First Draft

The food had that comforting pub feel and tasted really good. The wings were a little on the dry side, but the team happily brought extra veggies and dipping sauce when we asked, which made all the difference. The fried dill pickle chips were absolutely amazing, crispy, and full of flavor. Overall, we had a wonderful time and left completely satisfied.

Was in Chicago over the weekend found this place near our hotel... Cool atmosphere... Good food... Good service... Great place to watch the games! Only drawback... I was not drinking alcohol... I was drinking Arnold Palmers.... The bill came... I then realized that refills were not included.... I brought it up to the waitress... And stated if the refills were not included I would have not got them... She did take a few of them off the bill... Overall it's was a good experience... Cheese curds and barbq brisket burger were delicious

Post workshop meal! Great bar food in a quintessential Chicago bar…first time but had it bookmarked based on their reviews and menus…great service, slow when we got there at 6:30 but gradually got packed and we learned why…food was delicious! All of it from the pretzel bites to curds to homemade salt & vinegar chips…but the wings really stole the show…Kung Fu sauce was unique but the Caribbean BBQ was one of the best sauces I’ve ever had…which makes a second wing sauce I’ve had this month that’s wowed me! Reuben, Lettuce Wraps, Chicago Beef and Mac Daddy were all fantastic! Check them out if you’re in the area!

I truly cannot say enough good things about this place. From the staff, to the craft beer selection, and the amazing food this was the best place as a visitor to choose for a Saturday to watch some sports and have a great time. All the servers are friendly, helpful, and great at their job. The bar backs always made sure we had plenty of water and our table was always clean. The owner was interactive with his patrons, accommodating, and seemed to respect his staff. Ultimately I cannot say enough or recommend this spot enough and can't wait till we visit Chicago again to come back!

Food is good and it came really quick, ordered a big 10 piece wings and great taste and good sauce. They have a great selection of draft beers as well as canned. Music is good and have an app so you can songs to playlists. Great for a dinner with friends, recommended bar. Multiple screens to watch all games at the same time.

Went for a quick drink and some rest after a day on our feet. It's the first day of college football so it was busy, but they made room for us at a Reserved table with the stipulation that we be out by a certain time - no problem. The large beer list was great, and I have the Door County Cherry Wheat 4 stars on untapped. Lots of TVs showing many different sports.

Stopped in before a concert in the area. Staff was attentive and friendly. Food was great! I got a turkey club with sweet potato fries. Club was bigger than expected. Fries were crispy and seasoned well. Had a couple drinks that were great, as well. I will definitely stop here again when in the area. It has touch tunes so you can choose your music so that was fun! Bathrooms were clean and smelled clean as well.

Usually do the specials during the week. The portion is decent and the price is reasonable for chicago. I gave it 5 stars because the food us always fresh. I recommend the wing special on Wednesday as well. Great food. Great drinks. Great service.

Found a bar close to my hotel (Hilton) to watch SNF and cheer for my Steelers. Sadly was the only Steeler fan in the place but great food and service. Packer fans were vocal fun and respectful. Great bar. Highly recommend.

I was looking for a cozy spot near my lodging to catch a major game and support my team. Although I ended up being the minority fan there, the atmosphere was simply incredible loud, fun, and yet completely respectful from the opposing fans. The service was very fast, and the food was excellent. This is a genuinely great venue with real soul. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an awesome place to catch sports!

Good ole fashion bar with slightly elevated food. Bartender was super nice and helped out pick in beers out. No frills spot. would go back

I am giving them a 1 star review for feeling disappointed almost every time I am there. Thieves! Added a zero to my tip to steal $180 for me. Not the first time I've been disappointed neither. 1st experience: bartended lied about late night menu. I had to ask another server just to get an order of sweet potato fries at 8PM. 2nd experience: smelled like urine and diarrhea at 2PM in the afternoon as I walked in so I just walked out after a minute. 3rd experience: okay but not great 4th experience: woke up with a sore throat and nasal congestion (only 2 drinks, appetizers, and sandwich so I wasn't hung over). Lasted more than 2 weeks. 5th experience: ordered a variety of food items and drinks for me and my friend and some people I met at the bar. After a few days, I checked my credit card and they stole $180 by adding a zero to the $20 tip. My tab went from $225 to $425 for no reason a few days later. THIEVES!

