From the get-go, you can tell this is a favorite spot for local residents, and for good reason! With positive vibes, tasty food, and a great patio, it's the kind of default spot every neighborhood needs. Love that for this area and am definitely lowkey jealous! The servers were very friendly and the spot overall was pretty casual. If you sit in the beer garden, it's counter-order. A few folks brought their dogs while enjoying soaking up some rays outdoors. There were a lot of local brews on the menu at various sizes. I opted for the Boat Shoes Kolsch, which was light bodied and hit the spot on a warm day. We split the appetizer trio which came with cheese curds, onion rings, and fried mushrooms. All were absolutely delicious- when I tell you they're fresh, I mean that they were so hot and crispy that I'm pretty sure the neighboring table could hear the crunch. Definitely addicting, definitely dangerous, and definitely would order again. I would absolutely return next time I'm in the area and highly encourage folks to stop by! read more

Uptown Taproom - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Two stars- seemed dirty but welcoming. I came for post dinner drinks and I doubt I will venture back. The bartenders were welcoming and the main bar area seemed simple, unsophisticated, and a bit plain. I had a canned beer which was good but I did not try the food or cocktails which could be more redeeming. Using the restroom completely lost me- the toilet was dirty and the bottom of the seat had "waste" all over it. Very much a don't touch anything bathroom experience. For me, dirty restrooms make me wonder how clean rest of the establishment is but to be fair I very well could have been there at the wrong time after someone had an accident- who knows. It wasn't for me and it's tough for me to recommend it but if you like the gay dive bar aesthetic it may be more your speed! read more

A colleague had recommended Uptown Taproom, and I finally made it in. Alas, the experience was disappointing and lackluster. The experience was a mixed bag. The good: + The Chopped Salad was fantastic. + They have a wide selection of cheap, tasty beers. The bad: - The vibe was almost depressing. - The service. Let my break it down: For beers, I tried two 5 oz. pours, one of the Pub Cider, and the other of the was the Edmund Fitzgerald porter. The pub cider was refreshing and on the drier side. The porter was bold and rich, with a dark coffee chocolate taste. The best part? These were three bucks each! For food, I ordered the Chopped Salad. I enjoyed this one a lot more than I expected. Everything was balanced to complete perfection, with just the right amount of dressing, bleu cheese crumbles, and proteins. The ingredients were of top quality too, with the bleu cheese offering a little funk without going overboard and overpowering everything. The egg whites were so soft I am just a little envious of the chef who can make egg whites that gentle. This was a little on the pricier side, and yes, $17 can be a lot, but you get a large portion, and a better value than something from Sweetgreen or Just Salad. The service: With the amount of time it took to get my salad, I was seriously considering asking them to cancel the salad, finish my beer, and leave. You'd think it was a deep-dish pizza or a Beef Wellington at Gordon Ramsay's. Next, I felt the service was severely lacking in attentiveness. Walking in and taking a seat at the bar led to no acknowledgement for an unreasonable amount of time. Attentiveness was limited during the experience was well, with water/beer refills, for example. Further still, one barserver was tossing plates (into a bussing tray), glasses, and bottles like they owed them money. It really didn't help create an inviting atmosphere where I want to spend a meaningful amount of time. Speaking of... The Vibe: Other than immaterial amounts of color, the predominant colors are black, white, and grey. Even the bartop was a large slab of concrete, unwelcoming and purely utilitarian. Here's the thing, Uptown tap does not brew its own beer as far as I know. When I go out to eat, I don't just go to get something into my stomach, rather I seek the overall experience. Despite some redeeming qualities, I do not believe a return visit is in the cards. read more

Uptown Taproom - Chopped Salad - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The drinks are genuinely very unique and good but some of their seem to be regulars are old, loud, drunkard, misogynists. Funny, since it's seemingly a "welcoming bar." One called me the c*nt when I told him and his buddies to stop screaming as they talked to each other (they had truly been yelling all night, even the bartender had told them to stop screaming at one point) and so I threw the last of my drink at him because I'm not gonna let anyone, much less a man, talk to me like that. His friend got in my face (bc my drink splashed on him and he was an "innocent bystander"), only one person in the bar stood up for me, and despite the bartender "apologizing" and saying she didn't condone the language that guy used, *I* was the one who got asked to leave. I wanted to make her life easier so I didn't argue it. But I will never be back if that's the type of clientele they'd cater to. read more

