I came here Saturday night after a show with a bunch of cast members for the karaoke. I never knew this place existed, but it was a good time. Notable things: Bonus points for a having a free parking lot (and easy street parking) It's cash only Good vibes. Very eclectic mix of people (especially because it was weekend before Halloween so the costumes were entertaining). A+ for never feeling creeped out by any of the patrons. They were all very supportive of people singing and gave us tips about how to search for songs on the app if we wanted to do that instead of look through the book. The karaoke seems to be first come first served, so we got there a little after 10 and no one from our group sang until 2am (from what I heard the next day. I tapped out at 1:30am). The same handful of people kept singing every few songs, so they must have all gotten there early and put in like 20 songs each. There were also a lot of repeats (I heard "What's Up?" by 4NB 4 times in the first hour I was there). It would be nice if the KJ bumped newer people up sooner before circling back to people who had already sung like 7 times, and if they pushed back song repeats, but in the end we're all just there for a good time and everyone sings along to everything, so it's fine. They card everyone and do scrutinize closely, which is good. One younger-looking girl in our group had to pull back her hair to prove it was her in her photo because her license photo had her hair slicked back. Food was decent. I didn't drink anything but the people I was with seemed happy with their drinks/they kept ordering more. They have video slots. One person in our group won $60 and one person lost $10 in 30 seconds, so it's hit or miss lol. I didn't go to the bathroom while I was there so I can't speak to cleanliness that other reviewers have mentioned. They're open to 4am, which is awesome. I tapped out at 1:30 because I'm old now, but if I was in my 20s I'd love the 4am thing. I'd go back with a group again. read more

Free karaoke bar! Tip - there are many song choices beyond the book. Better to ask the KJ for your specific song choice. It's fun but it's definitely a dive bar. There's 2 stalls in the women's room and I question if the walls have ever been cleaned. They do private parties which is kind of neat. Our group started at 7pm and then the bar opened to the public at 9pm. read more

Good drinks. Decent sized bar. They had servers going around with specialty shots great for groups. The karaoke could just use a bit of updating the equipment other than that great time. read more

I used to really like this place but had an extremely unfortunate experience this past Friday. I came here with a group of friends to celebrate my engagement; did not expect to be treated so poorly by one of the bartenders. My friend (who is Black) was purposely skipped over multiple times by the same bartender. There was a group of us who witnessed it and even some people who weren't with our party. She waited a half an hour to be served by this man. He served the people to her right and the people to her left MULTIPLE times and they came to the bar after her. It felt racially motivated and I will never be coming back to this establishment. read more

Free cover, free karaoke, and affordable drinks. I had a great time, considering, I'm not a big karaoke person. I do look forward to returning to Sidekicks. read more

Cash only! The only thing good about this place is the dart boards. But bring your own darts - their house darts are crap. Everything else is not good. The food is crappy frozen pizzas warmed up in the microwave. The drinks are...fine. Stick with beer. The cocktails are weak and they have some trouble making something as simple as a rum and coke. The staff are, in general, jerks. Fine, maybe they were having a bad night both times I've been here, but being overtly rude to customers is generally not good for business. And it wasn't just rudeness to me either. The bar itself needs some serious renovation. It's not the worst hole in the wall place I've been to in Chicago by any means, but it is dirty, unkempt and in disrepair. Except for the dart boards. On the flip side, they have karaoke every night. Yes, every night. That might be awesome for you, or it might be a deal breaker. That's up to you. Will I be back? Maybe. But not any time soon. read more

Great place atmosphere was amazing drinks are reasonable the only downside is that it's a cash only

This used to be one of my favorite hangouts. I order Shirley temples. That's it. But they've changed how they're made. They seem a bit watered down. I didn't order any food this time. In the past for a five bar the pepperoni pizza was good. Sandwiches not so much. Karaoke is available, people were picking blah songs on this occasion. Staff was friendly. read more

Sidekicks - Shirley temple - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm a professional DJ and Vocalist. The person running karaoke doesn't even TRY to make the music sound good. When you are on stage to sing your song, you cannot hear the music OR yourself well enough. They have a near perfect setup and years of being a 'karaoke bar' but they evidently haven't figured out the basics yet, Or they just don't give a damn. MAKE AN EFFORT! read more

Would give it a zero if I could. Ownership thought they could be rude to a team that reached out ahead of time and spent a ton of money with them over trying to look like the bigger person. Hope you close read more

