I picked this place solely because we were traveling and wanted to watch our home team's game. I thought with it being labeled as a "sports bar" that they would have all the games. They did not. On top of that they had a DJ (which was actually really decent) but not what you expect in a sports bar. They gave us plasticware which broke in my food and I had to eat carefully not to eat the piece that broke off. No one really liked their food. As a club it would have been decent. As a sports bar it was a dud. read more

Parlay River North - Breakfast burrito - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What a great night club. Well maybe a great sports bar. To be honest it is the perfect blend of both! We stopped in for drinks when out bar hopping during March Madness and with a ton of large televisions it didn't matter where you were within the facility you had views of several televisions! It is extremely noisy and security seemed to be a bit uptight when we entered but overall it was a great time. It can be rather expensive and be sure to keep an eye on your tab. We are pretty sure that we paid for others drinks during the night. Overall a great time though! read more

It's better to make a reservation, just so your table can be ready once you get there. It's absolutely such a vibe inside, from the music to the LED lights, to the people. It couldn't get any better, especially with the food being so good. I got buffalo and honey bqq wings with a side of their shoe string fries. This might've been surprisingly one of the best meals I've had in CHI since I've visited. I dream about this food and will be back if i have the chance to come back to CHI. read more

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My issue is mainly with the security. Our group was there to watch a soccer game at 4 pm on 7/11/26. Our table was given away because we were 15 mins late . So, we left. However, we were told they had another space for us and we returned. However, the bouncer would not let us in and we had to wait outside for about 15 mins before they let us back in. We missed most of the first half of the game by the time we were finally allowed to enter. Also, before we entered they had to frisk us . I have never been patted down so aggressively in my life ( Worse than the TSA). We are just watching a soccer game at a bar. What is the reason for this overwhelming security and negative attitude from the security? I will not come back here again. read more

Dined here to celebrate my cousin's bday brunch. I love that the restaurant has an area upstairs for private parties. Plenty of seating too. The servers were all very nice and did amazingly well serving a big party. However, the area upstairs was incredibly hot. We asked twice if someone could turn down the heat as we all were sweating. I ordered a veggie omelet that comes with potatoes. Added on a side of bacon. The food came out cold and never got any bacon. The rest of our party complained of cold food as well. I was underwhelmed by the food. I make a better omlete and potatoes at home. If you come here for a party just look forward to good music and having fun with friends. Also for large parties, please make sure your guests understand that there will be only one bill. read more

Parlay River North - Omelet with potatoes - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cool spot. We went for Sunday brunch. Food, drinks and service were all great. The peanut better shot was chef's kiss . They were showing football a very lively crowd and they had a Dj. Birthday shout out with sign & shots was a nice touch. read more

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This place was decent but the vibe was dead on a Wednesday happy hour. The happy hour is $10 food and drinks around $10. I got the smash burger and was shocked by how good it was. Since everything is pub style I wasn't expecting much. I got a blueberry lemonade which was the seasonal cocktail and it was decent - didn't taste too strong but also the taste wasn't as strong. read more

Parlay River North - Menu 7/10/2025 - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really liked the ambiance of this place, my friends and I went for brunch where the vibe is controlled party. There was a DJ so it was loud, but some of the good songs were not played all the way through. One of my friends went to ask the DJ why and he said the restaurant controls what he plays, so once he plays one song that hypes the crowd he has to next play a song that won't get everyone hyped up. Kind of strange but I kind of got it at the same time, they wanted to clean up the table while we were still sitting and not just taking up the plates but wiping the table with a cloth. Food was pretty standard, not bad. I didn't try it but my friend enjoyed the adult grilled cheese. During brunch the wings seemed to be a big portion of the menu but I was told that they weren't good. I enjoyed the veggie omelet, it was fresh and light but still enjoyable. I split the margarita tower with my friend and we were able to get 4 drinks a piece from the sharable tower for $70, which isn't too shabby compared to. I'm not sure if I would return to this place to eat but the drink deals aren't bad. read more

We had a time! Food was delicious, bottomless was being filled quick, and the space was fun and welcoming. I also like that they did bottles instead of premade mimosas for their bottomless package. I would suggest getting your reservation for or after 12pm because that's when the DJ got there and the function really started. I would definitely go back! read more

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The food was ok. I had chicken wings, Caesar salad, and a Cabernet. Total came to ~$55. The wings were not very crispy. No blue cheese offered, just ranch. The salad lacked salt and hardly had any anchovy flavor. No anchovies available. I was disappointed the business provided pics didn't match the actual food. Very good service. Nice people. But it was near empty. Albeit a Monday evening, it seemed a bit of a flag. Even in Chicago, no way should it cost this much for the quality. I definitely won't come back. It came off as a tourist type trap. I really feel it's an opportunity wasted of an expended meal. read more

