I absolutely LOVED Forbidden Root--and I don't drink! But I went there for dinner w/ friends (first time in Chicago)... and was happily surprised. I had one of the best hamburgers ever (and I make a pretty darn good burger myself), fries and house made lemonade. We also shared a fantastic cheese plate that featured a small beet salad and some sort of homemade applesauce. I really wanted dessert but was too full by the end. Our server was attentive but not hovering. Maybe it's because we went there on a week night, but there was no rush to make us leave. The restaurant is on a part of Chicago Avenue that is a bit sketchy, but has a few other cool places, including a pie shop and another restaurant called Beatnik, so, the street is evolving. It's right on the 66 bus route, too. So when you're in Chicago, just... GO. : ) read more

Hip, rustic, gorgeous space. Wrap around bar afforded us a great view of their spiffy taps. This place is doing uniquely botanical & spiced beers not for the sake of being different or extreme, but in the name of great beer. Not one of the 13 or so beers we had (multiple tasting trays) was weird or unpleasant. It was solid, thoughtful, delicious beer that delighted us-- such a fun departure from standard BJCP styles. We came intending on a pint or two but stayed over two hours, marveling at the variety & quality. Highly recommended to other beer geeks. read more

Forbidden Root - Simple, functional tasting trays. - Brewpubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Everything at FR was amazing, our service was exceptional, drinks were to die for and the food was splendid. I wish we lived closer & could visit more often. read more

Great food and great interesting beers with an ever changing selection of new creative creations. Choose the beer flight to taste the diverse lineup of brewery creations and compliment it with some of their great food. The food is exceptional for a restaurant let alone a brewery so pair the two and enjoy a great weekend day or evening indulging in their hard work. The staff is always knowledgeable and friendly and they are working hard to make your experience enjoyable. read more

A friend and I came on a Friday night, and this place was fantastic for a chill night out! Although it was busy, we had 0 wait whatsoever for a group of 2. (A group of 3 had a 15 minute wait due to the tables available). We started off with the flight, which was unexpectedly discounted to only $10. Our favorites were the Hoodie Weather and Winchester (the first and last). The ones in the middle were still drinkable, just a bit too refreshing for a rainy, coldish night. My friend has a few dietary restrictions, and I felt that the waitstaff was really doing their best to be accomodating. She was able to get the vegan butternut soup and a side of fries. I got the burgers and fries, which were DELICIOUS. I could eat that burger as my next meal for the next week. SO GOOD. Overall, the atmosphere is really perfect for a group of friends or a relaxed couple. It's not pretentious and you don't feel rushed to order/get out. Can't wait to come back! read more

The good: - My friend and I ordered two cocktails each-- they were delicious and quite strong. - We arrived just as the kitchen was closing but they offered to bring us bar snacks (chips and popcorn) The bad: - From the way they offered bar snacks it made it sound like they were complementary, but they totaled $11 on our bill (not a big deal but it was unexpected) - Our waitress must have had a really long night because she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. The only time she cracked a smile is when we left her a $20 tip (because we were both having a great night regardless of the service); hopefully that brightened up her day. - Our two rounds of drinks took 10-15 minutes each time despite the place being almost empty and multiple folks working behind the bar. read more

Review for short Saturday afternoon stop in for a beer and a snack. I love this place's ambience, thoughtful and creative beers..I had a light tart refreshing gose and my husband had a NE style IPA. Both were solid. The cranberry bean 'hummus' was just ok....I think there's a reason why making hummus from cranberry beans isn't all the rage - it was thick, sticky and dry at the same time. The cumin dusting, evoo, lemon rind and currents help make it flavorful though. :-) read more

Forbidden Root - Cranberry bean hummus - Brewpubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Still about a 3.5. We came with a group of 13 and had reservations. We were given a large table and everyone was comfortable. The room can be kind of loud though so you might have to shout a bit. Everyone enjoyed their drinks/food for the most part. Some people said that the sunchoke soup and the kale salad were over salted so you might want to watch out for that. The biggest complaint is probably that the kitchen can be slow. We had a reservation for 6 pm, and our food didn't come out until about 7:40. Granted the burgers we had were delicious. However, don't come here if you're in a rush or need to be somewhere. read more

