I was treated to a dinner here by my girlfriend's family after another restaurant couldn't seat our group (mom, dad, 3 of 4 daughters, and two of us boyfriends), and while the boisterous and bustling, I felt right at home. I expect it's charming year-round, but if you're visiting in the winter, the holiday decorations will knock you to the floor! On top of that, the free jukebox cranking out golden oldie after golden oldie made it easy to want to hang around until you close the place down. (That said, if you're not the type to have loud conversations, maybe stick your head in to gauge volume before dining here). Bread came out, hot, steaming, and plentiful. You can absolutely fill up on it if you want (and you know you kinda want). But there's better waiting! The calamari calabrese style was delicious- tender, with a kick. Bruschetta was textbook, not soggy one bit. All entrees were enjoyed family style, so here are my quick hits: Bolognese with homemade cavatelli; good sauce, pasta definitely has a chew. Arribiata is not too spicy, a liiiittle thin. Tortellini (my nominee for the table) was tops, peas were perfect, and I loved that it was served with a vodka sauce. Frutti di mar and chicken vesuvio were as expected (not dishes that I typically lose my shirt trying to get a taste). Service throughout was prompt and polite, and we did in fact just about close the restaurant side down. Oh, and the company, naturally, was divine. read more

Being, now, a 5 year Chicago resident, I've been to over 100 restaurants here in this fine city and 90% have been really good to excellent. I've heard so much about Club Lucky, this "Old School" Italian restaurant with the best vodka martini in the city. With my wife away on a girls trip and all of my sons and friends scattered from hill to dale, I ventured over to Club Lucky by myself. As I parked my car I noticed the tour buses in front of a Club Lucky. That should have been a warning sign for me to - bail-out and go home; but, I didn't! As I walked into this restaurant, I found this place buzzing and packed to the gills. I was ushered to a very central scenic table and I went over their menu. Of course I got their famous martini. And it was definitely worth the hype. Now comes the unfavorable part of this review: My Caesar salad could have fed four people but it was lacking any whiff of garlic and what should have been anchovies, were sardines? Go figure? Oops #1 My rigatoni with veal meatballs was a tad better than Chef Boyardee, but not by much. Oops #2 What I'm happy to say is, all of the staff working here were very well trained and performed perfectly. The old school environment of this Italian restaurant was comfortable and pleasant. The vibe of this packed house was also excellent. But my dinner / food, was far from excellent. I'm sure, Ida from Iowa on that tour bus loved her Italian dinner. Me, not so much! read more

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Club lucky was pretty good! My favorite thing about this place was the atmosphere inside. It was super fun and lively and upbeat. The perfect place for dinner with friends! Our server was very fun too and leaned into the chaos that was serving me + 6 of my friends. The food portions were huge! We ordered a bunch of stuff and split all of it. My favorite was the green bean salad. The pastas were good too, I don't think you can go wrong! read more

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Before anything is said about Club Lucky, let me shout out Kennedy. Treating two famished fellas to dinner is raw, John scored a real one with you. After wrapping up next door at Narwhal Studios, we walked over to fill the tummy void. Italian, dim lights, that's family darling. While the atmosphere welcomed mob themed conversation, the ensuing experience proved a narc was in our midst. Not the waitress who laughed alongside us. Not the floor tile with the baked in nostalgia. But the spread? Yankees cap and overly friendly stranger type of tells. Beyond the chicken parm which my phone fell into (not my fault), the grub left much to be desired. It was okay, okay? It's okay to be mid if that price is low, otherwise our motion per dollar suffers. Minimal motion at Club Lucky. Good vibes though! read more

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Went here for dinner with friends after a few recommendations and it was amazing! The vibe inside was so cool and it truly felt like an authentic Italian kitchen. Every table was taken which goes to show how delicious this place was. Had two espresso martinis which were perfect and tasted rich and went down smooth. Shared the caesar, chicken parm, and ravioli with friends - but got the mozzarella sticks to start. The entrees were unreal, the chicken park was probably my fave. The cutlet was so crispy and the red sauce was amazing. The mozzarella sticks were so cheesy, crispy, and seasoned perfectly. Everything came out hot and our server checked up on us multiple times. Would love to go back and try more of the menu once I make another trip to Chicago. read more

