I almost gave this place 3-stars, but I couldn't. Anyplace that has waitresses that weigh a zillion pounds, I will give a big-thumbs up to. Oddly, our waiter Zach was tight, lithe, and yummy looking. But all of his peers were zaftig ahhngels!!! Kitshy place to get bar food. They are a lil skimpy on portions -- but it all tastes real good. And their pizza is delish and junk. I want it to be clear -- I am not making fun of the hefty honeys here. I am celebrating them. Usually when I go to pubs and grills like this joint, I have some skinny bizzo showing me her sun-damaged cleavage. And she looks like she just left a sorority party. Boo to that. I want real people! And these gals are as real as you get.... Give this place a try. read more

I've been told by friends to cheq out Exchequer (zing!) and finally got the chance to this past weekend. Me and my girlfriend opted to go here on a blustery Saturday afternoon for lunch and to my surprise they were pretty steady, not packed but definitely doing good business! We were promptly greeted by one of the managers (Jake, I believe) and he sat us in a booth. Jake did a great job of gauging our familiarity with the restaurant and provided some nice suggestions for both food and drink. Due to the weather we both needed to be warmed up so we ordered a couple of their winter cocktails, I had the Irish Coffee and my girlfriend opted for their speciality spiked Hot Chocolate and both were delicious! For lunch I opted for their special that day, the Buffalo Burger. Being a fanatic of buff chickens I was excited to taste this burger. As advertised it was a generous 10oz burger patty cooked to a perfect medium pink with gooey bleu cheese crumbles on top! This was definitely one of the best "speciality" burgers I have ever had! Definitely go for the pretzel bun! I opted for the waffle fries and found them with a nice snap crispness with the right tenderness on the inside and a special dipping sauce. I washed this down with one of their self-titled beers that was the perfect compliment after the pre-lunch Irish Coffee got me toasty inside. My girlfriend opted for the Old Hickory Burger with their homemade BBQ sauce and bacon and the only sound that escaped her mouth for the next 10 minutes was variations of "mmMMmm" and "mmHmmHmm!". They even put the sauce on the side for he so that we could dip our fries. I noticed that this BBQ sauce was definitely unique from one such as Sweet Baby Rays in a variety of ways of which most noticeably was a lighter shade of maroon. This sauce was sweet and savory with a hint of smokiness that made me ache for a full-rack of ribs (which I will be definitely be getting next time!) The 10oz of burger definitely got the best of my girlfriend as she was not able to finish the whole thing (but no worries, I certainly did later that night!) We were smart enough to preemptively order one of the Award Winning "#1Deep-Dish Pizza" (the Deluxe style, classic with sausage, mushroom, peppers and onions) at the begging of our visit to take home with us and enjoy the next day. This was great foresight because as any Deep Dish fan knows, they take about 30-40min to prepare. This pizza was a perfect compliment for Sunday football the next day at home. Just be sure to ask for it "half-baked (cooked)" so that it can be completed in your oven at home! All of the staff was courteous and attentive but never loomed too close as with some over-eager places. The GREAT food and EXCELLENT service in the Loop that has a classic interior resembling an town square's rooftops with modern and clean amenities that make it the perfect outing for watching the game and grabbing lunch, dinner, drinks or any combination of the three! read more

I started off disappointed and ended up impressed. A friend and I went here for dinner tonight, and unimpressed by the general menu -- run of the mill and then some more of the same -- we decided to splurge on the onion tower and an eight-inch deep-dish pizza. The onion tower was a hoot. Basically, it's just a vertical metal rod adorned with onion rings, along with two dipping sauces. Overly phallic in its presentation, it begs the question, "Did no one think this was a bad idea?" But they are tasty, those onion rings. I preferred the barbecue sauce-like dip. And the pizza? Having not lived in Chicago for quite some time, it was good to return to the deep dish. We got a pie with mushrooms and green pepper, and it was quite good. Roughly five slices, so it's somewhat awkward to split between two people, but with the onion tower, we couldn't finish our meal in any event. Not sure what the rest of the menu is like, but the pizza is passable. Not much else to recommend the Exchequer for otherwise. read more

