smartbar

Went to see loui vega. This year, he was on the main floor instead of the basement. I was on the 3rd floor running up-and-down all night until 4 AM.\n You in the 6 bathrooms. Code, check awesome people, much love in the place. Dancers everywhere, music good all around sound system, totally amazing\n I have been coming to the smart Queen's since 1993. I saw Jay Kay here , " virtual insanity". Jamiroquia. And I took my students to the red bull competitions for break dancing here. Gotta look for parking.

Very cool place, but definitely won't be going back. You buy a ticket in advance and then they make you wait outside in the cold for ages, meanwhile non ticketed guests stroll in because, well, they'll make more money that way. (This is the second ticketed event that this happened at. First one it was 10 degrees and snowing) Then once you get inside, surprise you have to wait in a coat check line 3 stories deep for 30+ minutes. And actually you have to wait in this line regardless to get inside. And once you get in, you can't come out. Why does it take 30 minutes to check coats? Because it's card only and they require a 5$ payment for everyone. So this line inside if artificially super long because every single person has to pay 5$. Whatever, feels like this should be included with my ticket price since it's such an ordeal and is 100% not a convenience. Or have more than one person working. But alright Then the bars are cash only. You ring my drink up on a computer and then say cash only? What year is this? This isn't a medieval bar, and you literally required cards for the coat check and wouldn't allow cash. Oh right it's because this wasn't disclosed and the only way to get cash now is from the ATM where you are further extorted. Gotta pee? Guess what they figured out how to make that super unpleasant as well. Thirsty for a cup of water after dancing? Too bad, gotta buy bottled water. Is that even legal? Sorry, I swear I'm not a hater but damn if this place didn't rub me the wrong way at almost every corner. I wanted to like it and have fun but I felt super taken advantage of. This ain't it.

Smartbar is my favorite spot in Chicago. The sound is incredible, the energy on the dance floor is always right, and there are plenty of places to sit while still feeling fully in it. They bring in such a good mix of local and international artists and DJs, and the crowd always shows up for it. The staff is what makes it a place I trust. I’ve lived nearby here two years and have been more than ten times, the crew is consistent, respectful, and genuinely creates a safe environment. As a woman who often goes alone, I feel completely comfortable here. It’s usually cash‑only cover with in‑and‑out privileges, which I love since I live around the corner and can take breaks. And they’re open until 4am, so you can really settle into the night. Just a reliably good experience every time.

Was here last night for Queen- truly a miserable experience. Cash only bars, coat check, tickets. Line to get inside. Three floor line to get to coat check (although some stuff thought it was the line to get downstairs to smartbar). A different line to get into smartbar, and if you didn’t fit in the lobby in that line, then you had to wait near the stairs in ANOTHER line, although we were yelled at multiple times for being in this line because it wasn’t supposed to be a line?? Lines at the bathrooms. Lines at the bars. Lines at the ATMS. Mind numbingly inefficient and unorganized. We all ended up leaving without even getting into smartbar, was sick of being yelled at by staff like cattle when just trying to have a good time. There were a ton of other people leaving before midnight. First and last time at this event, it was embarrassing to even be here.

Truly awful experience, visiting from out of town and when asking a staff member where I could get in line because I was visiting, he told me “ if you don’t know how to stand in a line then you maybe you should go back to Texas” truly unprofessional and very disrespectful… very un organized event, un professional staff behavior and very unprofessional overall, will never go to that bar again due to rude security and staff…

A Chicago staple with some great DJ sets and live PAs. Have seen some amazing djs come thru here over the years. It’s straight up goodness with electronic music. If you’re looking for a hookup meat market, this isn’t your place. But if you’re looking for a good time where everybody is welcome, enjoy!

Always make it a point to stop by my home away from home whenever I’m in Chicago, and I’ve never experienced anything short of excellence. The security team is there to ensure the safety of both the establishment and the community within it. Remember, foolish behavior is treated accordingly. Be kind, act with respect, and you’ll always be met with the same in return.

Horrible experience at metro + smart bar tonight. Left after an hour because of rude staff at coatcheck, confusing random lines going up and downstairs. No way to get downstairs despite the lines. Confusing and horribly mismanaged. Waste of time and money.

Had a great time watching Helena Hauff! Drinks werent terribly priced for a club. DEFINITELY follow your gut and dont show up early. Party really didnt start until almost midnight. Thank you smartbar!

