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

I used to work in the Board of Trade building and man do I miss this place. I'd hit it for breakfast and lunch pretty regularly. I absolutely loved the Eggplant Parmesan (Wednesdays) and Chicken Tortilla soup. Can't go wrong with "Big Fish" "sandwich" - a heaping mound of fried fish enveloping a sesame bun. Enough for a monster sandwich and then leftovers for dinner. One of the guys here takes the Rock Island train to work so we get to enjoy it every once in a while. Updated 10/10/2012: And checking out the menu today (a guy in the office is making the run for Breaded Pork Tenderloin - can't wait!) made me remember the corned beef hash at breakfast time. It's made with real, sliced corned beef and is spectacular. read more

The best food in the loop, period end of discussion. Seriously, if you haven't been you're missing out. read more

Quality loop standby - huge selection, great salads, tons of breakfast items. Southwest salad or a skirt-steak ceasar are favorites. I'm here at least once a week and haven't been disappointed yet. Ingredients are not the same quality as some place like Roti, but everything is reasonably fresh and tastes great. Haute cuisine it isn't, but it's very consistent and even at the lunch rush you can get in and out in ten minutes. read more

What a hidden gem if you work in the city near the financial district. This place is in the basement of the CBOT, and it is outstanding. It is a cafeteria style restaurant and you can eat in or take out. Incredible variety in the salad bar, and they will also make you a specialty salad (i.e. taco salad, greek salad, caesar salad). They have a wonderful daily fish special which you can get as a dinner or as a sandwich---if you like fish, this is a must try. In fact their Sole sandwich can feed two people. They have a wonderful deli counter and will make you one solid sandwich as well as an italian counter where you can get pizza. Check out their daily specials---incredible and over 5 specials per day. Their soups are also very good. read more

Really like their sandwiches. They do the giant fish sandwich, as others have mentioned, but also carve meat to order for other delicious sandwiches (turkey, corned beef). Their salads have a devoted following too. Just a good place for basic lunch items done right. read more

Just tried this place last week, and I like it. I've only tried their salads...the Chopped Salad and Southwest Salad which both were pretty good for about $8 as stated by another yelper. I look forward to try their other lunch offerings. Overall, good food, good prices. read more

Cellar's! And it's in the basement of the CBOT! Get it! Ooo man, but seriously folks, I've been working within 100 feet of this place for going on 8 years now (9 if you count my summer internship) and Cellar's is an under-appreciated establishment among my colleagues. Is the food amazing? No, not really. Would I ever eat here if not for its proximity to the front door of my place of employment? Probably not. But in the spirit of rating individual places in the light of what they are and against their closest peers, Cellar's is a godsend if only for the speed at which it offers an impressive variety of foods. On the healthy side, the Sante Fe Salad is your best bet, but you might want to ask for dressing on the side (and stay away if you have a peanut allergy). The Turkey Club at the deli counter is literally fresh shaved turkey. But my go-to is the grill. A special every day (spaghetti Monday!) and I always add on a single drumstick of fried chicken (for like $1.50). read more

Decent and reliable place for breakfast and lunch - kinda like your school's cafeteria but a bit better and with a large variety of food. Breakfast I am not too sure about, but they definitely have bagels, cold cereal, and juices. For lunch, you can have a BLT, fish sandwiches (with LOTS of fish), and other hot meals (e.g. pasta, fried chicken, pizza, roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy). Usually, there's a special or two that will be tasty and fairly cheap (e.g. rigatoni with chicken, veggies and cheese). Dinner, well, is not available since they are basically closed after lunch. Oh yeah, I will stress that they are among the best for salads - lots and lots of ingredients to choose from, and will custom make your salad; and the portions are very generous in a tightly packed container. Some caution as a line of more than 5-8 people will be there for lunch, so be patient for a great salad. Lots of seating, staff usually cleans up fairly quick, and usually more than 3 cashiers to quickly send you off. Can't find it? Its in the lower level of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) building, which is on the T-intersection of LaSalle and Jackson. Very reliable place to go to. read more

