Best meal I have had in several years. Vegetables are fantastic. And I had the best carrot I have ever eaten in my life (BBQ carrots). So why 4 stars instead of 5? Place is just too loud. Very difficult to talk. I also did not care so much for the seating arrangement (long, shared tables). But if you don't need to talk, this is a fantastic place to eat. Actually, the wine and beer selections were also great. read more

Awesome happy hour choices for decent prices! We got poutine, 24 oysters, a burger and 3 different drinks (beer, cocktail, and a shot of whiskey) all under 75$ large space and friendly, quick, efficient service. Highly recommend read more

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delicious food and amazing service !! Was visiting Chicago and made reservations for 4 for Sunday dinner! The restaurant interior is rustic/ barn like -- they have long communal tables (w big chairs) and booths that even have a small door. Noise level is pretty loud. And I like their unique & mismatching dinnerware! THE FOOD !! All the dishes were delicious and thoroughly liked by everyone, the dishes' ingredients complimented each other well. What we got: - a dozen oysters, chef's choice - (fish) OLIVE FLOUNDER CRUDO: the fish tasted so fresh and loved the pomegranate seeds with it - (vegetables) BBQ CARROTS: wow! compliments of the chef/ server (thank you!!!) cooked and smoked perfectly, best carrots I have ever eaten - (vegetables) FRIED CAULIFLOWER: looks like tater tots, fried very nicely - (meat) COUNTRY RIB: with broccolini and cashews; flavorful, some fatty/ burnt pieces tho - not sure what this dish was called but had onion typa rings and a meat? Amazing service from our server! Very knowledgeable about the dishes, gave recommendations, checked up on us a lot, and we really appreciate the complimentary bbq carrots :') A bit pricey, came out to be $200 for 4 people (oysters, 4 dishes, bottle of wine). Same of how much we spent @ The Girl and The Goat, but I liked The Publican more !! (: read more

Gotta call in advance and reserve you spot. Decided to check this place out after watching this show called , F*ck that's delicious, and oh my it really is !!!! We ordered the soft shell crab, oysters and pork belly and frites. That was enough for 2 people. Ambience was nice on a busy Friday night During the pandemic.. but they were extra careful and did what they need to do to make sure everyone stays safe. Really love the food here and can't wait to come back. read more

The amazing five star reviews I read before coming here that detailed the great food somehow didn't match up to the experience I had. While the majority of our dishes came out pretty fast we ended up waiting a pretty long time for the Half Farm Chicken dish, not sure what happened with the timing for that. When the dish came it just wasn't that good, the sausage was pretty dry and and the rest of the dish was average. Maybe it was sitting out for too long? I was also excited to try the pork rinds but when they came, they had A LOT of seasoning on them. Is that how it's supposed to be? Even when I tried to shake off some of seasoning there would still be a lot left. Seemed like someone just poured a bottle of it on the pork rinds. While the food wasn't that great, our server was still really awesome. The atmosphere inside was pretty fun and the decor was a bit different but I really liked it. read more

