Moody Tongue Brewing Company’s craft beer selections
Celebrate fall and pay homage to a timeless Bavarian tradition as Oktoberfest returns to Chicago from Sept 21 through Oct 6. We’ve compiled the top Windy City spots to enjoy brats, brews and live performances during one of the city’s favorite fall celebrations.
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17 W. Adams St. / Website
The Loop’s iconic German eatery, The Berghoff, is celebrating the timeless tradition with live music performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from Sept 12 through Oct 12. On select nights, hear tunes from Die Musikmeisters Band, Alpine Thunder and Die Kellerknaben polka band while sipping on two Fest Biers brewed in-house by Adams Street Brewery and dining on favorites like liverwurst mousse, creamed herring, Alsatian meatloaf and veal ragout.
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435 N. Clark St. / Website
From Sept 19 through Oct 6, Lettuce Entertain You’s popular barbecue spot, Bub City, is hosting its “Bubtoberfest” celebration, featuring craft beer from local breweries, including Goose Island and Shiner Bock. As they sip on pints, visitors can sample tasty traditional fare like jumbo pretzels with sea salt and housemade beer cheese sauce and beer-braised bratwurst with sauerkraut, Dijon mustard and fries.
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1401 S. Michigan Ave. / Website
This firehouse-turned-restaurant is kicking off the festivities with a lively Oktoberfest fête from Sept 27 through 29, featuring festive folk music by the Die Musikmeisters Band on Friday, Sept 27 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Pair German classics like pork loin schnitzel, sauerkraut and sausage platters, grilled bratwurst, apfelkuchen apple cake and giant Bavarian pretzels with hearty libations like HB Hofbräu Original malted beer from Munich and Schmitt Söhne Riesling peach and apple-infused wine.
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809 W. Randolph St. / Website
Chef Stephanie Izard’s Randolph Street mainstay is throwing a Girl & the Goat-style Oktoberfest party on Sunday, Sept 22. The party will feature tasty passed bites, Right Bee Ciders, sommelier-selected wines and local Märzen brews from Spiteful, Solemn Oath, Surly, Revolution and Hopewell & Haymarket. Tickets start at $75 per person and can be purchased here. Each ticket includes passed bites and six drink tickets.
901 W. Kinzie St. / Website
This expansive West Loop taproom, restaurant and bakery is hosting an all-weekend tented Oktoberfest fête from Friday, Sept. 27 at 8 a.m. through Sunday, Sept. 29. Sample Hefeweizen, Helles, Schwarzbier and Festbier Oktoberfest brews, along with Corn Maize Cream Ale and Give it a Chai seasonal sips brewed on-site and a menu of German-inspired cuisine. Through Oct. 6, visitors can also enjoy a themed celebratory three-course pre-fixe tasting menu by chef Taylor Bischof, featuring offerings like potato pancakes, käsespätzle, pork schnitzel, beer brats, apple strudel and beer pairings like Chicago-brewed Helles Lager, Festbier and Schwarzbier or Hefeweizen. Reservations for the inside of the brewery can be made by visiting Open Table and selecting your desired date and time. Tickets are not required, but donations in support of Chicago’s Beer Culture Center are welcomed at the door.
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20 E. Delaware Place / Website
Located in the Talbott Hotel, this upscale dining establishment has transformed its patio into a German-style biergarten to celebrate the season. From Oct 1 through 31, guests can enjoy limited-time craft beers, including Noon Whistle Brewing’s Leisel Weapon Hefeweizen, Around The Bend Beer Co.’s Oct. Fiesta Marzen, Maplewood Brewery’s Fat Pug oatmeal milk stout and more. Visitors can also hear from brewery guest speakers, try free samples and shop for merchandise every Tuesday in October from 5 to 7 p.m.
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2700 W. Chicago Ave. / Website
This Ukrainian Village neighborhood spot is toasting to the occasion with à la carte dishes and a special three-course prix-fixe tasting menu, available from Sept 22 through Oct 6. Diners can sample Eastern European-German staples led by chefs Guy W. Meikle and Shane Zimmerman, including crispy sweetbreads, smoked trout, Polanco Grand Cru and trout roe-topped potato pancakes, mini pretzels, elk summer sausage and pumpernickel “Blushing Maid” crepe cakes. The set menu includes favorites like grilled mackerel, truffle kasepaetzle “Mac and Cheese,” and choucroute garnie with wiener schnitzel, pork breast, smoked short ribs, green kraut, carrots and light Jewish rye.
2515 S. Wabash Ave. / Website
Two Michelin-starred brewery and restaurant Moody Tongue is paying homage to the beloved tradition with a specialty Oktoberfest beer featuring honey and graham cracker flavor notes and toasted Biscoff cookie aromatics. The drink pairs well with menu specialties like crescent duck breast and bone-in pork chops. Visitors can also opt for perennial brews like the caramelized chocolate churro porter, as well as a selection of limited-release beers like the pressed Asian pear saison and the shaved black truffle pilsner, and wine or whiskey barrel-aged beers.
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1419 N. Wells St. / Website
This buzzy beer bar is showcasing a variety of festive German beers and dishes to celebrate the season, including unique traditional and non-traditional German foods. Guest can also build their own flight from authentic brews, which pair perfectly with Old Town Pour House’s crave-worthy pretzel bites.
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916 W. Fulton Market / Website
With eight bars, twelve shops, a music venue and 24 restaurants, this expansive Fulton Market destination is honoring the occasion with a full day of brats, beer and live music, plus a live performance from German band, Frankkmusic from 2 to 4 p.m. Held on Sept 21, the festival will kick off at 11 a.m. with a keg-tap by Gutenburg chef, Jorge Kauam, followed by pretzels and brats from 1 to 5 p.m. Powered by Sam Adams Beer, the event will feature half-liter steins to sip and a stein hoisting competition with the chance to compete against the World’s Strongest Man.
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950 W. Lake St. / Website
Award-winning chef Paul Virant has introduced a unique nod to Oktoberfest with Gaijin’s latest menu item, available through Oct 6. Comparable to Germany’s Weiner schnitzel, the Katsu Curry features a crispy pork cutlet topped with a rich, indulgent curry sauce.
See also: The 5 Best Places To See Fall Foliage Around Chicago
Photography by: Photography courtesy of Moody Tongue, photography of Guinness Open Gate Brewery COURTESY OF SV IMAGES AND KENDALL MCCAUGHERTY
