I've been here on three separate occasions so far. The first was a quick stop in after a concert with my wife while we celebrated our 20th anniversary. The second was with another couple, very dear friends from out of town. And the third was last Sunday with our teenage son. On every occasion, we've experienced good solid service, good pub fare food, and a friendly atmosphere. This last visit though was especially nice. Our waitress, Laura, was very attentive and friendly. She took great care of us and ensured we all enjoyed our visit. She is a fantastic addition to your team. I love this place and have recommended it to my friends and family. We will definitely be coming back. read more

This was actually the first place we ate in Chicago after deciding to move here. We stayed in the loop while apartment hunting and this pub was open when we landed! I recently went back to meet a friend for drinks and dinner after work, and my opinion remains the same. A really solid irish bar/pub atmosphere and food in the loop. Beer selection is good, they make a good cocktail and have solid pub fare as well. Service has always been good, and getting a table has never been an issue. Stays steadily busy, but not usually over crowded. Would be a good place for a group of coworkers for happy hour or casual lunch. I had the veggie burger and wings/pretzels the times I went, all were good. I have tried the Moscow Mule and a couple other cocktails. Solid choice! read more

I went here for drinks last night and was disappointed. I had a burger and fries -- which were good (not great) and on special for around $6. The service was horrible. I waited for a friend for about 20 minutes and though the waiter kept passing by, he'd pretend not to see me when I looked at him to get a drink. Then when I graciously asked him "how are you?" he said "stressed and overwhelmed" -- kind of unprofessional, even though it was probably true. This place is fine, but judging from the other reviews -- I'm not the only person to have bad service. I'm not in any rush to go back. It just doesn't stand out. read more

Great place for a drink after work. No, its not an authentic Irish bar. But I like their food (and I like to eat when I drink after work or else I'm in for a long night). Can be very crowded immediately after work on a Friday but starts to clear out a little by 6pm. There's only so many bars in the Loop (and I think I've been to the all) so its nice every time a new one opens up. read more

Came here for a party. A section was reserved for our group. We approach the hostess and she brings us to a separate room with tables and chairs. There were catering warmers set up and we had not ordered food so after discussing amongst ourselves for a few minutes I approached a staff member. He was rather unhelpful and impatient despite it being the hostess's fault. She put us in another party's section who had reserved the space with food. After a awkward back and forth, we gathered our belongings and were escorted to our new section. The server was friendly and super efficient with the large group we had. About an hour into our gathering a hostess came over asking if we could vacate a table in our reserved section so she could seat someone there. I told her no several times and after she kept asking and eventually walked away with a scowl. A lot of confusion going on in this place it seems. read more

My first impression was that this was a ritzy place. You know, that place that most high-class Chicago workers go to after a long day at work before returning to their high-rise condo. The prices for food and drinks definitely don't reflect that. I was impressed by their selection of Irish beers, but I was not impressed that it took my waitress two times of asking me what beer I wanted. We tried the cheese curds and they were pretty decent. Overall, it was an "A-OK" time. read more

just went in for drinks after the hawks game. the service was nice and friendly. It was nice that you could just sit there and talk on a saturday night w/o having to yell over everyon else and there were ample amount of seats. read more

Opened at 9 for brunch not set up. Had to wait 30 minutes for an omelet. Food was good waitress was pretty good I will not rush to come back. read more

i like this joint its good. check it out. prices are fair and the mini corned beef sandwiches were great. read more

Came here for lunch on a Tuesday when they have their 10 oz. emerald burger for only $6. This was a great deal and the burger was very large and delicious. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but a good place to grab a cheap big burger on a Tuesday and not wanting to go to a fast food joint. read more

Excellent service. My girlfriend and I stopped here after being ignored at Public House. Our server was super friendly and attentive and helpful. The food was surprisingly good -- and there was lots of it. Excellent experience. It made my day. read more

Great nachos and guacamole. Service in our first visit was great. Had a rude bartender last night who wasn't interested in waiting on anyone. read more

Horrible service here. Asked about gluten free options and the waitress literally rolled her eyes at me. We left and went a couple blocks away to Sweetwater which was great! read more

The Emerald Loop is a nice place for an after-work drink. The pub has a nice dark-wood interior with a long bar, flat-screen hdtvs, and cocktail and dinner tables. The kitchen closes late, making the Emerald Loop a convenient place. The menu contains your basic pub food and is reasonably priced. The crowd is generally composed of white collar workers in their mid 20s through mid 40s; no drunk frat boys here. The pub draws a good crowd with a good vibe. read more