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It was a cool Monday night when we entered with an 8:00 reservation. The place was packed and buzzing with rock music blaring from the overhead speakers making any conversation challenging. Van Halen echoed through enough times to made me think that it wasn't a coincidence, someone liked the sound of David Lee Roth. As I walked into the main dining room I noticed the irony of the artwork on the walls. Caricatures of overly fattened swine adorned each wall hinting that either that the restaurant specialized in pig, or you'd feel like one by the time you were done eating. On this particular night both were true. I had a variety of different pork dishes, and walked out feeling sufficiently stuffed. Seating - There's a huge horseshoe shaped table in the middle of the main room, with 4 person booths along one wall. The booths have low doors on them that are reminiscent of farm animal pens, but also provide some privacy if you prefer that over a shared table. Determine ahead of time if you want to be off by yourself or seated next to strangers. Pork Rinds - Not what I would typically order and don't expect these to be similar to what you get out of a bag in a vending machine. These were served in a conical paper funnel and were so light and airy they almost melted in your mouth. The seasoning dust spiced these substantially. Caution - Don't inhale while eating these as you might get a lungful of spicy dust and end up coughing the rest of the night. Vegetables - This was probably the biggest surprise of the night. I went in knowing that this place specializes in high end meats, but had no idea I would enjoy the vegetable as much as anything else. The Cauliflower was roasted until browned and crispy on the edges and only lightly dressed with herbs and cheese. The Barbequed Carrots had distinct grill marks and were sweet and nicely balanced by the dill and pecans. Our Squash dish was cooked soft and sprinkled with feta, pomegranate, and pumpkin seeds. Each single source farmed and all were fresh and full of flavor. Pork Belly - This is a must order and was unlike the Asian style pork belly I was accustomed to. Rather than having to peel off thick layers of fat, the meat was slow cooked and marbled with melted fat. So tender that you could cut it with a fork and seasoned with wild onions and grapes. This is the only pork belly that will literally melt in your mouth. Taste of Three Hams - A sort of ham sampling if you want to do some compare and contrasting. We were given paper thin slices of Kentucky, Iowa, and Spanish hams. All good and all different. If this is your first time at publican or you're a ham fan and not sure what to get, this sampling is for you. Dry Aged Ribeye - Not on the menu so feel fortunate if its available when you order. A solid 22 ounces of buttery Ribeye sliced and served with roasted potatoes. We ordered Medium-Rare and it was cooked just right. A nice dish to share. Dessert - We are too full to order dessert, but couldn't resist ordering a big Cookie Jar filled with surprises. Ours came as a sort of sad bear with a blue bow tie, but inside was a combination of chocolates, chocolate cookies, rice crispy treats, and layered dessert bars. It was fun passing the cookie jar around and sharing with the group and good way to end the night. Service - Our main server Joanna was efficient, knowledgeable, and friendly despite the heavy crown on a Monday night. She gave us good suggestions and complimented us on our broad choice of shareable dishes. In the end there were probably 4 people that brought dishes and cleared our table. Overall, the Publican does some outstanding meats, but don't forget the surprisingly good vegetable sides. Many of the dishes are made for sharing so go with a group, pass the food around, and enjoy the ironic artwork. read more

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wait for one hour after order. No apology, no snacks, no service at all. Very bad tasted food. Will never come here any more. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The bread platter is a LOT of bread, make sure you're committed. We had the pimento cheese spread, as well. Really delicious. Then we had the beet dish and mussels, and those were delicious. However, the half chicken was INCREDIBLE. It may be the juiciest chicken I've ever had. Please, get that. It was amazing. The service was great and the restaurant was clean. They also had some great mocktail options. read more

Really great brunch here! The portions are generous and everything was really impressive. Food is family style and comes out as ready so it was a really quick experience. read more

The Publican - Shakshuka - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The koiugn amann was our favorite! It taste like a buttery croissant with a little bit of sweet on top... It's delicious! Crispy potatoes are hard to beat and the publican bacon is what it's known for. We also got the lentil bowl if you're looking for something a little bit healthier on the menu. I thought it was very tasty it's just a lot of food. I think between the lentil bowl and the three cheese fonduta...the lentil bowl won. The three cheese fonduta was very good but very heavy. You have to be in the mood for that. Overall very happy with our meal! read more

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Overall: Quality meats from a Chicago staple. The good: The meats are tender and flavorful; everything from the pancetta and pork belly to the BBQ chicken was delicious. But, I'd honestly lean to say that the veggies were the best portion of the meal - smokey, tender, and divine. The atmosphere is bright and fun yet wholesome and cozy, and the service is attentive and helpful. The not-so-good: The prices are bit heavy, especially since you have to buy a lot with the sharing-is-caring mentality of the restaurant. Food: 8.5/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Service: 8/10 read more

I can't think of a meal that I have enjoyed more. We got the beard plate, which was fire. Brussel sprouts that was probably the best I have ever had. One of us had ham and the other a sirloin and you couldn't go wrong with either. Staff was kind and made sure everything was amazing. We even got dessert because we enjoy everything so much. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nice ambiance, good drinks/beer selection, and simple, yet interesting meal options. The espresso martini, the sunchokes and the chefs choice of oysters were fabulous. We had the country steak for our meat and it was average, if anything. read more

