The Red Lion Lincoln Square

Had Red Lion for dinner Friday night since we’ve been reminiscing lately about our trip to England this past summer.
We started out with the sausage roll for an appetizer. It was good but not great. The flavor was good but the pastry was a little doughy for my taste.
I had the fish and chips and they were close to the best, if not the best I’ve had in Chicago. Not quite as good as in Devon, but close. The fish seasoned well and the batter was nice and crunchy. The house made tartar sauce was excellent as well.
My wife had the chicken and rosemary pasty. She said the filling was great but again the pastry itself was a bit doughy and not as flaky as she would have liked.
We both got the apple pie for dessert and it was quite good.
We will definitely be back to Red Lion soon.

Nice cozy pub. Had the «last supper» with a group of friends because my friends are heading back to their new home… Texas :(
It was a nice night out. The waitress was friendly and the food was good. We started off with onion rings and let me tell you they’re deeeelicious!!! I’m not usually an onion ring eater, but this were great. They had a tempura kind of breading.
Fish and chips x3 – the breading was light and airy. The pieces were great sized pieces. The chips were so good!
Shepards pie – was told by the two who shared it was delicious and perfectly seasoned
Burger – was told it was good
Ahi tuna– i tasted a bite and wasn’t a huge fan bc of the sweet and sour taste. Butttt the two that shared it said they really enjoyed it.
Ginger ribs (special)– was told they were so-​so by who ate them.
Overall, we had a great dinner and would stop in again if in the area. The atmosphere was very nice and cozy.
The coleslaw was pretty good too!
The hot bacon dressing was really interesting and pretty delicious.

Best fish and chips on N side. They try to pull a hand pulled English pint and sometimes succeed. Owners make up for any flaws. Very nice people and friendly staff. Very cozy. Parking the only issue.
(The Gage has best fish and chips downtown but $$$$)

Had drinks and dinner here last night 1/13/16…I was encouraged by our waitress to try the lasagna. Which is not on the menu… just something they have once in awhile. OMG… it was the best lasagna I think I have ever had~! Can’t wait to try something else they serve.

Honestly, it was great. The service, food, and drinks were excellent. It is a casual, relaxed atmosphere that was just what I needed on a relaxed Sunday evening. There is a great whiskey selection — my friend enjoyed that — and I had a few beers per the recommendation of the waitress, and I couldn’t have been happier. A great neighborhood bar, and I’ll be back.

Food is spot on consistently everytime. Owners always on site with a warm welcome. When you’re craving a juicy sirloin burger for under $ 10 this is the number one spot. Not to mention the traditional English flare entrees. Stop by for a sausage roll and a beer, don”t forget to wave to the Queen on the bar.

The hubby and I celebrated our 6^th Wedding Anniversary here with a nice dinner (sans Junior, thanks to Nana). I’ll just stick with the Pros and Cons on this one.
Pros: Great location. Really nice atmosphere. Food was very good. Staff was friendly. Hubby ordered the Pasty special for the evening and I got the Shepard’s Pie. The serving temp was perfect, nice and hot. The portions (while some of heartier appetite might find on the small side) were perfect for us. As for the drink selection, as a cider fan I couldn’t have been happier with the five or so ciders available to pick from. They had Anthem on tap. A bit on the sweeter side, but still very good.
Cons: Can’t really think of any. Prices were a little high, but on par with a good pub. Would like to see some less sweet ciders available. But again, not a complaint.
Definitely would like to try this place out again with several friends along to make it a merry pub evening. I heard a rumor that there might even be a ghost!

Waitress was fast, knowable & delightful. Went this past Sat afternoon in hopes they would have fish & chips for our super picky kids. They had a great kids menu selection! Kids ordered the chicken tenders and the fish & chips meals which they enjoyed. Hubby had the buffalo chicken sandwich & I had the fish sandwich. Fish was perfectly battered, a lit’l greasy, but hey, it’s fried! The fish was thick & flaky… so good! The buns were buttered & grilled, man writing abt it makes me feel I added another inch to my waistline! We also tried the sausage roll & the chili special which were both yummy. Sausage roll was totally like what u get in London. Everything came hot & w/​fries. We were wayyyy full leaving there. I can see this being in our regular family eatery. Altho next time I’ll try the healthier salad options!

I came in for a beer while I waited for a tow truck. I mentioned that to the bartender. I got the beer (had to open and pour it myself which seemed unusual) and paid my tab and said I wanted to sit outside to wait. Although there was another table receiving service from a server and potentially the owner came and chatted with the other table on the patio, no one ever came to see me and ask if I wanted another beer or food or anything else. I have been here over an hour and finished my drink ½ ago. It is not busy at all.

