Cubs Owners’ New Open-Air Restaurant/Bar Opens Today at Wrigley’s Plaza

Despite the Cubs hovering at .500 this season, the construction surrounding Wrigley Field continues to roll. Brickhouse Tavern, a new two-story restaurant and bar with outdoor views overlooking the ballpark, opens at 11 a.m. today. Four Corners Tavern Group—which owns Benchmark in Old Town, Federales in West Loop, as well owners of the nearby Kirkwood—will run a space that features plenty of outdoor seating spread out through 15,000 square feet. Four Corners is calling it a sophisticated sports tavern and hired Karen Herold’s award-winning Studio K to mold the restaurant.

Cubs’ ownership has been intent in reshaping Wrigleyville, trying to give fans a better pre- and postgame experience. Brickhouse, named for the team’s beloved former broadcaster, Jack Brickhouse, wants to complement the ballpark environment with its own festive open-air atmosphere. It overlooks The Park At Wrigley, the plaza the club unveiled earlier this year.

The Ricketts family has worked with developers and brought in several well-known Chicago hospitality groups, like Four Corners, to the neighborhood. They’ve also courted sponsors like Budweiser. In fact, they intended Brickhouse to be called “Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern,” according to the Tribune, which spotted the bar’s state liquor license application. The sponsorship deal is in limbo because of Illinois Liquor Control Commission regulations aimed to keep the operation of bars/restaurants, liquor distributors, and alcohol makers separate.

Four bars will be scattered throughout the space. Yes, Budweiser will be on tap. They’ll also have Goose Island’s Green Line on tap. Chicago-based Goose is owned by Bud’s parent company. Seven house cocktails are also available including the “Summer Brew” made with Deep Eddy sweet tea, citrus vodka, lemonade and Goose Island 1060 Wit.

The team’s aggressive development plan around the stadium has forced several neighborhood bars and restaurants to close and others to worry about their futures. That includes the Bacci Pizza near the corner of Sheffield and Addison. Bacci is the pizzeria chain known for jumbo slices. Brickhouse may fill the void with their own giant-sized, 18-inch pizza slices. They’re slightly pricer at $6 to $7, and also—unlike Bacci—they don’t come with a free cup of soda. Brickhouse’s menu does include a barrage of sandwiches, burgers, and a Polish sausage. A poke salad is available for those wanting something lighter, while a Buffalo chicken waffle cone is one of the more-unique items.

Courtesy of Four Corners Tavern Group

Overall, Four Corners says Brickhouse has room for 900. It joins the upcoming Lucky Dorr as a tenant inside the Cubs’ new administrative building at Clark and Waveland. Fans will be able to enjoy the restaurant even with the Cubs don’t play as the space will stay open the whole year. Project is a collaboration between Four Corners and Hickory Street Capital, a company owned by the Ricketts family, who also own the Cubs.

The neighborhood is rapidly changing. Check out another one today in Wrigleyville as Brickhouse Tavern opens.

Brickhouse Tavern, 3647 N. Clark St., (312) 466-5642, open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.