We were looking for a dog friendly brewery on a cold night and Alarmist popped up, On a Tuesday…read moreevening, it was pretty empty . The bartender was not over friendly, but did offer recommendations. They have a variety of beer and cocktails. Our group tried the Dream Jus , Crispy Boy , Le Jus and a Cider. The Le Jus was the favorite. There is plenty of seating and there is an outdoor patio area . There was parking in a lot next to the brewery, which was very convenient. You can bring your own food. The atmosphere has a neighborhood vibe.

Incredibly friendly, warm and welcoming staff. A brewery with weekly specials on Tuesday ($3 off…read morecocktails) and Wednesdays (50% off all wines) and pretty fair prices for beer pours. There is even a rotating cask style. It has a well lit modern industrial feel. During the warmer seasons they have a medium sized beer garden in the back, but all year round dogs are welcomed inside. No kitchen but a bunch of neighborhood eateries deliver. Free spacious parking lot around the west side of the building and handicap accessible entrance and chairlift inside. Reservations for the taproom seating (if you plan on hosting a party) can easily be made on their website. I highly recommend checking them out if you're in the area, or into craft beer. Their hazy style Le Juz won gold a few years ago and is still a hard hitting classic. Shout out to my favorite bartender Charlie for always my family and me feel at home.

A friend of mine kept raving about the smashburgers so we had to check it out. Lots of flavor…read morecombos including chicken burgers. Really friendly service, great beer list, fun cocktails with some silly sweet shots. Choose your own adventure super juicy chicken wings. Got the double smashburger which was salty and crunchy and overhung the bun . Not pretty but delish. A hint of spice. Wings were great. Lots of sports on multiple TVs. Definitely a great neighborhood hang. Also worth the drive by if you're in the area!

7 months later since my last review and had another issue with my online order. This time ordered…read moretwo double smash burgers WITH fries ($4 each $8 total) and they forgot to include them with the order when I got home and opened the bag of food. Had to call back, explain that the order was incorrect, and drive back to pickup the order. I want to continue to give this place business but it's difficult when your orders continue to get messed up.

Nice little neighborhood beer bar. Good selection of beer and liquors. I was in the hood and…read moreneeded a place to watch the Bulls game. This popped up and it hit the spot. Chill crowd, friendly bartender, clean bathroom. I wouldn't seek this place out, but if I'm in the area I'm happy to stop by. No food that I can. Maybe the biggest downside.

Very chilled little bar in a weird location on Peterson, about a block west of Clark Street…read more Barrelman is located on the short stretch of Peterson that is between Clark and Ridge. If you are like me, trying to make that light, you will never see this place, but it is there and it is super cute. There is a lot of dark wood that just gives the space a cozy feel. There are also two garage doors that I assume can be opened when the weather is good. For you folks with dogs, beer drinkers who drink beyond the basic beers, bubble drinkers (like me) and those that want to bring in their own food...this is your place. We went there to meet some friends and to watch some football. For such a small place, they do have plenty of TVs with multiple games going. It was great to be able to have pizza delivered, with the bartender providing paper plates, and napkins for us to use. The bartender was also very cool about bringing our drinks over or picking up empties as we were sitting a a table away from the bar. I didn't get his name, but he was cool. There is street parking but not on Peterson itself. I would say, depending on the day, it might be hard to find a spot as you have to park on Ridge or some of the side streets. There is a new Metra station down the street that is about 2 blocks from the bar. Not sure if there is public parking available, but worth checking out. I could see myself coming here just because I can bring my own food and still get bubbles. While they do not carry bubbles by the bottle, the stuff they had in the can was good. I would love to go there when the weather is nicer and they have the garage doors open. And it is a happy compromise to hanging out with friends who have dogs that they just can't live without who also like to drink. This is a place we can definitely hang out with them and have a good time.

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.

