Hopleaf Bar is hands down one of our favorite spots for dinner and drink in all of Chicago!…read more One key to a successful dinning experience at Hopleaf is knowing the three different spaces to engage. When you first walk in, you have to show your ID since this is an adults-only bar establishment. (1) You can then choose to sit in the front bar area, if you want a full menu, but use the bar for ordering service. (2) If you keep walking through the front bar area, you reach the host stand at the top of the ramp. This is where you can put your name in to sit in the main dining room, upstairs, or outside. (3) However, you can also walk through to the left of the host stand to another bar area that has full menus, but bar service for ordering. This is our preferred spot because we can often find a seat and order with the bar. Do note that, during busy times, part of this bar area is managed by the host stand and will be labeled as such. The extensive beer menu is our favorite. We have our favorite food items, so all our decision making revolves around which beer we will get. They always have a bit of everything style-wise, from all over the world, but with a local-brewery focus. Seasonal emphasis is also taken into consideration when they curate the beer list. It is always rotating and we love it! Beers are served in the recommended glasses from the breweries. It's a great drinking experience from start to finish! Our food orders are eternally set: I get the Nueske Ham sandwich with fries and aioli. My husband gets the Reuben sandwich with fries and aioli. This meal is so perfect we'll probably never get anything different, despite the menu being delicious across the board. The wildest we get is sometimes splitting the two sandwiches. No reason to mess with a good thing! Other notable great things about Hopleaf: (1) Kind, knowledgeable, and professional staff. (2) Reasonable prices for high quality and great variety products. (3) Clean Belgian Bar decor/vibe with lots of space for folks to enjoy their time. (4) They are open late and serve food late. Thank you for being an amazing local spot, Hopleaf! We'll see you soon!

Simply, all around excellent!…read more This was one of those cases where I stopped in, started a review, and then it sat in my drafts collecting dust. Thus, a return visit was a must! Primarily because I genuinely enjoyed it, and secondarily because I enjoy writing. Hopleaf boasts a tremendous and awesome beer list! It's truly hard to do it justice in a review. I will say they offer a wide variety of different kinds, origins, styles, bottle versus draft, and so on. For those who aren't beer lovers, there are cocktails, ciders, and more! For food, I was able to try both the Pork Belly and the Slagel Burger. The pork belly was much better than I expected! The exterior was delightfully roasted, and the interior was soft and savory with a good balance between meaty and fatty bits. The pork was well-sauced, and the accompanying accoutrements were similarly fantastic, helping to round out the pork, and adding freshness. On my first visit, my main memory of the burger was a very high salt level. However, this appears to have been addressed on my second visit. Now, is it the best burger in the city? No. However, it is excellent in its own right. The smashed patties have good flavor and a proper char around the edges. The vegetables are present but not so overwhelming that it becomes a hard-to-eat salad, and finally, it is delightfully cheesy! Where service is concerned, the bar staff were friendly and welcoming. They took great care of me and other patrons approaching the bar. Food came out in a reasonable timeframe, especially for items cooked to order. In terms of their vibe, I feel as though the best way I can describe it is to say it's a larger, elevated dive bar. It isn't cramped or dark, and there's plenty of space. At the same time, it isn't at all uppity and preserves that neighborhood establishment feel (though I would certainly go across town to visit on occasion). Finally, regarding value, when the bill came, I felt the amount due was more than reasonable considering the quality of food, beers, and service I received. Thus, while I am generally not a big beer drinker (I'm more of a spirits/cocktails person), I'm not totally against printing out their beer menu and crossing out items as I try them. That is to say, I look forward to coming back again and again.

Cute place but generally the beers were too similar to one another. Ordered at the bar.read more

This dog (and kid)-friendly neighborhood bar/brewery allows your pup to be inside which is great…read morewhen it's cold and/or wet. This is possible because no food is prepared on-site. Whole pizzas (from Pequod's) are available for purchase as well as sausage bites (from Paulina's) and soft pretzels.

Our self-guided brewery tour through Chicago's North side landed us at Hop Butcher, and it was…read moreprobably our favorite spot of the trip! Paid street parking available directly outside this establishment! The interior is laid back, with bar or table seating, and a huge mural that gives you a glimpse into the amazing artwork used throughout the brand. Our server was helpful at deciphering which of their many IPA to try and also where to go for our next stop on the journey. The beer itself was AWESOME!! They focus heavily on IPAs, which gives us hop lovers so many nuances to choose from. I love that they focus on one thing and do it incredibly well! Our favorite was the Cold Pizza, which we picked up in their attached store for our home collection. Great space, tasty IPA, and perfect spot for a sip and a board game!

Have been here a few times in the past few years based on their high reviews. Each time it gets…read moreharder to find a beer without lactose. 90-100% of their beers use lactose. Great if you don't mind animal products in your beer. Not my thing. So many other local breweries who don't do this. Other than that, paid street parking is easy and service is friendly.

Really great experience from a friendly neighborhood place!…read more Came on a colder spring day where they were still willing to serve us outside with our dog. So thankfully they were willing to do that! Servers were so friendly to us and our pupper. They even turned the patio heater on for us! This place is a must for anyone out with their dog! All the food was delicious and brought out quick. Loved the Mac and cheese squares! The drinks were well balanced and I had a delightful Bloody Mary! All the portions were generous and well worth the price. Excellent quality all around! The location is amazing in the heart of Ravenswood. It's perfect for a date, catching up with friends, or an impromptu late lunch in early spring! Can't wait for another visit after warmer weather sets in!

