After avoiding this place for a long time because basement bars seem creepy, I visited with some coworkers. And I discovered that Cardoza's is pretty awesome. There is a really diverse group here. Obviously, officey types there for after-work drinks. But I think there were some illicit affairs going on around us (in a basement bar in the loop! NO WAY!). Old(er) men sitting at the bar. And at the booth behind us, there was this middle aged lady in a Minnie Mouse sweatshirt that must have been from 1985. Adults in old clothing featuring Disney characters always fascinate me. Overall, she wasn't out of place; the bar had a very 1985 feel, or what I'd imagine is a "bar in 1985" feel (I was 5 then, and I know I was taken to a few bars -- yes, I grew up borderline white trash -- but I don't remember their ambience very well). It's kind of like if Fast Times at Ridgemont High was about a bunch of 20somethings who worked in a generic office -- this would be their after-work spot. So there's a certain sense of recent nostalgia that I find appealing Don't expect an amazing beverage menu (the beer selection was kind of sparse). And the food menu seemed to rely heavily on the fryer (frier?). However, we had a really good time. read more

Finally bought the groupon for this place after seeing it on the menu for a couple weeks. Perfect if you're like me and only have about 45 minutes for lunch. I got the Burger which was the Monday special ($5.95), nice thick patty with a fresh, tasty bun. Huge cut fries and obviously fresh cut veggies. Service was great (sat at the bar). Definitely not your average fly by night pub where everything tastes the same. My friend got the reuben. The beef was thick cut and while unaware it came with chips, the bartender was quick to both offer and replace them with fries without question. Great service, great food, in and out in 45 minutes. read more

great lunch option in the loop. HUGE portions quick service and nice people. and let me tell you a secret...shhhhh...they have a smoking section. HELLZ TO THE YEAH!! read more

You're in a time machine, you're traveling in a different dimension, its the 1970s and Steve Dahl is destroying disco records at Comisky Park... and you land in Cardozo's Pub. This place has not changed since the 1970s. I would not be surprised if the ghosts of Irv Kupcinet, Mike Royko, John Belushi and hizzonahdahmayyah Senior was in da joint. If da Blues Brothers decided not to save the orphanage, they could hang out here and watch Chicago sports teams and drink Old Style or Miller High Life until it closed - which I am not sure it does. One of the last of the underground bars in Chicago, which is funny. read more

F__kit, I am the biggest Smoking Ban Fan around but they need to create exceptions or grandfather clauses or something for places like this--as it is, the smoke of all the years past is almost visible in the air, like a ghost! Also, with all due respect to Ms. H., a pint of Guinness is $4.50 here--I don't have a Hermes bag or whatever the male equivalent is but I can certainly swing that. read more

The current signs on the door sums up Cardozo's pretty well, I'd say: One says "Smoking is Allowed", and the smaller sign underneath it says, "non smoking areas now available." read more

The fact that I came here is a clear example of the fact that I'll try anything once- especially if there's a groupon deal for it. My friend and I hesitantly walked down the steps to the basement and it smelled like a stale grandparent basement. They apparently updated their look, but you wouldn't know it. We sat down and perused their small menu and decided on a steak sandwich and buffalo chicken salad. My friend ordered the salad and it came with a pitcher of dressing- they don't do the ramekin thing here, oh no, it was a full gravy pitcher of dressing. I almost wanted to ask for extra dressing, because she clearly didn't have enough. My steak sandwich was pretty meh, but what did I expect from a dive bar, right? the garlic bread it was on was pretty soggy and the steak was nothing to get excited about, though I will credit the chef for having cooked it to my order. The fries were pretty bland and made for a lower calorie situation because I didn't bother to eat them. I'm glad I tried this pub because I walk by here all the time and it has been a curiosity to me, but I will be steering clear with so many other great options for food and drink around the city. read more

Nice spot but, no Old Style......did I take a wrong train out of Chicago? I only had one beer and left. Bartender was nice. Had a good "feel" to it but hey, they close at 9:30, what Pub doesn't have Old Style and closes at 9:30? read more

