Latest reviews from Evanston

“Visited in August 2023. Huge brewery taproom with a concert stage and a part allocated to vintage cars. 8 beers on tap, and their specialty seems to German-style beers. A good food menu is available. There's a patio and large parking lot outside. What's not to love this place?“

trapped 46 days ago

“Visited in August 2023. Large taproom with an equally large beer garden outside, no food, 16 beers on tap, cans to go, growler/crowler fills. Not your typical microbrewery, a lot of different styles of beer brewed, and they are generally good. Also a lot of community events going on.“

trapped 165 days ago

“A nice brewpub, which seemed to have solid food (Jess had some, but I was stuffed when we arrived). Enjoyed our sampling of the German inspired brews. Classic car add on to the building certainly lent the space a unique charm. Visited with Dave and Jess in 2022.“

ads135 620 days ago

“Dave and Kaitlyn's neighborhood bar. Small and industrial cozy. Large outside space with seating. The space isn't super unique, but its quite nice.“

ads135 620 days ago

“Visited for dinner on a Monday night. Located in downtown Evanston, near the El tracks. Cool interior, a lot of wood and brick. Concept is pour your own beer, or beer flight, or wine or cider. Pay by the ounce, so good opportunity to try a bunch of beers. Beer selection was 36 beers on draft, local selections as well regional and national craft. Selection was good, not necessarily great. Service and food were above average - generally a fun spot to hit. (Locals should check it out, visitors with extended time) I only use the total score, not the component parts.“

theisti 823 days ago

“Meh is the perfect description. Average food, average beer and way overpriced. I did like the charcuterie plate, good portion but very expensive. Fish had no flavor and the fries were boring. Overall, poorly done English fair. I did like the strawberry gose and radler, but the ipas were malty messes and the New Englands were cheap knock offs. Pass.“

chibuck 1756 days ago

“another fun Chicago bar. Beers ok. they let you make mixed 4 packs and flights which are pluses.bar service.“

Sammy 2113 days ago

“Pretty solid bourgeoise restaurant to pick up some beers. Visited on trip to Loyola for the climate conference in 2016.“

ads135 2619 days ago

“Gotta concur with DuffMan. Very well thought-out menu both in terms of food and drink. Was there with a large group and service was thoughtful (and patient!). Food very good, beer selection broad and satisfying.“

JCB 2899 days ago

“Okay, it’s mostly a food joint but this place is tremendous. Beautiful bistro-style atmosphere, with considerable (but not excessive) funkiness. Great staff all the way around, and an overall splendid atmosphere. Tremendous food, albeit on the pricey end of things. Beer list isn’t vast, but very well done overall, with an emphasis on Evanston breweries. Fantastic joint, and would very much be eager to return if/when in town next.“

JCB 2899 days ago

“Strange that this place hasn’t been rated in so many years. I saw that they had a Beermenus presence and things looked somewhat promising, so I stopped in on a recent visit. Centrally located. Typical likka stowe layout, but there are several coolers and shelves dedicated to craft. Locals and regionals very well represented and I came away with some Pipeworks and Tallgrass. Good, serviceable place.“

JCB 2900 days ago

“Stopped in for a relaxed beer release. Friends with some of the brewers past and present. Typical taproom type palce with a dj area and a small biergarten and genenrally solid brews.“

crossovert 2975 days ago

“Trendier airy place with a back patio, stopped in as brunch was finishing, just grabbed beers. Very friendly and attentive service. A couple of guest offerings. Near the red line stop which is nice. Beers need some work but its decent.“

crossovert 2975 days ago

“It is what it is, a tasting room and a place to fill up your growler/howler. It’ a great place to taste some beer, talk about beer and get some fresh beer to go. Located off the alley in Evanston, lovely little spot!“

pablo951 3057 days ago

“This is a cool space in an industrial park area of Evanston. It has lots of out door space that would be nice in the summer. The beers that I had were all solid. There is parking which is a bonus. I do like the half pint and 4 Oz portion choices. Well worth a stop when in Evanston.“

jsquire 3137 days ago

“Very well designed warehouse brewery. Tons of space inside and out, nice patio with music. The vibe is exciting, its definitely a family friendly place. The drafts are a nice combination of year round, seasonals and tap room only. Easy to get your tick on with 4oz tasters of anything. Service was a bit slow and unengaging. Overall, I had a good time.“

chibuck 3215 days ago

“By far the poorest beer selection of any Whole Foods I’ve visited. Pass.“

DuffMan 3229 days ago

“At least twice the size of the original, and lacking the rustic charm, this place is still a winner based on great selection and awesome food. Service was outstanding.“

