Not the cheapest spot in the airport, as noted by the patron grumbling nearby about a $20 bacon cheeseburger with fries, but definitely some of the best tasting food available. The service is normally top notch and this establishment provides a relaxing atmosphere after going through the pre check line and before heading to your gate. I've tried their $20 burgers and they're excellent. Recently I've been a big fan of their salads. The chicken that you can add is immensely flavorful, although definitely not necessary as the salads are already excellent - especially the avocado salad. Their cocktails are also excellent so this is a good stop even if you're not passing through at a meal time. ($14 cocktails are comparable in n priceto the same tier of cocktail in the loop and the drinks are crafted with just as much care). read more

Stopped at Publican Tavern for breakfast at O'Hare before my flight. Service was good and speedy. I had the sausage, eggs and potatoes meal. Was good, nothing special. I will say that the coffee was excellent. Pricing is high, but we are in an airport restaurant. I would come back again when traveling through Chicago. read more

Publican Tavern - Good coffee - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm very intentionally a last-minute arriver at the airport. The only exception is when I'm flying out of this terminal, in which case I'm very intentionally arriving early and getting the Roasted Vegetable Salad. It's insanely delicious. Look- The wings are also fantastic, but ever since I got these veggies, I've never gone back. read more

It seems that this place gets high ratings based on the fact it is located in an airport. While I get that restaurants can slack off because as patrons were an captive audience or should I say hostage... Nonetheless, this restaurant offers a clean and open environment. The menu is very limited and interestingly it seems some of the dish portions vary from size to size even though the same dish is ordered. The coffee was meh and at $4.00 a cup I expected a little more. Also, a cup of juice at $3.00 seems steep, but there's margin in those oranges. So, onto the breakfast. The publican breakfast is $16.00 and you get the standard fare of eggs, potatoes and a side of bacon. Again, hard to mess up on breakfast and honestly the potatoes were pretty good! The eggs were ok perhaps a bit salty and the bacon was crispy. All in all, good, but the cost kills it. The server was ok, but all in all I'd say a solid three stars as far as airport food goes. At the end of the day at these prices I expect a little more so hopefully we can all raise the bar in airports. read more

Publican Tavern - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Passed through here on our way home. Enjoyed watching the world cup on their tv above the bar. We ordered drinks only, but we were very happy with what we had. Expensive, but when in Rome. We had 2 draft beers, then a bottled beer, and a cocktail. My O'Hare Manhattan was delicious. They add cynar. It was a great twist on the typical Manhattan. Servers were kind and knowledgeable. Great spot. read more

Good food, good quantity! Beet salad is worth the try! It's one of the refreshing salads I have had read more

Publican Tavern - Delicious Beet salad! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The 2-egg bacon scramble was pretty good as were the potatoes. Coffee was not the best. Pretty pricey, even for an airport, at $28. read more

Having the misfortune of being dealt a 3 hour layover at O'Hare I decided to have a leisure lunch one of the few sit down restaurants. Those offering full bars with seated service are few and far between in terminal 3. Basically it came down to fast casual places, Romano Macaroni Grill (pass on the national chain) or a Chicago original restaurant brought to KORD, publican tavern. I chose the later and you should too! They have tables or a table top bar type thing facing into the terminal (perfect for people watching!). I requested to be seated at the table top so I could entertain myself people watching while I waited for food. The waitress came and answered all the questions I had about their menu, since they had so many wonderful sounding options. I went with a Hendricks martini, which was prepared perfect, and the turkey salad. I know that sounds boring but it was one of the most flavorful salads I've ever had in an airport. Each bite involved smoked turkey, blue cheese, pecans, a little onion, and some of the amazing honey tabasco vinaigrette! All of the food brought around me smelt and looked great! I definitely recommend checking this place out if you have the time or get delayed! read more

