My friend (shoutout to Hunter) has been grilling me to check this place out, and now I totally get the hype. The service was genuinely friendly, and the ambiance gives off such a welcoming, cozy vibe. There's even a fireplace you can sit by during cold Chicago winters, which is a really nice touch. I sat at the bar, and the bartenders -- honestly, the entire staff -- were super personable. You can crack jokes and they'll play right along with you, which makes the whole experience feel relaxed and fun. I ordered the pulled pork skillet and it did not miss. They make your eggs however you want (within reason), and everything came out perfectly. While not the cheapest in town, the value is absolutely there given the quality of the beers and food -- prices feel totally reasonable for River North. Shoutout to Tessa, Tony, and the whole crew -- they really make you feel like a regular. As Tessa would say: Go Birds! read more

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Still waiting on part of our party, but it's got potential! Dinner should be fish & chips! It was, and it was perfect! read more

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Vibes were cool. Vibes were more like a sports bar feel than a typical bar. 7/10. Tried the Horsefeather, a whiskey based drink that was surprisingly sweet. 7/10. Garage Beer was solid for what it is, 6/10. Both came out to $30 after tip, which wasn't bad. read more

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A classic neighborhood gem. Really love the atmosphere of this place, especially on the patio during happy hour. Always friendly people, good food, and great drinks. One of my favorite spots all year around. read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The staff was super friendly and accommodating. Case and Ryan were so nice and professional. The interior was very warm and welcoming. I had the steak (cooked medium) and frites which were cooked perfectly. Seasoning was simple but more than enjoyable to my taste buds. Had the perfect amount of crisp, tender and juicy with a nice peppercorn flavor. My friend had the fish and chips. I tried them but wasn't as crisp as I normally like, though the sauce that came with was very flavorful and really helped a lot. He was okay with it though. I'd give this place an "A" grade. read more

Such a great spot for happy hour! The beer selection is endless which is always amazing and it's a great vibe inside. Highly recommend

Tucked right in downtown Chicago, this spot surprised me in the best way. I stopped in for what I thought would be a casual drink and snack, but it ended up being an upscale craft beer experience without the attitude. The beer list is outstanding -- thoughtful selections, rotating taps, and the kind of variety that makes you want to try "just one more." Food-wise, I kept it simple: Crispy wings that actually came out crispy (a win in itself). Hand-cut fries done right -- golden, hot, and lightly seasoned. And the Brussels sprouts? Let's just say they could convert the biggest sprout skeptic. Savory, lightly charred, and elevated without being overly fancy. Service was friendly, the atmosphere was relaxed but polished, and the whole experience felt like the sweet spot between casual hangout and elevated dining. Perfect for a post-work drink, catching up with friends, or just treating yourself to quality without the fuss. read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Brussel sprouts - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great rustic vibe. Lots of beer on tap, and selections are always changing. The staff is helpful, friendly and professional. Plenty of TVs for weekend sports. Not a bad seat to be found. They have brunch on the weekends, which looks great, but I haven't tried yet. Nice menu with a good selection of shareables. Special Oktoberfest menu had an awesome Brat, loaded with saukraut and mustard. Of their handheld, the lamb kefta is wonderful. Tons of flavor! if you like good beer and food, goce Centennial a try. read more

We absolutely loved our experience at Centennial! We went on a weeknight for early dinner and were able to catch happy hour, but ended up ordering mostly from the regular menu. We got a few beers - I loved the spiced apple cosmic crisp. We shared the fish and chips and chicken pot pie. Both were standard, solid and yummy - nothing to complain about. I liked the chicken pot pie and my husband's favorite was the fish and chips. What really cinched it for me was - we brought our almost 2 year old and they were extremely kid-friendly! Seating was easy, they had a kids cup with water, and we sat by the open door and were able to watch the dogs walking by. The service was relaxed and friendly. Overall, a wonderful experience. read more

