House of Blues Chicago

What a Great place to visit for music and Nostalgia. Blues Brothers is a huge part of Chicago history. Love everything top to bottom. When you enter the ground floor. There is a very cool Blues area and gift shop. If you are here to see a music act. You go up a flight of stairs. It leads you into a huge room. 2 bars for General admission and a special spot for vip. There are also phone charging stations to get a portable battery. There is a charge. Very cool if you need this during a show. There is another area where there are special areas for vip and also some balcony box seats above the crowd and band. Now staff everyone from people checking us for id to drink to bar tenders we're amazing and helpful. Remember to tip bar tenders they work hard back there.

Great venue for intimate live music. We saw Hannah Bahng. The setting was very interactive and intimate. The artist and audience were close. The balcony seating provided great sound experience but the SRO floor made it feel like you could just reach up and touch the artists. It felt like being a part of the show.

This place has been a favorite of mine for years. Always a great time, cool art, great food, excellent food, staff friendly and warming. What else can you ask for. Recommend for shows and the live blues in the restaurant. Unlike Kingston Minds you can eat and have your own table and elbow room.

We went to the Pj Morton concert here. It all standing far as seating goes. We decided to take the vip option. It was a great choice. Pj made the experience grand overall in my opinion. The drinks were about 25$ ea. If you're looking to go here for any concert I'd suggest getting vip.

Love the local talent they always bring in! Food is AMAZING every time. Voodoo shrimp always the best. The new boneless chicken in bourbon glaze is YUMMM. Service good as well. Get in here!!

Very disorganized. VIP rail seats were stupid expensive and it was so packed in there you couldn't even get to the bathroom. We were searched to go upstairs in the Foundation room (which was just a super incense smokey bar) then we came down (immediately cause we couldn't breathe) and had to be checked again to go to our seats but there was no order to it. It was a bit of a mess. Happy to see an excellent singer, Dermot Kennedy, but these small venues are chaos and they pack you to the brim. I actually wasnt feeling well and if I had to throw up, I would have had to do it at my seat because I couldn't get up. For what we paid for tickets then in addition for the vip seat-we should have gotten a free merch t-shirt or something. We drove to Chicago just to see Dermot.

MAMMOTH, MYLES KENNEDY. Great shows. Staff is great. Except the security guard behind koto tables, that wouldn't stop yelling at the waitress during most of Myles show. Come on dude talk to her after the show don't ruin everybody's hard-earned money . we came to see a show and not listen to you hit on A co-worker.

Massively oversold for the show, so crowded it felt dangerous to be in there, VIP options were exorbitant, drink prices were about average for music venues, which is to say, totally overpriced and unreasonable. 30 minutes after doors, and 30 minutes before the show started, the bathrooms were clean and basically empty, the bar close to the entrance was already very crowded and never seemed to stop being crowded. The venue itself was beautiful architecturally and had really interesting art and design elements. The sound was better than the lighting, but both were fine.

Stopped by after having dinner in the area. Luckily, got the last empty table for two as I was by myself. It was right at the front, making it a great place to enjoy the live music. The service was quick and thorough. I enjoyed a night cap, the espresso martini. It was delicious. Would come back again when visiting the area again.

The concert was great. It's a slight smaller venue that i originally thought. We had passes to the VIP lounge and their loaded fries were so tasty. The drinks were well made and the servers were very friendly. The decor is cool but also slightly creepy.

We love the HOB! Every location I have been to is always clean and among my favorite places. I always get excited to visit a new one on the list. Everything on the menu is always great, and we LOVE the atmosphere and gift shop. A great place for a bite to eat and to check out live music.

THIS PLACE ABSOLUTELY SUCKS. i utterly recommend not going for a show. (besides the bartenders) STAFF IS SO IGNORANT AND INCONSIDERATE AS HELL. i walked in, poletely pulled out my stuff and walked thru security with 0 problems. They saw my paraphernalia and didn't say anything. i only brought my E cig in and i was waiting in the bathroom for my friend and got security called on me simply over my e-cig (which again they let me in with) one of the security guards threw my stuff away and said if i let her throw it away i could stay. keep in mind i spent $100 on my ticket. They threw all my stuff out but yet still kicked me out after they said i could stay. so unprofessional and ignorant. i don't like how they went about any of it and if they had such a problem they should have taken their rude energy out on the security in front not doing there jobs properly. not my issue. i will never attend there again.

