Visiting Chicago Area Resource Thread (2021)

This thread will contain recommendations for visiting Chicago and the surrounding areas.

For this post, I have listed Chicago breweries with brewpubs/taprooms by neighborhood. Others may post Suburban Breweries, popular bars, restaurants and bottle shops in future posts.

Andersonville / Edgewater (Far North Side)
Empirical Brewery 1801 West Foster Avenue
Greenstar Brewing 1401 West Devon Avenue
Half Acre Beer Company 2050 West Balmoral Avenue
Spiteful Brewing 2024 West Balmoral Avenue
Urban Brew Labs 5121 N Ravenswood (Target opening date July 1, click link for more details)

Avondale / Portage Park / Sauganash (Northwest Side)
Alarmist Brewing 4055 West Peterson Avenue
Eris Brewery and Cider House 4240 West Irving Park Road
Metropolitan Brewing 3057 North Rockwell Street
Old Irving Brewing Company 4419 West Montrose Avenue
Revolution Brewing Taproom 3340 North Kedzie Avenue
Twisted Hippo 2925 West Montrose Avenue

Beverly / Morgan Park (Far South Side)
Horse Thief Hollow 10426 South Western Avenue
Open Outcry Brewing Company 10934 South Western Avenue

Bridgeport / Douglas Park
Lagunitas Brewing Company 2607 West 17th Street
Marz Community Brewing Company 3630 South Iron Street
Whiner Beer Company 1400 West 46th Street

Bucktown / Humboldt Park / Logan Square
BiXi Beer 2515 North Milwaukee Avenue
Hopewell Brewing 2760 North Milwaukee Avenue
Maplewood Brewery and Distillery 2717 North Maplewood Avenue
Middlebrow Brewing 2840 West Armitage Avenue
Orkenoy 1757 North Kimball Avenue
Piece Brewing 1927 West North Avenue
Pilot Project (Several Breweries) 2140 North Milwaukee Avenue
Ravinia Brewing 2601 West Diversey Avenue (Logan Square)
Revolution Brewing Brewpub 2323 North Milwaukee Avenue
Life on Marz Community Club 1950 North Western Avenue
Solemn Oath 2919 W. Armitage Ave

Fulton Market / West Town
All Rise Brewery 235 North Ashland Avenue
District Brew Yards (Around the Bend, Bold Dog, Burnt City & Casa Humilde) 417 North Ashland Avenue
Cruz Blanca 904 West Randolph Street
Finch Beer Company 1800 West Walnut Street
Forbidden Root 1746 West Chicago Avenue
Goose Island Beer Company 1800 West Fulton Street
Great Central Brewing Company 221 North Wood Street
Haymarket Brewing 737 West Randolph Street
Midwest Coast Brewing Company 2137 West Walnut Street
On Tour Brewing Company 1725 West Hubbard Street

Goose Island / Lincoln Park
Goose Island Brew House 1800 North Clybourn Avenue
Local Option Bierwerker 1102 West Webster Avenue
Off Color Brewing 1460 North Kingsbury Street

Jefferson Park / Norwood Park
Illuminated Brew Works 6186 North Northwest Highway (Opening later this year)
Lake Effect Brewing 4841 North Lipps Avenue (Opening in 2022)
Printers Row Brewing 4801 North Austin Avenue (Opened in June 2021)

Lakeview / Ravenswood
Begyle Brewing 1800 West Cuyler Avenue
Burning Bush Brewery 4014 North Rockwell Street
Corridor Brewery and Provisions 3446 North Southport Avenue
Dovetail Brewing 1800 West Belle Plaine Avenue
DryHop Brewers 3155 North Broadway
Greenstar Brewing 3800 North Clark Street
Hop Butcher For The World 4257 North Lincoln Avenue (Opening this Fall)
Roebuck 3159 North Broadway

Loop
Adams Street Brewery 17 West Adams Street
Birreria 43 East Ohio Street
Crushed By Giants 600 North Michigan Avenue
Gino's East Brewing Company 162 East Superior Street & 521 South Dearborn Street
Rock Bottom 1 West Grand Avenue

Pilsen / South Loop
Alulu 2011 South Laflin Street
Lo Rez Brewing 2101 South Carpenter Street
Moody Tongue Brewing Company 2515 South Wabash Avenue

Possible Brewery Taproom Openings in 2021
Englewood Brews 821 West 63rd Street (Englewood)
Howard Street Brewing 1617 West Howard Street (Far North Side)
Odious Cellars 3553 West Armitage Avenue (Logan Square)
Duneyrr Fermenta Project 2337 South Michigan Avenue

