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Category: Pubs
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Square, RavenswoodWestern (Brown)
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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Great beer selection and good specials- food and beverage both. And they do beer flights.
A little bit confused on the theme the restaurant is working on or towards (family restaurant/microbrew pub/sports bar/pan-world food bonanza?) but at least our server was on the ball and handled the group going from 2 to 8 and a table change without a causing a scene. Of course we were about half the population of the bar that night. But I stand by my compliment.
This place is a big ball of random.
I feel like they took a page from every place on lincoln and and then claimed it as their own. Feelin Thai? Feelin a hotdog? Feelin bowl of pasta covered in candy and syrup? .. Ok so that ones not eally on the menu ... but if you were havin an Elf moment im pretty sure this place would make it for you and it would be a special the next week.
Ive been there twice, and its let me down both times. The first time we were there I ordered my go to Beer... Coors Light. Its simple, I dont have to think about it and it rolls off the tongue nicely. They were out. So I decided this was a great opportunity to expand my barley and hops pallet nd try one of the hundred beers they offer.... 5 freakin minutes and 8 beer suggestions later and I ended up with a miller lite ... why? Because they were out of everything else! How do you boast having tons of beer options and then be out of more than half of them?
The second time there we sat down to eat. Service was slow. The woman who was our waitress was having the worst day of her life and took it out on us. The food wasnt terrible, and though I like options this place was a bit of overkill...... and i honestly never thought I would meet my match!
they have a lot of tvs though! oh but the last time i was there i had to fight off those lil annoying flies in order to enjoy my miller lite and the game .... lame sauce.
My date warned me that this place doesn't really know what it wants to be. Odd menu and odd furniture abound here. It feels like a big rec room in some suburban dude's basement. Excellent beer selection, but that barely counted when we were there.
We walked in and sat ourselves on a busy Monday night. After about 5 minutes and much thirst, it was pretty clear that no one had seen us walk in. No problem, I thought. So, I walked over to the bar to ask the manager for a server. Here's where it gets bad..
Once our server arrived, he left. Immediately. To refill his notepad supply. Really? We just wanted to start with some drinks.
He came back 10 minutes later. We ordered beer. He returned w/ beer 10 minutes after that.
We ordered food. As we were nearing the end of our order, and were contemplating a starter he actually said, "I have to go! Is that all?" Wow. Our food took easily 30 minutes. FOR A HOT DOG AND A CHICKEN SANDWICH! It was mildly warm when he FINALLY brought it over. We asked him for another pitcher of beer and ketchup. He brought the beer over 15 minutes later. No ketchup. We had to ask another waitress to bring us ketchup and silverware so we could eat our rapidly cooling food. He never returned.
It's funny. The only time he actually showed that he cared about our table was when we asked for the check. After I basically had to shoot a flare gun over the bar, he showed up. We asked for the bill and he brought it over immediately. Came back promptly for the credit card we were using, and returned it in like 2 minutes so we could sign. Seriously?
1 star for photo hunt and a friendly owner. At the bar. Where we went, just so we could get out of this guy's section. This place needs to work on their service when it's busy. I can understand busy, but please don't act like I'm a pain in your ass. I'm about to PAY YOU for your time/service. I'll probably never go back. If I do, I'll insist on either sitting at the bar or sitting in the female server's section. She went out of her way to give us....silverware. You know...so we could eat the food we were paying for.
I've gotta agree with some of the reviewers here. This place at times seems like a solution in search of a problem with its menu. And service can be spotty.
That said, my family and I like this place a lot and would like to see it do well. We know it isn't perfect but think it has tremendous potential. It's one of the few kid-friendly places, at least based on our experience there. Of course, given that the place is sparsely populated when we go for lunch or dinner, our kids don't present much of a distraction. The wait staff and co-owner, Tommy, are always delighted to see them.
Many have commented on the cockamamie menu, which seems to be global: American (as in USA), Mexican, and Thai punctuate the menu. You're not coming here to see a preview of Top Chef with the fairly mainstream selection but the food is consistently good and is made from fresh ingredients.
