Barley & Brass

Came here two weeks ago and the vibe was great! I loved the interior with different patterns for each wall, the lighting was minimal but I could see the person I was eating with and the music was great. We ordered cocktails — my Moscow mule was a bit too Limey for my taste and had the juicy and flavorful truffle burger (my fave).
Hope to come back to try more of the menu!

Why are you calling it «ceviche»? It’s just salsa with some defrosted shrimps in it.
Other than that, this place is alright. Good booze and not tooooo pricy. Hit the weekend champagne special. 12 $ for a bottle.

Great food. Great drinks. Great happy hour! Dollar oysters can’t be beat. Delicious! And the happy hour goes until 7!
Only downside is that they don’t have a decent oyster shucker. Nothing worse than shells in your mouth! We told our server about the struggle but she didn’t seem to care.

This place is bomb and my new go to spot on division
Tons of drafts and house made specialty shots and drinks
The blue cheese chicken hit the spot for a late night snack
The layout inside is legit, the wall facing division opens like a garage door

Cool name, less-​than-​cool menu. For being in a trendy part of the west side, I thought this might have more options to choose from. It boils down to charcuterie-​like fixins’ with a couple of entrée-​like items. Service was really good, just not a fan of the fare. Pretty cool vibe, though.

I don’t «yelp» often, but I felt it needed for this occasion. Comment coming from a very happy vegetarian! The Gin Bitter Fizz was so great — light and now too overpowering.
The Fried Green Tomatoes were the perfect appetizer to start (Not heavy AT ALL — very light and fresh to get things going) The tagliatelle pasta is by far the most mouth watering dish I’ve ever had.
Outside of the food — the atmosphere was really cool — the perfect mix of upscale and urban vibe. A bit of old town with a wicker park flare.
I can’t wait to come back (and probably get all of the same things)!

We had friends staying in the neighborhood and decided to check out Barley & Brass on Division — What a great find!
The outdoor seating looks great but there wasn’t space for our party of 6. Still sitting indoors, with the front of the bar/​restaurant completely open was very nice. The atmosphere is pleasant with a bar/​bistro feel. No issue with noise when we were there on a Saturday night.
The drinks menu is very creative and we sampled a wide variety of custom-​crafted cocktails including ones with smoking herbs, added malic acid and spice. We enjoyed a variety of appetizers including mussels, fried squash blossoms and the beer/​cheese with pretzel sticks. All good restaurant or bar food fare depending on your mood.
The main courses were equally as good. The burger, vegetarian pasta, risotto, bone marrow and fish (none together!) were enjoyed by all of us. The side of fried giandinera was an awesome accompaniment to my burger.
Our only disappointment was that there was only 1 dessert choice (albeit tasty) and no espresso drinks. Perhaps it’s more bar than restaurant but it wouldn’t take too much to give diners a couple of options and add a caffeine machine for after dinner.
Very good find and we can’t wait to go back.

Yes, I definitely need to come back! Originally, we had wanted to go to a divey bar, but then we thought, no, let’s go classy! Well, Barley & Brass is classy yet casual.
The patio seating is awesome. Although Division Street isn’t the prettiest to look at during the night, it’s definitely nice to sit outside in the night.
I ordered the Lion Stout — so good. I like dark beers, and especially beers that taste more like coffee, so this was perfect. It tasted like coffee, chocolate, and caramel.
Also, there were two beagles a few tables over. I love beagles. I got to pet both of them. Day was made. I hope the beagles go for a drink while you are there too, so you can also enjoy the beagles.