The food was amazingly high quality for a Comedy Show restaurant/bar. The Comedy was great! I laughed my butt off--I wish... I will be back, hopefully, they can make a space for me to try out my act and get booed so I can come back and try it all over again, yupper! I would love that! Great place. Went there in August 2023 for my birthday to cheer myself up after my mother's passing that January 2023, and Voila, it worked! Thank You, House of Blues Comedy Club and Restaurant! #fayerenee

Everything about this experience was amazing. We drove from Detroit and brought my aunt here for dinner for her birthday to listen to live music and she had an amazing time. Great food and the ambience! Will definitely be back again!

Location location location. You are paying for not only the location but the venue fame. It's a little over the top costs wise. Worth checking off the box for a tourist visit. I would go e a 3.5 as the food is good. Just many other better options near and far in abundance. You can feel the energy and the historic importance of the place its a given. Service is all attentive and split into three server runner buser. Nothing last on the table without attention. Servers are knowledgeable and check on the table often. For me it's a one stop shop. Don't see myself repeating a visit just for price alone.

I had questions regarding my teenage daughter attending a show, and the ticketing office and operations manager were extremely helpful. I would recommend this venue in the future.

Fun, great vibe for dinner and live music on Saturday night. The live music was energetic and fun and the server was OUTSTANDING! The art on every wall (and ceiling too) is beautiful and provocative.

I went for a concert in February and the food was pretty good for bar food. I could always find my server even though it was very busy. I just don't like that the VIP seats were in the back, granted we got to sit down but i felt removed from the concert.

Deeply saddened that this venue cancelled a sold out show for Matisyahu who literally sings about peace because of "threats of protests." It's called hire more security, don't cancel the show! Instead you choose to amplify hate. Deeply saddened and disappointed in this business and will find other venues to listen to music.

$1,200 night that was a train wreck. TL;DR version. Please help. We bought VIP seats several months in advance. This was bad because unlike other live nation / Ticketmaster events we couldn't pick our seats. You could pick a section, but that's it. Because we ordered early we were all the way on the edge which meant you had a strong angle / awkward view. If we ordered later I would get center stage / better view seats. Usually, the late comers get less preferable seats, but not at House of Blues VIP. We went to dinner in the VIP club / restaurant (Foundation lounge) first. We were told that we couldn't sit in most locations because we didn't make a reservation. I thought VIP seats and VIP club access meant we would at least have a seat. Spent ~$300 on bad appetizers, ok drinks and terrible service. Food was all served cold. I think there were two waiters trying to serve 60+ people. It took 20+ minutes just to get our check. Also, the small dinner band playing was so loud we were shouting while we were trying to eat and hangout. I understand the concert is loud, but the VIP lounge shouldn't require ear plugs. My watch kept alerting me that the sound levels were exceeding 90+ decibels and it would causing hearing damage at this level. Again, this is at the small VIP restaurant / lounge. Next we went to our seats. We hoped the worst was over. We spent ~$600 on 4 seats (face value, no markup) Our VIP seats were supposed to include our own waiter/waitress. I only saw one person trying to wait on the entire 2nd floor. Probably 60-80 people if I had to guess. I had to chase her down. We ordered 3 drinks. 2 of the 3 drinks were wrong. They didn't have the same drink ingredients that they have on the other side of the wall in the VIP lounge. Also, the "large" $20 drinks were miniature cups. It took another hour to try and flag down our waitress for a 2nd round of drinks. The drinks were wrong again. I sent them back and decided to miss part of the performance (that we paid ~$600 to see) to go to the VIP lounge and order drinks. At the end of the night I got my bill for 3 drinks (the rest were sent back because they were wrong) and it was $120. There were two copies of the receipt and neither one had an itemized list. I asked twice for an itemized list. She said she would try to get back to me. We waited 30 minutes and she never did come back to us. I tried going to the bar and asking the security to get a manager, no luck. We had to leave because we had our limo service waiting on us. The band we saw was great, but everything else at House of Blues Chicago is a disaster.