Three words: Big Steak Burrito. Gotta love Fridays at Cellars!!! Cellars is great. Their omelettes and pancakes are amazing for breakfast. And their ham, egg, and cheese sandwich -- to die for. They use real thick slices of actual ham. Amazing. It's a dive, it's a basement, but it's great. Eat up! read more

Old school cafeteria located in the lower level of the CBOT. Expect to see a lot of traders here, chowing down quickly on salads and sammies. The decor is a throwback and I love it. The murals on the walls make me smile. The salad maker guys are a hoot. Know what kind of salad you want and size before you step up to order. Once your order, you will have your salad masterpiece handed to you within 30 seconds. Yep, they are that fast. They are also super friendly. If you are new to the process, they will walk your through it. You MUST try the filet of sole sammie. They also have it on their menu at the upstairs, waiter service restaurant named Ceres. (This is also the name of the woman statue on top of the CBOT buildng). This sammie is huge, fresh and wonderful in it's one of a kind, a bit greasy but really not way. Get it with their huge order of fries and promise yourself you'll do better tomorrow. I often opt for the salad bar. They have three price ranges for the salad bar. I always get large because that is how I roll. I love their large pasta shell salad with radicchio leaves and tuna. It's such a simple concept but they nail it! I top it with peas and alfalfa sprouts and I am a happy girl! They serve real turkey sandwiches from fresh roasted turkeys they prepare on-site, none of the slimey, deli processed turkey crap here. This is true Chicago treasure. Go and enjoy. read more

A lunchtime favorite for me! It's located in the basement of the Board of Trade and a good cafeteria with a great selection of different types of foods. My go-to is ALWAYS the Southwest Salad. To my disappoint, the Filet of Sole was not particularly tasty to me even though I am a huge fan of fish and chips, the dish itself was just severely bland (however maybe I just got a bad batch or something). I will continue to come here solely for the Southwest Salad though, and hopefully try some of the other items other reviewers rave about. read more

Cellars can't be beat for lunch. It has a fantastic salad bar and excellent salads that the staff make on the spot. And the sandwiches are made with real meat, rather than cold cuts. I often get an entree, like spaghetti and meatballs or the best fish sandwich, which is really a plate of fresh breaded sole (about 10 pieces) on a hamburger bun and I have two lunches out of the one. I also really like their soups. Cellars has been a favorite for a long time! read more

pretty good lunch spot in the loop, located in the basement of the CBOT building across from the Feds. It's a food court with salad bars, taco bars, and rice bowl stations. The rice bowls are pretty good, huge portions, sauce is a bit heavy, but good enough for loop casual lunch standard. read more

Cellars Market literally has the best pancakes I've ever had for breakfast. I would stop by to grab a pancake and some sausage links to take back to my desk pretty often. The pancake is huge!!! Bigger than my head! The sausage is incredible as well. (note: unless you like a lot of butter, you need to tell them light butter when they are putting it together - otherwise, it gets LOADED w/ butter...blah). I would dream about these pancakes they were so good. The staff isn't the most friendly staff ever, but who cares? The pancakes are in my dreams! They do not take credit cards, so have cash ready. If you go down for lunch, think Soup Nazi...know what you want and move around fast. They don't like people lingering around, hemming and hawing over the menu. Go in, line up, order, move away, pay and go away. lol It's just so insanely busy w/ traders during lunch, there's no room for dilly dallying. I don't think it's overpriced...I paid $3 something for my giant pancake and 3 sausage links which is not bad at all. read more

The best burger in Chicago! Add their great fries and it's under 7 bucks including tax. On Friday the best fish taco in the city. 2 for 5 bucks . They are huge! read more

