Cardozo’s Pub

Pretty much your typical dive bar, it’s located conveniently within the confines of «the loop». Not exactly a destination by any means, it’s more of a pitstop for refreshment on your way home commute.
Situated downstairs within the building, this place isn’t much to look at. Cheap drinks, poor beer selection, and some daily grease specials to choose from, it has all the ingredients of a hole in the wall that you might visit after a rough day in the office.
I’d probably never come again, only because there’s so many other great pubs in the area. If you need a quick quench and you walk on by though, this place definitely serves its purpose!

I have a few good things to say about Cordozo’s; the Loop location is very good, service was also pretty good, and I was so happy to find a place that could seat our party of 7 at 5:30 on a Thursday night. Being from out-​of-​town, I was pretty shocked to see our first two choices (Monk’s and Randolph’s I think were their names) on a wait this early on a weekday evening. I think it might have something to do with the theaters nearby? Not sure. Anyway, I learned my lesson about planning ahead and getting a reservation.
Now back to Cordozo’s. It’s a humble, downstairs bar, really. The back room where we sat was decorated amusingly with color printouts of random celebrities — Obama, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson, etc. In a more notable establishment these would have been real photos signed by the person. Here they were color printouts on letter size paper with a dollar store frame. Total investment: $ 1.10 each I’d guess.
So with a name like Cordozo’s, there would be some kind of ethnic specialties on the menu, but no, to my recollection, the menu featured very standard bar food. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and cheese. It was fine. The fries were fine. I tried my wife’s buffalo chicken salad. The chicken was breaded, possibly previously frozen, but definitely not very good.
The beer selection is lacking. More craft beers would be a big plus. I had a Guinness, which came in a nice size 20 oz glass. At least the first one did, the next one came in a pint, so 20% less for the same price. Hmmm.
When I come back to Chicago, I’ll make reservations somewhere else so I don’t have to come back to Cordozo’s. It’s not awful, but places like this are why Unilocal has the meh rating. If you live in the neighborhood and want to have a beer and hang with your friends, it would be fine.

I love this place because it’s a tiny little remnant of the Chicago I grew up in. Haimishe atmosphere, warm and friendly wood-​paneled spot full of people sitting down to have a good time with their friends. Chicken breast sandwich hits the spot. Waitress is blunt and hilarious.

Dive bar. Down stairs and cold. Watered down beer and mediocre beer. Okay but not great

Was in town for the weekend and saw the Groupon. Great I thought. Check Unilocal for hours, open until 10 on Friday. Still great. Bought the Groupon, showed up at 6:40, the place is locked up tight. Not so great. Groupon for Chicago restaurant in Indy — worthless.

Cardozo’s is a hidden gem in The Loop. I’m always able to get in and out in just over a half hour during lunch rush, 12 – 1. The patty melt is to die for, our server always remembers us and our specific order. The soda is kind of bar-​like… so you’re better off getting a drink-​drink or water. Prices are great. It’s nice to get out of the rush of The Loop into a homey-​like pub.

Last week I had the misguided idea of using a Groupon to visit Cardozo’s. The waitress was lovely, but that is where the charm of this place ends. The food is expensive and bland. I ordered a Rueben and it was served on the smallest pieces of rye bread you can imagine. These were from sort of mini loaf — not the standard wide rye most people are used to.
The atmosphere was rather depressing. It kinda makes you want to examine your life choices up to this point, because something has clearly gone wrong.
The ceilings are low — not recommended if you have any sort of dislike of small enclosed spaces. The bathrooms probably haven’t been inspected in ages. The manager has all the charm of a bag of scorpions. The establishment itself is about as Italian as a Digiorno pizza.
I will never go back to Cardozo’s — even if there were free drinks all night long. There are no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Standard issue pub, and surprisingly expensive for how non-​stylish and basic it is. I was surprised at what a large tab we ran up. Apparently the bartenders don’t know that time honored tradition of slinging a free drink for every oh, 4 or 5 purchased. I thought that was sort of weird.
It smells kind of weird too. The drinks are small. The food is average. You don’t notice it at street level, as it’s just a door with stairs behind.
Come to think of it, this place is not that great. I doubt I’d go back, given the plethora of joints to hang out at in this area.

Great place for a quick bite to eat or drink, basement bar. Staff was really friendly.

Excellent place for lunch its a small restaurant/​dive bar very nice people the other lady idk manager owner off the boat Itallian woman very hospitable and friendly great food great service highly recommend this place if you are in the area

I love Cardozo’s!!! I always get their pub burger, its a big @$$ cheeseburger with fries on the side, I get it cooked medium with mozarella, cheddar cheese and bacon, OMG its so juicy and delicious. If its at lunch I order to go and get in in like 10 to 15 minutes, and if its after work, ill go in and have a beer or two and it only comes out to about 20 bucks which is perfect. I love this place and will continue to go here. I also love that its underground, its an older place, kinda divey, but I feel like I fit in there and im not worried about people watching me eat like a pig lol!!!