Since my original review was removed / censored - I'm providing a high level review of this establishment. I witnessed a sexual act on the dance floor at Queen! on Sunday 10/22 (in addition to rampant drug use). This was clearly "SA". As a globally recognized establishment and not some non regulated underground warehouse party. I bought a ticket and am a lifelong supporter of the house music scene for 30 years. I've never seen anything like what I did that evening!!!!! I am sad that I no longer feel safe visiting this establishment. This venue used to be my favorite when I lived in the Chicago area 20 years ago and I'm disappointed that I'll miss out on many epic DJs in the future but when you experience trauma, you don't want to go through it again. Also, the gender neutral bathroom are filthy and smelled like poop. I shouldn't have to see bare asses in order to wash my hands and look in the mirror.

As others have stated the security at this establishment are rude to the max and they will steal your money. We bought 10 tickets for a group of people attending Queen. One of our friends wasn't allowed in because he had eye drops - literally just eye drops because he was wearing colored contact lenses that get dried out easily. They told him to throw the eye drops away, which he did, and then after throwing the drops away and attempting to walk in the security guard literally pushed him physically in a very offensive and abusive way, and told him "No, go out!" It was a group of 10 of us and obviously after our friend being denied entry for no reason, we asked for our money back. The bouncer rudely refused so we asked for a Manager. When the Manager came out, he was not helpful at all and refused to give us our money back and just told us we should "sell our tickets." I do understand they may have issues with people sneaking drugs in, but my friend first of all offered to pour the solution in his eye to prove there were no drugs, and secondly threw them away when asked, so there was no reason to deny him entry. We even asked them to call the police and let them test to prove there were no drugs of any kind, it was just a tiny bottle of eye drops. In total we spent over $200 and they refused to give us any compensation whatsoever. As someone that attended Queen as well as well as other Smart Bar events for years, I will never go back because of the extremely rude security guards. I should mention my friend was Asian, and I do agree with others that for a supposedly LGBTQ+ establishment they treat people of color very rudely. While they may have stolen $200 from us, they lost way more than that because we would have easily spent way more than that if we had been allowed entry into the bar, not to mention the fact none of us will set foot inside in the venue again. I'd strongly urge anyone looking for a good time to pick a different venue, unless you want to be falsely accused of having drugs and have your money stolen.

By far the greatest place to see a band in possibly the world. Everything on the planet changes but The Metro remains the same. I do not think anything has changed in thirty years I have been going there. The sound is amazing. The place is always packed. I just saw Rise Against there and the show was unbelievable. There is nothing like seeing a show at the Metro.

Smart Bar has always been the place where people go to dance. Low-posh venue where you won't be judged by your dusty Vans or less-than-solid twerk. Don't expect to get a cocktail, their bars are not stocked for anything above a basic mixed drink. Don't really bother to smile when ordering, it will rarely be reciprocated. Some DJs who open must feel they are not there to entertain you. They will spin their almost impossible to bear tracks until none buy a few sway side to side on the dancefloor. Note to DJs here: please read your audience. You will see and you will feel it when your music is good. Don't settle for dead looking faces, and lazy moves - do better! With all that said - Smart Bar still deserves 4 stars. Why? Because their patrons refuse to give up and will keep on dancing! Smart Bar - we need you.

Security guards on a power tip or summm. so they gave me a tour of the place to see if I wanted to pay cover $$ I forgot I had a nooner in my pocket, the short guy said I gotta throw it out as we were about to it to go in.... so I took one sip and tossed as any normal person would .. he's like naw you're done talk gotta go lmfaoooo okay baby boy. Short man syndrome stopping them from getting money as I see from previous reviews too.

An actual SCAM. They took $20 per person as a cover charge on a Sunday night, then immediately kicked us out and refused to issue a refund. We paid over $100 for nothing. They said two members of our group were intoxicated, which apparently is why they felt justified in TAKING OUR MONEY FOR NOTHING BUT INSTANTLY AND RUDELY ESCORTING US OUT. They might as well have just mugged us. That would have been more pleasant than the hospitality we received from this establishment.

Trash service. Buy a ticket and still have to wait in line? Been in line for more than an hour. Metro needs to get it together.

