The Beer Temple

The Beer TempleThe Beer Temple
The Beer TempleThe Beer Temple
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

3173 N Elston Ave
Chicago, Illinois, 60618-7133
United States

(773) 754-0907 | map
craftbeertemple.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.77
Reviews:
61
Ratings:
186
pDev:
5.66%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Rimbimhoot:
Photo of Rimbimhoot
Rated by Rimbimhoot from Illinois

5/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5

Aug 11, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of snaotheus
Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington

4.36/5  rDev -8.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75
Went here on a Sunday afternoon on my own. Had a beer and shopped a bit.

Tap list is good. Shelves are amazing. Keep in mind, I'm coming from Seattle area and the distro is very different, so you might think it's totally normal. But, for me, tons of breweries I've never seen or heard of, tons of beers I've never seen from breweries I have heard of.

I had a fairly long and in-depth conversation with one staff-member about beer available at the store and the general beer scene.

Would totally recommend. One of my servers in earlier in the day said sometimes the bartenders at Beer Temple are assholes, but I saw no sign of that.
Jun 12, 2023
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.75/5  rDev -0.4%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
World class beer bar in Chicago. Always a great balance of strong locals, classics from around America and some great beer from around the world. Add in the bottle shop, and this is about as good as it gets. A gem.
Feb 17, 2023
Photo of Tilley4
Reviewed by Tilley4 from Tennessee

4.94/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
One of the best beer bars I've ever been in...the selection is inclusive but clever... the service is impeccable... knowledgeable barkeeps that really know their stuff...there are no "filler" offerings on this menu...they also offer a special cask beer that's usually something you wouldn't expect....

This is a must stop in Chicago...
Jan 16, 2022
 
Rated: 4.57 by Archfiend from Illinois

Oct 04, 2020
Photo of jhavs
Reviewed by jhavs from New York

4.51/5  rDev -5.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
Taproom only, store was closed, but from the door the store looked like it contained a lot of nice retail options.

Taproom had a wide variety of styles and brewers on tap in multiple pour sizes. Had local, regional and import options on tap.

A ton of limited and cellared bottle options were available for purchase to drink onsite.

Comfortable taproom with friendly bartender. Knowledgeable. Had a couple TV's playing football games.
Dec 10, 2019
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.65/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75
The name is fitting as this truly is a sacred place for beer in chicago. Plenty of fun events with rare tastings, especially my beloved lambics! Bottle selection is very well manicured, getting unique brews. No lactose bombs here, rather thoughtful and artful is emphasized. My scratch brewing supplier, should tell you all you need to know! Service knows their beer, loves to have beer conversations and gives good recommendations. Chill vibe in a smaller space that is welcoming. Always love venturing here to see what fun things they have on tap when in the city
Jun 26, 2019
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

4.14/5  rDev -13.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
They have a very nicely micro-targeted collection of very small brewery and small batch beer for the ultra-geek, as well as some more widely known craft and Euro options. It really is pretty impressive, particularly in such a large city, with an additional walk in cooler that has plenty of space for browsing.

The cherry on top is the surprisingly large bar area with a moderate sized bar top and a number of tables to sit at. The taplist mirrors the bottle list in that it is very focused on unique, hard to find brews, whether there's hype behind them or not is secondary. Cool place overall.
May 22, 2019
Photo of ChicagoJ
Reviewed by ChicagoJ from Illinois

4.76/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
5/13/19 (Chicago): Not sure why it took so long to reach The Beer Temple beyond the location, but well worth my first visit and can't wait to go back. Started in the tap room, over 20 draft pours including an ongoing cask conditioned handle, they offer a wide variety of brewers and styles at reasonable prices, especially considering the quality and availability of their offerings. Bartender was friendly, knowledgeable and provided great service to one and all. Bar and table areas nice and accommodating. Bottles also offered, either from the taproom or bottle shop, which is extensive in terms of styles and quality of offerings, including non beer offerings such as meads and whiskey. In addition to the four (two more than I originally planned on going in), I brought additional offerings home (new offerings and old favorites),with a second and third trip list of additional offerings I plan on snagging in future trips. Friendly and knowledgeable service and selection, I look forward to many future trips to the Beer Temple!
May 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.72 by seanchai from Virginia

Oct 08, 2018
Photo of LeslieA
Reviewed by LeslieA from Illinois

5/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
I've known Chris and Margaret since before they had a store. Chris is very knowledgable. The staff give good suggestions. The tap list always has something new and/or interesting. You can find hidden gems in the bottle shop. This place is great! Support this small business with a great selection of beer, cider and specialty liquors. Why go anywhere else?
Oct 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.55 by rcjennings from Ohio