I love this place! Solid breakfast and lunch options at very reasonable prices. The omelettes are great in the morning. Their burgers and sandwiches at lunch are also very good and the salad line is always a big hit. The sitting area is clean and roomy, and it is rarely super crowded, as Chase tower tends to be every day. read more

Come for breakfast. Ask for the Bobby Brown. Then come back here and thank me for changing your life. Lol

this place is really random. the food is good and their chicken tortilla soup is OFF THE CHAIN!!!! i went there a lot when i worked at 111 w. jackson. i don't make the trip down there anymore...but if you are in the area, check it out! read more

I love their mixed salads. Personal favorite is the chopped salad but it is a little heavy on the bacon. This place is great for getting a quick bite to eat for lunch. read more

Cellar's Market is one of my favorite lunch spots in the Loop. I go about once a week and always get the salad bar. There is an amazing variety of vegetables, cheeses, meat and other yummy salad additions (I love the hard boiled egg whites and sun dried tomatoes). Also, there is a maximum amount they charge for the salad bar- so fill the container as tight as possible. I highly recommend Cellar's Market if you want a healthy, quick and reasonably priced lunch. read more

Found while yelping waiting on rush passport. This is a really cool informal cafeteria style dining. Food was freshly prepared while you wait and the corned beef hash is an absolute must try. Finding the place was easy by the address. Staff was very warm and friendly. read more

I found my favorite salad spot in the loop.. Their chopped salad is monstrous and fantastic. That's all I got.

good place and not everyone knows it is there. they have everything. i love the oatmeal and grits combo with some brown sugar on it. all the staff are friendly and seem to enjoy their interactions with the customers. their sandwiches are awesome too. if you are in the loop, go here, in the CBOT, downstairs...you will be glad you checked it out. read more

A classic cafeteria style lunchroom. A line for hot food, salads and sandwiches. The salad bar is very good, but prepare to pay. Its by the ounce. They can run up to about $7.50. The best perk for me is that I work at the Board, so I don't have to go outside on a brutally cold day. The chicken sandwiches are good and fairly priced at about $5.50. They also serve a very good, but somewhat expensive breakfast. You can dine in or carry out. read more

I have said that my last meal on earth should be something with a combo of avocados and nuts, my two fave foods. I adore pine nuts, but generally only buy them when I'm making pesto. Well, Cellars Market has a big bin of pine nuts for topping your salad - that alone ranks them with 5 stars for me! The salad bar selection - as others have said - is amazing, with ratatouille, black bean salad, cous cous, and other things that you don't often see in such a place. Just tone it down with the heavy foods like tortellini and cottage cheese and the price won't be too high. I got a big salad today for only $5.68, tax included. (Make sure you go to one of the cashiers with a scale; the first one wanted to charge me a flat $6.68 because he didn't have one.) read more

Why are people talking about good value? Mostly $6-9 breakfasts and lunch. It's solid comfort food, but hardly anything to write home about. That isn't good value. The service is definitely sub par unless you are a regular. I get there this morning and "take your order lady" completely ignores me for quite some time. They were NOT busy. Meanwhile one of the cooks takes the order of the trader who is clearly behind me. I guess he was more important, and had to get back to destroying the financial stability of our country or whatever. Finally I just tell the lady my order and she makes a bicthy face like I've inconvenienced her by asking her to do her job (I was not rude or anything). While I'm waiting for my Bobby Brown one of the cooks is scooping out that nasty water from under the tray warmers and pouring it into another. The thing is he's dripping it in the brown gravy! He did it 4 times, and got that water in the gravy each time. The Bobby Brown was ok. Hash browns, green pepper, onion, cheddar, and bacon. There's not a whole lot you can do with that, but not a lot of ways to mess it up either. Bottom line is if you want better, move varied food for $2 cheaper, hike up to Plaza Market Bistro in the chase building. Or hit one of the many places around the board of trade for better eats. And I wouldn't order anything with brown gravy today!!! read more

