went there for brunch!!! super goood!!!!
this was a while ago so my descriptions may not be the best... but go there on saturday brunch!!!!
sourdough pancake baked with sausages... holy moly, you would think that it would be super sweet but its actually pretty balanced. the sourdough keeps it from being overly sweet and brings in more of a savory which meshes well with the maple syrup and the salty meaty sausage and lets not forget about the bacon wrapped chicken thigh!!!!
i had the dual quads. and it was super yummy!!! 2 sausages, eggs, cornbread and sauces!!! yummy!!! two different types of sauces, eggs were good to break open and corn bread was great to sop up the egg and sauce!!!
got an order of hash browns for good measure... must say they are delicious... def up there in the top 5!!
pork rinds... i dont know if ive ever officially had them.. but i thought they were delicious... you really need to master the art of breathing before you get them. i obviously did not master the art of breathing and inhaled the seasoning or the crack powder that covers the pork rinds multiplie times... glad i didnt have an orange runny nose all day!!
mimosa... delicious!!!
will def go back!!!!
We reserved a table here through Opentable and it was seamless. We were seated 10 minutes earlier than our reserved time. It was really loud in here at 1pm. I ordered the ham dish and it was phenomenal. It was covered in an egg, kale, grits, and it also came with a side of picked cauliflower. The flavors were spot-on and the portion was perfect. The bacon here is like 2 inches thick, and the spice cake was delicious too. I had a beermosa and it was good, and the french press was standard as well. Interesting concept, I felt like the space was a bit too weird - pub-like and crazy on one side and nice and almost fancy on another. The bathrooms were too dark - I couldn't see anything! But I thought the food was solid. Well worth it.
Review Source:First time going there and I loved it! Our server was so informative and I love the communal atmosphere. They have a huge beer and wine list from different areas in America and abroad. Oh...the food was phenomenal! Try the frites with the egg, so GOOD. Overall had an amazing experience.
Review Source:Great beer...and great food. Â I'm anti-social...so...not really into the communal dining...but...once we got the champagne-style Belgium beer...I quickly got over the seating arrangement. Â We just asked the server to pick out a few items on the menu and she nailed all of them. Â We had The Publican on our wishlist for a long time and we were not disappointed.
Review Source:I think we may have had an overall off experience: off night, off menu, off  with our heads.
We made reservations almost 2 weeks in advance and still got stuck with a late one, 10:15pm. Not faulting them for this, a great restaurant should be hard to get into. Except when all was said and done it wasn't that great.
The menu for the night was no longer really accurate as several of the best sounding dishes had been 86'd. So after all of our careful choosing and pairing we were told by a rather rude waitress that they didn't have those things and they should have been crossed off the menu. Back to the drawing board. While we tried to put together a new game plan she came back twice in a very short amount of time. It was clear to us her shift was ending soon and she wanted us to be on desserts before we even had salads. Which, by the way, ended up being completely overdressed. I have not had an overdressed salad in years and it basically set the tone for a sub par evening. The more we were rushed through each course the more I felt like obliging the staff just so we could leave.
The quality of the meat we ate was high, so if we based our experience merely on the meat sampling it would be 4.5 stars. The duck we had was nothing remarkable though, that I would give 2.5 stars. Â
I would go again if someone else invited me to say a birthday dinner or happy hour there, as the wine list was the only thing I would really say lived up to its reputation besides the meat. I am happy that so many locals and tourists alike have had great experiences here and I am just bummed out mine was so lackluster. If I am going to pay over $100 to eat in what looks like the hipster offspring of a log cabin and a cafeteria the place better come correct.
Being that I am a big craft beer fan and I had heard so many positive reviews about this place, I had been meaning to go to The Publican for about a year now and I finally got around to going. Â I stopped in at around 2:00 on a Sunday and the place was pretty packed... but we had no problem getting a table to stand by and order drinks until the brunch crowd cleared out.
My server brought over a beer menu and I asked a few questions... I knew that the servers had to had to pass a certain level of "Cicerone" certification, but they were even more knowledgeable than I expected... and not in a "snobby" way at all... they were generally excited to discuss the brewing techniques and answer all my questions.
The bottle list was impressive... but when I saw that they had Cantillon Kriek on tap as well as many awesome local brews from Solemn Oath, Three Floyds, Half Acre, etc... I never even made it into ordering bottles (maybe next time) - but they have an extensive list as well as older beers from their cellar that will impress even the geekiest beer nerd.