Good place for a fun bottomless Sunday brunch! I was in town for work and wanted to find a fun bottomless brunch place so my coworker and I decided to make a reservation here and I'm glad we did. We took an uber so I'm not sure about the parking situation. When we walked in we were greeted by the host and then taken to our table. It did take a while for our server to greet us, but someone else from the staff did come to bring us waters. The brunch menu has great options and if you order an entree (this includes ordering wings), you can add bottomless mimosas for $35. There is a 2 hour limit, so be mindful of that. I ordered the mango habanero wings which came with either fries or a side salad and the bottomless mimosas. I went with a side salad, but somehow was able to end up with both! (LUCKY ME!) The wings were delicious! The sauce was flavorful, but not overwhelming. The first bottle of champagne comes out with a sparkler for a great effect. The champagne they use is great! I took full advantage and use of bottomless mimosas and did not have the usual day/night after champagne headache. The restaurant had GREAT music and the atmosphere was fun. The DJ was great and the vibes were vibing, but it wasn't too loud to enjoy your meal and your company. There was also a day party on the roof that started at 3 so I went up after we finished with brunch. This is definitely a place I would return to if I'm ever back in Chicago! read more

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This is such a fun spot for a group celebration brunch on the weekends! They do bottomless mimosas, margarita towers, giant Moscow mules & more. They bring sparkles & have a DJ so the vibes are great for a group and it's a great time. The servers were super friendly & check on you often. The food was actually so good too - Loved the chicken & waffles and the breakfast pizza. read more

Parlay River North - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here because this place had Christmas decorations everywhere! Every spot of this bar was decorated! They had a fun themed menu for drinks, but the bartender poured me a really tasty shot and made it into a drink for me. Outside of the holidays it's a great place to watch the game. We came here for the decorations, but stayed because they had all the football games available to watch. read more

Parlay River North - a view from the top of the stairs - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I rarely leave reviews, but my experience at Parlay was so negative that I felt compelled to warn others. I had made a 4:45 p.m. reservation for a group of five on the Sunday of the Bears playoff game. I was the first to arrive, and initially there were no issues. When my friend arrived around 4:50, however, she was forced to pay a $20 cover to enter. I informed her that, per what I had been told, the cover did not apply to guests with a table or reservation. When she asked the bouncer for clarification, he demanded proof of her reservation, which he had not asked me for. When we showed the proof at approximately 4:53, he insisted that because she was "late" to the reservation, the cover charge applied and would not be refunded. When she pointed out that OpenTable explicitly states there is a 15-minute grace period, he told her that was incorrect. We escalated the issue to the manager. When my friend inquired as to why the $20 cover was being selectively applied and rightfully pointed out that the bouncer had not required lighter-skinned women to pay the cover, the manager remarked that it couldn't be on account of race because a Black man could not be racist. Clearly he was out of his depth--internalized racism certainly exists and I would suggest that he educate himself before weighing in on intrarace social dynamics. She was eventually refunded the $20 by the manager, but only begrudgingly. When we were finally seated, we were given the worst table in the establishment, directly next to the door. Every time the door opened, we were hit with freezing air, which was especially uncomfortable given that it was snowing and felt like 7 degrees outside per the weather app. The table also only seated four people, despite our reservation clearly being for five. To make matters worse, a staff member later moved our table even closer to the door and further into the walkway, resulting in me being bumped every time someone entered the bar. When another friend arrived, she was forced to wait outside for an extended period due to "capacity issues." This made no sense, given that we supposedly already had a reserved table. She eventually was allowed in and joined us, and we placed our order with our waitress, Cierra, who was incredibly kind and truly the only bright spot of this experience. When my third friend arrived, the bouncer, in an extremely unprofessional manner, said, "she's with that table" upon hearing the reservation name, and began whispering-blatantly negatively-to his co-bouncer. Although she was eventually allowed to join us, while we were waiting for our food, a busboy later came to our table, removed our glass plates, and replaced them with much smaller plastic plates. When questioned, he told us that they only use plastic plates during games. Shortly afterward, Cierra returned, appearing confused and asking where we had received the plastic plates. When we relayed what we had been told, she told us outright that was a lie. To her credit, she attempted to fix the situation and gave our table a round of shots. When my final friend arrived, the bouncers outright refused to let her in. Despite explanations that we had an existing reservation and table, they told us she would only be allowed to enter if she paid the $20 cover. One of my friends went to the basement ATM, withdrew $20, and returned, only for the bouncers to then refuse entry anyway, with no explanation. While stuck outside, my friend witnessed the bouncers inconsistently enforcing the very policies they claimed justified denying her entry. Fed up, we left before halftime. As we exited, the bouncers told us, a group of mostly Black women, that we were "ghetto." This experience was disorganized, hostile, and deeply disrespectful from start to finish. Between the inconsistent policies, poor treatment of guests with reservations, and outright discriminatory language, Parlay is not a place I would ever return to or recommend to others. read more

