Latest reviews from Lisle
| 84 /100 2121 OGDEN AVE UNIT A “Fun and colorful decor. Nice semi shaded patio, seating through out was enough. Good selection of beers, Some real tasty stouts and a Black lager. Will come back when in the area.“ |
| 80 /100 2121 OGDEN AVE UNIT A “Business-like store front with modest parking up front, but plenty to the rear of the facility. Comfortable bar space, maybe a bit stuffy, spent grain atmosphere, but was presented with a decent rotation of brews, with the most successful as mainstays. Hard to miss, descriptive wall menu plus sheets, good selection of glassware and sizes, friendly, open to suggestions staff, and a busy carry out venue that was quite popular as I enjoyed & reviewed my choices. Outdoor seating was available. Current monthly meeting place for the long-respected homebrew club, The Urban Knaves of Grain.“ |
| 70 /100 Chinn's 34th St. Fishery (Restaurant) 3011 W. OGDEN AVE. “Favorite, top-notch seafood choice for us even before Chinn's. Craft selection is small but gaining interest.“ |
| 100 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “I love everything about this place. Just wish it was closer to where i live, but it is well worth the drive. Beer selection is incredible with a constantly rotating tap & bottle list, delicious food & the staff is fantastic. Go there. Go now.“ |
| 76 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Very good spot. Great food. Free lot parking. 35-40 taps of good beer. Decent bottle selection. 5 oz pours available for about $3, but no flights or tasters. Awesome atmosphere here - one of my favorites for that.“ |
| 70 /100 Malloy’s Finest Wine and Spirits (Beer Store) 1020 MAPLE AVENUE “Nice place... Beer wise it is above avg but well below a binnys type selection but usually a decent selection of pipeworks bombers along with 30 other domestic craft bombers... Same amount of Belgian slash foreign craft bottles and a cooler section of 6 packs with a decent variety. Prices are better than binnys if u can find what u want... Not bad less crowded... If convient go for sure...“ |
| 60 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Obviously, I have a problem with the service at this place. First off, truly a great selection of beers that you won’t find at all but a few places around the Chicago area. I just wish they got over themselves and treated customers well.
First story-Went to BL with 6 or 7 friends and had a large tab in the making...Last beer of the night, they poured the wrong beer for my friend. What do you do? You offer the beer free of charge due to your mistake, right? Nope! If you want the wrongly-poured beer, they will charge you...Huh? So, my friend said "no thanks" and asked for the beer he ordered. The bar wench (applicable in this case) took said wrongly poured beer and offered it to the off-duty bar manager sitting at the bar instead. Wow.
Second story-After staying away for a solid year because of first story, I went back last week. Woman next to me was looking for suggestions. Bartender said she’d love a beer he chose for her. Well, she didn’t and asked if she could get another beer to which he replied, "I am still charging you for the first beer, but yes I can get you another beer" Terrible service. She didn’t want to make that mistake again so she asked for a tasting of a beer she was interested in..."We don’t offer samples for free" bartender told her. What?? Charging for tastes is ridiculous. I get it if someone is abusing the system, but obviously this woman just wanted to find a good beer that wouldn’t put her out $50 before she found one! This bar is extremely popular and they are doing gangbuster business. I just can’t go there again.“ |
| 90 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Why I have waited so long to check this place out? German feel on the outside and the seating, American music, Belgian decor on the walls, warm and friendly. Great beer list, lots of rare stuff and they allow 5oz samples, however only 2 per person. The food was outstanding, best German food in Chicago, not even close. Get the braised sweet and sour red cabbage for sure. The only downside this trip was the service. She was flightly, not knowledgeable or overly friendly. Couldn’t tell if she was just new or incompetent. Must stop.“ |
| 92 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Love this place. Great beer selection, staff and patrons that know and love their beer. Staff seems to really take pride in serving great beer. Very comfortable feel, and just a well run establishment.“ |
| 98 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “By far the best beer bar in the suburbs. I could live happily off thier vegetarian Schnitzel“ |
| 86 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “A new staple close to where I lay my head, this bar and restaurant is one of the premier beer venues in the Chicagoland area. A great taplist, a gorgeous bar, and really good food menu. The events Alan throws are usually top notch and always more unique than a lot of the other places around (Cask Events, Brewery Takeovers, etc.). The Black Forest Burger and Goulash are a couple of my favorites with a great diverse taplist and a great bottle list as far as selection and ability to grab some beer that may not last long in the area. The prices are a bit on the high side but often times it is worth it. Great place.“ |
| 100 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “The best beer selection in the Western burbs if not all of Chicago. Great food too.“ |
| 80 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Odd, thought I had already rated this. It’s a pretty great spot when out in Lisle, offering plenty of beer selection. The food does leave a bit of something to be desired. In terms of value it’s pretty solid, not over priced but not a loss leader. Good rotation, good events, good ambiance. Solid spot.“ |
