Matilda appears to be your standard corner bar...but once you walk in you have to do a double take because the decor is crazy cool. At first it feels like a funkified neighborhood bar, but the secret lies in the downstairs bar - BabyAtlas. If you dare to venture down the steeper than steep staircase...you will find this area is fantastic for private parties. Not only do you have your own private bar...but they also let you play your own music via iPod! BabyAtlas can usually only be reserved for a few hours and then it is open to the general public. The crowd tends to be a little older (mid 20's-30's). The exception being when there is a show at the Vic...then you may get a post show overflow. Overall, definitely worth checking out with some friends. read more

Partner and I stopped in Friday to use our YELP Deal. It was very early, just after 5PM, we weren't positive the place was even open. There were definitely more staff than customers for most of our stay. We were presented with the two menus, ethanol and sustenance, promptly by a very friendly waitress. They have a very respectable list of libations we chose to stick with beer but they did have a wine list which I thought complimented their food selections (for future reference). We ordered the wrap appetizer which arrived nicely plated, crisply wrapped, and filled with a balance of sharpness from the blue cheese, smokiness from the bacon and sweetness from the pear. Partner ordered the tempura chicken wrap with buffalo sauce. He has declared it good; he was sweating a tad. I ordered the pork. It was a beautiful plate. The chop was thick smokey sweet juicy example of porcine goodness. It was a tad salty for my taste, but the overall judgment is that it was quite tasty. It came with a cup of their daddy mac, a baked macaroni and cheese with bacon and jalapeno, and fresh steamed vegetables. The portions of each were ample; the plate as a whole was a large meal. (for 50% more one can double the pork). We were too full to try a dessert, but given the the success on the first two courses, we wouldn't have hesitated otherwise. We liked liked the space the staff and the food/drink. We'll be back. read more

Came here on Thursday with a friend. It wasn't too busy but it was a great atmosphere to catch up and have a relaxing dinner and some glasses of wine. My friend had the mac and cheese which was the large portion and half of it filled her up. I had the tacos which were great as well. We didn't have anything to complain about! read more

My lady and I actually rented our apartment next door to "Matty's" because we love it so. The service, food and beer are standard. What makes it hot is a) $1 fish taco Tuesday, and b) baby motherfucking atlas downstairs. Wanna get some wine with your girlfriends after work? Be careful...you might find yourself downstairs in baby atlas, drinking well vodka out of plastic goblets and requesting MJ. Yikes. read more

You may come for the neat nighttime/moon decor and large tv's but your good first impression will soon be ruined by awful customer service and lackluster food. Terrible service was apparently due to being short staffed according to our waitress but she wasn't really hustling to make up for it. The food was decent - try the coat cheese appetizer. But stay away from the flavorless burgers. Very small portions considering price points. Skip this place and try another. read more

Great drinks--Kerry Bomb is my favorite. Good food and cool atmosphere. The stairs going down to the bathroom are crazy steep, so watch your step. read more

I came here for my boyfriends birthday today. Absolutely awful service. We waited over an hour for our food and the place was pretty empty. There was only one waiter and he came by once in the entire time we were there to refill drinks. To top it off, the food came out cold and it was very mediocre at best. I would never recommend this to anyone and would never come back here. One of the worst restaurants I've ever been to overall. read more

I ordered the prime steak burrito.... It was just OK.... The guac is really bad... Too many ingredients for guac. Also tried the grilled cheese..... Not recommending it at all! Wife ordered a burger.... For 12.00 they give you a Patty the size of a McDonald's cheeseburger.... Maybe just a little bigger. Our friends order was not even placed so she had to wait an extra 15min for her order. The server did not charge which was nice of him......... I will never come here again! Service was NOT an issue. He was a good guy but the food is not that good. read more

GREAT neighborhood bar/ restaurant. The fried Brussels sprouts are worth coming alone. $4 drafts on Monday's and great deals all week long.

