Chicago Is Home To The Only American Brewery With A Michelin Star

The Windy City is home to some of the best dining in America, but did you know that it's also home to the only brewery with a Michelin star? They say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but Chicago may be the exception. Indeed, it has boasted not one, but two Michelin-starred breweries to date: Band of Bohemia and Moody Tongue. While the former earned the first coveted Michelin star for a brewpub in the U.S, it shuttered for good following claims of a toxic work environment and financial troubles during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there's still one brewery left standing in Chicago that boasts high Michelin honors — and that's Moody Tongue.

If you're in the mood for high-caliber dining with some of the finest brews to pair with it, you'll want to make a stop at Moody Tongue in Chicago's South Loop neighborhood. Upstairs, you'll find The Dining Room, an intimate 28-seat space where guests can experience a multi-course tasting menu that follows the seasons, so you get the freshest ingredients possible. While you can always belly up at The Bar, the best part about The Dining Room is that each course is paired with one of the brewery's perennial brews. So far, this high-end dining restaurant has maintained its Michelin status ever since earning it in 2021. If you're a beer aficionado who appreciates the finer things in life, you'll want to secure a reservation.

Opened by cousins Jeremy Cohn and Jared Rouben in 2014, Moody Tongue is built on a philosophy it calls "culinary brewing." Rouben's education at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and Siebel Institute of Technology, along with his experience working in Michelin star kitchens, is what helped shape his brewing philosophy through a culinary lens. In October 2016, Moody Tongue expanded with a tasting room in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Located inside a historic glass warehouse dating back more than 125 years, guests could learn more about and sample the beer.

In 2019, the establishment relocated to its current larger space in Chicago's South Loop — making way for The Bar, a bustling tasting room with a la carte food options, and The Dining Room, a more upscale fine dining experience focused on hyper-seasonal dishes. Only two years later, the brewery restaurant made history by being the first of its kind to earn not just one but two Michelin stars. While the brewery held its two-star status for a few years, it went down to one star in 2024 and 2025, which is still nothing to sneeze at.

Beyond its aspirations of elevating beer and food together in Chicago, the Moody Tongue expanded its operations in 2023 with the opening of Moody Tongue Sushi in New York City's West Village and Hilton West Palm Beach, along with Moody Tongue Pizza in New York City, which offers a Tokyo-Neapolitan style pizza. All new restaurants, of course, put Moody Tongue's beer front and center.

Since Moody Tongue's menu is based on what's in season, it changes regularly — and that's part of the magic. You get ingredients in their peak freshness. At The Bar, you can enjoy a la carte appetizers like baked Camembert on sourdough with cherry chutney and entrées like a Norwegian fjord trout. At the time of writing, The Dining Room tasting menu options include starters like the Golden Osetra caviar on top of a delicate uni flan, calamansi, and squid ink tuile cookies.

For entrées, you'll find options like the Lac Brome duck breast paired with braised greens, buttery pâte sablée, and onion, or Stone Axe Australian Wagyu served with beet, mushroom, and kombu. Depending on the season, you could finish off the meal with a passion fruit dessert that includes vanilla ice cream, oat, and a tart tuile. Of course, since it's a brewery, all courses are paired with one of the Michelin-starred brewery's specialty beers.

Your brew pairings could include anything from year-round options like the Orange Blossom Belgian Blonde, Juiced Lychee IPA, or the Caramelized Chocolate Churro Porter to limited releases like brews the Shaved Black Truffle Pilsner and the Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Cake Imperial Stout. It's a dining and drinking experience unlike any other — and the perfect excuse to visit the Windy City.