Totally love this place. Staff are great with service and this night was packed. Great selection of draft. Not much choices for stouts/porters but still have good choices, especially the hazelnut fudge from Founders. There's a lot of TV for viewing your favorite team. Place is not that big but they have a 2nd floor for accommodation. They also have outdoor seating in warm weather. Our party of 7 were so glad we found this place. read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Really glad I found this place! Had great vibes, waiter was really friendly, and his recommended blood orange Italian soda was superb -- I would highly suggest getting it especially for summer! I also got the buttermilk fried chicken (only available Friday to Sundays) and it was great. Crispy and huge serving size! read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Buttermilk fried chicken - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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When I visited Chicago last month, I visited Centennial Beer because my husband and I were looking for a craft beer spot. The beer menu is extensive and impressive! There were so many options to chose from. They even had local St. Louis beers on tap! The food was decent but we were not really there for the food. We shared some bbq wings and fries and the fries were more of the showstopper for us. I love the whole vibe of this spot. It's very moody and gastropub like. Since it's in the city, parking is not easy but we circled a bit and eventually found one. I would for sure go here again on my next visit to Chicago. read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bavarian Pretzel was incredible. Happy Hour beers are a bit of a sham. They have $6 pints, but out of the ~50 beers on the menu, only 3 of them are pints.... the rest are odd sizes that you'd need to pay full price for. Great ambience for some bar food and an evening of trying unique beers. They have a great hosting space upstairs too for grad parties, work events, etc. Main reason for my lower rating was our waitress was insanely slow for a light Thursday crowd. Waited 20 minutes before seeing anyone after being sat, waited 30 minutes for the check, waited another 20 minutes for her to run the check so we could leave. I've never experience service quite that bad... would recommend sitting at the bar if you have a small party. read more

I stumbled on this place almost on accident while looking for a place for my friends and I's weekly post-work drinks. I've been by LaSalle plenty of times and never realized it was here. Centennial has an obscenely large number of beers on tap (I think it was like 36). Although I couldn't sample them all, those that I did were wonderful. The pretzel was also delicious. Inside, it's a very cute space. There's a lot of wood and it feels cozy. Overall, I had a great time here and would highly recommend stopping in for a drink. read more

Gad a couple of beers outside on the slopey sidewalk adjacent to the traffic. Service was ok. Beer was served in too-small portions. There are better places. read more

Im visiting Chicago for completely covert reasons I can never disclose despite any threat of any type or under any vector whatsoever. Its hard work so I searched yelp today for at least an hour for fall off the bones ribs. I was not disappointed...by my research results. Glorious ...yes...glorious ribs that fall off the bone. I was planning on the short ribs but my server convinced me otherwise based on fall off the bone ish ness. How fall off the bone-ish-ness? Enough that if you gently use your fork and knife you can extract each bone with the least amount of pressure possible. Could you extract toothpicks from mashed potatoes with fork and knife coordination? Similar. I saw an interview with a champion smoked ribs guy one time and he said competions don't reward the most fall off the bonish ness --he said, "that only occurs in restaurants." So you get deducted in competion for the ribs served here but those judges are spoiled from eating great ribs every few days and they have great teeth. The server team was professional and have good teamwork. The bar itself has a good Chicago vibe. Sort of a compression of coolness into an efficient space. Going back to the ribs, if the public understood the ribs here, you wouldn't be able to get into this place. One reason I know this is bc no less than 4 members of the staff asked me how I like the ribs. They know. Don't be a fool and squander your quest for excellent ribs. I've been around the city a time or two looking for great ribs. (Actually it's not even my top food but when I have a craving...). Actually, I like ribs enough to know that you call the restaurant in the early afternoon to confirm whether they ever run out of ribs. Think about that. So yes, I called. Outcome was favorable so here I am. I'm not saying these are going to be the best ribs of your life but I will say these are pretty close. read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - View from the bar - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Beer Braised Short Rib was one of the best meat dishes I've had at a restaurant. The meat just fell apart it was so tender and was bursting with flavor. The restaurant was kind enough to let me sub out the mashed potatoes for Mac and cheese which was also delicious. The beer cheese was a little disappointing because it didn't have as much flavor as I would have liked. The deconstructed carrot cake was also a little disappointing. It's an interesting idea but it didn't have enough frosting to make it work. You can get away with that in cake form, but it was crumbs in a glass and they would just fall everywhere because there wasn't enough to hold it together. The service was very good. Despite it being really busy, they were quick about getting our order and bring the food. The restaurant itself is nice. It has that homey pub vibe but still feels like a more upscale restaurant. Despite the many people, it wasn't so loud that it was hard to have a conversation. All in all, it was a very good experience! read more

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For the pot pie alone. I don't drink beer and prefer my carbs in bread/pastries/shortcrust form, but Sarju S. Is a regular here for the beer selection here (he's a hazy IPA fan) and Cheryll A. said her Moscow mule was the best she's ever had. A perfect ending to a windy night in Chicago! read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Chicken pot pie - classic and comforting! $16 - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was good and service was okay, but the tables for two are soooo small. We got the big pretzel, flatbread, and 2 drinks and it all barely fit on the table. I ended up asking a waiter to take the bottle of water so we had more room and even then I still held the menus in my lap. The most disappointing part and main reason for 2 starts was that we ordered two growlers to go (a really fruity/sour one and a vanilla cream soda tasting one, overall very different flavors) and the guy filling them mixed up the masking tape labels. Since they weren't resealable, the growler went to waste since my boyfriend didn't like the beer I chose for my can. First and probably last time at this restaurant read more

