Love this place ! I had my dog's 10th birthday party there and they were very accommodating; their outside patio was perfect. Great service. The food was also very good (bbq pork skewers). I will be having my dog's 11th birthday party there for sure ! read more

Half Acre Beer - Birthday boy Brutus - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Beautiful and spacious tap room with fantastic beers on tap, especially in late fall! read more

Half Acre Beer - Main bar - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of the best breweries in the city, well known for the hopped beers and rich stouts. If you're planning on going, definitely good to snag a reservation. First before I talk about the beer, they also serve food and coffee. I haven't had much from their menu aside from the fries, but that alone has always been a spectacular accompaniment to the beer. Their espresso is very well made and they have the nicest ceramic ware for it. Onto the beer! Most of the beers are hopped, so it's easy to find a nice IPA. If you want to go classic, always try the Daisy Cutter, but you can also never go wrong with any of their flagships. I've really liked their recent Space IPA, so I hope that gets folded into the regular distribution. Aside from their hopped beers, they always produce solid stouts. Every winter, they're known for their Benthic series, which is a very rich, coconut barrel-aged imperial stout. They also always do variations of the OG Benthic like Vanilla, XTRA Duble (more barrel-aged), and Rum coconut - which were a few of the 2021 variations. They are expensive beers for 12-ounce cans, but you only really need 12 ounces at a time at most. They are highly sought after, so make sure you get in on that lottery right as it comes on. Throughout the year, they also make the Bear Hugs series and occasional one-offs like VIM, which are more widely available. But, the best surprise that it is only exclusive to the Balmoral restaurant is their wild ale series. They have started exclusively serving and distributing wild ales from the Balmoral cafe and they are excellently made. A must-try if you like this type of beer and are stopping in at this location. Food and beer aside, they have an awesome back patio area and a nice event space if you're looking to host big groups! read more

Okay- Positives- cute atmosphere with good music that is the right volume that you can have a conversation without screaming. Thanks Half Acre! Super appreciate that!! Negatives- so they DON'T TAKE CASH or at least give you change. So if your bill is $14 and you have a $50 that's what your paying because they can't make change. We walked in after looking over the menu online. I was excited to consume some of the things that were posted online as well as posted on yelp. Unfortunately they changed their menu and it's minimal. Burgers, chicken sandwich, some sort of pasta and a veggie burger. (I was. Hoping for a salad). When we asked about the "food menu" I felt like we were the bad guys for asking about an old girl friend. We ordered some beers, they were brought to the table, when the beers were 1/2 full someone checked in on us, but then we sat with empty glasses for a good 10 minutes. So that was the end of our Half-Acre adventure. Beer was decent, I imagine service is okay as long as they don't feel like you're asking about "what could've been. (LOL). read more

Half Acre Beer - Cute neighborhood atmosphere location. - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I swear their beer gets better every year they exist, and their food is always interesting and delicious. Super chill atmosphere, always a fun place to hang with friends (not to mention they're super cool and accommodating for babies)! Finally, the staff is always very kind and has great recommendations for whatever flavor/profile one is craving from their beer. I always feel welcome here, and it's truly always a treat to be there. P.S. they have one of the cleanest, most well-kept family bathrooms/changing tables in the city. read more

The flight is an absolute horrendous deal don't be fooled like I sadly was. They do four 5 ounces for $16 which is double what all the 10 ounce beers would have been (each 10 ounce is $4 that I got) so I paid double for literally no reason. I honestly cannot believe they let this be a thing. It's otherwise wonderfully priced. So this is insane. They waiter told me you could do 5 ounces on their own and it would be $3. So $16 is overpriced for a flight at baseline and they don't even have flight trays or plates. Absolutely ridiculous and probably meant to swindle people who think flights are fun. Really disappointing. read more

Half Acre Beer - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This location of Half Acre is my favorite place to bring family and friends visiting from out of town, especially while the pandemic still trucks on. They are doing a fantastic job with covid guidelines, only allowing vaccinated individuals into the enclosed patio area. They had way more draft options when I visited in the summer, which makes me think this is a transitional period.. not sure though. I've tried many of the beers off their menu and so far you can't go wrong with any choice! The Battle of Trenton has been my go-to. As for their food choices, definitely get the burger!! It is absolutely delicious. The chicken sandwich is pretty good, but I would skip the bratwurst. The fried cheese curds are great to satisfy a craving, but don't get your hopes up if you're used to Wisconsin battered cheese curds ;) All in all, I am glad to have this brewery so close to home. This was not the first and will not be my last visit! read more