Unlike its’ predecessors F.A.M.E. and Paradise Cantina, B&B is not a complete and utter failure. In fact, it’s a solid, upscale bar that I hope has some staying power in a neighborhood full of crowded nightlife.
The bar program is excellent! Since my experience at Tippling Hall, I’ve jumped on the draft cocktail bandwagon — B&B kills it. The Bitter Fizz and In the Air Tonight are two of the greatest craft cocktails I’ve ever had. Beer list is no slouch, either.
During our last visit, we also sampled some food. The arancini balls are the friggin’ bomb. Better than most Italian restaurants! Will definitely be back for these. The wings weren’t too shabby, either. Unfortunately, the poutine fell flat on its’ face. Not enough topping and WAY too small of a portion size.
The bartenders are great — quick, efficient, friendly, and make the drink properly every time. And props on your ability to vaporize rosemary! The bus staff is still a bit giddy and inexperienced, as they cleared our food while we were at the bar ordering more drinks/​taking shots before we were even close to finishing it. Evidently, a little too eager to be done with their shifts at 2 a.m. …
B&B is a welcome addition to the 2000 block of W. Division St. Especially when the brotastic douchebags invade Fatpour at 10 p.m. on weekends.

Very pleasant surprise — not your average gastropub. Fantastic craft beer list (especially if you’re into dark beer) and interesting cocktails (i.e. In the Air Tonight).
Arancini are a must — great blend of Italian/​Mexican flavors & if the filling wasn’t already delicious, the sauces bring it up another level
Barley & Brass main — phenomenal! Hearty, flavorful, and love the risotto approach to barley
Wild Salmon Reuben — skip. «Seared and smoked» sounds intriguing but it’s just smoked salmon. Save the idea for making at home, the ingredients did not shine through.
Housemade Pickled Veggies– skip, too much vinegar.
Another plus: beer is offered in flights.

A group of 5 of us were able to walk right in and get a table at 8 pm on a Saturday night, which is probably the biggest plus. We had tried Fatpour next door, but the line was out the door since Wisconsin was playing in the Final Four. We were seated quickly and immediately brought water, which we desperately needed because we were sort of between rounds of drinking. The place has a dark, old timey vibe to it, but it’s still pretty upbeat.
To drink: the guys ordered dirty vodka martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives… And hated them. I can’t really speak for them because martinis aren’t my thing and I didn’t try theirs, but their description of them didn’t make me want to. I had the In the Air Tonight, which is a gin and blueberry concoction garnished with flaming rosemary. The drink wasn’t very strong but it was tasty and the rosemary, though unnecessary, was a novel touch.
To eat: I ordered the brussels salad with chicken. My friend got it with salmon; I was jealous and mad at myself for not doing the same. The salad was good and proof that brussels sprouts are also good cold and crunchy!
Guys got jerk chicken sandwiches which weren’t like any jerk chicken sandwich I’ve had. They weren’t very spicy and it was more of a chicken salad sandwich, but it was okay. The sweet potato fries and poutine were spot on as well. Get a side of pickled veggies in a jar! Probably not worth 4 bucks, but still good.
Service was great. Will definitely return.

I wanted to provide an update since my last review. My previous experience wasn’t as great as I’d expected so my review offered some constructive criticism.
I received feedback from the Barley & Brass owner almost immediately following my post which was impressive as most restaurant owners won’t take the time to ensure every one of their customers were satisfied. Mac, the owner, invited my girlfriend and I back and really took care of us. They had updated a few of their menu offerings since our first visit. We had drinks, appetizers and entrees and each of what we ordered were great!
We really appreciate the restaurant going out of their way to ensure we left happy the second time around. We will definitely be going back for drinks/​dinners in the near future!

My wife and I dropped in for brunch today to use up a voucher and do a second run of this place now that it’s been open for a while. Mostly, this was a good visit. The space is the biggest winner; where the owners’ other establishment, 25 Degrees, is a bit darker in terms of décor, I like this space more and it will have a larger outdoor footprint when the patio opens this spring, which continues to make Division Street the only place to go when it comes to enjoying al fresco dining!
We tried the egg sandwich, the steak and eggs, the side of bacon and the $ 12 bottle of champagne with a side of berry juice (they were out of the standard mango juice, per our server). We thought the food all tasted good, with the hot sauce (don’t know if that’s made in house or not) being the major highlight… the egg sandwich was tasty but a bit light on egg in the sandwich, and the steak was more medium than the medium rare we ordered. The roasted potatoes served with both entrees were great, but the applewood-​smoked bacon was a little plain.
But the dinner food here is so good that I want to come back to try that again before passing final judgment, and the cocktails made fresh behind the bar paired with anything from the «From the Keg» menu make Barley & Brass another strong Wicker Park entry… I don’t know how to choose any more, there are so many great spots to eat, but once this place’s patio opens to go along with Fatpour, Janik’s and Takito, it’s going to be tough to pick one each week that fits!

