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

My original review was removed. It doesn't change how atrocious this place is and how badly the staff treated me and 3 other friends. We will never forget the comments about us "always bring out ignorance to that side of town" lol the front door staff was unforgivably rude to my friends and I. We were kicked out for literally sitting and laughing. Have mercy on this place. It needs a health inspection and you might as well be able to smoke inside because it is so tarnished with dirt and grime. Don't use the bathroom and don't sit down!! Skip this place altogether if you can avoid it. It's not a dive, it's just dirt! read more

This place is magic. Wood paneling, neon lights, karaoke, 4am liquor license, PBR tall boys to Alpha King and stuff In between. Somehow it has kept itself a secret for 100 years, seriously how long has this place been open?!! I think my grandma drank here. You should get there while the gettin is good, the hipsters are coming and you better put your song in the que. read more

Pretty standard dive bar, but it gets the job done, cheap drinks and cheap shots, plus karaoke on Friday nights (and maybe more) I went late last Friday with some friends, we got drunk for cheap and I belted out 2 karaoke songs, got our drinks pretty quickly too. I'd go back if ever in the area again read more

If you're ever feeling nostalgic for the year 1987, head over to Sidekicks and re-live your glory days. They have everything - the bored bouncer, knotty pine paneling, pastel neon lights, a server walking around offering neon shots in test tubes, and logo tees for sale behind the bar. There's an ancient DJ booth and dance floor, and a stage for nightly karaoke. It even smells of the cigarettes smoked here in the 80s. We saw this place listed among "Chicago's Best Dive Bars" in some article and went to check it out recently. The place is huge! The bar is in a central room with lounge/dance floor/stage on one side and the darts league room on the other. The furniture is rather worn but the bar has friendly, experienced bartenders. We sang a bit of karaoke out of a catalog at least 6 inches thick. Unfortunately, the sound system isn't great, making it hard to hear what you're singing. Still, it was a good time and a fun trip down memory lane. P.S. It's cash only, but there's an ATM there. read more

Great spot to hangout. This place is great for Bachelors party, birthday party, guys and ladies night out. The place is open til 4am 7days a week. I haven't been here in 3years. Wow!! Good times Make sure that you bring cash. The food is great!! Staff are cool. read more

Managers a dick. . . . Tried to go in with 50 people after a wedding, was completely rude. Terrible bar, don't waste your time. read more

Not many songs , often bad service with dj . dj took mic out of my hand while I was about to sing with my girl and sang with her.

Italian Beef Crawl Stop #5: Sidekicks (3:09PM) Sidekicks is one of the most versatile bars on the northwest side, on most nights you'll find loud karaoke, people playing darts and food coming out of the walk through window of their kitchen. We arrived with the Italian Beef Crawl crew rolling 50 deep and hogging up all the space in the bar. An older fellow walked around giving free test tube shots to everyone. On the karaoke stage, someone else's baby shower was set up with presents and balloons, but the party hadn't started yet. Having played at Sidekicks several times for our Windy City Darters league, I felt right at home. I played more darts and lost, but didn't mind because the beef was here! read more

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The karaoke DJ cut off some friends during their song to argue with them what their name was, and whose song it was. We were the only group in the karaoke area, putting in song requests. The guy was a total dick about it, yelling and storming out of the booth after they called him on it. A grown man having a temper tantrum is a sad thing to see. We sat awkwardly in silence for awhile, finished our beers and left. We had been buying several rounds of drinks, and this guy completely alienated everyone that was there simply to have fun. One star experience. The bar itself has seen better days, but still functioning. They had a couple of nice local beers on tap, from Lake Effect and Off Color. The bartender was quick and friendly. If it weren't for the karaoke DJ being such a huge jerk this would be a better review, but we won't be coming back. read more

Worst bar in Chicago Don't drink the tap beer. They don't keep their lines chilled and you'll get food poisoning for the bacteria growing in the lines. Bartenders are rude, sound for the Karaoke is terrible. Terrible place all around. read more

Security busted into the bathroom stall and assaulted me. I hadn't had a single drink and was doing nothing illegal. I insisted I would leave peacefully and asked if I could grab my coat. Nope. Violently pushed out into the freezing cold night instead. Word to the wise: If you use the bathroom at Sidekicks, consider wearing a body cam to document the security assaulting you. read more

Randomly stopped for a drink after dinner, but Krissy was so attentive and fun we stayed for a few. I understand why they called her the booze fairy. read more

Can I give it negative 5 stars? We came in last night celebrating a friend's birthday. One of our friends has a prosthetic eye. They told him he was on LSD and wouldn't serve him. I spoke with a "manager", I watched him talk to the front door "staff" and they laughed. So if you want to support businesses that discriminate against people with disabilities, spend money here read more