Great beer list and unexpectedly delicious food for a pub! Also, Chelsea (our waitress) was awesome and hilarious. New to the neighborhood so we’ve only been twice so far, but we plan to return frequently.

Good food, but they REFUSE TO TELL YOU PRICES of drinks!
Been there a few times. Nice that the music is played at a low volume and you can talk without having to shout. Menu has all the food prices, but the booze has no prices. None. Zero. Zip. Not even the specials of the day! When the strange waitress finally arrives, she gave a halting, unsure, unsteady GUESSTIMATE OF PRICES! No kidding. When I asked for specific prices she asked me «which ones». I laughed and asked for the prices on the lower priced scotches. When she came back (much later) she said she had «looked over the prices» and again estimated prices, but was, «not sure of the more expensive ones» and she did not know which on the menu were the more expensive ones!!! BTW: I’m the opposite of a clean freak, but the disgusting silverware had not been washed.

My boyfriend is an English ex-​pat who maintains that the fish and chips at Red Lion comes closer to being authentic than any other he’s had in his 18 years stateside. I think it’s pretty damn good. So, for his birthday this year we planned a party at Red Lion. Now, we were going to be celebrating his birthday on Easter Sunday, so we called to make sure they’d be open normal hours. We were assured it would be no problem and quoted hours beyond what the website stated. We checked the website just to be sure and no mention of being closed for the holiday. So, we invited our friends and set out for much anticipated fish and chips. Lo and behold, we arrived to find a sign on the door: «closed for the holiday!» This is the second time this has happened to us at Red Lion. We genuinely love the food here, but It is terribly embarrassing, not to mention inconvenient, to invite a group of people to a closed restaurant.

We took my English expat husband here for his birthday and they treated him like a king. He said this was the closest thing to a typical English pub he’s seen since he moved here… wood everywhere, old pub signs and mirrors on the walls, Union flag bunting, the works. Very homey and welcoming. I was sat on an old church pew facing a red phone booth and ornate windows. It really feels like a place you can settle in for a few hours.
I ordered the salmon pasty, because I was dying for a pasty even though I don’t particularly care for fish. It was excellent, though, very delicious! The hubs had curry chips and loved them so much he asked if he could take some of the curry sauce home (they gave him a huge container full, which was very sweet of them!) My friend had the shepherds (*ahem* cottage) pie and I snagged a bite: Also good! The Pimms cup I had was tasty and their choices of cider left me in quite the conundrum as I couldn’t decide due to the comparably vast selection. I ended up going with the Scotch cider (the waiter accidentally told me it was 13%… What he meant was that it was $ 13!!! Wouldn’t have ordered it had I known but it was very good so I’m glad I got to have it once). The best part was the bread pudding. The rum sauce was the best I’ve ever had and still had quite the kick to it!!!
Also the service was wonderful even though apparently the waitress didn’t show up so we were served by the bartender.
Overall a fantastic success and we will definitely be back.
The only downside is the parking situation is not great. Lots of «dibs» in a non-​permit parking area and a few places where people hadn’t shoveled their sidewalks several days after the snowfall. We got the only available spot about a block and a half away.

Meh. It was OK.
Wife and I stopped by for some dinner a couple of weeks ago. Nice ambience, in trying to resemble a typical British Pub. My wife ordered the Fish and Chips which came presented in a plastic basket. It made it hard to eat and didn’t look that appealing. The taste was good though. I ordered the Beef stew with Guinness sauce. Not bad, but not great. The meat was very dry and while the sauce helped, it was hard to chew. For desserts, we ordered the Chocolate cake. Again, very dry, with no real sauce. Shame.
Finally, I ordered a snakebite. As a Brit, I know the official way to make a snakebite. Some might argue that this can vary, but most Brits who drink them daily at university know the proper way. This place «almost» nailed it! Just needed a tiny bit more blackcurrant juice and it would have worked a treat!
So to sum up, great ambience, nice décor, excellent service, but mediocre food. This place just needs a few finishing touches to make it awesome. Just not quite there yet.

