Bar Louie

After coming here so many times for various work functions and happy hour drinks, I have to say that I’ll likely never come here again on my own volition. There’s been too many «meh» experiences that leave me very underwhelmed when Maxwell has so many other options for dining.
We’ve come for many lunch specials ($ 8), and none of it has ever blown me away. Their Szechuan chicken appetizer is likely the only item I’d ever come back again for. Their burgers are beyond plain, and this most recent time, they gave me a well-​done patty when I asked for rare. I don’t know how someone can mess that up. Had I not been in a rush to get back to work, I would have asked for a new one, but considering the service here, it would’ve taken a long time to get a new meal.
Service here has never been consistent. Out of all the times I’ve been here, there were only two instances I can remember where I did not have to flag someone down/​nearly give the stare for a good amount of time in order to be helped. It wasn’t even remotely busy during a lot of those times either.
This past time, they mistakenly forgot one of our friend’s orders. Typically, restaurants would offer to cover part of the meal/​throw in some add-​ons to compensate, but Bar Louie really didn’t do any of that.
My department loves coming here so I will still be a patron regardless during work events. If you’re really looking for a good meal, I think you can find better options elsewhere.

Unilocal said it best for me. «Meh. I’ve experienced better.» Nothing special about this place. They just added this Bar Louie maybe a year ago on Halsted and Maxwell so I figured, since I was in the neighborhood, that I’d check it out. I just wanna say that I’m glad I just stayed for one drink.
Nothing against the service or anything in particular, these types of bar and grill just ain’t my scene. Loud music, loud people, crappy vague menu… it’s just a reason why I don’t deal with lame chain restaurant when I could go to a homegrown place. This bar just felt so… fake I guess? I mean the interior of the building was very nice and all, but the atmosphere just felt so artificial and was an overall dud especially after coming out of Ph. D Pub. Eh, I’m sure this place is better than Lalos though.

I’ve given this place roughly 3 tries to get it right… You would think I would learn but it’s just so darn convenient location wise.
1. Service here takes foreverrrrrr and when I say forever, I mean 20 mins to even take your order. I have given excuse after excuse for why things may be slow but third time around I can genuinely say it’s just this terrible. And it would be cool if I could at least say the food was good but oh no. No no no the food is quite subpar. This place is pretty much a disgrace to the franchise and that’s the nicest way that I can put it.
I’m sitting at the bar as I type this while our waitress has walked passed us at least 5 times without asking if we need refills or if we need anything at all. If I could flip a table I would that’s how mad I am.
OH THEN… When I tell the manager about my experience he looked like he didn’t care so that’s always great.
Bring back Morgan’s

Came here with some girlfriends for a quick dinner. Luckily we came here on a Tuesday because there were $ 5 burgers (from the regular burger section of the menu) and half off appetizers (I’m not sure if this is for specific dates or other days of the week as well).
I ordered The Fried Louie. Burger, bacon, fried egg — yes please! I don’t eat carbs so I was able to substitute the fries/​tots for broccoli. (RE the pic, I didn’t eat the bun although it looked perfectly toasted)
Our server was very attentive even though it was busy, wasn’t upset that we were waiting 10 minutes for our final guest to arrive before ordering, came over regularly to see if we were okay, and split our checks without us asking. This 5 starer really goes out to her! (I wish I remembered your name).

Good:
Comfortable atmosphere
Bad:
Poor service (absolutely clueless waitress)
Dried out boneless wings
Hard (over cooked) appetizer pretzels
Stale nacho chips (trio of chips and dips appetizer)
Will give it one more try as it is a decent neighborhood location but if the food/​service matches this experience I won’t be coming back

It was our first time visiting Bar Louie at this location. My husband and I had a ball. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. To top it off, the mojitos were cool, fresh and delicious. We will definitely be back soon and will bring our friends as well.

This was horrible, and that’s putting it nicely. The food was bland (seriously, cardboard has a better flavor) and it was cold and greasy, and the service was just downright awful! One of the worst «food» experiences I’ve ever had.

