This cafe is downstairs, so I dashed down before a round of meetings. I ordered a Denver omelet and potatoes. Good food and nice portions, but the price is several dollars more than what I usually pay for the same at breakfast restaurants through Greater Chicago. I have not been for lunch. Maybe one of these days in the future, I may stop by on my own or if some coworkers want something quick instead of leaving the building. read more

Cellars Market - Denver Omelet with Potatoes - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband used to work in this building and Cellar's was one of his lunch spots. It's an efficient cafeteria setup located downstairs where you grab a tray, utensils and choose your meal at one of several food stations. Help yourself to the soda and coffee stations then pay for your meal at the register. There's plenty of seating in their dining room or take your meal to go. We brunched here before heading to Ceres. Husband had a two egg breakfast with bacon and hashbrowns and I ordered their fish sandwich. My husband's breakfast was average. I didn't like my fish sandwich for several reasons. They don't pile the fish on like they used to and the fish was substandard. The filets lacked heft and tasted bland. Tartar sauce leaned sweet versus tangy. The fries that came with it were dry and flavorless. As lunch hour approached people trickled in ordering mainly salads. I've been told the salad bar is extensive and supposedly pretty good. Had I known this I would've ordered from the salad bar instead. Not sure if I would return but maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. read more

See all

I I love this place so much. I used to work across the street and would go there for breakfast and lunch all the time. The Bobby Brown is amazing. I always get it well done which is crispy and burnt. The southwest chicken salad is amazing. I don't know what that dressing is, but it's the bomb! Anytime, I'm in the loop area. I always stop by for that salad to go and ask for an extra dressing so I can make another salad! I wish they would bottle that dressing! read more

Great food made fresh to order. Service is great as well! Been going there for over 25 years

Used to be delicious but food is terrible and overpriced. Had a Rueben but there were CARROTS in the sauerkraut which was awful. Makes me think they were recycling the cabbage from a previous dish. Last two times they told me they had no food left and were closing down. It was only 1pm. read more

Checked out a new spot for lunch and this is going to definitely be a new go to. Cafeteria style with essentially something for everyone and huge portions especially for the price especially in the loop. The rice bowl I tried was delicious, and the peapods were perfectly crisp, which was a nice touch. We'll be back! read more

Cellars Market - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Big portions and tasty which makes it a great value. My favorite is their cheese quesadilla with fresh guacamole. Their pork tenderloin is freshly breaded,, resulting in a great sandwich or dinner. read more

Thanks to Melanie S. for the tip on this lunch counter that is on the basement floor of the Chicago Board of Trade Building. I love finding places like this- an old school Chicagah lunch counter whose decor was brand new around the time of the first Wall Street movie. It's typical lunch counter style- grab a plastic lunch tray and move through the different deli stations: soups, sandwiches, pastas, salads. Some offerings change daily, such as the taco or carved sandwich station, and the soups as well. It was Wednesday, so I had the Tortilla Soup, which was not the best I ever had, but certainly above average and perfect for a cold day. You can pair your soup with 1/2 sandwich.The ladies at the sandwich counter are delightfully old school. I dined in, as the booths are comfortable, it had me nostalgic for when malls actually had lunch counters and non-chain restaurants. Cellars Market is a solid call for a deli lunch in the Loop. read more

Nice spot. A little pricey but can't beat the selection. If you are looking for the market- it is in the basement.

