Square One

We found this place just walking around and stumbled in. The service was quick and the prices seem fair.
The seats are kinda comfortable, could be better.
Drink selection was good. Many classics and some original drinks.
This would be a good beginning or end for a date night.

Went to order a second drink off the cocktail list and was told no cocktails were no longer being served. Waiters, and staff were mad it was busy on a Saturday night. Panini was gross, guy making them dried off the plates with his shirt. There is no kitchen, its just a corner with toaster ovens, a slow cooker and a sweaty guy who hates his job.

I met up with an old coworker while in Chicago who had gone on about this great wine bar that he had gone to while in Florida. It was a self serve wine bar, we have those in San Diego, so I thought that there must be one in Chicago! I fired up my search engine and my Unilocal app and I looked around for one and found this place. Fast forward, they don’t do it anymore. They do NOT use the self-​serve wine taps here anymore as of at least May 2016. They are still here but they are not in use. The bartender says that he doesn’t remember when they were operational last.
Betrayed by the search for self service wine bars!!! Oh well, it looked like they had a good whiskey and bourbon selection, and we walked all the way over here, we may as well have a drink.
This place has an industrial loft feel softened by some lounge style couches and an electric fireplace. I also spotted some board games and the Nintendo in case you get bored. Not a very large place, they advertised their drink and food offerings on the large chalk boards around the space.
They have a nice cocktail menu and I asked the bartender to help me choose from a short list of the cocktails and I ended up with the Vanilla Bourbon Smash. Similar to an old fashioned, but instead of sugar, vanilla is used and they add gran gala along with the bitters and orange peel garnish. I have to say it was very tasty and not too sweet.

I love Square One. This place is beautiful, they have specials all week and it’s always a great value. Come here for great cocktails (or cheap Tuesday night wine), stay for the board games and cozy fireplace seating.

Great place but it’s not as upscale as it looks. Once you realize it’s more casual it’s lots of fun. But don’t go there for a fancy night out. There are good drinks and lots of fun board games and even a Nintendo to play.

I’ve been to Square One about four times over the past year so obviously there is something that draws me back other than it’s like the only decent lounge for at least a half mile. The cocktails are good. I usually opt for a sazerac or old-​fashioned. Service was prompt, polite, and very helpful (thanks to Alexis, our server). The arugalah salad was excellent and enough for two to share along with lamb sausage, cheese, and a small bowl of tasty olives.
Parking can possibly be a hassle but for whatever reason I’ve always been really lucky and parked on the street for free within 100′ of the door (after ten at night).

Came in randomly on a Friday night with some friends. They have a great menu of specialty drinks which are reasonably priced & nice selection of meats and cheeses and a chill atmosphere. Great way to top off a late weekend night. The venue is intimate, but is spacey due to the high ceiling. Parking is not bad around 10 pm onwards.

This is a great local bar with a great whiskey selection. The vibe is very good for a lounge style. I will go back.

I wanted to patronize this joint… the photos make it look so upscale. Baby bye… pictures do lie. I went in and was willing to give it a try until I went to the restroom. OMG!!! So disgusting. It looked as though the toilet nor sink had ever been cleaned. I looked at the menu and every drink was $ 12 and up! If your going to be expensive and swank, can I get a clean bathroom!!! I left. Bye!!!

This place is great. James Bond inspired drinks. The owner Ron is ok. Have a Max Zorin they are good and refreshing.
Ron is actually a pretty cool guy just do not tell him said that.

I really want to support this place — They have a good wine selection — and a laid back comfortable atmosphere — but the staff needs work. Went by last weekend, the place was maybe ½−¾ full… We couldn’t get the waitress to give us our check, finally flagged down another waiter who brought our check… looked at the bill, then put in a credit card placed it on the table and waited… stood it up so the credit card was more visible and waited… decided we had enough cash to pay the bill and a small tip, and just handed it to another bartender… If you can’t handle the rush of a half full room (and it was too cold for anyone to be at the outside tables) not sure how long you are going to be around…

Went there on Friday… ordered the meat and cheese tray. It was awful. Cheese had horrible odor & meats where spoiled. Then ordered a pizza. Dough was under cooked and mushy. Very disappointed. Told the server about it and argued back that’s how the cheese is suppose to be. Staff was rude and we will never go back

This place used to be good but has really gone downhill. We live in the area and used to go there all of the time for the craft cocktails and good service. Now the service is awful (especially one female bartender with a nose piercing who ignored us most of the time and then yelled at us the last time I visited). The drinks are barely decent these days when you can actually get a bartender to pay attention to you. We haven’t gone back since that last time since the service and atmosphere was awful.

This place is a nice décor but they should replace the bar staff. Especially the girl with blue hair. I don’t understand how bartender can be so nasty, unkind to customers that pay and give tips. So suggestion: just go to any other bar in the area if you want to have good time!

I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to bars. As long as the place is clean (relatively), has cold beer, attentive bartenders, and no one cabbage patching on speaker boxes, then I’m in. Square One covered all my bases and added a friendly crowd.

It’s a different type of lounge. It’s very casual and intimate. I love the Tiffany blue walls and the white curtains and the food and drinks are more on the fancy side. I don’t see a lot of draft beers. I like how they have games laying around, so you can start a board game and just chit chat with a glass of wine in your hand.

Stopped in for a drink with my sis tonight. I love the décor and the ambience of the place.
Drinks: We both ordered the old fashioned… It was a lil sweet, but good.
Food: meat and cheese tray was good. Got to take more risks next time tho. Lol
Will def be back!

Square One is a great spot to start the night. Drink specials are good after work and the pizzas are a great addition to the original cheese and meat offerings!
The only negative I have is that Square One often seems to run out of the special beers listed on their menu.

We were pretty undemanding, sitting at a table outside and drinking a modest amount of beer. Nonetheless, the place didn’t seem totally able to meet our demands. Our server, while affable, was not super-​responsive. And more distressingly, they were out of a lot of beers, and the substitution the server recommended was a terrible idea. (No, Hoegaarden is not «close to an IPA.»)
Luckily, the company was excellent.

Two words: «Old Fashioned.» That was my libation last night, and one word: «Delectable.» A quick perusal of the reviews here: Unilocalers seem to have bipolar reactions. I guess I’ve been lucky. I’ve been here about ten times over the past couple years, in winter and in summer, inside and outside, by the window and by the fireplace, at tables and at the bar, in sickness and in health… You get the picture. I’ve always had a good experience. I usually come during non-​popular hours, on weeknights, and the service has always been friendly. Last night, at 7:30 on a Friday, there was no problem getting a table, with those always-​comfy chairs.
The inside is unique: the place seems almost as tall as it is wide, and it’s fun to see what movie they have silently playing on the big screen on the wall, when there is a lull in your conversation. Did I say comfy? And with music low enough to hear my compadres? Outdoor tables on 14^th rather than Michigan give you a chance to people watch without all the traffic noise.
I almost exclusively come here to drink, though I do remember having a good platter of charcuterie and queso once or twice. I’ve never tried the self-​serve wine on the wall, but I always mean to. Funny, they’ve never mentioned it when ordering, though. Then again, I tend towards their cocktails. I’m glad it’s in the neighborhood, as am I.