Publican specializes in beer, pork, and oysters. It's menu and decor pays homage to European beer halls where you can gather and share food with your friends. I'm sitting at the chef's table, without asking for it. Guess that's an advantage of single diners. I love watching the cooks do their magic and getting my food delivered right from the kitchen. Having read the reviews for the Spicy Pork Rinds, I knew what I must order first. Although these were tasty, they weren't that spicy. I would have loved to hear them "crackling", like they just came out of the deep fryer. My Brussel Sprouts were a surprise. It came out almost like a slaw. I go for the signature Half Farm Chicken. And finish it! Like many great chicken dinners I've had recently, the secret again is the brining. Moist and juicy for sure. For dessert, the Blueberry Pie. Yum! When I arrived at 6pm for my meal, the restaurant wasn't a quarter full. But when I left 90 minutes later, it was packed! read more

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First timer here, and I probably won't return and not sure I'd recommend it. Confusing because I'm giving it 4 stars, but let me explain. Started with a glass of orange wine (also a first timer for this) and it was delicious. Could best be described as a sour apple juice sans the sweetness. Quite crisp and refreshing for a humid night out. Server recommended for two people a side, a fish, and a meat. We took that suggestion and raised him a side. They were out of the peaches and burrata which was a huge bummer so, we ordered BBQ carrots and the asparagus. Asparagus tasted blanched, and was missing the wow factor, almost like it tasted too healthy. Carrots were top tier. The creamy herb dressing gave a cooling effect and balanced out the smokiness. YUM, get these. Our fish was the rainbow trout. Loved the yogurt sauce and the crispiness of the fish skin. Watch out for bones! And the bavette. Tender, juicy and loaded with potatoes. The romesco was the highlight, I needed more to drown my potatoes in. Desserts were meh, and I don't feel like they deserve my time. SKIP. So why the 4 stars but not the recommendation? It was a good meal, not great. And at the price point, there's so many better options in the city. I believe for all the above, we spent roughly $200. Seems a bit steep. read more

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We showed up to The Publican knowing exactly what we were going to get...and that's everything lol. We've wanted to eat here for a while and once we got the opportunity, we went BIG: The Chef's Menu. The Chef's Menu is a multi-course meal featuring the best The Publican has to offer and most of the course depends on what the chefs feel like making that day. We figured it was the best way to try the most things, especially since they recommend you order to share. We ended up with 9 courses, including dessert (in order): * Hiramasa Crudo - this was a solid starter, preparing our palate. SUPER fresh. * Potted Rillettes - we liked this so much our waiter made sure to let us know they sell jars of it at their butcher shop/cafe across the street. It's indulgent but delicious! * Bouchot Mussels - mussels swimming in garlic butter and they went so well with their sourdough * Pork Belly - the MVP of the meal: the combo of pork belly, apple butter, apples and parsnip was the perfect bite * Apple - a salad so flavorful, it puts all other salads to shame. It was vibrant and the peppery horseradish cheddar complimented the sweet apples perfectly * Beets - a solid salad that allowed the beets to be the star of the show * Monkfish - the flavors are so balanced; the cranberries and broccolini were perfect with the firm fish * Country Rib - we were full by the time this came out but it was so good we stuffed our faces with an amazing combo of rib, blue cheese and pear * Chocolate Chess Pie - a rich chess pie with ice cream and pretzel pieces. You'll lick the plate....trust me lol This was a delicious meal with barely any faults; we strongly recommend the chef's menu so you can try the best of everything! All the fall vegetables and fruits paired so nicely with the meat and seafood; it's a super thoughtful menu. Try everything! read more

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After 15 years in business, this wonderful restaurant successfully maintains the highest quality of the meats and breads it is known for. Duck and pork rillettes were very tasty and accompanying bread was a delicacy by itself. My sweetbreads served with maple braised greens, bacon & caper salsa verde were outstanding. One of the most popular dishes, porchetta, merited all the acclaim. Our server was so nice that she even offered us a dessert on the house. I highly recommend this restaurant and cannot wait to come back to try the fish selection. Bravo! read more

