Boiler Room Chicago: Review

Much is made of Chicago’s typical behemoth pizza concoctions. I certainly enjoy a hearty piece of thick pie, but I admit that nuance of flavor diminishes as the dough rises. Enter Logan Square’s Boiler Room. It’s billed by many as a dive bar, but that betrays the quality of the food and cocktail menu.

You can get some dive quality deals, to be sure. Take their $10 all-day PB&J special, in which you’ll get a slice of pizza, PBR tallboy, and a shot of Jameson. It may be the decor that helps it earn the “hipster-dive” moniker. The bench seating and bathroom graffiti will make you feel like you’re enjoying a picnic at an L stop. This is one hell of a picnic.

You will find the usual bar food on the small plates portion of the menu, but it’s not your typical flash fried tasteless taters. The pbr meatballs, despite sounding like a drunk uncle’s culinary invention, are a delight. Had I been a bit more peckish, I would have sampled more shareables.

Of course, the pizza was the scene stealer. We wanted to try something a bit different, not hard to do at Boiler Room, so we opted for ‘eat on’. The beet bruschetta got my attention. It was further topped with a garlic oil, basil, balsamic reduction, and cheese blend. Everyone in the party loved it. There’s a collection of eclectic options, including vegan options. You can also build your own, starting at $23, but I’m not sure any of us will be as creative. The specialty pizzas are priced between $24 and $30 and would easily serve three hungry patrons and maybe more if you filled up on appetizers.

While PBR is a feature at Boiler Room, don’t turn your nose up at the cocktail menu. This is an unapologetically Jameson heavy bar, but you’ll find the skilled craftsmen behind the counter know how to mix a drink with a variety of spirits. The house specials all run at $10 each and feature fun takes on some of the classics.

I’ll continue to defend Chicago’s normal pizza monstrosities. Sometimes you just need three inches of cheesy dough in your mouth. Is that sentence safe for work? But if you’re looking for a little more flair, hop on the Blue Line and get to Boiler Room.