Wednesday 30th of January 2013 02:23:47 PM

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This person needs 3 or more reviews on the site for their scores to start counting.

Prairie Moon is the go-to in Evanston for good beer selection. I always come here for beer first, food second - as it is generic American fare. I always enjoy what I eat, but it's nothing to write home about.

Beer: I've had everything from Zombie Dust to Goose Island Baudoinia to Backwoods Bastard to Firestone 16 to Hopslam. Prairie Moon knows how to get good kegs. Every visit, I know there will be something new to try, or at least an old favorite that I would order first anywhere else. They always upload the current tap list to the website with price and serving side, this is also printed at each table in the restaurant. Their "Glass" serving size does not list ounces, but I believe it is 12oz. Expect to pay an average of six bucks per beer which is reasonable for this area. I haven't ordered from the bottle menu yet, but it's enormous.

Events: So far, I've been lucky enough to attend Founder's tap night with Devil Dancer, Harvest, Curmudgeon, and Backwoods Bastard. Last Friday, Tony Magee spent the night to play some blues guitar and buy the bar a round of any Lagunitas brews, Hop Stoopid please!

Interested in craft beer and near Evanston, check out Prairie Moon. You don't be disappointed.

Friday 4th of June 2010 09:38:08 PM

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12/08
Had lunch here today, there was a small crowd at the bar, and we were seated one of the two dining rooms in the rear. The bar had an atypical shape, rounded at the front, then long and curving off at the back. Nice chrome accented tap towers, squat and cylindrical in shape. The front room was fairly open with several high tables. Antique wooden back bar with christmas lights. Exposed brick in the front, with 20th century americana travel posters around. Craft neons in the front window. The back dining area had 2 rooms, muted colors and various framed artworks on the walls. High ceilings, fairly open layout, with large letters spelling "restaurant" forming a rail that sectioned the dining area from the path of traffic.

Beer selection was good, they had a separate beer menu that had to be asked for. I noticed the Surly Furious tap on the way in, but it wasn't listed on the menu. It was $6, but there were a few $4.50 taps like Commodore Perry, Summit Hefe, and Scrimshaw. Other premium taps included a couple Belgians: St. Bernardus 12 and Delerium Noel. Bottles seemed to focus on US craft with a few local/regional options, and Belgian and UK ales. The only German beer was Fransiskaner. Notable bottles were Flossmoor IPA ($14) and Pullman Brown ($9), also L'Amathee Saison ($19) and Chouffe. Bottles were grouped by size: Cork finished 750s, 22 oz., and 12 oz. Schlitz and Old Style cans were $2.50 for those on a budget.

Food was the highlight, the menu was contemporary american, with plenty of variety. Our guacamole was very tasty, with some mild heat and savory texture. The gulf shrimp and crawfish etoufee was excellent, a generous portion with plenty of seafood and spice. Lunch for two, including drinks, tax/tip was around $20 each.

Overall the vibe here was nice, a handpicked beer selection with at least a couple rotating taps, and very tasty food coming out of the kitchen.