Atop Hawksmoor steakhouse, in the former Michael Jordan restaurant location on LaSalle in River North, is a newish second-story venue, the Beef & Liberty Bar. The décor evokes upscale English pubs, acknowledging the company’s 2006 start in London. Crystal globe fixtures hung from the beamed ceiling cast low light on the brick interior walls, warm wood surfaces, cozy banquettes, and curvy chairs. The main space is intimate, and the floor also features private dining areas called Lady Bird and Big Mike.
The curated drink menu includes “London Loves,” which references the cocktail revolution in the 1990s and early aughts, where “supermodels, rock stars, yuppies and crime bosses sipped trailblazing drinks in dimly lit Soho basements.” There’s the giant, fruit-flavored Park Lane Cosmo with Grey Goose vodka, lychee, yuzu, lime, and white cranberry; and a Breakfast Martini with Tanqueray gin, orange marmalade, lemon, and almond.
The entity is proud to promote its B Corp status, meaning it’s a for-profit company that meets high standards of transparency, performance, and accountability. That care is evident with the supportive staff, sumptuous noshes, and creative cocktail menu overseen by Katie Renshaw (who will also open Bar Bambi in West Town in early 2026).
British bartender Dick Bradsell, who invented the Espresso Martini, created a rum-spiked Old Fashioned called the ‘Ello Treacle, which mixes Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Diplomatico Reserva, and miso-apple caramel over a sturdy cube of craft ice, pleasantly combining chill and warmth. Named after an East London bar, Silk Stockings keeps the tequila and raspberry, but replaces the original creme de cacao with a Cocoa Puff cereal cream for a sassy, but not too sweet, delight.
Beef & Liberty claims to offer the coldest subzero martinis in the city (-2 degrees F, "as cold as it gets without burning your lips,” or the average temperature when declaring parking “dibs” in early February), including mixtures created at London’s Duke’s Hotel, served in insulated flasks with a two-drink maximum, in a choice of vodka and gin served with seasonal pickles. Also offered are The Ultimate, a Pink Gibson (perhaps sip and listen to Pink Martini?), and the Vesper’s Vesper from Bangkok, with Plymouth gin, Absolut Elyx luxury vodka, and Cocchi Americano quinine-flavored aperitif wine, creating an exquisite mélange of crystal-clear martini perfection with a twist.
The Ultimate Steakhouse Cocktail menu features a Manhattan, gimlet, French 75, vodka soda, and a refreshing spicy margarita, with El Tesoro Blanco, Siete Misterios Mezcal, yuzu, lime, habanero, and jalapeño. The “Sacred Six” are Hawksmoor classics always on the menu: Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew, Second City Sour, Sour Cherry Negroni, Jumpman tequila, Full Fat Old Fashioned (like a “boozy toffee,” said my drinking companion), and the Reformed Pornstar, a light and coy mix of Grey Goose Vodka, pineapple, passion fruit, lemon, milk punch, and champagne. There’s another half-dozen offerings in the low and no-alcohol category, with sour cherry, ginger, and pineapple profiles, plus a good offering of wines by the glass, whiskey, cider, and beer from Dovetail, Maplewood, and Revolution.
To mediate the burgeoning buzz, bar bites are petite, affordable, and savory. Available are three Oysters Caruso, or the spicier Vietnamese Oyster trio, as well as a pair of robust Scotch Eggs, lightly boiled and encased in sausage meat, breaded and deep-fried, served with smoked apple ketchup charred in Hawksmoor’s charcoal oven.
Meat offerings include Britain’s pigs-in-blankets, spiced pork sausage rolls in puff pastry under cheddar. Three tiny sandwich orders feature two types of slider trios: “Notorious” and filet steak with bone marrow onions and Marmite hollandaise; and Yorkshire Sloppy Joes, where ground beef is slow-simmered with red wine and Worcestershire sauce and then poured over mini popovers roasted in beef fat, with a tangy side of horseradish cream. A larger sharing dish of Charcoal Chicken Ana Mari is moist and tangy, spiced with roast garlic and textured with schmalz croutons. A 14-ounce ribeye is also available.
Vegetarian options include the pub classic Welsh Rarebit, a tangy blend of Cabot cheddar, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, and English mustard melted on sourdough toast. The sleeve of chips (fries) is “crispy and salty, but not too oily,” said my other culinary companion. She also enjoyed Kevin Armstrong’s East 8 Hold Up, created at London’s Milk & Honey (which closed post-COVID), combining lemon curd, passionfruit, lime, and Campari to Absolut Elyx. The drink was named after a fellow bartender was mugged while peeing outside after a night out, then chased the perpetrator with his pants down. Haven’t we all been there?
Chop House hash browns are also on the menu, but are not vegetarian as they are fried in beef drippings and served with malt vinegar mayo to evoke fish and chips. A comprehensive but manageable selection of desserts, coffees, liqueurs, and digestifs completes the feast. Beef & Liberty Bar is an excellent evening engagement for elevated British gastronomy and mixology, where colonialism is conquered by cocktails and Anglophilia rules über alles.
Beef & Liberty Bar is located at 500 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654. You can make reservations on the website through OpenTable. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 5 pm to 10 pm, and Friday through Saturday, 5 pm to 11 pm.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!
This coverage was made possible by a promotional invitation. Our opinions and editorial choices remain entirely our own.
