Why is everyone hating on Franklin Tap? Franklin Tap is just like every other (non fancy) sports bar in the loop... What's the problem? Okay, so maybe I came in at a really good time (first Friday of March Madness), but the place was slammed and had a good vibe going. I liked it. The food I had was good. Gouda Chicken Sandwich - gouda, avocado, shredded lettuce, tomato, honey mustard aioli, herb focaccia. (I 86'd the mustard and threw it on a pretzel roll...I loved that sandwich). The service was great. Our severs were on point and very accommodating.
(4)
Michael R.
If the devil owned a sports bar it would be named Franklin Tap. Unfortunately Yelp doesn't have middle fingers because this place would get five. I've had one, yes ONE good experience here. I work one block over and have been several times because the food is actually really good. The problem is the staff, they are either indifferent or just outright bitchy. Ask them to split the check, I dare you. The response could be as tame as the server staring daggers to leaving minus an eye. Don't you dare use the Willis Passport card, I've heard anything from sucking their teeth to an outright huff of disgust. If you don't want to deal with it, don't be part of it. Simple right? They have a captive audience but I know why they need to attract people, one visit here getting shade thrown at you, you won't go back. If they ever decide to rebrand but keep the same staff, I would suggest the name 'Resting Bitch Face', that way you know what to expect. Anyways, like I said, food was good, hence the second star. If you can tolerate living the movie Mean Girls then check it out. If you like your server to at the very least acknowledge you exist, definitely the wrong place.
(2)
Rod C.
Way better than Randolph Tavern and here is why: No attitude from the Hostess Walked right in and got a table during Happy Hour Menus and drink specials given to us right away Good bar food Good specials No pretentious hostesses here like at Randolph Tavern
(4)
Jason H.
This a great place to go after work. They constantly rotate beers on tap and have a great selection of my favorites (ciders, Ale, Stouts). Try the sliders and you will realize it is a hidden gem in the loop.
(4)
Vishal P.
Came here with my wbez 2 for 1 card. Ordered buffalo burger medium rare topped with mushrooms, cheese and side order of slaw....5 stars! Great service and good selection of beers. Definitely reasonable prices! If you looking to eat good and pay for burger n' beer for under $20 this the place...
(5)
Ashley M.
As a resident of the Big Willie, this place has become is an all-star in my Happy Hour Bullpen. It's a great place to go to drink away your boss' criticism or to celebrate that new raise. The food and customer service is always consistent. I know I can depend on them to have a new and delicious beer on tap. Also, it always seems they have a deal going on their drinks too. Franklin Tap, you can definitely expect another visit from this returning customer. Have a cold one ready for me!
(4)
Jeannie A.
If it wasn't for their proximity to where I work, I don't think I would ever come here, and even with location, I rarely visit. It is just an unforgettable place. Dark, dreary, and dingy on the inside. Prices are loop-average, service is decent, food is mediocre bar grub. When asked what they have on tap, I was told I needed to go look at the chalk-board, however, with the USA-Belgium game on, there was no way to make my way over to it. Maybe twice a year for a beer after work, but there are just too many other places to visit.
(2)
Levi B.
Yikes! What an experience! Can honestly say it will be a very, very long time before I go back here again, if ever. It all starts back on St. Patrick's Day; mistake #1. My friends and I had an entire day planned to avoid the Irish bars as much as possible and we made a cool little map that we would hit cool bars along the way that my partner and I have found to be tried and true. Out of the entire experience Franklin Tap was the only disappointment. We had left Cavanaugh's after our requisite "one green beer" and made our way to FT. When we got there we found a table near the front and got our drinks in order. As soon as we sat down the server required we give her our credit card up front. I explained that we were on separate checks, showed her how it should be broken up and she said she understood. The drinks came while I was in the loo so I can only go by what my four other friends and partner had to say about the way the drinks were delivered. In a word: poorly. Apparently they were slammed in the center of the table and they had to divvy them up themselves. I didn't witness it but whatever, moving on. My vodka tonic was gross. Like really gross. Flat. Watered down. Gross. I wasn't going to say anything but after the mediocre delivery my friends felt it necessary to make mention of it to the server but it made no impact. I noticed that my friend next to me had a chip in the rim of her glass. We brought that to the server's attention and boy did we feel like we were making a fuss over nothing. We told her we would be cashing out and leaving. She grabbed the drink and went off to the bar only to bring a replacement drink that we did not want. The server could tell things were going badly or she wouldn't have said [I feel like you guys are mad at me for something I've done]. By this time we were over it. So the chip-in-the-glass friend went to speak to the manager. Again, I wasn't there to witness but the conversation didn't go much better. The manager said he'd rather comp the drinks than argue about when the chip occurred or it causing a problem; going on to say he didn't understand the big deal because they made her another drink. Point missed. Pretty sure everyone is aware that regardless of when a chip occurred, the drink must be returned and the glass thrown out. Standard health practices for the restaurant industry. So somewhere between the chip in the glass incident and talking with the manager our card (my partner and I) was charged for everyone's drink when I clearly stated we would be a split check. The total BS part is that they auto-gratuity at six people and only four of us had a drink - two had water. Snapping back to the manager's decision to comp our drinks we received a $0 receipt and was told that the card would not be charged as we had not signed the receipt agreeing to payment. The best part of this whole shitty experience, three days later we get a notification that our card was forced-pay for the bill at FT. We promptly opened a formal complaint with our credit card. I think this experience speaks to my willingness to visit FT. I am very vocal to all of my friends who work right down the road with me about thinking twice before going there again. My regards to this awesome customer service experience at FT.
(1)
Jenny S.
Not sure why everyone is complaining? If there were a 3.5 option, I would choose that. It's simply good bar food. Plain and simple. Not a fancy gastropub and not a dirty, dingy hole in the wall. Good food and good beer. My only complaint is that they're too busy/booked for the World Cup these days :-( Otherwise, this is a favorite among my colleagues and I for after work drinks and happy hour specials. Much better than their partner Cactus. Select $5 Apps after 5pm and an excellent selection of beer! I would recommend the Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Hummus and the Tater Tots!
(3)
Joanna L.
Had the loaded tater tots. They were decent but probably wouldn't get them again. Nice bar overall, clean, and decent crowd. Lots of room to sit and watch a game.
(4)
Shannon F.
THEY ARE NOT OPEN ON SATURDAY AT 5:30. We walked all the way here and they were closed. F this place.
(1)
Ben M.
Strolled over from Union Station during a train layover. Really comfortable place and fine service. Good draft beer selection. Some of my favorites from around the country, as well as solid locals, and some things I'd never heard of. I had the bison burger which was delicious, manageable, and not too greasy, though it might have been a little overdone. Tried my brother's broccoli cheddar soup and steak wrap, both of which were solid.
(4)
Chris M.
To go order of chicken and gouda sandwich with mac and cheese. Both were pretty good. Quick from time of order to having food ready. Good value for the money considering the area.
(4)
Sarah Y.
I like this place because it is very close to my work, which makes it a great option for happy hour if you work anywhere near the Willis/Sears Tower. What I also like is that they have food and drink specials most weekdays. $5 shareable appetizers and $4 cans on the evening I went. The apps (pretzels with cheese dip, spinach artichoke dip, loaded tator tots) were good accompaniments to the beer and conversation, but weren't standouts.
(4)
Nancy C.
Not a bad bar to come after work. It's always packed!!! They have daily specials on tap...
(3)
Stephanie S.
We end up coming here for lunch all the time since it's just around the corner from the office. I've never been wowed by the food. It's pretty standard burgers, wraps, salads. Nothing to write home about. They can get you in and out pretty quick for lunch. Service is hit or miss--they're either super sweet and attentive or you're sitting there for 15 minutes waiting for someone to take your drink order. The tater tots are a must.
(3)
Donny J.
Seems like every time they add another beer selection to the already wonderful list, the music decibels goes up. I am not sure why their management think that very loud music is okay :(
(2)
Kristin H.
Good vibes and local beer choices, a bunch of TV screens to watch sports. A little too crowded when we went.
(3)
Justin B.
Where do I begin? The thing that most irritated me about this place was being told several times over a ten minute period that we'd have to give up one of our tables (which we reserved) if the rest of our party didn't arrive shortly (we're talking about one empty table). Now don't get me wrong, I would understand if we had 1 person holding 12 tables for 5 hours and it was busy. I would even possibly understand had we not been told (multiple times) over the phone that we'd be okay as long as we had most of our party there by a certain time (which we did). I would understand if there were simply no other tables available (there were tons). We were very clear when making the reservation that about half our party wouldn't be arriving until around 6pm, which we were assured was not a problem. The bar was half empty and we had several people on time at the tables. There was another group behind us with less people and more reserved tables that didn't get asked once to give up a table. There were literally 10 open tables around us if not more. When we brought up to the waitress that when we told the woman making the reservation that about 3-4 members of our party would likely arrive at 6pm vs. 5pm, and that woman said there would be no issue at all... the waitress proceeded to tell us that the person taking the reservation would never say that (funny because I was involved in those conversations and she was not) and then told us that's not how the "restaurant" industry works. I was polite and didn't argue with her, I simply said if they want to take a table they can do so and we'll find another bar to go to. At this point she proceeded to visibly complain to half the staff (many of which were goofing off/wrestling with each other near the host stand/etc.). Eventually our party showed up (around 6pm as promised) and at no point during the evening did they get more than three-quarters full nor did the large group of tables behind us come anywhere close to being filled up. Add in the generally slow service (until the end of the night when the bar was practically empty), the overtly passive aggressiveness of the waitress and the "meh" ambiance and cleanliness... I think it's fair to say no one for our group will be returning. As an added bonus, upon ordering our first drink I asked a question about the beer list to which our waitress responded, "let me teach you something about beer" very snidely (our entire group thought it was rude even if it wasn't intended as such). She then proceeded to tell me something I knew was factually incorrect, but I kept my mouth shut and a two-word, ten-second Google search when she left the table confirmed she was flat out wrong in her attempt to belittle my question. Now I'm sure people in the service industry (really any industry) get barraged with rude patrons, dumb questions, unreasonable requests... but there was absolutely none of that. The reality is that sometimes instead of being snide and feel the need to gossip about how unreasonable it is that people holding tables at a bar would expect a little flexibility on a work day, maybe consider the alternative that you guys are just bad at your jobs and you have no clue what was promised to our group... none of which was unreasonable.
(1)
D H.
Great beer selection. Okay food. Some items better than others. I would avoid the Lamb burger at all costs. At times, they have the Lamb burger as a special. I don't know why because it comes across as frozen and process - terrible.
(3)
Danny W.
Franklin Tap is a happy hour bar in the loop so you'll see lots of suits from 4-7pm during the week. It's pretty much dead other than that time frame though. My buddy lives across the street and spends about 70% of his time here so I go every now and again to join him. The food is pretty much mediocre. Can't really remember ever being wowed, but they do have tots so if you're just drinking that's always an excellent choice to snack on. Drinks are pretty affordable considering you're not far the financial district and they've got a ok selection of booze to wet your whistle. One thing I do love is the staff. Always friendly and fun and they pretty much always make the experience. Perhaps it's because my friend could probably get his mail forwarded here, but ultimately I'd say FT is an all around good time.
(3)
Kevin C.
A handful of good beers. Space to accommodate an after work social hour for larger groups. $5 select appetizers after 5 pm and $4 Stella drafts. That adds up to a decent deal when on a budget. If you want a table after the closing bell tolls call to make reservations ahead of time. They have a separate line at 312-922-8025. This is a good option for those concerned about proximity to their office in the loop. The service gets bogged down as the night progresses and the place fills up. Its bound to happen when the waitresses are doing their job. Clean bathrooms are always a plus. I wouldn't necessarily stop in for lunch, unless sitting outside was an option, so for now I would stick to drinks after work. Drafts range from $5 to $7 and they actually have a Pale Ale other than Green Line.The appetizers were well received. Everyone needs a little something to soak up the booze to avoid any career limiting moves. At the end of the day I was pretty impressed with the overall experience. The noise level was moderate, music was not bumping, and you could converse with the person next to you. There are padded futon like cushions on the ceiling seem to absorb the buzzing crowd. I don't think I would go out of my way to stop in but rather for a planned event. There aren't unlimited options in the business district so choose wisely. Franklin Tap was surprisingly affordable and made for pleasant hours of happiness. Oh, and my Manhattan was not watered down, smooth sailing.
(4)
Christina H.
Flavorful Bison burger, tater tots and Cod sandwich. Cold, local beers - can't beat it!
(4)
Griffin G.
Fun, relaxed place for an after work drink! Good service and good crowd of people.
(5)
Karen G.
Not much for atomsphere, And $10 martinis which is too rich for my blood. But a ok beer selection - maybe 10 good selctions and a delightful waitess named Angie who sat down at the table was very amusing and charming.
(3)
Andrew B.
Been here twice more, once for lunch, once after work on a Friday with co-workers. The burgers here are pretty good. Right amount of grease, cooked to order. Service is fast at the bar ... but who wants to eat a burger at a small bar where the barback is washing dishes inches away from your bun, undoubtedly hitting it with spray? No thanks, gross. Eating at a table the next time. Despite concerns from first visit, their scotches are not universally? regularly? always? watered down. Had a Glenlivet and Glenmorangie, colleague had a Glenlivet and a Laphroaig, we were both satisfied. Yes, I know, we were drinking scotch at a tap joint. Sue us. I had a high-ABV brew ... Belgian? Monk something ... as well. Coming here after work can be tough, but in finding no table for 8 people for a good 45 minutes, until someone left, I did discover they do reservations. Good to know for future work-related visits; this place is literally across the street from us, so there will definitely be future visits. Waitress was patient with us as we converted from bar to table ordering. Appetizers (nachos, something else vaguely Mexican) were decent.
(4)
Lizz M.
Remember when I said I'd only come back if someone would pay for it? Don't look at me like that. Would YOU say no to free booze and food? It's okay, because the waitresses will say no for you, apparently. Came back for another happy hour (stop #2 for the night) with co-workers. At this point we were a few beers/drinks in and needed food. A co-worker tried to order some appetizers and was told no, that it wasn't time to order yet. uhm, what? I...don't understand. Service was still slow and inattentive even though it was a lot less busy than the last time we were there.
(1)
M S.
Just a couple blocks from my office and I was excited about the outdoor patio, but has absolutely the WORST service I have ever experienced in my life. Our server - Jen - went from being a little obnoxious to extremely passive aggressive and rude for no apparent reason. After talking with the manager, she got more and more sarcastic and nasty every time she came to the table. After a while, she came with a round of free shots (that her manager apparently made her bring to us), and when one of my co-workers thanked her she said "yeah, we don't need to kid each other. We all know what this is about." Will never return for fear of experiencing her again.
(1)
Rhonda G.
"seats taken" -Forrest Gump 1994 I know how he feels. I don't appreciate being shuffled around after being told that I could sit at one of the tables that was reserved for much later. I don't appreciate being told by everyone and their mom that "this table is reserved" No sh*t Sherlock! I don't appreciate the lack of customer service skills amongst some employees. I DO appreciate a waitress who can return in a timely manner with drinks, split checks, and try to be attentive in a crowded bar...kudos to you. It's not a dive. It's a sports bar, they have drinks, people having drinks, loud people and bar food. If you don't go you aren't missing anything.
(2)
Derrick T.
My lunch buddy decided to pick this place... 1 mile away from my office! So a nice mile trek through drizzly Chicago, and grabbed a seat to get a nice relaxed lunch in... Lots of TV's, on all sort of different sports channels, so a nice place to catch some games... Ordered up a Cobb Salad (paleo day) and a milk stout. Cobb salad was pretty damn good, surprisingly, for a bar/restaurant! Everything tasted fresh, the bacon was crunchy, the egg was cooked just about right, and the diced chicken was a decently generous portion. Price was city pricing ($12 for a salad?) so not spectacular, but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. Milk stout, which I believe was on draft, was tasty. While they took a bit of time to bring it out, the waitress explained that it's due to how they pour, settle, and repour the milk stout to get the right consistency. In all honesty, I didn't know so much goes into pouring a milk stout properly. $6.50 for a glass, which again is about standard pricing. Verdict: It's an okay place to grab a bite and drink. The after 5 drink specials looked nice, but probably a little further than most of my office crew would want to walk. I go out of my way to come here unless I was meeting up with someone who requested it. Bonus: The waitress actually asked if we had our passport cards, which is something they gave local offices to get a BOGO entree. Shame I'm not local enough... but nice of the waitress to check!
