Chicago and suburbs

BYO Forum - Wine at Restaurants
1

For a standard on the information given, please provide the following at minimum:

  1. Restaurant name
  2. Corkage policy
  3. Status of stemware
  4. Address and/or website

Aboyer French Brasserie

64 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, IL
847-441-3100
Excellent stemware
Free corkage, unlimited bottles on Thursday. Otherwise, corkage is $50/bottle.
Website

312 Fish Market

2105 S. Jefferson, 2nd Floor (Inside 88 Market’s food court), Chicago,IL
872-222-7288
No stems that I recall. Outstanding sushi
Website

Lucia Ristorante

All BYOB all the time - no corkage
Stemware: very small wine glasses. Bring your own
1825 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL
773-292-9700
Website

Gio’s Cafe and Deli

2724 S. Lowe
Chicago, IL
(312) 225-6368
Unknown stems
Website

Schwa

All BYOB all the time - unsure on corkage, but no more than $5 per bottle
Stemware: They have the Reidal glasses that have no stems
1466 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL
773-252-1466
Website

Prairie Grass Cafe

601 Skokie Blvd
Northbrook, Illinois 60062
(847) 205-4433
Stemware: decent enough. I’ve never seen anyone bring
Website

Smoque BBQ

3800 N. Pulaski
773- 545- 7427
smoquebbq.com
ZERO Corkage
byo-stems
Perhaps the best bbq in town.

Tango Sur

Tel - 773-477-5466
Address - 3763 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL
Website
Stemware: awful

Abagail’s - Highland Park

Good Stems
Variable, as high as $25 Corkage - can be negotiated down or waived
Website
Very good American Bistro

Inovasi - Lake Bluff

Good Stems
$15 Corkage - often waived
28 E Center Ave Lake Bluff, IL 60044-2585 - (847) 295-1000
Website
American Bistro - unique farm fresh menu, very good.

Cooper’s Hawk - Orland Park, Burr Ridge, Wheeling, South Barrington, Naperville

Good Stems
$8 Corkage

Concept is a higher-end causal American Bistro that makes own wine.

EL Ideas

2419 W. 14th Street
Chicago, IL 60618
312-226-8144
reservations@elideas.com
Good glassware
website

TTOWA (pronounced Dough-ah)

161 W Wing St (between Davis St & Vail Ave)
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
847-749-4493
Korean cuisine, Full BYOB, Good stems
website

Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen

319 S JEFFERSON ST
Chicago, IL
312.944.5800
No corkage; lousy glassware, so bring your own
Website

Caro Mio Italian Ristorante

4603 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL.
773-275-5000
Website
No corkage. Decent stemware.

Pot Sticker House

3139 S. Halsted
Chicago, IL.
312-326-6898
Website
No corkage. Lousy stems, so bring your own.

Boston Fish Market

1225 E. Forest Ave.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
(847) 296-1111 or (847) 803-2100
Website
$25 corkage and adamant about it. Unknown stemware

Rangoli

2421 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
773-697-7114
No corkage, unknown on glassware
Website

The Publican

837 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
312.733.9555
Website
$20 corkage, max 2 bottles.
Unknown on stems, but for $20/bottle you shouldn’t have to bring your own glasses.

Cellar Door Provisions

(Friday and Saturday nights only)
3025 W. Diversey Avenue
Chicago, IL
773 697-8337
Website
$20 corkage generally and $10 if you bring in a wine from Diversey Wine
Mediocre stems, no decanters

Cozy Noodle

3456 N. Sheffield
Chicago IL (1 block south of Wrigley Field)
773-327-0100
website
All BYOB all the time - $5 corkage
Stemware: Small, clunky drinking glasses. I suppose you could bring your own. They do have ice buckets.

