My husband wanted to try this place for years . We happen to be checking out the food hall that just opened and that wasn't that great so we wanted to see if they could seat us and we were able to get seated . Very happy . The food was OK a nothing that blew my mind . Simple foods nothing special or fancy . Not sure why people love it so much . We sat outside that was nice . But one thing I did notice is when we got home both our feet were swollen maybe from salt ? We drank a lot of water to flush it out. Wouldn't go back . read more

It took me a long time to make it to The Publican. Much of the seating is around a massive U-shaped communal table. It is important to note this because you may find the arrangement to be awkward, as was evidenced by the two parties who sat next to my buddy and I and quickly asked to be moved and the third party which stayed put but seemed kind of off-put. The service, in contrast to the other reviews, was exceptional, our waiter even taking the time on a busy night to show us pictures on his phone of some of the whole octopus that was brought in that week. There was a certain level of coolness, comfort, and authenticity that is matched by few other establishments in this neighborhood. Also, the food is good. We had the chef's selection of oysters, the peaches, soft shell crab, beef heart tartare, pork belly, and octopus. We were cautioned that it was an absurd amount of food for two people but found it to be just the right amount. In an ever-changing West Loop dining scene, it is no wonder that The Publican is still at the top of the food chain almost ten years in. read more

I used to love it here. Like 10 years ago, this was a special night out. Had some great times and great meals. I went back tonight, my first visit in many years, and I'm sitting here feeling ripped off. I was ripped off. The food was bad. There's just no other way to describe it. Bad. Brussel sprouts were under-seasoned and badly in need of acidity. Half chicken and fries: bland, also underseasoned. I had to get hot sauce, which kind of made it taste like buffalo chicken, but I make that for myself. I'm good at making buffalo chicken, and I don't really cook. My wife's pork? Came out cold, 15 minutes after my buffalo chicken. Literally the only reason I'm giving the experience two stars is for the bread, which was great. And I had to order the bread, because I love bread, but people I paid $12 for bread. I got no problem with bros in baseball caps, but this bro in a baseball cap who waited on us was pretty slow and indifferent. Didn't seem like he wanted to be there. And that makes two of us. Honestly I couldn't wait to leave. So I expected a lot from you Publican. I knew you when you were great. I'm out 150 bucks, and I'm sitting here thinking, what happened to you Publican. I guess you made it, and then that neighborhood happened, and then at some point maybe you decided you didn't need to be great anymore. And that makes me sad. read more

We had the publican scramble and my daughter had the waffles for Father's Day brunch. The scrambled eggs were really good. They even gave us a complimentary beer. The coffee was Okay. I give it four stars but I appreciate the super fast service. read more

The Publican - Outdoor seating - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Interesting concept. We were early for our PQM reservation so we came here for a drink first. You can choose a regular sit down table or a standing table, bar-like. We had about ten people and did a standing table since we weren't staying for dinner. Their drink menu is huge and spans two large pages. I got a cocktail with blackberry jam, lavender, mezcal, and another liqueur in it I believe, it was decent. It was a bit too noisy here for me otherwise it would be 5/5 stars. read more

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First time here and first time doing the prepaid seating and our experience has been terrible so far. I understand there's a pandemic but that shouldn't be an excuse for a "high end" restaurant. They couldn't find our prepaid $45 reservations and they don't have 70% of the menu. We weren't told this until after we already sat down. I had 4 choices to pick from prior to my arrival and they don't have every single one of them. We had to rush to order and was completely off guard by the lack of choices. I heard raving reviews of this place and always wanted to give it a try. I support my local restaurants and businesses and this is not a good representation. I only have it 2 stars since they were somewhat accommodating to not being able to find our prepaid reservation and the mask policy is strictly enforced. Otherwise it would have been a 1 star. Update: the server and manager were apologetic about our experience. Therefore, I upped it another star. read more

This is definitely a must-go-to in Chicago! I ordered the duck heart, crawfish, oysters, and cauliflower and was absolutely satisfied. The crawfish, oysters, and especially the duck heart, were my favorite. They have a great alcohol selection and the waiters were awesome. Definitely worth every penny, and a revisit! read more

