April 29, 2012
Has a nice feel of an English pub. Food is of English fare and out of this world! A decent selection of beer with four on the engine. Service was quite good. Prices are a touch pricey.

December 7, 2011
Stopped by for a drink on a Frida night, pretty full, at least all tables and bar area was full. ended up going upstairs and found a couple of leather chairs to sit and order a couple of beers. The place looks classy with a European look to it. I did not get to try the food but it looked pretty good. The selection was above average with an emphasis on euro beers. the ambience was cool with an average age I would say of 35-40 yr old. the value was a just about right $6-8 per draft. Overall an elegant place with a good vibe.

August 10, 2011
Definitely a cool vibe. Dark and cozy. Well thought-out beer menu and the undisputed place to go if you want cask ales in Chicago. Service was great, but where this falls short is on food and value. Beer prices are reasonable, but food is expensive, mediocre, and small portioned. I had fish ’n chips, with two apps and left hungry. I’ll probably go back, but if the food’s not any better, I’ll probably be pissed off about the cost again.

August 10, 2011
Place seems very new inside (like you’re walking into a rich old couple’s home in the suburbs). Beer list rotates very frequently and beer engine selections can change daily. However, beer list could be a tad larger and more varied. Food is good, but pretty expensive (simple but good pub fare over $15) and smallish portions. Beer prices are more reasonable and in-line with other beer bars in Chicago.

May 3, 2011
Wife and I happened by the place by accident on our way to West Lakeview, and I’m glad we did. As others have said it’s set up as an English Pub. We got seats at the bar immediately. Beer selection is on their website so I won’t go into that but it is very solid. I ended up having a Tyranena Dirty Old Man which was fresh and served in a snifter. Service was very good - there were three guys behind the bar and it was easy to flag them down. Food was excellent, I had the hamburger and wife the fish and chips. Both were very good. Prices a little on the high side but given the food quality I thought were fair.

March 31, 2011
A perfect place for date night being right across from the movie theatre...Inside is pretty cool, total English pub feel, however out the front window is busy Western Avenue, so its kind of distracting. Upon seating we waited a good 5 minutes before anyone came to us, way too long as I was getting antsy to get one of their tastey cask beers. I was disappointed again as the 2 selections on cask were 2 Hearted and Robert the Bruce. If I’m at an English pub, give me some damn Enligsh beers on cask. There were 4 English drafts and about 10 other Belgians and American staples. About 20 bottles, but pretty over priced, especially the English bottles. All the English beers on tap were light, after dinner I really wanted something roasty but I was left with American options. The food was pretty good, mussels and fish chips both worth trying again. Really good crunchy fries are worth getting as your side. Our server was really slow with everything, especially our bill when we were trying to hustle to the movie. A decent place to grab dinner and drinks. Just don’t go expecting to have an awesome selection of cask or English beers.

March 20, 2011
ambiance was nice, was with a party of 7 and we were sat in one of two areas equipped for a group that large. we were in an ’enclave’ on the 2nd floor right next to the bar up there, very comfortable, felt like a private room. server was excellent, gave no misinformation regarding the beer that i noticed and did inform us that he was much more informed on the food menu then the beer offerings. 4 hand pulls as noted by others with some interesting two brothers one-off’s which seemed well designed for the hand pull. selection otherwise was excellent but an odd and noticeable lack of anything goose island related. food was above average. we got a complimentary chartucerie platter which was above average, house made rashers were quite nice as was the landjager. i had two small plates: the cauliflower soup (the soup was bordering on tepid; i did not expect hot but this was nearly cold. however the anchovies were a delight) and the marrow bones (i found the lack of toast to be shocking [i requested some] and the side of risotto while excellent detracted from the bones themselves. prices were fair, average $15 per small plate which is fair. desserts were nice and they even indulged us by preparing a previous dessert not currently on the menu just for us. in the end, i draw too many parallels between this and longman and eagle and L&E wins out everytime in every category, often by leaps and bounds.

October 28, 2010
Stopped in here once I realized it existed. As stated, 4 beer engines and a great mix of taps. Everything seemed really fresh. The only problem I had was with the guy behind the bar that kept saying stupid and incorrect things about the beer. The food is also great as well. Had the Charcuterie platter and the Bangers and Mash, girlfriend had the fish and chips. Must say, they have some of the best chips/fries I’ve had in the city. The gastropubs really seem to be pushing properly made fries/chips. The staff, aside from the douche behind the bar, is quite good and I definitely look forward to going back.

October 4, 2010
Owen & Engine is a new British-style gastropub on the outer edge of Logan Square. Its in the vein of The Publican and Longman & Eagle, but more casual. The main draw for me was the 4 beer engines behind the bar, which the place is partially named after. Their niche is decidedly English, but the beer list is well rounded with an equal number of choices from the UK, US, Belgium, Germany, and others. An imperial pint of Two Hearted on cask is always a fail safe option too. We had Batemans XXXB and Fullers 1845 with dinner. A few things on the list you dont often see, like Leelanau and Meantime London Porter, mixed in with local classics like Daisy Cutter and Krankshaft ($5). The beverage director Andrew stopped to talk beer with us, and mentioned they will be sending out casks to be filled, so look for a rotating selection in the future. Food was really great, very hearty and tasty. The burger was a blend of short rib, brisket, and ground beef, hand formed and served on a homemade toasted brioche bun. It was really unique and delicious. Fish and chips were also tasty, they serve fresh Haddock, which is flown in often apparently. The wings also looked good, I saw several others at the bar enjoying them. 2nd visit for brunch, tried the beef hash and pastry plate and both were great. Service at the bar was really top notch. Our bartender Tracy was really nice and on top of things. We were offered samples of the cask ales, and I got a freebie short pour of Dupont when the keg had issues mid-pour. The atmosphere was pleasant, lots of wood trim and leather. The bar chairs had a nice rest on the back, and they were comfy. It felt like being in the study or drawing room of a British estate, with somewhat high ceilings and chandeliers. It was Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick! Upstairs the room was smaller, with a fireplace and leather chairs in addition to a smaller bar for 6-8. 4 cask engines upstairs (same casks) and ten drafts. O&E is destined for greatness. They are doing it right, and have their own niche. The odd location makes it more of a destination, and I hope it doesnt get overrun like Kuma’s or Hopleaf. Time will tell...