Excellent brunch menu, great service, easy to get a seat too, even early Sunday and Saturday. Try the Dutch Baby Pancake for brunch. You can also ask to have it mixed with the PBJ French Toast which made for an excellent breakfast on an early Sunday morning. Has an awesome beer list, solid alcohol choices and what looks to be a great dinner menu. I haven’t made it over to try the dinner yet though! Oh, it also has ski ball. That’s pretty uncommon. Come check it out. A great little local bar.
Steph M.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
i live down the street from here and have been wanting to try this place for awhile. finally came in today with my dog and got sat at the patio pretty quick, probably the best burger i’ve had in a long time too. also tried a few other food options and was thoroughly impressed. definitely going to be here a lot.
Debbie H.
Tu valoración: 5 Culver, IN
We were blessed, by special privilege, to have sampled: the beet salad(I don’t care for beets, but will have this again… yumm), chicken fried steak and biscuits and gravy.(very good), corned beef hash(the best I’ve ever tasted) and peanut butter stuffed French toast with orange marmalade(great!!!). I’ll be back.
Kevin Z.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
First time there tonight. Unique and interesting menu … But loved everything we had. Fun and attentive server made for a great experience. We will be back for sure. Good craft beer list as well.
Steve S.
Tu valoración: 3 Chicago, IL
updating my earlier 1 start review. We had bruch there today. The atmosphere was nice, the staff friendly and competent. That raised them from 1 to 3 stars. Unfortunately, my corned beef hash wasn’t very good. The meat was cut too large; it was dry, stringy, and tasted mainly of black pepper. The eggs were poached well, but also over peppered. I would not order that again — or hope that they hire a new chef who’s able to taste when he’s drowned out the flavor of the food.
J L.
Tu valoración: 3 Chicago, IL
A friend and I came for ½ off food on a Monday. They were out of five items on the menu so we were torn at what to order. We ended up getting squash, chicken wings, and fries. The fries were the best part of the meal and the wings and squash were almost hard to eat. I definitely was not impressed. The beer selection and interior décor is awesome tho! If I return, I’ll definitely just stick to drinks
Elaine S.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
They have a $ 15 burger, beer, and shot of whiskey special that’s pretty awesome. The burger has buttermilk biscuits for buns which was a nice touch!
Jessica A.
Tu valoración: 4 Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL
My first time, and i can only order so much for one person to eat! So I will definitely be back to try all of their amazing menu items. Love the whisky cocktail, the daily specials(who else does half price bottles of wine on a Friday?!) and the chicken fried pickles appetizer is amazing! Crisp, not soggy, and just so good!
Nina H.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
My friends and I came here for trivia on a Wednesday and for drinks & food. We have been to 5 other places for trivia and this was the best by far. The staff are really nice and bartender was attentive. Menu needs to be proofed though they had a lot of misspellings HAHA. The food was delicious. We tried the burger, Brussel sprouts, kabobs and popcorn. Looking forward to coming back again soon!
Lucy P.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
Love this place! The food was really, really, really good. My friend and I shared olives, turkey schnitzel and a sausage dish. Everything was truly outstanding. I was unsure of which cocktail to order so the very nice bartender, Clint, made me both to try. It was a bit slow, but it was also a really cold Monday evening. Will definitely go back for amazing food and cocktails and hope the atmosphere is a little more bustling. The bad reviews seem to address this not being a sports bar — which it is, thankfully, not. It is more in tune with a traditional English pub. The service was outstanding so any issues they may have had have clearly been addressed. Visit this place!
Jennifer C.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
I’ll confess– I was very upset when Temple Bar decided to reinvent itself as Beef & Barley. We used to go to Temple Bar pretty frequently, and we always enjoyed their burgers and outdoor seating in the summer. I was distraught when I saw that the new version of Temple Bar seemed to be an overpriced, pretentious gastropub with an unappealing menu(why did they get rid of the delicious Temple Bar burger??). But now that Beef and Barley has gone through some growing pains, it looks like they’ve found their niche. They’ve revamped the menu and lowered the prices from when they first reopened, and after visiting for brunch this afternoon, I have to admit that their food is quite good. I had the biscuit and gravy, which comes with a fried egg and a fried chicken thigh(clearly not a day for counting calories…). The biscuit was buttery and delicious(sourced from Southern France Patisserie, which I now can’t wait to visit), and the sausage gravy was quite tasty, albeit a tad salty. The chicken was moist and flavorful, and my only real complaint was that the fried egg was so over easy that it still had quite a bit of clear egg white slime on the top. My husband had the steak and egg sandwich, which was also good, as were the hash browns that came on the side. We were especially impressed with the more than reasonable prices. Each entrée was only $ 10, and there were a number of other hearty menu options that were less than that. You can get a good-sized breakfast sandwich with a huge side of fries for $ 6! And while I didn’t sample any cocktails on this visit, I was surprised to see that their mimosas and blood marys are only $ 6– quite a steal compared to most brunch places! Oh, and all food is half price on Mondays, which is pretty amazing. Some other reviewers noted that Beef & Barley no longer shows sports, but that wasn’t the case today. They had soccer and rugby matches on, and the sound for the rugby was quite loud. I was actually hoping for there to be no sports at all, but it sounds like this might be just a Saturday morning thing. Temple Bar and Fearon’s before it had a soccer crowd, so it’s not surprising that Beef & Barley would carry on the tradition. On the bright side(for us but not for Beef & Barley), the place wasn’t very busy, which is rare for brunch in Lakeview. Overall, this was a good experience, and I look forward to the weather warming up again so that I can try out some other dishes at Beef & Barley on their lovely sidewalk patio!
