Big Biers... I got drunk and started speaking, then singing auf deutsch... let's keep this one quick.
1 - The steins are huge, you can buy 'em for $20.00
2 - Don't buy one of you plan on going into ANY other local bar, most won't let you in.
3 - Beers are pretty standard, Hoffbrau Original is great but, Hefe Weizen is my fave.
4 - Teeny effin' Weenies! Best $9.00 spent on a drunken night, you get a dozen.
5 - German Oompa Oompa band... Â 'nuff said.
6 - Ski Shots, best to do it with people that are roughly the same height... no spillage.
7 - Contests, there was a beer contest when I was there, who can hold a Stein of beer arm fully extended without spilling or dipping below horizontal. Got 2nd place at 2 mins 11 secs.
Ya, I'd go back. Service wasn't "Great" or anything but, they were pretty busy that night so it's a little forgivable.
You've gotta try Teeny Weenies - Â perfect Bier snackage, especially with a group of friends.
No... not everyone will like the Oompa Oompa bands. It DOES add to the Germany feel though.
Check it out, it's worth a look see. Just remember, no Stein if you plan on going to another bar after!
SYOY
SKI SHOTS! SKI SHOT! How can you not come to Uberstein for a ski shot in Wrigley? So stereotypical, so frat boy. That's pretty much all I stop in for, we take pictures, and then we're out. It's pretty small and narrow and can get very crowded on the weekends. The music can be hit or miss. I mean, it's a typical Wrigleyville haunt. If Wrigley is your thing, check out this smaller space that never really has a line. I've never been here for a German beer outing but it does appear that they have a following.
Review Source:Stay away from this location!
I didn't write a review after fighting with this place over bogus credit card charges, but the awful experience I had this weekend has prompted me to do so.
Whereas the food, band and atmosphere are all good, THE SERVICE HERE IS TERRIBLE.
I decided to give this place another chance, because I was in the Oktoberfest mood and mainly wanted to hear the polka band. Â
After the Fabio look-alike doorman spent a good 20seconds reviewing my ID, my friend and I grabbed a table and waited for the waitress....and waited...and waited. After 5-6min she made eye contact with me, started to walk over, but then turned away and towards the door because a large group was coming in. Choosing to serve the larger group right away instead of us, I went to the bar to order our drinks. When I came back I got a passive aggressive lecture from our waitress about how we should order drinks from her. I explained that we had been waiting a while, but she thought it was a good idea to argue and continue to lecture. Â
When she brought our food out, she decided then would be a good time to ask us to pay. Without ringing it up, she started adding in her head what our totals were and continued to stand there until we gave her money.
While I love everything else about this place, I would never go back based on the poor service from the wait staff. I would be willing to check out their other location in Bucktown/Wicker Park.
What the hell is going on here?
I'll try to keep this short cuz I'm angry at myself for even talking the time to write this and I have enough memories I'm trying to repress.
It was our third choice after a Cubs game since the others were packed to the mf and loud and he was starving. So I jumped on the grenade and said this cuz it wasn't too crowded and he's super hungry and I like German food. It has an uber loud dj um why? So we sit on the patio as far away as possible.
We order wings (duh, though not German but we're on Clark St), he gets a burger, I get a Rueben. Now we thought the sandwiches were ala carte. But came with fries. I don't eat fries. So sent it back with a sub of potato salad with the food runner. He brings it and we have no cutlery or condiments. We also asked for ranch for the wings and got blue cheese. I go to find our absent server who only took our orders and ask him after waiting.
He says "Can't you see I'm busy?!" And glares. Then turns away to loiter inside. Why not say "I'll be right over." or "Sure in a moment." Um we chose this place cuz it was dead. I just widened my eyes and said sorry.
Walk back and my partner had told me he informed a passing busser who eventually brought it. The server arrives minutes later and says rudely, "You said you had no silverware and ketchup! I bet they were here the entire time!" Â Wha-at?!
Then he drops the check after being hostile and uninformative and is all nice suddenly. How pandering and desperate.
The busser/runner did most of his work. And I believe there's a quaint custom to be nice to those who pay your tips or put an effort into what you do. It was dead. Where did he decide being snotty and absent was a good career move?
My partner still gave him like 35% tip (that surprised me). He felt sorry for the server who was obviously unhappy or overwhelmed by his 3 tables. Also, the food is a B- and not authentic at all.
The good:
* Great German Beer on draft served in nice glasses
* Friendly and attentive bartenders
* Best Pretzel I have ever tasted
The bad:
* Like any Wrigley area bar, it gets jammed packed after a Cubs game
* Wings are of the 10 cent wing level of quality, but they charge about 9 bucks for a small basket of them
* Waitresses are either slow or they just need to hire more people, but table service is extremely slow. I had to put my order at the bar to get my food/beer.
Uberstein has probably the best pretzels I've ever had. Seriously. When I got it, it was nice and hot, straight out of the oven. Greasy with just the perfect amount of butter, with a sprinkling of salt and a side of Bier cheese that is absolutely delish.
I actually came here because my co-worker told me it was an Oregon Ducks bar. Seeing as my dad was in town, and is a hard core Ducks fan, we came here to watch the Ducks vs. Huskies game. What was nice was that it wasn't overly crowded, even for a college game night, and I think that's partly because there likely aren't tons of Ducks fans in Chicago, but the ones that exist are here cheering them on, which makes it even more fun. I fully plan to be back for this coming Saturday's game against Stanford.
They also have a variety of German beers, which you can order in big beer steins. My one complaint is that they only had Riesling for white wine. Eewies! I hate Riesling. So, if you come here, be prepared to stick with beer or liquor, but no wine unfortunately, unless you're a fan of Riesling.
The wait staff was friendly and efficient, constantly checking on us and making sure our steins were filled with the finest German lager. Tons of big screen TVs to watch the game, and they had a dj in house to spin some tunes in between commercials and during half time. I'm a fan!
I like this place to grab some brats and steins during the week, or to hang out before going to other bars. The food portions are not big but yummy. The main reason for coming here is the steins.
The atmosphere is lively and casual. I had my birthday party here once and the outdoor patio was accommodating for 15-20 people if you get there early enough. Ordering a shotski with your friends can be entertaining.
Only annoying thing is they never answer their phones, only a lousy voicemail system that nobody calls you back on.
This used to be a great place for excellent beer and the best pretzels on earth. Not sure what has changed, but I went there last Friday only to discover the pretzels are only marginally better than the ones you can get at target. Not impressed. Their pretzels were something I bragged about to everyone who visited. Very sad now, where do I get my delicious pretzels from. I hope the other Uberstein in wicker park hasn't changed their pretzels too.
Fortunately, their beer is still great, but I can get good beer at many places around Lakeview...
I'm not really sure I understand what the owners/creators are going for here. Â
German Brauhaus
Extra on TV
Loud dance music
Music videos
Sports neighborhood with no sports channels on TV
Tons of soccer scarves on the walls
Things just don't add up for me really. Â
In its defense, it was way less packed than the other bars in the area. Â Seeing as how I had no say in the location that evening, this was better than other places I could have been put through. Â I do enjoy their hefeweizen. Â
Anyway, I wish they would work on their concept. Â And relocate. Â But if they could stick with the German beer and soccer bar idea and leave the wrigleyville dance garbage out of it, I would enjoy it much more!
New management and new rhythm. Â This place has finally found its grove and is now a place that I can recommend.
It's a location place to grab a beer and some really German eats before heading to the game. Â If you're looking for a 1 liter beer and a currywurst, before 1:20. Â This is the place.
I mean, it's a German beer bar, so there is beer, what more do you want?!
Having been here 3 times, my experience is always different. Wait, no, scratch that. Always different but always the same people. Kinda creepy dudes who run on the young side. By young I mean 21-22.
There will also occasionally be the blackout 25-29 year olds, too. Don't forget about them...
The size of the bar is nice, but in the back where the kitchen is, it gets all family seating style, kind of like you're sitting at an Italian restaurant. There is a lot of bar seating, too.
Steins of beer (the smallest) go for $8 a pop, if I remember correctly. I've tried some mixed drinks there, too, don't remember them being too memorable. Redundant?
I really dig their beer though, and I never really find it getting too warm if I go up a size.
Hefenweizen is my fave, Oktoberfest is more mild, and I'm sure those of you who know your German beer can make those decisions by yourself.
Thumbs-up to the 1-liter glass steins and the assortment of German biers, but the love affair ends there.
Good beer. Mediocre food. Inattentive service. Deceptive advertising.
I opted for the Schnitzelwich, which wasn't bad, but nothing to write home to München about. My wife ordered the goulash, which was lousy. We thought the spätzle was OK, but the sauce was uninspiring, and bordered on just plain bad. Wife (a pretzel connoisseur) also ordered the Uberpretzel and was not impressed. She said it was plenty soft on the inside, but limp and not crispy enough on the outside. Her loss was my gain though (I'm not a connoisseur), and I enjoyed her pretzel leftovers, drenched in both the cheese dipping sauce and the mustard.
Service was friendly but very inattentive, despite the fact there were only 10 to 15 customers in the place (it was a Wednesday night). For some reason there was a hostess and a bouncer working the imaginary line at the door, but mostly they were just socializing and texting on their cell phones. Wish I could find a job like that. :) Perhaps the staff hours would be better utilized taking care of the restaurant patrons.
Also, despite the fact their website boasts of half-price food and cocktails on Wednesdays, they did not honor their advertised special, even after we inquired and pleaded our case. Deception/dishonesty/bait-and-switch... whatever you prefer to call it, is a major faux pas. Simply put, if you're not going to honor it, take it off the damn website.
Anyway, I enjoy the concept of this place but not the execution. Look elsewhere.
GO ANYWHERE BUT THIS DUMP.
If I could give no stars, I would.
I moved to Chicago from Cincinnati and thought it would be a great shout out to the awesome Hofbrau House in Cincinnati to have a group of friends have some drinks here. They decided to close hours early and basically kicked everyone out- a group of 9 of my friends and four other parties who were sitting on the table. They claimed it was because nobody was there. But, clearly, a large group of people where there. They'd decided to close before we got there. But that's the the nature of any decent restaurant or bar- you serve customers when you have them. Not kick them out because you want to go home.
When I Â went to talk to the manager, he was the biggest a$$hole I've ever met... and I've met a lot of them. I wanted to ask him about that policy and I was simply calm and nice and smiled because it was my birthday and I'm not a jerk. He accused me of having called earlier and talking to him and knowing beforehand when they closed (which I didn't...obviously) and he started yelling at me and asking why I wanted to even talk to him. I just walked away and he yelled "Yeah, get out of here!"
The beer is not worth the HORRIBLE service. It's Wrigleyville. There's a bar every five feet. We literally went next door and had a fabulous night and gave them our business.
STAY AWAY!!!
I started off with 4 stars on this.... but its grown to 5... this is pretty much my favorite bar on clark street (except for Mullens for Colts games).
First off this bar is not your typical wrgileyville frathouse bar...so thats fantastic, especially when you have young friends that always want to go out in wrigleyville (ugh). I like wrigley for cubs games and thats about the extent of it anymore.... this bar makes me ok with it on the weekends though haha.
Next great thing - THE BEER. They have some awesome brews from one of the biggest names in german beers, and they serve them up in those huge mugs just like at the real hofbrauhaus in germany. If you feeling really crazy you can even get a das boot!
and finally - the place itself.... it has a really cool european/german feel. they have soccer scarves all over the walls and other cool stuff... they have the soccer channels on the TV too. They also play a good mix of music... 80s/90s and some newer stuff. Â Haven't had the good yet, but I will soon!
A couple of years ago, the pride parade got rained on, but it happened to be right in the middle of the World Cup, so I came here to watch some real futbol.  I've been to the Hofbrauhaus in München, and while this can't compare, they do have most of the authenticity down:  Big women, big steins, random old man band dressed in plaid playing accordion polka ... how can you not love that?
Then, I had one of those weird moments where I walked home in the rain, umbrella-less, with a smile on my face. Â They don't happen to often, but sometimes I just like walking around in the rain. Â I'm not weird. Â Deal with it.
