Bottom Lounge

Honestly had no idea how fun of a music venue this was going to be! You would have no idea just from the outside! It's now my local favorite! Not sure why others had concerns with bartenders. They were great! Fast service. Easy process and had no concerns about charges! Drinks reasonably priced and nice you can still enjoy concert while getting drinks. Great acoustics and brings fun crowd! Can't wait to come back! Such great energy!!!!! Intimate enough that you feel close to stage anywhere inside!

This was an awesome venue to see concerts. You can find free street parking nearby, just make sure you read the signs. The food is very decent since you're mostly just getting a bite to eat before going in. The music area in the back is a good size. You're able to get very close to the stage without all of the rails you find at other venues. Staff was nice. Sound quality was great.

This review is only for the concert venue since I didn't eat anything from the menu. The place is huge and they have plenty of seating options. The front is all restaurant and bar and it was crowded. The food looked good but I didn't try any. They have a nice selection of pinball machines to try out except some of them need some work and upkeep. The back of the place is an open hall for concerts. We saw four bands but really we were only there to see Sludgeworth. The sound quality was good and there was plenty of space to move around. Definitely a good place to check out a show.

I somehow hadn't been to this venue before, until going to the Aesthetic Perfection show. We were carded when we came in, but our bags or pockets or anything weren't searched in at all which isn't really reassuring. But the staff was nice, the sound quality was fine. I liked being in such a small venue that I could be closer to the stage.

Nice small venue. Friendly efficient staff. Will definitely come back. Lots of parking and lots of food nearby

Avoid This venue at all costs, VERY rude Staff. Went to peyton parrish concert and get immediately yelled at by a bartender for no reason at all and kicked out by Staff, because a girl next to me was drinking on the side of the road, wouldn't talk to me rationally at all, just kept yelling and screaming at me and my wife in the face. Very rude staff, wouldn't talk to us or even ask if we were with the random girl or not.

I came here after the last day of Riot Fest for a little late-night music fun. I have to say, Bottom Lounge is one of the coolest bar/restaurant/venue spots I've been too! The vibe inside Bottom Lounge is really fun. It's quite small, but very lively with tons of cool lights and decorations. The pinball machines are a great touch, too! I didn't get to play any of them, but I love that they are there. The staff at the counter where you order were super friendly and seemed happy to be working even on a busy night. I really appreciate how easy it was to walk up, order, pay, and then take a number back to a table. To me, that is the most efficient way to order in a crowded bar. Since it was a busy night, we weren't able to order what my friend and I originally wanted, so we opted for some standard cheeseburgers. They're the trendy Smashburger type, and were very filling and yummy! The onion rings were had on the side were great, too. After our meal, we headed into the main venue space for a show. The venue entrance is easy to find - it's straight back from where you first walk in after ID check. Security staff were kinda rude, but it was a busy night so I don't really blame them. Once we got inside, the place was packed wall-to-wall. There really isn't a lot of room since it is a tiny venue, but I love shows that are packed to the gills so it all worked out. Okay, so this is random but probably one of my favorite things about this venue: CLEAN BATHROOMS!! IN THE BACK!! Normally, those should be just filthy, but they were so nice here. To me, that showed a level of above and beyond care that you don't see to often. All in all, I highly recommend Bottom Lounge for anyone looking for a fun night with friends, or an intimate concert!

