Stop number 3 on my never ending quest to find a Muffuletta in Chicago. We have gotten closer but still not there. "Just like Central Grocer" it says on the menu.... well no, but closer than Publican Quality Meats or Marianos. The bread is good on Local Option's sandwich but Muffuletta bread has Sesame Seeds and this bread does not. Also central grocer is a cold sandwich while Local Option is toasted and slightly warm. Not a bad sandwich, in fact quite good, but it's not a Muffuletta. I'll be back for another and look forward to tryin the poboys. Beer selection is impeccable and Beer dorks will lose their mind over the draft chalk board. Just be sure to figure out what you want before you sit at the bar or you will through out your neck straining from your bar stool. Prices on the beer turned out to be a little higher than I'd expect but I'm sure most locals in that neighborhood don't bat an eye at it. read more

Had some fun here a couple weeks ago while riding around all day. They had BA Plead the 5th, that's reason enough for me to stop in. Plus some other Darkhorse collaborations and even a collaboration of Prarie and St. Somewhere, wow... Wish I would have known about this place while I was at DePaul for my undergrad, prolly would have been a regular. They collaborate with various breweries, so it's cool that your going to get something different on every visit. However, during these visits, I'd prefer not pestering some of the easily exhausted staff with questions. I know my beer, but a title alone does no service to the beer. It's a product, describe it, how's it served, etc. Get the paper menu you say? No help, same shit. C'mon guys, not hard to throw a two sentence description of style and flavor profiles of the beer with a blurb on sizing/glassware especially on a piece of printer paper. Ignoring customers frustrations on this issue is arrogant and an infatuation with their own existence...hopefully this changes some day. Buddy ordered some tacos, they looked weak. Kinda like a college kid was playing with decent ingredients. But I'm never coming here to eat, personally, just to drink great beer. Which they have plenty of. read more

Had to give a three because they don't have any specials. The beers are good- they have micro brewers- which are interesting and exciting- but expensive. Also- i hate to say it but when I ask questions of what beer to order (Im not a huge beer girl), I am made to feel like im kind of an idiot for not being familiar with all of the different beers. The fish tacos have been fishy the last couple of times I've had them. I go with the wings. They are so good. read more

I am giving this place one star, NOT because the beer wasn't great. TLO had a great selection and the three wait staff had a good grasp on the menu to be able to recommend new beers. Full stars on that end. I am giving this place one star b/c one waiter in particular was a total a-hole. At first, he seemed attentive (perhaps a little pushy, but whatevs). When my food came out cold and I asked for it to be reheated I was told I would have to pay for another entree b/c "you don't give a chef a microwave." oh, ok, but apparently The Local Option gives an asshat a job, so I guess I lost there. So I ate my food b/c I wasn't going to throw it away, but you just think about how good a mildly warm crabcake and nearly frozen tater tots are. Yea. The only reason I tipped was b/c I was afraid the other two servers who were actually helpful wouldn't get anything. So I lost again. My friend and I sat an hour and half and ordered $60 worth of food and drinks only to be told 10 min after we paid by the Asshat that "since ynow, you've already paid, and um, ynow, we need these seats for other people, um, ynow, ynow" followed by some earnest North Shore head nodding and throat clearing, indicating that now that *no one* was waiting for our table, we should leave to open it up for obviously cooler, obviously non-existent people. His gentle push of us out the door happened before I finished the beer I'd got right before we paid. Won't, y'now, be going back. read more

Solid bar with great food. Go for the flounder sandwhich, it will make you strong and healthy. Wash it down with a few $2 PBR's and feel even better. If you are looking to get away from the fratastic scene of Lincoln Park and get a solid meal, this is the place. read more

I feel I'm being very generous with the 3 stars. A couple friends and I went in for dinner on a Saturday night. The place was empty except for three people at the bar who were screaming at each other. The place is really tiny, so their 6pm belligerent argument made hearing my friends nearly impossible. The waitress soon made up for it by suggesting some beers that were all awesome. It was very surprising that a place that looks like a dive had such a creative menu. After tasting 3 entrees, I realized that they might've been a little ambitious... all were ALMOST ok. Skip the food, and try an exotic beer- but wait til' payday cuz this place is pricier than it looks! read more

