This place is normally not my scene, but every now and again, I find myself stumbling home from the Underground at 4 AM and I kind of love it. If you're looking to get dressed up, get tipsy and mix and mingle with Chicago's "hottest twenty-and-thirty-somethings," this is the place to be. Yes, there will be a line, but honestly, will you even remember waiting in it? And ladies, I recommend coming stag, as your male companions will probably extend your wait. Keep your eyes peeled, you might even see a "celebrity" or two inside (what up Ryan Cabrera! I loved you on "The Hills")! read more

My first few experiences at The Underground were great. My friends and I had a lot of fun--lots of late night stops with a bunch of girlfriends. After a handful of times.... this place got to me. I really wanted to base my review off a proper experience, ie. one that wasn't me partying there at 3:30 am completely trashed. With that being said... Underground. Way too packed. Really awkward glass shape for their drinks. I am pretty sure they purposely chose those glasses because they are short, wide, and when mixed with a crowded club, this means your drink will not be going down your mouth, but rather all over the floor. So time for another. Not only that, next time I go to UG I should wear rain boots and a dress made out of plastic. I am fed up with my drink--and everyone else's--being all over everywhere. Love the bouncers' power trips, as well. Not. Go somewhere else if you want to have a carefree night. read more

I have always been a huge fan of a The Underground and all of Rockit Ranch Productions restaurants and bars. This past Saturday was my birthday and we reserved a table for 10 of my friends and just had the best night! From Martin at the door to Jenny our server , everything was great. And freshly baked cookies- yes please! Thank you so much to Billy and Katie Rose ! Such a fun dancing and hanging out with friends! read more

They are racist. What else is there to know? Stay away and put this blatantly racist establishment out of business. My favorite club in the city recently closed so I was looking for a new place to entertain some out of town friends. I dress well. Drive an expensive car. Speak impeccably. Spend plenty of money in places like this. What I am not, however, is white skinned. Their door staff is. Had my concierge make a reservation but was denied entry upon arrival. No idea what it would be based on other than my skin color. Any business in the hospitality industry should have the sense to let the money do the talking. Not these fools. I don't think it's just one bad apple - look at other reviews that report similar behavior and if management allows it to continue, the whole bunch of apples is rotten. They also own sister establishments....stay away from them all and tell them this is Chicago, not 1950's Alabama. read more

*UPDATE* I am absolutely disgusted by this place.  Let me explain: On 11/2, I left my phone and wallet at The Underground.  11/3 at 9am, I left an email to the lost & found contact provided on their VM tone. I waited until 10pm at their time of opening that evening, only to call dozens of times and leave several VMs with no response. Plus a follow up email to the lost & found contact. The following day 11/4, I left an additional VM, wrote a Yelp review, submitted an online note on their company website, left an another email to a contact found on Yelp named Michael. I left Twitter, Instagram and Facebook messages on their business accounts in an attempt to illicit a response from ANYONE. Not one person responded.  At 10pm on 11/5, I got in a $30 Uber and headed to The Underground assuming I couldn't be evaded if I showed up in person. After summarizing how I was looking for my belongings, the bouncer proceeded to blatantly lie that the person who has the key to their vault was not in that night and that I needed to return the following day at 9pm to retrieve my belongings. He said that hundreds of wallets and phones were at their location, to which I voiced my disgust in their lack of customer service.  You can imagine my furiosity. I recapped my past 72 hours to this bouncer in trying to contact someone from their business to no avail. He rolled his eyes, walked away, and I was FINALLY met by someone from their security team who had my wallet and phone in hand.  The most infuriating detail of all is that one of their employees insulted passersby twice using the words "faggot" and "fucking fag". It is beyond me that an establishment can allow such incompetent and homophobic individuals to represent their business.  I will be doing everything in my power to escalate this situation to The Underground's management team. PLEASE do not endorse this business. I regret the moment I stepped into The Underground and highly advise that no one does the same.  ------ (posted 11/4) I visited your location on Thursday, 11/2, and mislocated my personal belongings. I have reached out to The Underground through several phone calls, emails, Facebook messages and online inquires. The Underground team did not answer one of my phone calls during their hours of operation. I am disappointed by the lack of customer service. As you can imagine, this has been a stressful situation for the past 72 hours. read more

