Ambiance House Music loved this place since the 80'd's the staff is wonderful this place you take with you when you leave it touches your soul. read more

girls be aware!!!! i was roofied at this club last night. staff kicked me out onto the street as i was passing out (it was 10 degrees) and refused to provide my coat to family members when unable to find my ticket. staff was extremely rude and did not help the situation. beware of sexual predators here - staff will not help you. read more

As a bodybuilder who's been called a "human golden retriever" more times than I can count, I generally radiate good vibes. But something about this place makes me want to channel my inner Doberman. Let's talk about the staff--the rudest I've encountered in Chicago, with an arrogance that makes you wonder if they moonlight as royal palace guards. * If you're not physically kissing the wall while waiting in line, prepare to be barked at. * Stand patiently in line for the bathroom? They'll glare at you like you just committed a crime. * Try to make their job easier by explaining what's in your pockets before a pat-down? That's apparently "uncooperative." * Step aside to send a quick text? Nope, you're "in the way." * Uber two minutes out in subzero temps? Out you go, even if you're not blocking a thing. This place operates on a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" policy, where even existing seems to be an offense. I'm a respectful guy, but they push my buttons in a way that makes me question my sanity. Respect is earned, and let's just say they're running a serious deficit. The cherry on top? I got elbowed in the nose, ended up with a bloody one, and as I tried to clean up in the bathroom, I was watched like I was about to commit a felony. No concern, no assistance--just judgment. I rarely come here, and every time I do, I'm reminded why that's a solid life choice. Or, in the words of Joey Swole: you need to do better. read more

I often do not write negative reviews, but I think something needs to be seriously addressed here because this has happened on more than one occasion either to me or someone I know. The staff at Smartbar are extremely unfriendly, aggressive, and sometimes flat-out rude. This is mostly exclusive to the security/venue management staff, rather than the bartenders, who have always been cordial and friendly in my experience. I've gone to plenty of bars and venues, but this place is Big Brother about it. Bathroom? Someone is standing there watching your every move. Hallway? Someone is going to ask you why you're standing around. Have a question? They will side eye or become frustrated you're "bothering" what they are doing. For example, I was one night I was here, I left the dance floor to go into the hallway to stand. I suffer from vertigo, so I needed a break from the movement, so I backed up against the wall and closed my eyes. Not even seconds after I close my eyes to recalibrate, the staff started yelling at me and accusing me of being too intoxicated. When I explained my medical condition, they made me talk to EMS. Because I needed fresh air and a break? What a disastrous way to care for people and show humanity. Finally, and this is a smaller point, but they trap you into paying cash. Nowhere on my ticket did it explain the establishment was cash only (at least for the bars that were open that night). So they force you to use their private ATMs, which by the way, they make money on for every swipe, to visit the bar. I get why some establishments handle cash, but we live in times where it's not the primary form of payment and it really should be disclosed in advance (which they do not do) on the ticket. I am writing this review in hopes that the management will want to make positive changes. See the other reviews, and knowing about the experiences of some of my friends, I know this is not unique to me. I would be happy to update the review when I see positive change, but for now, patrons beware. It's not always bad, but when it's bad well, it's BAD. read more

Just moved here from Texas and in the process of exploring the underground dance scene. Went last Thursday and although it wasn't crowded the music was sick and the sound system was banging. Got lost for a while in it all. Some dude pointed out my vibe was dope as Fuck which was appreciated. If you just want to dance this place works in the coolest underground kind of way. Enjoyed myself shredding it so will be back again, cowboy hat and all. read more