Jul 30, 2018
Photo of BillRoth
Reviewed by BillRoth from Maryland

4.57/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
Excellent little bottle shop and tap room. Broad and great selections worldwide. Expert advice from team.
Perfect for loading up the Beer Safari suitcase.
Will check out on line service soon.
Jul 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.73 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Nov 11, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by rancrab from Illinois

Aug 13, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by Jeffsbowen from Illinois

Apr 23, 2017
 
Rated: 4.32 by cryptichead from Illinois

Apr 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.75 by Zonian1 from Ohio

Apr 10, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by brights from Illinois

Mar 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.61 by bigred89 from Maryland

Jan 15, 2017
Photo of Damian74
Rated by Damian74 from South Carolina

4.79/5  rDev +0.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
Online order, nice selection. Super fast shipping. Finding it easier to order beer online than trading. Will use again in future.
Dec 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.03 by psoriasaurus from Thailand

Jul 07, 2016
 
Rated: 4.74 by Gambyt20 from Illinois

Jun 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4.93 by thatoneguymike from Georgia

May 04, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by Monkeyknife from Missouri

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

4.68/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
10/27/17 since my original review, I've probably gone to The Beer Temple 10 times. All good.
But it is time for everyone to update the reviews because 7 weeks ago, Beer Temple moved across the alley to their combined taproom and bottleshop. The taproom is very well done, pleasant. It has at least two dozen beers and ciders on tap and many more in bottles ("The Beer Bible" is the list.) Almost everything else below holds the same. But you should visit the taproom.

original review from 3/23/16
This is 1.5 miles from home and been open for over 3 years and today is the first time I walked in.
(I guess I'm lazy about hunting, or try to maximize the yield by going to the big stores.)
I knew the associate from another store. Big-time knowledgeable. I met the owner doing an informal tasting.
I bought enough to stuff my tennis backpack. (The store needs a bike rack.)
I went home and went on their website. Placed an order. Impressive for a small store.
I will go there again shortly.
Mar 25, 2016
Photo of pagriley
Reviewed by pagriley from Illinois

4.22/5  rDev -11.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
Great little store with helpful staff. Were pouring some really tasty out of distro beers as samples
Great sour and Belgian selection.
Prices are reasonable given that they are small and don't have the buying power of binnys - perhaps 50c or $1 more per bomber than the discount places, but the selection makes up for it.
Feb 20, 2016
Photo of CotterEU
Reviewed by CotterEU from Illinois

5/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Best selection in the city. Not only is the inventory well thought out, it is highly combed through. I have never had a beer that was too old or past it's best by date. Nick always provides outstanding customer service and awesome recommendations every time I am in. This place is what a craft beer shop should be. Impressive.
Feb 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4.57 by tillmac62 from South Carolina

Feb 05, 2016
Photo of beardown2489
Reviewed by beardown2489 from Illinois

4.94/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Chris Quinn has created something great. All the reviews below say enough. Truly a world class establishment run by a staff that truly strives to provide the best craft beer experience they can.
Bottle shops like this will never go out of style.
Feb 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.97 by Gorf_Minor from Illinois

Jan 20, 2016
 
Rated: 4.63 by CityofWind_brew from Illinois

Jan 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4.69 by Bung from Michigan

Jan 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4.47 by jschott75 from Illinois

Dec 23, 2015
Photo of DoubleSimcoe
Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

4.86/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Down the road from Revolution, Beer Temple was my second beery stop in Chicago. What an incredible store! The neighborhood is a little rundown and not a place where you’d expect to find one of the best beer jawns in Chicagoland. They have some wine, bourbon and ciders from Spain, but you’re here for the beer.

They have a ton of cool stuff here, so I'll tell you about the kind of high-ABV stuff I like: Samael, Eclipse variants, barrel-aged Ovila, Belgians galore, Jolly Pumpkin bottles I’ve never seen (Rojzilla), Telegraph, 3 Sheeps, Bruery, Mikkeller...

Don’t miss the Chicago selection: Pipeworks, Spiteful, Mikerphone and every single Chitown brew you can imagine. Most beer is room temp, but the place is kept cool, and the IPA’s are in the cooler. The beer guy working the store was knowledgeable beyond belief, and fun to chat with. Can’t recommend Beer Temple enough!
Dec 18, 2015
Photo of dannycohen62
Reviewed by dannycohen62 from Illinois

5/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
One of the best bottle shops I have ever been to, hands down. Small but still offers a world-class selection, friendly staff that goes above and beyond, and some of the most honest pricing in Chicago.
Dec 15, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by petmoo23 from Illinois

Dec 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.79 by JimmyShaker1 from Illinois

Dec 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.75 by teamwiggum from Wisconsin

Nov 30, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by Angerhaus from Rhode Island

Nov 25, 2015
The Beer Temple in Chicago, IL
Place rating: 4.77 out of 5 with 186 ratings