(3)
Kasey A.
Craft beer = me praising the gods that I can actually have a drink. Good food, bodering on great food! Plus, the hot bartendar, Joanna, makes the whole thing worthwhile. If I swung that way, I would be broke by the end of the night because I would give her all my monies. They have an impressive selection of all different types of crafy brews, which I love. Tried the Gubnah IPA last time, and absolutely loved it. Partly because the name, but also because it was super delish! I would recommend to firends for sure!
(4)
Elise K.
The Franklin Tap has always been good to me. Despite being closed some weekend evenings (was looking for a bite after a theater show downtown), it is a nice happy hour hangout and even good for groups. With walls covered in taps it surely has a good selection on draft at all times. The specialty drinks are good too with cheap vodka drinks and margaritas. When visiting with a work group we've sampled the menu back and forth. Most of the food is tasty or at least interesting. I recommend the hummus or the pretzels.
(4)
Dr P.
Good beer selection. 4 of 5.
(4)
Greg F.
decent food, nice beer selection, but horrible service.
(1)
Matthew S.
Great place to go after work for drinks and some bar food. Was here last night and they have appetizers for $5 that are good sized portions after 5 PM. I would recommend the sliders. It's what you'd expect at a friendly, cozy bar, nice place to unwind after-hours. I'll be back!!
(4)
Christopher B.
One of the better craft beer selections in the loop. They have around a dozen taps or so that seem to change almost weekly and feature a wide variety of small batch offerings. I have only ordered appetizers here, so I can't say too much about the food - but what I see going by me looks amazing. The prices are relatively decent too. Their regular specials include things like $4 cans (which includes craft cans like Dale's, Half Acre, etc...) and $2 off draft pours - neither of which are too bad. They have some pricier draft beers too, but you'll notice that some of them get up into the 12% abv range - so you won't need too many. Verdict: Conveniently located across from the Sears Tower (please don't call it the Willis Tower, I don't even know who Willis is) this is a great little spot for snacks and a solid craft beer!
(4)
Sara L.
Remember that episode of Sex and the City where Mr. Big takes her to that horrible, dark, dingy, Chinese restaurant to find out her friend brings his date here so nobody would see him with her? Yeps, this would be that place! If it wasn't for the damn location that night probably never would go here. Instead came here after a volunteer event since it was the closest and just around the block. The place is dark, loud, and over all kinda sad looking. The beer selection was so-so, not stellar but decent. Our waitress, well we finally figured out who she was after having a few other waitresses come to our table, but tell us they can take our drink order but someone else will have to bring it. The food selection is alright, no five star dining let alone 3 star dining, but a girl gotta eat! The turkey avocado sandwich makes subway's turkey sub look delicious! The highlight was the mac and cheese since it doesn't come with bread crumb crust. Sorry, just never understood why the point behind the bread crumbs...this gal just wants more cheese! Over all, the place is meh, the service is meh and the mac and cheese is decent.
(1)
Jon V.
Location, Location, Location. I don't know if I would go here if it wasn't for where it was placed. Working across the street and a buddy that lives next door, it has been our go to place quite a bit, mainly for the great priced drinks and an occasional appetizer. Been here a couple times for lunch and dinner, but their food is really par with everybody else and nothing really extravagant. Mainly just come here as a great happy hour place. Their board is always stocked and changing with great beer selections, but the only thing really consistent with the place is their daily specials and their ability to always be out of the beer i'm looking to try. Everything else is just a guessing game. Am I going to get an awesome waitress or am I going to get a slow grumpy one. Do I get fresh chips or ones that have been dried out for a couple of days. Somedays you just never know. Some times the place is packed on a Monday and sometimes it's completely did, just luck of the draw sometimes. Haven't really had a terrible experience here, as we still find ways to coming back, but really haven't had a great experience so putting it right in the middle of the road with 3 stars.
(3)
Eric G.
I come here for happy hour somewhat regularly. The beer selection is great, and prices are in line with other Loop bars. The Wednesday $4 cans is a great deal. Canned beer includes all the locals, Revolution, Finch's, Half Acre, and some out of towners like Avery and Oscar Blues. Best beer deal around (to my knowledge). Happy hour apps are 1/2 price, which is nice when you are pounding cans of fine beer.
(4)
Mary T.
Q: Why would 95% of a sports bar's tables be reserved at 3:30 on a Thursday? A: Beats the hell out of me! I think they should change their name to "Reservations," and their slogan can be "Sorry, that table's reserved!" I don't understand why I'm having such trouble finding a job these days. I mean, I doubt the employees of the month are the ones reserving tables so that they have a spot when they arrive for a few beers at 3:30 on a weekday. Rhonda G, me and the rest of the group would've been SOL had it not been for a few tables reserved for 5:30 and beyond that we borrowed in the meantime. It didn't come without a price, we were only reminded that at 5:30 our table turned into a pumpkin a dozen times. I've seen the phrase dive thrown around about this place in a few reviews and I'm not sure where that comes from. This place is far from a dive, the interior is new - stone floors, newish tables and chairs; the place is clean; the drinks and food aren't cheap; and the menu has things like panini on it. No, it's not a dive, it's just a mediocre sports bar with TV's everywhere. I ordered the All Grown Up Grilled Cheese and got a salad as my side along with a $2 Miller Lite on special. $7.95 for a grilled cheese and side seems like a rip off, I mean they just swapped out Wonder for egg bread, added some Provolone and sliced tomatoes. It was decent, but hardly sophisticated; I was experimenting with multi-cheese grilled cheeses in my single digits! Our server was nice and very attentive, but we were very abruptly booted from our tables around 5:15 by some guy who worked there. All we got was an "I need this table," whatever happened to the words sorry, excuse me, or please? We were headed out anyway, but manners are always appreciated. Bottom line: There are other places in the area I'd prefer to get my drink on, but you wouldn't have to drag me kicking and screaming to come back here.
(3)
Jason P.
Absolutely terrible. The waitress was a mix of apathetic, slow and just overall dreadful. We sat and waited over 10 minutes in a pretty empty place to even get greeted by a waitress. The five of us that were there ordered drinks as the rest of our party of 12 filed in. That round took 20 minutes to get to us. That was basically a trend for the rest of the night. There was one point in the night where she handed us a drink and we immediately ordered another. This was the only time where she gave us a collective eff you and came with the drinks quickly. Thinking that we had turned a corner, we thought maybe something lit a fire for her, but alas, that was not the case. We ordered a bunch of apps before anyone ordered their meal. One of these apps came out when most of the people were done with their meals. The adventure only continued when we got our bill, which took us 30 minutes to get, and only after we hunted her down and took it from her. There were about 5 times where we tried to order items on the menu that we were told they either ran out of or did not have in general. I didn't realize that them running out meant they would still add it to our bill. We asked for a correction, and then realized she did not correct the tax or automatically added tip. After another correction, we finally paid and got as far away from this moron as we could. Basically go anywhere else, this place sucks
(1)
Kristy N.
Stopped in after work on a very snowy Friday night. I stupidly thought that the dreary weather would keep the crowds at bay but it seems that slushy streets and the threat of an extra long commute won't deter those trying to get their happy hour on. The place did clear out around 7 er so which leads me to believe that it was mostly an after work place to grab a few drinks before heading home. My friend and I had a few beers and split the Cuban sandwich which was okay and made much better since it's served with a side of tots. I"m happy to come back in but I can only imagine that the bar is even more packed when the weather is less-frightful.
(4)
Katie M.
No thanks. Their specials lie. The reason we came here was because of their alleged "$2 off ALL beer bottle or draught". Come to find when we get there, there are only a "select" number of beers on special.... namely, the ones I'd never heard of. They advertised this $2 off on their website, in their bathrooms, and IN THEIR MENU. Asked the waitress and she said oh yeah... that just changed. Heres a tip then- pull out the menu inserts and take down the restroom signs advertising $2 off all beers!! We had a large group and were spending a lot of money. It was a Tuesday night, it was us and one other table, and we still had very slow service. It seemed like it was the waitress' first night. Even if it was, you learn in waitressing 101 if a guest has an empty glass, ask if they want another!!! Then, we had two $25 off coupon. It stated explicitely that it was "one per TABLE". We had two tables. We complained about the specials, and asked if they would consider ringing us up in two separate tabs so that we felt like we got at least a little consolation. No go. Not only that, the "manager" they sent over was rude, and basically said "there's nothing I can do about it". Fine then, there's something I can do about it.... recommend that NO ONE COME HERE anymore! There are plenty of better bars in that area. Also, their bathrooms were disgusting. Water all over the floor. Really????
(1)
Matthew L.
Sat for 20 minutes without service while the staff walked by in a near empty bar. See ya! Update: I was asked if I was being helped when I stood up to leave.
(1)
Dana F.
If I got a cliche souvenir t-shirt from Franklin Tap, it would read: "I went to Franklin Tap and all I got was this lousy Coors Light." Although I did not get a commemorative t-shirt from the experience, I do have a few requests: Please don't have all of these amazing taps decorating the wall of your establishment and then have 9 of the 12 selections on draft go by the names of Miller, Budweiser, and Coors. Please make the sweet potato fries crispy. Under no condition is it okay to eat soggy fries. Please continue the $5 happy hour appetizer special. Because that's all that's going for you right now.
(2)
Jeffrey H.
Hey Yelpers!! Do you want to go spend $14 for a watered down Vodka that was already a horrible pour, experience some poor service by attractive waitresses that go table to table and flirt poorly with all of the suited up douche bags talking about their one great play when they played high school football? Would you enjoy spending time in a major meat market - full of 40 Somethings that are entering their midlife crisis? How about we do some Billy Joel Karaoke while we're at it? If yes - Check out this place! LAME LAME LAME. Hasbeens - go home and spend some time with your wives - the waitresses do not think you are funny and in no way will you ever be able to trade up. This place is like a strip club where the strippers are the waitresses but they keep their clothes on. My guess is the attractive 20 year olds do not think your beer gut is attractive. MEH!
(2)
John H.
Major improvements have been made at Franklin Tap. My major grievance beforehand was that a tavern with "tap" in the title only offered a couple of watery American macrobrews. But they've given their beer list a major facelift. Locals are well represented: Half Acre, Metropolitan, and Two Brothers are all here, and craft giants Stone, Victory, and Unibroue are on hand as well. Go on the right day and they'll have some fine specials--$4 draughts on our recent Thursday visit was a nice treat. The bathrooms have also been revamped for the better. They've been set away from the bar down a short hallway, and the single occupant spaces that resulted in permanent lines are no more. There is also comfort in knowing that you're drinking with a hygienic crowd. How do I know this? They've installed Dyson Airblades in the bathrooms. Anyone who sees one of those puppies is not going to skip washing their hands. The atmosphere still isn't much, and that keeps it from being a great bar. The music is still bad (a good jukebox would really help), and there are a lot of guys in suits drinking Bud Light and talking about capital gains taxes. But it's become a serviceable happy hour spot if you're going to be staying in the Loop after work.
(3)
Gamaliel E.
Wanna do happy hour? Sure? Where? I don't care...something close. That about sums up Franklin Tap. It's just a place in the loop to grab a drink. Nothing special about it...although it does get pretty crowded on a Thursday evening. The food is decent..but not a place you go to for their food. Oh...one thing to note is that they have made some huge strides in improving their beer selection. You can find some nicer options from Half Acre, Goose Island, and other breweries. The servers have always been nice here.
(3)
Downtown B.
Beer list is okay to goodish. You can find some decent drafts here. Food is average. Price is right if you use a "Passport Card" for a two for one lunch (note you need to bring someone for this to work). Service is below average, as the kitchen is so slllooowwwww. Waitresses are okay but not great, they could pick it up a little but it is not their fault that the kitchen is terrible.
(2)
Marie N.
My 3 coworkers and I had a very nice lunch here this week. I had fish and chips. Two nice size, crunchy pieces of fish. The malt vinegar was a nice condiment. I did not care of the creamy coleslaw. Fries were good, of course. Service was excellent. Three out of the 4 of us were on expense accounts and the waitress happily split the check as requested, processed 4 different credit cards and delivered the proper receipts to everyone. Nice job. I will return.
(4)
Phil T.
Good looking waitresses + below average food = 2 stars. I couldn't even move it up to 3 for the waitresses sake. :) Rainy chilly day, I wanted something warm n comfy at the sametime be veg. Menu was typical boring bar food. but the adult grilled cheese n the daily soup ending up being creamy tomatoe. The best soup n sandwich combo that ever existed! The soup was very watery, somewhat bland, n had a crunchy veg at times in there I couldn't even pick up. A root of some sort or celery on a very bad day! Lol. The grilled cheese was horrible whomever came up with Texas toast w/provolone n American cheese with a tomatoe consists of an adult grilled cheese is beyond me?!? In the middle of the cheeses it was still not fully melted(probably due to the fact of the genius thick bread...lol) n on the outside felt like it was under a cold warming station. To all my grilled CH eaters, we all know this needs to be served hot! Besides cute waitresses this place has no reason for me attending again for lunch.
(2)
Lindley L.
About 8 of us came here after a long day at work for some drinks and apps, and it was TERRIBLE. Granted, the place was packed, but they had sufficient waitresses who didn't seem too overwhelmed. However, ours must have had a bad day because she commanded one of our party to move so that she could put drinks on the table. He asked if she would like help passing out the beers and she replied: "no, but you can MOVE." Real friendly. Service didn't improve from there. In addition to improvising on our order and bringing two of several items when we only ordered one and completely forgetting another item, she took forever to get drinks and never checked on us- we were flagging her down the entire time. Good thing for her gratuity was included at 18% because she deserved 5%. We all work close by and I can say with complete confidence that none of us will be going back.
(1)
Shivani B.
Even though there were only 4 people in our party we were charged an automatic 18 percent gratuity. When I asked the waitress why it had been added, she tried to tell me that the automatic gratuity was stated on the restaurant.com coupon we had been using. When I showed her that there's was nothing about automatic gratuity on the coupon, she was very rude and didn't even offer to take it off. Terrible experience. Plus their well vodka is svedka and they charge 6 dollars per drink. Never going back which is a shame. I really had high hopes for this place but their service ruined it.
(1)
Jack M.
I was introduced to this place by a friend's dad a few years ago. It was his go to place for after work beers and has since become one of mine. The food is nothing to write home about, actually more on the bad and bland side if anything. They have a decent but not incredible beer selection, but the location and friendly service pick it up. All in all, a good place to go with a friend if you're looking for average priced beers and nothing else.
(3)
Tricia W.
Black bean burger was OK...our waitress appeared to evaporate for most of the time we were there, which I suppose was because she was upset that the ONLY two tables filled in the place were hers...if it weren't for Sports Center on the TV they would only be getting 1 star.
(2)
A E.
Service and beer selection were okay.. Food is ok, nothing special that stands out thats not the same in any other bar. Went there last week Thursday with some friends and handed my credit card to hold for the tab. Here's the thing though, I was rang up for the amount I owed but they lost my credit card. I was never called back the next day as they said they would to let me know if my card was ever found, as the manager said she would. It happens right? Well as I was walking out to check out what had been charged, I noticed that not only was I charged my tab but someone else's tab as well. Went back to the bar and to dispute it and finally was able to have them admit that it was a mistake on their part and that the charges would be reverse for all of the charges. Well guess what, never happened and never received a call.. Last time I go to this spot...
(1)
J J.
Possibly one of the worst bars in Chicago. We live at the corner and when moving in we were excited that we had a bar right across the way - well we quickly found out that the staff could care less if they bring back the locals and care only about happy hour. In fact, I met a friend once at the bar and we could not locate the bartender - the waitress said "I can't serve you - the bartender walked over to Cactus for shots".... classy. They own Cactus Bar also which is equally as bad so we never bring any guests, friends, coworkers here and rather pay a cab ride to another bar instead of dealing with these people.
(1)
Ryan C.
This place is awesome. Anyone who thinks otherwise should jump off the Willis Tower and (ironically) land on Franklin Tap. Great beer, great food and great service.