I was a guest at this establishment last night and unfortunately, a bad customer service experience tainted our farewell evening we hosted for our manager. We arrived at 4PM, we had a reservation for 15 people. We were seated in a section that was set for this many people. Our server Krista introduced herself, and from the beginning was unfriendly and dismissive. We work in Concierge so we notice these things immediately. We laughed it off as maybe she was busy or something. Initially when we arrived there was only 5 of us and explained to the host that the rest would be coming at our original reservation time of 530. 30 minutes later Krista returned, and asked (with a sour attitude) if we were going to fill in the other seats. We immediately replied YES they are coming at 530, we were just early. She immediately walked away and didn't bother to check to see if there was anything else we needed. As I learned this was how she handled the rest of the evening. We were lucky to see her every 30 minutes. Even as new people arrived at our table, she was nowhere to be found. When some of our party went to the bar to get a drink (after waiting for 20-30 minutes), when she finally showed up she said "If you are going to sit at MY table you HAVE to order drinks from me". I have never felt scolded by a server before. In my personal and professional experience, even if an establishment has great atmosphere, cuisine and drinks if the service is subpar, customers won't come back. Service will trump all if they have bad experience. I monitored the situation throughout the evening and her service only got worse. In my line of work, good service in the restaurant industry means friendly service that makes sure her customers are tended too. Upon asking for my final bill and made sure I provided a detail of what I was paying for, (which took 20 minutes to get) when I received the bill the items were all incorrect (FAILURE TO LISTEN) I had to wait another 20 minutes to get a correct bill. Once I provided the CC it took another 10 minutes just to get the bill and sign. Sometimes, good customer service simply means being available and Krista was not only unavailable most of the time her attitude was just horrible. This was my first time visiting this location and not sure if I would ever return in the future. read more

Good food in good location. Restrooms were clean. Staff wasn't too friendly. Waitress was quick and seemed we were a burden to her other tasks. read more

This review will be of a second dining experience I've had here. Overall, I would return... minus this waitress. I was a little shocked that no one greeted us when we walked up. There was a host outside (where we sat) and a waitress at the door. We had to approach one of them and ask about the seating procedure. Apparently, you seat yourself here. The portion sizes, at least to my eye, are quite large and impressive. I'm not very keen on the description of the Nachos on the menu, and I've heard others complain that what they get isn't exactly as described. The nachos are described as being nacho chips with cheese, choice of meat, and sour creme and salsa dips. Why, then, does it come with jalapeno peppers, lettuce and tomato? I learned this lesson before, so I requested no jalapeno peppers. I bet you can guess where this one is going. Yup. Jalapeno peppers that I am not allowed to eat for some weird medical reason. Someone other than our waiter plopped it down and wandered off. Also missing were the salsa and sour cream dips. No dips. Just plopped right down on top of the mass of nachos. It would not have been too much of an issue if Jenna, our waitress, had been attentive and came by to check somewhat quickly. But it's something else if you have to go find her after a while. She did eventually come through with a second order, which did have dipping cups, but even that took forever. I was shocked, too, that the first order came out with black beans. The second order came out with green beans and corn. There doesn't seem to be any consistency. I don't have an exact measure of the time I spent waiting to eat (not allowed to even touch a jalapeno pepper let alone taste one). I know I checked out of the Hard Rock Hotel around the corner at 11:50 am and, according to the giant clocks outside that I kept staring at... it was 1:10 PM when the correct order came out and the first chip hit my mouth. And that's on an appetizer. It really wasn't very busy. Just seemed to have a space cadet as a waitress. Three bucks for a drink with unlimited refills? Little pricy, but not bad if you get refills. The three of us didn't get a single refill amongst us, so we thought that the attention to service was less than inspiring. We decided after the appetizer NOT to order a main course, so we left with a $20 tab (and order of nachos and three drinks) and left $2 for Jenna. We felt bad at the $2 tip, but we needed the money to go next door to the 7-11 to buy a drink. You can get a 1 liter bottle of coke next door for $1.99. Just pop over there and grab one before you come over to sit down. Much cheaper and you don't have to wait to get something to drink. read more

Late night dinners are a must here. Super good food to soak up beer from the belly. Fish and chips and soft pretzels = yes! Great spot, great service and love the atmosphere. read more

Go here quite frequently. The boneless Loop Wings are possibly the best wings I've ever had. Big portions. The waffle fries are cooked and seasoned to perfection. Cheap drinks too. All the servers are really great. I have not had a bad experience. My friends and coworkers love this place too 10/10 read more

Had reservations for a group of 25 this weekend. Enjoyed a semi private area with great service and delicious food. Will return for business or pleasure again. Suggest the brisket for dinner and candied bacon for an app. read more

New pub/grill in Loop. Decent food, standard drinks and beer. The service was fine. The bar is just ok, nothing to write home about.

