Red Brick Chicago

The Owner, Sam, is awesome. His staff and team is great. I was new to North Park and they welcome me with open arms. Great people and great specials!!! the wings are to die for on Mondays!!! I know they have specials every day so definitely ask for that.
Btw, if you reading this Sam I am planning to throw a party at your place before I leave for the Peace Corp. See you guys soon! :)

Unofficial 49ers bar. Believe it! West coast love in Chicago. All Niner Faithful come check this place on game day.
UPDATE: Red Brick has since been bought by it’s neighbor, The Globe Pub, and it’s still all good. The Globe has claimed itself as THE OFFICIAL San Francisco 49er bar in Chicago. Come on down on game day and let’s go Niners!

Edited due to poor economy… it is okay. food is okay. people are nice, physical bar is long… i’m being nice… okay not great

Stopped in here after a night at The Globe next door. What a difference a «red brick» wall makes. The Globe was packed (in a good way) and the Red Brick was not (in a good way).
Let me explain. I like when the Globe is packed, especially when I’m there to watch a Fire game (which is what I was there for). However, someone in our party wanted to eat and trying to get food at The Globe when it’s that busy wasn’t going to happen. Soooo, we decided to try the almost always empty Red Brick.
Once inside we realized that we were the only table. In fact, I think the only other people in there at 10:30 pm on a Saturday were the five of us, a really nice waiter, the bartender and a couple of their friends. That was cool, because we didn’t have to fight any crowd for a table and we could hear our conversation. And that was okay by us.
By all accounts the food was okay. I only tasted a slice of (very small) veggie pizza and it was okay. The beer and price range are okay too. It’s just sort of an «OK» bar.
I’ll try it again sometime, but it’s not my destination in that ‘hood. However, if the Globe gets busy like that again, I’ll head on over to Red Brick.

Decent bar in North Center. The place is huge but the bar is tucked WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY in the back.
The food was pretty good — especially the fries.
Even with a crowd that would fill one of the neighboring establishments, this place would feel empty. It’s like going to Moe’s Cantina on Clark and only having 3 people in there.
Great jukebox, nice bartenders, and good food. I’d go back here but would rather hit up Bowmans or Brownstone instead.

I don’t know why this place is always so empty every time I go. The staff is nice, the food is good and the drinks are cheap. They have no problem putting on whatever game you want, either. I wish more people would check it out to liven up the atmosphere a bit, maybe meet some new people. If you want a nice intimate night with some close friends, I definitely suggest Red Brick, but if you want to mix and mingle, go elsewhere.

Very vegetarian-​friendly bar to watch games at! Enjoyed their hummus, baba ghanoush and feta phyllo!
Service was friendly, selection was wide, and TV (# of and size) were enjoyable.

Staff: The waiter/​bartender was sort of a douche. I asked if they had any daily specials and he rudely said «no». He didn’t even recommend anything or at least tried to get me to try anything in particular. I had a bottled Harps for $ 5 which is a bit much for a bar way over on Irving Park. Or maybe it just seemed pricey because the dude was rude. The biggest downside was that it is a bit deserted and the selection of beer isn’t as huge as The Globe Pub which is right next door. The Globe Pub had specials on pints of Carlsburg for $ 5 as well but it seemed reasonable since everyone was great there and the place felt homey.
Appearance: The place is modern and is loaded with LCD monitors and comfortable seating. The problem is that since it is so empty, you feel like they’re rushing you to buy the next beer. Also, they seem reluctant to start a tab or at least rush you out to get themselves out of work. I asked for a beer and they quickly gave me my receipt. This place has potential but I think they need to restaff.

Red Brick is a great little place. I go there on Tuesday nights because they are the only place on the North Side to have a LOST viewing area. On Tuesday nights, they have ½ price bottles of wine, $ 3.50 Amstel Lights and food specials so it’s a great place to hang out with fellow Losties.
The food is tasty, the staff is great and super helpful and the atmosphere is very chill.

This place was dead on a Friday night, but I almost liked it that way. It’s a pretty roomy place that is still very new and nicely decorated (squeeky clean bathrooms!), and so the service was really good and attentive since we were 2 out of like 5 people there. All of their domestics (bottles only) are $ 3.50, so that’s a little cheaper than some other places. I wasn’t feeling too adventurous in food, so we just got some mozz sticks and mini burgers. The mozz sticks were, well what all fried cheese is like. The mini burgers were really good, and came w/​fries that were piping hot. The meat had a really good flavor. Prices were good for food, too.
Like others have said, the music was kind of funny with all the huge TVs around with sports on. But I kind of liked dancing in my seat and not having anyone there to stare at me! The fireplace up front with cozy chairs looked inviting, so maybe next time I’ll just chill up there with my drink.