The beer selection is terrific and rivals many of the bars that were true pioneers in this space, and unlike some of the buzz-buzz places, you won't be trampled over while participating in the American micro-brew renaissance or sampling one of the finer Belgians on tap.
Some have commented on service. If you walk in and find the place empty, just walk up to the bar or sit somewhere near it. This place is still being discovered, and it seems like there are a lot of parties here at nights.
Anyway, I'm sure we'll see you there sometime! :)
i've wondered for some time now why this place is always so empty. after my first visit, i'm pretty sure i know now.
we walked in on a thursday night, sat at the bar next to the mega touch, ordered 2 beers and threw a 5 in the machine. we had planned on ordering food; my dining buddy was a veggie and so we looked for some vegetarian options on the menu. we decided on the hummus platter and a veggie wrap thing. five minutes later we're told that the kitchen was out of pita, so they couldn't make either of our dishes. the bartender suggests that we have the veggie quesadillas, and when my friend tells her that he's trying to avoid cheese, she asks another server "the quesadillas don't have cheese do they?" fer real?!
anyway, we decide to finish our beers, play out our $5 worth of trivia and bolt. the plan was going swimmingly until the machine froze. i asked the bartender if she could reboot it because i still had $3 worth of credits left. she says that she doesn't know how, so i ask for the $3 back. (i had put in a $5 bill and played 4 games.) she begins to argue with me that the games are $1/piece rather than 50¢ and that i was only owed $1. seriously? you're gonna argue with me over $2?!? especially when there is a huge sticker on the front of the machine stating: games 50¢ each.
even without the shitty experience, the place is bizarre. the seating is an odd hodge podge of booths, bar seating and tables that look like they belong in a nursing home cafeteria. after finding out that the ale house and cy's crab house share an ownder, a lot of the mystery is explained. i won't be returning to either.
I have been going to this place for the past 4 weeks, every Friday you can find me here late at night drinking with family and friends.
This place has a down to earth feel. It's a bar, no muss no fuss.
The prices are great, and they have weekly specials. I suggest trying the beer of the month (it's always good to be open to new things)
I enjoy it.... and I hope you find the time to do as well.
The reviews here are pretty spot-on. The place is a little....strange. If its emptiness on a Friday night at 8:00 is any indication, it may not be open too much longer. Which is kind of a shame, because it definitely has a few things going for it.
Decor/Ambiance is truly strange. Family diner style tables, chairs and booths contrast with a big bar and tons of big screen tvs everywhere. It's not necessarily a bad atmosphere, just a strange crossbreed of diner and bar. I think it might be a terrific place to watch sports, and would definitely be good for a large group.
Beer selection and prices are good. Food was decent, nothing spectacular, and I agree with other reviewers that the menu is just to gigantic. I had fish and chips, the fiance had a steak. The fries left something to be desired, but the fish was great. Fiance's steak was just fine. The Thai option is a little strange, but I think that the owner may be Thai. He stopped by our table to see how things were, which was nice.
For me, this place was a refreshing change from the usual packed places I tend to frequent on weekend evenings. The fiance and I were looking for something really chill and no wait, and this place was perfect for that. Their menu and decor could use an overhaul, but I will return for more reasonably priced beer and maybe to catch a Cubs game come spring.
An amazingly eclectic bar menu keeps my taste buds on their toes. Solid prices, great beer selection, good people and great food.
They've got tons of fantastic beer on tap. Enough said.
If you're not interested in beer, then you shouldn't go to the Chicago Ale House. What else would you expect?
Everything else there (big screen TVs, team trivia night, Thai food) is a bonus. So I don't think people should make such a big deal about the furniture, menu, etc.
Yes, the owner is Thai and he's there most nights of the week. He is a terrific guy. Ask him to tell you the story of how he started the joint. He told me and my wife the story and even bought us a pitcher of beer because it was long. That was enough to make me a lifelong fan.
And...they've got their own free parking lot. How could you beat that???
I do like the Chicago Ale house.....nice addition to the Lincoln Square area...a place I can drink at and stumble on home!