Great food, solid vibes, and a fantastic beer selection. I had the Beer-Braised Short Rib and it was tender, rich, and full of flavor -- definitely worth trying. Paired it with a Hazy IPA from their impressive tap list, and it hit the spot. The atmosphere was cozy but lively, with a great mix of music and lighting. Service was friendly, though it took a bit longer than expected to get our food. Still, the overall experience was very enjoyable. Will definitely come back to explore more of the menu and beer options. read more

Food was okay and served promptly. Server was very attentive. Ambience was good and had cool vibes for group gatherings. read more

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Would give the food 2-3 stars and the drinks and atmosphere a 4. This is such a cozy spot to come and hang out. I love the warm feel of the interior, the fireplace, and the large windows in the front. The space was pretty loud. With 6 of us, it was kind of hard to hear the other end of the table. They have a great selection of drinks from just about every beer you can think of to craft cocktails that are reasonably priced. I'd definitely come back from drinks and the atmosphere. I got the cushy blues sour and it came in a cool glass and was sweeter than I was expecting but still really good ($7). The food is pretty average. I think you'd have more success with the apps. The pot pie looked incredible when delivered but realized the top part is like a cracker that they just set on top, and the rest is a separate pie crust with the filling. The pot pie was pretty soupy and nothing overly special, but still a good meal. My friends said the tacos were fine but underwhelming, and apparently the burger is pretty generic. The mac and cheese was probably the favorite thing ordered. Nevertheless we stayed for a while and enjoyed the drinks and ambiance. Food and drinks are affordable and it's a great casual spot to hang out! read more

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Centennial is an affordable spot in a neighborhood that doesn't typically have quality causal spots. They have an extensive beer menu sorted by type of beer. My partner and I really love sour beer and they always have a couple to choose from! Everything is reasonably priced and a glass of sour draft beer goes for about $8. I would describe their food closer to restaurant quality versus bar food. Their fries appear to be house made and are always delicious! We've also gotten falafel pitas, brussel sprouts, burgers and mac and cheese and have loved it each time. Centennial is becoming a neighborhood staple for us when we want to sit down, but want a casual vibe. read more

Trent is amazing - super sweet and knowledgeable! Food was great!! Brussels sprouts were My friend got the grilled cheese and tomato bisque for the second time and said it was just as good. My other friend got the fish and chips and said it had a kick but was delicious! Brewery feel to the place-nice ambiance. Low lit. Probably a nice date spot Definitely will come back next time I visit! read more

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Orders: Broo Doo 3 Flovd's (IN) IPA | 7.0% ABV "Wet hopped with floral & pine notes, balanced with a toffee malt body" Yesssssss this place is the BEST! We discovered it in when in town for the Chicago Marathon & came in for an IPA for me, an NA beer for my runner bf and we loved it so much, we returned for the food as a post-marathon reward! I hope I'm not blanking on our bartender's name.. I think it was Trent & I thought he said Shirt, so I just called him that, but he was so so fun and helpful and guided me right to the best IPA! Then we had another bartender who took care of closing us out who was absolutely hilarious. Great beer, food & staff! We had such a blast & can't wait to come back. Can't recommend enough - thank you guysssss!!!!!!! read more

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Nice outside seating. Good bar snacks and selection of beer and other drinks. Good service.

There aren't a whole lot of craft beer bars in the Loop or River North area, but this is definitely one of the best. They have a great selection of draft craft beers, and bottles and cans. You're sure to find something you haven't had before. They have all beer styles represented, so something for everyone. I think they have food, but each time I've gone I've only gotten beer. The staff are all very friendly, and can check things/answer questions about any of the beers. They have indoor and outdoor seating (when weather cooperates). It's just a few blocks from both the Chicago red and brown line stops, or the 66 Chicago bus. Or metered parking shouldn't be too bad in that area. I'm sure I'll go back whenever they have some new beers on hand to try. read more

We were able to sit and eat outside with our dog celebrating our anniversary. I got the lamb kefta and Brussels sprouts and it was very tasty. The burger was decent despite the request of my husband to exclude the sauce so I ate it instead, which resulted in me eating it while my husband had to go elsewhere to get food. read more

