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    The Bad Apple

    4.1 (1.8k reviews)
    Open 4:30 pm - 11:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Business Info

    THE BAD APPLE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Bad Apple

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    Vegan Birria Tacos (hibiscus flowers, spicy dipping sauce, vegan cheese, cilantro, onion, elote salad)
    JL J.

    The Vegan Birria Tacos are excellent. There were some very interesting flavors, the tacos have amazing variances in texture and a variety of flavors in a bite sweet, sour, tangy and just a little bit of heat. Great rotating draft beer options. The decor is very interesting with a huge dragon artwork on the ceiling in the bar area. I can wait to come back.

    Elvis's Last Supper
    Emily B.

    We waited an hour for a table which is expected since it's a new place. The drink menu was really fun and had a lot of different drink options. We had a bacon old fashioned and a bloody mary. The food was sooooo much. I'd go here if you love giant portion sizes. For me personally, it was all a bit too greasy and too much food. I think everything could have done with 1-2 less items on it, but that's just my personal preference! The hosts were super nice and accommodating. We had to ask a lot for water refills and our server wasn't around too much.

    The Bad Apple Burger
    Louie S.

    My girlfriend and I came through on Memorial Day and had lunch together. We both ordered the Bad Apple burgers and an order of cheese curds. The cheese curds were good--but the burgers were amazing. What's really going to bring me back here is the house-made ketchup. That stuff is next level. Service was decent--not particularly memorable, but they were there when we needed them, and that's really all you can ask for. The only downside, which is totally out of their control, was the uncomfortable bleacher-style seating by the bar. That's probably the only thing keeping this from being a 5-star review. Still, it's definitely worth checking out and worth the drive

    Chili palmer burger
    Amisha R.

    Hands down the best burger in the city. Juicy, big, and perfectly cooked. The crispy onion rings were a standout. Be prepared for a filling meal--you might need a nap afterward!

    Elvis burger, truffle fries and saison
    Julian G.

    This place has been on my list and I'm so glad I went! Had a lovely dinner on the patio and was well attended by our server. The Elvis burger was tasty, kind of inspired by a PB&J with the thick PB and spicy jelly. The patty was cooked well, and they offer a variety of optional seasonings for your fries. Housemade ketchup, too! Extensive draft beer selection. Would come back, especially in summer!

    Ishani B.

    One of the few places that are open late night, Bad Apple offered a selection of great drinks and food. We got the Vegan Birria taco which was scrumptious along with BBQ flatbread. Although the pizza took a while to arrive, taste was not compromised. The place had a hunters den vibe but I could not check about the concept with the host. Our experience was made better by the host who suggested some locally brewed beer which tasted like sour patch! Over all good experience!

    The 5% surcharge scam!
    Monika S.

    They tried to sneak an extra 5% surcharge onto the bill. They added it in and the only reason we found out was because we got a printed receipt after we paid. The bartender told us that the owner does it himself because "rising costs and labor costs". The biggest problem is the fact that they don't disclose it anywhere, and if you don't get a printed receipt you never find out that they charged you before taxes or tip is included.

    The Figs Is In
    Alice H.

    The good - walked in on a Sat night & were seated immediately; fig & onion burger and the harvest salad are delish! Service is friendly! The not so good - super loud bar atmosphere in the entire dining room; almost yelling to hear each other speak. Poutine gravy and all the fries (whether regular or sweet potato) are SO salty and I like salt! We drank lots of water . I may come back again for more tasty burgers and salads but will opt to sit in the outdoor area. Hoping it will be a quieter and more serene dining environment. And next time I would ask them not to salt the fries so much!

    Elvis's Last Supper
    Soo L.

    Purely based on the food, finally got around to try the Elvis's Last Super burger and it was surprisingly good. This burger has intrigued me for a while as it has peanut butter in and every time I read it on the menu, I was like yuck/why peanut butter....I stand corrected. Of course, to each it's a win. If you are intrigued, just try it and make your own judgement after tasting it.

    Fried Cheese Curds The Bad Apple Burger
    Danielle A.