Had one of the best food experiences yet! Had the honor to accompany fellow friends, who won a raffle/gift certificate for a brunch outing here at The Publican, a special curated menu from the chef! When we arrived, we were greeted right away. We were seated in a boxed booth which at first was intimidating and felt secluded but ultimately we loved the privacy and coziness of the boxed booth. We ordered our mimosas and bloody Mary's (I got a virgin Bloody Mary since I'm pregnant but it was still delish and just enough spicy the way I usually like it :) Food started coming out and honestly we loved everything! From the beSt crispy and airy waffle I've ever had in my life, to the thickest slab of bacon, to the savory toast of apple cherry butter topped with greens and a soft boiled egg, and ending with a jar of oh so yummy pastries.... The Publican definitely delivered an excellent brunch experience ! My Friends and I will definitely be back to enjoy more delicious food! Thanks for a great time! read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came with my brother when he visited and we ended up loving the restaurant. My brother is someone who can put away some serious food (think Homer Simpson at the Frying Dutchman), and so I was a tad worried he would leave unsatisfied. But sure enough, even he left here fat and happy. Pros: Delicious food. Whatever you get, just know you'll get the best quality of whatever you're eating. We chose to do the Chef's Menu ($65 pp) and while I don't regret it, I wouldn't do it again as I definitely know what I want next time when I return. Pork belly, yes. Sweet corn, yaaaasss! Our server made an effort to speak to us like the place wasn't insanely packed on a Friday night and checked in on us every so often before running back off into the madness. Great service. Cons: The music was way too loud to comfortably have a conversation with just normal speaking volume. For me, it would be a place that I would bring friends so I could be loud and obnoxious with, not an older brother that just stares at you awkwardly through 11 courses. I joke, I joke. But seriously, I'm going to need more alcohol next time if I come back with family. read more

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I went to the Publican on 12/4/2022 around 10:00 pm. I ordered the oysters and the frites with aioli. I found the oysters to be delicious. I have to say they were pretty great. I would recommend oysters from the Publican to my friends due to their great taste. The frites were also fresh and the aioli sauce complemented them well. The decorating of the Publican reminded me of Germany. They also had pig portraits as decorations on the walls. I found it to be a nice touch and I had a lot of fun picking my favorite pig portrait after finishing my meal. The service was perfect! read more

The Publican - Oysters - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Amazing food. Amazing service. Amazing atmosphere. I stuffed my face with the chef's menu. These guys were too generous with the portions. I thought they'd scale them back for me but they didn't. I actually gave away the the penultimate plate and cancelled the last. It was all so good. The bread and butter The Serrano ham The beets The sausage I blacked out after that. Can't remember what happened next. 10 out of 5 stars. read more

Fun restaurant with colorful eats. At first glance of the menu, it appears that they only serve meat and fish, but then you realize that this is one of those places that will throw in ingredients you've never heard of and harmonize them beautifully. Call me a simpleton, but most of my favorites were from the vegetables section of the menu. The faves: - fried sweet potato - taste of three hams - cauliflower - frites (which come with what I believe is garlic aioli) - chile sausage The good: - chicken liver pate - taste of three & bread (the butter is the bomb) - rock cod - (dessert) cookie assortment (variety of cookies and other sweets that came in a large strawberry-shaped cookie jar - best one I had was the chocolate croissant) The not as good but still good: - beef heart - daily pickles (includes pickles, cauliflower, and onions) They have some interesting seating options here. We were seated at a long, right-angled community table (you're pretty much elbow to elbow with your neighbors but that's part of the fun) but they also have high tables and booths that look like they're totally fenced in from the outside world. Have to note the cool overhead lights and massive portraits of voluptuous pigs. read more

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Great food but VERY pricey for the portion sizes you get. The plates are meant to be shared between a few people but in my opinion, it was more like a plate for one (maybe I just eat too much). My boyfriend took me here for dinner and we enjoyed everything. The restaurant is very family style in terms of seating, which makes the place feel homey and welcoming. There are giant pig paintings on the walls. Our service was wonderful. Our waters got refilled very quickly, our plates and utensils got switched out after every plate, we got checked up on often, and when one of us went to the bathroom, our napkin would get refolded and placed nicely by the staff. We started out with the chef selection of oysters (6/$18). They came out with a little sheet that explained where they were from and their taste. My favorite are earthy west coast oysters. For shareable plates, we ordered the hamachi crudo, pork belly, and sirloin. The pork belly was so tender that you aren't even given a knife to cut it. It was amazing and melt in your mouth. If you don't like fatty pork belly, you will probably not like this. The hamachi crudo was very fresh, the calamansi vinegar gave it a nice kick. The dry aged sirloin was also quite good with the cashew butter. We finished off with some mead and goat/sheep cheese platter. I'll be coming back to try the brunch next time. read more