It isn't a visit to Chicago without eating some deep dish pizza. This being my first visit to this city and my first deep dish experience, I was pretty excited. We came around 2:30 pm on the day of the Chicago marathon, so the place was packed with post-26.2 ravenous marathoners. We snagged one of the very last tables. Service was a tad slow due to the sheer amount of people in the restaurant, but our server was very nice. We ordered a small classic deep dish pizza which had mushrooms, peppers, sausages, and onions. We were told that a small was perfect for 2 people. 30 minutes later, our pizza came out and a slice was lifted from the pan and placed on each of our plates. My first impression was that there is a lot of cheese. I normally love cheese but that was almost too much cheese. Other than that, the pizza was perfect. The sauce had great flavor and the sausages as well. I ate 2 slices and I was stuffed. So was my mom after 2 slices even though she had just run a marathon. They offered to box the remaining 2 slices but we were staying in a hotel and couldn't take them :( Overall, a fulfilling pizza experience. read more

Exchequer Restaurant & Pub - Small classic deep dish - low quality pic, high quality food - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great atmosphere and food to match! Always a ton of people in a family-like atmosphere. Cozy, comfy and friendly. The food is fresh and delicious. Can't wait to try their famous pizza. On a side note, the host does a kick ass job!! read more

The pizza at Exchequer is not so much a food product as a food experience. I suspect the attempt here is to render lake Michigan in cheese form. What you get is basically a big deep crust-lined pan of molten curd with some ingredients swimming around in it like fish in an aquarium. It is perhaps a good example of the Chicago style deep dish pizza but that's a bit like saying that Menudo is a good example of a boy-band; It leaves the question open as to whether the category itself is perhaps a problem. I imagine the fabled inventor of the form surveying the finally perfected pie and whispering "I am become death. The destroyer of worlds," Exchequer is one of those places that seem to represent the model that chains like TGIF and Applebees are trying to emulate. The walls are covered with movie memorabilia (some which are genuine, signed pics of celebs etc.), and there are screens everywhere, catering to those for whom the term "sports bar" is a good thing. The food is not outstanding. I go there because its near Millennium Park and the Art Institute and because they make deep dish pizza. And when you just gotta have a lake of gooey cheese, you just gotta have a lake of gooey cheese. Good ol' American excess! A European friend who I took to Exchequer for the object lesson of it all, said, upon seeing the thing that arrived at our table after we ordered what she thought was going to be a pizza: "America is like a naughty child. This is the kind of thing a child would come up with." She didn't mean that this was all bad. But she also didn't mean that it was all good... read more

Oldskool Chicago . . . friendly bouncers, mmmmmozzarella sticks and the drinkiest drinks!

Based on yelper's advice, i tried this tasty place and called ahead so my pizza got to my table about 3 minutes after I was seated. My waiter was the dude with the mullet and the odd blue Elvis glasses - at least I think he was because ElvisWaiter dropped off my pizza, but then never looked at me again all night - only an issue as I was in a rush to get uptown to Sephora before it shut for the night. I was full after one piece (its super cheesy and filling) but the more I waited to get it wrapped and get my check, the more I ate a few bites more... then a few more... in the 25 min it took of actively trying to get ElvisWaiter's attention from my seat, I ate half of the small pie (4 big slices) and was stuffed to the gills. Finally the older busboy (is it right to call someone that's ~70 years old a 'boy?) saw me looking anxiously at the waiter, trying to get his attention, and wrapped my pizza - when I flagged down a lady waitress, and she got ElvisWaiter, he was shocked that my pizza was wrapped and said I must "know someone on the inside" - um yeah, obviously not you! ElvisWaiter and the gross clouds of cigarette smoke that were filtering into the non-smoking section were the downfalls of this place - but the pizza was yum and totally worth the price - its definitely a few days of left overs when I'm not being a glutton. Thanks for the recommendation, yelpers! **EDITED TO ADD: I froze my leftovers and brought them home to NY to my boyfriend - he fell deeply in love with the pizza, too!! read more