We sat bar side for the food, drinks, and karaoke viewing. Nema was our bartender and she was AMAZING! Great and fast service the whole night, fantastic personality. We had butter-laden grilled cheese sandwiches and fresh fries which were both delicious. The karaoke was exactly how it should be- all different talents, all different ages, all singing with passion and/or joy. read more

Very fun vibe, cool bouncers, and nice waitresses, but DJ taking song requests is a total jerk. Really rude and made me feel really shitty. (He's the guy that wears sunglasses inside) Please consider hiring someone friendly to converse with your customers. read more

Very good food, great Kareoke, people are friendly, been going here for years, Place is convenient to get to and from there, drinks are ok, guy bartenders are cool, fat woman bartender is rude, don't tip her read more

Cash only. Funky and fun - this is where You begin or end your evening. Go throw some darts and live a little.

Sidekicks is a very local bar with a big karaoke following. Cash only. Surprisingly good beer offerings including drafts from Old Irving Brewery. Street parking. read more

Sidekicks - Destination - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friends & I came here for karaoke just on a whim and were so excited. I had heard years ago that the karaoke was great here, so I suggested the place. So disappointed that I did. First, we were ignored, what felt like deliberately, several times by the waitress/bartender walking around to tables. No biggie. Because of this, I went up to the bar to order shots instead (lemon drops). Seems simple enough, tipped HEAVY because I'm in the industry and I get it. Later, my friend went up and was ignored by the bartender to the point where even the guys next to her were willing to buy her drinks for us because she had been skipped so many times. The bartender made a sly comment to another customer then that she would much prefer to make their drink of choice instead of lemon drops any day. Weird behavior. Noted. My friend gave up then, so I went up. I asked what was easiest for her to make (again, super polite bc im a normal human being), she just said "tell me what you want", so i said "okay just three green tea shots". She proceeds to make one, to which I say "I'm so sorry I need three of them," and then she literally YELLS "Oh girl COME ON." I was SHOCKED. Mind you, not busy whatsoever maybe 6 people at the bar (not all waiting for a drink either). Immediately we canceled our next song and left. I have never been yelled at by staff in hospitality and being in the industry, I was even more shocked. Outrageous service to newcomers. Actually the rudest staff Ive ever encountered and I'm appalled enough days later to still leave a bad review. I'm so sorry if maybe she was just having a bad night but that was such an unwelcoming and unwarranted experience and I hope this isn't normal. For a local bar you would expect locals to be treated a little better. Other than that, the crowd was great. Hope they had a different experience. read more

Went last night, used to go several years ago so wanted to see if Sidekicks still had the "juice" lol. Pros: No cover Drinks aren't too pricey ($17 for 2 margaritas) It's funny to people watch Cheap bar food Mixed crowd Cons: Cash only establishment so we had to use their atm to pay for everything (come on it's 2022! Who keeps cash on them?) It can get pretty crowded and hard to see the stage Come early to get your name on the list to sing Come early to get a table of your own Hip hop & R&b song selections are really old don't look for anything up to date Come here for the cheap drinks, fun laughs, and greasy bar food that you will need after your 2 Long Islands! Will my husband and I be back? Sure....just not anytime soon. read more

Great food, nice people, horrible karaoke like placing cats in a bag and then beating them

A pathetic excuse for a bar. I walked in and I was removed from the bar because earlier they were dead. I came back because it was a 4am bar to be removed for my comment earlier. I do not leave 1 star reviews ever. This is the dregs of Chicago. The disappointment of portage park. A crap hole with a pipe dream with an owner or bar manager of disgust. If you leave the brewery across the street with an idea to be stabbed, then this is your hangout zone. Family friendly? No. A good time? No. A disappointment? Yes Sorry to say the owner may not ever see this or care. But I am advising anyone near this establishment looking for a quick drink to go anywhere else. read more

Bar is cash only and charges a hefty amount at ATM. The Sunday night karaoke may be one of the worst in Chicago, rude host, poor microphones and awful speakers make for a bad experience. Ample parking only plus read more

This place is great lots of seating and a separate room with at least 5 dart boards. Old school cash only, open until 4am and directly across from Old Irving Brewing. read more