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Very popular brunch spot in Fulton market. Interior tables are mostly long, communal style, so you may rub elbows with the party next to you since they seat people pretty closely. They have fun little booths on the side as well with closing doors, if you are a party of 3 or 4 they are easiest to get. The interior design is meant to look upscale farmy - there are large paintings of fat pigs on the walls. Menu is rotating and changes - checking the menu online doesn't necessarily mean it's the menu you get. In addition, some of the menu items themselves change even though they're listed as the same thing. The buttermilk chicken I ordered didn't look much like the other pictures - they were more like little nuggets than a large piece in some of the historical pictures. Rotating menu keeps the selection varied since their menu is somewhat small for a brunch place. Service is great and very attentive. Solid food offerings but fairly typical option for Fulton Market. read more

The Publican - Publican Bacon, fried chicken, Breakfast Sausage - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Two friends were visiting from out of town and both were going through a pretty strict diet that was heavy on protein and less on the dairy, sugars, etc. They picked out The Publican as our dinner spot and I was eager to try out a new establishment that was literally a bus ride away from me. At first glance, The Publican looks like another one of those over-priced tapas "family style" restaurants where the portion sizes are tiny, the costs are high, and everything comes in an odd number. Our waitress even recommended that we order 1-2 plates per person to share. Sounds like another one of those kind of spots, right? We were hella wrong. The Publican may have just climbed the rankings as one of the best restaurants I've tried in Chicago. Their service was fantastic, the portion sizes are much larger than what you'd normally expect from a new American restaurant, and everything was delicious. For the price we paid, it was well worth it! We tried the following together: - The Publican Bread Plate ($11) and tried their Sea Salt Butter (heavy so a small dose goes a long way), Sunflower Sikil Pat & Mint (my personal favorite as it was very easy to eat), and White Cheddar Pimento Cheese. Bread was a bit hard but still delish. - Fried Cauliflower ($11) was our favorite dish hands down. Cooked in boursin cheese, jelly, and mint, everything on this plate was working - Farm Chicken w/ Summer Sausage & Frites ($17) was a massive plate with tender chicken, phenomenal smoky sausage and fries for carbs. It was big enough to share with three people - Beef Tongue ($18) topped with broccoli and cilantro over sesame bread was fantastic as well. The tongue was very soft and melted in your mouth. Don't be alarmed because the tongue was tasty and will make your own tongue salivate - Rock Cod ($17) that my friend got with much of the sauces and walnuts removed was still delicious. They did a great job making sure that it met my friend's dietary restrictions, and honestly I wasn't missing any of the dress up for this dish. We had a great time at The Publican and I am excited to come back in the future to share this experience was other friends. They've got a great thing going, so if you're looking for a fancier spot with larger portions, this is the place to be. read more

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An expensive and disappointing meal. Porcetta had maybe 4 pieces of pork in it, the stripe bass and branzino did not taste fresh, and vegetables dishes were a bit lackluster. Definitely will not be returning for the price point and quality. The best thing I had was the bread and spreads. read more

I had the pleasure of celebrating my husband and our close friend's birthdays last weekend with a specially curated brunch at The Publican. The bacon was so good that it literally made my husband tear up. Shout out to Chef Sieger Bayer and our awesome server Kelly C. for treating us (and our stomachs) so well. * Belgian Waffle (Salted whipped butter and Burton's maple syrup) * Burrata (Dandelion greens, orange, Marcona almonds, and burnt sourdough) * Publican Bacon (Vermont maple braised) * Braised Green Tartine (Apple cherry butter, braised greens, soft boiled egg, and seeded rye) * Vadouvan Curry Scramble (Gouda, avocado, pickled scallions, red chili flakes, and sourdough) * Publican Pastry Jar * Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake read more