If I told you I would have to kill you. Give the place a shot, you will be impressed. Also, surprisingly good food that I would never have expected. read more

I have yet to have a bad time in this place. Not the easiest door to negotiate, but what do you expect. The staff is very friendly and always helpful. Check out Thursday nights for an interesting mix of djs and bands. The RRP crew is not shy about having a good time. Don't miss out read more

The Underground - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The best River North bar. Great music, great atmosphere, great service. I love it when a place gets bad reviews for making people wait outside. You know the place has high standards and doesn't b.s. Get on the list! Short story: The bouncers and bartenders are super sweet and friendly (very anomalous in River North by the way), the DJ is amazing, and they never over-crowd the place so there's the perfect blend of lounging and dancing. p.s. the guys looooved the 50:1 girl to boy ratio. Details: My friends and I wanted to celebrate the end of our exams so we went to underground. We just sent them an e-mail with our names and we were all on the list. (girls and boys included) When we got there, the bouncers were super sweet and greeted us. It was freezing outside, and not only did we not have to wait in line, but the bouncers tried to get us in as fast as possible so they didn't even check all our names. The bartenders were amazing, and we never had to wait at the bar to get a drink. We partied all night and had the best time ever! It is still River North, so we got there at about 11:30 so there wouldn't be that much of a line. read more

I hosted my 21st birthday celebration here and it was AMAZING! Everyone had so much fun and the staff was amazing. The moment we arrived they were all so kind and energetic. The girl working our table was so sweet and helpful. It was definitely above and beyond anything I could of imagined. Great place for special events. read more

I agree that all of the angst for the underground comes from people that can't get in (and don't get me wrong I have been refused at the door many o' times when with a lot of dudes). And, I am getting way too old for underground.... BUT, it's still one of the only places that I will go to get sweaty nasty, crazy to amazing music 'till 4am. Beware: -They won't let you in if you aren't 75% or more women, have a table, or know someone -Sometimes women in moo-moos come and snatch all of the purses that people leave at their tables while dancing (keep your purses close, ladies) -There are no bar stools, chairs, etc.. besides at the tables, which have a 2-4 bottle minimum -Celeb sightings all of the time (even still) read more

Very very rude attendant out front! Made fun of me for dressing the way I did then refused me to get in

How a bar that has...(let's bulletpoint this) * Two Fully Stocked Bars * VIP Seating * Good Music * Cocktail Waitresses with outfits YOU want to wear for a slinky night in ...manages to come out as someplace you 'may' go to is just plain cray-zay. I came to The Underground for an event a couple of weeks ago and had a blast. The servers were fun, the bartending staff was just as good mixing up frilly drinks at a rapid pace. I will admit that once the place gets packed (which will happen) even when you have a full service table--snagging someone to bypass the bar line can be tricky. But it is doable and did not deter this trip. The interior is dark and sexy, it's loud and still quiet enough for a conversation. I like how you have to walk down the stairs to get inside, makes you feel like you're doing something 'naughty' even if naughty means sipping a cocktail and losing yourself to the beat of a tune. Highly enjoyable hotspot to gab, sip, flirt, whatevs. read more

Not gonna lie, wasn't sure what to expect from this place when I was told we were celebrating my boyfriend's sister's 30th bday here. Not much of a clubber as I don't like loud, overcrowded places full of intoxicated people, but it wasn't my birthday and I was along for the ride. We did have bottle service therefore a reserved place and it was awesome. Good music, good service. Also, they bring a plate of cookies. So, this is my kind of place... a place that gives me cookies. I didn't wander far from our group, so not sure how big this place was. Didn't see much of a dance floor although, like I said, didn't wander too far off. read more

My friends and I went on a girls trip to Chicago in December. WE had heard about the Underground from a local Chicagoian. WE decide to give it a chance. My friend emailed the manager, Ben, a charming british chap, who was so accomadating to us. He was able to arrange a VIP table for us, and we felt like royalty. When we got to the club, we were treated like the Princesses that we needed to be treated like. Ben was even more charming in person then he was via email. When we got there, he told us our table was going to be two table aways from a certain band that was playing in town that night. Whoot. I have to admit the table was a bit tiny, but who cares, when you have the lead singer, and drummer from one of your favorite bands two tables away. The music, was old school and new school mixed up. it felt comfortable, it felt right. When we left, there was a huge line to get our coats back, the bouncer guy saw us at the end of the line, looked and asked give me your numbers, went all the way to the front of the line, and got our coats. How sweet is that? Next time I am in Chicago, we are going back, if only to see the charming Brit name Benjamin. read more