I have not yet had a full meal here, but I would give The Publican 5 stars based on their Charcuterie program alone. Â I had a sampling of aged hams, sausages, and head cheeses that were all unbelievable. Â
I will definitely be back... this is a world class establishment for craft beer and meats. Â No complaints at all.
We had tried to go here several times during dinner without reservations and the wait was always too long. Â We finally got in the other night and boy was it worth it. Â After one visit, I can say with some confidence that if you don't like the Publican you and I will never be friends. Â
This place has great service and atmosphere, craft beers, and a menu that changes daily. Â Meats and seafood are the mainstay, and they don't disappoint. Â We were somewhat worried about taking our two-year-old given the communal seating, but upon arrival we were pleasantly surprised to find a number of booths that are completely closed off, like your own private mini room. Â This was the perfect arrangement for our daughter, who got to roam freely inside our booth without disturbing the other patrons.
Overall, it was a great meal. Â We will be back soon!
This is my favorite place to eat when we have family in town. Â Great atmosphere and exceptional service but the food is AMAZING.
It's a meat-lovers paradise but I find that my favorites are always the vegetables and fish. Â Super beer list with lots of hard to find labels. Â The servers are really knowledgeable about suggesting something you'll be sure to love. Â This is the kind of place to go with people you don't mind sharing plates with. Â It's best with a party of 3-6 so that you can order lots of different things. Â We always plan on spending about 3 hours feasting and leaving extremely satisfied. Â It's so good you just can't stop tasting and want to try everything. Â We've come with my son when he was a baby but just tried to make our reservation for earlier. Â They don't have high-chairs, but that's ok, we just brought him in the carseat or on another occasion brought our own little travel high chair. Â When we are with my son we just make a reservation for earlier in the evening before it gets crowded and make sure to request a booth. Â I wouldn't go so far to say that it's kid-friendly because there are no changing tables, high-chairs or really anything for small children but we make it work. Â Our little guy loves trying everything and it's a joy to share this delicious food with him.
In town from Cedar Rapids, I'd made us a reservation. Great wines and good beers. The Country Ribs and crab with curry potatoes were wonderful. Half taste of serrano ham, porschetta, head cheese (I know, right?) were great. If you like raw and different, the steak heart tartare might be for you.
Service was very good-- they seemed genuinely kind and interested in your experience being lovely.
Honestly, I can't really complain about this place but I will admit I was slightly disappointed. My expectations were a little high in regards to finally eating here, and while nothing was WRONG with anything I ate or drank, I wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be.
Nonetheless, that shouldn't deter anyone from eating here. Came here on Valentine's Day with my boyfriend. We were both very impressed with their beer and wine selections and our waitress was incredibly helpful with making choices. Their oyster list is also impressive... I was able to select all west coast oysters, which are my favorite. The way they were shucked was a little iffy though, I ended up spitting back a lot of shell.
My boyfriend and I shared the serrano ham, the boudin blanc, and the brussels sprouts. The serrano ham was different from how I'd eaten it before, but still delicious. The boudin blanc, though, was absolutely amazing. Some of the best sausage I've eaten in the city. The brussels sprouts were very different from how I thought they'd be... Very finely sliced and almost similar to a "dry" coleslaw. While the taste was great, it wasn't very crispy which was kind of a disappointment.
Dessert was fabulous... We had the cheesecake and I absolutely loved it. To be honest, this place reminds me a lot of Longman & Eagle. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I am a bit biased toward Longman.
I'd definitely come here at least once -- especially as our dinner, with drinks and dessert and oysters, was only 97 dollars.
My favorite restaurant in Chicago! I go here for the oysters and the pork, usually 2-3 times a year, especially for celebratory evenings. Super friendly, knowledgeable staff, great environment with the communal seating as well as the enclosed 4 top tables with the wooden door/gate and nice wine and beer selection. Great for a group or date spot. Love that they have some adventuresome, creative dishes as well as some classic with a twist items and use seasonal ingredients.
Review Source:I came here for brunch and its a solid spot to fill your face with some gut busting gourmet goodness.
Braised lamb with a side of frites and maple covered bacon hit the spot. Â Washed it down with a bloody mary and its side kick...an ale.
i like the booths on the side where they ring fenced customers in... more privacy compared to the communal tablee (which are annoying).
overall a solid spot in chicago and would definitely come here again to fill my pie hole.
The Publican represents another one of several trendy restaurants and this area. Their menu focuses mostly on heavy, meaty dishes. If you're a vegetarian, I'd probably say this isn't worth a visit for you.