Avoid this venue at all costs. Bartenders routinely try to overcharge for the drinks. Both in terms of the cost per drink, and the overall amount of drinks I've had. I have had to dispute charges on my credit card numerous times here that I've stopped buying alcohol here all together (this was years ago before I got fully sober). The security staff is extremely lax. As a positive, they are smiling and care about you and don't sexually assault you before going inside (like some other venues). A negative is that they don't actually pat you down, at all. I accidentally brought in my work knife once... after realizing it, I went back to my car and put it away. Parking here is nonexistent if you show up around show time. There is metered street parking. Some unmarked areas for free parking, a golden goose in Chicago. The sound is awful and overblown. The ceiling fan on stage left, our right, wobbles so hard it looks like it's about to fall off and kill someone. You can see the dust, dirt, and grime here. It's nasty. Restrooms are ok, don't give off an odor (basic cleanliness here). You can get right up to the stage, less than a foot away. Which is awesome for artist interaction. They come out from the big double doors stage right and there is always a security guard in front of it so you can't go in, but you can always see the next band waiting to go on stage in this little area near the stage. I ONLY recommend this place if you're looking for an intimate venue and you don't buy anything from here...

Bottom Lounge is a solid music venue in the far-West Loop that checks all the boxes one could ask for when seeing a concert. To begin, I'm a big fan of the location. It is easily accessible by the L, driving, or walking and works out perfectly for completing a night out in West Loop. Inside it isn't too much to look at but it offers plenty of space, two bars (one inside the venue and one in the "lobby"), easily-accessible bathrooms, and an easily accessible exit (b/c when the show is over you just want to head home). Inside the venue there is plenty of room to stand and see the performance (there is no seating available) and the bar is easy to get to. On top of it all, they have pitchers of water on-hand for quenching your thirst - SOLID offering. We found the staff to all be cordial but, at the bar, they could have used a bit of pep in their step. Nonetheless, the beer was cold and the prices were satisfactory. After seeing back to back shows here I can confidently say that I'm a fan of Bottom Lounge and would return for another show.

The fries are $10 and they give you 2 PACKETS of ketchup. Packets! For a $10 asking fee you guys can't afford a plastic bottle of ketchup? How cheap.

Okay, so this is a nice little spot for a fun night out. There is a music venue on site. However, there are also lots of tvs and pinball machines in the bar area. They also have food, we ordered the chicharrones and they were BOMB, but the sauce could have been better (it lacked flavor). It's in an okay location, but there doesn't seem to be much around it.

Awesome place to see a show! Sound quality was excellent and it's a truly intimate place to check out an artist. The show I went to had $20 tickets which seemed very reasonable for hours of live music. It's not a fancy music venue by any means, this was demonstrated when a lighting guy came out with a broom to hit the spotlights for an adjustment. Ha! But as I said, the sound quality was fantastic and that's what's most important when it comes to concert. The only and biggest negative for me was there are no chairs. Listen, I know it's not cool but I'm friggin old! These old bones need to take a seat while I'm waiting for the artist to come out & perform and between openers. I'd see a show here again, for sure, loved the up close & personal time I got with the artists performing.

Haven't been here in a bit, but it seems that they don't hold any tickets from the presale for the regular sale. Show sold out in like five minutes and tickets were on secondary sellers immediately. Smells like shenanigans.. but then what do I know...

Went here to see a show and it's probably my favorite venue now... We got there an hour after original time, grabbed a few beers inside the restaurant half (super cute) and hung out for a bit and headed inside. Definitely a low key, comfy and personal venue where you can hangout in the back and see a decent view if you're my height (5ft). Sound quality and effects were great! This place is all ages which is nice. The show had people from 15-60. A very diverse audience to say the least which is refreshing! The staff were all incredibly kind and the doorman was incredibly sweet. Pricing for beer is pretty average for chicago. $5 Miller Lite Bottles or $8 16oz cans. I'm definitely coming back to try out the food next time! I loved how comfy and casual the environment was of the restaurant side.

We went here to see a show. Arrived on the late side so we didn't end up eating but it's a decent venue to see a band! The bartenders were attentive and friendly even when they were getting slammed. Will definite stop in to eat and hang out more next time we're in town!