We finally visited Barley & Brass last night, which opened within the past few months. We were immediately greeted upon entering and our waiter gave us a pick of sitting anywhere. We insisted on sitting where was most convenient for them and we got placed in a booth table toward the back. The ambiance is really cozy, a little rustic hipster, and romantic. I’m a big fan of the candle at each table!
I ordered the grilled cheese with sweet potato fries (you can choose between fries, sweet potato fries, or chips as a side with all sandwiches). The grilled cheese was really unique with seasoned roasted grapes, brie, basil, thyme, and apple wood smoked bacon. I had the bacon on the side because I don’t (really) eat meat, but I did sneak a taste and it tasted like your everyday bacon. Of course, I’m no meat expert by any means! I was a fan of my grilled cheese and sweet potato fries; the flavors all worked really well together. My boyfriend got a beer flight ($ 12) and wasn’t a big fan of any of the three beers. I thought the one infused with green tea was pretty unique and good, though.
The only thing keeping this from a five-​star review is that service was kind of slow. It wasn’t very busy on a Sunday night and it took a while for our server to take note that our water jug was empty. At the end of our meal, it also took a long time for our cards to be processed. My friend paid by cash and our waitress never came back to give change, so she just left all her cash on the table. Many of the staff were chatting at the bar as we left and were very friendly in saying goodbye/​come again. Overall, I would call the service very courteous and warm, but not particularly attentive.
We will ABSOLUTELY be back because there’s no way we can pass up sweet potato fries for $ 4 and a pretty darn rockin’ late night menu. Welcome to Wicker Park/​Uke Village, Barley & Brass! I’m personally really excited about this new lounge and I expect it to be successful in drawing people in with its great menu, drink menu, and ambiance.
Random note: SUPER cool gender neutral bathroom sign that says «whichever.» Love it!

Just went here with 3 of my friends last night, 2 from out of town. Noticed it was new and decided to try it out because it looked a lot quieter than Fatpour, or ⁵⁰⁄₅₀.
Waiter was really nice and patient with us, checked on us a lot!
I am not a big drinker, so I just asked the waiter to ask the bartender to make me a mocktail, and it was pretty good! Really nice pinkish cute color. :) The bartender came by just to see how everything was, which was really nice of him, and because they had just opened, it was his first time making a mocktail for someone.
List of beers I didn’t take a picture of, but everything my guy friends + husband ordered were really good. Good selection.
The whole premise of the place is this kind of old-​timey beer bar, the décor is really cozy and at least when we went there on a late Thursday night, it’s much more chill so you can actually have a conversation!
The only food we ordered was a plate of nachos, they pile each nacho with everything, so this was really unique. You can get this with either chicken or beef (this was also from the late night menu) Note: THIS Is not a big plate of nachos! Maybe 15 chips or so?
No one pushed us out and we stayed until almost 12:30! Good place to try out.

Came here last night for a Unilocal event and this you must read:
Very few things genuinely excite me but GOOD alcoholic beverages are one of them. It takes an ARTIST to craft cocktails that are impressive to the taste buds. And because of their skills, B&B took a prize last night — best cocktail I’ve had in a while.
I’m a whiskey girl down to my core. A good old fashioned is pretty hard to come by but a NEW fashioned is a twist I needed to try. It was absolutely perfect. Strong (definitely did a number on me), just the right amount of sweet, and had a slight cherry undertone. A must order if you like whiskey.
The gin fizz drink was delicious too. Although, I had about three new fashioned drinks at the point I switched over. I don’t know if you can trust my instinct on this one.
The food samples that were passed around are ranked like this, in my opinion:
1. Chips; Delicious. But resembled Mariano’s freshly made potato chips.
2. Chicken stuffed balls? with orange spicy sauce on top: so good. A must.
3. Sliders: mine was alright. Nothing out of this world but with cheese and more seasoning, I think I’d order these on a normal day.
4. Chicken wings: so spicy! Not a fan. Also not meaty at all; way too fatty.
The point of Unilocal events is to show locals new spots in hopes they will come back in the future
Well, I cannot wait to come back here to sip on that new fashioned. Perfect date spot too. You go B&B! I hope you thrive.

