Reviews of Local Option (Restaurant)

Johnny Mack

Great place. Awesome low key vibe. Highly recommend

Robert Clark

Nice little dive place in a in a part of town with restaurants close by. The bar does have simple pub fare but i needed something more substantial so i walked two blocks. I would have given 5 stars but only one imperial stout was available. The staff was polite and helpful with directions.

Jon Finnell

Great spot with a huge tap list that is always changing. Guaranteed to impress even the biggest beer snob. The staff is also very helpful if you need assistance choosing your beer.

Joshua Watson

Great place to try some of the best beer made in Chicago. The staff love what they do and will talk beer with anyone. The food is mostly seafood and excellent. Not what you expect for a brewery.

dubsjohnson89

Great beer and awesome people.

Melanie johnson

They consistently. Brew excellent beers and provide the classic Chicago dive space to drink em in. Food is awesome too.

Michael Miller

The beer selection was great. The food was decent. The service was awesome. Overall the place is great

Jason Ziemann

Great beer bar with extensive menu and hard to find beers

Emily Belke

Almost forgot about this place, but if I have to hang out in Lincoln Park, this is where I want to go. They have a huge beer selection, there are sometimes very cute doggies inside, and I love the atmosphere/music/art. I keep meaning to eat here, but that gives me a reason to come back.

orrin shatava

The best bar for craft beers all over the country and zombie dust 24/7. ❤❤

Josue Jimenez

Super cool, heavy metal themed brewery in the northside of Chicago. A great selection of in-house and guest taps and bottles makes for a must-visit for any beer geek. Only thing lacking is the ability to try flights or half-pouts. They only sell full pours, and it's hard to taste multiple brews if you're downing 8-16 oz at a time.

Ashley Kunecke

Drink selection is very lacking, there's not much seating, employees are a bit rude, the music is the perfect genre but way too loud. On the plus side, the food was all really great. If you decide to go, I'd recommend the jambalaya, though it is a little spicy.

Francis Scudellari

Pretty good selection of locally crafted beers

Megan Welsh

Low-key atmosphere, interesting rotating selection of beer, and great food.

Michael Spears

This is one of my favorite bars in the world hands down. The beer list is so good that I would call it "curated." There is always something rare and hard to find on tap. The food is far better than you'd think too. It hangs with anything in Chicago. The kitchen downstairs open until later in the afternoon though so you usually can't get food for lunch. The staff there is awesome. They live talking beer and are cool with the regulars and the people like me who blow into town 3 or 4 times a year. It is small and gets crowded fast. The music is always metal and I'd call the playlist curated as well. The beers they brand Local Option are collaborations with top-tier breweries and are among the best on the menu.

Patrick Marker

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff that.loves to talk beer!

Peter Olson

Come for the great local brewery. The food is an interesting mix of cajun and tacos on flour tortillas. Try the skate wing dish. Yum! The staff is helpful and there are lots of good puns on the menu. Enjoy.

Jesse Resendez

Typical wear a backwards baseball hat place.

Amanda Olson

Unexpected, but a nice addition to Lincoln Park. Extensive and varied beer list. Definitely come for the beer as the food is only mediocre. They hold some cool events, but they're really crowded so be prepared for a wait.

Terrence Cook

Best bar in Chicago, incredible craft... great music, cool people.

Bobby Stutz

Great craft beer selection. Bartenders are friendly and more than willing to help you find one you'll like.

Jade Johansen

This place is really awesome. The food is super good, the staff is great, and the beer list is extensive!

Scott Seaholm

Bartenders are great and beer list is wonderful. It's a real TREAT YO SELF experience.

Jonathan Douglas

Hidden gem in the neighborhood, with delicious eats and drinks. You will likely stumble across beers on tap and in the bottle here that are rarely found elsewhere. Service is "blunt" but that seems to be their thing.

Amber Dobsovic

Max and Dave. Nothing more to say. Best freaking bar I've been to in years.

Jeff Narducci

Absolutely loved the beer selection... If you want good options of local brews on tap this is a great support to try. The catfish tacos are really good.