Ruby R.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
It’s unfortunate that Lakeview, Wrigleyville and the neighboring areas are saturated with TV studded restaurants and bars. You can’t sit anywhere in this neighborhood without the bright lights of some sports game distracting your date from the conversation.(Corridor is the only other local joint that has also resisted the TV fad.) It’s obvious that the folks at Beef & Barley are trying to fill the tiny niche of casual food establishments that don’t cater to sports fans. They kept the TV’s but had a movie on when we came in. It was a little distracting, but a nice change from the neighborhood norm. The menu is the most interesting and varied I’ve seen around. Think of it as pan-Logan Square + downtown chic without the high price tags. They run weekly specials with damn reasonable prices on food and beer. We tried the Bone Marrow, Ribs(OMG, delicious rub, tasty, fall off the bone) and the Corned Beef Rillette. Well plated, delicious, and such a pleasant departure from burgers, tacos and jalapeño poppers.(Though they do have a burger and taco on the menu too…) If you’re a sports asshole, go to one of the many bars that will cater to your fetish. If you want a nice joint to hang out in, talk to your friends and eat some damn good food, this is the place. Kitchen service was a little slow on a quiet Monday night when we were there, but the staff were super personable and obviously care about the joint. I’m sure they’ll sort out the bumps as they develop a devoted following.
Jay R.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
Wow delicious! We walked by the other day and looked good so had to come back. Extensive draft beer selection, classy food, definitely coming back! $ 3 drafts and free skee ball made a perfect date night!
Kelsey S.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
Wonderful service, great food, very affordable prices. And they had great specials! We got $ 4 Lagunitas drafts. Happy to have it around, will definitely be back!
Carolyn S.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
I love this place! This place is an undiscovered gem! My husband and I stumbled in on a random weekday and the food was CRAZY well priced, and DELICIOUS. Seriously the food is worth 3x what they have it priced at ATLEAST, and on mondays it’s all half off. So after we stopped in and I loved the cocktails, the food, the beers, the vibe, the service, and the prices, I decided to bring my husbands birthday party in for drinks a week later on a quiet night(the day before NYE). We wandered in with about 30 people without calling ahead, at 1130 and the bartender was super friendly, helpful, and didn’t even grumble when we accosted him with a million drink orders all at once even though he was the only one working that night. Then, tonight(a monday) I decided to walk over and get the brussel sprouts again(because they are the most delicious thing ever), and ordered the burger too. I cannot believe how much food they gave me, plus my new favorite, the house cider, and still under 15 dollars. I love this place. I will be back, over and over again! Gastropub food, and craft cocktails at the lowest prices possible! And they have a shuffle board! :)
Dan R.
