Home > Bars & Clubs > Bar Review > Inside: Uberstein

The owners of Crobar have had a busy year. First they opened Lincoln Park late-night lounge and dance club MaxBar; now they've moved into the heart of Wrigleyville, where their just-opened German bar replaces the New Orleans-themed Heaven on Seven on Clark. Forget Mardi Gras. At Uberstein, the motto is, "It's Oktoberfest every day."

Inside: Don't expect another Chicago Brauhaus. Instead, think Bavarian style more in the vein of Epcot Center. (Plasma screens hang from the plaster and criss-cross wood-framed walls, and co-branded Uberstein/Hofbrau T-shirts are already for sale.) In fact, one of the first things we heard upon entering the bar was a synthesized, up-tempo oompah-pah that sounded like the soundtrack to the Germany portion of the It's a Small World exhibit. Feel like singing? Tabletop drink menus feature a German beer hall chant: Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, Oy! Oy! Oy!

Outside: Long benches and tables with big blue umbrellas fill up the front, fenced-in patio. Blue and white checked table cloths carry on the color scheme. Fill up a table with your friends, or smile and make new ones by sitting down for a communal drinking experience. Don't have a ticket to the game at Wrigley? Don't worry; music gets turned off and the Cubs game gets turned on on the outdoor speakers.

Drinks: Hope you like Hofbrau. (The beer selection's limited to the Munich-imported brew and Bud, but there is a full bar.) Three fancy ceramic towers carry five taps each of Hofbrau beer, such as the dunkel (dark), weisse or seasonal selection (currently maibock). Love it? Order the liter ($12-$13), or get a taste with the one-third and half-liter stein ($5-$7.50 ). Or, play hard. Round up three friends and take a ride on the shot ski: Four shot glasses are affixed to a wooden Alpine ski, and you can down 80-proof German brandy and shout out a German cheer: Ein prosit.

Food: Don't worry about feeling weighed down by heavy German fare. Uberstein has a small menu of fairly light bites such as an uber-sized hot pretzel with beer cheese ($3.95), spaetzle and gravy--a traditional dumpling ($2.95); beer-boiled bratwurst served on a pretzel roll ($4.95), and Leberkase Bavarian meatloaf, which kind of looks like thick slices of ham--not your mama's meatloaf ($8.95). All sandwiches come with tiny samples of sauerkraut, red cabbage and potato salad. Round up a minimum of four people for an "uber-Feast," a family-style meal that includes brats, frankfurters, thuringer sausage, pretzels, and the three standard sandwich sides ($8.95 per person).

Service: Our waitress was friendly, but seemed to still be learning about the menu and the beer; she couldn't quite give us a comparison scale when we asked about the different Hofbrau brews. It would have helped to know the seasonal maibock is an amber-hued, high-alcohol brew that's slightly spicy.

Crowd: The prime Wrigleyville location means that you can expect a Cubs fan crowd, plus locals whose ages ranged from late 20s to early 40s. Leave the lederhosen at home; dress in casual attire.

Bottom line: The theme may be as cheesy as the pretzel dipping sauce, but it's an uber-fun atmosphere and reasonably priced. Uberstein is a refreshing change from the frat-party bars up the street, plentiful Irish pubs and myriad upscale sports lounges in the area.

Karen Budell is the metromix nightlife producer.

Originally published Aug. 3, 2006.

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