The Publican

Four of us shared late night nibbles - the half charcuterie plate and the bread plate with pimento cheese. Food was fabulous. Pimento cheese better than my own homemade! I never would have dreamed that I'd like pate (was delish) and esp head cheese. I had an Old Fashioned which is made with Four Roses. Good drink, decently strong. Service for such a nice place was just "meh". Our server barely spoke to us, never cracked a smile, hardly even cordial. We were seated in a booth - which are super strange. They have solid wood doors on them, like gates. They open them up, you scoot into the booth, then they close the doors behind you. We all felt claustrophobic. To make things worse, the servers then have to serve food and pour drinks over the gate, which is super awkward because they can't reach far enough to put the food in the proper places on the table. When water glasses are refilled, water splashes all over the table. I understand the food is mostly sourced from IL farms, but the prices are crazy high. Shocked when we opened the menu and saw the prices.

Est. 2008 Layout/atmosphere *Beer hall; long, wooden communal tables; bar & open kitchen in the back; paintings of pigs on the walls Service *Good Food/drink *Island Creek (MA) oyster - OK *Summerstones (WA) oyster - good *Ham Chop in Hay (24 oz pork chop, collard greens & maple braised turnips) - very good; flavorful jus, flavorful greens, sweetness of the turnips nice change of pace *Chocolate rye cookie - very good; salted, soft *Brasserie d’Orval Belgian Trappist ale (bottle) - good

Wow, bad value at this overrated and overpriced restaurant!

I had a delightful dining experience at this restaurant. They offer an extensive selection of food and beverages, all served family-style, encouraging a shared dining experience. While the service was friendly and accommodating, it did slow down significantly due to the crowd. Similarly, the delivery of our food was a bit delayed. The ambiance was pleasant, however somewhat noisy. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Despite being pricey, I believe the quality and experience justify the cost. For my meal, I ordered a Margarita, six portions of oysters, Brussels sprouts, bouchot mussels, and steak, which culminated in a total bill of $187.

Wow! Unbelievably delicious! Vegetarian options. Parking: We walked about three blocks (great exercise) to obtain free parking.

Food is great! Vibe is very casual and a little loud at first but then you get into it!

Great Food Swineology at it's Best!