This place has a great happy hour. Cheep drink and 10 buck cheese curds and pretzel bites, both are amazing! Rest of the food options and quite good as well, with a cool bar and nice atmosphere. Only thing keeping it from a 5 is the service we had that night, or lack there of I should say. Took forever for our waitress to come back, I would usually have to flag her down and she was walking by past our empty bottles and plates. She did seem a little busy but can at least acknowledge us. Will definitely be back tho. Will update next trip!

I checked out First Draft while visiting Chicago. Great place to watch sports if you are interested. I went with a group just to eat dinner. I was debating between the Slammin Salmon Sammie and the Cowboy Brisket Burger. The cowboy brisket burger was huge. I couldn't even make a dent in it. I kind of wish I had gone with the Salmon sandwich. The entrees are served with options of fries, salt and vinegar chips, potato salad, cole slaw or a side salad. I got fries with my burger. The fries were the hand cut potatoe fries. They were soft and a little crunchy but lacked the saltiness. Again great place to check out if you are interested in watching sports.

We ordered the Chicago Beef and Honey Mustard Chicken sandwiches to go. Both were incredible. Although it was very busy, I was helped within one minute of arriving. While we didn't dine in, the dining room and bar felt very comfortable and welcoming.

I like this spot for a good beer in south loop. They have a great selection, a good happy hour, and varied food menu. The service is great and the ambiance is sports bar meets Chicago. A little historical, but with newer TVs to see your favorite team play.

Looking for a place to watch the Ravens/Chiefs game, I found First Draft down the street from my hotel. It just happened to be on at the same time as the Bears game so I did not get a table nor did I get a good viewing spot for the one TV showing the Ravens game. I stood at the back of the room and enjoyed some beer on tap while shaking my head at the Ravens pitiful attempt at a win. Bartender Haley was great. Fun sports bar with good selection of beer on tap. Energetic crowd for Da Bears.

Great brew pub in the printer's row part of downtown. They have a wide variety of brews on tap with a nice selection of appetizers and pub grub. The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is laid back bar style. It's also a great place to pre-game before a show at the Auditorium Theater.

This place was the bomb.com! We were staying at the Hilton for a conference and this was about a 5 min walk away. We tried a few different beers, all great ...and cheap! $22 for 3 beers. We had the cheese curds and mushrooms- the cheese curds were perfection. Don't miss these. Also tried the Salmon Sammy (so good), burgers, sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries were spot on, the regular fries were not great. Our server was wonderful. It was busy and she held it down! Overall a great spot.

Absolutely get the Ruben!! Probably the best I've ever had. Meaty, Cheesy, Smokey and huge! ... hmm sounds like I'm describing myself!! LOL. The wings were absolute winners as well. Definitely adding First Draft to places to go anytime I'm in town. Be prepared for a wait for a table tho! P.S. Skip the Italian Beef and stick with the RUBEN!!

Delicious bar/pub in Chicago that had Americana food and a musicbox for anyone willing to splurge on coin, First Draft offers a wide variety of burgers and sandwiches as well as every drink you can offer. This place definitely feels like it'd be more lively during a game day or a weekend but due to the fact that we had a festival and this was next to our hotel, we went with it for lunch in which it was not busy at all. And we are kinda glad because the food here was on point. It's nothing special and more simplistic and most but everyone had a burger in one form or another and some often for sweet potato fries or fried pickles. They were well seasoned and were filling. Overall I could see this place as more of a drinking spot than a food place but given that we had a complete meal here I'd got to give props.

First time coming here, pretty nice inside - lots of seating inside and out, a ton of TVs so good for sundays and playoff baseball, and a good beer list (under all the mains they suggested a draft). Staff was great, beers came quick and the food did too for the most part. We went for the beef flatbread which was good, but the mild giardiniera was a bit bland so I'd recommend the hot giard. Chicken Caesar wrap was really tasty- lots of sauce which I enjoy and really tender chicken, but just a note- there are no croutons in there. My buddy got the cubano which he devoured and had no complaints about. I'll definitely be coming back here, just the last thing that I'd note is that it is a bit on the pricier side of things.

