Mom's Place - A Chicago Gathering Spot
Bar · Near North Side ·
Live band karaoke, basement party rooms, bar food & drinks
Live band karaoke, basement party rooms, bar food & drinks
"There may be no better Chicago party on a Tuesday night than the live band karaoke at Mom’s Place. This River North spot has regular karaoke on the weekends, but on Monday and Tuesday, a three-piece band can play from a select list of songs, or learn your request as you are singing it. If you don’t want to sing, it’s an excellent place to play the people-watching game of “visiting for a conference, or local?” given its downtown location." - john ringor, nick allen
"A restaurant that’s also a decades-long art installation, Mombar has been a fixture in Astoria’s Little Egypt since 2000. Thickly plastered with found objects, mosaics, and Egyptian motifs, it’s part-MoMA and part Temple of Dendur, with some hippy touches, like booths separated by bedsheets. The artist/chef is also the host, and he’ll come over to tell you what’s available, then go back behind a counter to cook your dinner. With simple, homey dishes, partly microwaved to order, this is above all just a place to exist among other people. You won’t be rushed out—if anything you might wait awhile for food on a busy night—so bring a couple of bottles of wine, and settle in for an evening that’s the antidote to all those overly orchestrated restaurant meals." - sonal shah, bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, will hartman, willa moore, bryan kim, will hartman, bryan kim, sonal shah, willa moore, sonal shah, will hartman, neha talreja, ne
"There may be no better Chicago party on a Tuesday night than the live band karaoke at Mom’s Place. This River North spot has regular karaoke on the weekends, but on Monday and Tuesday, a three-piece band can play from a select list of songs, or learn your request as you are singing it. If you don’t want to sing, it’s an excellent place to play the people-watching game of “visiting for a conference, or local?” given its downtown location. And if you’d rather not hear a subpar version of “Don’t Stop Believin’” for the fourth time but still want a place to drink your Lazy Mom’s Breakfast—a hot toddy with Fireball a donut hole—they have a bar downstairs with a chiller crowd, a strong Midwest basement vibe, and no microphones." - Nick Allen
"Mom’s Place seems to provide a little nostalgic trip to what River North used to be. The second-floor stage has space to mingle and to grab a drink. Beware of Live Band Karaoke — or embrace it." - Naomi Waxman
"Founded in 2019 by Chicago chef Kelly Ijichi, Mom’s is a small-yet-mighty Japanese‑American comfort food stand turned moveable feast known for whimsical hits like purple ube coconut doughnuts and crispy katsu sandos. Built around Yōshoku—Japanese cuisine with Western influences—and nostalgic flavors from Ijichi’s childhood on the Northwest Side, Mom’s began as a pop-up, moved into Politan Row, relocated in 2020 to Marz Community Brewing for about a year and a half, and has since shifted into a weekly takeout-only bento pop-up model at Konbini & Kanpai. Menus are released on Tuesdays via Instagram for online pre-order and Saturday pickup; Ijichi is also holding one-off events (for example, an udon-night fundraiser in December at Bayan Koin Ravenswood), is relocating her operation into a new commissary kitchen, and says she doesn’t plan to sign a lease soon, preferring a more autonomous, flexible, and collaborative way of operating inspired by pandemic-era community programs." - Naomi Waxman
