Sidekick's Entertainment Lounge & Restaurant

If I could give it a 0 I would. Been to this bar a couple times. Usually love the atmosphere and come for the Karaoke Because service tends to be chef kiss! Unfortunately, tonight we wanted to bring group of friends (for the first time) and the service was horrible. Not only was the lady running the karaoke said we have to purchase a minimum of drinks (which I’ve never heard) but when we went up to the bar we kept getting passed up for people that came after us. I do want to note that we were a group of 8 and we had plans of staying until closing and we were celebrating a birthday (of course we were drinking the whole time)

Sidekick’s Entertainment Lounge has a great ambiance. There is nightly karaoke, and people were doing a wide variety of songs, although many of the people seemed to have a penchant for 2000s hits. I love the wooden details of the room and the Christmas lights all over the space; it feels like a quintessential Midwestern bar. The cheese fries were great. When I visited on a Saturday night in mid-January, people remarked that it was more busy than usual. My only qualms are that it is a cash-only bar, and that the bathroom was fairly small and had fairly large gaps in the stall doors.

They cater to their regulars and don’t give new comers a chance. Certain staff has guard up immediately based on your outer appearance. When it got busy it was clear you have to slip the DJ $ to get your turn despite your talent, place in line, or birthday celebration (that gave them lots of business) Clearly they cater to certain demographic and new business or fair practices is not welcomed. I’ll karaoke with my friends at home in the future. 3 stars for wings, polite bouncer, and bartenders.

Love this place! The size is good, there's a front area with the stage and a (smaller) dance floor along with most of the seating, and there's a back area (without speakers in it so it's somewhat quieter) with the bar and some more seating. The staff are great and the food I've had is also good and pretty cheap, too! As for Karaoke they've got a good selection and you can check it out through the Karafun app to see their catalog (you don't need to log in to the app or make an account, it's just an easy way to view their catalog). The karaoke machine and microphones are good and they have quite a few TVs up around the front area so everyone can see the lyrics, etc. (the TVs are a bit fuzzy but it's not like we're watching a movie on them 😆), as well as a good number of speakers so everyone can hear your amazing(ly terrible?) voice! Love this place!!!

Bad, there was two people in the bar. I walked in with a guitar, willingly opened my guitar case to “prove that I didn’t have alcohol in it”. I made a joke about it and set the guitar on a table and he said it was in the wrong spot but I’d only set it there because it’s an expensive guitar and I’m not gonna just lay it out on the floor. The bouncer took offense to that and said he would kick me out if I didn’t remove the guitar, so I removed it and opened up the case to reveal the guitar and was sort of annoyed so I made a remark about it to which the bouncer decided to say he “has to kick me out”. I stood incredulously because they had 0 customers there’s and I literally came to sing some karaoke only to have a bouncer with a tear drop tattoo shoo me out because he needed to fulfill his ego agenda for the night. It was honestly really disappointing and embarrassing for literally no reason. I went with a friend and we both literally just wrapped up an otherwise really fun night on a really negative note because this dude had to make a point. No reason for it. Disappointing.

Hey Jon Marko, I was one of the two patrons when you walked in with a “friend” into the bar. Security simply asked you to open your guitar bag when you rudely asked him to open it. You threw a tantrum and was asked to leave. You ordered an uber, left your friend outside in the cold, and she’s back in the bar enjoying herself. Good job!

This place is always a blast! It is cash only, but the entertainment is free. Everyone is very welcome a sidekicks! It is a place where anyone would have a hard time feeling out of place. Prices are very reasonable. PBR IS $4, whiskey servings are around $7.

I like the place,I met different people ,They had Disability Assistance place too go bathroom and The Owner was very nice ,It has space, you can bring your own food, karaoke person he was nice and he Participated with us

Here we are, 8 years later and I have still been frequenting Sodekicks all along. This place has been a staple in my karaoke going life since I was just a wee bitty 21 year old. Let me tell you, they have made some improvements since my last review and that makes me so happy. They now have had craft beers for a while now and that improvement in itself is worth just going there even if they didn't have karaoke. One of the waitresses that has been there since I first started going there is still there walking around with $2 or $3 test tube shots. That in my opinion is the best! I know it's a little silly, but I partake and it's a fun way to start the evening. They still have delicious bad for you food to help avoid a hangover! They have been through some different KJs and have a guy who is pretty fair and even though their book isn't really updated per se, they have always had a website, but I feel like it's been updated somewhat and it sure beats looking through a big ol' book. I recently had my birthday there and it was so much fun. The dance floor is still there and always brings a crowd out to dance along to all time favorite songs that come up. Love the bartenders, I've known them my whole karaoke going career. Maybe I should learn their names. All in all, I would be devastated if this establishment ever closed down. Now that I'm older and have kids, I appreciate having a place to come out and have a good time more than ever.