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I stopped at Publican at O'Hare during a layover because of my stellar past experience eating at Publican for dinner a few years ago in downtown Chicago. While it is one of the better restaurants at O'Hare winning hands down over fast food, or other mediocre chains and bakeries, food to go places, the quality of the avocado kale salad with chicken that I ordered was disappointing, the dressing was also dry. Dry roasted chicken, plate overflowing with kale which kept falling onto the table. Please use a bigger plate. I'll take quality over quantity any time, so if you're using a smaller plate to overflow the salad in order to give impression of volume that doesn't impress me. I had to dig for the avocado which I was told was st the bottom because it was so heavy - and there were way too many shaved asparagus spears for me. I've eaten salads with avo on top before - these slices were very fresh and thinly sliced so it would have been fine on top. All I wanted was a simple kale salad with avo on top and some moist chicken on the side which was recommended by my server asking if I wanted to add protein - without having to fight with my food. Now I will be wasting food by leaving a third of it behind after I dug out all of the avocado. Not worth taking the leftovers to go to finish on my flight. Most of the hostesses who were seating guests were surly at best. I sat at the counter to take advantage of the power ports - and the male and female wait persons who were supporting people eating at the counter were far more welcoming. Despite all of this, I will likely order a little more to drink or a dessert to prolong my ability to recharge my phone only because I am parked at the counter and the view of the planes taxiing in is rather relaxing. I expected more from Publican given their rep at the downtown Chicago restaurant. Yet since they are one of the better restaurants at O'Hare I may return - and hope for a better experience. read more

I would love this place... if it wasn't horrendously expensive. My short review is, the food is absolutely excellent and the beer selection is great. If money is no object (oh hi, expense account) then please go and enjoy delicious food, locally sourced from happy farms with happy critters. The foodie in me says save your money and go around the corner to gate K3 where you'll find Tortas Frontera. I just can't stomach a $68 price tag for chicharrones, along with two sandwiches and two beers. But it was all super yummy. Service - the place was slammed but we didn't see our waiter once we got our food, so that made it all the more painful to try to tip on such a high tab. read more

While waiting for my American flight I stopped here for lunch. I had intended to eat at their downtown location but never did. I hemmed and hawed over what to get. I really wanted a burger but didn't want all of the calories. I scanned Yelp and settled on the turkey salad. It had chunks of smoked turkey which were a bit cold for my liking. I think it fills the flavor. It was very salty. I think it could benefit from some fruit either dried out fresh depending on the time of year. Apples in Fall? Strawberries, cherries or peaches in summer? Give it a thought guys. read more

We really enjoyed the food and the vibe, even while toting a 3 year old around. The Eggs Benedict was amazing. Beer was great. Hit the right spot. It's a must try if stuck in the chaotic halls of the airport. read more

Decent option for a sit down meal at the airport! They had a good beer list of drafts and bottles. In particular, I was floored to see they had Saison Dupont on tap - had to get it. I had the fish sandwich for lunch. I enjoyed the brioche bun, the pickles, and the fish itself. The fish was a bit overly breaded/fried, and the pieces were of sizes that made the sandwich hard to eat. Fries were very standard. read more

It was a good burger... Not spectacular but good for the price. A little under seasoned... Some sauces maybe also kick it up a notch. One of the better restaurants in O'Hare airport. The pork rinds are nothing special... Wouldn't order that again. read more

This place has never disappointed. Today the eggs tasted weird and the bread which is typically amazing was stale. The potatoes were rock solid... I'll be back and hope the food is! read more

I travel a lot and have been to a lot of airport restaurants and this one is for sure one of my top favorites. A bit of a hidden gem in terminal 3, this "tavern" has lots of seating but the bar could be a bit bigger for an airport location. The times I've been here though it is staffed well and service is pleasant and fairly quick. The menu is what I call "fancy" pub fare. Pork rinds are a unique find and the burger is a solid choice. Fries are on the skinny side and that is a plus in my book! Somewhat limited beer menu, but good variety and some rare finds. read more

Publican Tavern - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place has a nice atmosphere with a good selection of beer. The sandwich was good with a good crisp sandwich bread and turkey with a lot of sauce. The salad was a bit over done with lemon but not too bad. read more

