We recently enjoyed dinner at the Publican. We were fortunate to have a sidewalk table on one of the nicer Chicago evenings. Our waiter was attentive and pleasant, making sure were comfortable with the menu selections. Great service! First of all, I have to say that this was a really nice meal. Everything was perfectly cooked and we did not leave the table hungry. We were fortunate to have the happy hour option for enjoying the frites with garlic aioli and the tomato tartine with wonderful heirloom tomatoes. The fries are out of this world!! This is not Hamburger University :) For our main course, we shared barbecued carrots, porchetta and the fish fry. Each dish was expertly cooked and presented. The only reason I am dropping a star is that I feel the portion sizes were rather small for the prices. The vegetables were plentiful, but I'm not sure the proteins were sufficient for what we paid. The meat we ordered was very good, but it wasn't enough even for a single diner. If I were to return, I would probably stick to the vegetable platters and avoid the meat entrees. In all fairness, I am going to disagree with some of the other reviews here about Public being a meat centric restaurant. You are going to have an amazing meal at Public without a single meat entree. The vegetables are just that good. If you dine here, I insist that you get an order of the barbecued carrots. This was the highlight of our meal. In fact, if you have more than four people, get two orders of them. You won't regret it. All in all, we had a wonderful meal at Public. It's a great stop in Fulton Market and a nice place to enjoy happy hour. read more

The Publican - Oh....the fries!! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is in the midst of the Fulton Market revival with outside seating as well as communal interior seating with heavy wood furniture harkening to European beer halls. Services was friendly and helpful with suggestions. I would definitely recommend bringing your appetite and friends here so that you can share and try all the different foods. We came through for a brunch and feasted mightedly on: Little gem lettuce salad - nice and refreshing Waffles - good stuff Shrimp and Grits - for a taste of comfort Shakshuka - sunny eggs with whipped feta and pasha pine nuts. Piri Piri Chicken Schnitzel - breaded chicken goodness Crispy potatoes - holy giant bowl of starch Batman. These were really good Maple braised publican bacon - thick cuts of pork belly glazed with sweetness We definitely took a walk around afterwards to let the food settle and to find some coffee to fend off the food coma. read more

This review is strictly for Publican's NYE tasting menu, *not* their a la carte menu which I think is fantastic. To caveat -- I've actually been to the Publican a few times and love their a la carte menu - the porschetta, pork belly, and carrots are solid dishes and recommended to order. Publican bread and their butcher shop, is always awesome quality, I used to regularly get their bread. I just got a few filet mignon medallions last week from their butcher, and they were really pretty & delicious pieces of meat. To the NYE tasting menu - this was tasty but not special, not worth the $100 price tag per person, and ultimately disappointed me. The tasting menu was steak tartare, baked oysters, endive salad, mushroom risotto, a final course of sirloin and shrimp, and a panettone treacle tart with ice cream. I guess my past experiences at Publican have always been very meat and bread forward, with large, flavorful, deliciously and perfectly cooked dishes, that I was really disappointed with the size of the meat dishes and their flavor impact. It didn't feel like a Publican meal. I've ordered a ton of veggie dishes from Publican before too, and they packed more punch in size and flavor than the tasting menu dishes. The only 2 meat dishes were the tartare and the main course sirloin steak/shrimp dish. For the main course dish, while the shrimp was tender & tasty, the steak was actually a bit chewy, and it was a really small serving for both shrimp and steak. The steak tartare with Publican's bread was delicious and, to be fair, generous, but I don't need that much of an appetizer. We had too much endive salad served but very little mushroom risotto, which was yummy but not special either. I didn't care for the dessert -- the flavors I think are meant to be traditional for this time of the year with the panettone orange spice, but they came off as medicinal for me. Overall, the tasting menu was tasty enough but disappointing for what I expected from a Publican meal. No particular dish impressed me or felt like it made it worth the $100 per person price tag. The service for the tasting menu was also really slow on NYE. This was odd, because our friends - also a party of 3 - coming in at the same time & sitting in front of us ordered a la carte, and were able to get all of their dishes within 30 minutes, whereas we sat with long gaps in between getting each tasting menu dish. They finished eating by the time we finished our 2nd course out of 4. Ambiance is always awesome -- we sat in the pig corral tables which are so unique -- and the restaurant has a sort of feasting, grand mess hall atmosphere with its tall ceilings, chairs, tables. It feels very grand eating here and is a great date night spot. In short, it was my first tasting menu from the Publican and I wouldn't recommend it for the $100 it costed. I would definitely go back to this restaurant, but strictly order from the a la carte menu. read more

