Great music venue! I love that the venue isn't too large because it allows for a little bit more of an intimate feel. For the music event I attended there were two check points where someone checked my ID at the door and then someone inside checked my ticket. There's a large bar and a food options as well. We didn't opt to get any alcoholic drinks or food, but it seemed like a lot of people stopped by the venue for the bar/food even if they weren't attending the concert. read more

Bottom Lounge - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super mid space for a concert, they said they had coat check and when we got there, apparently the coat check was closed for that night but there was no notification anywhere about that. The sound was super off and they blew out the main singers mic so bad that I couldn't identify most of her songs even though I was super close to the front of the stage. I enjoy the artist that they brought and their opener sounded way better than the main act and I'm unsure of why they wouldn't have somebody running the sound booth if they are going to have concerts there frequently. I would not consider going back if another artist came to this venue due to the poor sound quality and production. read more

Went to a concert here and the audio was terrible. Could barely understand or hear the artist. I'm not sure I'd attend another concert at this venue. read more

One of my favorite concert venues in Chicago. The main venue holds about 150 people and is located in the back room behind the bar. The main bar area is also great for a pre-game drink and/or meal. The food is fantastic and you have a lot of local brews. The staff is super friendly and I would give the entire venue a dive bar kinda feel. read more

Bottom Lounge - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love this venue. Went to see two rappers from the UK. All the white guys - Pete and BAZ. Had such a great time. Good place to eat dinner before the show. read more

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Great venue for live music. Great service. Nice bar. Would return, would recommend.

Cool place to see punk, noise, and alternative bands. I saw Gang of Four here in May 2025 for their farewell tour. They put on a great show and the ADA section was up front, stage right. That's a nice touch, for many venues put the ADA section in the back. Many, many moons ago I saw SWANS for M.Gira's first tour with his resurrected incarnation. A mind blower, as are all his shows. Both the front and the back rooms have accessible bathrooms. Food is OK, booze is pretty reasonable. There is a free parking lot to the left of the building if you arrive early enough. read more

Cool little bar to chill in and a music venue in the back. The venue is intimate and can get crowded but it's nice that wherever you are you are close to the stage and can see. Nice crowd the night we went and the bartenders moved through the crowd quick. read more

This is an awesome place for a show! The bar itself seems pretty awesome too, would go just for drinks, but so far only been for shows. Lots of live music and a good size stage. Not too big or too small. Chill and still powerful, makes the sound quality perfect and a bar inside the venue area! Right by a "L". Pin ball machines and food looks good, yet to try it! Good beer list and good service! This place kicks ass read more

Bottom Lounge - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Here for a concert. Opening act not interesting, came out for snacks. Fries spring rolls. $12.95 about ten in the surprisingly large order. They came sauced, would have preferred on the side. The sauce was sweet I like spicy. All in all they're great. Fried green tomato sliders. These are a MUST HAVE. Breaded, highly seasoned, fried to perfection', tasty toasted brioche bun. Delightful! The fries were 5x5 a well. Great place absolutely friendly staff, from door staff to bar to wait staffs. Wide selection of draft beer too. Loved it! Oh and priced well too$!! read more

I recently went to a concert at this venue for the first time and I have never experienced a terrible security issue when I was checking in. I didn't have my ID on me (since I forgot it), which was on my part I will admit, but the head of security that was checking IDs was unnecessarily rude to me about it. When I asked if I am able to show a photo ID on my phone because I live far from the venue and we arrived an hour before the show started, the security guard said point, blank, period -- no. Then, the guy asks how old I was, and I said 21+(something, I don't wanna share my age). And he said, "You're 21+(something), and you don't carry your ID?" in the most condescending tone I've ever heard. I'm a 4'11 Asian girl and I totally get that I look younger than my age, so you know, just assume that I'm not a grown adult, sure -- but that was totally uncalled for. I was frozen at the sudden hostility that I didn't expect. And he just put my friend and I to the side with no solution. I had a brief anxiety attack before I stood my ground, and I asked if there was anyone I could talk to until he caved in and allowed me in with a photo of my ID on my phone . . . just to give me a mark on my hand that I'm considered under 21 since I didn't present a physical ID. Sure, okay, I at least got in, and I'm not a drinker like that so that didn't bother me too much. Ultimately, I'm not usually the one to ever make reviews, but this situation got me deeply upset to the point where it gave me the motivation to write this down. And if terrible security service is driving me to write this, then that's a bad sign. We live in a digital age where many venues, and even movie theaters, accept phone photos of IDs nowadays; and with our current political climate right now, we need to be more accessible to folks who want to stay safe without being targeted, but clearly this place doesn't live in 2025!! I was deeply frustrated and disappointed with how I was treated. I hope this encourages security to be somewhat more mindful of these situations. Thank you. Anyways, the show was great. read more

