Skee ball in front, dance floor and photo booth in the back - and a booze serving bar in the middle. What more could you ask for? Went here to celebrate a friend's birthday and arrived early-ish (10:30pm or so...) so did not have to wait in any kind of line. The place was already starting to fill up however we were able to get to the bar and order drinks with ease. The beverages were a little on the pricier side but strong, so no complaints here. Service was quick and efficient and the bartenders hustled to make sure everyone was happy. The dance floor filled up quick and the rightfully so, as the music was top notch. Not sure I would consider this a dive bar, in the true Chicago sense, however. Had an awesome time at the Slippery Slope and would highly recommend it for a fun night out. read more

A couple features drew me to this bar: skee ball & photobooth. What kept me here ALL night after walking over with a belly full of ramen from Wasabi were the awesome bartenders, tasty and cute drinks that came in little glass bottles complete with a straw, variety of beats, and did I mention they have a photobooth & skee ball?! Ended up finishing dinner super early and got here a little before 9pm. No line. No crowd. DJ didn't come on until 10pm. After about 11pm, the place was packed! Line was apparently crazy and some of my friends ended up going elsewhere instead of waiting it out. read more

See all

Had a lot of fun here celebrating a friend's birthday! Downstairs was crowded but it was still fairly easy to grab a drink. Moscow mules were our drink of choice! We loved the fun festive lighting throughout the bar and photo booth photos hanging above the bar. As we headed towards the back you could feel the heat and humidity increasing. And it didn't stop all night! The dance floor was hopping and in a perfect way. Nobody bothered us and my friends and I were able to shake our booties all night long! The music choice was a bit too retro hip hop for me but of course as we were leaving a kelly clarkson hit began playing. Maybe it shifts more to girly pop later in the night? Not digging the loud dancey scene? Head upstairs and you'll find a more loungey type bar. With comfier seating, quieter music, and dimmed lights, it made for a much more relaxed place to hang out, have a drink, and talk. But you know me...I headed back towards the dance floor ASAP! read more

Love the atmosphere here. Both floors are completely different vibes which makes it even better. Start off chilling in the tropical theme with an amazing array of drinks with super comfy chairs. Then end your night downstairs with a long bar that makes the lines go quickly so you can easily get back to the dance floor. read more

Slippery Slope - Walking in... - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

While visiting this dive bar Surly was a mistake on our vacation to Chicago. Receiving nothing but probably the worse service anyone can imagine. The moment we were directed to the upstairs bar it was closing. Which isn't a problem as it was nice to see the upstairs area, probably only open on the weekends. The problem was how they told us it was closed.... with two... I repeat 2! Middle fingers. . As shocking as that is, the management seem to care just as little as the staff which I shouldn't be surprised as you lead by example. Now I wish I could tell you there names as they were quite embarrassed of how their staff treats there guests. I wouldn't recommend this bar to anyone in the United States of America... correction the word! STAY AWAY read more

Pretty average bar. Dance floor, pretty cool skee ball up front, decent prices. The dance floor at the back is super crowded and fairly small which doesn't leave much room to actually dance. The worst part of this layout is that the bathrooms are behind the dance floor so it's a pain to get to them. The skee ball games up front are pretty cool and always great for challenging friends. The drinks weren't that good, I felt like I was drinking pure sugar not alcohol. It's neat that they sell these pre-bottled mixed drinks, but they're almost pure sugar. I'd avoid them. read more

The bouncer today at 1am on 12/30 was extremely rude. It was my first time in Chicago and i wanted to experience the night life so it was a huge bummer. Yelp took this down because "there wasn't enough detail" but I'm yelping this again because this is in fact my experience. And it isn't fair the way they treated us when I was there back in December 2017. The bouncer was so rude, used profanity, and basically kicked us out of the line for mentioning that he was skipping us when he was letting in someone else behind us. read more

That photo booth has seen some things. Warning to the non-local: dramatically different vibes depending what day you go. Weeknights and non-peak hours cater to more of an industry/laid back crowd (Mondays is free ski ball and dollar beers, Wednesdays they play skate videos) while weekends becomes a line out the door-all you can dance-how did I get this sweaty-let me out-oh my god they're playing my song-anddd it's last call-shit show. read more

