The Scout

I had the mussels and was pleasantly surprised how good they were. High quality food. Beer was warm but switched to a glass of wine with no problem. Service was fine. Good atmosphere and great place to watch a game.

I had brunch in this location on Father’s Day. The service was horrible and the food was worst. I have lived around this area for 3 years and it was my first time there which will be my last time. First of all it took 20 minutes for us to have a server greet us. When she finally came we ordered everything. Our food came before the coffee and I also had to remind her about the coffee. The food was less than ok. It was terrible. There is a lot of bars around this area that do great food. I work in the business. Being a executive chef all I needed was genuine service and good food. But this place felt short of everything. I will not returned.

Outstanding drink menu, upscale egg staples (Benedict, skillet), and the dinner/​lunch options (burgers, footling grilled cheese) are available too. I went for the Monte Cristo Benny and was impressed with it — Cinnamon Toast Crunch crumbles FTW. Kid friendly for brunch and not as noisy or crowded as usual in the evening. Outdoor seating is shaded and plentiful as long as there isn’t a Bears game.

Order the the copy cat burger. Food came out with hair in fries. The manager was awesome. He came to the table gave me a free meal an a 20 dollar gift card. Was a nice outing with co workers. Atmosphere was excellent. Everyone waiting for the NBA finals GSW vs Cleveland to come on. Food was fye.

I am not a huge fan of this place. Came here on a Friday night and did manage to get a table but parking is a major hassle and the service wasn’t all that great. It took almost twenty minutes to get a drink and they were expensive! I think you’re better off trying another bar in south loop.

Scout is like a shape shifter. It can be anything you need it to be. I have eaten a meal, casually drank while watching sports games, and reserved the back room for an event. With all the things I’ve done here, I have always had a great time and had fantastic service. All around a great bar with a good selection of drinks and food. Love their flat bread pizzas, pulled chicken nachos, tots, and tuna tartare (was pleasantly surprised by this item on the menu!). Booths are also super comfy.

Poor quality control and poor management. I will not be returning.

Fun place and absolute great vibe! Even when it was fairly busy they did a great job serving. It was a great hang out place before heading out! And the burger was absolutely amazing!

Yep, I’m a fan. I haven’t always been, however. A few years ago, I felt as if the crowd was very young. However, in the past year, I’ve seen more ages of 30’s and 40’s which I’m pleased with. I’m too old to be at club bars and initially, years ago, that’s how I felt upon coming here. Nowadays, it’s still a great crowd, I no longer feel like the oldest chick here. Good wines by the glass, as well.

Horrible service. Mediocre food. Had to go to the bar to get our own straws and ketchup and mustard. Also after being seated didn’t get any service for 20 minutes and then drinks took another 20 minutes to get to the table. Orders came wrong too. Horrible!

We had a great dinner here the other night! Great sports bar with great food. I wish I could remember our waitresses name but wow she was great! I just love a happy, friendly person.
Watched the Hawks game on lots of huge TVs and were well served. I got the season pot roast and it was delicious. Just like moms. My friends loved the hamburger and we shared some great nachos.
We’ll be back for the next game.

I’ve only ever been here on Bears game days so of course it’s very very packed. That doesn’t bother me at all, I love the atmosphere. The food is absolutely delicious. I’ve had the wild berry bliss stuffed french toast, the breakfast burrito, the triple cheese grilled cheese, pulled chicken nachos, the big scout burger, and more. Never a complaint about the food!
My biggest issue is with the service. It never fails that we always get a rude waitress who acts like we are inconveniencing her just by existing. I’m always there with a group of 4 – 6 people. We’re never the people that have picky orders and a million special requests. Always a very easy going, friendly group with simple orders but you would think we’re asking these waitresses to give us their limbs. Unfortunately, I think we’ve probably reached out limit with the poor service here.

Decided to be a tourist in my own city for a day and ended up at this joint. The location is pretty big and spacious. Luckily we got here early enough that we didn’t hear the loudness that everyone is complaining about. The waitress and bus boys are beyond attentive, I very much appreciate this. I ordered the signature burger and to my surprise, it was so good as was the copy cat burger. The burgers were hot, cheddar cheese was melted on to the patty and the meat was so juicy. I saw the grilled cheese and was tempted to get it but there is no way I could eat a grilled cheese that big. I will be back to try this famous grilled cheese.

The food is a bit pricey for «bar food» but it’s always so good! The jalapeño and bacon grilled cheese with tater tots never disappoints.

This place is great! Always a go to place when we have friends in town. They have awesome food, service and space! I’ve never had anything here that I didn’t like.