We really pigged out, ordering the blood sausage, ham plate, seafood chowder, arctic char, cheddar broccoli, and frites. The highlights of this selection were actually the seafaring animals, which isn't what we came in expecting. The char and the chowder with both outstanding. The chowder is good for about 4 bowls, so keep that in mind when you consider ordering it. The broccoli was also great.
The blood sausage and ham plate were only ok. They were well-made, but nothing that really would knock your socks off more than any other good cut of meat.
One other note that has been mentioned in other reviews, but I wanted to reenforce - the seating is completely communal. It's mostly long German beer hall style tables. Some may dig this, but I really hate it. I don't necessarily mind being crammed in with my friends, but I don't like to be elbow to elbow with some strangers, some of whom might be horrible tourists.
Interesting selection of food. Â And while most of is nowhere near anything I would eat on a regular basis, I tried the brown-sugar ham with kale, grits and pickled cauliflower and was actually quite good.
The service is outstanding as not only did our server Nick ensure we had everything we needed and stopped by occasionally to see if anything changed, but water glasses were promptly refilled and completed dishes were removed by other team members as well. Â
I will definitely be back next time I'm in town.
This restaurant is located in the meatpacking district and has an open, lofty feel. We came on a Tuesday night (with a res) and the place was packed. The majority of the seating is community seating but we snagged one of their booths, into which we were promptly shut in (with doors!) by our waiter. Clever and interesting, but not exactly convenient or safe to have stall-like doors opening outward into a heavy traffic area. Its very rustic inside, with tons of globe lights hanging from the ceiling that give a diffuse glow to the whole place.
Our server was witty, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the entire menu. He made some fantastic suggestions for adult beverages for our group and was full of hilarious and informational trivia the whole night.
The menu is designed for sharing (what isn't these days?) and our server recommended 1 large dish and 1 small dish per person. This was too much food. I would say 3 dishes for every 2 people, unless you have some starvational strapping young men in your party. My BF acts as my personal garbage disposal when eating out and we still didn't finish everything in our group of 4.
The food itself was generally quite delicious. There were a few misses, but when ordering 8 dishes, I didn't expect all to blow my mind. Of the below dishes, I would definitely order the fish stew again.
Spanish fish stew - yum yum yum! This is more of a soup consistency with a tomato base filled with clams and mussels (served in the shell). The garlic bread served with it was also to die for - savory and crunchy and perfect dipped in the broth
Scallops - these were cooked well but I wasn't impressed with the sides. The brussel sprouts, parsnip puree, and grapefruit didn't come together and felt separate
Potted rillettes (recommended by the server) - this was one of the more middling dishes. The meat was too chunky to be spread on the crackers, although it was delicious, especially with the sweetness of the cherries
Farm chicken - tasty (your standard roasted chicken) but served with superb french fries which tasted even better after soaking in the chicken juice
Porchetta - my least favorite dish of the evening. Was oily, greasy and an overwhelming amount of meat compared to the sides
Beets - simple beet and goat cheese combo. large portion
Brussel sprouts - served shredded as a salad. These were delicious. Although the puffed wild rice looked like inchworms to me, so I just couldn't bring myself to eat them.
I'm missing one dish, but it must have not been very memorable if I forgot.
Overall, this came out to around $100 per couple (including drinks) which is totally reasonable for the amount of food we were served. The service was attentive, yet never rushed. I would come here again, but only if I knew I wasn't sitting at the communal tables, as they looked to be a little rowdy.
Came for brunch on a Saturday. Started off with a Winter Market Salad which included persimmon, beets, pomegranate, frisee, and the strangest tasting cheese call Sherpard's Hope Cheese. It was really good, minus the fishy, yet bland tasting cheese. I had the pork schnitzel blt which was very large and came with a mound of fries. The sandwich was on the dry side, and not very hot. My bf had the loco moco. The burger part was very flavorful, but wish it came with more pineapple rice.
Prices are a little high. The atmosphere is fun, tables are communal. I prefer Publican Quality Meats over this place.
I recently visited on 1/21/13.First of all let me say that if Yelp gave half stars that The Publican would get 4 1/2 stars. I really enjoyed everything about this restaurant from the decor to the service to the food. Especially the FOOD!!
First the service. The server was very attentive without being bothersome . She was very knowledgeable about the food and drink menu( she gets extra points for knowing what beer I ordered without having to look at the menu... Lol.). Her service was perfect, unfortunately I forgot her name....
Next the drink menu. The drink menu was almost as impressive as the food. Let me say, that I've never been to an establishment that had EVERY beer that I love. This place did! Whoever made that beer list could be my best friend ,( cellared Trappist Roquefort 10, are you kidding me?!?). My date was also very satisfied with the wine list and her choice of wine, which was very good also.