I come here all the time for random events with my family and they do a great job of serving everyone and being attentive. However, so often, we have had to wait 2 hours, at least, to sing a requested song, with only at most 20 people in the bar. The host has decided that those who tip him most get to go and those who don't get to wait 2 hours. It's frustrating, honestly. read more

Decor is an unironic hold-over from an old-school dive. Space is big enough that you're not likely to trip over people. A few hipsters, mainly neighborhood types and karaoke people. 4 stars instead of five because it's a cash bar (there's an ATM but they don't take plastic at the bar). read more

"No loitering" says a sign out front. I ignore it. I peered inside the window like a cat burglar, paced past the door multiple times before actually feeling like I should go in. Why was I so nervous about walking in? Was my ex in there? No Am I a recovering alcoholic afraid that the sweet nectar will tempt me? No Something about the place made me feel uneasy right away, but alas I had blindly suggested this as a pre-summerfest spot and I had to go in and wait for the others. This place made me uncomfortable and not in the "man these bar stools suck" kind of way. When I arrived a few of people who appeared to be regulars were watching a TV show with the volume turned up to eardrum busting levels. The expletives were flying, old people were drunk before 5 and talking like high school kids. Bartender was attentive but not really friendly. I sat staring at my blackberry willing the others to alert me of their arrival, but no deal. I waited alone for 45 minutes while the regulars watched TV (I felt like I was 10 years old at my grandparents house and they were watching Matlock and I was waiting for my parents to pick me up). Oh, and that's not it. We ordered some potato wedges and they came out fried to an unrecognizable mass of crispiness. not to be funny but if the cook spent as much time and effort making the food for patrons as nice as the multiple food items she was making for herself then maybe it would be OK. I'm not cut out for dive bars or maybe it's just this dive bar. Never going back here, don't ask. read more

Fun place for all night karaoke! Service was quick and the staff was very friendly. I was glad to end my 21st birthday there and have been back several times since. It's a neighborhood staple for sure. read more

I have to rate this place high because I have to be loyal. I used to go here every year for my birthday.. EVERY year since I have been 21 or over. I love to sing more than any other hobby. I like this place because they have free karaoke. What I didn't like was when they started charging for karaoke.. $1 per song. They stopped eventually, but because I like to sing they were losing money on me from drinks if I got anything alcoholic. read more

Karaoke seven nights a week! What more do you need to say! I love it! Any place that I can get my stage fix is OK in my book. We had a Yelp party there last night and I had a great time! The crowd here is a mixed bunch of all ages and as other Yelpers have noted - not a bit of pretension in the house. Everyone was out to have a good time and a good time was had by all. Some people were saying that the drinks here were expensive. I would have to disagree with that. I would have to say that the prices were not any more expensive than any other bar. The service was really good too. The next time I am in the area and i need my stage fix I will be sure to stop in! read more

Any bar that can put up with me singing "Locomotive Breath" by Jethro Tull is alright in my book. See there are certain songs in any karaoke books that are just there for show. These include anything that starts with a five minute flute solo (alright, I'm slightly exaggerating, we all know Tull is metal). But it's good I chose that song as it was an enlightening experience. As I stood petrified on the stage tapping my foot, I got a good look around the bar. The wide stage looks out onto a giant room. A room full of strangers. A lot of regulars. About the only thing missing from the scenario was a grate to catch the beer bottles that I figured were about to be thrown at me for making such a horrible karaoke choice and wasting everyone's time. But I made it through. And upon leaving the stage, I got congratulations from the crowd. In the fold, I was welcomed. Though I admit, no one was pushing the karaoke book in my direction again. That my friends is Sidekicks. It's the scene in "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" where he sings "Deep In The Heart Of Texas" and avoids getting killed. Sure it seems hostile here at first. The bartender might not serve you in the back room (though table service is quick). The bouncer might look at you funny. But with a microphone in your hands (or with a group of people where the microphone is used at least), everyone at Sidekicks is your friend. Plus the kitchen stays open late and there are jello shots from old-school (slightly down on their luck looking) servers. The KJ, if it's the right one, will have songs so new they have to be illegally downloaded. And the people singing run the full gamut of musical talent levels and genre's chosen. This is not your 10 karaoke favorites bar (though you will hear the staples). The haters are right. This is a piece of crap, old man bar, full of angry regulars. And thank goodness it is! There needs to be at least a couple real karaoke dive bars in real neighborhoods left in the city. read more

