Solid pub with nice outdoor seating right on the Wells park. Best in this category in the neighborhood.

The staff here is incredibly rude. Tried coming here for lunch. Went inside to ask the bartender if there's a host. Bartender said to ask the waitress. Tried to ask the waitress and was met with an attitude "well what do you want" completely uncalled for. Won't be back. read more

Love this place always great service. The Irish Breakfast on weekends is a must have. Great selection of tapped beers and a Covid-19 friendly. I always feel safe in the restaurant. read more

A great neighborhood spot across the street from Welles park. I noticed that several of the families who had been at the playground with us had also made the trek across the street for dinner on the patio. Very friendly staff, good cocktails and beer list, and really good food. I'm hoping to go again for brunch sometime soon. read more

Great beer selections! We went here two days in a row: 1st for dinner and dunks and 2nd: brunch on Father's Day. The service is very nice, a little slow at time, a little unprepared for Father's Day. We waited for 45 min for our food and they started running out of food. Any regular day is good to come, they have a large mount of food options and drinks. read more

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Grabbed a drink here with a friend and sat on the patio. Nice, low key spot with plenty of street parking nearby. Good draft beer list and happy hour specials. Food is pretty standard pub/bar fare but didn't try any of that. Service was good. The inside is a little grungy but patio was great! read more

Great little cozy neighborhood bar in Lincoln Square. Perfect place for a drink while wandering the neighborhood and while you are at it grab a bite to eat! Because, the food though...is just excellent! The grilled chicken sandwich with avocado is seriously one of my favorite sandwiches in the city right now. Mix that with the creme fraiche mashed potatoes and it's the perfect comfort food when you're craving it! I don't know what the secret is but grilled to perfection on crunchy bread with the slightly spicy sauce...truly amazing. Also, they have a great outdoor area right next to the park! Can't beat that over the summer either! read more

I've been visiting Gideon Welles for several years now and have never been let down. Usually the egg sandwich is my go-to but the Irish breakfast was calling my name this weekend and I was not disappointed. I can't wait for the weather to warm up so the patio seating is open again. read more

Gideon Welles - The Irish breakfast. Eggs, beans, sausages, black and white pudding, fried potatoes and toast. So good! Brunch Irish Breakfast - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am not from the area so it is not something I can give a second chance but I ordered the shrimp tacos. I paid $13 for 3 shrimp that were deep fried. I really feel that should be clearly stated on the menu. The cabbage was delish, the bean relish was practically non exsistant and so was the waitress. Had to ask a few times for water. Just overall, really unimpressed. I would not return. read more

This place is what I consider to be what a Chicago bar should be. Quality food and affordable drinks. I've been here twice over the past two months and I don't even live in the neighborhood! They have a varied draft beer list and super affordable cocktails which is an automatic win as far as I'm concerned. As for the food I've really liked everything I've tried but have to give a shoutout to the Old Neptune burger, it was fabulous! They're not messing around with their brisket and ground beef patty mix and I definitely recommend trying one if you stop by this spot for a bite. As for the ambiance at this place it is no frills and could be a bit warmer but I didn't mind. Service is great and you can't go wrong if you're looking for somewhere to grab a bite or a beer in Lincoln Square. read more

Arrived on a 70° sunny Saturday around 1:00 and amazingly, there were seats outside. Though the wind was ferocious, the crew was amiable, even with a couple wind shattered glasses. I enjoyed my Green City Wrap, more like 3 star though as it was very fresh, but I liked the dressing on the side salad a lot better... less oil ratio or something. My two companions were content with their meals, but no one raved. Still, great place on a sunny Saturday, for lunch and a beer. read more

Gideon Welles - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really want to like Gideon Welles more than I do. I have been here multiple times, all of which have been decent. But it's just that - decent. The beer and draft list is very good, which is the reason I continue to return. They also have really great specials and a happy hour. But the positives stop at the alcohol, and the food is the reason for the three-star review. This is not quality food, at all. I know, it is a bar/restaurant so I shouldn't set my standards too high. But this food tastes like it was frozen 15 minutes before coming out for consumption. From the appetizer menu, I have had the fried goat cheese, which comes out with an unnaturally green looking sauce that cannot be edible in the least. I couldn't stomach that one. I also have had the Old Neptune burger (with brie and tomato chutney) which was nothing to write home about. The meat was overcooked and again, the quality was lacking. I will say that I have enjoyed the mac n cheese, which is probably the only food I would continue to order here. Overall, this is a great place to grab a drink after work or on the weekend. Just make sure you avoid the food. read more

First time there, this past Monday night, met one friend for dinner at 7:30pm. There were a lot of empty tables in the front part (there is a back part at well, was more lively back there, some improve thing was going on). We sat in the quiet front area, which was nice, because we could talk and easily hear each other. The special of the day was the $8 build your own burger, which is what we both did. I got my burger with goat cheese and grilled onions, and it was cooked perfectly and was very yummy. Can't beat that price on Mondays, the burger was a large size, I only ate half! Came with very tasty fries as well. I had a kentucky mule and my friend had a beer. Great beer selection. Overall, it was a very chill place, with good, reliable food options, good drink selection, and it is in a convenient spot. I will definitely go here again. read more

owner refused to turn down the overhead fans as my girlfriend shivered wearing two jackets. totally rude. we had already ordered expensive plates and didn't want to leave the waitress in a bad spot. Everyone else in the room had jackets on too. Nobody came up to express concern about our issue- we never actually spoke to the owner who stood there watching from the corner. Horrible experience, will never come back read more

I came here for an event. The food was good. I thought the portion and price were great. The location is easy to get to, right off the brown line and a few bus stops. There is also street parking. The place is huge and had TVs and music and a very neighborhood pub feel. The problem I have is this - my card was charged for someone else's meal and mine. Instead of cancelling the transaction- I was issued a refund which will take anywhere from 3-5 days to go back into my account. The bigger problem was that after taking a super long time to ring us up (we now know what the problem was) the server didn't bother to tell me. I had to call the restaurant in a panic a few hours later after receiving the notifications from my bank. It could have been a simple mistake but how it was handled doesn't sit well with me at all. I feel I can't trust you with my card when it leaves the table - then it doesn't matter how good the food was - I will not eat there again. So here's an update - back in November management reached out to me and apologized and asked for my address to offer an Olive branch to the problem. I accepted the apology and advised that nothing was needed but appreciated the offer and provided my address. It's the end of December - nothing. Thankfully my bank cancelled my debit card and refunded the money. Because otherwise I would never have seen it again. It took my bank stepping in to solve the problem because apparently They never intended to. In the meantime, I had to change all of my auto payments over as well. So more work for me. NEVER again. read more

Came into Gideon Welles Sunday evening for the first time. We were greeted right away and seated on the patio which was great as the weather was perfect. The drink menu was extensive and I had the beer of the month which was the Founders IPA. I ordered the goat cheese as a starter which was delicious and the union blockade burger for my meal which I liked too. Overall lovely experience with very sweet staff. I can't wait to come back! read more

Went to brunch today. Been here for brunch once before and been there for happy hour and dinners twice prior. Previous visits were fine. Today was my fourth visit. The front par was practically empty and the back dining areas were mostly full. Games were on tv and most people were ordering food. Great atmosphere for families with small kids on a weekend for brunch. The food not so much. I had their ABC omelet and my brother had French toast and an egg. The food came out at room temperature and it was evident that all the food had been sitting for quite some time before it was served. Very disappointing. It tasted fine but the fact that both entrees had been sitting for a while and came out of the kitchen at room temperature was very sad. That's all I'm gunna say about it. They should know they've gotta do better. read more

I ordered the grilled Scottish Salmon dinner, it was delicious, generous portion of Salmon nicely seasoned very tender. My compliments to the chef and wait staff, excellent food great service. I'll definitely be back read more

Staying home and saving lives! But our weekly carry out dinner from Gideon Welles is saving us! Couldn't be easier to place an order using their takeout menu from the website http://gideonchicago.com/ or calling in 773-907-2226. Pay by credit card and pick up at the curb from a friendly, masked server! All menu items are delicious - but our family favorites include the burgers, wings and mac n many cheeses. For a change of pace, the flatbreads and salads are special and delicious. All the wraps are great as well and if you have any self control to not eat the whole thing, know they taste almost better the following day. While we miss being inside, we appreciate that we can still enjoy great pub food which makes our carry out experience gourmet especially in these challenging times! read more

My family, friends, and I came here for Games 5-7 of the 2016 World Series. As you can imagine, it was insanely packed (especially for Game 7), but service remained excellent. Huge props to the cooks and servers for handling that enormous Game 7 crowd as well as they did. Also, the food was delicious! You can definitely expect me back at Gideon Welles for more games next season. Go Cubs! read more

I don't usually hang out in Lincoln Square so this was a fun place to stumble on! We went to watch the March Madness game and it was lively but not as crazy as the more central downtown bars. I got the goat cheese and beets salad. It was delicious!! My only wish is that it would have more than a few crumbles of goat cheese.. it is in the name after all! Would definitely go back for a chill hang and more good eats! Someone next to us got a burger which looked divine! I'll save that for a different day read more

I've come here multiple times and the food is really good! I can never stop by without ordering the goat cheese appetizer lol. Usually great service. It just gets loud and hectic when it's busy. read more

