Liter Beers and Polka in Wrigleyville
There is a little bit of Munich right here in hicago. At Uberstein Chicago, the beer comes by the liter, the music is live polka, and the sausage of choice is the bratwurst. The bartenders at Uberstein are pretty friendly, but don't expect lederhosen. Occasionally, one of the brewers will send out a "marketing team" disguised as blond women wearing scandalous Frauleins outfits, but the usual crowd is post-game Wrigleyville or low-key nine-to-fivers. On the weekends, there is usually a live band that leans toward the polka side of things. Don't worry if polka's not your thing, though, my boyfriend was there once and there was a hand bell player whose repertoire included "Spoonman."
Uberstein carries traditional Hofbrau brand beer in four varieties: Original, Dunkel, Kindl Weissbier, and Oktoberfest or Maibock (depending on the season). The Original is a traditional German lager. It's easy to drink, and that's a good thing, since the preferred serving size is a liter. Dunkel is a dark Bavarian beer, quite tasty in the winter. The Kindl Weissbier is a wheat beer, of which I'm not a fan, but my wheat beer loving friends enjoy it. The Oktoberfest is outstanding, but only available from September to January or so. Oktoberfest is the beer that people from all over the world flock to Germany to drink in - you guessed it - October. Maibock is Oktoberfest's summertime cousin, only available in the warmer months. The Maibock is much stronger than Oktoberfest, so you will probably not be chugging liters of it. Uberstein has passable bar food ranging from huge soft pretzels to corned beef sandwiches and bratwurst. There are various schnitzels as well.
Next time you're in Wrigleyville, make your way south from the park and try it out. Maybe you'll hear "Spoonman" played on a glockenspiel. Uberstein Chicago is located at 3478 N. Clark St., accessible by the #22 Clark bus, or the Red Line El (Addison Stop).
