What a fun little restaurant/bar and venue. Parking is a little harder as it is in Chicago and these are neighborhood streets. We went with another couple who miraculously found parking right in front. Had it been warmer out, we could have sat outside for dinner. This bar has been around for decades and they haven't lost their spark yet. I think they're just getting ready for the summer and a lot more fun. We ventured here from the suburbs to see a friend's cousin's band called 76th Street. So we went early, enjoyed some drinks and dinner, and then made our way into the venue in back. Beat Kitchen has a lot of beer options (fir those who like beer) with a mix of mainstream, local brews, and some IPAs. They did have a cider (dry) that didn't interest me, but they had a drink of the night that seemed good and I ordered that. The bartender knew what they were doing as it was delicious. I next ordered the burger, but seriously almost got a salad. They both looked great. However, I saw a burger at another table and that sealed the deal. Perfectly cooked and toppings were fresh. Next we headed into the venue. It was loud, but not too loud. As it filled with concert goers, it got warm. Some couples were making out in front of us and it was awkward. Thankfully security broke em up as, hello, it was awkward! It's a cool place to catch a show and they did accommodate us with some chairs as we are a little older (in our 50s) and the crowd was barely in their 20s. It was a fun night and well worth visiting for food and drinks, even if you are seeing a concert. read more

Don't go here if you're just looking for a drink. Bouncer's will make you pay for the show even if you're not going to the show room.

This is a typical "Dive Bar" located on Belmont Ave. We went to see School of Rock perform. In the back of the restaurant/bar is a small stage area with limited seating. Sound is good when the sound board engineer is paying attention. In between sets we decided to have lunch. We tried their Cheese Quesadilla,Beat Burger with pepper jack cheese and Thai pizza. Surprisingly the food was pretty solid with the winner being the Thai pizza. Very unique.... bursting with flavors. Bathroom location could be better plus they need to be cleaned. Parking in the Rosco Village is always a challenge. If looking for live entertainment almost every night if the week,give The Beat Kitchen a visit. read more

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Honestly, I hesitate to write this review because this feels like a spot I'd actually be a fan of, if the interactions (and lack thereof) didn't bother me to the extent they did. I was recommended this spot by one of the antique owners a few doors down on the street, so my hopes were up. I enter in and it's got a great, chill ambience. However, no one greeted me. Glasses were out on the bar counter and couldn't tell what seat was open. So I sat down at one of the spots and continued looking around while waiting for the bartender's attention. There seemed to be a few staff who went behind the bar, and eventually had one address me asking what I'd like to drink. She poured my drink (and actually made a good suggestion on adding soda water to it) after a few minutes and we had a quick discussion, and said "that'll be $10," but that was it. No one else spoke to me and staff kept coming out of the woodwork, but they just seemed to want to talk to each other and they looked to prepare for something. Some random dude came up to me saying "are you here for the event or just for a drink?" Or something along those lines. It was honestly a very weird and abrasive experience. I had the money out on the counter for some time, thinking she'd come back and finish the transaction, but she didn't. So I address the male bartender, mention I'd like to pay my tab. He was a little off putting too, seemingly very distracted and not attentive at all. I paid my tab and left. All of it was just...not what I expected for a place like this. I told a couple locals about the experience, and they were shocked, since they send people to this place often and have had good experiences overall here. I think the key point for putting this review out there is to address the concern of an experience that could have easily been better. Just be attentive to your guests and nice. It's really not that difficult. I'm not asking you to kiss my a** but dang, don't make it seem like I'm inconveniencing you by being a quick patron in your establishment. I'm really not that difficult to please read more