Since my original review was removed / censored - I'm providing a high level review of this establishment. I witnessed a sexual act on the dance floor at Queen! on Sunday 10/22 (in addition to rampant drug use). This was clearly "SA". As a globally recognized establishment and not some non regulated underground warehouse party. I bought a ticket and am a lifelong supporter of the house music scene for 30 years. I've never seen anything like what I did that evening!!!!! I am sad that I no longer feel safe visiting this establishment. This venue used to be my favorite when I lived in the Chicago area 20 years ago and I'm disappointed that I'll miss out on many epic DJs in the future but when you experience trauma, you don't want to go through it again. Also, the gender neutral bathroom are filthy and smelled like poop. I shouldn't have to see bare asses in order to wash my hands and look in the mirror. read more

the most amazing place! seriously the best club i've ever been to. a true living piece of history rooted in the origins of dance music but still up to par with the times of today. the staff is lovely, the music is always top-tier, and the people that go there just want to dance and have a good time. also just the coolest aesthetic in terms of branding and interior space. i've had so many magical nights here. plus i always feel safe and free to dance, even if i come alone. smartbar is the place to be! read more

Smartbar - avalon emerson @ smartbar - Dance Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Music here is always great, atmosphere is really cool, and the service is pretty good. Wonderful place to dance your ass off

The staff here are rude and WILL steal your money. Especially the bouncers and the cashier that looks like a mole rat. I dont know if they just had a bad day but the other reviews explains it wasnt just a bad day. Refused to give me my change when I gave a 50 for 2 people. Looks like they money that bad cus from we can see the music was not it either. The staff fs not active in their s3x life besides maybe the bouncer with a stick up his as. read more

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!! I usually don't leave reviews but this place RACIST and SCAMMERS too...like pick a struggle. Not only did they accuse me of using my friend's ID bc we're both Asian (mind u we don't even look alike...) and laughed in our face about it, they also refused to give my friend her $20 change, kicked us out bc they didn't like being called out i guess, and then proceeded to accuse us of getting physical with their workers??? Not a single finger was laid on them & this establishment knows that bc they refused to show us the footage...bc it doesn't exist There's a reason they have so many reviews talking about how rude & unreasonable their bouncers are. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS ESTABLISHMENT!!! And if ur gonna be this rude, at least have some good music lmaoo read more

By far the greatest place to see a band in possibly the world. Everything on the planet changes but The Metro remains the same. I do not think anything has changed in thirty years I have been going there. The sound is amazing. The place is always packed. I just saw Rise Against there and the show was unbelievable. There is nothing like seeing a show at the Metro. read more

See all

I don't leave yelp reviews but I will for Smartbar. Best set I've heard, enjoyed and danced to in a while. Thank you Cobra B! The green thursday had a great crowd, respectful people. Security was very kind and chill to talk with. Loved the Frankie Knuckles shrine. Sound System was great. The bartender was calm and polite, but also fast. Great time. If I'm in Chicago again, I'll be checking what events they got going on. read more

As others have stated the security at this establishment are rude to the max and they will steal your money. We bought 10 tickets for a group of people attending Queen. One of our friends wasn't allowed in because he had eye drops - literally just eye drops because he was wearing colored contact lenses that get dried out easily. They told him to throw the eye drops away, which he did, and then after throwing the drops away and attempting to walk in the security guard literally pushed him physically in a very offensive and abusive way, and told him "No, go out!" It was a group of 10 of us and obviously after our friend being denied entry for no reason, we asked for our money back. The bouncer rudely refused so we asked for a Manager. When the Manager came out, he was not helpful at all and refused to give us our money back and just told us we should "sell our tickets." I do understand they may have issues with people sneaking drugs in, but my friend first of all offered to pour the solution in his eye to prove there were no drugs, and secondly threw them away when asked, so there was no reason to deny him entry. We even asked them to call the police and let them test to prove there were no drugs of any kind, it was just a tiny bottle of eye drops. In total we spent over $200 and they refused to give us any compensation whatsoever. As someone that attended Queen as well as well as other Smart Bar events for years, I will never go back because of the extremely rude security guards. I should mention my friend was Asian, and I do agree with others that for a supposedly LGBTQ+ establishment they treat people of color very rudely. While they may have stolen $200 from us, they lost way more than that because we would have easily spent way more than that if we had been allowed entry into the bar, not to mention the fact none of us will set foot inside in the venue again. I'd strongly urge anyone looking for a good time to pick a different venue, unless you want to be falsely accused of having drugs and have your money stolen. read more