Came here after a Cubs game. Servers were prompt and never left us waiting. Sitting on the outside…read moresection was such a vibe. The food was phenomenal and I can't stop thinking about their pork nachos. The pork was juicy and tender and so flavorful. Their crispy chicken sandwich was perfect! I loved the fries it came with, it's not your usual steak fries, they're a unique shape and they were fried perfectly. The crispy chicken was juicy and tender, while keeping the crispy coating on the outside. There are no pictures because I inhaled the food!! I can't wait to come back again

The Getaway is a bona fide gem if ever I've seen one! With fantastic drinks at great prices, this…read moreis a spot you don't want to miss. It's pretty unassuming on the outside and easy to miss if you're not looking for it. The vibe kind of sits somewhere in between a dive bar and cocktail lounge. Definitely unique and a great lowkey spot to unwind either with friends or solo. They have a fantastic happy hour on weekdays with half off all drinks. The menu is a quality over quantity situation, featuring a pretty small but super interesting and unique selection. On this visit, I tried the cocorococonut cocktail, which had a very interesting blend of coconut, lemongrass, and lychee. It was super refreshing, not at all too sweet, and aesthetically very pretty. I wish I could've tried more of the menu, but I'll just say that the pours are generous! Overall, I had a great experience and highly recommend paying a stop!

Attended a private party in the back of the bar! Enjoyed the cozy vibe with the twinkly lights and…read morecomfy seating! The drinks were really tasty with a nice variety. I ordered the Honey Bee & my husband had the getaway. We found parking across the street in a paid lot for $10. I also luved the 80s music playing in the background. Definitely will be back @ this Lincoln square neighborhood place!!!

Me and my BBFs were looking for a place to have a drink before going to The Davis Theater to see…read moreParis is Burning (totally iconic movie!). We thought that Sojourn would be open, but there were not, so I pulled out my trusty Yelp app to locate something nearby we could walk to and stumbled across this joint. So I was not aware that this is a sister location to the Uptown Taproom. Totally different vibe in terms of decor: Uptown is light and airy and this joint is semi-dark, kinda reminds me of a bar you would see in a rural college town. There is a small bar and several high top tables inside and a cute outside area. There is a set of four leather (I assume) chairs in the back of the bar that we sat at, which were comfortable. My BFFs got cocktails and seemed to be happy with them. While they did not have bubbles in a bottles, they did have Underwood, which was ok for me. For a quick drink on a Monday before a movie at The Davis, I would consider coming back here. The place was clean and the bartender was friendly and nice, with a nice smile. And they have bubbles.

My go to bar! I live close by , and on Mondays they have. $16 burger,fries and beer special…read more Needless to say, I come on Mondays religiously. It's a great deal! We have a favorite bartender and she's awesome! She knows to surprise me with any non alcoholic beer and I'm fine with that. There are tons of board games for anyone to use, they also have a dart board and a few TVs playing sports. Super casual and chill, loud music playing and just a great neighborhood bar. Love it here!

Easily one of the best burgers in Chicago…read more We both got the bad burger, except my friend got it with mac and cheese. The burger was juicy and the bun was soft; didn't feel like I had to unhinge my jaw just to get a bite like with some other burgers. The toppings for the burger paired harmoniously with the patties, with the pickles adding texture and bite. The fries paired with the burger were honestly whatever, but the spicy aoli paired with it elevated eating the fries. We also got an elote app to share. I did enjoy the cheese and corn and how warm and melty they were, but I think it could've gone without the avocado. The mac and cheese though, now that was absolutely delicious. It was gooey and soft, with the breadcrumbs and bacon adding texture and smokiness. The drinks I got, the sylvan and green eyes, were a little strong for me (I prefer sweeter), but nonetheless excellently mixed. If you like strong, classic flavors, these are for you.

My husband and I walked in on a Sunday evening for dinner and were able to be seated right away…read more The atmosphere is dark and moody, and it made sense once I realized it was the same owners as Gretel. Loved the 90s female R&B playlist they had going! Little Bad Wolf has been on my list FOR YEARS to try the burger! My husband got the burger with fried onions and I got some Bao because those also looked delicious and were a popular menu item. Honestly the 3 stars are only that high because of the service. Our server was friendly and attentive + the food came out hot and quick. Unfortunately, the food was pretty disappointing. The burger was swimming in a puddle of grease and just picking it up made your hands greasy + was dripping grease. The fries that came with it were floppy, soggy, and sad...but at least warm? I personally wouldn't order this again. The Bao were better, but small for the price and honestly were just okay? It was nice they gave you sauces you could add, but I found the Bao's to already have enough sauce so I didn't need them. Overall I left feeling confused and disappointed. I don't feel the need to come back here - Little Bad Will was a one and done experience for me.

This is for the bar, Leland Tap, which ajoins the store( which is also worth 5 stars)…read more I rarely come here. I used to live in the neighborhood and would buy my liquor here. But each time I do visit, I am repeatedly met with good, regular old hospitality and a good drink. Nicolas, who coincidentally does not often work there is the owners son and is friendly and make a great Gin n Tonic. There is a new gin there too that I got to taste ( I normally order Hendricks) its called SkePtic Gin. I am now, unabashedly a fan of it, and as it turns out, is made by Nicolas himself. Dim the lights, come in for a chill evening and enjoy. Its another bar right off of the brown line at Western and is so convenient, you have no excuse. See you soon!

I bought a bottle of Tincup Whiskey in this liquor store today, 1.75l for $49.99. When it came time…read moreto open the bottle, the little tin cup on top of the cap was stuck. We couldn't get it off and ultimately tried to do so with pliers and the glass broke. Whiskey spilled everywhere and the entire part of the glass bottle under the tin cup was still stuck up there. I brought it back to the store right away, thinking they would replace it, but the owner wouldn't even let me tell him what happened. He kept talking over me and saying it was my fault I broke it. As far as I'm concerned, he owes me $50 + tax. This is the closest liquor store to me, and I promise you, I will NEVER ENTER THIS STORE AGAIN!