Hopleaf Bar: User Reviews

A bar lover's bar - especially if you love beer on tap!
By The Antihipster from Andersonville, December 22, 2008

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Some here have complained about the method and time it takes to get a beer here. Now they are not wrong in the fact that if you want a drink and you are in the bar portion of the venue you must go up to the bar and get it yourself; however, I do feel that the idea that the staff is rude consistently is not a true observation.

They have amazing beer (try the Maudite or Ommegang if they still have it) so there is occasion where I need a glass before heading home. On these occasions I usually sit at the bar and enjoy my beer in peace. On these occasions I can easily observe the bartenders at work and this is what I have noticed: if you are cordial to them and ask for their opinion on what to drink they are ready with a quick reply and at times a quick taste of their recommendation. This can cause them to take a little longer with each customer but at the same time if you might be spending $8 on some special import draft it's the kind of service you'd want. The flip side to this observation is that if you are rude, drunk, and pointy (as in you point to the tap and say, "This one!") the barkeeps do tend to be rather short with you. So long story short; the golden rule is enforced at Hopleaf and if you are friendly and cordial with the bartenders they will more than likely return the favor.

As for the ambiance; it has a very bar's bar feel and does remind me a bit of German style beer houses I've been too (though there are no long tables - in fact if you want to sit with friends get here early as seating is limited). The music tends to be more on the 1950's Jazz side and is never too loud. It's a place to go with friends when you want to talk, laugh and drink good beer!!

The true Belgian experience...
By events from Lakeview, November 29, 2008

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First of all, go for the beer. Second of all, for the food. Mike, the owner, rocks! You want to know about beer - ask Mike or any of his servers. Its obvious that if you want to work here, you have to know beer. I have been to Belgium (the best beers in the whole world!) and I feel comfortable going in here and asking for a different beer - ladies, if you don't like beer, ask for the cherry beer that tastes like you are chewing on a piece of cherry pie! This place rocks!

don't go for the food
By doctorbeef from wicker park, November 21, 2008

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First off...not a beer drinker. went there expressly for dinner. Had the steak and pommes fritte. The steak was over-cooked, grainy, and flavorless. The pad of herb-butter didn't help either the flavor, or the texture. Don't go there for the food. Can't comment on the beer (for the reason above).

Want a beer? try go get one!!
By Starr from Wrigleyville, November 15, 2008

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Was at Hopleaf of recent and while the beer selection is unique, the barstaff wasn't very nice nor were they attentive. Perhaps my expectations were a little high, but generally, if I sit at a bar, even when it's crowded, the bartender checks in...at that critical glass- nearing-empty point with a "want another?" That didn't happen and gosh, I hate it when I have to interrupt prime drinking time by trying to get a drink? It's tragic! Yes I got to try some interesting beers but i might have tried MORE interesting beers if the service had been better. Clearly, it bothered me enough to write about it. The impression I formed of Hopleaf over the long evening there was one of irritation. Who cares about great beer selection if you're irritated over the process of trying to get beer and have to wait ten or twenty minutes between beers thus never achieving that steady beer drinking haze that would make you forget your irritated???
But perhaps I expect to much from the bar waitstaff!!

Great beer selection but far from authentic Belgian fare...
By samarims from Naperville, July 11, 2008

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This is a great place for beer and frites but the steak frites is not nearly authentic enough nor is the way the mussels are served. I lived in Antwerp, Belgium for three years and married a lady from Flanders so I know...

Hopleaf
By FLAV from UPTOWN, April 13, 2008

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Went there the other week for a few beers,the only problem was i couldnt get a drink,Has to have been the worst service i have ever come acroos in chicago.The bartenders were so slow and rude when i approached the bar .I can honestly tell you it took me at least 15 minutes to get a drink.Had enough after that and left.

HopeLeaf, this one is one not to miss. For the Miller Llite drinker try something new
By JDL from River West, March 31, 2008

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Wow, if you are a beer lover this is the place, one of the best beer bars and restaurants in the world. It has a fantastic European feel, no TV’s, no screaming sports fans, just great beer, food and conversations with regulars and new comers alike. The staff is very knowledgeable and simply fantastic. On Saturday afternoons or Monday evenings you will be blessed by one of best bartenders that I have ever met. Ask for Chariti Ann. She knows more about beer than almost anyone that I know. And by the way that takes some doing, I have worked in pups similar to this one (Wine Keller) brewed beer for 15 years, graduated from the Siebel Institute’s home brewing class in Durango CO and traveled the world in search of new and interesting beers and beer bars. But enough about me, remember this is not a sports’ bar or a college bar, so don’t ask for a bud or miller. LIVE LIFE try something new, if you don’t know just ask for a recommendation, if your not sure or a little intimidated just ask for a sip first, if you are nice to the bartender it’s free. And always remember be nice to the bartender, you will have a better time and just might learn something new. I did.

Cheers

Jim

Extensive!
By egermata from South Loop, March 22, 2008

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There are so many unique beers to choose from! I've been there twice and haven't had the same thing just because there are so many to try. The food is really really good too. I've been on a cold Sunday night and a warm weeknight during the Fall, and it was packed full both times. If you're near by, you gotta come here!

no children allowed?!?
By kokosand from Edgewater, January 21, 2008

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yeah, seriously, Barney; are you kidding? Hopleaf probably makes at least half of their earnings from alcohol. It is definitely a bar. Not only that, but their dinner menu is definitely not child-friendly. And at least whenever you and your family went, the place was not smoke-free; why would you want to expose your kids to that? Not every public place on earth has to cater to children or even those under 21.

That all said, always loved Hopleaf, always will! Tasty Belgium food and beer; great place to get away from screaming children :)

Amazing place, but it's getting too crowded
By strass from Uptown, January 5, 2008

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I've loved Hopleaf for its beer and its unpretentiousness since I first visited in 1998. Obviously, it's changed quite a bit since then, and the restaurant is a welcome addition in terms of ambiance and delicious food (the mussels and frites are out of this world). However, the place is just getting too crowded for its own good. My husband and I walked over there twice in the past week, on a Sunday and a Friday, both nights at 7 p.m. We expected to wait up to an hour, but on both nights the wait was two hours! Needless to say, we left, very disappointed. The doorman told us that the crowds start coming as soon as the place opens each day; the hostess recommended coming on a Monday night. I understand why they're successful, but I hope they start taking reservations soon.