Club Lucky - Caesar Salad, Chicken Parmigiana, Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is for the restaurant side, particularly late night reservations. We needed a late night reservation on a Friday night after a holiday concert and managed to get a reservation here through the waitlist. We were 10 min late but called and they told us that was fine but reminded us the kitchen closes at 11. Well it seems maybe they should not offer the late night reservation/seating. We got there and the hostess was super welcoming but then we were waiting for a waiter. He was friendly at first but then very scarcely seen after he told us we should order soon because the kitchen was closing. A bit ironic that he tells us this but doesn't come back for another 5-10 min. It turns out that saying the kitchen closes at 11 means all service ends despite having reservations up till 10:45. In the end the food was fine- my chicken Parm was very good, but the pasta with it was bland, and the tortellini was also very good, but my husband had asked for no peas and it was loaded with them and the waiter never checked in for us to say something. When he finally did come by he didn't ask us how ate meal was, just said briskly that he couldn't offer us dessert because the kitchen was closed. When I said I'd thought maybe it was premade he reluctantly said he'd check behind the counter. Why would he not start with that?? Then when I went to the bathroom he told my husband abruptly that he had to leave the dining room. He couldn't wait 2 min for me to come back to get my coat?? We're understand it was the timing but that is on them for allowing a reservation so late. The vibe definitely left ids disappointed. It will be a while before we try it again. read more

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What a great spot! A group of us went for dinner during a business trip and love that we came here vs the typical, generic bar and grill type restaurant. The service was friendly, attentive and fun. The food was like Italian home cooking. Great wine and martini selections. Prices were reasonable. Highly recommend! read more

It's weeks later and I'm still thinking about the green bean salad. I've been thinking to myself how do I replicate this at home?--it was that good. The green beans were blanched to perfection where they were still crunchy. The pasta was also delicious but the real star was how many types of olives that had to choose from for dirty martinis. My friend and I did not have a reservation on a Friday night and got in immediately in the bar area at a high top. Note: there is a separate host for the bar area and the rest of the restaurant (so be sure to see the bar host if they are packed that night). Overall, Club Lucky is a great place for a more American take on Italian food!!! Plus, it is walking distance from the Metra Clybourn stop coming from the NW Suburbs of Chicago. read more

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Excellent service. There's indoor seating at the bar and tables, and outdoor patio seating. They have a private room for reservations. 8 finger cavatellin$23.95- the marinara sauce is home made. The pasta is super thick and heavy, too chewy. I would pass on this. The pasta is small think short noodles. 3 Meatball with salad $16.95- salad is fine. The meatballs are made well and has nice flavor. Fried calamari $18.95- pretty good. The calamari was fried and slightly battered. It was not overly crispy read more

Club Lucky - Meatball Insalada - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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One of my favorite neighbourhood restaurants. We always order the salmon and the spumoni and would highly recommend both of them (I definitely have a spumoni bias). Salmon is one of my favorite things here on the menu. The pasta always deliver, GF options are limited though which is a downside. Stars is wonderful and we always find them very helpful when looking for suggestions. Ambiance is retro at the bar and cozy in the hall! Highly recommend for a weekday dinner if you are in the area or a weekend adventure to Bucktown with lunch or dinner here topped up with Spumoni read more

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First time here fighting through the Sunday scaries! Walked in and was able to sit at the bar! I wish I got his name but our curly haired brunette bartender was the nicest ever and truly made our experience great! He was so attentive, patient and kind and I would honestly come back to talk to him! Got the soup or the day and a couple drinks with my friend while watching the bears game and had a blast! Loved that this place had physical menus and the music was very old school Italian! The prices were not out of the ordinary for chicago and the house bread was great! Can't wait to go back ! Drinks ranged from $15-$18 bucks about! read more