Buried in the basement of the Board of Trade. No wait. Buried in the CELLAR of the Board of Trade. Yeah that's cute. And dang, the Board of Trade also has market makers and what not, who are "sellers" when they're not buyers. Yep, this is getting kind of amazing right now. It's like a true word and then a pun to boot. Beat that anybody. This old place is amazing at being funny at comedy. And old (as hell) it is. The Board of Trade is THE iconic building making LaSalle Street.... Lasalle Street. Once, about 20 years ago, it was still a bustling center of trading, filled with vitality and vigor. Now it's the same dudes (who aren't dead) hanging out in a cafeteria on long breaks cause all the computer nerds are doing most of the trading online. On Friday's, they serve fish sandwiches. Made out of huge piles of deep fried fish. According to Al, who I work with, and has frequented Cellar's market every now and then since probably the 1880s, the fish is definitely cod or possibly could be haddock. But at any rate is definitely a whitefish. Thanks Al. Old people are really helpful and on point. I can't understand why floor trading went away at all right now. But it doesn't matter anyway, does it. It's deep fried fish sticks in the form of a fish fillet. Nothing special. With a lemon wedge and either one portion of tartar sauce or two (one please). There's a cheese slice option (no thank you) and on the way out you can grab a small plastic cup full of hot sauce (yes please). It's the kind of meal you get when you're old and near death. Hopefully with a side of jello cubes (which are fun and delicious). Now I love a gluttonous, cheaply made sandwich and side of jello as much as the next senior citizen. But I have to say, bearing witness to this place was depressing. It looks like it was last decorated in 1990 when the money was still good and the people working here were still cutting edge. Now it's a dated cafeteria. Old people and old big ass old tvs up on the old wall and no kale or any glutton free options or anything. I might be doing a little magical remembering here, but that's what it felt like. Like an old tech crappy cafeteria that's behind the times. A spitting image of the old tech floor that's stumbling towards it's inevitable demise. Fish sandwhich at 12. Matlock at 2. Bingo at 4. Maybe a nice movie after that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nz7hMvBJeg read more

Cellars Market - Fish sando - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food, excellent service,, old style dining area very clean. Been going there for years

In all honesty I've only ever had the salad bar here but it's my go-to lunch spot in the loop. They have just about every topping you could imagine and their croutons are bomb. Prices are also based on container size and not weight so you can get a pretty good deal if your packing skills are on point. Try the marinated tomatoes - you won't be disappointed! Edit: They got rid of their awesome hot sauce. Super sad. read more

While the food is decent the management staff are an abomination. I've regularly eaten here over the last few years and the staff has progressively got worse in terms of their treatment of customers. I recent went to meet someone for lunch, having brought an outside water bottle with me, and was approached as soon as I entered, grabbed by the arm, and asked to leave. I've regularly brought various food items with me to supplement what I was purchasing, even brought an entire packed lunch when meeting someone without issue. This time, however, I was prompted kicked out stating this was a liability. When pushed for options I was LAUGHED at by the individual who approached me. I find this behavior reprehensible and entirely uncalled for. I will never be returning to this establishment and will be advising my fellow peers whom I work with (across the street) to also avoid this establishment. Behavior such as this has no place in customer service. While the liability issue is sound, and I fully understand that, there is never a need to place hands on someone or laugh in a customers face when questioned. Unless you value a $16 salad, avoid until new management is found. read more

In the cellar on the north side of the CBOT building. Take the stairs, although someone will get you up/down the elevator if there's a physical need. Speaking of needs, the cashiers have keys for the bathrooms, which are near the vault. This is really really good for a cafeteria. Salad bar, sandwich station, sandwiches, baked goods, a Tex-Mex station, and a "grill" that's had stuff as wide ranging as rigatoni, pot pie, burgers, rice bowls, eggplant and chicken parm, fried fish sandwiches, and reubens. The rice bowl with skirt steak was excellent -- I've been to high end steak joints that didnt have skirt steak as good as this. The tacos are solid, too. In the various work groups that have been here, no one has ever had a complaint or criticism. read more

Now that I've discovered Cellars, it's really going to be a game-changer for my lunches. It has so many options in a single place and the prices are pretty reasonable! First of all, it's in the basement of the Board of Trade--basically look for the staircase towards the center of the building, and then head downstairs and hang a left, and it's right there. It's a massive cafeteria style area with multiple food stations. Options include a salad bar, rice bowls, burgers and fries, pizza, tacos and more and they are super generous with their portions. The gentlemen in front of me got fish sandwiches and were each given about 5 pieces of fish. I had a chicken rice bowl with teriyaki sauce and it was seriously delicious--it cost about $8. Once you get your food, head to the checkout line and pay for everything. Obviously, you can take your food back to your office if you want, or you can dine in the dining area--there were plenty of tables and booths (beware, the booths are not cushioned--I learned that the hard way when I sat down too fast), and there are TVs throughout in case you're by yourself and need something to do while eating. My only criticism is that I had a hard time locating where the drinks/water are--mind you, I wasn't looking too hard, but it definitely wasn't as obvious as the food stations. read more