Beat Kitchen - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Second (maybe third?) time at this Chicago bar/venue/restaurant. I love the range of artists and bands they bring to this space. It's a small venue, but it's perfect for up and coming musicians and bands. A nice patio which I enjoyed on an early summer night. Good selection of local along with macro beers. Something for everyone! The cocktail list is short but fun. The bartenders are attentive and quick to bring your drink. I've had great and meh interactions with staff the couple of times I've been. But I honestly get it. The service industry can be exhausting, and customer service can (sometimes) be challenging and frustrating. Definitely recommend keeping an eye on what is going on at their venue and stopping by to have a drink or two at this lovely, quirky Chicago establishment! read more

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SOR Glenbrook was performing and this time we had time between shows to try the food. Our group had Burgers, Thai Pizza, Quesadillas and fries that were all delicious. The grilled cheese came on rye which is an odd pairing that didn't work well and wished they offered another option like maybe sourdough. Our server was excellent and we enjoyed the music so it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. read more

Beat Kitchen - SOR Glenbrook first band up Briish Invasion - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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didn't get to try the food or drinks unfortunately but i got to see my favorite retired/technecially not retired artist play and it was amazing. loved the venue and restaurant setup too and all staff i interacted with were super friendly' read more

Food was absolutely horrible. Chilaquiles came out cold with just beans and a sad scrambled egg. Had no seasoning and chips were soggy. Fries have no flavor. Jalapeño poppers were mushy. Absolute waste of money. read more

I had the cheese Quesadillas and instead of 3 i got 4!! Yeah, i know big back but they were AWESOME. And get this- I DIDNT HAVE TO SHI MASSIVELY LATER The service? Polite, respectful and definitely patient and the red-light atmosphere was great but.. the place is really small (narrow hallway if the bar is full) but otherwise, great. Loved the concert they hosted (NXCRE ) read more

Goat cheese & chorizo pizza. Drinks were also delicious! The menu is very full and has a lot of options! read more

A high school friend just moved to the area, and two of her son's happen to be in a band that is on tour. They played at Beat Kitchen, so it was a perfect time to catch up with her and hear new music. It is a small venue that has a bar and dining space up front, an outdoor patio by the street, and a music venue in the back. They serve a variety of domestic beer, craft beer, and cocktails. Pizza is their specialty, and it is tasty. I thought their prices were very reasonable. Three bands played in the concert space, and it was a fabulous evening. I also thought the staff went above and beyond in serving food, drinks, and getting everyone settled into the music space. I can't wait to see more bands at Beat Kitchen. read more

Beat Kitchen - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My wife has a school mate that moved to town recently whose kids also just so happen to be in a band on tour and had a local show date, so we went duh! What we didn't know was what genre we were actually diving into, turns out it is 5th wave emo. Were we the oldest people in the room? Quite possibly. What was apparent? That the crowd loved every moment of it, knew all the words, sang along to all the songs, friendly moshed, and crowd surfed. Highlight of the night? Quite possibly when the most pit started, we were stage right against the wall, and she comments "Is that a mosh pit?" This is old school, band living out of a van tour type stuff. It's amazing these kids have any energy to drag themselves up on stage each night, yet they do. If curious and they happen to come to a town near you, do patronize, we did, and the show was sold out I might add. Free street parking was available nearby. Pizza took a while to come out but was good. Staff were friendly and emotionally intelligent attentive, so much so, that when they brought the pizza out to us, they apologized for the wait and informed us they comped our beers! What nice folks! It was a sold out show after all so understandable that they were busy. The venue is open until 2am but the outside seating area gets wrapped up around 1030pm due to folks who live nearby. If you have not been, it's a great small venue to see your faves. read more

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We've driven by Beat Kitchen a lot, but never had a reason to check it out. We ended up going there to check out New Wave Night. As the pictures on google and yelp suggest, it's definitely a dive bar. I don't have anything against a dive bar, but this dive bar had non of the charm found in cool dive bars, but the bad attitude from the bar tender and bouncer. My wife and few girlfriends were trying to order drinks at the main room bar and the bartender was brushing them off, not getting the drink order correct and when asked about missing drinks, the bar tenders response was eye rolls. About the space, it's a mess. When you first walk in, there's the bar and maybe 6 booths. That's the entire bar. When you walk into the back, events area, there was 2 booths and a second small bar back in that room. No other places to sit. It's just an open room with a small stage. We actually prefer to see smaller intimate shows, but this is as bare bones as it gets. Not a great experience, I could give a pass for the environment, but add terrible service to that and it's just not worth another visit for me. There are plenty of other dive bars or small event venues to go spend our time and money. read more

