Towbar

Acceptable coffee, acceptable food, acceptable service. The place has changed owners and is in a bit of an identity crisis. The poor guy working there during the day is alone and clearly dislikes his job. Seems to have little interest in getting to know his customers — I guess he figures he and the café won’t be there long, so why invest the energy. I’ve tried talking with him a few times, but I go there 2 – 3 times a week, and would expect him to be a little friendlier by now. That is part of what makes a café special. I go there often because it is convenient, but it isn’t particularly warm or inviting. There is nothing particularly special about the food, coffee, service, or atmosphere — it is all just very average, and thus no real reason to go here other than that it’s convenient. Which isn’t much if a compelling reason. I want to like this place, but it seems to be hard for me to do so.

My friend and I were hungry and in need of outlets our first morning in Chicago so referred to Unilocal.The reviews were good and the photos looked good but the place was kind of a let down for me.
We split the scramble on a bagel. The scramble was well done but the bagel was mediocre and neither crispy nor doughey (why was it yellow, I wonder). We also had the bacon wrapped asparagus, which was actually pretty good. Unfortunately, for such a drab and slightly unkept place, the price was high.
The coffee was mediocre as well but I needed something to keep me warm and caffeinated. The sole employee in the front was nice enough but extremely casual, which I am not sure is a good thing.

Friday lunch time. Only three food options: tomato soup, grilled cheese and humus. Ok coffee but the very limited food selection and not so great interior disappointed. I will look for different coffee place in the neighborhood.

I used to love this place but apparently they changed ownership and now it’s awful. We just spent an hour waiting for our food, and only one other table ordered food. Where the croque madames used to come covered in amazing cheese, it’s now just Texas Toast covered in bechamel sauce – so why the hour wait? I get that croque madames are supposed to have the bechamel, but I came here for their version of it, and now it’s changed to something bland and gross.

Nice spot to grab a drink. Got a well priced Gin and tonic on a quiet Wednesday, nice ambience. Cool décor and good music selection that doesn’t impose on conversing with friends. Josh the bartender was friendly and attentive and made sure I was welcome.

Apparently there are new owners, so we decided to try Towbar again. Food is still pretty good. We felt bad because only a bartender was working (at 11:30 on a Sunday), and she had to take care of everyone. We didn’t fault her for the dirty tables, not giving us silverware, or bringing our coffees without cream, sugar, or spoons. The food arrived quickly, and it was nice that a small fruit salad came before our brunch entrée. Since we weren’t in a hurry, it was fine, but we won’t be in a hurry to return.

Most amazing food I have had traveling. I have eaten here 2 days in a row and will be back tomorrow. Their risotto is on point and their prosciutto crepes were heaven!!!

I was searching some good breakfast spots around Rogers Park, so i saw this place has amazing reviews.
For my bad luck i went to this place at 10 am to got some breakfast and the guy in the counter told me that i have i to wait because the chef just arrived to the place, well you guys serve breakfast after 11am? Its a joke?

I missed something. I was a little disappointed having read some really solid reviews and having the mediocre experience I had. Solid coffee but served out one of those big upright hand pump thermoses so refills were sporadic. The fried pickles were upsetting. Lightly battered spare with no dipping sauce and an unaffected raw/​pungent inside. The kale burger was funky. The restaurant had no ketchup, but to compensate the server said it had a radish ketchup already on it. There were no radishes or sweet tangy sauce on that leafy kale veggie burger. I didn’t finish the pickles or the burger– and I ALWAYS finish my
food. Beer selection was solid but opposed to being a cute lil café like I had hoped, a soccer game was on and it became a sports pub with people yelling. Good I had my headphones with me.

Tow Bar has become a welcome weekend tradition. The creative breakfast specials like the delicious Scotch Egg or the Italian Croque Madame are fantastic. The other day I splurged and had a Screw Driver and the orange juice was fresh squeezed (?), yummy. AND, the pastries are fresh from Bennison’s (glazed croissant, save me one)
The servers always put me in a good mood for the day.

Fantastic food, incredible ambiance, and quality cocktails. What more could you want? How about amazing coffee, genial regulars, and the friendliest staff imaginable? Can’t wait to come back and work my way through the menu!

Perfect atmosphere. Big shoulders coffee in a big, round ceramic mug with real cream. Handsome barrista, an older British gent who has gloriously escaped hipsterdom. There’s a bar to sit at and a reasonable menu that’s got plenty of salads. This place is both bar and café. I want to hang out here every day. They also serve La Fin du Monde beer, which means they really know what they are doing and enjoying what they do.

Came here a second time. The kale burger with beets was amazing. I know it sounds hard to believe, but it’s true. The pretzel bun put it over the top. Great service and classic mellow tunes made for a good experience. It’s also super easy to get to from the red line.

Such a friendly staff, food was delish, and that coffee was out of this world! Will definetly return when I’m back in my hometown :)

This place has a serious identity crisis: is it a coffee shop? A bar? A counter-​service café? A full-​service restaurant? Who knows, but it’s pretty cute and does some things right.
They definitely take pride in their food here and lend a gourmet vibe to everything they do; you won’t find sandwiches and salads just slapped together. My caprese salad was just beautiful to look at, and tasted just as good (excellent quality ingredients), and my dining companions had similar opinions on their food. On the downside, the place only had 2 – 3 other tables when we were there, yet it took forrrreeeeeevvvveeeer for us to get our food (a sandwich, a salad, and the beet burger), so don’t come here if you’re in a hurry.
Strange but lovely place that seems to be a nice neighborhood spot.

