This place is a puzzling. Their beer list and events are absolutely outstanding. Even more so, their beer director and bartenders are great. They have two certified cicerones behind the bar (real cicerones, not just server). Last year the beer director organized a Three Floyd’s tap takeover. Have you ever seen that before? About a month later he did “Faux BAB”, where he imitated FOBAB by having a tap takeover of barrel aged beers. You can also ask if there are any fun off-menu bottles. I’ve witnessed the bartender giddily unveil an unlisted King Henry. Other than the bartenders promoting the beer-culture, the ownership seems lost. They used to own Charlie’s, and they own Ombra and Anteprima on the same block. I have tried SO hard to like this place. The food is really off-putting. They claim the portions and pricing are out of whack because of the "farm to table" aspect. But within a 2 block radius there are several other farm to table restaurants that give you a full plate at a reasonable price. We didn’t want to eat dinner here anymore, but we would try to visit after eating elsewhere. They would close early! I have really tried but I don’t know how much more patience I have for this place. Ever since Jerry’s opened, we haven’t had the desire to go here.

Cool spot in Andersonville, definitely worth hitting up. Kind of strange overall in that it has recently shrunk in size. Still has the giant, serpentine bar, though. Lots of really cool beers on tap, not afraid to bring in some of the random one-offs. Lots of industry people here and they do some cool events overall. If you’re thinking hop leaf, give Acre a chance, it’s about a block north and worth it!

Acre presents a bit of a conundrum when it comes to my beer drinking experience. On the one hand, their beer list is designed carefully, with a good number of drafts and bottles. It would be tough to find someone who could not pull out an intriguing beer from the list. On the other hand, the service and atmosphere leave something to be desired. Maybe I have just been there on low key weeknights, but there just does not seem to be a lot of energy here. The layout and lighting seem to hint at an intimate environment, but I have just gotten the sense it is too quiet or dead. Also, even when the bar is not that crowded, it usually takes a few minutes to get a bartender’s attention and get a drink. Last time I was there, the first time a waitress asked my friend and I if we needed anything was after an hour. We had been getting drinks from the bar assuming there was no waitress. They have hosted a couple of events that have been solid, and that is usually why I head up here. Other than that, it is a decent bar I do not really find worth going out of the way for.

Hip, open space with very good beer list. Seems like whoever buys beer here knows what he/she is doing, but, some things seemed a bit out of season. Bartenders didn’t seem particularly knowledgeable, but it’s hard to gauge on what little interaction we had. Food over two visits has been good, but not remarkable. Friends with me agreed. Not far from the Hop Leaf, but if you’re here, don’t bother moving. 90% of the interesting things on the Hop Leaf menu have been sold out for months.

Stopped by Sunday night to catch the Bulls game. This place was the old Charlies Ale house and has cleaned up nicely. Look is more upscale modern with dark wood and gray walls. Serivce was fruity but good. Food is organic, locally grown and fresh. Had a burger that was excellent (in my top 5 of chicagoland burgers). Tap Selection is pretty good (allagash confuliance, Stone/green flash/port Highway 78, GI BCS, Zombie Dust, Avery Majaraj to name a few). Bottles were also a nice selection, some rare like Jolly Pumpkin Saison and FW Abacus. A bit on the pricy side both food and drinks but overall a much improved location and a plus for this neighborhood.

Found this place "by mistake" on a trip to Andersonville. Absolutely fantastic beer selection that caught my eye. Started off with some locals from Three Floyds and Two Brothers. Since it was early hours I had to walk them off before returning for some Green Flash / Pizza Port / Stone collab and a taste of their food. As brilliant as the beer! Call me biased since I did discover this place on the 10th of April 2011 where Mother Nature decided to freak us all out with mid 80s, but stil I am pretty sure it will be as good on your regular mid 50s horrible day as well. All comes together beautifully, Service, Food n Beer.