Urban Market

This place has definitely left a great taste in my mouth! I just had their new station «MoMex» and it was amazing! Smoked short-​rib taco was outstanding! (w/​rice & beans for under $ 8??) They have such a welcoming staff and such friendly chefs! If your looking for a break from the normal dull flavors this city offers up for lunch… you should try this place right here!!!

In my recent visit after 2 years, I decided to try the Urban Market again for some southern food. Unfortunately, the stations I liked no longer existed. I used to be a fan of the Big Easy and the Indian station they had here. The new stations seemed quite generic too :(
Feeling dejected, I ended up at Frontera for tortas and soup. Their corn and polano chowder is better than the soups offered by Urban Market.

I feel completely disgusted!!! I ate bacon in Pasta Fagioli soup today (¹⁰⁄₁₃) when it was clearly labelled as «Vegetarian.» This is completely unacceptable. I have never consumed meat in my life and your establishment served bacon in soup and falsely labelled «Vegetarian»!!! In which part of world, is BACON considered as VEGETARIAN???
Such a horrible experience!

Not impressed! I love the variety but I tried the place all the way to the right in the corner. I should have avoided because there was no line. I ordered the aztec bowl? which sounded great based on the ingredients — red quinoa, diced chicken, roasted corn, black beans, some veggies and I forget the sauce
What I received was flat, bland and one-​dimensional. There was no taste to any component of the bowl. I barely ate it and had to pick something else up outside of the Urban Market. My co-​workers ordered from the stir-​fry place and they had similar comments. Now I know why I don’t come here often. Too many good lunch spots in the Loop for weak food.

Urban Market is located in the lower level of the Chase building. It is very close to my work, so I come here for lunch very often. They have A LOT of choices — ranging from two salad bars, a deli station, a stir fry station, a sushi station, a baked potato station, a pizza station, a burger station, and they even have Frontera (I might have missed some). Oh, they also have freshly baked cookies, and a verity of other sweets! The cookies are very soft and warm — really good!
I normally make my own salad from the big salad bar that’s located right when you walk in. They have lettuce, spring mix or spinach for the base and a diverse array of toppings. I just really wish they had kale too. They do have a lot of pre-​made salads, and sometimes even have a kale & onion salad that’s pretty tasty. They also have a lot of different proteins: tofu, ham, chicken, turkey, and buffalo chicken. All in all, this is probably my favorite salad bar in the loop.
They recently added a whole grain risotto station. It’s a great addition! You can pick from barley or quinoa as a base, and then add whatever grilled vegetables you want. They top it off with a piece of grilled chicken or salmon, some lemon and parsley.
I have also gotten the baked potato a bunch of times. It pretty good, although I do feel like it is a little bit overcooked sometimes. They have a lot of toppings for those as well: pulled pork, bacon, beef, mushrooms, grilled onions, melted cheese, shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, broccoli, sour cream, etc.
I got the stir fry one time and could barely eat half of it because it was REALLY salty. I wouldn’t really recommend it, unless they can somehow reduce the salt in the way they cook it.
Overall, this is a great place for lunch!

I’ve been here a bunch of times over the years but haven’t been there recently. What I like most about this place is they get my burger perfect nearly every time. Prior to this week I hadn’t been there in a while. Apparently they’ve changed a lot about the place as the salad bar looks much larger with far more offerings. They also have a nice outdoor seating area which is a pleasant place to sit and read or just get away from your desk.

I have been here for lunch a couple times and it was ok. Yesterday my husband and kids came downtown so I met them for lunch. We went here since there are a lot of options and no one could agree on what they wanted. I walked them around to each station so they could decide what to get. My husband and daughter got Jambalaya and creole chicken, my son wanted a reuben and I went to mixed greens for a salad.
When my son got up to the counter, he ordered the grilled reuben. They cook asked him what kind of meat. My son was confused and didn’t know why they were asking what kind of meat. The cook asks even louder, what kind of meat? My son said corned beef and the cook stated they didn’t have that. He rambles off the different kinds of meats so fast that my son could barely understand him. My question is if you have a reuben on the menu, why do you choose a meat? A reuben sandwich is made with corned beef. If he wanted something else, he would have ordered a different sandwich. And the cook doesn’t have to get annoyed, when someone asks for a reuben they expect a sandwich with corned beef!!!
My experience made me lose my appetite. I got my salad with spinach and after about the third bite, I noticed a big long black hair in my food! Disgusting! I felt so sick after that. I brought my food back up to the mixed greens station and told the guy there was a hair in it. A manager came out and asked if I would like to get anything else or just a refund. After seeing that, I didn’t want to eat anything so she gave me my money back.
No one enjoyed their lunch besides my husband who got the creole chicken with mac-​n-​cheese. So we won’t be back here anytime soon.