Looking for somewhere to eat before a concert?! Bottom Lounge is not the place to do so. I almost feel bad writing this review since the level of service we received could only be a product of a bad day, first day, or your parents fault for never teaching you how to act properly around other humans. Charging for items that weren't received, bringing out wrong orders, food coming out 10 min apart, snooty attitudes, etc. If coordinating two meals is rocket science, our server was in charge of the 1986 Challenger launch. When I pointed out that she charged us for items we did not receive, she stared at the receipt with a clueless gaze, made a weird Tenacious D devil noise, and asked if we would settle for a couple dollars back. No apologies or anything, just threw some money back at us on the table. If I were there alone, you would have received a 0 dollar tip. Im sorry if you were having a bad day Jasmine. The only thing worse than your failed attempt at service was your shit manners. ( Venue itself is fine, not sure if $19 for a vodka RedBull and $10 for a PBR is appropriate, but thats a whole different issue with Chicago venues )

Attended during the concert: "Like Pacific" The venue is nice. Great staff, location, parking was relatively easy. The food...no. Don't do it. I noticed a large selection of beer as well as an ample amount of seating in the restaurant section. Very open. The regular menu and event menu also a decent variety to choose from... however I will say that the quality of food is where I dropped them down to three stars. The mozzarella sticks disgusting, the cheese was good but the external breading part, something of cardboard flavor, yes I've had cardboard in my mouth before to prove my point‼ I don't know how they cook the chicken wings but it had this awfully strange flavor to it... not quite smoked, maybe the oil needed to be changed idk, pure nasty. The blue-cheese or ranch made into blue-cheese was unbelievably runny wonder why that was... cheap route to save $?

Such a fun atmosphere! My cousin and I had a great time at their Seinfeld trivia night. Crowd was competitive but still super friendly. I look forward to going back!

My friend and I came here for an all ages event, which meant there were a lot of underage people. Security is pretty uptight checking ID, which is good. The event staff were efficient at checking people in and ID-ing and providing wristbands. The event concert area is past the bar area in the back room. This place is a nice low key bar too. There was a specific bartender that made the best drinks. She worked in the front bar, and oh my word I've never had better drinks.

Cool vibe, reasonable beer price and a big patio. What else can you wish for? You can also support the music venue by enjoying the beer! (Disclaimer: this is my first time here. I am posting this so that people know the big patio is available here and it might help chicago music venue scene)

4 stars because this may be the most underrated rooftop/ patio in W loop. Beautiful view of sunset, not crowded, free parking lot first come first serve, food and beverage available. Would recommend for them to get the advertisement-free version of music streaming though!

Great venue for music and drinks! Intimate setting with 700 person capacity. Security is lax and staff is very friendly. I would definitely attend another show here or just come back for the cheap drinks.

Visited this venue on 2/1/20 for a concert. I have no complaints. Although I did not get to try any food, the door man, security guard, bartender and every other staff member I encountered was very friendly. PBR tall boy was $5, other domestic beer was $6. They even had two pitchers and a stack of cups at the end of the bar for free water during the show. The concert was fantastic and I really had a great time. 10/10 would definitely go back to see another show. We had a blast.

I had the worst experience at this venue. My partner and I went to see David August this past weekend. He put on an amazing set, but the crowd was the worst of the worst. People would not shut the f*#% up!! Granted, it is a bar type venue but shiiiittt never have I experienced anything like this. I began to wonder why people were even there... why pay to hear each other blabber on for hours. We even tried to move around to different parts of the venue and could not find a spot where someone wasn't talking. People were just downright rude and openly rude. Also what is up with security? Did not see one goddamn security while in the crowd. Strange strange place. Never going back to this hellhole ever again. We unfortunately had to leave early because the crowd sucked that bad, there was no way for us to enjoy the show. We even ran into a friend by the main door, she was also on her way out because of how awful the energy was in there and how loud everyone was talking so we dipped together. Beware: if you are paying for a show, you will be paying to hear a loud obnoxious crowd (some of them will be underage teens- 17+ venue I believe haha) Made a huge mistake of going here but Ive learned my lesson! Never again!