I tried the Exchequer last night based on pretty strong reviews from Yelp. Here's are my brief observations. 1) The pizza (deep dish with veggies) was pretty good. The crust was excellent. Could have more tomato sauce, but there was a very liberal amount of cheese so maybe it just seemed 'out of balance.' I would rank it as better than Giordano's, comparable to Gino's east, not quite as good as Lou Malnati's or Art of Pizza. Also had a Caesar salad, which I thought was very good. Would definitely try burgers or other items. 2) The pub itself is pretty cool. Lots of Chicago sports-related newspaper clippings; has sort of a neighborhood watering hole feel, but also has a pretty large dining room in the back. Very suitable for families. Reminds me of the types of places I would go with my grandparents as a child -- broad Italian-skewed American menu, blue-collar sort of joint. 3) The service was spotty. It was busy and the girl handling the bar tables seemed swamped. She was sweet but a more than a little inefficient. It would be frustrating if you were in a rush. (Obviously, deep dish takes time to cook but she neglected to put it in immediately. However, I should emphasize that she was very nice and eventually took care of everything requested.) Given the lack of options in the Loop area, my dislike for Giordano's, etc. I would check this place out again for either drinks or dinner. Very centrally located. And I thought the price was also incredibly reasonable for the Loop. (Don't be put off by the appearance from the street -- it's actually a pretty clean and well-kept restaurant, not a dingy pub.) read more

DO NOT ORDER DELIVERY. I ordered, assuming it would take maybe 45 - 60 min tops. The delivery took over 90 minutes! All the food was cold. Fries were inedible. GF pizza was pretty good though. They get an extra star for that. But, seriously, don't take a delivery that you can't deliver in reasonable time and in good condition. Why should I order again? You obviously don't care. read more

This has a similar been-there-forever vibe as Miller's down the street, but the food is better. The pizza is definitely above average, and the barbecue chicken sandwich I had for lunch was great. A nice, dark place to chill out during a long lunchbreak or after work. read more

Exchequer Restaurant & Pub - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The pizza here is so boss! Shout out to my dad for educating me on the classic establishment that is Exchequer! I really like how they have kept the same layout for years. It definitely has a cozy, sports bar feel. The staff were very attentive and were able to offer plenty of recommendations. Did I mention how boss the pizza is here? The deep dish was pretty deep but not super deep where you can't finish one slice like other restaurants. The food was full of flavor with a fair price. I would highly recommend that folks check out this local gem! read more

Came for the deep dish others were raving about here. I was unimpressed as I was with the entire experience. So for the pizza. Envision and train your taste buds on a deep dish with Pizza Hut-like crust frozen before it was cooked, decent cheese, and watered-down sauce. That's the deep dish I had here and wonder if that's what everyone had. Message to all: please try Giordano's or maybe even Uno's before electing this the best if you haven't done so. As for accommodations? Well, they were cavernous, dirty and had multiple personalities as you passed into it's bowels. Every few feet you felt like you were in a completely different but progressively worse restaurant. Two thirds of the way in, our table had what looked like a loogie dripping on the wall above our heads, the ceiling was stained with smoke and dust, and the air was damp and musty like my grandmother's basement. This all seems like a recipe for a good dive, but I didn't get that feel mainly because it lacked character and good food. To be fair, however, it did have reasonable prices on the food and the beer including craft brews considering its location. So, maybe, this is good for a big group or family. Otherwise, I would be very hesitant to recommend it. read more

This place is nothing fancy to look at. They have a small bar which does the job and of course the dining room. Booths on the sides and tables in the center of the floor. Some TV's that usually play sports or whatever big event is happening. So, the 4 star review is based on the pizza, wings and waffle fries. That's my standard order at this place. In my opinion their pizza is better than your standard Lou Malnatis, Gino's, giordanos etc.. I prefer the ultra thin but the regular thin is also very good. Deep dish is also good but I get full too fast with that. The ultra thin has a nice crunch and good crust. They bake it right, golden brown with just the right amount of sauce and cheese. The wings are also very good. Order them plain and add some blue cheese or whatever your sauce of choice is. The waffle fries are a bit much (quantity-wise) but they are so tasty. So there you go. Good solid pizza, wings and fries. They also have some beers on tap and of course the full bar for liquor. The service is generally pleasant and efficient. The staff is friendly and helpful. It gets really busy on the weekends and during big events in the city. read more