Great acts in a tiny room! Get sweated on by the talent! Great food and tasty drinks! read more

Beat Kitchen - Carnivore Mommy - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came from StL to catch a band and pleasantly surprised how intimate it was. Sound was great and the door man was phenomenal! He even told me about some ride share issues recently and made sure I was picked up safely. As a solo female traveler to many venues, in many cities... I can't appreciate more the priority of safety for both us gals & the kids in the pit read more

These are not regular dive bar tots.... I wasn't expecting this much flavor. Also the portion is pretty nice read more

Beat Kitchen - Garlic Tots - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I almost didn't go out last night... wasn't feeling well in the afternoon. I have never been to The Beat Kitchen before. This was my first time... The staff at The Beat Kitchen are wonderful human beings. From the door, to the bar, to the floor, to the soundboard. Some of the nicest, kindest people you will ever meet. Just sweet, beautiful people... I'd shout out names, but I do not want to leave anyone out... If you came in contact with me, I so appreciate your humanity, generosity, and understanding. Thank you all for such a wonderful evening. It meant the world to me. If you don't get along with folks here, you need to seriously check yourself. read more

Great staff, very friendly, made me feel right at home and felt safe there despite the neighborhood becoming a bit tense at times.

The hostility started before we even made it inside. Staff were rude, dismissive, and completely unprofessional right at the door, which set the stage for an awful experience. Once seated, things only got worse -- racist remarks and attitudes from the staff made the environment feel unsafe and unwelcome. The food was horrid: poorly cooked, bland, and absolutely not worth the price. Combine that with the grimy atmosphere and negative energy, and it felt less like a night out and more like a punishment. I rarely leave reviews this harsh, but Beat Kitchen Bar was beyond unacceptable. Between the hostile staff, racist behavior, and disgusting food, this place should be avoided at all costs. read more

Been to Beat Kitchen a for lunch before and the service and food were great. This weekend I went for the Dark New Wave DJ night and was just really disappointed. The staff was great, fast service, good drinks, and overall a great vibe. However, it was a $25 cover for the event and it just did not deliver what I would expect for that price. The "DJ" was on his phone most of the time, and was not engaging with anything or anyone, just stood there not doing anything. There was zero production value, no fog, lights, anything. Just a screen showing the music video of the song that was playing. The music was great, but there absolutely shouldn't be a cover for someone to press play and walk away. I have a lot of respect for the art that DJs create, and it's really misleading to the audience when I think I'm paying for a real show. I might go back for a live band show, but definitely not for an overpriced jukebox. read more

My first time here for a School of Rock performance. There is a stage and room in the rear and for this performance they had chairs set up. The sound was good and the venue was cozy. The front is a bar area with tables and booths. They have outdoor seating and there was someone performing . Parking is street parking and on a Saturday afternoon, we did not have any trouble finding parking. read more

I LOVED this place! Lovely outdoor seating, tasty cocktail options, and good appetizers and meals as well. read more

Beat Kitchen - Cocktail whose name I forget, substituted pineapple with spicy mango - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Terrible & incredibly rude staff. Will never be back after seeing the way they treated artists, guest list, patrons, and even just passers by. Clean house or crash out read more

I went there for a concert recently and ate dinner beforehand as well. Cool, intimate venue and the service was very friendly. However, I thought their food was very average. My boyfriend's sister got a pizza that she wasn't too fond of. I got the chicken sandwich which I thought wasn't too bad but was disappointed in their tater tots. Good portions though! I do think they were understaffed which explained a longer wait time with food. Overall not a bad experience but wouldn't necessarily go again for food. read more