Honestly had no idea how fun of a music venue this was going to be! You would have no idea just from the outside! It's now my local favorite! Not sure why others had concerns with bartenders. They were great! Fast service. Easy process and had no concerns about charges! Drinks reasonably priced and nice you can still enjoy concert while getting drinks. Great acoustics and brings fun crowd! Can't wait to come back! Such great energy!!!!! Intimate enough that you feel close to stage anywhere inside! read more

I somehow hadn't been to this venue before, until going to the Aesthetic Perfection show. We were carded when we came in, but our bags or pockets or anything weren't searched in at all which isn't really reassuring. But the staff was nice, the sound quality was fine. I liked being in such a small venue that I could be closer to the stage. read more

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This was an awesome venue to see concerts. You can find free street parking nearby, just make sure you read the signs. The food is very decent since you're mostly just getting a bite to eat before going in. The music area in the back is a good size. You're able to get very close to the stage without all of the rails you find at other venues. Staff was nice. Sound quality was great. read more

Solid venue. Good food. Parking not so good. Watch out for meter maids. Decent burger spot across the street.

This review is only for the concert venue since I didn't eat anything from the menu. The place is huge and they have plenty of seating options. The front is all restaurant and bar and it was crowded. The food looked good but I didn't try any. They have a nice selection of pinball machines to try out except some of them need some work and upkeep. The back of the place is an open hall for concerts. We saw four bands but really we were only there to see Sludgeworth. The sound quality was good and there was plenty of space to move around. Definitely a good place to check out a show. read more

I came here after the last day of Riot Fest for a little late-night music fun. I have to say, Bottom Lounge is one of the coolest bar/restaurant/venue spots I've been too! The vibe inside Bottom Lounge is really fun. It's quite small, but very lively with tons of cool lights and decorations. The pinball machines are a great touch, too! I didn't get to play any of them, but I love that they are there. The staff at the counter where you order were super friendly and seemed happy to be working even on a busy night. I really appreciate how easy it was to walk up, order, pay, and then take a number back to a table. To me, that is the most efficient way to order in a crowded bar. Since it was a busy night, we weren't able to order what my friend and I originally wanted, so we opted for some standard cheeseburgers. They're the trendy Smashburger type, and were very filling and yummy! The onion rings were had on the side were great, too. After our meal, we headed into the main venue space for a show. The venue entrance is easy to find - it's straight back from where you first walk in after ID check. Security staff were kinda rude, but it was a busy night so I don't really blame them. Once we got inside, the place was packed wall-to-wall. There really isn't a lot of room since it is a tiny venue, but I love shows that are packed to the gills so it all worked out. Okay, so this is random but probably one of my favorite things about this venue: CLEAN BATHROOMS!! IN THE BACK!! Normally, those should be just filthy, but they were so nice here. To me, that showed a level of above and beyond care that you don't see to often. All in all, I highly recommend Bottom Lounge for anyone looking for a fun night with friends, or an intimate concert! read more

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I actually love the venue. The amount of people the proximity to stage is AWESOME. The employees seem sketchy here the price for cocktails seems to fluctuate. I went to order food. I got chips and salsa for 11.00 They brought me some broke ass salty crumbs bottom of the bag chips and few at that. Go for the music. Drink at the minimum. Don't eat a goddamn thing here. read more