The Publican - NYE tasting menu - sirloin steak & shrimp - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Publican is a Colonial American-inspired beer hall with a menu of creative, chef-driven dishes made with quality, carefully sourced ingredients. To start, the Publican Bread Plate came with seeded rye and sourdough breads along with three different spreads: salted butter, pimento cheese, and my favorite, a smoked fish dip. The Charcuterie Plate came with a selection of meats from Publican Quality Meats right across the street: country pate, headcheese, pork pie, pepper salami, and mourteau sausage, served along with mustard, pickles, peppers, dried berries, and a baguette. Surprisingly, two of my favorite dishes from our meal here were the two vegetable dishes we ordered. Rather than simply being side dishes, the vegetables stood out in their own right and came in generous portion sizes. The Beets were sweet and juicy and were paired with burrata cheese, a red wine vinaigrette, and pepitas. The restaurant's signature dish was the Barbecue Carrots, made of sliced, grilled carrot sticks served with a creamy herb dressing, dill, and pecans. The carrots had a pleasantly soft texture and a flavorful spice coating that was lightly charred on the grill. Finally, we had the Halibut, which was pan-roasted and served with roasted asparagus, a green garbanzo hummus, and pistachios. Overall, the flavors of all the dishes were on point, and the presentation stood out as well, as the food was presented on dishes and cutlery with an old-world, colonial-style design. read more

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Really nice space. The food is not for my palate, so we were only there for dessert and drinks. We had the chocolate cake and it was pretty good, but... yeah, these are the types of places that are far too fancy for me (or my wallet). Pre-pandemic, this restaurant used communal seating, so even in the four-top hightop table we were at, we might have had companions if the place started to fill up. (We were here on a Friday evening at 9 pm so we were able to get in without any wait.) I'm not sure if this has changed post-pandemic or not, though I'd suspect it has. They have a couple dining tables that are in something akin to a... pen? Like a livestock pen. Which is in keeping with the theme of the area/the butchery across the street, but something I haven't seen before. There are actual doors that close the people in those tables off in their little cubicle, though you can still see them from the head up and all. I'd actually love to sit there, as it would feel somewhat secluded and make it feel like a more private experience than it is. read more

What can I say about the Publican that hasn't been said before? While it's been an icon in the Chicago restaurant scene for years, I only went for the first time last month. And it was amazing. We made a reservation in advance (was not hard to find a good time) and were seated immediately. The vibes are immaculate inside and the service was wonderful. Our server was attentive and funny. The food was delicious: we ordered the bread with all the spreads, the artichoke (with Caesar dressing + pecorino = perfection), and the pork. Everything was so delicious and flavorful. I can't wait until I can be back. read more

This is the restaurant across from Publican Quality Meats! Classic American fare, elevated :) Mushrooms carpaccio -- wow, not for me. it's thinly sliced mushrooms over a foie gras mousse. it felt like pieces of paper with a fatty coating on the tongue, 1/5 Burrata -- disappointed that it was half! served over grapes, 3/5 Charcuterie plate -- nothing special. I was hoping to find some favorites for purchase. Not a fan of their strawberry jam or seed mustard, 3/5 Scallops over tikka masala -- sauce is not tomato-based which threw me off. it's 3 scallops over a big ladle of puree, 3/5 Country ribs -- incredibly fatty cut, pan-seared and served with chicory/apple salad, 4/5 Apple crisp -- ice cream to crisp ratio is 4:1 which is not ideal for me! 3/5 Staff was fantastic! Attentive and chirper all around read more

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My boyfriend and I randomly decided to try this place for brunch. It had a decent amount of people seated both inside and outside so we figured we'd give it a try. We shared a mimosa, smoked salmon dip, and piri piri chicken schnitzel. We loved everything we ate here. We didn't have high expectations coming in but really enjoyed our delicious brunch outside. It was the perfect amount of food for the two of us. I'd recommend trying this place out if you're in the area. read more

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We had a great time at brunch at The Publican. The potatoes were an amazing side to share. Our server was really helpful and friendly. I wish they had more gluten free options. read more