Had one good time here. Ever since, it has been mid at best. Otherwise dont come if you're a woman they will assume ur messed up if youre even mildly drunk. Mind you this place has nothing exceptional about it.

Staff is not only incompetent but actively targets individuals who they deem not "the crowd" of the bar. Was taken out of bar for no reason except a with no actual excuse that has nothing to do with me. Do yourself a favor and never attend a event here if you are above the age of 30. You will be targeted and discriminated against. This place deserves a 0 star but that's not possible . Not a safe space for queer individuals despite hosting queer events.

Smart Bar remains a true work horse for Chicago House music! This is the home of creative nights like Queen! On Sundays, and hosting internationally known DJ's till 5 AM! Many people may be turned off by the predominantly House music vibe, but if you are a true dance music lover, you will fall in love with Smart Bar. Keep in mind, you probably will never hear Maluma, Drake, or whatever other top 40 hit maker you hear at the suburban nightclubs (isn't that an oxymoron?) or the downtown megaclubs. Additionally, you probably won't find the suburban "Saturday night" Limo crew headed in hammered from the 'burbs, and you may have to actually be respectful toward other human beings of various beliefs. If you have an open mind and simply wanna dance without judgement, come on in.

THE WORST!! DO NOT GO !! Music is terrible. Was supposed to be Madonna but definitely was not and random songs- no one told the dJ what was happening lol. Guys and staff are ok but if you're looking to dance and have fun go somewhere else- coming from someone who's been there and lived here

Great place to have peaceful dance floor and also great place to find some new friends and spent time with them!!! On Saturday it's full of singles who are trying to meet and mingle and great place for that!!! Also bartender want good and showed an extraordinary service with smile also late at night when she might be tired too. This place open until 5 am on Saturday.

$25 cash cover on a Friday night when there's 20+ huge bars on the same street not charging cover? No thank you. You would think they want girls in their club but guess not, definitely not worth it.

Came here on a Thursday night when I was in town. Firstly, no cover! I can't remember the last time that I went to a club that had no cover. Music was excellent. Came here for the Chicago house and was not disappointed. Great music, great Funktion 1 sound system. Drinks were very reasonable at $10 for a jack and coke. It wasn't very crowded but ok for a Thursday night. There did seem to be quite a few house heads which was good to see. Hopefully I can return to check it out on a weekend night.

Went there once. Low lights and more emphasis on music. The music was great! House/deep house genre. Definitely worth a go to dance solo without anyone staring at you

the bouncers have serious masculinity problems . they thought one of my friends id was fake. it is a real id!!! they swore it wasn't and confiscated the id. we were upset with them and they continued to tell us we were immature and embarrassing ourselves for asking for the id back. they told us to call the police if we were so sure the id was real and if we wanted it back, so we did, and then we were told we were pathetic for calling the police. i have read some yelp reviews and they all seem like they are about the bouncers. misogyny and racism should not be employed.

This place is not uniform with entry fees and accommodations. Bouncers are rude and go out of their way to make sure you don't have a good time. Fact of the matter is- you will find better bars/clubs that you will have a better time and better affordability (they try to charge $20 cover for a disrespectful wait).

Bad experience with their guys standing at the entrance, they are very unprofessional. After I paid and had my stamp on my hand they didn't let me inside,,, I've never seen this before

Good vibe here. Good music. Basement vibe. House music vibe. Well, it's Chicago, so why not!?? I heard Queen night is slamming, so I'll check it out when they re-open. If you're a dance music fan, this is your spot. Can't wait to get back there again.

The bouncer and apparently maneger inflicted physical violence on my 5'5 friend because he thought her real ID was fake and once the police came and told I'm that it was indeed real his ego was so broken he wasn't able to face her. Honestly smart bar is over priced and 9/10 you will be treated like trash at the door. Just don't waist your money here go somewhere like debonair or beauty bar where you can dance, have fun, you don't have to pay an outrageous cover and you don't get treated like shit.

Sunday is QUEENS night with a conglomerate mixture of interesting beautiful people with mega love and creativity and various ages. Say hello to the one and only LADY JOJO. EDM. Plenty of XOXOs. :-) UNISEX lounge, before the 3-stalls, is where everyone hangs out. Seating. Mirrors. Lighting. Photo ops. Smart conversations about anti-brassiere, and buying cuffs from the kiddie section. Pinch. View. Admire. Awe. Bring your FABULOUSNESS!