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We really liked this place , the interiors were rustic yet cozy. We were a group of 6 people and got seated right away on a Friday evening. We tried the following : Nachos : 4/5. These didn't have the traditional nacho chips , more like potato chips. But we really enjoyed it. Brussels Sprouts : 3/5. This was tasty but a little too charred. Charred Broccoli: 1/5: We should have sent this back , it was way too charred to be edible. Fries : 4/5. This was decent as well. Falafel Sandwich: 4/5. Would have this again, it was well made. Chicken Flatbread: 4/5. My friends really enjoyed this. read more

Love the outside patio here-great place to bring your dog to relax with a few snacks and drinks our go to is the irish nachos with chicken of course!!! they have a great selection of beers with gummy licious from noon whistle brewery. Dont be scared of the jaleopenos on the nachos you can pick them off if you dont like spicy but we do! Other favorites include the pretzel, mac and cheese and skipping the Caesar salad in favor of the grilled Caesar sandwich! read more

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Am from California and love craft beer. I was recommended by someone I met in town to come here. Vibes were awesome, beer selection was excellent and the staff was cool. Definitely a cheers vibe, with good conversation. Cruise in if you can! read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Farmhouse Alw/Saison - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love centennial, it's a neighborhood staple for both dine in (cozy vibes) and take out (delish menu). Not a beer drinker but if you are they have a great drink menu & also do flights. The nachos are a fave! read more

I am absolutely obsessed with this place! This is the definition of neighborhood gem! Their staff is always so friendly and knowledgeable about the different styles of beers they have rotating through. They have so many craft beers on tap that I've lost count of the amount of unique breweries I have tried at this place! Anthony is the best bartender in the city! Not only is he incredibly friendly and approachable, but his recommendations are spot on once he learns your taste profile. I look forward to my weekly trips to this establishment to see what new additions they've added to the menu. There's no need to go to dive bars anymore when you can just come to this place! It is clean and looking new! They have a Great happy hour with drink specials and food specials. I love their chips and cheese as well as their hot Bavarian pretzel. Throughout the year, they have amazing food specials, such as Oktoberfest and special appetizers added throughout the year, which makes the menu always something to look forward to. They have outdoor seating, which is dog friendly as well as space for private parties in case you ever need a local spot to celebrate. read more

Cozy gastropub with good service. Lucky to get an open table on Valentines Day. Food was delicious.

Centennial has long been our go-to weekend spot for great beer, excellent pub fare, and great conversation. The beer selection is routinely one of the best in the city, a craft beer connoisseur haven. Miss out on those weekly Hop Butcher or Phase Three cans? No fear, you can always try them here, along with dozens of other great offerings, from the hazies to both ends of the spectrum. Foodwise, you likely won't do better when it comes to "elevated pub fare" than Centennial - their mac and cheese is one of the absolute best in the city, as are the brussels and pretzel. You really can't go wrong with anything you choose from the ever-evolving menu. Lastly, when it comes to conversation, Centennial provides a welcoming atmosphere where guests always feel comfortable talking to each other on the patio, or carrying on with staff. We were lucky to meet one of our best friends on said patio, and have had great convos with many others during our many visits. If Tony is serving (he usually is) do yourself a favor and strike up a convo. He's as knowledgeable about food, beer, and the Chicago scene as he is friendly and charismatic, truly making each experience a joy. read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - a glass of beer on a table - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Drinks were great! The bartender was fabulous, and the vibes were chill and welcoming in an upscale way. We didn't get food, I would expect food things. Loved it read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Centennial has fabulous bartenders and servers, who are incredibly knowledgeable. we did not get food, but heard it was generally good. The vibes were chill but nice and clean. Prices were reasonable, and we would definitely return read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A Vast Beer selection from local brewery's. Super friendly service. The epitome of a Classic Bar atmosphere. I had the "irish nachos" which were perfectly crisp house made potato chips with beer Cheese and Chicken. PERFECT! Staff was awesome! read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Front of Restaurant - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Looking for a nice bar on a busy evening. Uber here and had a great beer and atmosphere. Great neighborhood bar! read more

This place was soo good! We went for dinner and there was a wait at all we ordered grilled cheese, mac and cheese and pulled pork and all the food was awesome and service was great! The decor was really cute and seemed like a fun place to hang out but was a little bit loud depending on what you're looking. Would highly recommend though! read more

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery - Mac Cheese BBQ Sandwich with fries And tomato bisque with grilled cheese - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois