Overpriced
I love the atmosphere here. Whether it's chill on a weekday night or crazy packed & excruciatingly loud music playing weekend night, the crowd is always awesome. The bartenders are consistent and friendly. Bar is huge and very modern but the drinks and food are pricy. Burgers and pretzel bites are just ok. The chips and dip platter is really good. The wings stand out though, they come with an interesting cucumber sauce.
Went to Old Town Social with a friend just to have some drinks and check out the place. Â It was late in the evening so the place wasn't crowded. Â I knew what I wanted but my friend didn't. Â Our waitress Stephanie was extremely helpful in setting up my friend with some beer flights. Â As the evening progressed we both became hungry. Once again Stephanie to the rescue. Â She said we should try the tacos. They were Awesome!! Â I had the shrimp and pork belly tacos. Â Needless to say me and my friend left very satisfied and full. This place does things the right way. Â I plan on going back and back and back!!!!
Review Source:I went there last night with friends for dinner, we waited over an hour for a table and when we were taken to our table it hadn't even been cleared from the last people. Â
My friends had the tacos and agreed that the shrimp was the best. Â I had the pork belly pastrami sandwich, the pork was so over cooked that it was more like really crispy bacon. Â Plus there was barely and meat on the sandwich and the kraut tasted like it came from a can. Â
I might go there for a beer to watch a game but by no means will I ever eat there again.
Went to Old Town Social for the first time this past Friday night to celebrate my younger brother's birthday. The space is really nice and open and it was pretty easy to get a good space for our group lounge-style room to the left of the entrance.
We had a group of about 10-12 people all ordering drinks from the blonde server with glasses in the lounge area (separate ordering from the bar) but she was kind of bitchy so a few of us actually decided to just order drinks from the bar and bring them back to the lounge.
I saw a few good yelp reviews about the food and wanted to try the truffle mac and cheese so  I asked her for a menu, but then noticed that it wasn't on there. When I asked her about it she said they didn't have it anymore, so then I decided at first not to get anything to eat then. After a little time went by I changed my mind and decided to order the sweet potato fries and she was being very short with me, but I just shrugged it off, gave her my order, and went back to my friends. My roommate asked me what the server's problem was, apparently she could tell the server was giving me attitude from across the room just by watching her body language (ha she was right!).
I may have been a little indecisive but geez I'm still a paying customer and had a good size group of people ordering from you and TIPPING you. relax jack.
The sweet potato fries were good but I didn't really like that they were served with guacamole. I kind of thought it was an odd mix, and don't get me wrong I love guac and avocados in general, but I didn't think it went well with the sweet potato fries. I prefer it with a spicy ketchup or something, the way they serve it at Moon Shine-
I would go again to try more food items and because overall I had a good time with our friends/fam there.
So, 6 of us wanted to watch the IU game one evening. I had seen on Open Table that you could actually make a reservation at Old Town Social and I thought that I heard that was a good place to watch games. I liked that idea instead of trying to find a table at a random bar. Anywho, when we got there I was pleasantly surprised with the accommodations!
They set us up in a booth for 6, where they had a TV that same down out of the ceiling for our table and we could pick whatever we wanted to watch, score! Very nice, I must say! The food was great, again being pregs I wasn't drinking, boohoo:(. I had the grilled cheese and tomato soup, and everything my friends ordered looked great as well. The portions aren't like super huge which is nice too.
When we were leaving the scene kinda changed, I wouldn't hang out here after 10, but I am an old lady in my 30's so I am not hip to the bottle service scene anymore, or should I say I never was into paying ridic amounts of money for that sort of thing. Definitely more of the lounge scene at night.
Great place to watch a game and eat some grub!