 On to the food. I tend to judge any restaurant's food that has octopus on the menu almost solely by the how they perform with that one dish. The Publican's octopus dish was the best octopus I've ever had. I've had octopus in some very well established eateries and none of those could hold a candle to The Publican's octopus.
We also ordered the Spanish style seafood stew, the frites w/ egg and the aged duck breast. All of those dishes were wonderful. If the Chef keeps preparing food like this, I see another Michelin star in Kahan's future.
All in all, I think I'll be making a return trip to the Fulton Market area, The Publican has intrigued and impressed me, well done.
P.S. Next time I'll bring another guest so we can sit in one of those cool booths with the doors.... LOL.
Would definitely come back for its reasonable prices, creative flavors, and quality meats, yum yum!
The highlights of the meal for me were the potted rilletes, frites (fries), the halibut with wild mushrooms and caviar, the greens with grits, and the taste of 3 hams with their bread and goat cheese butter.
Rilletes: We had no idea what rilletes were, and you probably don't have any clue either. It doesn't matter, just get this dish. Imagine confit pork and duck leg cooked together into a heavenly meat spread, and mixed with apricots. Put this on crusty country bread. We all agreed this was the best dish of the night.
Frites: I don't really like fries-- people usually give me a hard time for this, but the real problem is that most fries don't taste like the ones at Publican. These were flavorful, crispy, piping hot, and just amazing dipped in the accompanying mayo sauce. We were sad when our server took away our cone of frites-- I think we still had like 2 left...
Hallibut with wild mushrooms and caviar: Have you ever had caviar that tastes like maple syrup? I love food that makes your tastebuds go "wait, what?" in a good way. We learned from our very knowledgeable foodie server that the way the caviar is brined determines a lot of its flavor profile-- salty, sweet, etc. The sweet caviar made this fish dish really interesting. Everything worked together-- maybe not perfectly, but it was certainly memorable.
Greens with grits: I'm not a huge fan of grits normally-- even when I had it in the south, the grits were a bit too dry for me. However, I really liked the greens with grits here. Lots of flavor, but wasn't too salty, and the grits picked up a lot of the juice coming out of the veggies. I think this was notable for me mainly because I finally enjoyed grits in a dish.
Taste of 3 hams and goat butter: My friends all know I'm nuts about butter, so it's no surprise I loved the goat cheese butter here, which was like really, really light, really soft goat cheese. I enjoyed the hams despite having just returned from Italy and having enough cured meat to last me a lifetime. The quality of the ham was top notch, especially the serrano.
We also had the:
- Â Pork rinds: Really delicious and satisfying spicy flavor, kind of like nacho cheese doritos but much better. Some people may not like nacho cheese doritos, but I for one, do.
- Suckling pig: From what I remember, 3 cuts combined. There were pulled-pork like bits, pork belly, and a combination of the two. Â Loved the crispiness of pork belly parts, and the bits of fat in the meat were quite delicious. However, this dish wasn't a standout for us because we thought it was still slightly on the dry side.
- Polish sausage: My friends loved this dish, but I thought it was a bit dry. Has some spice to it. I really enjoyed the root vegetables + olives that came with it on the side-- really nice combo.
Between 6 of us, we ordered 8 dishes, which was really more than enough. We also ordered the muscles, but our server forgot to put them in. We didn't mind in the end, because we were so stuffed!
Publican deserves a 5 in my opinion because 1) the food has a touch of something special, and attention is paid to small details; 2) we learned something cool from our server, who was a delight; and 3) the prices are reasonable. You will leave feeling happy and satisfied. Unless you are a vegetarian or don't eat pork. :)
I really enjoyed this restaurant. It's a meat and beer sort of joint with communal tables and excellent beer. Â
We had the suckling pig and the Chicken & Frites, which were both outstanding, we also had brussel sprouts (amazing) and potato gratin (very good). We started w/ oysters and a meat platter of some sort. Oysters we're great, the meat platter was so-so, I'd skip it next time. Â
The main reason I'm giving this 4 stars is our server was not that great. She left for long periods of time and it was difficult to get ahold of her. The bus service, on the other hand, was outstanding. I will definitely be back!
We visited The Publican for Brunch on Saturday and had a great meal.