DuffMan 3260 days ago

“Nice little place on the border of Chicago and Evanston. Food is excellent, beer is okay they have a great guess draft list mostly Evanston beers and some Chicago beers.“

pablo951 3326 days ago

“No bombers!“

hombrepalo 3463 days ago

“Restaurant with meat-focused menu and they brew their own beer for some reason. Their beers are pretty average but not bad; they also have a decent guest beer list. Food is good.“

envane 3522 days ago

“Nice brewpub tucked back in a former industrial corridor. Outdoot seating. They play hipster music.“

envane 3522 days ago

“New place in Evanston. Love the name given Evanston was the early home of the temperance movement. Old warehouse/mfg garage they turned into a brewery and taproom. Taproom they put some effort into, nice vibe. Cool music. Good beer!“

jlulensk 3549 days ago

“Really tasty, well-prepared food, especially the bacon-wrapped dates, but the beer list is on the short side - decent short list of the usual contenders, but the only unique ones are Barcelona Damn in the bottle and Victoria on tap. Worth a stop for the tapas, not for the beer.“

rondphoto 3702 days ago

“Prairie Moon is located on Sherman Ave in the Northshore area of Evanston, fairly close to Northwestern. Metered street parking is available on both sides of the street.

The interior opens to the bar area, and beyond that are separate rooms for table and booth seating. Brick walls and hanging lights above the bar. The wooden bar itself runs along the right side and has a mirror behind it, and some photos of staff members and weird papier mâché masks above the mirror. There is also a chalk board listing draft specials. As far as the beer selection, Prairie Moon has around 16 taps, featuring breweries like Temperence, Off Color, Perennial, Surley and Solemn Oath. There are a couple dozen bottled options as well, with brewers like Dogfish Head, Bruery, Three Floyds, Uinta and Great Lakes domestically and imports from Orval, Mikkeller and Westmalle to name a few.

Service at the bar for a weekday lunch was decent. The bartender took a while to get to me initially considering how slow it was, but after that everything was fine. He was familiar with the available beers and attentive the remainder of my visit.

Food at Prairie Moon is decent. I had a blackened chicken po boy and it was tasty.

Overall this is a decent stop in Evanston for decent food and several solid beer choices.“

Dogbrick 3766 days ago

“Stopped in for a pint on a pleasant afternoon, and was surprised by how far this place fell short of expectations. Kind of a cavernous eatery with loads of TVs and a noisy atmosphere, I bellied up to the bar to see what was a pretty perfunctory tap and bottle list. Dialed up a Revolution Rose Hibiscus, enjoyable enough, but the selection and service left a lot to be desired. Can’t understand the high ratings.“

JCB 3822 days ago

“Stopped in on a few occasions while staying in town for a week. Smallish beer selection tucked in a color by the sandwich counter. What was there was well chosen, and had a heavy local emphasis. Good choices from Two Brothers, Vivant, Goose Island, Half Acre, Revolution, et. al. Not in any way a beer destination, but if you’re looking to pick something up while shopping there will certainly be something that fits the bill.“

JCB 3822 days ago

“If this is what counts as a decent spot in Evanston, I will never be moving anywhere close to here. Huge space that is nicely thought out with a busy bar, a couple dinner rooms, then an even quieter back room. The food was terrible, uninventive items poorly executed, my fries were even cold. The service was equally bad. Our service missed 4 drink orders meaning she took them and never brought them. The beer list blew. Ok taps, but the bottles were things you can find anywhere. Horrible fail, don’t bother.“

chibuck 3878 days ago

“Finally stopped in here a few weeks ago to check it out and came away a fan. Reminds me of a lot of the suburban breed of craft bars that are popping up in the downtowns of Chicago burbs. Locals and not over crowded. Good selection of decent beers, would be interested to see how often beers are turned here and what the full scope is. Food is reasonable and well made. Service was good enough on our visit and the overall ambience was nice. Will return.“

NobleSquirrel 4364 days ago

“Excellent selection of IPA’s/hoppy beers on tap, and I have become a frequent attendee here during the summer months. For food, they have very good burgers/sandwiches, and pretty good service. Definitely the best beer bar in the near north suburbs, with a very convenient location to public transportation.“

mualumnus 4639 days ago

“Came here a few days ago on a visit to Northwestern. Atmosphere is pretty good an lively, insofar as you can go there with people who care about having a good time and not just about the nuances of beer (the advantage is that you can get the best of both worlds). There is a strange yuppie dining area between the two bar areas, which I didn’t see anyone occupy. They also have dart boards and pool tables. The place was busy, but I never had to wait more than a minute to get my beer; that is all I want with service. The selection was pretty good (as a Northeasterner, a lot of the beers on tap were pretty new to me, but I assume ubiquitous for the natives). I didn’t have any food. The value seemed to be relatively good (I paid 7 for a Stillwater, but I think that is pretty standard where ever, and $5.50 for a Three Floyds Alpha, which I don’t think is a horrible deal). Overall, if I end up in Northwestern, it looks like I will spend a good amount of time there.“

mansquito 4834 days ago

“Probably North Shore’s best beer bar, excluding the very noisy and annoying chain-like Yard House in Glenview.“

nr706 4982 days ago

“A great beer selection. Many good draft beers to chose from. I enjoyed the Left Hand Milk Stout and Bell’s on tap. Staff was busy, but friendly. Seemed like a nice college (rich kid) hang out.“

