Had the chance to stop by again recently and B&B is every bit as good as I remembered! The staff is always kind and the vibe is a total pick-me-up. I doubt anyone leaves feeling less jolly than they did going in. On this visit, I started with the After Word to drink. It was light-bodied, not at all too sweet, and possibly went down *too* easily. We split the short rib poutine and I can't think of a better dish to get you through the winter. The meat absolutely melted in the mouth and the cheese was abundant and rich. Would order again in a heartbeat! We also tried the alligator bites as a seasonal special. I'd not had alligator before, but they were super crispy and spicy with an addictive gochujang sauce. It really does taste like chicken. If you've ever wanted to try alligator, this is the place to do it. For the main event, I opted for the red beans and rice hand pie. It came with a light, citrus salad and delicious hand cut fries with 3 dipping sauces, which were very fun to try. I loved the buttery pie crust but the filling tasty very tomato forward- I was missing the heat of a traditional red beans & rice and wished there was more seasoning. Still good. As usual, the portions were generous for the price and we left with leftovers. Absolutely recommend making the trek over here to give B&B a try, and will be back soon! read more

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This is one of my "little treat" spots, as whenever I get paid or somehow find $20 in my wallet, I like to come here. Then I forget for a few months, find another $20, end up stumbling across this place again and going "why don't I come here more?" This has happened three times. The most important part though- it's real tasty. Always. I'd say all of it, but I'm still working my way through the menu, but the burgers and Mac never let me down. The servers are always really laid back, and nothing feels rushed. I think it's part of the charm; somewhere to go and relax and take your time to enjoy the vibe. And you know what would help the vibe even more? Including the bread pudding on the menu full time. Keeping that bad boy stocked for me at all times. (This time was my first time seeing it on the specials menu and listen, it WAS special. So special that you should upgrade it to mainstay is all.) read more

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I usually plan the places that I go to prior to visiting them. I came here last minute since a place up the street was closed even thought I had a reservation. I decided to come to Beard & Belly since I had it bookmarked and it was close to where I was. We were able to get seated right away and received outstanding service. My wife ordered their Chicken & Waffles which I don't see on the menu anymore. This dish was really delicious. The chicken was seasoned and fried perfectly. It came with hot honey so it added a little bit of heat and sweetness. I ordered their Red Eye Pastrami. It came with pastrami, a fried egg, cheddar cheese, Dijon and greens. All in a ciabatta bread. I will admit though, "coffee & hot sauce" were in parentheses. I didn't taste neither in this sandwich. Did I not understand the assignment? Was I supposed to order coffee and then put hot sauce in this sandwich. Regardless, the sandwich definitely hit the spot. Don't think I've ever had a sandwich with pastrami and eggs before. I've been missing out. The ciabatta bread was also very soft. Such a perfect bread for this sandwich. It also came with hash browns. They had a tasty seasoning on them. Salty, but tasty. They offered garlic aioli or ketchup with these. Ketchup is probably the way to go. Really difficult to earn with the aioli, the hash browns fall apart if you try to dip them in the aioli. I can't wait to come back. read more

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I tried Beard & Belly for lunch today and I definitely will be going back again soon. I had a really good experience including the food, staff and overall cleanliness. I decided on the Marble Rye Pastrami Reuben and instead of fries I opted for the Green Chili Chicken Pozole Soup. It is extra but well worth it, it's a bowl not a cup of soup. The soup had a little bite to it along with plenty of vegetables and good broth. The Pastrami Reuben was very good with a generous amount of meat, cheese and other tasty ingredients. Metered parking and Lickety-Split Frozen Custard is right down the street. You have to enter at Honeypies Bakery next door, the server will seat you with menus and water. The server was very friendly and responsive, ready to offer more water and coffee which was very fresh. They do have Happy Hour Specials. read more

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I brought my parents to Beard & Belly for their wide selected of American comfort food. Everyone was pleased with the variety of options, though 3/4 of us ended up getting a pot pie!! Beer tap selection is awesome. Ambiance is great and inviting. Service was excellent. No complaints here. Another gem of Edgewater! read more

Beard & Belly - Chicken pot pie - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Yikes. Go right now, and get the September burger of the month. Go. Now. It's called the "Miss Louanne." It's like autumn in burger form. Amazing. It's a burger (that we could split) with smoked cheddar, apple butter, roasted pancetta, and caramelized onions. I am trying to figure out if I can manage to eat there every night for the rest of the month. I will need grief counseling when this goes away. read more