Jenn Farrell

I love this place. Such amazing food and beer. And a chill space

Matthew Casto

From the amazing bartenders, to the owner, to the incredible selection and experience, this is literally the best place I have ever visited. As an interloper, I have never experienced such great service and care in an establishment. I visited twice, years apart, and the staff treated me and my new wife as long lost family. I will always visit Dave at local option anytime I'm in Chicago.

J Mir

Great neighborhood bar feel but with class. Everything is priced right. The fish tacos are pretty good but the beverage selection is the best.

Alejandro Chávez

Great draft beer selection

Susan Dunsworth-Davila

Friendly neighborhood jount with great food!

Jeff Nimick

Great, uncommon beer selection and the food is pretty good too. The bar tender, when we were there, really knew his stuff

Miranda Giltz

Awesome bartender, amazing art work & very clean. Love it

Ian Niemi

Cool little spot, great beer selection and awesome guacamole. They even have a jukebox which seems to be less of a thing nowadays.

jordan jackson

Great place for local beer.

Eric Wilborn

Great draft selection plus bottle list. Awesome staff, chill atmosphere. You can't go wrong with the chicken nuggets.

Nick Hebda

Came in with a group for Friday lunch. The food and beer menus were full of great choices. The bartender was exceptionally friendly, and gave us a rundown of just about everything they had to offer. The beers were great! I had a couple of their house brews and was very impressed. Everyone loved the food. I had the lobster roll, and it was magical. I had high hopes for this place, and they exceeded them. We will make this place a must every time we visit Chicago!

David Terry

Excellent, if not, one of the best draft beer rotations in Chicago. Prices tend to reflect the selection of beer available. Pub food is decent too. All in all, great beer, food and staff.

Gabriel Shoykhet

Beers are great!!! The atmosphere not so much. Loud, good music playing (if you're into rock and heavier stuff) but the sound system just sounds bad, hehe. If you're not much of a talker/listener and just want some good beer, you'll like it. Drinks are a bit more expensive than average, but the quality makes up for it.

Tim Compton

Great dive bar. Food is nothing fanatic, just the beer selection and atmosphere.

Kaelyn Robinson

Yummy beers and very solid menu. A clean, subtly divey vibe. Crab quesadilla does not disappoint. My only suggestion is that the tap list on the wall is hard to read and had no info on the beer. Staff is very good and willing to explain, but a bit more detail (style of beer and ABV at least) would really help.

Amy Ravit Korin

Local Option is just that... a great local option for a pint, bar trivia, game watching and over 30 beers on tap! Great grilled cheeses, fish tacos and a blackened chicken sandwich with a kick. One of my favorite placeas for a pint in Chicago.

Todd Sorini

Oh the beers these guys have. With bottles of some rare & hard to find stuff to go. David was cool AF. Will definitely return!!!

Eddy Lee

fine place

Madison Outlaw

Obviously, I had to try the Outlawger and it was GREAT. Highly recommend this place, but be aware that they only take chip cards!

BD Cummings

Love this place.

Jenn

Knowledgeable bartenders, awesome music and environment! Don't go if you think you're better than everyone else, because they won't hesitant to let you know that you're not. That's why they rule!! Hate Lincoln park but local option has become my favorite.

Troy Samocki

The best tap room in the city of Chicago. Amazing food!

Mike Deaton

Imaginative beers. Not your standard IPA-light-stout lineup. Best Kentucky Common I've ever had (albeit out of 3). Unexpected satanic theme which was fun, and the food was outstanding (cajun themed). Extremely friendly and helpful staff. Can't wait to go back.

Silje Cathrin Holm

Amazing beer selection both tap and bottle list. The bartenders were super friendly and extremely knowledgable! Alexi (?) knows EVERYTHING about the beer scene in Chicago (and many other places). Great food too, way above expectations when it comes to pub grub. Had the lobster roll and guacamole with tortillas- best ever!

mark todhunter

Food is great, beer selection is amazing as always.

Phillip Hardy

Good but slightly expensive drafts

Ian M

Guys know their beer and are very friendly. Awesome beer list. Food isn't going to blow your mind but it is better than I expected which was great. Only complaint is i wish there was cell phone reception or wifi. I'll definitely be back to this place again.