Just a quick note and review. We (my wife, granddaughter and myself) came here for the beer and an appetizer. And I must say both were really good. I frequent many breweries when we vacation (Miami, Charleston, Boston, New York, etc..) so in other words I like craft beer. We stopped in on Friday 6/21/19. We were impressed with the decor of the restaurant/brewery and especially with the hostess as she was friendly and welcoming. After she lead us to our seats and with a smile I should add, things took a turn for the worse. Our server was by far one of the worst I've ever encountered. It was if he hated his job and really disliked the people who come in to give their hard earned money to this establishment. I would not come back only because I would not want him to ever be my server. Seriously if we were to return we would request someone different. My advice to management is training and more training because we did not feel welcomed at all with his attitude. There are many other places in Chicago where patrons can feel welcome. read more

This place was dope. I got the industry special with my two friends and it was a great deal. The burger was soooo good and the drinks were strong af. Zack was our server and he was clearly super busy but made sure to be super attentive friendly and a great server. A+++ thank you!!! read more

Forbidden Root - Brewpubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a great find this is! We stopped here before the Blackhawks game and sampled some of the delicious beer and a few of the appetizers and small plates. The atmosphere is great, the service was efficient and the beer and food were outstanding. All the beers are made with botanicals (I'm not really sure what this means but they tasted great) including strawberry, ginger and citrus. We had the beer sampler which was a great way to be introduced to some of their flavors. We had the cheese and crackers, Burrata, fried giardiniera and the sausage thing. The giardiniera was life-changing! read more

It's perfection! My friend suggested this brewery over a year ago, and I could finally try it yesterday. It's beyond any description or review. The food and beer selection are amazing!!! read more

Enjoyed the great big scoop beer that tasted like eating Mexican deep fried ice cream. Nice menu selection. Burgers and schnitzel sandwiches were great. read more

I'll be honest -- I don't love their food but they have a great beer selection and the space is really cool. It's worth stopping in for a drink if you want a fun place to enjoy good local beer. read more

Great meal, great service and personal welcome from Terry (GM). Everyone from the hostess, table staff, and waiter were really friendly and welcoming to us. Being out of town, you don't know if local eats are going to give you the cold shoulder. Not this crew. The burger was flavorful with a bit of spice. And the Impish stout went great with the beef. My wife loved the Pilsner and Terry brought us over some seeds to plant the same botanicals at home that are in some of the beers. Worth the trip. read more

Came here on a Sunday afternoon. The wall windows were open. It was a beautiful day! They serve brunch until 3:00 then the kitchen closes for a half hour and then dinner is after that. I saw online they had a Mortadella sandwich but was disappointed that the waiter told me it came off the menu two weeks ago. However, from that point on, my was a delight. Our waiter, Chris, was very friendly and knowledgeable about the ingredients in the dishes. I ordered the burger with breakfast potatoes. Wow. The burger was AMAZING. Brioche bun, homemade pickles, gardinairre, all delicious. My friend got the pork belly BLT with an egg. He said he thought the pork belly could have been cooked a little more and there was too much bread. But otherwise all good! The drinks were good too. Oh, and if you order the Mule....it is GINGER CITY. so strong of ginger. If you are not a big ginger fan, don't order this. read more

Forbidden Root - Burger with breakfast Potatos - Brewpubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This place was decent. The beer was pretty good although I've had better from other breweries. The cheese and crackers plate was AMAZING. The cheese was so well done... and although they just use regular ole Ritz crackers, it got the job done. All in all, a pretty good place. Have had better. Have had worse. read more

Wonderful assortment of beers and the hot chocolate pudding was to die for! Burger and brussal sprouts were both tasty. I will be back to try more beers. read more

Excellent setting service music and food! A great variety of beers. The hoodie weather was outstanding in the smoky sweet flavor. I would come back read more

I really enjoyed Forbidden Root. I had heard mixed reviews about both their food and their beer, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I decided to start with their beer flight and I genuinely liked about half of them, so pretty good for a flight. For food we got the wings to start, divided up across all three of their sauce options. They were very...unique. Kind of strange but the flavors grew on you. My entree was the burger which was seasoned perfectly and super tasty overall. I would definitely go back if I'm in the neighborhood and want a casual bite and some good beer. read more

