This place is awesome!! My friend and I trekked out to Old Irving Brewing on Friday night around 8 pm. Had to wait only about 15 mins to get seated. One side of the brewpub has comfy open seating around a large bar while the other is like a giant warehouse with the brewing equipment in the back. There's even a OIB corn-hole set. Super chill vibe! Started with flights which were $12 for 6 beers. Killer deal! Their tropical milk stout had a fascinating mix of flavors. Foodwise we split an order of pretzels (Gouda cheese and IPA mustard dips were dynamite) plus I ordered their OIB burger. Bacon, onions and cheddar on a huge patty and fresh bun - so good! Loved the beer, food and atmosphere. Will absolutely be back! read more

The worst time to go is on St. Patrick's day and March Madness. Wait times ranged from 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours. It's it worth that wait? No. Food is okay. The Shepard's pie, a special today, was a big disappointment. It was more peas and potatoes than anything else. Trying to get the waiter was interesting. He didn't seem interested in asking how things were, if you needed a refill, etc. Perhaps it's better on other days. I know it's not worth a long wait. And think the prices for food are on the high side. And no parking. One residential side is permit parking. The other is "good luck". I can forgive the wait if other things had been better. This visit, no, they weren't. read more

Ok, gave this place two more tries and still disastrous. On try two the food was terrible, the chicken and goat cheese sandwich required gallons of water to drink because it was so dry. On try three the service was awful. Took 15 minutes to get a beer and twice that for food. I want local places to succeed but dang, this place just doesn't have it together. read more

Great beer and solid food. The rotating selection of IPA here is pretty awesome. The fries are a good choice for a starter but my favorites are definitely the soft pretzels, wings and the Mac & Cheese. I can't say enough nice things about the staff. Everyone here is very personable and attentive. It's a family friendly spot, with board games and other activities like bag toss, so expect to see kids running around if you're here early. Half priced wings all day in Wednesday's. read more

Old Irving Brewing - Beer flight awesomeness. - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've never ate here just drink the beer here, so if the quality of beer is any indication on the quality of food... I can only imagine how tasty the food is. Thursday night flight special is unbeatable, eight 4oz pours for 8 bucks! They even have bags inside the place if you're looking to have some entertainment. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. read more

Really enjoy OIB!! Have been there multiple times with friends to catch either baseball games or football games and this place never disappoints. I don't live too far from here so i truly enjoy a good neighborhood brewery! This place has a small family feel since everyone there just has a good time drinking and eating. They also have bean bags and other games to play around there and in the summer they have the entire front windows open. The food has always been great. I've had wings, burgers, the octupus and other small side dishes and I've never had a complain about anything. Their craft beer is also great and they keep changing their taps. Their menu also changes from time to time (or maybe weekly) for the burger and wings at least. This is a family friendly bar so people do bring their kids inside which can be kind of weird at first but nice for people who have kids but still want to enjoy a good beer. I will continue to come whenever my friends need a good bar to meet up to catch a game or just to hang out. read more

Trolled through the old neighborhood this past weekend and found this gem. Good beer, amazing food and friendliest bartenders around. I had the french toast and DH had the octopus and it didn't disappoint. The bartender didn't like the way the bacon came out so he gave me another order. Didn't bother me, who doesn't love bacon and beer!? I must add the pork rinds are a MUST. This is one of the places that you want to order everything in one shot. For beer, I had the kolsch Guten Tag. Very good. Also, tried the bloody mary and michelada. Go for the michelada, even the bartender will tell you that. Great addition to the 'hood. Can't wait to go back! read more

Phenomenal service from the moment I stepped in the door. 5 stars hands down across the board. I've been wanting to come here for a while and just haven't seemed to find my way over. I'm glad I finally did though! The entire staff was warm and welcoming, the food was fantastic and I went on a brewery tour which was really fun too!! The brewery is very open but it's laid out nicely so it doesn't feel like it's unorganized. It's fun to be able to see the brewing and all of the machinery too. Highly recommend! Fun, cool, hip new bar!! read more

Great beer and above par pub food. Fresh food. Good service, lighting, and clean. Families welcome.