Went here on a Thursday.  The crowd  had left after the Hawks game,  so we had plenty of choices for where to sit.  Our server, Stefani,  turned me on to some great  beers with a couple beer flights and then recommended the tacos.  in general she treated us great all night,  always there  when we needed another drink or more to eat and was pleasant and fun and cute!  We decided on Chicken Chorizo , shrimp  and pork belly.  OMG They were  amazing!  I ended up ordering another round of  the shrimp tacos because I just could not believe how delicious they were.  If they didn't  have a closing time I might still be there eating more right now!  I never did  get to try the pork belly ones because I couldn't pry any loose from my buddy. So I guess I will have to go back.
Review Source:Apart from the bar scene, Old Town Social does have quite the cure for a rumbling tummy.
Wednesday night's dinner for two consisted of smoke trout brandade, Belgian frites, and a platter of tacos. The brandade resembled mashed potatoes with a heavy trout scent and flavor. It was a generous and pasty portion for the eight pieces of toasted bread it was served with. We had to order extra toast to finish up the brandade. It was too good to put to waste! The Belgian frites are not to be undermined. It came in a mountainous bundle and appeared to be a favorite among patrons. Almost every table was digging into a pile of frites. Â
I was told the taco selection is a new addition to the menu. They were delightful but not quite a keeper yet. The presentation was a bit odd with the fish and shrimp tacos appearing twice the size of the pork belly and chicken chorizo tacos. Â The two seafood tacos were very chubby especially with its thick layer of batter. By contrast, the meaty tacos appeared skimpy and flat although the flavors were welcoming. It needs a little extra something....
Street parking was relatively easy and it was free! Â Service was excellent and courteous! Music selection was great as well. Some of the songs played were by Arcade Fire, the Cure, Kings of Leon, Erasure, and Queens of Stone Age.
Haven't been here in a while (almost 2 years?) and granted I was here Sunday night vs a Friday or Saturday but it was a little bit of a bust. Â Service was spotty despite it being dead on a Sunday, and then if we weren't ready to order when they came by it took forever for them to come back (they seemed turned off by having to wait).
Will need to try coming back here on a busier night.
Came here to meet up a few friends. Â The food is really good. Â The place is pretty spacious too. Â Didn't feel cramped. Â Drink prices are a little on the high side. Â Don't know how its like on a weekend but i'd come back to check it out. Â There's only one bar so i can see how it could get cramped when full.
Service was excellent, food tasty, and not loud if you come on a weeknight!
I finally went to old town social for dinner, after having only been there for the bar scene, and i'm glad i did! I never realized how nicely designed the place is, and the tables all felt very cozy. This would be a good place for a date. My friend and I split a cheese plate and 3 appetizers. The cheese was all delish, and the presentation was great--it's served with honey, preserves, and home made crackers. I just wish they suggested order a plate of the meats to pair with the cheese. We didn't even see it on the menu because our pages got stuck together! We also ordered the stuffed peppers, fried pickles and pretzel bites. They were all okay...I think their salads, tacos, and sandwiches would have been better! Overall, it's a great place and I will be going back!
Review Source:I met some friends here early on a Friday night and really didn't have any complaints, but nothing to really rave about either. Â The service was so-so (a little slow) but the cocktails were decent and the food was ok too-we shared the fries, Pork Belly Rueben, and the BBQ Beef Brisket sandwich. Â As I said, good but nothing rave about. Â I like the TVs and the place is huge but I probably wouldn't come back here on my own-just not quite my style.
Review Source:Although I've never eaten here, it is one of my go to places to go out in the hood. It is usually poppin on the weekends, but not to the point that it's hard to get a drink. Also, we've never had a problem getting a seat if we wanted. Half of the bar is upbeat and filled with people, and they have a room with a fireplace which is great if you're looking for something more low-key. Old town social has the feeling of a downtown bar without the overpriced drinks. Definitely a great place to check out in old town.
Review Source:Disappointing brunch. Loved the layout of the restaurant and atmosphere, our server (Amanda) was very attentive, and there were a few highlights to our dishes. However, the portion of our dishes and some of the items really bumped my review down to 3 stars.
