Tuesday 17th of November 2009 11:25:01 AM

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I guess I expected more after seeing rave reviews online, but will try to review as objective as possible. Paramount is situated in an odd area, just outside of the Loop, on a desolate stretch of Milwaukee Ave. that houses a chocolate factory, and a bridge over a train yard. It makes it more of a destination I guess, a cab would probably be best, though the 56 Milwaukee bus and Blue line Grand stop on the CTA are also nearby.

Inside you walk 2 steps in and are right behind patrons at the bar. Two tiny tables are wedged in the front windows, and the kitchen is in the back. Becomes somewhat claustrophobic with more than 10 people in here. An arrow sign indicating "lounge" is down a flight of stairs, apparently this was a former speakeasy. Downstairs it was pretty dark and "loungey"with small candles on the tables and the glow of 3 flatscreen tv's. There was another bar down here, curiously tucked under the stairs. Even curiouser was the line of taps without handles. There was a pile of boxes and general stuff behind the bar, making me think it was a disused bar not in service, but there was a bartender there. Service was good, young hipster types as staff/clientele. The pictures on their website were different from the actual place, sort of myspace angle shots if you will.

Selection was good, though a tad disappointing. Nothing especially small-batch or limited. The focus was on the imports, less than 5 drafts and 5 bottles were US craft. Several Belgians such as Piraat, St. Bernardus, etc. Not sure if they still do the pint and burger special, didn't see it advertised here. My Gumballhead was served in a FFF nonic pint. I could see this as an after work dinner stop, but not a place i'd spend an extended amount of time. I'll return when i'm hungry to sample from the menu, which seemed to be the main draw of the place.

Saturday 28th of June 2008 09:55:55 AM

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We drove right past the Paramount Room, even with the GPS trying to help us get there. The front of the restaurant is rather unassuming and the neighborhood isn't really what we were expecting. We found it after turning around a block or so away.

The upstairs is a rather small space. It holds the bar, a kitchen and a few small tables in the front windows. I sat with my back to the door and I felt like if I tipped over backwards, I would go right out the door into the street. There is a downstairs Lounge that I did not go into, but I'm guessing that it allows for a bit more room to stretch out.

There are about 13 or 14 drafts, and most of them are rather interesting beers. 20 or 30 bottle/can selections mean that you shouldn't have too much trouble finding something interesting here.

The food was better than I expected. I think I kept my expectations low here, but for the most part we were both happy with our selections. I had a burger with cheddar and bacon and I think there were 6 or more slices of bacon on it. The fries were good and the beers tasted fresh.

The service was attentive and pleasant. I think the Paramount Room is sort of a diamond in the rough. The prices are a little bit higher on both the food and the beers than you will see elsewhere. But in my opinion, the food is definitely worth it.

Parking is primarily street parking, but there is a tiny metered lot north on Hubbard that is only a block away.