The veggie Burger at Cellars Market is absolutely delicious, always fresh and cooked to order! read more

Cellars Market - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My review is for the MealPal lunch that I picked up but not for the actually service of the app, other than pick up. I had never even heard of Cellars Market until I saw the spot on MealPal. I made my way to the building and the room and it felt like I was in some sort of speakeasy lunch spot. There were plenty of options for every dieter and the lines didn't seem too long. The space is sit was fairly large and there are TV's on the wall too. The asian salad with grilled chicken I ordered was phenomenal. The grilled chicken was perfectly cooked and sliced. The dressing was really tasty too and it all went really well together. I plan on checking out Cellars Market again when I'm craving something healthy, especially after having the salad! read more

This review is for their salads only. Highly inconsistent salad making quality as of late. I keep coming back because when it's made right it's amazing. Usually their salads are so good with generous quantity. Lately though, they seemed to be training new salad makers, and there's been no quality control. Some doesn't give enough dressing, some makes it with too much dressing. The latest salad I got I almost just wanted to leave it there on the counter without buying...the quantity is a little more than half of what I usually get, filled up about 3/4 of the to go container and I paid $12 for it. Please train your salad makers better or you will most likely lose your regular customers. read more

I really love this place! It's made it into the lunch rotation! So many places in the loop but this is the only place that has a salad bar that is not by weight! It's pretty much as much as you can pack in! I fill the box to 110% full and pack down with the lid 3-4 times. Making a salad has turn into a balance of nutrition and managing space. The highlights are the kale salad, roasted Brussel sprouts, and tuna pasta salad. A super nutritious lunch for a price that can't be beat! The sole fish sandwich and chicken torta are also very good, if you're looking for the gut busting experience. I have been taking the healthy road lately. Abs are made in The Cellars Market! Another side bonus is the cholula packets at the cashier. (I take a few packs for emergency usage.) read more

See all

Downgrading to 3 stars due to huge price increases. It doesn't make sense to go here anymore even though I did like the food. Looking at my paper menu they've increased prices on $1 minimum but most items increased $1.50 - $2. read more

I love that a place like this exists near my office. When the weather starts to get colder, I crave hot food (and soup in particular) but quite often I am indecisive about what I want to eat. I am also lazy and don't want to walk too far for sustenance. This is where Cellars Market comes in. They have a massive selection of hot foods, salads (made fresh to order), soups, carved sandwiches, as well as daily specials. The variety is great and the food leans more towards "comfort" than healthy. Perfect for cold weather. The food is reliable and it's made with quality ingredients. Nothing here is gourmet or exotic but sometimes all you want to do is fill up your belly. There's truly something for everybody here. On Wednesdays they feature chicken tortilla soup and it's its own meal in a bowl. A thick tomato base, tons of shredded chicken, and crispy tortillas on top if you're so inclined. It's hearty and delicious and makes for a cheap but satisfying lunch. Another favorite is the southwest salad: chock full of greens, shredded chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, tortilla strips and chopped, fresh cilantro (for all you cilantro haters, any of the ingredients can be omitted, so fear not). The salad is a touch on the pricey side, but if I get a cup of soup, I can stretch the salad into another meal. Don't be afraid of the lines; the people that work here get you in and out quickly. There's about five guys making salads (as they seem to be the most popular item here) and they're lightning fast. Even the cashiers are fast; they're already ringing you up while the person ahead of you is waiting to sign their charge slip or stuffing their money back in their wallet. Move fast or get out of the way, it's lunchtime. Do or die. read more

