Beat Kitchen

My wife has a school mate that moved to town recently whose kids also just so happen to be in a band on tour and had a local show date, so we went duh! What we didn't know was what genre we were actually diving into, turns out it is 5th wave emo. Were we the oldest people in the room? Quite possibly. What was apparent? That the crowd loved every moment of it, knew all the words, sang along to all the songs, friendly moshed, and crowd surfed. Highlight of the night? Quite possibly when the most pit started, we were stage right against the wall, and she comments "Is that a mosh pit?" This is old school, band living out of a van tour type stuff. It's amazing these kids have any energy to drag themselves up on stage each night, yet they do. If curious and they happen to come to a town near you, do patronize, we did, and the show was sold out I might add. Free street parking was available nearby. Pizza took a while to come out but was good. Staff were friendly and emotionally intelligent attentive, so much so, that when they brought the pizza out to us, they apologized for the wait and informed us they comped our beers! What nice folks! It was a sold out show after all so understandable that they were busy. The venue is open until 2am but the outside seating area gets wrapped up around 1030pm due to folks who live nearby. If you have not been, it's a great small venue to see your faves.

My first time here for a School of Rock performance. There is a stage and room in the rear and for this performance they had chairs set up. The sound was good and the venue was cozy. The front is a bar area with tables and booths. They have outdoor seating and there was someone performing . Parking is street parking and on a Saturday afternoon, we did not have any trouble finding parking.

I went there for a concert recently and ate dinner beforehand as well. Cool, intimate venue and the service was very friendly. However, I thought their food was very average. My boyfriend's sister got a pizza that she wasn't too fond of. I got the chicken sandwich which I thought wasn't too bad but was disappointed in their tater tots. Good portions though! I do think they were understaffed which explained a longer wait time with food. Overall not a bad experience but wouldn't necessarily go again for food.

Sick little venue. Saw Arden Jones, hadn't heard his stuff but am now a fan. Pours were bountiful on the rocks and in the old fashions. Didn't try the food but looked quite good. Also have a patio for chillin. Good spot

I'm always surprised by how good the food is. Sure it's bar staples like burgers and sandwiches and pizza, but it always tastes great, and dare I say healthy. By that I mean it's not too greasy, not too salty/spicy/sweet; just great flavor with good balance and variety of ingredients. Somebody in the kitchen knows and respects food and it shows.

Best concert venue in Chicago. Pizza is good too. Go see a show there. Other words let me post you cowards

My first visit here was a week ago for an end-of-year fundraising event. It took me a beat (see what I did there) to find the place, as I was guiding my cab to the correct side of the street to pull over. Being an unseasonably nice Saturday afternoon in Chicago, traffic was heavier than I had expected, so I arrived at the event a bit later. I decided to avail myself of the bar and grab a drink before heading to the back, to the event space where my group was meeting. Since I noticed a few people around me drinking white wine, I decided to order a glass of sauvigon blanc. The server behind the bar had problems locating a corkscrew, so I decided to make it easy on everyone, and switch my order to a gin and tonic, which she was happy to oblige. I'm glad I did, as the glass was sturdy and I felt confident heading to the back room with a colorless drink in hand - in case of spills. Onto the room itself, there were apps set out on a sideboard. I sampled a square of the pepperoni pizza and a square of the cheese pizza, mainly as ballast for my drink. The cheese quesadillas looked good as well. The pizza was a solid choice, cut into squares and with just the right amount of crispness. It would have been nice to have had a coatrack, but that is a minor nit to pick. As the event was winding down, room breakdown and setup was already underway for the next event - clearly, Beat Kitchen is a hive of activity. Good for this venue for weathering the pandemic storm and continuing to draw visitors. I'm not sure I would make it a point to revisit this location, but plan to check out the Beat Kitchen outpost on the Riverwalk once the weather warms.

Super nice place, great music, food, and service. Phos did a great job and had rock solid recommendations! Very cool place!