(5)
Kris H.
Quick lunch, salad for $20! How: mediocre Cobb salad ($11), bad ice tea ($3) and stale bread ($2) I was charged for stale bun :-/ Items priced $1 more than menu online Skip
(1)
Michael F.
The Franklin Tap is a little bit of suburbia in the South Loop. You can expect to find lots of sports on television and horrible music being played too loud on the speakers. People are sitting around the bar and drinking Miller Lite while they are discussing their new mini van or what sort of fertilizer would be best to apply to their lawn before the bar closes at something like 10:00 pm. The worst part of all may be that they have a wall covered in beer taps, but at the bar they have only Miller Lite, Heineken, and Blue Moon on draft. This is not a bar as much as it is a lie.
(1)
Tina M.
Convenient location for post-work drinks. Surprisingly not packed on Friday just after work - this might be my new spot for happy hours! We had a big group and the waiters were nice enough to move tables around to get us all together. The beer selection is not incredibly impressive, but it's certainly better than your average bar with just a few American beers on tap. The spinach artichoke dip was a strange consistency - big pieces of artichoke. Good, but requires a spoon to put on your chips! The chicken fingers and dip were also very tasty.
(3)
Keely B.
We went in on a Monday with our Groupon and discovered that mix drinks were half price. Apparently by "mix drinks" they meant "anything with alcohol", because we definitely got Patron Silver shots for $3.50. Monday night buzz. Jenga! The food was really good, though the service was slooooooow. The restaurant itelf almost manages to be cute, but falls just short. It's sort of...gourmet cafeteria feel. However, it appeared to be clean. From what I could tell in the extremely dim lights, anyway.
(3)
Abhay S.
Came out here for a Happy Hour that I organized. The place was packed to the rafters, which surprised the heck out of me. Not sure if it was due to a Bears game (rare Thursday night game) or what, but it was rather loud. Now, normally if you are with a large group, Franklin Tap will require one tab. We somehow talked the waitress into keeping multiple tabs. The waitress was super helpful with that. Also, big time thank you for keeping the 4 tables reserved - we would have been in a lot of trouble had we not had our tables, and even bigger thanks for keeping the tables near the door so we can easily find guests. Our waitress was great, she made sure we always had drinks. Major kudos to her! All in, the location is a bit out of the way, but we'll probably do another Happy Hour here sometime in the near future.
(4)
Kathy L.
recently i visited the tap thru a friend of mine. The whole staff is gorgeous so as a women i felt intimidated. but they were all so nice and efficient... the food was great and you never had to wait for a drink. period.. if you like "eye candy" with great service... go for it.
(5)
Morgan R.
I just had lunch there with friends. The Mac & Cheese and the Grilled chicken sandwich were tasty, but DON"T order a soda! Not only were they ALL flat, but when I told the waitress (who was not too pleasant to begin with) she just brought us MORE flat pop.
(3)
Robby S.
I've been here a couple times for work functions and I always walk out with a "meh" reaction. Staff is just OK. Seems like some of them have an attitude.
(3)
Abby T.
I was surprised to see the tappers displayed on the wall of Franklin Tap, but not many beers on tap. And the beers they had were not anything special by any means. Not that I am some sort of beer snob, but I know that when a beer snob orders a Blue Moon by default, there's something wrong. The hummus was tasty, the crowd was laden with suits and business attire. I liked it. :-) Our waitress was super attractive and attentive, which is a bonus-squared. The rest of the finger foods listed on the menu sounded appetizing (the calamari and something else which I can't remember) but I was heading to dinner so I couldn't over-order as I usually do. I plan on trying something when I return for a few more Hours of Happiness.
(4)
Colleen S.
I'm amazed one of the other reviewers called this place a DIVE. This place is a dive if you're used to the yacht club and the pony set, but for everyone else - it's not a dive. I think people throw that word around too loosely. We had a large group of people at 5 on a Wednesday and they held 2 tables for us. The $3 import special on Wednesday was a pretty damn good deal! Half priced apps, which were ALL really good! Bar food is bar food but this place did better than bar food. The unfortunate irony of its name: while it is called Franklin Tap and there are lots of TAPS on the wall, they only have like 4 beers on tap. Kinda weird. Also, they lose one star for really slow service. We ended up going to the bar a few times for rounds.
(4)
Sarah G.
Decided to come here for the first time before a show at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Walked in around 5.15- 5.30pm and it was sort of busy (maybe 1/2 to 2/3 full) with after work folks. I found a seat at the tiny bar area (maybe 6-8 tall chairs) and ordered a vodka and soda. When my friend arrived about 15 minutes later and got her drink, I was about ready for a refill. I had noticed on the website a wine special for Wednesdays, so I asked the bartender if they had any specials that day. She gestured at the chalkboard above her and said "Just those beers. No liquor specials." Didn't mention the wine. When I pulled up the website, asked her about the wine specials that were shown there, she said, "Oh yeah. I forgot those." Didn't even care, it seemed. We wanted to do dinner, so I asked to close out my tab and told the bartender we'd go grab a table to eat. We sat down at a table and waited. And waited. For 10 minutes, waitresses walked past us, leaned against the wall looking bored and not busy, and pretty much did everything except come over and give us some menus. I made eye contact several times and was still ignored. Folks arriving were seated and given menus, but us sitting at a front table with nothing on the table - not even drinks - we were totally ignored. I went to the ladies room and when I came back and sat down, finally a waitress came over with menus and greeted us. After sitting there already for over 10 minutes, we had decided to leave. I thanked her and told her she was much too late in bringing us menus and that we were leaving. She simply said okay and walked away. Again, didn't seem to care one bit. The prices are high, when it's busy the room is cacophonous, and the staff doesn't seem to give a crap. I can go somewhere else to get served well and charged less. Never coming here again and will recommend against it to folks I know. Instead, my friend and I had a lovely, very tasty and reasonably priced meal, with excellent service, at Tutto Italiano a few blocks away.
(2)
Agnes F.
Franklin tap is good place for unwinding after work. We went on a monday night and used the groupon. The food was good (we had chipotle quesadilla, fish and chips, pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potatoes fries) and the service was prompt and attentive. Somehow they mixed up our food order and it took a little longer to get the main dishes but they completely comped our food once they realized it so we have no complaints here.
(4)
Lola T.
This place really deserves 1 star, but I'm giving it 3 because of their $2 Blue Moons on Thursdays...Awesome deal! Here's everything that went wrong...and we didn't even order food! 1. Our server gave me an attitude and rolled her eyes at me at least 3 times...especially when I would ask for water. WTF? 2. Two of my girlfriends were drinking cocktails and they kept messing up the drinks. One ordered vodka and soda...They kept giving her vodka and tonic! She had to send her drink back each time! 3. My other friend ordered diet coke and vodka....The server brought over the drink and it was cloudy. So my friend showed her the drink and the server's response was, "Oh, the bartender spilled some beer in your drink"...WHAT?!? She still tried giving it to her with spilled beer? 4. The bathroom was disgusting! Absolutely gross! I won't go into details, but take my word for it. Honestly, the only reason why I had fun here was because I was in good company. I'd come back here again, but only to meet friends and for cheap Blue Moon.
(3)
Santiago A.
whoa, whoa, whoa, some of these reviews are out of line. This place is crowded, sure, but it's because they are located close to were people downtown can go after work, they have great specials, and the staff is great (not to mention easy on the eyes). Why would anybody hold it against a place that takes reservations and upholds said reservation. If anything, it should be the opposite. I would be pissed if a place said they'd reserve a table and then when I got there they were like, "oh yeah... about that... a guy that was just passing by decided to take your table." Um, no. You want a table, call ahead... otherwise just deal with it like you would with the other 3,000 restaurants in Chicago that take reservations and operate in the exact same way. The good: Pretzel Heaven! wow, great and great. All the appetizers are 1/2 off on Thursdays and $2 beer specials. (See why it's packed? $2 for a beer downtown?... I felt like I should have worn a skimask while ordering). Again, the staff was great and very attentive... which is refreshing when you're in a sportbars that is packed to capacity. The not so good: They could have had more beers on tap, but then again the name stems from necessity. You wouldn't want to call it the Franklin Bottle... or Franklin Great Appetizers. All the happy-hour booze-hounds would walk right by it. It was a little loud and a little out of the way for me to visit regularly, but I had a good time.
(4)
Eric M.
Why is attempting to find a Loop bar like searching for the Holy Grail? Franklin Tap is another place that just has too many wrongs. First off, the place is called Franklin TAP and has a wall full of beer taps, but only three beers on tap. The rest are all served by the bottle from servers that consistently appear not to care about anyone or anything. The food should be avoided. It looks like it was deep fried, frozen, and then deep fried again. There are a good amount of HD TVs and the noise level isn't defeaning, but it still leaves something to be desired.
(2)
Darius S.
Your in-the-Loop, after-work NBA Draft headquarters. #seeyouthere
(4)
Melissa G.
$5 appetizers after 5pm and Stella Artois draft specials on Friday! Good for a happy hour group of 4 or less.
(4)
Laura K.
I went here last Wednesday with a GroupOn offer that expired at the end of March. Apparently everyone waited to use their coupon until the last day because the place was packed. You have to seat yourself, which may prove difficult to keep track of patrons. Despite the wind, my husband and I decided to sit outside. A few minutes after we sat down, the waitress came over with menus and immediately asked us what we wanted to drink. Uh, I've never been here before so how the heck am I supposed to know what you offer? I hate it when they do that! Anyway, Franklin "Tap" is a deception - they have like 4 draft beers, the best being Blue Moon. I guess they felt naming themselves after the display of taps on the wall was clever - I'd rather see the taps in use at the bar! I ended up getting a Ruby Red cocktail - pretty good, but was not sugar-rimmed as described on the menu. It came in a martini glass, and the waitress told me to hold onto it cause the wind might tip it over. So just after I ordered my second drink, I realized that I should have told the waitress to put it in a smaller glass that wouldn't tip over. She was on the other side taking care of someone else, and when she turned towards me, I raised my hand to flag her down. Do you know what she did? She put her finger up as to say "one minute" and proceeded back inside the bar. OK, bite your tongue, Laura! Holy Hell, you NEVER do that to a customer. And if you do, you must come back immediately. Well I waited about 10 or 15 minutes until she came back, and I was not happy. The food was nothing special. The homemade chips and blue cheese would have been good, but the chips were way too salty and greasy. The salmon sandwich was weird - they put it on two slices of bread instead of on a bun. If they would change that one thing, it would have made a world of difference. I know they were really busy, but they should have known what they were getting into when they offered the GroupOn deal. There are plenty of other bars that are much better that I will be visiting in the future.
(2)
Tony D.
When I work out of my Chicago office, co-workers and I come here after a day of work. $5 effen drinks on Fridays... 'nuff said.
(3)
Jocelyn D.
This review is in progress and will updated once I actually ***get*** a drink here. Stopped by after work on Thursday after being tipped off by a co-worker. This place is SMALL and shaped really weird on the inside. There are big open spaces with a few tall tables but definately not enough to handle the crowd. I'm not saying a table is needed, I'm totally cool with holding my drink - but this was just odd. It seemed really crowded even though there was tons of space by the door that was unused. I think this bar needs some sort of booze-shui expert to come in and figure out how to reposition things. I also tried to get a drink for 15 plus minutes - with no luck. I left and went to Cactus and got a table, food and a drink in less than five minutes.
(1)
Aaron S.
I'm not much of a booze drinker. I got that all out of my system during my college years, and now that I'm old and bearded enough to not even warrant a second glance, let alone a need to check my I.D., the thought of boozin' it up doesn't really appeal to me. Even so, every Thursday during a long stretch of Thursdays that involved my co-worker and I walking up to Subway by the Sears Tower (the "good" one down Franklin, she'd say) I would always pass by the Franklin Tap with their advertisements for $2 Blue Moon pints on Thursdays. And I'd fantasize about taking a two-beer lunch break one of these Thursdays... Well, schedules have changed and the hours are longer than ever. I promised my co-worker team that if we ever actually all got out on time, the first round of beers would be on me. Fast forward several months, and it was 5pm on a Thursday and everyone on the team was either gone for the day or getting ready to leave. I asked the remaining staff who'd like a free beer on me at Franklin Tap, and I only had one taker. So off we went to the bar for a couple of $2 Blue Moon pints and celebration of an early (relatively) day. Well, the place was packed. I guess I'm not the first guy in the Loop to think of cheap after-work drinks, but we found a ledge on the side where our beers could go while we stood and drank, and that's good enough for me. I'm not really that well-versed in bar etiquette, so I just walked up to the cashier area and asked for two Blue Moon pints. Gave her the cash and some extra (because I'm not an idiot and I know who in this world you're supposed to tip well) and we sat/stood around shooting the breeze and trying to get buzzed enough to forget that there was still another day left in the week to go. Yes, the waitresses here seem to be catering to the male clientele with their push-up bras and short skirts, but that's like putting tits on a spatula. Sure it's all fun and games, but I really care about what's cookin', and I couldn't care less what's flippin' the burgers. I stand by my analogy. Anyway, the conversation eventually led to a hilarious observation by my co-worker that Franklin Tap has about 50 to 60 taps on the WALL, but only like 3 taps behind the bar. I didn't really care, as long as one of those taps was Blue Moon and it was $2 a pint on Thursday, which was that day. All in all, it was a decent experience. The food smelled great, but I'm doubtful that the prices are as great as the smell. There wasn't much room to enjoy ourselves, but it was after 5pm on a cheap-beer-Thursday afternoon, so I can't fault them for that. It was an okay experience and Franklin Tap is an okay bar. Okay, now I'm kinda ashamed over that analogy. I need a Blue Moon...
(3)
Tim Y.
Food is alright. The fried chicken finger things are pretty decent. Drinks show up promptly and service seems to be spot-on and friendly. The place is relatively clean and tidy, though often it is difficult to have a conversation with the noise level being pretty high almost all the time. I found Rachel's ramble about those damn computer guys to be pretty funny. I know it's pretty easy to spot a douchenozzle investment banker in Manhattan, but geesh, are us computer nerds really that predictable in our super nerdy jeans and tshirts? Note: no sexual harassment to be had when I've been there. I'll be back, though, fingers crossed.
(4)
Joshua M.
I'm almost thinking that there should be a law that sleazy business guys should not be allowed to go to a bar on their lunch hour and throw back shots with their busty server whose ass they talk about every time she is questionably out of earshot. That's right, the server sat down at the table with them and was taking shots. But what am I thinking? This is America and the Franklin Tap seems to cater to the alpha male businessman who needs to drink both on his lunch break and after work as well. That's my best guess for reason all of the gals are in tiny tank tops and push up bras. But at least they are wearing jeans and miniskirts to balance it out. One might only need to provide pantyhose and orange shorts and we'd be magically transforming the Tap into a Hooters. Anyhow... that's the atmosphere. Food wise I came in for lunch on a weekday, ordered a burger medium-rare, and got medium well. Ordered a cherry coke/pepsi and got diet. Our server was borderline unfriendly... seemed to warm up a little towards the end, but overall seemed to be in a zone. Or maybe in drunk alpha male businessman defensive mode? Understandable, but either way the vibe wasn't warm. Franklin Tap isn't the stupidest or dirtiest sports bar in Chicago by any stretch, and it's not even a hole in the wall. But hole in the walls have character (sometimes), and the Tap needs a serious injection of that to make me ever want to come back. Either that or step up the food a notch... the burger I had was worse than what I could have had at the neighboring McDonald's... and obviously that's not saying much.
(2)
Avery D.
My girlfriends and I decided to meet up here on a Thursday because they had a pretty good beer special. We just wanted to chat and have some snacks and drinks. This place looks like nothing special. It's just a regular normal bar. You know, chairs, a couple of flat screens, alcohol type art on the walls. It's fits the basic need when you just want a drink. I will say that I wad very impressed with our waitress! She was so cute and friendly. Very attentive. We also orders a couple of appetizers. Both were great! I recommend the homemade chips with blue cheese sauce and the hummus plate. Super yummy! I will be back.
(4)
Jacquelyn G.
I've been here twice recently--once for lunch and once for after-work drinks. Neither experience gave me any reason to return. A co-worker and I went for a late lunch one afternoon, and the place was literally empty--we were the only two people there. In all fairness, it was 2:00 on a Tuesday or something, so I didn't necessarily anticipate a crowd. I ordered a caprese panini which I think came with fries, if I correctly recall. The sandwich was really sad. I think it maybe had one piece of mozzarella, one slice of tomato and some very sad basil. It was edible, but that's about it. A group of us went for drinks after work on a Friday night and the place was jam-packed. It just really isn't my speed to be fair (a lot of 20-somethings, kind of felt like a frat party). But that said, the organizer was able to get a table reserved for us and the service was pretty decent considering how crowded it was. The music was insanely loud where you had to scream to have a conversation. No thanks.
(2)
Jess B.
I organized an office party and made a reservation for 15 on a Wednesday night. They did not have my reservation and the waitress was irritated when I suggested she seat us at another reserved table that was not yet occupied. My group ended up being closer to 25 and had to spread out throughout the bar for seating even though she said she would close out tabs on several smaller tables in an area. The waitress refused to do separate checks and I ended up getting charged for a lot of drinks people in my group did not have. The waitress was rude and inattentive. She added an 18% gratuity, otherwise I would not have tipped her. The drink specials were good, but I will never go back.
(1)
Bill M.
Even though Franklin Tap has been around my workplace for 3 years, I made my debut here for lunch yesterday. I think my boss was bored so he dragged me out of the office for lunch. It was fairly busy, so we were fortunate to snag a sidewalk table and enjoy the nice weather and stellar people-watching. Our waitress was pleasant but a bit off (perhaps new or too busy), as my boss ordered a cup of soup with his burger but instead a giant bowl of soup came out at the same time as the burger. They were nice enough to volunteer and take the soup off of our tab though. We both enjoyed our food. I had a patty melt with delectable grilled onions and perfectly toasty (not soggy) marble rye. There were some nice looking sides (including sweet potato fries) but we both went for the macaroni and cheese with bits of bacon, which is a meal in itself (and you can order it as a meal too). I think we would have each enjoyed a beer too (there are decorative beer taps displayed on the wall), but work was still to happen so no beer.
(4)
Joe M.
Definitely a Loop bar.... you know; packed on Thursday and Friday from 3pm-9pm... just until all the Walmartian suburbanites realize they need to get back to the other side. However they do have pretty good specials. Example: Wednesday $3 Imports Thursday $2 Blue Moons
(3)
Jeannie L.
Pretty standard loop bar. Average menu and typical drinks. Wasn't too busy on a Friday night so we had lots of space for my coworkers and I to all get a big table.
(4)
Johnny B.
The service is rarely good, usually mediocre. Food is actually pretty tasty. I think they get by solely based on the lack of competition near the Sears Tower/311 S. Wacker. It's a completely acceptable place to grab a beer for Happy Hour with friends or co-workers.
(3)
Alissa B.
I do really like this place and would probably give it 3.5 stars if I could. I work by this place so find myself here a lot, whether its for lunch or for an after work drink and I have to say it has improved in the past few years. They redid the bathroom situation, no more oneies. They also have sweet potato fries which are pretty good. Fun patio in the summer too. The place is usually pretty packed, whether its during lunch or happy hour, and the service is usually just ok. Its not the best place in town but I think worth checking out.
(3)
Eddy C.
I think I have a new favorite happy hour Loop bar. Drink specials? Check. Here's the rundown: Monday - all mixed drinks 1/2 price Tuesday - $5 select martinis, silver patron margaritas, silver patron shots Wednesday - $5 wines by the glass, $3 bottles of beer Thursday - $2 pints of Blue Moon, Miller Lite and a "featured selection" (last night was St. Pauli's Girl) Friday - $5 Effen cocktails Food specials? Check. Can we say 1/2 off appetizers after 6 pm provided you order a drink and don't get it to go. The apps are pretty cheap already but with the 1/2 off, they're ridiculously cheap to the point where you pretty much just want to order one of everything. Oh and the food is pretty good. Standard bar fare but I enjoyed everything I ate. Service? Reasonably decent, considering how crowded the place gets. Our server last night was attentive and made sure the drinks kept coming. No complaints here. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because of how crowded it gets. My group lucked out in that a table opened up right when we got there but there isn't a ton of seating for the most part. Due to the crowdedness, expect a lot of people bumping into you and possible drink spillage. Also, the place only has one bathroom per gender so the lines can pose a problem (I was THIS close to making the female bathroom a unisex one just for me). But all in all, Franklin Tap is a great place to grab some food and drinks after work. I'll definitely be back!
(4)
Polly P.
Cheap and good for drinkig and become drunk :)
(3)
Double L.
I thought this place was alright when I went. My co-workers go here all the time but since I don't generally hang out with them I had never been until recently for a going away party. They have a decent beer selection and I thought it was a nice oasis from the generally cr@ppy bar choices in and around the West Loop area. Our server was really nice, hepful, attentive and friendly. She even was cool about the Smithwick(sp?) ladies coming in and buying our whole table a round, which she had to go get but didn't add to her tab. We all got water no problem and refills when necessary. Maybe we we lucked out but I thought the place was decent for sure. A good choice for the area but I wouldn't go out of my way to go here. Unless I was in the West Loop wanted some late night eats and didn't feel like a gyro or heading really far west to Bottom Lounge. Bathrooms are a bit sketchy. I know the place is pretty small but one toliet per gender is not enough. RrL
(3)
Eric G.
Not being in the mood for the usual Chipotle/Potbelly lunchtime routine, my friends and I decided to check out the Franklin Tap. Conveniently located near the Sears Tower, this place is great for anyone looking for a good place to have a causal power lunch. There is no shortage of flat screen TVs on the wall to watch whatever sporting events are going on. The menu is basic bar food. I had a pulled pork barbeque sandwich with french fries. My two friends went with burgers. No complaints at our table. The waitress was attentive and never let our sodas get close to empty. The food also came out in less than 15 minutes. We were able to enjoy our food and take time walking back to work.
(3)
Antonio C.
6/10/2011 Friday around 6pm. Would give them 4 stars except they didn't have Heinekin on tap anymore. And were out of the next 2 beers I opted for. I don't understand how they can run out of this many beers on draft. Very disappointed. The staff are pretty and friendly, and the food is pretty good.
(3)
K M.
I would say "nothing special" if not for the hot pretzels. I probably wouldn't even be bothering to write a review if not for the hot pretzels. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty much only writing this so I can create a "best hot pretzels" list in the near future. These are pretty spectacular. No one is going to beat Rock Bottom in my eyes apparently, but these are still pretty amazing, what with the melty cheese inside the pretzels themselves. MMMMMMM....nothing ends a long week in January on a high note like pretzels and booze! Decent drink specials for Friday- $5 effen cocktails. Not that I bothered with those up front, since Kelly to a martini menu is like the moth to the proverbial flame. Hello minty chocolate goodness. Did later switch to the effen cocktails though to avoid sugar shock. If you want a table, apparently you need to get here well before 5. Walking in, there was barely a place to stand let alone sit. We did get lucky and a very kind group offered to split up the two tables they had and cram themselves into one so we could do the same (after two jerks who were on their way out decided that because I asked if they were leaving that they would sit there another half hour, sucking up a whole table for just the two of them- what ever happened to chivalry!) Nice enough atmosphere but not my cup o'tea for happy hour- I'd rather go for something a bit more loungey and comfortable, and getting rammed into by the poor waitresses trying to squeeze between tables to do their job was a little much (but after a few drinks, I stop caring, so whatever). Service was okay, slow at times and there doesn't seem to be a way to get drinks unless you are actually at a table- trying to get up to the bar was impossible. Can't say I'd go out of my way to come back on a Friday at 5, but I could be persuaded at off times to go for the pretzels!
(3)
Katie S.
Came to the Tap on a Thursday around 5pm for some "team building" with a few colleagues. My friend knows the drill here so she called ahead of time to reserve a table. As soon as we got there they kicked the people out of the table that they were sitting at so that we could sit down. That doesn't seem fair, but I'll take it. I was excited when I saw all the different beer taps hanging on the wall, but then really let down when the waitress gave us a beer list that was weak! Not one Pale ale on the menu, but I'll take a $2 Blue moon. We all came prepared to have a great time and take down a lot of beer. The service was fine at first, then it became impossible to get a beer. The waitress was hard to find and it started to get awkward b/c she would come around when we were all sitting with empty glasses waiting patiently and she would act like it was no big deal, "can I get you guys anything?" YES buzz-kill mcqueen, you can get us another round of beers and please keep them coming!" It was impossible to get a buzz going b/c of the wait between rounds. We started doubling up our orders and that still wasn't doing the trick. The place is always crowded on Thursdays and the line for the bathroom seems kind of outrageous. Why is there only one stall for the ladies and one stall for the men? What idiot designs a bar with single stall bathrooms? Franklin Tap has decent specials during the week, but they aren't worth it for the crowd and horrible service.
(2)
Tara M.
I don't know, I've got a problem with a place that has a little menu and can't even get that right. A friend and I stopped in for lunch last week, neither of us had been there before, and we both ordered the chicken sandwich. How do you screw it up? By pre-cooking and nuking the meat! We ordered and our food was on our table in minutes, upon biting into the sandwiches, we figured out why... it was drier than powder on a cracker! Blegh! So, BBQ sauce was our friend and it helped, but did not make us forget how it tasted on the first bite.
(1)
Amy S.
Ugh...do not go here. We often go here for happy hour after work and every time I leave there feeling disappointed. I have never been satisfied with the service; the waitresses will walk right by tables without noticing empty glasses and thirsty patrons. The music is WAY too loud. On one occasion we had to ask the staff to turn down the music just so our party could carry on a conversation; and this was at 4 pm...??? The drinks aren't reasonable, or extraordinary for that matter. I ordered Peach Schnapps with cranberry juice, but was instead brought peach vodka. The food there is OK...nothing to write home about. Oh, and after a certain time you can't get water. You have to buy bottles of water...what a waste.
(1)
Lindsay K.
Food was great, bartender kept up with our drinks. There wasn't much to the atmosphere or to the crowd, but I imagine it's the kind of place you go after work, not after dinner.
(4)
Ian A.
Mine is not a super objective review. This was a former post-work gathering spot for myself and many others so I'm sure I'm treated slightly better as a regular. Like many bars in the financial district this one can get pretty crowed after work hours, but with my clan someone was usually there by 4 to guarantee a table for us. Staff is always friendly (again maybe more so towards my group) and food on the bar food to restaurant food scale is more of the restaurant quality.
(4)
Joe R.
Thursday's are a great time at the Franklin Tap. A group of co-workers and I went here recently and enjoyed the $2 selected beer pints and half-price appetizers. The super close proximity to Union Station is also a huge plus.
(4)
Nick S.
I go here on occasion to hang out with the guys at work. Yes we are computer geeks, but unlike in Rachel M's review, we don't sexually harass the waitresses. Of course, that area is densely populated with professional computer geeks. There really isn't anything too special about this place but it's location. The wait staff is courteous and are attentive yet will leave you alone if need be. One star for proximity to my workplace, one star for competent wait staff, and another for decent drink specials. In the 6-7 times I have been here I have yet to encounter any negative experiences. I have yet to eat here but only because I am not really a bar food kind of guy.
(3)
Josh G.
Typical Loop-area bar. We had our office holiday gathering here because we needed something relatively cheap and it was just ok. The food was surprisingly tasty but the drinks were weak. Maybe it's because we had an open bar for our group so they were holding back, but a lot of people ended up ordering wine or beer; At least we knew what we were going to get with that. I've heard they do have some good specials during the week but I think they close a little early. The waitress told us that they are never open past 10 or something like that. But like I said, pretty typical of Loop bars I think. Overall it's not a bad place and I'd probably go back for Happy Hour or something.
(3)
Jim O.
I actually frequent this place pretty often for lunch during the week and unfortunately I'll agree with the other reviewers that this place could use some work. I've had quiet a few of the sandwiches and just about all the appetizers and I've never been too impressed with anything I've had there. During lunch this place fills up with the business class looking to grab a sandwich and maybe down a few beers. The best part about this place is the few servers who are pretty hot.
(2)
Sam K.
Booked a table for 20 for an after work happy hour for my co-workers at JPMorgan. Got there and only a table for 10 was kept ready. But they were fine to adjust the reservations and added a few tables, which was nice. They had a deal going for $5 drafts and $5 all food to mark their 5th anniversary which was pretty cool. The waitress Carey was so so, never came in and checked in if we wanted drinks regularly and once we ordered drinks they took forever to come out. At about 9 PM, she disappeared and never really asked us if we wanted anything else. The new waitress Anastasia came over and got us more drinks. One of my co-workers tipped a bottle by mistake, and Anastasia goes: you need to behave yourself, the bar tender wants to cut you guys off and is watching you and we are gonna close soon, so you need to finish up. All the 10 people left at the table had their faces drop and we decided to leave - we really didn't know what we did wrong. A total buzz kill. Thank you Franklins tap for killing a nice evening after $450 of food and drinks. I know no one from JPMorgan is going back there, at least not from my group. I gave the two stars because of the $5 deal and the flexibility to adjust the table. If you need to have a work happy hour, go elsewhere: Poags, South Branch, Rivers, don't go here.
(2)
Jessica C.
This place is becoming a happy hour spot for me and my co workers. We head here every Thursday around 4:30 PM for $2 drafts.
(4)
Kari S.
Franklin Tap is a decent lunch spot and often has drink specials for those who like to end a Wednesday work day on a high note or start weekends at noon on Fridays. I like the variety the menu offers; there is something for everyone. They get a plus for having sweet potato fries (even though they were electric orange, thus somewhat frightening). I had the curry chicken salad and while it was tasty, it was nothing I'd especially come back for.
(3)
Jeff W.
Note to other reviewers-FRANKLIN Tap is a DIVE-know that going in so there is no disappointment-for a dive it is my favorite in the loop-always great drink specials-half prices apps for happy hour-what else can you ask for? reasonable drinks-good bar grub and friendly service makes Franklin Tap great spot for commuters heading to train or just a hole in the wall great spot for anyone to enjoy a cold beverage after work(or during)
(4)
Karen R.
I went there for the first time and was pleased. The food was good, but nothing to write home about. However, they have great daily specials for drinks and food. It's a nice place in terms of cleanliness. The decor was interesting. It was sort of a mix between your typical bar with a handful of TVs and a somewhat trendy bar (e.g. the back wall of the bar). It has outdoor seating, which is a plus. I don't know this area of the loop that well but I will definitely go back.
(3)
Andrzrej K.
I wanted to go to Ukrainian Village, I'm polish, its close enough, my friend Mike wanted to go to Greek town, hes Greek- but we had 3 hours before our flight left for NYC (aka Amtrak 28 hour voyage) so This was the first place we picked. From the outside I liken it to a Stout- which also lingers outside a large Train Depot, albeit far, far away- inside- Franklin is much smaller- but better, better because of the staff. Although the crowed frequenting this place seemed business-oriented and boring- they kept it lively and certainly made the girls there work for their tips.... the Bartender Jo is Polish- I knew right away but i could tell she was skeptical of my heritage even after seeing the last name on the credit card. Although they knew We would only be around for 2-3 hours and possibly flirtatious resources may have been better spent amongst semi-regular patrons they girls kept us company as shots evolved into a brief inebriated friendship.
(4)
Sarah D.
I wanted an after work drink with a friend in the loop and that is what I got here. The drink was good, it was not too loud, and clean. We would go here after work again.
(5)
Ray B.
i definitely wouldn't go out of my way to go here. if you're parched/starving, and just happen to walk by, give it a shot. otherwise, head over to plymouth tap or villains for a good meal and brew. this place has like 5 beers on tap and i think the most exciting one is blue moon. not to mention that my fish and chips basket looked like deep fried turds. i'm just sayin'
(2)
Cardinal S.
Great salmon sandwich and sweet potato fries, but service was slow!
(3)
v m.
service is not that great - the waters and waitresses can be abrasive. even when we brought a team of 30+ we hardly got drinks or food... food is meh but i guess its a bar. drink specials are pretty decent.
(2)
Justin S.
