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Categories: Breweries, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: DePaulArmitage (Purple Express, Brown)
North/Clybourn (Red)
"Your talking one of the best unknown bars in the city. Every thursday they have karaoke and its the best in the city. Not only is everyone…" read more »
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This place was nice. We stopped by with a large group on Saturday for a drink. They were able to seat us at a long stretch of tables in the dining area. For a Saturday night, the place was kind of mellow. If two more huge groups showed, they would have had no problem seating them too.
The beer was pretty tasty. Of course being Goose Island they had a large assortment. I was favorable towards the Bourbon County Brand Stout and Black Cat Stout. Yum.
Not much more to review on. It's just that GI isn't a "happening" place...However it is still a good place to have a few good beers and catch up with some friends and family.
Four stars for beer, two stars for food. [shakes head sadly] Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I used to love coming here because of the excellent beers and above-average pub food. Maybe from now on I will just stop in for drinks only.
I recently attended a Northwestern football game, and with my ticket came a 20% off coupon for either Goose Island location (food and drink for no more than two persons). I heard that they changed chefs and redid the menu since my last visit. So, I figured, "Time to reacquaint myself."
The menu has shrunk and features little else besides sandwiches, a few salads, and several bar-type appetizers. I assayed two of my old favorites: onion rings and pulled-pork sandwich. They give you a large cone of onion rings for $5, and they were darn good. The sandwich was drier and blander than I remember, but I'd still give it a B-, so it's not inedible, but the bun needs jazzing up. The pub chips are still good, but the cole slaw was a bland, meager afterthought.
The fish and chips were awful. The fish was nearly flavorless, and the fries limp and...well, also flavorless. It was a massive cone of fried flavorlessness. Yuck.
Atmosphere and service here are middle of the road, but the food is above-average for pub grub, and… Read more »
Okay, $5 goes a looooong way at Goose Island! Whew! Tipsy, tipsy with the parents was not really what I was going for, but I think they had a buzz on too, so they didn't even notice.
Goose Island does brew tours twice every Sunday. Call ahead to reserve your space! They call the day before to confirm that you're still going to be there.
Walk in, pay and nab a swanky "over 21" bracelet and off you go!
Basically, the tour itself is fine. You go downstairs where they just do test brews weekly, stand there (they encourage you to grab something at the bar to take with you), drink up and ask questions! After about 20 minutes of this, you go back upstairs into a large room. Then the real fun begins.
Key element here: you do your own pour! Which means waaay larger than they want you to get samples of!! Which equals tipsy me!
You get to try six different beers that go from light (312) to whoa that's dark and thick! Also, they threw in a seasonal and a couple I'd never even heard of before. We got quite the education that Goose Island is way more than just what you see in the stores!
What do you get for $5?
-6 heavy handed pours
-a paper menu with their vast beer list
-a souvenir beer glass
-a tip to come in on Thursday's for lunch b/c you get the beer they're testing that week for FREE
-and knowledge that you didn't have before you walked in.
Now here's hoping after that Goose-y buzz you remember it all.
Will DEFinitley be going back for this on a Sunday afternoon.
Goose Island makes great beers found at stores and bars .. but getting them fresh from this location sends me to beer heaven.
Check out these 3 - all won silvers at the 2009 GABF
IPA, Red Woody, and Demolition Belgian Ale,
Some of the food is really good, not all, and not a huge fan of the atmosphere.
My fiancee and I recently had our wedding reception at Goose Island and there simply aren't words for how pleased we were with the whole affair. To start from the beginning, about three months out from our wedding date, it was clear our original venue wasn't working out, so we began looking for a new one. When I first met with their event planner, Sandra, I was impressed by her professionalism and amiability. I never imagined Goose Island would be willing to close for a private event on a Saturday, but (lucky for us) they were!
Goose Island had made some impressive revisions to their menu in the last year, shifting to a more local, seasonal focus, and that was reflected in the catering menu. We had great options to choose from, at fairly low prices. All of the food we tasted and settled on was delicious. Because of the nature of the space, we had to have a buffet, which I was initially against. However, the staff was responsive and we were able to come up with an arragnement that didn't involve 180 wedding guests standing in line for one buffet.