My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025! Restaurant: 62/50 Month tried: November Favorite dish: Sheridan 75 cocktail Uptown Taproom has a large patio, lots of beers on tap, and is always busy. We stopped in for a last minute dinner one warm November night and were able to grab a seat outside. We ordered food at the bar. I got a fried chicken sandwich, and to be honest it was mid. I would get something else next time. We were not feeling beer so we got cocktails. The bartender was clearly not happy about having to make two cocktails instead of just pouring beers. Kind of disheartening to feel like you are annoying the staff by ordering something they have on their menu...Regardless, the Sheridan 75 cocktail was really really good. I am no dissuaded from coming back - just think it didn't live up to initial hopes. But now I know I should come for beers, and order something differently. read more

Interesting addition to the area. While they are advertising as a tap room, it was very nice to see that they had items for us non-beer drinkers to partake in. Pretty chilled vibe with two nice size areas outside for people to hang if they have dogs, which I appreciate as I am not big on eating indoors with them. The indoor area has great large windows, that allow indoor kitties like me that like the idea of being outside, but don't necessarily want to actually to be out there. Food is typical bar food, but executed well. Tacos were flavorful as well as the smash burger. The menu isn't large, but there is enough variety where you don't feel like you are eating the same thing. Service was good and attentive....we have had Garrett several times and he has been lovely and chatty :-) read more

Uptown Taproom - Garrett and The Doctor - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A great place to grab a beer and some food and watch the game. The Taproom is laid out diner-style, as it's long and narrow with seating near the windows and a bar in the back. They have a rotating monthly beer special and all the food looks good. The vegetarian options are also good: they also have Beyond burgers, as well as Beyond chorizo tacos. read more

Uptown Taproom - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great beer list, many from craft breweries, both local & non-local. Its always fun to choose a different beer to try, as their selections change every month.. Typical bar food, except for the kids menu and some special touches, like roasted garlic aioli. I like the choice of 2 outdoor spaces and 2 indoor places that you can enjoy. read more

Uptown Taproom - Beyond Burger Smashburger with roasted garlic aioli, giardiniera & cheese - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Never a bad time, my favorite thing here is the amazing beer list. Love my IPAs and this place has the best! Food is great, limited menu tho. Only issue is service is hit or miss. Last time we had Katie and she was great. But the previous few times were had somebody else and we were always waiting, we'll see maybe she's gone now. The place is always a few more buck than we expect, but nothing crazy, just something to remember when going in! Worth trying! Outdoor seating and cool photos on the wall of historic uptown! read more

Super friendly, neighborhood oriented place. Great selection of beers, and their food is good too. I love the tacos and also the roasted brussel sprouts. read more

Great addition to the neighbourhood. Friendly service, great space, large patio, huge windows that open to the sidewalk. There is a menu for tasty treats that we will have to take a look at when we have more time. read more

There isn't a lot of synergy here. Burger is overpriced and has a school cafeteria feel and taste to it. Salad didn't have dressing options and the croutons were just pieces of hamburger bread ran through an oven toaster. It makes an earnest attempt but it falls short of the price you pay for it and better food options in the area. If you want to try the beer, then give it a go but do some research ahead of time. Pros: a good place to people watch and meet up with a group of friends for beers. Don't over complicate it and get food! Service depends on the day and time you go in. read more