Club Lucky - Sunday funday - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Best Italian restaurant in Bucktown. There's a reason this place has lasted for so long. Their service was amazing, and the food was huge portions and delicious! Big enough to share, even though you know you don't want to. Everything we have had there is amazing. I always recommend to anyone looking for great Italian food. read more

Club Lucky - Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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One of the coolest spots in the City of Chicago, and Bucktown. Club Lucky. Serving delicious traditional Italian cuisine, in an upscale casual fun environment. They have a lot of outdoor seating as well to enjoy great weather in Chicago. I love their calamari.! A fabulous place to come with friends, neighbors and everyone. Very family friendly earlier in the evening. Juke Box plays for free, so check out some great hits. Love the ambiance, love the entire vibe and people. Very friendly people, in an incredible neighborhood. They serve drinks late and I forgot to ask when the kitchen closes, but get in for dinner if you can. One of your must try stops in Chicago. Next to the 606, private pedestrian walkway and in a very busy area. Bucktown market is up the street for any convenient store needs. He has lotto and atm. Many wonderful boutique shopping nearby on Damen and also Milwaukee. Great place to enjoy the patio as well on a nice day in Chicago. They have ivy dispensary nearby as well. Definitely recommend club lucky and this amazing neighborhood! Enjoy read more

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I gotta admit... Club Lucky just didn't impress me. From the start, I was very overstimulated. Seated in their dining room, everything was SO LOUD, and I was really overwhelmed. There was so much going on around us it was hard to keep my focus on my group. It didn't start the dinner on the right note for me. The waters were refilled constantly, which was great. But the good kind of ends there... The food was really underwhelming and definitely more "American," if you will, rather than authentic Italian (I mean I could have told you that at "fried mozzarella"). I purposely chose the lasagna since it was one of the pasta dishes that claimed it was made with homemade pasta. Can confirm there's no way that pasta was homemade. It 100% resembled a squiggly and THICK boxed lasagna pasta, which was just disappointing when I was looking forward to thinner, soft, homemade pasta layers. And if anyone wants to tell me it was homemade, I will then say, if it is, it wasn't good. So what would you rather claim? Bad homemade pasta, or boxed pasta? (I'd go with the latter, personally). On top of that the service was mostly MIA. The server never made it to our table in a timely manner. Drinks were often empty before we were asked for refills, which required a lengthy wait time for refills/new drinks. Dishes were more than half eaten before she stopped by to check in. It's frustrating when you can't find your server or get their attention when you want it. She also offered 0 recommendations or conversation regarding the menu, just asked what we wanted when she stopped by. When I asked what kind of meat the bolognese was made with, she said "both." ...........both....of...what? read more

Got take out-- $65 for pasta and chicken caesar salad. Pasta was mediocre pasta, raw carrots, bland. Had to add salt, pepper and parm when I got home. Caesar salad w chicken was fine. Staff was Friendly and the inside is charming but yeah... value is just not there at all. read more

Still the best martinis in town! Kelsie was a great bartender too. I got my usual dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. Freshly stuffed as always. Yummy!! Tried the banana cocktail too. read more

