Tasty and great quality pretzels! Gnarly Knots was paaaaaacked for a Tuesday afternoon. It's a…read morepretty minimalistic rustic spot that has all the essentials. All the tables were full and customers were constantly coming and going. I can see why after checking em out. Pricing is fair. If you compare it to auntie Anne's they are cheaper with better quality ingredients being used. Service was very quick - there is a kiosk at the front counter or you're able to order with a staff member. Within 5 mins our snack was ready. My husband and I tried a salted pretzel with nacho cheese sauce and creamy mustard sauce. The pretzel itself was cooked perfectly. Texture wise it was somewhat crispy on the outside with a very fluffy center. The nacho cheese sauce was better than cheese sauces I've had before. The creamy mustard was reallll good, we ended up taking the remainder of it home so we could use it for something else.

Went at the Lilac Arts & Craft Festival today and stopped into Gnarly Nuts for the first time. It…read morewas quite busy because of the festival, but the line went quickly and the staff was on top of everything. My husband and I ordered a pretzel dog and the Monte Cristo stuffed pretzel to share. I loved the pretzel dog, it was my favorite. A good sized hotdog wrapped in pretzel with salt sprinkled on top, so yummy! The Monte Cristo stuffed pretzel was served with a raspberry serrano jam. It was tasty, but my husband and I thought it tasted better with mustard. It was good, but their pretzel dog won out over that. Next time I'm in the area, I'm going to revisit this restaurant. They have a lot of pretzels and stuffed pretzels to try.

Small dark old style German restaurant with a menu sure to satisfy any craving. My Osso Buco was…read moreexcellent. It came with mashed potatoes and green beans. My wife had the veal schnitzel, I thought it was a little tough and it could have been hotter, it also came with mashed potatoes and green beans. We sat at the bar which was empty except some slobs dropping F-bombs every other word! Service was good but if that was my bar and there were ladies present I would have told them to stop, plus the two bartenders were ladies. Great beer selection and giant steins.

Opens at 4 pm. On street parking. This is a cozy German pub and restaurant with good chicken, veal,…read moreor pork schnitzel. Their red cabbage is excellent. They have a large selection of German beers and apps too. Service was very good and the prices are reasonable.

Went there right when they opened on a Friday at 11am. Excellent barrel aged "birthday" beer (I…read moredon't remember the and of it). Also, the collab hefeweiss was great. Bonus points for being dog friendly. For those giving a bad review because it was so blue inside, or the area of the business was too industrial or suburban for your liking, or because they refused to serve you because you didn't show ID proving your age (regardless of your apparent age), your reasons for bad reviews are crazy.

It wasn't that great. It's suburban, and in a weird corporate office park type location. No foot…read moretraffic. The interior is VERY blue. I get that's their branding, but OMG. Very blue. Quite loud, several TVs. The beer is pretty good, but not worth returning.

I love Lucky Monk. My friend and I have come here a few times for Happy Hour because they have…read moregreat Happy Hour food deals, which I appreciate a lot as someone who doesn't drink much. The deal is half off apps, but if you enjoy an adult beverage, the house-brewed drafts are also half off. M-Th 3-6pm, dine-in only. At least that's what it is right now. I feel like it changes, so maybe call beforehand to confirm. I only got pics of the nachos this time, which really doesn't do it full justice because they're bigger than they look in the photo. Food is always good and consistent, there's nothing really to complain about regarding service or prices, and parking has always been really easy, though that could be because we typically go on Tuesdays. I imagine weekends could be a little bit busier, but the place is pretty big, so even if you have to wait, I don't think that you'd be waiting that long. The vibe is also casual and low-key.

I get together with old friends once a month at various restaurants. On this visit, there was just…read morethree of us. I chose this place for this month's lunch. I had been here with my daughter about 12 years ago and remembered enjoying it then. We all had burgers and craft beer. My friends went with the Mad Max (burger of the month) and I went with a peppercorn and blue cheese burger. It was thumbs up for all of us on the burgers as well as the beer, which was unique and delicious. I took no pictures that day and just enjoyed the outing with friends, but I was especially impressed with the taste of my burger. I abstained from adding any of my usual condiments, and decided to try it as is, with just their sauce. Best decision ever! The sauce was amazing and the burger was cooked a perfect medium. Like many restaurants, Luck Monk offers their regular menu, plus flyers on their specials, including beers and cocktails. Four days later, I went right back there again on my own, to formally review it with photos. I had to go with that same peppercorn burger, because it was just so good, and to make sure the first time was a fluke. It wasn't. I tried out their chili as well, which was also good. This chef knows what he is doing. This stand alone restaurant is easy to get to, and has ample parking. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful and looks high end, though I found the pricing to be reasonable. It would be a great spot to take clients for a business lunch. It's elegant looking , but unpretentious. The hostess and servers are wonderful. I highly recommend the Lucky Monk!

Update 2026 - Oktoberfest at Schnitzel Platz…read more It's official. Celebrating Oktoberfest at Schnitzel Platz has become a tradition for us. Live music, dancing, interactive fun, flowing beer, and hearty German food, honestly, who argues with that combination? The place transforms into one big cheerful party where strangers toast like old friends and nobody leaves quietly. This year was extra special because it was my sister's, from Buenos Aires, first time experiencing the festivities , and she absolutely loved it. She left with a full belly and a few loud, happy memories that will probably resurface every time she hears an accordion. Service is always upbeat and fun, keeping pace with the festivities. The food is heavy in the best possible way, comforting, flavorful, and exactly what you want when you're raising a stein. Prost to traditions worth repeating.

