The Berghoff Restaurant Berghoff Bar

Berghoff Bar and Berghoff Restaurant

When the Berghoff on West Adams Street and its neighboring Berghoff Bar shuttered briefly in February of 2006, thousands of locals lined the sidewalks weeks before to say farewell to what became a local tradition. Some wept. Newspapers wrote accounts that were nothing short of an obituary for a dear old friend.

The Berghoff, however, didn’t disappear. The family-owned institution — loved for its own brand of beer,German fare, homemade root beer, heavy wood paneling, stained glass and old world murals — stayed in the family, but with an updated menu.

The sauerbraten,($14.95), schnitzel ($14.95), beloved creamed spinach ($2) and homemade apple strudel ($5.50) remain. New dishes such as portabella sandwiches, butternut squash ravioli and spiced tilapia are now offered.

Berghoff’s famous stand-up bar still offers their halibut on rye and hand-carved sandwiches (served with a Berghoff pickle) from the carving station that for several decades has made it a favorite lunch spot for Loop workers. A lower-level cafe is also open for lunch.

Founded in 1898 by Herman Joseph Berghoff as a place to sell his Dortmund-style beer (then a nickel and it came with a free sandwich) this turn-of-the-century establishment soon became a Chicago staple. The bar, long in length and covered in gorgeous wood, had been a men-only haunt until women made a controversial entry in the 1960s.

The restaurant dining rooms are vast with high ceilings and checker-tiled floors. Large windows send sunlight streaming through the harlequin stained glass. Whether you just drop in at the bar for a stein of their draft beer and brat or plan a dinner, The Berghoff and its grand history will make you feel right at home.