Texas-Style Gastropub Heading to the South Loop

While a number of smaller joints have closed recently, the South Loop is still a hot spot for innovative restaurants. Enter Ole Hardwood, a gastropub-type restaurant serving Texas-style cuisine. It's a new concept from what looks like an experienced group since they refer to their restaurants as being "casual in nature with touches of fine dining, modern design and al fresco dining."

According to Sloopin, Ole Hardwood will feature "many styles of meat smoking, plank cooking, various rib flavors, and braised dishes" and will use local, fresh ingredients. It'll be interesting to see if the owners can make the restaurant thrive or if this is a cursed space; two prior tenants, Utopia and Exposure Tapas, couldn't cut it.

If you're looking for a job in the restaurant space, Ole Hardwood is hiring servers, bartenders, bussers, hosts, line cooks and more. And if you know any other information about this restaurant group, send us a tip.

· Ole Hardwood Coming to 1315 S. Wabash? [Sloopin]

Ole Hardwood under construction [Photo: Sloopin]