This is an okay Chicago club. Just get there before 11 and you'll get in fine, sometimes for free. Neither the crowd nor the music is that great. Expensive, it's River North. Decent service. Not even really worth buying a table I don't think. read more

LOVED IT! It was super small, amazing music due to Mark Ronson being the DJ that night. I went home and dled his Toxic remix right after. We were there for the Lollapalooza afterparty so I got meet LLohan (so was her gal pal Sam Ronson)..also Jerome Bettis, starts from the 70s show, and chicago bulls players were running around the club (VERY SMALL place...). They let us dance on the counter (not sure what that area counts out) between the booths and have a great time doing so. Met some cool people that I will definitely keep in touch with and the set up of the club makes it easy to get drinks, talk to people, and dance. The bartenders were super cute with great bodies, some sleazy guys there but most people are fun to hang out with and love great music, and girls can be divided into chic or just scream trust fund. The waitress made us a flaming drink that was memorable. Their bar menu is definitely unique and the drinks are strong. downfall? The traffic jam of nice cars and drunk girls waving credit cards at cabs. read more

Had a great time this weekend. Max, part of the security team, went above and beyond!! Thank you Underground. We will be back!

Chicago's most exclusive and fashionable nightclub. Lots of douchebag guys but gorgeous women!!! Get a bottle and chill with friends is the way to go! read more

I'm super loyal to this place, because what happens Underground, stays Underground! I always have a good time here because they have some of the best DJs and guest DJs in town, decent spot for afterpartying too. Its a good spot to spot celebs, athletes, and models. Sometimes the door will give you hell, but if you bat some lashes you shouldn't have a problem. Guys shouldn't go in big groups (unless you are getting a table). You'll have a good time any day of the week but he best nights are during the week, when people aren't trying so hard to be flashy! read more

We came here to celebrate my friends birthday party and had one of the best nights out we've had in a long time. Kate and the rest of the servers were so nice/accommodating and everyone from the management team, especially Martin Parsley, went above & beyond our expectations. Thanks for hosting our celebrations and for the warm birthday cookies at 2 AM. We had so much fun! read more

Went to The Underground on a random Thirsty Thursday kind of night. Free drinks from 9-11, awesome staff, not crowded at all, and with my fave bunch of girls. It was a crazy, fun-filled, drama-free kind of night! We were able to sit in the booths, since it wasn't overly crowded. I hope when I go tomorrow for the Archer Townsend's official launch, it will be drama free. Cross your fingers for me ladies and gents! read more

Love this place! Levi is so sexy! Ow owww! Great bar tender. Good place to hang out late at night. read more

The Underground - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

An interesting place - the cool underground secret military base theme works.. well, it works okay. Staff in (sometimes skimpy) fatigues is cute and the maps on the wall and spraypainted logos look cool, but once it got packed it felt more and more like hanging out in someone's half-finished basement. I didn't have any trouble getting in on a rainy Saturday night, but then again, I did come with my girlfriend and each of us did pay $20. The DJ was great, playing good mixes of mostly top 40 stuff, but there wasn't really much room to dance. Most of the club is taken up with bottle service tables with basically nowhere else to sit. You can dance or stand around other places, but I couldn't help like feeling I was constantly in someone's way. Drinks are also wildly expensive and not that strong, of course, ranging from $10 to $15 - I imagine you could spend even more if you wanted to. So, ehhh I guess - as a Bostonian, it's novel to be out past 2am much less until almost 5, but I can't help but feel there'd be more pleasant places to spend a late night. read more

We came for a small get together with bottle service. All of the people came from out of town, so we wanted an area to hang out without having to fight for ground. Came on a Thursday, got decently crowded after midnight. The service was fine, at the start of the night they were quite helpful (with crowd coming in, they couldn't be as attentive). The seating area is in the middle of the action, so don't expect your own little area if you get bottle service. Wish they roped off some of it, as we had about 10 people, and it was difficult to talk with everyone. It's smaller than the pictures show, without a large dance area - it's sort of dance where you stand type place. The crowd was chic, although there were definitely more guys than girls for an unbalanced ratio. For a first time, I'd say it was an ok experience. I'd def give it another shot though. read more