Don't kid yourself. Cardozo's is a bar in a basement. Like literally. And for real literally not fake teenager literally. So check your tiaras and top hats at the door. And don't worry about bringing any breath mints (unless you're a consummate gentleman). You know, as adults, sometimes we have to recognize that there isn't a solution to a problem. Like the problem of wanting to get drunk on Friday after work at someplace close, decent, and not too crowded. So we have to be mature about it. And find someplace passable to get hammered. Cardozo's surely provides that. Beer and a bar. Also, concrete walls and concrete ceiling and art deco touches. There's a lot of wood glued or bolted onto the concrete. Walnut I think. Gives the basement some class. No windows. No tv. Iffy tap beer (pro tip, order bottles). They have two IPA choices, Guinness Nitro IPA and Two Brothers. Which are served in whatever the f warm pint glass they happen to grab. Mine was in a green line glass. What else...the ceilings are low in the corner so no jumping or horseplay or you'll smack your head. The bathrooms are super tiny and submarine like. I have a few other burns I could dish out, but I guess that's close enough. One last tip, pay in cash. Your bill will seem high and will be written in chicken scratch. read more

Don't let the look of this place fool you. I was there at 1 on a Friday afternoon and there was hardly a place to sit. Great food and you could tell there were a lot of regulars that frequent here. read more

Cardozo's Pub - Door to steps. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ok we wound up here before a Sox game.....and wow what a little hidden gem this is! Cheap booze, Free appetizers (Nothing fancy but filling) Kinda hidden Yeap I can definitely see myself going in here and getting ripped! SHake & bake seal of approval. read more

Ah, it's nice to have some place to go for lunch that's the same today as it was when I was a kid. I didn't go there as a kid, that I can remember, but it has the same feel as all the places my mom took me for lunch when I was a little girl and my parents had an office in the south loop. Cardozo's is comfortable and the food is good, the service isn't too shabby either. It's nice to go somewhere and order a sandwich, get it, have the waitress come by and refill your drinks, the bus person clear off the table and get the check in an hour. I'm so glad I can rely on having a place like this at lunch time! It's never too crowded and the food is always good. read more

I have a few good things to say about Cordozo's; the Loop location is very good, service was also pretty good, and I was so happy to find a place that could seat our party of 7 at 5:30 on a Thursday night. Being from out-of-town, I was pretty shocked to see our first two choices (Monk's and Randolph's I think were their names) on a wait this early on a weekday evening. I think it might have something to do with the theaters nearby? Not sure. Anyway, I learned my lesson about planning ahead and getting a reservation. Now back to Cordozo's. It's a humble, downstairs bar, really. The back room where we sat was decorated amusingly with color printouts of random celebrities - Obama, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson, etc. In a more notable establishment these would have been real photos signed by the person. Here they were color printouts on letter size paper with a dollar store frame. Total investment: $1.10 each I'd guess. So with a name like Cordozo's, there would be some kind of ethnic specialties on the menu, but no, to my recollection, the menu featured very standard bar food. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and cheese. It was fine. The fries were fine. I tried my wife's buffalo chicken salad. The chicken was breaded, possibly previously frozen, but definitely not very good. The beer selection is lacking. More craft beers would be a big plus. I had a Guinness, which came in a nice size 20 oz glass. At least the first one did, the next one came in a pint, so 20% less for the same price. Hmmm. When I come back to Chicago, I'll make reservations somewhere else so I don't have to come back to Cordozo's. It's not awful, but places like this are why Yelp has the meh rating. If you live in the neighborhood and want to have a beer and hang with your friends, it would be fine. read more

My boyfriend and I ended up here before catching a show downtown because we were looking for a pub and happened to walk by. The atmosphere isn't bad... A basement pub. Comfy enough. However, we stood by the door for a while waiting to see if anyone would greet us.. it took us wandering in a bit for someone to approach us. The menu is rather small, which is to be expected, I guess... but I would've at least expected a better drink selection. Our waitress knew nothing about the beers available whatsoever. The nachos were mediocre at best, and my boyfriend's chicken fingers were just ok, really. It took a while to get our check, and once we did get it we needed to hurry and pay to catch our show. My boyfriend tried to pay the bartender the bill and was rudely told to go sit down... so, we had to chase down the waitress to pay. The waitress was nice, but a little clueless. We won't be going back. read more

Would have given 0 star if I could. Crap service and inattentive server. It took her literally 15 mins to get two cups of soup. She just sat there counting her tips - until she decided to walk over to the warmer and pour the cups. read more

Great inexpensive place to grab a beer and a burger in the Loop - their wings are tasty, too. They have daily drink specials with tequila Tuesdays ranking as my personal favorite. The wait staff is personable and does a good job. The ambiance is well, er um not the most modern of places but it is comfortable with lots of booth space and its air conditioned. Oh and there's free WIFI. read more

Drinks were fine. Food was cold and bland. When we asked the server she clearly just put it in the microwave for a few seconds. Hard pass. Better stuff nearby. read more