First off the food is great. I have had their bangers and mash, salads, pub burger, and appetizers, all delicious. Have been a few times in the past year with small to medium sized groups of friends. It is a nice local hang out for sure.
My problem is with their service, not entirely horrible overall, but after last night I do not think I will ever be back. The waitress we had last night we had once before and the first time she was ok, but last night she acted like it was dooms day when we asked if we could have four separate checks then she said we couldn’t because «it’s new years eve.»
Yes the place was full when we arrived but the largest group, which was right next to us, had already received their check we noticed as we prepared to order. Honestly after that group left the place was half empty and once their section was cleared our waitress proceeded to just sit at a table and talk to a gentleman for quite awhile.
Overall they were out of this and that, my order came out slightly wrong but I didn’t want to bother having her fix it because I am sure there would have been an attitude or issue with that as well, the coffee machine was «acting up» even though we saw another table order coffee. In the end she did give us complimentary coffee when she did double check it was in fact working again.
I don’t know I certainly do not fault the waitress for them being out of items on the menu, but overall it really seemed that she was just mad because she was working new years eve and was taking it out on her tables.
In the end we all only tipped her because she was working a holiday, for the complimentary coffee, and the food was delicious. Definitely not for the service we received.

3 Stars from me but my ex and his British pal give this place 5 stars.
I am not a fish & chips aficionado. I did not grow up in Wisconsin (ex) nor England (friend). I did not and do not go to fish frys. They on the other hand love fish & chips. Shortly after this place opened I took them here because I knew this would be up their alley. When you first walk in this place definitely has an old English pub vibe. Lots of wood, cozy half booths, and dimly lit.
I remember them having a decent selection of beers, but this review is mainly to tout their fish & chips. Both of them claim it is the best they’ve had in Chicago. The Wisconsin-​er, says its the best he’s ever had. The Brit says its the best he’s had stateside. They load up their fish with tartar and vinegar and I just stick to the vinegar.
If you like fish & chips I’d say this is a solid neighborhood joint. I wish the service was a little better but it wasn’t bad enough that a specific instance stands out too me — just a little on the slow side.

I’ll write some more when I go back and try the food…
Stopped in for a late drink at the bar after work. The chef was bartending, and he was very courteous and helpful. People that were eating couldn’t say enough about how good the food was. Can’t wait to try it for myself.

It’s been too long since I visited The Red Lion in Lincoln Square. Too many new, sexy places that friends want to try; too much work; too much summer.
I’d been thinking of stopping in for dinner and a couple drinks for weeks. Maybe it was the coming of autumn and longer nights. There’s something about sitting in a British-​style place when it’s dark and cold outside. It’s comforting, homey, soothing. Had the Red Lion changed?
I fell off the Brown Line and scooted a block north, walking fast to get out of the brisk wind. As soon as I opened the front door of the restaurant, I felt reassured. Everything looked like it should. Conversation from the four or five tables was quiet. The lighting emphasized the dark walls and was reflected in the mirror over the bar. I can’t tell you exactly how it happens, but The Red Lion just feels right for a cold night.
Most of the seats around the bar were occupied. It was the night of Wallenda’s infamous tightrope walk, and the TV over the bar was tuned to endless coverage of the non-​event. I found a seat at the far end of the bar and plopped down.
Nate, the bartender, greeted me as soon as I sat down. I asked what kind of red wine he had by the glass, and he ended up giving me a taste of the zinfandel. Wonderful. A perfect winter warmer. I settled back, sipping the smooth wine, and, before long, was drawn into the conversation by the friendly folks around the bar. If you’re a regular, this is the kind of «place where everyone knows your name.» But even a newcomer like felt welcome.
The Red Lion is not the place to go when you’re on Weight Watchers. I went with the Black Bean Burger and French Fries, and one more glass of the zinfandel. The portion was filling and delicious. The wine was smooth. I felt all warm and cozy inside, and very relaxed.
Good food, good wine, good conversation, relaxing atmosphere — what else do you need? I’ll be back soon. Promise.

as a neighborhood pub with some food options, the Red Lion is a nice place. Many a night I have had a brew and burger here (along with some curry sauce to go with the fries).
They also seem to be never busy, which is awesome because let’s face it, the worst thing about a pub is too many people. Here you can roll in and usually find a table.
Anyway if you want a banger or pasty in your mouth, or maybe a ploughman’s lunch, you should come here.
I also appreciate how they go out of their way to mention that they are NOT affiliated with red lion, lincoln park.

Gentrification 101 — Capitalize on young people who have families and wish they didn’t by putting a campy English pub in the middle of one of the largest Chicago soccer mom enclaves. Welcome overwrought parents to bring their screaming toddlers to trash the place while they ignore their spawn and chug beers.
Win.
The fish ‘n’ chips were tasty, the bubble and squeak very savory, the beers were promptly and politely served. The furniture and kitsch was interesting and appealing. The waiters and bartenders were good guys.
The only downside was the cattle-​herd influx at 6pm of young parents, stampeding in and lowing for beers, repeatedly knocking things over and ramming strollers into chairs and letting children run wild.
So go early or late, and nowhere near prime dinner time. Otherwise it’s sticky fingers, screaming, slobber and snot for you.