I love this music venue!! A girlfriend of mine plays here from time to time. This is the first time I've had dinner. I usually opt for just drinks. I'm so happy I did! My partner and I shared an order of wings, very good. He had a burger, I got the shrimp and grits. Both were delicious!! Was very happy and surprised by how amazing the shrimp and grits were!!

Mannnn the food here is slept on... it's super good! Live band, good drinks great service!

I recently attended a private work event at The House of Blues Foundation Room in Chicago, and it was fantastic. The venue was spectacular, the service was excellent, and the food was delicious. I highly recommend this venue for anyone looking for an exceptional event space in Chicago.

Really enjoyed the atmosphere here. I love live music, it was a very nice relaxing vibe. Our server was very kind and helpful. I had the voodoo shrimp and it was delicious.

Sunday Gospel Brunch Fun for the whole family. Spiritual, energetic and engaging. The choir was amazing. The brunch buffet was spectacular. Everything you would imagine and then some. The chicken and waffles here is the best I've ever had. I recommend

Music and scenery were amazing.. food and drinks were a bit overpriced. I guess it's worth saying you went to. Service was great

My wife and I were walking by on a recent Saturday night (July 10th) and decided to stop in. I'm so glad we did! We had a great time! They have live music nightly. The opening artist/band starts and 5:00 and there is no cover. The second starts at 9:00 and there is a cover. We walked in around 6:00 and the place was maybe 1/2 full. We had plenty of seating options and selected the perfect spot to see the stage. By the time we left, the crowd had swelled and the place was almost full. The venue is clean and lively. The workers were friendly, professional, and attentive. I highly recommend House of Blues if you are downtown and looking for an evening of live music!

Dropped by on a Friday night for the 4-6pm Happy Hour at the bar before a show with friends and was very pleased at the good deals and quality of food. Everyone ate and drank their fill on happy hour deals alone! Add to that the warm and lively atmosphere with live music, and this is an excellent and affordable place to hang out with a group of friends for after work drinks. As an aside: I highly recommend the nachos as a shareable - good price and great taste for a large portion. Other than the garlic truffle fries, it was a table favorite!!

Happy hour ends at 6pm. We barely made it in time. But thankfully we did! $6 for margarita was a steal and she made it strong. I love the moody atmosphere. Wish we stayed for the music!

This is the best fried chicken I've ever had. Our reservation was too early for live music, we made it at 5 pm due to having a theater show at 8. It would've been cool to see music, but the food made up for it. The chicken was incredible, and even though I was starving I could only eat half the plate. Plan to take some home with you! Great vibe and experience to see while on a trip to Chicago. Definitely recommend.

Restaurant was fun and the 2 piece band was excellent. Sevice was outstanding. Unfortunately the meal was crazy greasy. My daughter had the pulled pork sandwich and I had the brisket sandwich. Both were so greasy we couldn't finish them. I really wish we would have ordered something else.

If you enjoy good blues, and are in the city of Chicago, you should stop here. It's been about 20 years since I was last here, and the same relaxed atmosphere and fun entryway have remained almost exactly the same. There isn't a bad seat in the house as this sound system seems designed for the dual purpose premises of concert stage and restaurant. They have a full bar and all kinds of custom cocktails, and a limited menu which is just fine if your goal is to enjoy music while eating. This is not supposed to be a fine dining restaurant, it is supposed to be a place to eat in the presence of outstanding music and in that, House of blues Chicago achieves its goal. They serve Malort upon request, which is a uniquely Chicago liqueur based on Wormwood, which is bitter and rather unpleasant, but an essential experience for those who wish to believe they have fully experienced Chicago culture. I recommend Chicago's house of blues without hesitation.

Meh. The 3rd star is really for convenience. I had a reservation before a show and we were seated promptly. Service itself was slow, but they were absolutely packed. As an app we went with the pimento spread, which had pretty good flavor but could've been a little easier to spread and the pickles on the side were tasty. For the entree I went with the brisket - big mistake. Dry, flavorless, seasoning free, it was very unpleasant. We rolled the dice and had the cookie sundae for dessert. My guest loved it, however I felt it was way under baked (think warm cookie dough) and I stuck to the ice cream