Yes, I went to a New Found Glory 20th anniversary concert - don't @ me. I'd heard of this venue a few times but never saw a show here until this concert. I thought the venue was decent. The space was not quite as big as The Metro but not quite as small as The Vic. I felt like it was sort of easy to move through the back to the bathroom or the bar if necessary. The drink line got kind of long periodically and I feel like they need to have two bartenders (at least) during an actual show but it wasn't too bad the majority of the show. The drinks were so insanely overpriced that it really put a damper on having more than, like, two beers. I sort of felt like we were approaching baseball-game-level prices which is nuts. I know they want to make money but we're not at a place like the United Center so please stop charging for drinks like we are. Easily accessible via Uber, train, and bus. There's no parking on this stretch of Lake to speak of so public or a taxi are your best options. The restaurant in the front of the venue looked good but we didn't stop. It wasn't even that busy pre-show so it may be a good place to grab your dinner before the concert.

The Bottom Lounge is my favorite venue in the city. I have seen so many shows here, the staff is very friendly and the service prompt. The drinks are reasonably priced and always cold. Check it out!

Came here for a wedding. Place located in the middle of a warehouse district. There are two floors with a bar/dining room on ground floor. We had the roomy space upstairs - also has a bar - enough to fit 14 round and rectangular tables for about 150 guests with a bar and a vey nice outdoor deck with high tables and rattan couches - only thing to note: it's west facing so in late afternoon you get the sun hanging at eye level with no umbrella able to provide any shade. Service was good. Food was decent for our customized menu - spinach salad with nuts and goat cheese which was excellent, followed by fried potatoes - very crispy, lasagna, baby carrots and chicken with cream sauce. For pass arounds we had chicken skewers and spring rolls - chicken dishes not the best, as both skewers and entree tasted half cooked and tough at the same time. However a very nice space for weddings with a big hardwood dance floor. And the elevated train tracks outside level with the window provided additional atmosphere - even though it could be loud at times - nothing like having the backdrop of trains passing by every few minutes during the ceremony!

I've only been here for one concert so far and, before going, I didn't exactly plan to ever go back because it's not really in a convenient place for me but the experience of going there changed my mind for sure. I'm not so sure how to explain it but the place is just very well organized. The bathrooms are nice and clean, you can go out to the big restaurant area (and re-enter!) with chairs when you get tired of or overwhelmed with the concert area, the bar and merch tables are in places where they're convenient yet out of the way, and the lady working the bar was the best.

For a lounge named after one of Shakespeare's more annoying characters, this music venue delivers adequate live music, decent drinks, and solid food (although it is across the street from a McDonald's and nothing could top McNuggets after a concert). It's terrific that there are two spaces to move through- the restaurant half of the venue and then the concert stage part. The cavernous music space reminded me of being in a public school gymnasium back when I was 11, at a middle school dance. However, there were zero basketballs and my sweaty middle school crush was not, in fact, abandoning the dance floor to shoot hoops. Nor was there any Usher playing. Bring a sharpie to write on the bathroom wall as legions of Bottom Lounge frequenters before you have. My bathroom stall was adequately encouraging. Anyway, I feel guilty for writing a lie on the internet. This isn't named for a Shakespeare character. Which begs the question what it is named for.

I just came back from a show at the Bottom Lounge featuring Shellac and Mono. The sound crew did not disappoint! These loud abrasive sounding acts came out crisp and clear to my ears. The prices for drinks seemed a bit much to me but the floor was big enough to roam around trying to find the perfect spot to see some quality entertainment. The actual dining area looked quite nice too.

Wow ! First time here. Great bar and restaurant in front portion of building before entering stage room. Good food and beer ! Had a fantastic time at jinjer concert. Staff was nice and helpful ! Parking was easy and I would definitely come back for another show !!