This is an old school Chicago place you go to when you'd rather have someone bring you your lunch at a table instead of waiting in a line for it. It's not a place you take your clients to impress them. Nothing fancy or expensive goes on here- just a normal place that has a spot in my standard lunch rotation. My favorite thing here is the cajun chicken. It's not breaded or too spicy, just flavorful. It comes in a sandwich, entree or in pasta. Always a winner. I prefer the sandwich, since it's served on a preztel roll. A friend of mine is a self proclaimed Chicago reuben expert, and the Exechequer reuben is on his "good" list of reubens. I've arrived many times at 12:10pm and have never had to wait for a table. read more

Central Camera recomended the place next door... Servis:Beverly.was the waitress name both times. Great servis both times. first time she put up with my questions...the second time I had one goal have a pizza from Chicago.(pizza takes 30min) but I didn't have time to wait I had to fly out of there,. she helped me get out of there in time to still have there pizza. and she helped me charge my camera. Food: first time I had a fantastic Salmon salad. second time I had the second best pizza of my life...Deep dish Meat lovers...I don't even want to eat the pizza back in AZ anymore... Decor: old movie posters how can you go wrong...; read more

One of the servers here kinda looks like Bon Jovi and always wears sunglasses. He's cool. Another server is this old lady who calls me honey and doesn't blink an eye when I asked for a side of mayo with my french fries. Most of the food is standard bar food, but I admit I've never had the burger. The veggie patty melt is decent but a little greasy. The deep dish pizza is REALLY good, but takes a long time. If it weren't around the corner from school I wouldn't come here nearly as often as I do. It also helps that it's stumbling distance from the train. read more

Pitchers, HAWCs, and 18oz burgers... How I Found It: After the group and I were extremely hungry and staggering around Chicago looking for a place of refuge from the 10 degree blizzard, and trying to find the best yelp in the area, we came across this little nugget somewhat off the beaten path. Ambiance: Typical pub/restaurant. The customer service was great, and The overall feel made it a great atmosphere for a Thursday night out in Chicago What I had: I was spoiled enough to have expenses paid, so the group and I tried just about everything. I had Lamb Chops, 18 oz Burger, Fish and Chips, Some other assortment of fries, The sampler appetizer, and pizza, and yeah... literal gluttony. Conclusion: Exchequer was extremely fun, and a really really good experience. The pitchers were cheap, and well priced. As long as the food was reasonable and very filling. Not one of us in our group went wrong with any of the aforementioned food selections. If your looking for a typical pub, with great customer service and above average food look no further this is the place to go! read more

I don't understand what the draw is to this place.. My girlfriend and I went there for a few drinks with her coworkers on a Friday. They have a lot of sports decor on the walls... the newspaper headlines from the Sox World Series, and the Bulls Championship run in the 1990's. Being from Chicago, it made be a bit nostalgic... Mainly because the cases that hold these items look like they were made by me when I was 15 years old - precisely the age when the Bulls were in their prime. You can tell that the money this place makes doesn't go into the decorations. You walk in and there's a decent size bar, and a good amount of tables beyond it. But clearly at Exchequer, you're going to drink for convenience, not atmosphere. Sadly, I cannot recommend the food at this bar either. The pizza is thin crust buried in a deep-dish amount of cheese. You have to eat it with a fork and knife - which is fine, just not what you would expect with a thin crust pizza. So bottom line - mediocre bar food, home made sports decorations on the walls, bartenders with an attitude, and all the possible places to go in the Loop... You have a million places to have over-priced drinks downtown. I can not think of a single reason why you would choose Exchequer. Even if you're staying in the hotel on that block - you're better off going to Miller's Pub. Or even TGI Friday's. At least there they have bartenders that have had training. Do yourself a favor and take a pass on Exchequer's. read more

