Chicago Vaca....Must see places?

When you're nice and drunk at 3am and looking for food, make a visit to Weiner Circle.
It's the true Chicago experience.

 

That's what we call winning the hearts and minds of the locals!

Not to belabor the point, but rather than taking the time yourself to look through existing threads, you're asking people in the area to take time to write up a response to a question that has been asked and answered before. Gotcha.

Having said that, I think you've identified the best breweries. I look forward to your report on Pipeworks' brewery. Consider adding Finch's. For bars, I hear good thing about Fatpour and Howells & Hood. I would also recommend taking the trip to Penrose, Solemn Oath and 5 Rabbits. For stores, head to the closest Binnys. LYMI.

 

Howells & Hood was a huge letdown for me. I wouldn't waste your time, so many better choices already mentioned...

 

I second au cheval. Make sure you go at midnight for the chiliquilis OMFG. lone wolf around the corner was solid 6 FFF beers on tap. Also haymarket and Green Street BBQ are in the same blocks.

Local Option and Goose Island Clybourn are must stops.

 

Sheffield's, Beercade, and The Bad Apple are all really cool beer bars. Lagunitas is a really sweet taproom to check out as well.

 

This place looks nice:


http://chicago.eater.com/2015/3/9/8175005/goose-island-tasting-room-bourbon-county-april

 

I personally think Haymarket is overlooked in these types of posts. It's south of Wrigleyville by a bit, but if Mathias is on tap when you are here, it is worth the trip.

 

Shoot up Clark from Wrigleyville to Andersonville and you can hit Hopleaf and Jerry's a few blocks from each other. Both are on beermenus if you want to check out their tap lists (IMO 2 of the best lists in Chicago)

 

Revolution's brewpub in Logan square is pretty sweet(if you don't mind being swarmed by hipsters for several blocks); and I would second hopleaf in Andersonville.

 

To the other chicago folks - I've recently been researching the US-Northwest forum for an upcoming trip to Portland. They have a great thread that compiles all their local favorites in one place. It's been a useful starting point for my planning, and it also serves the purpose of preventing a new thread with the same topic popping up every other day.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-portland-winter-2015-update.243817/

It seems to be updated seasonally to incoroprate new bars/bottle shops/restaruants, etc. If anyone has a bit of time on their hands (or who hates seeing all these 'where to go in chicago' threads), maybe we could start up something like this in our forum?

 

That's why this exists, which has been posted multiple times before: http://www.guysdrinkingbeer.com/chicago-craft-beer-map

There have been posts in the Great Lakes forum like the one you posted in the past. But they get buried so quickly because this is the most used forum. A sticky has been requested as well, but its never happened. So alas, we are stuck with constantly re-posting the same information.

 

Sounds like every person here already mentioned all the good bars and bottle stores but if you want to get the best pizza in the city check out Pequod's. Nothing like that caramelized crust on their deep dish pizza!

http://pequodspizza.com/chicago/

 

By the time you get here Goose Island should have their new tap room open.

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/3/9/8175005/goose-island-tasting-room-bourbon-county-april

You should also see what block parties are going on the weekend you're here. You might get to see some great music too.

 

If you hear there don't ask for ketchup, you're asking for it if you do.

 

same experience for my wife and I. At first we were impressed by the wall of taps until closer inspection yielded very few exciting options.
Had a much better time at Clark Street Ale House