One of my all-time favorite places to eat in Chicago - or any where, for that matter - is the Berghoff in downtown Chicago. I first went there in 1987 and I usually try to get there a couple times a year for lunch or dinner.
The story of the Berghoff begins in 1870 when Herman Berghoff (shown here in 1933 holding the temporary license for the first liquor license issued by the city of Chicago) and his three brothers immigrated from Germany to Fort Wayne, IN with their parents. The four Berghoff brothers began the Berghoff Brewing Company in 1887 brewing a style of beer they called "Dortmunder" after their home town in Germany, Dortmund.
In 1893, Herman came to Chicago to sell beer to the patrons at The Chicago World's Fair. Encouraged by the response he had from fair-goers, Herman opened a small cafe (where the existing Berghoff Bar is now) and sold sandwiches and his family's beer. When Prohibition hit in 1919, Herman decided to open a full service German restaurant in 1920 and moved the restaurant next door to it's present location in the mid-30's.
In the 40's, Herman passed the restaurant along to his two sons who ran it for a number of years. Herman's grandson, Herman, and great-grandchildren are still running the place today.
The Berghoff is just off of State St. on Adams (see map) and features some of the best German food I've ever had. I'm partial to their Sauerbraten (with a great sweet and sour gravy), and their roasted pork loin, pan roasted in its juice with herbs and spices. Oh, man! Killer.
I also like their hot beef sandwich for lunch (when they have it - it's on and off the menu). The beef is tender and flavorful, they serve it with their homemade rye bread and heaping stack of real mashed potatoes covered with a ginger-based gravy. Oh, my stomach's doin' jumping jacks just writing about it.
The dining room is very ornate and elegant, but you can go in wearing jeans and a sweater or polo shirt. The waiters have all been there for years and are dressed to the hilt in black tuxedos with red bow ties. It's pretty cool.
I always like going into the adjacent Berghoff Bar to get one of their Berghoff Beers and to look at the first liquor license given out by the city of Chicago after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. They have it right on the wall behind the bar, prominently displayed. The Berghoff was such a popular spot to drink before Prohibition that Herman Berghoff successfully lobbied for the first license.
A little known fact - For a long time the bar didn't allow women to drink in the establishment. When Prohibition ended, the bar began a policy of men only. That continued for a number of years until the late 60's when a group of women's activists entered the bar, sat down and demanded to be served. They were served, and the tradition of men only went by the wayside.
The Berghoff also has a cafe in the basement of the restaurant for food on the go or for a more casual lunch. They also have a little place on the C concourse of the United Airlines terminal at O'Hare (picture at left). That's the only reason I like to fly through O'Hare - to stop at the Berghoff and get a reuben sandwich and a cold beer at the bar.
I love the Berghoff, not only for their food, but for their place in Chicago's history. For a place that has been in business for over 100 years, they must be doing something right.
Note - The Berghoff is now out of business
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