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The Beer Temple
3173 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
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The Beer Temple
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Ro
Review №1

Great beer and art! They pick the best microbrews and you can drink them while enjoying some interesting murals and art. I particularly like the John Hull, Willies Lament, hes one of my favorite American artists.

Qu
Review №2

Simple neighborhood spot that offers you the selection you need.

Cr
Review №3

Great tap list and staff is very friendly. Good beer choices and a small shelf for individual beers. I even saw a few decent beers on that shelf. But not enough to make me come back. New location is big and the neat walk in cooler was fantastic.

Oz
Review №4

Great beer selection at the bar and the store. Service is always solid. Highly recommend.

Be
Review №5

Good beer selection, nice staff. Easy to find a good place to sit. Good energy and music inside. Theres also a beer store inside the building.

Ga
Review №6

Nice interior design. Good beer selection. 8 bucks for a tiny glass. Why are those glasses so tiny? Interior design is pretty cool, the atmosphere not so much. Theres a nice Mexican supermarket across the street. My personal bummer - no draft cider. Its not too much to ask minding there are like 20 draft beers. Depends of time off the day parking can be challenging.

Tr
Review №7

Just the beer store was open when I visited, required a mask to enter. They have an amazing selection of craft beer, most sold in packs, only a few singles. Staff was pretty helpful if you let them know what you are looking for, they will point you in the right direction.

Pa
Review №8

A must stop for any craft beer lover. Great selections from micro breweries on draft and an extensive bottle shop. Stop in for a brew and take a doggie bag of beer home

Jo
Review №9

Phenomenal.... Absolutely phenomenal. No words can express my happyness in this 24 rotating taproom and beer store. Beer Temple: keep doing what youre doing. Gawd I love your new location.

Ma
Review №10

Excellent beer selection both in the bottle shop and taproom; knowledgeable bartenders

St
Review №11

Nice and warm on a cold day. Chill atmosphere with premier league football on the only tv. Very eclectic tap list with a large shop of bottles attached. One of the best sources for rarer beer Ive found in Chicago.

Je
Review №12

Great selection and knowledgable staff.

Mi
Review №13

One of the best draft lists in the city. Owner specifically tries to get beers that you can’t commonly get on the shelf or elsewhere. Tons of seating and darts in the back, this is definitely a place to spend a couple hours. Retail shop is one of the best in the city, especially because of the large walk in refrigerated section. They have a small parking lot and there is almost always street parking. Can’t beat this place!

Ma
Review №14

Stellar beer and whiskey selection

Na
Review №15

So much to choose from!! I guarantee you will find at least a dozen different brews that you like. These are my favorite

Ke
Review №16

Cant miss. Love this place. Amazing beer selection to go and on tap. Top whiskeys as well.

St
Review №17

Nice curated bottle shop plus a small bar. Fun and interesting place to visit and shop for hard to find brews.

AN
Review №18

Went for beer. Ended up in a Bourbon paradise.

Ke
Review №19

Our go-to spot for beer. We are lucky enough to live within a 5 minute walk from here, but even if we lived a 20 minute drive away, it would still be our establishment of choice for beer, as their selection is well-curated and affordable. Great cooler selection, extremely diverse and fresh. All of the staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable.Before COVID, we loved spending our evenings in their bar playing darts or boardgames in their cozy back room. Their weekend atmosphere at the bar has always been intimate and cozy, which is exactly how we prefer to spend our nights out. We are looking forward to continuing that tradition in the future!

Ha
Review №20

Great Beer Selection. Its a store and a bar and taproom so be prepared to depart with some cash with a smile on your face. Excellent barmen provided great recommendations on the vast selection of beers available. Really cool artwork on the walls.

Sa
Review №21

*Thee most excellent place on earth* Beer selection is stellar. Always something fun and new to try. Unique beers. Lots of stock. Friendly service. Love this place.

Ma
Review №22

Great place. The staff was friendly when I walked in. It was cool that bartender was listening to NPR when I first arrived.They have a wide range of beers you dont commonly find in Chicago. I appreciated the different size options and the music selection.