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Another successful bike and brew day with Half Acre being our first stop. It was beautiful weather so we sat outside on their patio. They have about 8 big picnic tables and a separate area for playing cornhole. I liked that they allow dogs on the patio too, but the day we went there was a very strong smell of wet dog (which was weird). For the outside area, you order at the window and if you get food they'll bring it out to your table when it's ready. We ended up trying the pizza but it was just ok. For beer, I started with the shallow back shandy which was very refreshing - probably my favorite of the day. I also tried their Gossamer golden ale and Volo wheat lager, which were good too. I would definitely return for drinks, but probably not food. read more

Half Acre Beer - Beer Me. - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Been to Half Acre on Balmoral several times now and there's a reason I keep coming back. The experience is just awesome. I'm a long time craft beer snob, especially the good local stuff, so before I ever started visiting this location, I was more than familiar with the beers. The location itself is unique. Big, yet tucked away in the city. I've frequented the outdoor area over the summer, but I was just there Saturday night and it's now tented due to the cold, but it's also heated. Still really nice and a very relaxed vibe. Great beers and awesome variety. Was lucky enough to grab Vanilla Benthic (2021) while there. They also have a constant variety and take home bottles of Averie Swanson's Keeping Together beers, which will unfortunately not be around for very long after the Lincoln location, where she was brewing, closed. Took a walk through the indoor area and loved the vibe in there too. Will definitely be headed inside next time, especially if it continues being as cold as it has been. Very cozy, great interior. All around, super friendly and quick service. Didn't eat this time around, but I have had food there and it's impeccable. Hard to nail a great brewery outing like they do. read more

Half Acre Beer - Vanilla Benthic (2021) - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've enjoyed coming to this brewery because the establishment is nice and beer is tasty. I was introduced to it when the brewery had a tasting room on Lincoln Square area. This space is super accommodating for out door or indoor seating. Parking is easy to find on the neighborhood and enjoy a few beers and check out their menu. read more

Half Acre Beer - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've enjoyed each of my two recent trips to the Balmoral Taproom. First was the Big North Festival in August-great chance to sample everything they brew. The most recent trip included an IPA-centric tour that was informative, interesting and fun. I also ate there for the first time and highly recommend it as a great place to go for drinking and eating. The Chicago Pizza was great-thick crispy crust (not deep dish) with bacon, sausage, cherry peppers and cheese...mmm! Also had the Pastrami grilled cheese which was also right on. All staff are friendly and know their stuff (food and drink alike). read more

Half Acre Beer - Pastrami Grilled Cheese - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Half Acre should give a course on how to ruin a restaurant in 60 days. For years, I've frequented Half Acre since they opened their kitchen. Yes, there have been small changes and pivots along the way, but the recent 180 has destroyed a reliable lunch staple for Chicagoans. Half Acre used to have great upscale bar food that was highlighted by a great Brussels sprout salad, pretzel bites, ranch-flavored curds, beets, and fried chicken, every thing was a home run. Half Acre then moved to more of a fried chicken-heavy fare, which was still stellar. Now for some unknown reason, they moved to an Asian fusion-heavy menu that is just for a lack of better word garbage mixed with horrendous planning and education. The worst thing in the world that happened to them was the Eater article asking if this was the best lumpia in Chicago. Short answer it's not. It's good, but so are dozens of others. The entrees are now high-end, too expensive, and just not that good. The new chef or food director or whoever needs fired. Go back to before. But it gets worse, these clown show efforts can't even keep menu items in store. A short rundown of last 3 visits, with the today's being my last for good. 3 visits ago, Saturday around 4. Literally, all the food was sold out but fries. Tried to have a beer and everything but year rounds was sold out so I left. 2 visits ago. All the food was in stock but it was average. Solid lumpia. Kfire chicken had no flavor, terrible portion size, and everything else was boring. Last visit today. Saturday at 1. Lumpia sold out. Steak frites old out. New pork skewers are chewy. Veggie tart is limper than an 90 year old who ran out of ed drugs. Sucks I can't just go get a good beer and food anymore. read more

This review is for the taproom. It has so much potential so the general chaos of going there is a real shame. Are they open? Is the patio open? Do they take reservations? Do they take reservations for the patio? Do they serve food? What kind of food? Will they answer the phone to help me understand if I should bother coming? These are the unknowns when attempting a visit. I don't love their beer (not an IPA fan) so it's not a big enough draw for me to overlook the frustrating experience. 2 stars because most of the staff is great. read more