Came here for the Moondough, Limbo, and Donovan Melero show and I thought it was a great venue to catch a live show. Sound system is very good for the space. It's a smaller venue, yet it paves the way for a more intimate show and you can get up close to the bands. They had a merch section carved out in the back space and doubles as a meet and greet area with the bands after their performances. While there's a stage and standing room in the rear of the venue, the front serves as a bar with kitchen. Decent selection of draft & can beers and liquor. Prices are what you'd expect for Chicago. Ended up grabbing a burger and tots before the show started, and I thought it was pretty good! Staff is attentive and service was great. Street parking is free and available after 6pm. If you ever have a chance to catch your favorite band here, I would highly recommend it! 'Til next time, cheers!

Cool venue with good food! Stage is a smaller, tight space. Be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone. All artists that they show always use the space so well and make it a fun time! Portions were huge and everything tasted pretty good! Only thing that was not great was the service. Staff did not check up on you often incase you needed anything. Had to wave someone down a few times just to get the check, silverware, etc. Either way, will return!

Went for bluegrass brunch. The music was great. The food was fine with smaller portions. Our food came out warm, not hot, and generally everything was fine not great. Probably would enjoy burger more next time - even for brunch. Would go back for music, maybe just a beer.

I watched an artist a few weeks ago. The show itself was great, however I wish that the customer service was better in the bar area. I was standing at the bar for quite some time, trying to be respectful of the bartender as he looked pretty busy. I tried to get his attention a few times but he ignored my presence...only to have him serve people that were seated right beside me, not asking for a drink at all. it was a bit frustrating. Also, I feel that the scent in the restaurant and bathrooms could definitely be managed better. Nonetheless, the other staff were kind and respectful

Saw Concrete Castles/First to Eleven along with Point North and Brooke Surgener. Really incredible venue that hosts cool bands. Reasonable prices for drinks too. Cute, intimate hallways add to the atmosphere where you can chat with the performers right before they play awesome music. There are a million pop artists out there you could go to a stadium for, so why not try a more intimate venue where you actually talk to the bands and meet other people who appreciate music?

Steak and Eggs for brunch tasted great! I liked the mango chimichurri! Good food and a great show with live bluegrass music courtesy of the parsnip factory! This was fun! Service was good too, Thank you so much! Wish you all the best!

Came here to see Point North and Lil Lotus on a Saturday night and had a great time! The front of Beat Kitchen is a regular restaurant while the back room hosts concerts and other live events. It's a small space but it has an excellent sound system and also a fantastic layout for merch tables, etc. The only downside is that the bathrooms and bar are both back in the restaurant, so you do have to leave the concert area and "bother" the restaurant goers each time you need a drink! However, the staff at Beat Kitchen is friendly and accommodating, and overall this is a good place to see an intimate show!

A nice place, have a good IPA and live concerts. Nice people and great music. Never tried food yet, but the place is definitely recommended.

So we show up and there's live music and not anything we like, but figure we can ignore it. But the music is really bad and it gets louder and louder - so awful and not ignorable We order our food, and then never see our waitress again. Well we see her, but far away. And the food does not show up. And we wait and we wait... And after 20 minutes we leave $40.00 on the table and leave. Because sitting there tortured by awful music and never getting our food - not an enjoyable experience. Oh, and they were out of the one beer I like on their list. Really, you couldn't run to the liquor store to buy a case???

Came here to see Point North on a Saturday night. It was a sold out show, very small place, but I had plenty of space to move and dance around. We ordered the chicken tacos and they were good. The women's bathroom was what can be expected at a dive bar I guess.. but it was bad. Just very small, no soap or paper towels, the door knob was coming off of the door. It just felt very dirty and unkempt. Also, even though Chicago has lifted their vaccine mandate, they still require proof of vax here. Overall, I enjoyed my night here.

This review is mostly for the mini bar that is open till ate downstairs by the Riverwalk. After some activities in the downtown area we walked by this spot and decided to grab some drinks. The line was long and they said they were going to stop serving drinks after me. I was also give the awful duty of telling others that line dup behind me that I was the last person. Great area to hang out with a mostly full bar, open late. Food looked great too. Bartender was quick and friendly. Thanks and cheers!

