Clark Street Ale House: User Reviews

Pleasant, casual atmosphere with great beers
By NancyBloom from chatham, April 25, 2009

Overall rating:

Loved it - celebrated my husband's birthday there with friends and family. Very pleasant, casual, and comfortable. People and bartenders friendly. A beer for everyone (and other libations if desired). Highly recommended.

Awful
By laagirl from River North, September 27, 2008

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Horrible people, horrible bar. Unkind, awful bartender. Do NOT bother with this place. Plenty of other bars that are MORE fun.

If you live anywhere near...
By Nick from Chicago, IL, March 12, 2005

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If you live anywhere near the River North area, I suggest you spend some time at the Clark Street Ale House. Besides the great beers, fantastic staff, and overwhelmingly chill atmosphere, the place stays open until 4am! (And 5am on Sat.) I promise this is the type of bar you will immediately wish you would have gone to earlier.

I just moved into the...
By Brad L from Chicago, IL, June 7, 2004

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I just moved into the neighborhood and strolled in on a Thurs night..I love the beer, scotch selection, jukebox and the staff of ladies..Erin and Jen do a remarkable job running the bar and they're so outgoing too. I felt like part of the family.

You gotta love a joint...
By J C from Chicago, IL, December 17, 2003

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You gotta love a joint that has an excellent Bell's Winter Wheat (can you say mother's milk?) and the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies on the jukebox.

I have lived in Chicago for a year and a half and this is the first place I have found with SCW. Granted, I have not gone on an extensive search, but it is HERE, baby.

I challenge anyone out there to give me another joint with this kind of beer/booze selection and stellar juke box.

Don't know about the food...do they even have it? I was there to exercise my liver. :-)

Great place to drink great...
By August West from San Souci, CA, December 5, 2003

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Great place to drink great beers and other liquors (great selection of whiskeys). Check out the kick a** jukebox. Don't know where they get the "deep cuts", but Jerry would be proud. Adam and cohorts are great.

I was really looking forward...
By Frank Weiss from Crete, IL, October 31, 2003

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I was really looking forward to this place. I guess it's OK but this was my first visit and I got a musty smelling beer out of thier tap. This beer happens to be one of my very favorite and I wanted to have my buddies try it out for the first time. Imagine my disappointment when the beer smelled musty and tasted like dish water. A place that prides themselves as an Ale House should be ashamed to have served a beer in this condition. The bar tender did replace it with another brand of beer that was in good condition. However what a disappointment, I expected much more out of these people.

Great bar to chill with...
By tom k from chicago, il, June 20, 2003

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Great bar to chill with some buddies and drink a great selection or beer and scotch....and love the "school teacher waitress"

Great bar you guys need...
By Bill S from Downers Grove, IL, May 19, 2003

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Great bar you guys need to update you stuff here it been open till 4am and 5am on sat for a few years now. don't forget the great burbon selection.

When my liver demands satisfaction...
By T Swarsky from Chicago, IL, January 15, 2003

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When my liver demands satisfaction the Clark Street Ale House delivers, warding off my shakes with an ample selection of top shelf liquor and high quality beer. Probing the depths of my body's dependence on alcohol is easily accomplished by simply perusing the fine collection of bourbon and scotch that sit proudly displayed top shelf. As I ravenously devour double portions of 30-year old scotch, I must admire the professional manner in which the barkeep jigger pours my lifeblood. Without a doubt, the apex of my existence has come to fruition as I wash down a triple portion of 108 Proof bourbon with a well-hopped cask conditioned 2 Hearted Ale. This leaves me speaking incoherent babble as I feel my insides dissolve into what certainly will become the gentle kiss of an early death. The barkeep was very professional when he told me that I had been over-served and perhaps it was time I "found someplace else¿.