What the hell? This place kind of sucks. Being that it was the only bar even remotely close to Yelp Summerfest, this was a pre- and post-post party spot for me. Before Summerfest this bar was filled with grumpy regulars that didn't much take to city folk walkin' into their bar. The bar smelled like urine and the bartender was kind of weird. He was polite, but weird. The food order took forever, because they must have been peeling those potatoes for the freshest possible french fries ever. No, they're just slow. After the party it was a little better, only because there were some people under 60 hanging at the bar. The drinks were overpriced for that bar and karaoke was atrocious! A birthday party was in the house and they took up all the karaoke spots. Dicks. read more

There are only two reasons why I would move back into the city: 1.) Sidekicks 2.) The shoveled sidewalks in the winter. Well, since we all know reason two is just a pipe dream, let me expound on reason number one. I really enjoyed Sidekicks. Yeah, the drinks kept on changing (minimally) in price each time I ordered, but I was able to get over that. For what it lacked in that sector it made up for in others. I have never seen so much wooden paneling and Camel cigarette swag in my entire life. I think it should be some sort of museum by day! And when you can have cowboys, jocks, chads, Trixie's, you name it, all in the same room and having a good time, it makes it all come together. I hear they have Karaoke every day. All I know is that the acoustics and microphone made me sound like Madonna. (No I wasn't drunk yet.) and it was a blast to dance like a fool and not have anybody give you those "Will that asshole go home?" looks! (More likely that not they are on the floor with you!) Oh, the pizza has a lot of garlic. I mean a lot. read more

I love Sidekicks, but to give it 5 stars might be misleading. It's definitely a dive and I recommend if it you like Karaoke and dive bars! They have a great selection of songs (among the best I've seen) and the drinks are reasonably priced. The stage is spacious. The food is just ok, and if you're looking for just something to snack on while you sing and drink, it does the trick, but it's pretty basic/nothing special. The crowd is diverse and pretty convivial, at least when I've been there. Overall, I'd say it could use a few updates, which if they did it right, without loosing the charm, it could really be someplace special. read more

Burr gives this a 5 out of 5 because Burr likes the old school look, and thinks he might come up on some honeys. Bar is in the back, Burr sits in the front, and from time to time sings or orders wings, Burrrrrr read more

If you like karaoke - and you come out to sing - this place is not for you. Even if you tip the KJ - they are so partial to their regulars that you just won't get to sing. The service is very good - the young ladies are very attentive and dignified - but the karaoke person is a loser. She will take your money and not let you sing and then blame the boss. She is pretty hot - but she cannot sing worth a nickel and she is not very nice at all. When I approached the owner - after waiting four hours to sing - he just laughed. This is not a karaoke bar - this is a personal party for a handful of rejects. read more

I think I was drugged or drunk when I wrote my last review. Either way my last visit left me with a bad taste in my mouth and feeling dirty than a whore on Saturday night. Our food took forever to be cooked. We only ordered potatoe wedges and cheese sticks for Christ's sake and the wedges were burnt. The bartender was slow and the drinks were weak. I also think when I walked in they were watching soaps on the television. I felt like I should be quiet and not talk since everyone was son engrossed in what was going on. So very, very weird. read more

If you want to rub elbows with everyone from biker chicks to south-side divas to working-class joes Sidekicks is the place. The numerous bouncers are intimidating and not the friendliest bunch, but I feel safe and sound with them around. If you want to witness an old-fashioned bar-fight come here late Fri or Sat. Being open til 5 gathers the neighborhood. The back dart room is almost always empty and great when with a group, plus the walk-up food window is open very late. The decor is something out of a B-rate horror movie from the 70's. Drink prices seem to be the whim of the bartender so tip well. All the employees look harassed and its because they're on guard for the unruly, obnoxious drunks that saunter in around 3 throwing fists and talking smack. At the Kick , no one's judging you. read more