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Just about as ordinary as it gets. Barely any onions on the patty melt - a good patty melt is a great sandwich but theirs is the lamest I've ever had; I didn't eat half, not worth the calories. Chili mac is good but it's chili mac, I mean whooptie doo. The pie is good but they don't make it. read more

What a gem--service and food are outstanding. We met The Beard and The Belly! And bought a t-shirt. My short rib poutine was chefs kiss. Absolutely epic. The rest of my party all built their own burgers and were very happy. We shared cherry pie ala mode. Fantastic. These days, eating out is pricy. But when you have good experiences, it makes it worth it. Can't wait to go back. read more

I am not a hamburger girl, but I was craving one tonight and I got the half-pint burger and WOW I was impressed! It was so good I ate the whole thing. I asked for extra pickles and they gave me a nice little cup on the side full of them. The fries were also really good! I got their special sauce and the garlic aioli, I prefer their special sauce it was great. I also had to get the lemon poppyseed muffin from Honeypie which was delicious. It was a decent size for sure and not super thick, but thick enough to have a nice soft texture. Next time I want to try the soft pretzels. read more

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The patio area gets an A+ from me. We had good service too. Water at the table in a minute or two. Drinks in 5 minutes. Appetizer 10 minutes a meal in 10. The guy was nice. We were there at 6:3 on a Thursday. We were done by 7:3. The standouts for us were the fried pickles and homemade chips. I wanted to love the burgers but they were solid, not the best burger. The fries were ok, garlic aoili more garlic please. It had a sort of sweet taste to it. I liked my honeydew drink a lot. They have a good amount of mocktails which I liked. It was expensive to me. They get an A+ for supporting charity events. Thank u for that. read more

Wowzers, did we have a good old fashioned meal that delighted my senses. Plus the place was cool and had a table or two even on St Paddy's no wait, I was blessed bc this spot deserves to have made me wait and get it didn't. The food was divine, the service was fast helpful and even funny sometimes! I highly recommend the cheese curds and any of the burgers or frosty drafts! read more

Beard & Belly - Our server was so cool, she was the raddest wish i'd grabbed her name but she may remember our table! - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beard & Belly is a cool bar and burger joint connected to Honeypie Bakeshop. The actual entrance is through the bakeshop next door. Plenty of seating either at the bar or a table; the place is pretty lively for lunch. Staff was friendly and came by quickly and explain the specials. I ordered the Half-Pint burger which came with seasoned fries and garlic aioli sauce. The burger was cooked beautifully and was flavorful. The fries were crispy and seasoning could actually be tasted. It's a little pricier, the burger was $20 but I think it was worth it. read more

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We came with a group of people. Service was excellent, table for was a bit odd, but service was INCREDIBLE!! I got the pastrami Ruben and it was AMAZING! My husband got the chicken sandwich, he said it was good but the piece of chicken was the size of a chicken nugget, so a bit disappointing. I had a slice of cherry pie too and it was so good! I will definitely be back, just not with my husband! read more

The vibes of this place were excellent and I really loved that they collaborate with other local favorites (Dice Dojo & Lickity Split). Unfortunately I found the food to be a bit middle-of-the-road. My fiancée had the standard burger & I had the chicken pot pie - both of those were pretty good, no complaints. The fries however did taste like they were leftovers from the night before - which sucks because the seasoning was stellar. My side salad was good but the ranch dressing tasted like no one seasoned it. We did save room for pies - the Bourbon pie was an excellent recommendation from our server. And my fiancée enjoyed his rhubarb pie. We did the à la mode option to enjoy some Lickty Split along with it. Server was kind and knowledgeable though it did seem a bit slow despite it not seeming packed from what we could see, especially the pies. I bought parking for an hour and a half and had to add an extra 15 minutes at the end. All in all I'm on the fence if we'll go back, but I do like to support a local business that supports other local businesses so we'll see. read more

Really cute location. Had the burger special, but with jalapeños on the side. It was good. There could've been more french fries and the burger could've been bigger for the price. The garlic aïoli that came on the burger and is served as the dipping sauce for the chips Appetizer is fantastic. I tried three different pies, and each one was very, very good. Honeypie, which is connected to the restaurant., had had a great selection and members of our party took extra pieces home. I would definitely go back again. read more

