May 9, 2012
I had the best time of the 3 days at this bar. There were some unusually good beers here, led by one of the four of their own brews, a style I had never tried (Kentucky Common) that yields a long mildly sour finish without cherries. The owner and head brewer and 3rd bartender are a flurry of activity, and could handle even a much bigger crowd than this rainy weeknight. Small Earthy bar, safe area with a lot of students in the street.

April 27, 2012
A great place for hard to find drafts in Chicago. Ambiance is nice with a few tvs but cater to beer geeks. Gets busy in the evenings. Great selection but expensive even for Chicago... Food is solid as is the service.

March 13, 2012
One of the top five places in Chicago consistently for years! Go to the Local Option Immediately and check out the most recent chalkboard beer list. I have been blown away by their offerings again and again. Great bunch of folks that run this place. They are creating some of their own brews lately and I must say, "Dedicated to deliciousness!"

February 17, 2012
I have been to Local Options many times now, and each time it has been a solid experience. When it comes to a beer bar staff, there are two things that I look for, and both are met here. They are knowledgeable, meaning they can provide some interesting background that, even with some internet research, I may not have known about a beer. They also are more than able to recommend beers of their menu to someone with any palate. More importantly, they are friendly. Each time I have come in I struck up a conversation with a bartender, and they enjoy what they do and enjoy being there. Believe me, it is noticeable, especially compared to the snobbery that one can find at other bars. They are happy to talk you through a few beers and offer samples to see what you will like. When they are really busy, getting a beer can be an adventure, though, and they always seem understaffed to handle a huge crowd. The atmosphere is solid. Casual decorations and a few tv’s here and there exist in a moderately sized venue. A lively but not overcrowded group is normally relaxing over a few brews. The food is just all right, all though I have only eaten here once. My buddy’s sandwich was "eh," and my steak tacos were not worth reordering. Maybe other stuff is better though. Honestly, I mostly head here for the selection. They always have some hard to find offerings. Their prices are on the higher end of the scale. Usually, they have precisely 0 draft offerings for less than $6. Sometimes they have events with a huge and very good beer list as well. I definitely like to see this kind of place strike out in the middle of Lincoln Park, with its slew of dive bars and college kids. If I still lived really close, I would come more often.

February 5, 2012
This is what I look for in beer bars. This place has excellent selection of rare beers, but does not have a pretentious wine bar attitude to it (Churchkey, I’m looking at you). In fact, this looks like a dive bar, except that the beers on tap are from nice little breweries in Denmark and the Netherlands (De Molen and Evil Twin). I didn’t stay for very long and only picked up one Hopslam as I was traveling along. Next time I come to Chicago, I will try to get a crew together and spend more time. Prices were what I expected, but unfortunately, you have to ask for the prices for they are not listed anywhere. The music was to my liking and so was the decor. The bartender knew what she was talking about and was willing to answer all of my questions. I wish there were more places like this in the world so that I wouldn’t have to travel to Chicago to experience these pleasant vibes. Iron Maiden decor on the wall is a huge plus. I have no complaints except that I wasn’t there long enough.

February 4, 2012
I really like this place. Probably the best beer bar in Chicago. I didn’t try the food, but it looked pretty good. Massive selection, great staff, better beer. I’ll be back here again very soon.

February 1, 2012
Not would you would expect to find on the Depaul campus, but this place is amazing. The staff really know there stuff. Prices are fair, but don’t expect a bargain. My favorite beer bar in Chicago.

January 16, 2012
It was very quiet here on a holiday Monday evening, except for the rock music, of course. The staff are obviously passionate about beer, and the tap list was well chosen. Their own commisioned beers were interesting enough. Food was OK. I’ll definitely be back.

January 15, 2012
A very different vibe than what is normal in lincoln park. That can be a good thing depending on your perspective. Since I’m fine with lots of different vibes it was gonna work for me in the first place. But, it was nice not having to deal with a bunch of people who want to order miller lite and high five each other. What they have on tap is generally really good. A lot of it are beers that one would normally get at retail in bomber. All of the selections are put up on a chalkboard for you to look at. The chalkboard isn’t the most obvious though. It’s up there to see for sure, but its a bit off to the side from the bar with a lot of spaces where beers were. The food was very good. They try to go with the cajun theme, but I didn’t feel it was truly a cajun place. Its not a knock in all honesty as it seems their focus is on beer and bringing good beer.

December 29, 2011
Stopped by here on a late weekday night for a beer in late October. Pretty small place with long bar and tables throughout. Service was good even at the tables but the place was dead the night we where there. Selection was just ok, from the reviews I guess I was expecting more. Prices were a bit high but the beers were top notch. Nice place but not sure if it lived up to "world class" for me. Definitely worth a stop though.