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The Publican was a very interesting dining experience. It's communal dining and it's done very good. My tip would be to skip the large dishes, and get a lot of well done small ones. It just works better that way. read more

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This is the most memorable breakfast I have had, and one of the best meals overall. Got an Open Table reservation for a Sunday morning at 9am so snagged a nice seat on the patio outside. Service was efficient and friendly, but then the food blew my mind. There were so many delicious sounding options I had a hard time choosing, but opted for the publican bacon -- a huge quantity of crispy and salty and sweet pork belly -- and the tasso smoked pork shoulder. But it was oh so much more than just pork shoulder. The pork was served on top of farro, with a complement of kimchi, fermented chili, argula, and egg yolk. It was a masterful combination of flavors (salty, spicy, acidic, bitter) and textures (crispy, soft, creamy). I was not only full after eating it, I was totally satisfied. I can't wait to go back!!!! read more

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After coming here during the summer, I had to taste see what they had in store for the winter menu. I was not disappointed. Having already tried their cold cuts and breads, we went straight for the meats/fishes and we were not disappointed. Recommended: Pinkerton avocado - get it. I was really surprised by the mixture of the saltiness of the trout roe with the texture of the sweet walnuts and soft avocado. Duck breast - just as before, tender and braised in a sweet wine sauce. The crispy skin just adds more juice to the already succulent duck. Dover sole - whole sole with a nice melody rub of spices and salts with Bread pudding - warm, homey and delicious. It is topped with a nice piece of ice cream. It is big enough to SHARE!!! (or you can order one and box it up for yourself :) ) If you like BBQ flavor - BBQ carrots were surprisingly good! They have a bit of spice but if you don't like BBQ sauce flavor, skip it. Good but I would try something else: Sturgeon- grilled and prepared nicely but it was lacking flavor Suckling pig - a bit too salty. The melody of vegetables in cherry vinaigrette was good but didn't really compensate for the saltiness of the pork. Skip: Yellow tail - eh i've had fresher. They claimed it was from tsukiji fish market. Wasn't that good for 18$ Pumpkin cake - skip - nothing special All and all, Publican impressed me more than my last visit. I will be back again in the future. read more

The food is excellent, the atmosphere is inviting so long as one is not stuck at a packed communal table and the service is superb. It's been three months since we ate, or rather gorged ourselves, at Publican and the only things I remember eating are the pimento cheese and the pork belly. Both were fantastic. Having said that, neither of those dishes are worth another trip to Publican. Go to say you went, preferably with a large group so you can share because in three months you too will likely not remember what you ate but rather the people you were with. Note: do not go without a reservation. If you're gluten free bring your own bread!! read more

Good good and drinks, a little pricy for What you get tho. Fun place for brunch in a good location. Not too difficult to get a table. read more

The Publican never disappoints. some friends and I recently visited and sat outside in their patio area on a Friday night and it was such a great experience. We started with the bread and butter, bbq carrots (amazing) and the charcuterie plate (super high quality meats per usual). We then had arguably best thing on the menu, the whole chicken plate on a bed of french fries, the chicken was seasoned well and very juicy. The fries soaked in the chicken jus is an amazing side to the chicken. Great service and staff, very accommodating and attentive. read more

The Publican - Moen SVP Kev Zimms going for some Chicken and Fries - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I did not know what to expect of this place but it turned out to be a real winner! They seat everyone relatively together, even though there is a good percentage of private seating, but the long walnut communial tables have a lot of people sitting next to strangers and it works out really well. We did not know what to make of it but we loved it by the time we left. Everyone gets along. There is a lot of noise from conversations and sometimes we almost had to yell to each other across the table, but it was just fine and we ended up enjoying that aspect as well. The food was fantastic, really exceptional, and we all commented that each of our selections were some of the best breakfast food that any of us could remember in recent history. I got the mushroom scramble with hash browns (I highly recommend the hash browns) and my wife got the wine poached eggs. I don't think there are any bad dishes on the menu because we ordered just about everything. We will be back here and we all give it our highest recommendation. On the opposite side of the brunch menu is their normal lunch menu and it was very vegan friendly, actually, quite interesting. We are going to return for lunch as well. Incidentally, Publican means pub owner and they wait-staff all wear t-shirts that distinguish the word from any political meaning. read more

