In terms of deep dish pizza, Exchequer is the best in Chicago. While Giordano's is probably my favorite, I personally consider their 'stuffed' pizza to be different from 'deep dish.' If you are visiting Chicago or have lived here for years and somehow never tried this place, put it at the top of your list! You will not be disappointed! read more

Been coming here for probably 25+ years. Casual restaurant with a long comfortable bar that is great to hang out at. Work across the street and this place has catered many of our parties. Some years they had great bartenders, some years not, but the current crew is the best. The food is very good and not pricy. Some items you have to avoid, but others appear to be the best in town. Like the chicken wings-huge, not greasy, perfectly cooked and delicious. I can't think of anyplace that has better. Really great salads. Some don't like their pizza. I do, but I have had better, but everyone has had better pizza at some fav place. Supposed to be the last place Capone hung out. Closed off bordello in original condition upstairs. If you are nearby, or are staying in a nearby hotel you should give it a try. It will not disappoint. read more

I actually found out about this place when looking for pubs to take my brother to downtown while he was in Chicago...but we ended up going somewhere else. Then this week-end I went to the Printers Row Book Fair with my parents and afterwards we were seeking a lunch option that would suit my meat-and-potatoes-craving father. I remembered that the Exchequer wasn't too far away, so we wandered over. The food ended up being good; the service, not. Our waiter was a young flake who couldn't seem to remember anything without being reminded several times and would disappear for long intervals (he also took a long time to make his initial appearance; we had to ask another server who would be helping us and she went and unearthed him from somewhere). Well-meaning but not focused enough. The food endeavored to make up for this, though. I had ribs; my previous Chicago downtown ribs experience came from Millers, just down the block, and I liked these better -- they didn't have that charred outside, so they didn't taste burnt, and the sauce was fairly thin (good for dipping and finger-licking) and tangy. I tried the Greek potatoes as a side (since I wasn't in a french fry mood) but they weren't all that great (if they'd been warmer it would have helped). My parents each had a burger and were happy with their choices and the hefty portions. For dessert we had a delicious peanut butter-Snickers pie concoction that no one had a problem polishing off. In addition to burgers and ribs, they have a range of pizzas and sandwiches to pick from. The ambiance is rather old-school: dark; newspaper clippings and memorobilia on the walls, with the bar first thing when you walk in the door and the restaurant in the back. I was thrilled that they had matchbooks (rectangular and gold with the logo in black) to add to my collection. All in all, not a bad choice, but service needed some work. read more

This place seriously cracks me up. It is a complete dive - relatively icky - and always crowded. I chalk this up to the multiple grad schools in the area with students looking for inexpensive drinks. The spot is fun when you're with a big group and can overlook the icky-ness. Watch out for drunk grad students! read more

One of the best restaurants in the downtown area! The staff is always freindly and helpful. The food is absolutely outstanding! Try the thin crust pizza, any of the burgers, and my personal favorite the Agean Sea Salad is fantastic! Make sure to check for daily specials when you go. read more

Excellent Pizza! Cold Beer! Very fresh ingredients. Friendly staff. Reasonable prices = Great Value. Squeaky Clean Dinning area and Restrooms! What more can you ask for?! read more

Food was ok. Service, not so much. It was seat yourself and we weren't greeted for a while. The waitress we finally got was the most inattentive I've ever had. We waited over an hour to finally eat and the girl who brought the food out was very pleasant and took care of us the rest of our time there because we asked her to. The restaurant has a fun history and a cool vibe. If we would've had a better waitress, it may have been an ok experience. I understand deep dish pizzas taking a while, but that is not what we ordered. read more

Food was note good. Mozzarella sticks--cheese wasn't even melted, cheese on thin crust pizza was super greasy, deep dish pizza crust was extremely hard. Only good thing was their wings. read more

This must be the first place I've written three reviews for. I keep coming back because there really IS a lot to like. But sometimes I show up, and there's no space even for one person the bar or bar area, even on a weeknight. Other times, I show up with a group and have an excellent dinner where service, food, drinks, and everything else is great. I'm sure I'll be back soon, but I don't know if that will be a positive or negative, and that's the real problem. read more