| 86 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “June 24, 2012 - Probably the best beer restaurant in the ’burbs. I am a sucker for all things German so of course loved this place. They had lots of glassware around and some of it was for sale, so I did pick up a glass to commemorate the visit. It was a little dark in the building, but maybe they were just trying to keep the sun out due to the excessive heat at the time in Chicago for June. Service was quick, but the guy just did not have much beer knowledge. Guessing that will be hit or miss depending on who you get, so not going to let that dissuade me from stopping by again in the future.“ |
| 92 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Great place. They always have awesome stuff on draft. the food is incredible.“ |
| 30 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Their beer is great but their food sucked. I was really disappointed in the place. Went with a couple of friends and we all thought it was pretty bad.“ |
| 88 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Great beer list and they do an awesome job of keeping it updated. Best selection of craft brews in the burbs.Pour beers glasses that represent the style. A must visit.“ |
| 80 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “First time here, very nice spot. Lots of beers on tap from some breweries that i havent even heard of. I had a Bear Claw from flossmor station, very nice wheat wine beer. Didnt get a chance to try the food but looked good.“ |
| 90 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “I adore this place. The food is outstanding and authentic, the portions are generous, the selection is wide and I have always had good service. The beer selection is very impressive and I am always able to try new brews here. I wish I could go much more often.“ |
| 90 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “A: Very cool. German-looking place and I like that you can sit at individual tables on high stools without being too close to the bar, while still getting the bar atmosphere.
Q: Both the beers and the food are of quite high quality. Also, the website is outstanding--has a list of beers that are currently on tap, as well as those that will be coming soon.
S: Every time that I have been there the service has been quite good. I can’t attest too much to their servers’ knowledge of the product, as I’ve generally used their online beer menu to pick out what I was getting before arriving.
S: Great selection of craft brews on draft from around the country. Good deal of Belgian beers as well. Their bottle list isn’t as large as many other places, and that’s really the only thing holding them back here.
F: Traditional German style food. The hamburgers served on pretzel rolls are my personal favorite.“ |
| 78 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Great selection of draft beers“ |
| 94 /100 Malloy’s Finest Wine and Spirits (Beer Store) 1020 MAPLE AVENUE “Has a very clean and ordered appearance upon walking in; You are always greeted by at least one employee, and they are always willing to help you, give you options, and are a wealth of knowledge.
Their main wine and Champagne selection is in the center of the store in 45 degree isles and hosted in very nice wooden shelving. their Beer and Spirits encompass the sides of the stores and they have Cold and room temperature options.
They even have a small selection of Cigars for the Cigar aficionado.
Altogether a wonderful place to step into, find your selection and pay.“ |
| 90 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Cute woodsy theme...for the Black Forest I suppose. Fantastic German food! Try the liver dumpling soup and any of the schnitzels. Beer selection is fantastic with something new and different every time we’ve been there. The bar area does get really crowded and their hours are a little odd.“ |
| 92 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “HUGE selection of draft and bottled beers alongside an authentic menu of traditonal German cuisine. Northwoods lodge atmosphere makes this a great place to eat a meal and sample hard to find draft beers. My one downside to this place is that it can get busy and the service tends to be a tad slow, although extremely knowledgable.“ |
| 92 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “I’ve driven by this place a million times...finally stopped in and what a fantastic beer snobs paradise. I was expecting standard traditional German fare, but there were some very hard to find brews...Weihenstephaner Vitus on tap in proper glassware, 3F Topless Wytch, some killer Rouladen...the only thing missing was an authentic bavarian pretzel! Drop the Cajun whatever I saw on the menu and hit us with a killer pretzel. Also some fried sausage thing was artery clogging deliciousness.“ |
| 82 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “I have visited The Bavarian Lodge several times.
Service at the tables in the bar side has been slow. Lately we have taken to sitting at the bar and it goes much better.
The bartender, Tyler, is always friendly and prompt. She seems to have a true appreciation for the beer as well and offered suggestions based on personal experience. The chairs were comfortable and the rail was in just the right place.
The beer is great. They don’t brew their own, but they have a fantastic selection of Belgian, German, and American specialty beers. There were about 25 different selections on tap, and probably double that in bottles. The biggest problem is trying to decide which ones to try.
The unique selection and imported nature of many of the beers means they come at a premium price. Many of the stronger beers are served in smaller 12oz glasses. For me it is worth it, but if you are looking for cheap beer to guzzle, then look elsewhere.
