Restaurant Review – Goose Island Brewpub

Chicago has no shortage of breweries; in fact, we’ve got almost 200 between the city proper and surrounding suburbs. With so many choices, it can be overwhelming when looking for a place to grab a craft beer and dinner. So I decided to start with a big one: Goose Island Brewpub. We came in on a Thursday night around 8 pm and it was pleasantly quiet, with just a few tables occupied. With one look at the menu, my mouth was already watering. The appetizers looked incredible! I especially wanted to try the Buffalo Chicken Dip topped with bleu cheese and celery, served with toasted bread. Unfortunately my eyes are often bigger than my stomach, so I decided to skip on the appetizer and go straight for the main course. I chose the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, served on a brioche bun topped with spicy aioli, bread and butter pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion. The sandwich normally comes with fries, but I chose a side salad with a lemon vinaigrette instead. This was fantastic! The chicken was sous vide, meaning it was first vacuum sealed in a bag and then cooked to a precise temperature in a hot water bath. Afterwards, the chef flash grilled it for flavor. I have never had sous vide chicken before (or if I have, I didn’t know it!) and it really made a difference. The inside of the chicken was perfectly juicy and the outside had a fantastic, smoky flavor. I loved the contrast of the sweet pickles and the spicy aioli as well. I would order this again in a heartbeat! My friend ordered the All-American Burger: a brioche bun with bacon, American cheese, onion, pickles, and special sauce. It came with fries, which were marvelous! The potatoes were thick-cut and very crispy, just how I like my fries. The burger was quite good as well! I can’t wait to come back and try other things here.

Located at 1800 North Clybourn Avenue, the Clybourn Brewhouse is open daily from 11 am to 11 pm. You can find more information about Goose Island and its other locations here.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO