Pho No.1 Brewing Co.

Final stop of my day found me on the farthest possible west side, almost, just at the edge of the City, to try some pho with some friends at the lime green beacon in a sea of brick. Inside, it's clear the pho restaurant takes front and center, what with the bright modern design, table area, relatively understated bar, and no brewing equipment in sight (a rarity for stops on my excursions these days). Having never had it before, I can't necessarily say that this pho is better or more/less authentic than that from other places, all I know is that it is pretty damn tasty! I had the vegetarian version (tofu, with vegetable stock), and it was yummers and rather filling (my friends had similar opinions on the standard and filet versions). As for the beer, the selection is somewhat limited, but actually also pretty varied for the surroundings: a barrel-aged milk stout, a lager, a porter, a mulberry-infused wheat, a coffee stout, a couple of IPAs. Most of those we sampled were pretty solid, if nothing to necessarily write home about. The server was friendly and helpful, even correcting the whiteboard beer list for its being out-of-date. Overall, a rather enjoyable experience all around, making this a place my boyz and I are gonna haveta visit again rather soon.

An unlikely place for a brewery, in the back of a Vietnamese restaurant on the far NW side. It was compelling enough to make the journey out here to the far edge of the city. The building is neon green and located on a corner, so it’s hard to miss. Inside everything is grey and modern, pendant lights, couple of flatscreens. The bar is to the right, with a dark stone top and a handful of taps in front. Seats were comfortable, and the 80’s playlist on the speakers had some random gems.

The beer is made in house on what looked like a small 1BBL system in the back of the kitchen. Styles were pretty standard and quality was okay. Interestingly they had a barrel-aged imperial stout that reminded me a little of Harvey’s Imperial Extra Double Stout. Other styles included a Vietnamese Bia Hua light lager, passionfruit wheat, APA, Saison, IPA, and DIPA. There were a couple guest taps from Shortfuse nearby.

It was pretty quiet early on a Saturday, the bartender was friendly but also sort of indifferent. Info about the house beers was pretty limited. A laminated menu didn't really list any info about the beers besides style and price, i'd seen little handwritten tabletop menus on Untappd with more info, but none on my visit. They need more detailed beer menus.

Food-wise, I didn't have enough to give a rating. I tried the lotus salad which was good, but will try a full meal here next time. There were some interesting house specialties like roasted quail and wings that would pair well with the house beers. Worth a visit if you like Vietnamese food and craft beer. Also in the wider vicinity (far NW side) are Printers Row and Illuminated further north, and Short Fuse nearby in Schiller Park. Binnys River Grove is nearby too.