The Publican

The group I had dinner with almost slept on the fries, but I ordered some for the table and they were a hit. "These are the best fries I've ever eaten" was said immediately after eating the first one by my partner. The pork was so incredibly flavorful. I can't wait to return and dive into more of the menu. The only miss for the night was the dessert, with the marshmallow having too much of an anise flavor for me. I'm not taking a star away for dessert because this was just my personal preference for not liking that black licorice flavor, it was still a high quality dish.

The Publican is a really fun experience, especially if you do the chef’s menu and let them feed the table accordingly. We were able to try a wide variety of dishes, including some we never would’ve thought to order and really enjoyed them all! The porchetta was my personal favorite but every dish is exploding with flavor. We were able to sit in one of the booths with the doors which creates a fun atmosphere. The atmosphere is possibly even a better than than the food!

Service was good. Had to reserve and put down money for it but it subtracts it at the end. Food was so good Hash browns were salty. But the poached eggs were delicious and the side of bacon IS A MUST. Not just regular bacon, it’s a big slab of glazed pork belly. On the pricier side but good

Been walking by here for years and glad we came. Large open restaurant with communal tables and really good food focused a lot on meats. Food: 5/5 Beer: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Cocktails: 0/5 Grab yourself a mug of some of their German beers and order the prosciutto, butter the bread and put it on top, amazing way to start your meal! (Pic attached) Also get the carrots and try some oysters, with the main being the pork belly or mussels and you'll find yourself leaving super full and satisfied. Only thing I'd avoid is any cocktails, I had one of the worst old fashioned I've ever had, so stick to beer here.

My wife got extremely sick from the oysters, I found a worm/bug in my oyster (to be fair, it's a raw bivalve from the ocean, yeah there's going to be some funky stuff in there, but still...), and the host (manger?) spilled half of my beer on the table and did not offer to replace it. I used to love this place; great beer selection, amazing food, cool atmosphere. Honestly, those haven't changed, but the staff is just not what it used to be, and, unfortunately, we got unlucky with the oysters this time. I let our waiter know that my wife was extremely sick from the oysters (she was literally in the restroom; I won't go into detail), and that he should check the kitchen to make sure that everything was kosher back there. Their response was to tell us that their oysters and beef had just come in that morning so it couldn't have been them. Then they "generously" comped us a $10 burger... Again, not trying to be a Karen; I know that we're not their only customers and that they have a lot on their plate, but we really left feeling like an afterthought for the waitstaff. There are a lot of great restaurants in Chicago. I never need to go back to this place again.

The menu does change but you will not be disappointed. The atmosphere is pretty cool with the different tables set up. We stopped by for Saturday brunch and had a hard time deciding what to eat as everything sounded great. Settled for their version of a Benedict and it hit the spot. I would suggest getting the breakfast sausage if it's still on the menu as it was not what I was expected but man was it tasty. Now I just need to get back to try all the oysters they have.

Brunch review: As a disclaimer, I have eaten at The Publican a few times over the years (mostly brunch) and remember loving it. This time was good but a notch lower than what I recall. The burger was decent - but given my expectations, it was a slight let down. The beef was a little dry (I went with the server-recommended temp) and the abundance of sauce likely served to compensate, which kinda worked but also made it really messy. The sausage dish was better, with tender meat and unique flavor overall. Crispy potatoes were delicious but some were big and not so crispy in the middle. They also make a great bloody mary. I know this reads like a 3-star review but I'm honestly just over critical bc of my expectations - the food really is good.

The restaurant is pretty sparse in terms of decorations or atmosphere, it's pretty much just the tables and lights. Speaking of the tables, I'm old - sitting at a big communal table is trendy but not very conducive to a cute brunch date with my wife. There were also no hooks under the big table that we could find for her purse. The food was hit or miss - the waffle was delicious, like a funnel cake. The smashed potatoes were good. But the croque monsieur looked like it was absolutely drowned in cheese sauce. It was just too much, drowning out the flavor and making it difficult to eat. For a big group of young people this would be great. For an unfortunately middle aged couple like us this would be a pass in the future.