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This was the absolute ideal place to eat some mouth-watering brunch dishes. My friend and I had 48 hours in Chicago and this place caught our eye because of the reviews of how fresh the food was. As we walked in, the whole place has beautifully large and exaggerated wooden chairs and family style dining tables. The whole restaurant bathed in sunlight from the high windows. The food was DIVINE. On top of that- the service was amazing, I love how the whole place felt like it was family owned and they never skipped a beat on filling our bottomless coffees. The decor and tableware was charming - a cross between barnyard chic and cottage core. I cannot say enough lovely things about the freshness of the produce and the quality of the meat! Every dish we ordered was delicious and well plated - the salad was well-dressed, the frittata was tender but firm, the bread was fresh baked and darkly toasted. Not a single detail missed. Wish there was more sausage but we will order another side of it next time. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food here is pretty good, but I do feel like this place is overhyped and a little too pricey for the flavor of the food and portion sizes. The dishes are meant to be served family style but most of them are too small to shared. We ordered lots of dishes to satisfy 3 people. We started off with the beets and "3 spreads and bread." The beets were good and prepared in a creative way with feta on the bottom. The 3 spreads and bread was a little disappointing and not worth the price since it's just a pretty standard bread plate. We got two pork dishes, the pork belly and porchetta. The pork belly was barbecued and so tender!! It was very flavorful and a great dish. The porchetta was a large dish; it was the only dish that felt truly family style. The meat itself was a little too salty, I wish it could have had some other flavor besides salt. It's served with sourdough at the bottom, which is nice to have soak up all the juices. We also got a halibut which was cooked very well and had a nice crisp on top. It was served with mushrooms which were very flavorful. For dessert we got a chocolate malt layer cake and raspberry milk bread. The chocolate cake was balanced and had the right amount of sweetness. The raspberry milk bread was decent, but it could have had more sweetness to the bread to really make it feel like dessert. I came here for my birthday so I also got an extra sorbet which was very nice! read more

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Still one of my favorite spots after years and years. Anything we get is delicious. The only negative from this past visit was finding a ton of shell pieces in our oysters. Disappointing for sure but we've had countless amazing meals at Publican that I don't even care haha Highly highly recommend. read more

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I came back and tried the half chicken with summer sausage and fries, Daisy day drink (lavender, cinnamon-honey, lemon & tonic water) and selection of hams. Much better experience this time. Loved the sweet, bitter and floral flavors in the Daisy day drink. Felt like royalty eating that peasant bread with different hams. Chicken was absolutely perfect - juicy and moist, including breast meat. Summer sausage good. Fries were too crispy, didn't taste much potato. All of this sitting in a pond of chicken juice - delicious. This updated review could have been 5 stars if the prices weren't so steep and brunch menu dragging them down.$28 for half chicken plate and $6 for drink. Geez read more

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Was finally able to try brunch here! and for the most part, did not disappoint! The staff was friendly and attentive and we were seated right away. The décor is pretty nice with lots of big block woods which fits with the farm to table theme. Started with the only negative of the meal, the sweet cheese danish. It didn't taste fresh...I could have had better from my local grocery. But after that hiccup the food was amazing! We had the Country rib-n-eggs and pork belly hash. I LOVED both dishes with the pork belly hash being my favorite. It was a bit meat heavy for the wife but perfect for me. My better half gives this place 4 stars because she felt that everything was a bit "heavy" for her. But for a meat lover like me? It was just perfectly satisfying so I'm giving the Publican 5 stars :-) Come here if you love meat! read more

The Publican - Country rib-n-eggs - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had an amazing brunch here. Arrived right before opening and was seated right away. My boyfriend and I shared: + Swiss chard baked eggs - really inventive flavor combos here + Buttermilk biscuit - perfection + Publican bacon - ditto + Hash browns - basically the size of a plate, so good Only caveat was that they unexpectedly charged us $3 for milk (I just asked for skim milk in my coffee, which was $3.50 on its own). No one said anything beforehand. So that was kind of annoying to pay $6.50 for a cup of coffee, which by the way was mediocre, even if it had free refills. Still, the food was incredible! read more