thedanimal 5200 days ago

“This place is weird and funny... Very overated and child like atmosphere. This is a place for young college students who can’t make it out to the city. Very overated and pricey, food is a joke.“

beercamel 5306 days ago

“This is a place where a lot of northwestern university students go so the prices are a tad high. The guy who runs the place is very knowledgeable and will tell you the truth or atleast how he feels. Decent place nice and quiant.“

beercamel 5306 days ago

“Schaefers has incredible wine and great product Knowledge. The wine selection is much better than the beer selection. The staff is excellent and very ready to help! The food and deli is wonderful and they can get just about any meat or cheese that you never have ever thought of. The beer selection though is minimal but they will order any beer you can legally get in Illinois. They also have the best keg selection that I have ever seen atleast in Chicago! Check em out!!!“

beercamel 5330 days ago

“Best beer bar in Evanston and perhaps on the north shore. Good, but not huge selection, with one or two rolling taps for seasonals, a couple of Belgians, most of the MidWestern brews like 2 Brothers, New Holland etc are covered. Good range of styles, with the usual Gunniess, Delirium, Sierra Nevada, Goose Island available too. Good big bottle selection. Big place - two bars open on busy nights. Enclosed patio in season. (You’re not on the street breathing bus fumes like most Evanston sidewalk tables.) Good food from excellent burger to regional fare specials. Gets a little ’collegey’ on some nights, but it is a college town.“

kiplog 5591 days ago

“I didn’t especially get the appeal of this place. As Jeff Lebowski might say, "How do you keep down on the farm once they’ve seen Binny’s/Discount Liquor?" This place is convenient if you’re in Evanston/Northwestern University. It was late on a weeknight when I visited, and the place was empty and looked to me a bit run-down. Selection was decent, but compared to other good liquor stores not fantastic. I wasn’t offered any help (or even spoke to) by the staff. I thought pricing was a bit high, and with the taxes, a little silly.“

BeerBelcher 6317 days ago

“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, pretty good I guess. Pretty poor atmosphere. Like crappy liquor store with cheetos and shit for sale too. Selection of beers is pretty good i guess. like full lines of Bells, three floyds, founders, and great lakes. I hear all this stuff about their belgians. didn’t believe it then...don’t believe it now. they had st. bernardus and corsedonk but no rochefort or anything worth while (quality And quantity). Most of the prices were a lot but they had bombers of Hop Rod Rye for 3.99 and you can’t beat that...I don’t care what jock you’re wearing.“

Zeswaft 6602 days ago

“pretty good, normal prices. it had its own belgian section, but it wasn’t enormous or anything. nothing binny’s doesn’t have really.“

sersdf 6647 days ago

“I have been shopping at this store for several years, mainly because it’s just down the street from Vintage Vinyl. The Belgian selection is decent, they do cover all the styles. Their American micro section basically covers the Great Lakes regional brewers and a few of the better microbrews from around the country. Their U.K. and German beer section is average with a few unique offerings other stores in the area don’t carry. I have found the prices to be either in line with or a little higher than other stores on the north side. Service is basically hands off, but there are a couple members of the staff who are actually beer knowledgeable. If I had problems finding something, the staff was helpful and would also make suggestions about other beers in stock. Sometimes the staff can seem somewhat snarly, not at the customers, but because they are fighting among themselves, which I have always viewed as being a bit comical. If you’re someone who doesn’t download all their music or are just curious, not far from First Liquors, at 925 Davis, is the Evanston/Chicago landmark, Vintage Vinyl. If you’re in to U.K. indie rock, psychedelic, progressive, krautrock, mod, 60’s beat or are looking for vinyl of any genre, jazz, blues, soundtrack or rarities in general, you need to check this store out. You may remember it from the John Cusack movie, "High Fidelity".“

jpm30 6681 days ago

“I thought I would venture up to Evanston one day and finally made it. Just take the purple line and get off at Davis, it is sort of in downtown Evanston, if there is such a thing. Selection was weak, especially compared to what else is available on the northside and Chicagoland in general. Not really worth the trip if you are not in the area. Of note, they had about two full size coolers full of Samuel Smith’s and Young’s singles. They must sell a lot. Glad I didnt go to school at NU.“

JoshuaB 6890 days ago

“Like austinpowers, I'm an NU man, and I was just entering the rudimentary stages of beergeekdom when Evanston First opened in the mid-80s, the first liquor store in this once-dry town. So my review is somewhat nostalgic and rose-colored (though I've been back, many times, as recently as 2 months ago). Very good selection of area micros, good selection of pricey Belgians, always changing. With all of the other great stores in the Chicago area, this is hardly a mandatory stop, but the selection is great for such a small store.“

muzzlehatch 7405 days ago

“Went to college at Northwestern U. and Evanston First was my local liquor store. We knew even back then that we had a good thing on our hands! The selection of US micros from all over was quite impressive. Located in the pretty downtown area of Evanston. Metra's Purple Line will get you there. I think you'd get off at the Davis St. stop.“

austinpowers 7419 days ago