This spot has been on the list for some time and finally got here for lunch on a Thursday. We had a 12:30 reservation for 5 and sat outside. Some were running late, no problem, the kind Host sat us. Given the mild summer day, most were enjoying the space outside with a view of the Fulton Market area. Large interior with a Beer Hall vibe. We started with the Breads and spreads (2) starter that came with their house baked bread-seeded rye and spence sourdough. Smoked fish and pimento cheese dip were both delicious pairing nicely with the fresh bread. Also ordered their Bloody Mary-tried it and I'm not a big fan of Bloody Mary's but this one was perfect-bonus-included a Beer chaser. For lunch it was the Burger (flame grilled taste, came out medium as ordered and just the right size, loved the beef fat fries), Chicken Schnitzel (tasty take on the classic with the Chicories taking it over the top), Farro and Quinoa Bowl (the tasty healthy option), Classic waffle (simple and delicious). Service was friendly and engaged. Justyne took great care of us! Limited dessert menu at lunch so we ordered a caramel ice cream and it was enjoyed. Farm to table goodness not to be missed. read more

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Midwestern farmhouse vibe + simple yet elevated dishes + quality service = this restaurant Apps were all amazing (summer squash, carrots, the mushrooms with burrata were surprisingly my fave) The pickled veggies were unexpectedly one of my favorite dishes, everything was preserved so well and had lots of flavor without being too sweet. The chicken was cooked super nice aka not dry and the fries were yummy and crispy. AND THE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE with hazelnut mousse, banana caramel, candied walnuts & banana ice cream...... I will be thinking about this cake for a long time. I would come back just to eat the cake again. I honestly was blown away by this restaurant. It lives up to all the hype imo. And the bathroom was super cool. You know a restaurant is a good one if they have nice bathrooms. read more

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Have not been to the Publican in over a decade but is still serving great food. This place, while simple, has a great vibe and a very European decor. We started with the bread service with the addition of the cheese selection. While initially put off with having to pay for bread it turned out to be well worth the price. Great sourdough along with some excellent cheeses and spreads. For a main, I went with the lamb shank and it was perfectly cooked and very tasty. Didn't love the turnips but that's a personal thing. Service was exceptional. They let us switch seats to a more private spot without any hassle. read more

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I finally made it to Publican! I attended with friends for one of their summer Tuesday night Burger Nights where two guest chefs come in and prepare burgers, alongside the standard PQM burger. So four of us split three unique burgers. Honestly, don't worry about enough fries for 4 because they are generous with their very, very yummy fries! It was a fun experience and great to try chef creations side by side. I'd come back to this, especially since we didn't have to wait for an inside table with beautiful, wonderful air conditioning. It was nice to be able to look outside without fear of the dark clouds turning into a thunderstorm. That shocked me! Service was great, the wine I had was lovely, and it left a great impression on me. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a girls night at The Publican and we opted for the chef's menu. 4 courses felt like 6. Everything was delicious! We love love the sour dough! Each dish was different in taste and texture but definitely made us appreciate the different flavor profiles. We really enjoyed the seafood dishes! Our waiter was fabulous and personable. Definitely won't wait as long to return! read more

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We were longing for happy hour/early dinner in the area and was pleasantly surprised to see their happy hour menu. We basically got everything on the HH menu, and regular version of the bread and spread instead of the HH version becauseis you know the Publican you know they have good bread. The only thing we didn't enjoy was the chicharron which was hard. Definitely would recommend for HH. Service was great. Vibe is modern farmhouse. If you want privacy or a unique seating, you can sit at the tables along the wall which is like a stable to go along with the theme. read more

The Publican - Happy hour - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Patio is cute in the summer! Nice service and food is good- wanted to try so many things read more

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8/12/26: Went here to try the viral crab boil fries and they weren't as good as i was expecting since it tasted like it was missing salt. This was crazy to me since the fries looked so flavorful out the bag. The crab itself was very yummy. The shishito peppers were good but didn't understand the peach pairing read more

This was an excellent meal to celebrate a graduation! They even gave us little glasses of champagne for the table as a courtesy. Really delicious farm to table food, everything coming from local farms. We especially enjoyed the roasted carrots, as well as the mushrooms. My steak dish was a little too rare but still very good. The ham was also delightful. The slices of thick bread were also a great starter. I like the ambiance and the neat seating arrangements they have. Bathrooms were also really beautiful, it sounds silly, but I judge a place based off of how nice their bathrooms are lol. Parking is kind of a nightmare, but that comes with a territory in that area, just leave a little bit early so you can find something. Overall, a great meal. read more