I LOVE SIDEKICKS! I've only been to Sidekicks and the second time was for my birthday party this past Saturday October 16th. I had so much freakin fun and so did all of my friends and family who were there. There were about 30-35 of us and it was great! Sidekicks is a fun neighborhood bar with a diverse mix of people. I l am a huge fan of their drink prices - $4.25 for a rum and coke. Don't forget to tip the KJ, because he's awesome. He also sings every once in a while which is a nice bonus. Makes me want to become a KJ. It's gotta be a ridiculous but fun job. Karaoke after 8:00 PM every night. Their kitchen is open until 3 AM. My friends and I had some freshly fried chicken fingers, french fries, and mozzarella sticks. I would have tried other stuff, but we were in the mood for finger foods. They seemed to have a pretty full menu which included fried mushrooms, jalapeno poppers, sandwiches, and pizza. I'll update after the next time I go and try more of the food. The first time we went they seemed to be not very busy at all for a Saturday night which was a plus since we got to sing three songs without a very long wait. We had so much fun ending karaoke for the night with 'I Want It That Way' by the Backstreet Boys. It's funny and weird because you end up learning the names of the people who go up to sing multiple times . And I think we figured out who a couple of the regulars were. Last Saturday for my birthday, the place definitely seemed to have about three or four times the amount of people as the last time we went. I think my party almost doubled the crowd though (not to sound cocky/popular, just sayin). The wait between submitting a song and actually singing the song seemed to last over an hour later in the night, but it was worth it. One of the servers didn't seem to like us very much, but Kris (or Cris or Chris) was awesome! She was a sweetheart and kept magically appearing every time we needed more drinks. And she remembered my name, which I always a appreciate =) Note: ***CASH ONLY*** so either stop by your bank before you get there or use the ATM by the door. I know I started with this, but I'll say it again... I LOVE SIDEKICKS! read more

This bar is mentioned in the dictionary under the term "dive bar." But, not a dive bar in that vintage, hip kind of way. Dive bar in the old, seen better days, dumpy kind of way. The place is very dark, with old neon beer signs along its paneled walls. We arrived on a Saturday night and there was one other group there. There were a couple bartenders and one waitress. She comes around to take our orders and we ask for a beer list. She proceeds to take a handwritten note out of a tip jar she carries around with her on her serving tray and reads us a list of beers. My husband and i each pick a seasonal draft - $5 for one and $6 for the other. OK, totally reasonable prices for a bar in Chicago, but not here. It appeared well drinks were on special because a friend got a Diet and run for $4.50. One friend went up to the bar to order when she got there, pulled out her credit card, and she was yelled at that they don't take plastic. OK, the bar doesn't take credit cards. Annoying? Sure. But no need to yell. They pointed her to an old ATM to use if she needed it. Luckily, we all had cash. Karaoke was happening by the time we got there. It was weird in that even though there weren't many people there, the wait time to sing was pretty long. We quickly realized this was due to a few factors: (1) The other group there must have submitted 10 requests together, because the same people kept going up over and over and over again before anyone else did. (2) The DJ decided to take his time at the mic. And not during times when he had no requests. (3) Some people pick songs not made for karaoke. I'm talking 8-9 minute long obscure songs with large chunks of instrumental breaks. Shortly before we left around 11 or so, our waitress started walking around with colorful shots in a plastic "test tube" shot glass. I hadn't seen those since college. I think that about sums up the night. I was only there for a couple hours, but it felt like much longer. I wasn't a fan. read more

This was a great place for my first experience of singing Karaoke in public. The crowd wasn't snobby and were generally supportive regardless of your singing ability. It was great having my Yelpers there being just generally awesome as always. The drinks were good, the food acceptable and I really liked how the place never got crowded to the point were you couldn't even move around. I definitely want to go back....and soon, this place is a good time! It will be even better when it becomes smoke free...when is that ordinance taking effect again? read more

The Yelp reviews for the karaoke drew us here. We will definitely go back. Thanks to Yelp because I would have never found this place on my own b/c it's in a part of the city they call Irving Park. The name of the neighborhood is a bit misleading b/c it's pretty far west. Regardless, it's easy to get to using the highway. We had a great time here. There is nothing pretentious about this place. It's totally beer and shot, which is probably a good category for Yelp, if anyone's listening. What's nice about Sidekicks is that you become part of the entertainment. Of course, we got pretty retarded, so we ordered a pizza at 2am. You get the idea. From my experience, this place has the best drink prices in the city. read more

Disclaimer: I was here at 6 PM on a Friday - not for karaoke and not when it was particularly crowded. And not when I was already drunk. The good: cheap drinks. Absolut Citron and soda for 4.50 - not bad! And not tiny either! The meh: the crowd (well, other than the fab yelpers I was with) was just depressing. The food seemed to be hit or miss also. The bad: the bartender. Completely inattentive and borderline rude. Also, if my drink is 4.50 and I give you a 20, shouldn't you maybe give me some of my change in singles? I mean, you do want a tip, don't you? And he was kind of a jerk when I asked for singles, even though they were to tip him!! Won't be rushing back here anytime soon! read more

Love sidekicks. Good vibes, good people, good staff. Only thing that sucks is the wait for your song. But place is normally bumping a good atmosphere read more

