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    Bub City

    3.7 (1.3k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 1 month ago

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    BUB CITY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Loud
    Casual
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - Bub City

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    Reviews With Photos

    Pulled Heritage Pork Shoulder
    Joey L.

    Came here on a Saturday night just before the band was going to play, the atmosphere was great and can guess it would be even better with the live music, we got seated right away. There were a lot of TVs to watch on. For food, I got the pork shoulder pulled pork plate, and the food came right away, in about 5 minutes which I wasn't expecting. So the service is super fast. The pulled pork was super tasty especially with some bbq poured over it, some of the best I've had in Chicago so far. Highly recommend this place for a lovely atmosphere and definitely try to come when there is a band

    Milkshake
    Stacie J.

    Came across Bub City via DoorDash and glad I did! The tater tots were crispy and the hamburger was seasoned very well. I appreciate that they took the time to package my order so items didn't shift and not one spill of my Oreo milkshake. My friend loves burgers so when she comes to town will make a stop to check out the location. Definitely a return customer!

    Mac N Cheese With Pulled Pork!
    Parker G.

    I love Bub City DOWN!!! One of my favorite places for bites, drinks, and hanging out in the River North Area! We were staying nearby while in Chicago, so it was one of our first stops of our stay for dinner and some drinks. The Mac N Cheese with pulled pork added to it HITS! Soooo silky smooth, creamy, delicious, and a great contrast in textures between the cheesy mac and the pulled pork. The drinks here are also tasty and strong! We stopped by a few more times during our stay to hang out and grab a drink. It's also very easy to order and service is always prompt. We also returned just before heading to the airport for returning to LA and got their All-American Burger and more of the delectably delicious Mac N Cheese!! Neither disappointed and totally hit the spot! I absolutely recommend this spot to anyone looking in the River North area of Chicago.

    Brunch drinks menu, featuring happy hour
    Molly M.

    I've been to Bub City between five and 10 times over the past 5 to 10 years. I've never had a bad experience. Most recently I came here for brunch. I ordered a bloody Mary, fried pickles, and the hub 51 nachos. My friend had a bloody Mary as well and the pastrami hash. All the food was fantastic, and the brunch happy hour six dollar drinks are such an amazing deal. The standout part of our experience was our server, who was so incredibly pleasant and sweet and helpful. Wish I could remember her name but she was awesome. Bob city is a solid place for food or drinks or live music. Very fun and cute atmosphere too. Highly recommend.

    Nachos
    Sydney H.

    Not only is Bub City one of my favorite bars in Chicago, I recently discovered they have great food too!!!!! The chicken sandwich was amazing and huge, plenty to share. We also tried the nachos and coleslaw which we didn't love as much as the sandwich, but they were still good. The atmosphere on the inside is the classic all american country vibe - the perfect place to whip out your cowboy boots!!! We went for happy hour / dinner, but they have live music most nights starting later (around 9 or 10 I think), so would be a great place for a late dinner and then stay for the live music when it turns into more of a bar. I have loved this bar for awhile, I'm so glad I discovered their good food too!!!!

    Kari O.

    Foods pretty good, American food. The staff is attentive and sweet. It does get loud in the evening. The burger used to be on a happy hour deal but the drinks are strong and cold. The black porch tea and the lemonade vodka are both delicious and on the sweeter side. The tenders were pretty standard and fries are good. Unfortunately one time my father got food poisoning here which is why I'm giving 4 stars. Happens everywhere I understand but was sad it happened when we were all downtown.

    Back Porch Tea & Easy Peasy Lemonade (a mix of both)
    Arielle J.

    After stopping by finishing a happy hour nearby, I was left feeling underwhelmed by the service. Unfortunately our bartender almost felt like he did not want to be bothered. However, the drink I had was very good. The interior has a rustic vibe. I had a drink that was a mix between the Back Porch Tea & Easy Peasy Lemonade. It was good mix and strong! Just how I like my drinks. Due to the service, I would be reluctant to visit again.

    Brisket Burnt Ends - Available Friday - Sunday Only $24.95 side Cole Slaw
    Joelle M.