The Publican - Brunch- shakshuka and potatoes - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came for brunch during the holidays and I was surprised on how slow it was despite the season. We arrived at our reservation time and got seated right away. The staff he was amazing from beginning to finish. They would come a refill your water and coffee at all the right times and replace the silverware as you were finish eating each entree. We started off with their aged cheddar and herb biscuit. The biscuit was served with butter and jam, but completed this biscuit perfectly. Although it was good, I'm not sure I would order it again. I ordered their Sweet Potato Hash. It was served with salsa macha, and sunny eggs and cilantro. A very simple dish with few ingredients, yes very delicious and full of flavor. The salsa had a little bit of sweet and spicy, combined with the sweetness from the sweet potato was such a perfect match. Although I would probably want to try something else, this is definitely a dish that I would order again. My wife ordered their baked ricotta dish served with their sourdough bread. It was basically ricotta cheese, topped with two sunny side eggs and two slices of sourdough bread. I will admit, at first I was like what the hell did my wife order? But like any dish that she ordered I always steal a bite. I was instantly sold after my first bite. The sourdough tasted so fresh and very flavorful. This is hands down the best sourdough bread I had ever tried. And spread some ricotta cheese on that bad boy and get a very tasteful bite. This was definitely the best dish of our meal that morning. I wouldn't hesitate ordering this for myself next time. And there will be a next time. Very very soon. read more

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Its been quite sometime since I have been to Publican (probably 10 years) and it was about time I came back. I kinda showed up as a late edition add-on to some friend's reservation that I ran into. Communal seating here so the hostess was able to accommodate my resy hijacking. Once seated, we got a very good server by the name of Benny...very cool dude. We had been drinking at the Darling before so had to keep the party going with a harvest manhattan. It was an excellent drink so I decided to have 3 of em. We started with the Publican bread plate which was amazing. Actually I may have enjoyed it more than our actual meal and that is no disrespect to the food we eventually ordered, but it was that good. The seeded rye and honey oat porridge bread was awesome along with the sea salt butter and pimento cheese that came with it. We then moved onto a full charcuterie plate for our group of 4...very delicious! We then decided on the Porchetta which was pretty good...was dressed in parsley, puntarelle, ubriaco rosso and crouton. Had a great time and I promise not to stay away from this place for so long as the menu is full of goodies. read more

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Busy brunch spot, as you can see why when you get there. We were running late for the Saturday brunch and I called right when our reservation was about to start and they happily accommodated us despite being 30 min late! Ordered the aioli burger( delish as it had a sunny side runny egg promoted on top of a beautiful beef patty) And this ricotta cheese skillet( wasn't a big fan of ricotta but enjoyed the thick bacon bits with broccoli) The drip coffee was bottomless and it was very very strong! $5 is a great deal if you are a coffee fan! I believe publican is famous for their meats so ordering any meat dishes is sure to be a hit! read more

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Amazing quality of food and the service was great! Cocktails and the menu selection is all well constructed and local

Odd interaction upon arrival. We didn't have a reservation upon arrival and was told it would be a thirty minute wait. So we went on open table and made a reservation for immediately and got right in. Brunch was delicious...potatoes, biscuit and schnitzel! read more

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Came here for a Sunday brunch with friends - the set up of the place is interesting. There are shared long tables and also very secluded booths. We sat at a booth which was very nice. We got the mimosas for the table (1 bottle of Prosecco and orange juice) ordered the fundito which was delicious - if you're going to order anything here, definitely order the bacon!! The waiter was very attentive and helpful!! read more

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

Family style set up, ambience was perfect for get together, service was superb, staff were attentive, and the food was amazing! read more

