A celebrated Chicago restaurant in the heart of Fulton Market, known for seasonal, farm-inspired dishes, fresh oysters, and a curated craft beer program in a lively, communal space.
Rob Levitt is a renowned chef and skilled butcher, best known for his work as the Head Butcher and Chef at Publican Quality Meats and Chef at Publican Chicago. He is recognized for his focus on sustainable butchery...
Insights
SeafoodVegetarian Vegan FocusAmericanVegan-friendlySeafoodUpscaleBrunchLunchDinnerFarm To Table
Last updated: 9/15/2026, 3:54:35 AM
Key Information
The Publican is a celebrated Chicago restaurant located in the heart of Fulton Market. It emphasizes connection between land and sea, farmer and table, and guest and host. The ambiance is described as lively and communal, with communal dining tables reminiscent of a German beer hall.
Customers praise The Publican for its seasonal, farm-inspired dishes, fresh oysters, and extensive craft beer selection. The communal dining experience is a notable aspect, making it suitable for larger groups. The restaurant is recognized for its lively atmosphere.
Additional Details
The restaurant is known for its market-driven sides and a curated selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.
Had a flight delay at Chicago O’Hare Airport so decided to grab a bite at Publican Tavern. They have the option of a QR code or the waitress is happy to take your order. After reading the reviews I had my heart set on the fire roasted vegetables but was told they had no more on hand for today. Bummer! So I went with my 2nd choice the “Avocado Salad.” Sometimes a loss is a win!
Mind blown🔥🔥 Absolutely scrumptious! I don’t even know where to begin. The ingredients are Al dente grilled asparagus, sliced avocado, baby kale, knob onion, crispy toasted quinoa (game changer🔥🔥) with an in house prepared dressing to die for made from ginger and sunflower seeds. As a foodie lover of all things vegetable, this was a hit and saved the day.
We all know the horror stories of airport overpriced, over processed meals that always seem to leave you wanting more with a gaping hole in your wallet. Not today. This win is for the average traveler who’s been burned by airport food one too many times.
Great service and at a cost of $19.50 we can now add “great value” to our airport meal shenanigans today. Cheers to our next adventure 🥂
Overall Score: 3.5/10
This place had some ups and downs. The atmosphere was nice, and I liked the counter seating for solo diners along with the option to pay at the table. The staff was friendly, the waiter brought water right away, and he checked in to make sure everything was okay. The menu was fairly small, which is understandable for an airport restaurant, although they were out of steak.
Burger and Fries 3.5/10
It was just a basic burger. The bun was a little stale, and nothing about the burger really stood out. The biggest issue was the price. At $17 for the burger and about $27 with fries, it felt extremely overpriced for something that wasn’t much better than Burger King. The best value was having a comfortable place to sit, relax, and get good service while waiting for a flight.
Like many who pop in here we had a delay in-between flights and found a spot that served decent food. That said, my wife and I found this spot quite enjoyable ☺️.
We shared the Coppa Tartine starter over cocktails, my wife ordered the fish sandwich which she enjoyed (I stole some of her pickles) and complimented the Gribiche Aioli that came with. They did mix up her chips for fries but it was busy and we had good service overall so not the kind of thing we mind.
Highlight was the Walleye plate pictured here. Not an overly appealing presentation I’ll note there but the flavors blew me away. Fish was tender, beans creamy, lemons zesty but the winner surprisingly was the dill and parsley greens. Lol, I think they call this ‘Salsa verde’ because they add jalapenos?? In my opinion call it what you want but those flavors worked so well across every bite. A recommended experience, I enjoyed this with a Madeline ale 🍺. Oh and the jalapenos weren’t spicy at all, I wasn’t overly interested so I moved to the side and still enjoyed.
Bartender that night was a beast, wish I caught his name.
Just ok, sad this is one of the better places in this airport that isn't fast food or a vending machine! Atmosphere is outdated and in need of some TLC and cleaning. Ceiling dust over cooking area is disgusting! 🫣 🤮 Looks like icicles...
First off service from our waitress was wonderful! She was on top of everything. However her co worker ( a guy) needs lessons in teamwork and customer service. Our waitress was with another customer and the waiter walked by me with a pot of hot coffee,( steaming) i.asked if I could possibly get a new cup as my first pour was like warm. He said " your waitress is over there, ask her" and then he walked away. I asked for my bacon to be cooked well. It was cooked well but had obviously been sitting in a pan warmer as it was soaked in grease. Everything else on my plate was very good.
