Bar Louie

The restaurant/lounge/bar is part of a growing chain, mostly found in Chicago and northern Illinois but with locations in six other states as well. Youthful servers are clad in T-shirts of basic black. And with at least 40 beers on tap, Bar Louie is definitely ready for Water Street. Appetizers abound, and the small plates include standard bar fare, with a few vegetarian offerings as well. The crispy calamari ($7.99) is served in a novel manner, arriving in an inverted wire cone lined with butcher paper. Entrees are a hit or miss affair- the menu simply tries to cover too much territory- but the sandwiches and burgers are crowd pleasers.