Club Lucky - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I live within walking distance and have been here several times. It's always been decent, but not great. The atmosphere is kind of cool with an old school vibe. But I know it gets busy, and I know it gets loud. That's why for a 2nd date with someone I like, I made a reservation for the Club Room, which I didn't know existed until I saw it on Resy. I called Club Lucky directly to ask about it, and it's a smaller room in the back for private events as well as regular seating. They said it's quieter than the main room and there were no private parties (which tend to get loud) for the date in question, so I booked a table for 2 for that night. Upon arrival they sat us in the main dining room. I explained that I'd booked a table for the Club Room, and was told that nobody else was sitting there and they'd have to ask if a server would be okay with taking us. That seemed like a hassle, and like I was being picky on a 2nd date. Plus it was 6:30 on Wednesday, and the main room was half empty and not loud. So we took the table in the main room. I should've pushed back. The main room filled up quickly, and by 7pm we were both constantly repeating things because we couldn't hear each other. My date was just getting over a cold and, by the time I got home, I had a sore throat from yelling over the din of the crowd for 3 hours. How about you don't take reservations for a smaller, and quieter, room if the servers aren't willing to work that room? Our service was good, the food was decent (at best), and the entire experience was very unpleasant. It's a VERY loud place, they don't honor reservations correctly, and I won't be back. EDIT: NO Thomas K., the explanation was clearly stated. And it put me in the position of pushing back against an innocent (and very nice) server, or taking the table and dealing with the practically dance club-like volume once the room filled up. It's weird you don't know this, but there are simple ways to dampen the sound in your restaurant. A basic Google search on the topic will help. It's also weird for you to comment on my personal life / date. read more

Club Lucky was Donna's choice Saturday night. Kind of a classic Italian place with a loud, boisterous dining area and the bar full of the younger set trying what looks like a very interesting cocktail menu. (I had beer) My choice was the fusilli bolognese. Nicely al dente pasta with a rich, meaty red sauce. Layered flavors of veal, beef and mildly spiced gravy topped with creamy ricotta dolce. It was pretty damn good! Donna got a special- pasta in a rich cream sauce with tenderloin chunks. She succinctly pronounced it yummy. I want to try the lasagna next time. Only have a picture of the fusilli. read more

Club Lucky - Fusillii bolognese - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for a birthday and we sat outside on the patio it's really nice! Service was great our server was so nice. Pasta primavera was not my favorite, very mild flavoring but the salad was really good! read more

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I really love club lucky! It's a great neighborhood spot whether you're going for family night, drinks and apps in the bar area or sitting at the bar with a dirty martini. It's something for everhone with one of the best dirty martinis in the city and solid Italian food. I'd come back over and over for the amaretto cheesecake! Service is always solid too! read more

Club Lucky - Dirty martini - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

3.5/5, super cool retro environment with fun music and vibes. The service was great, he recommended some really good dishes and drinks! We got the cabrese as an app which was delicious and then got the shrimp scampi and bolognese. Both were pretty good and hit the spot, but nothing crazy. Would say it's quite pricey / overpriced for what the food is though read more

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Been a while since we came here with our family. This place is loud, and busy. You feel like you are at your Grandmas for the Holidays. The food is authentic, with their homemade pastas. My favorite dishes are the eggplant parmigiana and stuffed artichokes. Hubby ordered the lasagna. Hidden gem. read more

Club Lucky - Eggplant Parmigiana, Whole Stuffed Artichoke, Tortellini, Lasagna Marinara, Chicken Vesuvio, Caesar Salad. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm an espresso martini fan, and the ones at Club Lucky are in my top three in Chicago. The food is great, very authentic Italian. I go there about twice a month and we always get a seat at the bar. If it's just two of you, I'd recommend just showing up, since they're always fully booked with reservations. read more

Club Lucky - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When you enter Club Lucky you are transported to a New York-1920s-Italian restaurant with the red leather seats, dimly lit ambiance and martinis on every table. The ambiance is so fun and the space is large inside. They bring out complimentary bread which was delicious. Service was great! I ordered the breaded veil and my fiancé ordered the chicken parm. Both fantastic choices. Will definitely come back! read more

Club Lucky - Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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In town visiting our Sons, and hadn't been to Club Lucky in a long time. Great little Italian place, kinda hidden in a neighborhood. It's rather loud, but what good Italian place isn't. Ordered calamari for appetizer. Awesome, as always. I ordered their homemade lasagna for dinner. I've never tried it in past visits. It was delicious. Wife ordered stuffed artichoke. It too was amazing. In fact, we had 6 people in our group, all ordered different dishes. All were exceptional. Service was just as great as the food. I highly recommend this place. read more