Urban Market is a collection of food choices in the basement of the Chase building, and connects to the Monroe Blue Line CTA stop.
Really cheap omelette prices in the morning $ 3 and change and the size was just fine too. Service was fast, food was hot. I’ve also eaten here for lunch and it was pretty good, even though it was very busy.
Not a bad place, but can be hard to find a seat during peak times.

First off, people need to understand that the Urban Market is a cafeteria inside the Chase building and nothing more. Going there with that in mind, you’ll be pleasantly surprised…
I only recently found out about this place and love it already. This place has probably 10 different areas all with unique food plus a very good salad bar! The prices are quite reasonable for lunch and I don’t mind making the 10 minute walk from my office, rain or shine, to come grab a quick bite here. The selection is probably what I enjoy the most as you’ll always find something appealing. However, I tend to lean towards the salad bar most often. My only complaint is that their brownies are not the best. They’re a little dry.
Otherwise, I foresee myself coming here for lunch a couple times a week for the foreseeable future! Oh, and the patio outside the building is awesome in the summertime! The only drawback is the fountain is quite loud and on a windy day you may get mist blowing your direction.

I work Chase Tower, so the Urban Market is my go-​to for those days when Chicago weather does not allow a venture outside (which is pretty often). The food is all OK, but is definitely overpriced for what you get. My favorite is the Frontera Tortas (yes, Rick Bayless!) counter, which offers tortas, salads, soups, and a guacamole bar.
Urban Market is top notch as far as food courts, but that’s not really saying much, is it?

The potato bar is awesome and at the salad bar, they tell you where they sourced the local produce. That’s pretty smart. They have a lot of healthy options and a heated display with prepared hot options from several of the individual stations for those in a hurry. Southern food, a NY deli, Indian, pizza, American, Mexican fare, with custom salads, a do it yourself salad bar and at least three soups every day.

Urban Market is a great place to eat with many options. Being a vegetarian, I appreciate the variety here. I keep hearing how it used to be better, and I can only think that it must have been a garden of eden or something since i love it now.
I highly recommend the Indian joint — specifically the lentil.
Masala box including the Lentil (awesome) and samosa (also delicious), with corn chutney (adds some flavorful heat) is my usual dish. It also comes with a couple pieces of naan bread.

Here you’ll find a mix of all sorts of food in an up-​scale environment. It’s a notch above the cafeteria in the Daley Center because the eating area is cleaner and more modern. There are windows at one side that look out to the fountain, and the setting is more relaxed than a noisy mall-​style food court.
It’s a great place to grab lunch to-​go or to sit down. The seating area is vast and very accommodating to both large and small groups. Whether eating alone or with a huge work party, there is individual bar-​style seating and regular tables to wedge together for more people. The noise level is agreeable and less echo-​some.
It’s located on the bottom floor of the Chase Tower and you just walk up to any food counter and place your order, unless it’s a self-​serve station. Then you take your food to the cashiers by the exit and pay for your meal. Very efficient and helps avoid long wait lines upon paying.
There are a variety of options including:
–«2 Mato» which serves pizza
–Frontera Grill by Rick Bayless (which has a Guacamole Bar and is famous for tortas)
–«Big Easy»: Cajun kitchen (jambalaya, gumbo, collard greens, habanero chicken)
–All-​American (Mashed potatoes, ¼ chicken… similar to a Boston Market)
–Indian (get the $ 8 box which includes basmati rice, a side dish, choice of chutney, samosa and paratha, really worth it!)
–Japanese: sushi rolls
–Deli & Soup Bar: their ginger-​pumpkin soup is pretty good
–Mixed Greens Salad Bar: I believe it’s pay per ounce
–Asian Stir-​Fry
You can get a hefty lunch for under $ 10 and their containers make it easy to bring leftovers home. Ingredients are fresh, you get a variety of options and different ethnic flavors. It’s a comfortable place to relax and get away from the walls of your office. Overall, a good place to have lunch in the Loop.

Did it used to be better? Yes, absolutely. I long for the days where I could get crispy buffalo chicken in my salad.
But it’s still a pretty solid choice, if only for the selection alone. I recently went for breakfast for the first time, and — while much more limited in selection — there are some really decent choices. The breakfast burrito I picked up at the grill was really quite good.
It’s not getting a Bib Gourmond designation anytime soon, but for the days where Hannah’s Bretzel doesn’t sound moving, it’s totally fine.

Quick and easy spot when you don’t have much time for lunch.
There’s outdoor seating by the fountain as well as past the cashiers on your right. I like that they have a variety of food, but do you really need to charge for sauces/​dressings?