This is a great place to pick up lunch to go. The carvery has good roast beef, corned beef, turkey and sometimes fried cod. They also have great burgers. The only reason this place get 3 stars is the service can be a little slow... the beer glasses could be a little cleaner.. yetch... the fries are cold most of the time when you take them to go and the other items I didn't mention are mediocre. read more

A friend and I went to the VERY LOUD Emerald Loop last night before a concert at the Chicago Theatre. The menu looked good online - I mean, it's an Irish pub with typical Irish pub grub on the menu. But - in reality, what a letdown. I had the fish and chips which consisted of 2 small pieces of lightly breaded cod and your average french fries with some frozen peas ($13.95). My friend had the mac and cheese (made with a yellow cheese, not white) which she said was good. Add an iced tea and 1 Coke and the bill came to nearly $40 with tip! Ay carumba! Overpriced dull boring food........... The service was not good - I always feel badly giving waiters a bad review having spent 8 years of my life as a waiter myself. But the place was jammed - she was nice but REALLY harried - we kept having to ask her for things vs. her checking in on us. Our appetizer never arrived so we had to have her take it off the bill. I am REALLY bummed out this place turned out to be a disappointment as it is very hard to find a restaurant in the Loop that doesn't break the bank before attending a show. read more

Friends don't let friends walk drunk! . . . at least not when they are leaving the Emerald Loop. I witnessed it firsthand while I was walking into Emerald Loop. Someone almost landed on top of me and took me down with them as they missed the curb and tripped all over themselves. After taking several minutes to assess if said patron needed extensive medical attention we made our way into EL. I have to admit we were surprised that they weren't so busy given what time it was however the place seemed to fill up quickly not too long after. The atmosphere is interesting. It's a wannabe "Irish pub" that plays a mix of "Irish" music and dance tracks. The only way I could truly describe their music selection is "eclectic." This is all fine and dandy, but they didn't seem to make very fluid transitions from one to the other so it appeared a bit awkward. Another thing I noticed about EL was that there was an abundance of flat screen TVs. So, if you were afraid you might miss the recap of that's evenings game or the evening-after debate commentaries fear not - you're covered! Personally I think it's a nice touch . . . as mentioned in other reviews of mine, I've seen TVs placed in places were you'd have to sit in uncomfortable ways if you didn't get seated at just the right table so being able to see a TV from a comfortable angle is a double plus in my book. I would also like to mentioned the tables themselves. If you are seated at a table where one side has chairs and the other booth seating expect that that party seated in the booth will sink into their seat while the party in the chair will peer over the other as if they are interrogating them - for some reason they are not proportional to one another and it creates a weird dining situation. The service, best put, was okay. I can't say our server was stellar nor did she seem to be that interested in serving us. Seeing that we were starving we actually ended up order meals and we honestly believe they went to Ireland to get them as it took some time to us our food. Additionally, we were thankful we didn't have our hearts set on dessert as they only offer three dessert selections that were of actual solid form. As to be expected, the one dessert we considered for an after "dinner" treat was gone by the went to order it. The food itself was ok. Typical bar food. I opted for a lighter food fair this particular evening and it was just okay. I didn't go in with high expectations to begin with, but I guess the internal optimist in me hoped there would be some tasteful dish that I could write about with great enthusiasm. I guess the quest for stellar, or even just good, bar food continues. Lastly, I'd like to mention if you plan take food home from EL don't forget the plastic bag they give you with your "to go" container because if you do forget they will surely make sure you don't. (I'll leave it at that) All in all, Emerald Loop is an okay place to grab a beer and a bite to eat, but nowhere close to the top of my list. read more

Nice place. A dark high-end sports bar kind of place. A short walk from most of the hotels on Wacker. An interesting and creative menu, but the meal I had here was a bit lackluster. Service was not bad but not too many smiles or niceties were included. $50 for a hamburger and 3 drinks, about what you pay in the city at this location I guess. Probably a good place for a drink and appetizer for any future visits. read more

Haven't yet eaten here but I've visited the bar every trip to Chicago. I love it here. Comfy, clean and nice bartenders.

someone at the hotel we stayed in recommended this place. went here to get some lunch before out flight. the food came out fast, which was important. i had the arugula salad, which was delicious. my friend had a sandwich, which he said was very filling and "meaty". we also shared mussels. the interior looked like what I imagined the old Chicago would be like. overall- great experience. would go back if I was in the area. read more