Tu valoración: 5 Downers Grove, IL
Temple is gone. We used to go to Temple two, three times a week. The drinks were cheap, the food was acceptable, and the staff was great. But it’s gone. And that’s okay. Growing pains can be tough, but it’s safe to say Beef and Barley has finally come into it’s own. We came in on the Wednesday before Christmas with a party of 6, and had no issues finding a table to seat us all. Revolution drafts were on special, which is always a good thing. We started off with the popcorn, which on that day had a Wasabi Ranch seasoning(it rotates each day). Very balanced, very good, and it kept the table happy while we waited for our drinks. My girlfriend and I each ordered the new sausage entrée. It came in a cute mini cast-iron pan with delicious creamed spinach. It wasn’t huge, but it definitely satisfied. Someone else at our table ordered the bone marrow, which I wasn’t brave enough to try, but it got rave reviews from the rest of the party. My roommate ordered the ribs, which were dry-rubbed. The insides were succulent and juicy, with a nice crisp on the outside. We came back on Saturday, and decided on a whim to order cocktails instead of our normal beer. Our superstar bartender Alex gave us some amazing recommendations, and was clearly passionate about his craft. After prompting him with some of my likes(citrus, creamy mouthfeel), he steered me towards the Malort Hemingway. As any good Chicagoan knows, you don’t WANT to drink Malort, but it was divine. The slight bitterness of the Malort(mixed into the whipped cream on top!) paired well with the sweet acidity of the grapefruit juice, and the rum cut through just enough to make you remember you were drinking booze. The roommate ordered the Red Ryder, made with a pomegranate molasses and topped with Half Acre Daisy Cutter. Weird, I know, but the carbonation of the beer helped to balance the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients. The ambiance of the bar is great. If you come in here expecting your typical sports bar, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re looking for an intimate setting to actually have a conversation, however, you’ve come to the right place. They’ll definitely switch on a game for you if you ask, but the charm of the place is being able to enjoy the company of the people you’re with(or the staff). They’ve recently installed a REAL jukebox and a photo booth(which we weren’t intoxicated to take advantage of), and the old shuffleboard table in back is still there. Were we upset when we found out our beloved Temple Bar was going bye bye? You bet. Are we happy that our neighborhood spot is now somewhere we can go for a creative drink, a wonderfully procured meal, and a comfortable spot to unwind? Damn right. Thank you, Beef and Barley!
Heather B.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
Top 10 reasons why I will be back again: 10. Rumors of bottomless bloodies and bacon — who doesn’t love a good brunch spot! 9. Need to Try The Rest of the Food Menu — Ribs, tacos, bone marrow 8. Need to Try A Cocktail or 2 — They have APEROL! 7. Need to See A Silent Movie(nice change of pace, especially on a gals night) 6. Sausage Dish — Where everything else(creamed spinach, ciabatta) was just as tasty. 5. Beer Cheese Pretzel — Perfect fall/winter dish 4. Some of the Best Brussel Sprouts — Great way to get your greens 3. Tikka Masala Wings — Could eat these once a week 2. ½ Price Wine on a Friday?! — Seen this on Wed, but always ready for a bottle on Fri. 1. Great Staff — we talked food, tasted wine, good neighborhood vibe! See you soon!
Jenni P.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
We wandered into Beef & Barley on Friday night before a show in the neighborhood — and it was so great we ended up skipping the show and just hanging out there all night! Friday night is half-price wine bottles — which is an excellent deal for a Friday. The staff was super accommodating and let us try samples of the bottles before we ordered. The food was amazing. They apparently just updated the menu & everything we had was delicious. There were two of us, and we ordered four plates to share. We were stuffed! But I’m glad we did it that way — it was great to try a bit of everything. I would highly recommend the sausage — the creamed spinach served with it is the perfect compliment to the meal. We also had the wings, brussel sprouts, & pretzel — all were very tasty! Service was friendly, food was great, & the wine was a good price. You should definitely check this place out!
Alex J.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
Okay, so reading the other reviews, I’m somewhat flabbergasted. Beef and Barley is doing their new concept well, and the food was stellar. The staff seemed more than friendly and helpful, and I thoroughly enjoyed dinner. The prices for what you get are also outstanding — pennies on the dollar for delicious things from bone marrow to turkey schitnzel covered in kimchi and an egg. Is it your neighborhood sports bar anymore? No, get over it. Relish the new B and B.
Teri G.
Tu valoración: 1 Chicago, IL
I wish I could give it no stars. Like many of the other reviews on here, I had a TERRIBLE experience at this bar this weekend(12−12−15). I was a loyal Temple Bar patron and have been coming here so long I once knew it as Fearons. Sadly, I won’t be returning to this bar until Beef & Barley is gone. When we arrived for a small birthday gathering almost all the tables were marked as reserved, but there were no people at those tables or at the bar. The only place to sit was a high top for 4 people, there were six people in our party. After trying to move two bar stools to our table(after the very nice waitress told us we could) we were scolded like little children. The bartender/manager(whoever he was) told us in the most condensing way that the unused chairs could not be moved for people who were currently in the bar trying to a drink. He needed to save those seats for other people who *might* come in and sit at the bar. Our group was so offended by the way we were spoken to that we left immediately and went to Diag where we were greeted kindly and spend hundreds of our hard earned dollars. The menu is a joke and the table next to us sat un-bussed for like 30 minutes, which was disgusting. From the looks of these reviews this behavior is consistent with this bartender/manager and I suspect that B & B won’t be around for long with this kind of customer service. There are so many great bars in the area don’t waste your time or money at this one.