Cardozo’s Pub is one of these places that you don’t notice when you are walking down the street. You only see a doorway and a flight of stairs leading down to some strange subterranean grotto beneath the busy streets of the Loop.
Let’s go back a few months so I can tell you my story; and as my readers know, my stories are often weird…
Last fall, Mrs B and I decided to go into the Loop on «Black Friday,» to take in an opera and do a little holiday shopping. I, as always, wanted to find a discount, so I found a Groupon deal for Cardozo’s. It said they were open on weekdays during the day and evening — so it would be a convenient stop for us. So, we get there, and the place is closed — even though the sign on the door clearly states that they should be open. I take out my cellphone and try to call them, but nobody answers. So, we found another place for lunch and — gasp! — had to pay full price: a near-​mortal sin.
During that lunch, I phoned Groupon to gripe, and I got a message that my call would be promptly answered in 45 minutes. Fie!
I called Groupon a few days later, and their «customer service» people had to research the issue. They got back with me and told me that Cardozo decided to close for the day, but I could use my Groupon for its full value until some day in December, or use the original $ 10 I paid afterwards. Not too groovy.
The Groupon languished under a magnet on our refrigerator for several weeks, until I found that I had to go downtown on some personal business. So, I was able to use the $ 10 that I sent Groupon.
On to the subject of Cardozo. Others are spot on that this is really a bar that offers a limited menu of sandwiches and simple entrees. I was not particularly hungry, so I just ordered a hangerber and a soda.
The place is a warren of small rooms with no uniform theme nor architectural creativity. There are framed photos of show business personalities attached to the wall and a few miscellaneous posters. They still had their Xmas lights strewn on the ceiling. Frankly, you would expect this in any typical dive bar.
Although the place was pretty empty, service was slow, and the waitress seemed to have disappeared for most of my tenure there. They did give me a basket which contained one slice of day-​old bread and some crackers that must have been on the Mayflower (stale).
The burger was OK, it was served with the obligatory slices of tomato, onion, and lettuce with a serving of French fries, Neither was greasy, thank you.
Although they served me an 8 ounce glass of ice with a little bit of pop in it, they charged extra for refills. As Rocky would say, «Smoley Hokes!»
So, I was a little disappointed with my experience there, and I have to assign Cardozo’s a below-​average rating.

Probably my favorite dive bar in the city. It’s usually not crowded, so the servers can stay pretty attentive. The typical bar food is pretty good, and they make the martinis strong. Very good place to meet friends after work if you’re not trying to impress anyone.

Good food, fast service.
Nothing too fancy about this place but it’s a good stop when you’re tired of shopping in the loop.
My wife and I went on a Tuesday and had the buffalo burger special with fries and we were seated and served within 20 minutes. Waitress was great and didn’t bat an eye when we told her that we had a groupon like previous reviews.

I bought a Groupon here, because I knew one day I would not have time to bring myself lunch to work and might to step out of the office and take a lunch elsewhere. It was perfect for a place to grab food prior to a trip. They have a pretty decent sized menu. I sat at the bar and got the Chopped Southwest Salad Bowl and got the Avocado Tuna Salad special to go, and that was pretty filling for my plane ride. It was decent, but what bumps this up to 4 stars was the service. The server was great with the recommendation and was very easy going and didn’t even complain when the wrong order came out. She quickly got it changed and had a great attitude about it. My water was always quickly refilled. This would be a great spot for a happy hour and to just chill.

A fine spot to relax and grab a drink and some bar food. You’ll completely forget that you’re in the middle of the Loop, and that can be a good thing if you need to park it and stretch out for a minute. I’ve been here a few times and I’d be back. It’s a great alternative to the fancier and pricier bars and restaurants in the neighborhood.

The fact that I came here is a clear example of the fact that I’ll try anything once– especially if there’s a groupon deal for it. My friend and I hesitantly walked down the steps to the basement and it smelled like a stale grandparent basement. They apparently updated their look, but you wouldn’t know it. We sat down and perused their small menu and decided on a steak sandwich and buffalo chicken salad. My friend ordered the salad and it came with a pitcher of dressing– they don’t do the ramekin thing here, oh no, it was a full gravy pitcher of dressing. I almost wanted to ask for extra dressing, because she clearly didn’t have enough.
My steak sandwich was pretty meh, but what did I expect from a dive bar, right? the garlic bread it was on was pretty soggy and the steak was nothing to get excited about, though I will credit the chef for having cooked it to my order. The fries were pretty bland and made for a lower calorie situation because I didn’t bother to eat them. I’m glad I tried this pub because I walk by here all the time and it has been a curiosity to me, but I will be steering clear with so many other great options for food and drink around the city.

Had a Groupon and went here for lunch. Nice little dive bar located on Washington (you walk in, go downstairs). Seems like a place where regulars frequent. Service was okay, nothing spectacular.
Corned Beef sandwich I had was really good. Seems to be one of their most popular sandwiches. Ive also had a chicken sandwich which was a little overcooked and dry. Overall its a quick lunch spot and I wouldn’t expect much else more. And if you get the Groupon its well worth the price.

Dropped by for lunch today, to use up my $ 20 Groupon. Sometimes, I find deals on Groupon and I’m introduced to places that I eventually visit regularly. Cardozo’s Pub is not that place.
The fish and chips special was my first mistake. The chips were actually pretty good and Cardozo’s certainly gives you plenty of them. But the fish was pretty bland. Even the tartar sauce on the side was pretty bland. Because I showed up alone, I ordered a second entrée to help use up the $ 20. I got a turkey club to go… and I should have walked away when I was told that they were out of all sliced bread (I’m not kidding – no wheat, no white, no rye). The options were a French loaf, or a hamburger bun. Laughing, I went with the loaf; I just finished the sandwich and it was pretty bad. Yes, it had turkey, lettuce, bacon, mayo… but, the turkey was bad, the bread wasn’t great, and even with the mayo, it was all pretty dry.
Not only was my meal poor, but Cardozo’s doesn’t serve dessert. I have a major sweet tooth, and this is America, so I don’t know how you don’t serve dessert at a sit-​down restaurant in this country. I won’t be back!

I felt like I was a closet drinker when I came here last week. It’s dark with no windows and creepy older men are hitting on the girls at the bar.
I didn’t order any food but the drinks were fine. Service could have been nicer. We were looking for our waitress the entire time and kind of rude when we asked her to explain the charges. I got over charged for my beer too. Since when does $ 5 glass of Stella equal $ 11 on a check?