The long wait for Forbidden Root to open in the neighborhood was well worth it. Kudos to this team for having a real vision and sticking with this. At any point, they could have given up and gone elsewhere but they fought through the red tape to bring new life to this classic abandoned movie theater. This is such a boon to the neighborhood. Our group came for opening night and were not disappointed. Sure, there were the usual challenges of any new place opening and mobbed with people on day one and there are plenty of kinks to work out. But the place is absolutely gorgeous and the guys running this are very genuine about the goal. They were overstaffed for the first day, which is important as you need extra people just to keep everyone encouraged while systems are worked out. Food was fantastic, fun (especially the sleeve of Ritz crackers), and very reasonably priced. The beers were mixed, as I would expect with some experimentation, but mostly good and the Cherry Amaro was really spectacular! The bar manager Greg was tremendous and took us on a private tour of the brewery after our meal, showing us the torpedo infuser that held the 300 pounds of cherry stems that went into that Amaro. I'm looking forward to many years here. I'm sure there will be other hiccups and I won't always love every beer, but I feel like they are going to constantly challenge me and occasionally hit on something like the Amaro that will raise the bar. And even better they are going to do this in a beautiful, friendly neighborhood bar. read more

What a great place! Have only had the chance to have beers here so far, but I can't wait to go back and sit and have food and drinks at one of their awesome booth spots. We came on their third open night, and it was PACKED. While standing in their brew pub I had one of those, "I love Chicago and I'm never leaving" moments. Forbidden Root seems to be a great place with great people who love great beer. The thing that stands out about this place (to me) is the interior design. Whoever did their design should get an award. It is like Restoration Hardware met an apothecary met a brew pub. Absolutely beautiful! I so appreciate when places go the extra mile to make their atmosphere top notch. My husband and I stood at the bar for an hour or so and had a couple of beers and I didn't even mind standing because the atmosphere was so fun. The only suggestion would be to have a server dedicated to "the floor" aka people standing around ordering drinks when there is no where to sit at the bar. Without having bar seats, it was a bit difficult to get drinks because it was so busy...but the bartenders were working hard and I recognize that. It was just so busy (which was a good thing!) We really had a phenomenal time. I am so glad this place is in the neighborhood. I hope it will bring Chicagoans from other neighborhoods to visit the west-side. It sure is a great reason to come over here! read more

Yup. Probably one of the best beer pubs in Chicago. Try any of their botanical beers and you'll know. Not a bad one in the bunch. I especially liked their smoked porter and prima limone. We then had their chili popcorn which is sweet, cheesy, and spicy. Then had the kale and spinach salad with basil - very refreshing. Then had the salmon and topped it off with the burger (all shared of course). All very good and so in a hurry to come back! read more

See all

So happy that they are still doing pickup & delivery during this crazy time! We ordered food for pick up and it was ahhmazing! We had the Fried chicken sandwich, the burger and the duck & dumplings. They were all insane! They also did mix and match 4 packs of beer so we could have a variety to try. They were so delicious. Staff were super friendly and you could tell they were taking all the right precautions to keep people healthy during this time. We can't wait to reorder and hopeful to dine in soon!!! read more

If you want to come here just to grab a beer or two, don't. Forbidden Roots is set up more like a restaurant than a brewpub. There is very very limited room for people to just pop in for a couple of beers. Unless you're sitting at a bar, there is absolutely no place to put down your beer. The beers we had were decent, but nothing special. Craft beer isn't exactly a novelty anymore, and I'm sure you can find beers you like at craft bar beers like Bangers and Lace on division. The staff there were also unnecessarily rude. They casually asked if there's anything they can improve, so we told them that it might be nice for them to install a small ledge for people to put down beers while they're standing up, and he's like "what are you talking about? a busy restaurant is going to be busy". Well, next time, don't ask us for suggestions if you don't want to hear what we think. The place was pretty busy, but it was not THAT busy (there were empty tables that they wouldn't seat people at because they're probably understaffed.) The space was pretty, but there were also underutilized space (i.e. the two tables at the front right window. So much wasted space there!) Anyway, just didn't dig the pretension. Lots of cool places in Chicago are hip and trendy without being arrogant and pretentious. Probably wouldn't come here again. read more

We've been here twice now. It's an extremely clean and pretty, professionally-serviced brewpub (both times we were anxiously asked: "Can I take your coats?" In a brewpub?!). Beers have been great, and the small plates are amazing. Things taper off on the dinner menu. My husband got a great schnitzel sandwich, served along cafeteria style frozen french fries (why). Also, the sole vegetarian entree should not be a mushroom pot pie. (Yeah, I'm becoming "that" Yelp reviewer, but it's totally valid.) I ended up ordering two sides, which ends up totaling $26 worth of (admittedly delicious) kale salad and root vegetable chips. They were also out of many of their beers at 9pm on a week night (understandably--it appears they're still renting brewing space at 5Rabbit). At this point in time, I'd recommend a drink and appetizers here. I hope that in the future they extend their menu a bit, chuck the cafeteria fries, and maybe even offer some specials to keep things fresh for the regulars. We'll be back to check it out. read more

Terrible customer service.. I was very excited to try this place and made reservations for Monday Feb 22 four days prior to the date. As I arrived on Monday, they were closed completely. No warning, no email, no notice. I am an easy going person so this didn't bother that much since there are plenty of restaurants in the neighborhood. But I have sent them an email and called several times trying to "reschedule" the reservation that was not honored and have been ignored. I just called their number five or six times on Friday night with no answer. Not the best first impression at all! read more

This was my first visit to this relatively new Ukranian Village brewpub, opened last February. They're in a high, square, semi-industrial space, with brick and wood walls, and a square island bar. Lunchtime food menu is limited: popcorn, lamb jerky, or cheese and crackers; three salads; four sandwiches, including a burger. Dessert is a rotating pie selection or a vanilla float with choice of sodas. I went with just the cheese and crackers (I had already had lunch, and I knew my wife was at home slaving over a hot can opener). Ritz crackers, and a spreadable white cheddar, drizzled with honey (?), the house Wildflower Pale Ale, black pepper, and chives. I started with the sampler assortment, at $10: five 4-ounce tasters. The house specialty is herbal beers, though a couple were prominently hopped. - Sublime Ginger. 3.8% ABV. Wheat adjunct. Cloudy straw color, light head. Ginger nose. Brewed with ginger, Key lime, lemon myrtle, and honeybush, whatever that may be. Ginger also dominates the taste, with citrus notes and a non-hop bitterness in the fade. - Strawberry Basil Hefeweizen. 5.0%. Cloudy orange-gold, light head. Tart nose, which I would not necessarily have identified as strawberry. Mild strawberry taste; I didn't pick up a basil note. - Jacob's IPA. 7.2%. Here come the hops! Clear gold, medium head. Hoppy nose--"Our own proprietary German garden hops," says the menu. Hop-forward, with some fruit in the fade. - Os Mutantes. (Name is from a Sixties Brazilian band; "Os" is a Portuguese article, not a bone reference.). 7%. A pretty, clear red-brown, medium head. Red rye base, aged in Hungarian oak. Weak hop nose. Definite rye presence, nicely-balanced hoppiness, touch of bitter chocolate in the fade. I didn't pick up the oak. - Green Eyes. 6.6%. Cloudy orange-gold, minimal head. Blond ale with Chartreuse-infused coffee, from Dark Matter Coffee. Tart, citrusy nose. Definite coffee front, but I don't detect Chartreuse. One other item tried after the taster: Cherrytree Amaro Ale. 9.7%. Served in an 8-ounce snifter. Cloudy chestnut, with a fast-fading heavy head. Weak cherry nose. Described as having an old ale base. Intense cherry cough syrup and bitters (not bitter hop) taste. Bit of ethanol on the palate. Fair transit access: on the 66-Chicago bus line, two miles west of the Red Line and half a mile west of the Blue Line. read more

The beer was really nice. So many of these news place popping up and are just average. The beer here has different options. The flavor was crisp and clean, nice finish and overall enjoyable. The food options are quality. Had the fried giardiniera which was delicous! The place was a bit loud to be fair, but overall a really nice experience. read more

