The after work drink is very over rated at most bars, but here, it's perfect. This bar has one of the best beer lists in Chicago, and it is updated to my belief weekly (if not daily.) I always like the fact that the staff pretty much knows everything there is to know about all the beers, and you can practically say three buzz words about your "typical" beer and they can dish one out it no time.
The bartenders are really friendly, and you should take care of these folks when you can. They are always reliable as a an establishment of the neighborhood, and help those who need a perfect after work beer find one. Â The food is meant to compliment the beer, and they make everything from scratch. Love
Some names to try when you are in next:
Firestone Walker
Pumking (when avaliable)
Schneider Aventinus
Oh and they have Schlitz Tall Boys so thats always a bonus!
Northdown is a pretty hipster spot with incredible pie and a huge variety of craft beers on tap. Great bloody marys and breakfast specials on the weekends too. Loved having this place in my neighborhood. Its always affordable, never too crowded, and the bartenders and servers are very friendly. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a chill meal out that they wont soon forget.
Review Source:No idea what the hell the name means but it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
I feel like I should start this with some detail laden gushing about "when you first walk in" but let's face it, I came for beer and this place has... BEER. Â We're not talking cheap Miller Light, we're talking delicious beer like Three Floyd's or Perennial's Abraxas. Â While you're enjoying the list of libations, the food is worth the shot. Â The chicken pot pie was served in a little pot and though a tad on the small side, it was satisfying and delicious.
Overall this is a good chill bar that says more "relax" than "party". Â That said, it is still a great place to have more than a few and enjoy your company. Â Oh and if you need more room, check the back!
Eehhhhhhhh.
They have a great beer list, they've got pinball, and it sounded as if the people who got food liked it.
But service was painfully slow. There was a big table when we got there so we thought this was the reason for it. Â But after the big table left and the place cleared out service remained slow. Â It's too bad, spending half the time looking for the waitress kind of ruined any of the positives for us. Â Maybe she was helping out doing other things, I don't know. Â She wasn't awful in any other way..just slow. We would've walked up to the bar, but we didn't know if that was a rude thing to do. Â I do wish that bars with only one waitress would give it up and go the way of a lot of European bars, the patron orders everything at the bar, if you order food someone will bring it out. Â It just makes it easier.
So if you go, sit at the bar you'll enjoy it a lot more.
Oh and for those on a tight budget, watch out. Â I had enough cash for a certain number of beers and dollar tip for each. But when my bill (with no food charges on it) came I was charged tax on the beers, there was nothing I could do but leave a low tip because the tax took half of my tip money.
Food was good, service was just okay but the fact that we had to wait over an hour for our food when the place was not even busy was a big deterrent. No explanation of what the problem was or why we had to wait either. Kinda sad because as a vegetarian there are a lot of things I would like to try here- I might give it another chance for redemption though.
Review Source:So I came to this place twice in a week and ordered the mac and cheese both times. Â It's that good. Â Great place to eat if you have any vegetarians/vegans in your group- something for everyone. Â Good service, nice beer selection, great food. Â Will return for some more mac and cheese!
Review Source:LOVE this place. Â
Fantastic vegan and vegetarian options as well as a tasty burger, and bacon mac n' cheese for the hubby. Â I particularly love the cashew cheese sauce with fries. Â In fact, if I could get a side of that sauce with everything I would be a happy gal. Â
I'm not a beer fan but the bartenders are always willing to persuade me--successfully--into trying a tasty beer and loving it! Â They also have Hendricks gin which lets you know they take their bar selection seriously.
PROS: Fantastic non-pretentious service, good food, great drinks, and easy neighborhood parking = Neighborhood gem for sure!
CONS: NONE
First time here tonight, and it was great!
Our server was super sweet and friendly, and had great recommendations. I don't take liquor very well so I asked her for a light, sweet beer and she gave me a Stiegl that was grapefruit flavor, and I absolutely LOVED it!! (thank you!!)
We also got the pork frites (amazing), and I got the turkey dinner, and my friend got 2 draft beers and a burger, and he loved everything too
The bartender was also really awesome and welcoming, greeting us right when we walked in and sat us at a table. Really friendly neighborhood bar with an awesome selection of beer, I would recommend this place! :)
Northdown is the BEST. The staff is nice and friendly, but not too friendly in a  fake way. Great food, amazing beer, they always have three floyd's on draft and bottles, PINBALL and not too long of a wait for a table.
I'm not usually one that chats with other bar patrons, but Northdown is just a happy place to be, sometimes here I find that I have a conversation with a stranger. Â
Nice vibe, down to earth, good food and drink!
Awesome owners, awesome staff. Â They always have great benefits and fund raisers. Â There are usually great prizes to win at these, including rare and awesome beers and even tattoo gift certificates (to top shops). Â They're also always open early which is a big plus if, like me, you like to enjoy a beer with lunch.
Review Source:I just tried this new lakeview/roscoe are spot this weekend with some friends. Â We happened upon it down Lincoln when we were deterred by the overwhelming amount of sports fans at Beckets nearby. Â The place was relatively quiet for a Saturday night, but it was exactly what we were looking for. Â There selection of tap beers is interesting and has some seasonal varieties. Â The selection of bottles also had more seasonal options and some local and international flavors as well. Â So overall a good variety to choose from. Â We enjoyed an appetizer of pork frites. Â Not enough pork is our biggest complaint on this dish. Â But the fries they make are thin and super flavorful. Â One of our guests had the pulled pork sandwich and said the slaw overwhelmed the pork with how vinegary it was, but that it was pretty good. Â I had the grilled cheese tomato soup combo which totally hit the spot. Â Maybe a little more cheese on the sandwich, but the soup combo with it was totally worth it and good. Â Want to go back to try some other vego/vegan options and some other meat dishes as well. Â I'm an equal opportunist for vegetarians and meat lovers and they had some other items on there that I think maybe will surpass some of the things we ordered.
I just want to point out that the food is ok, not great but I totally see where they are trying to take this place and have great potential in making some deliciousness happen. Â I also think that I gave this place 4 stars over 3 because I would definitely come back just to grab a drink because it was open and friendly and as we coined it "urban meets country" so "wisconsin hipster" in a good way?! Â I just really like the relaxed feel of this place and would completely come back just to hang out out. Â
They have a the bar area in the front, but also have a restaurant area with pin ball machines in the back! Â Also, local Chicago art for sale makes any place that much cooler. Â Looking forward to going back and seeing how this place does. Â A much beter option than Fizz overall, not as good as Beckets for food but better atmosphere hands down.
Great beer selection, and it changes frequently so you can always find something new on tap. The beers are a little bit pricey but pretty standard for the area.
Their burger is one of the best we have had in the city. It's just a really good burger, no frills, just good meat, great bun, and their fries are awesome.
I'm still bummed that the pies are gone, and my boyfriend is still mourning the loss of the short rib sandwich but we still love it here.
Went there for the home made pie which they no longer have. Had the pot roast sandwich which was very bland. Ordered some coleslaw to add to the sandwich which was literally vinegar soaked cabbage. After saying something to the server, she still charged us $2 for the cole slaw that we didn't touch. Very bad way to do business.
Review Source:I actually made this a bar destination because there was a beer I wanted to try on their draft menu. (Who am I?!) The Perennial Peach Berliner Weisse tasted as good as it sounded. Some may think $8 is a little steep, but as someone who often starts drifting asleep after half a beer, I was satisfied.
The food was good, but nothing was spectacular. Granted, I skipped the pork frites for fungi, and ordered a chicken sandwich, because body snatchers have invaded my body. I should really get the pork frites next time. And mac & cheese. Always mac & cheese.
The big disappointment came in the pie department. I had heard that this place has pie, and lots of it. I *love* pie - cream, fruit, sweet, savory, I don't care. So, when I asked if they had pie and was told that they only had one, a VEGAN fruit pie... I shed a tear. The other dessert options were a vegan cheesecake and a deep-fried apple blackberry charlotte, which we ended up ordering and was pretty good. Still, nothing can replace a pie craving than a great pie - I need to hunt down some Hoosier Mama tomorrow.
