Quality oyster bars aren’t exactly easy to come by in Chicago. There’s GT Fish & Oyster and…well, can you think of anywhere else? The Loop isn’t exactly short of places you can grab a pricey drink with mediocre food, so Pearl Tavern decided to join the game offering something totally new for the area.

Walk into Pearl Tavern and you might think you’ve been transported to River North, or maybe even the East Coast. Former Hubbard Inn owner Adolfo Garcia said he envisioned his new restaurant as a great place to get seafood, not some fancy upscale restaurant with overpriced food. I’ll admit that’s exactly what you get. Drinks are certainly upscale – yet totally worth it and delicious. My favorite is The Angry Mermaid, a mezcal based drink with habanero syrup and a torched habanero pepper to garnish the drink.

While there are highs and lows with food, the highs definitely lie with the fresh seafood. Oysters are prepared simply and all taste fresh, while the big eye tuna is another top item from the raw bar. While some kinks need to be worked out (over-seasoned swordfish and one note desserts), fair prices and a range of menu items make it more than worth checking out.

Stop by this week for free oysters. Yup, you read that right. Oh, and I’ll have one Angry Mermaid, please. Or five…

Pearl Tavern
180 N. Wacker Dr.
312.629.1030