Ph
Review №23

A staple bar and beer store of Chicago. These ppl are open arms welcoming and educational if youre interested in something / ask. Cant say enough good things about this place

An
Review №24

Amazing beer selection as always

Da
Review №25

The best beer store in the city! A knowledgeable staff and a great variety of different styles of beer !! A great bar to enjoy a cold beverage of your choice !!

A
Review №26

This place is primo. Ryan was a great bartender. The place is clean and covid precautions are great.

Ti
Review №27

Icelandic beer, dark matter coffee, viking blod. That is all the motivation I need to return

Gu
Review №28

Nice Environment, very good and hundreds of beer choices. Love this place.

Je
Review №29

So much fun

Bi
Review №30

Awesome beer selection for us beer snobs.

Br
Review №31

Great place with a wide selection of beers in a cozy and welcoming area. Definite go to craft beer shop closest to me. They house some hard to find and fast flying beers.Only thing I wish they did that my old go to craft beer shop does is the ability to buy individual cans of almost any beer. That way you dont have to commit to a pack of beer you want to try but end up not liking.

Br
Review №32

Amazing selection of beer and knowledgeable staff.

Ch
Review №33

Great unique beer selection that you wont find anywhere else in the Midwest. 20 taps. Eclectic beers can be pricey ($9/6-9oz) but generally worth it to the beer connoisseur plus usually has a more accessible beer available too (i.e. super fresh Sierra Nevada PA $4/16oz). A super long bottled beer list and one of the largest sour beer selection Ive ever seen. Large space but bar seating is limited. Dont forget to grab a whiskey or mälort shot before you go.

Ca
Review №34

Great store, great selection. I normally don’t post negative reviews and this place is so great that it doesn’t deserve a negative review but I stopped in today and the guy working the bottle shop was shockingly unfriendly. Granted they were busy and I had to wait until people left before I could go in, but the guy was just generally really unfriendly. kicked us out after around 5 mins; said he had a huge line forming (there were 4-6 people).He was probably having a bad day but it wasn’t like i was wasting time researching beer online or anything. I would have bought more stuff too.Hope the staff can pour themselves a beer once in a while and chill out. Would help with the general vibe.Overall I love this place and haven’t really had a bad experience before this.

Da
Review №35

Just outstanding beer selection and very knowledgeable people. Best collection saison and wild ales in chicago

Al
Review №36

Craft beers, minimal snackage, parking in the back, unusually comfy barstools!

El
Review №37

The Beer Temple is a longtime favorite - the bottle shop gets some great beers from around the country, including tiny outfits like Scratch! And some great international stuff, too. The staff is happy to help you find something in your price point and to your taste. In these coronapocalypse times, its very easy to order online, and they will notify you when your order is ready for pickup. You can park behind the bldg (entrance to lot from Belmont) or in front on Elston, and the pick-up spot for your online orders are on the Elston side of the building. You just give them your name and walk out with your tasty beer, wine, and booze. Someday, I hope the taproom re-opens. Again, it gets beer from around the world that you might not otherwise find here in Chicago.

Be
Review №38

Beer to revere indeed. Relaxed environment, friendly and knowledgeable staff and the dual combo of a taproom and bottleshop with options abound. Whether youre an amateur or a connoisseur youll find something out of the ordinary here.

Jo
Review №39

A great beer selection at fair prices. Its nice to have well curated beer that leaves out the mediocre options.

An
Review №40

Great service, great selection, great local spot!

Ja
Review №41

Nice rotating craft selection with friendly staff that knows their hops. Also a sweet bar where you can sip a few before stocking up on the hop juice.

Ke
Review №42

If youre a Beeraholick lol spelling, but anyway great place to find almost anything related to Beer.🤠

Ja
Review №43

Great selection of local and regional favorites.

Ti
Review №44

Awesome selection of beers both on tap and in the bottle shop. Bartenders are not only helpful but really know their stuff. Plenty of room to enjoy yourself without being on top of other patrons and music was a good volume for a group conversation. Easy to get to location with street parking nearby

D
Review №45

Awesome bartender with beer knowledge, patience and great serviceGreat beer choices...love this place

St
Review №46

These guys are amazing. If you bave the option to shop here and youre buying beer elsewhere youre almost certainly making a mistake.