Uptown Taproom - Cheeseburger and salad side - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Only had a drink here so my experience is somewhat limited, but also had an odd experience. Met up with some friends who were already out on the patio, and the server was super nice to bring over extra chairs and take our orders right away. The patio itself is a nice area, and dog friendly which is great. There was a slight mixup for some of the group who ordered a second drink. Some came late, some drinks that weren't ours got delivered, and then they had to clarify some other ones. Again, our server was super nice and helpful about it so it wasn't a big deal. It wasn't super busy so just a little odd that things got that mixed up in the first place. We were told very clearly that the patio closed at 10. Okay, we got it, so as 10 approached we started finishing up our drinks. Again we were told, 10pm. Okay, got it. We assumed there would be a couple minutes grace so we didn't have to chug our drinks (especially since we didn't get them as quickly as we had planned due to the ordering snafu). Nope, 10pm we were asked to either leave or go inside, and they were a little rude about it. They said it had something to do with city ordinance, which I understand, but we weren't being belligerent at all and just wanted another minute to finish a drink. Since one of our group had a dog, we asked where we could go to finish our drinks (since we didn't think the dog would be allowed inside). Our server told us we could briefly go out to the beer garden to finish drinks, but then bartender inside told us in no uncertain terms that was not allowed. So we ended up chugging our drinks and left. Overall, it's a nice ambience and the drinks were good. The experience got a little soured though by the attitude of the employees towards the end. We understand there are rules but if they had taken a minute to listen to us, they would have realized we were trying to be helpful instead of just arguing with them. read more

Honestly - was super excited to hear this place open very close to me since this area is in need of something like this. Finally brought a friend during the week here for a late night beer, and i dont know - the place didn't do it for me. The gentleman working behind the counter who took our orders wasn't very friendly and I just got a cold sterile feeling all around from this place. I wanted it to be cozy and having candles at each high top was nice, but other than that - it was just dead. I'll have to come back, but I was genuinely hoping for some friendly local neighborhood energy from the staff and a more welcoming space. read more

Uptown Taproom is the new kid on the block and what can I say, it's just what the neighborhood needed! They have a great selection of beers - definitely something for everyone. The same is not as true for the choice of food - there's a decent selection of appetizers and salads as well as 3 burger choices and 3 taco choices for an entrée. It's picky (and maybe just me) but the food choices just seem a bit lacking. Overall I would definitely return - it's a cool spot with really nice service, and the food that we did enjoy was awesome. Side note: they don't put salt and pepper on the tables and when we asked for some they each came in small ramekins rather than shakers. Not sure what's up with that. read more

Uptown Taproom - Super Smash Burger with fries. - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I stopped in today for a snack and a cocktail. The staff could not be more friendly! Brenna and Levy provided great suggestions. I had the Redline cocktail to start. A refreshing winter drink. I had the Brussel sprouts and cauliflower for my snack. Both yummy, but Brussels win. Vi came over to chat with me and check how I enjoyed my food. Overall a lovely experience. I would suggest adding some more food choices when they get up and running. Welcome to our neighborhood! read more

Uptown Taproom - Brussel sprouts - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Y'all this is the best thing for Uptown!! I was so excited when I found out a brewery was opening up in the neighborhood! My friends and I decided to spend our NYE here! We all LOVED out dinner and drinks! The mule is delicious and the rest of my friends enjoyed a rose cider! The fried chicken sandwich and burger was phenomenal, I shared with my partner! We got brussels and cheese curds for the table and wow did we want more!! Our server was super sweet and a delight to be around!! Can't wait to visit again! read more

While on vacation, we visited for a few rounds. The staff are perfect, their recommendations were on point. They definitely understood the assignment. The beer selection on tap is not vast but covers all categories with great selections. Look forward to returning. read more

This place was fire. The brussels sprouts are yummy. The fries are yummy. I didn't get to try the beer but it looked good. And they're nice!