Just take a look under the ice machine to the right of the bar. Last time I was in there around 9 pm at night, I saw either a rat or a large mouse scurrying between the kitchen and ice machine. Owner is a old fart boozepig that sits directly next to the machine. This place would be better off burning down. read more

A little bar/restaurant hidden with steps taking you straight underground to a more expansive area. It's like your suburb family diner + bar, but in the city and tucked away. Bread service to start. Thoughts? Roasted chicken plate: A sizable chicken breast pounded even that's roasted. Fairly dry and overcooked, came with a side salad of fresh veggies, a very healthy portion of cottage cheese, and half a canned peach. Verdict: Honestly, the quality of the food is just okay. The price tag of the place is affordable ($8-13) considering they serve a bread basket, sides, etc. and the selection has something for everyone. Price and service give it that extra star to bump it to three, as the waitress was constantly checking up on us and "trying" her best to handle a large table. I probably wouldn't come back though... read more

Do you want to feel like you're drinking in your Parent's basement? Do you want to feel like you're 19 again? Ok...come here. This is exactly what Cardozo's is like, drinking in your parents basement. Dive(y) bars aren't as easy to find in The Loop as you would think... So if you like dives, come here, you'll be happy. Stiff pours. Nice staff. Inexpenisive(ish). Diveeeee on in. read more

Pretty much your typical dive bar, it's located conveniently within the confines of "the loop". Not exactly a destination by any means, it's more of a pitstop for refreshment on your way home commute. Situated downstairs within the building, this place isn't much to look at. Cheap drinks, poor beer selection, and some daily grease specials to choose from, it has all the ingredients of a hole in the wall that you might visit after a rough day in the office. I'd probably never come again, only because there's so many other great pubs in the area. If you need a quick quench and you walk on by though, this place definitely serves its purpose! read more

This basement bar is a decent place to have a few after work. Bring friends since you probably won't make any here. Also, watch your head - the low ceilings and menagerie of random pipes make you feel like you're in some weird eastern European submarine. read more

I actually really love dives, and this place was a contender. Spartan, aged, not a dollar invested since 1972, and pretty cheesy, but who cares? With cute barkeeps and cheap drinks, it doesn't matter. The food isn't "good" as it's obviously mostly pre-fab. I had a burger that was a perfectly rounded puck of meat - something made by a machine but finally cooked by a human and delivered in 10 minutes. That said, it wasn't bad. So it qualifies as "pre-made food" done decently. Don't go there for a chow epiphany. But here's why it only gets 2 stars from me: last call at 9 pm. Huh? It wasn't a Sunday, holiday or special day. Just a weekday. Here's what happens when a dive bar has early closing hours: It's populated by the post-work crowd, which is mostly biz/finance people in downtown Chicago. And by closing at 9, it isn't frequented by the long haul characters who only come out at night. It just doesn't work. If a divey breakfast/lunch place closes up at 2 pm, that's understandable. But a good dive bar stays open past 9. That should be a rule. read more

I was told this place was "divey", but in a good way. It's not quite a beer and a shot kinda place, but it is quite cozy. This place is perfect for when it's just about the drinkin' and not about being seen, loud music, TVs, or crowds... read more

This is probably the closest bar to my office so I end up here occasionally. Not really my first choice though. Fridays they have free food during happy hour. Really though the smart thing would be to avoid the food. Especially if you actually order off the menu and pay for it. I think the drinks are a bit pricey for what the place is. It's a little freaky to go down into the basement only to emerge several hours later a little drunk and realize its pitch black and raining. read more

Where do i start... the fact that im 6'3 and the ceilings there are about the same, the bathroom here is, well umm rather interesting, i think the ceiling in the bathroom was lower. at anyrate, there is no lock on the door, nor does the stall lock work. not to get to detailed but the toilet didnt flush to well... but this is a dive right? The food was good, i got the Turkey Club on dark rye, a little dry but still fresh and tasty. The wait staff is why after the bathroom happenings i gave it a three, nowhere that i have been is a waitress honest with you when you ask what is good here, they are supposed to say what is good, but usually they dont say I DONT LIKE (blank) but here not the case. her advice is to stay away from the Pita, it sucks. (I'm paraphrasing ofcouse) So if you're taller than me, and dont have to use the restroom id say GO FOR IT... cuz you might just not get the honset waitress/waiter that we did. The Grid Project read more

