Andersonville's Belgian-Beer Institution
Hopleaf on Clark Street has been Andersonville's Belgian beer bar since 1992. The format is unusual for the country: a serious Belgian draft programme. Long bar, deep tap list, the kind of bottles that beer-pilgrimage tourists travel for. Combined with a kitchen that takes mussels-and-frites at the level the Belgian-beer pairing demands.
The cooking is Belgian pub at restaurant standards: moules-frites in multiple preparations, burgers built correctly, seasonal vegetable plates that are more interesting than the format suggests.
What to Order
Moules-frites in the broth of your choice. The dish the room is built around. The Hopleaf burger for the diner who wants the alternative; seasonal vegetable plates; cheese boards from European producers.
The Beer Programme
The Belgian draft list is one of the country's best. Trappist ales, lambics, sours, the regional Belgian and broader European producers most American beer bars cannot reliably stock. Bartenders will guide.
Best Occasion: Team Dinner
Hopleaf handles a Chicago team dinner reliably. The format provides natural conversation; the dining room and bar together accommodate any party; the price point is honest. Bringing colleagues to a 30-year Andersonville Belgian-beer institution sends an exact message about the city.