Came here the day after they opened and you would never know it was only their second day. Great beer selection, fast and friendly service. I look forward to coming here more! read more

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A local in the neighborhood bar that is chill on the inside with two great outdoor spaces. Service was great and our server was friendly and attentive. Atmosphere is chill and super casual. While not a huge beer selection, what they offer tastes good. Food isn't out of this world, but it's something to snack on and share while hanging out. Not super expensive either, which is a nice change! Would recommend as a local low key spot to grab a drink with friends or a date. read more

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This is a review from a few weeks ago and I'm hoping things are better. I was excited for this place to open as my neighborhood is in need of some more drinking and eating establishments. I'm not sure the uptown taproom is necessarily the answer to that problem. In general, this place lacks soul. I could not tell you one unique or authentic or interesting thing about it. It was very cold inside, the floor had not even been changed or (on appearance) cleaned up since it was a pizza place beforehand. All of the tables and chairs looked cheap and old. When I say it lacks soul I mean that it seems this bar group bought up an old pizzeria, hooked up some tap lines and said "gentrification work for us!!!" The vibe is just not cool. It's not a brewery like many are saying in these reviews. Just a beer bar with many local drafts. I found the tap list to be lacking variety on the whole. Too many similar beers. I did not try a cocktail so cannot speak to those. I did order some chicken tenders that came with fries. I don't have high expectations for when I feel hungry for children's food, but I received half-fried tenders. Parts still frozen. Consistency of cold rubber and slime. Really bad. I sent them back and asked to not receive new ones as my appetite was gone at that point. I want to give another chance so I will in a few weeks or months (if still open given that this stretch of Wilson seems to be cursed as of late, but maybe it's because there are half baked businesses opening up in the name of this area being "hip" at the moment). Sorry y'all! read more

I highly, highly recommend the Monday night $15 Smashburger, fries, and beer combo. They have a great tap selection, super friendly service, and the food quality is very high. So far I've tried and highly recommend the following: Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon Chicken fingers Smashburgers Fries (some of the best fries in the neighborhood) The outdoor patio allows pets too. Amazing spot for the neighborhood. read more

I live in the neighborhood with my partner and come down here for dinner sometimes. We had family visiting and brought them because we love the food. Unfortunately, we had bad service from one of the girls working tonight. For some reason there was an attitude of "I don't want to be working today" and eye rolls, so her tip matched her tone. We'll be coming again, but with bad service comes bad tips. read more

Local neighbor-boo here! This is a great taproom, lots of drink options. Get the Brussels! Good vibe, super chill friendly servers, good tunes. Maybe bring a sweater or hoodie...but definitely a place I can spend my Sunday at. read more

Uptown Taproom - The Pilsner I got for free:) - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

walked in, sat at the bar, was ignored by staff for a full 20 minutes, left and went somewhere else. looked like a fun place, seemed cool, just crazy to be sitting in seats at the bar watching other people get served and having no one interact with us (and not for lack of trying on our part!). i live in the neighborhood and was excited to give this a shot, bummed to not be helped or acknowledged in any way. read more

Table service is a bit slow. Has a touch tunes juke box. Lots of space. Didn't order any food but good they have it at this location.

Delicious food, and lots of variety in the menu. The beer garden and the dog-friendly patio are both nice!

The staff are amazing and the drinks are great. Big fan of their chicken quesadilla. Only thing is I wish they didn't play sports on the TV all the time. There's other sports bars in the neighborhood for that. I enjoy the neighborhood vibe here and would rather it not turn into another sports bar. Keep it up, great spot. read more

Tres was our Bartender, he was attentive and and solid service. They didn't have the chorizo so we got the carne Asada and it was fantastic. Head back again soon read more

We were happy to hear a new restaurant/cafe opened in the neighborhood. However, I am in agreement with some of the other reviewers who found the place lacking a bit of character or uniqueness. While the staff was friendly, the space and drink selection were just ok. The food, on the other hand, was mediocre at best. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, which came with fries. I enjoyed the fries; but either the chicken was overcooked or the the quality of the meat was subpar. It was tough and chewy. My partner had better luck with the tacos but still nothing to write home about. If it wasn't for the service and beers, I would have given the place two stars. read more