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This is a spot I've really wanted to try especially since Chef Michael Symon, who I'm a big fan of, speaks so highly of it. As I've stated before, most of my travel companions are not adventurous when it comes to food so I took advantage when I made a solo trip. I was given a seat at the bar which I loved because it gave me a chance to see some prep and chat with the servers. They were very kind in pointing me to what would be good to try as a first timer. The entrees were large and built to share so I decided on a taste of their best and a vegetable plate. The half charcuterie platter was a plentiful array that showed off their skill of mastering nose to tail eats. On this day my plate included Cacciatore Salami, Pork Pie, Lamb Souse, Harissa Pate, Morteau Sausage and mustard. It was phenomenal to taste so much in many different forms and also the contrast was amazing; sweet, spicy, hot, cold, velvety, crunchy. Alongside I got the Japanese Eggplant, a huge plate of lightly battered and fried planks topped with cipollini onions, Shepherd's Hope (a sheep's milk cheese similar to queso fresco), mint and agrodolce. Again, another mouthful textures and absolutely stunning. After all of this there was no way I could order dessert but the couple next to me got a cookie jar full of all different treats so they passed it down the bar for all to share. I picked out a thin, chewy cookie topped with a mound of marshmallow and covered with chocolate. It was just enough, a sweet bite to end a spectacular meal. read more

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My second time here, the first time being in 2012. I honestly don't remember the first time I came aside from the fact that I liked it. This time I still felt the same! I came with my family and my best friend. The 5 of us ordered the brunch box, Ploughman's Board, Johnnycake, Weisswurst, Fried Chicken, Crispy potatoes, and bacon. My favorite out of all of them was the fried chicken. Chicken was juicy and tender, easy to tear apart, and the two eggs on top just made it even more tasty. My second favorite part was the pickled cauliflower on the Ploughman's board. They were crunchy and tasty and it also paired well with pretty much everything else that we ordered. I have a love and hate relationship regarding the seating here. I love that there's communal seating but also seating by party. There are booths on the side, high tops, and large connected tables everywhere else. However, the communal seating gets a bit crowded and it's hard to get in and out of your table. Moving onto the service, I thought they had the perfect balance of checking in on you and leaving you alone. We never had to worry about our water not being filled, but also never had to answer questions with our mouths full. read more

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This is probably my favorite brunch spot in all of Chicago. Everytime my husband and I have visited the city, we always try to make a stop to come here for brunch on the weekends. All of their breakfast dishes have an eccentric twist that's not like your typical pancake, eggs, bacon breakfast - and we've loved all of them! The maple bacon is their signature dish - and the price is a little high but quality and heftiness of the meat is great, tastes delicious too. My personal go-to is their waffle. It's a must-have for me everytime I go there. They have the most light and fluffy, but also slightly crunchy waffle that has a light spread of powdered sugar. It comes with a side of their house jam and butter - and it is just heaven. This is definitely one of my top favorites - will definitely have to come here sometime dinner! I've only heard great things regarding their dinner menu. read more

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The Publican is simply an amazing place. When my buddy and I jumped out of our Uber, I thought the place looked like a deli. It turns out we were at Publican Quality Meats across the street. That deli looked amazing and we spent a few minutes walking through before heading over The Publican. A very classy looking place and seemed very similar, in many ways, to The Playground back home in Santa Ana. They had booth seating with swinging doors to add a bit more privacy but we were seated in the communal bench seating area. The place is pretty loud so be prepared. We got the corner two seats and the folks around us were pretty cool to be around us. Christopher served us with precision all evening. We quickly realized he could put together a suggested meal for us if we gave him a couple of hints of what we liked. He suggested some great beers and we each picked a few dishes until we had a belly full of suggestions. Eating family or tapas style is a great way to go if you are adventurous. The charcuterie plate was a great way to get several tastes of their specialty meats. Head cheese, sausage, salami, pickles, caper berries and a couple of mustards and their super crunchy baguette. Whole fried whiting (think large sardine) with fried dill pickles and a tangy rich sauce. Barbecued carrots, boneless leg of lamb with Brussels sprouts. Incredible taste, ingredients and presentation. Hot apple pie type of dish with sherry ice cream finished it off. Not overly expensive and certainly worth the price of admission. A real foodie treat. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was excited to finally eat here because of the great reviews and longevity of it in Chicago. It wasn't as spectacular as we thought it would be. I had a tequila drink and my friends had old fashions. My husband doesn't drink and loved that they had non alcoholic cocktails with Kentucky 74. We wanted to start with bread, but they were sold out (Sunday night). The oysters were good, nothing different with them. The half charcuterie was pretty good. There was way more bread than meat. There wasn't a lot of variety-spicy, rich, the head cheese and pork pie were both rich. For mains we got the half porchetta and steak. There was way more vegetables than actual meat. The porchetta was rubbery and tough. The polenta, sauce, and vegetables were good. The steak was cold, but cooked nicely. The bitter chicory was great with it. The highlight of the night was the vegetables. The cauliflower had a nice creamy base with picked onions and pine nuts. The Brussels sprouts were also great. To finish, my friends split the bread pudding and it was super tiny. The ice cream was bigger than the bread pudding. Overall we were disappointed. We thought it would be more "meat focused." It wasn't bad, but we weren't super excited! read more