I caught up with an old pal and fellow Yelper Vikki Y at Half Acre's Balmoral location on a lovely Sunday afternoon. They are dog-friendly so I brought my pup and we sat on their picnic benches in seasonal patio space, under the shade of an umbrella. On a crowded day, seating will most likely be communal, especially if you're just 1 or 2 people. You can walk up to the counter to order food/drinks. You take a number and they'll deliver it to your table. We split a beer flight, Huevos ala Diabla, and a Rhubarb Raspberry Bread Pudding. This Half Acre location is perfect. Their staff is friendly and even came around the tables to let people know their brewery tour was about to start. Casual, chill, no frills. I didn't get the chance the attend the brewery tour here, but I did at their other location on Lincoln Ave. To compare both spaces, at the Balmoral location, there's more space. It's less crowded. Plus they serve food here. The Huevos Ala Diabla and bread pudding was just the right amount to split between two. We intentionally chose a savory and a sweet dish, but they have other food options like porchetta or brisket sandwiches, salads, and smoked salmon rillettes. On Sundays they have brunch items from 10am-3:30pm. You'll see people here wearing t-shirts from other breweries in the Midwest (I spied a shirt from Founders in Grand Rapids) or other types of Midwest representation (e.g. Big Ten swag). Nostalgia washed over me, reminding me of my days in Ann Arbor, where I was first introduced to the extensive world of craft beer & microbreweries. It's hard NOT to love a place like this. Good food, good beer (they have non-alcoholic and kombucha options as well). People are friendly and might make small talk as they wait for their food, or get recommendations from the servers. The table behind us borrowed my dog to take selfies, and so my dog happily sat on their laps soaking up all the attention. The atmosphere is relaxed with the right amount of 'mingle.' You could feel completely fine coming on your own or with a larger party. It immediately feels like home, hanging out on a patio with local beer; a quintessential midwestern summer. I feel like every Chicagoan should pay a visit to this taproom at least once! read more

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Really neat beer garden! Super clean... honestly the best place for covid precautions I've been to...hats off to them! Great beer, affordable, fantastic playlist of tunes, clean bathrooms, chill beer garden and awesome staff. Does it get any better?! We will be back! read more

Half Acre Beer - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beautiful space, roomy and bright. A lot more spacious than their Lincoln Square location. A nice long bar. Awesome beer (lots of IPAs and stouts but also a variety of other styles, so something for everyone), friendly staff, and delicious sticky buns baked on site. There's a patio, a nice big event space in the back, big clean bathrooms and a changing table (very family friendly!). read more

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A great tasting beer local Brewery and a Chicago Classic is half acre this place look really cool in the inside and is very Progressive as they have an actual transvestite working inside there the beer was excellent and there's plenty of different types of beers to choose from and this is about is a typical of looking Brewery is one will find this Brewery is down the road from Spitfire in a residential area Chicago and there's plenty of ample space and I believe they serve food as well before a certain time read more

We needed a place to go with our out-of-town guests over the holidays. Cannot say enough how nice the wait staff was in accommodating our large group with children. ( There was a kid's menu too.) The food was excellent! Of course the beer was too! It had a festive atmosphere being decorated with Christmas tree garland. We really enjoyed our afternoon there. read more

Another beer joint in the Andersonville area. Don't get me wrong, I am all for folks doing their thing with beer, but is there any reason that with a big bar you can't have other adult beverages for folks that don't drink a lot of hoppy beer, but are out with friends who are? Band of Bohemia and Two Brothers embrace this concept, so i am not sure why other beer joints don't. Service is spotty if you actually want service. If you are good with waiting for a beer and taking a while to drink it before ordering another, then you are good. The outdoor area looks like it will be a good place to hang and there is a parking lot as well. One thing that I didn't care for was the smell. We were in the back room that was next to the room where the bathrooms and tanks are for brewing beer. I am assuming that it was perhaps the mash to make the beer or the hops, but several of us got the feeling that we were in a horse stable. Not a good odor. Will come back in warmer weather when there is service outside. read more

Half Acre Beer - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ok Half Acre, where does one begin? Let's start at the beginning, it's a very fine place to start... okay, I got that out of my system. So..geez, I really don't know how you do it, but just the best beer ever, Really great people and cheese curds . I really don't know how anyone can go anywhere else. We went last night and had an extensive conversation with others at the bar regarding streaming shows. I'm not sure why you need to know this. People are just friendly franks , here. Sigh. To half Acre inhabitants of my kingdom! read more