What a great upgrade! This place use to be the bar FAME. Walking in it has a really cosy feel. This is a great place to grab a drink with friends or would be a great date night place.
I had the honors of attending a tasting event here last night and OMG food and drinks were delicious. I tried several drinks and my favorite was «not a basic bitch» it’s white wine based with a hint of floral. Still not a beer drinker cause I didn’t taste any I like, but my friend who is seen to enjoy the beer selections.
As for the food… getting a burger is a MUST! They are grass fed, which seems to be the trend now a days, and delicious. I also have to note the teriyaki chicken was succulent and so was the aranchi (sp) it’s like a risotto ball covered in sauce (see attached picture).
I didn’t check to see if they have a dessert menu, but if they do I will have to check it out based on the food. Such a kind staff and I love the energy in this area. I will be back!

The drinks were lovely — I had the New Fashioned which was quite strong but good! The Gin Fiz — and while not a gin lover it was really good and a little earthy tasting but my favorite was the Not a Basic Bitch.
I really like the idea of the tap cocktails and the service was fantastic! I honestly haven’t had better service in quite some time at a bar.
Didn’t try the food but the menu looked interesting. It was a cold lightly snowy evening when I went and the bar was warm and inviting which led to my loving it even more!

Good food, good booze, meticulously clean, superb service in a romantic comfy venue (with an edge from skull wallpaper) and a lighting that makes everyone look gorgeous. The most organized service in a private party. The only cocktail bar in Chicago that practices «fresh plate» (a fine dining feature). La di da
BASIL JALAPENO COBBLER — the chili kick is felt at the back of throat that leaves your taste buds sipping for more.
NOT A BASIC BITCH — the lightest drink, fruity, like sangria.
GIN FIZZ — what a girlie drink. Coral pink.
NEW FASHIONED — a wonderful twist to OLD FASHIONED. A strong boozy drink. Must like whiskey to appreciate it. Best value for $$.
FALL DARK & STORMY — palette shutdown. :-D
CHIPS — thinly sliced, perfectly fried, and nice presentation.
CHICKEN WINGS — delicious. Hot and Spicy. Easy to consume and enjoy. Addictive.
CRAB WONTON — original. Tasty.

I don’t want to discredit the rest of this place by making first mention of the awesome music, but it’s like they hacked into Spotify and stole my favorite setlists! If your taste in tunes is as good as this guy’s then you’ll be super happy. If not, it doesn’t matter, you’ll still love it anyways.
The beverage program is up to Sea Bass satisfaction on the account of having a dedicated section of the menu to the Dumb and Dumber character’s favorite drink. Even though only with one other person I was so tempted to quote «Make it 4 Boilermakers» when our waitress took our order.
They also do keg cocktails and some special spins on old classics like their Gin and Tonic and the Ukrainian Smash. With house-​made mixers they’re super refreshing and definitely a different (but excellent) drinking experience. Fair warning that there’s not much of a beer list, but at $ 4 a can you can’t really complain since cocktails are kinda their bread and butter.
The food is so solid with an eclectic mix of comfort bar bites. Try the chicken lollis, tacos, crab wontons, and kafta sliders, but the absolute don’t misses are the arancini (basically fried risotto balls) and the best poutine I’ve had outside of Canada. There’s also sandwiches and salads if you’re not a sharer, but regardless of how you go you sure won’t be sorry.
Overall I wasn’t surprised how much I loved this concept. What else would you expect from the guys behind 25 Degrees?