Paulaner - the 1972 Bavaria
- Thread starter Paulaner
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Pittraider18
Well-Known Member
LOL I know exactly where this is! Small world. I'm just south of you in the Kirkland area but I'm often around here.
I love those old German-themed restaurants here in the states. If anyone is ever in Huntington Beach there is an awesome place called Old World. It's a big event place and has a big German population living on the grounds with other German themed shops, etc. I used to go watch all the World Cup games there when living in SoCal. They also open early when there are early games (at least they used to, be sure to call first).
visitoldworld.com
About The Old World Village | Old World Village
visitoldworld.com
Another cool place in WA is a town called Leavenworth, German themed town in the mountains, great drive. In case you are into that kind of thing.
Pittraider18
Well-Known Member
Just drove thru Leavenworth last night on the way back from the Chelan Pro Rodeo! Hwy2 is a beautiful drive and after the resurfacing project I hope that it will be even better!
Lol how did you know???
I'm actually in Chicago but up there a few times a year for races, and likely in Burlington WI in Oct for a German cars and airplane event (Zuffengruppe, pretty fun.) Chicago used to have a lot of German beerhall-type places but alas almost none are left these days.
LMK if you ever want to grab a pint, just DM me. Could meet you in Kirkland pretty easily.
Clubsport_CSi
Member
I'm used to travel to Chicago for a few days each year for business - love the windy city but I did never come across something similar to a German Wirtshaus or Beerhall
When I stay there I usually drink - Goose Island - and Iove it for these days
Probably because I can drink the Bavarian stuff all the time when I am at home Is there another local / regional brewery you would recommend? Would give it a try next time!
otter74
Well-Known Member
There is still a place in Lincoln Square but I can't remember the name.I'm used to travel to Chicago for a few days each year for business - love the windy city but I did never come across something similar to a German Wirtshaus or Beerhall
When I stay there I usually drink - Goose Island - and Iove it for these days
Is there another local / regional brewery you would recommend? Would give it a try next time!
Best recommendation I can give you for beer in Chicago is Hopleaf in Andersonville. Their focus is Belgian, not German, but whatever, they're fantastic.
The Lincoln Square place was the Brauhaus which closed a couple years ago (sadly), although Lincoln Square still has a great Maifest and Oktoberfest and the Dankhaus German cultural center. There is a smaller place called Himmel's that by quirk of history has both German and Italian food, it's a bit like sitting in someone's rec room (in a good way.) The only original beerhall place these days is the Berghoff downtown. We lost Zum Deutchen Eck, the Golden Ox, Math Iglers, and many more over the years, there are a few in the suburbs. Chicago has like 70 breweries so there are many great choices:
-For German try Dovetail, both head brewers trained in Germany and many of their malts are brought in from Germany (the rauchbier malt comes from Bamburg as it should!) great taproom as well, they also do sours - there are a couple other good ones right by here (see the link below)
-Alarmist on the northside is great, do lagers and IPA plus some Czech-style beers, would be a place to stop on the way to or from the airport given the location
-Is/Was just opened a taproom near me, they brew a million different versions of saisons, all excellent, the beer list is like a phonebook as they often will only make one batch and the move onto something else - worth checking out what they have, pretty unique https://www.iswasbrewing.com/buy-beer
-Not chicago but nearby in Indiana is Three Floyds, considered one of the best breweries anywhere (and has one of the best beer festivals anywhere, Dark Lord Day, which draws people from all over the country and elsewhere) - their beers are widely carried here
You can make a good trip up and down Ravenswood:
https://chicago.eater.com/maps/malt-row-breweries-ravenswood-beer-taproom
-I live right near hopleaf and have been going there for 25 years - the food, atmosphere and beer list are great with several Belgian brewers providing special brews just for them - they also carry a number of domestic microbrews
-If you can find it while you are here one of the best and most unique breweries is Scratch (I think now only carried at Beer Temple) - it's a tiny artisan brewery from downstate Illinois on the edge of a national forest - natural sour style and they tend to use other bittering agents than hops (wild carrot, marigold, etc.) - they are fantastic - James Beard (top US food awards) award winning
I can go on!