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I came here for lunch the other day and had an off putting experience with our wait staff. I ordered their burger and asked if I could substitute the side of fries because of a potato allergy, there was nothing to substitute it with so I asked for it on the side for my friend - the waitstaff asked if I was allergic to nightshades and I said only potato's, but they then went on to say something about shishito peppers being a nightshade and I said I wasn't allergic to them. Anyways, our food comes and they said they substituted the aioli because of cross contamination shishitos (which I had specifically said I wasn't allergic to) and my burger was VERY rare, uncomfortably pink for my taste. (Our wait staff didn't come back to check on us for a long time so sending the burger back wasn't an option) I thought it was funny that we weren't asked how we wanted the meat cooked since the wait staff seemed vigilant about an allergy that I didn't have. I've come here for drinks a few times and had a good experience, but I can't recommend ordering food here based off of this experience. read more

We live on the south side of Chicago, but love making the trip to Half Acre for their great beer, good food, dog-friendly patio, and friendly service! We have been to half acre at least 6-7 times, mostly sitting on their patio in recent years. They have excellent beer (good enough for my picky husband) and are releasing new beers regularly. They used to have a larger food menu, with burgers and other things, but the last time we went it was only small bites (chips, cheese curds, pretzel bites, etc). They have a parking lot and plenty of street parking. We have also biked here in the past. They have a bike rack and there's also a divvy station nearby. Highly recommend! read more

Popped in over the weekend and had a great time. We ordered the pickle bowl full of tasty pickled veggies and the pâté. What made the pâté even better was the fact that despite running out a little earlier they were in the process of making some more... your kitchen made the lady soooo happy. Super friendly staff always ready to answer any questions you may have, amazing selection of brews (of course) and the food was great. read more

This place had a lot of buzz on opening night. It was fun and the beer was tasty, but the line to get into the restaurant was haphazardly managed. I chalked it up to brand new staff. I've been back twice now, and service is what struggles so far. The last time I was there with a group of four, our server rarely noticed that we had an empty drink, even though the place wasn't busy. And we all showed up at different times to grab drinks--yet at the end of the night we were not offered separate tabs and when we asked, the server told us no--he either wouldn't or couldn't. I know some places just won't do this, but nobody wants to end a night trying to do math on the back of the napkin when everyone had completely different number of drinks and some were more expensive than others. Ok, whiny, but get this right. Still hopeful for this place though. Half Acre beer is some of the best of the Chicago beer revival. read more

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Love their outdoor patio. Staff is kind and friendly! They have a hummus veggie plate that is delicious and goes well with their beer! read more

Half Acre Beer - Outdoor seating - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Didnt get in. Long wait. Make a reservation. You can even be 15 minutes late. They will hold your table for that long or longer. The hostess asked if we had a reservation. We said no. She let us know "that would make things complicated" because they have reservations. I doubt I'll be back. read more

I went here to meet some friends because we all like the beer. I didn't really think about the food, but holy crap--the food! The lumpia wins hands down as the greatest table share item for beer ever. We ordered it twice. If you're not familiar, lumpia is a kind of Filipino spring roll with a sweet and spicy sauce. They're finger size and they're finger food and Jesus Can I Have More Christ they are good. The chicharonnes were slightly spicy and had that perfect crunch and snap you want from the real thing. These are like the ones you get in a taqueria, not the ones you get at a white hen. Big. Crunchy. Porky. Delicious. The oxtail meatballs were the thing that fucked me up. I mean in a good way. Where the hell did this come from? What freak of nature chef decided to put this on them menu and can I buy them a beer? Because fuck me, this shit is delectable. Just, if you've never had oxtail, think of slow braised porch cheek or short ribs. They have that flavor that only comes from being slow cooked on the bone for half a day. Just fucking smackalicious. My table raved about the mackerel & saltines, but it's just not my thing so I declined. They said it was the best thing there. Can't wait to go back. read more

Beer is great, that's why I came. Small food menu but what they do, they do well, and that's what counts. Will be back for the tour soon.