The day of the reception went wonderfully! The Goose Island staff set up the table decor, etc. for us, and did a great job. It looked beautiful, and everything was where it should have been. The staff was responsive and friendly throughout the night; no one seemed to lack anything. They also let us offer our guests brewery tours, which was a cool touch.
To summarize, everyone who wants to have a good time and drink awesome beer at their wedding reception should have it at Goose Island. The food and staff are great, and it's the best value for money in Chicago.
Goose Island is probably one of the few great things that come out of the city. I am a big fan of their 312, Matilda, and Pere Jacques. But their food was absolutely disappointing, mediocre at best.
The selections were boring and are what one would expect at a regular pub - tacos, burgers, sausages etc. The ceviche I ordered lacked taste and the beer battered fish were so tiny, it hardly filled me up. The 'famous' pub chips are soft and forgettable. Famous? Not quite. The highly anticipated mussels for two was utterly disappointing. They were tiny, over-seasoned and too salty to my liking. I could hardly taste the freshness of the mussels if they were fresh at all.
So there I was, sipping on Maltida, on my brithday reminding me why I was there at the first place. Maybe Goose Island is better served at home.
It's ok. I can't comment on the beer, but my co-worker said the list was good. He also said the burgers were excellent.
I had a bit of the nachos, which were delicious. I hadn't had nachos in years, so it was a treat! I hope I don't break out in a few days.
I also had the chicken salad. It came on a bed of baby spinach, blue cheese crumbles, toasted pecans and chopped Medjool dates. The chicken was a little dry, and the dressing was super oily. Even though i mixed the dressing that came on the side, there was still a one inch layer of oil on the top!
Service was decent, and they did turn off the air conditioning at our request because it was an ice box in there!
Give it up Goose Island, you're a bar, NOT a classy organic gastro pub with local ingredients. I was so disappointed in the food here. The menu tries to make it sound like they've jazzed up typical bar food into something unique and memorable. But in reality it's some of the lowest quality bar food I've had in a long time.
My nachos were a plate of cold tortilla chips, drizzled with cold nacho cheese (ballpark quality, +$4 extra) and black bean sauce, a few tomatoes and jalapenos, and then copious amounts of lettuce. They weren't toasted or even warm at all, and it was just gross. My boyfriend's burger was wayyyy undercooked, and not even big compared to lots of bars.
Only reason for two stars instead of one was good service and decent potato leek soup.
Disclaimer: This is only a review of the tour.
quality pint glass to take home + six GENEROUS beer samples + very enthusiastic tour guide -5 dollars = excellent way to spend a chilly weekend afternoon
I wasn't going to write a review about my ho-hum experience until it seemed everyone else in my group was also feeling the same.
On a Saturday night, it was busy, as expected. Our group hung out by the bar for nearly an hour before we got our table, which was A-Okay with us. We knew to expect that. We had great service up there, receiving our beers and appetizers quicker than I expected for how busy the place was. I'm a big fan of micro-brews, and I've never been terribly impressed by Goose Islands offerings at the liquor store, but their XXX Porter from the brewery was quite tasty.
After we were seated, the service definitely took a turn for the worse, becoming much more slow and infrequent. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, which tasted fine, but was markedly underwhelming. I was perplexed by the anablu burger, but the fellow next to me ordered it and was equally unimpressed. Later in the night I had a brown ale and tasted the IPA, and both continued with the trend of "ehh." The food and beer is overpriced for its quality.
This was not a bad experience, and the food and beer were fine. But in the end, I see no reason to go back. I could have better beer, better food, better service in an environment I like better for nearly half the price.
Food is all pretty good, pub food, a buck or two more than you might get somewhere else. Other than the sweet potato fries, nothing notable.
You should, however, come for the beer. Lots of special brews are offered here, and I've had many a beer that was fantastic, way more complex than a "special" brew you might get from a lesser brew master. I'm really impressed. Great location to stop in a grab a bite and a couple drinks (or four) after getting stuck in the cluster fuck that is that north/sheffield shopping area.
