The Real Chicago

Top Menu

  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

Main Menu

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

logo

Header Banner

The Real Chicago

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
  • Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

  • New on the scene: Recapping recent restaurant and bar openings in Chicago

  • The Big City Blog: A Chicago summer bucket list

  • Outdoor drinking: A guide to some of our favorite beer gardens and rooftops in Chicago

  • A day at the museum: Exploring the iconic Field Museum in Chicago

General Features
Home›featured-blogs›General Features›Craft beer favorites: We snagged local opinions on where to satisfy your cravings for good brew

Craft beer favorites: We snagged local opinions on where to satisfy your cravings for good brew

By TheRealChicagoOnline
November 20, 2017
633
0
Share:

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

Links Taproom photo by Leigh Loftus

If you’re a craft beer enthusiast, the award-winning Links Taproom (1559 N. Milwaukee Ave.) is must visit. You’re guaranteed to pick up a few new favorites every time you go. They offer a huge variety and steady rotation of about 75 beers on tap, cask and bottled. The venue itself has a cozy, tavern vibe with TV monitors throughout displaying the current beer menu, serving size available, style of glass the beer is served in and how much is left in the keg. They also have one of the best sausage menus in Chicago to wash down with your new favorite beer.

— Mark Schwalenberg

I’ve always loved the Map Room (1949 N. Hoyne) in the Bucktown neighborhood. Here you will find an impressive list of more than 200 beers from all over the world, along with travel books and National Geographic magazines for you to peruse at your leisure. I’ve always enjoyed traveling and learning about different countries, and this place would definitely appeal to you if you do too. In the morning, it is open for coffee (they serve Intelligentsia coffee) and pastries. The Map Room has a very relaxed and cozy feel to it.  The staff, including bartenders and bouncers, has always been very kind and inviting. Make sure to visit the ATM beforehand, though, as it is cash only.

— Etienne Padin, Viceroy hotel

Small Bar in Logan Square (2956 N. Albany) has been one of my favorite craft beer bars for years. It is a small place — although it becomes much larger with the outdoor patio in the summer — tucked away on a residential street. There is nothing pretentious about the space, and they were providing craft beers before the whole movement took off. They always have a rotating draft list with local and national brews you can’t typically find at other bars. If you are into Goose Island’s Bourbon County stouts, they have the different varieties on the menu fairly often. They also have a unique list of bottles and cans, which is great when you want to find something rare to try. The food is something worth checking out too. I can’t seem to ever leave there without ordering their tater tots.

— Meredith Franczyk

Clark Street Ale House (742 N. Clark) is a great place for craft beers and, especially my favorite, the pale ales. It’s a great place to hang out because it has a neighborhood feel downtown that keeps you coming back. My friends and I hang there because it doesn’t scream “tourist.”

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

— Tim Anderson, Dana Hotel and Spa

I highly recommend the Half Acre Brewery tour (4257 N. Lincoln Ave.). Half Acre is a Chicago craft brewery that brews one of my favorite beers, the Daisy Cutter. The brewery at does a highly popular tour every Saturday. The cost is $10 per person and includes a Half Acre glass, and three “samples” that turn out to be full-sized pours of beer. It is an incredible value, and you can hop right over to the taproom next door afterwards to get a bite to eat. Cho Sun OK is right down the street for Korean BBQ as well, if you fancy that.

— Alex Yu, Viceroy hotel

Bad Apple (4300 N. Lincoln Ave.) in North Center is an outstanding local find for a great craft beer selection and tasty burgers. With a constantly rotating 25 tap handles and more than 200 bottles and cans from across the world (to Half Acre across the street), you’ll be sure to find the beer you’re looking for. The staff is super knowledgeable about the beer and would love to help if you want to get out of your comfort zone and taste a smoked or lambic beer you’ve never tried before. Great for families, friends or late-night drinks, Bad Apple is always a go-to spot.