I've been coming to Sidekicks on and off since about 2005. This was always a place of many pleasant memories for me and my friends, however all of that changed last night. If you aren't a long time patron, perhaps you won't understand but the vibe of the place was completely off. It was not the fun, pleasant, down-to-earth place I love and recalled. Instead, it was cold and elusive. Never before have we had bags or weapons checked at the door (not that I'm against the weapon request but the demeanor of the request was abrasive). Not to mention the intimidation level of three people manning the entrance now? What happened to this place? The only waitress working the floor last night was rude, to say the least. Absolutely zero costumer service whatsoever. It took a ridiculous amount of time to get our favorite test tube shots and by the time she acknowledged our presence thereafter, we were already over the entire situation. I'm not sure if there's new management now or what the deal is but this is no longer my once cherished karaoke home. I fear I must seek out something much closer to the friendly, chill place I use to know. read more

Majority of the staff not all of them are pretty rude. Pop is expensive especially when 3/4 of the glass is just ice. Owner is a very judgy person, especially to the lbgt crowd. Unless you are a regular your experience here may be not the best read more

First time visit, this was a work group outing for fun..no reason given. First plus they have a parking lot. It filled by the end of the night. (Friday) The staff was very nice- I thought they had downtown prices for a nice little neighborhood bar- 3 dollars for a coke, no refills. and for the tap beer I had it was 7 .. The waitress was walking around with test tube shots of some weird concoctions, they were reasonable at 2.50 each, The Karaoke was fun. I would go again, with a big group of friends, we really had a blast, perhaps choose a better song to sing (Time is On My Side) ... read more

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It's the best karaoke bar I've been to and one of my favorite dives in the city. Super cheap drinks, wood paneling, some carpeting, neon and string lights, vinyl paneling in the bathroom. It has a unique charm that everyone ends up warming to and loving, even if it's not their "scene". It truly is a magical place. read more

Sidekicks - Signage - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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An obtuse woman removed me as soon as I arrived because she didn't appreciate my statement of a sad bar. The depression that I felt as soon as I walked in concerned me, however I saw the regular customers I was uncomfortable. What a poor excuse for a bar. I've been to my own dive bars in Milwaukee where I'm from and this was severely disappointed. Save yourself from disappointment. It's a 4am bar. It's not worth it. End your night and go home. It's for your own sake. This place sucks. read more

I popped into Sidekicks with my gal pal on Thanksgiving after we had enjoyed an early dinner that evening. The funny thing was that we were trying to hit another establishment for a nightcap that had looked open, but when we parked the car on Montrose that place turned out to be closed. We drove around the 'hood looking for another place, and then we wound up at the exact same parking spot - which happened to be in front of Sidekicks. We popped in around 630PM and the bar apparently had just opened for the holiday evening. We ordered a couple of beers and that allowed us to just chill at the bar for hours. They were not serving food that day, which was fine with us. A couple of peeps wound up drinking and playing darts (the dartboard was originally hidden by a panel displaying the Blackhawks logo). Perhaps on non holiday evenings this place gets livelier, but we were quite content with consuming our beers at this pleasantly dive-y bar. read more

Bartender Chris whom stated he was a manager thier wife who constantly drunk. keep hitting me and would not leave me alone. . I guess that's what happens when your hubans the bartender and you get your drinks for free.KJ is real cool the owner is nice ....but who wants to go to place where a drunk keeps on hitting on you read more

This place is pretty cool! Definitely a place to go when everything else is closed (open until 4am). Our server was nice. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. I would recommend! read more

After driving by this place many, many times over the past 15 years, I decided to drop in on a Sunday night. The bartender, Kiki, was excellent. She was knowledgeable on everything they had (and didn't have) and hustled to make sure everyone's order was fulfilled. I'm in my early 50's and I've seen a lot of bartenders in my days and she's one of the best! If the review was based on her alone, it would've been 5 stars. Hung out for a while and wanted to sing karaoke. Put my name in to sing. A 50-ish person wedding party made their way into an otherwise empty bar. Whoever the jackass was running the karaoke has me hesitating to return. Put in name to sing and saw several people that put in their name after I did up on stage singing. I guess unless you know someone, you end up at the back of the line. Put my name in at 11:30 p.m. and at 12:45 a.m., still no sign of my name on list to sing. Kiki asked the guy how far down the list I was and she said I was 10 songs away - although several people that put their name in after I did were definitely on mic to sing. If you're looking to just hang out and have a drink or two, it's a great place. If you want to go sing karaoke - which they evidently have every night - if it's busy, you better know the guy taking requests or you're f*ck#d. read more

I tried to move a chair four feet to the side and was told no. Why? I was given no answer why I could not use the chair with a back. It is actually crazy an employee told me I could not use a chair. Bad and rude read more