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I feel like any restaurant in Fulton Market is a hit. This was the PERFECT spot to be at for a nice Father's Day dinner with the family. They specialize in beer, meats, and oysters. The streets were filled with people with majority of people eating outside. The vibe inside had long wooden tables and chairs, portraits of pigs on the walls, and these cute lamps on the ceiling. Publican bread plate: There's no better way to start a meal off than with fresh bread and some spreads. Comes with nice thick bread and 2 spreads - pimento cheese & tuna. We asked the waiter for more bread because we were a party of 5 and what they first provided wasn't enough. I believe they give both sourdough and rye bread. Both spreads were delicious. The cheese spread had a thicker consistency. Charcuterie plate: This was your typical meat plate. Different meats, pickles, peppers, etc. and more bread. Nothing special to me. I would describe this plate as a more simple charcuterie rather than those fancy ones you see else where. Barbecued carrots: These were some of the best carrots I've ever had. Nice thick pieces flavored to perfection. Nicely charred. Carrots were the perfect amount of soft. My favorite part... the pecan toppings! Any dish that contains a nut garnish is automatically just more delicious in my opinion. Oysters: These were not bad. I'm not a huge fan of raw oysters but I'll still eat it. We ordered the 12 pc chef's selection. They come in a nice presentation with a little label naming each kind. Top with some lemon and hot sauce and you're good to go. Pork belly: The meat was so so tender. Mostly fat though. Comes with pesto and a nice side salad composed of arugula. We got 2 orders of this for our party of 5 because they mentioned it's not a big portion. Porchetta: More pork! Strips of soft pork put on top of grits with some pickled red onions. I don't think I've ever had grits in my life but they were pretty good. The grits had a Parmesan taste to it. I liked this dish because it was something different. Farm chicken: By the time this came out, I was so full already but I had to keep going. It's a huge plate of fries, chicken, and sausage. We took it to-go. The chicken however was very tender. The fries are soaked in some sort of gravy-like sauce at the bottom. Mussels: Tons of mussels that came in a big pan soaked in a yummy garlic butter and.... more bread! The waiter said it best to dip the bread in the garlic butter straight from the pan. Dessert: Dessert is always my favorite part but these were just ok. They were good don't get me wrong but there was no wow-factor. But I'm not surprised because dessert isn't there specialty. read more

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The service was excellent, and I was seriously blown away by the charcuterie board, probably the best I have had anywhere. Everything was as good as when I first dined there years ago. read more

Amazing food! Amazing service! Lighting and music was fantastic. I honestly dont have enough good things to say and was hands down the best restaurant we went to in Chicago!! If I could have tried everything on their menu in one sitting, I definitely would have. We easily spent 3 hours there just talking and eating and never felt rushed at all. 15/10! Definitely come check this place out! read more

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Oysters, muscles, and hamachi crudo were so fresh and flavorful. One of our guests ordered the Halibut with a side of broccolini, then remarked that the Halibut portion size was a bit small. The bread variety added the right amount of carb to the meal with the Breton butter. Individual cocktails had mixed reviews regarding a Compari & Tonic with a twist of lime was not a favorite, the ration of Compari to tonic was off. The bourbon on the rocks with large cubes and the double vodka made the grade. I wish more restaurants carried Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish gin for my martini! The table then shared a bottle of sparkling Champagne Liebart-Regnier 2022 Brut was outstanding and worth the price. The Coconut Almond Cake combination of lemon curd and grapefruit went down easily followed with a coffee with a Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac from France. Our party of 6 said they would all return to the Publican. We were the first reservation to arrived for dinner, on time. The staff at the entrance were extremely nice and welcoming. Our main waiter was not in the mood to explain anything regarding any questions on the food menu. Maybe the waiter had a hard time hearing the questions due to the echo in the dining room. The ancillary staff made up for his shortcomings. read more

Unable to add grilled chicken to my salad. No options provided by server. Don't come here if you try to eat healthy.

Publican is for people who want to eat well. Big portions, bold flavors, and everything comes out looking like it should be on a magazine cover. I'm still thinking about the pork belly and their sourdough bread. Seating is mostly long tables which I thought would be weird but it works -- it's loud and fun in a good way. read more

Mediocre food with small portions, very sub standard considering the high price tag. Left after the meal feeling hungry, mildly nauseated (they put so much sugar in the food, including in the meat dishes), and $100 poorer. Will not be coming back nor recommend it to anyone. Service and ambiance are fine, so it might make sense if you're not here for the food. read more

The squash was 10/10 for presentation but very underwhelming. None of the flavors really popped since squash and labneh are both pretty mild tasting. It only tasted good if I assembled each bite with the perfect amount of squash, labneh, pomegranate and cilantro. Little gem salad: SO MUCH DRESSING LIKE didn't even want to eat. It was drowned. Ham plate was ham. Beef fat fries were beef fat fries. read more