This used to be one of my favorite hangouts. I order Shirley temples. That's it. But they've changed how they're made. They seem a bit watered down. I didn't order any food this time. In the past for a five bar the pepperoni pizza was good. Sandwiches not so much. Karaoke is available, people were picking blah songs on this occasion. Staff was friendly.

Cash only. Funky and fun - this is where You begin or end your evening. Go throw some darts and live a little.

Great food, nice people, horrible karaoke like placing cats in a bag and then beating them

Bar is cash only and charges a hefty amount at ATM. The Sunday night karaoke may be one of the worst in Chicago, rude host, poor microphones and awful speakers make for a bad experience. Ample parking only plus

Majority of the staff not all of them are pretty rude. Pop is expensive especially when 3/4 of the glass is just ice. Owner is a very judgy person, especially to the lbgt crowd. Unless you are a regular your experience here may be not the best

Sidekicks is a very local bar with a big karaoke following. Cash only. Surprisingly good beer offerings including drafts from Old Irving Brewery. Street parking.

A pathetic excuse for a bar. I walked in and I was removed from the bar because earlier they were dead. I came back because it was a 4am bar to be removed for my comment earlier. I do not leave 1 star reviews ever. This is the dregs of Chicago. The disappointment of portage park. A crap hole with a pipe dream with an owner or bar manager of disgust. If you leave the brewery across the street with an idea to be stabbed, then this is your hangout zone. Family friendly? No. A good time? No. A disappointment? Yes Sorry to say the owner may not ever see this or care. But I am advising anyone near this establishment looking for a quick drink to go anywhere else.

After driving by this place many, many times over the past 15 years, I decided to drop in on a Sunday night. The bartender, Kiki, was excellent. She was knowledgeable on everything they had (and didn't have) and hustled to make sure everyone's order was fulfilled. I'm in my early 50's and I've seen a lot of bartenders in my days and she's one of the best! If the review was based on her alone, it would've been 5 stars. Hung out for a while and wanted to sing karaoke. Put my name in to sing. A 50-ish person wedding party made their way into an otherwise empty bar. Whoever the jackass was running the karaoke has me hesitating to return. Put in name to sing and saw several people that put in their name after I did up on stage singing. I guess unless you know someone, you end up at the back of the line. Put my name in at 11:30 p.m. and at 12:45 a.m., still no sign of my name on list to sing. Kiki asked the guy how far down the list I was and she said I was 10 songs away - although several people that put their name in after I did were definitely on mic to sing. If you're looking to just hang out and have a drink or two, it's a great place. If you want to go sing karaoke - which they evidently have every night - if it's busy, you better know the guy taking requests or you're f*ck#d.

First time visit, this was a work group outing for fun..no reason given. First plus they have a parking lot. It filled by the end of the night. (Friday) The staff was very nice- I thought they had downtown prices for a nice little neighborhood bar- 3 dollars for a coke, no refills. and for the tap beer I had it was 7 .. The waitress was walking around with test tube shots of some weird concoctions, they were reasonable at 2.50 each, The Karaoke was fun. I would go again, with a big group of friends, we really had a blast, perhaps choose a better song to sing (Time is On My Side) ...

I've been coming to Sidekicks on and off since about 2005. This was always a place of many pleasant memories for me and my friends, however all of that changed last night. If you aren't a long time patron, perhaps you won't understand but the vibe of the place was completely off. It was not the fun, pleasant, down-to-earth place I love and recalled. Instead, it was cold and elusive. Never before have we had bags or weapons checked at the door (not that I'm against the weapon request but the demeanor of the request was abrasive). Not to mention the intimidation level of three people manning the entrance now? What happened to this place? The only waitress working the floor last night was rude, to say the least. Absolutely zero costumer service whatsoever. It took a ridiculous amount of time to get our favorite test tube shots and by the time she acknowledged our presence thereafter, we were already over the entire situation. I'm not sure if there's new management now or what the deal is but this is no longer my once cherished karaoke home. I fear I must seek out something much closer to the friendly, chill place I use to know.

