The Grafton Pub & Grill

The Grafton Pub & GrillThe Grafton Pub & Grill
The Grafton Pub & GrillThe Grafton Pub & Grill
Bar, Eatery

4530 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, Illinois, 60625-2103
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.97
Reviews:
2
Ratings:
9
pDev:
3.27%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by scottwurst:
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Rated by scottwurst from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

Oct 09, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.88 by 30MinutesSouth from Indiana

Feb 20, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by waitwhatamidrinking from Illinois

Nov 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by spointon from Illinois

Oct 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by beer_bottle from Colorado

Oct 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by MSandahl23 from Indiana

Nov 11, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by IPA040877 from Illinois

Nov 02, 2013
Photo of Northsider
Reviewed by Northsider from Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Decent select of beer on tap and even more bottles. Not the largest selection, but decent enough. The place definitely feels more like a proper pub than a craft beer joint...but there is good selection and menu (at least online, I can't recall at the actual restaurant) is detailed with the beers.

I love the burgers here; pretzel buns should be mandatory at all restaurants! Sheppard's Pie is also very good. Service is "ok"...nothing special. Maybe at the bar the service is better while tasting beers.

The layout is a bit odd in my opinion. There are booths along the wall, but then there are like seatless booths for people to stand and drink/eat I suppose. It just feels a bit odd. Gets crowded on Fri/Sat evenings as you would expect...plan for a 30-40 minute wait after 6pm.
May 22, 2011
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
2022: RIP Grafton after nearly 20 years in business.

Revisit 3-23-11
Sat at the bar this time, and got great service. The bartender was quick and really knew his beer. He was honest about their tap selection, saying the best beers were in bottles at the moment. Most if not all of their rotating seasonals from the menu were out at the time, available taps were a pretty standard selection of imports and a few US craft (mostly pale ale). Sampled the burger on a pretzel roll, which was fantastic, and cheaper than Bad Apple's fare. Curry fries were crispy, served with an addictive curry sauce.

Warm and cozy vibe, felt more comfortable and less rushed than the last time here. There were a couple tv's at the bar, but they weren't distracting. Overall worth a look, for a burger and a beer at least.

01-29-2011 B- / 3.45
Stopped in here with some friends from out of town, waiting for a table at Fountainhead nearby. Inside it feels like a modern updated Irish pub, with glass partitions along the wall facing the bar, and some nice woodwork along the back bar. Hanging dome lamps above the bar cast a dim light. There was a bouncer carding at the door, yet the average age of patrons was 30-50. In the back there was more table seating and a small lounge area with a cozy fireplace.

We were told to seat ourselves, and after awhile a waitress showed up with menus. After determining we were just in for drinks, the table next to us became a higher priority as they had ordered food. She left the table twice during mid-order, which was odd. After asking what the 2 seasonal beers listed on the menu were, she deferred to the bartender to come over. In between rounds, some were without drinks for over 15 minutes, and it wasn't busy in the back area. Not the greatest service.

Selection was good, revamped from the last time I was in here a few years ago. They had a new version of Carnegie Porter "Klass III", Goose Island Dominique, GLBC Commodore Perry, and others on tap. Bottles tended to be split among craft and quality imports. The full list is on beermenus.com.

Overall a place I might stop in for a beer at the bar during a pub crawl, but it's not a real destination for beer. I hear the burger is great, i'll try that next time. A comfortable place, but so many better options nearby: Fiddlehead (now Fork), Tiny Lounge, Fountainhead, Bad Apple.
Mar 24, 2011
The Grafton Pub & Grill in Chicago, IL
Place rating: 3.97 out of 5 with 9 ratings