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Rating: 4.25
Location: South Barrington, IL
Founded: 2010
Last visited: February 2024
They usually have four year-round beers on tap, a seasonal beer, and several guest beers. Favorites are the standard Cardinal Sin Pilsner, the Fallen Angel Vienna-Style Lager, and the Solitude Stout. The beer is only served in-house, not distributed to other bars. Here are a few favorites:
BEER:
Altbier (4.50) – Outstanding example of style. Rich and malty, but displaying the ambience of an ale.
American Porter (4.50) – Dark brown appearance. Medium bodied, big, bold roasted character. Hop bitterness hidden in the background. Excellent example of style.
Cardinal Sin Pilsner (4.50) – Crisp, medium-body lager; malty sweetness most prominent characteristic; noticeable hop bitterness reminiscent of classic German pilsners.
Fallen Angel Lager (3.75) – Excellent example of a Vienna-style lager; roasted malt flavor is evident throughout and gives the beer a robust mouthfeel; malt character dominates hop bitterness, as expected.
Fireside Dunkel (4.75) – A classic take on a venerable dark German lager. Big flavors from roasted malts, hints of chocolate and coffee.
Kölsch (4.50) – Crisp and refreshing German ale; medium body, medium bitterness; great for people who prefer their beer less hoppy.
Oktoberfest 2020 (4.75) – An Oktoberfest recipe that hits the bulls-eye. Previous versions of this beer have been overly hopped, but the malt sweetness really shines.
Resurrection Imperial Barrel Aged Stout (4.50) – Dark, opaque appearance. Bourbon evident in bouquet, but is subtle. Big beer, huge roasted character dominates. Smooth and easy to drink, but sipping is recommended over slurping. 11.4% ABV concealed expertly.
Session IPA (3.75) – Smooth, drinkable, IPA. Hop character not overpowering, nicely balanced.
Solitude Oatmeal Stout (4.50) – Full-bodied dry stout with lots of chocolate and coffee flavors; if beer could be a dessert, this would be the one.
Solitude Short Stack (4.50) – Milk stout infused with blueberry puree and maple syrup. Berry character is only subtle and doesn’t detract from stout character.
Wunderbier Kölsch (3.50) – Golden straw appearance. Medium-bodied and crisp flavor. Moderate level of hop bitterness, not excessive. Unidentified component finds its way into aftertaste and not in a good way. A drinkable beer, but strays from classic Kölsch profile.
FOOD:
The food is always excellent, with burgers so tall you can barely fit them in your mouth, and outstanding fries perfectly seasoned with a spice blend.
Though the menu caters toward comfort food like burgers, pizza, wings and massive pretzels, the health-conscious diner can find a variety of choices, including entree salads and fish. One of our favorite options is the Caesar Salad toped with salmon, burger or steak. Going toward the other end of the spectrum, the most decadent menu item has to be the Grilled Cheese Burger, two entire bacon-stuffed grilled cheese sandwiches that act as the “bun” for a burger.