File Buz

Location: 2109 W Chicago
Cost: About $20 per person

Once in a while I get these emails from my friend Schneider. They more or less explain that his girlfriend has granted him a night on his own and that he wants to get dinner. Along those lines, Jeremy, Scottie, and the two Jeffs made a trek out west to get some beers and bar food at The Old Oak Tap.

Logistics
Old Oak Tap has this really cool setup right off of Chicago Avenue. Theres clearly room for a large patio, but it was packed up when we went. Instead we stepped into a dimly lit bar with a fireplace on the left hand wall and plenty of group seating options. We got this little table with leather armchairs next to the fire. The service was knowledgeable, quick, and welcoming. Our bill probably came to $20 per person not including the beers we had. To that point, the beer list is intriguing.

The Food
Although we wanted to order pretty much every appetizer on the menu, we landed on the Fried Pickles. It came with this Green Goddess dressing and was the right balance of breading and pickle.


For entrees we went with with Shrimp Po Boy, the Old Oak Burger, the Bistro Filet Sandwich, and the Chicken and Waffles. The waffles had a sweet potato base and were topped with a crispy thigh, andouille sausage, peach jam, maple aioli, and gravy. The Po Boy was very buttery and came with this avocado corn relish that rounded things out well. The filet was a good steak sandwich in that you could take a bite without the whole steak coming out of the sandwich. It was topped with blue cheese, arugula, and an onion ring too. The burger was nothing to scoff at either. With a perfectly cooked medium rare patty, special sauce, and sweet onion jam there was a good base to the sandwich. I couldnt pass on the fried egg and bacon add on option. The drawback was that it was a big mess that fell apart on me rather quickly.





Overall
Between the beer list, atmosphere, and collection of well designed bar food there wasnt much not to like about Old Oak Tap. Ive talked about it with some of my friends that are locals, and they suggested a few other (cheaper) spots with similar stuff. Still, I was a big fan and am giving them 4 out of 5 Pearls.