Best Chicagoland Brewpubs

I'll second Wild Onion, food is good and their draft prices are very cheap.

I really enjoy Cary Ale House, scratch kitchen, always rotating specials, and they are now brewing their own beer, which I've really enjoyed.

 

HA Lincoln

 

Good thread - I don't live in the Chicago area but am there frequently and try to hit a brewpub or two. I would put Forbidden Root #1 - outstanding food and beers and always a good selection. MoRe would be #2 for the same reasons though it sounds like things may be changing there.

Three Floyds - they changed to a more upscale menu, and to me their beers feel kind of like yesterday's news so I don't really go there any more.

Corridor - Great food and good beers but too crowded and cramped, and to me it seemed hard to get to unless you are in the neighborhood. Plus for a while they had trouble keeping beers on tap, one time I was there they only had three beers available. Maybe things have improved but I haven't made an effort to go back.

Most of the other places I go to either have a food truck or I order food in, Hailstorm being the prime example, but that's not really what you're looking for.

 

Old Irving is always a lesser know place I recommend. Good food, beer and atmosphere.

 

Yeah, this place is a really nice spot. Solid selection across different styles and the food is quite tasty.

Corridor is my personal favorite, but it's also the closest. My family and I were doing HA Balmoral quite a bit, but haven't been there in a little while. The loss of their baker really hurt them because that bread was so damn good.

 

Old Irving is definitely my dark horse choice. Excellent food, friendly vibe, and they do some good beer (their stout, Krampus Cookies, is a favorite of mine).

 

They're starting Phase Two Bakery. I only kid but the bread was very good.

 

Yeah, but how many pages was their thread up to on BreadAdvocate before they released their first baguette?

 

Will check out Old Irving (to or from Lake Effect Brewing, they are hopefully opening a taproom soon, also eagerly anticipating Une Annee's new taproom) and next time with a Metra pass and some time will hit Wild Onion, based on recommendations in this thread.

More is the only Brewpub in the suburbs I have been to, food and beer excellent, service hit or miss.

My five top current choices:

Revolution Brewing - They have excellent beer and food offerings, great staff, and a very nice decor. They replaced GI Clybourn as my go-to.

Half Acre (Balmoral Location): Love hitting Spiteful for a few pours before heading to Half Acre for excellent food and pours. Staff really friendly, nice chill vibe, love the varieties of beers Half Acre has to offer.

Goose Island Clybourn - Still like the original better (decor and food), but this is still a great spot for beers brewed on site, good food offerings and great service from Aidan who opened the original.

Piece Brewing - Lifelong Chicagoan picky about pizza, this New Haven style is really good and they have great pours on draft. Always had great service here, haven't stopped in in awhile, need to soon.

Three Floyds - Excellent pours, great metal to relive the music of my youth, and nice food round out the reasons to head to Munster for great brewpub offerings.

 

I am weighting food more heavily than beer because if I just wanted great beer, I'd go to wherever the best beer was regardless of food options; it goes without saying, but the "-pub" part is what separates a brewpub from a brewery, so food quality is really important to me for this topic.

Forbidden Root is my clear leader. The food there is excellent, on par with some of the better restaurants in Chicago, to say nothing of brewpubs. The burger is top three in the city for me. The beer is really good across theboard in a wide variety of styles. It's big enough that there is seldom a long wait. My only gripe is it can get a little loud and that getting there on public transit is annoying.

I wad really impressed with Middle Brow when I stopped by last week. The pizza was great, and the beer reminded me how good their stuff is. I am excited to go back and try other food items. It's been said, but this place will be so cool in the summer.

Corridor has really good food but inconsistent beer (for me). I never know what I can expect to be on stylistically (and they have so few taps), and while their hazies are good, they all taste the same to me and aren't as good as other local producers (I recognize this is a minority opinion). It's also so very small and annoyingly busy all the time. Still, my experiences are more positive than negative, and the food makes up for the beer being just good.