I've had the cuban sandwich and some other cheesy sandwich--both were good, but very very greasy and rich. But, we weren't really there for the food, we are there for the beer. Which is pretty darn good... at least most of them were. A couple beers were not total crowd pleasers, but the variety is nice and there's always a new brew on the list we haven't tried yet. The all you can eat pork dinner is also quite good... and they will bring you a second plate and box up your leftovers with no question. A good option for dinner and drinks.
Overall, I'm not a huge fan of the mass-produced Goose Island beers...Matilda is the best, but Honker's, 312, etc, I'm not overly impressed with.
However, they have much much more on tap at Goose Island Clybourn that you cannot buy anywhere else, and those brews are pretty impressive. When we went in there on a random Sunday in August, there were probably at least 15 different choices ranging all of the different styles. Fun for everyone!
I've only eaten here once, and it was over a year ago. I had the buffalo chicken sandwich and it was delicious! I'm a sucker for anything "buffalo" flavored. Definitely will try the food again. I hear good things...
Fun atmosphere, great and friendly bartenders, excellent beer. I can't wait to finally go on the brewery tour one of these days!
It was weird that they heavily sprinkled our nachos with lettuce after we didn't add meat to them, but they were okay still - just $10. And I was disappointed that the beer cheese sauce didn't straight up reek of beer, only tasted like an average processed cheese sauce.
I was surprised that they don't have any of their own sodas on tap. But the beers were all pretty good - especially the Replicale that tastes like beer lemonade - and really well priced - a flight of four ample tastes is $8.
The bar is comfy and the service was nice.
Here is the deal.
Best IPA I have tasted since leaving the west coast- and those beers are hard to contend with.
The burgers are amazing.
The nachos need a little work. I mean, when I get liquid cheese on nachos I expect to be eating them on the first baseline not in a brewery,
The pretzels are a little more bready than I like- but not a bad starter. The liquefied cheese is served as a side with these (where it belongs).
Service matches the beer- fantastic.
You've just been yelped in.
This is my new after work hang out.
I like it because the beers are:
1) ice cold
2) refreshing
3) plentiful.
I also like it because the food is:
1) not standard bar food--rabbit spring rolls?! Love it!!!
2) reasonably priced
3) tasty
Caroline M + rabbit spring rolls + IPA = love
This is what I like to call a good in between bar. It is chill, but definately not dead here, and you won't find as many douche bags with popped collars.
If you come here with a large group looking to drink but not order food, forget about sitting down. The sit down, comfy tables located in the room near the front doors and in the back are only reserved for people who eat (and there are plenty of tables). They do have the center smaller tables for the drinkers, but only like 3 of them. So, go at a decent time though cause you will never find a center table.
The food is moderately priced, and you get a whole lot. Plus, it is not your average bar food. They have good stuff there. The fried pickles were yummy, and of course the beer: the local brew speaks for itself! Very refreshing and good.
Goose Island has a very expansive beer list. My boyfriend and I have the exact opposite beer preferences and we both always seem to find many beers that we like.
The food at Goose Island is great too. Their menu recently changed and takes a really great spin on making pub food fancy. Their wings with the wasabi dipping sauce are great!
The wait staff has never disappointed! They are always very friendly and knowledgeable.
Hi, I'm Danielle and I love beer.
I also love Goose Island, both for their beer and their food.
The menu is definitely different now, with the new chef, but still yummy. They got rid of a lot of things, including their amazing garlic fries they used to have (fries with fresh chopped garlic and parsley). The Sriracha wings are out of this world, as are the pork sliders. The nachos are huge and come with everything (and are deliscious), and even the falafal I had here was really good - spicy, flavorful, and a great pairing with my beer.
And, of course, the beer. I love it all. The beer menu changes ever so often based on the seasons, and always has a good mix of everything - so if you come with picky beer drinkers, there's something here even for the boring Bud Light fan.
Try to get here before the crowd, and you'll get a seat and excellent service (well, I always have when I've been here before 5, at least).
Mmmm...beer. Must find some now...
This location has gone under some new changes, and I'm a fan. Don't worry, all your old favorite beers are there. The bartenders know what they're talking about, and the giant chalkboard with the bitterness scale is still there. So you can still go and have a great beer. They've changed the menu to become, in my opinion, more hip. Instead of a bar and grill feeling, it's more fresh, upscale items. This also means there aren't as many to pick from, but what you will get tastes very good. I recommend the sweet potato fries as they're outstanding.
