The Last Defense Lounge

My friends graduation gathering turned into a terrible experience because of the server and manager’s lack of respect and customer service.

It’s a good restaurant for students. Just a bit loud

Ok seriously, you overhauled your décor, PLEASE do the same with your staff. While I’ve always enjoyed good food at the LDL, the service is terrible, and they are ALWAYS short-​staffed. I don’t know if this is just university students flaking off their scheduled shifts or working their first service jobs, but it is honestly embarrassing to take business reps there — however, on campus we really don’t have any other options. (The Den is just as bad.)
And now this enforcement of UCID having to be presented to eat there, I’m sorry, who do you think IS already eating there?! What person in their right mind would drive all the way down to the U of C, pay EXORBITANT parking fees, just to sit in the LDL and be ignored by their server? Maybe for your evenings and weekends, but I’m there for a business lunch, not to dance on tabletops and destroy bathroom stalls.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to drink a gallon of water to wash down the beverage-​free meal I was just treated to.

LDL is the best place to have a casual sit-​down meal on campus. Since I work on campus, I am totally a regular here. They just launched their new menu three weeks ago. I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve been to LDL twice since then.
The first time was right after the new menu launched. I ordered some pasta which, unfortunately tasted pretty bad /​seemed like it had been under a heat lamp for a while. This isn’t typical for LDL, usually their stuff is pretty great.
Today I had the chicken fingers, and holy cow, they are the best I’ve had anywhere, ever.
Can we talk about this for a second?
I mean, it’s easy to make average chicken fingers. But these aren’t average. They are tasty, Panko bread crumb laden pieces of juicy tenderness. Be still my heart!
And the (hot!) honey mustard sauce that goes with it… oh mama, I’m salivating.
Whenever I’m bringing people on campus this is where I take them. LDL is a sure thing.

This is one of the few places on campus where you can have a «proper sit-​down meal» in a quieter setting at the University. It has gone through a few different name and décor changes over the years, and overall, the quality has stayed about the same.
They have a decent variety on the menu, though it is largely predictable: burgers, club sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. Don’t expect to have your socks blown off, but if you are looking for a place on campus to have a grown-​up meal, this is pretty much your best, if not only, option.

I like the LDL. It’s a go-​to place for graduate student clubs as events get MAJOR discounts. It’s a great place to hang. There are large windows, and tables that easily push together for larger parties.
When I go I typically eat the quesadilla or the pizza. Both are good and veggie friendly. The menu has expanded a lot in the last few years and I highly recommend checking it out again if you’d given up on it in the past…

The Last Defense Lounge is yet another place on the U of C campus you can find a beer and a burger. But the somewhat more secluded location and brighter ambiance makes it my choice over the Den (which I am way too old to be in now) and the related Black Lounge.
The food here is actually pretty ok. They offer sandwiches, pizzas, burgers, salads and all the usual stuff with some things like fish tacos and rice bowls mixed in. Working on campus makes this a convenient place to have lunch, and I find the food to be a cut above the Den/​Black Lounge.
So if you’re on campus, stop here for lunch, and check out their daily drink specials. Some of them are pretty decent!