This is a premier venue in Chicago for music acts. Very intimate and personal stage setup. The sound quality is phenomenal and drinks are reasonable. Went to a show last night I had no idea what to expect, and they far exceeded any expectations. We sat at the bar and had some food prior to show. The kitchen was fast servers wrre great I can't speak highly enough of this place. Thoroughly impressed keep up the good work!

One of my favorite venues in Chicago. Easy to get to by the L, decent size stage. They always have good bands playing, also the beer prices are cheaper then other places I have been to for a concert. Also the bathrooms are decent, and this is saying much because most of the time at a concert they are nasty. I can't wait till my next concert here! It always feels like home.

The Bottom Lounge is one of the best places to see a show in my opinion. It's almost like you're seeing a band in a friend's oversized garage that also happens to have a stellar bar inside. The best part about TBL is that there's not a bad place to stand. It's one of those great venues where you can see the band no matter where you are. I recently saw Dashboard Confessional here, then even more recently, I saw Wax. They were both very different acts, but I had a blast at both. The only things you need to know: bouncers and bartenders aren't douchey - they're legitimately friendly, acoustics were good for both a band AND a hip hop show, they have craft beer and prices aren't going to make you broke, tickets are usually pretty cheap too. If a band I like plays a show at TBL, I'll always say yes to getting tickets.

Very strange place here.... Stopped in before my massage @ Chicago Touch the other day to let time pass by. Pretty wide open space with booths in the middle of the floor. Our waitress seemed pretty clueless and really knew nothing about the menu. She failed to let me know that my $5 Heineken would come in a tall can and not a bottle (no biggie I guess). We ordered onion rings as we weren't that hungry which were good and nice sized. It came with a honey bbq sauce that we didn't ask for, but they wanted to charge us for ranch dressing...interesting The music selection was pretty uninteresting as it went from a hardcore Beanie Sigel hip hop jam to some down home country western...strange. The country western music continued the duration of my visit here unfortunately. There was a bus parked outside that looks like the bus the Gramercy Riffs rode in The Warriors movie. I assumed all of the sudden Blackhawk fans that showed up rode in it.

Stopped by here last night, and my biggest question when I walked in was "Is this place even open?" The space is huge as it is located in an old warehouse. But because it is so big and the furniture is sparse- it almost looks like the place is unfinished. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, though, as it did just recently open. We made ourselves at home at one of the high tops located near the bar. They get props as they have one of my favorite ciders, "Strongbow" on tap. They also have some pretty tasty bar food. I had the chicken quesadilla which was just oozing with cheese and was reasonably priced. The service was good both at the table and at the bar. Lots of free parking along Lake Street although that could change if the concert part of the place was going. What intrigued me is the rooftop bar. I've got friends in the area and we are always looking to sit outside and grab a cold one in the Summer. Can't wait for it to open so we can check it out and what should be an amazing view of the city!

When you're rollin' 12 deep with the Hells Belles, you end up at places that have brick walls, concrete floors, loud music, cold beer and the Orange, Pink and Green lines whizzing past a few feet from the windows. In other words, a real urban rock lair. The crowd here is great. Lots of imaginative outfits, piercings and tattoos. Which I like to observe, but not partake in - except for the interesting outfits, I'll do those. Leather pants are not out of place here - but are they ever out of place? No. This place has a vague Rockabillly, 50's vibe with pinball machines, beat up tables and interesting art on the walls. Lots of live music going on here too. They've got food, and while I didn't partake, I sampled my two friend's selections. Delicious-home made alphabet vegetable soup, very well seasoned and a GIANT bowl. I was here for a birthday party (see Windy City Rollers review) and this place seemed perfect for low-stress party planning. It was giant enough that you can just take over one of the larger tables with your group, set up the ol' Red Velvet (yum) cake and call it a night. Some sort of Actionbooth-type photo area was in effect. Wasn't sure if that was a standard feature, but it's always amusing at any rate. Bathrooms were clean, and only one toilet was plugged around the time I left 'round 12:30. Not bad odds, really, for a venue of this size and type. And I saw someone headed towards it as I exited (no, *I* did not plug it!) with a mop and pail, so the staff seems to be pretty diligent. Rumors of a CTA stop being built nearby abounded . . . that would be great, for expanding my transit-ridin' bubble.