— David Nickell

Maria’s Packaged Goods (960 W. 31st St.) in Bridgeport excels above the rest with a modern, trendy beer hall and sweet patio that focuses on Chicago and Midwest breweries on tap, while also carrying special Marz brews, since it’s owned by the Marz brewing family. There is a cool history there with that family, and that neighborhood, too, that comes to life in the bar. Maria’s also sells packaged beer, and the attached restaurant (Kimski) serves a fusion of Polish and Korean food, a tribute to the owners’ parents.

— Dan Ochwat

The Green Lady (3328 N. Lincoln Ave.) always has a great draft list and friendly bartenders. It’s a comfortable setting, never overly crowded, and dog friendly. Trivia nights and free darts too.

— Adam Taylor

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

TagsBad AppleBridgeportBucktownChicago craft beerClark Street Ale HouseDaisy CutterHalf Acre BreweryLincoln SquareLinks TaproomLogan SquareMap RoomMaria's Packaged GoodsSmall BarThe Green LadyThe Real ChicagoWicker Park
Previous Article

Shop Around the Corner: Personalized to perfection, ...

Next Article

Chicago’s Inside Scoop: Christmas and holiday events ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • A Round of Drinks

    A Round of Drinks at Kingston Mines and The Green Mill: These classic Chicago music venues will keep you entertained ...

    September 5, 2018
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Hidden Gems

    Chicago’s hidden gems: Easy Street Pizza and Purple Llama Coffee and Records

    June 15, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Hidden Gems

    Chicago’s hidden gems: Smoque’s BBQ, Broken English for tacos and Nighthawk for cocktails or coffee

    August 11, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • General Features

    Vintage movement: A bevy of unique, quality thrift stores dominate the landscape in Wicker Park

    April 2, 2018
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: Griffin Theatre’s version of “Ragtime” is a seriously unserious story of race and class in turn-of-the-century America

    June 29, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Shop Around the Corner

    Shop Around the Corner: Good Games offers old favorites, creative new games, and free space to meet and play

    December 29, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline

You might be interested

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Bring your own bottle: Save some money at these Chicago dining establishments

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Chicago’s claim to fame: Tours for pizza and The Devil in the White City

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Drinks by the lake: Exploring some of Chicago’s best beach bars

  • LATEST REVIEWS

  • TOP REVIEWS

Timeline

  • November 11, 2021

    Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

  • July 31, 2019

    Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & Ash

  • July 30, 2019

    First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater experience

  • July 28, 2019

    Finger lickin’ good: Six trusted Chicago spots for a stellar barbecue experience

  • July 25, 2019

    The Big City Blog: Four Friday Night Flights beer tastings remain this summer, including July 26 in Ravenswood

Latest Comments

  • The 14 Best Fireplaces in Chicago | UrbanMatter
    on
    October 11, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: The Real Chicago […]

    Cozy on up: We asked active Chicagoans for their favorite spots to warm up in the ...

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum | FreeForAll.org
    on
    January 16, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum – FreeForAll.org
    on
    October 23, 2016
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • The Real Chicago – The Big City Blog: A very Chicago night on the town
    on
    May 31, 2016
    […] up was The Redhead Piano Bar for drinks and live music. I’ve said it before ...

    Friendly, unfussy, and serious about music: Hanging with Marshall Nelson from the Redhead Piano Bar

  • Scouting Logan Square: A Renewed Historical Neighborhood - The Annex, a blog by Casamatic
    on
    March 10, 2016
    […] (cover photo via The Real Chicago) […]

    The rise of Logan Square: Why this diverse area has quickly become one of Chicago’s hottest ...

Find us on Facebook

Originally launched in 2006, The Real Chicago — as a glossy entertainment magazine, website and email newsletter — has consistently provided the very best insider information, features and reviews to help both tourists and active locals get the most out of exploring the greatest city on Earth.
  • Latest Posts

  • Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    November 11, 2021
  • Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 31, 2019
  • First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 30, 2019

Photostream

    Follow us

    © Copyright The Real Chicago. All rights reserved.