Its a cool place to go for breakfast, or lunch but it's too noisy and busy at lunch time to hold a conversation. I ate here with a friend and the variety was excellent, but it was too loud to talk. We had to lean in constantly to speak or hear until it just turned into eating and saying"well ah, I will tell you later." There's nothing the managers can do about the noise people love this place and that's great! Tons of options for food and lots of people watching. read more

Searching for the BEST fish sandwich in the city? Look no further than the Cellars Market. This is simply one of the best kept secrets in the city. Located in the basement - yes, the basement - of the Board of Trade, this cafeteria - yes, cafeteria - serves one HUGE-O fish sandwich. So huge, in fact, just skip the bun and take the fish. I have turned so many of my skeptical and unenlightened friends to this sandwich as no one believed me that a cafeteria in a basement could serve such an el-PRIMO sandwich. Tartar sauce is great, too! The best part? Light batter - not greasy - due to the fact it is not deep fried. A friend once bet me on this and lost the bet as the cooks told us, "nope, this fish is baked." Don't know how they do it but the fish is PERFECT in texture and taste. Other food offerings - the soups are great and the salad bar is HUGE and used to be a good bargain as it topped out at a $5.99 maximum (when weighed), though I think it is more now. All the daily entrees are soooo good and taste "just like Mama used to make" especially the meatloaf, mac n cheese, pork chops, baked and fried chicken........I could go on and on. But the fish...............oh, the fish...............actually, thinking about it, I am awarding the BOT Fish Sandwich the "Deborah E Death Row Food Award." read more

I can't believe I never made it here earlier. I had the chopped salad and it was wonderful. I watched as they put half of an avocado into my salad. Most places skimp on avocado. I will be back! read more

Cellars Market, in the financial district, is a great lunch spot in the Loop that has something for everyone. It's an old school, cafeteria type set up, downstairs in the Chicago Board of Trade building (cellars...sellers...get it now?...). There are a ton of food options to choose from. Besides the deli sandwiches, burgers, salads, etc that are there everyday, they also have different specials each day of the week (chicken pot pie, pastas, fried chicken...you name it, it will be there at some point). Here's a basic rundown of what's best IMO: Turkey club - best in the city, real turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, and a stack of crisp bacon Steak/Chicken burrito - loaded with meat...it basically s**ts on Chipotle Fish Sandwich - most gangster thing I've ever seen, literally 3 meals worth of fish sticks piled on a hamburger bun...it's kind of comical to look at actually Breakfast - huge blueberry pancakes, greatness Service is speedy, so don't be intimidated if the place looks packed. The people that work here dominate. read more

This review is after the renovation of Cellar's and Ceres. What is there to say, some of the best breakfasts and lunches in the city all under $10. The salads and club sandwiches are the best, turkey club and chopped salad are go to. BEWARE: I always ask to see the roast beef for the club, as some days it is very nice and rare and others tough/well done. When ordering salads, AVOID the short older man who wears a cap. You'll recognize him. He uses twice the dressing of anyone else, turning your salad into almost a vegetable soup. I'm amazed his reign of condiment terror has gone unchecked this long. Bottom line: some of the best lunch food in Chicago, great prices and HUGE selection. read more

This is AFTER the remodel that finished up early 2015. #1. Taco bar clearly took from Qdoba and Chipotle inspiration as now you pick your style and the steak, chicken, and pork carnitas are ready in the bin. There is a 3 taco combo which is a LOT of food. I went with the Chicken and Carnitas which each was like a mini burrito. Large portion of meat on double corn tortillas. The original Chicken Torta which started as a chicken filet is now gone and MISSED. The new one is the chopped chicken on a bun and just plain different set of toppings and flavor profile. Co-workers have told me a Chicken Torta special exists now that has the chicken breast avaialble. I need to keep a look out for that one. read more