This was by far the nastiest place in Chicago the drinks were beyond watered down food was terrible I had a corn beef sandwich and it was a piece of meat on two big ass pieces of bread they made us get up mid meal and move to accommodate another party waitress was nasty once we told her we where unhappy with our drinks definitely no tip read more

Went in for a late night meal on a weekday. Service wasn't the best but I don't have high hopes for bar service in general so I wasn't surprised. My husband had the fish and chips, which he enjoyed. I had a beer pretzel which was great. Heavy on the salt but still perfect for a late night snack. read more

My first time at the Emerald Loop and the service and atmosphere was great but the food was just OK. The burger was dry and on the pretzel bread it was even worse. The best thing I had was the BBQ wings they were quite tasty. If I go back it will be for the wings and beer. The onion rings and fries were too greasy even though they had potential. I wish they were better since they are not far from my apartment...it would be a cool place to make a local watering hole. read more

Good enough. Not amazing, and too nice to have a real pub feeling, but good enough. Fish & Chips and Chicken Curry (a very British version) were more than adequate. read more

My friend works in the same building as the Emerald so we chose this place to hang out and have a couple drinks. We chose off the special cocktail menu; she had the Winter Solstice and I had the John Daley. Service was good and the atmosphere was very cozy and warm. I totally recommend this place to anyone who's in the loop for a place to kick back and partake in a couple cocktails with friends. read more

Convenient place for drinks. Always has some kind of crowd, so there is usually good energy. Service can be a bit of a mixed bag -- I've encountered a wide variety of server personalities. read more

They serve food really late, which is a plus. Also the beer list was decent and the outdoor seating was cool. But the food was bland. My burger was overlooked and the fries weren't really that good. read more

We ended up coming here for a late night dinner my first night in the city. My friends were familiar with it and we just kept it easy. It's really close to the Hard Rock Hotel and well, I think I saw the singer of Taking Back Sunday and some other dudes, we were there for Riot Fest. There was a wedding party or something near the bar and they were extremely, beyond loud. We couldn't even have a conversation other than 1 to 1 and there was 5 of us. Our server was very sweet and the menu seemed bigger than you'd expect for a late night menu. I was bummed out that their bourbon selection was kind of meh (I get it, it's an Irish bar but Bourbon is super crazy popular). Their beer selection was OK but nothing special too. I ended up with a burger and fries and it was OK. Honestly, it reminded me of hotel food. Kind of expensive, sounds awesome on paper and comes out pretty mediocre. My friend ordered a chicken wrap but asked to sub fish for it and it came out with chicken. That could've been because of the insanely loud wedding party. I dunno. I just know that this place was a really poor introduction to Chicago. read more

I want to really like this place, but the service is always a let-down. Went here for lunch a cople times and the food is great. It's pretty laid-back place which is also nice, not too overcrowded. However, I think they have tried too hard to over-do it with the "irish" theme. I would rather go to somewhere like Lizzy McNeal's or Poag's in terms of something more "pure" but like I said...this place gets by just enough, and Penny S said it right with an amazing Guiness pour. read more

Have been here 3xs. The food is ooooohhhhkkaaayyy and I say that in a very bored kind of way. It's not the best tasting food but I guess will do if you end up drinking there and you get hungry. read more

I had the slider combo the other day and it was pretty darn tasty. It came with a burger, steak sandwich and corned beef. The corned beef one was my favorite, steak sandwich needed something and the burger was pretty good. It came with a hand full of bbq chips and that was the perfect amount... I have also tried the appetizer combo platter. Don't waste your time with the chicken fingers, they were very dry. Bruschetta was good and so were the pop corn shrimps. The spinach artichoke dip was also pretty tasty but I've had better. read more

This place was ok! I went for a Happy Hour with friends and we sat outside but because of the seating we had to grab chairs from people who were not using their chairs. the prices were typical for a Loop Bar. They had the Irish beers and some other beers like Blue Moon etc. I had a Black and Tan and it cost me about 6.50. The prices are not on the menu so I had to ask because I wasn't staying for long. It is close to the El - State and Lake station. I didn't eat but the Hummus and Shepherds Pie looked good. If you like that "Irish" pub flair and are in the loop, you might want to check it out read more

In my business Customer Service means everything. A week or two after I posted this review the owner personally contacted me and assured me the problem had been addressed. he was cordial, proffesional and I thought it was unbelievable that he cared so much. As I said before, customer service can really make or break a business. In this case I am happy to say I will definitely be back!!!! read more