Definitely a solid choice for lunch when I don’t want to go outside, or when I have no time at all to waste. The counters are usually pretty fast, depending on what station you decide to go to. A few listed below:
Frontera: Prepare to wait, spend $$$$, and be underwhelmed.
Urban Express Bar: Quick, rotating menu choices, $ based on weight, so choose wisely.
2mato Pizza: Heard it’s not great, so I’ve been avoiding it.
Asian Stir Fry: I personally love this, pick your own veggies/​protein/​rice/​noodles/​sauce, and reasonably priced… but the lines here get crazy long.
Mrs. Levy’s Deli: If I want a sandwich, I’ll go to Potbelly instead.
American Classics: In my opinion, one of the most decent lunches in the Loop. ¼ roasted chicken, 2 sides & a roll is $ 6, and it’s pretty freaking tasty.
Soup: I really like their corn chowder, always a nice selection of veggie soups & non-​veggie soups on the same day.
Salad: Build your own per ounce, or have them make one for you.
Sushi: Suprisingly decent rolls and not horrible prices.
Make sure you pick up one of their little rewards cards, you’ll start earning points towards free drinks and other things. There’s a decent amount of indoor seating but the best part is when it’s nice outside and they put out tables/​chairs by the fountain. Though trying to grab a seat is like fighting with pigeons for a scrap of bread, it’s worth it. Every person I’ve ordered from has been super nice, and that’s always a bonus, too!
My only major complaints are the plastic forks/​knives/​spoons, the forks snap in half constantly and that is hella annoying… 50% of the time the soda machines don’t work… & if you don’t pay attention to what you’re putting in your salad bar/​express bar box to be weighed, that gets expensive, fast.

My pad is an adult version of a college dorm room so I can appreciate a place like Urban Market. It’s got all the essential food groups. Chips, Hot Pockets, and energy drinks. Very neatly organized and convenient if you live in the neighborhood.
Only problem is they don’t sell any booze. Definitely would be a smart thing to put in stock seeing as how there’s tons of students near by. Just my two cents.

5 stars for the baked potato bar, 3 for everything else.
The old Chase cafeteria, as many have mentioned, was the perfect lunch spot. Reasonable prices, a large variety of food in good sized portions, and yummy desserts. I’m not sure if the new owners were trying to class up the joint or what, but it’s just not as good. I’m not looking for popular, flashy food at a cafeteria. I want something that is quick, tasty and worth the price.
As I mentioned before, the only reason I’m giving this place 3 stars is because of the potato bar. When ownership changed hands they did not have the bar, but I’m assuming after many complaints they brought it back… with potatoes about half the size of its previous counterparts. The toppings are still good and the lady that makes them is still doing a great job. The price is around the same as before: $ 5.50 for a potato and any size drink. You really can’t beat the value.
Service is friendly but this place can get busy during the lunch hour rush. Lately we’ve been going and they have been out of large cups or lids, half of the soda machines don’t have ice, etc. When you only have so long for lunch this can get annoying. They cheapened out on the cutlery as well. I don’t like to break my fork halfway through eating, and I especially don’t want to find the broken piece later.
All in all, I still go here for the potato bar and that’s it.

Oh the Cafeteria at the Chase Building… I try not to come here, but every once and a while I forget to bring my lunch and the cafeteria is the only quick option. Not only are prices a bit over the top for what it is, but the food varies widely in quality.
I had the «Whole + sum» bar today… I didn’t actually want that, but the vendor sort of tricked me. I had asked what the food was and wanted to try the Quinoa Zucchini patties, but thought it was part of the Mediterranean bar. He didn’t tell me until AFTER putting it a box that I had to eat the other sides he chose — 4 bites of lettuce with a sun-​dried tomato and garbanzo beans and some grain dish with red cabbage. I hadn’t planned to eat that nor did I enjoy paying $ 6.99 + tax for such a small meal… more like an appetizer.
On other occasions I’ve had the sushi (outside vendor)… good but pricey…
The stirfry — huge but I never get the flavor right… plus this guy that makes it is rude…
As for the taste, I can cook 100x better for 95% less cost at home…

They just changed the vendor at the Chasement and it’s HORRIBLE now. They increased all of the prices by about 15% and they reduced the offerings. For example: you used to able to get 2 sushi rolls, edamame, ginger, and miso for $ 8.86 out the door. Now it’s $ 9.36 and you no longer get the soup… and they stopped making the spicy tuna spicy? Um, don’t get it.
They also stopped selling huaraches and no longer have shirmp at the mexican counter. Horrible choice to switch to Compass from Aramark. They messed with my lunch and I am not pleased.
P. S. It is the concensus in my office that it now sucks so I’m not the only one!