Beat Kitchen is a cute little dive bar. They start the music early, have local and faithful regulars, and provide plenty of booth seating (a rarity in a bar!). My sparkling wine was great, they have a large selection of beer, and the hummus plate was more than enough for two to share! However, the main problem with Beat is their service, which leaves a lot to be desired. My friend and I got there right at opening, hoping to fill our bellies before our baking class down the street started. We were the only two there besides an absolutely adorable elderly woman. I guess our talking was bothersome because she made a huge stink to the waitress who laughed along and even sided with her, proceeding to say we were loud, which was weird. Don't make fun of patrons... especially when they can hear you. #confused Then, to make mattes worse, our waitress never, EVER came to our table! Every time we wanted service we had to go to the bar, but she would tell us (rather forcefully!) to sit back down at our booth, and then would come to us after another 5 minutes of waiting. She seemed a little annoyed we kept getting up, but she never came to check on us otherwise, and we were in a time crunch before our baking class! I liked Beat, and I would make the trip back, but I hope next time it's a different experience with much better service.

I got severe food poisoning from Beat Kitchen's mac and cheese on 7/16. The food was served to me room temperature-- it was not hot at all. Who knows how long they're letting their food sit out before serving to poor unsuspecting people. You should be ashamed of yourselves for poisoning people!!

Beat Kitchen has a hold on the 2100 block of Belmont. If you go a mile east or west, there's a ton of stuff! But this block...it's all about Beat Kitchen. I've been meaning to get here to check out some of their live tunes and though I didn't quite achieve that goal, I did finally get here. We had a team meeting here and yay for wifi at a dive bar! Prices aren't too bad and for a dive, they had a good selection of craft beers on tap & bottled, along with some swill. Worth mentioning, they had much more bottled & canned then on tap. They have the cutest menus in old album covers. I cannot stop wondering if I should have gotten the lamb quesadillas. I have never seen quesadillas with lamb...and lamb at a dive bar? How could that be a thing. I was scared. I was intrigued. But I couldn't take the plunge! Next time, Beat Kitchen, next time. We went with the safer bet - garlic tater tots and man were they better than expected! Such great flavor and they came with this awesome cheese sauce. We couldn't stop dunking & dipping the bad boys. I'm sure we gobbled them up in five minutes flat. I'm surprised Beat Kitchen had tasty grub! Plus they had friendly service from the bar maiden throughout our time there. Very pleasantly unprepared to like Beat Kitchen as much as I did. Woohoo!

We've been coming to Beat Kitchen for the Sunday "Concerts for Kids" series for a while now. Since our kids (1yo, 4yo) always love the concerts, we decided to host our daughter's 4th birthday during a show. The setup was really great - we had the party room upstairs (to the left, right when you walk in the front door) from 11-1. Guests arrived at 11am and headed upstairs where we had a bunch of food, buffet style - quesadillas, tater tots, fruit salad. The party room has tables to sit at, a bar, its own bathroom, coat hooks - it's great. We also had our bartender put out a case of beer in an ice bucket, and told folks if they wanted more drinks they could buy them downstairs. We brought in our own cake, which we served around 11:30. Around 11:45 we announced that everyone could head down to the concert when they're done eating. The concerts are open to the public and can get a little crowded, but most of the time the parents are pretty cool about standing back and letting the kids swarm the front stage area. And the great thing about having a party was that we could all leave our coats and diaper bags and such up in the party room and just enjoy the show. Overall it was a ton of fun, and I would definitely recommend the concerts in general, and the party venue!

Oh how I missed the Thai pizza. Just as good as I remember. The chicken quesadillas and Cobb salad were also delicious. Take out was quick and painless! Yay! My only reason for 4 stars is that the Buffalo wings need work 1. Sauce sucked -- use Franks hot sauce -- the only original wing sauce! Whatever sauce was used tasted terrible and was a strange color. 2. Overcooked/ dried out wings are highly disappointing. So, will avoid wings next order and maybe add some tator tots !

I went for a show and lasted there five minutes. The space was packed and no one was wearing masks, despite their insistence that people would be required to wear masks. I hope the cover I paid went to the bands.