The Publican - Enclosed booths - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went during restaurant week we're excited to try it. Funky space but it works. Great for big groups!! Did restaurant week menu for two of us. Broccoli dish ok. Sweet potato amazing loved the curry with sweet sauces. Mussels were good and bread excellent with it. The skate schnitzel was amazing. The beef was good as well. We also ordered fries which were great. We were stuffed. Had a hard time finding wine bottle we wanted but gave us some excellent Griuner while we waited read more

One of my favorite places in Fulton Market! I've only been for brunch but it has been great every time! The bacon is AMAZING, we got the waffle and schnitzel this time. The waffle was nice and crispy. Definitely recommend as part of any Chicago visit, but not the most vegetarian-friendly. read more

Great spot for dinner! Table setup is a little odd but nothing to deter you! Went and saw the menu and the waiter said it was family style. Didn't want the hassle of picking out the food so we went with the chefs tasting. The food was amazing and it was a great amount for the pice. They had this bacon item as well as muscles which were by far my favorite items. We also had their old fashions which were very good as well! For the price and food quantity you really can't beat this place. Will definitely be back! read more

Seems like it would be a fun atmosphere once Covid is over - beer hall setting, pig pen swing doors, and good service. The chicken was juicy and tender like everyone says, though a little pricey for what it is. The casing of sausage that comes with it was difficult to chew through. The rest of the meal (spicy pork rinds and rillettes) was heavy but not that flavorful, which is a unique combo. The beet salad was solid - the bitterness of the dandelion leaves balanced the sweetness from the beets, and bursts is always delicious. read more

The Publican - Half chicken - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was planing order other dishes (pics showed on Yelp) but 99% of the dishes are no longer available as he said they change menus each month. The one I ended up ordering is delicious and the service is pilot and welcoming. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I didn't know they closed at 2 and made late reservations on Open Table for 145pm for a late late hungover Sunday brunch. Food had to be in by 2pm, but other than that, they were super accommodating! I couldn't believe how nice they were about it! Food was clean, delicious and seemed to be super healthy. Cocktails were also spectacular. I will be back, as the patio is huge with lots of umbrellas. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in at the Publican on a Thursday night and was able to get a table almost immediately which was nice. Went in to try the oysters and they have a lot of choices. We went with the chef selection and had a dozen different oysters that were all awesome. Can't beat the bread here as they have the Publican bakery bread with salt and butter. Awesome! Enjoyed a nice glass of wine, I believe it was the French Maison Pinot noir. Thanks for the hospitality. read more

Excellent food and service. Loved the oysters variety and vibe . Entrees were yummy too read more

Terrible service.No hospitality. We booked the weekend brunch and when we arrived we had to wait a lot until seated then waited again for the order...and again when checking out.our server was cold and showed no hospitality. There was a lot of trashes around our outdoor seating. Very, very unpleasant. Our server told us that waffle and schnitzel were unavailable, at the timing of ordering , but he should have informed us before... And food was also average, blunt, no surprise. Just very much pricey for their portion. And they charged us full price though we already put $30 in advance , when we booked online...so we had to ask the server to correct it. Never come back. read more