The food at Bavarian Lodge is good, but nothing to rave about. The concentration on German cooking means that most everything is "brown". Not to say that I don’t like liver dumpling soup, spatzel, sausages, meat in gravy and sauerkraut, but it is, what it is. The beer justifies the long trip from my house. The food helps fill me up in between beers.
The veggie schnitzel was an interesting departure from the traditional menu. The roast duck is also pretty good.
I like the atmosphere at the Bavarian Lodge. It has plenty of dark wood and relatively few TVs. The music is quiet enough to permit conversation.
Overall, I would recommend this place for anyone looking for a great selection of great beer. The crowd is a mix of younger and older and everyone seems to be able to enjoy themselves. I will definitely be back. I just wish it was closer to Bartlett. Then again, if it was, I might never go anywhere else!“ |
| 96 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “This is my favorite local restaurant and bar. 36 taps of amazing craft brews that are regularly updated.
The ambiance is friendly with lots of beer and German memorabilia all around.
The wait staff is knowledgeable and friendly.
Occasionally they will have a nifty tasting event.
The food is filling and tasty. I’m constantly amazed at how well their liver dumpling soup pairs with so many beers.
The only complaint I have is that it’s a little bit small for how popular it’s gotten. At peak hours, it’s common to have a 30-60 minute wait, and once you’re seated, the service can be a little slow.
Because of this they no longer accept reservations (except for mothers/fathers day).“ |
| 88 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Finally got in since they have unusual hours. Beautiful restaurant and bar area, with a huge assortment taps and bottles. Lots of Belgians, with a lot of hard to find American craft beers, even some that don’t make it to shelves out here. I have yet to try any food, but will soon as this is going to be an occasional stop after work. Prices seemed pretty fair. This place is awesome.“ |
| 94 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Visited here on a slammin’ Saturday night. The place was packed out but we were still able to approach the bar and get some fantastic beer while we waited for our table. The ambiance of the place is inviting with much German alehouse decor and classy wooden/brick rooms. The service at the bar was great. Tap list here was one of the best I have seen in a long, long time including serious gems like Fastenbier and Older Viscosity. Once we got our table we enjoyed a bowl of liver soup, delicious sausage and schnitzel of some kind which I don’t recall, and a dessert which the lady devoured. Prices are fair, considering the quality of the food that comes out and the classy environment. I’d say we spent about $50 for two rounds of truly awesome and rare beer, a meal and dessert. It really pains me to see a negative comment about such an awesome place. What more can you expect?“ |
| 94 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Poor Chuffy... everyone can ignore his review. He conveniently neglected to mention his screaming, profanity-laden tirade at the hostess in his assessment of the situation. Seriously, it’s somewhat of a legend among regulars.
This place is amazing... the food is top-notch in and of itself. Most authentic German cuisine to be had in the western suburbs. But I go for the beer, and the selection, variety, and rotation are AMAZING. Some bars boast 250 taps, but god forbid you get that one specialty that no one’s ever heard of that’s been on a forgotten tap for 18 months... they just upgraded to 36 taps, and their list turns over with regularity that’s surprising. I go abotu once a month, and the beer list is at least 70-85% turned over every time. Fantastic tap selection that includes obscure Belgian and German offerings quite often!“ |
| 92 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “I live in the NW suburbs but make the 30+ minute trip down to Lisle at least twice a month for this gem in Lisle. The food is great but the real attraction is the beer, and the bartenders know them quiet well. I have never been let down by any of their recommendations!“ |
| 84 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “My favorite nearby beer bar. I just had the "Schnitzel Bites" during their Surly Darkness tapping, so I’m qualified to rate the food. I admit I usually get good service by sitting at the bar, so I can’t speak to others’ experience. For the Darkness event, they started taking orders and filling glasses a few minutes before the schedule tap time, so it ran much more smoothly. I still find beers I haven’t rated on tap, and don’t even start me on the bottle selection. Also quite a collection of obscure German liqueurs on the back I’ll want to try… some day. Great German stube atmosphere, though they promise no lederhosen during Oktoberfest.“ |
| 80 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Great beer selection, both in bottles and on tap.“ |
| 16 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “I had a really lousy time at their Founder’s event. Hot, crowded and they made me stand in line for almost a half an hour to get one of their promised beers, only to learn that they just sold out. These people are amateurs who treat their customers like schmucks. I’ll never go back again.“ |
| 80 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “This place is fairly quaint in the bar area but they have awesome taps. Service was nice and they were knowledgeable. Didn’t eat.“ |
| 70 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Authentic German food, great beers on tap from all around the world. Service is very good, great beers from all around the world and did I mention the beer“ |
| 100 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “This is an outstanding gem of the Western Burbs of Chicago.
The staff is very friendly and really knows their beers. The Bar Tender is great ask her anything about beer and she can point you in the right direction.
