While Rock Bottom is a brewpub chain, they do allow their brewers considerable autonomy. The one in Chicago has changed since my last visit a few years ago and is now more of a sports bar, which while annoying in some ways, with various televisions tuned to different sports channels and all blaring out at full toss, it isn't peaceful,but it is busy. And this is unmistakeably a business and if it works for them, who am I to argue? It's an American Sports Bar Brewpub. Got a problem with that?
We all met there on Saturday afternoon, variously tired, excited and content and spent a few hours putting the world to rights and drinking beer. I more or less went through the list, while concentrating on a fine German style pilsner, but mindful of Pete Brown's admonishment about boring blogs full of "what beer I drank", I'll not mention it further, except to say it was all super fresh and well made. What I will mention is the pub itself and how it works. Firstly you get served at your table (unless you get a seat at the bar) and you have to understand that the servers are paid little and rely on tips. While alien to our culture in lots of ways, it does result in extremely attentive and pleasant staff, who seem genuinely happy to have you there as a customer and to actually make you feel wanted and welcome. Your server will make sure you never run out of drinks, check on you frequently, bring glasses of water (Yankees drink a lot of water with their beer) and remove empties. That in itself is an extremely welcome thing and seems to me to be a direct result of the relationship that has to be established between customer and server.
The Rock Bottom crowd was predominantly in their 20's and 30's (we bumped up the average a bit) and a lot were watching the sport. All were drinking craft beer and of course some were getting merry too. Pretty good food is also available and it was there I had my only burger of the trip. It was bloody good too, with the home made coleslaw being absolutely superb. One nice touch for me was the generous imperial pint at the same price other pubs charged for 16oz or less. For those interested, you can see the very hi tech brewery from the stairs on the way to the toilet, sorry, restroom.
So is it like a British pub? Well it was reasonably pubby - at the trendier end of the spectrum - and very friendly - so yes, it is. The only real difference was the table service and the tab at the end, rather than pay as you go. It is a place well worth a visit, with a good atmosphere and excellent beers. If in Chicago try it.
Our server got a $50 tip afterwards. She earned it.
I've been in the one in San Diego a couple of times. I still have nightmares about the Jumbo Toothpicks as a starter before a rather large steak. Bloody delicious though. Quite liked their beers too. More like a restaurant than a pub in SD, and definitely a brisk trade!
ReplyDeletePerspective. This recovering Yank don't care much for table service, depending on the place, of course.
ReplyDelete$50 tip...you lot only drank & ate through $250 in a hepcat Chicago place? Lightweights.
I mean, if I'd a' been there, I'd have eaten and drunk you lot all under the table.
ReplyDeleteI actually do miss places like Yank brewpubs, just for the diversity they offer, all the marginally annoying excesses notwithstanding.
Was there much Maibock around? There is some in my Keller. And my belly.
BNick - You wouldn't. And the waitress was very happy with the tip. You could have been there though of course.
ReplyDeleteTable service is generally the norm here in the States, although as you will recall, the Map Room had us visiting the bar for beer and to drop off empties. One major impact is, obviously, the number of servers necessary--which may be a factor in the difference in wages. If one can run a very busy pub with only a few bartenders, one can obviously afford to pay them better than in a system employing many servers, bus boys, et al.
ReplyDelete