C.C. H.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
My friends and I went to Beef & Barley last Saturday night to watch UFC193 — no cover and an atypical bar food menu? I’m going to give this place a chance even though most Unilocalers seem to still be mourning Temple Bar. We were greeted by someone who vibed GM and who informed us that almost all their tables were reserved for the evening. Somewhat strange because the folks who showed up seem to be the club-going crowd and it wasn’t clear if they were foodies or UFC fans who happened to want to dress up? Anyways, while we had a small snafu off the bat because 2⁄3 of us got the brunch menu instead of the dinner menu, the confusion was quickly cleared up and our server Mallory quickly began to demonstrate why she was the MVP of the night. She seemed to be the only server in the gastropub, working with two bartenders and an occasional assist from the GM-like person. She very nicely offered to put my leather jacket with her stuff behind the bar when I asked if there was a coat rack and did a perfect job of splitting our check four ways at the end of the evening. Now, about the food and drink — an interesting selection of beer, not expansive, but thoughtfully curated across currently trendy categories. They also do a draft cocktail(some kind of Manhattan right now) and other nice cocktails. We liked the food even though some of first choices were already out by 7:30pm on a Saturday :-/ Pretzel — two medium-sized pretzels with almost crispy exteriors but fluffy bready insides and delicious beer cheese. My friend saved the leftover beer cheese to use as a sauce on other food. Barley & Kale — a really big plate of very fresh-tasting healthy things with lots of light flavors and textures. Cauliflower — the peach mostarda(a kind of preserve) was somewhat inelegantly applied to a big hunk of fried cauliflower but the whole thing was still greasy delicious. Kabob — overall, a strong dish. I liked the spices used on the two skewers of chicken but thought the meat was surprisingly almost dry for thigh meat. The kabob rested on a very generous bed of black rice mixed with yummy scrambled egg bits and sweet and tangy pineapple chunks. I couldn’t really detect the presence of spam but did not think the dish lacked in flavor for it. Wendel’s Chicken — Mallory the server was attentive enough to show us this dish as it was heading to another table and my friend got it and was happy with it and shared pieces of his giant cobblestone style biscuit. It was soft and warm and buttery, dressed with drizzled honey. Beef & Barley is a strong upscale option on Ashland with interesting events and plentiful TV screens at very reasonable prices — I recommend giving it a try and making up your own mind despite its poor Unilocal performance at the moment.
Tiffany B.
Tu valoración: 1 Chicago, IL
Just had the worst experience at this bar tonight. We went in for dinner around 7:30 on a Sunday– they were only serving a brunch menu. We were the ONLY table there! A CBS version of the Bourne Identity was on all the TVs– we asked to have Sunday Night Football turned on. The bartender said«No, we aren’t that type of establishment. We only show Chicago games– nothing else. The owner wants to be more of a food establishment now.» We left. Good luck to them. Having a CBS drama with no sounds during football season, rather than putting a game on one TV for paying customers? Whatever. No wonder they are always empty now. We won’t be back.
Heather S.
Tu valoración: 4 Miami, FL
What a beautiful bar this place has become! Formerly a bro’s sports bar, filled with drunk hockey fans and blaring pop music, this place has transformed into a cozy hideout you can actually have a conversation in! The menu has dramatically improved as well. Daily drink deals plus a smörgåsbord of appetizers and entrees with something for everyone. My boyfriend can’t stop ordering their tacos, while I’ve had the chicken sandwich and the wings. Neither has disappointed. Monday nights are $ 7 cocktails, and the Razz Smash is dangerously delicious! Dark wood paneling and dim incandescent pendant light in make for a very romantic atmosphere. Mellow tunes play in the background. There are still a few tv screens, but they don’t always show sports. If you want a sports bar, go to one of the million others around the neighborhood. But for a lovely intimate date night, hit up Beef and Barley. You’ll thank me later.
Monica S.
Tu valoración: 1 Chicago, IL
So disappointing! I’ve been coming here with my family for years and this new ownership needs to calm down because they are trying to rebrand way too hard. Your ambiance won’t die if you add a light or 2(I’m 25, my eyes are fine, it was just super dark). The menu leaves much to be desired. My little sister wanted a burger with American cheese and for some reason they couldn’t do it? Either a pretzel bun with pepper jack or a biscuit bun with American, you cannot have the pretzel bun with American. What? Really? It was Friday night and they were slow, hmm wonder why. The food isn’t that good, either. If management is reading this: chill out! Our server was great though, despite odd management regulations.