Service was great, drinks were nice and cold and the food we got was nice and fresh. The girls are super nice. read more

Parlay River North - Drinks in the rooftop with a beautiful view - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wonderful service and great food!! So many TV's which is great for game watching! We had a great time and we will be back.

This place is more like 3.5. I was here with a couple of friends as my residential community was hosting a Happy Hour event to celebrate pre St. Patty celebrations. We were able to get 5 dollar drinks/ food which was great! We ordered a Veggie Lover pizza and my friends ordered 3 cheeseburgers. For drinks since this is just a bar, I went with Moscow mule because you cannot go wrong with that and my friends got a couple of beers and seltzer's. The service was pretty good. We had a rough start in the beginning as the bartender was a bit overwhelmed and they seemed understaffed but it good better later on. The community manager was also taking our order and he was very sweet. One of our servers even offered us free shots as she knew someone on our table. Overall, good vibe and nice place to hangout with friends! read more

Parlay River North - Veggie Lover - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Almost refused to let me in because i have tattoos another person that was with us they refused to let her in because of sandals couldn't wear sport sports shorts to a sports bar. food was 2/10 overall i would not come back read more

Came here for brunch with friends. I posted for the bottomless mimosas which they give you a bottle and juice to enjoy. I really prefer this to them batching the mimosas and they use Campo viejo sparkling wine which is also 10x better than Andre (in my humble opinion). I ordered the avocado toast and was the perfect amount of food and even came with a small side salad. The food truly exceeded my expectations! My only point of criticism is that the DJ was playing a bunch of oldddd music. Would revisit! read more

I rarely write posts like this, but I felt compelled to share my experience. Last night, I visited this establishment with several business clients who wanted to watch March Madness. Upon arrival, we were seated promptly, but it quickly became clear that they were understaffed. After waiting about 15 minutes without service, I got up to check with the hostess about availability. Just as I was doing so, a waitress emerged and was heading toward our table. I politely asked if we could get some service, acknowledging that they seemed short-staffed. Out of nowhere, a man--who appeared to be a host or manager--abruptly intervened. Dressed in a dark maroon jacket with a nose ring, he dismissively told me, "Sir, just please sit down," in a tone more suited to a bouncer than a hospitality professional. It was one of the most unprofessional encounters I've ever had in an establishment. My clients were shocked. Thankfully, our waitress, Taylor, was wonderful. She apologized for his behavior and took great care of us. We ended up spending nearly $800, but due to that gentleman's conduct, I would never return. Management should be ashamed. read more

DO NOT GO HERE. We are having dinner and the manager comes to us and says "sorry there is a party that bought out this table" and we are told we need to leave or go upstairs to their bar service. The food and drinks suck and there are much better drinks around this area. read more

Food is always good and ambiance is always amazing with the vibes, the server this time was idk passive aggressive but it was a good time for sure. read more

The vibe was okay, drinks were decent. It wasn't bad, but nothing really stood out either. Probably better on a busier night.

Straight up nasty. Bouncer took my pepper spray and allowed the rest of my party (all young girls) to keep theirs. He got extremely, beyond, defensive when asked about why this was the case. Can't help but think there was some motive behind this! read more

Extremely rude bartenders, no themed drinks for Halloween, the place was packed and sticky. Expecting cheap liquor, no room to move, and to be looked at stupid when you ask for a drink menu. This is your place. If you have a friend or a hookup you don't care about bring them here, to show them a mediocre time. As soon as I entered this place I wanted to leave Best part of this experience was how nice the busser was, bobbing and weaving through sardined crowd. Also, the bouncer was super nice. True legends. read more