Lunch. I needed lunch. And since I found myself in this «neck of the woods», I decided to give Red Brick Chicago a try.
Open for about two months– the word must not be out yet about this place as we were the only diners in the place for lunch. Nice space, though. Cozy fireplace with couches and chairs in the front and tables along the side. I could have done without a few of the many TV’s hanging from every available space, but that’s just a personal preference.
We were promptly greeted (always a benefit when you are the only patrons) and ordered a couple of beers, a grilled chicken sandwich and a falafal sandwich.
The food came up promptly. The winner was the falafal sandwich served in a pita, it had just the right amount of spice. As for that chicken sandwich? Eh. It came on a long roll and was pieces of grilled chicken (think shish kabob size) which made it hard to eat. A full chicken breast would have been a better option. Both sandwiches came with plenty of fries, though, that were crispy and hot.
Service was quite good– parking is easy on Irving and the prices were reasonable. Lunch with a few beers ran about $ 30.
Red Brick Chicago got us in and out in no time. And with our tummies full. And that’s A-​OK with me.

You know what I love about Chicago? Randomly stumbling upon new businesses that deserve the patronage. Red Brick has done zilch in the advertising department, but I happened to be in the ‘hood and wanted an easy pint and some good grub. Specifically, ‘better bar food’. You know the one… something exactly the opposite of poppers, chicken strips and mozzarella sticks.
We walked by and though it appeared dead, decided to give ‘em a shot. We set up shop on two bar stools and then asked the question– if they serve food. But of course! Grouchy girl dilemma: soon-​to-​be-​solved. We ordered a couple of beers (an interesting bottle list though I’d like to see more variety as well as taps), a falafel sandwich and zucchini pancakes. Definitely not your typical bar food. After talking to one of the friendly (and cute!) managing partners, we learned that they’re from Turkey so the Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Mediterranean and even Italian influences are palpable on the menu.
My falafel sandwich? A knockout. And I asked for it to be lined with hummus but the chef personally delivered a small plate of hummus separately. Huh? Because it contains milk, he explained, and wasn’t sure if I was vegan. Nice touch! We also were coaxed into trying the peanut baklava which, at the risk of sounding like a trixie, was RIDICULOUS. I eat a lot of baklava being Croatian (yes we make it too) and this was the very best I’ve ever tried. There you go… the Balkan seal of approval!
The space itself is large and decorated cleanly… polished wood throughout, somewhat sleek but still warm courtesy of the fireplace up front! I’ll definitely be returning, and regularly. Red Brick has cool neighborhood bar meets Euro café written all over it.

After going here a few times, I have to say that this is a great alternative to some of the other bars in the area. The beer list isn’t huge, but they do have some great import choices and decent specials running all the time.
The atmosphere is very inviting, and with 10 fifty inch plasmas, you can also come here for your favorite sporting event. Unfortunately they don’t always seem to be in tune with what’s going on any given day, so you may have to request certain games (and know the channel they’re on), but that being said everyone is very helpful.
The food is very good, going a step beyond your typical bar food by adding some Mediterranean dishes as well. The burgers and chicken tenders are good, and their baklava is amazing!
Considering they’ve only been open for a couple of months, they’re doing very well for themselves, they just need to hone in on what kind of bar they want to be. The music suggests more of a nightclub feel, while the ten TVs suggest otherwise. Once they get the little things figured out, I’m sure I’ll give them a five star rating.

The quick run-​down:
Beer — good enough list for me, not insanely large, but some slightly unusual choices poked in between the Blue Moons and the Goose Islands, and the one I went with made me quite happy
Atmosphere — ‘A’ for look and feel, ‘C-​’ for music, Loved the chairs by the fireplace up front, decent layout (always a plus when I don’t have to go mountain-​climbing and/​or spelunking just to use the bathroom) Music was on the loud side, my friends and I could talk over it but barely, didn’t seem to fit with the fairly chill feel
Food — we were only there for drinks so I can’t say, and this could bump it up or down a star…
But for now, I think the best adjective for how I felt after visiting Red Brick is ‘satisfied’