Connor Heckler

This place likely has the best beer two selection in the city. The most delicious beer is here and the jambalaya is almost as good as mine. Do by for sure, then finish off at Delilahs.

Tushar Khandelwal

Great local brewery. Super friendly staff and great beer options

Nick Hork

This unapologetic beer temple is an oasis of hard to find draft options. The team there loves what they do, and spend just enough time explaining the difference between styles. Don't expect a ton of hand-holding, but it's hard for them not to gush about their perfectly curated list.

Aleks Lipka-kadaj

I've tried 4 or 5 of the draughts here taking a break from writing. Staff is very knowledgeable and fun. I somehow avoided shrimp all my life...UNTIL THE JAMBALAYA. Perfection! More, please

Chris Madsen

Awesome beer selection. Food is amazing also

Josh Gachnang

Metal music, great beer selection, and some kickass jambalaya? What's not to love?

ICS

Cool place! Great beer selection

Matheus Augusto Martin

Excellent spot with A+ beers and awesome customer care!

Jonathan Lazatin

Great spot to grab a beer. Good vibe, helpful service and plenty of options.

Jeff Kantarek

Great beer list and amazing food selection. Staff is always friendly and helpful. Great spot to meet up for afternoon drinks.

Patrick Grimaldi

It might look intimidating from the outside, but inside you have lots of helpful and polite people. Definitely something here for everyone, at least a beer is concerned. The food menu is a little meat-centric, but who can blame them?

Andrew Thompson

Fish tacos, enough said. But I'll keep going. Local option is a hidden gem, excellent beer list and some of the most surprising food in the city. Of course it's not fancy, you're in a bar. But if you want a perfect Saturday lunch with a beer, look no further.

Melissa Isaac

Sometimes busy, but always worth the wait. Great draft list, delicious 'fancy' but affordable eats, and a staff that knows their stuff.

Pieter Hoekstra

It's like it was a bar opened by a of couple hipster satanists.

Daniel Kalinowski

Great little local bar and brewery. Dave is the guy to talk to when your here.

Vasyl Markus

Tasty brews under the Local Option label plus delicious sandwiches equals a nice place to stop for a quick bite and drink. I had the shrimp po boy, which was probably 65% plump shrimp, 30% bread, and only 5% other ingredients. I approve of the ratios. It was rather quiet and subdued when I was there (Monday at 7:30), which is fine. The bartender is attentive, but will also leave you in peace if that's your gig.

Anthony Staffa

Great beer selection of course! They always have a great deal of their beer on tap obviously, but the selection of other beers is endless. I love coming here! Recently I tried their food and it is also really good. Best original tater tots in Chicago. Crispy potato goodness!

Steven Isaac

Great beer selection. Music is also always loud and metal. Swordfish tacos.

Aaron C

Very cool bar hidden away. Amazing tap list. Very cool bottles too. It looks like it may be a bit rough from the outside but it's great. The staff are cool. Stayed here for way more beer than originally intended

Scott Zimmerle

Best tap list in the city. Ambiance: I hope you like death metal.

Brian Rothschild

Love this place so much. Always phenomenal beers on tap, and good food, too! Waitstaff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful in navigating the extensive beer list.

Tom Marsh

Fun beers on tap, bartender was a blast.

Kenny Bourgon

Great southern comfort food in a craft beer-centric, rock music bar. Enjoyed lunch on a snowy day, the bar was empty but very comfortable. The bar tender was helpful and funny. Chicken wings were great, crispy with interesting cajun sauce. Jambalaya was super flavorful and a little spicy . Lobster roll was okay, a little over priced but good quality. Chorizo burrito was the closest thing to a breakfast item. The fries are the best!

Chawn White

Great beer selection! GREAT beer selection. Nice staff

William Baker

Pretty consistent

Allegra Socki

Great food and drinks here!!

Jasper Oliver

I haven't tried the food here, but the ambiance, staff, and selection of beers on tap are all great. I'm looking forward to returning and eventually trying some of the food menu.

Christine C

David is awesome. Great beer list. Menu looked delicious

Darren Raymond

Killer staff, death metal, awesome beer.

Christopher Aleman

The beer list is easily the best in the city, but the service here sucks. The bartender was snobby, and rude. The food was decent, but nothing to rave about. Bring your out of town fiends here to enjoy good beer, but make this place the first stop of your night.

