The Berghoff Restaurant

All of Chicago’s Past James Beard Award Winners | Eater Chicago

"One of the oldest restaurants in Chicago is a timeless landmark that offers traditional German fare and beer brewed in-house. The Berghoff (America’s Classics, 1999), which originally opened as a saloon in 1878 and started serving meals during World War I is notable for snagging the the first liquor license the city issued after Prohibition and also for operating a men’s-only bar until 1969. The historic 45,000-square-foot building closed briefly in 2006 during a transition in ownership but has since returned to its role as a reliable spot for a Reuben or schnitzel in the downtown area." - Naomi Waxman