We were walking to the west loop from UIC pavillion after Amy Schumer show, and my bad, I was underdressed for the Chicago evening and freezing my butt off. We walked into the first bar we spotted - Third Rail Tavern - to warm up. To our surprise, it was a decent dive bar with several options for draft beer and a selection of whiskey (if that's your cup of tea). I don't know if this is ever going to be a destination bar, but if you're walking by in a cold evening then it's not a bad choice. read more

Went here for a late dinner and beer during the week. Had a great beer selection and fun, diverse music. Service was average. There are lots of screens for watching sporting events. Overall it was above average but predictable pub food. read more

I went here a few weeks ago with a friend for the first time & loved it! It's nothing fancy, which I like. Just a nice clean bar with reasonable drink prices, tons of variety, & healthier bar food options that won't empty your wallet. I can't wait to be back in the warmer weather & sit outside! read more

Cute bar. It is small inside but our group sat outside and had plenty of room. Our server was great, friendly and attentive. They have an excellent beer list! Sofie, yes please! We also had the sliders and french fries. The sliders were good, not great. The french fries were beyond yummy! read more

We go here every Wednesday night before our softball game at Union Park. The decor is nice and there is some outdoor seating, but it's nothing special. Definitely not my favorite place by any stretch. Their food is good, although their menu is kind of limited, as is their beer selection. And the service is adequate, but not outstanding by any means. We continue to go because it is close to Union Park. I wouldn't make a special trip to go there otherwise. read more

I was walking along Madison after watching the Bulls barely defeat the Pistons, semi-aimlessly, when I finally decided to stop for a beverage. Had a Goose Island Mathilda and some mediocre fries. What's cool about this place is they have an actual six-pack of legendary Billy Beer on display! I had never seen one in the wild before. read more

Nice place! Sure can't beat the $3 bottles or drafts of Sams! Really nice people that run this bar. My second time there and I'll be back! If I lived in the west Loop I'd go there more often. read more

4 stars only for the beer menu. I'm happy at any bar I can get leffe and alagash white at the same sitting. Came here before a Hawks game and were able to get the last table. Don't expect much of the food, but once again, the drinks are good. read more

The best bar food in the city for a great price. The boneless wings and burgers are the best. And don't forget their daily drink specials. I think Saturdays are half price martini's (Around $5 or so). They always have a great mix of music too! It is one of my favorite pubs in the city and I have been to many- Check it out! read more

This place needs a personality. The West Loop isnt Lincoln Park. Just 'cause you serve beer and drinks doesnt mean people will keep coming back. It is polished like others have said, but it doesnt have a crazy long beer list like Beer Bistro and doesnt have the posh-sports bar feel of the WestEnd. Its like Kendals or Kincaids, sans drunk 20 year olds and $2 bottle specials. The owners need to figure out how to set it apart from everyother bar that charges $4.25 for a Miller Lite. read more

Went there one Sunday, had Awesome bloody mary's. The bartender got out a pestle and mortar to grid the jalapenos, and made with Guinness. Went there last week and it was a different person and made bloody s that were good but, just ok. need to find out when she works. read more

This is a great bar in the West Loop. Hands down, the best sliders in Chicago. The staff and owner are always friendly. Good place to watch a game, as the TVs are all good quality and have good sitelines. If you are a Blackhawks fan, it is an especially good place to catch the game, as the owner is a diehard fan. read more

I came here at 10:30 on a Sunday night because I was disappointed with the bar across the street (Crossroads), who didn't notice we walked in the door, didn't acknowledge us for 10 minutes, and had crappy late night food options on top of it. I figured I would go into Third Rail Tavern, knowing nothing about it. When my boyfriend and I walked in, we were immediately welcomed by the bartender who said their full menu was available until 11pm.... this hardly happens on a sunday night in the West Loop, so I was thrilled! Our server was prompt, funny, energetic, and informative. His presence actually made me want to order more and more. We sat at the open windows, warmish night, great ambience. I ordered the mac n cheese w/ bacon and the grilled cheese w/ merkt's cheddar. I have to point out that not alot of restaurants offer merkt's cheddar, so you can only imagine how excited I was. I have to say, the food was A+ My boyfriend had a spicy bloody mary, which he thought was very nice and savory. The bartender came over to tall us more about how he made the bloody mary - with spice as a flavor and not as something burning in your mouth --- absolutely perfect! Upon exiting, the bartender made sure he remembered our names and thanked us for coming in. Friendliest bartender in the world!!!!!!!! Thanks, definitely coming back! read more