Bottom Lounge is a solid music venue in the far-West Loop that checks all the boxes one could ask for when seeing a concert. To begin, I'm a big fan of the location. It is easily accessible by the L, driving, or walking and works out perfectly for completing a night out in West Loop. Inside it isn't too much to look at but it offers plenty of space, two bars (one inside the venue and one in the "lobby"), easily-accessible bathrooms, and an easily accessible exit (b/c when the show is over you just want to head home). Inside the venue there is plenty of room to stand and see the performance (there is no seating available) and the bar is easy to get to. On top of it all, they have pitchers of water on-hand for quenching your thirst - SOLID offering. We found the staff to all be cordial but, at the bar, they could have used a bit of pep in their step. Nonetheless, the beer was cold and the prices were satisfactory. After seeing back to back shows here I can confidently say that I'm a fan of Bottom Lounge and would return for another show. read more

Awesome place to see a show! Sound quality was excellent and it's a truly intimate place to check out an artist. The show I went to had $20 tickets which seemed very reasonable for hours of live music. It's not a fancy music venue by any means, this was demonstrated when a lighting guy came out with a broom to hit the spotlights for an adjustment. Ha! But as I said, the sound quality was fantastic and that's what's most important when it comes to concert. The only and biggest negative for me was there are no chairs. Listen, I know it's not cool but I'm friggin old! These old bones need to take a seat while I'm waiting for the artist to come out & perform and between openers. I'd see a show here again, for sure, loved the up close & personal time I got with the artists performing. read more

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Went here to see a show and it's probably my favorite venue now... We got there an hour after original time, grabbed a few beers inside the restaurant half (super cute) and hung out for a bit and headed inside. Definitely a low key, comfy and personal venue where you can hangout in the back and see a decent view if you're my height (5ft). Sound quality and effects were great! This place is all ages which is nice. The show had people from 15-60. A very diverse audience to say the least which is refreshing! The staff were all incredibly kind and the doorman was incredibly sweet. Pricing for beer is pretty average for chicago. $5 Miller Lite Bottles or $8 16oz cans. I'm definitely coming back to try out the food next time! I loved how comfy and casual the environment was of the restaurant side. read more

Bottom Lounge - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Avoid This venue at all costs, VERY rude Staff. Went to peyton parrish concert and get immediately yelled at by a bartender for no reason at all and kicked out by Staff, because a girl next to me was drinking on the side of the road, wouldn't talk to me rationally at all, just kept yelling and screaming at me and my wife in the face. Very rude staff, wouldn't talk to us or even ask if we were with the random girl or not. read more

Avoid this venue at all costs. Bartenders routinely try to overcharge for the drinks. Both in terms of the cost per drink, and the overall amount of drinks I've had. I have had to dispute charges on my credit card numerous times here that I've stopped buying alcohol here all together (this was years ago before I got fully sober). The security staff is extremely lax. As a positive, they are smiling and care about you and don't sexually assault you before going inside (like some other venues). A negative is that they don't actually pat you down, at all. I accidentally brought in my work knife once... after realizing it, I went back to my car and put it away. Parking here is nonexistent if you show up around show time. There is metered street parking. Some unmarked areas for free parking, a golden goose in Chicago. The sound is awful and overblown. The ceiling fan on stage left, our right, wobbles so hard it looks like it's about to fall off and kill someone. You can see the dust, dirt, and grime here. It's nasty. Restrooms are ok, don't give off an odor (basic cleanliness here). You can get right up to the stage, less than a foot away. Which is awesome for artist interaction. They come out from the big double doors stage right and there is always a security guard in front of it so you can't go in, but you can always see the next band waiting to go on stage in this little area near the stage. I ONLY recommend this place if you're looking for an intimate venue and you don't buy anything from here... read more

Nice small venue. Friendly efficient staff. Will definitely come back. Lots of parking and lots of food nearby

Attended during the concert: "Like Pacific" The venue is nice. Great staff, location, parking was relatively easy. The food...no. Don't do it. I noticed a large selection of beer as well as an ample amount of seating in the restaurant section. Very open. The regular menu and event menu also a decent variety to choose from... however I will say that the quality of food is where I dropped them down to three stars. The mozzarella sticks disgusting, the cheese was good but the external breading part, something of cardboard flavor, yes I've had cardboard in my mouth before to prove my point‼ I don't know how they cook the chicken wings but it had this awfully strange flavor to it... not quite smoked, maybe the oil needed to be changed idk, pure nasty. The blue-cheese or ranch made into blue-cheese was unbelievably runny wonder why that was... cheap route to save $? read more

