Maple Tree Inn

August 13, 2007
Great NO ambiance. I’ve always been promptly seated and well served here. Their tap and bottle selection is top notch for the area. Their food is cvajun style and does not disappoint. In fact IMO it’s the best NO/cajun joint in town. I drive from the west suburbs to enjoy the Maple Tree

November 23, 2005 [ Updated September 8, 2008 ]
a favorite place. i love the aligator soup. you can sit at the bar and sample beer, or get a table and enjoy a meal on new orleans style cuisine. they even have a large patio. there is usually a good selection of beer, and a friendly staff to keep it pouring. i’ve been coming to maple tree (starting with his place on 107&western) for at least 25 years.

September 9, 2005
What a great little place in my neck of the woods. Why has it taken me so long to try it out? The food at Maple Tree makes the beer pale in comparison (yes... I know I’m reviewing on a "beer" site). From awesome appetizers like fried pickles and "voodoo nuts" (breaded & deep-fried balls of Andouille sausage impaled with a clove of garlic) to Cajun/Creole entrees including an awesome Catfish Pecandine with sweet potato fries and truly "hot" spare ribs with a rub that will make your mouth (and eyes) water. Even the red beans and rice (with big chunks of shredded pork) was way above par.

As far as the beers go, yeah... 26 taps with a rotating selection. And the owner knows beer well enough to reject "off" kegs. Running down the list: McEwans IPA, Radegast Pils, BBK Kutscher Alt, Anchor Steam, Liberty & Porter, Dogfish 90, Newcastle, 3F Alpha King, Great Lakes Moondog, Wychwood Hobgoblin... and the list goes on. Good stuff, all. Plus, running into Cornfield and RAYBOY01 was a treat.

I’ll have to go back and look for Drnk_McDermott’s glove, too.

December 6, 2004 [ Updated March 23, 2005 ]
Nice atmosphere, interesting food... more like an individual improvisation on Cajun food. I had a pork chop that was about two inches thick after cooking, tied up like a London broil, and incredibly well-smoked. Beer selection is best available in the southern suburbs, with the beers mention in the other reviews, plus Abitas, some not-found-in-regualr-bars Germans, and an ecelctic selection of Belgians. Hmm... seem to have lost a glove there... I’ll have to go back and look for it.

September 27, 2004 [ Updated October 11, 2004 ]
Charlie, the owner and sometimes host, is a great guy... putting up with the likes of me and my friends for all of these years. (We were there at the original MT on 106th & Western.) His current thing is to keep a goodly selection of craft beers on tap, with an occasional surprize bottle or two of fine stuff. Look for changes of the on tap every two months or so. You’ll always find something new to try or a good friend to revisit. And the food is Great. Not 100% Cajun or Creole - - - the area couldn’t deal with such food. But what Charlie offers is a nifty blending of Louisiana styles with what most Chicagoans can deal with, and the compromise is excellent. Blend that with the good brews, the friendly folk behind the bar and waiting the tables, and you have a fun place to visit. For sometimes wild fun, drop in on a (almost monthly) Sunday event. You get a southern styled, all you can eat buffet, live music, and good, good beer. This upcoming Sunday (10/3/04), for example, features Little Al Thomas. Great blues. Fat Tuesday is a must. Fun atmosphere.

August 31, 2004
Impeccable beer selection. Always seems to be a Schlenkerla (great with the smoked food), some good Belgians, and plenty of fresh local beer from Two Brothers, 3Floyds, and Flossmoor Station. Food is a bit pricey, but worth it--great cajun-inspired dishes that are generally better than the stuff you can get in most places in NOLA. My wife would rather that it was not so heavy on the seafood, though. A very concerned and considerate proprietor will often say hi at your table and make sure everything is up to snuff. Great place.