Forbidden Root? More like Forbidden Service. I'm not usually so harsh but when I'm sitting at the bar and not one employee (including one who appeared to be the manager/owner) would even make eye contact with me or my friends for several minutes, that's bad service. Especially when you're walking right by us and we're trying to get your attention. I can understand when places are busy, but at least acknowledge me. Tell me you'll be right with me. Don't pretend I'm not there. Said manager was standing literally right in front of us on the other side of the bar cleaning and drying off glasses. No eye contact. No hello. No "someone will be right with you." Really? Wow. The sad part is, I wanted to like this place. Forbidden Root is new on the scene and has a unique theme that I kinda dug. We walked in on a Sunday evening and while the place didn't look all that crowded, we were still told it would be a 30 minute wait for a table. I figured maybe they had reservations and we were willing to wait. But then enough seats opened up at the bar so we decided we'd go with that. After we finally got a bartender's attention, I ordered up a draft of Green Eyes (a blonde ale with "Chartreuse liqueur infused Caturra-Catuai coffee"), a collab with Dark Matter Coffee. When my glass was empty, a server took that empty glass away. However again, no eye contact was made. No "can I get you something else?" The poor service continued. When I was finally able to get a bartender's attention (there were two, I think) I tried the Sublime Ginger (nice ginger flavor but not overpowering). I enjoyed the Sublime Ginger while sharing some snacks with my friends. We decided on the Root Chips (one of my friends was convinced we were simply served a bowl of Terra chips) and the Cheese Plate (3 cheeses for $15). A server brought us the plate and asked us, "Would you like to know more about the cheeses?" My friend answered yes. Except all the server did was tell us the names of the cheeses. Not where they came from or what kind of cheeses they were. The excellent customer service continued. I ended my night with a small pour of WPA (Wildflower Pale Ale) which wasn't bad. And somehow it was the easiest beer for me to get from our bartender. Perhaps because they saw our empty plates and thought we were finally leaving. With so many new breweries there are two things that I really need to come back to a place: good beer and good service. The beer at Forbidden Root is the only reason I'm giving two stars. And I can't say that I'll make a second visit next time I'm in town. read more

Forbidden Root - Brewpubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

We decided to have some dinner and drinks. It was a bit crowded and we had to wait about 35mins for a table but it was worth it. They have very unique beers! We got a flight and I highly recommend trying as many as you can. They said that they change there beers on tap often so we can't wait to go back and try a whole new batch of unique beers. The food was just alright but it was prepared well. I wouldn't come here just for the food however. read more

Okay, let's talk. Five stars through and through and I would give it more if I could. This place is that guy in high school who was beautiful, untouchable, but also did charity work and knew your name. It's a beautiful, large venue with original architecture. Inside you'll find many tables surrounding the bar, and in the back a brewery. The staff are friendly and courteous, and happen to be beautiful to look at. We sat at a table and started with drinks. There are plentiful beers that we tried that are brewed in house, all of which I was pleasantly surprised by. Each was unique, flavorful, and creative. My favorite was a rosé ale that tasted like a dry champagne... amongst many others that I would do an injustice in trying to describe. Eventually moved on to some hand crafted cocktails, all which were smooth, refreshing, and delicious. Can we talk about the food? The new executive chef Daniel puts out a menu that is seasonal, fresh, elevated, and oh so pleasing. We started with a fall salad which was crisp, savory, sweet, and condensed all of the soul of autumn into a bowl. Made our way to the grilled carrots with pistachio hummus which absolutely blew my mind. The carrots were charred and so savory that they could have been confused for octopus, complemented by the hummus and drizzled with coriander vinaigrette and crispy pistachios for a marriage I had never dreamt of. The cheese plate followed the theme of exceptional plating and pairing with apple butter and varied cheeses that I would imagine Bourdain would love. Moved on to the duck and dumplings and roasted halibut, each beautifully plated with surprising textures and depth. The duck and dumplings was as friendly as your grandmas chicken and dumplings but then dusted with fairy dust flavor that I still can't get over. The roasted halibut was placed over forbidden black rice in a green rich curry, different than any thai flavor I've encountered, spicy and delicious. All in all this restaurant is exceptional, accessible, friendly, elevated, and you'll guaranteed leave with a bigger smile on your face than you arrived with. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go to forbidden root and try the beers, cocktails, and delicious seasonal offerings that Daniel is really obviously putting his heart and soul into. Go!!! Now!! read more

