The Option Room

It’s a convenient place for the futures & options in the area, hence «The Option Room» and it’s a more upscale version of the bars on the street. Drinks are good, but the mind-​numbing house music makes me think this is a night club at 2:00 pm.

I was at this bar last night for a group meet up and the service was awful. We were supposed to have a server in our area, because the organizer had agreed to sell a certain amount of drinks, but we didn’t. During the 3 hours we were there I only saw bus staff and had to order all of my drinks at the bar. Everyone else was in the same situation and ended up ordering at the bar and maintaining separate tabs. There were about 25 people there and the drinks are super overpriced so we definitely spent the $ 400 or were really close. At the end of the night the bartender tried to charge the group $ 265 as though all 25 of us had only purchased $ 135 of drinks. No one could produce a list of what we had been given credit for (they weren’t really keeping track at all) and just made up a number. They’re rude and liars. Avoid this place, the beer list is small, the service is awful and the pours are terrible.

Not good, not horrible, limited drinks menu. HOWEVER. The server/​bartender Armando was a condescending liar. We had reserved part of the back room, promising (via credit card) to spend at least $ 400. There were between 22 and 25 people who showed up at our gathering who all either paid cash or had their own tabs. At the end of the evening Armando presented us with a bill for $ 265. As in, we’ve already charged your credit card because your group only drank $ 135 worth of drinks. We made every effort to contest the charges, asked for some kind of paper tally, used logic and math and reasoning, and after about 20 minutes of back-​and-​forth, Armando VERY begrudgingly agreed to charge us «only» $ 180.
So no written accounting of who spent what. Just Armando’s word that he was busy but he remembers who drank what, and oh yeah, some people didn’t drink anything and he had to turn people away because our group was taking up all of the back room. No acknowledgement that *maybe* he’d made a mistake, or that he was sorry and he’d be more than happy to try to work something out with the manager.
One of us immediately wrote an email to the manager, Ivan Torres, detailing what had occured. I’m fairly certain we can kiss that $ 180 goodbye. I’m not even sure we’ll get an apology. I don’t pretend to know anything about running a bar and I want to be sympathetic. But I can’t help feeling like we got scammed.
In conclusion, I’ll never go back. I’ll tell everyone I know about what happened. What an awful way to run a business. Zero stars, unless there’s a way to give negative stars.

Terrible. Dirty, shit drinks, shit tap list. Owner and bartenders always shit faced. I had to create an account just to warn people. Your better off going to ceres

Love! Staff are great! Come here prior to getting on the Rock. They also make great cocktails!

One of my favorite places to go after work for a cocktail. Has a great atmosphere, and a good crowd. Also, it’s close to my office, and in the way to the train.

Awesome spot to have a drink & escape the craziness of some of the other bars nearby (Brando’s, Ceres, Skyline Tap). Nice & quiet, and they seem to have solid drink specials whenever I stop by.

A refined but comfortable space in the shadow of the Chicago Board of Trade, the Option Room is my best hope for a quieter place to drink whiskey after work. Bartender Ivan was able to present a small selection of satisfying options (we had the Bulleit Rye and Rebel Yell) and puts together a fine Old-​Fashioned.

Walked by this place going to/​from work many times, finally decided to come here with a couple coworkers for drinks after work today after we couldn’t find a table at Ceres. Even though it was Friday and the place is small, we easily found a table and were promptly waited on by a friendly server. They made me one of the best vodka 7Ups I’ve ever had, if not THE best! Wonderful old architecture and relaxing atmosphere. Will definitely be back!

Eh, came here once with colleagues after work one day and was not impressed.
It is literally a bar– no kitchen or food made in house. They can order you pizza from a pizza place though… so I guess they got that going on.
Not impressed by the place, almost a forgetful place. I will not be back.

It’s way cleaner than it was back when this place was Martini Bar. The décor is spruced up and the service is more attentive… and it no longer smells like a bar that still allows smoking. There are some craft beers and cocktails although the draft list could be a little longer. I’m happy to put this place up against Franklin Tap for a place to grab a beer after work.