I miss the old Bottom Lounge location for sentimental reasons. Never ventured to this location til recently when I was lucky enough to see Slint. The bar area is really neat and I loved checking out all the stuff hung on the walls. Love that they have pinball machines that unfortunately I could not kill time on since the place was packed for the show. To my surprise everyone fit perfectly into the performance area and I had a pretty decent view of the stage. The band sounded incredible. They also have a bar in the performance room which is always, always good. A nice venue to see a show, and I look forward to coming here again.

WOW!!! Bottom Lounge made out Wedding Day THE BEST day!! Natalie walked us through the whole day months and months before! Where else do you get a personal wedding planner included in your venue!?! We had so many options for food and drink....Natalie helped us customize a menu that worked for us and our guest loved! High five to the chef!! :) Natalie even helped us find our DJ--TenTwelve Entertainment! The decor was great and the servers and bar tenders for our night...cannot say enough! I recommend booking this venue ASAP before Natalie is all booked up!

I went to the Bottom Lounge for the first time last night and it was a less than great experience. The biggest thing was the staff's attitude. In line to get into the building there was a man with a mustache who I saw yelling and kicking a patron out, not my business. When I got up to the front I forgot that I had an empty plastic water bottle sticking out of my bag. Without warning, the man grabbed my arm and started berating me about how I had to throw it out and pushing me towards the trash can. I understand they don't want water bottles in but putting your hands on someone is unacceptable. My second incident of the night was the man checking tickets. It was unclear of if he was planning on taking the ticket or what he was trying to do but my friend put the ticket on the desk and he says to her "take your ticket, I'm not your trash can." And rolled his eyes. Just overall it was a poor start to my night, the redeeming factor was the bar staff inside the concert venue, and the concert itself. I just don't understand how the Bottom Lounge has such a miserable staff and how these people are able to keep their jobs with this behavior.

Because I saw such an awesome show here the other night, it's hard for me to differentiate it from the venue itself. I saw Dead Confederate here Friday night, and they were absolutely amazing, I can't remember the last time I was so blown away by a live show (Whigs were there and good too). All the members of DC are great, but Hardy Morris' voice was intoxicating.. Seriously, if I could have hot, sweaty, freaky sex with a voice, it'd be his FASHO... all night long, baby. Anyway....Oh, and the space is small enough so that you can get up really close, always nice. I did wake up feeling nearly deaf in one ear, but it was worth it 110 percent. On the other hand, my drinks weren't very strong and the bar itself isn't that appealing if you're not immersed in the music. But- for a band you're realllly into, it's perfectly enjoyable. Also, gotta give them props for booking talented bands since there's so much garbage out there. Dead Confederate- 5 SUPERstars Bottom Lounge- 3 stars Guess I'll have to average it out.

Went to see Delta Rae tonight (April 2). Got here a bit early and ate before the show. Really good selection of beers and a really nice menu. I had the Schnitzelwich. A lot more food than I needed to eat, but I did anyway. Side of Tots to go with the sandwich. My wife had the Fish and Chips, again there was way more than she could eat. She said it was very good. My bro in law had the Bavarian Pretzel, which was huge, really huge! My sister had a salad and commented that the tomatoes were delicious. Cassie was our waitress, and was awesome. Se was on top of getting refills and checking on us to make sure things were good. After we ate and had a couple of drinks we headed to the concert and was pleasantly surprised to see a ton of beers offered up. Lots of 16 oz cans and 16 pours on tap. They have Schiltz on tap and well, it is the Beer that made Milwaukee famous, so we had to have a couple of those. Strongbow Cider was my wife's drink of choice. The venue is small, but big enough. Great sound and you get to be up close to bands you love. Delta Rae put on an awesome show, and was well worth the $20 ticket. Visit this place to see a show or just to stop in and have something to eat.

