United Nations of Beer

Small Bar, Chicago

by Matt Morgan
(Beer Delegate, IL, USA)

True to its name, Smallbar in Logan Square is roughly 1000 square feet inside and nearly doubles that with the Patio beer garden. It's located on the corner of Albany and Wellington in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood.

They do bring in the crowd despite the limited space, thanks to the beer list, esthetics and juke box. The Patio has around seven tables and a hop vine draping its bounty overhead. It's an ideal place to relax with your Tripel Karmeliet or the light cloudy Belgian Wittekerke which is the best beer from a can I've ever had. The patio season is just getting going, but if summer beers don't do it for you, don't overlook good old Guinness or Young's stout.

The beer list boasts 60+ varieties of beer, 14 on tap. The second Smallbar location in Wicker Park at 2049 W. Division has over 100 beers to choose from. The real treat here is the owners' obsession with quality brew: some great beers from our domestic craft brewers Two Brothers, Three Floyds, Rogue and Dogfish Head are always on tap.

They have a vast selection of Canadian, European, Chinese, and Japanese imports. What's also nice is they usually have two or three styles from each brewer. Constantly on tap is one of my new favorites, Franziskaner Weissbeir, which is great with chicken or fish. I discovered Franziskaner just last summer and I'm sticking with it.

Ebel's Weiss is good but Franziskaner is top banana, with perfect balance. It's been brewed since the 1800s in Munich, Germany. Only recently has this beer been widely available in the US, at least in major markets. Piraat is great Belgian beer, much in the same vein as Duvel, with a sweetly-bitter hop-tongue which comes off like spiced apple.

People also come for the food at Smallbar, which easily outshines your typical fare offered at other bars: come grab a table or belly up to the bar. The gut-busting half pound organic beef burgers from Wisconsin are a favorite... the owners actually purchase a whole organic cow each year. The Spicy Grilled chicken breast sandwich on sourdough with remoulade and bacon is another big seller. I recommend Hitachino Nest White ale, surprisingly poignant with that sandwich.

I won't bore you with a list of beers I have tried, but I'm closer to the starting line than the finish. Fleur-de-Lis Restoration Ale by Abita brewing company, LA is my recommendation. It's crisp refreshingly mild ale, light citrus and hops in the middle and a clean finish. From every six pack of Fleur-de-Lis Restoration Ale sold, a dollar goes to Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation.

From Calamari to Salmon, Catfish, Quesadillas, Hummus with grilled pita, Smallbar covers the bar-food spectrum and then some. Did I mention they have tater-tots? Mention this article at the bar and get a free order of tots (only good at participating locations, void where applicable).