The food is outstanding and homemade I the soups are by far the best I have had anywhere
If you get a chance head there as soon as you can.“ |
| 84 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Man this place is great! Fantastic German food and lots of unique beer on tap. They had some German taps that I have never seen before in the US. Quite a few US craft selections too. Good prices on most things as well. I would estimate more than 100 bottles as well, with German and Belgian beers dominating the list. Friendly waitstaff as well. Well worth the visit!“ |
| 90 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “This is my go to spot for a short drive for good food and better tap beer.
Food is killer, everthing i have gotten so far was great, get the fried white cheddar if you just there for beer and need some finger food.
The chick behind the bar is always cool, she’s has been there everytime i have gone.
This place is a must check out just for a gander at the ever changing beer menu. On Tap selection is beyond great !“ |
| 82 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Good German food with an amazing beer list on draft and in bottles. The beer prices are a bit on the high side compared to other beer bars in the Chicago and the suburbs. The selection is very well rounded and they have special tappings from time to time. I was able to taste Darkness from Surly a few months ago which was incredible considering the rareity of that beer.“ |
| 88 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “i agree with everyone who has rated this place. very nice beer menu, good food, and nice bar. it is definetly a must see.“ |
| 76 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Amazing beer menu for the suburbs! Used to live about 2 minutes from here, don’t remember them having the selection they now have but if they did....shame on me for not becoming a regular. Food was solid, looking foward to my next visit already to see what else they have going on.“ |
| 88 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “I can’t believe I’ve been living so close to this place & haven’t visited until now. Interior is large with at least 2 large rooms. My 2 most enduring impressions are 1) the place is meticulously clean & well kept & 2) they care about their beer. It is a rarity to see a bar menu where the beer selection takes up 75% of it & the wine is the afterthought. I had intended to go to Chef Paul’s for an O’fest celebration they held about a month ago & my impression from the brief research I did at the time was that they had a good selection of German draught beers. Although true, they also have a good selection of draught beers period & an even better selection of bottled beer. Their slogan is Best Beer in the Burbs. They very well may be right. If I had to come up with a negative, it would be that some of the beers are a little pricey. Although you can pay as little as $3.50 for a 12 oz Spaten Lager or Ettaler Koster Dunkel, you’ll also pay $6-7 for a 12-13 oz snifter of Eggenberg Urbock 23 or GI Matilda. In return, however, you’ll receive a fresh beer poured from clean tap lines and served in proper glassware. Their beer menu features a commercial description, ABV, and glass size for every beer. They claim they are soon getting Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Kaiser on draught & a mini-keg of Surly Darkness. You really need to check this place out.“ |
| 80 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Great german ambiance, great selection of beers on tap and bottled. HAd the Schnitzel, was really good. There’s even some american fare for the non initiated. Have the germans on tap, they’re great.“ |
| 90 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “For those of us that have been wishing for a place like Hopleaf or Map Room in the suburbs - our wait is over. Actually, this place has been around since the 80’s, but in the past few years they have created a beer list that rivals any other place in the burbs. The place is really cozy and inviting, very comfortable for a night of drinking and eating. Great beer list, featuring not only a good selection of German brews, but quite a few Belgians (some hard to find), and a good though not extensive representation of American craft brews too (they carry the whole Unibroue line too, I should add). The bartender told me that they would be adding five more draft lines in the next few weeks. I can’t wait. The food was great, the service friendly, and all of the beer I tried was as fresh as can be, and served in proper glassware at proper temperatures no less. Much to my surprise the pub was full of younger people with decent music playing (that’s right, no ooompah). The night I was there, the owner even bought everybody in the whole place a shot. What’s not to love? I suggest trying this place before everybody else catches on and you’re not able to get a seat at the bar. My only gripe is that I wish they were open later. Be sure to check their hours on their website before you go. This is truly one of the best beer bars Chicagoland has to offer. I’ll be back often.“ |
| 88 /100 The Bavarian Lodge (Restaurant) 1800 OGDEN AVENUE “Recently renovated exterior and inside the cozy dark wood bavarian lodge is quite welcoming. Service is good and prompt, but can get slow on Saturday evenings. Beers are served with appropriate, and branded glassware and at good temperatures. A nice selection of german beers including Spaten, Ayinger, Augustiner, etc... along with a decent array of Belgians, Unibroue beers, and an always expanding selection american micros. And a concession of MIller Lite, but only in bottles. Good food with schnitzels, sausage, and authentic entrees along with a less extensive selection of americanized dishes for the less adventurous. Good food, good place. The dining room closes two hours before the bar every day but sunday. 10/9/2007 - Increased my selection rating as they added more draft choices and increased the range and quality of the bottles. Great place!
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