My first visit here was a week ago for an end-of-year fundraising event. It took me a beat (see what I did there) to find the place, as I was guiding my cab to the correct side of the street to pull over. Being an unseasonably nice Saturday afternoon in Chicago, traffic was heavier than I had expected, so I arrived at the event a bit later. I decided to avail myself of the bar and grab a drink before heading to the back, to the event space where my group was meeting. Since I noticed a few people around me drinking white wine, I decided to order a glass of sauvigon blanc. The server behind the bar had problems locating a corkscrew, so I decided to make it easy on everyone, and switch my order to a gin and tonic, which she was happy to oblige. I'm glad I did, as the glass was sturdy and I felt confident heading to the back room with a colorless drink in hand - in case of spills. Onto the room itself, there were apps set out on a sideboard. I sampled a square of the pepperoni pizza and a square of the cheese pizza, mainly as ballast for my drink. The cheese quesadillas looked good as well. The pizza was a solid choice, cut into squares and with just the right amount of crispness. It would have been nice to have had a coatrack, but that is a minor nit to pick. As the event was winding down, room breakdown and setup was already underway for the next event - clearly, Beat Kitchen is a hive of activity. Good for this venue for weathering the pandemic storm and continuing to draw visitors. I'm not sure I would make it a point to revisit this location, but plan to check out the Beat Kitchen outpost on the Riverwalk once the weather warms. read more

I love the vibe of this place. It's small but roomy enough to dance or just hang out. The crowd is diverse. The sound in the dance area is great! They have food which I wanted to order but the waitress doesn't come to your table. I guess you have to order at the bar ? idk. We had some tasty drinks. Bathrooms were clean and had hot water! Come for the laidback atmosphere and tasty drinks. read more

Food is great. Service is great. BUT a 4 percent fee for paying with a credit card? That is price gouging. The City of Chicago charges 1.97 percent to pay tickets and water bills etc. If I come and spend $125 the establishment should absorb the merchant fee. read more

Came here for the Moondough, Limbo, and Donovan Melero show and I thought it was a great venue to catch a live show. Sound system is very good for the space. It's a smaller venue, yet it paves the way for a more intimate show and you can get up close to the bands. They had a merch section carved out in the back space and doubles as a meet and greet area with the bands after their performances. While there's a stage and standing room in the rear of the venue, the front serves as a bar with kitchen. Decent selection of draft & can beers and liquor. Prices are what you'd expect for Chicago. Ended up grabbing a burger and tots before the show started, and I thought it was pretty good! Staff is attentive and service was great. Street parking is free and available after 6pm. If you ever have a chance to catch your favorite band here, I would highly recommend it! 'Til next time, cheers! read more

Went for bluegrass brunch. The music was great. The food was fine with smaller portions. Our food came out warm, not hot, and generally everything was fine not great. Probably would enjoy burger more next time - even for brunch. Would go back for music, maybe just a beer. read more

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Great venu feel free not ruled had fun and want to go back I had fun but parking was nerve racking

I'm always surprised by how good the food is. Sure it's bar staples like burgers and sandwiches and pizza, but it always tastes great, and dare I say healthy. By that I mean it's not too greasy, not too salty/spicy/sweet; just great flavor with good balance and variety of ingredients. Somebody in the kitchen knows and respects food and it shows. read more

Super nice place, great music, food, and service. Phos did a great job and had rock solid recommendations! Very cool place! read more

Beat Kitchen - Blackened catfish- delicious! - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sick little venue. Saw Arden Jones, hadn't heard his stuff but am now a fan. Pours were bountiful on the rocks and in the old fashions. Didn't try the food but looked quite good. Also have a patio for chillin. Good spot read more