When I think of how to sum this place up, the cool 1980s poster framed in the men's room comes to mind- the one with the girl with big hair and skimpy red bathingsuit standing in front of a Ferrari with Ca license plates that say "hot wax." -like a living Nagle poster. Hmm, if that doesn't do it for you, Sidekicks is nice, in an out of date kind of way. It's just a plain old neighborhood Karaoke bar. The people here are nice, aren't trying to be too cool, and they've a good song book and nice stage from which to do your thing. The place is pretty big too, not your typical Chicago 23' wide bar in which to karaoke. Come here, but check your coolguy ego at the door. 6/23/07 Update- OK, I stopped in here tonight and tried to karaoke. Things have changed a bit and I didn't leave thrilled with the place. First, the KJ seems to have house rules that are very strict- no tipping to move up in line, no freedom to adjust the line, pure 1st come 1st serve. So expect to hear a rotation over loaded with the packs of 21 year olds going at it 8 songs in a row. All the blue collar folks are too slow on the draw and out numbered to get their songs into the KJ. Oh yeah, tonight, the 21 year old kids were doing show tunes, complete with falsetto! Ugh, is there anything more painful than karaoke people who sing seriously- dead in front of the mic? Second- the mic is seriously duct taped to a heavy ass mic stand now. There's no way to use that beautiful, huge stage! During my MJ 'Beat it" rendition I managed to lift the damned thing up so I could moon walk while performing- bad idea. The KJ reprimanded me! No lifting the mic stand off the stage! What is this? High School? Lame-O. Eventually, he killed my song because I was dancing with the mic (stand off the floor) on stage. Yeah, it got kinda ugly from there on, the bouncer dude wanted to kill me, etc. Oh well, I've had fun times here before, but now it seems like this place has gotten all tight ass and gone down hill a little. I need more freedom to express myself than the house rules allow! I never even had a chance to do my Michael Jackson interpretive knife fight dance! So this place went from 4 stars to 2 in my book, but the bar staff and waitresses are so nice, I have to bump 'em to 3. In any case, I won't be back any time soon myself. read more

Turn off the radio. Leave your ipods at home. The true rockstars and vocal divas are all found on Montrose ave. Sidekicks is an interesting mix of the good, the bad, and the shameless. On a serious note this late night karaoke bar offers a decent sized music catalog for all amateurs to enjoy. The stage area is about a 8 x 10 platform with seating arrangements spread out all the way up to the stage area. They offer a separate bar area with TVs set up along the wall so you can sing along to the melodies. The staff is very friendly and the crowd is encouraging especially for first timers who have never had a public performance on the karaoke circuit. The wait can take up to an hour plus on weekends, but the drinks are very reasonably priced and they do offer a menu of comfort foods while you enjoy the crooners perform. read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet! Probably because I loathe this place. Get dragged here a few times a year by some of my karaoke loving friends. Not sure why we keep coming because we've been kicked out a few times for screaming and swinging the mics while singing. First off the bouncers are jerks. Then there are the regulars who are not easy on the eyes. And yes, if you're not a regular than it is hard to get called up to sing. Instead you are forced to listen to the regulars belt out "I believe I can fly" or some country bumpkin song. On the plus side, they are open late with cheap cocktails. And let's not forget the test tube shots. read more

This is the best place in the entire city for people watching, hand to god. Sure, some of the patrons look a little rough, and it's true that the majority of the female clientele probably should try to find clothes that aren't three sizes too small. Yes, there's a local group of polyamorists who like to meet here. And sometimes it seems like a bar fight could break out at any minute. But so what? As far as I know, Sidekicks is the only bar in the city to offer karaoke 365 nights a year, and they have an EXTENSIVE catalog of songs. Also in its favor is the fact that it serves really greasy bar food. And have I mentioned the 'novelty' machine in the ladies' room? And the cheap beer? It's not really by anything else, but I still think everyone should experience Sidekicks at least once. read more

This place is a relic, in all the right ways. Great place for Karaoke. Every one who works here was pretty much awesome to my group of rowdy drinkers. Decor wise, you're really feel like you've shot 40 years into the past once you walk into the door... but it works. The place could use a good cleaning, but otherwise, it's quite a blast. read more

I love this place for super cheap drinks and lots of karaoke. They have karaoke every night of the week, even though I rarely go on a non-weekend night. The waitresses are lovely, super friendly. It's super divey, but I think that's part of the appeal. The kitchen serves delicious, greasy food - perfect when you've already spent the night drinking and are feeling super crazy and not picky. The microphone is often taped to the stand, obviously some people have gotten pretty raucous. My only complaints are that I like the old KJ (Ronnie Taz?) better, and one of the kitchen staffers leaves a lot to be desired - grumpy and lazy, and generally not very charismatic! read more