Went last night, used to go several years ago so wanted to see if Sidekicks still had the "juice" lol. Pros: No cover Drinks aren't too pricey ($17 for 2 margaritas) It's funny to people watch Cheap bar food Mixed crowd Cons: Cash only establishment so we had to use their atm to pay for everything (come on it's 2022! Who keeps cash on them?) It can get pretty crowded and hard to see the stage Come early to get your name on the list to sing Come early to get a table of your own Hip hop & R&b song selections are really old don't look for anything up to date Come here for the cheap drinks, fun laughs, and greasy bar food that you will need after your 2 Long Islands! Will my husband and I be back? Sure....just not anytime soon.

This place is great lots of seating and a separate room with at least 5 dart boards. Old school cash only, open until 4am and directly across from Old Irving Brewing.

An obtuse woman removed me as soon as I arrived because she didn't appreciate my statement of a sad bar. The depression that I felt as soon as I walked in concerned me, however I saw the regular customers I was uncomfortable. What a poor excuse for a bar. I've been to my own dive bars in Milwaukee where I'm from and this was severely disappointed. Save yourself from disappointment. It's a 4am bar. It's not worth it. End your night and go home. It's for your own sake. This place sucks.

It's the best karaoke bar I've been to and one of my favorite dives in the city. Super cheap drinks, wood paneling, some carpeting, neon and string lights, vinyl paneling in the bathroom. It has a unique charm that everyone ends up warming to and loving, even if it's not their "scene". It truly is a magical place.

Bartender Chris whom stated he was a manager thier wife who constantly drunk. keep hitting me and would not leave me alone. . I guess that's what happens when your hubans the bartender and you get your drinks for free.KJ is real cool the owner is nice ....but who wants to go to place where a drunk keeps on hitting on you

Came in for a drink and the bartender simply told me that I was not welcome and would not be served. Had been there a few times with friends and had no idea what the problem was. Went back later with friends hoping to get some more information but again I was told that I was not welcome and that a private business has the right to refuse service to whoever they want. I don't belong to any particular "marginalized " group so hard to know what to think

I tried to move a chair four feet to the side and was told no. Why? I was given no answer why I could not use the chair with a back. It is actually crazy an employee told me I could not use a chair. Bad and rude

I popped into Sidekicks with my gal pal on Thanksgiving after we had enjoyed an early dinner that evening. The funny thing was that we were trying to hit another establishment for a nightcap that had looked open, but when we parked the car on Montrose that place turned out to be closed. We drove around the 'hood looking for another place, and then we wound up at the exact same parking spot - which happened to be in front of Sidekicks. We popped in around 630PM and the bar apparently had just opened for the holiday evening. We ordered a couple of beers and that allowed us to just chill at the bar for hours. They were not serving food that day, which was fine with us. A couple of peeps wound up drinking and playing darts (the dartboard was originally hidden by a panel displaying the Blackhawks logo). Perhaps on non holiday evenings this place gets livelier, but we were quite content with consuming our beers at this pleasantly dive-y bar.

My original review was removed. It doesn't change how atrocious this place is and how badly the staff treated me and 3 other friends. We will never forget the comments about us "always bring out ignorance to that side of town" lol the front door staff was unforgivably rude to my friends and I. We were kicked out for literally sitting and laughing. Have mercy on this place. It needs a health inspection and you might as well be able to smoke inside because it is so tarnished with dirt and grime. Don't use the bathroom and don't sit down!! Skip this place altogether if you can avoid it. It's not a dive, it's just dirt!

Open late, very friendly staff, nice space, damn good Italian beef/sausage combo. Would deffo recommendo.

Amazing. So much fun. What a supportive and fun community! Showed up with my family around 8 and sang just us for a while which was a blast and then even had more fun when more people showed up a little later. The announcer "andy the kid" was sooooo funny and made us felt welcomed right away. The bar was very nice and clean and exactly what we needed. Recommend to all for a good time!!! :) Will have to try food next time as it smelled delicously greasy coming out to other customers!

A great-looking old school bar despite the horrible reviews is not as bad and it's pretty much cool. People expect too much from bars and expect everything to be new and most of the negative reviews are based on this sad fact of perfection a month bar patrons. Sidekicks offers a cheaper alternative night out and if that's not your preference in as far as not for you however if you like bars and the way they used to be and not all updated and remodeled every year this is a great bar for middle-class people in middle-aged and older people as well. This building is awesome and inside layout of The Spar is one of the best I've ever seen

This place makes dive bars look bad. Disgustingly dirty and smelly bathrooms and carpeting, outdated and run down. Chairs ripped and dirty so bring a towel to sit on and a gallon of hand sanitizer. This place needs to be gutted or burned down. I have no idea how they are allowed to serve food.