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Hot as hell on 6/29!!! No air, crowded as heck.... Please explain to me the hype in this hot restaurant with $17 sandwiches that include no chips or fries??? Seriously I tried to appreciate it but failed to understand the hype.... So crowded I could barely walk around the table with my grandchild .... I've had amazing sandwiches, this definitely was not one of them. read more

Excellent food, excellent service and excellent location. Would visit again if I was a local. The outdoor patio area is lovely and the whole place had a great open vibe. read more

This was my first time to dine at this establishment. We were seated in a pigsty and had outstanding service. Our server gave us great suggestions and was super friendly. We shared the giant cinnamon roll and several other pastries. I had the ham Benedict. An absolutely delicious and incredibly huge portion. I took over half of it home. The service was outstanding and the fun seating arrangement adds to the ambience. Excellent food. Can't wait to return. read more

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As a meat lover, I've found my soul mate with The Publican. The pork belly is SO well cooked - not a hint of greasiness and MELT in your mouth soft. I don't think anyone can beat this place for pork belly. I thought Bar Takito came pretty close with their pork belly tacos but The Publican still reigns supreme. The ham is also wonderful but it is sadly outshined by the divine meal that is the pork belly. It's a perfect salty Christmas ham. The scallops are lush, not too fishy, and go well with the sauce. Absolutely taking guests here whenever they visit Chicago. The oldschool cafeteria vibes and loud shared tables are a singular experience. The service is friendly and quick. One of my favorite spots! read more

The Publican - Pork Belly - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We had THE best experience recently thanks to David! He was appropriately attentive and made great suggestions. The food was delicious, the carrot side was so good - everything was! Thank you again David! read more

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In essence, the Publican is like a German beer hall with American food. As in a beer hall, there are only communal dining tables. It is great for very large groups. The meats stood out more than the seafood and vegetables. Our collective favorite was the ribeye -- juicy, well-seasoned, and well-seared. About half of the 32 oz. steak was pure fat though, so we had to order two. The charcuterie plate had a nice variety of sausages and cured meats. The ham chop was supposed to be like a smoked pork chop, but it was more like regular ham instead. The grilled bread was delicious on its own, but also quite good with the charcuterie or the salmon dip. We asked for lots of extra bread. For seafood, the soft-shell crab and oysters were okay, not quite stand-outs though. Surprisingly, the halibut was cooked well. The caper sauce that came with it was good to mop up with all the extra bread. For vegetables, the barbecue carrots were sweet and flavorful. The roasted beets had too much vinegar in it and it made me cough with each bite (1/2 star off). For dessert, we liked the creative ice cream flavors -- strawberry hibiscus donut, raspberry lime meringue, and coconut almond cake. Those flavors seemed out of character for this beer-hall like restaurant. We did not like the root beer float sandwich; it had a strong licorice or star anise taste (1/2 star off) that did not resemble a traditional root beer flavor. Although the food was either hit-or-miss, service was definitely a miss. There were times when our server would disappear for 45 minutes at a time. We had to flag down other servers for help. When asked about why our bread was still missing, he told us toasting the bread takes time (?). Empty plates were never cleared. When we finally asked for some plates to be cleared, the staff was very aggressive in leaning over us to clear them. It was a slow and awkward experience (1 star off). The worst was when we were paying for the bill, their credit card machine automatically set the gratuity to 20%, 25%, and 30%. Was this for real? read more

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I got the pqm mortadella and burrata. The deli meat was really good and the pistachio butter gave it a nice crunch. The staff were kind and accommodating. Decent amount of seating. I'm glad I got to try it but I don't think the sandwich justified the price (almost $20). read more

The Publican - Menu - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A horrendously noisy patio: loud music from passing convertibles and from a joint across the street, plus screaming patrons. Terrible food: - They don't bring bread to the table. It's a "menu item"!that must be ordered. Nothing special about the Publican's bread other than that it's expensive: minimum $9 for 6 slices of maybe 2 different kinds. - Never order the "country patè" it's a bland mishmash of chopped pork organs and maybe some pork liver too. Has nothing to do with a patè: it's rubbery. - Don't order their duck either: the meat is dry and so hard that's nearly impossible to cut or chew. - Don't order Publican's lamb: it's overcooked. - Don't order their chocolate mousse cake: it's only sweet and totally bland. - DON'T EAT AT THE PUBLICAN: it's waaaay overpriced, the service is meh, the food is mediocre, the atmosphere is ridiculously noisy. Unless you want an unforgettably bad dining experience. Then I'd recommend you The Publican. read more