the beer is great, and sometimes the food is good, but the last two things I've had have been largely inedible: the steak frites was over-cooked, dry and metallic. I couldn't finish it. the new menu says it is cooked to order, but my server didn't ask me how I wanted it (medium rare). the shrimp in today's baos was perhaps undercooked, but definitely too rubbery to even chew. I'm super bummed the great beer place is so sloppy about (no quality control!) their food. read more

Half Acre Beer Company did an outstanding job with our semi-private outdoor event on Friday evening at the Balmoral location! Adia was amazing to work with as we planned all the details. Claire's food was incredible and she even came out to say hello. Josh was our cheerful and knowledgeable server. Adrienne checked in with us throughout the night with Adia. Per usual, the beer and cider was fantastic! The beer garden was the perfect venue for our first post-pandemic gathering. We highly recommend checking them out for an event and of course for a casual cold one any day. #halfacre read more

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I love this brewery and I want it to be a spot that I continue to go to often. The beers are great and they do a really good job of keeping the choices fresh. The food, however... has taken a big turn for the worse this year. This used to be my go-to spot for lunch or dinner and now it's one of my last choices. It feels very overpriced, blah-tasting, and trying too hard. Hard to get excited about it at the moment, but hoping it gets better. read more

Came here to celebrate some good news with a friend. We entered with happy hearts and left with happy hearts and full bellies. We shared a bottle (can't remember the name but it was a mix of different brews with like a fall-ish flavor?) and two apps (pate and cod brandade) . Y'all. Oh my god. The two apps were absolutely phenomenal. Just mouth watering deliciousness with every bite. Highly HIGHLY recommend. We ran out of bread for the pate and eagerly asked for more. And honestly, I love my friend, but I think I started hating her while eating bc I was fighting for every spoonful. A silent war to eat as much of it as possible. I saw a bunch of tables get this s'mores looking drink concoction. My one regret (aside from not getting double orders of the two apps) was not ordering that magnificent s'mores drink. Don't make the same mistakes I made. read more

Half Acre Beer - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Place is cool looking but we parked in the lot and there wasn't any signage of how to get in the building and no one at the host stand, then the girl we did get was not friendly to say the least actually most of the staff wasn't personable.. enjoyed the beer anyways, food menu is small but nice they have some. read more

I love when great beer is paired with food. I love most of the beer that I've tried here, but the food is pretty mediocre. (or if you're drunk, I'm guessing it's fantastic) We went on a relatively off time & honestly, I probably wouldn't do that again. Service was soooooooo slow. We ended up having to go to the bar for our drinks. I get if it was busy, but it wasn't. The food was pretty middle of the line. Great for convenience, but not the best brew pub food I've had. I do love that to get to the bathrooms, you walk through/by where the main brewing happens. Super cool to see. I would go back for the beer and the beer only. read more

Consistently delicious beer in a welcoming, spacious location with amazing staff. What's not to love? Half Acre has been a favorite of mine in bottle shops and local taps for years, but this was the first time I'd visited the brewery. This was obviously a LONG overdue trip. I love seeing specialty stouts available here and nowhere else (doubly so on Nitro), but many styles and flavors are available. The indoor space is nice but the patio is exceptional. Of the weather allows that's the spot to head to. I didn't indulge in the god on this trip but everything I saw at neighboring tables looked delicious! The manager Katie was incredibly accommodating and knowledgeable and the rest of the staff were also friendly and helpful. I'm very glad I had a chance to visit and I'll certainly be back! read more

If you're visiting or local, this is a must visit. Fantastic rotating beer selection. This place is best in the summer when their patio is open. read more

Great brewery! Solid beer and awesome vibe! Also appreciated the great service by John behind the bar and Jacob who hooks up customers with "the good stuff!" Cheers to one of the best brewery's in Chicago! read more

We arrived at about 6:20, ordered at 6:30. Didn't get anything to eat until 7. We even asked the waitress, and she said the food had just come up, but still wandered around without going to get it. When the food arrived, it was dramatically over priced. We got essentially a patty melt with a tiny, substandard burger, for $20. That was still better than the fish and chips, which smelled and tasted like ammonia and had to be sent back. I haven't had this bad a dining experience in a long time. read more

After being a loyal half acre fan for over a decade I'm calling it quits because they don't want my business. They would rather pry their way into my personal al decisions even without being intimidated into it. Horrible people. Never again. read more

Met some friends last night for the amazing beer/burger special. George and Caroline were friendly, prompt and knowledgeable. Food and beer was great as always! I just wish you all were still on Lincoln Ave!! also the hop water on tap is REALLY good! Great NA alternative read more