Been here a few times before and recently I came in with a few friends and we sat at the table. We got our first round from the bar, and she was very friendly. After we sat down, the waitress who had us.....well was kind of pushy. We wanted some bottles of Miller Lite.....she mocked us. She kept pushing the draft beers on us. We said "we just want Miller Lites and some O Bombs". She comes back with our Miller Lites....and goes "i only had 3, i guess i could go down to the basement and get another". um, do what you have to do honey and get my buddy his beer.
We then ordered a late night snack of the mini burgers which were great! Those I sure would order again. Now I wasn't sure if our waitress was serious or she was pulling an "ED DEBEVICS" rude act on us. Anytime we needed her she goes "you guys gonna be nice to me now?" Whatever sweetie!.
So we went to tab up and then notice the owner, Tommy sitting down the table from us. He goes "drink what you want to drink". He then bought us a drink and we talked with him. Nice guy.
I'll most likely be back, thanks to Tommy making sure we had a good time! The waitress? Not sure if that was an act or if that is just how she is?
This doesn't seem like a place where anything really ever happens. That's not always a bad thing. I guess.
The service was pleasant and the food was ok. They have Delerium, which is always a good thing. They have a pool table, ok. The space just seems way too big. It makes me feel like I'm drinking in a warehouse. Man, I haven't done that since high school.
When it first opened, I would have given the Ale House maybe 3 1/2 stars because the beer selection was pretty damn good and VERY reasonably priced. Though the food was never really good. We went back often enough because they had the New Holland Poet on draught. That's a done deal for me. Tons of TV's.
But it's weird in there. I guess I'm fine with it not being so "slick" and looking the same as every other pub, but the family-restaurant style furniture is odd. We wanted to like the food, and tried a variety. The wings are not good, and that hurts me, it really does. Sandwiches...not great. Thai food? I'm confused.
And now it seems the beer prices have gone up, and the selection quality, a little down...I've never had a bad experience with service like some of the other reviews. In fact, I've always found our service to be warm and funny. So I guess I'm giving it 2 1/2 stars. If you need a beer, and you're walking by, it's good. But they need a few gentle nudges and a more concise, better menu to make this a food destination.
We walked into this bar after Octoberfest because all of the other bars in the Square were packed. It's not bad, but not great. We didn't eat, just ordered drinks. They have quite an extensive list of beers, tons of imports, and not just the normal imports that every bar have, but a lot of rare, or uncommon beers too. All the prices for beer were very reasonable, $4-7 for all the imports. And they had a large list of specials. We were drinking the summer brews (sierra Nevada Summer, Goose Island Summer, and...dang, can't remember the 3rd), they were all only $2.50. The owner was very nice, kept on coming over and asking us if we wanted more chips or bread (like I said, we never even ordered food, just drinks, but he kept offering us free chips). We didn't eat, but the food smelled really good, so i'd like to go back there to eat sometime.
Ok, now the bad. I don't get the lay out of the bar and the seating, the front half is full of booths, which leaves a lot of empty space, they have booths along the wall, but also running thru the middle. They have 1 long high table in the back, and then a really long booth. My thought would be to take out the 5 booths in the middle of the front, and put in 10 high top tables for people to sit around, it would creat a lot more seating. Either that, or put in a 2 more long high tables in the back for a bit of a German brau house feel. Just a thought. One group was using half of the long high table in the back, so we took the other half.
I don't like all the hate going on in the reviews for this place. My bf and I had a very pleasant time and were happy to have stopped in. Admittedly, the seating is a tad odd (the space seems very open), but the bar itself is quite impressive looking. We were happy with the beer menu and I was thrilled to have some Summer Shandy on tap. You can't go wrong! Seriously!
My Chicago chop salad was tasty and I'd definitely order it again. Our waiter was extremely attentive and was patient when it took us awhile to figure out what we were drinking. I liked it! And easy parking is a big plus.
I love this place, it is basically my cheers. You can find me there weekly and usually tipsy. The beers are awesome, the people there are friendly and there is always a mixture of people which makes it even better. The food is great, and the thai food, yes they serve thai food, is surprisingly amazing. I go there for the beer because there is so many options, and the servers are always friendly. The owner is awesome and is the reason that this place only got four stars, because he always hits on my sister. If you want to have a good time surrounded by good people come here on any night of the week. I recommend this place if you want to be able to talk to your friends on friday nights without screaming, also if you want to have a good time without people bumping you as you walk. Great place and a fun time.
