WEST LOOP — Chicago’s Guinness Open Gate Brewery, only the second U.S. location for the famed Irish brewery, opens Thursday after months of anticipation. Here’s everything you need to know before you go.
The taproom, restaurant and bakery is housed in a 15,000-square-foot former rail depot at 901 W. Kinzie St. in the West Loop.
The Guinness Open Gate Brewery will have a 10-barrel brewhouse that will offer rotating experimental draughts brewed on-site, exclusively available in the taproom, alongside signatures like Guinness Draught Stout.
The 12 beers on tap include three sets of four beers brewed in Chicago, Baltimore and Dublin. The Chicago-brewed beers include a Kinzie Pale Ale, Mango Chile Ale, Pineapple Coconut Porter and a West Coast IPA.
The Food
The menu relies on inspiration from the brewery’s Irish roots and global footprint alongside reimagined Chicago classics from Chicago’s Hyde Park Hospitality and Stefani Restaurant Group.
Prices on the lunch and dinner menu range from $7-$24 for small plates and $16-$36 for large plates. The menu offers a wide range of Irish pub fare such as a Corned Beef Board, Guinness Stew and other menu items with Guinness flair, including a beer-battered fish sandwich, beer-brined chicken and Guinness barbecue sauce-covered wings.
Other unique dishes include Duck Udon from the dinner menu and the Beef Jibarito from the lunch menu.
Guinness Open Gate Brewery will also serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays with a more refined menu that includes a shakshuka pot pie, corned beef benedict, shokupan French toast and more.
The restaurant and taproom will be open 11 a.m.-11 p.m Wednesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday, 9 a.m.-midnight Saturday and 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday.
Guinness’s first-ever bakery is also on-site at the West Loop location and is open 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. Guests can buy Guinness merch and fuel up with Intelligentsia Coffee and Aya Pastry, which will provide croissants and danishes for breakfast.
Everything Else
The Guinness Open Gate Brewery is family-friendly and open to guests of all ages. Only guests with valid government IDs will be able to buy and drink alcohol, according to the brewery’s website.
Visitors, be warned: The entire brewery is cashless and there is no dedicated parking area. All major forms of electronic payment including credit cards and Apple Pay are accepted, and valet parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at a rate of $20 per three-hour visit.
Will brewery tours be offered? We aren’t sure yet. The brewery’s website says it plans to offer different “immersive experiences” throughout the year. So far, there are no special events planned, but the website says “stay tuned” for more updates.
Want to snag a table ahead of time? Click here to make a reservation.
Check out more photos below:
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