Publican Tavern - Turkey sandwich - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really great turkey sandwich - I immediately looked up how to make the piri piri sauce that goes on it. Turns out it has African/Portuguese roots, and sure packs a spice kick. Paired well with fries and ketchup, to take away some of the burn before diving right back in. Food took a little while to come out so more for those who have some time to relax before the next flight. read more

Staff is super friendly. They have a variety of delicious looking menu items. Do keep in mind that all main breakfast items have dairy in them (the waffles, scrambled eggs and omelets have cream and the potatoes have a cheese sauce). They are accommodating on the eggs and potatoes. Just make it very clear if you have allergies. My plate was made three times. I also got a fruit bowl as a side. I saw someone mention that their items are locally sourced, which is awesome. I'm not too sure they're organic though. The pineapple (which is normally my favorite fruit) and grapes tasted "off" compared to what I'm used to. The atmosphere was nice and quiet in the morning. And the service was very fast. I would be interested in trying some lunch menu items if we ever return to this area of the airport. read more

Enjoyed the unique turkey salad (gluten free option) with a Tabasco dressing, avocado and cured smoked ham with amazing flavor. The service was top notch and very friendly. read more

Publican Tavern - Wow! What a unique place in an airport terminal. This smoked cured turkey salad with a tangy Tabasco salad dressing was pretty amazing! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My wife and I had a long enough layover at O'Hare that we had time for a nice meal, and were fortunate to find the Publican Tavern. The drinks and food were excellent, as well as the service. We started with cocktails (the Old Fashioned is killer) then shared the duck rillette appetizer along with the goat cheese salad. Honestly, that was plenty of food for two, but we had already ordered the burger, and the grilled pork shoulder with scorched broccoli entrees. Wow, great flavor on both. We couldn't finish, but not for lack of trying. And on the way out, we found out that you can buy their Old Fashioned mix for making your own at home, just add orange zest and bourbon, so we picked up 2 bottles! I'm a frequent traveler and have had all sorts of experiences at airports, but this one rates near the top. Can't recommend Publican highly enough. read more

The Publican is kind of an institution in the actual city of Chicago, so them opening up an outpost at the airport is a semi big deal. This is kind of scaled down but still good. I had the prosciutto with bread and butter, since I'm a sucker for all of those things, and a burger. The prosciutto was of course good with great bread. The burger was above average. Service was average. Overall, this is one of the best actual food options in Terminal 3 - I can only think of one or two others that are worth it in the entire terminal. read more

Really 2.5 stars but rounding up. Overall, Publican has potential w a promising menu, friendly service and a relatively nice ambiance for the airport, but the food execution needs to be stepped up. This Publican is located inside the airport, so I understand that they maybe much better at their Chicago location. Food: promising menu items, but I was very disappointed in my Turkey Salad. The flavors were good, but the salad was way over-dressed, drowning in the vinaigrette. I considered sending it back, but then decided to eat it in the hopes that maybe it wouldn't seem over-dressed after a few bites. No such luck. Drinks: good selection, including wine, beer, and cocktails. I had a pot of tea and was pleased to get a nice quality, whole leaf tea. Ambiance: it's the airport...I mean you can't expect a whole lot of ambiance at the airport. That said, it is sit down service and has a tasteful look and feel to its decor. Doesn't feel like fast food or the food court, but not the upscale, gastropub feel I would imagine their regular restaurant has. Price/Value: decent prices/value. The size of my salad was definitely entree sized w generous portions of turkey, bleu cheese, and avocado. Prices feel comparable to similar food outside of the airport, which is always appreciated. The quality of the ingredients was high; it was unfortunately the execution that was the downfall. I would give Publican a second try if I was in the airport. I would just make sure to get the dressing on the side! read more

We came here cause the menu looked great. Well we were SO not disappointed. We had a group of 7. The waitress we had was amazing and was so friendly. The food was wonderful. We had burgers, fish sandwiches, soup, pork rinds and beer. The burgers had caramelized onions that were wonderful. We would definitely go back. I didn't take pics cause but next time we will. Maybe when we fly back in. Heading to Australia. read more