Do you want the full Chicago experience? Are you looking for somewhere to eat that isn't 4 star Michelin but and also isn't a chain restaurant? Do you like pizza? Beer? Old photos of prohibition Chicago? Then Exchequer is your go to. It's my go to especially when I'm downtown with a large group. Also it's within walking distance of Macy's/Marshall Fields Xmas windows and State St. (that great street) year round. I am 4th generation Chicagoan-Italian on my father's side, and I highly recommend this place. read more

I moved to England. You guys, they put corn on pizza in England. They don't 'do' deep dish, the sauce is weird and they put stuff like corn on it and then slap one another on the back, like, 'Oh, what a good thing we did making this and calling it pizza. Let's eat this and enjoy it like it's food.' In my darkest, most hormonal and homesick hours, I think about Exchequer. Deep dish pizza, that cheese and tomato garlic bread dip thing, Blue Moon in pitchers, the fact that it's full of a mix of families, drinkers, art students, Bears fans, museum goers... Just a great, great place. I've seen others here complain about the service, but either I never minded it or I have blocked it out in a haze of romantic yearning. Go. Enjoy it in my place. I send people there when they visit Chicago, so you might even run into some English people who are shocked -SHOCKED - that pizza can taste so nice. read more

When we walked in, the bar was lined with a homely bunch, everyone smiling as they watched college football on the screens. We were seated in the back, and even though the room was mostly empty, the waitress still stopped by every 10 minutes or so. The french onion soup was salty and delicious. I ordered the filet mignon and rib combo...disappointed with the filet, but the ribs were amazing! They fell off the bone and were so delicious. The seasoned waffle fries were a good snack too! Though we initially had started out wanting steak, the ribs were a wonderful surprise. Also, it's not in such a busy area that it's crowded beyond reason...Weber Grill, that night, had a 2 hour wait. No Thank You. Exchequer was a great alternative, fo sho. read more

This is the spot that restored my love for Pizza. It was fantastic! Soft doughie crust and hearty toppings. Very Chicagoie! We had a burly assed waiter with a Chicagoie voice.. so it made us feel very snapped into our surroundings. We found it strange that he asked if we wanted separate checks. What the fuck is that about? read more

My favorite Pizza in Chicago. I have been visiting Chicago every year since 2005 and I have had pizza from many places. This pizza is always great and my absolute favorite from anywhere (Chicago our elsewhere) that I have ever had. Don't leave Chicago without a trip downtown for what may often be an overlooked dinner treat. Beware: the pizza is super filling. The Christmas Ale is also a good brew to start with. read more

I would not come back here. We came for dinner, about 7pm or so, not very late. We were seated immediately, and our orders taken in a relatively short time. I ordered a pasta dish and the waitress asked if the vodka sauce was good for me. Surprised, I said, "If I can have the alfredo sauce instead, I'd rather have that." She said no problem. She took my friend's order, which included an Italian wedding meatball soup. We were also told that they ran out of the special. About 5 minutes later, she brought out or salads, then disappeared. 10 minutes after that, our salads done, my friend still had not gotten his soup. We couldn't find our waitress. Then we spot her, at the front of the restaurant. And then she disappears again. Almost 10 minutes go by before she comes near us enough to get her attention, and then we pointed out that the soup still hasn't arrived. She hurries into the kitchen and comes out with a cup of soup. My friend notes there's no meatballs in the soup, suspect she'd given him the minestrone instead, and takes another couple of minutes to flag our waitress down. She said, "The meatballs likely disintegrated." Disintegrated. What kind of meats are they using to make these meatballs??? Our food arrived. My pasta had vodka sauce. read more

Best burger in Chicago! Pizza is also very good. Doesn't look like much from the outside, but definitely one of the city's hidden gems!