I liked this place.
I went with a visiting friend who is handily also a beer aficianado. Cue an unfathomable conversation with the incredibly knowledgable staff about yeast types, brew times, hop hoppage (OK, so I stopped listening)... and me trying a bunch of drinks I would never dare.
By bizarre coincedence I had previously tried the Bourbon Stout and it's delicious if absolutely deadly. The coffee stout was also delicious. I wimped out and had some 312 but then I stepped it up a notch and tried...another wheat beer. Who says I'm not adventurous.
I'd recommend setting aside an afternoon for beer tasting and plenty of bar food - the menu is impressive too. I don't know the history so no idea if the food has gone downhill or not.
Things I learned:
I do not like ESB and should never put it in my mouth again
'Bacon Chocolate Sea Salt Bark' is... bacony salty chocolate which I WILL order sometime in the future
I'm a sucker for a gimmick (ordered fries purely because they came in a fake newspaper cone)
They should have a beer garden
Onion rings can be that good - they're special
For the record, the beer aficianado was a bit 'meh' towards the beer, so it should probably be 3 stars but I had a lovely afternoon and the staff get them an extra one.
We haven't been for a few years and the new menu is extremely limited. We had the nachos and they were rather spartan in toppings. I had the falafel sandwich as it was pretty much the only vegetarian thing on the menu. Great beer, but for the food, go to wrigleyville Goose Island
Really tasty food and beer. Mmmmm.... beer......
They took away the Paulina Street Sausage Plate item off their menu which has caused a near-endless amount of grief for me and my husband. The other food is super tasty though! Fish and chips are great. Nice wings too! All in all a nice fun date-night for us. Servers and hosts are also really friendly and efficient here.
Watch out tho, it's kinda expensive for what it is! Those delicious beers really add up fast. Be ready to drop $80-$150 every time you go. As long as that's in the budget, go for it!
Goose...you used to be beautiful.
I went at the end of March 09, and again mid-April 09, and you've taken a turn for the worst. First, your food has gone down hill. Your fries - what happened to the skinny fries? What happened to your old garden burger? Now you're giving us a crap black bean burger that you can get anywhere. You got rid of the 2 mini's for $4. You also got rid of your pepper shakers, for crissakes!
Youre also now selling non-Goose and bottled beers! What the hell are you thinking?
When I asked the new bartender why did the food changed, he claimed a new chef changed things around. Well. all I have to say is - he sucks.
This place see's more change than a toll booth. Update #213455: the menu has changed. Again. The executive chef has changed. Again. And I have to agree w Pilsen and MattT, it's not for the better.
Apparently the former executive chef from MAS on Division is now running the back of the house and responsible for the menu changes. I had to laugh when I saw Pilsen's mention that the 2 Mini Burgers for $4 was taken off the menu...well, sort of. They now have a "mini section" where you can get ONE ala carte "mini" (burger, pork bbq slider, tilapia taco, and a few others items) for $4. Sort of ridic if you ask me, but I do like the variety option the mini section offers.
Also, as mentioned by another reviewer, they switched out perhaps one of the best french fries in the entire City!@!@! No. The crispy shoestring fries are replaced by a thicker cut, not as crispy regular fry...they were still good but not nearly as great as the ones before. Again, change fail.
They still have fish and chips and a few other familiar sandwiches and entrees from GI but overall it's a pretty boring menu if you ask me.
Now the good (unchanged!): The beer. I am insanely in love w their beer here, it's the only reason I come. They have the freshest, most delicious seasonals of any beer company out there, and it's being brewed right there on premise, how quality is that....at any given time, you get about 12 different beers of various types and varieties.
When I was there, the brew master was in the house and had just brewed up a brand spanking new batch of IPA. They gave everyone at the bar a sample and then the brew master got on the PA and gave a breakdown of the characteristics of the beer. This is the thing that keeps me coming back and am happy to say that GI brewpub is here to stay.
Right then, so *now* we're back to a confirmed "Not Closing" and I for one, could not be happier.… Read more »
This Goose is cooked.......