Quick service and fresh food. Just past security in terminal 3. The burgers here are amazing. Ask for a side of their home made garlic dip for your fries. Its outstanding. My server was Constantine. Great service. Upscale. Clean. Fresh. read more

Publican Tavern - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's a great place to get a good quality burger and fries if you're willing to pass at Mcdonald's. It's fast food verses a sit down causal eats. As for me I was happy to try their pub burger meat was juicy and delicious. Fries were fresh too and overall we had a good server. It's in the airport so you have to alway realize anything that good that comes out of an airport restaurant is actually four stars for me. We cannot expect the world from a small place that is trying to serve up something better than the food court fast food stuff. I really enjoyed the meal I'd go back again if I'm in that terminal. read more

The avocado salad is a must, I have never tasted anything like it. I'm really picky with salads, mainly because most salads are sadness on a plate to me. This is not one of those salads!! Perfect sweet and sour combination of flavors in the dressing, good amount of veggies and my insides were feeling squeaky clean for some reason, maybe it's in my head since everything on the plate is green. read more

Publican Tavern - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Bad, bad, bad... I know that airport restaurants aren't typically the best but Publican Tavern's chicken sandwich was one of the worst that I've ever tasted. It was dry and over-cooked, and I could only take two bites before giving up and trashing it. I don't understand how this place has 4 stars--the wait for food was also very long, but the servers were nice enough. Do not go here (or order the chicken sandwich) if you have tastebuds and don't like dry chicken and coughing while you eat. read more

Publican Tavern - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best meal I've ever had in an airport. Place was packed and for good reason. I ordered the rilletes first. Amazing. Don't hesitate, it's similar to a pate and the fatty goodness will melt in your mouth. Complementing the rilletes was a manhattan that was perfect. I finished my meal with the wood over roasted vegitable salad, which was also superb. Perfectly dressed and vegitables were not overdone. Great service and acceptable ambiance. I was still in the airport, but almost forgot since the food was so good. read more

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Had breakfast here before a flight. Even for an airport location the prices are up there. I paid $17 for the spinach bacon scramble. Small amount of eggs and something that appeared to be potatoes. The potatoes were over cooked and covered with cheez whiz - couldn't eat them. Dry toast was served but the bread wasn't toasted much. Also, $5 for a cup of tea. Money better spent elsewhere. read more

Since I had a longer layover, I decided to look up the best rated restaurants for dinner in O'Hare. I narrowed it down to Tapas Frontera and Publican, which both thankfully had locations in Terminal 3 where my arriving and departing gates were. After walking by Tapas Frontera and noticing how busy it was with very limited seating, and being in one of the busiest and noisiest parts of the terminal, I decided to check out Publican, which had much better seating options and was definitely more quiet. The hostess offered me a table with charging abilities, but since my phone and laptop were fully charged I declined to leave the opportunity for others. Being a bourbon lover from Kentucky, I tried the Violet Hour Old Fashioned which was an interesting take and did not disappoint. I decided to go with the Pub Burger with bacon added and a side salad instead of fries, which also cost extra. I was surprised at how fast it came out. The burger was cooked perfectly and their special sauce and bacon really made the flavor outstanding, at least as far as airport food goes. The side salad turned out to just be a pile of greens with little or no other toppings and some light vinaigrette that didn't add much flavor. Considering it cost extra, I was disappointed. The server was nice and attentive. While I try to avoid layovers at O'Hare, I'd eat here again next time I'm coming through. read more

The look of the workers uniforms and the cool sign pulled me in. I sat at the bar and had a mule. Drink was refreshing and staff was friendly and attentive. You can tell they're used to busy crowds, and business travelers. I enjoyed the unique spices on the wings. I will definitely return when I come back to ORD. read more

Publican Tavern - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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PROS: Great seating and vibe Quick service VANAYA our server was amazing/friendly/attentive Chicken wings are to DIE for! Nice diverse choices on the menu Wine and beer selection was excellent CONS: Pricy (Worth the splurge!) read more

