**** (4 stars)
Prost is across between a German beer hall and a sports bar. We had the LARGE pretzel, which definitely lived up to its name. We also had a medium wurst platter. Bot came with an assortment of mustards and a beer cheese.
Needless to say, there is a large selection of German beers. The friendly server (owner) helped us to choose beers and wursts that matched our tastes.
Prost
2566 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
**** (4 stars)
Really good for an airport restaurant. You order at a counter but the servers are really attentive in the restaurant. Menu is a subset of the original in the loop. The rueben sandwich was just as good as I’d expect there. The have their own brewed root beer, too!Berghoff Cafe
10000 W O’HareTerminal 1, Concourse C, Gate 26O’Hare International Airport
Chicago, IL
60666
(773) 601-9180
https://www.yelp.com/biz/berghoff-cafe-chicago-5
Exterior
Interior
Interior
Surfenturf
Skatewing schnitzel
Weisswurst
Black forest pots de creme
Underberg
***** (5 stars)
Funkenhausen offers a modern take on German food. They say it’s served with a Southern twist, but I didn’t really detect that aspect in what I had.
The menu is divided between smaller plates and larger ones, but all are sharable.
I started with the surfenturf, a delightfully creative and flavorful combination of seared scallops and braised short rib. This was my favorite dish.
The skate wing schnitzel was an interesting take, more like a breaded and fried fish filet.
The most German item I tried was the weisswurst, nicely seared sausages.
The black forest pots de creme is heavier than a normal pot de creme, essentially a fudge, topped with marinated cherries.
The wine list focuses on German and Austrian wines, and there is also a nice assortment of interesting German beers. The cocktail list is also creative. I really liked the German Visits Mexico, a blend of tequila and cucumber, rimmed with fennel salt.
The dining room probably gets noisy when busy, in the beer hall tradition, but I went early and enjoyed the funky soundtrack.
I’d rate the food a four, but the service was a solid five stars. My water glass never got more than an inch below the rim!
Funkenhausen
1709 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL
60622
(312) 929-4727
https://www.yelp.com/biz/funkenhausen-chicago
**** (4 stars)
Great ambiance and great root beer have been bringing people back here for a very long time. In fact, the history goes back to the 1893 world’s exhibition (where the Berghoffs had to set up shop outside the fairgrounds, but did very well, thank you). The decor is amazing, particularly the murals and photos of the world’s fair. The German food is quite good, and there are also unusual items such as chili con carne made using a recipe from 1893. Look for Chicago’s first post-prohibition liquor license, Number 1, in one of the glass cabinets in the bar.
Berghoff Restaurant
17 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 427-3170
http://www.yelp.com/biz/berghoff-restaurant-chicago-3
**** (4 stars)
If you’re looking for something different, BoHo offers excellent Central European food in a funky yet stylish environment. We tried it for Sunday Brunch, and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and attentive service.
We sampled the Hungarian Langos, a pice of fried potato bread with garlic butter, sour cream and shredded gouda. It was good, but one slice was plenty. The Pork Schnitzel Sandwich was more to out taste. Served open face, it was a stack of rye bread, sauerkraut, the schnitzel and Emmentaler cheese, topped with perfectly cooked sunny side up fried egg. Rich, but tasty. The beer flight provided an interesting accompaniment.
We finished with an order of doughnuts, which are really beignets, served with two dipping sauces.
While the menu is not extensive, there’s enough variety to bring me back to check out their other offerings of this interesting cuisine.
Bohemian House {BoHo}
11 W. Illinois
Chicago, IL 60654
(779) 333-0236
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bohemian-house-boho-chicago-3