Hop Haus

No Longer In Business

Visited in July 2010 on my first trip to Chicago, after RBSG Grand Rapids.

Went in knowing the tap list wasnt amazing but there was an IPA or two there and some animal ticks, which is what I went for. I got 3 sliders; ostrich, boar, and a third that I cant remember, probably bison. Food wasn’t bad but I discovered that I dont like ostrich meat and that it’s not white like other poultry, hmmm.

Prices were high on the food, about on par for the beer. Service was a bit slow but it was lunch time so that was to be expected.

We visited this place on a whim one weekday night after seeing it on the train. On the inside, it was full of shady people drinking hard liquor and virtually no beer. After quickly looking over the menu, it was quite evident that that the place had easy to find, nationally distributed products and nothing local or interesting. The bartender was a normal looking guy, but even before we ordered our beers, he asked us if we had any rolling papers. Seriously? I think the basement of the building was a club and there were quite a few odd people hanging out around that block, so that might explain it. This place flat out sucks...

This place is OK on paper, a generic craft beer/burger joint but it is deficient in almost every detail. For one, the service is bad. Our server was pleasant and attentive to detail but he was also everyone else’s server. There was only one waiter on during happy hour on a Friday. If that is not bad management, I don’t know what is. The burgers were actually pretty tasty, though possibly the greasiest hamburgers I have ever had. My most major complaint is that their thing is that they have ostrich burgers and buffalo burgers and lamb burgers but they prepare them all so dripping w/ cheese and toppings you can’t even hardly taste the differences in meat. (My favorite was the lamb burger, prepared w/ feta, for the record). They did have really good fries though. The place seemed pretty much aimed at my demographic, which is white dudes who work in offices, but the music choice was terrible, a bunch of pop dance. It just didn’t really make sense. My most major complaint though, esp. for the purposes of this site, is the damn beer. They do market themselves as serving crafts but the selection is dismal. Only local beer was 312 and they had absolutely nothing special whatever. I had to dive to the blandest depths of the bottle list to find something I haven’t tried. It really just seems like a Kuma’s Corner rip off done by someone who would never, ever go to Kuma’s Corner.

Miserable. Vacant open space that serves burgers. As others say, no soul. the beer selection is stagnant and the food is meh. I was disappointed in the burger and that is a big problem at a self proclaimed burger bar.

100% agree with "this bar has no soul." Seems like they’re trying to please everyone with a few decent bottle beers; lots of flat screens with sports memorabilia from maybe every professional and college team in the US (pick a city guys); a mirror ball dance floor and club (many ladies packed into Jersey Shore like dresses - more like stuffed sausages; high touristy vibe - not their fault as it’s the neighborhood - but find a style and go with it, don’t try to be everything to everyone.

Don’t be fooled by the name, there’s very little Hop in this Haus. Four dull taps, a bottle list that has a few interesting things on it, but used to be much better. The ’zoo food’ burgers are pretty good, but the novelty of something like Kangaroo wears off quick when you realize it all tastes pretty much like beef. Service is absent-minded, at best. Had a dishwasher solution taste experience several times forcing me to have to ask to smell the glass before they poured something - ruining something like an $8 dollar Hen’s Tooth that way just ain’t right. If you like big TV’s with Quiz Games on all four sides of you, it’ll be your kind of place. For me, it was an alright after-work hangout once in awhile, but there are more interesting offerings nearby.

This bar has no soul. Its a sterile sports bar attempting to be upscale. The bartop reflects the half dozen tvs behind the bar, which is annoying. In the middle of the day it takes 10 minutes to get a beer, when there were only 5 people at the bar. The small beer list seems to have been chosen at random, and the markup is excessive. When they opened they actually had Bam Biere on tap, but it looks like no one drinks the good stuff here anymore, drafts were Kolsch, Honkers, 312, and Miller Lite. Craft beer here is just a gimmick to go with the novelty wild game menu. Clark Street Ale House and Garrett Ripleys are nearby for a better beer and food option, not to mention Rock Bottom.

Nice very yuppy type bar...I suppose it has a decent beer selection...maybe 30 decent bottles...the other rater has no idea what rare means however...typical selection and I would not go out of my way in any shape, way, or form to drink here...nothing interesting at all here...the food menu looks fascinating though with buffalo, kangaroo, wild boar, and ostrich burgers...I will definitely go back to have a better than average beer and unique burger!

A tad pricey for a Hamburger and Beer, but it’s pretty good stuff and about half the beers are relatively rare (i.e. not at binnys or sams)