    For a place known for burgers, I wasn't very impressed. The burger was objectively fine, it isn't the best burger ever, but it wasn't the worst burger either. It needed to be seasoned better and have... something. I got it medium well which is the lowest temp I will go with ground beef. The fries were good, I got them tossed in spicy chipotle which really brought it together. Not a big fan of the cheese curds. Came out almost cold and honestly could spend more time in the fryer. Overall, okay experience. I may come back because I enjoyed the cocktail I had. And the bartender was great, so nice! Only downside is that at night, it is very very dark in there.

    Churros! Outstanding

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    1 day ago

    The fried cheese curds are delicious. They have a huge variety of beer and the burgers are OK.

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    7 months ago

    Delicious food but truly bizarre waitstaff and bartenders. Felt guilty ordering food and drinks which was a confusing feeling

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    6 months ago

    Fantastic selection of beer from around the world. The cheese curds are unrivaled, even in WI! Burgers are legit, the tastiest around.

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 46

    The Bad Apple Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Bad Apple

    Why is it good to go on a Wednesday?? Any daily specials?

    They release their special burger on Wednesdays

    Do they offer gluten free buns?

    Yes! Love them!

    Do they dessert items?

    They have two desserts. Chocolate mousse or chocolate peanut butter mousse.

    Would this be a good place to watch the NBA Finals game on Friday?

    Absolutely! I watched the Finals here last year!

    Is there an age limit on a Friday night at around 11pm? i am not bringing children but someone who is 20 years of age. Will that be okay? We are coming in a group and I have 1 person under the age of 21. It would be amazing if The Bad Apple allows it

    Not sure about Bad Apple in particular but most bars in Chicago start to check IDs, especially on a Friday evening at 11pm. I would recommend calling ahead to avoid any issues.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Is Was Brewing - Lager

    Is Was Brewing

    (11 reviews)

    Andersonville, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square

    Checked out this kind of newer brewery that's in the former location of another brewery. Is/Was has…read morequickly become one of the hippest in the city. So many on tap to choose from you could be here forever trying all these. A lot of these are different than most breweries have. The specialty here is the Saison which is a pretty unique style yet they have a whole bunch of varieties. Best use of an old brewery is putting in another one of course. It's in the former location of Urban Brew Labs. The main thing different is almost every beer they make is Saisons. A style a lot of people aren't putting as favorites. There's certain characteristics to it like being rustic and yeasty. It's about $7 a pint. The best one of these we had was the Will Be, the flagship Saison. If not wanting beer there's plenty of other alcohol. They make shrubs, which are cocktails made with herbs. Also there's some options without alcohol. They're covering a lot of bases it seems. For sure there's great variety even with it being mostly one style they're brewing. It's close to the Ravenswood Metra station. There's no food but sometimes they have food trucks.

    We found Is Was Brewing after recommendation from another brewery in the area! We were drawn to the…read moreartwork and the proximity, as it was raining! The space itself is quite large, with spots to gather with different sized groups and even some ski ball and other arcade features to entertain. The server was quite friendly and provided us a brief history of the brand, as we were the only ones in the space on a rainy Thursday right when they opened. The beer selection leans toward various types of Saisons. It's definitely an acquired taste and not for everyone, but the ones we had were delicious! I'd recommend the Rustic Brown, as it had a bit of smoke and wasn't as funky as some of the other ones I tasted.

    Guild Row - Po Boy Catfish

    Guild Row

    (4 reviews)

    $$

    Avondale

    I wish more people knew about how amazing Guild Row is! My husband and I sort of stumbled upon it…read moreone afternoon. They have a huge outdoor patio, and we decided to eat lunch there. What a calming space - both indoors and outdoors. There are plenty of tables to sit and do work. There are numerous outlets outside so that your devices will never die on you! The bar opens at 3pm. We were there earlier so we grabbed an espresso and enjoyed the sunshine. The patio is dog-friendly! I can't wait to go back this week and get some work done!