We started with the french press coffee which was good, but a very small pot for the two of us and there weren't any refills. I ordered the BLT Benedict, which actually has pork belly instead of bacon. The biscuit serving as the base was phenom and the arugla/tomato hollandaise/pork belly/egg combo was tasty. However, there were four very tiny pieces of pork belly in the entire sandwich and nothing came on the side. I just feel that $9 is a little steep for a small sandwich lacking in protein. Boyfriend had the Old Town Breakfast which actually came with HALF a sausage and maaaybe two eggs (seemed much smaller). For $12? No thanks. The highlight was the hashbrown casserole, delicious. Overall, Old Town Social needs to decrease their prices or increase their portions or else it's definitely not worth the trip.
Came here for NYE and was very happy with how it turned out. I really enjoyed the music and the food at the bar. The bar was very nice and the service was great. Drinks were expensive before the open bar started but I was okay with dishing out the $90 for the open bar and appetizers. We had chorizo, baked lamb sausage pizza and a variety of other things that made it worth the money.
I will be back!
I went here for New Years Eve and am glad that I spent the $90 for the ticket. We got there around 8:30, which was suggested so we could check our coats in and not have to wait in the long line. When we arrived, we got right in with no issues, and checked our coats. We waited until 9:00 to start drinking, which is when the drink package started. At first, we were able to get to the bar very easily, but once 10:00-10:30 came around, the bar definitely started to fill up.
Throughout the evening, the waitresses came by with finger appetizers which was nice. The appetizers themselves were delicious, especially the lamb flat bread. As more and more people filed in, it was a bit more difficult to get a drink at the bar but it worked out in the end. The DJ played good music and only played clips of songs which was nice.
Overall, my friends and I had a great time at the bar. I look forward to going in the future for drinks and to eat the food since I enjoyed the appetizers. I wish I would have known about the bar prior to New Years!
I wanted to like this place, I really did. So many of my friends go here for drinks, and so when I was back in town, a group of us went for drinks. We get there and it's half full, but still we waited for five minutes for a hostess. We gave up and went to one of many empty booths behind the bar, where we waited ten minutes for a server. So, a few of us went to the bar to get our own drinks. Then the server comes over (after 12 minutes) and chastises us for not getting seated by a hostess and getting drinks at the bar. After explaining to her we waited for her for ten minutes, she rolls her eyes. I told her that we'd be happy to get a next round from her. Welp, she never showed up. She was just socializing with the other staff.
Sorry, but the service here was laughable, oh, and my Grey Goose and soda was ALL soda. This place is not only a ripoff, but the people working there are unprofessional and quite rude.
Good place to watch the game (tv's everywhere) and listen to a lil Zeppelin during commercials. The breakfast was sweet....banana french toast was yummy! Drinks...just a'ight. I asked for the peach bellini and it was served with grapefruit ...interesting flavor but the waitress tried really hard to convince me that it was peach flavored until she tried it. It made for a good joke with her our entire visit. (she was a good sport!) No diversity in the crowd WHAT SO EVER (no brown people or yellow for that matter...lol) but friendly...snowflake boys love me. lol In a pinch I would visit again but not necessary!
Review Source:This place is great for brunch and happy hours. The Mac n cheese is pretty addicting. What I really like here is the music during the day and evening. They play some of the lesser known bands and other indie bands. However, come around night. It's a different place. It's a clubbish scene with terrible cheesy house music. It gets really crowded and getting a drink nearly impossible.
Review Source:HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS PLACE?!? Srsly.
First of all, right when you walk in the decor is awesome. Dark wood, cute little bar in the front, huge bar, cute little picturesque booths for two.
I was in love.
Not only did I love it - but clearly it loved me cuz I partook in every aspect I visually enjoyed. Grabbed a drink at the main bar.brought the drink to the super cute lil bar by the door while waiting for a table. Our name is called and we are led to....the cutest draped off little inset booth for two!!!! Made. My. Night!
We decided to let our waitress pick out our cheese and cured meats. There were a bunch of interesting things on the menu that I would love to go back and try.
Can't wait till I get out to OTS again!!!