Debating between Gage, Taco Hell, or Exchequer..... It was late and not much was opened. So we chose the in between and it was a decent choice. This is what we ordered: Taco Salad, Fish and Chips, Double Slab of Ribs. First the taco shell looked like a giant bowl. The largest taco salad I've ever seen. It must have been pretty good since nothing was left of the insides. The fish and chips were decent, but nothing to write home about. The ribs were also decent with the meat falling off the bones, but there was no real BBQ smoked flavor. It was just drenched in BBQ sauce. Overall decent place for a meal, but don't expect too much. Service was good too. read more

Never disappoints. We come here for lunch and no matter what I order it's always tasty. Had the chicken parmesan sandwich which is a special on Mondays. It was a very large portion and extremely good. I also like their burgers. Sara was our server and she was very friendly and helpful. Fast service, hot tasty food, a win win situation. read more

Great service, solid pub atmosphere, food is fine. Some of their food is a little too processed to justified the price. As an example, the cheesey garlic bread has rubbery cheese and spongey bread. I want to emphasize how good the service was. I have only had personable service here. read more

Great atmosphere and history. Julie the bartender made us an amazing Bloody Mary. I had baileys and coffee which was also good. Will definitely be back. Ask Julie to make you a Bloody Mary!! read more

Great atmosphere, delicious food and great service. My husband and I try to always stop in when we are in Chicago. We've never had a bad experience and the prices don't break the bank which is refreshing for the location. They have their own brews (different depending on the season) and I haven't been dissatisfied with any that I've tried. Definitely worth stopping in read more

Great food, great atmosphere, great service. Delicious thin and crispy pizza and salad combo. Some of the best ribs I've ever had- sweet and tangy sauce with great quality meat that falls off the bone. Highly recommend. read more

I come to Exchequer more than any other restaurant in Chicago because my discussion group meets here regularly. So I've grown quite fond of the place. There is a decent tap selection, plus fun sweet martini specials (I think I got a banana eggnog martini last time? What does it say that I can't remember!). Drink service is pretty speedy and the bartenders are really nice. I've tried lots of dishes, and every single one has been pretty good. Not fabulous, not shabby, but better than what I usually make at home. In my opinion, the Italian/Mediterranean food here is the best stuff on the menu, but I'm a sucker for tomatoes. It's fun to get a pizza here to share- they do the full Chicago-style pie and service. Aside from the bartenders, I will say the service can get dodgy. When she asks if you want anything else, order now or be prepared to chill for a while. Definitely recommend for easy location, ambience, food and drink. read more

Went to Exchequer before attending the CSO. We had "The Trio" for an appetizer which consisted of chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks. and onion rings. All really good, especially the onion rings! My daughter ordered the full slab of ribs, which came with waffle fries and cole slaw. Also good. In the menu, there is a quote by the late Roger Ebert who rated their deep dish pizza the best he'd ever eaten. So my husband and I decided to give it a try. We had the small Italian sausage, onions and mushrooms pie. The crust was perfectly baked, and the cheese on top of the pie was oozing with buttery deliciousness. Our waitress was superb, never skipping a beat, even with having to serve several other large tables of DePaul students. Will definitely return. read more

Always tasty! Packaged well and they never miss anything on my orders. Crispy crust pizza and plain (crispy) chicken wings are the best!

Great food, atmosphere and service! Recommended by hotel bellhop. Highly recommend coming here for pizza! read more

Exchequer Restaurant & Pub - Pepperoni and sausage deep dish pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

an amazing - incredible - most soothing dine in experience. such a humble staff and the owners are quite charming. i always enjoy a beer and pizza here and the bartender stephanie fucking rocks! blessings. read more

I think if it weren't for the nuance of Chicago prohibition and mob character history, I might not have paid much attention to this restaurant. We were visiting Chicago for the first time as tourists and staying in a hotel nearby so we gave it a try because of the good Yelp reviews. We had pizza which didn't have the sauce on top and I don't know why. It would seem that all Chicago style pizza has the sauce on top. But it was delicious. We shared a small pizza and I'm pretty sure there was no less than two pounds of cheese on top and we ate it all. The pizza takes a while. As thick as it is that wasn't a surprise. The other people around us were eating other things from the menu and it all looked good. From what I hear, Chicago style pizza is mostly consumed by the tourists so maybe they were locals. The service was great and our server was personable and attentive. In conclusion, I think the Exchequer is a worthy stop while in Chicago. We very much enjoyed our dinner! read more