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I had only one night on my own for dinner while in town on business. So after reading a couple of food blogs, and Yelp of course, I picked the Publican as my dinner destination. My colleagues decided it sounded good and wanted to tag along. Once there and reviewing the menu, we decided to divide and conquer by sharing a number of tasty offerings. Because of how dishes arrive and served (family style), this is probably the best way to dine here. After a round of drinks, companions and I enjoyed the bread plate, the barbecued carrots, the "taste of 3 hams" plate, and the oyster fry. Unfortunately, I was unable to convince anyone to try to the spicy pork rinds, one of their most famous offerings. Everything we had delicious and presented beautifully. All the flavors where full but nothing overwhelmed the other, especially with the carrot dish. Service was helpful and friendly as well. If I get to go back, I am doing the Chef's Dinner! read more

The Publican - So *what* exactly is an "after pork digestif"? - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nice spot at the Fulton market. The summer cocktails are interesting although a bit stiff I felt where the liquor sort of over took the cocktail. The menu is simple and very bettering to choose from. We got the Hamachi crudo, shishito peppers and muhammara spread. All good but we have had much better. Crudo was a tease with hardly anything on the plate. Muhammara was more on the sour side. It's a good place read more

The Publican - Shishoto peppers - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The staff is very friendly accommodating and tentative. We got the chef's course menu. Warning it is a lottttt of food, so be hungry for it. The food was very interesting and well made. Giving 4 stars just because it is veryyy loud in there to the point where it's difficult to hear the staff/each other when you talk. read more

The Publican was a great experience in my book. It's got a very communal feel and the freshness of the food is noticeable. I really enjoyed the Dorade paired with a saison, the avocado salad, and the fried clams. The seating situation is a little odd. If you sit in the communal table you'll be elbow to elbow, if you sit in the booths (make a reservation to secure one) they have these very strange and in my head at least unnecessary barn doors they close. Otherwise, the atmosphere is quite nice along with the decor and I think the lighting is excellent. The Publican offers something for everyone - from the freshness of the vegetables, to the cuts of meat, seafood, and the dessert offerings. I loved the waffle and scoop of ice cream! read more

This place is fantastic! Small, concise menu. The service maybe the best thing about it. However, the food is outstanding. I ordered the country ribs. They were not the ribs that you may typically think of. These ribs are like a cut of steak to the point of having the fat taste just as good as the meat . Also, I ordered a beer that was limited release they don't make that beer anymore. The beer is from San Diego, but was a VERY nice Belgium style beer. I wish the stock wasn't running low. Even though it's in limited stock the price was much aligned with an average beer at restaurant of this caliber. All this and I didn't share anything about the servers. We probably had four or five different people from the hostess to the busboys and the waitress serving us and each and everyone one of them were pleasant and polite and super helpful. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Publican is better than ever with Chef Sieger Bayer in the kitchen. I regularly enjoyed his food at his last restaurant, The Heritage in Forest Park, and now at The Publican, he is doing even better things with the best food producers in the region. Sieger's attention to detail and wonderful presentation of especially vegetables, lends itself well to The Publican's tradition. He respects the ingredients and is imaginative in pairing flavors and textures. Of course The Publican will have amazing proteins, and now he is elevating them. His tagliolini with green garlic and nettle pesto was indicative of his influence on this already stellar restaurant. Eat it this season and all his food in each season. I will. read more

The Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's always a good meal when we come here. A group of 7 of us drive up from the West burbs to have lunch at The Publican today to celebrate my wife's early birthday. Our reservations were at 12:15. We arrived on time and we were seated promptly which is always nice. The hot coffee was classic...but it got even better when I added a shot Publican bourbon cream. The rustic brown sugar cubes was also a nice touch. On to the main meal! I ordered the Porchetta Toast and it was well beyond my expectations. The pork was great and the sauerkraut was super fresh and cooked fresh. I'd definitely order it again. I also finished my meal by stealing my friends Belgian Waffle which I smothered with tons of honey butter. read more

