Nikki Lane! Talented, hilarious, beautiful and did I mention talented? She was in town and with her band, performing a great set. If you get the chance, you should come here. The setting is informal and small- so you do have intimate proximity to the performers. To have a conversation with a musician so admired? C'mon, don't act shy now, even if you have nothing to say these are professionals with a quip waiting. Also, no one bats an eye when fan in the audience passes a beer to a band member- kinda nice. It's hard to get away with that in a bigger spot, so go see your favorite right now before they pack arenas. read more

One time I dove off the stage while a friends band was playing and one of the meatheads that works there ripped my shirt. Then I took a swing at him. Then he told me never to come back ever again. Needless to say, I've been back on more than one occasion. read more

Kinda of laughing at my old review from over three years ago. So here's the update part: - Good local beer, with most drafts at $5. Support Metro & Two Bros & Half Acre & 3 Floyds, please! Although I am guilty of going for the cheaper tall boys too (this girl's on a budge!) - Great food. - Friendly people. read more

I worked in the music industry for a while, and I've been to venues all across the country and the world. Without a doubt, Beat Kitchen is the best venue I've ever been to. The staff genuinely care about the patrons, and since I'm disabled they always make every effort to help me. They even allow me to use the employee restroom so I don't have to try and navigate the stairs, and recently they let me in over an hour early for a show because it was cold and that was causing me bone pain. I honestly could not ask for a better experience. Lovely venue, lovely staff, and also surprisingly great food at good prices. I normally avoid concert food like the plague but the tater tots are fantastic. read more

I've only been here for the Kitchen, never for the Beat. It's taken me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I'm not a fan of live music, and even longer to come out about it. The show is almost always longer than I care for, and while everyone around me is rocking out, I'm thinking, "My feet hurt," or "How hard would it be for me to get another beer?" If I have a chair, I'm fine, because then when I get bored I can scope out the crowd or let my mind wander. But if I have to stand I get cranky and impatient. I would like to pretend this is a product of age, but in truth it's nothing new. I remember getting cranky and impatient at the Aragon 20 years ago. So if I'm here, it's in the afternoon, and with someone who has a car, because while Belmont and Damen isn't off the beaten track, it's just far enough off my beaten track that I'm not going to be here for no reason. The food is decent: they have some interesting specialty pizzas (Thai pizza with peanut sauce and smoked chicken; goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pizza with artichokes) and big sandwiches. The Beat Salad (pears, bacon, bleu cheese, red peppers) is a standout, as is the grilled vegetable salad. Warning: the diet soda is neither Coke nor Pepsi, but something the server described as "generic." Canfield's? Whatever it was, it was super sweet, which kind of defeats the purpose. If you're in the neighborhood, the food at Beat Kitchen fills the bill without necessarily giving you anything you're going to remember. read more

Love this place! Great music and good food. Love the gluten free options too!

I intern for MPShows and I have worked a handful of shows here, but before I was a worker bee, I was a showgoer. The sound here is really good for a venue of this size. The employees are all really nice and hard working. The crowds here always vary and I love that about BK. The food here is absolutely unbelievable for bar food and their kitchen is not a huge space, so it blows my mind. The pizza is great. The salads are huge and chock full of delicious toppings. The brownie is INSANELY huge and if you don't split it with someone, you are going to have to take a goopy mess home in a carryout box because you will not want to throw it away. Perhaps you can meet someone at the show or in the bar and split the brownie, eh? read more

I've only been to Beat Kitchen twice, yet somehow when I gave my name to be checked off the ticket list, the door guy said "I thought I recognized you." Wait what? Oh yeah, this venue is a sister venue to Subterranean, another classic Chicago venue for smaller shows. The front room holds the bar and some booths and tables, and in the back is where the music happens. Basically a square room, with coat hooks along the wall. The bathroom is down some stairs, which can be rough if you're a one to drink until the opening band is your best friend forever. AT&T cell phone service was horrible, so commemorating your concert outing is not so instantaneous. read more

Ahhh Beat Kitchen, how I always seem to forget how forgetful you are when it comes to maintaining the ladies' loo. BYOTP, girls. It's a good place to see a show and a good place to eat while a show is going on if you don't care about it, since the rooms are separated by a heavy door. The food is good from what I recall, the beer list is nicely stacked in your favor with decent prices and the outdoor seating area is a nice touch. read more