I reserved a table at Parlay for the Michigan vs Notre Dame football night game since this bar is a Michigan Alumni official sponsor bar. When I arrived there was no one at the hostess stand for at least 5 minutes. Music was blaring and we started to wonder, are we at the right place?! Once the hostess came back she went to get our table ready. Since it was quite a club-like scene we asked if they were going to turn on the sound for the game and she told us they would. She sat us in a back area with booths and lots of TVs, we were skeptical yet still optimistic. We ordered drinks and then double-checked with the waitress that they would indeed turn the game sound on. She told us they were debating since they had many pub crawls expected to come through that night. She later confirmed they would turn the sound on. Right when the game was about to start - their satellite dish went out. Not only did we not have sound, we also didn't even have the game on the TVs. We hovered around livestreams on our phones hoping the signal would come back. We also learned that the other Michigan fans were incorrectly told that the game watching was a private party and turned away or were misdirected upstairs. This was definitely not the game watching experience we had hoped for. We decided to go to another bar around half-time when it was clear that even when the game came on intermittedly, the bar was not going to turn the sound on. Our group agreed we missed the days of Rockit - a former sponsor bar that was always filled upstairs with UM fans on gameday. I would not recommend this bar for evening UM football game watching - perhaps it's better during daytime games?! I'm not sure I want to risk giving this bar a second chance after my first experience was so unpleasant. read more

Parlay River North - Cocktails... fire starter is great! - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not for me.. came at 5:30 on St. Patrick's day . We ordered 2 bud lights and a high noon for $40. Very crowded and had a DJ. Not sure what the food is like since it was party city . Weird asthetic with an athletic shoe theme... just not for me , maybe for the 20 something age group.. read more

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don't go here for st. patrick's day. you'll get a "express" ticket and then you'll stand in line for an hour and a half and make minimal progress. even if you're a cute girl with an express wrist band you will not get in. fuck this place. read more

I went for a friend's bday. We sat on the upper level. It was kind of dark, which I was ok with. I'm not a fan of being around a huge crowd so I liked being secluded. The food however was decent. I had the smoked brisket skillet I think it was called. 7/10 due to the fact it needed more meat for me. It was loaded with potatoes and a small amount of hollandaise sauce. It was quite delicious though. I also had the bottomless mimosas. In my opinion they were watered down. The green tea shots are 10/10. I would most likely return to give them another try. Overall I enjoyed myself. Good music and great vibes. read more

This PLACE is fucking lit - $50 all u can drink for 2 hours??? Lord take me home this life has already been TOO good to me

Only came to eat after we spent a long day out and the tacos were good. Gave 3 stars because it's not clear that you have to pay $10 just to go to the rooftop. So just keep that in mind when visiting this place read more

Parlay River North - Steak tacos - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you're thinking of mimosas and good food on a Saturday morning. Parlay might just have to be your best bet! Perfect location to come in after Friday night hangs and just enjoy company with friends. Did I mention the mimosas are bottomless? Sports & Brunch enthusiasts you'll love this place. read more

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We heard great fun music so we decided to walk in. Unfortunately this was a mistake. This place is definitely more for a younger crowd and who are celebrating a 21st birthday, or a bachelorette party. It was still fun but We shouldn't of come here lol. We were right away seated in a back corner table, and I think unfortunately it was the big group of people sitting next to us who may of had one too many beers, who were screaming and blocking the way. We ignored it, and ordered 2 shots of vodka that way we can shoot it then leave. We paid and then I just wanted to use the restroom real quick before we leave. BIG MISTAKE to use the restroom! Do not go to this bathroom There was a mess all over the floor, toilet paper all over the floor, no toilet paper to use and toilets were dirty I understand for this kind of party environment not everything is going to be spectacular, but at least have the bathroom floor be able to walk on and not step on something but still the music was the best part! Keep it up We won't come back here again, sorry! read more

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Do not be fooled, this IS the same spot at the Joy District... This place has attempted to do some "rebranding," and it feels sneaky because the Joy District reviews average to a 3/5, but for Parlay, somehow the reviews are higher. From further digging, the Joy District is the whole spot, including the rooftop, but Parlay is supposed to be for the first floor and mainly for brunch...? I'm still confused. We walked in after being worried about not finding a place to eat on a Friday night in downtown Chicago, and this seemed better than just getting sandwiches from Jimmy Johns. The hostesses seemed confused when we asked how long of a wait for two. One disappeared saying she'd look and be right back and never did come back. The other one sat us hesitantly a minute later. The server was very nice and quick. And actually, the chips and guacamole and cheese quesadilla were mighty tasty. The chips were salted heavily, but I'm totally a savory loving eater. The grapefruit mule was also really good and had a decent kick. So why two stars? The music is obnoxiously loud. There's a DJ who isn't really doing anything except mashing up two songs that were popular in the early 2000s together. They did play some newer songs too, and the longer I was there, the more used to the music I got. But dang! I could not hear my friend who was sitting across from me. We were laughing for most of the night because of confusion... like why is it so loud in here? Is everyone else wondering the same thing, or are they into it?! Two stars = meh, I've experienced better, and it's true. read more