Service was very friendly though. Our server was terrific. I can see myself coming back again for some more beer and pork frites. I'll just have to emotionally prepare myself for no pie.
Northdown is tasty, but it feels like they are still working out some kinks. Our meals came out really quickly, but our vegan "pork" fries, came out in the middle of our meal. Â 3 out of the 4 things my group ordered were really good (fries, mac n' cheeze, pie), but the tofu noodle dish was laaaaaame. Â It had nothing going for it whatsoever, and felt like it was cooked by someone who had no idea how to cook tofu. Â We also ended up waiting over 15-20 minutes for our one slice of pie to come out, which is a long time when you're basically ready to leave. Â
Its awesome to find a place with a crazy long beer list, and an abundance of vegan food, so I'm more than willing to give Northdown another shot!
Great Food, Beer and Service.
Northdown Cafe has to be, without-a-doubt, one of the best, "non-white linen tablecloth restaurant" comfort foods in the city!
It starts and ends with the Pork Frites: Â Field Roast Smoked tomato with house made cashew 'cheese' sauce
Hand cut fries topped with BBQ pulled pork, pickled jalapenos, applewood smoked bacon, green onions, and smoked Gouda & white cheddar sauce
I randomly popped in here in need of wi-fi and nourishment before meeting a friend for some improv in the neighborhood. There were probably other more standard places (like, actual cafes) I could've gone to, but the Yelper in me wanted to try something new.
The servers/bartenders were extremely friendly, and despite my reservations about going into a bar with my laptop... they did not make me feel uncomfortable for doing so. That said, this place is more of a bar and less of a restaurant (in terms of lighting and overall set up).
Anyway, the portobello salad I ordered was *awesome*. I would definitely eat here again. For the price point, it would've been nice if it was more of an entree salad by either being much larger or by offering a side with it, but it was definitely very yummy.
Recently moved about a block away from Northdown, so at the advice of a friend, I decided to check out the place.
I've had dinner here twice, so I haven't been able to try everything yet, but what I've had has been pretty good.
Porter Steak Sandwich: Â Good quality of meat served on ciabatta bread, however I wish my server had given me an option on the temperature of the meat. Â It came out between medium and medium well, would have preferred the steak more on the rare side. Â There was some sort of aioli on the sandwich but I really couldn't taste it. Â I added the habanero hot sauce they had on the table to the sandwich, and I thought it gave it the kick it was missing.
Pork Slaw Sandwich: Â Although it wasn't unique, the pulled pork slaw combination worked well. Â I also enjoyed the habanero sauce on this sandwich. Â
Sriracha Chicken Sandwich:  This was my favorite of all the sandwiches  Sandwich is served on ciabatta with grilled pineapple and a red onion salsa.  The combination of sweet and heat was perfect.  I would definitely get this again.
Northdown also has a fantastic beer selection (both on tap and in bottles) and it seems to be changing regularly. Â The decor was also very nice, lots of original art inspired by Chicago.
Both times I was here the service was good. Â The staff was friendly and attentive, and was working well as a team to provide a great experience for the customers.
Definitely will continue to go back, either for a meal with friends or just for a liquid dinner :)
Had a great meal here and the beer selection was fantastic. Â This place is definitely VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY. Â You should totally come here if you have a lot of different food needs in your group and if you have some people who want light healthy food while other want heavy pub food. Â Several vegan options are clearly labelled and explained on the menu. Â I got the kale quinoa bowl. Â At first glance it was disappointing but it tasted so good and it was zingy. Â It was certainly not a big meal nor the cheapest on the menu. Â Other members of my party ordered the burgers which were good and cheaper. Â Another companion ordered the vegan mac 'n cheese and it was delicious and even a bit spicy. Â All the beers were had were fantastic and the waitstaff was knowledgeable. Â
There were several families with kids seated in the back room (we didn't want to wait for a table in the more hip front room) and that was totally fine. Â There were three cool pinball machines between the bathrooms. Â Everyone was friendly.
