Goose Island Clybourn

Goose Island ClybournGoose Island Clybourn
Goose Island ClybournGoose Island Clybourn
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

1800 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, Illinois, 60614-4939
United States

// CLOSED //

All beers listed under Goose Island Beer Co.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/p ... file/1146/

DO NOT ADD BEERS HERE

Hours:
Sunday - Thursday: 11:00am - 1:00am
Friday - Saturday: 11:00am - 2:00am
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
BEER STATS
Average:
4.77
Beers:
1
Ratings:
1
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.21
Reviews:
223
Ratings:
466
pDev:
9.26%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.86 by basaywhat from Illinois

Dec 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4.62 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Nov 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.46 by Jinx989 from Illinois

Jul 11, 2020
Photo of Luscious_Malfoy
Reviewed by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25
stopped in for a couple of vintage BSBS bottles while in town for a concert. really dug the the atmosphere here. was fairly chill upon arrival and was able to get a seat and order pretty much straight away. service was good. had quite the selection of past vintages and the draft list was decent too. worth the vintage selections alone to me. did not try any food.
Sep 15, 2019
 
Rated: 3.68 by Winston3737 from Michigan

Jun 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.33 by Lazhal from Michigan

Aug 06, 2018
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4.25
I went in here before many of you were born. AB had never contemplated even "distributing" GI beers, let alone thinking GI was worth buying. (How far we have come...) When I visited in the early 1990s, I got a little passport-styled booklet that entitled me to an MBA (Master of Beer Appreciation.)

Fast forward at least a quarter century... This brewpub apparently was not part of AB's original GI purchase. But, it recently was bought and, last year, renovated to be cool and, I presume, help AB "feel" the craft market better and, in particular, its culinary side. Mostly good as far as I am concerned. And on the back of the menu, they make a special statement of their intent to discover new brews and foods that go with them.

While the Vibe is cool, it is not start-up authentic. Quality of the beers (I had tasting pours of Soleil and Willow Street) was also good to interesting. Service was quite good as I told the bartender I was a BA Poobah, so we talked quite a bit... given the early lunch crowd on a Sunday was small.) I give a hit to Selection as the bar only offered GI's specialty brews; which range from good to great. But to be truly great, you gotta serve the competition's wares to see how yours stands up. Food menu seemed good; combined American/British gastro-pub items (at least two-thirds) and Belgian cafe food (mussels, cheese, frites.) My flatbread paired well with the two Belgian styles I had.

I could well go here before another 25 years pass (I'll be 90 then.) If you haven't seen the newly-renovated digs, it is worth a brew for you to decide if your money was well spent.
Aug 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4.18 by Dkloubec from Illinois

Jun 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.81 by Parkchrisdoug from Indiana

Jun 01, 2018
 
Rated: 3.86 by DotDrinks from Illinois

May 29, 2018
 
Rated: 3.96 by REVZEB from Illinois

May 17, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by West_Chester_Ale_Tester from Ohio

May 07, 2018
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Reviewed by Oconomowocian from Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev -6.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.25 | food: 2.5
Been here a few times, pre and post renovation. I thought it was a cool place before the renovation, the new place is OK but last time I was stuck by the back bar for dinner and that is kind of a drag. I like that they frequently have some BCBS or variants for on site consumption and some brewery only stuff. Food is really hit and miss. Last time it was terrible, other times it has been good.
Apr 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3.95 by chrisjws from California

Mar 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by Beerbuddha from Florida

Jan 14, 2018
 
Rated: 3.23 by jpd4968 from Illinois

Jan 01, 2018
 
Rated: 4.15 by jbarry3000 from North Carolina

Nov 21, 2017
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Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

3.14/5  rDev -25.4%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.75 | food: 2.75
November 2017:
After a long closure and renovation, sadly Goose Clybourn is now a shell of it's former self.

The worn-in wooden bar is gone, in favor of smooth concrete and pipes overhead. The bar has been totally sterilized, we were seated in the dining room, which now has another bar in it. The Siebel room is another dining room now. The atmosphere is more generic, and it was mostly a tourist crowd. I gave it a chance, and can't say i'll be going back anytime soon. Remember when Moe's Tavern became Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag on the Simpsons? It's kinda like that.

The food wasn't good. We ordered a couple flatbreads, a short rib and an 'nduja one. The 'nduja was ground pork sausage, not spreadable salami. Short rib was dried out, the crust on both was bland with zero salt, seasoning, or sauce. Just dried out meat on bread. Stilton burger was still on the menu, but the flatbread was so bad we decided not to order entrees, fearing the worst.

They were out of half the beers we asked for, and multiple menu items. The server was kind of apathetic about it, which just made it all the more lackluster. He'd just walk off randomly and never asked if we needed another beer. They have a lot of new staff that seem sort of indifferent. Sad because it used to always be a reliable standby.

4.33/5 rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5

2013:
Still lots of rotation of many seasonals, Farmers Market Series, Fulton & Wood draft series. No more BA gatherings, but CBS still hosts Thirst Fursdays here. Food: Still a cut above the usual brewpub bar food, menu seems a little pared down than in the past. Gazpacho is cold on purpose... welcome to the big city. "Go back to Russia!" /Simpsons

2009 edit: With the revamped menu and renovations, Clybourn is a local beer destination now more than ever. Three casks rotating, small plate menu featuring locally sourced edibles, and some damn fine food. Cuban sandwich, sweetbreads, crab po' boy, pork sliders, it's all good. New cask tapped every Monday, new beers debut on Thursdays, also the local BA gathering was hosted here the 1st Thursday of the month (RIP 2011). Some new staff has been hit or miss lately, but service at the bar is always stellar.