Went here after first choice of place was absolutely packed. This place, on the other hand, was absolutely empty. They have huge tvs facing every direction to get your game on. The server was a little spotty, coming around here and again but never when we needed her. The food was meh. The drink specials were meh. So over all, it was meh.
On the upside, ladies' bathroom was very nice and clean.
1. The space is very openly designed. The restaurant seating is in the front with the bar in the back. There is seating around the large square bar with multiple large HDTVs in view.
2. They have about 60 beers on tap and another 40 in bottles. You might think that with all those beers they might have some cool unusual stuff that you wouldn't find elsewhere, but it seems all the beers are pretty commonly found at quality establishments for beer lovers across the city. The prices on the beer is pretty decent though ($3.50 to 5.50 for most draft selections and $3.25 - 4.25 for most bottled). They do also have good specials daily. The day that we stopped in we got Summit Oatmeal Stout on draft for $2.25. The problem was that there was about 2 inches of head on each beer we got. The bartender didn't seem to be all too knowledgeable about his beer selections either. I took away two stars for the bartender at what is supposed to be a beer bar not knowing about the beers he sells, but I put one back because of good prices.
3. The menu is a somewhat odd mix of American and Thai food. Maybe that can partially be attributed to the fact that this place used to be a large Korean (I think) restaurant (Bando). In addition to a bar special (you have to sit at the bar for this) of 35¢ and pot stickers and spring rolls for 25¢. The wings are available in buffalo, bbq, and teriyaki. The problem with the wings is that they have very little meat and A LOT of thick breading. I rarely come across breaded wings anywhere, and never this thickly breaded. The pot stickers were dry and the meat inside them was gummy. All we had was the wings and the pot stickers, and they were more than enough to make us decide to not go back for the food. I took off two stars for the bad food.
4. Even though the place was near empty, it took a few minutes for us to get seated at the bar. It seemed there was some confusion as to the fact that that is where we wanted to be. Once we got seated we were ignored for more than 5 minutes. I actually want to write that it was more than 10, but I wasn't sitting there with a stopwatch. Once we were finally taken care of, service was lackluster at best. We sat there with empty beers for a while before the bartender paid any attention to us. The food took an inordinate amount of time. it was an overall not great experience. One star got lopped off for the bad service too.
To sum it up, the service was bad and the food was worse. They have a large selection of beer, but there isn't much you can't find elsewhere and the bartender doesn't know his stock well. I can only give Chicago Ale House one star.
Chicago Ale House is my new spot! A great bar, great service and an over-all excellent experience!
My woman and I came her on a recommendation by one of her friends. I have driven by the Ale House a few times, always wondering what kind of bar this place was. From the outside, it looks pretty boring. They have a few banners on the outside, a few neon signs...nothing special. Today I had the chance to visit, and I was very happy.
Once you walk through the front door, you notice the wonderful decor of the place. The seating area is nice, the restaurant looks clean and inviting and the bar area looks amazing. Glasses hanging everywhere, bottles of liquor on display and the variety of tapped beers calling your name. Chicago Ale House is sexy, period!
Our waiter was very nice, and explained the different types of beers for us. I tried the "beer sampler," and I was very satisfied. For 12.95, you get a 6-beer-sampler of any drafts, besides the Belgium beer Delirium. I was pretty buzzed by the time I made my way around the wheel. Good stuff!
The food was pretty good. We both ordered salads, and I had no complaints. Fresh lettuce, good chicken, good Thai dressing...overall, very good. One side note, they have a preference for Thai food on their menu. I'm assuming ownership may be of Asian decent or something along those lines. I never like a complicated menu, so this kind of made me question their kitchen. The salads were good, so no complaints!
Overall, 5 stars! I enjoy a good bar with atmosphere, ambiance and good draft beer. This place has it!