I have been to the beat kitchen 4 times; all if which were disappointing due to the beat kitchen/their staff. The pros: fairly priced tickets without outrageous fees when bought online, and the bands I have been able to see. Unfortunately, the staff is painfully rude and intimidating. I am a 5'0'', 100 lb female and have been shoved multiple times by large staff members for not moving quickly enough to the back room from the bathroom -- I am under 21, so apparently being in the bar area (where those under 21 are completely banned from, thus not being able to eat food) for 15 seconds is unacceptable. I was almost denied entry because of a pill case -- that is a legitimate grandma-style pill case -- that I keep my anti-epileptic medications in. The doorman at first suggested i let him throw it out to gain entry... Another time, I drove most of the equipment for a band my boyfriend filled in with. They would not let me in -- while they were loading & setting up, I had to wait alone in the cold for 40 min until "doors officially open" Often, the music they play in between sets is just as loud as the bands, which I find a bit bothersome. Overall, the staff is unreasonable. What has brought me here is the bands. If I like a band enough, I'll go, but the venue itself is a serious deterrent. read more

I went once-- so keep that in mind while reading this. I went to Beat Kitchen for the first time to take my significant other out for a birthday dinner. The server clearly did not come in to really work that day-- he bitched to us about how we chose a really inconvenient table for him, bitched that we didn't request a beer/wine list the first time he came out-- and by the third time he would have come out to take our order, we left the place. Passing by this place at night is always hilarious, too. Young, faux hipsters crawl around it with their under 21 I.Ds listening to mediocre bands. There are some great bands that go through-- and the venue seems totally chill-- but I can't take that crowd of people that try to hard. read more

Lots of bicyclists. That's cool. ummm....yet another flat floor venue. I know this is the rock/band/local scene. I'm just more in to a little nicer venues I guess. Or at least a venue with seats and different vantage points, a la Elbo Room. I was the only person without a tattoo, and the only person in heels. Just a fact. These peeps were like, coated in tats. Maybe that's bc of the band that was playing. Parts of the front "dining area" smelled like old B.O. As if NEW B.O isn't bad enough? There was also a huge thing drooping from the ceiling. It literally looked like a used tampon. I'm sorry, this is gross. But I would totally go back if someone was there I wanted to see. I'm ALL about supporting live music, since that's what I do!! But Beat Kitchen made me kind of uncomfortable. read more

Great bar, finally got some new bar stools and some fresh paint. Menu has been updated also. My fav is the blacken chicken with red potatos. As for the bands that play I agree w/Mike H in his review. But Subterranean now owns The Beat and the back room wasn't big enough for the bigger bands so the booking company would move them to Sub-T. I don't usually see bands there much anymore, just hang w/friends @ bar and eat. Check Thursday nights when Kimmie is your bartender. read more

I have been here a handful of times and never had good experiences. A particular time which was a year ago. When I walked in the door the door guy cards me (was a 18+ show) and then put's X's on my hands this totally confuses me. I go up the bartender and explain that I'm 21 and the door-guy marked me at underage. She tells me to go wash them off and then reshow him my id. The guy then says "oh i'm sorry I thought your id said you were born in aug 1991" I stare at him confused and say "that would make me 17". needless to say. wow what idiots. read more

Beat Kitchen. At first I wasn't sure if it was actually a kitchen of beats (in which case I would have to imagine Kanye West and/or Jay-Z was cooking) or if you were actually supposed to beat the kitchen staff. Luckily, it was neither. I knew, of course, that it would be impossible to keep hip-hop producers of such high stature cooped up in the kitchen and also that beating anyone (including friendly kitchen staff) is a no no. Alas, it is just a name for one of the hippest, most underrated venues in Chicago. I just recently stopped in to check out a show and realized quickly that it was my kind of place. The front bar area is very chill and the staff is very friendly. They had some pretty decent specials ($5 pizza something-or-others and $3 Goose Island 312 bottles) and also had a pretty good selection of beers including 3 Flloyd's Robert the Bruce, Goose Island's Mild Winter and some IPA I didn't pay attention to because I don't like IPAs. They are gross and taste like gross. It is home to many a hipster and feels a lot like a merge between Schubas and the Double Door. It's smaller, but has a sort of punk-rock edge to the decor. For being such a small venue, the sound was actually pretty incredible and the space didn't feel too cramped. Really, anywhere in the room was a good place to be and there was very minimal obstructions. This was good because the singer was pretty sexy and I tried on numerous occasions to get her attention with my boyish good looks and charm. However, even though visibility was high, I left without a phone number. It wasn't until later that I saw a ring on her finger. Let's just say he better treat her right. All in all I would definitely go back here again for a show. I didn't actually try the food but from my stalking glances from table to table I noticed that it looked pretty tasty. The entire place constantly smelled like pizza as well so I think I'll have to give it a shot next time. Until then, I bid you adieu Beat Kitchen. read more