Yeah I'm the first! Well I'm actually here with my girls now. When you walk in your greeted with red sensual lighting. First off we noticed the ski ball machine. Awesome!! Photo booth another awesome! Bartender Casey awesome! We ordered the paper plane, cooler wine cooler, and the slope Manhattan. Paper plane was better. The bathroom lighting is a little turn me on-ish. No one was dancing, but this is a fun spot. Now off to enjoy the rest of the night :) read more

See all

Had a good old fashion here, it was solid. They also have a nicer 2nd floor which was quite elegant. I felt difference in atmosphere on between the two floor was like night and day. Also found the tamale man stopping by this bar. It was luck to find him here since I never saw him before. Like any bar in this area the night life is lively. Great place to stop by for a drink. read more

I had a good time at this bar UNTIL i left. I had to return to grab my debit card that i could not find. The bouncer was immediately combative when i returned. I asked politely if i could go check and see if card was near the bar which was on the first floor. As i was explaining my issue, Seth at the front door accused me of lying immediately cutting me off. I was extremely offended because i was being honest and my friend had just had the same situation happen 20 minutes earlier and they let her go in and get her card. For reference, i was not belligerent or visibility drunk to be honest. I was very disappointed that the employees handled this so poorly. I am not a Chicago resident, but i am here often. I will never attend this bar again for their rude treatment and i hope you do not either (especially if you're a person of color) read more

I'm going to start off by saying that I really do like the atmosphere of this place at times. Very rarely do I take the time out of my day, especially a holiday like New Years Day to write a post complaining about a bar or restaurant, however, since Slippery Slope doesn't have anywhere to leave feedback on their website, I figured I would let the Yelpers know here! Like I said, terrific atmosphere at times... New Years Eve was crazy busy. I had just come in around 12:30am after working a lonely, New Years Eve and I wanted a decent drink, so I went upstairs where I know, (because I've frequented their upstairs bar at times) they make really good drinks. NOPE! NOT THIS TIME!!! I asked the bartender for my go to... a Makers Mark Manhattan on the rocks. At first, I was like, "Wait." (I was considering getting it up, but with the crowd, I didn't want 1/2 of it to be spilled.) "Yes, I said... Makers Manhattan on the rocks." (If you're the bartender who made me this drink and you weren't 1/2 cocked or doped up, you will certainly remember me... I had the florescent yellow beanie on my head, sweater and no coat.) And you've made drinks for me before!) Instead of making it in front of me, this snake of a bartender decided to creep down to the other side of the bar and mix my cocktail. I watched him pick up a bottle with a white label (Jim Beam) and proceed to make the drink. No... the bottle did not have red wax on it like typical Makers Mark bottles do. I didn't want to complain due to the fact that I was New Years, but I should have refused the drink... Especially when he charged me like $13 for the cocktail I didn't order. Did I tip the guy... Yup... Gave the savage a $3 tip. Did it taste ok? Yeah... It was a Jim Beam Manhattan on the rocks. I do know my Bourbon. Perhaps the bartender thought I was drunk like the rest of the 20 & 30 something's that were there. Nope... Even after a can of Bell's Two Hearted and a FEW Bourbon neat with 2 ice cubes at Emporium next door, I was pretty much sober. My advice to all of you Yelper's out there in Yelp Land... Go to Slippery Slope because the atmosphere is pretty awesome and some really cool people hang there, BUT... WATCH WHAT IS POURED WHEN YOU ORDER YOUR DRINKS!!! And that goes for any bar you go to!!!!! Perhaps this post is a little passive aggressive... So be it. I could care less. read more

The bouncer said we cut when we literally didn't.... Waited 30 minutes in the snow for NOTHING. Wouldn't even listen to what we had to say, he was SO rude for no reason read more

You've got dancing, skee ball, vintage coca-cola bottles, cocktails and a DJ. I'm not really sure what else you need in life. If you're worried about the hipsters, they haven't overtaken this bar yet, but be prepared to wait in line if you come after 10. read more