I love, love, love this place! They have an amazing selection of unique beers and the menu is delish. The beer menu here rotates and is comparable to what you will find at the Map Room. TI also love that they always keep Miller High Life on tap too! : ) The menu is soooo yummy and is great for take out as well. The menu leans towards southern creole and seafood. The salads are huge and soooo good-- I love the Ahi Tuna Salad with sesame soy dressing-- has pieces of fresh avocado and grilled Ahi. Yum! Also, amazing tacos-- steak, shrimp, tuna and kick ass blue crab quesadillas. Also have great beer dinner ever month or so. An amazing pairing of unique beers and amazing food. Try this neighborhood place for some great service, bar staff that rocks, unique beers and food. If you are trying to step off of the normal "DePaul spots", The Local Option will make you verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry happy! read more

I met some friends here on a Thursday evening. We met at 8:30, and it was absolutely empty. The atmosphere was nice enough, but it was - unfortunately - far too hot. The front windows had been opened, but there wasn't any air circulating so the heat was stifling. We ordered beers and I ordered the halibut salad. The Local Option does have an incredible beer list, and the selection of draft beers is particularly impressive. My salad was less impressive, though. The salad included a large pile of greens, a slice of avocado, and a piece of grilled halibut. The fish was nicely prepared. It wasn't overcooked and it was quite tasty without being fishy. The dressing - honey mustard - was quite good. Ultimately, the problem with the salad wasn't the quality of the ingredients but the lack of variety. I basically was served a piece of fish on a very large bed of greens. Ok, but that's not really a salad. read more

Founders on tap. Breakfast stout. Amazing. Also had a dark horse bourbon barrel stout, which blew my mind. I just wish they had an actual beer menu with prices. I'm fine paying 7-9 for a delicious beer, but I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into, especially if I'm there for a while. Plus, it'd be cool to have a little description about each beer, or maybe some notes from the person who put the effort into selecting the beer-clearly, someone is picking these beers out for a reason, and it'd only help sell them to find out why. Haven't tried the food yet, I'll have to update once I do. The bar was empty when we went, at about 4 on a Friday afternoon-I guess it's early, but it still seemed a little quiet. read more

We just moved to the neighborhood, and Local Option is definitely on the top of our list for easy dining in the neighborhood. Everything we've had is good. The seafood is excellent. However, my staple meal is the chicken tacos. You get a choice of sides and they have plenty to choose from. Brian usually gets the beer-battered fries and I usually have the creole coleslaw (not mayonnaise-based). The calamari is good (not tough), the crab and goat cheese quesadillas are good, B gets the chicken fingers and really likes them (but that's not a hard thing to make). The burger is also really good. Seared ahi tuna tacos are excellent. Really, all the food is good. They have over 97 beers at local options, which in my humble opinion is plenty. Another added bonus...we're going so often that the waitress, Meg now knows I need extra napkins and extra limes!! read more

Not only one of the top beer selections in Chicago, The Local Option has some of the best soul food to go with it. First the beer: If you like craft beer, like Three Floyds, look no further...no less than 5 taps when we were there last Tuesday, plus a bunch of other really impressive taps & bottles. Their import selection is also flirting with world-class status. Cantillon on tap! Perhaps best of all, this is one of those places that always seems to get beers that are new, or rare, or both...and almost always really good. Come and geek out! The Grub: Their menu is New Orleans style soul food, focusing on seafood...but incredibly affordable. We had the fish tacos and they were pretty amazing. I think they used marlin. There was also some spicy slaw and great potatoes. Most people who know about this place probably come for the beer, but their food is the real deal too. Tony (owner) puts a lot of effort into their offerings, both on the plate and in the glass. It shows. The Local Option is a straight up FIND. read more

Coat hooks: YES Also: Great beer, good crowd.

