Goose Island Clybourn

chaz01

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Took the family to Sunday brunch after a weekend visiting the Chicago area. I liked that the place was easy to find, free parking, no stress for someone not familiar with driving downtown Chicago, as the place is out of the way of the busiest downtown areas.

Seated immediately in the downstairs area, which was OK, but we felt a bit out of the way. The service wasn't all that great, and I'll cut a break to the waitress who seemed very new a bit flustered. Took as about 2.5 hours to eat and get out of there. That's really my only complaint, otherwise definitely looking to go back here our next trip.

The food was really good and they had some off the wall beers that were hit or miss. Next time, I'd like to like to get a sample platter to get a little more variety with the beers. Children had a good time and they had lots of options for them.

Finally, although they had bottled beer to go, the warehouse across the street had much better selections at 1/3 of the price.

05-02-2010 16:23:47 | More by chaz01

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.65/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$$

Visited GI Clybourn on Friday, 4/25/2013 for lunch and a brew

Atmosphere: Clean, feels like a Chicago style brewpub. A bit empty at lunchtime, but I'm sure that's because everyone was pre-gaming for Dark Lord Day. It was neat to have a brewery window seat and watching the brewers at work. (4)

Quality: Delicious lamb burger and artichoke fritters. Fantastic food. And the cask-conditioned Black Candle was delicious- though the wifey didn't really like the fact that it was a bit warm and had no carbonation (had to explain the difference between keg and cask here). But overall the food and drink were excellent. (5)

Service: Excellent. Our server was very attentive and social, and kept coming by every 15 minutes to make sure we were happy. And we were. (5)

Selection: I think the beer selection could have been better. I don't necessarily ask for BCBS to be on tap but stuff like D-Day or other better brews would have been nice. I think its mainly because the weather was starting to warm up and they were serving up more of the Belgian and hoppy stuff when I wanted the winter stuff. But overall there was a big selection of brews on the menu and I really can't find much fault with the overall selection. (4)

Food: Lamb burger. Done medium-rare. That is all that needs to be said. (5)

Value: Yeah, its a bit pricey, but the service was excellent and the food is great. The beer selection could be better but honestly its my fault for not drinking more than 2 beers. I'll definitely be back especially as Castle Vav is nearby!

04-29-2013 00:46:48 | More by Stevedore

Stinger80OH

Ohio

3.86/5  rDev -6.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

My first visit to GI was great. The atmosphere is typical of most large brewpubs that I have visited over the years. There is a large bar with plenty of seating and there are plenty of TVs to catch the game on. It can be very noisy, especially on weekends when the place is packed. I went during lunch time on a Saturday and it was a full house. The quality and selection of the beers were great however they are bit on the pricey size per serving. That being said however, if you like GI beers that are distributed, then you will def like the many offerings that are available here. They also have multiple cask offerings if thats your thing. I didnt try the food so I can't really comment on it but other patrons around the bar were eating and appeared to be very tasty grub.

01-06-2013 15:55:13 | More by Stinger80OH

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -10.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Got there right around the time they opened, I pulled up a seat at the bar and ordered a milk stout that was on nitro at the time. The bartenders were helpful and hardly ever let me glass go dry. They were all singing the songs on the radio which I thought was kind of cool. The selection of beers on draft were good as well as the vintage bottle selection they had there too. There were some beers I was hoping to get my hands on but wasn't able too. The food was really quite good, definitely got me ready for the road trip ahead of me. The prices of the vintage bottles were a little steep I thought but the other prices seemed decent. Overall it's was a really nice looking place and I would probably go back or at least check out the other pub they have.

10-03-2012 02:59:19 | More by Knapp85

Etan

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Pretty nice place. It's never been too crowded when I've gone, and the servers/bartenders are friendly and helpful - they generally pour you a 3-4oz sample of something new without asking, which is nice. The prices are decent, and the taps rotate pretty frequently; always something interesting on, especially from the Farmer's Market Series or the Chef Collaboration series. I like that there are always a bunch of cask offerings as well. The food I've tried has been pretty good (great fish and chips).

They could have more guest taps and a better bottle list, but besides that this place is pretty cool.

08-07-2012 19:27:43 | More by Etan

GJ40

North Carolina

3.64/5  rDev -11.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

I've never been a big Goose Island beer fan but I was in Chicago and I thought a trip to their brewpub might change that.

We had a couple of their samplers. One had four of their Belgians and the other some IPAs and cask offerings. The IPAs and cask offerings were OK but not anything special. The Belgians were a little better but still not something I'd buy.

The atmosphere had me a little unsure. The space and bones of the building are fantastic. But somehow it didn't all come together. I think it was something about the look and feel of the big, center bar.

So I left with about the same opinion that I started with. I have no complaints about GI. Their beer is good and consistent. But it just doesn't interest me.

07-04-2012 11:53:02 | More by GJ40

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

A fun and busy beer week in Chicago concludes with a late lunch and a break from the hot city streets in the cozy and comfortable brewpub.

Right off of Clark street, the shaddowy awning with the Goose Island logo marks a corner of a shopping area that surrounds a small but ample parking lot. Although the lot diminishes the urban feel somewhat, a peek inside speaks otherwise. Dark woods, class merchandise cabinetry, and cool lighting decorates the entry galley where I'm met by the friendly hostess who directed us to the bar.