Everybody has it right- good beer in a nice bar room in the front, good sound in the back band/stage area. Over all a nice place. I've seen two kinds of shows here- smaller local bands, and bands that used to be big that you might have forgotten about all together! Best night here was a couple years ago- I came to see Jesus Jones. They were fine, and played a lot of music off of their last record which I'd never heard- whatever. BUT the real highlight was their opening act- I forget what they called themselves, but it was basically Modern English (minus like one of the founding guys)! They played a 20 minute power-jam of "Melt with You" including a drum solo and a MONSTER guitar solo! I was like 2' away from the band playing my high school homecoming song- HAHA! Yup- Beat Kitchen will always means good all-around fun to me! read more

The beat kitchen is beat-tacular!!! It's the perfect spot for that favorite little dream pop/shoegazer band you've been wanting to see. or that cute little electro duo you wanna shake your fanny at. i like that you can hang out in the front bar and almost have no idea a show is even going on. actually i dont know why i like that... but it's a groovy space. a bit small for a venue but personal and one of the most adorable. and it's usually damn cheap. when i think of beat kitchen i imagine these little oranges rolling around all over the place and they have little orangey hands and they're banging spoons on different pieces of furniture. it's THAT precious! read more

I have never been to their location. Just tried their veggie emapanada at Taste of Chicago. Big mistake. You would think that at a place to showcase your restaurant, good food will be provided. But, nope. I just ate half an empanada and my stomach started complaining. I am still not back to normal. I am pretty sure they used stale re-reused oil to deep fry their flavorless empanada. No need to mention that I will never visit their business again. read more

My second try with this place and I just wonder one thing, why do the employees treat you like you're a piece of shit. I feel like an inconvenience for spending money at your bar. It's not "cool". Please, lighten up. Kthanks read more

Terrible. Service: not enough of it, what there was of it was surly and rude and took FOREVER Food: ugh. Seriously. I ordered pizza and it was not good in any way, not even as good as frozen pizza. And it was kind of expensive. I felt cheated for sure. Guy at the door with, if I recall correctly, mutton chops: total dick Not gonna go back. read more

The fat bouncer man groped my soon-to-be girlfriend as he walked by. I'm a firm believer in feminism, and women don't need a man to stand up for them. If she had issues with his groping she could go kick his ass. But she felt violated, so I took action anyway. I walked over to the 300lb beached-whale of a man and put my left arm around him as if we were childhood friends. As I patted his shoulder and said "hey ya buddy", I cupped his fat-man-breasts with my other hand and I kneeded that nasty grossness and asked "how do you like being groped? how do you like being fondled by strangers?". He kept saying "I didn't do anything. what? I didn't do anything" I squeezed harder and the cottage-cheese consistency of another man's breasts was unbearable, but it was for justice! He froze in his tracks, he felt violated, and hopefully he'll never do it again. The venue is great, I saw Octopus Project, Boy Sets Fire, Appleseed Cast here. Just avoid the fat man with the cottage-cheese breasts. read more

I am surprised I am just writing a review for this now, but sometimes the world works in crazy ways. It might also be because I hadn't been to Beat Kitchen for quite a while until last weekend, but I am still going to go with the crazy world scenario. For shows, I really like Beat Kitchen. It's certainly a lot better than a lot of the venues in the city. It can get a little cramped in that back room, but that just makes for a better time in my opinion. The sound has always been good and you can see from pretty much anywhere. If there isn't a show playing, Beat Kitchen is still a nice spot to go and hang out at. I wouldn't really go just for the hell of it, seeing as it's pretty far from my apartment, but I have met up with people here and didn't mind at all. Plus, if you just happened for some reason to bring a gigantic water bottle full of Jack and Coke, you can put it on a ledge right outside and revisit it on smoke breaks. I don't know why I would know that, but... read more

I used to frequent this place for the cheap shows, obscure bands, and intimate stage set up. Never caring much about hospitality or making a good stiff drink, I never expected much from the employees. However, the day came when I couldn't take it anymore. Not once, but twice (IN THE SAME WEEK!) was injustice so blatantly brought upon myself and my friends. One acquaintance (a good friend of the band we were there to see) was pretty much grabbed by the collar and thrown out for letting an underager hold her drink while she tied her shoe. The bouncer gave her no chance to explain herself, and didn't even let her say goodbye to anyone. We spent the next hour trying to figure out what the hell even happened to her. A week later, myself and two friends went to the bathroom and when we emerged, we were rudely told to give up our drinks and get out. Apparently we only went to the bathroom so an underager could drink from our (still full) cocktails. False. How did they know this, anyway? Unless there are hidden cameras under the toilet seats, the bouncers must just be downright delusional. I was so appalled I attempted to chug the tequila sunrise I had just paid $8 for and dumped the rest on the floor at this meathead's feet. Not my classiest moment, but I got my point across. Only worth going to if a band you're crazy about is playing. Drink prices are decent, and the chow is not your typical bar food selection. That's a plus, I guess. read more