Beard & Belly - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beard and Belly is one of those local, hip, and happening places. The crowd is lively, the food options are classics, sometimes with a fun twist! The servers are friendly, knowledgeable, and fairly attentive. B&B also does cultural events, be it a magic show, a cider dinner, or a drag show. Food-wise, B&B has a lot of amazing things going for it! The fries are stupendous! They are served fresh out of the fryer and not from under a lamp. What really elevates them to the Gods, however, is the garlic sauce! This is beyond creamy and delectable, with enough garlic to put this Slav's heart into a peace not known on this world. The Prezels? Cooked to perfection, crisp exterior, soft interior, terrific flavor from the dough, and not over salted in the least. Reminds me of when I was in Germany! Grilled Cheese - Seems boring, like something you'd find on a a children's menu at a random steakhouse. But no, this scrumptious creation was a battalion of flavor soldiers marching with speed along one's taste buds. It's the tomato jam I tell you! It takes the already incredibly creamy and savory cheese, and adds just the right amount of sweetness, even more savoriness (is this even possible?!) l think it's from the sweetness and teeny bit of acid rounding out the flavors. Highest praise: my "eat-to-live" dad letting out a loud "Mmmm" - something I've only seen once before at a really fancy steakhouse. Now, let's talk about the Burger of the Month (Sept 2024), the Ms. Cheryl. While it doesn't rank in my top-burgers of all time, they have a really good thing going here. Their specialty beef blend is legit! A little salt, and big beef flavor. The other ingredients add a little crunch (especially the chicharrones), a little sweet, and a little heat. I enjoyed the funk and flavor of the pimento cheese as well. It's difficult to achieve a juicy patty with only a 1/3 or a pound, so I'll give them credit for a moist burger. The Spicy Pickled Egg is a fun twist on a deviled egg. While my heat tolerance is too high for Frank's, I did enjoy it as a marinade, the blended yolk, and the savory accompaniments. Tomato Bisque- While I'm typically not a fan of tomato soups, but this one went down easy, and was very creamy. While I would have liked a tad more cheese... I eat cheese with my cheese, so there's that. For drinks: The Verano Fresco! Was a fruity summery cocktail. Good flavor, only I am not a fruity drink lover (though that's only a preference). The hibiscus notes as pronounced! Someone's Famous - (but not me, except on Yelp?) this one is crisper, a bit more refreshing and spirit forward, and wonderfully frothy from the Aqua Faba. For dessert: the Coffee Cream Pie was terrific! The cream was light and not over-sweetened, and the crust was light and even a little flaky. A delight compared to grocery store pie crust! Can't go wrong with Lickity Split custard either! Now, you may be asking yourself: Mark, you just spent 500+ words showering Beard & Belly with compliments, why only four stars? Well, *deep breath* the prices. For example, the Ms. Cheryl is $20 for a 1/3 pound burger. Subbing the tomato bisque for fries added $5. Even for Chicago, this seems a little excessive. Thus, while not an every-week affair, I do look forward to visiting Beard & Belly once a month to try these changing burgers! read more

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Place was average at best. Had it not been for a nearby event I'd dare not travel this far for lackluster food. Place was full of patrons so I'm not sure how my experience was subpar. Grilled cheese was hefty as were most of our sides & entrees. Prices were on the higher side but you won't leave hungry. Doubt I'd return as the extreme north must have a better establishment. read more

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Came here late on a Wednesday night. I liked the casual vibe to the place. We entered through the bakery side first but it's not hard to find the main dining area. I ordered their cubano which was a special that night. The cubano was good, just much larger than expected. It was great as leftover for lunch the next day too. Their fries are thick with some garlic seasoning (I think) that was super good. Server was very attentive and was quick to replenish water and provide a box for leftovers. read more

Beard & Belly - Cubano - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The tricky part will be deciding what to choose from such a great menu! The vibe is very warm and welcoming, and the food is fantastic. We came here for brunch and loved every bite. We were so excited about the entrées that we failed to take pictures. I had the biscuits and gravy, and my husband had the pork brat; both were amazing! read more

Beard & Belly - Waffles and sausage patties - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I ordered the short rib poutine. The portion is ginormous, so I looked forward to taking some home for next day leftovers. The first couple of bites were good, but then the saltiness became overpowering. And the server was nowhere to be found to refill my water glass which I had been guzzling down because of the salt. Ugh! I ended up taking most of it home. I thought maybe it would be tastier leftover and reheated as some food often is. Nope! I took a couple of bites, still overpoweringly salty so I had to throw it all out. read more

The only thing I like is the fried pickle. Taste homemade. Not too much dough. Thick cut pickle The spicy pickled egg: hard, sour, egg. Not my thing Huevo hand pie: the texture is great, very crispy flaky wrap. Just no flavor at all inside. Idk if they forgot salt Comes with Tomato soup. Pretty thick, but does not have much memorable flavor Beard burger: lots of ingredients, but a bit too sweet for me. Fries on the side is mediocre too read more

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The food and service here is excellent! I had the huevos rancheros hand pie, and it was one of the best things I have eaten in a restaurant. We will definitely be back. read more

Beard & Belly - Huevos rancheros hand pie and tomato bisque - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sort of a hidden gem. The food is delicious and the selection of beer is good and rotates regularly. The pickled eggs are a must-have! They also have good specials and events often. Make sure to try the pies next door! read more

What a wonderful place for lunch. My two friends and I really enjoyed everything. Very fresh.