Every time I go to smart bar it's usually for the Frankie knuckles tribute night. I am not considered industry but having been a resident in Chicago for 20 years I have grown and cultivated relationships with business owners and they always welcomed me with open arms at this venue. I really enjoy the DJs and I really enjoy that everybody respects each other at this fairly large club. The drink prices are more than affordable and the staff is always kind and willing to ensure safety. I am not too familiar with the drag culture however I am very familiar with the music choices and remixes blending and that's why I love coming to this event when I can on Sunday nights. Frankie knuckles tribute is a really emotional experience for me it takes me back to when I knew the man and the good times he provided for everybody

Happiest place on earth. Danced all night. Went on a Thursday night at 10:30pm sharp because I'm a nerd. My vodka cranberry was $6 and there was no cover at the door. Took an hour or so for people to fill the dance floor but I was dancing too much to pay very much attention. Half of the people there were there alone, dancing alone, which made me so happy. This is not the place to be nervous to dance or wait for people to fill the dance floor so you have "coverage." No one cares here. Everyone is lost in the music. Are you there to dance or hold a beer and loiter? You're there to dance, so dance bitch! If you love house music, this place is a must! If only we had something similar in Los Angeles. I'll be dreaming of this place until then.

Came on a Thursday, no line, bouncer said "hey beautiful", and a security girl inside said "have a good time!"... I felt like I was being greeted by angels, upon arriving to heaven. This was my first time but I will definitely be back. I rolled up solo, and this is DEFINITELY THE PLACE for people who truly just... want to dance. And I don't just mean girls- if anything there were way more guys than girls, and they were dancing!!!!! Maybe this won't resonate with others, but I really haven't seen that. Guys just... dancing. By themselves. Maybe with a friend or two. As opposed to staring at girls like fresh meat from the sides like most clubs lol. It was really an inviting environment to dance, made better by really good music. I am not a house/techno person, but they really made it impossible not to like/dance to. It was legitimately fun. This is definitely my Thursday spot. The only thing that bummed me out was it closed at 3am. I arrived around 1:30am so closing felt premature, especially since the music was It's also worth noting there were not many people... which really surprised me! I've never encountered that problem before with a popular club lol. Maybe "problem" is the wrong word, I just prefer more than 25 bodies in a club, it gets a little weird looking at the same 5-10 people. But overall still a great experience.

Maybe the most unpretentious night club ever, which is what I love about it. No real dress code and people there genuinely love the music being played. No bottle service, VIP areas, or any BS. A killer sound system, friendly staff, and top notch musical talent make it one of my favorite clubs. I mean...Derrick frickin' Carter is a resident DJ, if you have any qualms about the quality of the music here.

The inviting space greets you with tasty drinks and beats so mind imbedding that it will make you go back and slap your momma for not having discovered it sooner! #Michaelserafini #derekcarter #jojobaby This is what the Chicago Club Scene is known for!

Smart Bar, known as Stunt Corn to locals, is not a bar, it is a nightclub. Surrounded by the muck and mire of Wrigleyville, aka The Whitest Place On Earth, Smart Bar is one of the truest "nightclubs" in Chicago because of its location. Exiting the dismal, beaming glow of the ever illuminated hot dog restaurant across the street to enter the venue is like entering a pulsating mirror world. It's hard to escape the uncanniness of leaving the particular overwhelming atmosphere of the Cubs Sports Zome for a packed, dark, vibrating room. Smart Bar has similar attributes to many other night clubs. A low, oppressive ceiling, overly expensive drinks, and the iconic extremely loud albeit excellent music paired with people screaming at each other in order to be heard. The most common phrase overheard at Smart Bar is "What?". Smart Bar's most unique attribute is its place in the queer community. Smart Bar is home to excellent queer events & residencies and would be nothing without these folx. As the night club has grown in notoriety over the years, many queer folx have come and gone from the space, some even employed to perform transcendent sets only to be discarded when Management deems them to be passé. Smart Bar is without a doubt an important destination for queer nightlife, but it is equally important to note the role a place like Smart Bar & its Management holds in offering, at first, a place of refuge, but ultimately a place that really just wants you to buy one more drink.

