Old Chicago review

Old Chicago is a fairly new restaurant which is located near U.S. Route 30 and Rhode Island in Merrillville, IN in the building which used to house Smokey Bones. Their "claim to fame" is having 110 beers. The atmosphere is pretty cool, and the food was decent. I had a steak calzone, and paired it with a Newcastle Brown Ale (I wasn't feeling too adventurous). The calzone was huge, but a little greasy. The menu was somewhat limited, and wouldn't be sufficient for a family dinner. The food was more suited for a lunch while watching the game and sampling some beer. They do indeed have 110 beers, however, there are several (too many) common domestics and mass produced swill included in the mix. Remember, Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Corona, and other "household names" are included in the beer list. I was also disappointed with the draft selection. The vast majority of the craft and micros were only available in bottles. In defense of Old Chicago, I was able to find some offerings from Magic Hat, New Holland, and other craft breweries. This particular location also had Chimay which was a good find! For those who have been enjoying "real beer" for a while, you are not likely to find anything new here. But if there is something you want to try, you may want to give Old Chicago a try, instead of buying six bottles of a beer you have never tried and may or may not like. Old Chicago strikes me as a great place to meet friends to enjoy a beer and pizza, but again, you are not likely to find any beer here that can't be found elsewhere.

*****NEXT TIME I'LL SHARE MY FIVE FAVORITE BEER STORES IN NORTHWEST INDIANA*****