We needed a place to hang out after a long day of sightseeing. Being in Chicago we figured some live music should be easy to find and we found some at HOB less than a mile from our hotel. They had a blues band playing on Tuesday in the restaurant so it was a perfect situation and made a last minute reservation. I ordered the Juicy Lucy which is a burger and bacon grind combined stuffed with provolone cheese and topped with crispy jalapeños, roasted tomatoes, and a chipotle mayo. Perfectly cooked it was definitely a juicy and flavorful burger - $15 including fries - which if you think about it is a darn good deal considering where we were and it included live music! I tried a hound dog mule which came with watermelon and was disappointed in the serving size for about $12. It was decent but I switched to beer - 23 oz. blue moon for $9 afterwards. Overall a great experience and the slow service seemed intentional so we could enjoy the music - which we did. Our waitress was friendly and did a great job.

We had a great time at House of Blues Chicago!!! We made a reservation for a Friday evening and were seated in the dinning area as soon as we arrived. The food, service and live music were all excellent.

This place serves its purpose- a place to grab some food before you head upstairs to see the real reason why you came to the House of Blues. We were here on St. Patrick's Day, where thankfully we had a reservation. It was a two hour wait to sit for those who didn't have one. We were seated immediately at a table that had electrical sockets, which was much appreciated for my dying phone. There was live Irish inspired music playing that was pretty good, and the whole place was SO loud. I won't knock them for that though. It's a day full of drunken loud people, that's not HOB's fault. We started off with drinks. My sister ordered a Pride & Joy ($10) and it was okay. Fruity & flavorful. I ordered a Hurry Sundown Old Fashioned ($12). Mine was not good. It was super watery and had zero flavor other than bourbon and water. Both drinks came out in little clear solo cups. Classy. We got an appetizer, the Pimento Cheese Spread ($11) which comes with celery, bread, and pickles. The pickles were really good. The cheese itself was fine. It was clearly just taken out of the fridge since it was hard & hard to spread. But flavor wise it was pretty good. Not much to complain about there. Then came dinner. My sister's was a disaster. She got the Brisket Dinner (18$) which came with coleslaw, jalepeno cornbread, baked beans, and pickles. It was straight up bad. The meat was dried out and absolutely tasteless. You know the way you imagine a mother-in-law's pot roast tastes? Bingo. No smoke, no spice. Just beef. The coleslaw tasted like horseradish coated in mayo and nothing else. The baked beans tasted like store bought mixed with Open Pit. The one thing I liked was the jalepeno cornbread, and she didn't agree and thought it was too peppery. Mine was significantly better. I had a Juicy Lucy burger ($15) which is a cheese stuffed bacon-and-beef burger topped with fried jalepenos, tomatoes, and chipotle mayo. I really enjoyed it. The cheese was gooey, my burger was cooked the way I ordered it. Their fries were well cooked and salted. I'd order this again for sure. Then we got dessert, a Skillet Cookie ($7). It's a chocolate chip cookie in a skillet topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. Again my sister and I disagreed. She found it to be under cooked and only ate the ice cream on top. I thought it was fine, and proceeded to eat the rest of it. Service was a bit on the slow side but as packed as they were, I'm not going to blame them for that, especially on a holiday. Our server was super nice and helpful, so we didn't mind much. All in all, it was a pretty mixed bag. My burger and the cookie were dope. The brisket and the cocktails were an overpriced mess. I'd definitely stop in again for a burger and a beer, and some live music. But I'd hesitate to go out to dinner again- I'd give them another chance and the benefit of the doubt that the St Patrick's Day overcrowding wasn't their best.

I didn't get any pictures which was tragic because this food was AMAZING! First, the staff was very nice. There was live music on a Saturday night. If you don't like loud music, this isn't the place. When the music is going, you cannot hold a conversation very well, as a warning! As far as the food, my parents got the fried chicken dinner and loved it! I got the yardbird sandwich and it was so good, best fried chicken sandwich I've ever had. I also had gumbo as a starter and I loved it. The Mac and cheese was great, a velveeta cheese feel and taste. My sister got a regular burger and said it was one of the best she's had. My dad got Brussels sprouts too and he ate the entire thing! Overall, we were pleasantly surprised! It's a top lister for us! I highly recommend going if this feels like your scene!