So I went to see the Frontline Assembly and Revolting Cocks industrial music concert at the venue above the SmartBar called Cabaret Metro. When the bands finished playing around midnight, I decided to go downstairs to dance. I was greeted by a clean, spacious contemporary club with neon lights and good looking kids on the dance floor. It was a busy night, as people were coming from the concert upstairs and still coming in from outside as well. Despite that this turned out to be a very good place to get my groove on. I wasn't prepared for the gender-neutral bathrooms though. With all the sexual harassment claims lately, I'm a bit confused. I just held it until I got home. The patrons were friendly and flirty, and fun to be around. A DJ and production team from Boston by the name of Soul Clap spinned the music all night long, and I literally had to drag myself off the dance floor. This was easily some of the best industrial dance and house music that I've ever moved my body to.

Diverse set of party people in terms of age, identity and energy levels contribute to an inviting dance club. The venue itself seems a bit dated/dark, which for me, adds to the charm. Let's be innovative and call it what it is; a dive club. You'll notice the main dancefloor holy, as the tables are stashed to the dark edges of your uncles big basement. There's a certain asymmetry to the entire setup, you'll notice it as the DJ spins just above the left main speaker and the bar watches you dance. Drinks are typical. People seem to have enough respect to keep their booze in their cups and off the dance floor. Nice lounge area before the main dancefloor with plentiful seating to chill. That's the review, below is just banter. Queue: Club discovery So heard alot about Smart bar and decide to check it out for the first time on a innocent cold january Sunday, what better time to recon a interesting club and see what they are all about?... Queen Sunday Queue: Shirtless bros(?), straps, a 8 ft. tall Flower creature, girlfriends who could not be in a safer environment, soul/funk/vogue/disco music and that snap-snap, feminine energy. Respect, but let's try again. M.I.A DnB Thursday Queue: JUNGLE, The hype dance floor indian(?) guy (respect), 1 Hospital Record song, more JUNGLE, Big ups to the proper Emcee, Energy/crowd well enough to pass 4am. Chicago Is Techno Saturday Queue: too dranken to care..., is techno 130 BPM or 150?... too dranken to care..., upset will never meet that girl that shared a great conversation in awkwardness in the gender neutral bathroom (prolly a dude, but sounded like a girl),... too dranken to care..., the techno is a trance and 4 am hits hard, party people start buddying up,... last girl on the dancefloor doesn't react accordingly to a weak approach... too dranken to care. Oh well, at least Wrigleyville Dogs is across the street. Matthew Dear/Savile/Leo Leal Friday Queue: Came late to great house music, met a coworker who happened to be in town that night on the dancefloor, more good house music, end night at Wrigleyville Dogs (it's too close!) and meet old fraternity bro from another age. Nothing like surprise appearances. These are all vivid positive stories and I look forward to future late night tales. Check it out.

Bouncers are racist and lie just to drag people who they target to get thrown out and lie about everything. My African American/Mexican daughter and her Hispanic friend were targeted here. My daughter said she was drinking water mind you she only had one beer when all of a sudden a female caucasian tapped her shoulder and told her she was drunk and that she needed to leave. My daughter was clearly not drunk then told her that she was not but that she would leave she just needed to tell her boyfriend who was at the bar what was going on. She said that the bouncer then grabbed her wrist and twisted it really hard then my daughter told her to back off all of a sudden all these other caucasian bouncers come and drop her to the ground and lie and say that she punched the bouncer just to justify dragging her down the stairs mind you she hit every step with her head gave her a concussion. Then they wouldn't let get her coat her boyfriend and her friend tried defending her so they kicked them out as well. Racism needs to STOP! As for the female bouncers what did you feel that intimidated by a beautiful black/mexican woman that you just targeted her. Places like these need to get looked into so that this doesn't happen to anyone else. This place SUCKS! If your not caucasian be careful when you go here and have a friend record everything because you will be targeted. Don't support businesses like this! P.S. I gave it one star because zero stars wasn't a choice!