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Maybe it was because I came here for brunch but I had very high expectations for this place. Due to Covid, we reserved the prepaid seating in the outdoor igloos and had trouble ordering enough to fulfill the $50 each minimum. Each main dish was ~$15. We ordered the chicken and dumpling, publican scramble (spinach, crema, and crispy shallots), and the pork belly hash. All the food were a little too salty and fatty for my taste but the portions were decent. While the food was not very impressive, the drinks were delicious! The bourbon cream coffee and the pear hot toddy hit the spot especially on a cold morning dining outdoors. The service was a little a confusion. The waitstaff seemed to be in a rush, perhaps due to the pre-paid outdoor dining time limit and constantly checked to see if we were done with our food. However, I have heard good things about its dinner options and willing to try again! read more

The Publican - chicken and dumplings - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sirloin was excellent, definitely my favorite dish of the night. Barbecue carrots were also yummy. Started with 6 oysters that were quickly finished. Also got the frites with garlic aoli! Service was quick and friendly. It is very loud, which makes sense given the layout of the dining room and many parties sitting together. read more

My husband has been wanting to try The Publican for a while, so I took him here for his birthday. We were pretty excited as this restaurant has great reviews. I was expecting to like it a bit more than I did. The seating at the restaurant is interesting. They have communal tables in the center with more private booths along the side that are enclosed by wooden doors. It's kind of like you are in your own private pin. Since there were only two of us, I was anticipating sitting in the communal area, but luckily we were able to sit in the booths which gave us some privacy. We went a little early on a Saturday (about 6pm) and there was no one in the restaurant. It was pretty bare. Since this is a tapas style restaurant, we ordered 4 things to share. We started with the bread. It came with a salty butter which is probably 60% salt and 40% butter which is way too salty. Next, we ordered the brussels sprouts. The ricotta and almond aillade was amazing creating a sweet/savory dish with the lemon and honey! These had to be some of the best brussels sprouts I had ever had. Then we ordered the porkbelly. I loved the way the porkbelly was cooked. You got good fat and meat which melted in your mouth into savory goodness. The summer squash and pickled fresno had an interesting taste. I don't really know how I feel about it, but the porkbelly was yummy! The same thing happened with our last dish... the country ribs. The ribs themselves were very tender and delicious; however the roasted apples, ramps, and bleu cheese had an interesting and a little unpleasant flavor. The dish just didn't seem cohesive. The meat was good though. We finished our plates no problem. I kind of wish we could have tried the chicken, but we're pretty happy with our choices. We opted not to have dessert because we were planning to go somewhere else, but they had some interesting choices. Overall, I would say it is pretty good. I wouldn't say it blew me away like I was expecting, but they have some delicious meats and literally the best brussels sprouts! read more

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This is never an easy thing to do, write a terrible review. But in charity, it's necessary since I rely on Yelp in making dining choices. Of course I write during the slow Phase 3 opening of Covid time, so it was absolutely wonderful to just be outside. Sadly, the entire evening was left wanting. Dinner for two cost $140 and while normally reasonable, it was a no frills dinner with two beers a piece between me and my friend. There was no wine or cocktails. No appetizer (unless you count bread), or dessert. We started with the bread basked for $16! Yep, $16 for six slices of bread and a cheese spread. The bread was good, the spread was average at best. At $16 it was ridiculously overpriced. We also ordered the pomme frites as a side for the dinner. When you charge that much, you can't call them "french fries." They were extremely over-salted which was sad because they would have been delicious otherwise. The aioli which came with them was just mayo...nothing spectacular. It cut down on the salt at least. The grilled carrots were good. They're served a la carte. No complaints, but they didn't wow me. But good. The ribs which were listed at $32 were AWEFUL. The pork baby back ribs were dry and not terribly meaty and must have come from an emaciated cow from Bangladesh in the middle of a drought. It was served with a miserable piece of cornbread which could double as sandpaper...also dry. They should be embarrassed for serving such food (not the cow...it had no choice). My friend ordered the pork belly which really did look exceptional. It was served with beans, but again, the portion was more of an appetizer than a meal. I'm not looking for "Cheesecake Factory" mega-portions. But there's a clear difference between an entree and an appetizer. Summary; poorly executed cooking, terrible portions, limited menu, and the only thing creative about the entire meal was how they hooked me in to paying so much for so little. It was perhaps the worst dining experience I've had in years. read more