This venue is good. One of my favorite places to see a show. The bar area has a lot of room. The venue area is spacious too.

This is a Public Service Announcement...with guitars... New venue for music slated to be opening in the next few weeks.They are the successor to the shuttered namesake on Wilton. I'm excited about this place and can't wait to update this review after its opened. Article from Sun TImes: http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/835067,newclubs031108.article Shows announced: 4/19 PEGBOY 5/01 BOUNCING SOULS 5/02 URGE OVERKILL 5/17 JON LANGFORD & THE PINE VALLEY COSMONAUTS 5/30 MUDHONEY 6/14 CHRISTIAN DEATH

The inside... the way inside where the acts perform is much different in appearance than the outside and bar area might lead you to believe. I've been here a few times, and I can't say that's ever bothered me. The back area is basically just a loft sort of warehouse area that's all black and the band performs on a sideways sort of facing stage. Hard to explain. The only shows I've seen here are electronic based shows and two of them were all ages and unfortunately it really draws in the "kids that try and act like they're 20-something" crowd that brags about being high, drunk, wasted, whatever... but never really have... and experience it for the first time that night.

I came to this venue for a friend's art show which also comprised of a fashion show, singers, art booths, etc. that was located in the back of the venue. I truly enjoyed myself. It was literally like the beginnings of Williamsburg in there...Hipster galore with so much talent. The guy who sung on stage was amazing. He did a whole set and tore it up!!! The space was sufficient and didn't feel stuffy. Before entering that area, my friends and I got food at the bar in the front. I got the three cheese grilled cheese with tomato soup. Whoa... Hands down the best grilled cheese and tomato soup I've ever had. No lie. Flavorful, appetizing, and had mucho character. They seasoned the hell out of the soup. It was amazing. The grilled cheese even had fresh tomatoes in it. Omg... And the three cheeses they used? Blended perfectly. No one cheese took over the other flavors. I want to go back just for that dish! The venue was great though. I had a good time.

We did our wedding here and it was perfect :) It had exactly the low-key urban vibe we were looking for. They fully customized a menu for us, and worked with us the whole way through. Natalie, the event planner there is super sweet! The price was also far under that of other similar locations. Would highly recommend for events!

We came to a special blues benefit held upstairs. I was really surprised by this place - both the main floor and the upstairs are large and spacious, if just toeing the line on grunginess, which is to be expected to give a place like this some cred. Upstairs there's good sightlines to the stage, and a small dance space in front, with a raised balcony area at the back of the room. I ordered a pretzel which was chewy and fresh, and chicken strips, which were fine. I would come back to see more music here.

This review is for the bar/restaurant section. We've been coming here for over 8 years, and last night we came in to find they changed the menu. Not only were we informed by our server the kitchen was closing at 10, (and couldn't even get us condiments for our mediocre grinders because "kitchen was closed") but they removed the one item that we came specifically for. Dear management: please bring back your grilled cheese!! You used to have THE best one in the city-- however you are keeping tomato soup on the menu. Whyyyy? And why is the kitchen closed at 10 pm on a Friday when there was a concert going on and black hawks game going on? If you want to entertain offers for a buyout, let me know. We would love to take over and restore glory to this establishment.

I've only come here for concerts, but there seems to be a decent bar space in the front that I wouldn't mind checking out before/after a show in the future. The bathrooms have been clean, there's a separate vanity area for ladies touching up their lipstick or "powdering" their noses. The sound has been great and my views have been fine. The staff has been friendly and efficient when I've gone in. There's an atm outside right before the venue, if you need cash. There's a McDonald's if you really need some fries. I've never had an issue finding parking, and this location is walking distance from the green line.