The food is not that great and the beer.....yes, the beer has never been that good in my opinion as micro brews go, though I'll give them props for surviving over the years as a local brewery.
I go here one a month for a Travel Group I'm a member of and partake of both food and drink, but neither has inspired me during these visits........ever.
Parking can be a challenge, though I found wait staff to be nice and attentive.
We just moved to the area so we were trying to find a place to get out of moving hell and unpacking to just relax. The bar area was packed! After pondering over the menu, 2 people got up so we could belly up to the bar.
They had kettle chips on the menu so we asked if they could put some blue cheese on it and bring out some hot sauce. The bartender was more than happy to fulfill our request which is A+ in my book.
The beer is awesome! I usually go for the 312 (the lightest of the Goose Island beers). After working a beer tent over the summer, most people in this fine city don't realize it's after our AREA CODE and not called: three twelve. Get it right people!
I decided to venture off to some new beers this time. The BF ordered the Matilda on a whim and I tried it and was instantly depressed by the beer I had chosen (I can't remember the name) because it didn't have the zest and zing of the Matilda. Little did I know that Matilda is quite a well known beer that I had never heard about until I had several comments on my Facebook page that that beer is awesome. Who knew? It is served in a glass similar to a wine glass and very delicious!
After our snacks were devoured, we ordered the Buffalo Chicken sandwich, which is served with shoestring fries, blue cheese on the side and some coleslaw (I think - I had a few Matildas, so the coleslaw is in question, but not a deal breaker.) Sandwich was very good - it was devoured as well.
All in all, I had a good time, therefore, I will return.
This place has done right by me.
I needed to plan a get together accommodating a group composed of non-drinkers, people who REALLY wanted some beers, hungry people, and cheap people. Oh, and this was a social outing, so the ability to hear each other speak was a plus.
Enter Goose Island. Amazing beers and their liquor selection is no joke either. I got a cup of veggie chili (yum @ $3!!) and one dining companion got the truffle aioli fries (cooked to perfection, subtle and tasty @ $4). Server was attentive on a Saturday night and made sure we had a head's up before the kitchen closed. The hydrators among us never had empty water glasses for long.
The first round of beers and food in our party of 5 came out to $23 with tip, and without any of us flirting with the waitstaff. I am a fan.
The plane! The plane!
All aboard my beer flight to Goose Island.
We begin ascension with Replicale, a refreshing beer that i swear has some banana in the mix, along with orangey, lemony citrus flavors. Alone, it's very light with almost no head. Later with platter of cheesy nachos, the beer turns to Kool Aid. This would be great ice cold during a hot summer unlike our current conditions.
As our flight continues, we rise to Fleur, an ale that according to the menu is "infused with hibiscus." Maybe. What it does possess is that smooth quality found in Belgian-style ale that comforts the tongue and later the stomach. The taste of the Fleur is totally lost in the nachos. It just can't hold up to the powerful flavors on the plate yet delicious on its own.
Next up into the clouds its a celebration b-tches.
Actually, it's Celebration Red, a "dark crystal malt" with a "brilliant red hue." Of the tastes, so far, this is the most familiar to me. This is a fuller bodied hop fest variation on Killian's Red. For me, this beer holds up best with the nachos. Wonderful.
Finally I arrive at my destination of the Night Stalker, a "pitch black imperial stout" that has this incredible chocolate roasted nutty flavor that would be great in a float. The Night Stalker at my ascension quickly sends me back to earth with a level of 11.7 percent alcohol. The closest thing this resembles is Guinness Stout but it's so much tastier.
Yeah, the little bit of food on the late night menu does the job of slaying my hunger.
I will definitely make a return visit to Goose Island.
Re they closing or not... make up your mind Goose Island. I agree with some of the others that 8-10 years ago this place was a solid 5 star brewpub. The food was better, the homemade potato chips were made fresh throughout the day and served warm & semi-soft, and the service was amazing. Now it seems more corporate chain like, and somewhat "played".
Beers are still good, of course, but everything seems to run out quickly and the prices have gone up. Bring back the old Goose Island!
DISCLAIMER: I'm not a beer fan, so I'm only judging the food.
