had an early reservation. Seated at the kitchen counter - we like to watch the kitchen. BUT, our server, Will was not friendly - like totally lacked personality. did not offer any information or help. We seemed rushed from the moment we arrived. The large open restaurant seemed like a large holding facility for loud cattle than a restaurant...We ordered quickly because we felt rushed and honestly the food was just so so. Nobody welcomed us and said thanks for coming... it just seemed like we had come what we came to do so we could go. Nobody cared. wouldn't recommend and won't go again.

We were really excited to try the Publican out! Our server was very attentive and good...the food was okay...but the noise was completely out of control! The music was obnoxiously loud...our table could not even talk to each other. If the volume of the music went down, I would rate this place a 4!

Excellent food; creative drinks, good value, lively (but very loud) environment. Great for large groups and families.

Porchetta was incredible seating wasn't ideal, right next to the kitchen

Excellent selection, incuding vegetarian.
Highly recommended

It’s my favorite restaurant...period, period, period!

Amazing food with well-seasoned wait staff. How can you make cucumbers and peaches taste so good?!!! Sat outside and enjoyed a low humidity night in Chicago. Heaven!

I truly enjoyed the food, the architecture is such that the noise is truly overwhelming at times. The food was good, but a couple of the restaurant's options were sold old.

Spicy pork rinds were amazing as was the pork belly! Highly recommend. We had the shishido pepper salad which was very good also. Fun place and great beers!

I was disappointed with the food and the service. Ordered a few seafood dishes and all were dry and overcooked. Service was slow. I have been to Publican a few times. This will probably be my last.

Suitable for hip millennials.
Noise and ambience reminded me of a crowded cafeteria
Tapas style food okay.
Waiter not that helpful regarding what we should order as new to the place.
Expensive for what we got!
10.00 for a local draft beer!

Looking around the dining room, every table was having fun. The Publican is just a happy place to enjoy an outstanding meal.

Amazing food! The Publican has been on the short list of several of our special occasions but we would be out of town or committed elsewhere- we are thrilled to have finally made it!
The tastefully decorated room and soft light create a lively dining room; the communal tables are not awkward and as the social lubrication starts to flow, so does the camaraderie. During the peak of the night, the volume got a little loud for conversation, and the air conditioning struggled to keep up with our cocktails. Due to the seasonality of some of the menu items, I won’t recommend any dish in particular, but we felt that snacks are not to be missed, flights of anything is a great way to try everything, the entrees are generous portions- the two of us had leftovers, don’t skip the desserts or the cocktails!
Every bite was great, the kitchen chose an ideal order for the dishes we selected.
Alas, the Publican market across the street was closed for a private event, but we are returning in a few weeks and will update our review.

This place never lets me down!

Food and ambiance were excellent.
Service was nonexistent with not a busy dining room.
We had to ask our food runner for a second round of drinks. We had a 1:15pm reservation this past Sunday.

Great food and place to get together with friends.

I made a reservation and asked to be seated outside. The man brought us outside and put my boyfriend in literally the only seat that was in the sun when it was hot and humid beyond belief. He was dripping wet through his shirt in about 3 minutes. The whole rest of the patio was in the nice shade but of course we get seated in the worst table on the patio. This tiny 2 person table was also squeezed against a basket of flowers hanging on a fence so we could only really use about 60% of the table. The waiter never introduced himself and the food was just okay. The bloody mary was extremely spicy and even my significant other couldn't drink it since it was over the top spicy (and not cheap). The coffee was amazing though, I will give them that. Props to using Sparrow as your coffee supplier. I probably wouldn't go back here for Sunday brunch again...maybe dinner but the brunch was nothing to write home about.

Accommodating staff, fantastic food and unlimited coffee (we were buzzing!). Would definitely return if it wasn’t such a long way from the UK...

Supremely overrated food accompanied by poor service.

Went with a few work colleagues after a conference and it was great! Food was spectacular, service was helpful, and the ambiance was great. Highly recommend to all!

The crew here is wonderful!! From the moment you walk in you feel like you’re visiting with family!

Amazing, everything we ordered was so good. I will definitely be back

When I had made reservations I had mentioned that this was birthday celebration and not even the hostess greeted the birthday celebrant. Our reservation was for 2. Foos and service was good but it had a small snag. My daughter ordered the steak and mine was the striped bass. Her food was served 15-20 minutes ahead of mine. She did want to finish her food in case my dish was not as good as hers. Her food was cold by the mine was served. I wish that they would have just served our food at the same time. Again, both entree’s were good but the steak lost its luster by the fish dish was served.

Delicious, inventive, well executed food. Cheers all around.

Excellent food and great experience

Delicious breakfast. Waffles were very crispy

Great restaurant with a cool vibe. In a hip area of the city. Creative dishes with great service.

great restaurant - ambiance is fun and the menu is great. Really good selection of beers

Had a get together with some friends of my soon to be daughter in law. Just wonderful service and a wonderful time all around. Everyone enjoyed their brunch...don't miss the bacon!!! Will be coming back to the area soon.

Celebrated our 10 yr anniversary and our server went above and beyond to make it special. Food was delicious!

Duck was awesome

Perfect from start to finish, one of the most satisfying meals I have had. The chefs selection of oysters offered a range of flavor profiles. The charcuterie was nice but could use a little more bread or crackers to match the quantity of offerings. The tagliatelle pasta with claims and blue crab was one of the best things I have ever eaten. Paired perfect with a saison brett beer. Will be back again.

Large portion of food. Definitely ordered way to much for a party of four. Beer and food was tasty

This is a must go to restaurant if you're in Chicago. The décor is great. The staff and management couldn't be better. But the FOOD is out of this world. They're opening web page says it all...Beer, Pork, and Oysters. We had some of the Island Creek oysters that were perfectly chilled, briny, and made you want more. Everyone should try their house made spicy pork rinds. If you think the things in the plastic bag are pork rinds, you're in for an awakening. The "ham chop in hay" was fabulous and full of flavor. I hope to get back to Publican but since we live in California, it might be a while. If there is a sale on airfares, we might come back to Chicago just to dine there again.

The Publican had always been my favorite restaurant in Chicago, both to go to and to recommend. I moved out of state and made sure to come back for a meal every time I returned to Chicago. The last time I was here, in 2015, I had a great meal. This time, 2018, the service and ambiance were great, but the food left something to be desired. Every dish was much too salty, from the rockfish dip down to the BBQ carrots. I was sorely disappointed, and I would be embarrassed to recommend a meal of this caliber to visiting friends. It is unfortunate that such a staple in this area has had so much turnover that they've lowered their standards for what makes a good meal, or worse, they've forgotten.

Amazing! Our server Katherine was very helpful with information on all courses and made great recommendations. The birthday cookie jar was also a nice touch.

I have been meaning to try this place for a while, but was a little afraid my teenage kids wouldn’t appreciate the menu.

The food surpassed my expectations, with each dish getting better and better as the meal progressed.

Chicken, porchetta, mussels, bread were stand out highlights. The bread at the base of the porchetta, that picks up the juices was amazing.

Will definitely repeat.

I chose The Publican after watching Anthony Bourdain's 'Layover', trusting that he wasn't a chef who only indulged in fads, and I'm very disappointed in my choice, and his.
This is a small plates restaurant, which directly translates to overpriced food, average drinks, and McDonald's after because you're still hungry after spending all the money you brought with you. We ordered a couple oysters, 3 small plates, and a couple drinks, which surmounted to a bill of over a 100 bucks - for two still hungry individuals.
The hosts were gracious enough to give us an heirloom tomato salad "on the house" as they'd run out of one of the mussel pasta dishes we'd originally ordered, which was nice. The pork belly was well done, but besides that, the food wasn't as exciting as was led on.
All in all, I've decided after this experience, that the whole "small plates" deal in North America is a complete sham and a money grab. Enter at your own risk.

My family and I visited Chicago for a long weekend trip and decided to try out The Publican. We are big brunch lovers and The Publican met our expectations for a high-quality breakfast; from their seriously legit bacon to their delicious and savory lemon pound cake, the food was yummy, fresh, and well-prepared. The service was attentive and friendly. Would recommend The Publican to foodies searching for a good and different brunch spot in Chicago.

Publican always deliver for brunch. From tasty baked goods to interesting, savory mains, it’s a must for those hunting for a solid choice in the West Loop.