Where the cool kids hang in Lakeview pretty much sums up this place. Not fratty or recently post-fratty crowd. Although there are some that filter in but look and seem to feel a little out of place. It's cool, we know you guys live in the area and like good beer so come on in. Just don't judge.
Feels like Simone's was moved to Lakeview. Cool by me, gives me a reason to be on Lincoln again. Fizz is dead and I am definitely not going to the 24 hour stinky gym across the street. Or Wishbone for that matter.
Monday night is bingo in the backroom with some pretty awesome prizes like a velvet panther picture. Or other awesome random prizes. Which by the way has one of the most beautiful bar mirrors I have ever seen. It has got to be about 20 feet long. Lead glass with wood molding at the top. Gorgeous.
After a move to Roscoe Village that was not entirely on purpose, I was worried. Not about finding good beer, as that's easily accessible around here, but I was worried about finding a good place to drink said good beer, especially so close to Wrigley and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad things that go along with it.
And then I found Northdown. Excellent beer selection. Super nice staff. Extremely vegetarian friendly. Favorable ratio of tattooed to non-tattooed, both staff and patrons.
Northdown is a gem among douche.
We love this place - friendly, great food, great liquor selection. Â We have come here regularly - but lately, there have been problems.
First, they got rid of my favorite dish  - the short rib sandwich. Plus, when they first opened, a focus was the pie - and it was great.  However, lately, the pie has been an afterthought.  Tonight, they just had two selections - and they were out of one (and the one they had is, frankly, one of their lesser selections).  A while ago, the first thing you would see when walking in was a list of the pies for the day.  That is no longer there.
It's a popular place, and they probably aren't going to hurt if I don't love them as much as I did (if this was six months ago, the review would have been five stars) - and they are probably moving more toward the place they want to be. Â I just wanted to say I liked the way they were.
If you're looking for a brunch place that has an abundance of screaming babies and food takes at least 45 minutes to come then you've found the perfect place!
I had the Benedict and was extremely excited that it was served on one of the biscuits that other reviewers raved about and it was absolutely awful. The biscuit was dry and very peppery and it was slathered in cold sauce.
Will never be returning for brunch. They were clearly unprepared for a full restaurant and it was not a pleasant experience.
This place was so good that I didn't mind I was sitting at the bar by myself at 1 pm on a Saturday drinking an old Rasputin while eating biscuits and gravy. The food was just as awesome as my life apparently.
Cool looking interior. Extensive beer list. The house biscuits in the biscuit and gravy  were amazing.
Clearly I'm missing something.
I came to Northdown Cafe for brunch with two friends on Saturday at around noon. Â The crowd was fairly minimal so grabbing a table was super easy. Â Drink orders were taken quickly and then I got down to the business of reviewing the brunch menu.
Um, it just doesn't look that appealing.
First, the brunch menu is pretty sparse. Â I honestly had no idea they try to use seasonal ingredients on their menu until I looked at the website because nothing really looked particularly seasonal. Â Omelets? Biscuits and gravy? Bagel sandwich? Â Does anything seem particularly seasonal about these offerings? Â
Uninspired, I went with the classic Build Your Own Omelet and ordered a tomato and mozzarella egg white omelet. Â The omelet was good (it's hard to fuck up an egg white omelet with two ingredients). Â It was served with one peice of sad, little dry brown toast and hasbrowns that were one big patty of potato that kind of looked like a turd on my plate. Â Presentation skills at Northdown are pretty lacking.
Had my food come quickly, or even timely, I would have been satisfied, but it didn't. Â We waited at least 30 minutes for our eggs, which is just ridiculous, especially since the restaurant was pretty empty. Â I hate that.
Service was just OK, too. Â Our gal was pretty sullen and unenthusiastic. Â I don't need a cheerleader to take my egg order, but my gosh, lady. Â Perk up a bit. Â When my party decided to stay for a beer after brunch we asked some questions on beers we weren't familiar with and again, our gal had no clue. Â It was frustrating.