Ka
Review №47

Selection and fun crew to help me navigate their brews of all taste delights.

Di
Review №48

Beer Temple has a nice atmosphere friendly staff and a great selection of craft beer. The Beer Temple handles its releases in a fair open honest manner. The Beer Temple staff is knowledgeable friendly and always able to answer any questions that you may have. They dont mind if you call ahead seeking beer or just to answer questions. I highly recommend The Beer Temple!

Ma
Review №49

I frequent the liquor store which is 5 stars by itself. First time at the bar and very impressed. Huge selection of beers, wine, liquor, and more! Knowledge staff, reasonable prices, and chill atmosphere. Will definitely be returning.

Ro
Review №50

Great selection, great staff. Can’t beat this place.

Da
Review №51

The Beer Temple has been my go-to bottle shop when traveling to/through Chicago for several years now. Are there other good shops in Chicago? Probably, but theyve covered me so well every time Ive gone in that there hasnt been a need to go elsewhere. Staff has always been helpful and accurate with selections for new beers Im unfamiliar with. But theyll also let you shop at your own pace if thats your thing. From novice to beer geek, its obvious The Beer Temple cares about your beer buying experience.

An
Review №52

Best bottleshop in Chicago

Ja
Review №53

Yes yes yes, will be back for their awesome selection of beer 🍺!

Co
Review №54

Some of the best beer selection on tap in the city period. Awesome ambiance and art on the wall. You come for the beer. They also have board games and stuff in the back.

Br
Review №55

Meet your new favorite Chicago bar and bottle shop. Knowledgeable staff and a carefully curated selection makes this place endlessly fascinating and satisfying.

Ph
Review №56

They basically always have several kinds of Hop Butcher. And loads of other local beers that don’t get the national hype they deserve. staff has always been pretty chill in the bottle room too. top 3 beer stores in Chicago, easy

Ev
Review №57

Always quality beer selection in the shop and bar. Great whiskey selection as well. Staff is always helpful and very knowledgeable. Prices are average but they do have specials. No food and no TV, but you can order in. ❤️

Er
Review №58

Wide variety of beers both on tap in the trap room as well as in bottles in the bottle shop. Theres something for everyone no matter your tastes.Staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable and most importantly willing to share that knowledge. Nice atmosphere, comfortable chairs, and a great location. I cant wait to go back already!

An
Review №59

Incredibly well curated selection. Fantastically knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful staff. Great ambiance

Rh
Review №60

Fantastic store with a knowledgable staff. They provide style recommendations and point you to learning resources (if you are interested).

To
Review №61

Great selection! Great beers, even though I didnt have beer, but drank wine. Solid service. Plus mixed drinks.

Wi
Review №62

Best draft list in the city.

ro
Review №63

Fantastic place for top notch fresh beer. Always discovering new brews. I like that half is a bar and half is a beer store. The beers on tap are always impressive.

Ji
Review №64

Wide selection of beer, they carry my fav, Guinness Foreign Extra, yellow label... and fast in and out!

Ch
Review №65

Ive come to this place when it only retailed bottles and cans out of its original storefront around the corner, and guess what? It only got better when they added a bar. Their selection of drafts was a welcome distraction from the cold, damp weather of a few months ago and its worth checking out even if you only have a passing interest in beer and ale.

St
Review №66

This is the best beer shop in Chicago, easily. Having the taproom is just a bonus.

Ja
Review №67

This is one of the greatest bars in human history. Preposterous beer selection, sublime bottle shop, giant recliners, darts, great people, great vibe. Every time you go to a different bar, you are making a mistake.

St
Review №68

Best beer store in the city, hands down. Friendly folks and a fine selection. Tap room has many draughts, pretzels, and games. Store also sells a small selection of interesting other libations.

Yv
Review №69

Super awesome place.I stopped by on a Saturday afternoon very chill. The menu was great. Staff was so welcoming and helped make the best decision on trying something new.I can not wait to try more!

Je
Review №70

Great beer selection. Staff is great. A little store with an amazing selection of to go options. Highly recommend.