The decor feels a little Shoney's-esque to me, but the food is pretty good. It's a little more expensive than other places in the city with similar offerings, but none of those offer brewery tours! I like the pulled pork and their brunch items were really good last time I was there. You can also try their specialty drinks made with their homemade cane sodas, which are great. Parking can be tough, but it's a place you have to see to check out the home of 312!
My friend and I were in the area when I started to feel the pangs of hunger. She suggested Goose Island since we were right in the area. I have never been there and agreed to try it. Neither one of us tried their beers, so this review is for the food only.
The only redeeming thing about this place was that the fries were actually crispy. I ordered a cheddar burger and my friend ordered chili. The burger left a lot (a lot!!!) to be desired. The cheese looked more like swiss, than cheddar. The burger was completely tasteless and the cheese didn't add a single hint of flavor. I had to ask for some onions just to add some taste to the burger. Needless to say, I left the burger unfinished. My friend's chili didn't look nor taste freshly made and consisted mainly of beans, so I wouldn't even call it chili.
2001 - 5 stars
2009 - 3 stars
Menu changes all the time, changing names of beers. (it's confusing)
I used to go at least once a month. Now I may go twice a year. It's just keeps changing when everyone was happy with it before. It always seems packed! Stop changing!
I thought this location was closing, but I was definitely not about to complain when I went last May when I found it was still open.
I love the beer and the atmosphere. The menu has changed a bit recently to have a bit more outside of the standard bar food, which wasn't necessary for me but is perhaps some of the reason why they were able to stick around in the Clybourn location (?). Our waitress is super friendly - borderline too flirty with my male friends, though.
Overall, a great place for groups and good food. The crowdedness can definitely range, but you'll most likely find a spot.
I just got goosed, and I didn't like it.
I've been here at least a good ten times, and have always enjoyed the friendly effective service, the well-portioned meals and a nice quaff or two off the beaten path.
The food was a bomb. Granted, my wife and I ordered our usual two servings of fried fish and potatoes, so we're not looking at the whole spectrum of the menu, but we were heartily disappointed. Service remained affable.
We were here about 6 weeks ago and had no problem devouring the savory 12+ ounce portion of fish that settled so comfortably like a rock in my belly, nicely accompanied by zesty oh-so-garlicky thin-cut fries. This was downed with a couple of brews, and the meal was kicked off nicely by some onion rings ding-a-linging their way down my gullet. That is what I like, and was what I expected upon entering the restaurant this evening.
This time, we were greeted with a TINY 4-5 ounce portion of four paltry Walleye strips. Although nicely done, my five-year old took one off each plate, leaving us with THREE small fish sticks and a funnel of cold pasty fries. And they weren't garlicky or thin cut. If you're going to give me crappy fries, at least make them HOT. The coleslaw was despicable: warm, Tex-Mex seasoned, watery and inedible. For $14 I could have been happier with five McDonald's Filet O' Fish, and I don't do fast food.
My poor daughter couldn't eat her mac-n-cheese because the Velveeta-esque cheese "sauce" was stickier than her old chewing gum I told her not to stick under the table.
Please either dump the chef or get a clue.
So yes I live in Miami so why review a place in Chicago? Well as a former Chicago boy I feel compelled to inform my fellow of citizens of Miami about one of the best microbreweries in the U.S. which happens to be located in a town that I call My Second City.
Located in the North/Clybourn area of Lincoln Park, the original, Goose Island has been a Chicago staple for quality small batch brews and amazing food for over 20 years. I've always been a sucker for their IPA. Summertime Kolsch and Nut Brown Ale but recently have tried their Matilda and 312. They also have a complete list of seasonal beers which compliment a hot and humid summer day or a cold bone chilling winter night!
My wife and I were recently in town for 24 hours, to attend the wedding of a friend, and I had to introduce her to Goose Island for a few pints. After which I must say it was difficult to pry ourselves from our bar stools because there is something to be said for amazing beer, great music, friendly service and did I say great beer?
The Goose has a beer for every type of beer drinker and although my review falls short of explaining their food, decor or even the complete list of beers it is a must try when in the Windy City.
I promise you, my fellow yelpers, that I wouldn't lie to you about something as important as really, really great beer!