    Not impressed: service was on point and tv's had MLB and minor league and there was country music playing. Wisconsin old fashion -very good. Strawberry margarita spritz-super mix flavor not strawberry flavor ( mixed w/water to finish) Burnt ends -decent, 4-5 chunks, bbq sauce should complement meat and served on the side. Cole slaw plus some other side should be included ( 1/2 cup of something). Mac n cheese was good , too much for 1 serving good for (2). Added 4.95 chopped brisket, 2 slices on top w/out bbq sauce . Skillet cornbread n whipped honey butter was the best thing ordered. Literally melts in your mouth when sliced in half and added butter. $86 + $15 tip. Our most expensive meal this weekend and just ok bbq.

    Marfa
    Kiaya S.

    Sarah was our phenomenal waitress! This place has pretty good food, great service and a gorgeous patio area that is dog friendly ( and Cooper approved)! We got a maple shot, delicious, burnt ends ( wouldn't get these again if you've had the real thing from Texas), the fried pickles and ranch were phenomenal and the pancake was amazing!!!! The margs are strong and amazing!!! Will go back again and again

    Amy D.

    The women's bathroom stall is really something... All that aside, Bub City is pure energy! A country bar with live music and a vibe you won't find anywhere else in the area. Whether you're dancing near the stage or just soaking in the scene, Bub City is just fun for a night out! -AT

    Mac and cheese
    Deedrah B.

    Fun, vibrant, lively spot! I came here with a few coworkers to continue our happy hour festivities. We actually were planning to do karaoke here but we got the nights mixed up unfortunately. We ended up stayiing for a round anyway and I don't regret it! We sat at a large booth semi-tucked away but still facing the rest of the venue. I really enjoyed the ambiance, volume, and decorations here. Our server was very friendly and took our order right away. I was a little disappointed to see they only had canned wine, but when I asked, she said they did have prosecco by the glass, which definitely came in clutch for me! My colleagues got an assortment of seltzers and beer, and we did end up doing a lemon drop shot together. One of them also ordered a side of mac and cheese, which was massive and we were easily able to share that. It was also delicious, super cheesy, came out piping hot - definitely not the boxed Kraft nonsense you give to your kids! I had a great time here and can only imagine how much fun karaoke would be- they did have a live band on the night that we went, and that was still great entertainment!

    Whiskey Flight
    Vincent Y.

    Solid Hickory Smoked chicken wings. They were hot and crispy. The service at the bar was great. I really liked the Barrels of Whiskey flight they had. Also live karaoke on a Wednesday night is cool.

    Brisket Burnt Ends - Available Friday - Sunday Only
    Arnold B.

    WE LOVE YOU BUB CITY!!! I only heard about this place last year and it has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago! I have never had a bad meal here. The BBQ is probably my favorite in the city. The meat is so tender and the sides are amazing, I would recommend the cornbread! The vibes here are truly immaculate and the servers are so nice. 10/10 would recommend!!!

    Butterscotch Pudding

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    1 year ago

    Stopped here for a quick drink on st.pattys weekend. The bar was chill and a nice stop in a cluster of bars.

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    Bub City Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Bub City

    Does the music play all evening?

    Tonight the band goes on at 11pm till 2:30am. Hope this is helpful… Read more

    Are there TV's to watch the BEARS game?

    Yes great place to watch a game

    Is there live music everyday or every weekend?

    Hey Mysel, thanks for reaching out! We pretty much have live music every night. You can check out our live music calendar on our website. Every Tuesday we do live band karaoke which is always a lot of fun!

    Hi do you have gluten free options?

    Hey Wendi, we sure do! We have some dishes that are already gluten free as well as some items that can be slightly modified to accommodate a gluten allergy. Please just alert your server of your allergy when you come in and they will walk you… Read more

    Is there any outdoor seating?

    Hey Anna, There sure is. We have a great patio out front!

    Do you have to be 21 to go here?

    Hey Wendi, thanks for reaching out. We are all ages until 10pm, then we become 21+.

    View All 9 Questions

    Review Highlights - Bub City

    I'm not a super big fan of country music but even if you arent, the food is so worth it.