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Mixed feelings about this place. We were told by two separate locals in two consecutive days that we needed to eat here, culminating in what my wife believed to be a "sign" (smh) thus rest is history. Will break down the good and not that good. Pros: fantastic attentive service. I challenge anyone to empty their water glass here for more than one minute, they are on prowl with that water. Low key one of most important attributes to restaurant. Atmosphere was a large dining hall, similar to a German beer hall feel. The espresso martini was to die for, was best I have ever had. Cons: I am conflicted about this. I mean it's a butcher shop that has restaurant, so of course the menu going to be meat heavy. Quality of meat was high, however, the nuance of flavors to the dishes were somewhat lacking. Again, conflicted as not a major meat conissuar. The sides though, tilted my confliction to a con here as the veggie sides, apps all left something to be desired. My wife left hungry and ate a handful of bites total as she did not care for any dishes. I ate as much as I could stomach, but where as some places I would eat way beyond full due to enjoyment of eating food, this was not case here where once hit that full there was not another bite. For a 200 dollar meal, just was not cup of tea. read more

I absolutely love this area in Chicago , so many options to eat at makes it difficult to make a choice , but I've been wanting to go here for some time and finally did after running a race that AM in city . Time to carb load with the biscuit and waffles . The waffle was so decadent I almost ordered another one but controlled myself . The biscuit is sized enough to share between two people . The other entree ordered was the piri chicken schnitzel and I never would have imaged the combination of ingredients being so delicious. We had the brunch as that is all that was available at time of our arrival , be advised orders come out when ready. We actually got the waffle and biscuit and were finishing it up when waitress asked if we needed anything else and we had to let her know we never got the 2nd entree . They did make it right by comping the chicken. there is indoor and outdoor area which is nice whenever able to sit outside when in city on a beautiful warm day. I'd love to return and try lunch/dinner menu . If ever in area check them out read more

The Publican - Waffle and biscuit - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had a wonderful brunch after a beautiful Old St Pat's mass. The Pub required a deposit to secure the reservation which was ok but didn't seem needed given all the open tables. We had a party of 8 of mostly kids. Two constructive criticisms , no kids menu and very loud. Could not imagine what the noise level would be if fully packed at night. Otherwise, drinks , food and service top notch. Adults started with the beer mosa's and prickly encounter. Loved the beer mosa. We ordered waffles,poached eggs , eroque madame and shakghula. All delicious. Sides included hash browns, crispy potatoes and bacon and sausage. Good stuff. Food comes out from time to time which is different but it all worked out. I would recommend ordering less and if you need more they can make it happen. We all enjoyed the experience. read more

I am not sure the publican needs a review. I had such a good time there. Ambiance It was a really nice place. It was very open and and there was no feeling of being bunched up. I sat at a table of 6 so I do not have any experience with sitting at what looked to be a communal table in the center of the restaurants. There were a lot of outside seating and also had some enclosed side booths. To me the aesthetic was comfortable with the wooden tables. Service The service was great. The server was helpful with the menu. I have to say that my water cup very rarely empty. Food came out in a timely matter. We never felt rushed. Food We ordered quite a bit of food. So let's start with the appetizers: Pickles The pickles were great. It came with pickles, picked red onions and cauliflower. The would have to pick say the pickled cauliflower wasn't really my jam but other than that, each had a burst of flavor when eating them and also help cleanse your palate after trying different dishes. Asparagus dish I think there were micro greens on top of the asparagus, but by the time they got around to me, I just had some asparagus left. It was seasoned and cooked very well. I would definitely recommend this dish. Pork belly I really enjoyed this dish. The meat was very well seasoned. It came with a mushroom spinach medley which helped balance it out. Overall, I thought it was a good dish. Peaches n burrata I did not really enjoy this dish as much as I should have. I don't think the peaches were in season so they were not sweet. I think this dish would have been good with some bread, but I guess you need to order it separately. For me it just did not hit the mark. The burrata was good but again, probably would have been better with some bread. Main dishes Country ribs This was a dish that I had some problem with. The country rib is served with shishito peppers. These peppers gave a subtle sourness to the dish which was nice. The meat itself was tough. I had some difficulty cutting the meat with the knife. I even had difficulty chewing the meat. It had a lot of fat and just was unpleasant to eat... the peppers were good though BBQ carrots What in the world... these carrots a phenomenal. There is a nice smokiness to them while having a slight cumin and fruity taste. The texture, for me, was just right where they were soft but not baby food mush. A really delicious dish and I can see why a lot of people recommend this dish. Bavette steak I did not know what a bavette steak was. It is a flanks steak. The publican does a really great job with cooking this steak. It was so soft and juicy.... Very well seasoned. The plate came with some potatoes which were delicious also. I would recommend this dish if you were eating by yourself. I think it would be just enough to satisfy a single customer. Chicken The chicken was very well cooked. The breast meat was very moist and the flavor was really good. It came with fries and some sausages. Personally I wish we had more sausages, but with the amount of food that we ordered, I am not really heartbroken about it. The fries were soaking up all the goodness, the gravy from the chicken. A really good dish to order while in group. Overall My trip to the publican was a great experience. Is it pricey... kind of, but most of the food is definitely worth it. The service was fantastic and most of the food was delicious. There was some missteps with 2 of the dishes we ordered but other than that, it is definitely a restaurant worth going back to. Disclaimer: I am not a professional chef or foodie (whatever that is supposed to mean). I like food. Every body is different and likes different things. This is just my opinion and hope that I can try different foods and write about my experiences from different restaurants. read more