When we arrived we were told there would a be 20-25 minute wait. We didn't mind, seeing as we had just tried Little Goat Diner who had an almost 2 hour wait... Plus, we were told that we could enjoy drinks at their standing tables while waiting to be seated. We ordered a couple of bloody mary's and a few oysters to start. We were then happy to be seated at a table in under 10 minutes! The service was top notch; very friendly and easily transitioned our appetizers and drinks to the table.
What we ordered:
--Traditional Bloody Mary--
What's not to like about a bloody that's constructed with homemade celery bitters and topped with pickled vegetable garnish? It was even served with a Zombie Dust beer sidecar. This was an excellent bloody mary, that had the perfect amount of kick. Â
--Oysters: Sea Cow, Raspberry Point, Marin Miyagi--
Served with a deliciously tart vinaigrette sauce, these oysters were incredible. Our rule of thumb: any month that has an 'R' in it's spelling is the best time to enjoy these wonderful tastes of the ocean.
--Publican Winter Salad--
This was a delicious, light salad made with frisse, beets, persimmon, cashel blue cheese, pomegranate and pepita seeds. It is perfect for someone in the mood for a light brunch, but could also be ordered as a shared starter to other dishes on the menu. This is a salad we will remember... and maybe even try to recreate! Loved.
--Shrimp & 'Nduja Stew--
A delicious spiced broth served with ricecake noodles, chinese broccoli, whole shrimp, and a perfectly-cooked slow cooked egg. Definitely not the right dish to order on a first date, as it can get quite messy. That being said, it is worth it, as the dish is packed with tons of flavor.
In addition to Brunch, we strongly recommend visiting The Publican for dinner out! On previous visits, we have sat at the large communal table, which is a great way to see what other people are enjoying. We love the small plate menu offerings. Although, can be tough for a vegetarian at times.
Finally got to try this place. I'm digging the concept of it being a public house, where there are only 2 long tables that seats most,of the guests. I also like the family - style food sharing concept.
Of the dishes I tasted, they were all incredibly well put together! Wonderful flavor profiles and twists on traditional dishes. The vegetable preparation was a wonderful complement to the meats on the dishes.
I was also happy with the tap list. A little something for everyone, but nothing commonplace. The bottle list was also nice, but nothing I've never had before.
I dig this place. I wouldn't suggest it for parties larger than 4 though, because its quite loud in there.
This review is overdue, but seeing as I'm still thinking about my NYE meal at The Publican, here goes...
My boyfriend and I were vacillating about whether to go out for NYE up until about two weeks beforehand. We made up our minds when I stumbled upon The Publican's NYE menu, which was one of the most reasonably priced dinners (for the quality) that I could find. I called and easily set a reservation for 10 p.m. About a week later, I called to add two friends to our reservation. The hostess informed me that we might have to wait beyond our reservation time to be seated, which I appreciated and accepted.
The menu consisted of four courses:
1) Salad -- Chocolate persimmons, pomegranate, pistachios, chicories, queso de valdon;
2) Pasta -- Black trumpet mushrooms, whole wheat tagliolini, trout roe, dill, buttercream curd;
3) Meat -- PQM prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, glazed carrots; and
4) Sweet -- Pecan bread pudding, bourbon, chicory caramel, creme fraiche ice cream.
I cannot say enough about our dinner. Everything was delicious. My boyfriend thought the dessert was a tad on the salty side, but that was the only complaint from the table.
I've been to The Publican on four other occasions -- twice for brunch and twice for dinner -- and I enjoyed each trip. One of my favorite dishes at restaurant is the waffle, which is served either as a brunch item or for dessert. It is truly the best waffle I have ever had in my life, and I now measure all other waffles against it.
The beer menu is outstanding, though a little pricey. I don't love the communal seating, but for the food, I deal with it. And if you have four people, you often get seated in your own personal booth.
I can't wait to bring the boyfriend back to try items from the regular menu.
I really tried to like you Publican, I really did. I just don't get the hype. I really don't. The space is weird and awkward. The service is bad. And the food is nasty. Nobody should eat fried pig skin. Ever. Â But those who do eat freaky fried foods will continue to come.
I will say the chicken was good...but that is it. Possibly they do well at the "normal" American foods, but everything else is gross and inhumane.
The Best Brunch I've Ever Eaten.
Yes, I said it. Â I'm a breakfast guy. Â I pride myself in the love of everything egg, sausage, bacon, pork, pancake, whatever. Â I love it. Â It's my favorite meal and being from the south, I've have plenty of exposure to great breakfasts.