Bottom Lounge - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Okay, so this is a nice little spot for a fun night out. There is a music venue on site. However, there are also lots of tvs and pinball machines in the bar area. They also have food, we ordered the chicharrones and they were BOMB, but the sauce could have been better (it lacked flavor). It's in an okay location, but there doesn't seem to be much around it. read more

The fries are $10 and they give you 2 PACKETS of ketchup. Packets! For a $10 asking fee you guys can't afford a plastic bottle of ketchup? How cheap. read more

My friend and I came here for an all ages event, which meant there were a lot of underage people. Security is pretty uptight checking ID, which is good. The event staff were efficient at checking people in and ID-ing and providing wristbands. The event concert area is past the bar area in the back room. This place is a nice low key bar too. There was a specific bartender that made the best drinks. She worked in the front bar, and oh my word I've never had better drinks. read more

Bottom Lounge - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cool vibe, reasonable beer price and a big patio. What else can you wish for? You can also support the music venue by enjoying the beer! (Disclaimer: this is my first time here. I am posting this so that people know the big patio is available here and it might help chicago music venue scene) read more

Bottom Lounge - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We went here to see a show. Arrived on the late side so we didn't end up eating but it's a decent venue to see a band! The bartenders were attentive and friendly even when they were getting slammed. Will definite stop in to eat and hang out more next time we're in town! read more

Such a fun atmosphere! My cousin and I had a great time at their Seinfeld trivia night. Crowd was competitive but still super friendly. I look forward to going back! read more

4 stars because this may be the most underrated rooftop/ patio in W loop. Beautiful view of sunset, not crowded, free parking lot first come first serve, food and beverage available. Would recommend for them to get the advertisement-free version of music streaming though! read more

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Great venue for music and drinks! Intimate setting with 700 person capacity. Security is lax and staff is very friendly. I would definitely attend another show here or just come back for the cheap drinks. read more

Bottom Lounge - The Crystal Method - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visited this venue on 2/1/20 for a concert. I have no complaints. Although I did not get to try any food, the door man, security guard, bartender and every other staff member I encountered was very friendly. PBR tall boy was $5, other domestic beer was $6. They even had two pitchers and a stack of cups at the end of the bar for free water during the show. The concert was fantastic and I really had a great time. 10/10 would definitely go back to see another show. We had a blast. read more

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I had the worst experience at this venue. My partner and I went to see David August this past weekend. He put on an amazing set, but the crowd was the worst of the worst. People would not shut the f*#% up!! Granted, it is a bar type venue but shiiiittt never have I experienced anything like this. I began to wonder why people were even there... why pay to hear each other blabber on for hours. We even tried to move around to different parts of the venue and could not find a spot where someone wasn't talking. People were just downright rude and openly rude. Also what is up with security? Did not see one goddamn security while in the crowd. Strange strange place. Never going back to this hellhole ever again. We unfortunately had to leave early because the crowd sucked that bad, there was no way for us to enjoy the show. We even ran into a friend by the main door, she was also on her way out because of how awful the energy was in there and how loud everyone was talking so we dipped together. Beware: if you are paying for a show, you will be paying to hear a loud obnoxious crowd (some of them will be underage teens- 17+ venue I believe haha) Made a huge mistake of going here but Ive learned my lesson! Never again! read more

The Bottom Lounge is one of the best places to see a show in my opinion. It's almost like you're seeing a band in a friend's oversized garage that also happens to have a stellar bar inside. The best part about TBL is that there's not a bad place to stand. It's one of those great venues where you can see the band no matter where you are. I recently saw Dashboard Confessional here, then even more recently, I saw Wax. They were both very different acts, but I had a blast at both. The only things you need to know: bouncers and bartenders aren't douchey - they're legitimately friendly, acoustics were good for both a band AND a hip hop show, they have craft beer and prices aren't going to make you broke, tickets are usually pretty cheap too. If a band I like plays a show at TBL, I'll always say yes to getting tickets. read more