The Publican - Belgian Waffle and honey butter! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We booked a reservation here for our anniversary, and I am so glad that we did! This place was recommended by my boyfriends parents. First, I must add that the staff is so incredibly kind and accommodating. Our original reservation was for 6:30, and at 6 we found our keys, locked in the front seat. We waited and waited, and I called seeing if there was any way to move our reservation later so as not to lose the deposit, but also because I didn't want to end the night with a tow truck unlocking our car. They had no issues with that and let us move our reservation to 8pm, and told us to show up whenever we can. The atmosphere of the restaurant was amazing. I loved the lighting, the tables, and just how inviting everything felt. The service was quick and easy, and the food was out of this world. I liked that it was family style, so we left not feeling stuffed beyond comfort, but were able to try a lot. Our server was so friendly and fun, making sure we enjoyed ourselves and the food (which wasn't even a question; each plate was better than the last). Oddly, I also want to mention that the bathroom was incredible! Quiet, private, and cozy. Not normally something I would mention, but it really fit the atmosphere and wasn't the normal brightly lit and stark restroom restaurants have. I will no doubt be returning here, I have not a single complaint and I truly cannot wait to eat here again! What we ordered and what I highly recommend; BBQ Carrots Porchetta Fried Squid Peach Cobbler sundae PB&J profiterole Guava Collins Old Fashioned Coffee cocktail read more

Underwhelmed. Had publican scramble for $20. No big deal. Sctambled eggs with slimy peppers on top. Also had the salmon rillette- which is smoked salmon dip spread on toast and they forgot the fried capers which would have made it tolerable. They're either under staffed or the staff is uneducated. I'm shocked at the good ratings. The bloody Mary's with a beer back we were looking so forward to and it was not the beer chaser that was promised and the Bloody Mary was extremely FISHY. Just terrible. Sorry but we won't be back. read more

A good friend visited da Chi and this was the spot he chose for the group to convene. I didn't bother looking at reviews or surfing IG photos. I have done Restaurant week with him and his Mrs and their choices are usually sublime. Dinner reservation for eight. We were barely making it through the menu because of the smiles and conversation, so we opted for the Chef's menu. It's a multi-course dinner extravaganza that changes based on the whims of the chefs ($65). From table to table, night to night, the menu will differ. Most of it will knock your socks off and you might want to take some home. While other plates won't win everyone's hearts. But there are so many entrees that when you think it's over, it's just getting started. Your waiter may pause service to give you time to collect yourself before the next wave hits. We were overwhelmed with plates. Within the group we had one on a strict (self-imposed) diet, which the chef made tasty arrangements for. But it still left us with extra food. Extra good food! I'm not going to run down all the plates. Just the notables. - Large hall sized restaurant and reservations are great. - I don't dig communal tables in all seasons. In winter, during F**king influenza season, I am not trying to be that intimate with people that are not within my party. Towards the end of our service, a gent from a party seated next to us was flatulating. Typical, a bit drunken and gassing it up. - Service was good and constant. There were always people coming and going. However, better communication from some staff would be good. Runners hardly say a word. They are in like ninjas and outta there before a word can be tossed out. With the chef's menu, whoa. Prepare for a huge meal and don't go booze crazy. You may not be able to finish all of the food. Then there's dessert and they go over-the-top. I'd rather leave it a surprise. Like finding a trove of dessert fortune from an already tasty, fortune cookie. Keep your phones ready. - Hot water available for washing. Thank you! I'm keeping a list of those (restaurants and bars) that do this and those that don't. If you can't afford to give customers a pleasant time hand washing, I don't have time for that. Some of our tablesmates called their communal wash area, the shower. Because there is an assortment of hand and body salves. Use whichever you like. - There was a white fish dish that was so "fishy" smelling. The smell was overwhelming and everywhere. Smell means they are beyond peak freshness. Some commented that it was tasty. Here's the thing about peak freshness. At home, no biggie. Wash it in a little vinegar, say a few prayers and go all in. When you're out and paying money.. especially in an area where Isaacson's used to sell fish.. Be better prepared. What made this dining experience best was the ability to share it all with good friends. Food, conversation, shared sentiments and libations. Without all of that would it still be as good? I doubt I would bring a date or do it with a small group. If you don't go all in with the chef's menu, it doesn't seem worth it to try the place, plate-by-plate. That's my two cents.. read more