    Got to visit Guild Row and their new LTO ("LIMITED TIME ONLY") which is a patio bar and restaurant…read more LTO features Po'Boy, Wine, Live Music and soft serve ice cream. This restaurant is only available for a limited time through the summer months of 2024. We were fortunate to attend an After Party Popup sponsored by Motorshucker with complimentary food samples and wine from Regalis & Cream. We were able to divulge in some yummy caviar (Regalis Ostera Noir) and oysters. In addition to some lite bites of salami, meats, cheeses and peppers. These all came from Regalis and were delicious. I would definitely like to try their full size charcuterie board this summer. I may even try to order some charcuterie meats and cheeses from Regalis. They were premium quality. LTO also had for purchase their full menu. We ordered the Catfish Po Boy and Kettle Chips. Very impressed with this sandwich. They did a good job of frying the fish and the hoagie bread was perfect. The kettle chips compliment the sandwich. The Raventos i Blanc was the favorite wine tasted on this occasion. Guild Row itself is very cute co-working space. Lots of tables, couches and comfy areas to work. This space serves also as a social club. I could see how combining the two are a perfect pair. The members only lounge had a full service bar: liquor, wine, and beer. Our evening was awesome. We enjoyed the sounds of the live music, the divine smells coming from the fire pit. Would definitely consider a membership as a person that WFH and will be on the look out for more opportunities to visit LTO (no membership needed).

    Hopleaf Bar - Mustard cheese toast, Cheese Board and salad

    Hopleaf Bar

    (2.4k reviews)

    $$

    Andersonville, Ravenswood, Uptown

    Hopleaf Bar is hands down one of our favorite spots for dinner and drink in all of Chicago!…read more One key to a successful dinning experience at Hopleaf is knowing the three different spaces to engage. When you first walk in, you have to show your ID since this is an adults-only bar establishment. (1) You can then choose to sit in the front bar area, if you want a full menu, but use the bar for ordering service. (2) If you keep walking through the front bar area, you reach the host stand at the top of the ramp. This is where you can put your name in to sit in the main dining room, upstairs, or outside. (3) However, you can also walk through to the left of the host stand to another bar area that has full menus, but bar service for ordering. This is our preferred spot because we can often find a seat and order with the bar. Do note that, during busy times, part of this bar area is managed by the host stand and will be labeled as such. The extensive beer menu is our favorite. We have our favorite food items, so all our decision making revolves around which beer we will get. They always have a bit of everything style-wise, from all over the world, but with a local-brewery focus. Seasonal emphasis is also taken into consideration when they curate the beer list. It is always rotating and we love it! Beers are served in the recommended glasses from the breweries. It's a great drinking experience from start to finish! Our food orders are eternally set: I get the Nueske Ham sandwich with fries and aioli. My husband gets the Reuben sandwich with fries and aioli. This meal is so perfect we'll probably never get anything different, despite the menu being delicious across the board. The wildest we get is sometimes splitting the two sandwiches. No reason to mess with a good thing! Other notable great things about Hopleaf: (1) Kind, knowledgeable, and professional staff. (2) Reasonable prices for high quality and great variety products. (3) Clean Belgian Bar decor/vibe with lots of space for folks to enjoy their time. (4) They are open late and serve food late. Thank you for being an amazing local spot, Hopleaf! We'll see you soon!

    Simply, all around excellent!…read more This was one of those cases where I stopped in, started a review, and then it sat in my drafts collecting dust. Thus, a return visit was a must! Primarily because I genuinely enjoyed it, and secondarily because I enjoy writing. Hopleaf boasts a tremendous and awesome beer list! It's truly hard to do it justice in a review. I will say they offer a wide variety of different kinds, origins, styles, bottle versus draft, and so on. For those who aren't beer lovers, there are cocktails, ciders, and more! For food, I was able to try both the Pork Belly and the Slagel Burger. The pork belly was much better than I expected! The exterior was delightfully roasted, and the interior was soft and savory with a good balance between meaty and fatty bits. The pork was well-sauced, and the accompanying accoutrements were similarly fantastic, helping to round out the pork, and adding freshness. On my first visit, my main memory of the burger was a very high salt level. However, this appears to have been addressed on my second visit. Now, is it the best burger in the city? No. However, it is excellent in its own right. The smashed patties have good flavor and a proper char around the edges. The vegetables are present but not so overwhelming that it becomes a hard-to-eat salad, and finally, it is delightfully cheesy! Where service is concerned, the bar staff were friendly and welcoming. They took great care of me and other patrons approaching the bar. Food came out in a reasonable timeframe, especially for items cooked to order. In terms of their vibe, I feel as though the best way I can describe it is to say it's a larger, elevated dive bar. It isn't cramped or dark, and there's plenty of space. At the same time, it isn't at all uppity and preserves that neighborhood establishment feel (though I would certainly go across town to visit on occasion). Finally, regarding value, when the bill came, I felt the amount due was more than reasonable considering the quality of food, beers, and service I received. Thus, while I am generally not a big beer drinker (I'm more of a spirits/cocktails person), I'm not totally against printing out their beer menu and crossing out items as I try them. That is to say, I look forward to coming back again and again.