This place is great! My friends and I live in the n'hood so we come here often. My bf and I like to come here for food as well. Great food and great deals! They have a decent beer selection too and plenty on tap. There are shows here often, but in the back room, so if you don't want to see the show, you can chill in the front area where there is plenty of seating and standing space. Bartenders are pretty nice too which can make or break an establishment. Definitely would recommend coming here for dinner and a drink before 7pm -- no waiting every time I've been here. Or you can just come here for a drink with friends at night -- great little hang out. Geared towards the 40s crowd or late 20s/early 30s. Everyone that goes seems to be very chill and easy-going. Also, during the warmer months, they have a patio area that's pretty big. Plenty of parking for bicyclists, too =) read more

I had a great time seeing a Langhorne Slim show here. Nice summer day, by myself. KC (or Casey, spelling?) gave me a free shot of tequila and I even think I had a free beer too. The show was awesome, crowd was cooool, and free tequila. I'm giving in and breaking the 4 star trend of recent reviews. The Beat Kitchen has been showcasing all sorts of musical acts for years, and for this we must be eternally grateful. I mean, how awesome are humans and their ability to make all sorts of music? Here's to Beat Kitchen being around for a long long time. read more

Ok so, the food is kinda terrible, but who comes here to eat? I only ordered a whole flat bread pizza because they were out of the pizza by the slice. I wouldn't have ordered food at all, but I was feeling a little faint from not having the chance to eat all day and didn't want to faint while basking in the glow of Fred and Dallas. The beer selection is pretty decent and big ups on serving tall boys! I've seen many great bands here and have never walked out even remotely disgruntled. read more

I am a Roscoe Village resident and glad to have the Beat Kitchen in the neighborhood because of the great offerings it has when it comes to live music and drinks. I've always been one for live music entertainment and this place rocks. The crowd is lively and the bands that play here are awesome. I've been coming here for the past year and it just gets better. Almost every day of the week you get good live shows and there is a good roster of local and touring bands. It's a small to mid size venue that caters for any crowd and the service is excellent though slightly overwhelmed when the place gets packed. You can also have your own party here and they can set up for any occasion and despite not having a wide array of offerings on the menu, the food is great. I would recommend to anyone who loves loud live music. read more

Small venue, decent sound, and a fine bar area, but nothing that would ever bring me back to see a show. Maybe next time I'll stick around for a bite to eat, and hope that changes my feelings towards this place. Nothing great-Nothing awful.... Enjoy Suckas'!!! read more

Where it's at is right here. I've come here for shows and comedy several times and it's always a great time. It's nice having the separation between show and eats here, however, I wish they would have the little bar in the stage area open more often. It can get super crowded here on a Saturday night and sometimes you have to elbow your way to the bar...and the wait staff (understandably) will give you the squinty eye when you stand in the waiter's station. The waiters up front tend to get swamped when it's busy so I've had to wait a while before getting things and/or cashing out. Aside from that, it's a good deal. Watch out for 'dem bathroom steps though. Especially at the end of the night. :D read more

I really like Beat Kitchen as a small music venue. It's never been too crowded for a show I've been to and they usually have some pretty good bands come through. This bar usually attracts a good crowd - not too drunk and rowdy. But I usually only go for weeknight shows, so it could be different on the weekends. Just as a bar, Beat Kitchen is fine. It's got a good drink selection but all of it is a bit overpriced in my opinion. I haven't tried the food but it looks good! People always interact with me when I'm around the bar here which is nice. It's definitely a friendly environment but if you want something more private then the booths are pretty nice too. The last time I was here there were these two older ladies (in their 70s, I believe) sitting at the bar. Apparently they are regulars and they are very funny and love telling stories so if you see them you should talk to them! 4 stars because I always have a nice time here. read more

I've been here twice and the staff is incredibly rude, especially their security. They physically rough with people under 21 and they treat the performing bands like s*** as well. They follow you around like your a criminal. The sound is horrible and so is the venue...the smell in the bathrooms are unbearable. I can't believe they call themselves a music venue, worst place I've ever been. I will never go back there. read more

