Gideon Welles

This place is GREAT! Great service, great food, great drinks, and a great family room type dining area for families. We were seated right away and they were super friendly to our babies. They were accommodating to us after we had bad experiences trying to get into 2 other places. We will definitely go bak here with OR without kids!

Improvement. Big improvement! I used to go here occasionally, when it was Latitude. It was boring. However, the proximity to the Old Town School of Folk Music makes it a go to when I’m in the area. We did just that, after an OTSFM show, staggered in for one after the show.
Well! It seems to be under new management, at least the staff got a refresh or something. Our server, K, sidled up to us when we sat down, charming as can be. What was «Let’s just have one.» turned into at least three, she was so friendly and chatty. Or maybe we’re just lushes, unable to confine ourselves to one drink. Naahh! It was because we were having a blast.
This place used to be just meh, but now I’ll definitely be back!

First time at this bar, I loved it, I really like the area, the food is delicious and the selections of beer and cider is very good. The bartender was really nice and friendly and she talked to my husband and I quite a bit. The bar has an outdoor patio that is pretty big and they are right across from a park so that is exciting. The restaurant is in a really cute part of the city.

Checked out Gideon Welles on the Hawks’ last game of the playoffs. Sad face. Ended up being Burger night, $ 7 2 topping burger with fries. I was so excited to try the burger since the meat blend is rib eye and brisket. Another sad face since the burger was overcooked, I chose goat cheese and mushrooms for the toppings but they were topped kinda unevenly.
The fries delicious as they were very fresh cut, great beer list and the featured $ 5 beer was Citradelic.
Felt so bad as there was only one waitress for the whole restaurant so service was quite slow. But I am giving empathy points.

This place is awesome, the staff here are so nice and considerate. My server gave me my 2^nd Bloody Mary in the house because she felt she was late on delivering it. That was not the case at all. The good here is prepared on point and delicious and the atmosphere is perfect for a Sunday brunch.

I’ve been to GW plenty of times and every time I go I’m not disappointed. The beer list is always solid and always changing, plus they tend to cater to the local Chicago brewery’s so that’s a bonus. The food is has always been very good every time I go in, the short rib sliders are a must have. The wings are also tend to be great, but be careful they can get hot from time to time (okay by me!). And while not a salad guy, I found myself asking for seconds on the chopped salad. The Gideon Welles burger has always be a favorite of mine and they cook the burgers correctly if you ask. (Medium Rare!) My wife loves the Kellers favorite… BLT with a egg on it… yeah can’t go wrong there.
Also GW is very accommodating to families with children… which is great to have a local place that prides itself in a family atmosphere. The back room is perfect for families…
I’ve also held Fantasy football parties in that back room which GW’s is also very accommodating with and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
Overall one of the better bars in the area and I’m glad they are there.

Great local place to get good beers and pub grub. #1 go to is the short rib sliders to start. Gideon Welles burger never disappoints but for a lighter meal the chopped salad and veggie wrap are both great. Friendly service. The back room offers a great spot to bring the family, especially after working up an appetite at the park. Can’t wait for the weather to change so we can enjoy the patio!

It’s an OK place to go… the ambience isn’t the best but it’s decent. Food is alright — I had the shrimp tacos. The menu claimed they came with guacamole but I neither saw nor tasted the guac. I only had one drink which was had pineapple in it but wasn’t that great. So, meh.

Their salads are AWESOME. It always amazes me when bars have great salads and this place is top notch. I got the Grilled Veg salad and it’s in the top 10 salads that I’ve had in awhile. We sat at the bar because they were very busy and the bartender working was VERY attentive and super nice.
I only knocked a star off because my bf’s burger and fries were good but not awesome. He didn’t have any serious complaints, though.

what was i missing…
the reviews and the friday fish fry brought us here. i was not impressed. the bar itself was dreary and seemed a bit musty. my salad was so disappointing that i allowed myself a huge frozen custard afterwards (and this while trying to stay vegan ;() a buncha lettuce and the first time around they forgot half the ingredients. when the «fixed» salad returned, it didn’t look much different. i could count the tomatoes in the heap of overwashed greens.
nasty onion rings and a dirty wine glass… will not return.

Fun neighborhood spot. Great beer list. Our server was super nice. Loved finding several Stone Brewing special release beers on tap. #keeper

Gideon Welles is my go to bar in Lincoln Square for several reasons.
1) The service is great! The waitstaff & bartenders are friendly and always quick with your food & drinks.
2) The food! From their handmade burgers to their tasty tacos… I’ve never been disappointed with what I have ordered. I think they have the best pub grub on the block.
3) The location is perfect! Right on the corner of Sunnyside and Lincoln… parking is no problem (with the lot right across the street) and it is super easy to get a cab.
4) The crowd: It’s a nice mix of neighborhood regulars and families (earlier in the evening) — I always end up chatting with people around me and having more than a few good laughs.
Check out Gideon Welles the next time you are in Lincoln Square!

We came here after my birthday dinner in order to try to catch the end of the playoff football game. The place is a large corner bar and for a Saturday night, there wasn’t a very large crowd. Nevertheless, it seems like a good place to hang back and enjoy a couple beers.

