Hopleaf

sweethome from Illinois

4.19/5  rDev -6.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5

Located on the far north side of the city, but not bad to get to from the Loop. I've had luck with parking on both trips.

Very crowded when I visited - both times on Saturday night. First off - the belgian selections on tap are fantastic. Some were hard to find like a a nice strong christmas beer from Dupont. Tasty! I could have spent hours on the belgian drafts.

We stuck to draft - many regionals - 3 Floyds, Bells, Summit, Goose Island etc. Sierra, Victory other regions represented too. All drafts were perfect quality - outstanding flavor and perfect carbonation. No off flavors, which many of the big Chicago Beer Bars have problems with.

Huge bottle list.

Service: Efficient, but not particularly welcoming or friendly. I did find one bartender who offered a taste when we trying to decide on belgians - usually a common courtesy.

Dining room in back is nicely appointed. Didn't get to try the food. Worth seeking out for high quality draft beers

Jan 12, 2006

Archfiend from Illinois

4.64/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5

Oct 03, 2020

slasich from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -10.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4

May 16, 2020

BSEDS from Illinois

4.59/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75

Nov 19, 2018

metter98 from New York

4.34/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75

Oct 27, 2018

mattmarka1 from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +0.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5

Sep 09, 2018

Rubezahl from Pennsylvania

4.64/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5

Jul 30, 2018

West_Chester_Ale_Tester from Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5

Another fantastic spot in Chicago to drink beer. If you aren't a big brewery person and like variety, this is the spot. It feels very Chicago and has a taplist to envy. I was lucky enough to grab a seat by the window and got to enjoy some great beer in a great city. You should go, anytime you're in Chicago. It's always worth it.

May 07, 2018

kidzord from Illinois

4.44/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25

Feb 17, 2018

sb17 from Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5

I stopped in on a busy night, so I had to head upstairs to a second bar area. Tons of selections (not exaggerating - at least 60 taps, with additional brews in bottles or cans). There are hard to find beers, and everything I tried was fresh and delicious. I didn't eat here, but what I saw looked great. It's dark and homey, filled with brew-related decor and worn in furniture. During my time there I saw couples and families, both young and old.

Dec 27, 2017

wjbent from Florida

4.59/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75

Sep 25, 2017

DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev -6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25

One of Chicago's classic beer bars... and my first visit here after 13 years of coming to Chicago. Chill, neighborhoody ambience, jazz music, breeze coming through the open doors in this beautiful late summer day... nice.

They have two bars, a mezzanine, a dining room and a great garden patio.

Good-but-not-great draft menu with a ton of Chicago-Illinois-Midwest brews plus goodies from Warpigs!!

Check out the Belgian drafts (outstanding) and the bottle menus as well.

Aug 25, 2017

Hibernator from Massachusetts

4.76/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5

I would like to think that I've been to some of the best beer bars in the country during the past 15 years or so as my appreciation for craft beer has blossomed and Hopleaf in Chicago is among the best on that list.

After a exploratory Friday afternoon visit of walking around downtown Chicago and having the opportunity to check out the Rolling Stones Exhibitionism showcase at Navy Pier, we headed to the hotel room to freshen up before meeting up with a good friend. We decided to pre-game at Sweetwater Tavern close to the hotel for a beer and then hopped in an Uber and made the trek north to Hopleaf, fighting the infamous rush hour Chicago traffic in the process. The weather was hot and muggy, profiling a typical end of July weather vibe in the air.

Upon arrival, the neon beer signs in the window were the equivalent of a lighthouse providing direction to a misguided boat at sea. Once we walked in, I detected a relaxed and welcoming vibe in the air. The atmosphere was dimly lit by candle light, tin beer signs of the finest breweries decorated the wall and captivating blues music played over the speakers.

This place is tastefully decorated with breweriana memorabilia or other beer related collectibles. I don't remember seeing a TV here and that deserves recognition not as a statement against TV, but rather what the absence of TV in social setting can do among patrons in a bar; it provides the avenue for people to focus on a good conversation, appreciate the music and most importantly, the opportunity to focus on the wonderful beer being consumed.

I typically like to recite portions of the beer lists at places I visit in my reviews, but I would not do it justice if I decided to do that in this case. The focus here is on Belgian beers with an extensive list and phenomenal offerings. Quality was top notch as all of the beers I sampled were served in appropriate glassware, accentuating the marvelous qualities of each rare brew.

When in Chicago, this is an extraordinary beer bar destination. I was completely impressed and hope to revisit in the future. Hopleaf rekindled my love and appreciation for Belgian beer and will remember this visit for many years to come.

Jul 25, 2017

NappyB from Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75

Jun 06, 2017

BarrelAgedG from California

4.6/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4

May 10, 2017

Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

4.66/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5

I have visited several times and will continue to return. The food has always been very good. The beer selection is impressive. They have 64 taps and a long list of cans and bottles. There is an off-list menu of rare bottling's as well. Recommended.

May 03, 2017

cryptichead from Illinois

4.21/5  rDev -6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25

Feb 25, 2017

REVZEB from Illinois

4.06/5  rDev -9.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25

Feb 21, 2017

needMIbeer from Virginia

4.36/5  rDev -2.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75

Aug 13, 2016

juneof44 from Texas

4.75/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5

Jun 18, 2016

Stezz420 from Illinois

4.93/5  rDev +10%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5

Jun 06, 2016

williamsgodfrey from Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75

This is likely my favorite place in the entire city of Chicago. I currently live about 1.5 miles away and probably make it in here once a week or so. Phenomenal service, great atmosphere (no TVs!), a huge, huge selection (something like 70 rotating beers on tap and about 300-400 on the bottle menu) with an emphasis on Belgians, and the food is great. Hopleaf is recognized as one of the first "gastropubs," whatever you might interpret that to be.

If you are in Chicago, or visiting Chicago, this place should be a must visit.

Jun 02, 2016

BSiegs from Illinois

4.46/5  rDev -0.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75

Loved my visit to Hopleaf. Great taplist, excellent service, and a nice atmosphere. I appreciate their willingness to have a more diverse taplist than most craft beer destinations in Chicago. Food was excellent as well.

Jun 02, 2016

98green from Michigan

4.69/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4

Stopped by at 3 on a Saturday. Plenty busy but not overwhelming. Vibe is very chill. 30 or so on tap, focus on Belgians, but lots of local and national craft. Pricing was very fair given the quality. Didn't have any food, but it is high end gastropub fare

Mar 26, 2016

Barnoloid from Illinois

4.76/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.75

An absolutely stellar Belgian bar/restaurant....gastropub....whatever you call it this is one of the 'must visit' places for beer fans in Chicago. The crowd in here is usually mixed, a range of ages, plenty couples and families mixed with friend groups. Can get loud, with the cavernous open main room really amplifying the festivity going on here. Beer selection in bottle and on tap is exemplary. There is a lot of American brewery representation but really if you're here you want to try their extensive Belgian selections.

Food wise, have only eaten here once but loved the offerings, from their charcuterie options through to a fantastic dish of mussels this has something for everyone.

Mar 26, 2016