Fabulous breakfast and brunch foods for reasonable prices! We ate brunch here and I had the eggs and potatoes hash. It's not listed as an option but they will do it if you ask. The eggs and their potatoes are fried in beef fat so they're delicious and tasty! I also tried the pecan roll and almost licked the plate. It was perfectly sweet and dough light as air. I also loved the herbal tea that was blueberry and hibiscus. It was wonderful!! We did ride share so parking was not an issue. My friends said they found a garage nearby. read more

This review is for Sunday Brunch. Meh. Very limited menu and nothing amazing. With so many other possibilities I would skip brunch here. Staff struggled to communicate the menu or even explain the differences between this place and the one across the street. No code for menu at table and then they tell you to check their website. My impression was that they thought much more of themselves than I did. Would give it a try for dinner, but hard pass on brunch in the future. read more

A friend recommended & I'm happy I made it a point to go! The atmosphere is interesting to people watch & soak in the food around you. My server was so poised, with the right sense of humor and charisma. I got the hamachi crudo & the pig brains & was thoroughly impressed. The playing execution, flavors & textures were all to die for. Highly recommend read more

The Publican - Pig brains - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Excellent! All the flavors, delicious, you have to try the bacon too. Loud music, but part of the experience. read more

Just a quick update! On the advice of Giovanni we checked out the Happy Hour! I must say I will definitely be back for those fresh oysters and charcuterie! We also threw in an order of some amazing frites! Another great meal with awesome service by "the other Gio". He made it fun to be there. The Publican is so unpretentious, I can say it is one of my favorite restaurants in the Chicagoland! read more

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Publi-can you do better than that? LOVED the ambiance of this place, being that I was visiting I really loved the unique and rustic-ness of the place which was seemingly representative of the cool, clean Chicago downtown area. If you don't mind feeling like a barn animal being trapped in a high class barn, ask if you could sit in a booth, they literally have a wooden gate at the end of the booth that encloses you in. Kinda fun, kinda wierd. As for the food, I wasn't too wowed. The one dish that was really good was the maple glazed pork shoulder with pickled cauliflower and braised greens. I also got a salad with lox that was disturbingly similar to a salad I could make with Safeway mixed greens and Newmans Own salad dressing. Minus the $15 that I paid at Publican. My friends had better experiences with dinner, so I'll definitely give it another shot next time I'm in town. read more

The Publican - Inside! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Because the Roister website invites non-reservation holders to stop in, I did. Because they are too cute by half, they have no phone. Amusingly for them they were closed for a special party and I was left out in the cold. Luckily, I noticed The Publican on my Uber ride a block farther. A more welcoming space awaited. And they have a phone! Amazing! Don't miss The Publican's Aged Ham. I tried a smoky delight. Served with goat butter and beautiful earthy bread, I gobbled up a dozen tiny salty-smoky sandwiches. These hams are a joy that should be sampled if you visit. An Avocado Salad sounded intriguing. To play against the softness of the avocado and the feta, they wisely used a Jalapeño laced dressing. Adding this spark turned an average plate of greens to an explosion of flavor. I finished with the Duck Confit ( great ) and Baba at Rum dessert ( a rum cake, custard mash up) and was totally satisfied. Perhaps The Publican is not as cutting edge cool as Roister, because they have a phone and you can call them and ask them if they might have room for you and they will likely tell you if they are having a private party, so you can make alternative plans. The next time I'm in Chicago, I won't make The Publican my backup choice. It will be my first choice. read more

The buttermilk cheesecake sounds great, what you get is this IKEA deconstructed looking like dessert. There's ton of liquid sauce and in that sauce is the tiny portion of the cheesecake part. It was pretty disappointing and I felt like it was trying to recreate the wheel while being bit misleading. We got the farm chicken, I felt this was overpriced for what I got and had me comparing it to much cheaper chicken dishes that I've had and enjoyed far more in the past. It's $35 for the whole one, you do get some frites and sausage with it, but it wasn't worth it in my opinion. A so so experience for me, others seem to love it here and they do serve some different and unique items. It's mostly highly regarded here from what I read but I wasn't the biggest fan. read more