This place is a complete scam. Myself, my sister and our friend were all three overcharged while standing in the bar area ordering drinks. The first  scamming was for a Stella ($6) and Greenbush ($6).  I handed the bartender a $20 and he gave me back $5 singles. When I confronted him he replied, "oh I guess you're right". The next was $16 for an $8 gin and tonic. The third and final scamming (final in the sense that I will never comeback to this ripoff shithole) was $50 for three vodka tonics ($24). This wasn't a case of accidental overcharging. This was a blatant attempt to rip people off. Bottom line: AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS.
Review Source:Old Town Social has good burgers, sides and drinks. In fact, very good food. I would have given 5 stars for the food. Service was a bit slow, but it's understandable for Friday night. The crowd is bro/douchbaggy, not my kind of thing, but I can overlook that if I have good food and drinks with friends.
But I have a serious problem with the fact that bathroom attendants are middle age African Americans. I did not mill around too much in this place, but as it seemed like 99% of the guess were white and under 28. The only African Americans were bouncers and bathroom attendants. No servers or bartenders, why is that?
Yes, someone is going to make the argument that the bathroom attendants do need those jobs, and it is a job too. Okay, true, but it feels wrong. It makes me cringe someone handing me a paper towel asking me about my well being.
It's 2012 people, not Gone with the Wind.
We went yesterday for my husbands birtday becuase we thought... oh their sunday brunch sounds fun and delicious. Also I had shot a commercial there once and thought he would enjoy the atmosphere. Well we walk in at 1130 and it has Nelly Furtatdo bumping like we were at a club... from 5 years ago. There were tons of booths but we got stuck at a high boy near the bar without asking if we wanted to sit at the bar.
We left. Â Im sure that If I was 21 and hung over this would be a great place to go. But even at 29 my husband was saying its not relaxing or enjoyable. They also need to redo the explanation of their brunch online. There is no band and warm vibe at all. But redescribe it as " If you left the club and arent finished yet... come on by"
What I really like: Â Decor, overall vibe and menu selection -
Good place to meet up with some friends after work or for a later evening of pub drinking in a nice atmosphere. Â It's not the kind of pub where your shoes will stick to the floor, but it's also not the place where you have to wear a short mini-dress and 5" heels to get in either. Â The booths around the outside are great for groups and the TVs that descend from the ceiling are pretty neat too - great for brunch if you want to watch a game. Â The menu has a gastropub selection of cheeses and charcuterie as well as some seasonal specials which is nice. Â As others have mentioned, the mac n' cheese is good and the heirloom tomato salad is good. Â Burgers were just ok.
What I don't like: Â Inconsistent service -
I've been here a few times, sometimes for drinks and recently for dinner with some friends, and it's hard to get someone's attention. Â For dinner, it's wasn't too crowded and we ordered a range of food over the evening for the table. Â Sometimes it took 20 minutes and sometimes an hour. Â I ordered a salad which came out promptly, but then it took more than 20 minutes to get flatware to eat it (our server never checked in, I asked the man controlling the TVs who asked the waitstaff twice before someone brought some by).
The mac & cheese is delicious! Mini hot dogs were alright, but I probably won't order them again. Loved the fried pickles and my waffles with sausage were delicious.
The manager (owner? No idea who he was, but definitely not just a server) came up and offered his own hangover remedy to one of our friends who was struggling particularly hard that morning. He also chatted with us about different places in Chicago that offer High Tea and other cool things that Americans don't usually experience. He was super friendly and we really enjoyed chatting with him for a bit. The service was exceptionally slow...it took us about 30 minutes to have someone come and take our orders. We were hungover and hungry, so that really didn't fly with us. We even had to get up and go ask for a pitcher of water! Good thing our waitress paid a little more attention to us once our manager man came up and talked with us.
A neighborhood favorite! Â The options for beer are pretty much endless, and you can't go wrong with their cocktails either. Â The ambiance is great on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, though it does turn into more of a club-like spot at night. Â
Favorites include their bloody mary (the best I've had anywhere), the mac and cheese (also the best I've had anywhere), and their chicken salad. Â I've never ordered anything here that wasn't great, though. Â They put a lot of care into every bite!