No other place like Smartbar in the U.S. A safe space to be free and dance to excellent music with friends or alone. If you go alone as I often do, you definitely will feel not feel it. Always have many positive social interactions. Whoever books artists here is killing it. Their taste in both techno and house is unparalleled. This year I've seen DVS1, MARRØN, Inquilab, and Matrixxman (techno head here) there, as well as Eli Escobar and other artists I did not know. Have never regretted paying the cover. Recently went to get custom earplugs made because of the time I'm spending at festivals and learned more about how certain decibel levels are damaging to your hearing after only a few hours. I asked the doc at what level a typical club's sound was at and was told 110+ db, but after mentioning Smartbar she told me they have chosen to self-limit their sound to 103 db (still plenty loud), which is safe for 4 hours with decent earplugs. I already adored this place but this made me love them more! Being considerate of staff, patrons, and artists is what makes smart bar so smart. read more

DONT GO HERE THEY ARE RACIST AND WILL SCAM YOU FOR YOUR MONEY. THE STAFF IS RUDE AND WILL LIE TO YOUR FACE. Me and my friend had a horrible experience at SmartBar. To start, the bouncer was racist to me and my friend. My friend shows her ID, he turns to me and asks isn't this you? Excuse me?? You are being blatantly racist to our face when you can clearly tell we looked nothing alike. I called him out for being racist and he proceeded to laugh in our faces thinking it was no big deal. Why would you even make an unnecessary comment like that.. like no one is laughing. That should have been the first red flag. We went inside and they had a student discount cover for $20/person. So me and my 3 friends should our IDs and pay together. I hand the girl at the booth a $100 bill. She should have gave a $20 back because it was $80 total but only handed over 4 tickets. I didn't realize at that time because we were all excited to just get inside. So we go in and about 10-15 mins in, I realize the girl never gave me my $20 so me and my friend go back to ask her. I asked her in the nicest tone possible and this girl gave us the nastiest attitude and got defensive right away. She said we were in there for way too long (mind u it's been 10 mins) and that she was not giving us the money back. I try to reason with her asking to check the cameras and how we can prove it to her -- I'm sure I was the only person who came with a $100 bill like girl be so for real, I know you remembered me. She refused and proceeded to call security to kick us out. We stop reasoning with her and stand to the side and she proceeds to come out of the booth and stands across from us to instigate. She goes " Oh I heard you guys talking about me, you think I can't hear?" GIRL no one said anything about YOU!!! me and my friend were talking about the the money I just lost. We got upset so we said back that we give them money to come to this establishment and they treat us like this and won't give us the money. This ticked them off and her and the security told us to get out and talk to the manager. The manager was nice at first and said he would check the cameras for us. So me and my friend stand and wait for him in the freezing cold. He comes back 5 mins later saying we have to leave because the girl did give me the $20 and that we got PHYSICALLY VIOLENT with their staff. MIND YOU we were no where near them to touch them, we did not lay a single finger on them. If anything the security walked up to me to tell us to get out. We asked him to show us the footage but he refused-- of course because the footage doesn't exist cus we NEVER touched anyone. They accused us of something we never even did right after pocketing our money. The staff like everyone else said is rude especially that girl in the booth. She took everything so personally when all I wanted was my money back. And YALL KNEW YOU HAD IT!! This was the WORSE experience I've ever had a club. DO NOT GO HERE THERE ARE BETTER PLACES IN CHI!! I promise!! read more

The management was unprofessional and the staff is rude, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.

Horrible experience, hostess was rude. I had to ask her for my change back instead of her giving it to me. Bouncer mean mugging. Don't come if you're a person of color. Whites only I guess, very uncomfortable experience. read more

Horrible management and extremely rude; we were denied getting in for no reason. Have never been discriminated in the past but bouncers were rude and disrespectful. read more

Smartbar is still the best. Walking down those stairs gives any club kid that special anticipatory feeling in the stomach. Smartbar is dark, it's loud, it's the best place to lose yourself until 5a. Nice bartenders also. If I could suggest please start selling Liquid IV lots of flavors available for all, my fav is lemon lime. A great add on to buying a bottle of water that will sell like crazy. You're Welcome. read more

Had a great time watching Helena Hauff! Drinks werent terribly priced for a club. DEFINITELY follow your gut and dont show up early. Party really didnt start until almost midnight. Thank you smartbar! read more

Staff is not only incompetent but actively targets individuals who they deem not "the crowd" of the bar. Was taken out of bar for no reason except a with no actual excuse that has nothing to do with me. Do yourself a favor and never attend a event here if you are above the age of 30. You will be targeted and discriminated against. This place deserves a 0 star but that's not possible . Not a safe space for queer individuals despite hosting queer events. read more

Smart Bar has always been the place where people go to dance. Low-posh venue where you won't be judged by your dusty Vans or less-than-solid twerk. Don't expect to get a cocktail, their bars are not stocked for anything above a basic mixed drink. Don't really bother to smile when ordering, it will rarely be reciprocated. Some DJs who open must feel they are not there to entertain you. They will spin their almost impossible to bear tracks until none buy a few sway side to side on the dancefloor. Note to DJs here: please read your audience. You will see and you will feel it when your music is good. Don't settle for dead looking faces, and lazy moves - do better! With all that said - Smart Bar still deserves 4 stars. Why? Because their patrons refuse to give up and will keep on dancing! Smart Bar - we need you. read more

Came here on a Thursday night when I was in town. Firstly, no cover! I can't remember the last time that I went to a club that had no cover. Music was excellent. Came here for the Chicago house and was not disappointed. Great music, great Funktion 1 sound system. Drinks were very reasonable at $10 for a jack and coke. It wasn't very crowded but ok for a Thursday night. There did seem to be quite a few house heads which was good to see. Hopefully I can return to check it out on a weekend night. read more

Smart Bar remains a true work horse for Chicago House music! This is the home of creative nights like Queen! On Sundays, and hosting internationally known DJ's till 5 AM! Many people may be turned off by the predominantly House music vibe, but if you are a true dance music lover, you will fall in love with Smart Bar. Keep in mind, you probably will never hear Maluma, Drake, or whatever other top 40 hit maker you hear at the suburban nightclubs (isn't that an oxymoron?) or the downtown megaclubs. Additionally, you probably won't find the suburban "Saturday night" Limo crew headed in hammered from the 'burbs, and you may have to actually be respectful toward other human beings of various beliefs. If you have an open mind and simply wanna dance without judgement, come on in. read more

Smartbar - Dance Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

An actual SCAM. They took $20 per person as a cover charge on a Sunday night, then immediately kicked us out and refused to issue a refund. We paid over $100 for nothing. They said two members of our group were intoxicated, which apparently is why they felt justified in TAKING OUR MONEY FOR NOTHING BUT INSTANTLY AND RUDELY ESCORTING US OUT. They might as well have just mugged us. That would have been more pleasant than the hospitality we received from this establishment. read more

Trash service. Buy a ticket and still have to wait in line? Been in line for more than an hour. Metro needs to get it together.

Security guards on a power tip or summm. so they gave me a tour of the place to see if I wanted to pay cover $$ I forgot I had a nooner in my pocket, the short guy said I gotta throw it out as we were about to it to go in.... so I took one sip and tossed as any normal person would .. he's like naw you're done talk gotta go lmfaoooo okay baby boy. Short man syndrome stopping them from getting money as I see from previous reviews too. read more

Good vibe here. Good music. Basement vibe. House music vibe. Well, it's Chicago, so why not!?? I heard Queen night is slamming, so I'll check it out when they re-open. If you're a dance music fan, this is your spot. Can't wait to get back there again. read more

This place is not uniform with entry fees and accommodations. Bouncers are rude and go out of their way to make sure you don't have a good time. Fact of the matter is- you will find better bars/clubs that you will have a better time and better affordability (they try to charge $20 cover for a disrespectful wait). read more

Had one good time here. Ever since, it has been mid at best. Otherwise dont come if you're a woman they will assume ur messed up if youre even mildly drunk. Mind you this place has nothing exceptional about it. read more