The Slope is Dope! Opening night for this new Logan Square bar, owned by the same folks who brought us the ever-popular Scofflaw. It's dang dark in here but from what I see, there are red lights dangling from above, a sparkle-happy bar top, framed vintage art, brick walls painted black and a wood slat cabin-style wall in the back. Expected to fill the shoes of late-night club Bonny's, Slippery Slope will have dancing downstairs and something more low-key upstairs. Tonight's music is dance-y and heavy so far. They have skee-ball too, not a draw for me, but hey. Tonight's crowd was hip in all the right ways. Hoping the Owl crowd will keep to themselves down the street. We will see. I'm happy to see a dance spot open in Logan Square. I do like getting my dance on these days! read more

Slippery Slope - Opening night - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love the Logan Square Party scene and Slippery Slope is one of the darlings. The inside of this place is beautiful. Red Christmas lights hang from the entire ceiling and give a really cool retro dancy vibe to the place. The bar itself is really spacious with a dance area towards the back. Drinks are about $4 and the bar is cash only (ATM Inside). Only issues I have is that it tends to get a little over crowded and hence at times its extremely hot inside. The DJ could perhaps add a little more variety. Tends to stick to R&B. read more

Easily the best night while I was in Chicago -- but this place is a once in a few months type of place, hahaha. The dance floor is packed to the max and the music is great -- but you have to definitely be in that type of zone to appreciate it/want to be out there in the first place. Would I go back? Probably in a few months, if I had the opportunity.. :) read more

Why does anyone like this place!? Maybe I went on the wrong night (Saturday). It's dark, loud, and crowded to the point of being uncomfortably close to sweaty strangers waving damp dollar bills at the bartenders, all trying to edge each other out to get a drink first. I can dig the red lights for a dance floor, but you couldn't even bust a move here because everyone was packed in like sardines. There was a line to get in, which I find straight up ridiculous. We only waited because this was the location of an after party for a wedding, or else I would have said BYE and saved 30 minutes of my life waiting in line by going and drinking at an establishment that I could actually buy a drink easily at! Once we got in, there was yet another wait to buy a drink. The poor bartenders were overworked due to the large crowds, they did the best they could given the circumstances. I did not even buy a drink for myself as we left as soon as possible, the atmosphere was so claustrophobic and dank. read more

Wallet was stolen out of my purse on the dance floor. I noticed that my purse was unzipped and my wallet was gone immediately. This seems to be a trend at this place. Be careful here. Your phone and wallet are at risk. read more

Can't say I wasn't surprised on how this place was going to turn out. Let's paint a picture: it's Saturday night, a bit past midnight, and it's the prime time drinking hour for the outgoing folks of the area. On one of the busiest streets of the city sits Slippery Slope, where on a night like Saturday, you'll find a big line of intoxicated guys and gals awaiting to get in the infamous bar. No cover to get in which is cool, but then everything takes a turn for the worst once you enter in the establishment. First of all, for a bar that encourages loud music and dancing to go on, the space is incredibly too tight to get anything going, in my opinion. When I want to dance I want at least a decent amount of space to get around and get my magic workin. Here, I'll just be bumping into people every other second, probably knocking down people's drinks and phones. I do like the red black lights they got here. Ski ball's here too if you don't feel like hooking up with a random sleaze of the night. PBR is the way to go here, it's only like a dollar or something. There's also an upper level which is like a tiki-inspired bar. Same type of music and bar/club scene it's trying to imitate, but it feels a lil more classier than what's going on downstairs. I don't know, I feel like if I ever wanted to come back to Slippery Slope, it'd have to be during the week or a bit earlier in the night on weekends. If you don't like the huge crowds and tiny spaces, this place is not for you. There are other bars more deserving in the area. Not that there's anything really wrong with the Slope, I just feel like it's being utilized in an off way. I'm sure it kicks ass during the week, but you know, to each their own. read more

If you could condense the Flat Iron in Wicker park into about 1/3 of the space, and switched out all the lights with red lights a-la Amsterdam then you have the Slippery Slope. We waited around 30min in line to get into here, which had I known I definitely wouldn't have done. Once inside, it's incredibly crowded and loud. Having just come from revolution, I B-lined for the bathroom and pushed my way through the crowd with the force of many elephants only to find out that !!!! the bathrooms don't have lights !!!!! I couldn't tell if this was some hipster thing I'm not quite aware of or an electrical problem but it did make for a difficult ordeal. After that fiasco, we ordered mixed drinks at the bar (came very fast) which were not strong and seemed watery. Overall I was not impressed with the slippery slope, but this is a matter of opinion. If you like divey hipster bars with an eclectic mix of music, watery drinks and the opportunity to wear a crew neck and leggings to the bar whilst waiting for a hot dog cart to appear outside - then this is for you. Otherwise, steer clear. read more