Jo
Review №71

Looking for good beer? Go here

Br
Review №72

Great place for craft beers and amazing service

Jo
Review №73

This is a great place to sample quality craft beers. Always amazing selection and they have a great bottle shop too.

Br
Review №74

The bartender was a wealth of knowledge on a wide range of subjects. He was extremely friendly, and never tried to upsell pricier stuff at the expense of a more personalized recommendation. You are allowed to bring outside food in, so we brought in a whole bunch of tacos from the Mexican grocery store across the street to enjoy while drinking beer and watching some football.

Ma
Review №75

This is a bar that has everything. Want to play board games with some friends and sip on a beer? Theyve got a stack of games and ample table space. More of a sit at the bar and chat with the staff person? Nicest bartenders youll ever meet. Just love beer and want to sample everything they have to offer because their drafts are consistently among the most interesting in the whole city? No problem, theyll give you a taste of every damn thing until youve decided on something you really like. Quality staff and quality beer make this the best craft beer bar in Chicago.

Ro
Review №76

What a great location for a good variety of beers and a awesome selection in the bottle shop to take away.

Ma
Review №77

Ive always appreciated the selection in the store and the helpful staff but hadnt had a chance to stop in to the new tap room until recently. Great selection on tap and the bartender was really knowledgeable and willing to offer his opinion when asked, I would definitely come to hang out again. Oh also, the loaner hoodies for the walk in cooler are a nice touch :)

Pa
Review №78

Im commenting on the tap room. Its pretty chill in there. No food options but lots in the area you can walk to or even bring over. Nice selection of beers on tap too from around the city. Always a nice time there.

Sc
Review №79

All around fantastic. You can bring in your own food, staff is awesome, and the beer selection is amazing. Main entrance is on the back side (North of Elston). Love the real dart boards as well.

Ka
Review №80

Bar and bottleshop serving a really well curated selection. Heavy on the Belgian style and sours, but you can find something unique and delicious to fit any taste. The bottleshop is very impressive and carries beer, cider, liquor.The triangle lot is laid out well, and the folks slinging beverages know their stuff. Recommended!

Mi
Review №81

Best well curated beer bar in the city. Staff is super knowledgeable, friendly and eager to guide you. Everything they have is the freshest you will find anywhere (unless of course it was purposely aged) Taproom prices while a little high, they get stuff you will not find anywhere else in the state, let alone city (Omnipollo, Scratch..)

Ty
Review №82

Chill Bar, Bromg your own food, only the best beers. To Sum up, nice corner bar with one best beer selections In the city. Also, a smaller beer store, for beer to go.

Mo
Review №83

The beer temple is THE place to go for a beer lover. The staff are knowledgeable and great at recommending beers. There is plenty of space to sit and drink in the bar area as well as the side area. The bottle shop is amazing and stocked with some very hard to find and delicious beers.

je
Review №84

About as many different beers as Binnys alot of them on tap and all ready for carryout

Ch
Review №85

Great bottle shop with an impressive draft list. The owner, Chris, strives to always have the freshest beer in stock, and to line the shelves with the best that local distribution has to offer.Easily the best beer store in the city, now serving draft pours.

Ba
Review №86

Wednesday night bottle opening and the place was standing room only. Great selection of beers on draft (too many IPAs for me but the remaining variety makes up for it). Noticeably more expensive than a typical brewpub (especially in the packaged beers room) but these are beers you will not find anywhere else

Fr
Review №87

This is one of the best beer stores you will find. The owner is very knowledgeable about beer and even runs a radio show/podcast to cover beer topics. The staff is helpful and they open beers for tasting a couple times a week. They get just about everything that enters there Chicago market.

Ke
Review №88

Great beer selection and very knowledgeable staff. The addition of the tap room in the new location is a definite plus. Id highly recommend this spot to any beer lovers.

He
Review №89

The guys can be a bit snobbish but they do know what they are talking about. Great selections, cant wait for the next rotation on Cask!!! Excited to see what the next few years bring to Beer Temple. Keep up the innovation.