Despite the hefty price tag to eat here the Publican exceeds expectations and is totally worth the premium and the hype that it usually has. The restaurant interior itself is very interesting, it feels like you're eating inside a barn, and the service is excellent. The food is amazing, every cut of meat, every carb and dip, every side that we ordered was just so well seasoned and cooked super well. The winner for our dinner was actually the carrots, they had so much flavor it almost felt like we were eating meat. Though I am now significantly poorer after eating here, I would definitely take someone here again to impress them on the Chicago food scene. read more

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Ordered Pastrami sandwich to go. It was mostly bread and sauerkraut with a very minimal amount of pastrami. Very minimal amount! Way better options out there. read more

One of my favorite happy hour spots in the city! Our waiter was the best! The food came out super quick! The place is super cute, lots of space. To start I got a dirty martini, I did not love this. It was a little too vermouth heavy for me and something was off. The oysters here are fantastic! I got the smash burger and fries too. The burger was incredible cooked perfectly and full of flavor. The fries were great as well! Highly recommend for happy hour! read more

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Elevated restaurant in Fulton Market dedicated to local farms and farmers. Nice outside and inside seating area. The Seafood Stew was our favorite. We also tried the Chicken - it had the largest portion sizes and the accompanying summer sausage was good, but overall it was just a lot of mediocre fries. read more

The Publican - Seafood Stew - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I cannot believe that I haven't written a review of The Publican. After many visits over several years, I thought it was time for a long overdue review. This evening was perfect in many ways: perfect weather, perfect server-thank you Wendy, perfect food. We started with her suggestion of a crab boil, lotsa crispy fries over a good helping of REAL crab. Next came one of the best salads we have eaten in a long time. It consisted of pickled squash, and crispy beans in a Salsa Verde. The husband wanted to order a second. For our Main we had this months' preparation of The Ham Chop In Hay. This is one of our favorite dishes. Tonight the big boned slab of delicious, fatty-in a good way-pork was prepared with roasted onions and peas. With a few Happy Hour beers and the sun shining down it was a perfect evening. Oh, also, we were graced with a visit from Chef Rob Levitt, and Sophia, the lovely Hostess. Illona Levin read more

So got reservations here a few weeks ago for Valentine's Day and at first it was for 9 and then I asked to be moved up and they accommodated me by giving a 7 pm reservation. Was hoping for a steak, but they ran out, then I asked for the pork rinds, but they ran out of those also. I also asked for a soft seat booth, but they could not accommodate me on that request, even though there is one available right next to me ( as pictured) . I ended up going with chicken. Here's hoping it is good. I had a pale ale called lizard king to have with the bread, which was very good. My husband got the oysters and bone marrow. He said it was very good. My chicken was tasty and moist, and a large serving, which to me it appeared to be brined first, then roasted. I was hoping for a crispy skin, but it was more like a browned skin without crispiness. I had a Chardonnay with it, and it paired well. It came with a kielbasa type sausage and fries. Would have been nice to have some aioli or ketchup to dip the fries in. The general manager came over and asked how we were. His name was Michael. Apparently our server Alfonso had told him we were disappointed that there was no more steak or pork rinds left, so he offered to buy us some drinks and a dessert. I asked for the ice cream sandwich, they were out of it, so he brought a chocolate mousse cake, which was really good. It had a very small amount of vanilla ice cream ( which was very delicious) with it. It was nice of him to give us that and my husband had some VS cognac, which was comped also. Overall a wonderful experience mostly due to the attention we got from the general manager, and it's understood that on Valentine's Day there may be things that sell out. We could tell all the employees were working hard. I even got a compliment on my red valentines outfit from a female staff person on my way out. read more

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This restaurant was OK. I feel like my first mistake was ordering the muscles at a meat restaurant, but they didn't have a lot of options or substitutions for dietary restrictions and I don't eat bread or gluten. I didn't finish my dish. The sauce was too sour like the wine wasn't reduced enough. There's a lot of room for seating however there was no air-conditioning when we were there last week and the weather was over at 95°. It was definitely not a comfortable environment to eat in much less for the workers I could imagine. I definitely would not return here. read more