Thai Pastry

4925 N. Broadway, unit E
Chicago, Il.
773-784-5399
Website
No corkage, decent stems.

RPM Italian

52 W. Illinois St.
Chicago, IL.
312-222-1888
Website
$25 corkage. Stemware likely just fine.

Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill

20504 N. Rand Road
Deer Park, IL 60010
(847) 719-1596
Website
$20 corkage. No info on stemware

Stix N Brix

220 W 33rd Street
Chicago, IL 60616
312-265-0219
Website
No corkage. Reidel O knockoffs.

Wentworth Seafood House

2229 S Wentworth Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 808-0899
Website)
No corkage, lousy stems

Steak and Vine

37 South La Grange Road
La Grange, IL, 60525
708-579-0520
Website
$20 corkage per bottle with no limit. Reserve through Nick and he may waive corkage. Schott Zwiesel glassware

Daisies

2523 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773-661-1671
Website
$15 per bottle corkage, unknown stems

S.K.Y.

1239 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 846-1077
Website
No corkage Wed/Thur/Sun. Assume good stems.

Longman & Eagle

2657 N. KEDZIE AVE.
CHICAGO, IL 60647
773-276-7110
Website
$25 per bottle but fee is waived with a bottle purchased off of their list.

Bistro Campagne

4518 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
773.271.6100
Website
$15/bottle corkage. Good stems

Dolo Restaurant

2222 S Archer Ave
Chicago
(312) 877-5117
Website
No corkage fee, lousy (thick) stems

Duck Inn

2701 S Eleanor
Reidel O stems
$25 corkage
(312) 724-8811
website

Butcher & The Burger

1021 W. Armitage Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 697-3735
BYOB. No corkage; but lousy glassware. Bring your own.
Website

Jade Court

1516 E Harper Court
Chicago, IL. 60615
773-966-4106
Corkage is possible, but my advice is to run it by management first.
Website

Mordecai

3632 N. Clark St.
Chicago, Il. 60613
773.269.5410
$25 corkage. Excellent stems. Excellent food for essentially a cocktail and sports place.
Website

Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf

218 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 624-8154
Corkage fee is sharing 1 glass per bottle with a table of your choice. One bottle per two people limit.
Nice stems
Website

Le Sud

2301 W Roscoe St.
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 857-1985
Website
Service and food were both excellent. Stems were fine. Corkage is $35, which they donate to local charities, which are posted on their website.

Forte at Symphony Center

65 E. Adams St. Chicago, IL 60603
312-294-3013
Website
Corkage $25; Stems ok; Suggest reservations 7:30 and after on concern evenings

La Nonna

3400 N Lawndale Ave. Chicago, IL. 60618
restaurant is located in a residential area and parking can be tight on weekends
(773)-253-4741 (call for reservations, no online)
Website
No corkage; unknown stems, so best bring your own

Smoque Steak

3310 N. Elston Ave, Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60618
773.219.1775
Website
$20 corkage, limit one bottle

Sabroso Mexican Grill

624 N Ashland
Chicago, IL 60622
773.290.8400
Website
Basic stems, no corkage

Strapoli Pizzeria and All Day Cafe

545 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614
Website
Stemless glasses, no corkage

Naudi Signature Pizza

926 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 360-8978
Website
Mixed stems, no corkage

Craft Pizza

1252 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL
(773) 442-7238
Website
BYO stems, no corkage

Shokran

Moroccan cuisine
4027 W IRVING PARK RD
CHICAGO IL
773-427-9130
Website
Cash only, basic glassware, $5/bottle corkage

Lula Cafe

2537 N. Kedzie Blvd.
Chicago, IL
(773) 489-9554
Website
$25 corkage, basic/average stems

Community Tavern

4038 N. Milwaukee
Chicago, IL
(773) 283-6080
Website
$25 corkage, basic/average stems

Formento’s Italian Steakhouse

925 W. Randolph St.
Chicago, IL
(312) 690-7295
Website
$25 Corkage, excellent stems

Charlie Martin’s

736 N. Clark St.,
Chicago, IL
312.929.3174
Website
$35/bottle, limit 2 bottles, good stems

2

I will add Prairie Grass cafe and it’s sister Prairie Fire for BYO Mondays.