Chicago Ale House is a neighborhood pub that actually has some pretty good food. We stumbled upon it by chance about a year ago, and were surprised at how good the food is, particularly the Thai food. We've talked to the owner a few times, and he's really nice. I guess he owns a Thai restaurant as well, and per his recommendation I tried the Pad See Ew and it was AMAZING!! I recommend getting it "hot." The typical bar food (burgers, chicken fingers, etc) are good, nothing spectacular, but what you'd expect from a sports bar. They have a good beer selection and some interesting drinks - electric lemondade, etc. This would be a good place to watch a Cubs game and enjoy a burger and beer with some friends. It is also family friendly, at least in the restaurant area, but we never went there past 7pm with my daughter. All around good neighborhood pub and great Lincoln Square/Ravenswood spot.
I came with a regular of this place last Saturday, she assured me we'd have a good time. We rolled in at 11. We walked in, looked around and left. Didn't even order a beer. Not my kind of crowd (college kid central). at all. Sorry.
Maybe i'll come back on a weeknight some time.
I am not impressed. I was excited when this place opened as I was hoping for a viable alternative to the over-crowded Hopleaf. This isn't going to be it. I visited on a Wednesday evening and the place was virtually empty. This didn't prevent the wait staff from ignoring me for literally five minute as I stood by the host podium. I agree with other reviewers about the room set up - it's very strange. The place is too big and has too much seating for the crowds it is currently attracting. The owners left the old furniture in, too - the place just feels very...forlorn. I'd recommend ripping up the seating in the back and throwing in a few more pool tables.
Overall reasonably priced, decent enough beer selection but something about the feel of the place is just bad. I won't be going back.
ok...the beer here is about as crisp as you're going to find...some of the cleanest taps in chicago...
the food however doesn't make any sense...i guess it's a pan-thai-barstandard-greasyspoon-steakhouse?
as well, they've got a ton of tv's, but half the restaurant is populated with this family style greek restaurant decor that makes watching them a "pain in the neck"...
i like the spot well enough...and i'm going to continue to support them...until they inevitably go out of business due to lack of traffic and i purchase one of the flat screens for bargain basement prices...
Truly and awful bar with awful service and awful patrons. I've been three times since it opened. The first time I went in to try to watch a football game (they have Sunday ticket) and the manager wouldn't put a game on for me. At the time there were maybe 20 people in the bar and they have about a dozen TVs half of which weren't being watched. I think the manager was intimidated by the remote.
The second time I went in was a little better but the food is average at best. They are one of those bars that tries to do everything (wings, burgers, thai food, italian) so they don't do anything well.
The third time was the worst and I'll never go back. I was treated poorly by the host (some hipster D-bag) and waited forever to get a beer.
The only reason I don't give it one star is the beer selection is very good (though the beer selection is good in almost every bar in the area) and they have plenty of TVs for sports (something lacking in Lincoln Square). However, I am rooting for this joint to fail so someone with some class can go in and run it.
Heard they had a large selection of beers on tap and was eager to check this place out. Walked in, looked at the list and walked back out, strolling down the street to the Brauhaus instead. If Chicago Ale House hopes to become a beer aficionado's destination in the same league as Hopleaf and Map Room, they have a lot of work to do.
Yes, there are a lot of taps - however, most all of the selections can be found at several other bars. Very few unique offerings here with most being mainstream micros and imports. Goose, Smithwick's, Sam Adams, and Stella are not going to be enough to bring me in. Yeah, there are a handful of Belgians and Germans, but again, all I can find at many other places. I was especially disappointed after having just left the 20-strong taps at Long Room before heading this way. Very disappointed in this respect.
As others have mentioned, the interior is lacking in terms of character and welcoming ambiance. It felt like being in a second rate Grizzlebee's. Awkward arrangement of seating too. Either you are at the bar or seemingly in Siberia . But hey, at least the lights were turned up really bright!
I can't speak for the service, food, or freshness of the beer as we left after 5 minutes of perusing the menu/beer list. Maybe if I lived around the corner I would stop in to watch a game or have a few drinks, but I'm not going out of my way. I guess it might not be a terrible place, but I had higher expectations.