Service was kind and friendly and helpful with suggestions. Lemon poundcake cocktail was pretty good, less sweet than a lemon drop. Asparagus were really good, except the dill "gel" it's served with wasn't stand out. The BBQ carrots were absolutely amazing! We wanted more and even dipped our bread into the leftover sauces on the plate. Split the publican chicken with a friend and was honestly a bit disappointed. It wasn't bad but for $42 I expected the fries to taste better than the Sysco fries we served at my country club. The chicken itself was cooked well and flavorful but didn't WOW me. The summer sausage was nicely balanced flavor wise but was sort of rubbery. Overall 3 stars, I enjoyed the experience but the food itself was alright. read more

Super sad to right a review, but I had a pretty terrible experience. I went with some of my wonderful clients and co-workers for a nice lunch there. While sitting at the booth, I had an entire iced coffee spill down my back - my shirt was soaked, part of my pants, and even some of my hair was sticky and wet. We moved tables and I tried not to make a big deal because I really don't like people to feel bad about accidents and I was with my clients. I think it was the manager (a woman) came over to give me the check at the end. And she mentioned that "she wanted to make it right" and so she comp'd the $7.00 drink that they spilled on me. $7... I thought they were going to comp 20-50%, hell maybe even the whole meal, but no they gave me a free drink that they had poured on me. To add insult to injury, I sent a follow up note through the website and never got any response, EXCEPT, then they subscribed me to their Publican news. REALLY DISAPPOINTING, TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE on this one. I would be shocked if anyone actually reaches out to me even after this, but had to share my poor experience in the hopes that someone sees this and makes a different decision if something like this ever happened again. read more

The restaurant ambiance was fine and many people enjoyed their dinner here but did not. I went with a large group and came with a set menu so perhaps my opinion is swayed by that but the service was quick so that's a positive. Otherwise wasn't happy with the food choices, not many vegetables to choose from. Chicken breast came with soggy fries and many other food options that weren't appealing to me at all. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I thought this was a unique restaurant! The indoor setup is fun, with unique family table set ups as well as playpen like booths. Overall the food was pretty good. Their menu is set up to be family style, so we shared several things for brunch. I enjoyed the food, my favorite dish was the smashed potatoes - savory with the perfect texture of hints of crunch. The food items are also reasonably priced. Overall, great place to grab brunch! read more

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Publican's new happy hour menu is a lot of fun and a great value. Mushroom lovers need to come for the maitake mushroom tempura. The service is excellent. read more

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I dined at the restaurant for lunch in the afternoon. Unfortunately, there was only a brunch menu not lunch. The only options available that was not a breakfast meal was a burger or salad. Burgers were chosen. For the price and no sides, they were small burgers. The ambiance was strange. We felt like herded sheep in a stable while sitting in a booth as the doors closed on the table. read more

This restaurant is located in a great part of town! Tons of foot traffic, many restaurants nearby and live music. They have indoor and outdoor seating and a welcoming staff. It's not hard to make or modify your reservation here due to the number of tables The menu is two pages, not too overwhelming! The staff is great with recommendations. The pork belly seemed very popular and was unfortunately sold out for the day! Summer Corn Salad: This is seasonal. The salad typically includes sweet corn, herbs, and a mix of seasonal vegetables with a light, tangy dressing that complements the natural sweetness of the corn. Half Chicken: The chicken and fries dish at The Publican is okay but didn't quite stand out compared to other offerings. While the chicken is well-cooked with a crispy skin, it lacks the wow factor that some might expect. The fries are decent, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but overall, the dish feels a bit underwhelming for the price point. I Scallops: The scallops at The Publican are another favorite among diners. They are typically seared to perfection, achieving a nice caramelized crust while maintaining a tender and buttery interior. But the prices are steep. We ordered 3 dishes for 2 people and the bill was $160+ with tax and tip. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Sooo yummy! We had a big group and went on a weekend, but you can make a reservation with OpenTable so we were seated immediately. We tried lots of items off the brunch menu. My favorites were the Crispy potatoes with spicy aioli ($9). It was a giant portion so order this for the whole table. The smoked salmon on the hash brown was delicious. And the waffle and corn crepe were good sweet options without being too sweet. They also have bottomless mimosas here which is great. The service was nice and they confirmed any food allergies. And the interior is very homey and cozy. There's cute booths on the side of the restaurant that close in and look like pig pens hehe. I heard about this restaurant from The Bear and it's fun to tell people that fun fact. I'd definitely go again! Everything we had was delicious and worth the value. read more