Reserved a table for 2, at 6:15, to celebrate our engagement, we were prepared to go large, champagne etc... we were very excited to come to a well reputed restaurant, and I had had a positive experience before. However, that is where the positivity ends. We were seated precisely at 6:15, despite arriving early and the dining room and patio not being busy, not sure why we were made to wait. A very attentive water server made sure our glasses weren't empty. Our blue baseball cap wearing server came and took our cocktail order (call me old fashioned, but wearing a hat inside like that is simply bad manners). They made no attempt made to make us feel welcome with banter and chit chat. Our entire experience with this server was transactional. At one point I wondered out loud "is this the pot wash they have had to draft in to serving?"It was not a full restaurant, so wasn't like they were rushed off their feet, a few moments of getting to know who they had seated in front of them could have saved the evening. We ordered the $48 full charcuterie board and when it arrived there was no explanation given to what we had in front of us. I'm sure there was a reason it was priced so, but we never knew. The baguette was cold in the middle! When I felt two blobs of dry chewing gum under the table by my knee it was a done deal. We made our excuses, paid, tipped, and left. We were not prepared to give them anymore of our money. Manners cost nothing, being welcoming to a customer costs nothing, the restaurant was not busy, but our server couldn't care less about our experience... in fact, not a single server on shift had a smile or looked welcoming. It sadly took sparkle out of our special evening and we won't be recommending the place. Should have trusted our gut and gone to an old favourite of ours, which we are currently in a cab and on our way to. read more

Excellent gastropub with innovative and exciting cuisine. Came in with a work group of nine and were promptly seated at one of the communal tables. We ordered a bunch of beers off the extensive list with the clear favorite among all of them being the Tre Fontane from Lazio. Easily one of the top five beers I've ever had. We split some oysters which were a nice mix of east and west coast. We then did the chef's tasting menu which was three fish, three meat and three vegetable (it seemed like more) that arrived family style for sharing. Amongst our favorites were the snapper crudo, the sous vide/broiled/fried pork belly (which was absurdly good) and the mussels, which were served in a rich broth. Another favorite was the porchetta served over charred bread and miso sauce. This was finished off with house made desserts; cobbler, assorted cookies and a gelato. Service was highly attentive and engaging and made numerous recommendations. We particularly liked the beer-som who commented on our prodigious consumption of our favorite beer which turned out to be his favorite beer. read more

The Publican - The dead soldiers from Lazio. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If Covid's got you down and you want an excellent date night out with perfect food & beverage, this is THE spot. Safe & socially distant, and the menu is outstanding. They execute to perfection. Since I'm thorough, below is what we had: Two kinds of west coast oysters I've never had from Samich Bay, Washington: Samich Pearl (left) and Penn Cove (right). These are both third best in my mind next to Kumamotos and Kusshis. Loved em! Steak tartare with some seriously amazing *perfect* seeded rye bread, fresno chili dijonaise and fried shallot. Midwestern cheese plate with fresh chevre, brie, and an ash rind gooey cheese, fennel roasted candied cashews, apricot preserves, and sweet cherries. Not pictured, a lovely glass of Spanish cava paired with the oysters and a glass of French bordeaux just because. Plus, my hubby's Westmalle Dubbel beer which was on draft. The place has an extensive Belgian beer list, a well curated wine list, and pretty cocktails. I think the intention there is to go there and stuff yourself full of fresh baked bread, meat, and Belgian beer, but really I felt myself being drawn toward the vegetarian dishes. They looked stellar. Next time! Keep up the good work Publican, your servers are doing a phenomenal job! read more