Those are my top three. I still haven't been to Old Irving, Band of Bohemia, or Piece, but I am excited to hit them eventually. Rev and Half Acre have excellent beer of course, but their food doesn't do that much for me; it's not bad per se, but I don't ever have the urge to eat at either. Bixi had slightly above average beer and good-to-very-good (albeit overpriced) food; there are better pan-Asian fusion places, and the beer isn't impressive enough to make it a regular for me. Floyds I never get to anymore because of travel time, but I love their food; the beer is still good-to-very-good as well. I haven't been to new Goose, but I quite liked old Goose. Dryhop has slightly better beer than Corridor, in my opinion, but their food isn't as great, and they aren't much larger in space, so they are probably my honorable mention despite not making top three.

 

Based on you weighting of food I wondered why Band of Bohemia wasn't listed as a must for you and then I saw you haven't tried it. Theoretically they should be the hands down winner if food is the main criteria as they are the first Michelin starred brewpub (and only starred brewpub in Chicago). That being said has anyone actually gone to this place? I don't know anyone who has gone there nor have I.



My picks:

FFF
GI Clybourn
HA Balmoral
FR
Corridor

 

i've rarely heard anyone refer to BoB a "brewpub".

it's a restaurant that happens to make their own beer, same for Bixi. it's on my list to try, but exclusively for the dining experience, as the tastes of beers i've had at festivals have been completely forgettable.

haven't been to FFF in a very long time, but my top 2 for food are forbidden root and old irving by a solid margin.

honestly, the food has become a bigger draw for me overall, as I feel the quality of many places has been gradually sliding (one offs notwithstanding)

 

I think GI Clybourn's food has arguably improved, although I was also someone who thought it was hit-or-miss in the past (I still loved the place). I'm not as big a fan of Forbidden Root's burger as Corridor's or GI's (I prefer a more "standard" burger, and FR's is pretty distinct), but in general I've always been very impressed by FR's food and drink. I prefer Corridor's beer slightly, but they're both awesome places, and FR is probably a cooler place to hang out, imo.

I'm starting to think it would be more useful to come up with a list of worst brewpubs in the area.

 

#1 Pipeworks- impossible to get a seat at the bar or table and food takes forever....

 

I'd like to mention a few of my favorite spots over the last few years. All in the suburbs:

Black Horizon Brewing, Willowbrook IL: Great variety, they do not do anything too extreme. Mainly very good IPA, DIPA, good Stouts. At times the menu is a bit limited, with several of their brews too fruity for my taste - however, in that case they always come through with 1 or 2 styles I really enjoy. One of my favorites lately: Protect & Serve, Oat Pale Ale. The place is a above average in size I would say, with good ventilation.

Miskatonic Brewing, Darien IL: Smaller joint, well known in this area for very creative styles - and they usually get it right. Crafty with their IPAs/DIPAs, also some excellent Stouts (with Chai, Coffee, Vanilla, Woodruff, Orange Peel), also Imperial Stouts. Not a fan of their sours (or any sour...). Gets busy on the weekends, and when they cook food inside ventilation can be an issue - your clothes will smell like the tacos you had...).

Skeleton Key Brewery, Woodridge IL: Nice brewery with two guest area, taproom and a dining/family type area. Aside from excellent beers, they also offer classes. They serve the more well known styles, and also some experimental ones for the more adventurous.

Whiskey Hill Brewery, Westmont IL: Before this place was known as Myths and Legends, and before that it was Urban Legend.... I actually liked the Myths and Legends best, but they didn't ask me. In any event, they have been around for a while. Place is on the smaller side - there is a larger extension, but it is really separated from the tap, and I really do not enjoy to be in that extended area. If you find a spot by the bar that would be best. Live music occasionally, and they know what they are doing as far as brewing beer.

 

None of them are brewpubs. All are taprooms. None have big kitchens. Wolfden is worth a look. The coziest of all the suburban tap rooms and they do offer a very limited food menu.

 

You guys are absolutely correct, my mistake. All the four places on my list do not have a food menu - just outside food, and occasional outside vendors cooking food right on the premises. Taproom is the better description.