I learned about this place on the Chicago Drunk Tour or something of a similar name. Seems like your standard old school pub but there are lot's mysteries hidden here...BOO! We came back to eat here. The service is quick and sweet. My salad wasn't the freshest, a little dry, but the filet and fries are decent and a steal for less than $30. read more

Stopped here in the loop yesterday. service was so quick and the food came out quickly. I ordered a small deep dish pizza with mushrooms, green peppers and fresh garlic and it was amazing and it so big it was enough to feed two to three people. It had a nice, chewy crust and it was different from traditional Chicago deep dish which I enjoyed. I even asked for a water to go and they gave it to me without hesitation. I would definitely head back here next time I'm in the loop. read more

Exchequer Restaurant & Pub - Small deep dish pizza with mushroom, green peppers and fresh garlic - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The best deep dish I've had since moving to Chicago. How much you enjoy it will likely depend on how cheesy you like your slices. There's a massive amount of cheese topped on their pies, which I'm all about, but maybe a little too much for people. That said, I can't see why you wouldn't be able to ask the waiter for lighter cheese if you're hesitant. I can't speak on some of the other reviewers' complaints about the service, because our experience was great. Our waitress was very attentive and gave us good advice on the menu (always useful when you're with your picky girlfriend). As stated before the pizza was delish, the spinach salad we got to start was very tasty, and the pitcher of beer we got for happy hour was... ok it was Bud light, but it was still a pitcher full! Great meal, will definitely come again! read more

Loved our experience here! The atmosphere was cozy and fun. We got Pomegranate Margaritas, which were large and oh so delicious! We also split a medium deep dish pizza with tomato, spinach, garlic and pepperoni. The sauce, cheese and mix of all the flavors was quite a treat. I have never had a more delicious piece of pizza! read more

First time at this long established "pub". We needed something relatively quick as we're going to Chicago Symphony, which is only a three minute walk. Told it would be a 20 minute wait (5:30 on Friday afternoon; looked like after work crowd). Seated in 10. Nice size drink pour. onion rings with drinks were great, crunchy but not at all greasy. Personal size deep dish pizza was very amble with lots of toppings. Same for Reuben sandwich. Sweet potatoes fries delicious. Everything came out hot. The highlight was out waitress, Nina. All smiles. So friendly as she raced around. couldn't have been more efficient or friendly. Looked in on us every time she passed the table. She made the meal so enjoyable. Manager, if you read this, give her a shout-out. read more

Everything about this place was great! The history behind it is amazing (look it up if you don't know the Al Capone days). Our waitress was nice, funny, a great story teller and super responsive to our needs. Our drinks and food came out promptly and tasted great. George made sure our experience was great and even went above and beyond to talk to us about the history of the establishment. Thank you so much for the tour! It made my day and I wish the Exchequer all the best! read more

So we were walking through Chicago after visiting the aquarium and we were looking for a place to eat. We didn't want to stop at any of the national chain restaurants, so were looking for a locally owned establishment. We stopped at the Exchequer, which from the outside looked relatively small. We stepped inside and saw the cool wooden bar and the large dining rooms in the back. The wooden ceilings were old school and beautiful. I ordered a crispy crust pizza and my son ordered chicken fingers, they were both delicious. It was after my 2 visits there that I read that Al Capone used to go here and that they have a secret tunnel exit. read more

Desperate to find a location to accommodate twelve people to celebrate my beautiful friend's birthday. I drove across this speakeasy ol' school style restaurant. We were searching for a restaurant that had a vary of choices before partaking in The game show game show up the street. I drove passed ExChequer and saw in the window go for parties. The menu was typical an assortment of burgers, salads, and pastas as while as pizza of course. I, myself enjoyed the spicy rigatoni and chicken tortellini two awesome dishes that came with salad or soup. The pizza was okay. However it is Chicago you will find better pizza. Don't let your heart be troubled. The wings were good but cool a little to soft so didn't have that crispness to them. Also they do offer a beer of the month and have decent selection beers. Not sure if they have happy hour but walking in there a nice bar to seat at. Overall I have to say the pasta was delicious and that's why I gave it five star. read more