I have been meaning to go to Uberstein for quite some time now, and it was not until I had my cousin visiting from out of town that it occurred to us to stop in after showing her Wrigley Field from the outside.
If you are going to go to Uberstein, I would only recommend it to beer lovers. Â And being a HUGE fan of Heffweisen...this is certainly the place to get a good pint of it. Â Although it was a bit pricier than most places, the beer here can't be found at all joints, even in Wrigleville.
As far as food, if you are expecting the traditional bar food, this is NOT the place for you. Â BUT...if you love sausages and pretzels and cheese...then stop on by. Â
And what Wrigleville bar is not complete with the Cubbies game on? Â Uberstein has the Cubs on their flat screens if they are playing.
And during the warmer months, they open the place up and it has a very nice covered patio to people watch!
I am just glad to see a place aside from the traditional pubs that Wrigleyville is known for...
I love German beer and I love German food. Naturally, I love Uberstein.
There is nothing but Hofbrau on tap, which is a wonderful change of pace from your typical Wrigleyville bar. The brats are absolutely amazing - some of the best I have ever had! Uberstein is the kind of place to go and relax with some buddies over great beer. My only complaint is that the service can be spotty at times. Still, this is one of my favorite places in the area for both drinking and eating.
So if you're not into the whole wrigleyville scene but find yourself there... this is definitely a nice alternative. Â Lately I've been going here with people as a change of pace and its so great to get a huge stein for $12 its really not that terrible for the quality of beers they serve... its kinda awesome! Â
Also if you like shots, you can do one with 1 or 3 of your friends on a shot-ski. Â It might not sound that great right now, but the moment you finish your first stein you want to do the shot-skis... so ask about them its fun!
Also if you're eating there they have some yummy traditional german grub which is a nice alternative to the pub food you can end up getting... but if you like pretzels GO for this one, because its giant and comes with yummy beer cheese!
Stumbled upon this place while wandering in Wrigleyville. Saw people drinking HUGE mugs of beer outside and made a mental note to return after picking up will-call tickets from iO.
$7.50 for a liter of German goodness. I got the one with a hint of chocolate and it tasted like Hoegaarden but better. Got pretty tipsy after one beer (9% don't lie!)
Will definitely go back to try out the sausage sampler!
MY IDEA OF HELL. Â Overly-drunk twenty-somethings swilling not great beer, spilling on me, and knocking me over. Â Last Friday we headed here for a friend's going away party and saw- Â NO JOKE- Â a 'new' couple getting uncomfortably handsy at the bar, two girlfights, and one guy just barely making it outside to puke. Â I really hate the Wrigleyville crowd as a whole anyhow, but this place was even worse than usual. Â This place made my blood pressure go through the roof. Â
Seriously, just avoid this place weekend nights. Â I've heard good things about their menu-- head over for lunch!
Uberstein is a nice, new break from all the "Irish Bars' or "Cubs" bars in the area.
Problem is, it's in Wrigleyville, thus in coming here you'll find the Wrigleyville crowd. Holding litre-steins of beer.
It's fun when it's not packed, and you can tell they tried to recreate a little bit of Munich in Chicago. Excellent beer choices. Just beware of drunken Chad and his braahs screaming "Ein Prosit" and accidentally hitting you in the head with a raised stein.
YES! Â
I love beer in giant steins... who doesn't?
The bar is great. Â The food is delicious (bretzels!) and there is often an authentic German polka band, which is amazing. Â The atmosphere is definitely fun and very cordial. Â I've never had a bad experience with the doormen or serving staff. Â There is also table service, which is nice, especially toward the end of the night when the bar gets packed.
Outdoor patio area is so great during the warmer months of the year. Â It's fun to be out there with a group of friends. Â Prices are also reasonable, although I've gotten a liter of Hofbrau at a bar in the south loop for $9; it's possible to get it cheaper, but it's just not as fun as Uberstein.
