The Publican
The Publican shows what restaurant design can be: This cavernous, high-ceilinged affair, filled with communal seats and warm hanging globes, makes you feel like you’ve simultaneously stepped into a contemporary fine dining establishment and a restaurant out of a Charles Dickens novel. But under chefs Paul Kahan and Cosmo Goss (Brian Huston is branching out on his own), this self-described beer-focused restaurant in the West Loop is much more than ambiance and suds. Aged hams, crispy beef tongue with green goddess dressing, suckling pig with waxman potato, and ham chop "in hay" with rice soubise and spiced peanut are just some of the amazing delicacies you can enjoy, along with a large savory dessert menu to cap off the evening. Beware: the Slagel Family Farm spicy pork rinds are addictive.
— Jess Kapadia, 101 Best Restaurants
The Daily Meal Editors and Community Say...
Foursquare Tips
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have the pork rinds. -
Shelf under chair for purse #awesome -
Pork rinds... Awesome -
Diners come here for three things: to sample the massive list of brews, to taste impeccable charcuterie and oysters or to begin their Sundays with arguably the best brunch in town. -
Head over Sunday nights for a $45-per-person family-style four-course dinner. -
Excellent Belgian Beer selection here. -
Nothing sucked. Suckling pig was the best. -
"From its large selection of oysters, to its grand, three-tiered seafood tower and aged ham with goat butter and peasant bread, there's munching of all kinds." -Gayot, one of our featured reviewers -
Try the "Taste of Three Hams" -
Charcuterie Plate FTW -
Amazing beer selection, and even better brunch! -
Once you taste the housemade ricotta and the thick slabs of Publican bacon (not the strips that come with the omelette but the top-shelf stuff), you'll be back for brunch every Sunday.
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Begin your Sunday with the housemade ricotta and the thick slabs of Publican bacon (not the strips that come with the omelette but the top-shelf stuff). Or try the fig-pistachio scones.
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Nearly impossible to go wrong with the Red Wine Poached Egg (with sides of Prosciutto and Arugula) and a Mint Julep. We'd venture to say this is travel-from-another-state-worthy. -
Amazing super-thick bacon for brunch! -
Sit at the bar for a glimpse into the extremely busy kitchen and if you're feeling offally adventurous (!) the duck hearts can't be beat! -
Hard-to-find beers, impeccable charcuterie, and mussels the size of your head. -
Bacon. Bloodys. Rinds. Frites w/ eggs. Get it all, girl. -
This place is a beer enthusiast's dream come true - the Devil's Reign is a sweet local brew. Go family style & share the Scrapple, Blood Sausage, & Country Pork Pate for drunch. -
The Publicans winey boudin blanc; garlicky kielbasa; apple-studded, fennel-kissed pork breakfast sausage; and chunky, sweet spiced headcheese will fulfill your wildest dry-&-wet-cured porcine dreams.