There aren't too many 'dives' in the Loop. Not that this place is grungy or anything, it's just not pretentious or expensive like a lot of the upscale dining around there. I am not the type of person who has a lot of friends working or doing business downtown, but sometimes its a convenient place to meet up with folk, and this place is a chill spot to get together. The food is pretty classic Americana and pizza type fare. Nothing spectacular, but pretty tasty. They have a decent selections of beers and you can usually find something on special. Works for me. read more

I thought the first time I ate here I was going to go home and die because honestly? The decor reminded me of this place in Brooklyn that gave me food poisoning. Thankfully I am still alive. My waiter was cool, funny and brought me everything I wanted. Taco Salad was HUGE and my friends are obsessed the Chicken Fingers, which were also good. Over all a nice place to get drunk and eat food. read more

I may give this place one more chance to see if my review will change, but for now here it goes... My first time here was a few days ago. It was Thursday night, lively but not crowded. The hostess was nice, however our waitress should not be a waitress or should just never work with people. I don't even know her name (she didn't grace us with that pleasure). She got to our table fairly quick which is great, however the first thing she said was if we're ready to order drinks, no introduction at all. I told her I haven't looked at the menu much yet, as soon as I looked back up she was gone. This shocked me because usually at restaurants there's a hi my name is such and such I'll be serving you today, then you ask if we would like drinks and appetizers. If we are undecided, then a server usually says okay, I'll give you all a few minutes, etc. This lady seemed to be rushing my table which made me very uncomfortable. I ordered the salmon and ended up eating most of it at home. I asked simple question about the types of soups and salads they offer with the meals and asked about specific ingredients in the salad. These questions seemed to bother her. Word of advice: people are allergic to certain ingredients in various dishes nowadays, there should be no attitude when I politely ask to omit onions, or ask about your salad dressings. The menu is not one page, and as my first time there I would've liked to enjoyed exploring the menu to make a comfortable decision my order. Due to my waitresses overbearing and rude notions, I was unable to do so. *sigh* read more

I love this place. It is right under the Ell. In the Loop. Has a canopied entrance and it reminds me of a great pub. Beer is cold and the pizza is classic. Visit this spot if you are in the area. You will not be disappointed. I never miss it when I am in Chicago. read more

Exchequer is actually the best deep dish pizza in Chicago. Yay! I'm a huge their pizza fan. read more

Exchequer Restaurant & Pub - Exchequer Restaurant Chicago. - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I just ate lunch here since I was meeting an old coworker and she picked the place since she works across the street. Although, I could see myself go here again for an after work beer, I don't see myself eating a meal here again. I ordered a salmon salad with cous cous and olives, but unfortunately, I barely picked on it and ate less than 10% of it. For $13, I would like the salad greens to be a little chopped up but these leaves were so difficult to eat even with a fork. The cous cous was meh and although the salmon was cooked right and wasn't dry, it still didn't taste that great. The highlight of the salad was a good chunk of feta cheese. Perhaps. I should have gotten a burger and waffle fries since that looked good. read more

I've been coming to this place for lunch for almost 9 years as I work very close to this restaurant. I've never had any problems, so I keep going back. I even came here once for after work martinis, and also after my last class in graduate school at DePaul for beer & pizza. Here is a tip - order the pizza!!! It is by far the best thing this place has to offer, in my opinion, at least. Forget the chain places...the pizza here is off the hook! Both the thin and pan pizza! Plan on waiting for your pizza though as it does take some time, or you can order ahead and they'll have it ready for you when you get there. The noon rush hour tends to get crowded so again, plan ahead and go early (or later) I'm also a fan of their taco salad - it comes in an edible taco bowl, lettuce, and all the fixings you'd find in a taco salad, and with chicken breast (though I believe you can order a variation of this) I've had other things as well like the hummus plate appetizer, chili mac, burgers, chicken sandwiches, dessert, etc . you name it! Again, no complaints...definitely worth going to if you're at a loss with places in the area to sit down and eat at. read more

Before I forget, cool deal via Foursquare and Amex. Sync your Amex, check in, and you get $10 off your bill. Not bad. Now for the review. This came highly recommended so we went (twice actually). The deep dish just doesn't do it for me. It was sloppy, everything falling apart, in pieces. And it really didn't taste that great. Second time we got thin crust and it was much better. We tried lots of apps. All very standard deep fried average-ness. The service, both times, was pretty terrible. Inside it's dark, a tad smelly, and seems pretty dirty. Maybe it's supposed to be this way? Also, pretty pricey for what you're getting. read more

Al's burger was great and the single is huge! Great service. No wait on Monday at 3pm. People wearing masks, which is great!