Long day and hungry. Stopped in for a beer and food. Chicken strip basket was delicious. However, the service is just awful at the bar!!! It was shift change when I arrived. I've been in the industry. I get it. But I hung out to read and it never got better! There were 3 patrons at the bar when I arrived. Huge disappointment. I had to chase the bartender down to order a beer, for every refill and to get my check. The bartender sat down and had a chat with a fellow employee at a table and ignored the bar patrons completely. I'll never re-visit. It's a great location, but not with the horrid service. The loop is full of better options!! read more

I bought a Groupon here, because I knew one day I would not have time to bring myself lunch to work and might to step out of the office and take a lunch elsewhere. It was perfect for a place to grab food prior to a trip. They have a pretty decent sized menu. I sat at the bar and got the Chopped Southwest Salad Bowl and got the Avocado Tuna Salad special to go, and that was pretty filling for my plane ride. It was decent, but what bumps this up to 4 stars was the service. The server was great with the recommendation and was very easy going and didn't even complain when the wrong order came out. She quickly got it changed and had a great attitude about it. My water was always quickly refilled. This would be a great spot for a happy hour and to just chill. read more

Had a Groupon and went here for lunch. Nice little dive bar located on Washington (you walk in, go downstairs). Seems like a place where regulars frequent. Service was okay, nothing spectacular. Corned Beef sandwich I had was really good. Seems to be one of their most popular sandwiches. Ive also had a chicken sandwich which was a little overcooked and dry. Overall its a quick lunch spot and I wouldn't expect much else more. And if you get the Groupon its well worth the price. read more

Nice little nook for some happy hour after work - this basement location may lack in light but the personality and atmosphere make up for that. On Fridays, they offer a little free buffet of some burgers and hot dogs and chips to go with the beer that you're washing down from a long week at work read more

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Cardozo's Pub is one of these places that you don't notice when you are walking down the street. You only see a doorway and a flight of stairs leading down to some strange subterranean grotto beneath the busy streets of the Loop. Let's go back a few months so I can tell you my story; and as my readers know, my stories are often weird... Last fall, Mrs B and I decided to go into the Loop on "Black Friday," to take in an opera and do a little holiday shopping. I, as always, wanted to find a discount, so I found a Groupon deal for Cardozo's. It said they were open on weekdays during the day and evening - so it would be a convenient stop for us. So, we get there, and the place is closed - even though the sign on the door clearly states that they should be open. I take out my cellphone and try to call them, but nobody answers. So, we found another place for lunch and - gasp! - had to pay full price: a near-mortal sin. During that lunch, I phoned Groupon to gripe, and I got a message that my call would be promptly answered in 45 minutes. Fie! I called Groupon a few days later, and their "customer service" people had to research the issue. They got back with me and told me that Cardozo decided to close for the day, but I could use my Groupon for its full value until some day in December, or use the original $10 I paid afterwards. Not too groovy. The Groupon languished under a magnet on our refrigerator for several weeks, until I found that I had to go downtown on some personal business. So, I was able to use the $10 that I sent Groupon. On to the subject of Cardozo. Others are spot on that this is really a bar that offers a limited menu of sandwiches and simple entrees. I was not particularly hungry, so I just ordered a hangerber and a soda. The place is a warren of small rooms with no uniform theme nor architectural creativity. There are framed photos of show business personalities attached to the wall and a few miscellaneous posters. They still had their Xmas lights strewn on the ceiling. Frankly, you would expect this in any typical dive bar. Although the place was pretty empty, service was slow, and the waitress seemed to have disappeared for most of my tenure there. They did give me a basket which contained one slice of day-old bread and some crackers that must have been on the Mayflower (stale). The burger was OK, it was served with the obligatory slices of tomato, onion, and lettuce with a serving of French fries, Neither was greasy, thank you. Although they served me an 8 ounce glass of ice with a little bit of pop in it, they charged extra for refills. As Rocky would say, "Smoley Hokes!" So, I was a little disappointed with my experience there, and I have to assign Cardozo's a below-average rating. read more

This is a nice chill place...sometimes they have drink specials that come with a free tshirt! its an older crowd a lot but that just makes it more fun! read more

Cardozo's Pub - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is a good after-work drinks place if your idea of after-work drinks is Stocks and Blondes or Coogan's (which mine is- but I realize there are a few different types of "after-work drinks" places...). Yeah, it's in a basement and it's always CROWDED even though it's fairly large. And they are severely understaffed. It took 1.5 hours to get 2 burgers and our drinks and check one night. But you get what you pay for. Food is cheap (or free- pizza buffet and chilli during happy hour) and there are some decent beer specials ($2 pints of Miller). I don't think you can go wrong here as long as you know what you're getting into. Definitely stars off for the service and it's a bit grimy. read more