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The Publican is a large gastropub with a unique seating arrangement - private booths along the perimeter, and this large communal wooden table with seats on both sides that wrap around in a large square around the restaurant. Its a loud and fun environment, and service was quick and attentive. We had a pretty good dinner here - one half-flawed dish but four very solid dishes. 3.5 stars but rounding to 4 for the great service. Let's start with the half-flawed dish. There were artwork of really, really chubby pigs adorning the walls. It should have been a sign to order their pork dishes! I ordered instead their half Farm Chicken which turned out to be half good. Dark meat was tender, moist, seasoned, and great smokiness (5 stars). Breast meat - seasoned, smokey, but dry like sawdust. (2 stars). The rest of the sides of frites and summer sausage were actually good, so 3 stars overall. The other dishes were very good: * Half Dozen Oysters: Three from Vancouver BC, three from New England. All very fresh and briny. (5 stars) * Strawberry Salad: I like the addition of hazelnuts for crunch and the creamy cheesiness mixed with the sweet, ripe berries (4 stars) * BBQ Carrots: Wow, the use of fresh dill really adds a nice tart flavor to the char-grilled carrots, which are sweet. They added pecans for crunchiness! (4 stars) * White Bass: Large filet roasted with clams, green chile broth, and fregula. Solid dish. (4 stars) * Fulton Mess: This dessert is on the lighter side, with fresh raspberries, and lemon-vanilla meringue with the texture and taste like yogurt. (4 stars) Portions are huge here. Maybe best to order a few veggie apps and then either split a meat entree or order two seafood entrees. I would not recommend the Farm Chicken, though surprisingly lots of them were getting ordered tonight. read more

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Had an excellent brunch at the Publican on a Saturday morning. We had reservations but still had to wait about 10 minutes for our table. The place was packed, which is understandable given how popular the place is. The restaurant was full our entire time there. Publican has a good beer program with several local offerings. There are plenty of cocktails as well, some classic, some that are Publican creations. There ought to be something for the brunch drinker to enjoy. Service was good throughout our meal. It was not great, but it was good and I have no real complaints. We waited a bit on refills but overall the service was good, and like I said, the place was packed. To start you need to get a biscuit. It has a slightly crispy exterior and a fluffy interior, it was excellent. The salted butter and jam (I believe raspberry? strawberry?) was also very good, but you would be able to eat this biscuit dry and it would be good. For my meal, I went with the smoked salmon and a side of the famous bacon. You ought to try the bacon, it is famous for a reason. It is very thick (see pics) and flavorful. The maple braise is excellent, it doesn't overpower the bacon but the sweetness is needed. Just really good bacon. The smoked salmon dish was one of the better smoked salmon dishes I have had. It is served on rye with caper cream cheese, hard boiled egg, cucumber, and tomato. Very flavorful and the ingredients were distributed well, you got everything in every bite. I would have no qualms about ordering this again. We spent a great couple of hours at Publican, but I would not want to return during a busy time without a reservation. A little forethought is required but I would definitely return. read more

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part 1 of my Publican review - we did some apps and zerts, including 4 rounds of oysters each round more delectable than the last my favorite part was the complementary bread came with these fancy spreads (see 2nd photo) !! another highlight was the chicken i forgot to take a pic but just know that cody approved it pt 2 of @publicanchicago review this salad was nice but nothing crazy. the leaves were so annoyingly large, i had to cut them into quarters bc i truly could not fit it in my mouth we wanted a $100 filet, but they were sold out what a shame! we were going to order 4 for the table, so their loss i guess. we got the skirt steak instead, which was decent. the vegetables on the side of the skirt steak were SO GOOD !!! i would order that again and throw the steak straight in the garbage * also what heck are these words in the dessert menu? that sounded like gibberish so we went elsewhere * overall, we ordered everything on the menu and i think i would come back ! it was worth trying; you just have to order the right thing read more

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This place was my second option after our first lunch choice was fully booked. I'm so happy cause it worked out for the best! We were immediately seated. They just started opening for lunch so this was awesome! We had this as an option to dine in while in Chicago anyways. The restaurant's expansive layout, designed by Thomas Schlesser, incorporates strong architectural lines and rustic décor, reflective of The Publican's hearty fare. Its spacious interior is dominated by a large walnut communal table designed to recall 16th Century European banquets. Set up in racetrack fashion, the banquet table seats upwards of 100 people with views of the partially open kitchen. They even have a common table in the restaurant. The lunch menu is different from the dinner menu. However, we still had amazing food! My husband ordered the PUB BURGER - raclette, Dijon, cornichon aioli and sourdough pull. Along with a side of fries. I ordered the GRILLED SHORTRIBS- shabazi, corona beans, green beans and bread crumb. We also had an order of the "Rillettes" OMG! Let me tell you if you like bread, jam, and pork this is a MUST TRY! This was not to be ordered on its own from the lunch menu but we asked for an exception and the chef said okay to our waiter and made it for us. (Thank you BTW) My husband also asked for the guava beer (it was okay). Now for dessert! We had to try their famous Cherry Cheescake hand pie! WOW can I have a box of this sent to me !!!! Please and thank you!!! (Sour cherries and whipped cheesecake filling) read more

