Monday 22nd of October 2012 10:42:02 AM

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Went to Duke's for lunch on a Sunday and had a great experience. For the NW burbs (exurbs?) this is as good as it gets within a 20 mile radius (Firkin is 21 mi. east, better than Emmett's imho). The food is of high quality, the beer selection ever rotating/updated online, and the restaurant is certified green and zero waste. No one else in the area seems to be doing all that.

The building is wedge shaped, located on a corner across from the Metra station. Plenty of street parking on the east side. Inside there's a narrow bar area with some alcoves of table seating, and a host stand on the right, leading to a more spacious dining room. High ceilings with pressed tin tiles and exposed brick, local artists' work, halloween decor, east wall lined with windows let some daylight in. Service was timely and friendly.

Draft selection: Zombie Dust, Zes Zes Zes, Parabola, Pumking, Tighthead Irie IPA, Prima Pils, Weihenstephaner, Dragon's Milk, Sixth Glass, Nosferatu, plus a dozen more. Prices range from $3 (Coors) to $10 (Parabola).

Bottle list: 150+ bottles, extremely well organized, broken up by style with food pairings, notes on low inventory (2 left, etc), drafts coming soon are listed as "on deck" (FFF Snow Weasel, etc), prices are listed separately on a single page. Beermenus appears to be updated on a weekly basis, and currently accurate based on my visit. The list is thoroughly detailed and expansive.

Food: The brunch burger (fried egg, bacon, jalapenos on the side) and butterkase mac & cheese were both excellent, as were the house-made veggie burger and side salad. Sustainable ingredients, clearly of high quality, far from "typical bar food". Good range of sandwiches, flatbreads, and entrees, with rotating seasonal options. Daily food & drink specials. Both the food and beer menus read as if someone took care and pride in them, which is lacking at so many places these days.

Sunday crowd was mixed, from young families to motorcyclist couples and even seniors. Duke's seems to fill a niche for quality casual dining in the area, in addition to serving as a haven for the local beer nerds.

Wednesday 29th of December 2010 11:21:36 AM

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Just steps away from the Crystal Lake Metra station sits Duke's Alehouse, the closest thing to a gastro pub that exists out in the Northwest Exurbs. The promise of locally grown and raised food is probably what gives it this feel, but the impressive upscale beer selection certainly helps, too. Given the owner/management connection to Durty Nellie's, the bar felt small the first time I walked in, but again, this also adds to the feel of being like an urban beer bistro.

The kitchen usually offers a combination of comfort food with a classy twist. For example, the Mac & Cheese is made with a creamy Gouda sauce with pulled pork. Pizza can be ordered with chorizo, goat cheese, and roasted tomatillo. The 'Knife & Fork Fries' dripping with melted cheese and pork are as delicious and messy as they sound.

Their draft beer selection seems to rotate quite often-- both in terms of seasonals and new breweries. The bottle selection, similar to Durty Nellie's, runs much deeper than the drafts with Flanders reds, Breakfast Stout, and other things that you probably won't find anywhere else in the area. The bartenders are all very knowledgeable about the beer selection (some to the point of being a bit arrogant).

Overall, definitely one of the top beer bars in the area and possibly one of the top restaurants, too.