Decent deep dish at a premium price. The first I notice about the Exchequer Restaurant is the slightly outdate, funeral home feel of the place. We came for a late lunch at around 2:00pm while passing through the city on a road trip. The restaurant was very dark and it seemed that as we arrived most of the other guests left. I was told great things about the pizza and drinks, but, I felt a little let down. The pizza was by no means bad-- It as pretty good in fact. I wouldn't say it quite lived up to the hype, however. Overall I enjoyed my experience here but I think next time I am passing through the windy city I will try another of the great deep dish pizza joints. read more

The Exchequer is a solidly run business. The pizza has a phenomenal tomato sauce that's the perfect amount of sweet, salty, and runny. It's a little thinner than some of the Chicago mainstays, hey, not all deep dishes have to be carbon copies of each other. The decor is what you'd expect from the name. Lots of memorabilia, ect. Our waitress stopped in the perfect amount. Look, if you want to hang out with your waitress, that you're prerogative, personally I'd rather not. We consistently could get a hold of our waitress, but at the same time it was easy to forget she was even there. To me, that's solid. Your mileage may vary. They also have a really malty house beer that is simultaneously crisp/clean. Grab a pitcher. Get fat. Rock on. read more

Here's why I give two stars: Service - Not good. We sat and waited for 20 minutes for someone to give us menus and drinks. After closing our tabs, I went to the bartender to see if we could close (because the waitress delivered the bills, but didn't stay/come back to collect credit cards), but unfortunately you HAVE to close with the waitress who "helped" you. Food - The waffle fries from friends were good. The pasta dish I ordered with a marinara sauce, mushrooms, and meatballs was not. I think it was a penne pasta with vodka sauce. The sauce looked like it came out of a can, there were WAY too many mushrooms, and it just didn't taste good. I don't think I even ate 1/4 of the $15 entree. Beer selection - Forget it. Only the cheap domestic beers, like Coors Light or PBR, are served here. Moral of the story: Run away! read more

A place I frequent for convenience and efficiency. I come here during the lunch hour between my two classes. Even when they seem Chicago-Loop-lunchtime-crazy busy, they always have a table to seat us- whether our party is 2 people or 8 people we have never had to wait for a table. The food comes out fast, but I oftentimes feel like I am sacrificing qualify for efficiency. The taco salad is delicious, I usually get it with chicken. For a restaurant disguised as a bar, their chicken is remarkably fresh. I really like the tanginess of their salsa also. However, I once ordered mozzarella sticks when I was craving something greasy and they were absolutely disgusting. I only ate one and a half they were so bad, and I was starving that day. The cheese inside the sticks had NO flavor whatsoever- it was like eating melted paper, only paper has more flavor. The fried bread that makes up the outside of the stick was not salty at all and wasn't seasoned with anything. They pretty much just tasted like nothing, with a hint of awful bread and cheese. There are definitely better places to get lunch in the loop, but if you want cheap and semi-tasty food, Exchequer won't let you down. read more

I CRAVE Exchequer's salad dressing. I dream about it. I would eat it on shoe leather. I would eat it on cardboard. It's amazing. We talked to the waitress about it and she says they make it in house. I think it's the house or vinagrette...Either one of the vineagar and oil based ones. To. die. for. My tip, go for the specials of the day. I've eaten a salad, the burger (ENORMOUS on Tuesday nights), a roasted chicken and pizza. I have NOT had one bad meal at this place. It's like that local diner that you revisit over and over. Consistantly good food at good prices. Did I mention the salad dressing?!?! read more