Pros:
+ It does not smell like vomit, compared to some bars in the area
+ Nice selection of original German beers
+ UBER Drinking glasses (I believe they are over 1 Liter)
+ Nice outdoor sitting area (especially for larger groups)
Cons:
- Loud, annoying douchebags are allowed in
- Table service is on the slow side and the food is not so good
- Crowded on the weekends, no place to sit on the inside
- Loud, blasting music, to the point where it's hard to order (seems to be a standard for the area?)
I just recently turned 21 and choose to visit the area to get an idea of how people party in Chicago (I'm originally from Europe). Needless to say, I will not be coming back :).
Beers are $10 for the UBER glass (it looks like 1 Liter, possibly more).
Normally I'm not a person to "hate" on bars that serve beer in absurdly large glasses. That is the definition of uber...err...wait...
I give Uberstein one star for one reason, and one reason only. They have the WORST credit card policy ever known to man!!!!
Ok, yes...I made a mistake and had too much to drink and forgot to close my tab before I left. This was Friday night. I call Saturday afternoon and am told to call back later when the manager is in. Did that. Told again to call back later, still no manager. Called again, finally spoke to a manager who informed me that all left cards get put into a safe that is locked and no one can access. I will have to call their main office on Monday (MONDAY!!) to go pick it up.
I call on Monday from work and guess what, they close before I'd be able to get there. I had to leave work early and make a special trip to their corporate office just to get my stupid credit card back. This has to be the most ridiculous "policy" I've ever heard of (and trust me, I've left my credit cards at numerous places before) and I'm still seething that I left my card on a Friday and wasn't able to get it back until Tuesday.
Oddly enough, about a week after that there were fraudulent charges made on my account and I had to get a new card number. Coincidence? Doubt it.
Side note: those glasses can be heavy.
+ Giant steins of delicious German beer.
+ Shot board/ski/whatever.
- Really odd music selection.
- Like the Macarena.
- While the tv's showed hair metal music videos.
- No giant pretzels. Boo-urns.
- Mixed drinks? Not cheap. And really small.
The two positives were REALLY positive. And the negatives just kind of made us all scratch our heads. Three stars.
You don't go to Uberstein for mixed drinks. I love a good martini, probably more than most, but this is obviously not the place--I mean, it has "stein" in the name & "Teeny Weenies" on the menu!
That being said, in my book Uberstein is a 5 (because I love it for what it is), but realistically for the general public probably a 4. It's just a great, real BAR. Â So yes, there are drunks, & the bartender may want to chat with you but maybe with others, so the service might get a little slow at times.... but hey, with all the talking Sam, Norm & Cliff did the service at Cheers couldn't have been that great! & who's gonna argue with Cheers?!
The beers are a little pricier than your typical domestic draft, but MUCH better. & if you go when the steins are on special it's a steal! & THE PRETZELS. I love the pretzels. I CRAVE the pretzels. I relish in adulthood/lack of parental dominion and have PRETZEL(s) for dinner. The Bier Cheese is pretty awesome, too. Comes with the pretzels. I once saved the 1/2 teaspoon of bier cheese l had post-pretzel to eat with my soon-to-be-brought-to-the-table brat & fries ($5 on special!) when the busser made the unfortunate mistake of grabbing it. He's now missing a hand. But I have my bier cheese.
Weeknights at Uber are best for hanging with friends. NO ONE is there, you feel like you have the bar all to yourself. The service is great, but I guess what service wouldn't be when it is just you to serve?
The pretzel and cheese dip are both yummy. And don't forget to come in for the season special...the holiday pretzel. It tastes like a krispy Kreme donut, a little sticky. A few bites of these monster and I've worn out my sweet tooth.
Another reason to come to this German cabin is the beer. Ssssteeeins! Quantity is superb, one liter stein can fill your cup with I'd say 3 to 4 beers. Can't really judge the quality ( I HATE beer!).
If you feel like Ziggy Zaagien it up, bring your leinderhosen's and come on down to schnitzel!
Eh, Uberstein is OK.
When I went, the bartender was totally rude and didn't want to serve my friends and I. Service was horrible --- but it was probably because this gal just wanted to go home.