I want to preface this review by saying that I ate here during their first week of business so I understand that they are still working out the kinks.
I have been looking forward to this new restaurant opening up in North Center. However, I would have to put Red Brick in the category of having some solid potential but not fulfilling my expectations yet.
The service level was below average, though this could be a result of opening week issues so I will give them a pass on that. Additionally, there was a bit of a language barrier with the server who met us at the door and was confused when we asked for a table for two. When he took our order we needed to point at the items for him to write down the order. Though, everything came out correctly. I wonder if the language barrier was the reason the server did not stop by often to check on us and hope they will work on providing more attentive service.
I appreciated the manager stopping over to ask how were doing and the staff did help change the channel on a TV to show a game we were interested in.
The menu included all the typical bar food (cheese sticks, nachos, philly cheesesteaks, burgers, pastas, pizzas, etc.). I ordered the meatball sandwich which was good but not great. My wife ordered her spaghetti and meatballs which she enjoyed.
The restaurant is currently BYOB and I am not sure if that is permanent or a temporary status.
I plan on giving them another try in the coming weeks after they have had a few weeks to work out the kinks and to try a few other items on their menu. I hope to be able to provide a better rating in a follow-​up review in the coming weeks.

There must be an ordinance in North Center that you must use the following formula when opening a food business: color + noun. Within a couple of blocks are: Red Eyes Coffee, Brown Trout, Brownstone, Blue Stem, Golden Loaf and finally Orange Garden, which is right next door to Red Brick. I also hear you MUST have Green Day and White Stripes on the juke box, too.
Red Brick I would characterize as a Mediterranean Gastropub. That’s what distinguishes it from its many G-​pub neighbors. The décor is similar to Latitude, but it is a deep rectangular room, modern in its look, with exposed Red Brick walls, upholstered banquettes along both walls, and nicely divided into three areas: comfy tables and chairs in the front, with an open air front, and a fireplace for our long winters, then restaurant tables and finally in the back a bar (they do not as yet have a liquor license, so it’s BYOB) There were about 10 flat screens against the west and east walls, with various games and matches on each. No sound, but good music piped in. And if you like that sort of thing (sports) you can park yourself at a table across from your game or match of choice.
But let’s talk food! The menu is eclectic, but primarily Italian, Greek, and Middle Eastern, with a few nods to standard pub food. Prices are very moderate. My entrée, which was a daily special was $ 8.95. Pastas and pizzas run about $ 11.95, and there are very few items. more than $ 15.00.
PASTA — There are Alfredo’s, Ravioli, Penne w/​sausage, Spaghetti and Meatballs
PIZZA — Probaby a half dozen choices of the standard varieties.
SOUPS AND SALADS — A mix of bar food and items like lentil soup, spinach pie and spring rolls, to boot.
SANDWICHES — Includes some bar standards and choices like falafel, meatball, Philly Steak and Salmon.
DAILY SPECIALS — Available during my visit (on a Wednesday) were Lamb Stew, Moussaka and Meatball Moussaka. (meatballs make their appearance all over the menu, by the way.) Ubiquitous are the meatballs!
I orderd a hummous plate appetizer. Garnished with tomatoes and cukes, the hummous was silky good with a slight drizzle of chili oil, and very fresh pita bread. I followed with the meatball mousska, which was really Moussaka with loose ground beef. But as well as eggplant, it had sweet potato and carrot, very nicely done, with a topping of red sauce. It was the size of a brick itself. And really tasty.
The hosts could not have been more gracious or helpful or informative with that «old world» or Mediterranean kind of warm welcome. They had some opening glitches like a credit card machine which didn’t work. All understandable, yet they comped my appetizer, which brought my bill to a whopping $ 10.92.
So I was pleasantly surprised here. I like the space, the Mediterranean flair and fare, and the graciousness and warmth of the owners. It’s a good value, too. A place even a sports eunuch like me could like.

I had a very difficult time not giving this place one star.
It is very rare that I encounter service this poor, and if it’s something that Red Brick doesn’t take care of quickly they’ll burn out real quick.
I visited Red Brick to catch a World Cup game and enjoy some food while taking in some soccer. We sat down and waited. And waited. After finally flagging someone down, the employee simply said «The waiter is over there.», and then walked off. Seriously?
We switched table to try and get better service… it took us another 15 minutes to get a waiter so that we could put in an order. Other groups seemed to be having the same problem; a lot of patrons looking around impatiently. Thank God a good game was on or I might have walked out at that point.
When we were finally able to get our waiter’s attention, we ordered two burgers medium rare. The fellow informed us that «the chef really doesn’t do that» and «we’d have to make you sign something for rare meat.» Again, is this a joke?
The burgers did arrive in a timely manner, and they weren’t half bad. However, I’m probably not going to be heading back there to watch a game, or to eat. I don’t want to deal with the hassle.