I've been to Underground for quite a while now... I find this place ridiculous in the sense of "getting in" either you have to have more than one bottle service,show a lot of skin or know some at the door. Ladies! watch out, you have to pay cover past 11 pm o'clock! ( probably 10 or perhaps they'll make a deal of 5 per head!) -- drinks are overpriced... HOWEVER, music is great if you are looking for a fun night :) read more

I guess I didn't know what a "trendy" place this was, but yeah they don't let you in if you're wearing flipflops. I had to sneak my heels out to a friend so she could come in with us. But I'm not complaining; I like it when places have a dress code or are a little strict at the door. High standards halfway guarantee a good crowd. They also have a convenient smoking area near the door, which is where I observed the HUGE line to get in at like 2am! I really had no idea this place was such a hotspot. The drinks are expensive, but if you're suave you can get in without paying cover. My advice is to pregame thoroughly and bring good friends with. There's absolutely no room to dance, despite the loud dance music, but I suppose it's more of a loungey club because the booths/bottle service area is really fun and easy to socialize in. I'd definitely go back, but I refuse to pay cover or stand in a longass line. read more

After hearing all of the hype on this spot I finally tried it for my birthday. I'm normally not the clubbing type of person since I've been to dump holes like Vision and Excalibur but this place is perfection. UG is much more discreetly hidden so it doesn't attract a bunch of tourists and trashy people. The crowd was quite fabulous for the most part and people were all dressed nicely. The music was perfect all night. I had nothing but a good time the entire time and couldn't restrain myself from dancing constantly. The energy in the place was immaculate. The design and decor are very nice as well. The staff was extremely accommodating and friendly as well. The drinks were pricey but very carefully crafted. The margaritas I had were fantastic. Next time I plan on reserving a table as the experience was great! I definitely recommend it. read more

Dear Underground, Last night was amazing. I'm so happy I decided to check you out after the other spot I was at let out at 2. You are the perfect after hours spot. No line, no pretentious doormen, every one is drunk and dancing, total party atmosphere. Great way to end the night. Thank you, Kori M's massive hangover read more

Wow after reading all the other reviews reminds me of why knowing people helps. Ive been here 2 times. Yes the first time i went we were waiting for the security to find my friends name on the list... even though he is always on the list and goes practically every thursday! The security ended up letting us in.. the second i came by myself walked out the cab and right in the door..and i didnt look like a skank. I was pretty surprised myself....lol but other than that drinks are pretty dam expensive... No place to dance. Hence the fact i always dance on top of the tables and chairs... i give it 4 stars because ive had tons of fun both times ive been here.. Bring Good Friends!! thats the key. read more

It's not bad...my review would have been less if I would have had to pay for anything I know that. My friends know the owners so we got in quickly and had some drinks for free. While walking in I noticed them telling a group of about 10 guys and 2 girls they couldn't come in with all those guys so I was thinking it'd be really packed down there. I got in and it was about 85% women, which seems odd. Guys are typically the money spenders at the bar so why keep them out if theres room and they're dressed nicely. Everyone was very trendy spanning from hipsters to design labels. So people looked nice for the most part. At times it was a little too "drunk college kid" for me. You can be young, trendy, wild and still not completely foolish! The bartender was nice but every drink I had was horrible. The apple martini was the worst I've ever had. There were apple slices in it which was really cool but it didn't taste like apple at all!! Then we changed to Red Bull and Vodka and it just didn't taste right. Music was interesting it was literally everything from 80s to rock to rap, which I kind of liked it kept you dancing and everyone had to hear at least something they liked. I would have liked a little more current music though. read more

My favorite thing about Underground is that it's been open for over 2 years and people are still unable to get in. With that being said, Underground is the only worthwhile club to go to in Chicago. read more

