Old Chicago began as a pizza restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, but they are actually now most visible in the Midwest with locations in every Midwest state except Ohio. While they branched out to this part of the country they have also expanded their menu to go way beyond pizza. It’s actually become a place with a huge menu that fits as well for date night as it does for a family outing or March Madness.

A trip to the Old Chicago in Champaign, Illinois, gave me a great look – and taste – into everything from the beer selection to some incredible food dished out by General Manager Chris Toews.

Huge Beer Selection
As soon as you take a look at the beer selection at Old Chicago you’ll realize this is not your usual restaurant. Thirty taps and bottles bring the availability of 110 beers to customers at most times. The selection is changed out regularly and varies dramatically from brews such as Allegro Coffee Ale to a Framboise Lambic raspberry dessert beer.

Old Chicago goes a long way in encouraging customers to try different beers with their World Beer Tour. Customers can sign up for free and then earn prizes as they try different beers.

It should be noted that the beer selection in each Old Chicago is left up to management so they may include some local beers. In the case of the Champaign location, this included brews from nearby Destihl and JT Walkers.

Wide Range of Food
The menu at Old Chicago covers about everything one could possibly want, whether it’s vegetarian, bar food, a full course dinner, or even something healthy.

  You’ll find Classic Wings, with dry rub or sauce; a big selection of starters that includes a perfectly battered fried zucchini, with a garlic dip; Italian calzones and Stromboli; Spaghetti Pies; Salads, from appetizer size like the refreshing Mediterranean to full size such as the Spinach Chicken & Avocado; and a variety of burgers.

It may be hard to do with such a big menu to choose from, but be sure to leave room for dessert. The homemade cheesecake is amazing and covered in fresh berries.

And, of course, Pizza
It all started with pizza so it’s obviously something that’s good at Old Chicago, but you will have a lot of choices to make before ordering one. First, it’s the age-old question, “thin or thick?” At some locations where it’s popular (like Champaign), you can even order deep dish.  Once you’ve decided on your thickness, you can decide what you want on your pizza, or pick one of the pre-designed options.

Standard specialty pizzas, such as MEAT ME™, filled with a selection of meat; Chicago 7, pepperoni, Italian sausage, red onions, black olives, green peppers, and sliced mushrooms; Hawaiian, Canadian bacon, pineapple, red peppers, green onions, and sweet Thai chili sauce; DOUBLE DECKERONI™, covered with double pepperoni, hot sauce, and parsley; and The Classic, pepperoni, sliced mushrooms, Italian sausage, and roasted garlic.

Old Chicago also has some signature specialties that you might want to try, such as Applewood Spiced BBQ Chicken, Kick’N Canadian Bacon, with Jalapeno cream cheese, and Mediterranean Sausage, which includes pesto sauce and feta cheese.

If you can’t find the pizza you want, you can always create your own with old favorites such as meatball and black olives, or more unusual items like avocado and bleu cheese.

Check out this slide show for some great beer and food ideas at Old Chicago.