House of Blues isn't know for its food but still provide good meals. The diversity of the menu is a leaves a little bit more to be desired but the food I ate was good. The Cajun pasta was good and my friend had the jambalaya that I felt lacked flavor. The mixed drinks were good, the Frisky Whiskey was delicious. The live music was was a plus and the service was very attentive and caring. It's a great place to grab a bite to eat, a drink and pregame before the shows.

I've been to the HOB many times for shows. It's hands down the best place in Chicago to see live music. I know it's a chain. I know it's not some historic venue on the northside. I know parking sucks. Blah, blah, blah. The place is perfect for live music. Got it? Good. However, I've never actually eaten there. Went on a Monday night and the place was pretty empty. I had reservations but they were not necessary. Service was good. Food was very good. I would not term it as authentic NOLA food but really good places like that are hard to find outside of New Orleans (duh). Drinks were great and I was satisfied. The waitress advised me that I could bring my receipt to the gift shop for a free mug which I did. Jackpot! Also, unlike the music venue, you can bring minors here to dine. They will also have someone playing live music on the stage. If you are seated with your back to the stage there are monitors on the wall. I had a good time. Recommended.

Came here our first night to grab drinks after dinner. Then we returned later in our trip for dinner. Drinks are good . I will say food and service were very good . I will say menu needs to advise more in food description, only because nothing said spicy under items we got for dinner. I got the BBQ Bacon Burger which said candied bacon. The bacon was ghost pepper bacon that made me sick . Food was extremely spicy and I love spicy food but not that spicy .

WARNING: Do NOT host your private events here at all costs. Colin and his team could be the most incompetent set of people I ever had to plan an event with. Complete and utter joke. Looking for photos of the space so you can plan out decorations? Try Google Images because they apparently do not have any. Birthday cake? Get ready to pay a $30 cake cutting fee consisting of individually wrapped to-go plastic cutlery without any plateware whatsoever. Open bar? Prepare to have the bartenders flagrantly twerking on each other instead of taking your drink order. Security? Might as well forget about that, too. Despite submitting an explicit guest list, we had several strangers at our party, a group of which refused to come out of the bathroom and ended up throwing a glass at the hosts of the party. To be abundantly clear to the management team reading this review, this constitutes a form of assault. This team needs to be seriously reviewed and reprimanded by corporate before someone gets severely injured at one of their events

I haven't been to The House Of Blues in years. On Friday I met up with an old college alumni buddy for lunch at the HB. Let me tell you this place as not change since in forever. The décor is still impeccable. The music playing throughout the restaurant was very enjoyable. I like the great comfortable vibes and laid back atmosphere. Our waiter was very attentive and made sure that we had all the essentials that we needed to enjoy our dining experience. We both ordered the blacked chicken breast which came with Cole Slaw and fries. The chicken was a little too spicy. I think the chef got a little too heavy handed on the Cajun spice. It was just too much that it over powered the flavor. The HB is a nice touristy place to come and hang out and enjoy with family or friends..

The restaurant here has a limited but decent lunch menu. I come here frequently due to the close proximity to my office. I love the shrimp tacos, steak salad, or the barbecue platter...and the voodoo shrimp appetizer is my absolute favorite dish, although it makes no sense to me that it's an appetizer and not an entree! Most of the dishes are Cajun, Creole or spicy, but I like that. I was with colleagues for lunch today who had to ask for their dishes bland (not blackened or spicy) or without peppers, but they accommodated us. Service is hit or miss. (Our server today had NO personality.) But they sometimes give my employer a discount, which makes it reasonable for lunch.

The band that played on 01/03 was great! It was my first time at the house of blues and I really enjoyed myself. The food wasn't that good. I had the fried chicken plate and key lime pie. They ran out of straws but the cocktail was good!

Went down here after watching a concert at their concert hall. We had shrimp and grits and fried chicken plate. Place was packed late night on a Tuesday. Service is good. Fried chicken is better! It's such a comfort food it made me think of my mom's fried chicken when I was growing up. The chicken was simple yet tasty and really juicy!! I wish I could order a bucket!!!

I was greeted by the world's sweetest hostess, Then, I was serenaded by a man who looked so good, While I thought of tasting every dish that I could! Ok. I'm no BB KING. Seriously, nothing but good food, good music, and good times here. I dined on succulent shrimp and creamy grits, and washed it down with the sangria. I topped the night off with a slice of bread pudding of colossal proportions. They must've used a whole loaf of bread to make one serving. It was heavy, and it was delicious. I'll spend the rest of the week trying to burn the calories.