Went here to watch a play-off game during NFL season. Decent drinks, decent service and the wings were pretty tasty. It's a typical neighborhood bar - nothing over the top good or bad about this place. read more

good drinks, good food, good bar staff, what more can I ask for? Decided to give Beer Bistro a break and checked out 3rd Rail. Tried the turkey wrap and tavern fries. Rick the bartender was right, Tavern fries are where its at! Prices are reasonable. I think I found a new hang out! read more

Good spot to stop in while in the west loop. Eclectic music choices, when we were there it was 70s 80s classic rock which I like (lynrd skynrd, etc), bartenders were very cool (read complimentary tequila shots) and attentive, plus a cool atmosphere. Food menu looked good, but I was there after a dinner elsewhere so can't say for sure. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. read more

Best burgers in the West Loop in not Chicago. Didn't know about this place before I walked in, but after I left, I was sold. 10X the food of West End. Ok, that's not saying much, but highly recommend this place. read more

This IS the friendly neighborhood tavern. No pretentious attitudes or weakly poured drinks here. I'm a West Loop resident and I have been coming here for the last 2 years. The cheeseburger with Merkt's cheddar is POWER, highly recommended. Quality and fresh food & appetizers, great selection of beers. The service is quick, efficient and they truly appreciate your business. read more

Used to go to this place all the time but not recently. Tonight met a friend there and unlike any other bar I know they add sales tax to their advertised price of a drink. For example a $6 beer is not in fact $6 but $6.69. I don't know of any other bar that does this and in my opinion it's very deceptive and devious. read more

Nice spot with absolutely delicious hamburgers. Nice drink selection and wonderful folks working there. Stumbled upon this place and glad we did. read more

I love the west loop because there are so many choices, all of which are acceptable. There are a few that stand out, and I'm sad to report that this is not one of them. It's not bad, it's just not a rock star by any chance. Their martinis are very good, but that's balanced out by their okay food. I had the portabella caesar salad and it just wasn't that good. Their fries with the parmesan are really good, but you shouldn't make a whole meal of fries, ya know? Okay, it's no Black Beetle, but it's also no Jaks Tap either. I'll stop by there if I"m in the neighborhood, but I certainly won't go out of my way to visit. read more

I honestly rather enjoyed it. 4pm on a Friday, not too busy, not too dead. Had a club sandwich, enchilada soup, and a side of parmesan fries- all of which were quite good. Service was fast and attentive. The atmosphere is a little more upscale than the typical sports bar, and the bathroom didn't reek of urine (always a plus). read more

third rail has been given numerous "other shots" from me, and is rapidly becoming my go-to on madison. this is the best $2 burger in the west loop, hands down. the tavern fries are delish and they have a good selection of drafts. friendly servers and bartenders are an added bonus. read more

A great neighborhood bar with good food and drink selection. Can get pretty busy as it's fairly small, especially on Blackhawks game nights but went on a night that was manageable. Good staff, and an atmosphere with great pictures and linkage to Chicago's railroad history, especially the CTA (whose rapid transit trains are powered by the electric "third" rail). I definitely found it an electric but relaxed place. read more

Just another big bar. Nothing special. Food wasn't spectacular and drinks weren't poured particularly strong. I'll try it again sometime though. The mini burgers were probably the best thing they had!! read more

I had to take it down a star. After leaving Beer Bistro, stopped in to grab another drink before heading home and there was absolutely no service whatsoever at the bar. The place was pretty empty except for a few couples towards the windows in the front. My friend and I literally sat there for quite some time while the waitress who was working at the time walked past us a few times. She never said a word, no "i'll be right with you" or "someone will be with you shortly". It was like we were invisible, so we got up and left. read more

Great local place to grab a drink. Nothing too special but the food is decent and the service is good.

Hard to rate after waiting 20 minutes for a server then waiving only to be ignored. It was not busy the staff was gabbing amongst themselves so we left. read more

Good food for real, but no Honkers on tap! Seems like a good draft list and good food are mutually exclusive in this neighborhood. Being a local, I'd visit this bar a lot more if the music inside wasn't blaring so loudly. Don't know what's up with that. It's almost like someone turned off all midrange, most of the bass, and cranked up the treble! We're talking ear-piercing! TVs are nice but are high enough up in the air to give you a kink in your neck if you watch a game from the bar. Otherwise, Third Rail is our #3 or #4 on the list if other places in the neighborhood are too busy. read more

I liked the mini sliders, reminiscent of the ingredients in white castle's but more upscale. The buns were tasty, the cheese was odd but had great flavor, and the caramelized onions and pickles perfectly completed the burgers. The beer menu is better than average and the patio is small but works... read more

Love the way the chicken wings are cooked. Friendly bartender and nice beer selection.