Sunday is QUEENS night with a conglomerate mixture of interesting beautiful people with mega love and creativity and various ages. Say hello to the one and only LADY JOJO. EDM. Plenty of XOXOs. :-) UNISEX lounge, before the 3-stalls, is where everyone hangs out. Seating. Mirrors. Lighting. Photo ops. Smart conversations about anti-brassiere, and buying cuffs from the kiddie section. Pinch. View. Admire. Awe. Bring your FABULOUSNESS! read more

Smartbar - Alice with Sugared Candy Strip Hat - Dance Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Bad experience with their guys standing at the entrance, they are very unprofessional. After I paid and had my stamp on my hand they didn't let me inside,,, I've never seen this before read more

Went there once. Low lights and more emphasis on music. The music was great! House/deep house genre. Definitely worth a go to dance solo without anyone staring at you read more

THE WORST!! DO NOT GO !! Music is terrible. Was supposed to be Madonna but definitely was not and random songs- no one told the dJ what was happening lol. Guys and staff are ok but if you're looking to dance and have fun go somewhere else- coming from someone who's been there and lived here read more

Came on a Thursday, no line, bouncer said "hey beautiful", and a security girl inside said "have a good time!"... I felt like I was being greeted by angels, upon arriving to heaven. This was my first time but I will definitely be back. I rolled up solo, and this is DEFINITELY THE PLACE for people who truly just... want to dance. And I don't just mean girls- if anything there were way more guys than girls, and they were dancing!!!!! Maybe this won't resonate with others, but I really haven't seen that. Guys just... dancing. By themselves. Maybe with a friend or two. As opposed to staring at girls like fresh meat from the sides like most clubs lol. It was really an inviting environment to dance, made better by really good music. I am not a house/techno person, but they really made it impossible not to like/dance to. It was legitimately fun. This is definitely my Thursday spot. The only thing that bummed me out was it closed at 3am. I arrived around 1:30am so closing felt premature, especially since the music was It's also worth noting there were not many people... which really surprised me! I've never encountered that problem before with a popular club lol. Maybe "problem" is the wrong word, I just prefer more than 25 bodies in a club, it gets a little weird looking at the same 5-10 people. But overall still a great experience. read more

Happiest place on earth. Danced all night. Went on a Thursday night at 10:30pm sharp because I'm a nerd. My vodka cranberry was $6 and there was no cover at the door. Took an hour or so for people to fill the dance floor but I was dancing too much to pay very much attention. Half of the people there were there alone, dancing alone, which made me so happy. This is not the place to be nervous to dance or wait for people to fill the dance floor so you have "coverage." No one cares here. Everyone is lost in the music. Are you there to dance or hold a beer and loiter? You're there to dance, so dance bitch! If you love house music, this place is a must! If only we had something similar in Los Angeles. I'll be dreaming of this place until then. read more

Smartbar - Dance floor before the storm! 〰 - Dance Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

$25 cash cover on a Friday night when there's 20+ huge bars on the same street not charging cover? No thank you. You would think they want girls in their club but guess not, definitely not worth it. read more

The inviting space greets you with tasty drinks and beats so mind imbedding that it will make you go back and slap your momma for not having discovered it sooner! #Michaelserafini #derekcarter #jojobaby This is what the Chicago Club Scene is known for! read more

Smartbar - Dance Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Maybe the most unpretentious night club ever, which is what I love about it. No real dress code and people there genuinely love the music being played. No bottle service, VIP areas, or any BS. A killer sound system, friendly staff, and top notch musical talent make it one of my favorite clubs. I mean...Derrick frickin' Carter is a resident DJ, if you have any qualms about the quality of the music here. read more

the bouncers have serious masculinity problems . they thought one of my friends id was fake. it is a real id!!! they swore it wasn't and confiscated the id. we were upset with them and they continued to tell us we were immature and embarrassing ourselves for asking for the id back. they told us to call the police if we were so sure the id was real and if we wanted it back, so we did, and then we were told we were pathetic for calling the police. i have read some yelp reviews and they all seem like they are about the bouncers. misogyny and racism should not be employed. read more