The Underground is a table-oriented night club with mediocre music. I generally avoid the place, but an Underground host offered my friend a birthday table including 1 comp bottle, 2 half price bottles, and no minimum purchase. (Too good to be true?) The night started out fun, but soon into our celebration the floor host told us the minimum was $1,000 and we were required to continue ordering. I tried to explain the misunderstanding to the floor host and the manager, but both told me the original host who offered the table has no power to set prices. I couldn't get ahold of the original host, and I didn't want this to ruin the party, so we tried to pay the server $1,000 hoping. She wouldn't accept our money saying we had to order to the minimum before we could close our bill. (Gotta love the table game.) We asked how much we needed to spend to get up to the minimum. She said we had $418 on the tab, so we ordered a $650 bottle so we could close out. After tax and tip, our bill was a whopping $1,400.86. But it gets worse. I found out later that the server didn't include two bottles bought by other guests at our table in the minimum. So with their $248 spent, the special birthday table offer ended up costing $1,648.86. I complained to the original host who said he would help sort things out. After some back and forth, he said the manager would refund $200, but nothing was ever refunded. I followed up a few times until I stopped getting a response. The Underground.. what a rip off. read more

The worst part of this bar is the door. All of the doorman have some serious ego issues that inhibit them from acting like humans and more like gorilla-like creatures. Lame. And let me ask you...Why the hell did I have to wait in line for 20 min on a SUNDAY, pay $20, only to find 30 people inside!!!!????? WTF! And that 'list' of yours looked more like a scratch pad with 8-10 names on it. It's hard to bounce back and have a great time after you experience such terrible service like that. The only reason we stayed is because total we paid $100 to get in. That being said, we tried to enjoy ourselves during our two rounds...when normally we would have stayed for the whole night and spent a lot more. It's clear that this place has an issue with service at the door and I'm not the only one who has experienced it. Look at ALL the reviews below that say the same thing. I think it's time for a change in your approach, Underground. read more

The first time I was at Underground, it was amazing but mainly because I went as part of a charity event. So for an $11 donation, I got free drinks until 11 and endless rounds of delicious appetizers. The second time I was at Underground, it was really average. My friend had the "Cheeky Chicago Card" which is basically a promotional VIP card. Except none of the employees recognized it, and when we spoke to the manager, he said that they did partner with Cheeky but it ended a while ago. But my friend works there, so when she talked to her bosses about it, it was definitely still supposed to be an active partnership. That aside, everything else was typical. It's got really nice decor but the music is somewhat average. read more

It's safe to say that anything related to Rockit Ranch Production will be of high quality, and the Underground is no exception. Every time I have gone to Underground I had a great time. The DJ blends multiple genres of music to appeal to the diverse crowd. I cannot say enough great things about the staff. They simply do a superb job with their customer service. Underground is one of my favorite places to have a good time in Chicago. read more

Although I'm more of a beer garden/pub kind of girl, The Underground is first on my list when I want to go out dancing. I have found it to be the best music in town and have had a great time everytime I've been there. This also might be the only place in the city where a $12 drink actually has $12 worth of booze it in. If you have the cash, I think bottle service at the table is the way to go. But like anywhere with table service, you can expect a minimum of $300 per bottle. I agree with other yelpers - it can be a challenge to get in so go early, or try to find a connection to get you on the list. Happy Clubbing! read more

LOVE this spot - there was a long line outsdie when we arrived around 1:30am - we had a couple names to drop and waiting about 10 minutes before our group was able to be accomodated (15 girls!) - the lounge was at capacity. Inside, the crowd was fantastic - trendy & hip. The music was GREAT for dancing - we didn't stop the whole night! We also spotted Cheryl Burke dancing on a table!!! *YEAY* read more

I went to The Underground this past Thursday and had an amazing time! My two girl friends and I got there early so I didn't have to deal with any of that line BS. We RSVPd on Twitter and were immediately added to the list which was especially awesome so I don't know what everyone else is talking about. The crowd was great, the music was amazing, the service was fast and excellent. What more could I have asked for? The drinks were a bit pricey but I had such a great time I could care less how much money I spent. It reminded me of my favorite NYC lounge clubs. I will definitely go back! Hopefully next time with a table and bottle service. Thanks for everything Billy Dec! Oh and any place that can throw an amazing party during the week receives praise from me! Weekends are overrated! read more

One of the worst upscale bars/lounges/clubs i have been to. Extremely RUDE bottle service staff. Went there and was treated with absolutely no respect when some friends were late and the "Management" (if you can call it that) of the bottle service staff came up and started cursing at us (mind you we were just sitting around minding our own business). If you are planning on spending a lot of money and want a classy place I highly suggest not coming here. read more

Music is awesome except the DJ f'd up. the last two songs so I left.... But I'll probably be back ;)