Speaking of frustrating, I really wish the beer lists were up to date. Â I had to order three beers before finally getting one that was actually available.
I'm not a total Debbie Downer. Â I could see myself coming back for beers. Â The list is fairly extensive and interesting. Â I just don't think brunch is the thing at Northdown.
Dude this place is the bomb. One of the best sanchiches in town and another great beer joint. Â Went there for brunch and had the "short stout" sandwich. Â It's beer braised short ribs with fontina cheese, arugula, red onion jam, on a ciabatta bun. Â Delis', Â holy crap. Â One of the best sanwhiches ive ever had. Â Paired it with their bluddy mary which was also delish and hearty. Â
Also had a great variety of homemade pies. Had some wired combo of like apples and rutabaga. Â Whatever...good too. Â Can't wait to go back and try more of their menu and for a good beer.
So I have kind of a weird experience here. Â I went to dinner with a girlfriend at 6pm on a weekday. Â By 6:30pm, we were done with dinner, and we were wondering what to do next. Â The wait staff was a little stand offish and really pushing us to almost...leave? I mean it was a Tuesday, early on in the dinner hour and the place was certainly not packed. The whole thing was strange...why not just let us eat and enjoy our company and hang out? Why did the table have to be turned over so quickly? I mean it felt like they did not want us there at all...like come in, eat and leave. Â I think that we were both expecting a usual dinner night out, to relax and hang out..not be in and out in 30 minutes...I mean this isn't a fast food place....
The food was good, lots of good vegetarian options. I got the quinoa bowl with kale. It was good, but it was SO not worth $12!!! Â The portion was teeny tiny and hardly enough food for dinner. I mean I ate it and then I was like, so where is the rest of dinner? It was a snack. I definitely went to bed with my tummy rumbling that night. The food was flavored well but you really have to eat it slowly to get any sort of enjoyment out of it. Â Maybe that was an appetizer and I ordered wrong? I will have to look at the menu again. Â Because if I ordered an appetizer as my dinner, then yes, I would expect that. Nope-just checked--it was a "house staple" so that should be like enough for a dinner right? Am I missing something?
The food was good and the atmosphere was nice but the service was way too pushy. I also felt like our waitress hated us and I have no idea why. Â The whole experience (it was super duper quick) was weird. Â
We left hungry and so we had to go get yogurt after...
Don't listen to me, I was drunk both times I have been here. The food wasn't bad from what I remember but I wasn't a big fan of the pork fries...Not that I didn't eat the shit out of them or anything...The beer list was pretty decent as well.
I think this place is trying really hard NOT to be as douchey as everything else in this area so, when in the area, I will try to end up here as opposed to some lame sports bar.
I visited Northdown last night for the Bell's Hopslam tapping: I also tried a Dogfish Head Chicory Stout and a Kostritzer Schwarzbier. They have an impressive selection on draft, and an extensive bottle list: this is a good place to try interesting beers. I gather they also have periodic give-aways of glassware etc. Last night they were giving out Bell's stickers.
The food was great: I tried the meatloaf, which came with mashed potatoes, cabbage, onions and gravy. They have plenty of vegan options (with homemade seitan), and for dessert, pies from Hoosier Mama.
P.S. They have pinball machines and are staffed by several friendly men with beards.
I really love this place! I'm so glad I live nearby, it's a really great neighborhood establishment.
Their drink selection is huge and they have a lot of interesting beers to try, though I rarely indulge (as a new resident of Chicago I am still in sticker shock over the cost of alcohol at restaurants and bars here)
The food is fantastic, it's so nice to have "pub fare" that actually has flavor and tastes like it was made from scratch and isn't just a plate of deep fried tan. I love their sandwiches and they have a ton of vegetarian and vegan options which I really appreciate.
GET THE PIE! Oh the pie, just love it.
It's a gorgeous bar, casual but with a nice sense of decor and a really friendly atmosphere.
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