Suburban bars celebrate Oktoberfest with special brews
Summer brews are gone, making way for taps and shelves stocked with Oktoberfest beers. Drink in some fall flavor as suburban bars celebrate with plenty of German beer and food.
Here is a sampling:
Arrowhead Restaurant and Bar, 26W151 Butterfield Road, Wheaton: The restaurant offers a special Oktoberfest menu from Oct. 10-20 including handcrafted bratwurst and knockwurst and potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream. If you really want to fill up on German eats, come from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 14 or 15 for an all-you-can-eat buffet of sausages, sauerkraut, red cabbage and more. While you gorge, take advantage of the bar's German beer specials. (630) 653-5800 or arrowheadgolfclub.org.
Bauer's Brauhaus, 45 W. Slade St., Palatine: The German restaurant will have a tent selling brats, potato salad, apple strudel and more this weekend in downtown Palatine as part of the town's Oktoberfest celebration. At the restaurant, beer drinkers can choose from Spaten, Ayinger, Hacker-Pschorr and Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest brews. Food specials include schnitzel and a sausage platter. (847) 991-1040 or bauersbrauhaus.com.
BlackFinn American Saloon, 16 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville: Throughout October the bar serves Sam Adams Oktoberfest along with a special menu of German food including beer cheese soup, beer-braised bratwurst, chicken schnitzel and apple strudel. (630) 717-0400 or blackfinnchicago.com/naperville/.
Emmett's Ale House, 5200 Main St., Downers Grove: Try the bar's Oktoberfest Bier at a tapping party from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28. For $12, you get two beers, bratwurst and Bavarian pretzels. (630) 434-8500 or emmettstavern.com.
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, 639 E. Boughton Road, Bolingbrook: The restaurant introduces a German food menu to go with its FestBier lager, including a traditional German sausage platter and German pretzels. (630) 739-6036 or gordonbiersch.com.
John Barleycorn, 1100 American Lane, Schaumburg: From Saturday, Sept. 17, through Monday, Oct. 3, you can get bratwurst with sauerkraut and cottage fries for $7 and $5 drafts of Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Leinenkugel Oktoberfest and Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale. (847) 619-5540 or johnbarleycorn.com.
Mickey Finn's, 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville: The bar's staff will be decked out in lederhosen Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8, for a bash featuring guest beers on tap and German food specials. (847) 362-6688 or mickeyfinnsbrewery.com.
Porter's Pub, 1250 Bowes Creek Blvd., Elgin: Oktoberfest specials kick off Saturday, Sept. 17. Food options include the veal schnitzel served with red cabbage, potato pancake and applesauce, or the brat with German potato salad and sauerkraut. Beer drinkers can choose from Sam Adams Oktoberfest, O'Fallon Pumpkin Beer, Ayinger Oktoberfest and more. (847) 214-5877 or porterspubelgin.com.
RAM Restaurant & Brewery, 1901 McConnor Parkway, Schaumburg: The bar hosts an Oktoberfest dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19. For $35, you can feast on a four-course meal paired with homebrewed beers. The menu includes stuffed cabbage rolls, braised pork shank and a German chocolate cupcake a la mode. (847) 517-8791 or theram.com.
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, 94 Yorktown Center, Lombard: Through Oct. 23 you can try the brewery's Rocktoberfest paired with a special menu of German eats including schnitzel, German sausage and sour cream apple pie. (630) 424-1550 or rockbottom.com.
Schnitzel Platz, 729 North Ave., Glendale Heights: The German restaurant offers a special Oktoberfest menu through Oct. 30. Dishes include potato pancakes, grilled bratwurst and breaded pork schnitzel. (630) 942-9900 or schnitzelplatz.com.
The Bavarian Lodge, 1800 Ogden Ave., Lisle: The bar's 25th annual Oktoberfest Kick-Off party starts at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, with a tapping of a firkin of Metropolitan's Harvest Dynamo pumpkin-spiced copper lager. Six other beers from the Chicago brewery will be on tap, and you can feast on roast suckling pig served with boiled potatoes and sauerkraut. (630) 241-4701 or bavarian-lodge.com.
The Foundry, 85 Executive Drive, Aurora: Try Oktoberfest brews from Leinenkugel, Sam Adams and others during a five-course beer dinner on Friday, Oct. 28. The menu features stuffed braised cabbage, breaded pork schnitzel, warm apple fritters and more. Tickets cost $35 to $40 and reservations are required. (630) 978-2088 or thefoundryonline.com.
The Lucky Monk, 105 Hollywood Blvd., South Barrington: Stop in from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, to taste the brewery's Oktoberfest, plus seven other German beers, for $30. Through Saturday, Sept. 24, $20 gets you a pint glass and a pour of Oktoberfest beer with $4 refills. Pair it with their special Oktoberfest menu, featuring potato pancakes and beer-infused chicken bratwurst. You can catch live music by the fireside patio at 9 p.m. Fridays, with Bad Medicine Unplugged playing Friday, Sept. 16, and Villa Avenue on Friday, Sept. 23. (847) 898-0500 or theluckymonk.com.