This is my first time going to this Bar Louie location and I must say I’m not pleased at all! A friend and I sit down at the bar and we are helped by a bartender by the name of «B-​Rad». Well first I’ve never felt SO rushed by anyone to order something. As soon as I started looking at the menu he was so quick to ask me what I wanted. Not even 10 minutes into sitting down he is asking to close us out. (Mind you I normally order 2 – 3 drinks and possibly good). He was SO abrasive with us and you could tell he was bothered by us questioning his reasoning for wanting to take up our cards SO early within our visit. (We weren’t aware each Bar Louie has different policies, which is understandable). I guess I will have to take my talents to the Matteson location where we receive quality service and quality food! :-(I’m
Actually pretty bummed I didn’t like this location, it’s so convenient

Five stars JUST for the happy hour, but I felt like it really needed to get shared with the world.
$ 3.25 for a pint of Matilda? Come on now, where else in Chicago do you get this deal? Pretty insane selection of beers on draft for happy hour.
Happy hour beers. Trust me.

So the place is resurrected from Morgan’s. The place looks great but the service is still the same… bad too bad I was looking forward to it, been here three times and each time same slow service. The guy/​bar help w/​beard black hair (skinny slick black hair feminine looking) sucks… his attitude belongs at some high fashion women’s hair salon.

I was completely disappointed with my experience here, especially because I had been looking forward to it for so long.
The first uncomfortable thing that should be noted is the small pathway near the bar. The tables are too close to the bar and it gets even more packed with everyone just standing around.
My sister, her gf and I finally saw an open spot at the bar; there were two empty seats.
The bartender, Jose, came up to my sister and her gf and said that the seats were taken.
My sister said okay, that’s fine. So they got off the seats and just stood up while looking at the menu. About 2 minutes later, the bartender comes up to them again and says, «There are people sitting there already.»
My sister told him we’d all move out of the way once they got back to their seats (whoever they were, they never came back).
Jose comes back a third time, looking ready to take our order. My sister lets out about two words before he says «Oh I’m leaving right now. I’m off the clock.»
So he tells the other bartender to take our order.
Jose then stays at the bar for another hour or so, taking other people’s drink orders.
So rude, and so unprofessional!
Despite the shitty service, the drinks weren’t good either.
I ordered a Pineapple Express, and I didn’t drink it. It was ridiculously sweet. So I gave it to my sister in law and she managed to drink ¼ of it.
My boyfriend ordered a Mojito, and it was disgusting. Again, too sweet. It was not refreshing at all. A friend nearby came over to the bar and told us her Mojito was too strong. These bartenders need to get it together.
The only good thing about Bar Louie is their music, the DJ was great. And the bouncers were really friendly.
But I would definitely not come here again.
I finished my beer (something a bartender couldn’t possibly mess up) and we all went to Lalo’s next door.

I placed a wing take out order with a side of fries. My food was ready as promised within 15 mins. This was my first time in this location. TV’s everywhere, clean bar/​dining area & beautiful ladies at the bar. So why the 2 star rating? The wings were trash. .Bar Louie is known to have above average wings. I refuse to step foot in the Hyde Park location because of the terrible service & sticky tables. It’s been years so, I’m not sure if the wings have changed at all locations. The wings were a nice size, but soggy. I wasn’t a fan of the bbq or buffalo sauces. Not sure if I’ll be back with so many bar options in the area.