This place is magic. Wood paneling, neon lights, karaoke, 4am liquor license, PBR tall boys to Alpha King and stuff In between. Somehow it has kept itself a secret for 100 years, seriously how long has this place been open?!! I think my grandma drank here. You should get there while the gettin is good, the hipsters are coming and you better put your song in the que.

This bar can be a lot of fun. I wish it wasn't cash only, and sometimes it takes hours to get your song to play. The manager has been really rude to me before as well. I bring friends here pretty often. Always provides a good time, but is definitely a dive bar.

Not many songs , often bad service with dj . dj took mic out of my hand while I was about to sing with my girl and sang with her.

Pretty standard dive bar, but it gets the job done, cheap drinks and cheap shots, plus karaoke on Friday nights (and maybe more) I went late last Friday with some friends, we got drunk for cheap and I belted out 2 karaoke songs, got our drinks pretty quickly too. I'd go back if ever in the area again

If you're ever feeling nostalgic for the year 1987, head over to Sidekicks and re-live your glory days. They have everything - the bored bouncer, knotty pine paneling, pastel neon lights, a server walking around offering neon shots in test tubes, and logo tees for sale behind the bar. There's an ancient DJ booth and dance floor, and a stage for nightly karaoke. It even smells of the cigarettes smoked here in the 80s. We saw this place listed among "Chicago's Best Dive Bars" in some article and went to check it out recently. The place is huge! The bar is in a central room with lounge/dance floor/stage on one side and the darts league room on the other. The furniture is rather worn but the bar has friendly, experienced bartenders. We sang a bit of karaoke out of a catalog at least 6 inches thick. Unfortunately, the sound system isn't great, making it hard to hear what you're singing. Still, it was a good time and a fun trip down memory lane. P.S. It's cash only, but there's an ATM there.

Managers a dick. . . . Tried to go in with 50 people after a wedding, was completely rude. Terrible bar, don't waste your time.

Randomly stopped for a drink after dinner, but Krissy was so attentive and fun we stayed for a few. I understand why they called her the booze fairy.

The karaoke DJ cut off some friends during their song to argue with them what their name was, and whose song it was. We were the only group in the karaoke area, putting in song requests. The guy was a total dick about it, yelling and storming out of the booth after they called him on it. A grown man having a temper tantrum is a sad thing to see. We sat awkwardly in silence for awhile, finished our beers and left. We had been buying several rounds of drinks, and this guy completely alienated everyone that was there simply to have fun. One star experience. The bar itself has seen better days, but still functioning. They had a couple of nice local beers on tap, from Lake Effect and Off Color. The bartender was quick and friendly. If it weren't for the karaoke DJ being such a huge jerk this would be a better review, but we won't be coming back.

Mmmm...let's see....middle daughter breaks up with boyfriend and is depressed... Mom and older sister think it's a perfect excuse for "girl's night out"!! Start at the Kit Kat Klub...stroll Halsted St. (a.k.a."Boy's Town")... stopping here and there... tapas/sangria bar... boy bar... dance club... where do we end up (with one of our waiters in tow)!!???!!!! That's right folks...none other than the... fabulous, trashy, wood-paneled, serving colored shots from a test tube, open 'till 4 a.m, in the direction of home (don't worry we cabbed it), every imaginable song available-KARAOKE BAR!!! Yes...you guessed it...SIDEKICK'S!!!! Daughter and waiter do a rendition of "Strokin'" (the crowd went wild!) "Mom...in a whole year, I never had this much fun with (what's his name?)!!! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!

I used to go here a LOT more back in the day, as I hung out with a crowd that was OBSESSED with Karaoke. Now, I'm not obsessed with it, but oh - I may be known to bust out a few Madonna tunes now and then. A Led Zeppelin song here and there. Vanilla Ice, and . . . you get the picture. I am not Karaoke averse. This place takes Karaoke seriously. Nice setup, and a semi-separate bar area if you'd rather distance yourself from someone mercilessly mutilating Nuno Bettencourt's Extreme ballad (WHY do people still sing that mess?). They've got food here, and while it's not the best, it's not awful either. Overall, you can have some fun here, and it's a great place to go with a big group. If you love to do Karaoke, definitely do not miss this place.

Security busted into the bathroom stall and assaulted me. I hadn't had a single drink and was doing nothing illegal. I insisted I would leave peacefully and asked if I could grab my coat. Nope. Violently pushed out into the freezing cold night instead. Word to the wise: If you use the bathroom at Sidekicks, consider wearing a body cam to document the security assaulting you.

