Beer Bar In Andersonville Named Among Best In America

CHICAGO, IL — Thrillist has named two Chicago pubs among its 31 Best Beers In America list. Quite a few of the listed bars have impressive bragging rights: more than 100 taps, cellars with thousands of bottles and "expertly curated offerings," according to the report. Thrillist senior editor Andy Kryza said "there's never been a better time to love beer."

Two Chicago locations were named on the list: the popular bar Lopleaf in Andersonville and Maria's Packaged Goods & Community Bar in Bridgeport on the city's Southwest Side.

Kryza called Hopleaf's beer selection "encyclopedic" and applauded the bar's "Old World charm" and "heaping servings" of moules frites. Hopleaf opened in 1992, and underwent a 2012 expansion, a move that "alleviated the crowds, without alleviating the cozy," Kryza wrote.

Maria's Packaged Goods & Community Bar was named on the list because it's a "neighborhood institution" that now offers a vast tap selection and nearly 500 different cans and bottles, Kryza wrote.

The report noted that the location "long operated under the name Kaplan's as a classic Chicago "slashie" (part bar, part liquor store), the proprietor's sons took over a few years ago, hence the name change (Maria's their Mother, who ran the joint for years) and the vastly improved beer selection."

The report also named 29 other bars across the U.S. — in New Orleans, Oregon, New York, Georgia, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Texas and other states.

Image via Google Maps Streetview