Club Lucky - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The ambiance gives old classic Italian dinner. The food was pretty decent. I got the scallop special and it was a little too fishy tasting. The service was OK. Once it got busy, it was difficult to get ahold of our server but would go again. Classic Italian food but nothing out of this world. The ambiance and vibes tho are cool so would go again read more

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Feel like we got "Lucky" with this place. We needed a late night dinner and I found this place on Google. They sat us at a great table in a back room with only a few other tables in it. The waiter was really friendly and gave me a great steer on this snowy night towards a Manhattan; it was perfect. This restaurant is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside, so we were super impressed at how good the service was considering how crowded the restaurant was. Our meals came quickly and hot. Everything was delicious and we walked out extremely satisfied. I can't wait to come here again. read more

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I went with a couple friends recently to Club Lucky; one of them found it online and said they had high reviews. Like others said, the ambiance was great; very retro and old school. Service was fine. I think my expectations may have been too high but I wasn't a fan of the food. I ordered the veal marsala and was expecting the sauce to be...thicker? It was very thin. The dish overall lacked flavor. My friends felt the same about their respective dishes. read more

Club Lucky - Veal Marsala - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love the environment, the food, and omg Courtney! She was our host and was so lovely and just knew we were going to have a great dinner! The service was fantastic, great place to come for dinner with friends during a nice day or indoor. I'll be back soon!! read more

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I went really excited to try Club Lucky after some quite favorable reviews from some friends. In retrospect, those reviews really did focus around the bar, the atmosphere, the vibe and less so on the food itself. I ended up leaving rather disappointed by the food and have definitely had better Italian food. We started with some drinks which were quite good. Service was slow to bring them out but of course happy to ask if we wanted another round before we had even finished. I definitely appreciate how much is home made, how you can see the bakery and see into the kitchen and the homemade pastas are definitely better than some of their other options. But at the end of the day it all tasted very OK - very Americanized casual Italian. None of it was distinctive or different in any way. There are simply plenty of better Italian options around the city. I will say the venue is great though, love the diner vibe, the front room with the stools at the bar is classic. Just wish the food lived up to the venue. read more

I wanted to love this place but just didn't! The server wasn't the best but maybe she was having a bad day. Trying to give her the benefit of the doubt I tried being optimistic. The Alfredo was mid & chicken on top was not good quality. The ambiance was not good it was so loud inside the seating area of the restaurant & overall just not my personal vibe. Probably would not go back but I could see this being a fun place for a large group. read more

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This place has vintage charm, no doubt. You half expect a Sinatra song to start playing as you walk in. But while the vibe is nostalgic in a good way, the food feels stuck in a time capsule--back when iceberg lettuce was fancy and no one questioned what "extra virgin" actually meant. The dishes lean heavy, like they're still competing with 1990s portion trends, not today's ingredient-conscious crowd. And the drinks? Strong enough to knock your socks off--but balance? Not so much. Think more "Uncle Tony's wedding bar" than craft cocktail. If you're into retro atmospheres but expect modern quality, you might walk out feeling like the vibe was the best part of your meal. read more

Visited this cute Italian restaurant with some friends, while in Chicago for work. The food was flavorful, substantial and delicious. Would recommend! read more

Club Lucky - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Recently moved into the neighborhood and was looking for a casual, neighborhood Italian place to take my parents from out of town. Club Lucky hit the spot, we loved dining on their outdoor side patio and appreciated the heat lamps even though the weather was perfect. Our family loves a good bread basket, so appreciated the one here with some olive oil! We tried their pasta e fagioli soup- the broth was great but the pasta in it was a bit mushy. We also shared the bacon wrapped fig special, which was yummy but bacon could have been thinner / not as fatty, and baked clams. For mains, I had a special mezzaluna pasta stuffed with veal in a cream sauce with red peppers, mushroom and peas. It was delightful, not too heavy despite the cream sauce and the pasta was cooked just right. Grab your extra bread for dipping! My husband had the pasta squares with meatballs - zero complaints. I do wish they would swap out the fake ground Parmesan and table pepper for fresh and freshly grated, truly an easy way to elevate the meal. Also do not miss out on the dirty martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives, perfection. Looking around the patio there were martinis all around. Service was pretty good, our waters were never empty and small plates were quickly swapped out. Our waiter was much more present early on and then later in the meal, which is fine we weren't waiting on anything and didn't feel rushed. I would definitely come back. read more