10-17-2007

Always have a good time when I visit Goose Clybourn. Here's a tip, sit in the bar area, especially if you are here for the beer. Frankly I don't care about the atmosphere, but if that's your thing, it feels much less like a TGI Friday's in the bar than the front dining room.

Bartender answers questions and offers samples if you need it. There are TV's in the bar area, usually with some type of sports on. Taps are located on the west side of the bar, but taplists are placed throughout the area. You can see the brewing equipment in the back, which is a plus. Drafts are always fresh and spot on.

Fairly standard pub food, with several specialties. The Stilton burger is recommended. Some Tuesday evenings they host tappings of new beers, oftentimes pub-only brews. They are also involved in local beer fests and events, which makes them invaluable to the local craft beer scene.
Nov 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by camiconnell from Minnesota

Jul 14, 2017
 
Rated: 4.58 by kreg02 from Illinois

Feb 28, 2017
 
Rated: 3.88 by JuanAlberto from Texas

Feb 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.91 by MI_beerdrinker from Texas

Jan 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.04 by zimm421 from Ohio

Dec 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4.14 by Mantooth from North Carolina

Nov 17, 2016
 
Rated: 4.28 by mig100 from Texas

Sep 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.92 by cryptichead from Illinois

Sep 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.4 by nater919 from New York

Aug 30, 2016
Photo of CKlinchock
Reviewed by CKlinchock from Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -12.6%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
Vibe - Pretty large old English styled bar. Easily found room for 2 at the bar on a Saturday afternoon, diverse group of patrons watching soccer / baseball. Vibe was pleasant.

Quality - The establishment based in an old and rustic location, but seemed very clean and well kept. Including all the bar setup, draft system seemed clean.

Service - Was great, staff was knowledgeable and willing to discuss and work with you on their selection. They are supposed to charge for their samples, yet provided a few while discussing with them. Everything seemed to kick as we were leaving (4-5 all at once), but they were attentive and knowledgeable.

Selection - Had a fair amount of beers available for selection as well as their Vintage Menu which offered many more. Girlfriend and I were both easily able to find 3-4 beers to sample a piece with no overlap and then settle on a Pint of our favorites from there.

All in all, solid location! Wish we went hungry, but maybe next time. Would recommend to other to check out if they want to get a good feel of what Goose Island has to offer without having to go to the huge main brewery location with more hustle and bustle.
Jun 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4.2 by haaat from California

Jun 08, 2016
 
Rated: 3.83 by Jaszucs from Indiana

Jun 07, 2016
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Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

4.14/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Nice English style pub with plenty of room and a solid selection of Goose Island beers. Food is pretty solid for English style pub with waitress really knowing her beers. I loved the selection of beers of very different styles including some casks. Prices are pretty fair for quality. Worth a stop for sure.
May 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.64 by Jamison85 from Indiana

May 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.33 by thatoneguymike from Georgia

May 04, 2016
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -6.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Old school, and better for it.

The bar is a large, square, centrally-located wooden counter just past the side entrance where you can see the tanks and people taking tours. It has super old school and comfy elbow rests with some old but clean dark wood, and is surrounded by restaurant seating. The main side, accessible via a dividing space that seems to serve as the main entrance that we must have missed, is a whole other restaurant-style space.

Very quick, friendly and informative service makes you feel like you're in a small town bar rather than a huge bustling city. Tons of quality brews are on tap, with a wide variety. Don't be turned off by so many lagers, some are jarringly complex.

The food looked good but unfortunately we did not order any while we were present.
May 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.01 by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

Apr 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4.09 by BarrelAgedG from California

Apr 21, 2016
Photo of ChicagoJ
Reviewed by ChicagoJ from Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +10%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
2/1/16 - This gem on the North Side has over 20 beers on tap, including cask conditioned beers. Servers knowledgeable and beers served in proper glassware. Food good, not great. Join the MBA program for free growlers every 15 beers.
Feb 16, 2016
 
Rated: 4.58 by Tomkob11 from Maryland

Feb 02, 2016
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Reviewed by boilermakerbrew from Indiana

5/5  rDev +18.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
One of my favorite stops every time I'm in CHicago! The vibe of this bar is somewhere between Cheers, a brewery, and your favorite hole in the wall neighborhood bar. Always great music on, from classic rock to early 90's rap. The service is always great with most servers being knowledgeable about both the beer and food menus.

The food and beer selection are both excellent. The food ranges from traditional pub fare (burgers, fish and chips, pretzels) to more contemporary items (meatloaf, club sandwich, pulled pork). As for the beer list, at least 10-15 offerings on tap, maybe 20, I can't remember the exact number. They have most Goose offerings, from 312, Sofie, and Matilda, to in-house releases, both year round and smaller batches. Last time I was there, the 1814 brown ale, Impervious stout, and Campfire smoked Helles were all awesome. They also have some of the more limited Goose offerings occasionally. They also have a small, high quality tap/bottle list of both ciders and wine for those non-beer people in your party.

Overall, this is just the type of bar I love frequenting. Old school feel and vibe once you're inside, good food, awesome beer, friendly staff, and not much of the pretentiousness so many tasting rooms/brew pubs today have evolved towards.
Jan 07, 2016
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Reviewed by mdfb79 from New York

4.06/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Nice spot, pretty big, with above average food. Nothing mind blowing on tap unfortunately, but good service and some cool things that aren't normally on tap in the North East. Can get flights, would certainly visit again.
Dec 29, 2015
Goose Island Clybourn in Chicago, IL
Brewery rating: 4.77 out of 5 with 1 ratings