OMG.. I got online with 5-family members and the bombers told us we had to wait cuz the bar was full so we waited however over 7-people came come so we asked we can go in in he said NO, he was really mean and bad so we questioned why so just cuz we Questioned why he said " now you will not go in until an hour" while it was freezing and cole outside., this bar is good but they need too change their bouncers, they are bad not a good customer services for people that want to have some fun. read more

Slippery slope is a fun twist on a traditional dive bar. I came with some friends on a busy Saturday night and had a great time. On the first floor, they have skee-ball in the front and a photo booth in the back, with a bar in the middle of course. There is another bar upstairs which is a little smaller, but if you happen to snag a booth or comfy seat, you won't want to leave. Some of their cocktails come pre-mixed in hipster glass bottles, and my friend noted that they were a little too sweet. I stuck with simple drinks, but noticed several people ordering banana milkshakes. They don't serve food, but they won't mind if you bring soft pretzels from The Radler (down the street), as long as you share with the bartender. I liked the hiphop jams, but it was probably too crowded to dance. If you're coming for the skee-ball, make it a weeknight! read more

This place is awful. Not only did I feel uncomfortable on the dance floor, I got looked over for drinks several times and then I got my phone swiped!! I told the bartender and he was confused because he thought it was my drink order. I'm sorry but how do you make a "my iPhone just got stolen?" Great. Thanks. "Security" couldn't do a thing at that point. Their actual drinks were terrible and I flushed their version of an old fashioned down their toilet. Should have heeded the advice of many other yelpers before me.... DO NOT GO HERE! read more

Visiting from out of town. My friend asked for a rusty nail. They saw the bar tender try and pass Chambord for Drambuie. They asked for the bartender to remake it. The bartender threw my card at me but proceeded to remake the drink? Then the bartender said he would comp the drink but I had already got charged for the drinks. I didn't want to argue. This experience really sucked. read more

If you're looking for a Stefon-approved nightclub, I've got just the place for you. Logan Square's hottest club is Slippery Slope. Located in a Patrick-Swayze-in-Roadhouse inspired bar, it promises raucous dance parties every night. This place has EVERYTHING. Bearded hipsters. Skee-ball. A photobooth. Cocktails served in hot sauce bottles. A tamale vegan chili. Seriously though, Slippery Slope, opened by the Scofflaw people, fits into the Logan Square scene as expected. Just up the street from Revolution, you can't miss the eery red glow spilling out the doorway into the street. Upon walking in you will see to your right, three skee-ball machines ($1 per play) and to your left, some dude making the only food item you can get here, the Mother-in-Law, a tamale in vegan chile. It's just that kind of place. Further in you'll find the long bar, which serves beer on tap made out of a vintage refrigerator and some round booths for sitting. Even further in is a dance hall with a DJ booth, a photo booth ($5 for a strip of four, two copies), and bathrooms, which are all single occupancy, probably for puking or sexual escapades. The red glow continues throughout the entire space, making you feel like you have a constant instagram filter on. I ordered one of the $8 bottled cocktails on the menu -- the Painkiller. It was served in a small, hot-sauce sized bottle, but quite strong. If you're an efficient drunk who doesn't like taking shots, these cocktails are for you! I stumbled out of SS, slightly more confused, and glad to be seeing other colors again. NOTE: apologies for my blurry pictures, I was drinking, it's just that kind of place. read more

See all

I don't know if this is really a dive bar because it has a DJ and really loud music. I guess, for me, a dive bar is a hole-in-the-wall with music from a jukebox. I still think the atmosphere was good. And the drinks were pretty strong (but still tasty) - although I think part of the reason for that was we got there early. read more