This is definitely a place to attend if you're into catching a nice drink and enjoying down town chicago with a buddy. I went here last Thursday with a good friend of mine to redeem a coupon I received from this restaurant at the wing festival. The coupon was for 50% off their wings. Upon entering the establishment I was greeted quickly by the happy host and bouncer. Because it was so crowded in the establishment she gave the option of the rooftop or in the back. I chose the back since it was closer to the second bar (this place has 2-3). I inquired about the coupon since it was during happy hour times and she stated she would ask the manager if I could redeem a coupon on top of a coupon. Guess what?!?... he did! Instead of paying $13 (original price) or the $10 (happy hour price), I paid a whopping $5! Our server was a bit off for the night. I understand it was a crowded Thursday night in downtown river north chicago. However, this was not her first go round so she was very well aware of how to work the room. She wasn't familiar with the drink menu for happy hour and had to continuously run back and forth to ask questions. Once we got our drinks we placed our order quickly for two sets of wings and a pizza. It was about 25 before we receive one set of wings. When we inquired about the other, the guy wasn't aware. The server comes over and we asked her and she apologized that the guy gave us someone else's appetizer. Of course she said we wouldn't have to pay for that and still gave us our wings we asked for. Behind that was another 10 minutes of waiting for wings and 20 for the pizza. The pizza wasn't what we asked for so we had to wait again. Of course since I had eaten and had a drink I wasn't crabby but it stills demonstrates the server's lack of multiple tasking skills. The food... GO FOR THE HAPPY HOUR. I honestly do not think it's worth it besides that. Too over price. Of course you're paying for where you're located. Overall 3 stars because the wings were alright, the pizza was delicious, the server was off but the host did her best to make the experience awesome. read more

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Parlay has a delicious brunch menu and an amazing bottomless mimosa deal! There's a ton of tv's to watch whatever sports you are in to and it's a super fun atmosphere with a dj! read more

Parlay River North - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friend and I wanted to come here after St Patty's Day. So we made a reservation for 11:00am the next day. They didn't open the doors til 11:30am and the food still wasn't ready. Some girl that knew someone that worked there or maybe she worked there just walked right in as 15 of us were waiting for 30 minutes for the door to open. I ordered the Bloody Mary and in the pic on the menu it looked like it had so many toppings when it came I was disappointed. The waffle machine was broke... we had to go upstairs serval times just to be told the buffet wasn't ready. The girl that knew someone that worked there was the first in the doors and the first to eat. The new guy working the stairs was rude, another large party was upset. It was not a good experience. read more

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This place was mediocre at best. Upon arriving for our 7:30 dinner reservations, I noticed how loud it was in the restaurant. On Friday nights, there is a DJ there. While his music was great, it made it hard to have conversations throughout the night. The menu was very limited. The one thing our entire table ordered were the waffle fries. All of ours came out hard and cold. That's not okay for $7 French fries. After dinner, our plan was to head upstairs to Joy District which is their night club attached. We were appalled when they informed us that we'd have to pay an extra $20 per person to enter up there. On top of that, they were going to make us go back outside to wait in the line of people that were just coming in. What?!! We had just spent $250 between the six of us in the group to have dinner in their establishment. Our waitress, Natalia, was really good. She came over and tried to speak on our behalf, but it didn't help. It was 9:00 by the time we finished dinner. Most places don't even charge a cover that early. Needless to say, we didn't go to Joy District. Instead, we opted to visit many of the other cool nightclubs around Chicago that had great ambiance and didn't charge a cover. read more

I saw a picture of their Bottomless Gumball Machine drink on the Chicago Bucket List Instagram page and thought I needed to have this in my life. My better half and I arrived per our reservation through Opentable and the hostess still felt the need to ask me how many people. Sure, I guess. I felt like we were seated right under the speakers, but there seemed to be speakers everywhere, and the music was obnoxiously loud. I regretted coming there two minutes into being seated. Our waitress was clueless and would roll her eyes to the side as if the answer to our questions was sitting there. I asked for the drink mentioned above and I was told that was only served during brunch. That's unfortunate for people who don't "brunch." We ordered some drinks and food - all which were very mediocre. Get ready for your ears to ring and bleed if you decide to come here. read more

The hostess sat us with food and drink menus. Cool...... 30 minutes finally able to order drinks she comes back and we ask if we can order our food. She said "hold on let me ask if the kitchen's open" .........LIVID. TRASHY BAR. read more