I want to love Towbar, but I just can’t. I keep going back, thinking, «Maybe this time will be different.» But it never is. Every visit includes the same slow service, the same sub par food, and the same disappointing coffee. Whether stopping in for a quick morning coffee, lunch, or dinner, I always leave disappointed.
There have been too many time when I try to grab a cup of coffee or a sandwich, but the door is locked, even though their sign and website say that they should be open. Also, they keep changing their hours, and every time the hours change, they open later and later in the day (now they don’t open until 11am — so much for morning coffee).
There have been too many times when I end up standing at the counter wanting to order, only to be ignored long enough that I simply turn around and leave empty handed.
There have been too many times when I order and then have to wait for half an hour to get my salad to go, meaning that I’ve just wasted my entire lunch break and now won’t get to eat the lunch I just bought. Seriously, though, why does it always take 30 minutes or more to get my sandwich or salad to go? Also, why don’t they have to go containers for soup? And why, when they don’t have to go containers for soup, do they refuse to put soup in a coffee cup so I can have it to go?
You may wonder why I keep coming back. Well, there aren’t a lot of options for coffee or lunch in the neighborhood. If there were, I would probably never return to Towbar. But, for the time being, this is really my only option unless I want to walk up to Howard or down to Morse.
Towbar has a lot going for it — good location, available outdoor seating, a bar, an interesting menu, etc. I really do wish I could give Towbar a higher rating. I have, after all, had the occasional good sandwich or salad. But everything, from the hours to the service to the quality of the food and coffee, is just too inconsistent. They don’t seem to know what they are. A coffee shop? A restaurant? A bar? Instead of focusing on one area and trying to excel in it, they spread themselves over three and end up being mediocre at everything.

Inconsistent hours of operation. Make sure to check before stopping by! Sometimes they’re only open until noon, other days they’re open up until 10 PM, and then there are days when they’re closed. Other than that, superb drinks/​food/​service.
I stopped by here for a quick drink/​bite while waiting for a friend at the Jarvis stop. The one employee working seemed busy with the different customers but the place still had a lax feel and so I didn’t feel like I was waiting or anything. The chai latte was probably one of the best I’ve had and when the server did get to me he was extremely friendly and offered up suggestions.
From my knowledge they have daily specials worth checking in on and also some sweet themed nights like Karaōke night and open-​mic night. I’ll update my review once I’ve attended some and have tasted some of their dishes but so far this place has got me hooked.

Very yummy, I had the Smoked Salmon, scrambled eggs, cream cheese, arugula on a toasted bagel. I also tried their soup of the day which I think was potato and leak and it was very tasty. I was very impressed with the freshness of all the ingredients and I hope that Towbar continues this tradition. Beverages are very good too. I ended up having the Chi-​latte and it was great. Very cute small café. I am impressed. Keep up the great job!
P.S They also have a full bar, beer, wine you name it.

Pleasant space, pleasant menu, pleasant food, pleasant coffee, pleasant staff. If that sounds dull and boring, it’s dull and boring in a good way. No unpleasant surprises, but no great bolts of joy between two slices of bread either. Everything was good. Some small tweaks would make it excellent, but I was happy with my experience there, and I would go again.
My friend and I came for an early weekday lunch. She had the salad with toasted goat cheese, and I had a goat cheese/​fig spread sandwich, a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and coffee.
I thought the sandwich was an interesting vegetarian option. It had just the right note of sweetness. A little more of anything, and it might have been dessert, but the balance was good. The side salad was served in a cup, the kind you might use for a cup of soup. I thought the presentation of the meal was very good, and very appetizing. I wasn’t totally crazy about the salad, because it was swimming in the vinaigrette, but it was okay. I did eat it.
My friend loved her salad, enough so that she offered me a taste when she ordered, then conveniently forget her offer once she started eating.
The coffee is Big Shoulders coffee. That was good, too. Nothing spectacular, just good.
The place wasn’t busy at all when we got there. The waiter dropped off our food with a smile, and then disappeared. He never asked if we needed anything else, and it seemed to take a while for the dishes to get picked up. Again, just something about service that should be tweaked.
The next time I’m in that part of Rogers Park, I could very easily be enticed into TowBar again.

We noticed Towbar on our way home last week and initially thought it was a bar. Turns out its a café/​restaurant with BYOB, which is just as great! After looking at the menu online, we knew we had to come back for dinner the next night, and that turned out to be a great decision!
I love the interior of Towbar– the elevated area, the mismatched chairs and tables, the bar area, the lights, everything! Our waiter/​barista was really friendly and nice and we felt very welcomed. We got two entrees, a latte, and dessert. For our entrees, we got two «butties» (sandwiches). We got the Toasted Brie and Ham with Caramelized Pears (9) and Pulled Chicken with Lime Pickle Mayo on Toasted Rounds (10). So good! The Brie and Ham was especially good. Plus, they cut it into 6 pieces which made it easy to eat and to share. We also got a soy latte. I’m not a coffee snob, so I’m not sure about quality, but it tasted pretty good to me! Finally, the dessert was AMAZING and was a great way to end the meal. We got the Chocolate Bread Pudding. Best. Bread. Pudding. Ever! It was a special, so I’m not sure how often they offer it, but if you see it on the sign, you should definitely get it.
We will be back for sure!