May 9, 2012
The map room i was told is a go to bar, though a tad less nice neighborhood than for Revolution or for The Local Option. Friendly bar tenders, kind of a dive bar. A very good bottle selection, and though not that many taps the quality was good with a couple harder to gets. Some emphasis on Belgians.

May 3, 2012
Went to the Map Room late on a Thursday night before Dark Lord Day. Can’t believe I’d never been here when I lived in Chicago. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the closest Blue Line stop. The atmosphere is cool; great-feeling bar, with maps and flags on the walls but also retaining kind of a divey feel. Heavy metal was playing the whole time we were there but not too loud. The service was fine; kind of indifferent, but we didn’t wait too long. My buddies hyped the selection and it didn’t wind up being as great as advertised. A new Goose Island beer was on, along with Zombie Dust and those were probably the highlights. Some other locals, with a lot of Belgian and other Euros. Maybe 2 dozen to 30 taps in all, with 150+ bottles. The bottle prices were a bit high and the selection was large and solid. Great beer bar and worth a visit when in Chicago.

April 30, 2012
Visited over the weekend. Crowded ,hard to get spot. Service was OK but being so busy nothing special. Solid not great tap list. Nice spot.

March 12, 2012
Definitely a beer destination. The night I was there the tap list was filled with Three Floyds brews that were all kicked and stil up. The rest wasn’t that interesting. Bottle list was really good though not quite up to the hype I’d heard or read. Still it’s a comfortable all beer no BS bar with just the right amount of attitude and patina. Would probably be a regular stop if I lived there.

February 17, 2012
Map Room is definitely one of the main ’destination’ beer bars in Chicago, for good reason. Their tap list is diverse, and they have enough bottles that there is always something new to try. The bartenders are knowledgeable and friendly as well, making it a good spot for a few beers. About half of the times I have been here I end up sitting at the bar, and I have usually had some good beer conversation with the bartenders there. However, a number of people I know have had less than pleasant experiences with the staff due to their lack of beer knowledge. Sometimes, actual most of the time, the atmosphere here is a bit odd. There are some beer geeks, Bucktown locals, and hipsters all intermingling. The hipsters do not seem to interact well with anyone else. But I have no problems relaxing on a weeknight in a chill environment. Normally I stay away on Friday and Saturday nights. The couple of times I have been here, it is impossible to get a beer and the scene is not what I want when I head to a beer bar.

February 11, 2012
One of the absolute best spots for grabbing a beer in the city. Awesome selection and the bartenders always know the beers very well. I go here very often.

January 28, 2012
Map Room... one of my favorite spots in this city! Beer selection is outstanding, and the bartenders are very knowledgeable,.

January 17, 2012
Anyplace that has four different FFFs available is OK in my book. Tap list was very smartly chosen. Very chill vibe, with some sort of unearthly music playing in the background, plus a DJ speaking Flemish. Or maybe Dutch, if that makes a difference. Maps were everywhere, of course. Food was free pretzels. And they have damn good nuts. Staff was very helpful, had great suggestions, including pairing various beers and the order of the beers. A must stop while in Chicago.

January 1, 2012
Made my way to The Map Room during the morning hours and the gentleman who traditionally serves coffee in the am jumped behind the bar to pour me a few. Extremely friendly and attentive, but not very knowledgeable. Started a conversation with me about travel which was pleasant. Interesting decor, lots of character and extensive tap/bottle list. Unfortunately, nothing extremely unique on when I was there. Remember that it’s cash only...an ATM is available on the premise if you forget.

December 27, 2011
By feel and atmosphere, this is most definitely a local neighborhood bar. They just happen to have one of the more impressive selections in the Chicago area, regularly getting "rare" kegs that are sent to the city in limited supply. The service is always quick, even when they are slammed on a Friday or Saturday night. It is cash only, though, so come prepared. My favorite time to stop by Map Room is during the day when they aren’t very busy, and the bartenders, who really know their stuff, actually have time to have a conversation with you.