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I've waited since June to post this review in hopes that the Publican would be able to remedy the upsetting and violating situation that I experienced at this restaurant. I write this post as a warning for future patrons to reconsider hosting an event here, as the Publican treats their patrons with little respect and has completely shattered my trust. My friend and I were wedding guests at the Publican in early June. When we got to the Publican we asked the hostess and Publican events planner, Danielle, where the card box was to put our cards in. Danielle responded "I am the card box!" And so we handed our cards over to her as she told us that they would all be given to the bride and groom. I was a bit nervous to hand the cards over, as they contained more than $500 cash, but I unfortunately trusted Danielle. Fast forward, the day after the wedding, I asked the bride if Danielle had given our wedding cards to them. She told us that Danielle hadn't given them any cards, but that she'd follow up with the Publican to make sure that she got them. Several weeks later I again asked the bride if she'd received our cards and she told us that Danielle hadn't given them any cards still. Danielle even told us at one point she gave everything to the groom, but the groom confirmed that he had not received any cards at all. We contacted the restaurant right away to discuss the situation in hopes that they would be willing to work with us to remedy the situation: simply put, we wanted the bride and groom to receive their wedding gift. We spoke with the GM, Oscar, that took the situation seriously and was deeply upset that this occurred. He had us try to work with Danielle to rectify the issue. Upon countless attempts to contact Danielle via phone calls and text messages, she finally called several weeks later and acted like she had no idea what we were talking about, even though she knew all about the situation. She told us that it was "ridiculous" for us to expect that she would be able to do something about our stolen cards & cash that were in her possession. At first, we were hopeful that it was just a mistake. However, the Publican and Danielle continually dodged our calls and messages, leading us to believe that they had something to hide, which they clearly do. This should've been and could've been a very simple situation to find a solution for. Unfortunately, for the past 5 months, we've seen quite the opposite. We have not been unreasonable and in fact, we have offered multiple options for The Publican to make this situation right for us, but most importantly, the bride and groom. read more

Vibes: inviting, warmly lit, elegant yet simple dining room with wooden long tables and semi-private booths, bring your friends and family Tasting notes for brunch: -johnnycake: extremely well-caramelized onions and deeply savory and sweet bacon chunks provided the flavor intensity of the dish; the fluffy, slightly crumbly cornbread texture and flavor of the johnnycake along with the airy light eggs were a perfect pair to contrast each forkful of onion and bacon -cinnamon french toast: the thick-cut bread was custard-y in texture and heavenly rich but not too heavy; the brioche crumbles were delightfully crispy and lovely with the whipped cream Other thoughts: -friendly and attentive service -dishes for everyone were brought out at the same time -teas come out piping hot in glass teapots, milk and brown sugar cubes available at the table read more

The Publican - Johnnycake ($16) - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious and great for groups! We were there for a birthday and service was notably friendly and quick. Food was delicious and all our server recommendations were great. We were visiting from San Francisco and had a great time trying this restaurant out. read more

It's been 2 years since my last visit to The Publican. My mother and father in-law were in town visiting family. My wife and I decided to surprise them by flying in on their last days in the Windy City. I made reservations here before I booth our flights. I then had to convince my mother in law that I would make them reservations to my all time favorite restaurant in Chicago as they look to me for reservations. Long story short I pulled it off. Now after two years and reading some negative reviews I had some worries. However once inside I realized it was still the restaurant I loved and have taken dozens of friends and workers to. We were stuffed still from lunch but that did not stop us from over ordering. The list consisted of the ham plate, bread trio, gem lettuce salad, bbq carrots, roasted beets, Bavette steak, and two orders of the halibut. Everything was brought out faster than we expected, everything was cooked 100% as it should be, service was spot on and never once did we need to flag someone down. My mother and father in-law were so impressed and could not stop raving about the halibut (that's why they ordered two). I travel the world for work and make sure I visit the best restaurants around. From diners to Michelin star rated restaurants I've been to them all. The Publican truly sits in my top 10 favorite restaurants in the world. They deliver great tasting food, large portions for a reasonable price. I'm my travels I've found many restaurants that obviously purchased The Publican cookbook and try to duplicate. What's the saying " imitation is the best form of flattery". Thank you to all the staff for another great dinner and a night my family will remember. read more

