As we were in the neighborhood, our adult daughter suggested visiting The Sugar Hole, a puppet-run…read moreice cream window at the Color Club! I wasn't too interested at first, but I was pleasantly surprised and ended up having a very fun experience! When we were there around 5:30 pm on a Sunday, there was a line, and a small crowd of people were around the window taking photos. A googly-eyed puppet named Puddles was taking orders. Our daughter ordered a cup of swirl soft serve ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, while I ordered another one without any toppings ($6 each). It's funny that Puddles asked me to put my credit card between his eyes and disappeared behind the black curtains. When he re-emerged and returned my credit card, I forgot to ask for a receipt since I was dealing with a puppet, lol. A young man brought our ice cream to the outdoor seating area, which has two large communal tables. He would call your name, so do pay attention. There were a lot of kids, and we heard that some of them were repeating customers. However, there were also people like us who did not bring any children, were there just to have ice cream and a fun puppet show, simply had a good time! Puddles later sang a song at the end of his shift! When he went to take a nap, the next puppet Trevor popped up, that was so cute! As for the ice cream, although it was not the smoothest or creamiest, it was not bad. Portions were pretty generous, both our daughter and I could not finish our ice cream and had to share with my husband, who did not order any. There's a sign that if you pay with a credit card, there's an 18% tip added. In our case, it was $2.16, just the puppet's song was already worth it. The Sugar Hole is only open in the summer on Saturdays and Sundays, but will run through September. We enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend it. You still have a few chances left for the rest of this summer!

TL;DR: The ice cream is not great. But for the novelty of the experience, it is worth making your…read moreway here. I haven't been inside the venue; we came here for the Sugar Hole one warm late spring day. It's a cute and fun idea. My daughter (age 2) was curious about the puppet but a bit wary, but she put up with it since she was with mom and there was ice cream. She was pleased with her twist with sprinkles. The ice cream was big--I don't know why I didn't think of getting one to share, since usually if they don't suggest different sizes they're too big for a toddler. As it was we each only ate half of ours (I got the swamp monster, because who wouldn't be curious?) so keep that in mind when you're ordering. I wouldn't come here just for the ice cream; there are a lot of ice cream shops around, including a Dairy Queen not too far away, all of which have much better ice cream. There was no line when we got there but one formed pretty quickly after we ordered. The puppet chats briefly with folks, and of course it's a big photo moment, so the line is probably a bit slowe than in other places. But the treat comes out pretty quickly after ordering.

We booked this event space for a bridal shower for one our friends & the space was absolutely…read moreperfect. We had about 25 people and we all fit comfortably in the space and the full kitchen made it so helpful for hosting. Everything was clean and well maintained, the host provided great communication, and the space was both functional and aesthetically pleasing. We will definitely keep this space in mind for upcoming events!

From the owner: Montrose Studio is a 1,000 sq ft private event space in Portage Park, Chicago, at Milwaukee Ave and…read moreMontrose Ave. Rent it by the hour for up to 80 guests, with no per-guest fees and no required packages. It’s BYOB: bring your own food, drinks, caterer and decorations. The space has a full kitchen with an island and ice machine, a 76″ smart TV, a Bluetooth sound system and WiFi, with 7 round tables, 2 rectangular tables and 40 chairs included. A private parking lot for up to 7 cars is available as an add-on. Popular for birthday parties, baby showers, gender reveals, bridal showers, engagement parties, small wedding receptions, holiday parties and reunions. Hourly rates from $60 (4-hour minimum) plus a flat cleaning fee. Check live availability and request to book on our website.

Michelle was great to work with and this place is definitely amazing. My family and I really…read moreenjoyed celebrating my 30th birthday here. Everything I need it was provided already tables, chairs, music, and the kitchenette. Would definitely rebook again!

Excellent cafe in Albany Park. The staff and interior are both very welcoming. Loved the cactus…read moreplants around the cafe, made the interior very calming! Great coffee drinks for you to try while enjoying the ambiance! Pro Tip: Empanadas are a must try, don't miss out!

Casa Cactus is such a vibe! I cannot wait to come back here for a coworking day because the inside…read moreis so cute. We came on a late Sunday morning and it was bustling which was great to see. I decided to try the cactus latte and my husband went with iced brown coffee. Both were so delicious, but I think his was favorite! The staff was super friend and hustling behind the bar because it was so busy. I can't wait to come back,, explore more of the menu, and enjoy the atmosphere!

This is a very nice event space that includes some pretty sweet automobiles around the perimeter,…read moreunique and yummy food vendor options, choice beverages, and a beau coup of artisans to peruse. Trash cans seemed to be lacking, had to dispose in the loo. Also, the main entrance/exit, does not seem conducive to the size of the venue space, i.e. awkward to enter, awkward to exit. I love Ravenswood and am glad to see this option included, please do consider for any events you have a need for.

We can not speak highly enough of our experience with Ravenswood Event Center. Our wedding was in…read moreJanuary 2026, on the coldest weekend in Chicago in 7 years, and the entire event went off flawlessly. Maria, our venue coordinator, was phenomenally organized and knew the entire event back to front and so thoroughly that even our families were telling us how impressed they were with the amount of care she put into our wedding. We chose the REC because we wanted as all-inclusive of an experience as possible, and that was exactly what we got. They handled the food (we paid for them to do desserts as well), all dinnerware/tables/chairs, staff, decor setup, cleanup, and non-alcoholic beverages (including three different mocktail options), and having Maria meant we weren't in need of a wedding or day-of coordinator. We held our event in the atrium and loft and it was the perfect size for our 150 guests. The food was delicious, the schedule was on track, and the space was breathtaking during a snowstorm.

