Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom

Reviews 5

AN

Andrew Keller

I live less than a mile from this Old C, so when I bought my place, I was glad to have a restaurant where I could get some reliably decent food after a long day, and a beer (or 4) to alleviate some of the anguish and near physical pain caused by yet another infuriating, walking-pace drive in I-25/6th Ave rush hour traffic. I will admit that Im not the most patient of men, but I do consciously strive to give overworked restaurant staff the benefit if the doubt when it comes to timeliness. Timeliness: Herein lies my beef with this particular OC location I have ordered ahead many times from this location, am provided a pickup time, arrive 10 minutes after said time, and STILL been forced to wait another 15 minute. Furthermore, while it may be a different animal than to-go tickets, they have equally huge problems with time management seating and serving the front of the house. When Ive just spent the last 45 minutes going the grand distance of 9 miles to pick up an order I made an hour prior... Yeah, Im unlikely to project an attitude recalling sunshine and rainbows. Lastly, the attitude and lip I received from the hostess in return for politely mentioning my frustration reached the peak of hyperbole; No, Mr. Millennial, I dont think that asking for a manager because Im unhappy I had to wait 20 minutes for a salad I ordered an hour ago could be considered criminal harassment. In conclusion: PROS 1. The food is consistently decent. And you cant really screw up alcohol. 2. The atmosphere is usually chill, and only occasionally too boisterous (maybe Im just old now), and the upstairs bar and HUGE rooftop patio are freaking awesome, especially in the summer and fall. 3. The servers are friendly for the most part CONS 1. Horrible, horrendous, inhumanly slow food service, and apparently the back of the house and the front of the house either exist in separate realities and they pass food and info through a randomly appearing rent in spacetime, or they use smoke signals and covered wagons for transport and communication. 2. Did I mention the slow service? 3. Lotta employees just standing around... Are they hired solely for ambiance? Are their heads permanently stuck in the downward "checking Snapchat" position for, like, ever evaaaahhhhh? 4. Oh yeah. Dont expect to get your food in a timely manner.

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BE

Ben Fischer

Hate it! Went in for one single beer at 1:15am. 5 bartenders, just wanting one beer and go home but couldnt bc it was too "late." We understand you want to go home, but you have forever missed our business and gratitude.... Writing this at Jose OSheas with the bartenders Jamie and Rob. They thank you for their business... We will be here from now on. Btw, its 1:55 and we are still here. ***UPDATE*** (12/15) It seems Old Chicago is a weathering a recent cold atmosphere, and warming up in time for winter. Im leaving this old review up to show how much change has happened since I wrote that comment. I recently got my dining surprise and wanted to share the effort being made by Old Chicago. First off, go see Rachael. Shes nice, professional, fun to have for a waiter, and guys... Shes cute. Cant beat that, right?! Her personality and ability to handle a large amount of tables and leaves no one waiting has restored my faith in their staff. Second, teamwork was there. The manager was on the floor delivering food and drinks for guests. The bartender was helpful and attentive when I had a question about a seasonal beer. No waiting whatsoever. Teamwork is the backbone of a restaurants success. Having them work together and with smile on is a huge improvement. Dont mean to sound like a douche, but my last few experiences were less than friendly. I let the manager know I made a bad review, but his team that night would change my review. Great work O.C.! Ill be making my late shift beer with them again real soon.

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CO

Corey Scott

Fantastic beer selection, awesome loyalty program, and in the last couple of years theyve really stepped up the food quality. Its not standard, reheated frozen Sysco bar food. They make even things like chicken tenders fresh in house. Good fresh veggies and salads that are much more substantial than cheap ice burg side salads you find at a lot of pizza places. The pizza is NOT Chicago style deep dish, but its tasty (try the new ale crust) and the all-you-can-eat pizza bar at lunch is a good deal. The burgers and sandwiches are good too, and if youre looking for an alternative to standard fries, I recommend choosing a cup of their chicken green chili as your side. Its great! This location is used as a training spot for managers who will work at other Old Chicago locations, which I think makes the already friendly and attentive staff that much more focused on great service. Old Chicago is definitely still a chain restaurant and sports bar, but its had and shoulders above place like Chilis or Applebees in my opinion, particularly if youre a beer drinker. Its not where I go for a fancy night out, but for a beer and a burger, a cheap all-you-can-eat lunch or a family pizza night, this place is tough to beat.

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GL

Glen Gibson

I went there for the first time in years for a retirement party. It was pretty tame. We all sat on the main patio outside. Lots of older friends in their 60s. I sat down and started to converse and after 10 minutes asked how I could get a beer and was there a waiter? The table grumbled that they hadnt seen him in a while. After 20 minutes, I got up, went to the bar and bought my own beer and mentioned that we didnt have a waiter outside. As I came back I saw a young man very overwhelmed trying to distribute bills to the folks who had arrived before me. I thought oh good, Ill order some food. As soon as he distributed the checks he left. I tried yelling out to him but he was inside quickly. So I finished my beer, congratulated my friend and went next door to Tokyo Joes for dinner. I even joked, "hey, Im gonna go, I need to get something to eat." Two stars instead of one because the bartender inside was polite and the beer was good. I think we got a dud waiter that management threw at us. I feel, when people are overwhelmed, its because they are not trained or arent the right person for the job.

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JE

Jenni McKernan

Wow what a mess this place is!! First we are told 30 minute wait. Can we sit in the bar? If you can find a spot yes. Find a spot in the bar, waiter "you cant sit there if there is a wait list." Ok stand next to table in bar drinking our beers. 15 minutes later sit back down. Immediately chased out of chairs by another wait staff. OK we will stand. 3 minutes later ok now you can sit where you were trying to sit. 2 hours later watched 5 spots never get cleaned and sat and watched a couple get kicked out next to us for seating themselves. Still havent seated anyone else there. Meanwhile lobby is full of people waiting looking at these open seats. If I was a waiter here relying on tip income I would throw a fit. And then icing on the cake is this is a training site. I feel bad for anyone trained in the food service industry here. #poormanagement #horribleguestservices #terriblehosts PS on the way out 3 hostesses had smart ass attitudes. #timetocleanhouse #verypatientexcellentwaiter.

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