Friday, February 24, 2017

Branch 27

Branch 27


Location: 1371 W Chicago
Cost: About $25 per person

Noam was in town the other week and wanted to grab a bite. Our mutual beer snobbery usually dictates where we go rather than the quality of food. We wanted something between my spot in Lincoln Park and his hotel in River North. We ended up at this spot just west of the river called Branch 27.

Logistics
To get there, youll either need a car or the bus. Theres plenty of street parking along Chicago Avenue. We went on a weeknight with a reservation that was unnecessary. The restaurant is split into two sides, one with the bar and the other with two partially separated levels of seating. The wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable despite their attempts to push Trumer Pils on us all night. The feel in general is very homey and comfortable. The cost is what youd expect from a nicer bar setting. Apps were $10, burgers were $15, and larger entrees float in the low $20 range. They have some good daily specials too.

The Food
We started off with an order of the Fish Tacos and the Arugula and Kohlrabi Salad. The tacos were double corn tortillas filled with long filets, slaw, and jalapenos. They were spicy with plenty of acidity. The salad had brussel sprouts and plenty of pecorino. The smoked paprika gave it a nice kick too.

The Fish Tacos

The Arugula and Kohlrabi Salad

We then went on to split a Branch Burger and the Specialty Lasagna. The burger had beer onions, bacon aioli, and aged cheddar. The meat was a juicy medium rare, and the bacon aioli really provided most of the standout flavor. The fries appeared to be hand cut and were at the proper level of crispiness. The lasagna was also bacon heavy. The cheese was caramelized and the dish was a molten mixture of meats and noodles. Despite the excessive heartburn afterwards, I was a big fan.

The Lasagna

 The Branch Burger

The French Fries

Overall
I left Branch 27 with a similar feel to that from Old Oak Tap. We were mildly to the west, had good beer, comfortable surroundings, and very well prepared bar food. Each of those categories were slightly better at Old Oak though. Still, Branch 27 is a great spot for all of the aforementioned reasons, and Im giving them 3.5 out of 5 Pearls.


Branch 27 on Urbanspoon

Available link for download

Go to link Download


No comments:

Post a Comment