Prairie Grass Cafe
601 Skokie Blvd
Northbrook, Illinois 60062
(847) 205-4433
Stemware: decent enough. I’ve never seen anyone bring

Prairie Fire
215 North Clinton Street
Chicago, IL 60661
(312)382-8300


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3

Mado
1647 North Milwaukee Avenue
chicago, IL 60647
(773) 342-2340

Excellent food. ZERO corkage.
BYO Stems.

4

Terragusto
1851 W Addison
Chicago, IL 60613
773 248 2777
http://www.terragustocafe.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This location, as opposed to the Lincoln Park one on Armitage, is all BYOB all the time. $3-5 corkage per bottle. No stemware, bring your own.

5

Smoque BBQ
3800 N. Pulaski
773- 545- 7427

ZERO Corkage
byo-stems

Perhaps the best bbq in town.

6

South Water Kitchen (in the North Loop)
At the Hotel Monoco
225 North Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601-2404
(312) 236-9300


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Zero corkage (best to call ahead and confirm). Decent red wine stems upon request (don’t know how deep their inventory is). Could not find a decanter last evening.

Chef Lateano won a Golden Rasher Award at the 2010 Chicago Baconfest in the category of “Best Tasting Bacon Dish Period” for his “Bacon Rillettes", with coddled egg dressing, pickled ramps and bacon fat griddled brioche croutons. Pretty good :wink:

7

Two places that I particularly like…and go to reasonably often:

Boka - as I recall policy is a max of 2 bottles per table and something like $25 corkage. Excellent stemware and wine service. Great food and a menu well suited to a broad range of wines.

Tel - 312-337-6070
Address - 1729 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL

Primehouse - I think it is $20 or 25 per bottle (not sure about a max number of bottles). Excellent wine service and stemware. Top rate steaks so a good place to bring big reds.

Tel - 312-660-6000
Address - 616 N. Rush Street, Chicago, IL

8

Should have also added another I went to recently - Tango Sur. I believe no corkage at all since all BYO. Good meat to pair with reds but horrible wine glasses, tight tables and mediocre service. No reservations either. Not really a place I’m dying to go back to but I do think it is a popular “BYO”…

Tel - 773-477-5466
Address - 3763 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL

9

Haven’t been to Eve on a Wed or Sun but I believe that you can bring on other nights but the corkage fee was pretty steep - $30 or $35 as I recall from last summer. Though the food was pretty good and so may be worth going back on a Wed or Sun.

10

Vie in Western Springs
Tuesday free corkage, and any bottle over ten years in age everyday

11

Restaurant Michael
Free Corkage on Tuesdays
average stems
64 GREEN BAY RD.
WINNETKA, IL
http://www.restaurantmichael.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I love this place. If you go, don’t miss the foie gras strudel.

12

Vivo has always been a great BYOW venue. Excellent food, service, atmosphere, and pricing.

13

Victor,

Can you provide information about their BYOB policies? There’s nothing about it on their website.

Thanks.

14

The management will verbally quote $15 per bottle, but often waives it.

15

Should add Spring to the list. Great food and service, excellent stemware. I think the charge is $20 per bottle. Was just there for a wine dinner on Tuesday night and they did an terrific job as usual!

16

I’ve happily been to Browntrout a few times… Thursday is free corkage, but I don’t know their policy the rest of the week. Glasses are an ersatz version of the Riedel “O”.

17

Does anyone know about the corkage policy at The Bristol? We’re putting together a dinner in July, and I’d really like to short list this place, as it will be close to our “home base” for the evening.

18

Kent,

Pretty sure the Bristol is all BYO all the time, and I think there’s no charge for corkage at all. If any, it’s nominal. I hear they have excellent stemware too. Manlin knows the scoop for sure, you might PM him if you want the inside track. Or you could just call the place.

19

Thanks Jamie. I definitely plan to call them to confirm, but I had a feeling someone here knew as well.

20

I thought that it was Mado that was BYO not The Bristol?