Alex Hostetler

The bartender wouldn’t serve me the drink I wanted because I came in while he was talking to a group of friends. Pretty unwelcoming vibe, wouldn’t come back.

Chelsea Haring

If you're a beer lover, you will enjoy Local Option. Heavy metal music and atmosphere, but welcoming to all. It's not pretentious at all. All beer lovers will find a home here.

Herb Rosen

Great people, great beer.

Patrick McKee

Please place beer prices on the board or a draft list. The random bill with unknown prices is less than enjoyable. Writing this with great appreciation for the bar, but “check the board dude” is lazy service unless prices are posted on the chalk board.

Natalie Younger

Knowledgeable, passionate staff. Low key environment

Matt Howard

This place is awesome. My favorite bar I visited in Chicago. Would love to try the food sometime, menu looked thicc

JCam75

One of the best beer bars in Chicago, hands down. They always have a great rotating selection of brews. And addition to that, the food is fantastic. The great ambiance is pretty much the cherry on top.

Pat Murphy

Local option beer is amazing!!

Samantha Duncan

A great spot and paradox in LP -- I LOVE the presence of a metal-music loving bar in fancy yuppy Lincoln Park. Their beer is really good, and they are kind and give you as much space as you need! It can be really loud and busy on a weekend night, but is a really good weeknight spot.

Scott Graf

It's a dive. Dive in and enjoy the many tap options and warm atmosphere.

John Streetz

Really enjoyed everything about this place. Great beer selection, delicious food, great staff and large TVs. Would definitely go back there. Was very lucky to find parking on the street when I did go.

Michael T

I went in just to grab a quick beer with my wife and we were both pleasantly surprised by the food quality. Crab quesadillas at a metal beer bar? Count us in! Craft beers are the way to go and luckily, this place does not fail to deliver. Well done, gents!

Drew Dauffenbach

One of my fav places in Chicago! Beer selection is unrivaled in this heavy metal bar that reminds me 3Floyds Brewery. Awesome staff & great location. Love it here! Not great lighting, sorry for crappy pic!

Ritu Jain

Poor service, rude staff...bad food, drinks are ordinary..music is so loud that u just cannot talk . When asked to decrease the music, they made it even louder..won't be back again ever..

J C

Local Option is the jam! Cool neighborhood spot, great selection of beers and food. The staff is always fun and friendly, good stories and great tunes. If you’re into heavy metal and delicious beers/food, this is the spot for you. Awesome atmosphere on a warm summer night, and interesting menu with some creole goodies and traditional yet unique bar food staples.

Chris Davison

My favorite craft beer bar in Chicago. Always an amazing draft list, fun no-nonsense bar staff, and great music if you enjoy heavy metal.

Michael Sokolow

Excellent beers, but $8 is too much, especially given the location.

Mercedes Munoz

I go there because of the lengthy draft beer selection, but their food is surprisingly good too!

Josh Korin

A HUGE selection of beers on tap and surprisingly good food. Local Option is always a fun spot to meet up with friends for beers on the weekends or during Saturday errands for a break. Convenient location and ample street parking. Reasonable prices and friendly staff. Local Option is a frequent stop and always a good one.

Kristen Kozuch

Nice people, fantastic beer. Great selection of sour beers, if you're into that kind of thing.

John Holzman

My go to place when I'm in the area. Bartenders are great with helping me pick out a good beer. And the decor is sweet!!

sam b

Such a gem. Great tap list and solid bar food.

Kara Rosser

Mediocre overpriced food and indifferent-bordering-on-actively-unfriendlg staff. Not worth the time or money imo

Patrick Hartge

Food is good and the drinks don't total kill it price wise.

Mark Hamilton

Favorite beer bar. Tons of great beers on tap. Huge stouts a plenty <3.

Wesley Reno

brutal

Beckett Costello

Pretty neat little bar. Bartender is a pretty cool guy too

Chris Trechter

Good beer, great music, and incredible food. What more can you say?

Franklin Vargas

Good beers with a wide variety. Staff was friendly and helpful. Good was good at a reasonable price.