In essence, this place is a dive club (though I had no idea this was a thing before coming here). I think it's important to know that going in because if you come in expecting more of a River North club with bottle service, strict dress codes, and more lavish decorations you'll be surprised. But I don't say this to be a knock, it's actually this atmosphere that I love about it. My fiancé and I have come about half a dozen times on Fridays or Saturdays. We love that they bring in some very talented house and techno DJs as well as doing special events with house festivals. While we haven't loved every DJ the music is generally interesting and by 1-2 am the dance floor is usually packed with good energy and people who seem to genuinely love the genre of music. It also seems to attract a very diverse group of people and is very LGBTQ friendly. I also think despite the fact that it doesn't look flashy (though they seemed to do a small redo on the interior recently) the sound quality is really good and depending on the DJ you can get some good base. The only thing that's not 5 stars about the experience is the bartenders. We've had a couple good ones but often they seem indifferent, but overall it doesn't detract from the experience. (And fits with the dive club expectation.) My one recommendation if you're local is to stop by earlier when the Metro box office is open. The price is cheaper and you can pay by CC (whereas at night tickets seem to be cash only, while bar takes cards).

We purchased tickets for Smartbar's NYE event before the Omricon spike, but once risk increased felt uncomfortable attending the event. Sev and Chadd were extremely understanding of the situation and flexible with our ticket exchange request. We will be returning once we can party together again!

I waited in line patently by myself for a little more than two hours for Queen in thirty three degree weather. I'm ok with this, Queen always has a line at 11pm. I have a typical Chicago heavy winter coat on so I don't freeze to death. Finally I get in, pay my $12 cash, and was abruptly told coat check was full and closed. I went down into the basement and everyone is shirtless and sweating like crazy as expected. I cannot wear or even carry a heavy coat in these conditions: I need to be down to my underwear to not overheat. I made the only decision I could and left. I got a little emotional, and just decided it was best to go home since not I'm in a terrible mood. I've wasted $40 between entry and uber to and from the establishment. I was inside maybe three minutes total. I'm just so disappointed. I had a long week and this was just the cherry on top.

8/11/2019 This was my first time attempting to enter Smart Bar. I was with a few friends, who they let in without any problems. They wanted to check my purse, a small backpack. Ok, no problem. "You can't bring this Gatorade in here." "Alright, that's fine, I took one sip of it but if you need to throw it out that's okay." *grabs my expensive, LEGAL, CBD oil and throws it in the trash* "No poppers allowed in here." "Ok, fine, if I can't have me CBD for my anxiety, I won't come in. Can I please have it back?" *I take the $60 bottle of CBD from the trash* "We're going to call the cops on you if you don't leave right now. You can't come in. Don't even try" "Listen dude, I just want my medication, I don't give a fuck about your bar; I'm waiting for my ride home. Go ahead and call the cops on me if you want, I'll be gone by the time they're here." Please do not bother with these fucks. They were immediately aggressive towards me for no reason and don't deserve your time or your money. Fuck this bar and fuck these security people. Management please reprimand your staff for their behavior. This is unacceptable towards anyone for this kind of "offense". You don't want any kind of drug in your bar? Ok. That's fine. First of all, good fucking luck with that. You're going to have drugs in there anyways. Second of all, don't be mean and threatening to the people who need it to get through the day and don't feel the need to hide that fact. All that was needed was a simple statement of "I'm sorry, we can't allow you in with this kind of substance. Have a good night." That's ok and I understand, and I don't take any offense to that. Do NOT accuse me of trying to break into a bar to distribute drugs that I don't even have (?) and threaten to call the cops on me for standing outside the door to wait on a ride home.

I love this place due to the club attracting very diverse groups of people and playing great music till 5am!! Make sure to say hi to David and Rye the bouncers for doing a fantastic job maintaining the place and being very friendly and respectful! Good employees make a good business ! The club also has a photo booth and a lot of space to sit down if you need a rest, can't wait to go back and dance.

Historically a queer/gay dance bar known for house and techno DJ nights. (See http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1927) Still a very friendly and non-sleazy, personal-space-respectable dancing environment with excellent house/techno/funky/dance music, but the Friday crowd tends to be straighter. Shots are about $6 and drinks are about $10. Cover usually ranges around $7-14 and up to $16 after midnight. There are a couple of spots on the dancefloor that are well ventilated by fans. If you stand in the front near the DJ set it gets quite annoyingly loud, so wear ear plugs. Saw many of my favourite acts here, including Octo Octa, Jessy Lanza and The Drum. Great memories of dancing til 4am. There's a $3 photo booth in there that you should only go in with one other person because it's impossible to get more than 2 faces in the picture. Also, the drinks are a bit out of my price range as a poor academic hipster who prefers estelle's but most young professionals would be able to afford it. Just drink at G-Man bar next door before you hit the dancefloor

The gender neutral bathrooms are disgusting. There is no longer a safe or clean place for women. Cis men come in here all the time, follow you into the bathroom. There is piss all over the floor. There are people banging and men doing drugs in the stalls. Male security guards are constantly coming in and shining their flashlight around. And guess what? Women don't use the mens room. So there is essentially 2 mens rooms now and no womena room. Terrible idea. I used to love this place but this is out of hand.