A great-looking old school bar despite the horrible reviews is not as bad and it's pretty much cool. People expect too much from bars and expect everything to be new and most of the negative reviews are based on this sad fact of perfection a month bar patrons. Sidekicks offers a cheaper alternative night out and if that's not your preference in as far as not for you however if you like bars and the way they used to be and not all updated and remodeled every year this is a great bar for middle-class people in middle-aged and older people as well. This building is awesome and inside layout of The Spar is one of the best I've ever seen read more

Here we are, 8 years later and I have still been frequenting Sodekicks all along. This place has been a staple in my karaoke going life since I was just a wee bitty 21 year old. Let me tell you, they have made some improvements since my last review and that makes me so happy. They now have had craft beers for a while now and that improvement in itself is worth just going there even if they didn't have karaoke. One of the waitresses that has been there since I first started going there is still there walking around with $2 or $3 test tube shots. That in my opinion is the best! I know it's a little silly, but I partake and it's a fun way to start the evening. They still have delicious bad for you food to help avoid a hangover! They have been through some different KJs and have a guy who is pretty fair and even though their book isn't really updated per se, they have always had a website, but I feel like it's been updated somewhat and it sure beats looking through a big ol' book. I recently had my birthday there and it was so much fun. The dance floor is still there and always brings a crowd out to dance along to all time favorite songs that come up. Love the bartenders, I've known them my whole karaoke going career. Maybe I should learn their names. All in all, I would be devastated if this establishment ever closed down. Now that I'm older and have kids, I appreciate having a place to come out and have a good time more than ever. read more

This place makes dive bars look bad. Disgustingly dirty and smelly bathrooms and carpeting, outdated and run down. Chairs ripped and dirty so bring a towel to sit on and a gallon of hand sanitizer. This place needs to be gutted or burned down. I have no idea how they are allowed to serve food. read more

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Came in for a drink and the bartender simply told me that I was not welcome and would not be served. Had been there a few times with friends and had no idea what the problem was. Went back later with friends hoping to get some more information but again I was told that I was not welcome and that a private business has the right to refuse service to whoever they want. I don't belong to any particular "marginalized " group so hard to know what to think read more

Open late, very friendly staff, nice space, damn good Italian beef/sausage combo. Would deffo recommendo.

Mmmm...let's see....middle daughter breaks up with boyfriend and is depressed... Mom and older sister think it's a perfect excuse for "girl's night out"!! Start at the Kit Kat Klub...stroll Halsted St. (a.k.a."Boy's Town")... stopping here and there... tapas/sangria bar... boy bar... dance club... where do we end up (with one of our waiters in tow)!!???!!!! That's right folks...none other than the... fabulous, trashy, wood-paneled, serving colored shots from a test tube, open 'till 4 a.m, in the direction of home (don't worry we cabbed it), every imaginable song available-KARAOKE BAR!!! Yes...you guessed it...SIDEKICK'S!!!! Daughter and waiter do a rendition of "Strokin'" (the crowd went wild!) "Mom...in a whole year, I never had this much fun with (what's his name?)!!! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!! read more

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I used to go here a LOT more back in the day, as I hung out with a crowd that was OBSESSED with Karaoke. Now, I'm not obsessed with it, but oh - I may be known to bust out a few Madonna tunes now and then. A Led Zeppelin song here and there. Vanilla Ice, and . . . you get the picture. I am not Karaoke averse. This place takes Karaoke seriously. Nice setup, and a semi-separate bar area if you'd rather distance yourself from someone mercilessly mutilating Nuno Bettencourt's Extreme ballad (WHY do people still sing that mess?). They've got food here, and while it's not the best, it's not awful either. Overall, you can have some fun here, and it's a great place to go with a big group. If you love to do Karaoke, definitely do not miss this place. read more

This bar can be a lot of fun. I wish it wasn't cash only, and sometimes it takes hours to get your song to play. The manager has been really rude to me before as well. I bring friends here pretty often. Always provides a good time, but is definitely a dive bar. read more

The last time I was at Sidekicks was about 9 years ago. It was a great time then and it was a great time last night when I sang my little heart out with a few other Yelpers. Aaah, the memories of 9 years ago. I was there with a social group I used to work for and my husband, but not at the time, was a member of the group. This was even before we had started dating. I still have the video tape of that night that we sometimes play back and reminisce. Me with my puffy hair and about 120 pounds heavier. Him with his seriel killer glasses and plaid shirt. We both look so much hotter now. Hah. The place is still exactly the same. Staff are very friendly, clientele eclectic but all very sweet, drinks are cheap, karaoke song list is extensive and the KJ was great. It's nice to see that some things just don't change. read more