The food came to the table, overdone, loaded with gravy, dry, and very unpredictable.. two thumbs…read moredown

Exceptional service for a spot that's too busy!!! Line around the upper level but they still smile…read moreand greet you warmly. I got my birthday cinnamon sugar pretzel and bought a cup of pretzel nuggets for my son. Exquisite taste. So soft and delicious. We try to come every other weekend and can't leave without our pretzel nuggets.

This is a small Auntie Annie's right next to Sephora in Woodfield Mall. It's a little bit hidden,…read morebut you can find it because there's always a line for it. The line does move quickly, as they had 4 people working in assembly line fashion to ensure there were warm pretzels ready and served quickly. The cashier was knowledgeable and was able to quickly take my order, scan my award codes, and I'd say even though we were 4th in line, we were waiting less than 10 minutes. Our pretzel nuggets were as expected, tasty and warm. So when walking through this area, we'll definitely be stopping here again!

Came for the beer, stayed for the girl with Taylor Swift bangs handing out compliments…read more Cozy bar, nice staff, great drink menu (mocktails included) and lots of history! We will be back.

A small brewery in a haunted place that is giving me a total home vibe you so know I'm all for it!…read more Right here was where it was at from the start as this was a was a kinda spontaneous adventure here and I must say I'm happy we came as they have one of the best sours I've had in their BOUJIE FRÜT as it was rich in berry taste as well as a bit tart definitely a really good beer along with the others in our flight we just enjoyed them on their very mellow patio! A good brewery will always have yummy food too and right here I must say they totally are doing that with their burgers if then we went with the bacon and guacamole burger and it was just what it should be cooker perfect and full of flavor with each bite of our burger goodness. The bartenders here were friendly and fast to serve everyone on a busy night which I can tell this place gets busy on the weekends as we were here early on a Friday and it was already getting packed. Overall this is a great local brewery with good food and beers it's the type of place I would frequent if I lived in the area!

Happy New Year 2026! My first review of this year. Cheers!…read more Church Street is a spacious, but intimate feeling brewery with a relaxed vibe, tucked away in an Industrial area of Itasca. The on-site parking lot is quite small, but other business lots and street parking is available nearby, especially during events. I tried a sample of their light pilsner and purchased a 12 ounce prickly pear sour. It had a unique flavor to it and wasn't too tart or sour, as I find some to be. I would like to return and try the cranberry sour and German, dry pilsner. Perhaps after "Dry January!" (Hello Mocktails). I did not order any food but I do plan to return and would like to try some of their menu items. I enjoyed sitting at the bar with others and our server was delightful. I have also had their wheat beers which are tasty. Inside the brewery there is a cozy feel and the singing cook in the kitchen was fun to listen to, as he had a nice voice. Check out their fun fan merch for sale too. Happy "Brew Year" all!

I have been here a handful of times. I could have sworn I have written a review, but here we are!…read more Located in an industrial area, they have a decent amount of parking. Since my earlier visits to this establishment, they now have food available for purchase. (I didn't try, but decent size menu). I also remember they having a heavy lager and ipa selection. (Ipas are great!). Now, they also offer a handful of sours too! I find it funny they call their hard seltzers holy water. They also offer hard lemonade and hard ice tea. Props for the variety! Friendly service, check em out!

My wife and I are big fans of german food and there aren't enough German restaurants around. We…read morefinally remembered Renate's last night and stopped in. They remodelled in May and the place is so charming and quaint, yet updated. The server was wonderful, and dressed in traditional clothing. The food was the highlight though. Saurbraten was tangy and tender and Rouladen was juicy with a wondeful dark brown gravy. The sautkraut was german style, not sweet, which I love and the red cabbage was so good, even my wife who doesn't like it said it was good and continued eating it. Spaetzle was perfect and the warm potato salad was excellent. I love the boiled herb potatoes that came with the main course. Just excellent all around. Highest recommendation.

I was really excited to try this place because normally I love German food. I wanted to try out…read moreanother restaurant vs the usual spot close to us. First thing I noticed was that the restaurant was unusually empty on a Saturday night, we were the only ones there. No problem because we have been to other empty restaurants before but the food was good. Second thing I noticed was that we can hear the microwave turn on frequently and the sound is disturbingly obvious. We ordered apple pancakes, Renate's sampler platter, cheesy spaetzle, and Kleiner haxen. We got the liver dumpling soup with each of our entrees. Most of it was bad but I'll talk about the good first. Complimentary bread was fine, it tasted like pretzel. It was soft and not too salty. Liver dumpling soup was hearty and the meat was tender. Broth was good. The brat was fine, tender and flavorful. Mashed potatoes were fine. Here comes the bad. Apple pancakes were too crunchy like reheated. It's not soft like regular pancakes. Not a lot of apples inside. The hammock was still frozen which was why it was so difficult to cut. I've had hock before and if it's made fresh, it'll cut easily. This one was frozen solid in the middle. We can hear them putting it back in the microwave. We took it home to reheat it in the oven. The sampler platter was mostly terrible. The schnitzel didn't even look like one (I've had it many times at other German restaurants). The sauerbraten and the gulasch bowl both had tough meats. You'll be chewing on this for like forever. The cheesy spaetzle they actually forgot but reheated it when I inquired about my order. Definitely wasn't fresh. It was unflavored. The owners did give us the cheesy spaetzle for free and 20% of the hock order. However, I think they should have given us the entire order of hock for free or 75% off. After all, it wasn't even cooked fresh and was still frozen in the middle. The husband was very apologetic but yeah apologies couldn't save this horrendous experience. I do not recommend coming here. If you do come, eat at your own risk.