Hax: Hops & Hamburgers

Hax: Hops & HamburgersHax: Hops & Hamburgers
Hax: Hops & HamburgersHax: Hops & Hamburgers
Bar, Eatery

733 S Dearborn St
Chicago, Illinois, 60605-1837
United States

// CLOSED //

Formerly Hackney's
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.12
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
26
pDev:
8.5%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Bobby13:
Photo of Bobby13
Reviewed by Bobby13 from Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Hackneys is the place for beer in the south loop. Located down town just south of the heart of Chicago. They have 20 beers on draft that changes with the season. They have a great selection from Bell's to Magic Hat and Hofbrau to Delirium Tremens. They have a great balance between American micro brews and German and Belgium imports on draft, a lot of places you find in the city will have great micros but no imports and they have the proper glassware for the beers.
The service is great, I wasn't sure what I wanted and the bartender asked me what kind of beers I like, he gave me a couple samples of beers he enjoyed. My friend who brought me insisted on me ordering the burger which comes with cheese on rye bread and it did not disappoint. We also got what they called an onion loaf and its a big basket of fried onions. The food is great but next time I will have to save some room for beer. I will definitely be back.
Oct 06, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.21 by SSGCujo from Wisconsin

Sep 08, 2016
 
Rated: 4.32 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Apr 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.31 by PUbeer from Indiana

Apr 20, 2016
Photo of Spaul23
Rated by Spaul23

4.48/5  rDev +8.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75
Great food. Good beer selection.
May 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.36 by misternebbie from Pennsylvania

Feb 04, 2015
 
 
Rated: 3.75 by spycow from Illinois

Nov 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by blue-dream from Virgin Islands (U.S.)

Aug 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Robyn from South Carolina

Aug 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by ccyoung

Jul 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by cadaugherty from Illinois

Jun 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by ChicagoNick from Illinois

Jun 11, 2014
Photo of Chaney
Reviewed by Chaney from District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
My wife and I visited this place on a recent visit to see the fam at Christmas 2012. This was literally a block from my brother-in-law's place which was nice.

Atmosphere: Located in the Printer's Row section of Chicago, which has sort of an old-timey, gangster movie feel. This inside had a nice, bar-like vibe that teetered on the verge of being a sports bar, but not quite. Quiet, just the way I like it!

Quality and Service: The waiter was very attentive to our need and seemed to know his way around the beer and food menu. Lot's of great stuff on both!

Selection: The beer selection was excellent: They had Daisy Cutter, some Two Brothers selelction, Metropolitan, Revolution, and a ton of other entries distributed to the local area. Lot of great selections of the food menu as well, but be warned, the website is rarely up-to-date.

Food: We ordered the Pesto Flatbread and it was killer!

Value: We got out of there for around $30 bucks or so after ordering several quality brews and a rather filling appetizer. We were both satisfied.

Definitely check this place out if you're in the area.

NOTE: A few doors down is a really nice bottle shop (Printer's Row Wine Shop).
Jan 04, 2013
Photo of socon67
Reviewed by socon67 from New York

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Swung by here as I was staying up the block in Printer's Row.

This place is clearly a locals bar. I found it to be a fun atmosphere. Plenty of big time beer on tap and a wide bottle selection. I went with some Bell's stuff and it was all in proper glassware. Servers knew their stuff.

Food options looked good. Televisions had the Cubs game on, and the patrons appeared to be the after work crowd.

Pricing was typical for the area, and fiar for what we had. If you are in the area and looking for a non-pretentious hangout with good beer I'd recommend Hackney's.
Aug 01, 2012
Photo of drumminbrewer
Reviewed by drumminbrewer from Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
My favorite "burger and beer" spot in the South Loop.

Good size bar area - it can get a bit packed depending on day/time and such, but that's to be expected of any neighborhood hangout.

Large, rotating beer menu. Usually highlights Chicago brews; Half Acre, Goose (BTW-one of the places the 3 sisters made it to, they're still there as of last Sunday), Metropolitan, 2l Bros, etc. But a solid Great Lakes representation to - the region, not the brewery; Founders (KBS for a while), Tyranena from time to time.

Great food. High end pub fair, and some of the best burgers in town. I work just down the street and find myself getting their carryout more than my wallet wants to allow...

Servers are always friendly, some are more talkative than others, but it's not uncommon to hear patrons called by their first name.