AAAAAnd they have a really cool Oscar party every year!
A review coming from a girl in Denver!
On a recent trip to Chicago we went Old Town Social for a Sunday brunch before we had to fly out.
I'm so please with our choice. Â I had the french toast and can not stop thinking about it. Â GET IT.
Next time I'm in Chicago I plan on going back not only for brunch but for the night crowd as well. Â I hear it is pretty fun at night!!
Best brunch I think I've ever had! Plus it was the only thing I've eaten all day, it's 10pm and I'm still full. Anyway, we ordered a ton of food! There wasn't an empty spot on the table.
The cornbread was good, not dry. The beignets were tasty but I don't need to order them again. I had the Old Town breakfast: eggs, bacon, hash brown casserole and a biscuit! I ate it all. The hash browns had cheese baked in and were great. My sunny-side up eggs were some of the best I've had. My husband went with the biscuits and gravy and the mac and cheese. His entree looked a little small for him, but it filled him up. The mac and cheese had a few different types of cheese and was gooey and great. My mom had the sausage (made in house) and waffles, which she enjoyed. Throw in mimosas, bellinis, and a bloody mary ($12 is a little steep but you practically get a salad on the skewer in the drink) and we had a blast.
Plus the patio is dog friendly an extra plus!
I would like to go back soon for dinner and try their cheese and charcuterie plates.
This used to be the spot 2 years ago...standing in line to get in to a upscale bar and finding nothing worthy of the wait once inside...the usual of all hot spots in Chicago!
Wasn't too impressed back then and not that impressed now.
We actually went for dinner we started with fried pickles and pretzel balls with cheese and honey mustard. Â The pickles were great but the pretzel balls were tough and chewy. Â When the cheese sauce came out it had already solidified in it's tiny little cup. Â I had the asparagus salad which tasted like dirt maybe it was just to earthy for me but it seemed like it wasn't washed very well and the asparagus was drenched in a lemon vinaigrette that masked the true flavors. Â As a complimentary appetizer we go duck wings that were ok. Â The entrees seem average at best but pricey for their portions.
Over all not the best spot to have a meal but the drinks were pretty good.
Here's a quick little post on Friday's snow filled outting. Â We hit up Old Town Social once again. Â It seems to be our spot when we want something cozy and casual with delicious food. Â They really do a surprisingly good job there. Â I'm re-impressed every time I'm there.
Hot buttered rum by the fireplace seemed an appropriate way to start the evening.... and boy, oh boy was it tasty!
They do a ton of their own in-house charcuterie. Â Here's the summer sausage with a blue and some house made mustard pickled veg. Â They were excellent.
The beet salad was money! Â Spot on. Â Such great balance of flavors. Â The sweetness of the beets played so nicely with the strongly spiced (corriander, maybe?), lightly acidic pickled cauliflower, and the saltiness of the blue cheese. Â Perfectly dressed and perfectly seasoned. Â I would eat this again and again...
I also have a hard time resisting Brussels sprouts when they're on a menu. Â These were sauteed with house made pancetta... it's a classic combination for a reason. Â YUM!
The burger wasn't bad either. Â Best burger I've ever had? Â Nah.... but pretty good none the less. Â The bun was the best part: Â sturdy and nicely charred. Â The rest: Â kinda run-of-the-mill.
We went for brunch one snowy afternoon a while back, too. Â We had bloodies then. Â Really tasty more-like-an-appetizer bloodies. Â Smoky and zippy and tangy and spicy. Â Yummy.
The brisket sandwich was good. Â Not great, but good. Â Yes, that's an onion ring on top.
I enjoyed the chopped salad. Â I love the option of a good salad and other interesting non-wing, non-burger options at a bar... and these guys do that well. Â I sooooo appreciate it!