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Food is always great. Service always attentive and the ambiance is community forward and community seating. Great beer and seafood options. read more

I love James Beard Award winner Paul Kahan and his restaurants. This is a pork inspired restaurant and one of my favorites. The kicker is that i don't eat pork! They have other foods besides pork, but if you really like the other white meat, this is the place to go. They are small plates made for sharing. We had so many plates and it was all well worth it! My guest had some pork plates and he liked them, the pork rinds (they make from scratch) and plate of assorted porks (head cheese, and other things). He thoroughly enjoyed them. We also ordered the beef heart tartar which was fantastic! We ordered a side of the BBQ carrots, which were Smokey and had a nice spice to them, oysters (delish and fresh), duck confit (fatty, full of flavor, mixed with cheese and spices), good ol Publican bread (they have a bakery and if i lives close I'd be fat from their bread) which was served with a cheese spread, the mussels (creamy, plump and plentiful) and the cream puff dessert. Everything is made from scratch, his drinks are perfectly concocted to enlighten all the taste buds and the servers can help you pair a drink and feed. The service is also outstanding! Our server, Alexandra, was patient and helpful! I love this place! read more

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The Publican was our favorite restaurant in our 3 day vacation In Chicago, we enjoyed the atmosphere, the service and the food. Loved the long tables and how you sit right next to your neighbors , The charcuterie was right on point, we had the shishito pepper which was paired with green olives , the carrots and the grilled chicken. Let's just say they know what they're doing!! The pork belly was perfect also. I'll be back for sure. read more

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I feel like Chicago is becoming my second home since I come here at least one week a month. Since Chicago is pretty much a foodie paradise, I get to try different cuisines and restaurants with each trip. Recently we tried the Purple Pig and it was stellar. We wanted to try something with a similar vibe, shareable plates and a great menu. This place delivers on all fronts. Before I get into the food, the area where The Publican is located is going through a renaissance. There's a ton of construction, and this looks like it will be a super place to live. Okay, back to the food. This really is a 4.5 star place, with nearly perfect food, friendly staff and cool vibe. The menu changes regularly, but they always have their standard cured meats, which I hear they offer in smaller and larger serving sizes or you can order a charcuterie plate with a few options. We decided to try the Serrano ham since I haven't had any since I was in Spain. The ham came with goat butter and bread, but I just focused on the ham. It was super. We also settled on spicy pork rinds, pork belly, corn, fried cauliflower and green chile sausage. The spicy pork rinds were fine, but we ended up just eating one or two. To be honest, they were good but not much better than what you can buy at the grocery. The green chile sausage was a high point for me. Wow! This was good. It came with a squash caponata, Swiss chard, pine nuts and a cheese called ubriaco rosso. It was superb. The pork belly was also super. They are so confident in its tenderness that they serve it with just a spoon. Yep, it's that tender! The cauliflower to me was too sweet and could use some acid, but wow was it crispy. It's so hard to fry vegetables well, and this was crispy. The corn was the last item we received and it was a nice way to end. It had shishito pepper, pecorino, basil and crispy fried shallots. The Publican also has a nice wine, beer and cocktail menu. I ordered the veltliner, which is a white wine from Austria. It was good. I really like The Publican with its communal tables and great food. If I lived nearby, I'd come here often for a great meal and an opportunity to meet my neighbors. read more

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Great menu, great ambiance and staff were helpful and attentive. Menu is ever evolving and happened to be there on a weekend when celebrity chef had a special menu going and you do have to be open minded as some of the stuff was not your typical daily items you think you would want to try but it was all delicious read more

I came for brunch on a Sunday and I had high expectations for the $7 burton's maple syrup-braised publican bacon. It was alright. The bacon was a little burnt on the edges so it was hard to chew the ends. I don't think I would order it again. I think the thick-cut bacon at Au Cheval is better than this one. I ordered the Cajun sausage and it was flavorful! Each bite was so good and I can taste the Calabrian child aioli. It went well with the waxman potato and the sunny side up egg that came with the dish. The combination of everything on the plate balanced each other out. The portion of the dish was not small or big. It was about right and I left feeling "satisfied" full. read more