Don't be surprised if sometime in the future you read the headline "Logan Square Resident Goes On Shooting Spree At Slippery Slope." Hmmm...actually it'd more likely read "Hipster Writes Passive Aggressive Post On Slippery Slope Facebook Page." Yeah...that's more realistic. Anyways...I saw a lot of locals angry at the fact that they had to wait in a line around the block behind a bunch of Lincoln Park people. You can't hate a place for being popular though. So why would a bunch of bros and sorority sisters flock to this dirty hipster dance bar? The music rips! Their DJ's play such an eclectic mix of pop, rap, oldies, 80s, and other stuff that you'll forget how damn over-packed they let the place get and you'll find yourself groovin shoulder to shoulder with someone, likely a hot hipster chick or at least a girl who's trying to dress like one for the night. Yes, there's skeeball which is the recommended place to post up if you don't feel like having your personal space invaded. It's like the only area in the bar that I saw any elbow room. Also, it's cash only so make sure you stock up on some Andrew Jackson's otherwise you'll be paying that dreaded $3 fee at their ATM inside. Overall it's a cool spot, just crowded as all hell. read more

Fun spot to hang out with friends! Cocktails, DJ, dance floor, ski ball, photo booth, lounge... what more could you want? At 9:30 on a Friday night there was the perfect amount of people in this bar. It was lively but not overly crowded. Once 10:30 rolled around the dance floor was bumping though, so in order to get to the bathroom we had to weed our way through a sea of sweaty dancers. I love that they have 3 ski ball machines available to play for $1 (bring those ones!). I also enjoy that they offer bubbles for only $6! The bartenders were quick and friendly. The Slippery Slope really does have something for everyone. You can post up at the bar, grab a booth, hit the dance floor, or chill out upstairs. Definitely a fun and cheap way to celebrate a friend's birthday! read more

Turn down the volume, please. I checked out this spot last night. Very friendly staff, reasonably priced drinks, cool vibe, good crowd - it's got the makings of a place I'd certainly come back to, and likely will. I had to leave quite a bit earlier than I wanted to though - because the volume of the music in the main room was just too high. Please invest in or utilize a sound system that allows for the techno club volume level to exist on the dance floor, but not in the main bar area. It made it difficult for me to communicate with the bartenders when ordering, and with my friends when socializing. I had to leave the bar because I personally couldn't take the noise. I think with this minor adjustment this place really has it all going for it. Lowering the music 10dB in the main room would likely be enough. read more

Zero stars if I could. It's unwelcoming and the bar manager is extremely rude. I will not be back.

Love this club! If you don't like crowded places (I typically go during the weekend) it's most likely not your speed. Every time I go, they're playing current/90s music which is great nostalgia. I know nothing about the drinks because we always drink beforehand (uber is your best friend), people there are friendly based off of my experience. There's always someone selling pizza there for some reason so you can get some for like $5-$15 & it's DELICIOUS on a drunken night. Not the best re-entry experience so if you need to leave, make sure you're leaving for good or you or your friend may end up arguing with the bouncer (which he may let you in just so you can shut up). read more

Cue slippery slope pun here. I'll start: This bar is slippery sloping down the hot new bar drain. Dammit, Slippery Slope!!! You were supposed to be my home away from Debonair Social Club. You were supposed to be my new favorite bar to get weird in. Instead, I found the crowd and the DJ to be not-fun-weird instead of let's-get-awesomely-weird. The super dark lighting with red neon lights work. Less lighting means it's less likely for you to see me busting a move. I also liked that the cocktails came it heavy duty mugs with handles. I'm less likely to spill or break them. Just being honest here... I found the drink prices to be reasonable and the bartenders to be pretty but the awesomeness ended there. The DJ was GOD AWFUL. I mean so bad that people were just standing on the dance floor bitching about the music rather than using it for its more traditional purpose. There was no EDM. There was no hiphop. There was no good beat. There was just 80's classics remixed by a cat with access to a turntable and a mic. Just genuinely bad all around. After midnight the music got substantially better, as I'm assuming the DJ was taken out back and sacrificed to the club gods, however "substantially better" than piss poor, still isn't all that rad. Not to mention there were a lot of people just standing around looking bored. One should never be bored in a bar. Especially a bar that has been advertised as thee spot to go and get weird and just be yourself. You LIED to us, Redeye! Also, there's skeeball. What its purpose in a bar-turned-club is, I do not know. I didn't pay it any mind and it neither enhanced nor detracted from my experience. read more

Makes you feel like you are in a movie. Cocktails are consistent. Bar staff keeps you happy.