Great vibe, right across from Studio Be & by the Vic. I love the intimate lighting and tables, star lights, and the fact that I had NO idea there was this awesome dance club right down stairs! It's a bar AND a club, but you'd never know it... :) Also great cocktail, wine, and beer selection. read more

I go to this place on a fairly regular basis because it's down the street from my apartment. DELICIOUS food - steak salad to die for and desserts that will not fail you. Really cool dark atmosphere and on the weekends the downstairs opens up into a dance party (totally fun when you're in the mood for it)! Now for the service - love the staff. Real chill, nice, laid back people. I always sit at the bar and the bartenders are great. HOWEVER (and this is the reason I'm writing the review) I go in there a couple weeks ago and the "bouncer/door guy" DOESN'T EVEN LOOK UP FROM HIS PHONE! He's sitting there texting, puts his hand out for our i.d.'s, looks at them, hands them back, and literally didn't look up until i laughed because I couldn't believe what was happening. So I proceed to sit at the bar and I look over and he's still sitting there on his freakin' phone - KICKS the door open for a customer coming in - doesn't even get up to open the door. UHM HELLO??? You're the first person a customer sees when they walk into a bar. Have some freaking social skills. I really couldn't believe it. It bugged me the whole night. I have no tolerance for people like that. Put the phone away... you're at work and you're not getting paid to text - you're getting paid to make a good impression and please customers or better yet screen people to make sure they're 21. He didn't even look at me after looking at my i.d. - for all he knew I could have been someone totally different than what my i.d. was. Okay. Venting over. Matilda is still a cool spot. read more

I had been told that I needed to check out this place so when the opportunity arose, I seized it and I am so glad that I did. This place was really fun! The music totally rocked, the people were really fun, and the drinks were reasonably priced. I'm kinda tired of people rendez-vousing at places with $7 drinks, so this was great. I don't live in the neighborhood so I won't be there often, but in the future I will happily meet my friends there or head over there if in the neighborhood. read more

They have a pretty respectable beer list for a wrigleyville bar...but I was subjugated to taking tequila shots. Oh... the sacrifices I keep my friends happy and sloppy. The upstairs is pretty cute, a few couches and chairs. The spot by the window is the best, lots of space and quieter more private. However...of course I ended up spending most of my time downstairs...where it looks just like any other hot, STD filled Wrigley bar. read more

Just came by for a quick drink while waiting for our seats at DMK. The cocktails were a bit overpriced for nothing too special but they did have some cheap beer options. The decor and service were meh and it was kind of sad that my 22 year old friend passing by could not come in. Oh well. I totally understand not wanting a bunch of young and crazy DePaul kids coming and making it loud. read more

Matilda's is a place I feel like I should like, but I'm not too fond for some reason. I can't give a solid reason why not--the decor's interesting and diverse, it's spacious enough and fun for exploring, drinks are okay, etc., but when someone suggests we go there, I'm still reluctant. read more

It's easy to understand why there is a love/hate reaction to this place. Nothing remarkable about Matilda's but it's not sucktastic either. If you want to grab a beer, it's a solid choice. read more

2.5 stars. Had a show at The Vic and I wanted to come here for nostalgia's sake. Hadn't been in years and years - all I could remember was the crazy steep staircase that leads to the restrooms downstairs (which I skipped this time around). The beers were nice and cold. My club sandwich and fries were OK. Our server was eh, kind of slow to bring drinks and not all that friendly, but I think she had a bunch of tables. The crowd was 30ish, and the music was 80's/ 90's awesome. Big thumbs up for the music! The rest was kind of take or leave... read more

This joint has a really good vibe and seems to be a cross between Belmont kids and Lincoln Parkers sick of places like Cherry Red. The dark interior is perfect; there's enough light to clearly see what you are eating and drinking (but not much more). Our bartender was quiet but always ready with the next drink and open to questions. Cheese fries are a must (real cheese, not sauce) and the steak salad--with accompanying jalapeno pesto, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes--ridiculously good. The wine and martinis, while a bit high-priced, are delicious; try the Pinot Noir. Only jukebox in Chicago where I've seen the Snow Patrol album (among other 'rarities'). read more