Think about this for a second... This place is called Franklin Tap. They have a million different tap handles covering the walls. However, there are only *2* beers on tap. Miller Lite and St. Pauli girl. What. The. Heck.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Music : Background Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Wed, Thu, Fri Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Christine S.
Why is everyone hating on Franklin Tap? Franklin Tap is just like every other (non fancy) sports bar in the loop... What's the problem? Okay, so maybe I came in at a really good time (first Friday of March Madness), but the place was slammed and had a good vibe going. I liked it. The food I had was good. Gouda Chicken Sandwich - gouda, avocado, shredded lettuce, tomato, honey mustard aioli, herb focaccia. (I 86'd the mustard and threw it on a pretzel roll...I loved that sandwich). The service was great. Our severs were on point and very accommodating.
(4)Michael R.
If the devil owned a sports bar it would be named Franklin Tap. Unfortunately Yelp doesn't have middle fingers because this place would get five. I've had one, yes ONE good experience here. I work one block over and have been several times because the food is actually really good. The problem is the staff, they are either indifferent or just outright bitchy. Ask them to split the check, I dare you. The response could be as tame as the server staring daggers to leaving minus an eye. Don't you dare use the Willis Passport card, I've heard anything from sucking their teeth to an outright huff of disgust. If you don't want to deal with it, don't be part of it. Simple right? They have a captive audience but I know why they need to attract people, one visit here getting shade thrown at you, you won't go back. If they ever decide to rebrand but keep the same staff, I would suggest the name 'Resting Bitch Face', that way you know what to expect. Anyways, like I said, food was good, hence the second star. If you can tolerate living the movie Mean Girls then check it out. If you like your server to at the very least acknowledge you exist, definitely the wrong place.
(2)Rod C.
Way better than Randolph Tavern and here is why: No attitude from the Hostess Walked right in and got a table during Happy Hour Menus and drink specials given to us right away Good bar food Good specials No pretentious hostesses here like at Randolph Tavern
(4)Jason H.
This a great place to go after work. They constantly rotate beers on tap and have a great selection of my favorites (ciders, Ale, Stouts). Try the sliders and you will realize it is a hidden gem in the loop.
(4)Vishal P.
Came here with my wbez 2 for 1 card. Ordered buffalo burger medium rare topped with mushrooms, cheese and side order of slaw....5 stars! Great service and good selection of beers. Definitely reasonable prices! If you looking to eat good and pay for burger n' beer for under $20 this the place...
(5)Ashley M.
As a resident of the Big Willie, this place has become is an all-star in my Happy Hour Bullpen. It's a great place to go to drink away your boss' criticism or to celebrate that new raise. The food and customer service is always consistent. I know I can depend on them to have a new and delicious beer on tap. Also, it always seems they have a deal going on their drinks too. Franklin Tap, you can definitely expect another visit from this returning customer. Have a cold one ready for me!
(4)Jeannie A.
If it wasn't for their proximity to where I work, I don't think I would ever come here, and even with location, I rarely visit. It is just an unforgettable place. Dark, dreary, and dingy on the inside. Prices are loop-average, service is decent, food is mediocre bar grub. When asked what they have on tap, I was told I needed to go look at the chalk-board, however, with the USA-Belgium game on, there was no way to make my way over to it. Maybe twice a year for a beer after work, but there are just too many other places to visit.
(2)Levi B.
Yikes! What an experience! Can honestly say it will be a very, very long time before I go back here again, if ever. It all starts back on St. Patrick's Day; mistake #1. My friends and I had an entire day planned to avoid the Irish bars as much as possible and we made a cool little map that we would hit cool bars along the way that my partner and I have found to be tried and true. Out of the entire experience Franklin Tap was the only disappointment. We had left Cavanaugh's after our requisite "one green beer" and made our way to FT. When we got there we found a table near the front and got our drinks in order. As soon as we sat down the server required we give her our credit card up front. I explained that we were on separate checks, showed her how it should be broken up and she said she understood. The drinks came while I was in the loo so I can only go by what my four other friends and partner had to say about the way the drinks were delivered. In a word: poorly. Apparently they were slammed in the center of the table and they had to divvy them up themselves. I didn't witness it but whatever, moving on. My vodka tonic was gross. Like really gross. Flat. Watered down. Gross. I wasn't going to say anything but after the mediocre delivery my friends felt it necessary to make mention of it to the server but it made no impact. I noticed that my friend next to me had a chip in the rim of her glass. We brought that to the server's attention and boy did we feel like we were making a fuss over nothing. We told her we would be cashing out and leaving. She grabbed the drink and went off to the bar only to bring a replacement drink that we did not want. The server could tell things were going badly or she wouldn't have said [I feel like you guys are mad at me for something I've done]. By this time we were over it. So the chip-in-the-glass friend went to speak to the manager. Again, I wasn't there to witness but the conversation didn't go much better. The manager said he'd rather comp the drinks than argue about when the chip occurred or it causing a problem; going on to say he didn't understand the big deal because they made her another drink. Point missed. Pretty sure everyone is aware that regardless of when a chip occurred, the drink must be returned and the glass thrown out. Standard health practices for the restaurant industry. So somewhere between the chip in the glass incident and talking with the manager our card (my partner and I) was charged for everyone's drink when I clearly stated we would be a split check. The total BS part is that they auto-gratuity at six people and only four of us had a drink - two had water. Snapping back to the manager's decision to comp our drinks we received a $0 receipt and was told that the card would not be charged as we had not signed the receipt agreeing to payment. The best part of this whole shitty experience, three days later we get a notification that our card was forced-pay for the bill at FT. We promptly opened a formal complaint with our credit card. I think this experience speaks to my willingness to visit FT. I am very vocal to all of my friends who work right down the road with me about thinking twice before going there again. My regards to this awesome customer service experience at FT.
(1)Jenny S.
Not sure why everyone is complaining? If there were a 3.5 option, I would choose that. It's simply good bar food. Plain and simple. Not a fancy gastropub and not a dirty, dingy hole in the wall. Good food and good beer. My only complaint is that they're too busy/booked for the World Cup these days :-( Otherwise, this is a favorite among my colleagues and I for after work drinks and happy hour specials. Much better than their partner Cactus. Select $5 Apps after 5pm and an excellent selection of beer! I would recommend the Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Hummus and the Tater Tots!
(3)Joanna L.
Had the loaded tater tots. They were decent but probably wouldn't get them again. Nice bar overall, clean, and decent crowd. Lots of room to sit and watch a game.
(4)Shannon F.
THEY ARE NOT OPEN ON SATURDAY AT 5:30. We walked all the way here and they were closed. F this place.
(1)Ben M.
Strolled over from Union Station during a train layover. Really comfortable place and fine service. Good draft beer selection. Some of my favorites from around the country, as well as solid locals, and some things I'd never heard of. I had the bison burger which was delicious, manageable, and not too greasy, though it might have been a little overdone. Tried my brother's broccoli cheddar soup and steak wrap, both of which were solid.
(4)Chris M.
To go order of chicken and gouda sandwich with mac and cheese. Both were pretty good. Quick from time of order to having food ready. Good value for the money considering the area.
(4)Sarah Y.
I like this place because it is very close to my work, which makes it a great option for happy hour if you work anywhere near the Willis/Sears Tower. What I also like is that they have food and drink specials most weekdays. $5 shareable appetizers and $4 cans on the evening I went. The apps (pretzels with cheese dip, spinach artichoke dip, loaded tator tots) were good accompaniments to the beer and conversation, but weren't standouts.
(4)Nancy C.
Not a bad bar to come after work. It's always packed!!! They have daily specials on tap...
(3)Stephanie S.
We end up coming here for lunch all the time since it's just around the corner from the office. I've never been wowed by the food. It's pretty standard burgers, wraps, salads. Nothing to write home about. They can get you in and out pretty quick for lunch. Service is hit or miss--they're either super sweet and attentive or you're sitting there for 15 minutes waiting for someone to take your drink order. The tater tots are a must.
(3)Donny J.
Seems like every time they add another beer selection to the already wonderful list, the music decibels goes up. I am not sure why their management think that very loud music is okay :(
(2)Kristin H.
Good vibes and local beer choices, a bunch of TV screens to watch sports. A little too crowded when we went.
(3)Justin B.
Where do I begin? The thing that most irritated me about this place was being told several times over a ten minute period that we'd have to give up one of our tables (which we reserved) if the rest of our party didn't arrive shortly (we're talking about one empty table). Now don't get me wrong, I would understand if we had 1 person holding 12 tables for 5 hours and it was busy. I would even possibly understand had we not been told (multiple times) over the phone that we'd be okay as long as we had most of our party there by a certain time (which we did). I would understand if there were simply no other tables available (there were tons). We were very clear when making the reservation that about half our party wouldn't be arriving until around 6pm, which we were assured was not a problem. The bar was half empty and we had several people on time at the tables. There was another group behind us with less people and more reserved tables that didn't get asked once to give up a table. There were literally 10 open tables around us if not more. When we brought up to the waitress that when we told the woman making the reservation that about 3-4 members of our party would likely arrive at 6pm vs. 5pm, and that woman said there would be no issue at all... the waitress proceeded to tell us that the person taking the reservation would never say that (funny because I was involved in those conversations and she was not) and then told us that's not how the "restaurant" industry works. I was polite and didn't argue with her, I simply said if they want to take a table they can do so and we'll find another bar to go to. At this point she proceeded to visibly complain to half the staff (many of which were goofing off/wrestling with each other near the host stand/etc.). Eventually our party showed up (around 6pm as promised) and at no point during the evening did they get more than three-quarters full nor did the large group of tables behind us come anywhere close to being filled up. Add in the generally slow service (until the end of the night when the bar was practically empty), the overtly passive aggressiveness of the waitress and the "meh" ambiance and cleanliness... I think it's fair to say no one for our group will be returning. As an added bonus, upon ordering our first drink I asked a question about the beer list to which our waitress responded, "let me teach you something about beer" very snidely (our entire group thought it was rude even if it wasn't intended as such). She then proceeded to tell me something I knew was factually incorrect, but I kept my mouth shut and a two-word, ten-second Google search when she left the table confirmed she was flat out wrong in her attempt to belittle my question. Now I'm sure people in the service industry (really any industry) get barraged with rude patrons, dumb questions, unreasonable requests... but there was absolutely none of that. The reality is that sometimes instead of being snide and feel the need to gossip about how unreasonable it is that people holding tables at a bar would expect a little flexibility on a work day, maybe consider the alternative that you guys are just bad at your jobs and you have no clue what was promised to our group... none of which was unreasonable.
(1)D H.
Great beer selection. Okay food. Some items better than others. I would avoid the Lamb burger at all costs. At times, they have the Lamb burger as a special. I don't know why because it comes across as frozen and process - terrible.
(3)Danny W.
Franklin Tap is a happy hour bar in the loop so you'll see lots of suits from 4-7pm during the week. It's pretty much dead other than that time frame though. My buddy lives across the street and spends about 70% of his time here so I go every now and again to join him. The food is pretty much mediocre. Can't really remember ever being wowed, but they do have tots so if you're just drinking that's always an excellent choice to snack on. Drinks are pretty affordable considering you're not far the financial district and they've got a ok selection of booze to wet your whistle. One thing I do love is the staff. Always friendly and fun and they pretty much always make the experience. Perhaps it's because my friend could probably get his mail forwarded here, but ultimately I'd say FT is an all around good time.
(3)Kevin C.
A handful of good beers. Space to accommodate an after work social hour for larger groups. $5 select appetizers after 5 pm and $4 Stella drafts. That adds up to a decent deal when on a budget. If you want a table after the closing bell tolls call to make reservations ahead of time. They have a separate line at 312-922-8025. This is a good option for those concerned about proximity to their office in the loop. The service gets bogged down as the night progresses and the place fills up. Its bound to happen when the waitresses are doing their job. Clean bathrooms are always a plus. I wouldn't necessarily stop in for lunch, unless sitting outside was an option, so for now I would stick to drinks after work. Drafts range from $5 to $7 and they actually have a Pale Ale other than Green Line.The appetizers were well received. Everyone needs a little something to soak up the booze to avoid any career limiting moves. At the end of the day I was pretty impressed with the overall experience. The noise level was moderate, music was not bumping, and you could converse with the person next to you. There are padded futon like cushions on the ceiling seem to absorb the buzzing crowd. I don't think I would go out of my way to stop in but rather for a planned event. There aren't unlimited options in the business district so choose wisely. Franklin Tap was surprisingly affordable and made for pleasant hours of happiness. Oh, and my Manhattan was not watered down, smooth sailing.
(4)Christina H.
Flavorful Bison burger, tater tots and Cod sandwich. Cold, local beers - can't beat it!
(4)Griffin G.
Fun, relaxed place for an after work drink! Good service and good crowd of people.
(5)Karen G.
Not much for atomsphere, And $10 martinis which is too rich for my blood. But a ok beer selection - maybe 10 good selctions and a delightful waitess named Angie who sat down at the table was very amusing and charming.
(3)Andrew B.
Been here twice more, once for lunch, once after work on a Friday with co-workers. The burgers here are pretty good. Right amount of grease, cooked to order. Service is fast at the bar ... but who wants to eat a burger at a small bar where the barback is washing dishes inches away from your bun, undoubtedly hitting it with spray? No thanks, gross. Eating at a table the next time. Despite concerns from first visit, their scotches are not universally? regularly? always? watered down. Had a Glenlivet and Glenmorangie, colleague had a Glenlivet and a Laphroaig, we were both satisfied. Yes, I know, we were drinking scotch at a tap joint. Sue us. I had a high-ABV brew ... Belgian? Monk something ... as well. Coming here after work can be tough, but in finding no table for 8 people for a good 45 minutes, until someone left, I did discover they do reservations. Good to know for future work-related visits; this place is literally across the street from us, so there will definitely be future visits. Waitress was patient with us as we converted from bar to table ordering. Appetizers (nachos, something else vaguely Mexican) were decent.
(4)Lizz M.
Remember when I said I'd only come back if someone would pay for it? Don't look at me like that. Would YOU say no to free booze and food? It's okay, because the waitresses will say no for you, apparently. Came back for another happy hour (stop #2 for the night) with co-workers. At this point we were a few beers/drinks in and needed food. A co-worker tried to order some appetizers and was told no, that it wasn't time to order yet. uhm, what? I...don't understand. Service was still slow and inattentive even though it was a lot less busy than the last time we were there.
(1)M S.
Just a couple blocks from my office and I was excited about the outdoor patio, but has absolutely the WORST service I have ever experienced in my life. Our server - Jen - went from being a little obnoxious to extremely passive aggressive and rude for no apparent reason. After talking with the manager, she got more and more sarcastic and nasty every time she came to the table. After a while, she came with a round of free shots (that her manager apparently made her bring to us), and when one of my co-workers thanked her she said "yeah, we don't need to kid each other. We all know what this is about." Will never return for fear of experiencing her again.
(1)Rhonda G.
"seats taken" -Forrest Gump 1994 I know how he feels. I don't appreciate being shuffled around after being told that I could sit at one of the tables that was reserved for much later. I don't appreciate being told by everyone and their mom that "this table is reserved" No sh*t Sherlock! I don't appreciate the lack of customer service skills amongst some employees. I DO appreciate a waitress who can return in a timely manner with drinks, split checks, and try to be attentive in a crowded bar...kudos to you. It's not a dive. It's a sports bar, they have drinks, people having drinks, loud people and bar food. If you don't go you aren't missing anything.
(2)Derrick T.
My lunch buddy decided to pick this place... 1 mile away from my office! So a nice mile trek through drizzly Chicago, and grabbed a seat to get a nice relaxed lunch in... Lots of TV's, on all sort of different sports channels, so a nice place to catch some games... Ordered up a Cobb Salad (paleo day) and a milk stout. Cobb salad was pretty damn good, surprisingly, for a bar/restaurant! Everything tasted fresh, the bacon was crunchy, the egg was cooked just about right, and the diced chicken was a decently generous portion. Price was city pricing ($12 for a salad?) so not spectacular, but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. Milk stout, which I believe was on draft, was tasty. While they took a bit of time to bring it out, the waitress explained that it's due to how they pour, settle, and repour the milk stout to get the right consistency. In all honesty, I didn't know so much goes into pouring a milk stout properly. $6.50 for a glass, which again is about standard pricing. Verdict: It's an okay place to grab a bite and drink. The after 5 drink specials looked nice, but probably a little further than most of my office crew would want to walk. I go out of my way to come here unless I was meeting up with someone who requested it. Bonus: The waitress actually asked if we had our passport cards, which is something they gave local offices to get a BOGO entree. Shame I'm not local enough... but nice of the waitress to check!