Corey S.
Tu valoración: 2 Chicago, IL
We live in the neighborhood and come in often. We have seen this pub change often. Too dark now. Silly movies on tv. No sports. The staff is always great and I feel badly that they are not busier but a pub needs to be a pub not a bistro. PS. This is Chicago. Fish on Fridays is a must. Also, miss the curry once offered. Finally, it’s your business to do with as you please, but if you don’t drive traffic, it’s going to be really tough to keep the great help that has always been there. PSS. I have been back since the org review and I will continue to do so. This is where I go for a beverage in good times and otherwise. As the menu evolves, I will continue to hope for the best. You may have a great chef, but do you want to serve what he makes or shall he make what people want to eat?
Sara K.
Tu valoración: 1 Lafayette, CA
Oh Temple Bar… where art thou??? The new concept makes no sense. ½ the TV’s are gone… food is way over priced($ 11 burger on a biscuit with no sides??). $ 5 for fries on top of that price. Chicken fried until it’s a shade of badly burned brown? No daily specials? No, no, no. It’s so wrong. No wings, tacos, turkey burger, tater tots, kid friendly or bar munchy food at all. We live right down the street and want nothing more than this place to work, but it’s just not Chicago or our Lakeview neighborhood. What were they thinking? Get a real bun for hamburgers. Get a kids menu, do market research and try again. Sadly we will not be back(we went once a week) until things change.
Jessica M.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
Loved it when it was Temple and love it now with all the new changes. Food was on point. I’m not an olive person but the marinated olives were great… I couldn’t stop eating them. I’ve also had the frites which come with an amazing dipping sauce, the fried chicken and biscuit was delicious(mmm honey) and the chicken fried pickles. my personal favorite. Staff is very friendly and welcoming. Can’t wait to go back! :)
Eric H.
Tu valoración: 1 Chicago, IL
I see they finally have a page for the revised Temple Bar. I’ll just repost my previous review right here: o) I ate at the new Temple Bar, which is now called Beef and Barley, on 7⁄24 and had the worst meal I have had in a long time. Let me start off by saying the staff is still very nice and accommodating. Now that’s out of the way, lets talk about the dinner experience. First off I had the $ 11 burger, with no sides, that was on a soggy buttermilk biscuit. I asked for a real hamburger bun, which the kind barmaid then pointed me to the chef. I then asked the chef if he had a proper hamburger bun which he kindly said, «no, the biscuit is the bun.» I mentioned my disappointment in that after two bites I had to eat the burger with a fork and knife because the biscuit was soggy. I recommend they rethink the buttermilk biscuit approach. Not sure if he liked my feedback, but oh well, that’s how you learn is from your customers. My friend had the over priced chicken that was so deep fried it was as brown as mahogany. I asked the barmaid when they last changed their oil. She said she wasn’t sure. I said,“as someone who has lived in the south almost half his life, I can tell you fried chicken isn’t this shade of brown nor should it be this hard and greasy.” My friend’s son had the ribs which he didn’t like, but still ate since they were so expensive. Just a heads up this is not a slab of ribs, but two, yes two individual ribs. He saw the Boston market across the street and commented he would rather have that. You know it’s bad when you’d rather have Boston Market. They have removed TVs and for whatever reason they played Loony Tunes cartoons while we were there on a Friday night. Weird. I’m not sure what promoted the owner to change the concept, greatly reduce the menu and up the prices so much. This isn’t good. I loved the former Temple Bar. My friends and I would go there periodically. Not daily mind you, but easily three times a month sometimes more. I can’t see this place lasting a years time without revamping everything or rethinking the current concept. It’s no longer a friendly environment, food is bad and it’s way over priced. I recommended to barmaid that if the owner want to charge a lot of money for a burger he or she should go to Gather in Lincoln Square and order theirs. For $ 14 you get a fantastic burger that, guess what, comes with fries. I really hope they can fix things. From a former patron.
Steve S.
Tu valoración: 1 Chicago, IL
Disappointing experience at Beef & Barley tonight(7⁄29). Wanted a burger but without the Merkt and American Cheese. OK, they can do that. They can do their burger with no cheese. Can they put on a slice of cheddar? NOSUBSTITUTIONS! Oh, and it’s two 5 oz patties. Well, can they make a single patty burger with a slice of cheddar on it? NO! We left. (1) The place was pretty empty.(2) They had the ingredients.(3) After we said«OK, we’ll just finish our drinks and go somewhere else to eat.» a manager should have come over to either apologize or explain their policy. The new menu needs work. The concept needs to accept that it’s a bar with food.