Boooo! This place was weird....added a star for the pool table in the back. We went on a Thursday night and it was ded....surprised that just the name of the place doesn't attract the thirsty. It does have a lot of flat screens...good if you want to watch the game...alone. It's a pretty new spot, but smells musty...needs plug-ins and air filters.
The menu offered up some interesting variations (all over the place). If you're not in the mood for Thai...there's always the linguine with mussels...or if you're not diggin that you can order the special meatloaf with savory gravy. I passed. Slow service and an off vibe...just not feelin it.
Yeah, 'meh' just about sums it up for me. There is a lot of potential. However I have gone there twice and twice the service has been HORRIBLE. I've had to chase down the waitress. And when there was an issue with the bill, she was completely rude and unhelpful. I hear there is a great beer list. Both times I wasn't able to track one down.
There are are so many other bars in the area...this one needs to up their game...
The beer list is phenomenal. With about 50 or so beers on tap, you can't go wrong. And I must say that the prices are really decent compared to other bars in the area.
The decor of th place is pleasant but has a feeling that is a bit different from your standard bar.
If you actually wish to eat here, when you sit down and look at the menu, you will notice that the food list goes all over the place. From Thai to Italian, the list might make your head spin. However, the food is still good. But the main reason to go is for the drinks, and the many different places to just kick back and relax. Catch a game on the big projector, or even shoot a game of pool. It's a very nice place worthy of some props. Stop by if your in the mood to try some different beers.
Chcek out their beer list here:
http://chicagoalehouse...
First off, our service was excellent. Never even thought 'bout refillin'...til she so sweetly prompted another, then it always seemed a good idea. Even though...I do not think now, that that 3rd and 4th were a good idea, but that is besides the point. The waitress was good.
The interior needs work. It's a hybrid of loft/bar/old people restaurant. The lighting needs tweaking. The seating needs some rearrangement. They really need to call in a space planner actually...
Menu looks pretty decent. I had the hummus app with my too many beers, and that was just dandy, and on the cheapish side.
All in all, I think I will come back later, hope they can fix some of the bugs and add some style...it's a new bar, gotta make it crisp to match the 50 beers on tap. ;) (of course I drank Miller Light, because I'm a lame-o)
Chicago Ale House earns a full five stars for being a cut above competition in nearly every category.
BEER!
If you have even the slightest hint of beer snobbery, you MUST try Chicago Ale House. My order is the same every time I go in: "one to the left of what I had last time". With 40 beers on tap, that should keep me coming for a while. They have a decent amount of wheat beers, which is a nice break for those who don't like dark, and are tired of the average lager.
FOOD
A cut above your normal pub fair in my opinion. Steak sandwhich was very satisfying.
ATMOSPHERE
On the surface, just your average pub, but noticeably cleaner. Pool table in the back by a massive projected screen. Great place to watch a sports event as every seat has terrific views of at least 2 TVs.
SERVICE
Been there twice, and we now know two servers by name. Great place if you don't mind joking around with your server a little. Host is pretty attentive too.
New pub place next right off the main stretch of Lincoln Square. Huge tap list (over 60) of domestic, micros, and imported beers and a selection of wine.
They are still finalizing the menu and ironing out the kinks, but this could be perhaps one of the spots to watch any sports event. I counted prolly 10 flat screens around the room. The interior decor reminded me a suburban movie theater with the upholstery on the chairs and booths. But the owner aims to please and checked on us to see we enjoyed everything.
Don't be surprised by the Thai offerings next to other standard pub grub food - the owner is thai. For the price, this is a good deal - I will update on my next visit.
Went there as a group of 6 last night. It is within a block from my house so I am thrilled as are all the neighborhood people that we have talked to. Seems to be a nicer restaurant than bars but not white tablecloth or anything. And the menu had a lot of variety from $6 salads, $8 sandwiches, $20 entrees.
TONS of beer offered. Our group seemed thrilled with the selection and continually ordered different kinds throughout the night. Lots of TVs around the bar with a pool table on the other side and then tables in a non-smoking section. Seems to have a lot to offer different types of people.