Food was okay, My friends liked their turkey club but the fries were wayyy too salty. I had the grilled cheese, it was okay. The tomato soup was fine, not worth the extra 2 and the grilled cheese in general was not worth 16 dollars. get something else. Lastly Service was terrible. Our waitress never paid attention to us and even rolled her eyes at us for asking to split a tab. Worst service i've had for a bar that wasn't even crowded/full.

We had the nicest waitress, and the ambiance of the restaurant was great. Definitely felt more like a sports/college bar that served food than a traditional sit down restaurant, but we were out for drinks as it was so we didn't mind. The food was good!!

My husband and I have lived in the area for a couple years now that our kids have left the nest and when we moved in... we really thought this would become our go to regular spot. Unfortunately, our experiences have been all over the map. The food is always pretty good and the atmosphere is lively. Feels like it should be a great corner bar. Unfortunately - the service is all over the place. The head bartender, possibly owner?, with the dark hair is occasionally nice but more often he is incredibly surly. We generally avoid the bar for this reason. Table service is 50/50. We've had more luck lately when we ask for Alex. She is pretty attentive and very friendly, which prompted me to write this review. If all the staff took a page out of that book, we'd visit a lot more frequently. ETA - my husband remembered the name of the grumpy bartender/owner. Danny!

Staff was so friendly. The happy hour was super cheap, everything being around 5$. We ordered the wings which came out pipping hot. The sauce was a little vinegary but I didn't mind. The wings were very big and juicy.

Place was a great place to have some drinks and chill. The service ran quick and always alert.

A fun spot to watch a game or hang out with friends. It is a bit loud for talking but has a lively atmosphere and a varied menu. They have amazing fries and a lot of vegan as well as meat options. Our group opted for mainly meats but after eating the fries I was full! Such a large portion of perfectly cooked and not overly fried potatoes. Yum! If you are in the area this is a great spot to check out for hanging out and good. They have an extensive bar as well so you can get a bit of anything and everything!

I loved this place! We went after the Chicago marathon and it's a small place which was packed with runners but they accommodated our party of 4 at a small table and even moved us to a larger table after it became available. The server was friendly and fast. We came for the great beer list and I had a delicious stout I'd never had and I loved how the menu linked to Untappd. Ever enjoyed their food we had pretzel bites and fried pickles for aps. Then we got the bbq burnt ends brisket sandwich and fries- so yummy!!! Friends got the turkey wrap and Reuben and loved those too. It was a great vibe with yummy food and beer. We really enjoyed ourselves and got to hang out, watch Sunday night football, and recover from the race. (We were so hungry I didn't get photos of the sandwiches and wrap )

I stopped by for dinner last night with a friend as we were looking for something casual in the South Loop area. We weren't exactly expecting a quiet dinner spot, but we also didn't expect to have to yell at each other over our table to have a conversation. Ambiance aside, the food was unfortunately pretty subpar. I had the G.O.A.T. sandwich with a side of chili and my friend had the Burnt Ends sandwich with a side of brussel sprouts. The goat on my sandwich was marinated too heavily in my opinion and some pieces were burnt to a crisp. Some bites were extremely sour that I could not finish a third of it. The chili was decent. My friend seemed to have enjoyed her sandwich, but her brussel sprouts were also really burnt. First Draft is a great spot for liquor and appetizers, but I'm not sure that I would come back for a full meal.

I love IPA beers, and they had an extraordinary selection. Not just of IPAs though, I believe they had over 50 beers on tap. I got a flight, so got the sample a few. I got a burger and fries, and honestly was not expecting anything great. However, the burger came out juicy and flavorful and the fries hot and crisp. Definitely one of the better burger and fries I've had at a pub. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. Chill vibe. I really enjoyed this place!

This bar is my go-to for sporting games or events. Living right down the street, it's great for an after-work drink. All the servers are fun and attentive. My favorite part about this bar though is the classic Chicago tavern feel.