So I went here last night for the Empty Bottle Pop-Up Box Office and decided to stay for the food. WOW. The Food: I ordered the Crab & Goat Cheese Quesadilla with their "secret white sauce". It was bomb. So was their salsa. It wasn't overwhelming either--some restaurants just flood your plate with food but this was actually a good amount. The Beer: SOOO many choices. I pretty much love anything Three Floyds though and it was awesome that they had it on tap. I come from the suburbs so not much in the way of craft beers. The Service: Our waiter/bartender/awesome man servant was really nice. I wish I remembered his name. He was super attentive and really chill at the same time. He hit all the right times to stop in at the table (even though as we were leaving tons of people were pouring in). I feel like he was my unbeknownst new best friend (Hi new best friend!). I will definitely be stopping by here again when we are out in Chicago. read more

I will be perfectly clear when I say this: the beer selection is 5 stars. The owners/managers obviously care about their beer, and where they get it from. They have 25 different beers on top, mostly microbrew. They also have a ridic selection of bottled beer, you'll have to go there to know what I am talking about. The 3 star rating is for the food. It's basically a double fist to the face. Local Option: if you are going to charge me $11 for a catish po' boy, make it worth it! The bread is so huge and bland that the flavors don't come out. However, maybe this is not such a bad thing as the catfish was overfried and dry. On the bright side, the beer battered fries are excellent! read more

Huge beer list - have the 'tenders help you if you don't know what to order - they have great suggestions. The staff were all super friendly and shoot the shit with us for a while. I can always appreciate that. We didn't try any food but the stuff looked really good and they have a good variety of food. read more

Cool staff, awesome food, great portion sizes. Love that almost everything has a spicy kick to it and all the options w seafood infusions make me a very happy woman. Love coming here time and again. read more

It was Fat Tuesday and by god I wanted a Po Boy. I tried to go to Mac & Mins but was sorely disappointed by their LACK OF BREAD--but that's another review. So we ended up at The Local Option. I've been meaning to try the Local Option for a while now, as it's reputation for having a great beer list preceded it. We walked in and found an empty booth......it took a while to get a server over to our table and he dropped off food menus but no beer menus. They were pretty busy and it seemed like there were only two guys working the whole place, but it took a bit to get our order taken too. Since I didn't have a beer menu I just asked after the IPAs they had on draft. I ordered a Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA (yum!) and the open faced crab cake sandwich on a pretzel bun with carrot/apple slaw. J ordered the Steak Po Boy. I was also craving cheese fries..........and so I told the waiter and he so nicely accommodated me by melting cheese on my tater tots! :) The food took just shy of forever to come out though. I wasn't timing it but from the occasional glances at my phone, it was probably 20 min from order to food arrival. Luckily, I didn't even have to complain......when we were just about halfway through our meal the server brought me out a second (complementary) Dreadnaught and apologized for the wait- saying we'd just hit a rush on the kitchen. With the great service, awesome beer selection and yummy food I will most certainly be back. read more

This place could easily become one of my favorite places. This was my third trip here and this time I tried the food. Their beer list is amazing. If you are a beer nerd, or just want to drink some good craft brew then this is the place for you. The best part is that it's not populated by the annoying people who live in the neighborhood. No double wide strollers here! Let's start with the beer. I had the Three Floyd Gorch Fock which was the perfect start to my evening. It's a great cross over beer for those who like Bud and MGD. Easy to drink and pretty traditional. I then moved on to the real good stuff and tried the Ska Steel Toe Stout. I'm a huge fan of Left Handed's Milk Stout and this was along the same line. I think I like Left Handed better, but this is still pretty darn good. My final beer was the Evil Twin Ashtray Heart. It was a smokey, but not overpowering and the perfect beer to finish my evening. What I also like about this places is the service. They are not snobby, but extremely knowledgeable. I felt like I was putting my taste buds in capable hands. Also, I couldn't decide on what to eat and my waiter recommended the steak tacos. They were delicious and the crispy tater tots on the side were just what I needed. read more