Since basically everything in Pilsen and University Village is closed on Mondays, I decided to at least take a look in the new Bar Louie after work when I saw the TVs were on and the bar was empty. My fiancé and I were welcomed and told to sit anywhere, and chose a couple of spots at the bar. It was pretty empty around quarter to 5, but we were very happy to discover Happy Hour is weekdays from 4 – 7, with some great deals: $ 3.25 for a 14oz draft, $ 4 wine, and $ 5.25 signature martinis, plus several ½ price appetizers including flatbreads, calamari, spinach dip, and wings.
They have a decent draft list with a few craft options; hubs had a Matilda this evening. I like ciders, but your choices here are Woodchuck and Angry Orchard, nothing special, so I went with a S’mores martini for the extra $ 2. The martini tasted just like a dessert and even had mini marshmallows; I enjoyed it. We also split the spinach and artichoke dip served with crunchy tortilla chips; it was tasty enough for us to eat it all.
With the HH pricing, our 2 drinks and app came to less than $ 15; it’s hard to beat that deal in Chicago, and that’s worth a 4^th star. Outside of HH prices, I can’t say I’d be drawn here for the regular burger/​bar food or drinks specifically and it would probably be 3-​star, but 3 hours a day, 5 days a week Happy Hour is a pretty big range to grab an affordable snack and a few drinks. Thursdays are also ladies day for $ 5.25 martinis all day long. Bar Louie definitely has my endorsement for Happy Hour, though I’d probably head elsewhere for dinner.

This Bar Louie is great. It just opened recently and friends and I decided to stop for drinks. The atmosphere is very nice and welcoming. The staff and service was great.
They have a large selection of drinks to pick from.
The good menu looks good too, we didn’t order food.
They have great happy hour special everyday day.
We plan to come back again for happy hour.

½ priced appetizers on a non-​busy Monday night, but service was still antagonizing slow.
My boyfriend ordered the cheese and chicken quesadillas, which come with guacamole and sour cream. He chewed on a little, hard, black (never determined what it was «thing») and spit it out. It was hard to get anyone’s attention.
The bartender/​food runner finally noticed I had my hand up and instead of walking over, he yelled «yeah? What’s up?» while mid-​entering the kitchen. I never want to yell while I’m paying to eat and be served so I had him come over. My boyfriend showed him the little black «seed,» and he told us he would get us a new quesadilla. When he came out, he said it was a seed from the avocado. Do avocados have seeds? They have 1 giant pit. Unless BL makes tiny seeds out of the big pit to keep the guacamole fresh.
Food was good, but this was another disappointing visit.

Yay, nah… I’m good. I came on a Friday night and it was full, yes, but not so packed that you couldn’t get a seat at the bar or a table. I was at a table and the server was nice. He checked in on us frequently, rarely bearing gifts, i.e. drinks, but rather offering his apologies for the slow service. I wasn’t eating but even if I was starving I would have been better off ordering from some place down the block, which would have been quicker. I figured it would be best to not order anything complicated. Glass of prosecco please. Yeah… still took forever, both times. On the plus side, it was filled to the brim.

My experience was AVERAGE at best-​completely due to the service. This was my first time at any Bar Louie, and when this one opened up in University Village, I was initially excited to try it! My friend and I went for happy hour ($ 5 burgers on Tuesdays and $ 5 martinis every day from 4 – 7 pm!). Upon walking in, we were greeted with enthusiasm from a group of hostesses. The restaurant itself was moderately busy. Liz promptly sat us at a high top table by the front doors… little did we know she would be the problem.
After briefly looking over a menu that reminded me of a glorified TGI Fridays, my friend and I ordered martinis (Diva, as per Liz’s suggestion, and 90 miles to Florida). Both were delicious! However, the table was so small that I spilled some of my martini by accident, but my poor friend spilled almost half of hers. Upon encouraging her to request a new one and motioning to Liz, we explained the situation (and ended up ONLY asked for napkins). The idiot had the audacity to ask us, «So…Are you guys drunk?» Not jokingly either. Serious. With a look of disdain. We stared back at her dumbfounded. HOW. DARE. SHE? We were not falling over or sloppy in the least bit. We had ordered ONE DRINK. WE WERE NOT DRUNK. Never before have I encountered such rude service.
We ordered the Blue Louie and the Fried Louie. (Saint Liz messed up our order and gave her the Louie instead, after asking her explicitly if she wanted the Blue Louie. Smart girl, right? HA!) The Fried Louie was absolutely delicious: bacon, cheddar cheese, and fried egg perfection. The meat patty was well-​done, but not charred. For anyone who dislikes onion on their burger, this one doesn’t come with any! I was so pleased.
When we asked for separate checks, I wanted to pay with cash and Liz oddly waited as I counted it and obviously eyed me for a decent tip. I tipped a standard 20% because I’m not inhuman, but I was less than impressed with the service. I advise coming for the delicious bar food, but watch out for Liz!