Da
Review №90

Excellent bottle shop and taproom with a great selection of craft beer from around the world. Great spot to sip great beer and purchase one or two for the road (ahem, to take home)... Love beer = Beer Temple

Ni
Review №91

The best review I can give for The Beer Temple is that their beer selection is so good, essentially the best in the city, and because of this Im actually conflicted on writing a good review. On one hand, i selfishly want their specialty tappings and limited releases available and stocked for me. But on the other hand, the team at BT are some of the most knowledgeable, personable people youll ever find. They love craft beer, love supporting local breweries, and are all worth swinging by and having a beer with.Full disclosure: I will fight you for the last pack of Hop Butcher. But Ill do it with a smile at the Beer Temple

Cy
Review №92

Awesome selection of beers.

Ji
Review №93

Stopped by while riding past on Elston. I was pleasantly surprised at the very eclectic and wide ranging variety of craft beer they had on hand, especially in the 22oz bottles. The selection is such that it is definitely worth making a trip here to buy beer, no matter where in the city you live.

St
Review №94

The best place to buy beer in Chicagoland hands down. Chris is obsessive about beer freshness, labeling every package with freshness dating information to the best of his ability. Knowledgeable staff make chatting about beer and recommendations a pleasure, and other clientele tend to be worth engaging as well. A destination well worth going out of your way to visit, if I lived closer, itd be rare for me to buy beer anywhere else.

Jo
Review №95

This is everything a beer store should be. A knowledgable, friendly staff. Good, rare and steady beers. And not super huge. There are daily tastings of beers too. Some of which you cannot purchase in Illinois, but the owner wants to show the great beers of other places and chat about what makes those beers great.Let me repeat that last sentence, he wants to chat about what makes those beers great. He enjoys listening to others opinions and share his as well. He wont tell you what you should taste, he wants to have a conversation about it.THAT makes this place a gem 5/5!!

Be
Review №96

One of the best bottle shops in the city is right in my backyard! The staff here is very friendly and always willing to talk brews. The selection is great and is constantly changing. Big enough to find something to satisfy your craving, small enough to feel like youve stumbled into a cool little forgotten corner shop. Utterly humble and unassuming. Theres free tastings (of beers that arent sold here in IL more often than not) and release parties too. Oh, and a rewards program for dropping more money than is responsible on sixers. Cant recommend enough.

jo
Review №97

Best craft beer selection in the city. Binnys is great but this is actually better. The staff is friendly and if you have any odd requests they can probably put in an order for you to get it. They usually have something odd/random [picked up a very herbal Lebanese beer once, was great.]

Da
Review №98

Our experience today was utterly disappointing. We were led by the high ratings in Ratebeer. However, we were surprised by the rather unwelcoming bartender today, who didnt smile or seem to be willing to be of much help aside from pouring the beer. Beer selection was good, although a bit pricey. Guy on the shop, same thing, he didnt offer to help or say a word to me, the place being empty at that point. I could detail the many times that I noticed their poor attitude, but I spare you the rant. Also, wierd Christmas songs didnt help. Went off to the next craft beer bar as we finished our first and only round. Too bad you didnt get more of our money...

Ta
Review №99

A holy place for beer-lovers. Incredible selection for american and international brews, and especially for the fabulous Belgian offerings. Very knowledgeable staff too--theyll take you on a journey through their supply and help you find exactly what youre looking for, or theyll guide you to a new favorite. Pricey, but hey, thats good beer.

Pa
Review №100

Fantastic selection, attention paid to brew styles, served at proper temperature for the flavor palette. Would be even better with some great dishes.

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.8 Rating
  • Address:3173 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
  • Site:http://craftbeertemple.com/
  • Phone:+1 773-754-0907
Categories
  • Beer store
  • Bar
Working hours
  • Monday:11AM–11PM
  • Tuesday:11AM–11PM
  • Wednesday:11AM–10PM
  • Thursday:11AM–11PM
  • Friday:11AM–11PM
  • Saturday:11AM–11PM
  • Sunday:11AM–11PM
Service options
  • Curbside pickup:Yes
  • In-store pickup:Yes
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair accessible entrance:Yes
  • Wheelchair accessible parking lot:Yes
Amenities
  • Wi-Fi:Yes
Planning
  • Quick visit:Yes
Payments
  • NFC mobile payments:Yes
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