THE RIB that's all I have to say. They were cooked to perfection in the best sauce. The layer of salad underneath was the perfect sweet tango touch with apples and walnuts. The mussels were in a delicious white wine sauce (we asked for more bread just to dip). The portion was also way bigger than we expected! The fried sweet potato was a sweet surprise. The sauce was very unique and incredibly tasty. We were so full that we took them home but they were still crispy and delicious even a few hours later. We ordered the ham, but did not love it. Neither of us are big ham fans but I'm guessing that if you are, you will enjoy. Great cocktails as well. read more

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My wife and I have been waiting a long time to get back to Chicago and try Publican, and we were not disappointed! We had one of the best, most memorable meals we have had in quite some time in this lively, community concept restaurant. We both decided to do the chef's tasting menu, as we really wanted to sample as much as we could from the amazing looking menu, and it was quite the value. We started with some pork and duck rillette on toast with blueberry compote (we ended up buying the rillette the next day to take home with us), which was a perfect and savory start to the meal. We next had some oysters (yummy), house pickled veggies, and a marinated beet salad with goat cheese that changed the way I will forever look at a beet salad. Next came a house smoked mackerel with potatoes chips, and a charred cauliflower dish. The smoked mackerel was outstanding - perfectly smoked and perfectly prepared - wonderful dish all around. The next course was memorable in all if the best ways - a 60 day dry aged sirloin with fennel and goat cheese slaw, and an craving inducing deep fried sweet potatoes with cane sugar and a lime crema. The steak was beautifully prepared to a medium rare (a picture perfect medium rare), wonderfully seasoned, and had just the right amount of acid pop from the slaw. The deep fried sweet potatoes will change your "foody" life (not literally, but maybe...). We have never had such sweet, tender chunks of breaded goodness - they were like eating donuts made with healthy (!) sweet potatoes. We then, relunctantly, moved on to a sea bass in pork broth and porchetta roast. The sea bass was prepared nicely, nicely flaky, but was a bit of a let down just because the previous dishes were so wonderful. The porchetta roast (house made) was also extremely good, really well prepared, but still a touch of a let down as compared to the previous courses. Again, both dishes were wonderful as stand alone courses but when compared to everything that came before, which were exceptional, were a touch of a let down. However, the desert dishes of ice cream (coffee and brownie) on a waffle, and an egg nog tres leches cake, were the prefect end to the meal. The service was friendly, fast and courteous and very knowledgeable of the menu. The drink menu was extensive, very well priced, and they have an enormous and unique beer list. read more

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This place is not cheap, but it is ideal for special occasions. We started with oysters and a cheese plate, which set the tone for my excellent scallops. read more

This review is for the pick up menu. I'm sorry to say, but not that impressed. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't great. Very mediocre fare, and with the total surpassing $70 bucks for 2 people, ( salad, veg, meat) I'll pass. I honestly could have done better myself. read more

The Publican is a lot of fun. I've been twice now, having been turned onto it by Chicagoland friends. The beer list is extensive and varied: my fave is the Three Floyds Gumball Head because of the local flavor. Today we had: Hamachi and grapefruit: wonderful Fries with egg: stupid good Couscous with beef tongue and other meats: savory but all the meats save the tongue were too fatty for my taste; that is my own ethnocentrism however Radish salad: tasty and fresh with the greens; raw Beats: good but nothing special Steak tartar: fennel and radishes; this was amazingly savory and really popped Definitely worth a visit.....before you try to squeeze into the Girl and the Goat, come to the Publican read more

The Publican - Love the vestibule seating at the Publican - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came for Sunday Brunch **even with a RSVP we waited 15 min for our table** Spicy Pork Rinds-cheesey & not that spicy but good! Egg & frites - fried eggs on french fries (french fries taste like bacon) waffles -delicious with honey butter red wine poached egg-my friends loved it weiswurst-the bretzel was soft and warm, my friends loved the sauce and wurst publican bacon-very sweet from maple read more

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Great drinks & the oyster happy hour rules. Service was also very good, but food was a bit mediocre and I would have been a bit disappointed had I paid standard price instead of happy hour prices. Beef fat frites are good but really really rich, schnitzel & sausage were just alright read more

Great place, great food and great atmosphere. Really trendy decor, the food was great and really unique, and a great bar selection.