 

Tribune's article regarding reopening bars and breweries.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coro...html?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true

Breweries which have confirmed indoor service:

• Burning Bush
• Crushed Giants (2/17)
• Cruz Blanca
• DryHop
• Forbidden Root
• Gino's East
• Goose Island Clybourn
• Haymarket Brewery
• Horse Thief Hollow
• Midwest Coast
• Monk's Pub (Good Craft Beer Bar - Not a Brewery) (2/1)
• Rock Bottom (1/27)
• Spiteful Brewing

 

@Sabzi & @FBarber

Bumping this up to announce a majority of Chicago Breweries with taprooms have reopened for on premise service. Many if not most Suburban Breweries and most bars with food licences have also reopened.

That said, call or click their link above first, as their hours may have changed and several have eliminated select weekdays from their schedule since your last visit. A few are only open for outdoor service at the present time

14 Taprooms/Breweries remain closed for on premise service as of Saint Patrick's Day (blasphemy):

• Adams Street Brewery
• Ballast Point
• Birreria
• Dovetail (Patio will reopen soon)
• Half Acre Lincoln Ave (Balmoral Ave. Beer Garden is open for outdoor service)
• Hopewell
• Lagunitas (Announced previously they are likely closed the entire calendar year)
• Local Option
• Maplewood
• Marz Community Brewing
  
• Middlebrow
• Motor Row (Not sure, cannot access their social media without a sign-in)
• Orkenoy
• Revolution (Milwaukee Ave Brewpub - Announced likely reopening in April - Brewery open now but Friday-Sunday only at this point).

 

Yes, their website reflects their hours and has a reservation link. Thanks for the update.

https://maplewoodbrew.com/visit

 

Bumping for recent changes, including two new Logan Square brewpubs reported last week in the Chicago Tribune:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dini...0210423-hgenphfabrardgut3gyn3heffq-story.html

More breweries have reopened since the last update, we are down to four which remain closed for in person service:

• Adams Street Brewery (pending reopen plan for late Spring / early Summer
• Birreria (reopening plans TBA)
• Half Acre Lincoln Ave Location (reopening plans TBA)
• Lagunitas (reopening plans TBA)

@FBarber - Please update the OP for the following five changes, Thanks!

(1-2) Bucktown / Humboldt Park / Logan Square: (Add these two brewpubs/taprooms)
Life on Marz Community Club 1950 North Western Avenue
Solemn Oath 2919 W. Armitage Ave

(3) Pilsen / South Loop (Remove Motor City Brewing - Closed permanently)

(4-5) Possible Brewery Taproom Openings in 2021 (Remove Marz, and add Duneyrr Fermenta)

Duneyrr Fermenta Project 2337 South Michigan Avenue

 

A few updates from April:

Jefferson Park / Norwood Park is going from zero taprooms to three!

• Printers Row Brewing opened last weekend.
• Illuminated Brew Works has a new location (6168 N NW HWY) which should open soon.
• Lake Effect Brewing's new taproom planning is underway. They also announced a new partner, North Branch Fried Chicken, which will run the kitchen in their brewpub, likely to open sometime next year.

Additional updates:

• Hop Butcher For The World to open this Fall in Half Acre's Lincoln Ave. location.
• Ravinia Brewing opened their location in Logan Square.
• Urban Brew Labs is on target to open their Ravenswood Brewpub on or around July 1.

Printers Row Brewing (Austin & Lawrence) - BYO Food (or have delivered)



Beers ranged from OK to very good, with the Buffalo Trace BA Cannonball (pictured below) my favorite of the three I tried.





Illuminated Brew Works (Pending 3,300 square foot brewery/taproom)
6186 North Northwest Highway





Lake Effect Brewing (Just south of the Jefferson Park Station)

 

I like @monstershu ‘s solid suggestions. Spiteful, Alarmist (both patios) and Haymarket (sidewalk seating) also have outdoor options.

HopLeaf (Craft Bar/Restaurant) and Beer in the Wall (bottle shop, draft and can/bottle on site consumption) also have outdoor seating.

Logistically, proximity, and for beer quality, would recommend the following by area (* dining recommended):

Far North: Spiteful, Half Acre, Dovetail and Hopleaf *.

Northwest Side / Adjacent Suburbs: Une Annee *, Alarmist, Beer on the Wall (Park Ridge) (SuperDawg drive in * - dining only)

West Loop: Goose Island Fulton, Haymarket *, Cruz Blanca.

Lincoln Park: Off Color and Goose Island Clybourn* (also has outdoor seating).