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Got seated at the bar right away. Food came quick after that. Tried the beets and sweet potatoes and both were delicious and full of flavor. Decorated cute for Christmas read more

The Publican - Sweet potatoes - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went here for happy hour and it was very nice. The waiter knew a lot and was friendly. The happy hour menu is decently priced. Great way to experience the Publican without a hefty price tag The smash burger is very good but not quite Au Cheval level. Beef tallow fries are amazing. They used to have Aunt Dottie's oysters but they are no longer on the menu :( We sat outside and it good. Slightly busy patio with lots of people walking by. read more

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The Publican is a pork-lover's paradise with the soul of a European beer hall and the style of a Chicago hotspot. From the moment you walk in, the warm lighting, long communal tables, and lively chatter set the tone for a meal that's equal parts rustic and refined. Their menu focus on pork, seafood, and seasonal ingredients. Their charcuterie boards and house-baked sourdough are must-tries--hearty, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. Ultra-fresh oysters and muscles, side fries (sooo good) paired with German beer and white wine. We got a seat in one of the booth, and it was a fun experience! We had a really good time! read more

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Great place to come for happy hour! The wine that the staff recommended was great, the oysters were really fresh, and the different meat in the charcuterie plate were soo yummy. We were seated inside and it was really cute that they had little doors to section off each table. I'll definitely be visiting next time to sit outside during the summer! read more

The Publican - Half Charcuterie Plate - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came here for my birthday with a big group and tried a bunch of things on the menu. The environment reminds me of a medieval times dining room and the servers were super nice. Ordered a bunch of things on the menu and the scallops, oysters and steaks were all really good! I really want to come back and try their brunch menu next time read more

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Such an incredible restaurant! I visited with several friends, and despite a last-minute increase in our party size, the staff easily accommodated us after we called ahead to change our reservation, which was greatly appreciated. With our large group, we ordered a variety of dishes to share family-style. Some of our favorites included the pork belly, which had a wonderfully crispy outer layer and a tender inside without being overly fatty. The chicken was another standout, perfectly cooked and juicy and the fries were the best accompaniment to the meal. We also enjoyed the bread plate, which featured various breads and spreads--even the butter and sea salt spread was exceptional. After dinner, we tried the amaretto flight, which interesting and fun to sample, since this is a type of liqueurs we don't usually have. The true highlight of the meal, however, was the espresso martinis. They were hands down some of the best I've ever had and I would come back just to have another one of those, though I won't hesitate to try more of the menu at the same time. I can't wait to come back here! read more

The Publican - pork belly - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Porchetta: a bit dry. Glad it's a juicy dish to balance that. Flavor's great. Corn bits is interesting texture. Pork rinds: really crispy and airy. Tinted spicy flavor. Wouldn't expect it to be rind Pork belly: really tender in the middle. A bit dry on the outside. A little bit too sweet for me. Nice staff. A bit overpriced for the amount of food. They also have interesting bathroom that has a weirdly angled mirror that reflects your genitals when you pee. Can't really use it to see your face though. Not sure about the purpose of that mirror. Strawberry cake is too sweet for me. Sponge is dry and too much sugar crumble since it's already so sweet read more

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Surprised by how much I loved it here. Came for a team business dinner and enjoyed the experience. The inside of the restaurant features a large, open dining hall with high ceilings and tall chairs set up at large tables. I tried the Publican sandwiches for lunch earlier in the week and thought they were great. Charcuterie Plate - Decent charcuteries but not memorable or worth the price. (3/5) Publican Bread Plate - Perfectly baked and fresh made rye and sourdough. (5/5) Asparagus - A lighter vegetable option to balance out a meat-heavy meal. The avocado, sesame seeds, and tahini vinaigrette were nice components. (4/5) Barbecued Carrots - Perfectly cooked and flavorful carrots. The creamy herb dressing and pecans added a nice balance of savoriness and texture to the dish. A great vegetable option. (5/5) Porchetta - So so good. Perfectly cooked. The meat was delicious and tender. I will have dreams about this dish. (5/5) Sirloin - Delicious, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. No notes. (5/5) Ham Chop in Hay - Nice and comforting pork chop. Good but not as amazing or memorable as the other meat entrees I tried. (4/5) Chicken - The half chicken was cooked well but the plate was mostly filled with French fries. Felt that it was overpriced. (3/5) read more

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