This place looked so cute from the outside with it's star-shaped lights and all. I had high hopes and they weren't exactly met. Our waitress was snobby and the drinks were expensive. The stairs (which lead to the bathrooms) are way too steep. I'm not intimidated by places that think they're cool, but the atmosphere here just didn't sit right. We had one round and left for greener pastures. read more

I liked the bar and so do many others. Saturday night and very crowded & HOT! It's 40 outside but 80 in here. Nice beer selection & good bartenders that are happy to serve. But don't drink to many because you'll need your wits about you to scale down & climb back up what has to be the steepest stairs I have ever encountered. Why? Because that's where the bathrooms are. read more

Why did it take me 40 minutes to discover that this dive bar housed a hip hop room downstairs. The gods of MUSIC rescued me. The DJ below rocked the jams all night long. The drinks were huge... not sure what was in them but tons of folks had em. Great first date spot cause once your date starts to bore you... Voila -- take you ass down stairs to shake a tale feather. read more

Cute place, cool vibe. Really like the atmosphere at Matilda.

Before moving away from Chicago, my girlfriend and I wanted to have one final blowout to say goodbye to all our friends. We chose Matilda for a variety of reasons. We contacted the bar about a month out, and were connected with Matt. Emails went back and forth, and he was extremely helpful in getting everything set up. We even had a special request to show a video, and he went over and above to make sure we were able to do so. Everything was set to go, and then surprise! Due to a rained out game and a subsequent win, there was an unexpected Cubs post-season (away) game the same night as our party. Then there was a torrential downpour that same night. The universe seemed to be working against us --it could have been a disaster. But even with all the madness, Matt still honored our arrangement and everything went off without a hitch. And he helped us show our video during the game -- and we didn't get lynched. Other than them getting my first name wrong on our "reserved" signs, everything went perfectly. The staff was awesome. It was a great send-off and we couldn't be happier we chose Matilda. read more

I like the space and their menu. Unfortunately I had a bad experience as I was there on game night and it took ONE HOUR AND A HALF for them to bring me my hot dog and French fries. I kid you not. One hour and a half. What tells me it was just because of the occasion is that my server felt bad and profusely apologized, but still, I couldn't even enjoy my food because I legit inhaled it due to how starving I was. Still a great looking neighborhood bar though. read more

Just seemed like an average neighborhood bar. Nothing really blew me away about it. It doesn't seem like they get a lot of people, which can be good or bad depending on what you were looking for. Actually, it's more of a lounge than a bar. And yes, watch out for the scary, scary stairs. read more

Went here for a friend's birthday party. This place in general seemed to attract a younger crown than I'm used to - I guess it is more relaxed than your typical college-ish bar that you'd find a few blocks further north, though. Drinks were fine here, most importantly they had Goose Island Matilda on tap. Mmm. Good beer. read more

$Good 5 chicken wings on Thursdays, great music, good service, nice ambiance.

I can't believe I've never reviewed Matildas. This place is great to meet friends, have a bday party, or take out a first date. I like the little dance floor downstairs. Also, this bar is usually filled with happy people and beautiful women that actually want to be there. When Yelp had their discount for Matilda's, I swooped it up. Go here and have a blast. read more

We came here to celebrate my friend's 23rd birthday, because there's a sign on the door stating you must be 23 to enter. She was super pumped to finally be able to go to Matilda's, and they really do check your age. Best seat is in the front by the fireplace. There's a good selection of draft beers, and the cocktails are pretty strong. Food here is not bad, but I would prefer to just come for drinks. read more

This is the worst bar within walking distance of my home. The service here was horrible. The bartenders were speedy but incredibly rude. Tried more than one bartender and they were both equally. Don't come here if you want to be respected as a human. 11/3 talk dark man in a hat and a pale woman with a dark unintentionally messy bun. Moscow mule had zero vodka in it. My entire party of 5 were individually treated like shit. Tried to expand my horizons and was severely disappointed. Won't be back. read more