Traveling to Chicago I wanted an exceptional grilled cheese. After a quick Google search, The Scout popped up atop many lists for best grilled cheese in the city. After a fun little trip on the red line, we arrived a few blocks away.
Once inside, we were greeted by foreign fellow with a delightful accent. He made sure to know that they were hosting a party at 7pm (3 hours later) and we were welcome to be there but it may get loud.
We were given the option of a plush, roomy booth and soon our waitress arrived. We ordered our drinks and food, ready for the great grilled cheese. My best friend and I ordered the regular grilled cheese and the third in our party a Flatbread (and fries). I ordered a tequila sunrise and our waitress asked what kind of tequila I wanted which was nice that she didn’t assume I wanted the expensive stuff.
The service was great, she came 3 or 4 times to check on us. The reason it’s not 5 star is because although tasty, the grilled cheese wasn’t exquisite. I dont find myself feeling like I must go back to pay $ 12 for a grilled cheese. The tomato dipping sauce was a fun treat and a neat take on tomato soup. Apart from being a footlong, there wasn’t anything particularly great.
TLDR: great service, decent atmosphere, but grilled cheese was something I could easily make at home.

We came here for some drinks to catch up with a friend. It wasn’t very busy when we went so we could sit anywhere we wanted but the bar was busy. Our server was lovely and fun. Our drinks got mixed up but she made no hesitation to take it back and have new drinks sent to us without charge. I can not comment on the food menu but the drink menu had a great variety of beers, wines and spirits for reasonable prices.
There are plenty of tv’s for you to watch a few different games that are being played. The vibe was chill and perfect for us to have a few laughs an catch up.

Bought tickets for New Years Eve, great deal that is actually affordable for Chicago. We deserved a table and service was great. We had a waitress that wasn’t too over worked and had plenty of time to grab drinks whenever we needed them. That night they had coat check, super convenient for Chicago’s cold. The bathrooms were pretty big and able to accommodate for the crowds. Drinks were properly made.
The one huge turn off was one staff member. Much like other reviews about the people who work there, this one staff member ruined my experience. As the bar was closing we were closing out our tab. Meanwhile this Caucasian, 6 foot-​something man with curly, short hair in his mid 30s was cursing and yelling at paying customers insisting they leave «right f&@$*#$ now». No one was resisting the fact that the bar was closed. People were gathering coats and on their way out. This staff member was upsetting customers and and even other staff who clearly felt uncomfortable. This went on about 30 mins. Really ruined our night. Made me feel like a cattle.

Excellent place to watch a game. Good food and the service is top notch. Shout out to Amanda our waitress.

Loved the Moscow mule made w gin instead of vodka. Was not a fan of their tomato soup that comes w their huge grilled cheese sammich. Will skip out on the tater tots.

Service was absolutely horrible, I didn’t see my waittress for over 30 minutes at one point, while water glasses were empty. Food was ok, not really that good especially for the price. I had a bus boy and people walking around our table staring at empty water glasses for almost 45 minutes. I could see clearly all the staff huddling around in the back not doing anything. Overall I would say an absolute horrible experience and I won’t be back. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

I’m seriously going to stop going here. The food is consistently good but the staff is a hit or miss. This time I had an interaction with the bouncer. Maybe he’s accustomed to having to be so rude to unruly patrons however they should learn how to interact with each customer individually.
I had a friend visiting from out of town and he wanted beer and college ball Saturday evening. I’m a female and my male friend is all of 5’5 and 120lbs (clearly VERY non-​threatening). As soon as we came in through the door I proceeded to walk to the host stand and I was cut off by a juiced up bouncer who barked «ID» at me. Not only did his tone startle me but his aggressive stance and his invasion of my personal space caught me off guard. In efforts to diffuse the situation and inform him that we «come in peace», I said «well hello, how are you»… He just stared in my face and we proceeded to have a 10 sec stare off. Typically, I would’ve just left being confronted in this manner however my friend was beyond hungry and jetlagged and I just wanted to get him some grub. Later, the «bouncer» came to the area that I was sitting in and just stared at me while having a beer himself. Maybe he had one too many prior to me coming and that’s why his dispositions was so distorted. Needless to say, this was my final straw with The Scout (which really sucks because the wings & nachos are to die for *insert sad face emoji*).
My review should not go without mentioning that the server was pleasant, attentive and polite. But I just don’t go out to eat and spend my money in such an unwelcoming environment.

This place is a reliable bet in my neighborhood, and it’s usually where I tell friends to meet me who want to have a casual dinner and/​or drink. The footlong grilled cheese is amazing, but if you’re not in the mood for the associated calories, their salads are also good. Decent selection of beer, and I also really like their Sangria. I didn’t give five stars, because I’ve had issues with service before (nothing huge, though). Overall, it’s a solid neighborhood bar with some good food to go along with your drinks!

Ended up at The Scout because my first destination was closed. The atmosphere was a bit loud for it not being very busy inside.
They have a great beer menu with highlights on local and seasonal drinks. I tried Off-Color’s Troublesome Gose Sour — SO good. I’m just getting into sour beers, and this one wasn’t too sour.
For dinner, I had my mind set on fish tacos and was very disappointed. The fish itself was grilled and tasty. The tacos were garnished with a carrot and pickled cabbage (?) mix — I picked it all off, it had no taste or crunch. However, the tacos were served with a side of red chili green beans that were delicious! Also, my boyfriend ordered miso grilled salmon on a bed of farro from the specials menu, and his meal was so so so much better than mine in taste, composition, and presentation.
I’d like to try this place again, but I’ll stick with ordering from the special/​seasonal menu next time.