Stopped by First Draft with family for my cousins 30th birthday. We truly had a great experience. Our waiter was super nice. After my cousin sent back the Apple donut cider (which I loved lol) the waiter gave us samples to see which we preferred. I ordered the salmon burger which came with a side. I got the sweet potato fries. The burger was really tasty but maybe a tiny tiny bit over seasoned. It's also topped with some sort of lemon aioli sauce. Which was pretty good if you like lemon. I love a good sweet potato fry and these were great but some of the pieces had too much kosher salt. I prefer mine plain. We also had cheese curds and fried pickles. The cheese curds were good but a little greasy and the fried pickles were divine. Seasoned to perfection. Everyone said they really enjoyed their food but one of my cousins in particular couldn't stop raving about the baked chicken with hot honey sauce. She literally said I can't keep saying how good it is and went around the table making everyone try a piece. I'm pescatarian and I was sooo close to saying yes because of how enthusiastic she was. I couldn't even get the no out so my other cousin had to say it for me lol. However the rest of the table said they were ordering that the next time they came. Ambiance was honestly a little bland but our night was the total opposite. After like 20 shots and 4 ciders I'd say we had an amazing time and would come back for more.

Amazing sports bar. Service was amazing. Great venue to watch football. Different games on entry TV. Recommend.

Generally a pit stop when I visit Chicago, especially since it is easy to find downtown. Lots of great domestic and craft beers with a friendly environment. Very much a slightly above a dive bar bar. Which I appreciate! Dive bars or dive bars-ish are lots of fun. I generally sit at the bar, because it's usually just me or one or two friends. It's also interesting to chat with the bartenders about other Chicago spots to hit up. When I've been, it has been relatively quiet. I imagine it get quite busy later in the afternoon and evening. The bartenders who have served me in the past are generally talkative and happy to answer questions. It's a good spot if you just want to stop for a beer, be around some locals, or watch a game.

Cute little neighborhood sports bar. I like the decor inside, dimly lit, exposed brick, it's a nice vibe. Lots of tvs and a nice relaxed environment to watch a game. We had cocktails and apps, the drinks were good and strong. Get the cheese curds!

This is a great local sports bar that you can come to to watch games with friends. Definitely love the ambience of fellow fans cheering four our mutual teams. It makes watching the game way more interesting and fun. The drinks are good and you can't go wrong. They have a great happy hour. Definitely recommend the fries and burgers. Fellow vegetarians, there are definitely a decent amount of options for you to choose from when you dine in here. Worth checking out for the next big game!

Best bar food in Printer's Row area by far. They have daily sandwich specials as an added bonus. My favorites are the sweet potato fries and salmon sandwich.

They serve the best bar food anywhere, hands down!!! Wings 5, fried mushrooms 5, grilled cheese 5, potato salad 3, only because I'm not a fan of dill, flatbread 5, pastrami 5, brusselsprouts 4, burnt ends 3 not enough flavor. Loved our server, will definitely be back again and again!!!

First Draft was the perfect place to go post marathon! The service was great, friendly and attentive. They were very accommodating to our large group and the food was tasty. Would definitely recommend!

Went in on a Thursday night. This was a cool neighborhood dive bar with great beers, great service, and amazing fried pickles.

Great draft list, good food, understaffed on a busy night but great service. Came right before a Bulls playoffs game with my wife and 1 year old and had a perfect experience. Even though the place was busy and understaffed, our waitress was deeply empathetic and got us set up with a high chair and the kid items they had on hand (crayons and coloring books). The drink selection is fantastic, with dozens of great draft options. Even when busy, the drinks came out in minutes. Chicken Quesadilla - 4/5. Very strong, lots of cheese, good amount of avocado, tasty side sauce. Pulled pork - 4/5. My wife really liked it, good BBQ sauce.

Fun place lots of rotating beers on tap, service has always been good as has the food . Worth checking out.

Walked here from the congress hotel. Massive beer selection, and the platypus-ish burger was killer! Fries were nice and crispy. The waitress was super friendly. If we lived in the city we would definitely be back... Until then I'll be dreaming of that burger.

Really affordable and conveniently-located bar in the south loop area. I enjoyed the vibe at this place and was able to make it to happy hour for some great beer deals! Also ended the night with an espresso martini, which I was pleasantly surprised by. Our server and the manager were really friendly, checking in on us often. Overall, seems like a great spot to hang out with some friends, and I'll definitely be coming back!

First Draft in the South Loop is a solid spot to kick back with a cold one and some hearty grub. I spent about $55 on a Friday night, grabbing their Platypus-Ish Burger--juicy beef patty, crispy bacon, and that house beer cheese that hits just right--and a side of fried pickle chips that were crispy, tangy, and perfect with a cold brew. The beer selection is top-notch, with 64 rotating taps, so there's always something new to try. The vibe is lively, especially during game time, with plenty of TVs and a cozy, rustic feel. Service was friendly and attentive, making it a great spot for a casual night out or to catch a game with friends. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.​

Great food and service. Waitress was new ( 3 weeks) and was wonderful and very helpful. All 6 of us had great food. Good ambiance as a bar with many tvs around the place.