Apps...We ordered BBQ shrimp and chicken tenders for appetizers. The BF was not thrilled with the shrimp because he said they were popcorn and weren't advertised that way. The tenders were ok.
Entrees...I ordered a house salad and chicken satay for my dinner. BEST SALAD, especially for a house salad, that I have had in a while. And best house salad that I have ever had. It was amazing. And the chicken satay was good although they gave me salsa with it which was bizarre. The BF got a steak sandwich which had mayo on it so he wasn't really happy but said it was ok. Their chicken sandwich looked amazing and our friend said it was good. Other food ordered was just ok -- not bad but not spectacular. But they just opened on Monday so I am sure everything will get better with time.
Service...Awesome. I am such a picky person when it comes to little things like water refills but they were spot on. I had people asking me if I wanted more water and was 3/4 full. And they kept asking if everything was ok. I am assuming that it is because they want us to tell friends, etc. but it was still nice to be asked! And our waitress had no problem using 3 seperate credit cards. WoW!
***Not sure how many times I will be back for a fancy dinner but I am sure we will be back for some bar food and drinks while watching sports on the TVs.
I wish this place were open when I still lived around the corner! I came here once shortly after they opened to try a couple flights of beer. Chicago Ale House boasts over 50 beers on tap, and while I had probably already tried half of them, I still found a bunch of new ones to enjoy. I was here on a weekday and it wasn't too crowded, but we still had to start out at a table and move to the round bar after it cleared out a bit. I imagine it gets much busier on weekends or game nights, too. There are plenty of TVs around and one gigantic projection screen by the pool table. The owner is a very nice guy -- he came over and talked with us about beer for a bit. I didn't try any food, but the menu looked good and I'll be back to eat someday.
Having worked in restaurants for years now, I noticed some little kinks that I hope they'll be able to work out. I think the seating arrangement toward the front of the restaurant is a little awkward, and the tables and chairs don't look like they belong in a bar. The bartenders knew their beer, but the servers should as well.
Well if Hopleaf and Chicago Ale House mated they would morph into the perfect place for me. This isn't about Hopleaf though. Chicago Ale House boasts a wide selection of beers. This selection is also reasonably priced -here's to hoping this is not a bait and switch :-) -
They also have a sampler for the less adventurous, which allows one to three beers at a time, this is possible because of the huge draft choice.
The set up is very airy. French Doors run across the entire 'house(?)' I am still unsure if it is a non-smoking bar as you couldn't smell any cigarette smoke in the dining region.
Now to the food. Absolutely fantastic filet mignon. Yes try it and let the chef decide the temperature. The chef like his steak medium rare and you will talk about it. It is served with green vegetables (I am guessing determined by season).
The Mrs. got their nacho appetizer. This was a mistake. The nachos themselves were amazing, but the plate was gigantic. I suppose this is supposed to be shared. So order this if you have 4+ people, or if you plan to eat nothing else.
The wait staff are eager to please -yes I went there when they were two weeks in. By eager to please, you are constantly asked about your experience to the point of guilt. I expect as they get more customers this will go away. No I am not faulting them for this. I will never say no to getting pampered.
So why four stars. At the risk of getting grilled on this, the place seems to suffer an identity crisis. I get confused when I see a pool table and flat screen TVs. If their goal is pub grub then they are a shade over-priced. If their goal is a good dining, drinking experience, then loose the pool table or reduce the number of TVs. This is an admittedly personal preference.
I will return here often. I will encourage friends to go because that filet!
My previous review still stands, but I have to say this place is growing on me. Extra stars for great bartenders!
Dear Gordon Ramsay,
Please visit this restaurant. It has loads of potential, but it's floundering.…
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Eh... not a bad place... but def more of a restaurant than an ale house... If you are looking for good beer I would go to Hopleaf, Quenchers, Coopers or the Map room before this place.
All and all the do have a large selection of beer, but the same old ish I could pick at jewel or Dominic's. An ale house shouldn't just have a few of the harder to find beers, they should have a wide selection.
All and all the food isn't bad, but I was just expecting more. I would probably go back if I am in the area, but if I want a real beer I would go to one of the other places instead.