My wife and I made reservations via OpenTable to ensure we could stay on schedule and knock out as much of Chicago while we were there. Â We grabbed a reservation at opening time and thought we'd have the bright idea of going early and seeing the neighborhood. Â Turns out it's in the heart of the meatpacking district so there really was not much to see. Â Our cabbie dropped us off in the rain and we were stuck there early. Â Don't do that. Â
Once they opened, we were seated and the fantasticness began! Â Excellent brunch drinks! Â My wife had the bloody mary and I had a drink that featured an egg and some rum. Â Sounded odd but it was the best brunch drink I've ever had. Â I then had the Porchetta with Eggs and she had Eggs Duo. Â Both were insanely good. Â Make sure you get over easy eggs because the yolk with the pork and the yolk with the cornbread are perfect combos. Â The other addition was the bacon. Â I know you've seen it if you are still reading this. Â It's even better than what you see in pictures. Â If you like good porky pork belly, you'll love this. Â Adding their syrup only makes it that much better.
I absolutely can't wait to go back. Â It was oh so good.
This is a review on their brunch. I've been here for their dinner when they first opened, but don't recall much about that meal. We came here at 1p and was seated right away.
Like their other restaurants, expect that you will be sitting next to strangers while you dine.
We ordered the:
Duck confit open face sandwich - it was very decadent and definitely did not need to eat more for the rest of the day. The dish was very well balanced and even though it sounded heavy, I finished every single bite.
Pull pork sandwich - publican is known for their pork products and this proves once again they know what they are doing when it comes to pork.
I would definitely come here again for brunch.
I love this place! We didn't have to wait forever, great atmosphere (can get a little loud though) and we enjoyed every single piece of meat that we had.
Service was great. Bathrooms are a little funky - Â thought I went into the wrong one at first.
On impulse, I'd choose The Publican over GIrl & The Goat AND Purple Pig.
The Publican is a happening spot located in the meat packing area of the near west side. Arrrghh. For starters, don't confuse this Publican with Publican Quality Meats which sits directly across the street. Got it? Let's move on.
This place is quite loud. The seating is communal or barracks style unless you sit against the wall which is made out to resemble a pen. Your table is literally closed off as if you were in a barn. Okay. That's very cool and hip. Wow.
Let's get to the drinks. I ordered a Harp. Didn't have it. I ordered an Amstel Light. Didn't have it. At that point I figured out that basically all of the beers on the menu were German or micro brews. Fine. The waiter suggested some kind of a beer and returned with it. I was happy. It was quite good. Nice job waiter.
Food. If you like fish or pork then this is your place. The food is served family style (not a fan of this) but the waiter made suggestions regarding the quantity of meals and/or appetizers. Ordered was red snapper, suckling pig, schnitzel, sweet bread, etc. The food was nothing special. The tastiest thing I consumed was the schnitzel. That's not saying much as there was more breading than meat. The portions were very small. I left hungry. Others in my party left hungry.
The Publican seems to be going for a German theme. If that's the case then they should employ attractive women in short dresses and men playing tubas. Here the runners wear oil change attire. I guess that makes it trendy as well.
This area of Chicago boasts many, many quality up scale restaurants. Don't believe the hype. This place isn't worth it.
Likes:
1. What we ordered.
Daily pickles, pork rinds, mussels, schnitzel, citrus tart
If you're a pickle fiend, the daily pickles are a great cheap little starter to whet your appetite.
Pork rinds aren't really my thing, but the husband liked them. Porky air? I'd rather pull some crispy skin off a whole, slow-roasted pig.
Mussels = always an excuse to dip large hunks of bread in delicious, delicious broth, and this one doesn't disappoint.
Loved the pairing of schnitzel with vinegary-sweet greens.
Citrus tart reminded me a bit of lemon meringue pie filling, but its pairing with a spiced ice cream worked well and was quite intriguing.
2. The artwork.
Prompted deep discussion about which pig paintings we liked best.
Gripes:
1. Communal tables. Why do restaurateurs keep forcing the communal thing? I ended up sitting next to a girl who was disgusted by everything that came to the table and complained the whole time. If I wanted to eat and share with a big party, I'd go out with a big party. The communal thing is uninspired.
2. Server + noise level.
Our server was strange. She started out the evening pouring the water. Said nothing. 5 minutes later she came back and enthusiastically announced that she'd be our server. Anyway, a couple times, when we asked a question or made a remark, it was pretty clear she couldn't hear us due to the noise level in the place. She'd just smile and nod blankly.
For dessert, we ordered a citrus tart. She brought the citrus tart, AND rice pudding, AND coffee. Not sure where she got the idea that we had ordered these things, but they weren't free. Maybe it's my fault for not speaking up. But if extra dessert and coffee are placed in front of me, I will eat them!