So I waited until I visited this place twice to write this review. All in all, I have mixed feelings. It is a new addition to University Village and has replaced Maxwell’s.
First visit: I went there last Friday to grab a drink with a friend. We were seated immediately at the bar and asked asked for our order. The bartender was very courteous and prompt in taking our orders.
I had the Effin’ Good, my friend had the S’mores martini along with the spinach and artichoke dip. My drink was refreshing with a kick, and her drink tasted like a dessert, which I really liked. The food was very forgettable, and overpriced for the portion it had. The service, however was very sporadic. The bartender checked on us once maybe after our food arrived, and took a while to get our check. Which is fine. It was a busy night. On this experience alone, I would’ve given this a 4 stars.
Second visit: I went there today with another friend for their Happy Hour and Tuesday Burger special. Everything was good as usual. The server seated us promptly, the waitress, Liz, introduced herself and told her The Diva was her favorite martini. She came back maybe after 10 minutes to get our order. I had the mango martini (90 miles to FL), and my friend had the Diva. Both drinks were delicious. For the burger, I ordered the Blue Louie, and my friend the Fried Louie. Liz double-​checked to see if I got the Blue Louie.
Food came, and I had the «Louie» with giardiniera, not «Blue Louie» blue cheese and bacon. It looked good, and I didn’t wanna send food back, so I happily ate my burger without any complaints. Giardiniera is not the best topping for the burger I learned, as it overpowers the whole flavor of the patty. So I’ll avoid that when I come here.
In the middle of my meal, I spill my drink while trying to grab my napkin (talk about greasy food and glasses not mixing), and was trying to clean it up when Liz comes. I told her I had a little accident with my drink, and she flat out, with a straight face, asks me: «Are you drunk?» That ticked me off a bit more than it should’ve. I could understand if she was joking, but she wasn’t laughing, and neither was I. I said no, very politely. I mean I’m sure she dealt with accidents, and the table next to mine had 4 rounds of martinis while I was still on one cocktail. But she walks away, and that’s that.
And that just left a sour note on my whole evening here.
Sure, I’ll be back at this location to try another burger, their apps and other martinis during their happy hour (it’s a great deal for any college students, any maybe I’ll have a better experience!

Really glad that this place replaced Morgan’s. It’s so convenient from us and has great specials. I don’t believe they have done any grand advertisement here yet but it is definitely open! Hopefully the service and food quality stay on point!

Greeted by hostess, instructed to sit wherever (somewhat off putting as a hostess typically seats guests?)
We chose the bar, greeted by one bar tender (I believe Heather) she was quiet and seemed shy. Another bar tender came by (Malessa), she was lively, knowledgeable on the menu and was curious to hear from us.
We inquired on a flavor of a beer and she offered a sample. Suggested food options and we ordered.
While waiting for food, she asked on the area, community and was very nice over all. Our food arrived within 15 minutes (we barely noticed the time as we were having good conversation). I got the BLTT sandwich and he got the Southwest Burger, both were very tasty and served as we ordered.
After we received our food, Malessa gave us some time to eat and checked in on us 3 times afterwards between checking out. Never had an empty glass of water and was pleased with the service.
It’s a new restaurant and of course there will be some kinks to work out. Their specials are great and hopefully will attract the College kids to come out but also not have too much of the past Morgan clientele. I also hope with a «brand» name like Bar Louie, others will also come this way and continue to explore Maxwell st.