Mixed brew. In an area of Chicago starved for places to go this taproom was a welcome site, it did however fall flat on our visit. First and hopefully easily fixed is turn the heat on! The place was freezing cold, yes it's currently in the single digits outside but not having the heat on doesn't help. "It's freezing in here!" could be heard from every bundled, huddled up, puffy coat clad patron. Note, if EVERYONE inside is still dressed like they're on an arctic expedition, it's too cold inside. Which brings up a second and possibly larger, or should I say "louder" problem, It's so damn loud you can't hear the person next to you. A low concrete ceiling, concrete and tile floor, a exterior wall of all glass windows and a back wall of subway tiles makes for an inhospitable amount of amplified noise. Then, add a jukebox and alcohol, it's a recipe for decibel disaster. Food was a mixed bag, mostly good bar fare except for what we could only guess was a bag of frozen fries with our burgers. Cheese curds were good and ample but the star was the cauliflower bites, if only you got more than 5 tiny flowerets. The cocktails were delicious, but like the cauliflower bites the serving size was micro at best. $150 for 2 burgers, cheese curds, cauliflower and 6 micro cocktails might be a bit of sticker shock. Our visit ended with our server dumping a carafe of ice water all over the two of us (by accident). She wiped down where she got it on the table but never offered nor brought us towels to soak up our drenched clothes, which only added to the freezing cold atmosphere and a brutal walk home, soaking wet from the waist down, in 4 degree temperatures. Get some sound dampening tiles on the ceiling. Hopefully the heat was temporarily out of order. Seriously consider serving cocktails larger than 4oz if you're going to charge $13-15 and please, please, please don't bring down a good burger by serving it with half cooked, frozen fries reminiscent of a school cafeteria. We'll be back and hopefully Uptown Taproom will have perfected its recipe. This neighborhood desperately needs a successful business. read more

Uptown Taproom - Bar - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a friendly place! Dog friendly! Food on point! Indoor and outdoor seating! Brenna was a great server, definitely will be back.

April 13th and the outdoor crowd is once again booming at Uptown Taproom. Not in a fun way. In a SCREAMING way that the business should be curtailing for the sake of their neighbors. Oh but they couldn't care less about their neighbors, that's right. They carry on and let their customers carry on loudly, both inside and outdoors. Same conclusion: They SUCK. read more

I'm really happy the Taproom has made it to Uptown. It's the perfect neighborhood spot for a casual drink and bite to eat. Service was always very friendly and they make a solid burger and taco. Welcome to the neighborhood! read more

Love that Uptown has a place like this now! Their menu is on the small side, but so far everything we've tried has been great. Their chicken tenders on the appetizer menu come with a large portion of fries, so that's a good deal. And their alcohol list is decent, with some stronger IPAs and the usual light beer selection. Prices are a little high but we're happy to pay it to support a local place. Uptown Taproom even has some photos on the walls of the neighborhood throughout history, which is super neat! It could use a bit more work (the floors are very outdated, but it almost works) and they need a better dishwasher - our glasses came out with lipstick on the rim! But we'll definitely be coming back. read more

This new spot that just opened up in the neighborhood is a place everyone should be checking out. Great rotating beers to check out that are from local brewers. The food is great as well. The pork quesadilla and cheese curds are *chefs kiss*. They started doing comedy on Saturday nights and the shows are so funny. It's a small touch but I especially love all the vintage pictures they hung up on the wall of the neighborhood through the years. read more

Poor service. Server had an attitude, did the bare minimum, had no knowledge of beer, and we had to flag down to get more beer. It was not that busy. Food was mediocre at best. It was St Paddy's day and had family in town. We're looking for a chill, fun neighborhood bar. The vibe here was just kind of blah. Maybe it's improved since then. Was excited for a new spot in the hood. read more

Lively vibe for a weeknight- this place is definitely what the neighborhood needed. Drinks are great- even the classics which is what I gravitate to. Their tacos are delicious and have a nice variety on the menu. Food and drinks were served pretty quickly and the bartender and server were very friendly. read more

Walked in. Bartender waved. He seemed a little busy. That's cool. Sat at the bar. 10 mins went by. washing dishes. Chatting with other ppl down at the bar. Still no acknowledgement. No service. Walked out. read more