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Yes, I went to a New Found Glory 20th anniversary concert - don't @ me. I'd heard of this venue a few times but never saw a show here until this concert. I thought the venue was decent. The space was not quite as big as The Metro but not quite as small as The Vic. I felt like it was sort of easy to move through the back to the bathroom or the bar if necessary. The drink line got kind of long periodically and I feel like they need to have two bartenders (at least) during an actual show but it wasn't too bad the majority of the show. The drinks were so insanely overpriced that it really put a damper on having more than, like, two beers. I sort of felt like we were approaching baseball-game-level prices which is nuts. I know they want to make money but we're not at a place like the United Center so please stop charging for drinks like we are. Easily accessible via Uber, train, and bus. There's no parking on this stretch of Lake to speak of so public or a taxi are your best options. The restaurant in the front of the venue looked good but we didn't stop. It wasn't even that busy pre-show so it may be a good place to grab your dinner before the concert. read more

Very strange place here.... Stopped in before my massage @ Chicago Touch the other day to let time pass by. Pretty wide open space with booths in the middle of the floor. Our waitress seemed pretty clueless and really knew nothing about the menu. She failed to let me know that my $5 Heineken would come in a tall can and not a bottle (no biggie I guess). We ordered onion rings as we weren't that hungry which were good and nice sized. It came with a honey bbq sauce that we didn't ask for, but they wanted to charge us for ranch dressing...interesting The music selection was pretty uninteresting as it went from a hardcore Beanie Sigel hip hop jam to some down home country western...strange. The country western music continued the duration of my visit here unfortunately. There was a bus parked outside that looks like the bus the Gramercy Riffs rode in The Warriors movie. I assumed all of the sudden Blackhawk fans that showed up rode in it. read more

Stopped by here last night, and my biggest question when I walked in was "Is this place even open?" The space is huge as it is located in an old warehouse. But because it is so big and the furniture is sparse- it almost looks like the place is unfinished. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, though, as it did just recently open. We made ourselves at home at one of the high tops located near the bar. They get props as they have one of my favorite ciders, "Strongbow" on tap. They also have some pretty tasty bar food. I had the chicken quesadilla which was just oozing with cheese and was reasonably priced. The service was good both at the table and at the bar. Lots of free parking along Lake Street although that could change if the concert part of the place was going. What intrigued me is the rooftop bar. I've got friends in the area and we are always looking to sit outside and grab a cold one in the Summer. Can't wait for it to open so we can check it out and what should be an amazing view of the city! read more

When you're rollin' 12 deep with the Hells Belles, you end up at places that have brick walls, concrete floors, loud music, cold beer and the Orange, Pink and Green lines whizzing past a few feet from the windows. In other words, a real urban rock lair. The crowd here is great. Lots of imaginative outfits, piercings and tattoos. Which I like to observe, but not partake in - except for the interesting outfits, I'll do those. Leather pants are not out of place here - but are they ever out of place? No. This place has a vague Rockabillly, 50's vibe with pinball machines, beat up tables and interesting art on the walls. Lots of live music going on here too. They've got food, and while I didn't partake, I sampled my two friend's selections. Delicious-home made alphabet vegetable soup, very well seasoned and a GIANT bowl. I was here for a birthday party (see Windy City Rollers review) and this place seemed perfect for low-stress party planning. It was giant enough that you can just take over one of the larger tables with your group, set up the ol' Red Velvet (yum) cake and call it a night. Some sort of Actionbooth-type photo area was in effect. Wasn't sure if that was a standard feature, but it's always amusing at any rate. Bathrooms were clean, and only one toilet was plugged around the time I left 'round 12:30. Not bad odds, really, for a venue of this size and type. And I saw someone headed towards it as I exited (no, *I* did not plug it!) with a mop and pail, so the staff seems to be pretty diligent. Rumors of a CTA stop being built nearby abounded . . . that would be great, for expanding my transit-ridin' bubble. read more