March 31, 2011
Trying to tick all the top rated Chicago places, and this joint is somehow on the first page. Just around the corner from WLV we stopped here after a WLV tasting. A Friday night, we figured it would be busy, walked into a basically empty spot. The atmosphere is something I would like to call homey and nostalgic, but coms across as trashy and chessy. Very old inside, not much updating at all. Some generic German knick knacks, but its forced. Ugly old tables, stools are huge and clunky and make it difficult to sit at the bar....The service is severely lacking and outright weird. Sitting at the bar you have to order and pay from two different people, one for your beer, one for food. The server had a decent but fairly limited knowledge. Neither food nor beer service were attentive...The beers on tap were mostly German, a few things that are not common, but most was easy to find lagers. Bottle list of about 20 beers, more common beers, but mixed with quite a few bmc’s...The food that everyone raves about was ok. Potato pancakes are pretty good but too thick and a tad plain. The schnitzel was big but plain. I got a brat but the bun was totally soaked. A plus was some really good sauerkraut....To me this is NOTHING like a real German bar. I would not venture here ever again.

November 17, 2010
A pretty cool little bar not far from the Brown line stop. They had a nice lineup of German beers on tap and a few in bottles. The prices seemed pretty decent for the beer, but the food was pretty steep. The bar pretzels are imported from Munich, and were a little expensive. We sat in the beer garden, which was pretty relaxing (but dead) on a warm afternoon. The owner seemed pretty cool. I enjoyed my time here.

October 22, 2010
Another pretty cool German hangout in North Chicago.

February 13, 2010
Well it isn’t cheap, but if you love German food and ambiance, you’re going to enjoy Resi’s. I was served (and I do mean served) by the very friendly owner, and served the owner’s wife’s potato pancakes (though looking back I should have gotten the veal brat like my boyfriend). The selection was overwhelming for someone not versed in German beer but I had nothing to fear because the owner walked me through everything on his tap, gave me a couple samples, and coached me on strength and food pairings. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience, even if the potato pancakes were too filling to finish. Unlike the bartender, the hired waitstaff was slow and relatively forgetful. I’ll be back anyway-- apparently they have a sweet patio in the summer!

January 6, 2010
little to like about this place. very uninteresting and dull taplist, mostly easy-to-find german bottles. dive-bar atmosphere, blue-collar, noisy, kinda dirty.

October 7, 2009
Nothing beats Resi’s biergarten on a beautiful summer day! They have a fantastic selection of German beers, and very authentic German food. (Although I feel the food is a little overpriced.) Biergarten is small and very quaint. Easy to relax and drink a few.

April 17, 2009
Old-fashioned German decor and 70’s diner (seats, tables) make this an interesting stop in Chicago. BBK and others that aren’t on tap at many places can always be found at Resis. In the past, I’ve noticed servers speak fluent German, as well as the kitchen staff. They’ve hired a more diverse set of employees on my 2008 visit though. No food on current visit, but in the past I found it to be traditional Bavarian, and worthwhile if you like the cuisine in general. Usually on my list for places to go when visiting Chicago. Small, intimate, and always a great German beer selection.

December 17, 2008 [ Updated January 5, 2009 ]
Resi’s prides themselves on having a large German tap selection, and it’s probably the biggest one in the city. Bottles come and go, it’s best to look in the coolers behind the bar for the current ones. There is always a current German seasonal on draft, and usually a few Pilsners, Weisses, an Alt, and a Doppelbock. The food is great, and service is generally good, but expect it to slow down when crowded. They have the best biergarten in the city to boot. Prost!

March 28, 2008
Old school place that reminded me of a yellow themed O’Brians (as opposed to the green theme of there)...bartender was super friendly and the food smelled great...only German beers here and nothing amazing, but I will definitely be back...

January 28, 2007
I counted 41 beers total on their beer board, a few over 10 on draft. I was a little disappointed with Resi’s for a few reasons. Our waitress was not very good, she was not knowledgeable about beer, and had to go ask the bartender if they had the beers we wanted, which they did not 5 times. The first 3 beers I tried to order I was told I could not have. One they said they had the keg in the basement, but it were not hooking it up yet. Why is it on your drafts board then? seemed like a good question. Food was good, not great, ambience was cozy and I did not notice much smoke. I will try again when the beer garden is open.