I live locally and have come here at least 5 times. The food is typically very good, the portions are just small. I came with friends and we wanted to share different foods. We got both flatbreads, nachos, goat cheese, beet salad, and shrimp tacos, for 6 people. At a normal place, we would have been bursting and unable to finish. We ate it up and ordered a second nacho. Our service has always been awesome. Yesterday, there was a call off, but the male server was running around like a crazy man to ensure everyone was waited on in a timely manner. Beer menu is always amazing and staff helps you to select something to suit your palate. Overall, this is a solid restaurant with an awesome patio!!!!! read more

Revised review, including just facts; Went here a Friday night before an OTSFM show. Our food was good but in my opinion, our waitress was not attentive. I even went to the bar to get our drinks while waiting for our food. Once we finished dinner the table was bussed clean by a runner. When our waitress finally came around, she was surprised we didn't have our food yet. I asked for my check. I believed service was poor so tipped accordingly leaving only 10% which is very uncharacteristic of me. A couple days later when checking my receipts against my Amex on-line I noticed the total I was billed was higher than the total I signed for. ($8.08 higher) Its not a lot of money, but I was not happy to be charged more than the total I signed the receipt for. Maybe they made a mistake when entering in the total with tip?? I'm Not planning on returning. read more

One word sums up the service here: gruff. Isn't this place still fairly new? If that's the case, they are off to a pretty rocky start. The hostess basically ruined our entire experience right off the bat by rolling her eyes at us and giving attitude for no reason whatsoever. I get it. You don't like your job. There are also a dozen other restaurants within walking distance which would be more appreciative of their patrons. I don't think we deserve an eye roll and you motioning at us like we are idiots just because you are too lazy to walk over to us and tell us that you are ready to seat us. The food isn't even worth mentioning. It's your typical bar fare. It would have had to be out-of-this-world, phenomenal for me to ever return to a place where I get treated like my presence is an inconvenience in return for me giving them money. Do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere. read more

I've been to GW plenty of times and every time I go I'm not disappointed. The beer list is always solid and always changing, plus they tend to cater to the local Chicago brewery's so that's a bonus. The food is has always been very good every time I go in, the short rib sliders are a must have. The wings are also tend to be great, but be careful they can get hot from time to time (okay by me!). And while not a salad guy, I found myself asking for seconds on the chopped salad. The Gideon Welles burger has always be a favorite of mine and they cook the burgers correctly if you ask. (Medium Rare!) My wife loves the Kellers favorite...BLT with a egg on it...yeah can't go wrong there. Also GW is very accommodating to families with children...which is great to have a local place that prides itself in a family atmosphere. The back room is perfect for families... I've also held Fantasy football parties in that back room which GW's is also very accommodating with and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Overall one of the better bars in the area and I'm glad they are there. read more

Gideon Welles was the perfect place to try for dinner prior to a weeknight concert at the nearby Old Town School. I know that there have been other pubs in this space over the years, but this was my first visit to the building. Ambiance is not the draw -- it's very much a beerhall/pub, no frills in either the bar or the dining room. It was nearly empty when we were there, so service was quite attentive. There were a couple of TV screens in the dining room, but they weren't intrusive at the time. The menu is comprised of elevated pub food (burgers, "handhelds", appetizers and share plates) with many appealing choices. There's a nice variety of craft beers on tap, as well as an exemplary list by the bottle. There were also a few seasonal hot adult beverages, among which a New Orleans hot cider was quite tasty. We started with an enjoyable grilled veggie salad -- good flavors, fresh greens and pleasant sherry vinaigrette. The fish in my fish & chips was fresh and delicious, but the chips were a sad, limp lot. Fish & chips should be all about crispiness, but that was not the case this evening. My companion enjoyed a veggie wrap, which came with an unexpectedly huge green salad (OK, but not terrific). I know that this place is just starting up, so it may take a little time to hit its stride. It shows a lot of promise, though, and I'll look forward to checking it out again. read more

My wife and I live down the street and we have added Gideon Welles to our "regulars" list. Got to love Lincoln Square, so many great places to eat all within a few blocks but Gideon Welles stands out as great casual fare with good food and a decent selection of craft beers. My wife is really into the craft beers, me not so much but I can typically find something I like. Looking forward to the summer months with alfresco dining! They do have "regular beers" as well. read more

This bar is great. Great service and very cozy. I had the Great Divide Yeti, a dark bear that tastes like bitter chocolate and coffee. I also had a Two Towns Cider, which had a perfect amount of apple flavor and wasn't too sweet. For a snack, I had the artichoke fontina dip, which was amazing. It was light and bright, not heavy like some cheese dips. read more

This is a great great neighborhood stop In One of the best pint of Guinness in the city and I've been here at least 4 times and have yet tasted something that wasn't tasty ! The staff are friendly The place is clean and the crowd is really mixed We live more or less in the neighborhood and stumbled in thinking that it would be another generic regular bar , I think the fact that we can't stop going back because of all of the positive things that I've mentioned above will tell you that it's well worth putting this on your list of solid places in the Lincoln square area !! read more

Not bad food, as long as you have 2 hours to eat a meal that should take about 30-40 minutes tops. Perhaps you're just easily overlooked if you sit outside. If I come back, I'll try sitting at the bar next time. Mediocre read more

Yummy, quick pub food and filling portions. We indulged with the crispy goat cheese ($8 and delicious!), Reuben sandwich ($11), and Glastonbury burger ($13). The waitress was kind and had good recommendations for us newcomers with drafts and seasonal ciders($7.50). We sat on the spacious patio with our new puppy and enjoyed a lovely lunch before Apple Fest in Lincoln Square. Will return for a sports game! read more

Gideon Welles - Crispy goat cheese- $8 with four slices of toasted bread - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went there on a quiet football Sunday to enjoy a patio for potentially the last time this season. Our server was a bit intensely chatty (telling us more than we needed to know about the old Latitude crew getting into brawls over tips), but was very helpful and fun. Pro's: Interesting craft beers on draft, high quality burger, awesome handcut french fries, good horseradish cream on the shortrib sliders, lots of local ingredients. Con's: the pricing seemed a little wonky on some dishes (2 silver dollar sized sliders cost the same as a giant burger that came with fries...) Overall, very happy with the new crew in this location, we'll be back! read more

what was i missing?... the reviews and the friday fish fry brought us here. i was not impressed. the bar itself was dreary and seemed a bit musty. my salad was so disappointing that i allowed myself a huge frozen custard afterwards (and this while trying to stay vegan ;( ) a buncha lettuce and the first time around they forgot half the ingredients. when the "fixed" salad returned, it didn't look much different. i could count the tomatoes in the heap of overwashed greens. nasty onion rings and a dirty wine glass... will not return. read more

Situated in the heart of Lincoln Square, this restaurant is a neighborhood gem. We stopped in to have an early dinner after being downtown most of the day. We were greeted by Emma, who told us to sit anywhere. We chose a table outside. Luis, part of the bus staff, saw us sitting down at a table that was in a partly sunny spot. He immediately came over and said he would angle the umbrella at the table behind us so we would have more shade, what a sweet guy. Emma came over and introduced herself and took our drink order. Drinks took a little bit of time because a Guinness was ordered and that can't be rushed. The Guinness came and it was perfectly poured, this bartender knew what he was doing. We ordered fish and chips and a grilled chicken sandwich, both were great. What truly impressed us the most, though, was the service. Emma made sure we had everything and that we were enjoying our meals and we were!. Luis made sure water glasses were filled, used dinnerware was removed and that we were still in the shade. The bartender, he poured a beautiful glass of Guinness which made my husband smile. All and all, it was a delightful experience. Good service, good food and people who really care. Go and try this sweet little find, I think you will like it. Don't forget to leave a decent tip for wait staff AND bus staff, these people are hard workers. read more

My daughter moved to Ravenswood a couple of years ago and we discovered Gideon Welles by accident. We were hungry and just walking by, decided to get a quick bite. It is now one of the restaurants that I use to compare any burger to when I go out. The food , service and atmosphere are fantastic. If your on the fence about what to eat and are in the neighborhood, I highly recommend you give them your business. read more

We came here after my birthday dinner in order to try to catch the end of the playoff football game. The place is a large corner bar and for a Saturday night, there wasn't a very large crowd. Nevertheless, it seems like a good place to hang back and enjoy a couple beers. read more

We've had a couple of really great meals recently on their patio, especially after they updated their menu! Their burgers are delicious with a lot of fun toppings (goat cheese, roasted red peppers and caramelized onions are a favorite). I also just had the chicken sandwich on our last visit and loved it! It has an artichoke spread that added a ton of flavor! The owners and staff also seem eager to make sure you are well taken care of and have a great experience! I think its a welcome addition to the neighborhood! read more

Cmon now. Service was really good. Food was quite ok. But your a whiskey bar and your only cinnamon choice is Fireball. Look into something. Flaming pig or Jack fire. Thanks read more

If you love breading & lettuce, plus are trying to limit your veggies and meat, this is the place ! That's because salad variety, and sandwich fillings are minimal. The previous visit we sat outside, but the dirty tables and chairs, combined with slow service drove us inside. Pleasant decor, and a nice breeze when doors are open, are pluses. read more