This was my first time at Club Lucky and we sat on the patio and ordered the chopped salad, calamari, chicken parm, 8 finger cavatelli and everything was absolutely phenomenal!!!!! The bread served first was so fresh and warm as well! We went for a "friendaversary" and our amazing waiter Constantine brought us some tiramisu!!!(gotta celebrate the little things!) he was so helpful when we were deciding what to order and was so genuine. I can't recommend this place enough! read more

Club Lucky - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Club Lucky is an institution in the Chicago Bucktown neighborhood. It's the perfect combination of excellent Italian fare in a hip, vintage lounge scene. @clubluckychicago It combines the feel of a 1940's cocktail lounge with a supper club featuring authentic Sicilian cooking. This is why it's one of my favorite places of all time. Post up to the bar for a Manhattan or Martini alongside some gorgeous homemade bread, roasted garlic and a bowl of their epic marinara sauce for dipping (or gravy as my family calls it). That's just heaven!!! When entering, you walk into a time warp of the Rat Pack era wondering if Frank and Dino are following behind you. The vintage decor captures the martini and cigar atmosphere perfectly. The bar area is an exact replica of the original room, as it was in 1938. Martinis are shaken, not stirred, and are made from one of 21 vodkas, eight gins, and olives hand-stuffed with cocktail onions, anchovies, pimentos or blue cheese. The Manhattan's are some of the best you will ever have and the healthy pour is unmistakable and quite appreciated. My cocktail buddies call that kind of pour a kiddie pool. The jukebox is filled with Rat Pack tunes and swing bands to set a mood chicagoans have loved for over 35 years. Next time you're in Chicago go check out some of the best bartenders and vibe around. Salute read more

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Stopped by yesterday afternoon for a light snack while on a lovely walk. I found a great table in the shade- perfect for a sunny, slightly cool Chicago afternoon. I saw a number of customers with a colorful beverage in front of them- my fabulous server, informed me it was an Aperol Spritz. Had to order! So refreshing and light. They brought me some fresh warm bread and then took my lunch order. I had the grilled calamari appetizer- it was a unique presentation. Fresh cut peppers, tomatoes, onions and capers on top of the tender calamari. It was the perfect combination with the drink! My server came to check on me often, refilling my water. I have been to this restaurant a number of times and was happy to make another visit during my travels! read more

Club Lucky - Aperol Spritz - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A loyal patron for over 20 years! You can't go wrong here at Club Lucky! Great Italian food and the drinks are brimming with care! I love this place and so will you. Make reservations if you're planning a weekend dinner - this spot is popular and busy. read more

Ambience great... food good... service went from hovering over as we enjoyed our first cocktail asking if we're ready to order numerous times..... to being non-existent! When we were able to get her attention to order... she was down right rude. Never experienced this in all the yrs I've been coming here. Sat in bar area and I believe our servers name was Alina .. (she never introduced herself) . read more

Built slam-bam on the corner of a north side Chicago neighborhood, the building and decor are true vintage. There's no contrived pre-engineered charm at Club Lucky, it's real 40's vibe like time standing still. Ate with a large group on a busy Saturday night, there were more wait staff per square foot than any restaurant I've ever eaten at. The service was very professional and efficient. Drinks were well crafted, fresh hot bread, quality Italian sausage, crisp fresh salads, doughy 8-finger pasta, fine chicken with gravy and peas, creamy cannoli with crunchy shells. Great experience, just don't look at the bill. Like everything else in Chicago, your gonna pay for it. read more