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Yuck. Food was bland. The deep dish pizza was super dry. My friend ordered a buffalo salad and they tossed the entire salad in buffalo sauce. Salmon was overdone. Waiter was super nice but food took close to 90 minutes to come out. read more

I think I found a new spot! Found this place after visiting 2 Twenty 2, was looking for food, good food and this place came to the rescue. Called first, came over, true to their word there was a 15min wait, after which we were promptly seated. I should add this place was packed and it was only about 5p on a Friday. They're voted #6 for best pizza in IL. It was rather tasty, my party was satisfied. I love that the deep dish isn't too too deep and cheesy, but just right. The pitcher of Lagunita's was also a great addition to drinking beer. Even found a parking spot right out front; metered parking ran us about $20 for 3 hours (that's kind of high, but it was cold that day). read more

Was told this is the best pizza in Chicago so decided to try it out. Good deep dish and large portions, but wasnt what I was expecting (sauce wasn't on top) but still a good pizza. Service was attentive as well and no issud spliting checks for a group. read more

Let me start by saying that I am not the type to typically have a bad experience at a restaurant and leave a bad review. But this was one of those experiences that makes you want to call the manager, the BB and the local newspaper. I went here for lunch with a friend. We ordered drinks, the waitress carded us and asked for second forms of ID which we gladly supplied. We both have out of state licenses and as a bartender I completely understand. However, then she literally looked us in the eyes, smiled like she was humoring us and said "Oh okay, sure." I was totally confused. Obviously neither of us had fake IDs but she acted as if we were trying to pull a fast one. Mildly insulting, but nothing like the rest of the night. We tried to place our food order, listing off the topppings we wanted on our pizza. The waitress MADE A FACE and said "Oooh are you sure you want that? That sounds like a lot." What. Are you serious. Yes, that is what we want. I'm pretty sure we discussed it and never asked for your input. She finally "allowed" us to order what we wanted. The waitress then went and sat down at a booth across the restaurant and started chatting with a customer/boyfriend (?). At this point we cheers our drinks and take a sip, which my friend immediately puckered her face to. The bartender had obviously went a little heavy on the sour mix in her long island, the drink was so tart it was undrinkable. We try to catch the waitresses eye or wait for her to walk by, but she never looked our way or left the man she was talking to. Eventually our appetizer came up and she asked how everything was. At this point my friend politely said that her drink was too tart and she didn't care for it. The waitress came back with an "Oh, why don't you go flirt with the bartender and see if he'll make you another drink." I was so appalled I literally laughed. After a second it was clear that she wasn't joking. WTF. My friend replied that she didn't feel comfortable doing that and the waitress seriously tried to convince her to go up to the bar and "flaunt her assets" to get a new drink. After a very awkward exchange she finally said "Oh, so do you want me to get you a new one or something?" YES. THAT IS YOUR JOB. I work in the service industry and I give people a lot of slack but this was plain rude, not to mention dumb. Finally she brought back a vodka tonic and slammed it down on the table. Then she went back over to the man she was talking to and completely ignored us for a good 30-45 minutes. Our empty drinks and water were ignored until she brought us our pizza and got us refills. The pizza was pretty good, typical Chicago style pizza. The rest of the meal went well, until our check came. There was a random Stoli drink on the tab, which neither of us had been drinking. I had Tanqueray and my friend was drinking well vodka. Those were both on the check as well. I politely told the waitress that she must have accidently rang in a drink on our tab because neither of us had drank a Stoli. She said "Oh yeah, that's just what I decided to charge you for the long island." At this point I was so over this lady. I told her that the drink was AWFUL, that's why it was sent back and NOTHING was drank from it except two sips, when each of us tried it. She argued with me and refused to take the Stoli off the tab. Eventually she told me I could go up to the bartender, who was the manager's son, and ask him if he would take it off. I finally said, this is absolutely ridiculous, we'll pay for it. Whatever. She got all huffy and said I should understand considering that I am in the service industry as well. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. I understand that you are not supposed to treat your customers like dirt and force them to pay for items they didn't eat/drink. We left her a 5% tip, which looking back I wish I hadn't left a dime, and left. WORST. EXPERIENCE. I'VE. EVER. HAD. IN. A. RESTAURANT. EVER. read more