I was there on Saturday 11/11 at 4pm with a party that was celebrating an engagement. The bar was not crowded at all and we were a noticeable group, the bartender even looked at her watch to see if it was a rush time. After about 5-10 min of getting settled, some people already had drinks, my husband and I decided to order. The bartender was not behind the counter. After waiting a few minutes, we saw her standing in the doorway near the bar on her cell phone. After another few minutes, she came over to take our order, but took someone else's first who already had a drink. Then she took our order but proceeded to text on her cell phone. My husband ordered a Long Island and I informed her that I was pregnant and wanted a mocktail, something light and refreshing. She was still texting. And then she said, "we'll do you want like a soda or juice? That's about all I have." ..... I told her I just wanted something without alcohol in it, obviously, but not soda or juice. I'm not a child. An experienced bartender should know this without me clarifying. I asked if she even could make a mixed drink just without the alcohol. She still proceeded to tell me she only has juice. Then she said, "or an Arnie Palmer. You know what an Arnie Palmer is right?" in a very condescending tone. I said "yes." So then she makes our drinks and places the LONG ISLAND in front of ME. They looked like the same drink, so I tried it and realized it had alcohol in it! Um, IM PREGNANT. She clearly was inexperienced or just has the worst customer service skills I've ever seen, and I have 10 years in retail management. A good bartender does not need the customer to tell them what a mocktail is when they're pregnant. Nor do they text on their phone in front of customers. Nor do they serve pregnant women a alcoholic drink. Someone from management needs to deal with this and contact me immediately to let me know it's been resolved. read more

It's tough to go to a tavern for lunch but this place has hit me well. Killer burger with Merkt's sharp cheddar and good, well great onion rings. The good part is there's no additional fee to swap in sides. read more

Friendly, although somewhat slow staff...Really expansive beer list...above average pub grub. I'm in! Also, the prices are good and there are four strategically placed TVs. It's definitely one of the better bars in the neighborhood. I would definitely go back. read more

Pass on the Third Rail...food and drinks were average but what really lowered my rating was the slowness of the wait staff - I thought water especially on a hot day was standard? And if one person in the party requests water, shouldn't you check to see if the others might want it as well? Just a thought... I was also put off a bit with the fact that our waitress came and sat at the bar and ate with us. I have never seen or witnesses wait staff do it so openly. When I worked in customer service we had to be more subtle. I know it was slow and she is entitled to a break but should she have finished serving patrons first or passed us on to another server? read more

Love this place. The food is awesome. Ordered a st. patty's melt. Not at all disappointed with my choice. Service is impeccable...

happened to go out on a blackhawks homegame night, so the whole area was slammed full. this was our 3rd attempt to find someplace and the only one that tried to help us find a place to sit, and end up getting a table pretty quickly. Our waitress was great and the management was very into making sure everyone was having a good time. Drink specials would be nice, but the food was very good. Thanks for giving great service! read more

Good food, lots of selection, and the best staff in the West Loop hands down.

We visited the Third Rail Tavern on March 27 at about 5 PM. At this early hour, there were only a few patrons at the bar. My wife and I ordered a cabernet sauv, and it came cold. We talked to our waitress a bit, and she returned with two room temp cabs., all was well. She got to talking and yucking it up with some of the bar patrons, and it took about 20minutes to get our food order in. I thought it was odd that she did not write our order down. I just thought this was the way they did it here. When our order arrived, 30 minutes later, it was brought by a different waitress. The things I asked for, like grilled onions and bacon on my Blue Burger were not there. Also, she never put in the side order for the Tavern Fries. I wanted to get this corrected, but now our new waitress was seated at the bar enjoying her dinner, yucking it up with the other employees.. I think they need need a little more focus on the customers, and maybe not so much on themselves? I will say that the food was well presented and very flavorful, cooked to the desired doneness. The ambiance of the room was very comfortable. The service just isn't great. Don't know if I would recommend it just yet. read more

this place was alright. the only thing that sticks out in my mind is that when i tried to order 3 shots that wouldve been $8/each, the nice bartender told me to just get the jager bombs that were on special for $5. thank you nice bartender. i was there with a bunch of people from work at about 5:30 on a friday and we were able to talk to each other and get drinks with minimal waiting. and, when i left before everyone else, i was able to pay for just my drinks despite the group tab. but, ambience is nothing special and its pretty small. i didnt eat any of the food so i cant speak to that. average overall. read more