I've been coming here for a decade and have had fun almost every single last time I've gone. I've seen some incredible acts here including Kaskade in 2008 when he had a monthly residency there. The fact that I see some of the same staff members there who were there 10 years ago seems sufficient testament to how great of an environment the place truly is.

Smart Bar is a house and techno music club. It's not a "get wasted"/"get smashed" club or a "get all dolled up" club. I usually only drink water or club soda when I'm here. I've come many times solo and feel very safe. There was one incident at Bonobo/Leon Vynehall where a d-bag was trying to touch another girl and then me, but I gave him a stern talking to and he vanished. You can wear whatever you want here (comfortable footwear is crucial for hours of dancing!), and there's no need to check your coat. The location is convenient for me, since I live on the north side, and staff are friendly. My only wish is that they would book more Defected and Strictly Rhythm artists.

İt's hard for me to decide how many stars ı should give to this place as we all have different taste, but ı can try to explain more. İt's an avarage bar to dance, but the music is typcal club music, feels like never change, so for those who are looking for a real dance gig, this is not a good place in regard to music. And the alcohol was disapointing, we ordered gin and tonic first and it came with a plastic simple glass with a little gin and lots of ice! No fancy or anything nice and 7 dolars for a small glass! People were friendly, but its definately gay friendly place, with lots of performance artists (extreme make up and colorful costumes) everybody likes to take photo with them, its like carnaval:) its not a bad place but not for my taste.

I go to Smartbar for their techno shows and it is PERFECT. Impressive ventilation, Funktion 1 sound, spacious dancefloor, cool crowd - younger and more normal-looking (haha) people than the types one usually sees at clubs. this place clearly has their nightlife values straight! keep doing what you're doing - love you, smartbar! you are truly a chicago gem :) p.s. i have to mention again, the ventilation is really quite noteworthy. it was so noteworthy, that I kept noticing it throughout the night and pointing it out to my friends - like "isn't it so comfortably cool and not-weird smelling in here?? how did they do that?? why can't other places do this?" and they don't use any of those annoying nitrous oxide fog blasting machines either!

Ohhhh Smart Bar how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: 1. The Funktion One sound system is enough to give you permanent tinnitus. It will get the most wall of flowers up and moving. 2. They aren't messing around with their drinks. Every time I come here I get blackout/time travel drunk- for cheap. They have great specials. $3 3 Olive vodka drinks on Thursdays! Any of my burb friends that think it's more expensive to drink in Chicago, don't know where to go. 3. They book some of the best talent around. Great music and no 16 year olds YAY! Also the douche ratio here is favorably low. I don't have to worry about some dude in a sparkly shirt grabbing my ass or some bimbo with too much spray tan grinding my bf. They book the best in house, techno, drum and bass etc. 4. The photo booth here is responsible for covering my fridge like wallpaper. $3 to make those memories last!... (and for me to actually remember a portion of the night!) 5. When it gets too hot on the dance floor the turn on the fans! Dance til your feet bleed! There are 2 bars and the girls bathroom is spacious but only has 3 stalls and one sink.... but a HUGE mirror- hello vanity! 6. Everyone here is dancing and having a good time and the bartenders are friendly! Check your douche bag at the door and put on your dancing shoes! LOVE THIS PLACE!

A little small inside but it's a good crowd with good music. We had one drink here, we walked here from main strip. There were tables to sit and it was a cool vibe. I would visit again!

I'm sorry I have to give this place a one star. :/ it wasn't my type of place, my friends and I only tried this place out because it was the only club we could find in Chicago with no dress code. Like the other reviews mentioned, you have to really pregame hard before coming here. I mean don't get me wrong, everyone there looked like they were having a great time, it's just not suited for everyone. The mixed drinks weren't mixed very well.. At all. Drinks tasted like cheap liquor to be honest. Tastes like a bad hangover ..

