berghoff is a Chicago institution that manages to stay relevant even though its over 100 years old.

It is really two businesses with two distinct areas, the restaurant and the bar. .

First you have the restaurant. Old World here with lots of dark wood and old European charm. A lot of the waiters have been here since what seems like the end of prohibition. But this place is not stuffy. They feature lots of old traditional German favorites, but have kept the menu contemporary with fresh fish and other lighter entrees. They server terrific black bread with the meals. This is a great lunch or pre theater spot. Large crowds, but the wait for a table never seems to long.

The separate bar is a classic. They did not let women in here until sometime in the late 1970s. Until this year, it was stand-up bar with very few stools. I guess times are changing because they have brought in chairs. Great old photos, memorabilia, and fun bartenders add to the atmosphere. They also serve lunch in the bar, you can get their hand carved sandwiches or their wonderful sausages. This is a great post work gathering hole. Good mix of regulars, business people and tourists.

They serve Berghoff beers made by the Huber/Berghoff brewery in Monroe, WI. The Weiss, Oktoberfest, & Pale Ale are excellent. The rest of the choices are more than adequate.

Please include this place on your itinerary when visiting Chicago, you will not be disappointed.
Sep 30, 2003
The Berghoff in Chicago, IL
Place rating: 3.65 out of 5 with 32 ratings