-For German try Dovetail, both head brewers trained in Germany and many of their malts are brought in from Germany (the rauchbier malt comes from Bamburg as it should!) great taproom as well, they also do sours - there are a couple other good ones right by here (see the link below)
-Alarmist on the northside is great, do lagers and IPA plus some Czech-style beers, would be a place to stop on the way to or from the airport given the location
-Is/Was just opened a taproom near me, they brew a million different versions of saisons, all excellent, the beer list is like a phonebook as they often will only make one batch and the move onto something else - worth checking out what they have, pretty unique https://www.iswasbrewing.com/buy-beer
-Not chicago but nearby in Indiana is Three Floyds, considered one of the best breweries anywhere (and has one of the best beer festivals anywhere, Dark Lord Day, which draws people from all over the country and elsewhere) - their beers are widely carried here
You can make a good trip up and down Ravenswood:
https://chicago.eater.com/maps/malt-row-breweries-ravenswood-beer-taproom
-I live right near hopleaf and have been going there for 25 years - the food, atmosphere and beer list are great with several Belgian brewers providing special brews just for them - they also carry a number of domestic microbrews
-If you can find it while you are here one of the best and most unique breweries is Scratch (I think now only carried at Beer Temple) - it's a tiny artisan brewery from downstate Illinois on the edge of a national forest - natural sour style and they tend to use other bittering agents than hops (wild carrot, marigold, etc.) - they are fantastic - James Beard (top US food awards) award winning
I can go on!
otter74
Well-Known Member
For a while, Three Floyds had a collaboration with Mikkeller that produced a barbeque joint in Copenhagen called Warpigs. I was in Copenhagen in the summer of 2015 (just after it opened, as it happens) and I did not know about this, so I was a *bit* surprised to find the sign for a northwest Indiana brewery in Scandinavia.
Mikkeler had a brewery in San Diego that I visited around 7 or 8 years ago. And I have had Three Floyds too. Both great beers.
Clubsport_CSi
Member
Wow, that is really great information - thanks a lot guys, highly appreciated!
I usually spend most of the days at McCormick and use to rent an Airbnb in the area around Goethe Street and Schiller Street (where else should a German guy stay in Chicago?). So usually I have only some hours at night or maybe half a day before the flight goes back. I will definitely visit the Berghoff next time! I became large fan of the Cheesecake Factory (great place and the... Cheesecake... is probably the best I ever had, especially with strawberry topping). One dinner is always on the company and we go for a filet mignon or a Delmonico to MJ's - I looooove it ). I visited the Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao for the first time this year and it may be I will go there next year again).
I'll make a list of beers I need to taste in Chicago in 2026
Again, thanks a lot for all the information - and sorry for highjacking the thread!
Kind regards, Dan
Edit: oh no - there was an Is/Was store very, very close to my last Airbnb - if I only had asked earlier
I usually spend most of the days at McCormick and use to rent an Airbnb in the area around Goethe Street and Schiller Street (where else should a German guy stay in Chicago
?). So usually I have only some hours at night or maybe half a day before the flight goes back. I will definitely visit the Berghoff next time! I became large fan of the Cheesecake Factory (great place and the... Cheesecake... is probably the best I ever had, especially with strawberry topping). One dinner is always on the company and we go for a filet mignon or a Delmonico to MJ's - I looooove it ). I visited the Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao for the first time this year and it may be I will go there next year again).I'll make a list of beers I need to taste in Chicago in 2026
Again, thanks a lot for all the information - and sorry for highjacking the thread!
Kind regards, Dan
Edit: oh no - there was an Is/Was store very, very close to my last Airbnb - if I only had asked earlier
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Chicago has a phenomenal restaurant scene up and down the price scale. And not to make this a beer related site so I'll stop after this but Dark Lord Day is very worth checking out - it's at 3 Floyds, which is a huge facility, they have tons of their stuff on tap, a couple dozen quality guest breweries, live music (mostly metal as that's kind of their vibe) but the best part is you can bring in beer so people bring in super rare beers from all over the world to pour for each other. 8,000 attendees last year so there was plenty of beers to try!
Berghoff is fine but food was much better back in its heyday - but they do brew onsite now and the beers are solid. If you ever want recommendations before you come reach out I'm happy to assist.
Berghoff is fine but food was much better back in its heyday - but they do brew onsite now and the beers are solid. If you ever want recommendations before you come reach out I'm happy to assist.