I wouldn't necessarily call it a destination, but for those visiting or have just found themselves in the area it's by far the most recommended place for a nice, casual night out. I'll probably find myself there after work tonight. The very definition of a neighborhood hangout.
Sep 25, 2011
Photo of dirtylou
Reviewed by dirtylou from Oklahoma

3.94/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Cool place in the south loop, a few doors down from Kasey's and around the corner from Villains (apparently closed on Sunday night).

good tap selection at fair prices - daisy cutter was the elixir of choice but there were some other interesting items - goose island green line, various metropolitan taps and other locals, higher end common offerings from the region.

the bar area was pretty quiet but it was midnight on a sunday - the restaurant area was completely shut down at this hour. the bartender was cool and chatty - not sure if she knew anything about beer, but it didnt matter.

tv's are present and the bar seems like a good conversation hub.
Jul 27, 2011
Photo of Florida9
Reviewed by Florida9 from Illinois

4.06/5  rDev -1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Hackney's is the quintessential neighborhood bar, and from the looks of it, Hackney's has been around for longer than the craft beer scene has. It is divided into two rooms, one the "bar" area and the other seating. It's a little run down, but that only seeks to give this place a lived-in, cozy feel to it. I liked it. I felt welcome. All was good.

Crowd was a mix of South-loop locals and business-types. Everyone was easygoing.

I think there were about 20 taps. Everything is listed on the handwritten chalkboard. There was a nice blend of European beers (mainly German), craft (Left Hand Ju Ju, Stone Levitation), and locals (HA Daisy Cutter, GI Green Line). The closest they had to macro were Stella and Guiness. Oddly, I only saw two bottles listed, though I am not certain these were the only bottles they carried. Didn't really matter. And at $5.45 for an 18oz pour, I thought prices were very reasonable.

I can't comment specifically on the food, but from what I could tell, this was old-school pub fare: Tuna salad in a hollowed out tomato. Burgers on bread. Cobb salads. Personally I didn't try anything, but it all looked decent (and the prices were fair).

While Hackney's probably isn't worth a special trip, if you're in the neighborhood, it's definitely worth stopping in.
Jun 29, 2010
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
RIP: November 2019

Excellent bar service here, they were chatting about beer the whole time, and didn't charge anything for a soda on the side. Bar is directly inside on the right, separated from a classy dining area suitable to bring your parents to. Patio seating outside on a quiet street. There was a chalkboard that grouped the beers by location and season... "Summer beers" "Midwest" West Coast, Belgian, East Coast, etc.

There were 2 Surly beers listed, also Metropolitan, Matilda, Golden Cap, A Belgian Wit, and a few others. Value was good, several options in a 19 oz. pub glass for $5 or less. The bar area was fairly small and cozy.

From what I hear everywhere, they have a killer burger, but I didn't have time for one today. Kasey's up the street may have a better selection, but this place is far more cozy and relaxing.
Aug 07, 2009
Photo of jcwenzel1
Reviewed by jcwenzel1 from Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
This establishment lives up to the long tradition of Hackney's from the suburbs. I started to go there initially for the food, the onion loaf is heaven fried, but was stunned to find an exceptional beer list. The list itself was informational and would allow novice beer drinkers a simple understanding of the 20 beers on tap and the 12 beers available in bottle.

In the south loop it is hard to find a good beer, but Hackney's is reliable and always surprises me with some really great beer. They try to introduce new beers to the area and the blossoming beer connoisseurs of the neighborhood. Hackney's was one of the first bars to have Magic Hat #9 on tap. With wonderful traditional imports that truly represent true beers, and exciting new domestic micro brews, Hackney's is always mixing it up.

The food is also very good. The owners have just introduced the first taco place in the south loop as well. Just two doors down, Flacos Tacos, has wonderful food as well. Overall the south loop can be summed up by visiting Hackney's. Great service, great beers, great food!
Oct 17, 2008
Photo of Blueye80
Reviewed by Blueye80 from Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Hackney's is a great little Irish pub that is pretty colse to downtown. They also have a couple of other locations located in the western suburbs. However I have never visited the others. I would say I go here once a month or so. They don't have a huge selection of beers about 15 or so on tap and some bottles but they do change them frequently which is a good thing. They do have some pretty awsome burgers too including a buffalo buger. I do make it a point to get the french fried onions whenever I go there.
Hackneys = Awsome
Mar 13, 2008
Photo of botham
Reviewed by botham from New York

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Hackney's is a great stop in the south loop. there are a good number of taps and a few good bottles. the food is pretty good as well.

the establishment is just north of dearborn station, and there were 12 taps there when i went. i sampled a couple brews, and ended up going with a Berghoff Oktoberfest. the burgers are great, and the desserts are supurb (the apple streusel is phenomenal!).

this is worth a stop for anyone in the loop area. there were a couple goose brews, followed by a hodge-podge of other styles and breweries. nothing stood out too much, except for a delerium tremens, and a rye brew which the name escapes me. cheers!
Sep 19, 2007
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Reviewed by tapman from Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Located in Chicago's Printer's Row in the South Loop, this is a great establishment for us college students who enjoy fine brews. The prices on everything from food to spirits is reasonable and competitive with the other pubs and bars in Chicago.