There wasn't anything particularly special about Uberstein. I did enjoy the Hofbrau and was amazed that I had the option to order an actual 'uber-stein' of beer for $12. If I wanted to get shitfaced, I may have considered that --- but a pint was enough for me.
I might like to come back here during the daytime on a Sat./Sun.--- but I won't be back on a Thursday evening again...
Any bar that has an honest to goodness leinderhosen clad band (with acordian) AND a ski shot hanging on the wall is A OK in my book. The first time I went to this bar, a table full of grils were celebrating a birthday and the band came out to play them song after song. The second time I visited this place, a group of girls kept doing the ski shots. They have many big screen TV's - even one out in the beer garden (no sound out there though) and good $4 big beers on Sunday nights.
One word of caution: if you sit outside on the picnic tables (which are great for mingling) just be sure not to lean back or sit on the very end of the bench by yourself. I have witnessed people falling over on those things both times I've been here.
I think I had the same waitress as Jason L.! Â The beer was good, I was surprised at the size and asked the waitress for a small instead and she just said "oh, I just rang it up." Â Can't you change it quick? Â I'm not that sad about having the large though - it was good.
It took forever to get our food order in, I had to call another waitress over. Â The food was good, I enjoyed the pork roast sandwich, but never once did they come ask how it was. Â Very inattentive. Â And they don't substitute the potato salad for a tossed salad.
Update: Â After receiving my credit card bill - they charged me twice. Â And two days later!
My friends and I are here all the time. How can you go wrong with liters of German beer? The only food worth eating here are the pretzels, and they are really good along side the cheese they give you.
Otherwise, it's beer and the shotski. I will also let the cat out of the bag by saying that Thursday nights they have half price on liters of original Haufbraus beer. It's a damn good deal, and if you can turn two liters like I can, you can get pretty spinny for about 15 bucks with tip included.
Wow... after a night of drinking, I decided to stop by here for a quick drink. Â Didn't expect the giant mug, which took me a little over an hour to finish.
The brat was good, but I'm sure anything would have tasted good at that time. Â Will have to stop by again when I'm a little more sober. Â Overall, good impressions, though. Â Good to see some variation from the typical Clark bars.
Went here once so far and will definitely go back!
I lived in Germany for awhile and found this place to be very authentic! (mixed with stereotypes of course i.e. waitstaff uniforms!) The beer was also VERY good. Had a blast ordering huge steins...the good thing is that you only have to make 1-2 trips to the bar all night! There is a small selection for beer- but that's how german restaurants really are, AND the few they do have are really good, so no need for more.
First thing i did when i walked in the door was the Ski shot...about 5 shot glasses glued to a wooden ski. I guess the trick is to line up, lift, and drink it all at the same time. FYI this doesnt work out if your short and everyone else is tall =)
This bar is NOT for everyone...only those who can tolerate the typical wrigley crowd, blasting german music, and import beers.
I liked the bars atmosphere, but it was way too crowded. Â I guess you can't really avoid that on Clark. Â The beer maid outfits were fun, and I liked that they were showing european soccer on most of the channels. Â I am not a drinker, but if I was i would definitely have done one of those ski shots. Â That looked fun.
My only complaint was the guy hanging out in the bathroom with all the cologne and other accessories. Â Get that stuff out of the way when I want to wash my hands.
I've always seen this place doing a pretty good business in their patio when I go on my runs down Clark St, so it must have some kind of appeal: I bet it's the polka music laced in-between Bon Jovi and Madonna. Â C'mon, let's roll out the barrel and strike a pose! :)
The typical beer menu we were presented with seemed extremely sparse (I think there were only 4 choices). My friends and I all tried their hefeweizen, which came in a huge tall glass, was pretty tasty, and one alone sent me on a merry little buzz. Â However, I have no tolerance, so that could or could not be saying much...
I think the prices are also a tad bit on the high side, but the stuff does ship from Germany, after all.
They serve up the typical German food as well, but we all declined in order to grab our brats down the street at Wrigley (probably not the wisest decision, but I was drunk). Â If you are a big fan of German beer, I'd give it a try, but if you want a wide selection, there's obviously a gaggle of other places in the area to quench your thirst.