Excellent chips and gauc. Good food and interesting beer list. I wish that with so many beers I'd never heard of they would have a drink menu (other than the list on the wall). Our server was good at making suggestions, but still. read more

Okay, I went there for one reason - the beer. And let me tell you the beer list is fantastic. They have a wide, eclectic variety. I had Gouden Carolus, a couple Mikkellers, the 3Floyds Panzer and the Evil Twin SDK. the only problem, this place is WAY, WAY, WAY overpriced. $9 for a tulip glass is outrageous. They do (finally) take credit cards. read more

We had our book club meeting here last Friday. I'd been in here before, prior to the remodeling or the change or whatever. This place has improved so much since then. The food was phenomenally good. I had the seared tuna salad which was but filling and tasty as heck. My fellow book clubbers all enjoyed their meals which included the crab cake, bacon cheese burger, the fish tacos and more. Their beer selection can be a bit overwhelming for those who are not used to these types of selections. I mean, yes it was nice to be able to try an array of different types of beers, but literally after about 8 or 9 it's just easier to say something like Miller Lite than trying to remember what the previous $7 beer's name you just had. The music selection could have been better. The back room provided a great place for our book club to meet and since most of us like to drink after wards moving into the bar provided us that option. The waitress was really friendly and even recommended us some books (I think we made her an honorary member that night too). I'd have to say this place is setting itself apart from the normal bars in that they have delicious foods and great beer at a reasonable price. Conveniently located between the Armitage Brown line and the Fullerton Red line, this is a great place to meet some friends. read more

This place had a great tap list and amazing shrimp tacos. We were pleasantly surprised by this place on our last trip to Chicago. The bartenders and waitress were knowledgeable about the beers on tap and even offered up samples for us to try. I would highly recommend if you're looking for some great cajun food and great microbrews! read more

I was trying to figure out the theme of this bar, with sports on flashing tvs, giant skull mural, holiday light strings, Miller High Life signs, fabric flaming cauldrons, etc. Then I remembered DePaul is nearby; it's just a crazy college bar! I wasn't familiar with the row full of microbrews on tab, so I asked the server for "dark beers - stouts and such". Among the interesting recommendations she named, including a blueberry stout, I chose a smoke stout, Dark Horse Fore. Oh so good. And strong - one was enough. The music was deafening. Wear your earplugs. read more

I'm pretty down with The Local Option. I've been going here for a few years thanks to some good friends who introduced me. It's an awesome neighborhood bar that's not full of a bunch of douche bags and that has awesome beer!! I love a place that can fill your belly with good beers, and this is the place to do it. I also love a bar that has really good food.. and I can tell you, I haven't had one thing on the menu that wasn't the bomb. The fish tacos are soooo good and I also love the wingies. I used to come here every Wednesday night for the trivia.. the trivia was the best in the city, hands down. I miss it so. I really like the peoples who work here and the owner.. they're cool as shit and ALWAYS have good music playing. If you want to relax with some friends, have some good food, and great beer, then you need to check out The Local Option, you won't be disappointed! read more

Cool place to go for a drink. They have a pretty big beer selection (just take a look at the pictures). The staff also seems to know what they are talking about so if you are not sure what to get, make sure to ask. Also, random note, the bathrooms have black lights! :-) read more

I always loved the food here. Great chowder. Killer scallop po-boys. Diverse crowd. However tonight I was informed that the place is under new owners, and it's trying to turn into a sports bar. Hmmm. I dunno about that, as I haven't been there in a while. read more

(Reading other reviews) Yes, the chalkboard with beer selections is vague- in both description and price. BUT all the bartenders were super nice and had no problem making suggestions or pouring my boyfriend and I samples. Maybe some of these other folks came on an off night? I'm not a beer snob, and these bartenders are clearly aficionados--but not the stuck up kind. They are the kind that LOVE beer and want you to enjoy your brew. I asked for a mild IPA and got exactly that. For my second beer, I opted for an ale, aged in bourbon barrels. It was strong, but I'm not complaining. I like the idea that most beers here are original brews. Pricing on the chalkboard would be helpful. For our 4 local taps, we came out at $30. It was a bit pricey for a dive bar, but that can be expected with craft beer. read more