Arushi Bajaj

Fantastic draft list. Really friendly staff and quick service. A bit hard to find since its in a residential neighbourhood, but SO worth it. A friend had the burger and claimed it was the best he had in Chicago.

Zach Frazer

Great beer selection, bartenders know their stuff.

Mike Portell

An original craft brew bar in Chicago. Often serves rare selections. Excellent food.

Tyler Goldhawk

This place was fantastic. Staff was amazing, beer was good, and the overall vibe was great.

Martin Davis

Great beer on tap and loud metal music

Michael Liepitz

Delicious craft brews, a barstaff that knows their beer, and loud rock n roll music

Bob Cromwell

Excellent craft brew

David Hunt

Good Beer, friendly bartenders, loud heavy metal music started to give me a headache, food ok - not great, got annoyed when I was watching a sporting event on TV and a bartender changed the channel because he wanted to watch something else.

Matthew Nunnelley

Great beer bar with better, fancier food options than your typical pub. Guys working there are super chill and nice. They were very helpful when choosing beers from the impressive taplist. Can't wait to go back and try more of their food and beer.

Christina Mihai

Excellent craft beer selection beyond just IPA's. Food has been consistently solid for the 7+ years I've been coming here.

Aaron Musickant

Horrible. Wandered in from a night around the area looking for warmth and a brew. As a fan of hardcore music and beer I was hoping for a variety of prices and options to satisfy. However I was greeted by a rude staff member and confusing menus with no descriptions. When asked for the cheapest selection the bar tender sounded as though I had offended him. Very fake vibe, not a dive punk bar at all. Bougie bougie. Dont go.

Brian hill

My favorite beer bar in Chicago. Killer beer list, and they ALWAYS have something unique and hard to find. The food is fantastic, and the bar staff are cool AF.

Nick Evans

Great beer, food music & staff

KelliAnn Lotrich

The owner is always engaged with clients and everyone really makes you feel welcome! And THE BEST TACOS EVER!!!!!

B Gregory

Absolutely fantastic lil place. Great beer selection, food was tasty as hell, and knowledgeable/friendly staff... A must stop!!

Claire Casto

Thanks for an awesome Monday afternoon of day drinking Dave! Also, thanks for playing Type O for me. That made my day (even if it ruined others

Colin Hayes

One of the more interesting beer lists in the city. It may be intimidating at first since there are no descriptions, but the bartenders know the list and will always help guide you to something that you'll love. Just be aware that you'll probably spend $10/beer, but they're all a bit more rare and worth it!

Henrik Lundgren

Awesome beer selection! Really impressive mix of (great) own selection and other world class beers. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to try their food as the kitchen is closed on Mondays and don't open until 4 pm on the rest of the weekdays

M Reaves

What a great local. Too bad I don’t live nearby. Dave (bartender) was knowledgeable and helpful. There’s a great tap list with house beers and many options from guest breweries. The bottle list is extensive and has some rarities. I’ll be back.

Biker Metal Head

Great beer selection and good food, plus Heavy Metal. In a quiet neighborhood of Lincoln Park.

Zach Merel

Great beer selection. Knowledgeable staff. Love going here

Richard Lee

If you like great beer and like to drink it with people who know beer, this is the place to go! If you know beer, you will be happy here. If you don't know beer, you cannot find better guides!

Jake Lazarus

As long as you're willing to pay Chicago prices, this place is definitely one of the best beer bars in the city. Incredible selection, including rare choices like BCBS, as well as their own brews. Friendly staff as well in a classic divey atmosphere.

Charlene Wharram

Supposed to be a rock bar or something but it was bro-dude jocks in hipster guise to the tune of Limp Bizkit. Service was really awkward, offputting, and expensive. If you like going into a place to feel insulted by snide comments made by your server, music is turned up way to loud for conversation, and you feel forced to eat and GTFO, by all means, this is your place. I honestly wouldn't recommend it. And our fries and tots were overcooked and super crunchy and dry.

Dan Olson

I would give 5 stars if they had a menu with beer discriptions or at least the style. Ita hard to try new things when you don't even know if it's a sour or a stout without looking on beer menus.

Valerie Sherman

Really strong beer selection; tasty food