They had Bluegrass music in the bar during brunch and the steak tacos were great. Bartender and manager were nice and professional

We attended an all ages show at Beat Kitchen. From the moment we lined up outside, it was a great experience. The check-in process was efficient and the bouncers were very clear with the kids what the rules were. There was plenty of parking and the area felt safe to walk around after dark. It was a crazy hot day and they kept the water and ice station filled constantly. The show was about 30% parents and I was not concerned about the kids safety at the front of the stage. Great job Beat Kitchen! Great experience for many first time concert goers. I can imagine it would be a great place to watch an over 21 show too, small intimate venue with great sound.

i went to this establishment to see my roommate in perform and was absolutely accosted by the bouncer. my friend had a sip of my drink and you would have thought i had a bomb strapped to my chest by the way he acted. underage drinking is cool!!!!!! anyway...he tried to grab the drink but i was too fast and he missed. at this point i still believed i was not getting kicked out but i quickly realized and handed him the drink so he wouldn't face another failed attempt. he chased me out. i told him i needed my jacket, to which he said we will get it. girl. HOW? you don't know me. we went back and forth on this issue for a while and he ended the interaction by calling me ma'am. i will not be uploading a pic of myself by i don't read as ma'am. maybe miss? cunt? bitch? i would have picked something else. anyway i left at this point because i had reached the acceptance stage and i'm not gonna be difficult. they take 85% of ticket sales by the way. i will not be returning and wouldn't recommend. the vodka cran was yummy tho.

I haven't been here since pre-COVID. I loved this venue. I came tonight for bouncing souls and I was also there to help with load out with Blind Adam, the opening band. The security guard with the bright yellow beanie was unnecessarily aggressive. He told me to stop interrupting him when I told him I wasn't trying to get past and wanted to respect the rules but was only standing there to watch gear. I used to work venue security for 930 club and I understand the strictness of passes and being on top of things. But to be rude about it is a whole other thing. I felt rather uncomfortable after that while i stood at the barricade and watched the show. I didn't enjoy myself. I should have left after that interaction. If you're on the autism spectrum like I am, go attend a show with someone so you don't experience anxiety like I did.

The Beat Kitchen is a super small music venue with a bar and a kitchen. I've been here twice for shows and it's a decent venue. The stage is slightly raised and in order for the bands to get to the stage, they have to walk through the crowd. Which is pretty cool. The burger is tasty. So are the potato skins. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here but if you're here for a show, you might as well grab a bite. Only reason I give it 3 stars is because the restaurant staff is incredibly rude. Our waitress completely ignored until we would flag her. Then she'd get all frustrated when we ordered. We eventually ordered beer from the bar because she took forever to come back with anything. Guess what. The moment I'm paying for my beer, the waitress appears at the table and complains to the rest of the table about how we should've ordered from her. The kicker is I would've but she took forever to do anything. So don't come to the restaurant expecting much.

Just saw my first show here last night. I've been to most music venues in Chicago but hasn't been this one yet because they book lesser known acts. There is a bar & seating for food up front & stage in a separate room in the back. Think schubas. There were about 7-8 booths for food service up front but also plenty of outdoor seating. Restrooms were in the basement, 3 stalls for ladies & clean. The menu offered several vegetarian options such as crostini, veggie burger, veggie tacos, salads & a portabello sandwich which was nice for me. I decided to eat light & order the crostini. Menu describes it as on a French baguette but it was made from a hoagie roll which was a let down. The spinach pesto was thick and not as flavorful as a typical pesto. They serve tator tots, slaw, potatoes or side salad with burgers & sandwiches. Service was basic. I was told the chicken sandwich was good. The room for music is small making this an intimate venue. Think schubas again. The view was pretty good from anywhere on the floor due to the small size. The sound could have been good I think except they had it turned too loud which caused some distortion. There was a lot of rain that week & the ceiling was dripping. They had a garbage bin collecting drops & cones around the wet area. By the time we were done eating this was the only area to stand by & I did feel drops of water falling on me throughout show. All in all it was a decent experience though this wouldn't be my favorite venue in the city. I love small venues for the intimacy of the show & would not hesitate to return to see someone I liked if they played there.

This is a great neighborhood bar. Many people go there for the music but we went there for the FOOD! We tried their empanadas at the Taste of Chicago and decided to go check out the SOURCE. Haha Everything was delicious! I had the Manny burger and my husband had the southwest chicken sandwich and they were both SO GOOD! Man, it is worth the visit. The burger was juicy and the flavors really mash well together and the Southwest sandwich had a hint of maple bacon sweet flavor. We went there on a Sunday around 5pm and it was very calm with great background music. I'd go back!