I just tried their signature fish sandwich and while a coworker had told me about the insane amount of fish you get, I was completely shocked when the guy behind the counter threw down the two pieces of bun, and then topped it with about 5 pieces of fish. Giant sandwich, I think. Then he goes for another 5 or 6 pieces. OK, a little excessive, but I can probably finish all of it. And finally, he goes for a 3rd and 4th helping of fish, throws it into the styrofoam container, and jams the lid shut. Are you kidding me? That could definitely feed a family of three. At least. The fish was light and perfectly battered, but the sheer amount of it kind of made me sick. I think I ate the bun & about 8 pieces of the fish and I was completely done. There are still about 15 pieces left in my container, which I'm not sure my stomach can handle even as leftovers. Time to nap. read more

Best lunch place if you work in the loop. It's a cafeteria style restaurant with a broad menu base. They have sandwiches, a hot meal line, make your own salad, and the pre-made salad bar. Their salads are phenomenal, get the Southwest salad or Chopped, you can't go wrong. The serving sizes are massive: expect to be full if you're not you're morbidly obese then. :) The pricing is decent: a salad and a soda runs me ~$8.50. The fish sandwiches are terrific - no cod for you (which is standard for almost all fish sandwiches and fish & chips), rather, you get Filet of Sole. They give you bread and a heaping serve of sole. If you want a tasty lunch and don't mind the chaotic atmosphere of cafeteria style restaurants, this is by far a terrific lunch place. read more

I have to admit that the food here is fantastic, really top-notch, good quality food. A bit pricey at times (Ive had lunches there as expensive as $16) but well worth it. The other reviews have already stated everything that matters, salad bar, they accept credit cards, no parking, in the basement of the Chicago Board of Trade building, plenty of seating, awesome chocolate chip cookies (Actually the best I have ever had) and the milkshakes are made with real ice cream too! I know the owners, as I have been going there since 1995, and they are really nice people. If you ever have any problems, they take care of you. read more

Stopped by on a whim since I had once heard someone on the brown line mention a reasonably priced cafeteria in the basement of some building and had come to realize it was probably this place. Definitely was! And am glad I came, seriously it's super reasonably priced for the food you get. I ordered a tofu rice bowl with brown rice and spicy kung pao sauce for 7.79. They accidently gave it to me with steak though so I had to give it a 4/5 because even though it played out in my favor this time it might not in the future (plus I like my meat rare). It was busy and someone was talking to the person who was making my food so it's totally understandable that it happened. Regardless, I'll definitely be stopping here most of the time when I dont brown bag my lunch. read more

The ambiance is lacking in this basement cafeteria, but it's no matter because most customers grab their food to go. They don't take credit cards, which is a pain, and the staff isn't overly friendly (but it's okay - they are quite busy during the lunch rush). Know what you want to order, and order it promptly (think 'Soup Nazi' rules). But I will say one thing - Cellers has the best chopped salad I've ever had. Tons of avocado, fresh greens, and a dressing that can spark absolute euphoria even on a gloomy day back at work inside the Board of Trade. With tax, it is more than eight bucks, but so worth it when I need a pick-me-up once in a while. read more

This might just be "the best" club sandwich in Chicago. Fresh hand carved turkey-yes! Includes a half a pickle and either fresh house made potato chips or French fries!!! read more

See all

Every morning at about 4am, a sleepy eyed staff of kitchen help prepares everything that Cellars has to offer from scratch. Yes. Everything. I mean salad dressings, cookies, soups...you name it. I cannot think of another cafeteria that goes through such painstaking effort. But I am glad they do cause it's delicious. They also have the best fried fish sandwich in the city. That is a bold statement but stop in on a Friday and see for yourself. If you can't wait until then you can get one in their sit-down cousin upstairs, Ceres Cafe. Here is a tip: unless you are in a hurry, don't order a pre-made salad. You will save a little cash by making your own via the huge salad bar and will also have more options. read more