FOOD POISONING and TERRIBLE service. If I could give this place a 0, I would. Genuinely, surprised at the continuous infuriating, pathetic service we received. The only redeemable thing about this restaurant was the water boy. SHOUTS OUT. We went back a second day to see if they could redeem themselves, SPOILER ALERT, it was f***king worse!!!!! 0/5

I absolutely love their happy hour! I work till 5:30 so I'm always looking for happy hours that go till 7, first draft has a happy hour everyday from 5-7 and the deals are fantastic! I also can't say enough good things about the appetizers on the happy hour menu, the pretzel bites and the cheese curds might be some of the best I've ever had. I've come in on a Wednesday and a Saturday and the vibes are always great, super friendly waiters and great music! Will keep coming back!

I love this place! When I lived in that neighborhood in Chicago I was here almost every weekend. The beer selection is fantastic! And the scotch whisky and Irish whiskey selections are pretty good too. The food is always excellent. Every time I go back to Chicago I make it a point to go here. The staff and service is always great.

What a great place- except they were literary out of all of our favorite items due to a cooler issue. Sadly we brought friends to their location only to be embarrassed by the lack of fav items on the menu. The management has-to ensure that a least a few top items are available. Try harder, work harder, for success. However, the wait staff was outstanding as always.

Really great beer and food. Fast service and friendly staff. We have been there twice and both times hit.

Cool Irish pub with lots of booze and some okay food. First Draft won't be the last. It has a pretty typical menu of what you expect from this kind of place. Also it has a cool name befitting of a Printers Row bar. This place can get crazy packed at times. A lot of people mostly care only for the drinks but the food isn't all bad. It's pretty typical pub fare. The prices are about what you expect for a bar in a trendy location. It's about $12 for cocktails. These at least are strong. Best time is earlier before it gets super busy. It takes long enough to get drinks. The later you go it's even harder and you can forget about getting any food. It has a few healthier choices. There's the vegan friendly Roasted Cauliflower Wings. It's $15 for a basket. These come with a choice of a sauce. Barbecue is good. These are healthier than the greasy chicken wings most bars have. Good except for it being expensive. It's way too much even though it's better than typical bar food. They're open late but the kitchen closes early so get here early if you want to eat something.

the best south loop neighborhood sports bar - good drinks and eats for great prices! staff is also super friendly and attentive!

Sat out here on the patio for a quick bite with friends before heading to a concert at Soldier Field. Overall ok meal - the quesadilla and pretzel bites were nice and fresh but the chicken wrap honestly tasted a little moldy. I forgot to take a picture of my shrimp with shishito peppers - it was enjoyable but a little heavy on the acid. Maybe stick to the basic bar food order here since that's what I've heard most of the good reviews for. The server was not very friendly and it was difficult to get water or silverware without feeling like we were bothering her. They did have a good selection of beers and a dog friendly patio which was nice!

Visited on a Saturday evening, sat outside. We had no problems getting seated, they didn't seem super busy. Service was quick and attentive. I appreciate that the server brought us a to-go box with our silverware and napkins, so we were set for our leftovers. I got the pulled pork sandwich and sweet potato fries, both of which were outstanding. The portions were large. My husband got the turkey club, which was huge. He loved it and had no leftovers . I had the strawberry cheesecake craft beer, and omg, it was ahhmaaazing. Get. It. The outside dining was great. It's a busy street, and the people watching is always fun. I only saw the image when going to the ladies room. It was big, had that historic building feel (which I love), and lots of tv's. The bathroom, however, was less than stellar. Very dirty, which is why I docked a star. Overall, great sports bar with solid food and a terrific draft beer menu. If we come back to Chicago, would visit here again.

What a great little bar! Tons of draft beers, ample menu and seriously amazing service. Cara was a gem! After having less than lackluster service at other establishments close by (Half Sour, I'm looking at YOU) my hope were not high...but Cara was able to be exceptional! Super quick and pleasant, if we hadn't had to get back to the dogs, we would have stayed longer. We will definitely be back! Thank you!