They could serve dog food in this joint and I'd still probably give it three stars.
The atmosphere is simply awesome. I can see why a lot of Yelpers cut stars for loudness or crowds, but just like any place/person/experience, there's the right time for everything. We came as a group of six friends that hadn't seen each other for a while and it was perfect. I loved the communal seating, the open kitchen, the lighting, the 'buzz' that seemed to pick everyone up. Truly a great place to eat well and kick back with great friends. So we're at three stars from just walking in the door.
Add a star for service. We had reservations on Saturday night at 9.30 and they couldn't seat us right away. When they did, our server didn't show up for 20 minutes or so. Sounds like a horror story right? Wrong. Like I said, we were a bunch of friends enjoying our company and hardly noticed. When the server and Maitr d' did make it free they were so apologetic. They brought a plate of seasonal hams, a plate of frites and a first round of drinks for us gratis to 'make things right'. Like I said, we hardly noticed, let alone complain, so this was beyond accommodating in our book. They both proceeded to provide amazing but not smothering service for the rest of the night. Truly professionals in knowledge and tact.
Add another couple stars for food -- wait, wha? Five's the limit? Damn. The six of us each ordered a small plate and a more shareable plate and passed them around, so we got just about half the menu. Stand outs: were the amazing fresh oysters -- great selection; the beef tongue was so flavorful and tender; the suckling pig just fell apart; and the mussels were some of the best I ever had.
Honestly, if you don't like the food at Publican, you don't like food. Amazing quality, well prepared. Reasonable price for such a wonderful experience. And an atmosphere that blows you away. A clear five star in my book.
This place gets worse and worse each time I come. Â I guess I'm just not that in to specialty, frou frou meats and seafood. Â I'll run down my experience for you.
Restaurant
Pros: The atmosphere of this restaurant is really nice. Â Not too bright, lots of natural wood and big lamps make this a really nice scene. Â The din of the room would bother me normally somewhere else, but it's actually kind of pleasant here to hear everyone talking and enjoying themselves. Â The bathroom is also really awesome. Â It's a weird, open concept with individual rooms for stalls and a shared sink in the middle. Â Tres European.
Cons: I do not like sharing a table with strangers. Â I know that is why some people like this restaurant, it's all "cutting-edge" and "old English" but I could do without hearing the inane conversation from the douchebags immediately to my right. Â The standing bar is also too much. Â This place is just not good enough for me to stand around for who knows how long waiting for a table if I don't have a reservation. Â Especially with drinks at these prices.
Food
Pros: The pork rinds are excellent. Â The plates are designed to be shared, which is cool for your group. Â I like ordering a bunch of stuff and sharing with everyone at the table. Â The frites with the egg are good, but ask for salt. Â Cheese plate? Â Delish.
Cons: Everything is insanely heavy. Â Meats and stuff are cool, but I really could use a light salad as an in-between course to take some of the edge off the super fatty, heavy meat. Â We ordered three salads and each one came with something fried, cooked or super salty. Â Blech. Â I just wanted something to cleanse my palette. Â I also think the meat thing gets old fast. Â I've been here four times and each time I'm more and more disappointed with the menu. Â
Service
Pros: Knowledgeable server, made beer-pairing suggestions during our meal. Â Spent time explaining the meal to us and told us what everything was when our food was brought to the table.
Cons: Super slow. Â I know this place was busy, but our server was MIA a couple of times during the evening. Â We didn't even get to place a drink order for 10 minutes after we sat down. Â We weren't even acknowledged. Â Plus we had the idiots right next to us being annoying. Â
Overall, this place is highly overrated. Â The Publican is cool the first time you go, but this concept gets old and stale really quickly.
One of the best dinners of my year! Â We dined here on 12/26, and it was quite crowded. Â Our table was not ready when we arrived, so we stood at the bar (round individual tables that you wait at) and enjoyed drinks and oysters. Â The oyster selection was impressive! Â Service was more attentive in the bar than at our table.
Dinner was amazing: Â pork rinds, half order of the muscles (huge and flavorful), half charcuterie plate (creative and devine), shrimp, and scallops. Â For dessert, we enjoyed a warm chocolate beet cake....yes beets! Â It was heavenly. Â The menu changes daily, so the exact components of each dish vary! Â The service at the table was not as attentive or as helpful. Â Additionally, I was not too pleased with the staging of the meal.
The space is lovely, bright, and oddly comfortable and intimate even with communal seating. Â
I cannot wait to go back!!