Such a great place to bring your friends to enjoy some good beer. I have visited several times on different occasions and I love it. If you like beer and excellent service, come here. Food is really good too, simple menu but good. The rustic ambience is fantastic. Highly recommended! read more

Old Irving Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nothing special, they were out of a few things in lieu of Saint Patty's, but the wait staff was nice, and very easy going. We had the pineapple teriyaki wings (selection changes every week) they were cool. Tasted kind of fat, but the house made Ranch dressing was really good. We also had an 8oz burger with breaded pickles and the works, but I forgot to take a pic before indulging, lol. It was also descent, nothing to crave, but the beer sauce was tasty (a different selection for this one every week as well). The flight of beers were barely drinkable, but the Gluten Tag was the best. My hubby favored the Lucky Linny. read more

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A relatively new brewpub, opened last September; this was my first visit. Two big open rooms, one of them open to the street in good weather, of probable garage ancestry. The brewing plant is open to the bar room and dining room. Four- sided island bar; also plenty of tables. Full bar. (Hey, fans of artichoke liqueur: They've got Cynar!) Friendly and informative bartender, very busy on a bustling Memorial Day afternoon. Several TVs, mostly sports programming; background music. Clean restrooms. Food menu includes a pretty typical assortment of appetizers, salads, and sandwiches; also several more substantial entrees, including lamb ribs, mussels, fried octopus, fried chicken, porchetta, and salmon. Our party of three just went with bar snacks: home-made fries with some sort of crunchy coating; and hot, buttery rosemary focaccia with a thick beer-cheese dipping sauce. In addition to the usual ABV and IBU, the beer menu's technical specifications contain a bit of information I have seen nowhere else: the SRM, or Standard Reference Method color measurement. This, I'm told, is an index of optical refraction, reflecting the color and clarity of the beer. The higher the number, the darker and more opaque the brew. Eight house beers are listed, but one, the Cubs commemorative Goat Killer Maibock, was off. Seven-item flight, $14, included: - Guten Tag Kolsch. 5.2% ABV, 23 IBU, 4 SRM. Cloudy straw color, halo head. Mild citrus nose. Crisp, tart, and dry, with a surprising amount of Hallertau hop bitterness for the style. Pilsner and Vienna malts. - Parachute Pants American Pale Ale. A collaboration with Chicago's Maplewood Brewery and Distillery. 5.7%, 37 IBU, 7 SRM. Strong floral hop aroma. Delicious piney hoppiness (Warrior and Simcoe), against a light grain bill including two-row Pilsner, Munich, and caramel malts, including some wheat. - Scentenal India Pale Ale 7%, 58 IBU, 10 SRM. Clear brass to bronze color, light head. Citrus nose. Grapefruit and tropical fruit taste, with piney hops against a sweet malt base. - Trendi Double India Pale Ale. 8%, 80 IBU, 17 SRM. Slightly hazy brass, light head. (The menu copy says that hazy IPAs, originating in New England, are becoming an international trend; news to me!). Peach nectar nose; taste ditto, with a strong Citra and Mosaic hop presence. Grain bill includes Maris Otter, Caravienne, oats, and wheat. - Rat Pack Belgian Dubbel. 7%, 20 IBU, 17 SRM. Translucent cranberry color, light head. Minimal nose. Sweet maltiness, with notes of orange and cherry, and some alcohol warmth. Said to be aged on bourbon-soaked oak chips, though neither bourbon nor oak came through to me. Grain bill: Belgian pilsner, Munich, and Caramel, plus some wheat. Hops: East Kent Goldings, Hallertau Mittelfruh. My favorite of the flight, rich and liqueurish (though I find it difficult to associate this style with the Rat Pack!) - Richard Persimmons Belgian Dark Ale. 10%, 21 IBU, 34 SRM. Opaque dark brown; light head going to halo. Weak maple, chocolate, and ethanol nose. Rich sweet malt taste, accented by smoked persimmon, though I doubt I could be that specific in a blind tasting. The smoke gives a bacon note, while the persimmon sweetness suggests maple; alors: maple-bacon flavor, though neither is actually present. Ethanol rises to a flavor element. Two-row, Victory, Caramel, and Chocolate malts, plus rye; East Kent Golding hops. - Gimme Samoa Imperial Milk Stout. 10%, 18 IBU, 42 SRM. Opaque near-black, halo head. Taste is milk chocolate, molasses, coconut, and ethanol. Maris Otter, Caramel, Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate malts; again, East Kent Goldings. One and a half blocks east of the Montrose Blue Line station; on the 78-Montrose bus line. No parking lot, and most street parking on nearby side streets is by residential permit only, with the threat of a tow. read more

Cute place with awesome food and drinks. Loved the chicharron appetizer that was served with a great ranch

Awesome place! You have to check it out. This neighborhood is getting cleaned up, and new businesses are coming in. Old Irving Brewery has been a great addition to the neighborhood. It has a very laid back atmosphere, and draws attention to the young hipsters, but anyone can come in for a fun time. The beer was really good, but you just have to try a bunch to see which one you prefer. Even though I didn't eat there, the food looked and smelled amazing. If you don't eat there, there is a quick drive thru place a block down the street called Suzzies. I've been going to Suzzies for the last 30 years, and it's one of the best 24 hour greasy food joints I've ever been to. Suzzies is the reason I even know about this bar, so I would recommend trying Suzzies if you happen to find yourself at Old Irving. read more

I was hesitant to eat here. I passed this place a hundred times. Then in a moment of weakness (and hunger) I decided what the hell. I will admit I genuinely liked that you can view where the beer is actually brewed. Nice atmospere, a little louder than I like but ok. The menu is kind of limited. Now on to the main event! I reluctantly got the brussel sprouts as an appetizer. Low and behold they made this usually crappy, little green terd of a vegetable palatable! I actually liked it truth be told. I opted for the hanger steak salad for my entree. I'm not a big salad guy but there was more steak than green! Steak was done to perfection! I drank no alcohol but this place has a great bar and would be an excellent place to have a cocktail and a really good meal. Try the IPB go there with a date or friends for an early dinner and hang around for some serious (but responsible) drinkin'! read more

Nice brewery - came here on a Monday night, they have a burger, beer and whiskey shot for $15!!! Great service, good food - chill place to come watch MOnday night football. Also got the cheese curds which were amazing! Definitely seems like a neighborhood joint, will come back again. read more

First time here, my friend recommended it. I don't personally love beer but their FOOD IS AMAZING! The Ninja Fries were extremely different and flavorful. To eat I got the spicy chicken sandwich and loved it, it had just the right kick. I ordered the Hopaloma and it was DELICIOUS! I will definitely be back soon! read more

Old Irving Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very cool Northside brewery. Came here for brunch with the husbae on a chilly Saturday morning. Really relaxed vibe with families and couples. College basketball and Spongebob on the screens; love! I had the BLTA and my date had the burger. Both were ok, but let's be honest we were mostly here for day drinking. The bloody was tasty and the little beer back was perfect. Would definitely stop in the next time I'm in the area. read more

This place is amazing.. well except 1 small thing... which is why this is a 4 and not a 5 star. Boyfriend and I decided to try out some thing new in the neighborhood, and grab some beers and food for Memorial Day (huge plus for being open at non-regualr hours for the holiday!) We see they have seating by an open window, perfect for the type of day it was. We asked how long of a wait for the window seat, hostess told us 20-25 mins. Not a problem, we grab a spot at the bar and start looking over the beers. We ordered a pint each and had small side convos with the two bartenders (Josh and Wayne I believe?) Who were both excellent. About 20-25 mins later the hostess comes up to us to say that there is a table ready, but it's literally right behind us, not at the window like we asked. Now, I'm not sure the circumstances, but I'm pretty sure you knew well ahead of time that you weren't going to seat us at the window, we could have been ordering food at this point from the bar instead of waiting for a table that was never really going to be "ready". So we decided to split a flight of the 6 beers left, an order of pork rinds and the fried chicken. This almost, all but made up for the table incident. The pork rinds were fresh, flavored to perfection and the Valentina hot sauce and ranch married the flavors in my mouth. (I would go just for those pork rinds and ranch!) Next up the fried chicken, with mashed potatoes and gravy with rainbow chard. While the chard could have used a tiny bit of any sort of flavor it was fresh and cooked just right. The fried chicken was nicely flavored, had a great crunch and was still hot and juicy! Those potatoes though.... I'd love a swimming pool of them! SO GOOD! The beer was great, I loved the flights as its perfect for finding out what yku love and dont from a new place. I found my favorites, Rat Pack and Gimme Samoa, must try! Overall, the ambience was great, the food and drinks were amazing, and it's super close to home!! Despite the hostess without the mostess, I'll be back and try some more good eats. read more

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I've been here about 8 times, now I have a better handle on the place. First time it was packed, we tried a couple beers at the bar and left. Later visits were more successful, the staff has been super attentive and accommodating. The food is high quality, and very good. They did a porchetta-style lamb dish that was excellent, the burger is great (w/potato bread bun), and fried chicken was very good too. Ninja fries were a hit. The only thing I didn't love was the BLT with avocado, it was a pretty slim sandwich. Your mileage may vary. They are always rotating daily specials, and this week they added a whopping 18 menu items according to their Facebook page. Beers rotate, not a bunch, but they usually have some interesting and new options. Some recent highlights included a very nice peach DIPA, smoked persimmon porter, and i've heard a New England style IPA is in the works. Overall, OIB is a great addition to the neighborhood, conveniently located near the Montrose blue line. It's usually fairly crowded, so call ahead for a table. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in the city. We are within walking distance, so we end up here all the time, and I love having a place with quality food and beer so close. I get a flight every time because I can't pick my favorite beer! My toddlers love playing in the bags area with the other kids. It's an extremely child friendly place with a great atmosphere. They are also very invested in the community and willing to work with many organizations for fundraisers or to provide space for classes. read more

Great food even better staff. I have always had a very good experience here and had many great beers. The general manager came to our table to check on us and interact with us which gave me the feeling they care deeply about there customers. Many craft brew selections and gourmet food offerings. Suggest the beer cheese dip and mac and cheese. The burgers a perfectly seasoned, cooked and are always juicy. I always suggest Old Irving Brewery to all my friends and relatives. Can't ask for a better family friendly place. read more

Old Irving Brewing - Fun October fest - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Never had a bad item here, be it beer, cocktail, or food! Been here 3-4 times and are looking forward to our next visit! I always get the beer flight and they do a great job in rotating out their beers so you get a great selection of beers for a great price. Always had the wing of the week every time we have come here and they are some of the best fried wings we've had. Fried zucchini is great, feels light and summery with the lemon zest. We always get a growler refill, it's a great price for their growlers. Service is always great! read more

First review in quite sometime but I feel this place warrants much praise. My girlfriend and I have become frequent guests of this establishment, trying a good portion of the menu from appetizers to meals, as well as nearly all the beer they release. Lets start with the beer, it is flat out amazing. These guys are doing it right and I truly hope they can expand this business so more people can try these beers. They are on this kick of making their Sentinel IPA with a fruit. Recently they had passion fruit, which was very delicious. But I would highly suggest getting there and trying their current one with Mango. Also, do not stop there, I enjoyed their Peach Out Imperial IPA . Also they have a staple in their Kolsch, Guten Tag, could drink that all day. They do rotate and change the beers frequently which seems to have worked out so far. They serve a very good brunch on the weekends and I would recommend the Chicken Fried Steak or the Brewhouse Breakfast. I don't know how they make those homefries but good god are they delicious. Not to mention the beers are $4 all brunch. They do have a decent Bloody Mary and their Beermosa was good as well. When it came to dinner, we always get an order of their fried zucchini, its one of our favorites. I recently had their chicken wings and was not disappointed. Between the two of us we have ordered everything on sandwich menu. (ie BLTA, crispy chx sandwich, OIB burger, cripsy fish sandwich, and roast prime rib.) Not one of those choices was poor, and I enjoyed the fish and chicken sandwiches above the rest. All in all I'd give this place 4 out of 5 for food, and 6 out of 5 on beer, leading me to 5 stars. Keep up the good work Old Irving, and maybe get some dedicated parking! See you soon! read more

This is what a 5 stars reading is for. The service was outstanding the food was outstanding it was very family-friendly and the price was great considering the quality. We ordered fried zucchini as an appetizer and it was the most amazing rendition of fried zucchini that I could possibly imagine. It was light and lemony and thinly sliced and really beautifully arranged on the plate and super delicious. The other entrees we ordered were equally well executed they were truly amazing especially considering this price point. We were lucky to be there on a Thursday when they had $6 for a flight of six beer tasting. We didn't have to wait for a table they had booster seats and the waitress was extremely attuned to our needs I can't speak highly enough about this place. read more

I've been wanting and waiting to go here for a while. Who would've thought it be during the Covid restrictions I'd end up here. We ordered take out, the food was ready on time no issues. The inside seat is accompanied bulky great big open windows. Rustic brewing decor. I highly recommend the Mac and cheese to accompany anything you get. read more

Easily the brewery with the best food in the city. They also brew great beer as well. Hazy IPAs and really well done stouts and lagers. Only issue I've had in the past is that it may take a bit of time to get your beer after you order it. read more

One of the best fried chicken sandwiches I have ever had. Sat at the bar and also shared the pulled pork sandwich which was very good as well. I really like the fries and actually the side salad which is weird for me to say. I think you should definitely come here and eat and if you like beer I'm sure it's good I went there for lunch read more

I wish I can give this place 500 freaking stars. This place is by far the best place in Chicago that I have ever been to. PER IOD. Is place has the stuff I wish them the best I hope that they continue to brew the best-ever. This place has Stiller S Tel LAR customer-service. The manager rich is the best. The beer is the best the I'm beyonc is the best. I cannot wait to bring more people here. CONTINUE on continue on CONTINUE all On a. read more

Old Irving Brewing - I connected with my buddies that much harder because of this place. - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We have visited twice, and our first visit was a bit better than our second. First, I love the menu. They have healthy options as well as traditional bar food. The beer list, I could actually drink our second visit, has some good options, and I enjoyed my pick - an IPA. The space is really cool- very wide open and casual! There are games in one of the back rooms and they brew the beer it appears on site. My gripes are - both times there has been a "wait" to sit in the main dining room. There were plenty of tables available both times. Our service, the second time around, was extremely slow. We have a baby in tow, which should have been a signal that we are on borrowed time, and we can't sit around for 20 minutes waiting on our server. When she finally did acknowledge us, she said hello and that she would be right with us. Why not now?! The manger (I think) eventually waited on us. Took our order, delivered our food, etc. Our waitress finally did stop by after our meal was finished, and I asked her for the bill. We must have sat there for another 15ish minutes waiting before she came back by and said she was waiting on the manager to print it since she took our order!! Uhhh, we have to go! I think we would go back, but if the service repeats itself I wouldn't go back! read more

Not only do they have some of the best beer in the city, but their food is incredible! Not too often do you find breweries serving their own food, but good thing OIB does because it's just as good as the fantastic beer they brew. read more

Pretty mediocre experience. Staff was efficient but really not that friendly or social able. Wasn't even welcomed or said hi too, just the kitchen is closing, what do you want. My food order was out in about a minute so I'm sure the fries weren't cooked to order and were lukewarm like my sandwich. The manager asked me how my food was and I said ok. I would have asked more questions if I got a comment like that about my product but such is life. Probably won't ever come back. read more

I love the food and atmosphere here. Good price point and kid friendly. Great rotation of drinks and plenty of room for groups. Service is top notch as well. read more

We love the Scentinel IPA! After trying a couple other places, I was honestly starting to make up a story that I didn't like IPA's from Chicago. I'm over that. This brewery stands out with exceptional beers and atmosphere. read more

Old Irving Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow! Was told because I didn't have a reservation that I could not be seated even at the bar then overheard the couple next up say they didn't have a reservation and got sat immediately. Left and will never be back. read more

Ordered a medium rare OIB burger with egg. It was flavorful. However, it was very dry. Trust me, it was medium rare but still came out dry. The guten tag beer was good though. It's like Allagash White. read more

Old Irving Brewing - OIB BURGER with egg, which was dry and Guten Tag, which was good. - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Snapshot - Cool space, friendly staff, good beer, and the food was okay. My husband and I visited for the first time on Saturday around 6:30pm. The wait was 40 minutes for a table. We were able to find two spots at the bar without much of a problem. Since it was early in the evening there were quite a few families dining with small children. Our server said the kids clear out closer to 9pm. My husband ordered the OIB burger and I ate the salt cod fritters. They are not kidding about the salt on the cod fritters. It was a bit too much for my liking. My husband and I both thought his burger had a very strong smoke flavor. If you like smoke then this is your burger. The staff was incredibly helpful and answered all our questions. My husband tried 4 beers and liked them all. I wish we had enjoyed the food more because the space had a great vibe. Just another reason to go back and try more of the menu. read more

This review specific to private event experience versus dining/drinking. We live in nearby Portage Park and had been hearing lots about this cool north side spot and we were very much looking forward to visiting. Friends were hosting a going away party so we finally had a compelling reason to go. Party was in semi-private space in back. While hosts didn't know it would be the case when they planned the event, servers refused to let us open separate tabs or even pay cash as we went. So our friends who invited 70 paying customers were now stuck with bill, trying to collect cash and/or PayPal payments from invited guests. What was meant to be a celebratory event was stained with stress for the hosts. Not cool. Won't be back. I had one beer, which was delicious (something with Peach flavors) and didn't eat so can't speak to the food here (looked good from a distance). read more

I love the atmosphere of OIB and the staff is always friendly and attentive. I just *really* wish they had even one gluten free beer available on the menu. Sometimes when all of your friends are drinking delicious beer flights, a cider just doesn't cut it. That said, the menu offers a number of GF options or at least items that can be modified to be GF. All in all, a great addition to the neighborhood. read more

Very rude manager and hostess. I was there 10/13 around noon with a party of 12 and we walked out after waiting almost 45 minutes for a table that they said would be ready in 15 minutes.They were very rude when we asked on the status of our table after waiting 30 minutes. We felt very uncomfortable and is very disappointing to receive service like that from this brewery. Bartenders were excellent too bad they work with a manger like that. read more