(3)Kasey A.
Craft beer = me praising the gods that I can actually have a drink. Good food, bodering on great food! Plus, the hot bartendar, Joanna, makes the whole thing worthwhile. If I swung that way, I would be broke by the end of the night because I would give her all my monies. They have an impressive selection of all different types of crafy brews, which I love. Tried the Gubnah IPA last time, and absolutely loved it. Partly because the name, but also because it was super delish! I would recommend to firends for sure!
(4)Elise K.
The Franklin Tap has always been good to me. Despite being closed some weekend evenings (was looking for a bite after a theater show downtown), it is a nice happy hour hangout and even good for groups. With walls covered in taps it surely has a good selection on draft at all times. The specialty drinks are good too with cheap vodka drinks and margaritas. When visiting with a work group we've sampled the menu back and forth. Most of the food is tasty or at least interesting. I recommend the hummus or the pretzels.
(4)Dr P.
Good beer selection. 4 of 5.
(4)Greg F.
decent food, nice beer selection, but horrible service.
(1)Matthew S.
Great place to go after work for drinks and some bar food. Was here last night and they have appetizers for $5 that are good sized portions after 5 PM. I would recommend the sliders. It's what you'd expect at a friendly, cozy bar, nice place to unwind after-hours. I'll be back!!
(4)Christopher B.
One of the better craft beer selections in the loop. They have around a dozen taps or so that seem to change almost weekly and feature a wide variety of small batch offerings. I have only ordered appetizers here, so I can't say too much about the food - but what I see going by me looks amazing. The prices are relatively decent too. Their regular specials include things like $4 cans (which includes craft cans like Dale's, Half Acre, etc...) and $2 off draft pours - neither of which are too bad. They have some pricier draft beers too, but you'll notice that some of them get up into the 12% abv range - so you won't need too many. Verdict: Conveniently located across from the Sears Tower (please don't call it the Willis Tower, I don't even know who Willis is) this is a great little spot for snacks and a solid craft beer!
(4)Sara L.
Remember that episode of Sex and the City where Mr. Big takes her to that horrible, dark, dingy, Chinese restaurant to find out her friend brings his date here so nobody would see him with her? Yeps, this would be that place! If it wasn't for the damn location that night probably never would go here. Instead came here after a volunteer event since it was the closest and just around the block. The place is dark, loud, and over all kinda sad looking. The beer selection was so-so, not stellar but decent. Our waitress, well we finally figured out who she was after having a few other waitresses come to our table, but tell us they can take our drink order but someone else will have to bring it. The food selection is alright, no five star dining let alone 3 star dining, but a girl gotta eat! The turkey avocado sandwich makes subway's turkey sub look delicious! The highlight was the mac and cheese since it doesn't come with bread crumb crust. Sorry, just never understood why the point behind the bread crumbs...this gal just wants more cheese! Over all, the place is meh, the service is meh and the mac and cheese is decent.
(1)Jon V.
Location, Location, Location. I don't know if I would go here if it wasn't for where it was placed. Working across the street and a buddy that lives next door, it has been our go to place quite a bit, mainly for the great priced drinks and an occasional appetizer. Been here a couple times for lunch and dinner, but their food is really par with everybody else and nothing really extravagant. Mainly just come here as a great happy hour place. Their board is always stocked and changing with great beer selections, but the only thing really consistent with the place is their daily specials and their ability to always be out of the beer i'm looking to try. Everything else is just a guessing game. Am I going to get an awesome waitress or am I going to get a slow grumpy one. Do I get fresh chips or ones that have been dried out for a couple of days. Somedays you just never know. Some times the place is packed on a Monday and sometimes it's completely did, just luck of the draw sometimes. Haven't really had a terrible experience here, as we still find ways to coming back, but really haven't had a great experience so putting it right in the middle of the road with 3 stars.
(3)Eric G.
I come here for happy hour somewhat regularly. The beer selection is great, and prices are in line with other Loop bars. The Wednesday $4 cans is a great deal. Canned beer includes all the locals, Revolution, Finch's, Half Acre, and some out of towners like Avery and Oscar Blues. Best beer deal around (to my knowledge). Happy hour apps are 1/2 price, which is nice when you are pounding cans of fine beer.
(4)Mary T.
Q: Why would 95% of a sports bar's tables be reserved at 3:30 on a Thursday? A: Beats the hell out of me! I think they should change their name to "Reservations," and their slogan can be "Sorry, that table's reserved!" I don't understand why I'm having such trouble finding a job these days. I mean, I doubt the employees of the month are the ones reserving tables so that they have a spot when they arrive for a few beers at 3:30 on a weekday. Rhonda G, me and the rest of the group would've been SOL had it not been for a few tables reserved for 5:30 and beyond that we borrowed in the meantime. It didn't come without a price, we were only reminded that at 5:30 our table turned into a pumpkin a dozen times. I've seen the phrase dive thrown around about this place in a few reviews and I'm not sure where that comes from. This place is far from a dive, the interior is new - stone floors, newish tables and chairs; the place is clean; the drinks and food aren't cheap; and the menu has things like panini on it. No, it's not a dive, it's just a mediocre sports bar with TV's everywhere. I ordered the All Grown Up Grilled Cheese and got a salad as my side along with a $2 Miller Lite on special. $7.95 for a grilled cheese and side seems like a rip off, I mean they just swapped out Wonder for egg bread, added some Provolone and sliced tomatoes. It was decent, but hardly sophisticated; I was experimenting with multi-cheese grilled cheeses in my single digits! Our server was nice and very attentive, but we were very abruptly booted from our tables around 5:15 by some guy who worked there. All we got was an "I need this table," whatever happened to the words sorry, excuse me, or please? We were headed out anyway, but manners are always appreciated. Bottom line: There are other places in the area I'd prefer to get my drink on, but you wouldn't have to drag me kicking and screaming to come back here.
(3)Jason P.
Absolutely terrible. The waitress was a mix of apathetic, slow and just overall dreadful. We sat and waited over 10 minutes in a pretty empty place to even get greeted by a waitress. The five of us that were there ordered drinks as the rest of our party of 12 filed in. That round took 20 minutes to get to us. That was basically a trend for the rest of the night. There was one point in the night where she handed us a drink and we immediately ordered another. This was the only time where she gave us a collective eff you and came with the drinks quickly. Thinking that we had turned a corner, we thought maybe something lit a fire for her, but alas, that was not the case. We ordered a bunch of apps before anyone ordered their meal. One of these apps came out when most of the people were done with their meals. The adventure only continued when we got our bill, which took us 30 minutes to get, and only after we hunted her down and took it from her. There were about 5 times where we tried to order items on the menu that we were told they either ran out of or did not have in general. I didn't realize that them running out meant they would still add it to our bill. We asked for a correction, and then realized she did not correct the tax or automatically added tip. After another correction, we finally paid and got as far away from this moron as we could. Basically go anywhere else, this place sucks
(1)Kristy N.
Stopped in after work on a very snowy Friday night. I stupidly thought that the dreary weather would keep the crowds at bay but it seems that slushy streets and the threat of an extra long commute won't deter those trying to get their happy hour on. The place did clear out around 7 er so which leads me to believe that it was mostly an after work place to grab a few drinks before heading home. My friend and I had a few beers and split the Cuban sandwich which was okay and made much better since it's served with a side of tots. I"m happy to come back in but I can only imagine that the bar is even more packed when the weather is less-frightful.
(4)Katie M.
No thanks. Their specials lie. The reason we came here was because of their alleged "$2 off ALL beer bottle or draught". Come to find when we get there, there are only a "select" number of beers on special.... namely, the ones I'd never heard of. They advertised this $2 off on their website, in their bathrooms, and IN THEIR MENU. Asked the waitress and she said oh yeah... that just changed. Heres a tip then- pull out the menu inserts and take down the restroom signs advertising $2 off all beers!! We had a large group and were spending a lot of money. It was a Tuesday night, it was us and one other table, and we still had very slow service. It seemed like it was the waitress' first night. Even if it was, you learn in waitressing 101 if a guest has an empty glass, ask if they want another!!! Then, we had two $25 off coupon. It stated explicitely that it was "one per TABLE". We had two tables. We complained about the specials, and asked if they would consider ringing us up in two separate tabs so that we felt like we got at least a little consolation. No go. Not only that, the "manager" they sent over was rude, and basically said "there's nothing I can do about it". Fine then, there's something I can do about it.... recommend that NO ONE COME HERE anymore! There are plenty of better bars in that area. Also, their bathrooms were disgusting. Water all over the floor. Really????
(1)Matthew L.
Sat for 20 minutes without service while the staff walked by in a near empty bar. See ya! Update: I was asked if I was being helped when I stood up to leave.
(1)Dana F.
If I got a cliche souvenir t-shirt from Franklin Tap, it would read: "I went to Franklin Tap and all I got was this lousy Coors Light." Although I did not get a commemorative t-shirt from the experience, I do have a few requests: Please don't have all of these amazing taps decorating the wall of your establishment and then have 9 of the 12 selections on draft go by the names of Miller, Budweiser, and Coors. Please make the sweet potato fries crispy. Under no condition is it okay to eat soggy fries. Please continue the $5 happy hour appetizer special. Because that's all that's going for you right now.
(2)Jeffrey H.
Hey Yelpers!! Do you want to go spend $14 for a watered down Vodka that was already a horrible pour, experience some poor service by attractive waitresses that go table to table and flirt poorly with all of the suited up douche bags talking about their one great play when they played high school football? Would you enjoy spending time in a major meat market - full of 40 Somethings that are entering their midlife crisis? How about we do some Billy Joel Karaoke while we're at it? If yes - Check out this place! LAME LAME LAME. Hasbeens - go home and spend some time with your wives - the waitresses do not think you are funny and in no way will you ever be able to trade up. This place is like a strip club where the strippers are the waitresses but they keep their clothes on. My guess is the attractive 20 year olds do not think your beer gut is attractive. MEH!
(2)John H.
Major improvements have been made at Franklin Tap. My major grievance beforehand was that a tavern with "tap" in the title only offered a couple of watery American macrobrews. But they've given their beer list a major facelift. Locals are well represented: Half Acre, Metropolitan, and Two Brothers are all here, and craft giants Stone, Victory, and Unibroue are on hand as well. Go on the right day and they'll have some fine specials--$4 draughts on our recent Thursday visit was a nice treat. The bathrooms have also been revamped for the better. They've been set away from the bar down a short hallway, and the single occupant spaces that resulted in permanent lines are no more. There is also comfort in knowing that you're drinking with a hygienic crowd. How do I know this? They've installed Dyson Airblades in the bathrooms. Anyone who sees one of those puppies is not going to skip washing their hands. The atmosphere still isn't much, and that keeps it from being a great bar. The music is still bad (a good jukebox would really help), and there are a lot of guys in suits drinking Bud Light and talking about capital gains taxes. But it's become a serviceable happy hour spot if you're going to be staying in the Loop after work.
(3)Gamaliel E.
Wanna do happy hour? Sure? Where? I don't care...something close. That about sums up Franklin Tap. It's just a place in the loop to grab a drink. Nothing special about it...although it does get pretty crowded on a Thursday evening. The food is decent..but not a place you go to for their food. Oh...one thing to note is that they have made some huge strides in improving their beer selection. You can find some nicer options from Half Acre, Goose Island, and other breweries. The servers have always been nice here.
(3)Downtown B.
Beer list is okay to goodish. You can find some decent drafts here. Food is average. Price is right if you use a "Passport Card" for a two for one lunch (note you need to bring someone for this to work). Service is below average, as the kitchen is so slllooowwwww. Waitresses are okay but not great, they could pick it up a little but it is not their fault that the kitchen is terrible.
(2)Marie N.
My 3 coworkers and I had a very nice lunch here this week. I had fish and chips. Two nice size, crunchy pieces of fish. The malt vinegar was a nice condiment. I did not care of the creamy coleslaw. Fries were good, of course. Service was excellent. Three out of the 4 of us were on expense accounts and the waitress happily split the check as requested, processed 4 different credit cards and delivered the proper receipts to everyone. Nice job. I will return.
(4)Phil T.
Good looking waitresses + below average food = 2 stars. I couldn't even move it up to 3 for the waitresses sake. :) Rainy chilly day, I wanted something warm n comfy at the sametime be veg. Menu was typical boring bar food. but the adult grilled cheese n the daily soup ending up being creamy tomatoe. The best soup n sandwich combo that ever existed! The soup was very watery, somewhat bland, n had a crunchy veg at times in there I couldn't even pick up. A root of some sort or celery on a very bad day! Lol. The grilled cheese was horrible whomever came up with Texas toast w/provolone n American cheese with a tomatoe consists of an adult grilled cheese is beyond me?!? In the middle of the cheeses it was still not fully melted(probably due to the fact of the genius thick bread...lol) n on the outside felt like it was under a cold warming station. To all my grilled CH eaters, we all know this needs to be served hot! Besides cute waitresses this place has no reason for me attending again for lunch.
(2)Lindley L.
About 8 of us came here after a long day at work for some drinks and apps, and it was TERRIBLE. Granted, the place was packed, but they had sufficient waitresses who didn't seem too overwhelmed. However, ours must have had a bad day because she commanded one of our party to move so that she could put drinks on the table. He asked if she would like help passing out the beers and she replied: "no, but you can MOVE." Real friendly. Service didn't improve from there. In addition to improvising on our order and bringing two of several items when we only ordered one and completely forgetting another item, she took forever to get drinks and never checked on us- we were flagging her down the entire time. Good thing for her gratuity was included at 18% because she deserved 5%. We all work close by and I can say with complete confidence that none of us will be going back.
(1)Shivani B.
Even though there were only 4 people in our party we were charged an automatic 18 percent gratuity. When I asked the waitress why it had been added, she tried to tell me that the automatic gratuity was stated on the restaurant.com coupon we had been using. When I showed her that there's was nothing about automatic gratuity on the coupon, she was very rude and didn't even offer to take it off. Terrible experience. Plus their well vodka is svedka and they charge 6 dollars per drink. Never going back which is a shame. I really had high hopes for this place but their service ruined it.
(1)Jack M.
I was introduced to this place by a friend's dad a few years ago. It was his go to place for after work beers and has since become one of mine. The food is nothing to write home about, actually more on the bad and bland side if anything. They have a decent but not incredible beer selection, but the location and friendly service pick it up. All in all, a good place to go with a friend if you're looking for average priced beers and nothing else.
(3)Tricia W.
Black bean burger was OK...our waitress appeared to evaporate for most of the time we were there, which I suppose was because she was upset that the ONLY two tables filled in the place were hers...if it weren't for Sports Center on the TV they would only be getting 1 star.
(2)A E.
Service and beer selection were okay.. Food is ok, nothing special that stands out thats not the same in any other bar. Went there last week Thursday with some friends and handed my credit card to hold for the tab. Here's the thing though, I was rang up for the amount I owed but they lost my credit card. I was never called back the next day as they said they would to let me know if my card was ever found, as the manager said she would. It happens right? Well as I was walking out to check out what had been charged, I noticed that not only was I charged my tab but someone else's tab as well. Went back to the bar and to dispute it and finally was able to have them admit that it was a mistake on their part and that the charges would be reverse for all of the charges. Well guess what, never happened and never received a call.. Last time I go to this spot...
(1)J J.
Possibly one of the worst bars in Chicago. We live at the corner and when moving in we were excited that we had a bar right across the way - well we quickly found out that the staff could care less if they bring back the locals and care only about happy hour. In fact, I met a friend once at the bar and we could not locate the bartender - the waitress said "I can't serve you - the bartender walked over to Cactus for shots".... classy. They own Cactus Bar also which is equally as bad so we never bring any guests, friends, coworkers here and rather pay a cab ride to another bar instead of dealing with these people.
(1)Ryan C.