We had planned to celebrate my partner's new job at Pat's in Lincoln Park over the weekend, but we really wanted to find somewhere wonderful in our own neighborhood. So instead, we had a midday lunch/dinner at Beard & Belly. It was the right idea and we were so glad we made the change. The layout is comfortable and completely unexpected, and the back patio feels like it's just part of the inside of the restaurant the way that it's all designed. We sat inside on the platform by the windows (with the friendly bees who kept trying to get back outside!) The fried appetizers and smoked meats and pickled eggs were amazing. My partner was blown away by his burger, and my Rubin had the best pastrami that I've ever eaten in my life. (And I'm a Jew from New York City transplanted to Chicago.) In. My. Life. We happily over-imbibed on the G. D. Pigeon Porter, including pairing it with Milwaukee mud pie from their partner, Honey Pie. Their take on neighborhood tavern food is absolutely spot on and just delicious. It wasn't cheap. It wasn't expensive. It was totally worth it. We will definitely be back. (We are also idiots because over the past two years we have spent lots of money on ridiculous suburban restaurants trying to find this exact vibe that turns out to be three and a half blocks from our house.) The only downside I could share would be that my gin and tonic with which I started was, respectfully, chintzy--mostly ice, half full at best, and looked exactly like lots of very similarly dressed G&Ts that I've had at Barcelona Lounge at Coronado Springs in Walt Disney World, except for the fact that half of the drink seemed to be missing. Honestly, that just means we'll stick with the beer next time, but it's not even near a dealbreaker. Our overall take from our superb experience was that, after feeling like we didn't even wanna leave our house and do anything in our neighborhood anymore post pandemic, we feel like we can trust our neighborhood again. The entire experience, as I shared on my personal socials, was very, very healing.We can trust our neighborhood again, and we have this amazing place so nearby. Probably the best restaurant experience we've had in Chicago in a decade. read more

Beard & Belly - Milwaukee Mud Pie and God Damn Pigeon Porter. - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Service: depends on the time of day (I've waiting up to 10 minutes for someone to bring water, then other days, 3 minutes) Ambiance: Perfect 10 Food: 7.5 (only because recipes seem to change often and when I think I'm ordering the same thing as before, the flavors are different). Overall the food is decent, nice place in the neighborhood and I wish them continued years of success. read more

Beard & Belly - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here on a day they were doing an island theme cocktails. The one special cocktail I got was delicious! It tasted somewhat like a pina colada. My husband got a beer which he liked. We started with the cheese curds which were very oily BUT it hit the spot for some cheese craving. We also got the elote salad which was our FAVORITE. I still get cravings for this. My not so favorite was the Mac and cheese. It just want the smooth cheese that I'm used to. It felt like it sat out for a while. I haven't tried their sandwiches that they are known for so I can't say I've had the main items here so definitely need to come back for that. Service was okay. Felt so welcomed by everyone when we walked in. But after our first drink order, we kept having to flag down our waiter. read more

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I LOVE this establishment and bring family/friends here as a "go to" all the time. Today I ordered "to-go" and just asked for "no onions" The staff is amazing and incredibly welcoming,The salad was amazing-- once I picked out all the onions that give me heartburn and stomach issues. read more

Beard & Belly - I - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My family and I enjoy a visit to the antiques shops on Broadway and always complete the day by eating at Beard & Belly. This Valentines Day was one of our outings. We were a little late getting there and many tables were already filled by people with advance reservations, but we were escorted in and seated in a very friendly manner. We were instantly greeted by the exceptional server Firas, who made our visit pleasant, non-rushed, accommodated some substitution requests and gave us another great experience, all while rushing to serve his other many guests. The food was excellent and decadently finished with pie from Honeypie, their partner in an adjoining business. What a nice experience - again. Beard and Belly and Honeypie is a gift to this community and Firas is just a gift! read more