    Cultivate by Forbidden Root - Dinner April 2025

    Cultivate by Forbidden Root

    (114 reviews)

    $$

    Ravenswood, Lincoln Square

    We have been here a few times and typically everything is delicious! The duck and dumplings are…read morefantastic and will keep us coming back! This trip we tried the Spanish octopus, however, and it was not good. We are big fans of octopus, but this one was chewy and the sides to accompany it were not to our liking, so we ended up barely touching the dish. The oysters and scallops were on point though! Overall a very good experience each time!

    Checked out this pretty unique brewery. Forbidden Root has expanded to a newer location called…read moreCultivate and is known not just for the beers but also the food menu. It has since grown from the original location in East Village to this one in Ravenswood. As the saying goes nothing beats the original and this is where to start on some great local beers and also get something to eat. The prices may be kind of high but it's to be expected for being hipster. Basic thing to know is the beers are supposed to be the main thing of course. It's got quite a few to choose from. The styles are a lot different than just the typical. A lot of ingredients making these more enjoyable to pair with food. Probably what they had in mind when they created these. It's about $8 a pint. Kind of a lot but of course this is a hipster craft brewery though. The best one of these we had was the Toro! It's a Triple IPA that is double dry hopped and citrus forward. There's also notes of pineapple. As for the food it's great but kind of limited for vegetarian choices. It's about $13 for an entree. She got the Kale Salad. It has chickpeas, fennel, fried shallots, herbs, and tahini-orange dressing. This was actually filling surprisingly. I got the Vada Pav Sliders, which are okay for vegans. Comes with mint chutney, pickled red Fresno peppers, and pineapple-tamarind jam. Most of the rest of the menu is meaty. There's also oysters if wanting to get seafood. For sure we could come here again. It's located close to the Ravenswood Metro station. There's a few things for vegetarians.

    Sleeping Village

    Sleeping Village

    (84 reviews)

    $$

    Avondale

    Sleeping Village is a great spot! I came here for a concert a few weeks ago and it was an awesome…read moretime. The building is pretty unassuming on the outside and looks a lot smaller than it actually is. Once you're in, the main space indoors is a big open bar with some tables/booths and places to sit but also a lot of standing room. There is a big drink menu that is projected onto the wall that is pretty beer heavy, but there are some other options for non beer drinkers! I got a jalapeno ranch water that was really good. There is a large patio space that looks so fun for the summer. The concert venue is in the back. It's pretty small, but perfect for more intimate shows. We had so much fun!! This place really is such a gem, and I can't wait to come back for some drinks on the patio when the weather warms up.

    The name of this bar and venue is adorable. So nicely done right off the bat! Lots of seating for…read moresmall-medium sized groups. Two of which were having a great time when we arrived. We sat at the bar, because it's my default settings or my AuDHD need for routine. Very attentive bartender who greeted us right as we sat down. I'll be honest. I ordered a gin and tonic. My estimation is that this G&T was 75% tonic. I didn't say anything because I don't know what to say. I also do not like confrontation. The venue itself is fantastic! We were there to see KING MALA. ADORE EVERYTHING ABOUT HERE. My boyfriend sprung for VIP tickets. I have no money but meeting her was amazing. Highly recommend seeing a chow here. Intimate, great sound, and a bar inside who made me an on point G&T!

    The Bad Apple - burgers - Updated May 2026

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