The food here is decent. You're really coming here for the blues experience, so don't expect anything they serve to be high quality. I got the juicy lucy. It was... only okay. Wouldn't order it again though. $2 extra to swap out fries for roasted veggies. My friend got the impossible burger and really enjoyed it. The music is great. For a fuller Chicago experience, getting some blues music is a must.

This is a great place to go and unwind with friends after a long day! They have great music and an awesome atmosphere. I got the juicy Lucy burger which tasted great and was a amazing deal for the amount of food you get. Also a huge SHOUTOUT TO OUR SERVER JAKE for being the very best and making our experience the absolutely amazing as well! Having Jake as a server was the cherry on top of a great night! Can't wait to come back again!

I had the chicken sandwich and sangria and they were both lousy. I was too hungry to walk out but I would have otherwise . The chicken sandwich was way too salty and had no flavor. The sangria was bland and had no alcohol kick to it. I was very disappointed because I always look forward to eating at HOB. This was not worth my time or money.

The Jalapeño cheese cornbread is the best you will ever have, and so is the service. Ask for Jake! Thanks House of Blues!! It was a great dinner.

We made reservations for 7pm. Once we arrived we were immediately seated. There was some live music going on as well. A nice acoustic / piano set. Staff was friendly and attentive. Food was excellent. Kids had chicken tenders which were surprisingly very good. I had the brisket sandwich which was literally the best I've ever had. Hubby got the rack of ribs and have no complaints. Prices were decent too especially for chicago. 10/10.

Nothing tells you about the extremely limited Monday night menu until you sit down. Out of almost every craft beer, there was literally 1. Food that I did get was decent but hugely disappointing bait-and-switch.

The husband and I came here on a Wednesday night at 5:30 PM. There was a bit of a crowd, waiting to be seated, but the restaurant itself was pretty empty. We had booked a reservation via open table and when we checked in with the host, I guess they did not process our check in. When you walk into the main dining room, it is incredibly spacious, peaked ceilings line with plaque of blues artists in soft blue lighting, and a small performance stage. We loved that there was live music, performed by Keithen Banks. We were seated at a high top table. It's pretty solid seating, you get a great view of the stage, my only complaint is that it was close to impossible to read the menu due to zero lighting. We had thought it was because our eyes had not adjusted to the room, but I mean, it was pretty dark out when we walked in. Our server ( Aria) was awesome. She was super attentive, made excellent recommendations,and she explained how the "pass the line" tickets worked. My husband ordered the HOB burger with provolone cheese and I went with the Brisket Sandwich. The HOB burger was a decent size, meat was grilled nicely, and well seasoned. My Brisket Sandwich was huge. The meat was tender, good meat to fat ratio, but I had an issue with how it was drenched in BBQ sauce. Which in my opinion took away from the flavor of the meat. Both sandwiches came with French fries, sliced pickles, and ketchup on the side. We weren't a fan of the fries. It was nothing impressive. For the burger, you had to ask for mustard. Which was weird because isn't mustard a burger staple?

Overall the atmosphere was great and the drinks weren't to bad ( 7/10). The hot wings were trash, very undercooked and no where near how a wing supposed to be cooked nor tasted.

Food was amazing! Staff was incredibly kind! And music was super fun as well! Loved the creativity of this restaurant!

Great drinks and food. Jake was great. Very attentive and wonderful service!! Jad the bacon bbq's burger and it was cooked perfectly.

I'm shook at the low ratings. I've been here multiple times and every time, my experience improves. House of Blues is full of entertainment for your eyes, ears, and tummy! The food is DELICIOUS. Portions are huge and made for a wow factor. I ordered something as simple as a Cobb Salad, and I remember loving every bite of it. The Voodoo Shrimp is a crowd favorite. It's always a fun time to drink here. As the night progresses, it's more like the House of Blur. Hello, fun cocktails! The staff! The person at the entrance is always comical and helpful! We were given a helpful tip: Uber usually picks passengers up on Dearborn. Mass crowds frequent here due to a popular tourist destination. Yet, staff maneuvers busy times like pros. Only four stars because I have yet to experience a show or the gospel brunch here! I look forward to it.