This bar is great. Great service and very cozy.
I had the Great Divide Yeti, a dark bear that tastes like bitter chocolate and coffee. I also had a Two Towns Cider, which had a perfect amount of apple flavor and wasn’t too sweet. For a snack, I had the artichoke fontina dip, which was amazing. It was light and bright, not heavy like some cheese dips.

Great neighborhood bar with cheap tabs and massive selection. Even on a Wednesday night this place can get crazy fun!

One word sums up the service here: gruff.
Isn’t this place still fairly new? If that’s the case, they are off to a pretty rocky start.
The hostess basically ruined our entire experience right off the bat by rolling her eyes at us and giving attitude for no reason whatsoever. I get it. You don’t like your job. There are also a dozen other restaurants within walking distance which would be more appreciative of their patrons. I don’t think we deserve an eye roll and you motioning at us like we are idiots just because you are too lazy to walk over to us and tell us that you are ready to seat us.
The food isn’t even worth mentioning. It’s your typical bar fare. It would have had to be out-​of-​this-​world, phenomenal for me to ever return to a place where I get treated like my presence is an inconvenience in return for me giving them money.
Do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere.

This is a great great neighborhood stop In
One of the best pint of Guinness in the city and I’ve been here at least 4 times and have yet tasted something that wasn’t tasty !
The staff are friendly
The place is clean and the crowd is really mixed
We live more or less in the neighborhood and stumbled in thinking that it would be another generic regular bar, I think the fact that we can’t stop going back because of all of the positive things that I’ve mentioned above will tell you that it’s well worth putting this on your list of solid places in the Lincoln square area !!

I really struggled with this review. I like having a place close to home that serves decent drinks that I can walk to, especially when out of town guests are visiting. We came in on Easter evening to wind down. There were four adults and three children in our party. Heck, one of the little critters was only two rears old. We had some decent appetizers. The dip trio with hummus, guacamole and, spinach dip was okay. The nachos and the wings were devoured. The drinks were just ok, and my vodka and lemonade was chintzy on the vodka. The small-​fries in the party had typical kid fare like a hot dog and chicken nuggets.
Service was decent even though our server accidentally dropped a plate and dumped ketchup all over one of our purses. No biggie — accidents happen. It would have been a nice gesture to comp a little something, but again, no biggie. The big surprise of the night is that the gratuity 18% was added to our check. We were told that it was added on because we had we had 6 or more in the party. You people are seriously counting toddlers and preschoolers in that head count? To make a long story short we paid with a combo of cash and credit, and WAY over tipped because we were unaware of the included gratuity. I think it was kind of slimy of this place to do this. It left a bad taste. So all in all the food was okay for pub grub, but if you’re dining with very small children know that they’re counted toward that added gratuity, and make sure they chip in.

This is a nice neighborhood bar i would go to regularly. The staff is friendly and the food is great. Music is not too loud. And there’s a good selection of beer on tap. I came in about 4 PM and sat in the bar. There is one menu for lunch and dinner.
The Maryland crabcakes were excellent appetizers. The texture of the lump crab and crispy sear on top was great contrast. The sauce reminded me of a spicy thousand island dressing and tasted great with the crab.
I had the Keller’s Favorite sandwich as my main meal. It’s a bacon sandwich, but the addition of an over easy egg made it superb comfort food. The fries were okay, but then again, i prefer the thick cut fries. I could tell my sandwich was thoughtfully prepared and not slapped together.
Allagash White beer was my beverage and it was on tap. The bartenders kept an eye if I was almost done and asked if I wanted another. Even though I was there during late lunch /​early dinner and the bartenders were serving regular tables, they didn’t leave people at the bar neglected.
I don’t live in the Lincoln Square area, but I would definitely come back for the crabcakes and their other dinners. It’s a great casual atmosphere, there’s a good view of the TV screens anywhere you dined, and there’s great service.
Why I didn’t give Gideon 5 stars. Three reasons… though the food was really good, it seemed limited. I wish there was a larger selection of dinners. And the bathrooms. I prefer the doors to be hidden away in the corner and not accessible in the main room. And third, I prefer thick cut fries.

Saturday in Chicago and the sky is… Yes, grey. It’s warmer than expected which reminds me I should take the bacon out of the garage. Instead I find myself at Gideon Welles with the M and Z. Z is extra loud making their back room excellent for containment — and at 2:30 it’s not packed making it good for his frequent trips to the bathroom.
The first thing that I see is a IPA heavy beer list. It’s the rage. «Soo hoppy». I resist and got for Yetoi stout. It’s beautiful and dark with a hint of sweetness. It makes my mouth happy.
We decide to sample the appetizers. It’s a good choice. The home made chips with blue cheese fondue is delicious. The ceviche and crab cakes are perfect with hints of spice. I would prefer more heat. I don’t complain. I order crispy goat cheese. The goat cheese and crab cakes are small. They leave me wanting. Z finds the hotdog superb but the fries ordinary.
Food gone. Beer gone. We got the trio of green dip and more beer. Fistmas for me. (Thank You Revolution). If the dips one should eat the edamame first as it is the most bland. Follow this with the other in any order. The fried pita is excellent.
The service has been great. My only complaint is that he (our server) was a soft talker.
I am sated… for now.