This place is a hipster paradise..and today (Sunday) when I came for dinner, wow, the people here are having fun. Lots of young hipsters drinking and having fun, and also some middle age folks, trying to relive their youth...quite funny. Menus are unique in that they are albums with the menu in the center. This is a cool concept, but pretty fitting for a bar in the area. Waitress, was sporadic and took about 10 minutes to get a menu, but other than the initial slowness, not bad for service. She wasn't the warmest, but efficient nonetheless. Order the pizza. Lots of cheese and little toppings. Tasted a little like a frozen pizza, even though I know it isn't. Next time I'll try something else. As I stated, could have been better, but could have been worse.

I've never seen a show here but Beat Kitchen on Belmont is the closest restaurant to my house. We used to order this amazing nacho salad all the time but since it came off the menu, the only vegetarian option is the veggie burger. Not sure why they would eliminate such a fabulous nacho plate. The tuna salad is quite good but they were out of the dressing it came with the last two times we ordered it. It's a nice local hang out and the service is always friendly.

Ordered the tacos off of the Benny's Tacos menu tonight, the steak tacos with mango pico de gallo and the jerk pork with pineapple pico de Gallo were both amazing!

**Bluegrass Brunch** What a disappointment. We were hoping for a live bluegrass vibe, but it wasn't. 2 guys playing acoustics (not bluegrass) for a few minutes then music on the speakers (not bluegrass) Their food is never good, but we thought they might level up for a ticketed brunch. Nope. Also, you get one plastic fork and that is all. Plus the whole place smells like sewage from the basement. So, Bluegrass bruch failed on both the bluegrass and the brunch. Total bummer.

Great spot to see a show, but this review is for the garlic tots. Oh my gosh, sooooo good! If you're there, order these. Definitely order these.

My review is only for the bar/restaurant part of Beat Kitchen since I've yet to attend a concert here. My friend was going to a show and invited me out for dinner without mentioning the other option. I'd never been before, so I had no idea. It looked like it would have been a good time if I'd had the money for the second portion of the evening. Our server was pretty busy, but she kept checking back with us to see if we were ready to order. I took some time to look over the menu and went with their Lamb Burger and a side of Tater Tots. The Lamb Burger was superb and large. I was only able to eat about half of it, so I think it was totally worth the price. I took the other half home and my husband enjoyed the leftovers. It came time to pay the bill. My change was dropped off and I think it was short by $1. I wanted to double check, but a good amount of time went by and the server didn't return. It was time for my friends to head to the back and I was ready to head home, so I didn't pursue it. It was kind of annoying, but it was only $1.

I haven't been inside this place for many years. It was always good to great. I ordered delivery and it was a mixed bag so to speak. The order was packaged very well and came in a stapled paper bag. They give a great amount of tots and they are cooked quite well. The Reuben sandwich left a bit to be desired though. The corned beef was very fatty, not very tasty, and skimpy. One piece of the bread on the sandwich was crispy and the other piece was soogy and fell apart to the touch. It is almost like the sandwich was cooked first and the kraut added after uncooked. I will chalk it up as an off night, but I am not thrilled about possibly ordering delivery again.

Love this place! Great music and good food. Love the gluten free options too!

This is a dark, red tinged dive bar-slash-music venue in the heart of Roscoe Village. Wouldn't you know it, they also have great food. It's funny, we don't truck up to the north side a ton, and we don't go to a ton of concerts, but a perfect confluence of events led us here for an early dinner and Pale Waves show on a Sunday night. So yeah. It's divey and dark. The beer selection is solid and the food is great, with a nice variety of sandwiches, pizza, burgers etc. My husband had a burger and I tried the fish tacos. Plus the garlic tater tots I just couldn't pass up. Everything was delicious. Then we headed back to the music venue in the back. It's basically just a big room with a stage in front. Not too big... Maybe holds 300? No seats. But there are coat hooks on the walls which I found clever. For small indie shows I think this is great but know that you'll be on your feet and fighting some crowding. Bathrooms are in the basement and a bit cramped. Free self serve water at the bar. I'm not sure if we'll have reason to come back, but I definitely would, even if just for the food!