I buy a fair amount of Goose Island from the grocery store/liquor store so I figured why not go to their actual brew pub? Upon arrival, I wasn't all that impressed. First and foremost, the pub itself was kind of difficult to find. Well, no, it wasn't hard to find... it was hard to access. I could see it from North Ave. but it was a little backward to actually access. The parking lot is TINY so be careful. I've only ever been on weeknights so it hasn't ever been super crowded (I'm sure everyone's over at Joe's) but I'm sure the parking lot is a mess on popular nights.
Service at the door was friendly but actually accessing a server in the bar area was next to impossible. We saw one hovering around for awhile and she did actually serve several tables (including ours) but then she disappeared. We did most of our ordering at the bar, which ended up getting pretty packed near the end of the night. I hate waiting in the bar line for drinks when there was a server bringing things at some point.
Goose Island beer is good, though. I really can't argue the fact that the beer is delicious and I love the abundant selection at the brew pub. However, I have a big problem with their prices. I've been to several brew pubs in Chicagoland and elsewhere (my favorite being Bells) and they do NOT charge $5+ for a pint of their OWN beer brewed on site. I do NOT want to pay the same amount for a pint of 312 at the Goose Island Brew Pub as I do at Durkin's (most of their Goose Island pints are always on special for $3). What?!?!?! It is maddening to me that Goose Island charges more for its own beer than other bars in this city. You brew it 10 feet away from where you serve it! I just feel like some of their selections could be lower in price (a good pint of Oberon is a whopping $3 when you go to Bell's) since they're brewed on site and other bars are selling it for less.
The issue with their prices is really what brings down my rating. I had a really good time while I was there, but my bill was outstanding when I got it at the end of the night. It was kind of depressing. I've heard, though, that they're redoing their entire menu and they're going to lower all of their prices (pints and food) and get an entirely new selection of food going. That sounds good so I'll definitely give it another try. I also really like Goose Island (though I just stuck with buying it at Jewel or Vas) so I'll definitely be back to try their stuff that they don't sell in stores.
I'll admit it, being from the Pacific Northwest, I'm a sucker for a decent brew pub. Goose Island certainly is a decent brew pub, but I would not say it is outstanding. I was not aware of Goose Island until the night before I headed to Chicago, when a friend who works for a microbrewery in Oregon suggested it to me. I didn't actually plan to go there, but when I found out the hard way that the restaurant I wanted to visit wasn't open on Monday, I made Goose Island my second choice. I was happy with the selection.
For dinner the Stilton Burger came recommended to me by my friendly server. I gave it a go. The menu describes it as "Pepper-crusted burger, Stilton cheese, garlic cloves, German mustard, pumpernickel bread." It was $12. A bit steep for a burger in my books, but I'm not familiar with Chicago prices so I don't know what the going rate is. It was cooked to order. I liked the garlic cloves. The stilton cheese takes a bit of getting used to, it is nice to try something a little different from the usual American cheese or faux Swiss that one normally finds on burgers. The bread was decent, but not OK. It came with a large mound of pretty tasty fries.
I tried two beers while I was there. I had enjoyed the Honker's Ale the night before at another venue. This time I tried the India Pale Ale and the nitro Dead Goat Porter. Both were quite tasty, I certainly would not object to drinking either of those again.
All-in-all I was quite happy with my experience there.
Perfect combination of great local beer and good food. The selection of homemade brew is more than impressive (the new cask IPA is unreal), not to mention the quality of guest brews (two brothers). The growlers are a great deal and the overall atmosphere is relaxing. Can't ask for much else...
This review is for the brewery tour. We went last Sunday, and it was fun. If you've ever been on a brewery tour before (craft or macro) you know most of what they tell you. It was entertaining, and we did get to sample 6 beers. $5 gets you the samples and a pint glass. Other tours I've been on, you get as much as you want and get to choose the samples. Here, not so much. 3 oz samples of 6 beers chosen by the tour-giver. We liked his choices though. I'm sure the state legislature is to thank for the charge and limited samples. We'd probably do it again. I picked up some soda for the road, can't wait to try it.
Six Bucks Before Six
Neighborhood: South Loop
Free Aperitif On Arrival!
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: DePaul
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Wrigleyville
Category: Bars
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