The only reason this place deserves a star is because the waitress was so sweet and amazing. Everything else - the owner, the atmosphere, the beer - everything was awful. The owner was a total pompous jerk and the beer was warm. We are here from Seattle and came here the past 4 nights, yet the owner treated us like complete garbage. You'd think he would be grateful for a group of 8 that like to drink & tip well... There was a phone right next to our bar table that was ringing NON STOP - we finally answered it to hand off to someone and the "owner/manager" flipped out like a crazy person. It was a strange, awkward experience and I do not recommend volunteering yourself to this kind of crazy. Find somewhere else to spend your dollhairs read more

As with downtown in most cities, the bar/restaurant scene in Chicago's loop is pretty bleak- sky high rents, reliance on travel guides written three or four years ago, and a steady stream of tourists, business travelers, and suburbanites looking for familiar fare stifle the need and possibility for creativity. But if I was in the position of having to choose a one-size-fits-all-bar for a group of colleagues after work or after a conference downtown, this would be one of my top choices. That's not to say that the food & drink compete with the great neighborhood bar/restaurants far outside the loop (Skylark in Pilsen, Hopleaf in Andersonville, Small Bar in Avondale)- it doesn't. But by no means would I label this place a "compromise"- this place is good enough to draw a mix of after-work socializers and out-of-towners. This is one of the few places in the loop where I don't feel ripped off. A creative selection of burgers (including the "Bistro" with olives & goat cheese, the "Hickory" with bacon and cheddar, and the "Capone" with I forget what all toppings but if you're a tourist and just think about Al Capone when you eat this you'll have an historically significant experience) all fall a bit under ten bucks with fries and toppings included. The appetizer pizzas are just as cheap and certainly enough for one person. The beer selection doesn't include any of the craft brews that are showing up all over the outlying neighborhoods, but does represents some of the best widely known beers in the world- Boddington, Guiness, Carlsberg, Sam Adams. Somewhat mysterious is the "Exchequer Amber" tap- the staff didn't even know what this was, other than it is sometimes Budweiser but sometimes another beer. In the half dozen or so times I've been here, the diverse staff has always been laid back and conversational, perfect for welcoming lone wolf travelers and yelpsters completing mysterious errands downtown in the night. read more

Was just there with a coworker and had the worst experience I have had ever had in a restaurant. First, the waitress was a bit brut and just seemed a little too agressive and unfriendly to be waitressing in Chicago. Second a man comes to give us our food otherwise spilling an entire tall glass of ice water in my lap and hands me only 3 napkins to clean up and dry off. He offers little or no apology but does ask if he can get me anything and I reply with hot tea. The waitress comes by and we let her know what happened and she said really who? Oh im surprised he's practically the owner... Now mind you this was my first day back to work from the flu and now im sitting in drenched pants for ABOUT 45 MINUTES and was really kind and patient,but when we were handed the full price bill with no explanation, I was pretty mad. I called the waitress over and she said "well thats not my call"....really? Your patron patiently sat in soaked pants in winter in Chicago (sick) and you felt that your restaurant should not do a thing? When the guy came back he said they are only giving me 15% off...just like that! As we were walking out I cornered manager and let him know my pants were still soaked and his staff barely apologized. After speaking to him it was obvious were the lack of customer service came from. The sad thing is the food is AMAZING and its always packed...but the staff we dealt with today was some of the worse I have ever experienced! read more

Yikes, I thought Miller's was bad. I can't believe that I'm saying this but I think that I'm at the moment in life where you learn to just say no to grease pits or more like I'm saving my greasy indulgence for something that will more then satisfy the craving (like late night Mexican or a hotdog joint). It's places like this, is the reason Chicago is overweight. It has all the fatty foods you can eat, of which they are known best for their ribs and pizza but I cannot attest to them. It has the same feel and almost look as Miller's but with more light. Seats and tables are comfortable and they have a descent bar area. The staff is friendly and hospitable, I just try not to eat at these places if I can avoid it or afford it (yep, downtown prices). read more