Came here for a wedding party. The food was excellent and the beers were too. Loved the Red Dragon…read moreale.

I hosted an event at River Room on April 28, 2023. We enjoyed a wonderful experience working with…read moreAdam and his entire staff. From the moment we toured the space and met with Adam to the clean-up the next day, every aspect of our event was handled with great detail. Adam thoroughly answered all of our questions, gave us guidance for vendors, and provided the highest level of customer service throughout our event planning and execution phases. The venue is amazing as it has beautiful views of the Chicago River and a great vibe with how they decorated the space. We had 200 guests attend our 80's Prom themed fundraiser. The venue layout is perfect for designing a cool themed event and it's super spacious with plenty of room both inside and outside on the patio deck overlooking the river. All of our guests raved about the venue...we can't wait to return next year! Thank you Adam and River Room staff!

DO NOT consider a winter wedding here, and absolutely DO NOT expect transparency or flexibility…read morewith any hiccups in their formula. Also, they apparently blocked my account on Zola -- I can't find them in a search when I'm logged in anymore. Thankfully I was able to leave a review without being logged in, and am also sharing here. TLDR: they can't accommodate winter weddings, despite including those months as available on their website, and they aren't transparent about their inability to do so. They can only provide half a venue, with 40% decreased capacity, but still expect you to pay full price. I was appalled by their poor communication and business practices throughout our experience trying to book them for our January wedding. -- -- The issues started when booking a tour -- their availability is challenging if you work a day job, and we were also limited with my partner's 24/48 shifts for the city. But I rearranged my work to accommodate their schedule. The day of the tour we received a vague cancellation with 3 hours notice, saying they would work with our schedules to get a new tour on the calendar. They very much did NOT work with our schedules, declined several options I requested that would work without us making major concessions on our end, and only offered a small window later than their once-a-week evening slots. We were once again rearranging our schedule to work for theirs after their cancellation. When we finally had the tour, I'll admit it's a gorgeous venue. We were excited about booking there, but concerned about how they'd handle January events. Since their website includes Jan in their off-peak season rates, I figured they had a plan for accommodating cold weather (they have a tent for the yard, but it's insufficient for temps under 30 degrees and that's a heavy gamble for evenings in January). They didn't seem to have any ideas outside using that tent. They do have an upstairs to the venue that reflects the ground floor footprint, so I asked if they would include these in the base rate (they're usually an add-on expense) because we were losing space in the yard. They said they would "compromise" by including just one of the rooms, but would reduce capacity to only 70. We had been straightforward that our guest list was 80-90, and their website advertises up to 120 guests for a buffet or cocktail reception, which was our plan. I understand they don't do a ton of events in the winter, so I thought maybe they just didn't have a well-designed plan for colder months and we could find a way to work one out. But they refused to work with us to expand capacity beyond 70 guests AND made no concessions on price. I have no idea what they would have done had we moved forward and temperatures were too cold for a tent (leave our guests shivering? cut our guest list week-of? at the door?) -- I asked and and they couldn't answer. On top of it all, they made me feel like I was a problem for having these concerns. At the end of the day, I can't believe that a venue would expect clients to pay full price for half a venue and 40% decreased capacity, especially in a season they admit having little to no bookings. They clearly do not want business in their winter months, but will jerk you around for a month pretending they do.

Exceeded our (extremely high) expectations at every step, turn, and touchpoint!…read more We worked with the AMAZING Teddy and Sarah and from the start knew we were in the right place, space and best of hands. First of all, Firehouse is charming as all HECK. This isn't your drab hotel ballroom where partition walls, lighting rigs and bunches and bunches of flowers can barely start to cover the lack of character. This space has personality and soul, every last inch. Classic Chicago neighborhood setting, we didn't want to leave the beautiful courtyard space. Everything about the venue is built to make your guests feel at home, comfortable and intimate to the party. Did we mention the firepole?! Best entry ever for a groom to make. We can't recommend enough - Teddy and Sarah listened to all our thoughts/concerns/ideas and custom built a space and flow that complimented the night in every possible way.

No notes on this place???? Came here for table tennis. They…read moredo have TT and it is upstairs. Although today being a holiday all activities are canceled. Nice older facility with tennis court and a basketball court. They do have activities for everyone.

This venue was absolutely beautiful and perfect for a graduation party. The host Jovana was so easy…read moreand kind to work with. I would definitely recommend & rent for any future events. 10/10

From the owner: Your Party, your time, Your Vibe. Celebrate your way, every day. Private event room perfect for…read moresmall event gatherings.

Think "Walden," but in the city. At any time during the day, you can call Janet, the creator and…read moreowner of this mini-oasis center and surround yourself with beauty, rest, art...delicious coffee. Sometimes taking a moment to pause and breathe deeply during the grind of life is enough. Many times, however, our body and minds...our souls long for a safe, secluded, local haven that matches the drumbeat of our breath while slowing it down. Anna's haven is truly worth checking out! Whether you are a woman looking to reduce clutter and chaos from life, a club looking for the perfect place to meet, someone longing to take a quick, uninterrupted nap, or a lady in search for the perfect study/writing atmosphere...this place is for you. It is super affordable, less than four dollars an hour and has flexible hours. So....what are you waiting for? ...ps.. this cafe is intended for women and also has a center designed especially for kids. Stroller parking available indoors and plenty of street parking outside! :)

From the owner: By Women...For Women ~an oasis where women support and learn from one another…read more Take the break you deserve at Anne's Haven in Portage Park. We offer a women-focused environment for workshops, lectures, clubs, children events, a place to relax and connect with friends... specialty coffees, herbal teas, snacks, an outdoor garden with a firepit and hammock! space rental for private events available