Let's shine a spotlight on another restaurant that has been truly amazing during the pandemic. First, the food is great, even if you don't order pork. The roast chicken is delicious, with a nicely salty sauce that goes perfectly on their fries, and the sides are interesting, textured, satisfying, and creative. I'm thinking of the bbq carrots with ranch sauce, the burrata with tons of veggies, etc. And the desserts - an important and tough test in my household - are superlative. Second, they deliver! To Hyde Park! I don't mind doing some curbside pickup when I have to, but with little kids at home and Chicago traffic being what it is, I award a huge premium to any place that will give me 30-60 minutes of my life back by delivering to my door. Down here in the ivory tower we don't have a ton of amazing delivery options. But Publican is one of them. Third, the customer service goes above and beyond. We had planned out a great spread for a Friday night dinner. The spread arrived, but missing our roast chicken. Hamlet without the prince and all that. Many restaurants would have just apologized and refunded the chicken. But the Publican recognized that without the chicken, dinner was ruined. They rushed the chicken through the kitchen and packed it into an Uber Connect. It arrived before we were done with the first course, and saved the day. And on top of that, they added a loaf of the best Publican bread for free. And they STILL refunded the chicken. When I worry about whether the Chicago restaurant scene will survive the pandemic, I think: as long as places like the Publican survive, we will be ok. read more

While in Chicago, we stopped by this spot for brunch on a beautiful morning. Despite the gorgeous weather, we opted to sit inside. This spot is bright, light, and really welcoming - complete with large paintings of pigs. Most of the tables are long and communal though there are smaller tables and booths along the side. The service was awesome and within seconds of sitting down, we had both water and coffee. The coffee was amazing and I definitely took advantage of it being bottomless! We split a side of the bacon ($7)and a biscuit ($4) along with our mains. The maple braised bacon was hands down the best bacon period. It was crisp, bursting with flavor, and thick. Do yourself a favor and order it, you won't regret it. The biscuit was also delicious and was moist and flavorful. My husband ordered the crab scramble for $16 which was really good. Loads with crab both inside and on top and really good. I got the bread pudding for $15 which was good savory combination though the other dishes were far better. All in all - delicious, flavorful and original recipes combined with great service. Highly recommended for brunch in the West Loop! read more

It's interesting because when I first stumbled upon this restaurant around 6 years ago (with my undeveloped palate), my friends and I couldn't understand half the menu and promptly left upon also seeing the prices. But coming back now as an adult made me realize what all the hype is about. Service was quick and yes, seating is interesting in a communal style, European-esque setting. It was still a good spot for a casual date though pretty loud. We got some beers and the bread plate to start- an extremely filling appetizer but was delicious to try all the spreads. The two of us only finished half the plate. We also ordered the bbq carrots upon multiple recommendations, and this was tasty. Basically like bbq sweet potatoes. My favorite dish was probably the pork belly, which is usually my favorite. This was super fatty and melt in your mouth delicious. The flap steak was also a delicious meat dish and was a very close second favorite. Flavors were great though portions small for more than two to share. Overall, I had a great experience and loved the interesting atmosphere and just as unique dishes. I would definitely recommend to those with defined palates who enjoy splurging on their foodie adventures. read more

This was one of the recommended places to go in Chicago, and I am so glad that we didn't miss it. Pretty cool atmosphere, make you feel like it's almost October fest time. We had oysters, mussels and half chicken they were all super tasty. read more

Lucky we were able to reserve a table for dinner a few days beforehand! The restaurant was slightly difficult to find because there's no name outside. Look for the number 837 and the spheres of light coming from within! Ambiance: Modern restaurant with beautiful rows of lights. I like their pictures of pigs and the bathroom was unique. The wooden tables are high rise, shared, or booths. It was packed. Downside was that it was super loud and hard to hear conversation across the table. Service: Our waitress (I think red hair and glasses) gave us good suggestions since it was our first time eating here. Our waters were filled often and dirty plates taken away almost as soon as we were done to make room for the next dishes. Food: Amazing! It's meant to be shared family style and we did just that. Barbecue carrots- (5/5) soft with a nice crunch, great smoky flavor Honeynut squash- (4/5) nice texture Chicken liver pâté- (5/5) surprisingly good flavor, a favorite of the table, bread was also yummy Pork belly- (4/5) delicious and oh so tender but knocked a star off for the portion. One strip for $25? Thank u, next. Tagliatelle (lamb ragù)- (5/5) one of my favorites Country rib- (5/5) flavorful Bouchot mussels- (5/5) big amount and tasty broth, comes with bread My family and I had a wonderful experience. Weill make sure to come back! read more

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