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Always love coming here. Food is delicious and fresh! Service is excellent as well. Can't wait to visit again!

We originally went here for Restaurant Week, but decided to order from their regular menu. Totally recommend their RW menu as well! Expect it to be packed, a bit loud, and have a bit of a wait, but it'll be worth it. The servers are friendly and offer their faves from the menu. Cocktails here are amazing. Especially recommend the Oaxacan Cafe. We had the roasted carrots to start and they were perfection. Creamy, nutty, toasty, and delicious. The fresh dill was a nice pop. I had the scallops for my main and my oh my. The flavors were unexpected compared to scallops I've had in the past, but they pair them with a cauliflower purée and parsnips. Dessert is a must for us so we ordered the Toasted Marshmallow even though we were stuffed. It's to die for. Hazelnut, toasted marshmallow, crunchy graham cookies, and a smooth chocolate bed underneath it all. My fave! We'll be back for sure - thank you for a great experience and enjoy Restaurant Week 2023! read more

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How is this a four star place??? Maybe it's an off day, but I was completely disappointed with the food and service we received while having lunch here. Today was their last day of restaurant week, so we decided to all get the restaurant week lunch. According to the menu, the whole party had to order it, so we did. The restaurant week menu ($25/person) shows there are two courses: 1st course was a smoked salmon rillette (aka smoked salmon on well done hash brown) 2nd course was pork belly hash OR publican scramble My brother and I both orders the pork belly hash and my sister in law ordered the publican scramble. 5 minutes goes by after we ordered and two plates of smoked salmon rillette come out. We thought the 3rd plate would be coming out after... we waited about another 20 minutes, without anyone checking in on us, until we got our 2nd courses. I asked about the 3rd smoked salmon rillette plate, but they said it was two plates for three people. (Nowhere on the menu, did it state that!!!) Anyhow, the food and service was mediocre. One of our smoked salmon rillette was overcooked (burnt), our pork belly hash was overly salty. The menu wasn't clear about the 1st course and what we received definitely wasn't worth $25/person. The servers were not helpful nor attentive at all. The man clearing the tables was more attentive than the servers. read more

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Quality bread. LOVE the almond croissants; they're my favorite in the city. Happy, helpful employees. Recommend buying day old bread; just as delicious and only $4! read more

The Publican - Almond croissant of your dreams. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went here on a Friday evening with a reservation. The place was cute, and surprisingly empty for the time of day. I think most people were opting to sit outside, but we got one of their weird little animal pens inside. We got the porchetta, the pork belly, the pork rinds, and the strawberry cake. The porchetta as a dish was really good overall. The meat itself was a little dry, but it had a good sauce that helped. I didn't like the mushrooms, but my husband ate those so it was fine. The pork belly was great. Two big chunks of lean meat. My husband thought it was dry, but I didn't agree. I found it tender and quite juicy, and the sauce and veggie mix it came with was a deliciously bright contrast to the heaviness of the pork. I didn't love the pork rings. The flavor was interesting, it had a satisfying crunch, but I probably wouldn't order them again. Not necessarily bad, but I just didn't like it that much. It was a bit messy - big Cheeto finger vibes. The strawberry cake was tasty, if not particularly unique. The most interesting part of it was the malted vanilla icing. My husband didn't notice it, but I definitely felt like it had a little more depth than normal vanilla icing. Overall I'm going to give the place a 4. It was a little difficult to judge and some individual items were hovering closer to a 5, but overall I think 4 makes the most sense. I'd definitely go back and try some different items. read more