The Publican - The $7 burton's maple syrup-braised publican bacon - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've heard a lot of "Scuttle Butt" about Publican; most of it very good. So, here I sit for a Friday lunch with my family reading their short but sweet menu knowing, with such few choices they will all be great. This dispells the Jewish Deli menu logic where there are 300 mediocre choices (relax, I'm from that tribe). We ordered: *Their famous and well touted whole chicken that definently lived up to its reputation. Lemony, crispy, on a bed of frittes, this bird was delicious. *A rather plain looking but equally marvelous cheeseburger that was as good as any I've had a I've had hundreds. *Avocado salad that us four fought over because it was so unique We chose a Cecilia Vermentino white wine that paired well with everything. We had great service in a modern / stark but chic ambience that made Publican a special eating experience. read more

OMG this place is GREAT! We came here twice in the past couple weeks because we are considering catering from them for our wedding. The first time was brunch. I had an AMAZING pork belly pancake topped with blueberries. My fiance had the schnitzel, which he very much enjoyed. I'm not a huge schnitzel fan myself but I enjoyed the flavors. We had made a brunch reservation and got there early. They were not able to take us early. The second time was dinner with my mom. She said "I'm not sure if I will like this place because there is so much meat" but she was very very wrong. They have quite a beer selection. I got one of the lambic drinks. If you like kriek lambics (e.g. the ones that taste like juice), keep in mind this is different because it tastes more like regular beer. They started out with complementary pork rinds (probably because we were considering catering from there :) ) and they were so tasty! The farm chicken was absolutely spectacular - super juicy! The pork belly was also quite good. The salad was standard. read more

I came to the Publican with some friends on Tuesday night and enjoyed the experience. We sat on the patio, but it looks like the inside is also a great spot to have a meal. We ended up getting a bunch of dishes for the table. We started with bread and butter. The bread was a rye seeded sourdough that was delicious. Super soft and flavorful. I definitely recommend you try it. After that, we got the carrots, beets, and apricots for veggies, salmon and mussels for seafood, and the whole chicken for meats. My favorite veggie was the carrots, I loved the smokey flavor and felt like they had a good texture. I also really liked the apricots with burrata and dukkah. The addition of chopped nuts really adds a nice element. For seafood, I thought both dishes were just ok. The mussels were standard, and I felt like the salmon skin was a little soft, while the pickled veggies weren't my favorite pairing. The whole chicken with frites was really good. I thought the chicken was super tender and liked the skin on this. The fries were crispy and delicious, and I asked for a side of garlic aioli to dip them in. All in all, I would give this place a try. I liked the experience. I hate complaining about price because I know restaurants are struggling, but the prices are higher than you would expect across the board in my opinion. read more

My mom got a reservation for brunch, which I was excited to try as I had heard brunch at the publican was excellent. We started with a cheddar and chive croissant, which was as great as advertised. The rest of the food was downhill from there. I got a scramble, consisting of extremely runny eggs and crunchy sunchoke with too much sauce (pesto if I remember correctly). I waived my server over to see if he could get the meal cooked more and he said that's how it was supposed to be. In surveying my family and fiancé after we left, I learned they all too were not thrilled with their food and we all got different dishes. Hard pass due to disappointing service and mediocre food. read more

Service was good. Great location. Mediocre food with limited brunch menu. Shrimp and grits were underwhelming.

I had to cancel my reservation and did so within 24 hrs. The only option to contact the restaurant was via email. They were oblivious to the email and charged me the full $50 for cancelling when it was supposed to be $25 if more than 24 hrs before my reservation. I will not be dining here in the future. read more

This place was dynamite. Service was incredible, super helpful and full of suggestions. Off the bat I have to say they have the best fries I have ever had. I had no idea I could like a fry that much but boy were they perfect. Myself and my girlfriend split 3 dishes and the bread course and it was the perfect amount of food to have some leftovers for lunch the next day. Carrots were to die for. The only negative of the whole experience was the sausage that came with the chicken dish. Not that great and just didn't add anything to the plate. This defiant didn't affect my night at all though. I will absolutely be back to eat and drink some more. read more

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