Beat Kitchen - Concert - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Poor service very rude communication from the manager Christina. After I ordered 1 drink, no one came to my table. I left no tip for that. The ambiance was strange and judgmental. read more

Came here to see Point North and Lil Lotus on a Saturday night and had a great time! The front of Beat Kitchen is a regular restaurant while the back room hosts concerts and other live events. It's a small space but it has an excellent sound system and also a fantastic layout for merch tables, etc. The only downside is that the bathrooms and bar are both back in the restaurant, so you do have to leave the concert area and "bother" the restaurant goers each time you need a drink! However, the staff at Beat Kitchen is friendly and accommodating, and overall this is a good place to see an intimate show! read more

Beat Kitchen - a group of people on stage - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beat Kitchen is a cute little dive bar. They start the music early, have local and faithful regulars, and provide plenty of booth seating (a rarity in a bar!). My sparkling wine was great, they have a large selection of beer, and the hummus plate was more than enough for two to share! However, the main problem with Beat is their service, which leaves a lot to be desired. My friend and I got there right at opening, hoping to fill our bellies before our baking class down the street started. We were the only two there besides an absolutely adorable elderly woman. I guess our talking was bothersome because she made a huge stink to the waitress who laughed along and even sided with her, proceeding to say we were loud, which was weird. Don't make fun of patrons... especially when they can hear you. #confused Then, to make mattes worse, our waitress never, EVER came to our table! Every time we wanted service we had to go to the bar, but she would tell us (rather forcefully!) to sit back down at our booth, and then would come to us after another 5 minutes of waiting. She seemed a little annoyed we kept getting up, but she never came to check on us otherwise, and we were in a time crunch before our baking class! I liked Beat, and I would make the trip back, but I hope next time it's a different experience with much better service. read more

Beat Kitchen - Simple hummus plate, sparkling wine and beer = $20 - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cool venue with good food! Stage is a smaller, tight space. Be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone. All artists that they show always use the space so well and make it a fun time! Portions were huge and everything tasted pretty good! Only thing that was not great was the service. Staff did not check up on you often incase you needed anything. Had to wave someone down a few times just to get the check, silverware, etc. Either way, will return! read more

Beat Kitchen has a hold on the 2100 block of Belmont. If you go a mile east or west, there's a ton of stuff! But this block...it's all about Beat Kitchen. I've been meaning to get here to check out some of their live tunes and though I didn't quite achieve that goal, I did finally get here. We had a team meeting here and yay for wifi at a dive bar! Prices aren't too bad and for a dive, they had a good selection of craft beers on tap & bottled, along with some swill. Worth mentioning, they had much more bottled & canned then on tap. They have the cutest menus in old album covers. I cannot stop wondering if I should have gotten the lamb quesadillas. I have never seen quesadillas with lamb...and lamb at a dive bar? How could that be a thing. I was scared. I was intrigued. But I couldn't take the plunge! Next time, Beat Kitchen, next time. We went with the safer bet - garlic tater tots and man were they better than expected! Such great flavor and they came with this awesome cheese sauce. We couldn't stop dunking & dipping the bad boys. I'm sure we gobbled them up in five minutes flat. I'm surprised Beat Kitchen had tasty grub! Plus they had friendly service from the bar maiden throughout our time there. Very pleasantly unprepared to like Beat Kitchen as much as I did. Woohoo! read more

Beat Kitchen - Tater tots are bomb! - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A nice place, have a good IPA and live concerts. Nice people and great music. Never tried food yet, but the place is definitely recommended. read more

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I watched an artist a few weeks ago. The show itself was great, however I wish that the customer service was better in the bar area. I was standing at the bar for quite some time, trying to be respectful of the bartender as he looked pretty busy. I tried to get his attention a few times but he ignored my presence...only to have him serve people that were seated right beside me, not asking for a drink at all. it was a bit frustrating. Also, I feel that the scent in the restaurant and bathrooms could definitely be managed better. Nonetheless, the other staff were kind and respectful read more