I am not one to even leave a Yelp review but I had such a terrible experience I feel compelled to do something. Yesterday I had the worst service at this place. I came here hoping to meet friends while I was in town. It was not crowded there were several sections that were completely empty. They acted as if we were a burden. The hostess was completely rude and disrespectful. I have never had such an experience where I left feeling chastised. I hope she figures out whatever is making her so unhappy. Word to the wise do not go here. PLENTY of better options in Chicago with nice and kind humans. read more

Great local place ! The manager on 10/28 was super kind and helping us. Had the burger and strawberry basil beer and totally delicious ! Will go back soon ! read more

After tiring work we planned to go to this restaurant. We just need to chill and have some drinks. There are some people inside when we enter. We sat on the bar tool and we had a nice view of a wall of bottles and a bartender who was making drinks. We ordered drinks and some wings. Our drinks came fast and the wings were slow since they were cooked and prepared. After a couple of minutes our wings came. When I taste it it's sweet and juicy. The meat was soft and yummy. I like its flavor and seasoning. We enjoy having it here. Were glad that we planned to have some fun in this restaurant. We gave a 5 stars rating to this place. read more

So I'm unfairly not reviewing the beers and taking aim at the food. We had two specials which we shared: a mushroom grilled cheese and a fancy BLT--not bad, not good--so-so. read more

We met at a friends house for a drink before dinner before walking over. We definitely needed a reservation. They were packed at 7:30. Upon entry you immediately feel urban vibe. Love it! The vaulted foyer has really cool lighting that tells the tale of what else you are going to see. Lot's of exposed pipework and other systems feel raw and edgy yet warm and inviting in this industrial chic space. The staff was efficient and informed enabling them to make good recommendations and pairings of beers with our food. The two (three) Moscow mules I had before slightly impaired my memory so I cannot say with certainty what our group of eight....ate. I had a beer flight and can honestly say liked every one....Oh, did I mention the brew room in the back (if that's what it's called). Just hit the restrooms and you'll see it on the way. There was a private party in the room in front of the window but you could still see. Anyway, the food was awesome....all of it. I don't think you can go wrong. Looking forward to the next time! Maybe less two mules. ;-) read more

See all

Made my first visit to Forbidden Root tonight during a business trip to Chicago. Cool setup and decor in an old west Chicago movie house with friendly, but not overbearing wait staff. The beer was quite good: I had their Tropical Toy Boat Gose and Impish barrel aged stout, plus a guest tap 4 Hands Dakine Tropical IPA in between, $2 of the cost of which went to a local humane society. What surprised me the most, though, was how terrific the food was. I had the Mediterranean Sea Bass with black rice and a vegetable ragu, followed by a coconut panna cotta topped with strawberry shaved ice. Both were prepared and served perfectly. Definitely want to come back on my next visit to the Windy City. read more

See all

Visiting Chicago for work and had to make the trip to Forbidden Root. Beer, decor, food were all amazing. Sounds crazy but the women's bathroom is an amazing room. I'll be back next time I'm in Chicago! read more

I liked this place as soon as I walked in, with its dark decor and lamps made of old gears. The beer menu was interesting and each of the brews were well-described with a list of botanicals. Our waiter was a bit over enthusiastic with his terminology, asking us whether we "acclimated" ourselves with the menus and telling us that various elements "informed" the flavor of the beer or dish, but he was knowledgeable about the dishes and was able to provide suggestions for some of our table's more picky eaters. For my beer I went with the Honey Vee, which was a flavorful lager that was easy to drink. I'm not into the stronger flavored craft beers, so I stayed away from the IPAs and other more heartily flavored brews, but I tried some of my friends and they were quite good, especially the Green Eyes. So It seems you can't go wrong here. This was true of the food menu as well, as our whole table liked their dishes. I had the pork schnitzel sandwich and it was exactly what I wanted: an enormous breaded and fried piece of pork with pickled beet mayo and coleslaw. The fries were really good too, nice and thin and perfectly salted, reminiscent of McDonald's fries. I would definitely come back to experience more off of their exceptional menu. read more