Not many selections on the food menu and they are expensive even compare with other airport restaurants I have been to. I ordered their chicken wings, they are definitely different but not like "uhmm it's good". Their Manhattan is the bomb tho (I requested Templeton Rye). I'd rather pay for their Manhattan which is a dollar more ($14) than wings. read more

I think I just don't get the appeal of piles of meat. We were there for breakfast, the menu doesn't offer many options. So, I ordered a basic eggs, sausage, and potatoes breakfast... I can't remember what they named it. But when it came out, I thought it was a wrong order. The breakfast sausage looked like a big ol hot dog and tasted like it too. Again, some people might like a hot dog for breakfast... I, however, do not. I will say, I saw a few others who had ordered the benedict and I wish I had gotten that... it came with an arugula side salad that was not mentioned on the menu. It looked pretty and tasty. Secondly, I wanted a mimosa. $14 for a cup of mostly OJ. Being in the airport, I should have known, but it was still disappointing. Lastly, the service was terrible. The guy next to us had to flag down like 5 different waiters to get his water refilled. I kept seeing other waiters, question everything that was put out by the cooks, and send some stuff back. Maybe it's on the cooks, who knows, but that definitely created a time delay. Not good for people in an airport. read more

After being rejected from the Delta Sky Club, I was walking around hopelessly when the familiar Publican lighting fixtures caught my eye. This place has since become my airport oasis. The food, drinks, and atmosphere are up to the Publican standard, but the service impressed me most. I usually travel alone, so I always sit at the bar, and the bartenders are friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to strike up a conversation. I tend to spend close to $35, which is not ideal, but it won't keep me from coming back lol. read more

I had 45 minutes before I boarded my next plane... The Publican was right next to K-1 where I would be boarding, so I figured I'd give it a shot! The outside styling reminded me of the Gaslamp in my hometown of San Diego, and the food smelled great. I chose to eat at the bar due to the time crunch, and seriously, when alone, why take a table? Cass, the bartender, had to be my favorite experience at the bar. He was so kind, even though he was busy, he was sociable, and made me smile. I was heading home from DC after visiting my lost friends at Arlington, and he not only made a a great Mule, he offered to make one the way my best friend used to, using Bourbon instead of Vodka. Sonia, one of the waitresses there, was also a total doll. She reminded me of my Mom, who is also a waitress, and added to the feeling that I'd found my home away from home. lol About the food! I had the Frites (fries) with the garlic aoli sauce...so freaking tasty! read more

So we stopped by to have a quick lunch before we connected to a flight to New York. The food was very good but that's not the reason for five stars. At the end of our lunch, our server asked me why I had not eaten all my food? Told her that my stomach wasn't feeling that great. When she returned with our bill she gave me a cup of hot water and a teabag and said that it was really good for upset stomach's. Did not ask for it, but man I did tip her! What a fantastic service! read more

I'm a huge fan of the Publican location in the west loop so I was excited to hear they were opening up a place in O'hare. Unfortunately its location in an airport obviously means that it loses a lot of the atmosphere of the main location, but the food is still pretty incredible for an airport. I've only stopped in for breakfast and it has always been solid and similar to brunch at the west loop location, with fairly quick service. It would likely be even better for dinner or drinks. If you're in O'hare and in need of food or want to kill some time, I'd definitely recommend either stopping in here or one of the frontera locations. read more

Publican Tavern - Their eggs Benedict, with a generous portion of prosciutto, red wine hollandaise, and an arugula salad lightly dressed with lemon and onion - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow. I was not expecting much as I a rarely impressed with airport food. I just had the fire roasted vegetables salad and have found my new go-to for a saladish meal. See, I hate vegetables. I hate salads. I eat them because I should. I am a carnivore at heart, or rather meat and potatoes sorta guy. I gambled in this meal and am blown away. Roasted cauliflower, carrots, broccoli and pecans in a....probably less than healthy but delicious dressing. It was fantastic and once I fly in and outta oHare often, I plan to eat here again. No idea if the rest of the food here is good but I can smell bacon and something else just pouring out of the kitchen.. so I think I will be back here. Service was solid and I since I like to people watch the location was good for that too. read more