Worst bar in Chicago Don't drink the tap beer. They don't keep their lines chilled and you'll get food poisoning for the bacteria growing in the lines. Bartenders are rude, sound for the Karaoke is terrible. Terrible place all around.

The last time I was at Sidekicks was about 9 years ago. It was a great time then and it was a great time last night when I sang my little heart out with a few other Yelpers. Aaah, the memories of 9 years ago. I was there with a social group I used to work for and my husband, but not at the time, was a member of the group. This was even before we had started dating. I still have the video tape of that night that we sometimes play back and reminisce. Me with my puffy hair and about 120 pounds heavier. Him with his seriel killer glasses and plaid shirt. We both look so much hotter now. Hah. The place is still exactly the same. Staff are very friendly, clientele eclectic but all very sweet, drinks are cheap, karaoke song list is extensive and the KJ was great. It's nice to see that some things just don't change.

Can I give it negative 5 stars? We came in last night celebrating a friend's birthday. One of our friends has a prosthetic eye. They told him he was on LSD and wouldn't serve him. I spoke with a "manager", I watched him talk to the front door "staff" and they laughed. So if you want to support businesses that discriminate against people with disabilities, spend money here

Officially the WORST karaoke bar in Chicago. Karaoke guy ruins the experience and sings WAY TOO MUCH for a dude that can't sing. Don't do it. Go to Alice's instead.

I come here all the time for random events with my family and they do a great job of serving everyone and being attentive. However, so often, we have had to wait 2 hours, at least, to sing a requested song, with only at most 20 people in the bar. The host has decided that those who tip him most get to go and those who don't get to wait 2 hours. It's frustrating, honestly.

Decor is an unironic hold-over from an old-school dive. Space is big enough that you're not likely to trip over people. A few hipsters, mainly neighborhood types and karaoke people. 4 stars instead of five because it's a cash bar (there's an ATM but they don't take plastic at the bar).

Fun place for all night karaoke! Service was quick and the staff was very friendly. I was glad to end my 21st birthday there and have been back several times since. It's a neighborhood staple for sure.

I love Sidekicks, but to give it 5 stars might be misleading. It's definitely a dive and I recommend if it you like Karaoke and dive bars! They have a great selection of songs (among the best I've seen) and the drinks are reasonably priced. The stage is spacious. The food is just ok, and if you're looking for just something to snack on while you sing and drink, it does the trick, but it's pretty basic/nothing special. The crowd is diverse and pretty convivial, at least when I've been there. Overall, I'd say it could use a few updates, which if they did it right, without loosing the charm, it could really be someplace special.

Burr gives this a 5 out of 5 because Burr likes the old school look, and thinks he might come up on some honeys. Bar is in the back, Burr sits in the front, and from time to time sings or orders wings, Burrrrrr

Love sidekicks. Good vibes, good people, good staff. Only thing that sucks is the wait for your song. But place is normally bumping a good atmosphere

Italian Beef Crawl Stop #5: Sidekicks (3:09PM) Sidekicks is one of the most versatile bars on the northwest side, on most nights you'll find loud karaoke, people playing darts and food coming out of the walk through window of their kitchen. We arrived with the Italian Beef Crawl crew rolling 50 deep and hogging up all the space in the bar. An older fellow walked around giving free test tube shots to everyone. On the karaoke stage, someone else's baby shower was set up with presents and balloons, but the party hadn't started yet. Having played at Sidekicks several times for our Windy City Darters league, I felt right at home. I played more darts and lost, but didn't mind because the beef was here!

This was the best day of my life I was so happy to come to this place. I Google this cause I wanted to find a place that has karaoke and fun plus a fun evening for my birthday. Wow! I got all that plus more special thanks to the 2 security guys extra polite and friendly also thank you to the manager or owner mr Chris for making my birthday so special love you guys from the bottom of my heart thank you guys from your boy JJ and company

Have been to sidekicks a few times over last 5 years and it gets dirtier, stinkier and less appealing all the time. A tiny investment in cleaning up the place would be good...I get "dive" but "disgusting" is going too far. Staff aren't very responsive, mics are iffy to hear anyone sing and one of the bouncers made a comment to my friend that bordered on threatening sexual assault. Won't be going back.

First time doing karaoke, came w/2 other friends and we LITERALLY had so my fun! The drink prices, oh my goodness gracious! We will be back w/a group hahaha!