    Mentioned in 99 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    (154 reviews)

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    This is by far the cheapest regular drink price I've seen in a while and the setting is very…read moreintimate. The lighting is good, it's just right, not too bright, and perfect for dating or just for a casual hangout with friends. At busy hours usually there is often a line so do be aware of that. I also tried their ceviche; this is also very flavorful, very good. We couldn't finish the chips and drinks. I tried almost all of their gin drinks; they are definitely my go-to so highly recommend

    Came here after seeing they made the 2026 North America's 50 Best Bars list and realizing I've…read morenever been! It was about a 45 minute wait for a seat at the bar, so we just walked around until they texted us. They do not take reservations and it's first come first serve, which I actually appreciate nowadays in a world where reservations have become the norm and it can be impossible sometimes to even try certain restaurants/bars. Upon entering, I loved the vintage vibe. They serve French-inspired food and have a long cocktail menu filled with their versions of classics. Their prices are cheap for Chicago ($12 for each cocktail), especially for a bar located downtown. The service was great and we were in and out pretty fast. I tried the Clover Club and it was strong but good. I also tried the Milk Punch and it was so delicious!! I would definitely come back just for that drink. We also got the frites fromage as a snack before eating dinner somewhere else. The fries were perfectly crispy and fresh. The bowl of cheese on the side was also a great amount to really cover each fry in it. The cheese sauce was so delicious that you could eat spoonfuls of it, which might be why they put a spoon on the plate (I'm definitely guilty of eating a spoonful of cheese when we ran out of the fries).

    Ila's Restaurant & Bar

    Ila's Restaurant & Bar

    (57 reviews)

    Near North Side

    We weren't planning on stopping in here but it looked cute from the outside! We went after happy…read morehour on a Friday and sat at the bar. Our bartender Miguel was awesome! Super friendly and nice, we chat with him for a while. Our drinks were delicious! We also had some shots, shoutout Miguel, that tasted like a margarita. Very cute inside, would come back!

    Very cute interior, great service, lively atmosphere, definitely hit the mark on elevated casual…read more We were able to get dinner reservations on the day of. For parking you definitely should use Spothero or ParkWhiz, as it's in a very busy/lively part of River North. We loved meeting the owner who was chatting with and checking on guests in the dining room. The menu was really creative and sounded amazing, totally up my alley, so was super excited to try Ila's out for the first time. Unfortunately, and it pains me to say this, but the food itself was a miss for me, and the prices felt steep for the portions. We ordered the empanada duo, grilled scallops, birria lamb pierogis, and sweet corn agnolotti, then the Japanese cheesecake and drip coffee. The positives were that everything tasted fresh, and the flavors of the dishes were good ~ especially the empanadas, scallops, and agnolotti. The main issue was the texture of some of the foods. Other than the empanada (which had a great texture and flavor), the agnolotti and pierogi dough were not right ~ thick, rubbery, and dry, which was exacerbated by not having enough consommé for the pierogis. And the coffee - it honestly tasted like Folgers (though I'll give them the benefit of the doubt) - which took me aback as it was a $7 drip coffee. I'm not discounting Ila's and I truly wish them success. But I think there's some work to be done in terms of execution.

    O'Callaghan's - Waffle chili cheese fries

    O'Callaghan's

    (314 reviews)

    $$

    Near North Side

    Sat at the bar because it was Friday night and the tables were all taken. I liked the variety of…read moremusic, the ambience, the atmosphere....and the burger and fries! That burger----was SOOOO GOOD (Char Burger) and the waffle fries were kind of crispy- good! They had an NBA game playing on the tvs. Service from both bartenders was great- Our main server had great attention to detail. (realized they forgot the mustard without me saying anything) All in all- great! (Skip the fish and chips- get the char burger!)

    I came in with three friends and we grabbed a high-top table. We ordered a few rounds and…read moreeverything was going fine. Toward the end of the night, two of my friends left, and the remaining two of us paid our bill and were finishing our drinks while waiting for our Uber. At that point, the bartender came over and told us she needed our table for a large group. The table wasn't reserved, and we were clearly just finishing up. We told her we were about to leave anyway, but the way it was handled felt really abrupt and rude. What made it worse was that she immediately brought a group over to take our table, and even they were apologizing to us because they seemed uncomfortable with how it was handled. I've worked in bars and restaurants myself, so I completely understand needing to manage space, but there's a way to do it respectfully, and this wasn't it. Unfortunately, this experience left a bad impression, and despite having been here multiple times before, I won't be returning.

    Bub City - bbq - Updated May 2026

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