Indeed, "divey!" I liked it. It looks like the rec room in someone's parents' basement, complete with fake ivy and Christmas lights. Definitely not a high-brow place, this pub is VERY laid back. The food was probably frozen at one (or more) point(s), but the alcohol is plentiful, relatively cheap and STRONG! Service is spotty, but I expect that in a place like this. Some questionable characters reside towards the back, perfectly set up with the view of the bathroom door, which was a touch creepy. Overall, it was exactly as I thought it would be, no more, no less. Good place for a couple drinks after work, but I wouldn't get lit up there. read more

Last week I had the misguided idea of using a Groupon to visit Cardozo's. The waitress was lovely, but that is where the charm of this place ends. The food is expensive and bland. I ordered a Rueben and it was served on the smallest pieces of rye bread you can imagine. These were from sort of mini loaf - not the standard wide rye most people are used to. The atmosphere was rather depressing. It kinda makes you want to examine your life choices up to this point, because something has clearly gone wrong. The ceilings are low - not recommended if you have any sort of dislike of small enclosed spaces. The bathrooms probably haven't been inspected in ages. The manager has all the charm of a bag of scorpions. The establishment itself is about as Italian as a Digiorno pizza. I will never go back to Cardozo's - even if there were free drinks all night long. There are no redeeming qualities whatsoever. read more

Cardozo's is great and very welcoming. When I first started working in the Loop a few months ago (I am a suburban commuter), I never thought I would find a cozy bar around here that I would become a regular at. It is very easy to fall in love with the atmosphere (reminds me of my cousins basement bar- so relaxed), as well as the people, prices, and the food. I have made many friends here, and the staff is very kind. Food-wise, I usually get the soup (LOVE the boston clam chowder, manhattan clam chowder, split pea, cream of chicken w/ lemon, cream of vegetable. Plus you get a basket with bread and crackers with it), or I get the Taco Salad. Drink prices are very very reasonable. If you want a comfortable place to relax in with yummy food, great drink prices, and friendly people in the middle of the Loop, come here. I am lucky enough that is it so close to my work and directly on my way back to Ogilvie so I can easily stop in for lunch and/or happy hour! read more

I love me a divey, laid back kind of bar. My friends and I call Cardozo's "Grandpa's Basement," because that is what it feels like. The outdated paneling. The steep stairs to get down there. The mirrors on the walls. The fluorescent beer signs. However, the checks are vague. A few of the servers have attitudes - as in, your mere presence is bothersome. The beer selection is limited. The bathrooms are very small. The food is pretty meh. I think the chicken fingers are OK because it's kind of hard to screw up something like that. I think there are other dives (even downtown) that I would prefer to go to over Cardozo's, but there is something cozy about it that I enjoy and I will go back from time to time. However, it is never my first choice destination. read more

Good food, fast service. Nothing too fancy about this place but it's a good stop when you're tired of shopping in the loop. My wife and I went on a Tuesday and had the buffalo burger special with fries and we were seated and served within 20 minutes. Waitress was great and didn't bat an eye when we told her that we had a groupon like previous reviews. read more

Happy Hour has always eluded me as I've never in my life worked a 9-5. So I was pleased to have the evening off this past Friday so I could partake in some early evening boozing at Cardozo's. My all-growns-up loop worker boyfriend had me primed to expect Grandma's rec room circa 1981... so I left my Hermes bag and Manolos at home (seriously... faaack anyone who goes to an underground Loop bar expecting it to be cheery. Go back to Rush St.). We really did have a grand ole time. I'm giving Cardozo's 4 stars even factoring in the pricey pints, the questionable hot food display and the gaggle of drunk suburb moms (poofy bangs, dark turtleneck layered with Chicago team sweatshirt) at the table next to me all squawking about their Blackberries and kids. Service was good. Booths were comfy. There was a gaping bass mounted behind the bar. Everyone was... happy. I'd probably avoid the food and stick to liquid dinner. Does anyone find wandering around the Loop at night whilst drunk really odd? read more

I came here for happy hour and immediately felt depressed upon entering. It just has such a lousy look and feel; dimly lit basement, heavily treaded on carpeting, and ceilings that were too low. Even the tables and chairs felt dirty as if they've never been wiped down since 1970. The only bonus was free food on Fridays - sitting under warming lamps. read more