Absolutely horrible experience when I came to smart bar to celebrate my 21st birthday. We arrived shortly before midnight to be told that the cover was $18. When I asked if that was the cost before or after midnight, he looked at his watch and said it was after midnight. My phone said 11:55. I asked if he would be lenient with time since it was before midnight and it was my 21st birthday. He refused, so I sucked it up, and paid at the window. Now the smart bar looks like a great venue; lots of couches, two bars, a photo booth. The girls bathroom was difficult to find but they had a staffer pointing the way. The dance floor was good sized and the lighting and sound system were excellent. We walked into the dance room in the back and noticed how dull the dancing was. People shimmying their shoulders and LORD it was a sausage fest. Probably due to the absolutely terrible music being played. I love house music and edm, but this was repetitive and terrible, with no dance beat and absolutely no variation in the notes (we were there for an hour and it never changed). I decided I wasn't near drunk enough to handle this and went up to the bar in the back room. They only had one bartender working it, and although he was working hard, it took a long time to get a drink due to the volume. He asked what I wanted and I, being 21, don't know how to order. I told him it was my 21st birthday and he asked if I wanted a cake shot. I assumed he meant a shot of cake flavored vodka, and agreed. He made a mixed drink that was apparently supposed to taste like cake?? It wasn't bad but not what I was expecting. But the worst was that he charged me ELEVEN DOLLARS for this one shot. Every other bar had given a complementary first shot, but not here. He took advantage of my naïveté and charged me for a very expensive, very weak drink. I was not happy. We drank a few weak whiskey sours and vodka tonics (which the bartender seemed unhappy to make) and waited for our other friend, while trying to get wasted enough to dance. It didn't work. 4 drinks and I was still quite sober (keep in mind I am a young, scrawny, greenhorn drinker). I closed out my tab and it was somehow $50 for four drinks. Yikes! We left and I vowed never to return. The one salvation was the coat check girl. She was quite nice and let us grab stuff from our coat pockets. Sorry smart bar, get yourself a decent Friday night DJ and some better staffing and maybe I'll return.

$10 cover, party till 5am. Dimly lit appearance, seemed like it was smokey but not really, crowded as a mofo, everyone is dancing to house music. Great times. Reminds me of the old Crobar, when the shit was about the music and dance. Pretty & pretentious people beware.

I obviously don't "get" this place, because I've heard so many people I respect say they love it, but every time I go I'm miserable. It's great they have all ages events and give almost famous dj's a venue to try their new tracks. And the dance floor is shiny black, flanked by a glittery bar on one side and a wall on the other which separates another bar and seating. But for the big kids, playing $hitty music ten times louder than it should be doesn't make it sound any better. I would have had a decent time if I could hear anything besides my skull ringing the whole time. I gave an extra star however because they actually provide free earplugs at the main dance floor bar. I got a drink and left a nice tip simply for that fact. That's class! But I've undoubtedly hit the venerable age of "it's too loud and I'm too old" already. If you are already half deaf or like watching thirty somethings try to remember how to break dance, this is paradise. It was the same for Mark Bell, a drum and bass night, a goth-a-rama night (which I'm usually ecstatic over) and some guy named Justin Long who really has a vendetta against young people's eardrums.

Weird. WEIRD. crowd BUT great sound system. I had to begin with that warning. If you're coming here prepare yourself for a dark dive bar with lots of weird people dancing on drugs. This combination could make for a great night or for some strange encounters. Pregame hard and come ready to dance the night away!

How predictable--the 1-star reviews are written by people who aren't a part of the underground house and techno scene. This less-than pretentious basement party is for those who know what they're getting into, hence the cover to try and dissuade the regular Wrigleyville crowd from wandering in. If you don't know what to expect from Smartbar, then you probably shouldn't try this place out. That being said, Smart Bar is one of the last institutions in the city that is consistently working hard to keep the real scene alive in Chicago, a city that played more than its fair share in helping to create and spread this amazing music. Drink prices are fair, cover is fair, staff is alright. None of that should really matter because Smart Bar is a place to go for the music. Stop judging the crowd and lose yourself to a sound system that many DJs claim to be one of their favorites. Please don't be the one to show up to Smart Bar with any expectations other than listening and dancing to some really phenomenal mixes spun by world-class DJs.