Quite frankly I don't give a damn about anything but the one thing I desire that only Cellars can provide: Big. Fish. Sandwich. My plan of attack consists of: 1. entering Cellars 2. beelining for the fish sammy bar 3. taking in smell as the delicious fishes are piled into the styrofoam container 4. walking out with my new monster and a smile on my face. Service: don't care. Decor: don't care. Menu development: don't care (although their salad bar is great). Fish Sandwich: Priceless. read more

Breakfast is always a hit, The Bobby Brown is to die for, French toast, pancakes always delish! For lunch I tried the steak stir-fry and the chicken stir-fry both with teriyaki sauce, and both times it was delicious. Even the salads, I tried the Steak Caesar and the Chicken Caesar both were so good. Portion sizes are very large on everything. read more

overpriced garbage, I had ordered a simple cheeseburger with the works and fries. instead I had gotten a lump of meat with lettuce and tomato, the patty was undercooked and the "hand cut" fries tasted like they were frozen and out of the bag from a store like costco. Big waste of 10 bucks read more

Cellars can't be beat for lunch. It has a fantastic salad bar and excellent salads that the staff make on the spot. And the sandwiches are made with real meat, rather than cold cuts. I often get an entree, like spaghetti and meatballs or turkey and dressing, and I have two or three lunches out of the one. Cellars has been a favorite for a long time! read more

Quick, easy cafeteria style food. Consistent and nothing ever changes. Good egg sandwiches and options to go if you are tired of muffins and coffee. read more

Gave this place 3 chances, not impressed. The meals are largely average at best. I can't think of a thing I had on the menu that I would recommend, the fish is tasteless and has to be dressed up with condiments just to get any inkling of taste. Neverthless, the place appeared to be crowded every time I went, so they have their loyalists. The food here just does nothing for me. Happy eating! read more

I have been going to Cellars Market for 10+ years. The fish sandwiches are awesome: it comes with a healthy bun and breaded fried fish heaped on; the tartar sauce is pre-measured to-go, so grab as many or as few as you need. The grand total was $7.41..Maybe one day I will remember to take a picture before I dig in. read more

Tuesday, enchilada day... you won't regret it. I don't know what they do to them but I'm addicted, they alternate between green salsa and mole sauce, both are delicious. Load up with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and side of beans. I would also rave about the tortilla soup on Wednesday which I suspect is leftover enchiladas. Load up with cheddar and tortilla strips. And of course I agree with the raves about the fish sandwich, if it's not Tuesday or Wednesday, I get the fish. Enjoy. read more

Confirmed, the fish sandwich is AWESOME. I mean...when I say that, keep in mind I'm reviewing this place as a quick-service cafeteria in the basement of an office building. Obviously if I was going out for a nice sit-down meal, I would probably not be raving about the sandwich. But for lunch - it ROCKS! read more

The General Manager was incredible rude to my dad, brother, and I. We had just finished eating and the GM came up behind us and started pounding on the back of our bench telling us to hurry up because tables were at a premium. We'd been there for 15 minutes... The place is great but management is apparently awful. read more

12/16/2014- I have been to Cellars many times, always thought it was great. However, I just got back from getting fruit from their salad bar and brought it back to my desk. Opened the container only to find a live roach crawling around in it. I have reported them to the Board of Health. This is completely unacceptable and disgusting. I called them but was put on hold for ten minutes so I hung up. I did leave an email for them from their website. Anyone else out there have this problem? read more

Always a good meal at a reasonable price. Both the chopped and southwest salads are a treat as they have generous portions and fresh ingredients. Never had a long wait either. If you're interested in architecture, the walk through the CBOT is beautiful. read more

Good variety and quick in-and-out service. Have had good salads, sandwiches and burgers from Cellars Market. I also really like the cookies, which have a soft, fresh texture and taste. The salad line can get a little long during busy times, but they tend to move through it pretty quick, so have never waited too long. Definitely recommend this tucked away option for a quick lunch in the Loop. read more