Cellars recently stopped accepting credit cards, which really sucks for me because I never carry cash. I'll give them that their chopped salad is really tasty -- I've been getting it two times a week for several months now -- but the inconvenience of having to stop at the ATM every time makes it take longer, combined with how I was treated today, make me not want to go back. Here's how it went down: I get to the register, with my food, and see a tiny little sign that says, "Cash only." Gr. At the suggestion of the Guy at the Register, I go upstairs and pay to use the ATM upstairs. Meh, whatever, no biggie. I come back, and say to Guy at Register, "So what's the deal? Are your machines down or are you just not taking cards anymore?" G@R: "No, no credit cards anymore." Me: "Well that really sucks, it's going to lose you a lot of business." G@R: "Well, it's no big deal for me. It's nice to see you, but I don't care if we lose your business, it's not my restaurant. You talk to owner." Me: "Um, OK... could you forward my complaint to your manager then please?" G@R: "No, you talk to owner. Not my problem." Me: "Not a great answer for customer service." And I walked away from Cellars... probably for the last time. How sad. read more

Some of the prices are a little steep, that said: Cellar's Market is my favorite place to eat in the city. In the basement of the CBOT, it's gritty but is just the right atmosphere to enjoy my lunch and read the paper. The food, and especially the staff, is excellent. Although cafeteria-style in theory, everything is freshly prepared right in front of you. The massive salads, toasted subs, BBQ ribs on Fridays and huge chocolate chip cookies are all delicious. Although I see plenty of yuppies there, you have to be a certain type of yuppie to enjoy Cellar's Market. Otherwise, go upstairs to Cere's! read more

Just switched office locations last month and have been trying to find some of the "hidden" food courts around here. This one is great, despite being small. I got a corned beef sandwich that I watched being sliced off the hunk of meat and chips for only about $7. I'll definitely be back for some of the daily specials in the future - the fish wafted up the stairs and helped me find the place! read more

Sketchy looking, even by cafeteria standards. My rule of thumb is if a sketchy looking place is busy, the food must be great. This is no exception. Breakfast has a good solid hungover food. The breakfast burrito (really a taco) is phenomenal. They try and push 3 on you as a combo, I don't know if a whole family could consume that much egg. Usually 1 is good enough for me. They fill it with eggs, hash browns, onions, peppers and chorizo (upon request). Don't forget to get a few servings of the fresh made salsa by the napkins and silverware on your way out. Their infamous Bobby Brown (loaded hash browns) is good, but I've had better....it'll still get the trick down when trying to recover from a late Thursday night. Lunch at cellar's is a mainstay for me, I hit up it up at least twice a week. Their chopped salad (feta, red onions, avocado, bacon, chicken and a balsamic vinaigrette) and southwest salads (corn, black beans, onion, chicken, tortilla strips, chichuaua cheese, a great dressing that is a a blend of a peanut dressing and cilantro based dressing) are hands down my two favorites in the loop. At $8 its on the steeper side for a salad, but they are huge and loaded with ingredients its fairly priced in my book. If you aren't in a salad mood, go for the turkey club. The turkey is a little dry, but its real turkey, not cold cuts and the sandwiches are huge. Best club I've had in the area. It also comes with fries, which again...sounding like a broken record, as the best in the area. They have a slight seasoning and batter on them, complements the TClub perfectly. As for he fish sandwich is not even a sandwich. Its basically two pieces of bread, doused with what seems like an ocean of fish. Not the best fish sandwich I've had (Bergoff), but its more than enough for one if not two people to take down at noon. I haven't tried much else, because its hard to pry me away from the turkey sandwich or salads. I veered away from proper judgment one time and tried a reuben, it was huge but subpar and the meat was too thickly cut and fatty for my taste. read more

The chopped salad rings in at about $8 these days. It's a good-sized portion for the price. The service is quick and friendly. The layout is pretty nice in that it offers separate lines for the salad bar and the made-for-you salads. There are a ton of choices at the different stations and the seating area is adequate. I can see this place being a total mob scene during the normal lunch hour, but it's wide-open after 1pm. I am looking forward to heading back and checking out some of the other offerings. This is definitely a pleasant surprise down in the loop. read more

I've been looking for this place and once I found it - it turned out to resemble a Shoney's circa 1996. Unlike any crappy chain restaurant - this place offers the holy grail of simple healthy food: behold the $3.78 salad. Lots of spinach and LOTS of fixings these to-go salads are terrific! And why dont you help yourself to a shoe shine while youre down here.... read more