Easy to miss (save for the emerald-colored sign poking out over the street), this Loop location is shoehorned into a sub-level of the downtown district. It's less of a swinging cocktail joint than a Golden Nugget-style diner crammed into a low-ceilinged basement. High-backed wooden booths and thin aisles give Cardozo's an almost submarine-esque feel, as though you're dining and drinking in a strange mockup of the Museum of Science and Industry's U-505.

The menu is far more expansive than you'd expect for a place that calls itself a pub, with selections like chicken vesuvio and Shrimp Dejonghe and more expected bar fare like the roasted garlic and red pepper burger and a skirt steak sandwich. Entrees range around $8-$12.

The bar is surprisingly affordable considering that it's located just a few feet from City Hall, Daley Plaza and any number of super-powered law offices and financial firms. Both a black-&-tan and 312 on tap will put you back $4.50. Cavernous and more spacious than you would expect, Cardozo's seems to go on for miles underneath the streets of Chicago. Plus the pub earns bonus points for the nightly gratis spread of hors d'oeuvres during happy hour, to soak up those post-work drinks and train-bound libations.

Centerstage Reviewer: Karl Klockars