Dark wood motif and antique metals are the hallmarks of the bar's interior design. The bar anchors the center of the space in island-like fashion as seating surrounds the bar completely. Flanked by high top tables and recessed seating to the right, the beer has a pleasant mix of belly-up seating and intimate dinner tables. A storefront behind the bar illustrates the meticulously clean brewing portion of the pub. Murals, chalkboard menus, and exposed brick concludes the space's demeanor. Even though the interior seems of quality, I somehow feel a 'scripted' character to the place that's perhaps a step above the standard Rock Bottom or RAM brewpub chains.

We were not alone in our later than normal lunch venture. This particular Thursday afternoon really brings out the crowd. Despite the fullness, the bartender was jovial, informative, and seemed to really get into his job. He knew the beers as well as anyone who works at a brewery should. A glass of the Chicago exclusive Green Line is followed with Inspiration IPA and 24th Anniversary Ale. Both of which complemented the duck ruben very well.

With premiere beers come semi-gourmet eating, thus the price is a touch high. But for the experience that's given and the quality of dining, I felt that the $60 lunch for two was justified.

Whether it's for the food, beer, or both- anyone who considers themselves a craft beer enthusiast has to make a visit the brewpub a priority.

07-02-2012 16:53:01 | More by BEERchitect

ThreeWiseMen

California

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Met a friend here on my first night in Chicago. This was about three weeks ago, but I jotted down some notes and feel like I've still got a pretty good recollection of the place... just got a little lazy when it came to writing the review.

Anyhoo, the Goose Island Clybourn pub was much smaller than I anticipated: a roughly 15ft x 25ft central bar, surrounded by a single line of small tables. It's got a nice feel to it though. Tons of polished wood with plain, yet classy, decor give it an old-school "Cheers" sort of aesthetic.

Following suit, many of the beers exude class and grace by through polished attention to detail and dedication to established styles. A few (e.g. bourbon county peppermint stout), however, provide more interesting selections for the adventurous. The beer list is both deep and diverse, and the 4-5 beers that I tasted were all top notch.

Service was slightly better than average. We often sat dry for 10-15 minutes before the waitress noticed, but otherwise, she was both friendly and knowledgeable.

I can't speak much on the food or prices, other than the butternut squash bisque I had was tasty and I don't remember it costing too much. The beers were ~$5 a pint.

I don't think I really need to say this (as I'm sure it's already been echoed many times AND Goose Island is the largest craft brewing establishment in Chicago), but make sure you visit this place when you come to the windy city.

01-26-2012 06:39:05 | More by ThreeWiseMen

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -7.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

Stopped in here twice on 1/17/12- once for lunch and once for drinks a few hours later.

Nice location, but you can tell that the area has gotten "upscaled" relatively recently. Plenty of parking, and there's a Binny's across the street, which could be a plus or minus. Ambiance is nice, lots of polished wood and neat decorations, but a bit forced/purchased and on the cavernous side of spacious. This place also has plenty of seating, though I don't know how busy it gets.

Beer selection was varied and intriguing for a brewpub, if on the pricey side. I sampled four of the 15-20 choices on the menu, but wasn't particularly impressed by any but the Alt, which at $10/ growler was both reasonably priced and reasonably tasty.

Service was something of a letdown, though everyone was both enthusiastic and generally pleasant. Food and drink were served astonishingly fast. The waitress at lunch was rather pushy about the beer menu despite the early hour and our repeated disinterest. Evening service was actually fairly bad, however- We ordered a bottle of Madame Rose, and the server proceeded to pour it exceptionally timidly while still managing to get a moderate amount of yeast sediment into the glasses. I almost asked for another bottle, but decided it wasn't worth it, since for all I know that's how they want them to do it. It also took an inordinately long time to get the check, as the waiter seemed to be flirting with one of the bartenders. I just hope the weekend staff are more experienced.

Food was decent; I tried both the Cuban and turkey club sandwiches, as well as the fries and red potato salad. Barring the potato salad, which I didn't like, it was all solid. I also got the impression that it was all put together to highlight the drinks it might be served with, though I didn't sample any beers while eating.

Overall, I don't regret going, but I probably wouldn't again unless my company was a professed Goose Island fan.

01-20-2012 08:57:33 | More by Lawl3ss

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +6.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

I had a day off, so I figured I'd take the train into the City and visit a place I'd been meaning to for some time. There's a bit of a throwback/neo-speakeasy kinda feel going on in here, mainly due to the exposed brick and pipes and whatnot, but it works. Ponied up to the bar, ordered a cask-conditioned beer and a stilton burger (great stuff). Enjoyed some more beers while watching ESPN play and the hours pass. The selection was damn fine, ranging across the varied world of beer, including barrel-aged selections and a new gluten-free experiment. The bartender was rather genial and fairly knowledgeable about the beers (and what he didn't know he had the sense to check a fact sheet for...always a plus for me). He even arranged the tasting order for the beers, a nice touch. The pricing probably wasn't anything out of the ordinary for such a place in Chicago, but it seemed a sliver high (especially when the admittedly tasty food came into play). Overall, a great place that lives up to its lofty reputation.

01-07-2012 23:57:27 | More by TMoney2591