I went to Beat Kitchen for the Last Dinosaurs concert and I listened to music from the opening band French Police. Both of the bands were great and French Police is my new favorite band, I liked listening to the music and singing along to all the Last Dinosaurs songs. I also liked the food, I ordered a veggie pizza and everyone was so nice. I hope to come back to Beat Kitchen again in the near future whenever I'm in Chicago.

Absolutely phenomenal staff and service. Outdoor seating only, spaced appropriately and partitions dividing tables. Waitstaff is nothing but kind and accommodating, absolutely doing their best work. So appreciative of the entire team and keeping the kitchen/bar open to keep this wonderful music space viable to the neighborhood for the long term.

A little underwhelming for me... went in expecting a good jazz show after what was advertised... however the music was not very good (very experimental so if that is your scene, go for it) and it was fairly empty... Can't speak too much about their food or drinks (they looked good on the menu!) but as for the jazz night, I did not particularly enjoy it and left early.

This place is so fun! So I came here only because my husband's friend has a bluegrass band and he was playing here. My husband hadn't seen him in a long time so we decided to come. So this isn't exactly my husband and my type of crowd (no offense hipsters of Chicago, still got mad love for ya). We kind of stuck out like sore thumbs. However, we still had a blast. The only thing I can say that I agree with about this place, that I also see other people have noticed as well, is that the bar tenders tend to be a little lackluster. The night that we came our bar tender in the front reminded me very much April from the show Parks and Recreation. She was super cute but everything that came out of her mouth was very weird and kinda mono toned. I'm a very hyper and happy person. I'm not sure me and her mix well. But whatever The stage area is nice! They had this little battle of the bands at the end of the night where the members of the various bands would split up and make new bands and played bluegrass songs they created in 10 minutes. Very neat! Had a lot of fun. Made some hipster friends. Date nice success. Oh yea before I forget, the cover at the door was $13!!! I don't think I've ever paid that much to get into a bar ever. So I take a star away for that. Pretty steep for $26 for two people before I even start drinking....

Went here on the 20th of March for three bands that were coming. Amazing show! They sounded incredible and I truly loved it. It was my first time at a show like that. The place is amazing. It is small, but very unique in it's own style. It gave me that antique kind of vibe. My mom didn't like the show lol so she went to go eat something. She ordered a veggie pizza I believe and she fell in LOVE. We also met an elderly woman named Bess. She says that she's always there and that she loves the place. Such a wonderful night that I will always remember. :)

Food was okay, prices high for the quality of food. You're really paying for the River view. Probably wouldn't eat here again.

I've always loved this place. From the days when there was still smoking allowed in bars, this place never felt smoky. To last week when I saw WALRUS ATTACK (check them OUT!) on stage. Great acoustics, great room. A lot of history here. And the food! The beer and drink selection has always been tops. Now I'm a fan of their GIANT Cobb salad, that is really enough for two. Keep on rocking, Beat Kitchen!!

Admittedly, my first visit to Beat Kitchen was for a private party, so my review is related to that. We visited last weekend for a party in the upstairs. Unlike other parties I've been to at bars where there's mass confusion at the door, this was easy... 'we're here for the party' and then we got a wristband - super! Upstairs, there are bathrooms (nice, so you don't have to go through the bar), coat racks and a nice open space. There's also a bar. I don't know exactly how the party worked in terms of food/drinks, but the setup was great - food along one wall in an open space and then some high and low tables (but still plenty of room to walk) in the front area. The bar also had seats and a very friendly bartender who was busy since the party was crowded but didn't seem stressed out. I think the space was pretty and it had a good layout with windows to give some light and view outside but plenty of space to walk around and chat. Bathrooms were clean and easily accessible. Very friendly staff really made it as well. Definitely a great spot for a party!!!

I've been to this place quite a few times, but my last experience was horrible. I'm not a person who throw around race stuff, but I definitely think the staff, or at least a couple people there were a bit racist. At one point, I was walking down the stairs and slipped because beer was spilled. Then later, I tried to walk out the wrong door. They didn't say I was over served and not let me buy beer. They didn't come talk to me. No, they had a guy come and physically throw me out. I wasn't causing a scene. I wasn't being difficult. But they decided to get rough with me for no reason. There were 100% more drunk white people there, but me, being the only black person in the bar, they felt the need to do that and embarrass me. I'm done with this place