This place is awesome. Anyone who thinks otherwise should jump off the Willis Tower and (ironically) land on Franklin Tap. Great beer, great food and great service.
(5)Kris H.
Quick lunch, salad for $20! How: mediocre Cobb salad ($11), bad ice tea ($3) and stale bread ($2) I was charged for stale bun :-/ Items priced $1 more than menu online Skip
(1)Michael F.
The Franklin Tap is a little bit of suburbia in the South Loop. You can expect to find lots of sports on television and horrible music being played too loud on the speakers. People are sitting around the bar and drinking Miller Lite while they are discussing their new mini van or what sort of fertilizer would be best to apply to their lawn before the bar closes at something like 10:00 pm. The worst part of all may be that they have a wall covered in beer taps, but at the bar they have only Miller Lite, Heineken, and Blue Moon on draft. This is not a bar as much as it is a lie.
(1)Tina M.
Convenient location for post-work drinks. Surprisingly not packed on Friday just after work - this might be my new spot for happy hours! We had a big group and the waiters were nice enough to move tables around to get us all together. The beer selection is not incredibly impressive, but it's certainly better than your average bar with just a few American beers on tap. The spinach artichoke dip was a strange consistency - big pieces of artichoke. Good, but requires a spoon to put on your chips! The chicken fingers and dip were also very tasty.
(3)Keely B.
We went in on a Monday with our Groupon and discovered that mix drinks were half price. Apparently by "mix drinks" they meant "anything with alcohol", because we definitely got Patron Silver shots for $3.50. Monday night buzz. Jenga! The food was really good, though the service was slooooooow. The restaurant itelf almost manages to be cute, but falls just short. It's sort of...gourmet cafeteria feel. However, it appeared to be clean. From what I could tell in the extremely dim lights, anyway.
(3)Abhay S.
Came out here for a Happy Hour that I organized. The place was packed to the rafters, which surprised the heck out of me. Not sure if it was due to a Bears game (rare Thursday night game) or what, but it was rather loud. Now, normally if you are with a large group, Franklin Tap will require one tab. We somehow talked the waitress into keeping multiple tabs. The waitress was super helpful with that. Also, big time thank you for keeping the 4 tables reserved - we would have been in a lot of trouble had we not had our tables, and even bigger thanks for keeping the tables near the door so we can easily find guests. Our waitress was great, she made sure we always had drinks. Major kudos to her! All in, the location is a bit out of the way, but we'll probably do another Happy Hour here sometime in the near future.
(4)Kathy L.
recently i visited the tap thru a friend of mine. The whole staff is gorgeous so as a women i felt intimidated. but they were all so nice and efficient... the food was great and you never had to wait for a drink. period.. if you like "eye candy" with great service... go for it.
(5)Morgan R.
I just had lunch there with friends. The Mac & Cheese and the Grilled chicken sandwich were tasty, but DON"T order a soda! Not only were they ALL flat, but when I told the waitress (who was not too pleasant to begin with) she just brought us MORE flat pop.
(3)Robby S.
I've been here a couple times for work functions and I always walk out with a "meh" reaction. Staff is just OK. Seems like some of them have an attitude.
(3)Abby T.
I was surprised to see the tappers displayed on the wall of Franklin Tap, but not many beers on tap. And the beers they had were not anything special by any means. Not that I am some sort of beer snob, but I know that when a beer snob orders a Blue Moon by default, there's something wrong. The hummus was tasty, the crowd was laden with suits and business attire. I liked it. :-) Our waitress was super attractive and attentive, which is a bonus-squared. The rest of the finger foods listed on the menu sounded appetizing (the calamari and something else which I can't remember) but I was heading to dinner so I couldn't over-order as I usually do. I plan on trying something when I return for a few more Hours of Happiness.
(4)Colleen S.
I'm amazed one of the other reviewers called this place a DIVE. This place is a dive if you're used to the yacht club and the pony set, but for everyone else - it's not a dive. I think people throw that word around too loosely. We had a large group of people at 5 on a Wednesday and they held 2 tables for us. The $3 import special on Wednesday was a pretty damn good deal! Half priced apps, which were ALL really good! Bar food is bar food but this place did better than bar food. The unfortunate irony of its name: while it is called Franklin Tap and there are lots of TAPS on the wall, they only have like 4 beers on tap. Kinda weird. Also, they lose one star for really slow service. We ended up going to the bar a few times for rounds.
(4)Sarah G.
Decided to come here for the first time before a show at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Walked in around 5.15- 5.30pm and it was sort of busy (maybe 1/2 to 2/3 full) with after work folks. I found a seat at the tiny bar area (maybe 6-8 tall chairs) and ordered a vodka and soda. When my friend arrived about 15 minutes later and got her drink, I was about ready for a refill. I had noticed on the website a wine special for Wednesdays, so I asked the bartender if they had any specials that day. She gestured at the chalkboard above her and said "Just those beers. No liquor specials." Didn't mention the wine. When I pulled up the website, asked her about the wine specials that were shown there, she said, "Oh yeah. I forgot those." Didn't even care, it seemed. We wanted to do dinner, so I asked to close out my tab and told the bartender we'd go grab a table to eat. We sat down at a table and waited. And waited. For 10 minutes, waitresses walked past us, leaned against the wall looking bored and not busy, and pretty much did everything except come over and give us some menus. I made eye contact several times and was still ignored. Folks arriving were seated and given menus, but us sitting at a front table with nothing on the table - not even drinks - we were totally ignored. I went to the ladies room and when I came back and sat down, finally a waitress came over with menus and greeted us. After sitting there already for over 10 minutes, we had decided to leave. I thanked her and told her she was much too late in bringing us menus and that we were leaving. She simply said okay and walked away. Again, didn't seem to care one bit. The prices are high, when it's busy the room is cacophonous, and the staff doesn't seem to give a crap. I can go somewhere else to get served well and charged less. Never coming here again and will recommend against it to folks I know. Instead, my friend and I had a lovely, very tasty and reasonably priced meal, with excellent service, at Tutto Italiano a few blocks away.
(2)Agnes F.
Franklin tap is good place for unwinding after work. We went on a monday night and used the groupon. The food was good (we had chipotle quesadilla, fish and chips, pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potatoes fries) and the service was prompt and attentive. Somehow they mixed up our food order and it took a little longer to get the main dishes but they completely comped our food once they realized it so we have no complaints here.
(4)Lola T.
This place really deserves 1 star, but I'm giving it 3 because of their $2 Blue Moons on Thursdays...Awesome deal! Here's everything that went wrong...and we didn't even order food! 1. Our server gave me an attitude and rolled her eyes at me at least 3 times...especially when I would ask for water. WTF? 2. Two of my girlfriends were drinking cocktails and they kept messing up the drinks. One ordered vodka and soda...They kept giving her vodka and tonic! She had to send her drink back each time! 3. My other friend ordered diet coke and vodka....The server brought over the drink and it was cloudy. So my friend showed her the drink and the server's response was, "Oh, the bartender spilled some beer in your drink"...WHAT?!? She still tried giving it to her with spilled beer? 4. The bathroom was disgusting! Absolutely gross! I won't go into details, but take my word for it. Honestly, the only reason why I had fun here was because I was in good company. I'd come back here again, but only to meet friends and for cheap Blue Moon.
(3)Santiago A.
whoa, whoa, whoa, some of these reviews are out of line. This place is crowded, sure, but it's because they are located close to were people downtown can go after work, they have great specials, and the staff is great (not to mention easy on the eyes). Why would anybody hold it against a place that takes reservations and upholds said reservation. If anything, it should be the opposite. I would be pissed if a place said they'd reserve a table and then when I got there they were like, "oh yeah... about that... a guy that was just passing by decided to take your table." Um, no. You want a table, call ahead... otherwise just deal with it like you would with the other 3,000 restaurants in Chicago that take reservations and operate in the exact same way. The good: Pretzel Heaven! wow, great and great. All the appetizers are 1/2 off on Thursdays and $2 beer specials. (See why it's packed? $2 for a beer downtown?... I felt like I should have worn a skimask while ordering). Again, the staff was great and very attentive... which is refreshing when you're in a sportbars that is packed to capacity. The not so good: They could have had more beers on tap, but then again the name stems from necessity. You wouldn't want to call it the Franklin Bottle... or Franklin Great Appetizers. All the happy-hour booze-hounds would walk right by it. It was a little loud and a little out of the way for me to visit regularly, but I had a good time.
(4)Eric M.
Why is attempting to find a Loop bar like searching for the Holy Grail? Franklin Tap is another place that just has too many wrongs. First off, the place is called Franklin TAP and has a wall full of beer taps, but only three beers on tap. The rest are all served by the bottle from servers that consistently appear not to care about anyone or anything. The food should be avoided. It looks like it was deep fried, frozen, and then deep fried again. There are a good amount of HD TVs and the noise level isn't defeaning, but it still leaves something to be desired.
(2)Darius S.
Your in-the-Loop, after-work NBA Draft headquarters. #seeyouthere
(4)Melissa G.
$5 appetizers after 5pm and Stella Artois draft specials on Friday! Good for a happy hour group of 4 or less.
(4)Laura K.
I went here last Wednesday with a GroupOn offer that expired at the end of March. Apparently everyone waited to use their coupon until the last day because the place was packed. You have to seat yourself, which may prove difficult to keep track of patrons. Despite the wind, my husband and I decided to sit outside. A few minutes after we sat down, the waitress came over with menus and immediately asked us what we wanted to drink. Uh, I've never been here before so how the heck am I supposed to know what you offer? I hate it when they do that! Anyway, Franklin "Tap" is a deception - they have like 4 draft beers, the best being Blue Moon. I guess they felt naming themselves after the display of taps on the wall was clever - I'd rather see the taps in use at the bar! I ended up getting a Ruby Red cocktail - pretty good, but was not sugar-rimmed as described on the menu. It came in a martini glass, and the waitress told me to hold onto it cause the wind might tip it over. So just after I ordered my second drink, I realized that I should have told the waitress to put it in a smaller glass that wouldn't tip over. She was on the other side taking care of someone else, and when she turned towards me, I raised my hand to flag her down. Do you know what she did? She put her finger up as to say "one minute" and proceeded back inside the bar. OK, bite your tongue, Laura! Holy Hell, you NEVER do that to a customer. And if you do, you must come back immediately. Well I waited about 10 or 15 minutes until she came back, and I was not happy. The food was nothing special. The homemade chips and blue cheese would have been good, but the chips were way too salty and greasy. The salmon sandwich was weird - they put it on two slices of bread instead of on a bun. If they would change that one thing, it would have made a world of difference. I know they were really busy, but they should have known what they were getting into when they offered the GroupOn deal. There are plenty of other bars that are much better that I will be visiting in the future.
(2)Tony D.
When I work out of my Chicago office, co-workers and I come here after a day of work. $5 effen drinks on Fridays... 'nuff said.
(3)Jocelyn D.
This review is in progress and will updated once I actually ***get*** a drink here. Stopped by after work on Thursday after being tipped off by a co-worker. This place is SMALL and shaped really weird on the inside. There are big open spaces with a few tall tables but definately not enough to handle the crowd. I'm not saying a table is needed, I'm totally cool with holding my drink - but this was just odd. It seemed really crowded even though there was tons of space by the door that was unused. I think this bar needs some sort of booze-shui expert to come in and figure out how to reposition things. I also tried to get a drink for 15 plus minutes - with no luck. I left and went to Cactus and got a table, food and a drink in less than five minutes.
(1)Aaron S.
I'm not much of a booze drinker. I got that all out of my system during my college years, and now that I'm old and bearded enough to not even warrant a second glance, let alone a need to check my I.D., the thought of boozin' it up doesn't really appeal to me. Even so, every Thursday during a long stretch of Thursdays that involved my co-worker and I walking up to Subway by the Sears Tower (the "good" one down Franklin, she'd say) I would always pass by the Franklin Tap with their advertisements for $2 Blue Moon pints on Thursdays. And I'd fantasize about taking a two-beer lunch break one of these Thursdays... Well, schedules have changed and the hours are longer than ever. I promised my co-worker team that if we ever actually all got out on time, the first round of beers would be on me. Fast forward several months, and it was 5pm on a Thursday and everyone on the team was either gone for the day or getting ready to leave. I asked the remaining staff who'd like a free beer on me at Franklin Tap, and I only had one taker. So off we went to the bar for a couple of $2 Blue Moon pints and celebration of an early (relatively) day. Well, the place was packed. I guess I'm not the first guy in the Loop to think of cheap after-work drinks, but we found a ledge on the side where our beers could go while we stood and drank, and that's good enough for me. I'm not really that well-versed in bar etiquette, so I just walked up to the cashier area and asked for two Blue Moon pints. Gave her the cash and some extra (because I'm not an idiot and I know who in this world you're supposed to tip well) and we sat/stood around shooting the breeze and trying to get buzzed enough to forget that there was still another day left in the week to go. Yes, the waitresses here seem to be catering to the male clientele with their push-up bras and short skirts, but that's like putting tits on a spatula. Sure it's all fun and games, but I really care about what's cookin', and I couldn't care less what's flippin' the burgers. I stand by my analogy. Anyway, the conversation eventually led to a hilarious observation by my co-worker that Franklin Tap has about 50 to 60 taps on the WALL, but only like 3 taps behind the bar. I didn't really care, as long as one of those taps was Blue Moon and it was $2 a pint on Thursday, which was that day. All in all, it was a decent experience. The food smelled great, but I'm doubtful that the prices are as great as the smell. There wasn't much room to enjoy ourselves, but it was after 5pm on a cheap-beer-Thursday afternoon, so I can't fault them for that. It was an okay experience and Franklin Tap is an okay bar. Okay, now I'm kinda ashamed over that analogy. I need a Blue Moon...
(3)Tim Y.
Food is alright. The fried chicken finger things are pretty decent. Drinks show up promptly and service seems to be spot-on and friendly. The place is relatively clean and tidy, though often it is difficult to have a conversation with the noise level being pretty high almost all the time. I found Rachel's ramble about those damn computer guys to be pretty funny. I know it's pretty easy to spot a douchenozzle investment banker in Manhattan, but geesh, are us computer nerds really that predictable in our super nerdy jeans and tshirts? Note: no sexual harassment to be had when I've been there. I'll be back, though, fingers crossed.
(4)Joshua M.
I'm almost thinking that there should be a law that sleazy business guys should not be allowed to go to a bar on their lunch hour and throw back shots with their busty server whose ass they talk about every time she is questionably out of earshot. That's right, the server sat down at the table with them and was taking shots. But what am I thinking? This is America and the Franklin Tap seems to cater to the alpha male businessman who needs to drink both on his lunch break and after work as well. That's my best guess for reason all of the gals are in tiny tank tops and push up bras. But at least they are wearing jeans and miniskirts to balance it out. One might only need to provide pantyhose and orange shorts and we'd be magically transforming the Tap into a Hooters. Anyhow... that's the atmosphere. Food wise I came in for lunch on a weekday, ordered a burger medium-rare, and got medium well. Ordered a cherry coke/pepsi and got diet. Our server was borderline unfriendly... seemed to warm up a little towards the end, but overall seemed to be in a zone. Or maybe in drunk alpha male businessman defensive mode? Understandable, but either way the vibe wasn't warm. Franklin Tap isn't the stupidest or dirtiest sports bar in Chicago by any stretch, and it's not even a hole in the wall. But hole in the walls have character (sometimes), and the Tap needs a serious injection of that to make me ever want to come back. Either that or step up the food a notch... the burger I had was worse than what I could have had at the neighboring McDonald's... and obviously that's not saying much.
(2)Avery D.
My girlfriends and I decided to meet up here on a Thursday because they had a pretty good beer special. We just wanted to chat and have some snacks and drinks. This place looks like nothing special. It's just a regular normal bar. You know, chairs, a couple of flat screens, alcohol type art on the walls. It's fits the basic need when you just want a drink. I will say that I wad very impressed with our waitress! She was so cute and friendly. Very attentive. We also orders a couple of appetizers. Both were great! I recommend the homemade chips with blue cheese sauce and the hummus plate. Super yummy! I will be back.
(4)Jacquelyn G.