A good neighborhood bar that is not so frat-party but has a proper patio that allows dogs. Its…read moreconvenient that you can order food at the neighbor place and have it delivered to your place and it is easy to hang out. The cocktail menu is constantly changing and makes it interesting, and the personnel are not unfriendly and reserved. It is a good place to have casual encounters or a casual night out. To that, service is sometimes a little spotty and the seating is limited particularly during rush times. The atmosphere is pleasant in general, although some additional detail could be used and make the experience truly high. Worth going to see, should you happen to be passing by.

Stopped by here on a Friday evening with another couple for a drink. We were able to sit right…read moreaway! Nighthawk has a cute, cozy atmosphere and wasn't very loud which we appreciated. The drinks here are unique and well made!! Especially the Witch, Please which tasted like a blueberry muffin. Our server's name I believe was Danny? He was awesome, friendly, and there every time we were ready to order a drink. If you're in this area, I can't recommend Nighthawk enough! We'll be back for sure!

If I lived nearby, I would definitely visit OIB at least once per week! For now, I'm settling for a…read morebranded t-shirt and fond memories. At 4pm on a weekday it was already bustling, and this place is popular for good reason! The entire vibe and the staff are just super cool. Even the bathrooms are an experience, with heavy metal music blasting in a way that just adds to the unique charm. To drink, I tried the lucky linny and blood orange sour, which were both fantastic. I'm not typically a huge beer person, but after this visit I'm well on my way to crossing to the other side. For the appetizer, we split the cheese curds. I really liked the Korean inspired twist and the kimchi aioli served alongside. I think it could've used a little more salt and arrived warmer for a nice cheese pull, but otherwise it was enjoyable. I opted for the double cheeseburger as the main event, and it was really well done. The beef was juicy, perfectly cooked, with ample high quality cheese and caramelized onions. I think the sauce could've used an extra something, but overall it was a great burger. Great experience all around. Can't recommend highly enough and look forward to returning soon!

My friend and I were fortunate to get two seats at the bar because this place was packed at 6:00pm…read moreon the Friday we went. But after settling in, the bartender took care of us, and I very much appreciated the $5 pints on special because most things seemed to cost a few bucks more than it needed to. The Brussels sprouts appetizer was worth it, though. The mac and cheese, even with bacon added, topped out at okay. From at atmosphere standpoint, it definitely the place to be in Mayfair/Old Irving Park.

I love the atmosphere- I really dislike all the sports TV's…read more- Outside of that , it's a fun place to meet new people ‍‍‍

School of Rock had a performance here on a Sunday afternoon. There was a separate area with stage,…read morelounge and table seating , pool table and bar. In the bar area there were several TVs with sports events on. They had an extensive drink menu and our group had a variety of beers, ciders and cocktails. The bartender was very accommodating and offered samplings when we were undecided. The bar is women owned and is known recognized for women's sports.

We found Is Was Brewing after recommendation from another brewery in the area! We were drawn to the…read moreartwork and the proximity, as it was raining! The space itself is quite large, with spots to gather with different sized groups and even some ski ball and other arcade features to entertain. The server was quite friendly and provided us a brief history of the brand, as we were the only ones in the space on a rainy Thursday right when they opened. The beer selection leans toward various types of Saisons. It's definitely an acquired taste and not for everyone, but the ones we had were delicious! I'd recommend the Rustic Brown, as it had a bit of smoke and wasn't as funky as some of the other ones I tasted.

I was last at this location when it was Urban Brew Labs. The decor inside looks very similar…read more They specialize in saisons. Service was decent. Signs also say they have bingo and other events.

Gabby is the hardest working server in showbiz…read more The pork tacos are perfect. The brussel sprouts and the kids cheeseburger and fries. Excellent draft beer selection. Excellent cocktails. Very locals atmosphere but depend on the night.

Near by favorite, part of the Bryn Mayer breakfast franchise. Always spot on with excellent specialsread more

Old school locals Chicago Dive Bar where they welcome you even if you aren't a regularread more

What a fantastic hole in the wall right off the train tracks! Stopped in for a few drinks after a…read morefun weekend downtown and was even able to get in a few games of darts! Staff were super nice and drinks were ice cold! No food but not a big deal. Will most definitely be stopping back in next time I take the train downtown!