Friday 4th of June 2010 09:49:54 PM

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2/09
Stopped in to try the new Metropolitan tap here, Flywheel Bright Lager. The place was sort of dimly lit, typical bar layout, tables in the front and on the left side, bar on the right. Five free standing tap towers, one was occupied by bourbons, and the closest one was Sam Adams, 312, and Point. Luckily the three in between those had some good craft options. Dark Horse, Metropolitan, FFF Gumballhead, GI BCS, and a few others. The selection here is exclusively American craft, with a broad bottle list, though limited to US produced beer. The list is organized by state, which adds a daunting step for the average joe that just wants a damn beer. Inebriated folks aren't thinking about the state of origin of their beer, believe me. Try reorganizing by style... In many cases they have a full line of a brewery's offerings, especially from Dark Horse, Jolly Pumpkin, Leelanau (our bottle was a year old), Hoppin' Frog, Allagash, FFF, 2 Bros., Sierra Nevada, etc. They probably have your favorite domestic here...$20 minimum on cards. Didn't try the food, haven't really heard good things, on top of that i'm picky about my BBQ. I hear the country fried bacon is a heart stopper. Looked like they had house-made sauces, very similar to Sheffields.

Service was sort of slow, and admittedly limited on the beer knowledge. The bartenders were sweet and friendly though. For some reason I was charged tax on a bar tab for beer only...$20 minimum on cards.

They were playing a few movies such as Evil Dead II, and Janes Addiction on the stereo. There were christmas lights up front, 2 pinball machines, and cheesy rockabilly pinup girls on the walls. Though I rarely venture to wrigleyville on purpose, Risque, Sheffields, Murphys, The Yard, and Goose are solid options in a sea of otherwise mediocre bars.

Addendum: Pick Me Up Cafe is a 24-hour coffee house institution, right across the street, if you happen to close down Risque...

Saturday 31st of May 2008 07:56:01 AM

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We visited Risque Cafe two or three hours after a winning Cubs game ended. Needless to say people in the area weren't paying attention to how loudly they were talking, so Risque was loud.

The service wasn't bad for a restaurant in the area that was probably picking itself up after a mad rush. We weren't given the best of service and we were left waiting for our check for a while, but they got our food and beer orders placed correctly.

The food was pretty good, we got a pulled chicken and a pulled pork sandwich. I got the homemade chips and my wife got the mac and cheese as a side. The pulled meat was a bit dry, but they do give you multiple types of barbeque sauce (at least two are housemade). After this showing, I'm not sure if I would go back for food, but I would try it again if I were in the area.

There were more than 10 beer selections on tap, many of them high alcohol choices. I ordered the Founders Devil Dancer and was presented with a 10 ounce wine glass that ended up costing 7 dollars. I felt a little used after that. The food didn't cost that much, but after seeing some of the prices on the huge beer menu, I was a bit taken aback.

They had some beers in their list that they are selling for more than double retail price. I know this is the norm for wine, but I am not paying 28 dollars for a Three Floyds 22 ounce beer. The Flossmoor beers were selling at a little over twice the asking price at beer stores in the area.

I liked Risque, but they really really need to bring their beer prices down a bit if they expect beer aficionados to hang out here.

Metered street parking in the area. The music was pretty loud when we visited at 7pm, so I wouldn't bring small children.

Friday 16th of May 2008 01:08:24 PM

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I was able to stop by this week for beers and diner before the Cub game.

The bar is on your right as you enter the smallish space. It seats about a dozen. There are table for about 50 more eaters & drinkers. Everything is freshly decorated and I liked the old style pin-ups they used for decoration.

The food is pretty good. The smoked wing appetizer (get the rubbed version) is outstanding. I liked my brisket and rib combo, but the folks I was with said their pulled pork while tasty was on the dry side. Nice home made fries and passable cornbread rounded out my dining experience.

They have about 12 beers on tap and a massive bottle list. The beer list is divided by state or country of origin. I would rather see it by style but that’s just me.. They have some really good options and I think you will find plenty of choices to keep you occupied. I like that they have a “beer of the month” special. It was only $4 a pint.

Our server was friendly and seemed really into beers. She told us how she was starting to develop a taste for IPAs and was enjoying working her way through the beer menu. She took great care of us, but once the place filled-up she was overwhelmed as she was working tables and the bar. There was one other waitress, but they needed at least one more person to handle the crowds.

I think this is a nice addition to the area and its great to have another option for good beer when going to the ballpark.