The nice thing is that they change their tap beers every three months and have about 13-20 beers on tap at a time along with an honorable wine selection and some ciders on tap as well. They always balance the beer variety, so whatever mood your in they have a beer for you. A year ago they had Guiness Extra Stout (the real one) on non-nitro tap and it was delicious.

Also if you are looking for food it is the best food in the South Loop, which only has some crappy thai restaurants and a Bar Louie for grub. The famous Hackney burger is enough to draw you in and I recommend the Inside-Out burger with chedder cheese and smoky bacon stuffed inside the half-pound patty. For desert get the cookie sunday. Baked fresh for each costomer, it has to be the best tasting desert I've ever had the pleasure of experienceing.
Apr 05, 2007
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Reviewed by rhoadsrage from Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
This is located in Printers Row and some friend wanted to meet up here because they have food for carnivores and vegetarians aswellas beer. I said I would go while not expecting much to drink. I was surprised to see a packed little pub with a long row of tap handles. They have a place mat with a beer menu on one side and a wine menu on the other side.

The waiter started off listing the 4 beers that they were out of but there was still over 20 choices and I didn't see any BMC on the menu. They had a good selection of local craft and mainstream imports with a good range of styles. They had a good selection of glassware that was branded with the beer you were drinking. They had a good selection of taps and bottles alike.

They packed every square inch of this place with tables and it was full even on a Wednesday night. The food was good pub grub with their unique twists. You can't go wrong with pub chips and blue cheese aswellas there famous fried onion loaf. After burgers and pasta we ordered a fresh baked brownie that took 20 minutes to make and it was a sugar bomb. I wish they had a big Imperial stout or something to go with it but it was over the top.

It was a nice little place and good location if you are down town but I would make reservations or try to hit an off time.
Feb 27, 2007
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Reviewed by Realale from Missouri

3.85/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
This one caught me off-guard! First visit to this Hackney's with the sole goal being to get my Chicago-born wife her annual Hackney burger fix, and hope for something potable when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a row of 20 mostly good taps!

The space itself is quite small, wedged into a small row of shops at the very Southern end of Dearborn, about a mile and a quick 15 minute walk south of Daley Plaza. It's divided about equally between a bar area that has a few two tops crammed in, and a dining area. The bar is nice, with comfy seats and a lovely dark wood bar.

The selection had just changed due to regular rotation, and the beer menus had not been reprinted yet but the bartender was more than happy to walk me through the choices on the 20 taps. The only yawners were the usual Guniness, Harp, Bass trio, and PBR. There was a nice mix of finer European brews, such as Kostritzer Schwarz, Jever, and Hofbrauhaus. And some fine U.S. craft like Victory Prima Pils, some Goose Island, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzsgerald and the like. I had a Prima Pils and a Kostritzer, the latter of which was served in its special branded glassware. Very nice.

The food is Hackney's - big beefy burgers on dark rye and the onion ring loaf. It's neither great nor does it aspire to it, but it satisfies something primal in this diner. Salads were surprisingly decent as well.

Both the bartender and the server knew the beer list well. Well done. All in all, a very pleasant surprise, and I'll be back for more of both the Prima Pils and Kostritzer!
Jun 12, 2006
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Reviewed by jackndan from Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -9.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Hackney’s: On South Dearborn, in Printer’s Row. This is the City connection to the well known Hackney’s Restaurants in the Suburbs, but it definitely has a City feel. Relatively small, with what appeared to be ample seating outside, Hackney’s clearly took over an old Chicago corner tavern, and has a fairly short bar room, with a handful of stools and several small tables. The restaurant is in a fairly small storefront. The beer selection was impressive, at least 10 taps, pouring Jever, Goose, Delirium Tremens, Stiegl, and several others, supplemented with a short but varied list of bottles.

The food was top notch, better than the ‘burbs, but with a similar menu. Best damn patty melt ever, and the brick of onion rings was not as greasy as the other places. Very nice addition to printer’s row.
Oct 01, 2003
Hax: Hops & Hamburgers in Chicago, IL
Place rating: 4.12 out of 5 with 26 ratings