Tuesday 25th of May 2010 02:54:39 PM

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This store is HUGE, by far the largest selection of imports i have seen. There is an aisle of mostly belgians, another for other imports, and 2 for domestics.

There is also some beer in the coolers but it looked like mostly macro and eastern european. There were a few import beers here that I have not seen elsewhere.

The place is new and clean, but I didn't notice any employee patrolling the beer section, though I didn't need help, the beer was well organized by country. The cashier was friendly. THey also have a nice cart escalator to go to your car, it is a very fancy store. Unfortunately it is pretty pricey and most stuff is 2-3$ more expensive than you might be used to, and the tax is high.

The Quality of the store was brand new, though some of the beers were past their dates, mostly imports but for alot of the Belgian ones it isn't a huge deal.

This is my second favorite beer store behind discount in Milwaukee, this one has a bigger selection which I love, but the prices make it a bi-annual stop rather than a monthly stop.

Friday 19th of June 2009 10:35:20 AM

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I have a love hate relationship with bars inside liquor stores. The one in Binny's South Loop is great. They usually have a solid beer selection with about 15 interesting beers on draft. But the problem for me with a bar inside of a liquor store is that it makes it so difficult for you to get in and out with just a few items... Get a couple of pints in you and next thing you know, you're walking to the cash register with a full cart.

The selection of beer here in the store is phenomenal. Easily the best selection in the city from my experience.

The store itself is pretty close to the interstate and there is a decent sized parking lot underneath/behind the building. Definitely worth a stop if you're anywhere nearby and need some bottled beers.

Monday 18th of August 2008 03:19:51 PM

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This is a dangerous beer store. They have a big selection that runs two long isles with a long row of cooler doors behind them. They have a great selection of local and import stuff and they keep getting new things weekly. I usually stop in to see what's new and interesting or to ask about a new release when I hear they are coming out. The staff really now their stuff and it seems like there is always someone in the beer section to help. I think they get a lot of overwhelmed customers looking for "a blue moon type of beer" so they are happy to chat when then meet another beer geek.
They also have a tasting area with 8 taps, I believe, and a lecture series that includes wine producers, brewers and other interesting people with an interest in alcohol. Also grab one of the addicting little hand made caramels at the checkout counter. I typically end up walking out with a box when I only want to go in and just see what's new.

Tuesday 11th of March 2008 11:29:24 AM

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Had to make the trek down to the South Loop over the weekend, to see what the buzz was about. Holy crap...the biggest and baddest Binny's i've ever been in (and that's several).

Selection: Massive. Very broad and deep selection. Several long aisles, containing 80-90% of the beers available in IL. Purportedly the greatest square footage designated for beer in the Chicago vicinity. In many cases, full lines from a brewery, for example, 8 Southern Tier options, 6-8 Cantillon, etc. Imports wowed me the most. Substantial array of Belgians, plenty of Lambics, some exclusive Italian craft selections from B.United, gift boxes, Xmas imports on sale. Clean and orderly, absolutely no dust to speak of.

The Bar. Wow...the skyline view made me think I was at the Signature Lounge for a minute. Black marble bar, Chrome box held a number of fine beer taps. Surly Furious and GLBC Blackout were on during my visit. Bottle list was handpicked, no fluff, and I was told it rotates. Service was friendly, both at the bar and in the beer aisle. Atmosphere score is a combo of the bar (4.5) and overall store (4.0).

Atmosphere: Super big place, plenty of area to wander through. Deli counter had a few nice things like Humboldt Fog, and cured meats. Checkout was your standard experience, I was offered a box for my beers. There's a cart escalator, which is handy for bulk purchases. Parking is in back, enter on Desplaines, or through the alley on Jefferson. I made a point to get a pastrami across the street at Manny's...it will cost you, but they are worth it.

Thursday 31st of January 2008 12:18:18 AM

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okay so I totally went here tonight... and I LOVE the bar. the view goes from the ghetto marathon across the street, to the sears tower stoically in the distance... and looking at the sears tower, look right and you see that huge sams billboard, made me bust a gut... and for those that know me that's a lot of laughing. But to the review....

Depending on which side you walk in, it's a different experience... I came in the jefferson side with street parking across from the ghetto marathon, you walk thru what looks like an old reception area, up a spiral staircase, and are smack in front of the bar...

The other way, a bit cooler sans the spiral staircase... if you park in their fenced parking area, you're greeted to newspapers of days past with beer ads and prohibition repeal and the like... it adds some cool points to a chain that likes it's permenence.

pending on where you come in, the other exit/entrance is worth exploring from a beer nerd's pov.

There were some things that I was not familiar with (blue point toasted lager and hoptical illusion) and many things that strike standard at a binny's but this place is freaking huge, just to get that out of the way... the selection is your standard 3ish aisles with even more select sixers in the cold doors and then a crapload of floor setup beer that included beers like 7 or 8 cases of bourbon county. When I say it's the binny's standard selection... I mean that most bases are at least 2 brands if not more covered. And as this is a grassy knoll store... things are arranged in a easy to find dave way.

I got in there past 8pm, so no bar for hugbee, but the taps are so freaking solid...surly, lagunitas, great lakes, I think it was +10 taps... that alone is a good ass reason to belly up at binnys and throw down a handful of beers. That bar was really nice 12-15ish person bar and then a large seating section for I'd say another 40ish... more if standing. The champagne seat was a little over the top...

After you get over that you could sit at the bar and drink while your pals play an entire freaking football game inside this store and never come near the bar... It took me a while to get over that this binny's is almost double of the largest binny's i've been to before... it's still pretty standard as far as layout to a binny's.

Service was in it's last hour and people were in that I'm going home soon mindset, so I wasn't asked for help, not like I needed it, but it's always nice. No dave, so what could I really expect.

I have one major problem with the beer section tho... I don't know what moron designed the heaters in that place, but they have a blowing heater right above the aisle of beer closest to the coolers... I felt room temp, grabbed a bottle of beer, and warmed myself with it.

What... the... hell...

This place is almost the perfect binny's and is a must freaking stop for any beer traveler heading north or south from the city, specially if you need a beer at the bar... sept for that damn heating vent... It'll be fine in the summer... but... as for winter, not so much.