Horrible staff… over priced… arrogant management… save your money and go somewhere else.
Nuf said–

I’ve been here twice now. Once before a Bears game and it was ass to elbows. Great lively time with great service at the front bar.
Second time was last night before seeing Kaskade on Navy Pier. The restaurant I had made a reservation at couldn’t accommodate us… we were hungry, we were in a time crunch and there were 10 of us, watch out!
The Scout accomodated us no problem. They said they needed the table by 6 pm for another reservation but that was fine because we needed to be on our way by then.
Service was very prompt. Drinks came out FAST as did the food. Awesome experience. We all shared grilled cheeses and got various salads and appetizers to snack on as well, best grilled cheese ever as the pictures show. Super grateful that we were able to share a delicious dinner together before our show despite the mishap at the previous restaurant. Great atmosphere as well.
They do require one check for large parties, FYI

Great neighborhood bar with above average food and service TVs galore, so plenty of space to watch a game and the game you want is always on somewhere. Definitely a crowded place, no matter the day, but bears game days i try to stay away because it gets too crowded. Definitely one of my favorite local sports bars, and the service is always great.

Their Guinness beer is great!!! A lot of places do not know how to correctly pour a Guinness beer. It’s a must have and there booths are comfortable and the waitress was very nice. I also ate a signature burger and fries needless to say I am very satisfied with the experience at this location. A few friends and I recently met up there for a few drinks!

Scout is a good place to eat at times. But if there is something major happening nearby (Bears game finishing up, Hawks in playoff, some parade) they are crazy busy. And they get crazy sloppy with service. After two bad experience when they were busy I’ve only been back during slow periods and the food is great. The Margarita pizza is thin and delicious with actual mozzarella balls and leaves of fresh basil. The Mac and cheese is good, but if you add chicken it is amazing. My favorite is the foot long grilled cheese sandwich with tomato dip. It’s can be a entrée or easily an appetizer. I love cider and they have a small but good selection. I wish they had a couple more selection of ciders but now I’m just being picky. Good stuff when the timing is right.

When we first scouted for places to live in the South Loop, the previous tenant in our soon-​to-​be unit advocated how quiet and neighborly the building was… excepting for one night when the Blackhawks won the Cup and descended upon a little bar named Scout in droves. Two years later, right before moving out of said apartment, lo and behold, the Hawks won again, and we saw Lord Stanley hoisted in all its glory at 13^th and Wabash.
Even without that cool occurrence, I don’t understand the Scout-​bashing on Unilocal.At worst, everything is better than average. Seating is usually plentiful. The patio, during patio weather, is small but sufficient. The TV’s are tuned to a myriad of sports, sure to capture your favorite. The menu can best be described as elevated bar food. The waitresses are quick and not uneasy on the eyes. The draft menu isn’t craft beer optimal, but it’s got enough staples to avoid sudsing Bud Lights. In fact, I had my first Green Line here and it’s still a go-​to.
Maybe the whole 30 paces to my neighborhood bar thing is clouding my judgment, but I struggle to see what’s not to like about Scout. But once I order that Green Line and pick a food item of choice, I’m pretty settled and happy about my life choices. Highlights on the menu include the insane pile of chicken nachos, the wings (my wife’s go-​to), and the grilled cheeses (I vote for the Wolff).
I miss the walking distance option already.

I had a panko-​crusted chicken sandwich, topped with a fried green tomato, drizzled in a jalapeño bacon sauce, and nestled in an onion bun. Um… YUM!!!
For the side, I chose their Brussel sprout salad. They chop Brussel sprouts similar to a cole slaw texture, then add a little sautéed bacon, and toss in a champagne vinaigrette. I don’t care for coleslaw, but this was refreshingly light with a cool and crisp crunch.
The ambience is true to Chicago’s south loop style, casual, friendly, and easy on the pocket.
Oh! Do try their house sangria — DIVINE!

A good friend lives in Chicago and has a lot of friends that have been here so he wanted to try it — cool atmosphere for hanging out w friends and watching a game! We sat outside yet I could still see the game on one of the many TVs inside (CAVS final game was on I couldn’t help it!)
We both got the Copy Cat burger — it was good! Burger and Egg was cooked perfectly. I would get it again, but I also would say nothing stood out — but it was a good burger. Hopefully that makes sense!
I did love the Brussel sprout side — very different and I would recommend it! A healthier different option! The drink menu was also very good — lots of options!

Affordable ($ 16 below dinner menu) comfort food with excellent portion. It’s a sports bar that is loud even though slightly empty. Great hours!
FISH & CHIPS ($ 15) — the best well seasoned fish in town. 3 chunks. Perfectly crispy French fries. Serves 2.
BOTTOMLESS COFFEE ($ 3) — Intelligentsia brand in light/​medium roast.
LOCAL BEERS — available here. Woo hoo! About ¼ of the beer page.
VENUE — good spacing between tables. Plenty of seating. Quick cleanup.
SERVICE — Quick seating. Meg was pleasant and appropriately attentive to needs. You pack your own brown bag (hence, 1-​star less).