I probably have to call it "Somewhat Distant Option" given it isn't close to where I live but there's no question about it, this is one of the best places to come to drink beer in Chicago. Lots of stuff you're not likely to see on tap at other beer bars in Chicago. They've still got a line of Mikkaeler Beers on tap which feature some pretty great stuff. They've got Dark Horse's Double Crooked Tree IPA which I haven't seen anywhere outside of Michigan until here. Also, 3 Floyd's topless witch. They have a few Belgian taps (Wittekerke was one) which is always a plus. The bottle list is also pretty amazing with a huge list of stuff I haven't tried. Adding this sort of beer list to the ample seating and rather enjoyable decor and as mentioned, this becomes one of the great beer bars of Chicago. Another huge plus are the bartenders. The Friday night crew (guy and girl, sorry didn't get your names) are a great tandem. Both are extremely helpful and great to talk to about beer. They are more than willing to direct you to something new that you might like. Biggest and most glaring issue are the prices. I know the DePaul neighborhood will support this kind of pricing but $9 a beer starts to add up after awhile. Probably even more annoying about this is the lack of a beer list to show just what you're throwing your cash down on. In either case, it's tough not to give this place a high rating for their awesome selection and excellent service. read more

Awesome people, awesome brews (on tap!), and super awesome food. I have been coming here for years. I do have a hard time remembering the name though. I stopped in because a twitter post enlightened me about new brews on tap. YAY! I tried the 3 Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf - it was perfect. Beer geeks are usually at the bar scribbling notes. Barteners are super helpful and friendly. Bike parking out front. I really like this place a lot. I am comfortable going here with a group or even by myself. read more

I am so torn on my rating- I love the food at Local Option, and in my opinion, have the absolute best wings in Chicago. They aren't traditional spicy wings- they have a barbeque sauce which is absolutely delicious. However, I absolutely cannot stand the atmosphere here after they remodeled a few years ago. And the noise level- it is excessively LOUD. Really unnecessary. They do have the seating area in the back, which is less loud (and I think is considered non-smoking). I still liked it better before the remodel and they tried to make it "cool". Regardless, I will be back because I love the wings! Go here if you love food as much as I do- very good bar food with a southern twist (fish tacos, etc.). It's also a good neighborhood joint, but is geared more towords deaf smokers and sports fanatics. read more

This is my new favorite bar. The boyfriend and I had Bell's Batch 10,000, Black Damnation III and Black Damnation IV, and our friends had some other delicious beers. Our bartenders were awesomely dorky, the bar was surprisingly lacking in obnoxious drunk kids (though maybe this had to do with the fact that it was a Wednesday, and it might have still been winter break), and the beer was fantastic. The beer was also a little expensive, but no more so than the Hopleaf, and the staff actually had the time to talk with us about it. read more

Surprisingly great for a true dive bar. Went for the special beers they have on tap. Boyfriend's a fan, not I. The bartender had a really hard time trying to find me something I would like. No coors light at this place. We ended up trying a few and came across a great light beer. The food was really good too. The guac is great & the pita that comes with is even better. I'm sure I'll be back for the 3 floyds beer that my boyfriend is so fond of. read more

Pretty good beer on tap. Try their soup its sooo good! Dont get the crab quesadillas, zero flavor. read more

Local Option - crab quesadillas...meh, but get the tilquen! - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Look, you should know what you want going in here because the selection of beer is incredibly overwhelming. It took me about 15 minutes to decide on a beer. That said, the guys working here are some of the most helpful individuals you will ever find. It's a very odd kind of a helpful, like the kind where you're not sure if they are aliens or if they hate you or love you more than anything but are handling it like stiff-lipped butlers, but helpful none the less. Great service, great beer, cool place. read more