I think the thing I like the most about Old Town Social is the variety of their well balanced menu.  And it's not just good on paper.  The execution of the food is surprisingly good.  Couple that with the female-friendly decor that still somehow manages to remain a man's man kind of bar and I'm impressed.  They've somehow managed to make it cool for both dudes and discerning (OK, fine... snobby  ) girls like myself.  It's my favorite "bar" around.
Having tried some more foodstuffs here, I would like to give them appropriate and deserved love.
Duck wings: I have never had duck wings but I LOVE, I mean LOVE me some buffalo chicken wings. These duck wings, however, were quite a surprise to my chicken wing- accustomed palate. They were so tender! I could eat them in one bite, the meat fell off so easily. The seasoning was spicy and could have gone without sauce, but if you order these, go for the ranch other than the dill stuff they provide.
Mussels: I have to try mussels whenever they're on a menu, and I'm really happy to say that OTS did not disappoint! First of all, for the price you pay (under $15) you get even more than you'll find at any nice restaurant in the city. What's more to brag about is that the meat was actually good and they were quite big. The sauce was perfect, nothing mind-blowing, but it did the trick and there was plenty of it. The toasted bread was great, too.
Old Town Social has been accused--and in all reality does stand guilty--of trying to be a lot of things at once. A laid-back sports bar and restaurant during the day. A trendy lounge with table service up front. A lively bar after dark that would feel more at home in River North, complete with bouncers, DJ, and trendy decor. It even takes a stab at catering to beer snobs and oenophiles with its extensive drink list and charcuterie-centric menu. Based on about 10 separate experiences, however, OTS seems to do each pretty darn well.
As a bar, OTS has quite a few things going for it. While typically crowded, there is a quieter back bar, side booths, and a cool lounge area with (slow) waitress service in front if you don't feel like standing in the crowded main bar area. There's a great beer list, inventive cocktails, and I have to give points for the somewhat haphazard but nevertheless beautiful decor. On a more mixed note, the music is skewed towards indy rock which, while different, does tend to kill the dancing vibe. All in all, a nice change-up from the rest of the pubs and sports bars typical of the Old Town bar scene without being overly pretentious.
As for the restaurant, the charcuterie is quite good, as are most of the other small dishes I've tried--standouts include the potted rillete, spicy duck wings, and (can't believe I'm saying this) the grilled chicken breast salad. Being able to order all this at a bar at midnight, however, is just about priceless. The service is definitely spotty, but not awful for a bar moonlighting as a restaurant.
If you hate sports bars, avoid OTS during the day. If you hate the whole beer/wine & cheese themed restaurant thing, re-think your life, then avoid OTS for dinner. If you hate trendy bars, avoid OTS after dark. For everyone else, I'll see you at the corner of North & Cleveland this weekend.
Lifted direct from Old Town Social's website:
* 23 Large Format Flat Screens & Projection Screens
* Gamy Day DJ's
* 193 Beers
* NFL & NCAA Football
* Game Day Food & Drink Specials
* Housemade Charcuterie
Can you say "one of these things is not like the other..."?
I'm ultimately just befuddled by what Old Town is trying to be. Everything to everyone? Nothing to someone? Something to know-nothings?
The housemade charcuterie, artisan cheese, potted rilette, whipped lardo, chicken liver mousse, finocchiona-loving patron sure ain't the same type of individual who gives a flying summer-sausage-shite about a Game Day Dee-Jay. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are foodie football lovers aplenty, but they still aren't the same folk that want to enjoy a relatively pricey Ploughman's Platter dinner aside the trixie in the sequin dress who clearly just came here to get ploughed.
Don't get me wrong, my dinner experience was decent. Loved a few things (The Charcuterie. All of it. Winning. Duh). Was lukewarm on a few more (Spicy Duck Wings, Warm Pretzel Bites). And was positively turned off by the tons of tvs and crowd that was here to assemble around them.
A Bears game day with bar snacks like Branschwieger and cow's milk Brie sure don't sound bad, but a date night here? Do not recommend.
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