Come for the music. Stay for the music. There's not really much to say about this place. I went here not too long ago to see The Coathangers perform. Overall, it was a cool show the band was great and the opening acts weren't too bad. It's a very small venue and I highly suggest you get there early if you want to grab a good spot. Also, make sure you grab your beer early because that place fills up pretty fast in between bands. They have some decent stuff on tap, but I recommend drinking the good beer in the restaurant area. The venue is definitely made for cheap drinking. Chances are somebody will knock your beer out your hand during the night. That being said, it turned into a real magical shit show fueled by PBR and loud music. Halfway through the headliner's set I noticed that the floor had become a sea of broken bottles and cheap beer. I would go back to the venue because it is very intimate and rarely to you get to share such a small space with one of your favorite bands. Lastly, it gets hot as all hell in front of the stage. Be prepared covered in sweat. Mostly other people's sweat. read more

Very solid all the way around. Their beer list is peppered with local and rare choices and you don't have to pay concert prices for them. The service is real quick and friendly. Try the Thai pizza (I don't like peanut sauce but I even love this pie) or the blackened tuna sammich. As far as a venue goes, it's a stereotypical local, small venue. And I'm absolutely fine with that. It may just be me, or maybe it's the setups of the bands I've seen here, but my ears are usually ringing for a solid day and a half afterward. Rock on. It's loud, dark, cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Come for the food, stay for the show. read more

If Beat Kitchen had a photo booth, it would be my favorite music venue in the city. The back room where bands perform is basically a small, windowless, black box, but it definitely has a certain charm. It is a very intimate venue and a great place to see my favorite local bands. I haven't tried the food yet, but after all the great reviews, it's on my list! read more

Came for a Sunday night show. The bands were awesome but enough with them, how about the venue.. I thought parking was a breeze. I looked up public transit but there didn't seem to be an easy solution for me so i drove. I didn't eat here. I drank beer which was good. I thought the music venue was very cool. It's a smaller venue, long and narrow. Not a bad place to stand in the place. Unless it's behind me because I'm a tall son of a gun. I really enjoyed my experience here and I'll come back. read more

Cool dive bar. While we did not have food, they had really great drink specials the night we visited Bear Kitchen. Went to a show, and really cool smaller space for a venue. Only major issue was the sheer volume of the music. As a person who sees live music on the regular at a variety of types of venues, there is appropriate concert/show loud, and there is my ears are ringing multiple days later. Unfortunately Beat Kitchen falls into the second category. read more

Pretty much my next door neighbor- I have to love it. However I have had less than stellar service and it does create a serious parking situation on the night of kiddie shows. And what I mean by kiddie shows is that if you don't know- they do 18+ shows and every child who's parents let them leave the house shows up. I digress- the food is great. Expect to wait for it because they make everything fresh- even guacamole. It's worth it once it comes. Everyone is really nice and you can always see a great show or a comedy night. It's not too big, not too small. Just what you might ask for from the bar on the corner. read more

Review for musicians who gig: Beat Kitchen is a staple for top shelf local bands that gig a lot, and they're one of the few venues that still book twee-ish indie bands, which I love. They'll even do the occasional all ages show, which is odd, to be honest... they rope off a section for the under-age crowd. Load in through the side door on Hoyne. Shouldn't have a problem pulling up or double parking, although navigating this hood and parking can be a pain. Lots of one way streets, permit parking only locations (watch out for these, you'll get a ticket, and Chicago is serious about their parking tickets), and plenty of cars already on street can make it difficult to find a home for your vehicle. I've circled around for ages, and had to walk blocks to get here. The front of the house is a bar and restaurant and the back is the music venue. You load right in to the venue and easily get your gear on stage for sound check. Sound guys (where are the sound girls? Never a sound girl) have always been good here. Backline your gear or it gets stored in the wings of the stage. The stage is not big, but big enough for 3 bands, easily. Share gear if you can. The green room is upstairs, door is near the main entrance next to the bar. It's a really nice space upstairs, stocked with tubs of beer and plenty of space to hang out. Honestly, I haven't spent much time up here, I prefer watching the bands or hanging out at the bar. Got a nice outdoor seating area too. The bar and restaurant offers a good mix of craft beers and solid food. Merch is set up inside the music room along the east wall, next to the sound booth. A solid place to play and a good place to catch a band. read more

The guacamole and pizza were delicious! We came for a show and grabbed a table and ate before hand. Service was great and the food and drinks were very reasonably priced. The venue is simple but cool. I'd definitely come back. We had the bacon spinach pizza and it was some of the best pizza I've had in a long time. read more

Beat Kitchen - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here last night for a concert and had been here once prior for a stand up comedy event. I really like the venue/space and am always thrilled to find a bar that has solid wine. I really hope they do more stand up events in the future as I'd love to come back! read more