I've been meaning to go to the Publican for a while now but never seemed to get around to it, so I was super excited when my friends suggested it for brunch. We made reservations for 10 am on a Saturday and I thought it was the perfect time as I'm not a huge fan of communal tables and we were able to enjoy most of our meal without neighbors. By the time we finished, the place was getting pretty packed.
We ordered a ton of food and all of it was so good! Let's see, there was a pretzel and some cake to share...fresh and delicious! My friend ordered the weisswurst which arrived at our table in a tureen of boiling water and was served with a pretzel - it was super tasty. I ordered the pork schnitzel b.l.t. with fries - it was huge and crispy and amazing. I ate until I was full and had plenty to bring home for later. My mouth is watering thinking Another friend ordered the two eggs and two sausages served with cornbread - I only tried her cornbread (uh, yeah, I have to try a little of everything to be happy...I can't resist!) and it was very good.
Service was pretty good with the only hiccup coming when we were asking the server about her favorites and other menu items. She told us that the burger was not served with meat...um, what? Â I don't know why any of us didn't question it as we all thought it was very strange, but that bit of misinformation (the server just misspoke - the burger is served without a bun...makes more sense, right? We discovered her error when our neighbors ordered the dish.) steered my friend in a different food direction. She also had the schnitzel and I already told you how awesome that was`, so I guess all's well that ends well.
I can't wait to bring my husband here - I know he'll love it and there is so much more I want to try!
I have been wanting to try this place ever since it was featured on the Chicago episode of "No Reservations" a year or two ago. Â We took my mom and brother here their second night in Chicago. Â I love the communal atmosphere, except the ladies sitting right next to us kept looking over and commenting on the food we ordered. Â Our server was very nice and knowledgeable, but it was difficult to flag her or the other servers down if we wanted something - it took asking 3 different servers for bread before 2 different bread bowls came to our table. Â My mom wanted for a while to get a refill of her drink.
We ordered the daily pickles, taste of three hams (yummy), and spicy pork rinds (yummier) to start. Â For the main course, we ordered the fried oysters, striped bass, and suckling pig. Â The pig was flavorful and juicy, but I was a little disappointed with the small portion of pig compared to the sides in the dish. Â On the other hand, the bass was a good size and tasted great - we had to take the leftover fish home with us. Â I had the burnt caramel ice cream for dessert - it was delicious and a perfect way to end a savory meal. Â Overall I'm glad I finally made it over here to see what the fuss was all about.
Fine. I give up. Consider the white flag waived.
It's been long enough and I'm finally ready to jump on the Publican bandwagon.
Love it? I don't know about that, but I can see the potential to. Everyone hears about the communal tables and how loud it is, but what you don't hear about are the ignorant people who think it's totally cool to bring their hyperactive 2-year old out to sit at a communal table and bang silverware on a plate for 30 minutes or how it's so loud that your voice doesn't carry over the shrill ding of silver being pounded over and over and over again against ceramic by a toddler so all you can do is glare two communities down to the f*ckers who brought their demon spawn to dine at Publican at 10pm on a Thursday evening. Mentally, I harpooned that child from across the table while ravens pecked out their parents' eyes. The punishment fits the crime.
Beyond all that, Publican outdid themselves on almost every level with my threesome of ladies. Among my favorite points was that of price- for the three of us with mulitple courses, drinks, dessert and dessert drinks, we each only forked out $33, including a 25% tip and we all left buckling under our belt buckles. Amen to a girls night so affordable we were able to head out for late night drinks afterwards.
As far as foodies, the beet salad was A-OK, certainly not the best around town- not even top 10, but it was as I said, A to the O to the K. The pickles and pickled things were also just fine, not the best I've had, but done well none the less. The Summer squash salad and cauldron of fish stew were both fantastic and generously portioned. The salad was delightful and refreshing the stew was a cornucopia of the sea, sans filler ingredients.
Since we'd filled up on craft beer before and during dinner, we decided to settle our dessert, a rich and delectable espresso cake, with some hot coffee and tea. Normally I'm all about the coffee, but when I saw Samurai Chai, I knew I had to put my kung fu hustle down on those herbs. In the end, I think the tea I got was un-steepable because it poured clear even after 10+ minutes of waiting. So, not the Bruce Lee of tea, but still a fine ending to a delightful meal.
The icing on the cake, the staff. All beautiful. Every last one. I swear, even the bus boys are models. Go there, eat up, harpoon screaming children enjoy the views and fill up on some pretty exquisitely down food.
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