No, don't do it. They charged $20+ for one little mixed drink because they charged per shot. :/ Since when are mixed drinks, that are straight off the menu, charged per shot? Good thing I didn't have them make the Long Island that I wanted. Oh wait, they couldn't, because they use a crappy mix that I can get from Jewel. We were so quickly disappointed by this place that we left and got the food portion of our day taken care of elsewhere. read more

Backstory I visited the city with my family this past Sunday and it was the first time in the city for some of my family members.We all wanted some great Chicago style deep dish pizza and there was a place near where we parked called Exchequer Pub. When I Iooked it up on Yelp it had decent enough reviews. We waited for 35 minutes to actually be sat, although most of their second dining room was empty and one half they were not even using. The Food The pizza was mediocre to say the least. It was not what any of us expected from an authentic Chicago Style pizza place. Us being from Metro Detroit we have a couple deep dish places locally Pizzapapalis (Detroit) and Pizza House (Ann Arbor) that were much better. The dough was hard and had no flavor whatsoever, it was not at all what we expected. It almost seemed like it was a toast and not a dough because dough is gooey, springy, and bounces back usually. I ordered pineapple and bacon in my deep dish and i literally had one large chunk of pineapple in every slice, thats it!! For $16.25 I was definitely expecting them to be more generous with the toppings. The "Service" I put service in quotation because I would not call our experience service by any measure. Our "waitress" Katerina displayed some of the most unsettling and irreparable customer service that I have ever seen. I honestly thought at one point that we were being 'Punkd' or we were on some type of reality show. From the very beginning of our interaction she was despicable. She was short, dismissive, and condescending throughout our visit to this establishment. During our first order my uncle finished his order, Katerina asked "is that it?!" Mind you there were 9 of us at the table. I let that go because I thought okay maybe she made a mistake thought we were only ordering 1 pizza for 9 people... Next order she says it again, at this point I notice that we were not going up to her speed, which is why she was rushing us to order. I have worked in customer service and hospitality for many of years, so I do understand that people have rough days but the way that Katerina continued to display her disgust and disinterest was completely off putting. When she brought the plates out and was plating the food she actually slammed the plates on the table. We actually only ordered pizza so really this was not something that was difficult or complicated, but yet every time we interacted with her she it seemed as if we were inconveniencing her. My aunt ordered ginger ale and it was brought out without ice, yes I get that people make mistakes but I don't know too many people that drink soda without ice. When Katerina was prompted about bringing a new soda the first time she says "Is there anything else" no response, no apology, or anything. The second time when she was questioned she says, "I dont know, I mean I guess that is what happened." Still no apology or offer to amend the concern. I was appalled and embarrassed. Appalled at the level of service she was giving and embarrassed at the fact that this was my families first impression of what Chicago has to offer. The fact that the waitress was combative, argumentative, and prejudicial in her treatment of us was something that will stay with us all. "The solution" The manager was apologetic about the discomfort and the service that she provided and he stated that "it would be handled and taken care of." Oh and he offered us some free dessert. It was explained to him that it took multiple times of us asking for management before she would even get him. It was also explained that she rushed us to pay our bill before she would get him as well. I'm not sure how he normally handles things but I definitely was not satisfied with how it was handled in our case. It was not about the money, we were on vacation and expected be dining out a lot. It was the principle that they made it seem as though we made a fuss because of the payment and to me that is unsettling and not even worth the time. Overall I give this restaurants Food- C- & 2 Stars Service-F & 3 Stars read more

Exchequer Restaurant & Pub - Just in case you forgot her name this is the person responsible for my experience. - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's an odd mix in here...I think I was a bit confused as to what was going on. All ranges of ages, people, etc. Not a fantastic beer selection. Bartender's seemed nice. Came in for a quick beer before a show at the Auditorium and that's what I got but nothing special. There were however these LOUD British folks sitting next to us, who were filming anything and anyone they could. They came to Chicago just to go to a Metallica concert! Insanity, but you only live once I suppose. If they were looking for a good Chicago bar though, I would have maybe steered them in a different direction where people of their hilarity may have more fun on their Chicago vacation! read more