Likes: A well located beer bar with a big selection. There are about 20 different beers on tap at any given time and they rotate new ones in frequently. Every time I go there the bartenders are very helpful and always seem to give me free drinks after my 3rd or 4th beer :D. Typically a small crowd that doesn't get too rowdy. Quick service @ the bar and lots of cabs driving by. Dislikes: They are always playing 80s pop music which can get annoying. Sometimes there are only about 10 people in there. Your tab can pile up pretty quickly as the majority of brews they feature aren't cheap. read more

Back when I used to live in Lincoln Park, I used to walk by The Local Option quite a bit and always thought of it as a sketchy dive bar that would be perfect for a before-bed tipple after a night out. A year later, I'm happy to report that my initial evaluation was a bit off but that this bar is pretty awesome. I came in one Friday afternoon for a pint or two and was immediately mesmerized by all the beer taps, to the point where I at first didn't realize the bartender was talking to me. After some deliberation, I settled on the Vokuhila, which I kept seeing in the bottle at my local Trader Joe's and had been enticed by; there's a goat with a mullet on the label that's a play on the beer's German name, how could I not be interested? My partner-in-crime chose the Bourbon Barrel Aged Kentucky Common. Now I'm a pretty big fan of bock beers, but a good sour beer is a treat indeed. You need to try this. The bartender was attentive and nice, giving us a rundown of how the Kentucky Common is made. Unfortunately I had a day of drinking ahead of me and didn't want to be weighed down by some delicious fried food just yet, but I definitely plan on returning here some time in the near future for a bite to eat. The french fries looked amazing, as did the tater tots. A final note: The music didn't bother me all that much, but I don't know if the bar had cranked it down a bit because it was still the lunch hour. read more

Have been here many times. Beer selection is great but the pours usually suck (heady and 2-3oz short) which is not surprising considering how douchey most of the people that work here are. You get the sense you're inconveniencing them by spending money in their establishment. Music is way too loud always. Best swordfish tacos in the city though. read more

Start with the obvious, the beer is great here and the prices are standard issue for beer bars in Chicago. The food is fine, fairly priced, and generously portioned. The jambalaya specifically is good for being in Chicago (aka not spicy and not really the correct rice). But the real reason I am writing this review is to differ with some previous posters about the service and atmosphere. One person decided that the service was terrible because he went, for the first time, on a 3 Floyds tapping event with a party of six that all wanted food and beverages split over six separate cards and this option was rejected by the staff. If it had been any other night they may have a point but splitting that many checks is restricted by many restaurants at usual times, but to expect this amount of service time on a night like that is ridiculous. I was there and that place was packed that night and I would say that I never had to wait more than 2 minutes for a drink and that the staff was super friendly to everyone around the bar. As for the atmosphere, yes it is loud and they play metal at night, take that for what it is. The crowd tends to be diverse and I would never accuse this of being a "typical college bar", it is not fratty or filled with underage kids. Those bars tend to be over on Sheffield. Give the place a shot on a normal night, try some good beer and maybe grab a bite. read more

The beer on tap is awesome, which goes without saying. The servers and bartenders are uber helpful and knowledgeable, even when a co-worker regrettably asked, "what's the closest thing you have to Blue Moon?" Oft overlooked is their food, which is above average for "beer bar" food. In my opinion, better food and more selection than Hofleaf Fountainhead, Goose Island, Revolution, Map Room (obvi, but love that place.) The chips and guacamole are super! It's sounds run of the mill, but it's quite memorable! I think the chips are fried flour tortillas (not corn,) which I can only describe as crunchy fluffiness. Everything I've had had been flavorful and well-prepared. I recommend you go to this place on a Friday or Saturday so I can continue to enjoy it on "off nights" ;) read more

I cannot express how much I love the Local Option. This is far and away the best beer list in Chicago and among the best in the world. That is not an exaggeration, just check out some reviews of it on Ratebeer, etc. The vibe is an interesting one, that is reflective of its beer geek owner and staff. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful if you are overwhelmed by the selection of these strange, exotic, delicious beers. By the way, they also have the best chicken wings I've had in the city of Chicago. read more