I've been here twice recently--once for lunch and once for after-work drinks. Neither experience gave me any reason to return. A co-worker and I went for a late lunch one afternoon, and the place was literally empty--we were the only two people there. In all fairness, it was 2:00 on a Tuesday or something, so I didn't necessarily anticipate a crowd. I ordered a caprese panini which I think came with fries, if I correctly recall. The sandwich was really sad. I think it maybe had one piece of mozzarella, one slice of tomato and some very sad basil. It was edible, but that's about it. A group of us went for drinks after work on a Friday night and the place was jam-packed. It just really isn't my speed to be fair (a lot of 20-somethings, kind of felt like a frat party). But that said, the organizer was able to get a table reserved for us and the service was pretty decent considering how crowded it was. The music was insanely loud where you had to scream to have a conversation. No thanks.
(2)Jess B.
I organized an office party and made a reservation for 15 on a Wednesday night. They did not have my reservation and the waitress was irritated when I suggested she seat us at another reserved table that was not yet occupied. My group ended up being closer to 25 and had to spread out throughout the bar for seating even though she said she would close out tabs on several smaller tables in an area. The waitress refused to do separate checks and I ended up getting charged for a lot of drinks people in my group did not have. The waitress was rude and inattentive. She added an 18% gratuity, otherwise I would not have tipped her. The drink specials were good, but I will never go back.
(1)Bill M.
Even though Franklin Tap has been around my workplace for 3 years, I made my debut here for lunch yesterday. I think my boss was bored so he dragged me out of the office for lunch. It was fairly busy, so we were fortunate to snag a sidewalk table and enjoy the nice weather and stellar people-watching. Our waitress was pleasant but a bit off (perhaps new or too busy), as my boss ordered a cup of soup with his burger but instead a giant bowl of soup came out at the same time as the burger. They were nice enough to volunteer and take the soup off of our tab though. We both enjoyed our food. I had a patty melt with delectable grilled onions and perfectly toasty (not soggy) marble rye. There were some nice looking sides (including sweet potato fries) but we both went for the macaroni and cheese with bits of bacon, which is a meal in itself (and you can order it as a meal too). I think we would have each enjoyed a beer too (there are decorative beer taps displayed on the wall), but work was still to happen so no beer.
(4)Joe M.
Definitely a Loop bar.... you know; packed on Thursday and Friday from 3pm-9pm... just until all the Walmartian suburbanites realize they need to get back to the other side. However they do have pretty good specials. Example: Wednesday $3 Imports Thursday $2 Blue Moons
(3)Jeannie L.
Pretty standard loop bar. Average menu and typical drinks. Wasn't too busy on a Friday night so we had lots of space for my coworkers and I to all get a big table.
(4)Johnny B.
The service is rarely good, usually mediocre. Food is actually pretty tasty. I think they get by solely based on the lack of competition near the Sears Tower/311 S. Wacker. It's a completely acceptable place to grab a beer for Happy Hour with friends or co-workers.
(3)Alissa B.
I do really like this place and would probably give it 3.5 stars if I could. I work by this place so find myself here a lot, whether its for lunch or for an after work drink and I have to say it has improved in the past few years. They redid the bathroom situation, no more oneies. They also have sweet potato fries which are pretty good. Fun patio in the summer too. The place is usually pretty packed, whether its during lunch or happy hour, and the service is usually just ok. Its not the best place in town but I think worth checking out.
(3)Eddy C.
I think I have a new favorite happy hour Loop bar. Drink specials? Check. Here's the rundown: Monday - all mixed drinks 1/2 price Tuesday - $5 select martinis, silver patron margaritas, silver patron shots Wednesday - $5 wines by the glass, $3 bottles of beer Thursday - $2 pints of Blue Moon, Miller Lite and a "featured selection" (last night was St. Pauli's Girl) Friday - $5 Effen cocktails Food specials? Check. Can we say 1/2 off appetizers after 6 pm provided you order a drink and don't get it to go. The apps are pretty cheap already but with the 1/2 off, they're ridiculously cheap to the point where you pretty much just want to order one of everything. Oh and the food is pretty good. Standard bar fare but I enjoyed everything I ate. Service? Reasonably decent, considering how crowded the place gets. Our server last night was attentive and made sure the drinks kept coming. No complaints here. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because of how crowded it gets. My group lucked out in that a table opened up right when we got there but there isn't a ton of seating for the most part. Due to the crowdedness, expect a lot of people bumping into you and possible drink spillage. Also, the place only has one bathroom per gender so the lines can pose a problem (I was THIS close to making the female bathroom a unisex one just for me). But all in all, Franklin Tap is a great place to grab some food and drinks after work. I'll definitely be back!
(4)Polly P.
Cheap and good for drinkig and become drunk :)
(3)Double L.
I thought this place was alright when I went. My co-workers go here all the time but since I don't generally hang out with them I had never been until recently for a going away party. They have a decent beer selection and I thought it was a nice oasis from the generally cr@ppy bar choices in and around the West Loop area. Our server was really nice, hepful, attentive and friendly. She even was cool about the Smithwick(sp?) ladies coming in and buying our whole table a round, which she had to go get but didn't add to her tab. We all got water no problem and refills when necessary. Maybe we we lucked out but I thought the place was decent for sure. A good choice for the area but I wouldn't go out of my way to go here. Unless I was in the West Loop wanted some late night eats and didn't feel like a gyro or heading really far west to Bottom Lounge. Bathrooms are a bit sketchy. I know the place is pretty small but one toliet per gender is not enough. RrL
(3)Eric G.
Not being in the mood for the usual Chipotle/Potbelly lunchtime routine, my friends and I decided to check out the Franklin Tap. Conveniently located near the Sears Tower, this place is great for anyone looking for a good place to have a causal power lunch. There is no shortage of flat screen TVs on the wall to watch whatever sporting events are going on. The menu is basic bar food. I had a pulled pork barbeque sandwich with french fries. My two friends went with burgers. No complaints at our table. The waitress was attentive and never let our sodas get close to empty. The food also came out in less than 15 minutes. We were able to enjoy our food and take time walking back to work.
(3)Antonio C.
6/10/2011 Friday around 6pm. Would give them 4 stars except they didn't have Heinekin on tap anymore. And were out of the next 2 beers I opted for. I don't understand how they can run out of this many beers on draft. Very disappointed. The staff are pretty and friendly, and the food is pretty good.
(3)K M.
I would say "nothing special" if not for the hot pretzels. I probably wouldn't even be bothering to write a review if not for the hot pretzels. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty much only writing this so I can create a "best hot pretzels" list in the near future. These are pretty spectacular. No one is going to beat Rock Bottom in my eyes apparently, but these are still pretty amazing, what with the melty cheese inside the pretzels themselves. MMMMMMM....nothing ends a long week in January on a high note like pretzels and booze! Decent drink specials for Friday- $5 effen cocktails. Not that I bothered with those up front, since Kelly to a martini menu is like the moth to the proverbial flame. Hello minty chocolate goodness. Did later switch to the effen cocktails though to avoid sugar shock. If you want a table, apparently you need to get here well before 5. Walking in, there was barely a place to stand let alone sit. We did get lucky and a very kind group offered to split up the two tables they had and cram themselves into one so we could do the same (after two jerks who were on their way out decided that because I asked if they were leaving that they would sit there another half hour, sucking up a whole table for just the two of them- what ever happened to chivalry!) Nice enough atmosphere but not my cup o'tea for happy hour- I'd rather go for something a bit more loungey and comfortable, and getting rammed into by the poor waitresses trying to squeeze between tables to do their job was a little much (but after a few drinks, I stop caring, so whatever). Service was okay, slow at times and there doesn't seem to be a way to get drinks unless you are actually at a table- trying to get up to the bar was impossible. Can't say I'd go out of my way to come back on a Friday at 5, but I could be persuaded at off times to go for the pretzels!
(3)Katie S.
Came to the Tap on a Thursday around 5pm for some "team building" with a few colleagues. My friend knows the drill here so she called ahead of time to reserve a table. As soon as we got there they kicked the people out of the table that they were sitting at so that we could sit down. That doesn't seem fair, but I'll take it. I was excited when I saw all the different beer taps hanging on the wall, but then really let down when the waitress gave us a beer list that was weak! Not one Pale ale on the menu, but I'll take a $2 Blue moon. We all came prepared to have a great time and take down a lot of beer. The service was fine at first, then it became impossible to get a beer. The waitress was hard to find and it started to get awkward b/c she would come around when we were all sitting with empty glasses waiting patiently and she would act like it was no big deal, "can I get you guys anything?" YES buzz-kill mcqueen, you can get us another round of beers and please keep them coming!" It was impossible to get a buzz going b/c of the wait between rounds. We started doubling up our orders and that still wasn't doing the trick. The place is always crowded on Thursdays and the line for the bathroom seems kind of outrageous. Why is there only one stall for the ladies and one stall for the men? What idiot designs a bar with single stall bathrooms? Franklin Tap has decent specials during the week, but they aren't worth it for the crowd and horrible service.
(2)Tara M.
I don't know, I've got a problem with a place that has a little menu and can't even get that right. A friend and I stopped in for lunch last week, neither of us had been there before, and we both ordered the chicken sandwich. How do you screw it up? By pre-cooking and nuking the meat! We ordered and our food was on our table in minutes, upon biting into the sandwiches, we figured out why... it was drier than powder on a cracker! Blegh! So, BBQ sauce was our friend and it helped, but did not make us forget how it tasted on the first bite.
(1)Amy S.
Ugh...do not go here. We often go here for happy hour after work and every time I leave there feeling disappointed. I have never been satisfied with the service; the waitresses will walk right by tables without noticing empty glasses and thirsty patrons. The music is WAY too loud. On one occasion we had to ask the staff to turn down the music just so our party could carry on a conversation; and this was at 4 pm...??? The drinks aren't reasonable, or extraordinary for that matter. I ordered Peach Schnapps with cranberry juice, but was instead brought peach vodka. The food there is OK...nothing to write home about. Oh, and after a certain time you can't get water. You have to buy bottles of water...what a waste.
(1)Lindsay K.
Food was great, bartender kept up with our drinks. There wasn't much to the atmosphere or to the crowd, but I imagine it's the kind of place you go after work, not after dinner.
(4)Ian A.
Mine is not a super objective review. This was a former post-work gathering spot for myself and many others so I'm sure I'm treated slightly better as a regular. Like many bars in the financial district this one can get pretty crowed after work hours, but with my clan someone was usually there by 4 to guarantee a table for us. Staff is always friendly (again maybe more so towards my group) and food on the bar food to restaurant food scale is more of the restaurant quality.
(4)Joe R.
Thursday's are a great time at the Franklin Tap. A group of co-workers and I went here recently and enjoyed the $2 selected beer pints and half-price appetizers. The super close proximity to Union Station is also a huge plus.
(4)Nick S.
I go here on occasion to hang out with the guys at work. Yes we are computer geeks, but unlike in Rachel M's review, we don't sexually harass the waitresses. Of course, that area is densely populated with professional computer geeks. There really isn't anything too special about this place but it's location. The wait staff is courteous and are attentive yet will leave you alone if need be. One star for proximity to my workplace, one star for competent wait staff, and another for decent drink specials. In the 6-7 times I have been here I have yet to encounter any negative experiences. I have yet to eat here but only because I am not really a bar food kind of guy.
(3)Josh G.
Typical Loop-area bar. We had our office holiday gathering here because we needed something relatively cheap and it was just ok. The food was surprisingly tasty but the drinks were weak. Maybe it's because we had an open bar for our group so they were holding back, but a lot of people ended up ordering wine or beer; At least we knew what we were going to get with that. I've heard they do have some good specials during the week but I think they close a little early. The waitress told us that they are never open past 10 or something like that. But like I said, pretty typical of Loop bars I think. Overall it's not a bad place and I'd probably go back for Happy Hour or something.
(3)Jim O.
I actually frequent this place pretty often for lunch during the week and unfortunately I'll agree with the other reviewers that this place could use some work. I've had quiet a few of the sandwiches and just about all the appetizers and I've never been too impressed with anything I've had there. During lunch this place fills up with the business class looking to grab a sandwich and maybe down a few beers. The best part about this place is the few servers who are pretty hot.
(2)Sam K.
Booked a table for 20 for an after work happy hour for my co-workers at JPMorgan. Got there and only a table for 10 was kept ready. But they were fine to adjust the reservations and added a few tables, which was nice. They had a deal going for $5 drafts and $5 all food to mark their 5th anniversary which was pretty cool. The waitress Carey was so so, never came in and checked in if we wanted drinks regularly and once we ordered drinks they took forever to come out. At about 9 PM, she disappeared and never really asked us if we wanted anything else. The new waitress Anastasia came over and got us more drinks. One of my co-workers tipped a bottle by mistake, and Anastasia goes: you need to behave yourself, the bar tender wants to cut you guys off and is watching you and we are gonna close soon, so you need to finish up. All the 10 people left at the table had their faces drop and we decided to leave - we really didn't know what we did wrong. A total buzz kill. Thank you Franklins tap for killing a nice evening after $450 of food and drinks. I know no one from JPMorgan is going back there, at least not from my group. I gave the two stars because of the $5 deal and the flexibility to adjust the table. If you need to have a work happy hour, go elsewhere: Poags, South Branch, Rivers, don't go here.
(2)Jessica C.
This place is becoming a happy hour spot for me and my co workers. We head here every Thursday around 4:30 PM for $2 drafts.
(4)Kari S.
Franklin Tap is a decent lunch spot and often has drink specials for those who like to end a Wednesday work day on a high note or start weekends at noon on Fridays. I like the variety the menu offers; there is something for everyone. They get a plus for having sweet potato fries (even though they were electric orange, thus somewhat frightening). I had the curry chicken salad and while it was tasty, it was nothing I'd especially come back for.
(3)Jeff W.
Note to other reviewers-FRANKLIN Tap is a DIVE-know that going in so there is no disappointment-for a dive it is my favorite in the loop-always great drink specials-half prices apps for happy hour-what else can you ask for? reasonable drinks-good bar grub and friendly service makes Franklin Tap great spot for commuters heading to train or just a hole in the wall great spot for anyone to enjoy a cold beverage after work(or during)
(4)Karen R.
I went there for the first time and was pleased. The food was good, but nothing to write home about. However, they have great daily specials for drinks and food. It's a nice place in terms of cleanliness. The decor was interesting. It was sort of a mix between your typical bar with a handful of TVs and a somewhat trendy bar (e.g. the back wall of the bar). It has outdoor seating, which is a plus. I don't know this area of the loop that well but I will definitely go back.
(3)Andrzrej K.
I wanted to go to Ukrainian Village, I'm polish, its close enough, my friend Mike wanted to go to Greek town, hes Greek- but we had 3 hours before our flight left for NYC (aka Amtrak 28 hour voyage) so This was the first place we picked. From the outside I liken it to a Stout- which also lingers outside a large Train Depot, albeit far, far away- inside- Franklin is much smaller- but better, better because of the staff. Although the crowed frequenting this place seemed business-oriented and boring- they kept it lively and certainly made the girls there work for their tips.... the Bartender Jo is Polish- I knew right away but i could tell she was skeptical of my heritage even after seeing the last name on the credit card. Although they knew We would only be around for 2-3 hours and possibly flirtatious resources may have been better spent amongst semi-regular patrons they girls kept us company as shots evolved into a brief inebriated friendship.
(4)Sarah D.
I wanted an after work drink with a friend in the loop and that is what I got here. The drink was good, it was not too loud, and clean. We would go here after work again.
(5)Ray B.
i definitely wouldn't go out of my way to go here. if you're parched/starving, and just happen to walk by, give it a shot. otherwise, head over to plymouth tap or villains for a good meal and brew. this place has like 5 beers on tap and i think the most exciting one is blue moon. not to mention that my fish and chips basket looked like deep fried turds. i'm just sayin'
(2)Cardinal S.
Great salmon sandwich and sweet potato fries, but service was slow!
(3)v m.
service is not that great - the waters and waitresses can be abrasive. even when we brought a team of 30+ we hardly got drinks or food... food is meh but i guess its a bar. drink specials are pretty decent.
(2)Justin S.
Think about this for a second... This place is called Franklin Tap. They have a million different tap handles covering the walls. However, there are only *2* beers on tap. Miller Lite and St. Pauli girl. What. The. Heck.
(1)