Tuesday 6th of March 2012 03:38:22 PM

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I was finally able to stop by and check this place out. I used to go this spot years ago when it was Barneys Market Club. Barneys was known for large steaks, its proximity to the old Chicago Stadium, killer house made potato chips and always answering your order with a “Yes Sir Senator”. You know what; this is a great reuse of a classic Chicago location.
As you enter, you will see a bar to your right and the dining room and tanks to our left. Lots of classic dark wood, a great bar back, cool lighting, etc. There is a larger bar in the back in the SW corner (Halsted Street side). I think the larger bar is a great place to hang out with your friends, watch some sports and graze on the very good food options.
My party of four had diner in the restaurant area and received pretty solid service. The food was very good and I can really recommend you try the homemade sausage platter. Other good choices were the burgers and the braised short rib. Portions are medium sized.
I counted 9 house beers plus a very nice guest tap list and bottle list. I may be in the minority, but I would like to see a few less Belgian style beers and some emphasis on other styles. 7 of the 9 house beers were Belgian inspired/styles. Now having said that, I really enjoyed the Angry Birds Belgian Rye IPA and Oscars Belgian Pale Ale. I also had a super fresh Founders Red Rye. I like that you can order beers in 4oz, 12oz, and 16oz or 20oz sizes.
Note that they run shuttle buses to and from the hawks and Bulls game, so this is now my “go-to” place for these events. Street parking can be problematic, but they do offer valet service. I also think this is an easy walk from the two main train stations.
I’m looking forward to a return visit. Yes Sir Senator Indeed!

Friday 17th of February 2012 03:33:24 PM

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Good selection of brews ranging from thick stouts to saisons, boozy to session. They release new brews often. Of the 5 I've tried so far, I've enjoyed them all. I've had two Belgians, a deliciously smoked porter, and a barleywine that did not hide it's almost 13% ABV.

The food was good enough, some plates looked better than others. My fish and chips were a bit ripe, but the pulled pork was tender and good. I've seen posts about their in-house smoked pastrami that sound out of this world.

If I lived closer I'd be here often. It's worth visiting.

Tuesday 8th of March 2011 08:46:07 PM

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

Stopped for lunch on Sunday @ 12:00. There were a good number of people there for the Bulls game. My friend and I each ordered the burger with a fried egg on a pretzel roll. Kicked ass, but I was disappointed it didn't include fries. Then again, I didn't really need them.

Had the Yes sir, Senator, Pale Ale. Nice aroma and mouthfeel. Definitely a drinkable beer. Followed that with Agitator Double IPA. Not as impressed but still a decent beer.The bartender was more than happy to tell you what she liked and what each beer had going for it. Gotta love women who like a Belgian Dubbel.

Nice atmosphere, the bathroom is an interesting experience (People over 5'10", beware), and the beer selection is beyond what most brewpubs usually have. More bottles than you can read.

I'll definitely be back.

Friday 14th of January 2011 10:47:02 AM

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I was there for New Years eve. Any reviews right now come with a caveat due to the fact that as I write this (1/14/11) their beers should be just debuting or about to be poured. The delay in liquor license pushed back the brewing process (they said they couldn't start brewing until license was in hand). So they opened with guest beers to work out the wrinkles in service and food as they wait for an official grand opening when their beers would be ready.

The staff was super friendly on New Years. They came by the table and offered to take us on a tour (which we accepted). There are two pretty good size rooms, each with their own bar. I was told each TV is independent, and they will be buying college and nfl packages, so each TV in theory could have a different game displayed, which for sports fans like me, is pretty cool. I like beer and I like sports, so this fits just fine. The two rooms separated by a hallway will probably help break up noise when busy as opposed to the mad house you might see at Revolution Brewery when it gets busy.

The appetizers were pretty high quality and I was pleasantly surprised when they came out. The main dishes were slightly underwhelming, but that could have been testing recipes, so I'll reserve judgment for a bit. The appetizer quality gives me hope that the main dishes could improve over time.

I had the Dogfish Head Poppa Skull when I was there and absolutely loved it. I loved it so much I didn't order anything else the rest of the night, which is unusual for me as I like to play beer roulette when ordering. Like I said, their beers weren't ready yet, so I'll update once I get to try their home brews.

Friday 7th of January 2011 10:21:28 AM

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Chicago's latest brewbub, at long last, is finally open for business. The space looks great... dark, modern, clean, with simple industrial light fixtures and paneled wood accents. Revolving door entrance, bar immediately to the right, dining room to the left. Intricate tile floors in the dining room, with booths along the back wall with exposed brick above. Brewing equipment is visible through large windows in the rear of the dining room. A second bar and lounge areas is toward the back also. A dozen flatscreens in the dining room was overkill though, they were everywhere.

Beer selection was great, there was a Founders event going on, with 10-11 dedicated Founders tap handles: Newaygo Co. Cherry, Backwoods, Nemesis, Canadian Breakfast, Double Trouble, Curmudgeon, Porter, Reds Rye, Centennial IPA, and Pale. Other drafts: NH Imperial Hatter, Wild Devil, Wipeout IPA, Gossamer, and Krankshaft. Bottle list was extensive, very Belgian-centric, with a selection of 15 American IPA, DIPA, and strong ales. There were sections broken out for Belgian, Lambic, Trappist, American Belgian-Style, and "American & English Crap" (Blatz, Hamms, PBR, Strongbow). Prices ranged from $4-40.

Fairly crowded on the night of the Founders event, several communal tables in the dining area with large parties, and SRO at the front bar. The back room was a full house too, but a bit more relaxed. Our server was friendly, though still learning the ropes it seemed. The food and drafts were affordable, some of the bottle prices were up there though.

Food was good, nothing extraordinary yet, but solid pub food. The housemade sausages were good, the hot link was the standout. With some time, everything will hopefully fall into place. Can't wait to go back and try Pete's beers once they are ready to go. Great potential here, definitely one to watch...

2nd visit, 2011: Tried the 8 house beers, all were solid... a nice rotating lineup with something for everybody. Bacon & blue cheese pizza was great, the pizzas in general seem to be the best deal. Roasted chicken looked very good. Others weren't impressed by the sandwiches they got though. Food still seems a little hit or miss.