Had lunch here for the first time yesterday. Place was not very crowded. Nice beer selection and the food was good. Very odd selection - typical bar food along with a large number of Thai entries.
The verdict - would go back if friends were having lunch there, but would not make a special trip for it. Definitely a good neighborhood place for those that live around there.
Visited last night.
The Chicago Ale House has 60 taps, of which about 4 are macro domestics. They are in the process of whittling that down to about two: miller lite and mgd I believe.
The remaining 50+ taps are the beers that put hair on your chest. Many of these beers are the micro off-shoots of a macro brewer. For instance they have two blue moon taps, the belgian wheat and a seasonal.
They also feature, true to their ale house roots, brewers like two brothers, etc. The beer menu is un-laminated paper. Our lovely bartender Paige brought this to our attention stating that they change beer selections so often it makes most sense to just print a few at a time and trash em once the selection changes.
I had the mo burger which was above average for a pub burger. Great grilled onions and tasty french fries. My friends shared the buffalo popcorn shrimp and chicken tenders. The sauce on the tenders was REALLY good. A nice balance of spice and sweet- not vinegary at all. The shrimp was lost in the batter. They also had a pizza which looked average.
The buildout is unique. Very nice 3-sided bar, which helps give the patron a nice view of the tap selection. Overall the space is very lofty, with lots of partially stained wood, and plasmas dot the walls in just the right spots. One very large projection television hits the wall just behind the pool table.
The furniture gives it a living room feel. I'm not totally sure how I feel about it, but it's certainly cozy, but some reconfigurations and they could fit many more people in there.
Bottom line, if you're a beer lover- check this place out!
Just not very good. The waitress was kind of surly and transposed our orders, so that my burger was too bloody and the other was too burnt. They boast a large beer selection, but none of the beers really stood out. The atmosphere of the place was not really what I expected; it had a very "sports bar" feel, especially on a Friday night. Not a bad thing overall, I guess, but wasn't great for me.
Oh, and the fries were pretty gross.
Boring food but great beer selection. They have a ton of beers to offer but the menu is all over the map. They have everything from burger and chicken fingers to steak and pricey entrees to thai food (I understand the owner is of thai decent).
It does have a sports bar feel with lots of HDTV's all over. But it seemed too big for the number of people there. I think it is just a few blocks too far from Lincoln Square. Still, it's a great place to drink beers and play pool. They have one pool table that you actually have room to play on. An odd occurrence in Chicago. So if you like pool, beer and watching sports, I recommend. If you come hungry, I recommend sticking to the appetizers as the dinners we had fell below the expectations set by the prices.
Having read an overview of it, I thought it would be a hell of a place. Perhaps it was my expectations that made me think less of it, but I was not all that impressed.
It does have 50 beers on tap, which is good. But more than a few are things like MIller, Bud, Coors, and PBR? With 50 taps, I was hoping for a few more obscure choices. Or, any obscure choices really. I did like that they had Boddington's on tap (as it's my favorite), but it was not a fresh keg. Nor was the Smithwick's (Smiddicks!). Maybe I should just be happy with a decent selection, but a selection means little without freshness.
I had a problem with the layout of it. It seemed that a number of the tables were too close, i.e. if you had to get up or wanted to sit more than 2 inches from the table, you'd bump the chair behind you. While in other sections, there's arbitrarily open space that is too small for a table, but looks too open without. The lighting is inconsistent as well.
I shouldn't judge a whole waitstaff by one shoddy waitress, but ours was not terribly attentive, and got my beer order wrong twice. Not really a big deal, but not encouraging either.
There were some good things though.
It looked like all the other members of the waitstaff were excellent. They were clearly cracking jokes, making suggestions, and very attentive. I think I was just unlucky, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and all that.
Also, the food was rather good. I take "best X in Chicago" with a grain of salt, but the burger was pretty good. Fries at restaurants are usually poor to average, but theirs were good.
I'll make a return trip, but it's more in the hope of redemption than anything else.
Food Specials
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
$4 x $4 Every Day
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Sports Bars
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