My first experience at Matilta's was sort of confusing. I went with a few friends that were 22 and the sign says must by 23 to enter. I thought it was funny at first but then it was awkward because I wasn't sure if it was serious and if my friends could come in. I didn't think they could do that. But whatever the case, they did let everyone in. I think it is more of a joke but I am still not really sure. The rest of the night was really fun. Downstairs had a great dance party going on, which I love. But it is really scary trying to go down those steep stairs. Seriously, you need a buddy to go down those stairs if you are at all drunk. The upstairs is nice too because it is more relaxed and you can talk with people and not have to worry about shouting over the music. All in all, a good all around bar. Also, if you like going to Brew and View or if you are at the Vic for a concert, it is right down the street. read more

Matilda's is fun, the atmosphere is cool, and they have an upstairs and a downstairs bar. My favorite drink I discovered there is called "Sofia" it is champagne in a pink can with a bendy straw. Sounds cheesy, but totally fun. read more

This is a pretty cool little place. It has good food and good drinks all surrounded by a very unique ambience. If you are hungry and want some beers, or just want the beers... give it a shot. read more

Great beer selection and decent food selection and even better music. I was a little curious why people were having pizza delivered to the bar, but decided to get the chicken wings anyway. There were a ton of them on the plate and the sauce was great, unfortunately the wings themselves were a little dry. The downstairs is pretty interesting as well, with the additional bar and dance room... read more

Matildas is quite possibly my new favorite bar. Lots of space. Away from the horrible Wrigleyville scene. Great staff! And now with pH Productions across the street I can hang out somewhere awesome after shows. Side note: great cheese fries and wings!! read more

Basement dance party was hot as hell-- in the good way and the bad way. Great DJ down there and the bartender allowed me to collaborate on a new cocktail-- super fun is even more fun when it's served in a plastic chalice. When we first arrived, we were the only group down there, but within an hour it was a hot, sweaty pack of dancing bodies. I would definitely go back. read more

Like the ambiance, but skip the bar food. The nachos were not good and my friends burger was nothing to write home about. I will be back to drink, not to eat. read more

I met up with some friends for drinks later in the night, I fell in love with the Happy Martini, so yummy. The night we went was kind of dead and we were pretty much the only ones in the bar, which isn't a bad thing as it was easy to get drinks from our server who seemed to be on top of things. It ended up being a good spot for us as we were all there to catch up so the music wasn't too loud and there weren't crowds of people bumping into us. As I mentioned this was an off night, the day after Thanksgiving, so I don't know how it typically is on a normal Friday night. read more

It's been a while since I've been to Matilda's, but my friends and I used to hang out here all the time. They have a great room for parties downstairs. It does get a little crowded upstairs, but overall I think it attracts a decent crowd. read more

Best. Bar. In. Chicago. The owner, Kevin, is just about as nice and cool as it gets. Works alongside the bartenders and waitstaff, keeping the biz going and treating customers with the utmost respect. The staff? Better than any other place I've been to... and I've been to quite a few places my friends. They're cool, unique, interesting, friendly, welcoming, typically good-looking, and on top of their game. Treat them with respect, don't act like a D-bag, and come in often enough (aside from Friday/Saturday nights) and they'll not only know you by name, but they'll know your favorite poison, and probably a good deal about your life. The jukebox is incomparable. There's a wide selection of quality tunes... as long as you don't listen solely to B96. Decor is fun and engaging. You can probably spot something you haven't seen before every time you visit. The drinks can get a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for, right? The food is outstanding. I recommend everything on the menu. Keep in mind that the menu is shortened on nights that the Vic Theater has shows due to the crowds of concert-goers that flock there afterwards. The stairs are a doosy, but I've been going there for almost 4 years now and have had only one tiny slip. Keep in mind I'm not very coordinated and have been black-out wasted more than my fair share there. On Friday and Sat nights, head downstairs to the Baby Atlas room for some rump-shakin. Always a good crowd, always a good time. Did I mention they have lots of seating and pool tables too? This place has it all. read more