The Good: Any DJ that can seamlessly transition from 80s classics like "Take On Me" by A-ha to more modern hits like "Started from the Bottom" by Drake has got my attention and respect. Loved how this particular Saturday night DJ played such a wide range of music genres and all around crowd pleasers, which was evident in the sweaty bodies that filled a very packed dance floor. The Not so Good: Because the music is on point, the dance floor gets pretty packed and you start to feel the heat with/on somebody rather quickly. Doesn't seem like there's much ventilation, so prepare yourself to sweat out all the alcohol you just consumed. And maybe next time, consider wearing close to nothing (kidding, kind of, maybe). Despite that, I think this may be my favorite neighborhood bar for its chill, relaxed atmosphere and based solely on this DJ's hit after hit music arsenal. Hey Mr. DJ, keep playing those songs, and I'll be ready to move and groove all night. read more

LOVE the ambiance. But the crowd...is weird. Sort of Lincoln Park meets Logan Square. Is this the end of Logan Square? Good cocktails that are deceitfully strong and will put you under the table if you're not careful. Like the house brew. Blueberries were in my beer! Two skee ball games! Bathrooms are in the awkward location at the back of the dance floor so people are constantly pushing their way through, shuffling you around as you try to dance. And this is where the real disappointment is...the DJ last night (Saturday) had some good tunes but he was terribly untalented and a total buzz kill. You're dancing to Michael Jackson one moment and then Lil Wayne comes on. Stop dancing. Confusion ensues. Try to dance some more. Then Guns N Roses. Then Shaggy. Then an obscure Smith's song. Then Katie Perry. Then...*gasp*...the LION KING. A good DJ would at least know how to creatively transition from one song to another but it felt like some college house party where a guy just randomly clicks songs on his playlist. I was probably too sober to appreciate the music. (actually, all five of us were disappointed in the guy) If they're more mindful of the music they play and the talent of the DJ this place has some major potential to be a neighborhood favorite. Maybe it was a fluke? I'll give it another shot but if I have another night like this, I'm going back to The Owl or The East Room. read more

Not sure I'd go here again. It's listed as a "Dive Bar," but it's brand-new. It has the appearance of a skeezy brotastic dance club in River North inside, complete with it being nearly pitch-black, pop dance music and extremely high music volume. Little redeeming quality other than it's a local place for those want to dance to trashy music. The three Skee Ball games seem to have been an afterthought; a feeble attempt to say "Hey, we're ironic and kinda hipsterish!" read more

Gave me a frat party feel which isn't a bad thing. Experiences vary widely on day of the week you go. The weekend is a mad house. Tried ordering a Last Word Friday night when they were busy. The bartender told me to order it upstairs. I was unsure if they didn't have the Chartreuse and Maraschino liqueur behind the bar or if the guy didn't feel like making a 4 ingredient drink when they were swamped. I wasn't in a Heavy Feather mood at the time so I bounced across the street to East Room. I recommend if you're going to come here to dance definitely pregame at home or drink at another bar before you get here so you won't be impatient. Got the college student age vibe. I've had a good time at this establishment in the past and have the utmost respect for the Scofflaw related hospitality group. read more

great eclectic music to dance to, i appreciate pop hits of the 2000's mixed in with 90's dance, and some whitney houston and kelly clarkson! although the music started getting really weird at the end, i looked up in confusion and dj made eye contact with us and pointed at the crowd of blondes, and we understood eachother just fine. the dance floor is small the people are friendly and it's very casual, i suggest wearing closed toed shoes and getting wild with the crowd! read more

WATCH YOUR PHONES AND PURSES IF YOU GO TO THIS BAR!!!!!!! My friend and I both had our phones stolen within 10 minutes of each other last night. Our phones were in our cross body purses and were stolen on the dance floor. The thieves are clearly professionals as we had our purses on and in front of us. The worst part was that the general manager was a huge jerk. When we reported our phones had been stolen, he shrugged his shoulders and said "It's a big city, things happen". No sympathy, no support. And clearly, if you've read any of the other reviews, this place has a HUGE stealing problem. Good music & fun vibes, but LEAVE YOUR PHONE AT HOME! And if something happens, don't expect any help from the rude management. read more