Beautiful weather today to we decided to go for brunch last minute. We managed to get a table here without a reservation. Food was good in general. Our server was slow and sauntered around not in a particular hurry. Our food came out quickly once our order was finally put in. My side plate had 3 chips on it so I asked for a new one. The restaurant has booths which have doors on them. This creates a nice intimate vibe. They charge 3% surcharge for staff benefits. read more

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We came for happy hour drinks and stayed through dinner. Amazing food options -- highly recommend ordering the pork loin. My partner still can't stop talking about how well seasoned and moist it was. My favorite was the mushroom fondue! Everything else we ate was pretty sub-par compared to other restaurants in Chicago and nothing to write home about. The cocktails from the happy hour menu were not tasty so don't recommend. Overall, the service was fine, the front staff were very kind. The ambience was ok, very spot on German/Polish style hall from my experience traveling. I do think everything is overpriced though. read more

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We had a super dinner at The Publican last night! Besides the fact that the food was delicious (I kept eating the chicken beyond the point of satiety!), we loved our enclosed booth. It gave us a bit of privacy and enabled us to hear each other in a loud restaurant. Our server was Todd, and he did an excellent job of making us feel comfortable, advising us on choices, and checking in on us without interrupting conversations. Thank you! read more

A friend recommended The Publican as a good place to meet for dinner with a good variety of food options, especially because some of us have dietary restrictions. The menu looked good online, so we made a reservation. The large dining area is bright and loud. We were led to our table past some booths, with doors, along the wall. When we made the reservation a few days before, we didn't realize that the dining table is basically one continuous table parallel to the wall and the booths. So, you could very well be sitting next to a complete stranger. There are also some large tables near the bar, but I'm not sure they were shared tables where you'd be sitting next to other diners. That type of set up is not what we were expecting, especially to meet with old friends whom we hadn't seen in years and with whom we wanted to catch up. It made it very awkward when our friends showed up, and we had to get up and walk around the large table to shake hands and exchange hugs. If you're in the middle of that long table and want to hug your friend hello or good-bye, you'd have to walk 50 feet to the end of the table. As mentioned above, the room is loud, even more so when they turned up the music. Shouting across the table at our friends so we could hear each other was not pleasant for anyone. We also had a hard time hearing the servers. I didn't see any noise dampening panels on the ceiling or anywhere else, so the noise just reverberates across the room. This is not the kind of place where you want to have intimate conversations. The menu was very meat heavy--some of us don't eat red meat or pork--but there were enough other types of food that we could all enjoy. The server said the plates are meant to be family-style for sharing. We didn't order any of the charcuterie plates because they all contained pork. We couldn't order the fries because they were fried in beef fat. Rather disappointing. The items we did order were fantastic. A good variety of oysters were served on a bowl of already-melting ice, so some of the bivalves had ice water inside them, but they tasted fresh and briny. The asparagus salad, featuring tahini vinaigrette, lentils and avocado was really good. The burrata with the boquerones (anchovies) was refreshing and just a good mix of flavors and textures. We also tried the scallops with tikka masala, something I hadn't seen before. They were cooked to perfection. The sirloin for one of our friends was grilled medium rare, just as ordered and looked delicious (I'm a former steak lover, but I can't eat red meat anymore). Finally, the half chicken was probably some of the best I've had. I tried the breast, which was smoky and moist and full of flavor. The platter came with a pile of fries, which I couldn't eat, but others in our party enjoyed. Summer sausage--which I can't eat, either--came with the chicken platter. I was told it was very good. The service was uneven, maybe because it was a busy Saturday night. When we were done with the oysters, they took the ice bowl away but left the pedestal sitting in the middle of the table, so when other dishes came, we had to make room for them with the pedestal still sitting there. I'm not sure why they didn't take it away when they retrieved the bowl. Overall, if it hadn't been for the food, I would have given our experience two stars. It was too loud, and the music just made it worse. The service was a little lacking, especially considering the prices. The Publican seems like pricey, casual dining. I don't think I would return. read more

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The BEST charcuterie! My husband and I enjoyed it very much, fresh meat, fresh bread, and the salt butter was a special treat!

Happy hour deals are fantastic!! Not sure about the main menu but happy hour is 100% worth it. Service was impeccable! read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came in for dinner at 4 pm on a Sunday. We ordered a variety of dishes, but quickly realized it was leftovers from brunch. Best thing was the salad but the pork skin crunchy was inedible because it was so hard it couldn't be chewed. I don't know who's managing this place but if this is Michelin quality, count me out read more