I rarely crave a burger, but when I do, the burger better hit the spot! Well, this place blew me away! The belly burger and beard's burger were both fatty, hearty, and finger-lickin good! I tried deep fried cheese curds for the first time and loved the addicting crunch and fun texture on the inside. The first bite tasted like soft mozzarella cheese, but the more you bite the crunchier and chewier it gets while imparting a rich cheese flavor all throughout! Highly recommend the limoncello summer shandy for drinks! It is refreshing and tastes like the transition between spring and summer! After this satisfying meal, we just couldn't resist the tempting pies and sweets in the front! I got the chocolate mud pie and loved the Oreo crust. Surprisingly, it was not too sweet! We came back last night for their annual cider fancy dinner event and had so much fun! It is a 4 course dinner with cider pairings. The main course tasted just how I'd imagine Thanksgiving to taste like. In the end, we learned so much about apples and cider production and walked out with a bit of buzz. Definitely a fun time! read more

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We ate here before the Christmas holiday during happy hour, and the place was festive and cozy. The meals were comforting and delicious and the staff were helpful. We capped our meals with tasty pies. We'll be back! read more

Nice place. Food was good quality and tasted nice. Felt good to sit and dine. Vegan Curried Chickpea Salad came with good quantity and was tasty. Good and friendly staff providing great service. read more

My biggest problem with this place is it is not consistent. The first time we went there we liked it. Fried pickle, appetizer burgers, food was good. Next time it was a Friday night and things weren't quite up to par. Very noisy. Not a place to go if you want to visit with friends over a meal. read more

The food here was great! The fried pickles had a thick batter, which was a nice change of pace. The chicken sandwich was pretty standard, but good, and the fries were good too. read more

Beard & Belly - Chicken sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were greeted by a friendly gentleman upon entering. He showed us to our 'pew seat' in an elevated part of the bar. The place looked very modern and clean. We ordered the Mac and Cheese, the Pastrami Sandwich, the Fried Chicken Sandwich, and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Although we didn't ask, the Mac and Cheese came out first. It was so rich and thick; no wonder it can be ordered as a meal. I was full from just eating that. My husband and I split the sandwiches. I think I liked the fried chicken one more than the pastrami, but you can't go wrong either way with all the meat in both. We ordered the Grilled Cheese sandwich for my kid, so we asked for it plain: he ate it, so that's a plus. I brought a key lime pie to eat home: it was good but a lot more cream than lime. The food was filling, and the service was great. read more

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Great staff, always welcoming. The beer and food selection is unmatched. Great vibe, wish they had a TV for sports.

This place is so cute! Very kind and attentive service. We got the pretzels and they were perfect and they have a good local beer list. Would definitely come back if I'm in the area. The entrance is a bit misleading but other than that great spot! read more

Beard & Belly - Pretzel - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So nice! Definitely a gem in Edgewater! The cheese curds are flavorful so definitely recommend starting off with them! Burgers and sandwich are huge!!! Anything is worth the price. The atmosphere is a cute kind of broken spoke deal which I'm into. Also every single one of the staff was kinda and seemed to actually enjoy where they worked which was a nice pace in Chicago! read more

Beard & Belly - Melon Fresco drank by the cutest patron ever - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It had all the highlights that hit home for me usually. The menu sounded interesting, extensive bar menu including NA and CBD/THC beverage options, cool atmosphere with outdoor seating and a hip youngster crowd, excellent Yelp reviews, so must be good. Service was slow when we went; which unfortunately I'd just come to accept these days as it tends to be more of the norm than exception, but more on how I'm an old curmudgeon at a later date. Space was great and it was hopping. I wanted to order everything off the menu because it all sounded great, but as things started to arrive at the table, my excitement level deflated little by little. We ordered a beet salad thing, cheese curds, Reuben and a sausage plate. I wanted poutine but was talked out of it by the server because according to him, we were getting fries with the Reuben, but dear server, you know good and well those aren't the same, but you're right, I probably won't finish half this food. Also, my husband later pointed out he might have been doing us a solid cuz we were just not impressed with anything we had. Nothing was bad, but nothing was special or exciting or even hit home for this Wisconsin bred German gal who generally loves everything about every morsel of this menu, but alas my favorite takeaway from our whole meal was the shrub canned beverage from Marz - love that I have a new bevvie, so thanks for that! I wouldn't steer people from here, but I didn't get the abundance of positive feedback for the food. It didn't do it for me, but I always try to see it as possibly being an off night or new cook in the kitchen, etc...and maybe that's what it was on my particular experience but to all those that love it, keep on keeping on! read more

I absolutely adore this place they have a great atmosphere and their patio is so chill. The food is outstanding everything I have ever ordered has been great! Definitely a go to spot in the area with amazing service and food. read more