We've always had a good time here but it was more so the people I am with then the place. It is different but nothing special, imo. Very cramped. Where I fd up is valeting my car here. I never do that normally but was running late for an event this time. Anyway, I got a ticket a month later for parking at a hydrant. After a lot of back and forth I was reimbursed but it goes to show they will leave your car anywhere they want. read more

There was incredibly limited dancing space (although it was nice that we could dance on pretty much any available surface) and security was overly zealous about clearing pathways through the dance floor, which was funny because probably only ten percent of the people there were dancing. Everyone else was either sitting with their fancy bottle service or just standing on the dance floor. The music, however, was good - and when it comes down to it, I guess that's all that really matters. read more

I loved the Underground. We had so much fun. We were on the list, friends knew people. It was a bit small, but still definitely fun. There were some "high class" ladies there and if they weren't "high class" they definitely dressed the part if you know what I mean. I met the owner, he was very friendly. The door guys were also really nice. The bus people, not so happy if you were in their way. I loved my bartender Joel. He was awesome. There was a pretty deep line at the bar, but I had started talking to Joel when I ordered my first drink and any time I came up after wards my drink was there for me. I can't wait to go back, but I do know I won't be going unless I'm on the list. read more

If you like ultra-hip, exclusive, border-line snobbish places; then Underground is for you. Most of the men there were surprisingly wearing suits and the women were all beautiful and trendy dressed. I happen to be there for a Belvidere party last night, so there was free drinks and gift bags to pass out. Overall, I had fun, but I didn't have to pay for anything. Honestly, if I had a choice, I probably wouldn't come here again if I had to pay for a drink. YAY to open bars!!! :) 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 Underground is the kind of place I would never go unless I had some specific reason. Too pretentious and too cool for school. But if the opportunity arises that I can come here for free (drinks and cover) while enjoying some celebrity entertainment (Mickey Avalon & Satellite Party), then I won't complain. Ladies, the staircase down to the club is a bit treacherous. Watch yourself if you are wearing heels. This place is pretty small, so I imagine it can get pretty crowded. It wasn't bad the night I was there, but I am sure on the weekends it is nuts. The DJs were great, which was the best part of the night. But I could probably hear similar music at a much less pretentious place if I was so inclined. read more

Always a great time at UG. If you don't know people and complain that you have to wait, remember that you are downtown in a metropolitan city and not in some neighborhood pub. Same goes for the drink prices. It's a small place to begin with, and yes, they pack them in. The waitresses are gorgeous and they wear hot "militant" type outfits to fit in with the theme. It's pretty crass to write a review and call a waitress a "whore" because they look hot and are dressed to impress. Again, they aren't serving at a neighborhood pub or at a pancake breakfast at a church. read more

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

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 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

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

Too expensive and terrible table and bottle service- save your self a headache and regret that you didn't go somewhere else. Not worth the money at all-I had poor communication and hospitality from my server and my table was annoyed the whole time. I would rather drink a bottle of bad tequila and jump off a building than ever recommended or visit this club again read more

I haven't write a review in yelp for ages and I hate it to be a negative one, but people need to know this and learn from our experience. I live in Old Town and have gone to several clubs, bars and lounges. Never had I ever felt soo degrading after going to Underground. This review mainly goes out to the bouncer guy that talked to my cousin around 10:30 pm this past Sat, 4/8 and the management. This guy refused to let 18 girls in for my cousin's bachelorette after my cousin's sister actually talked to their management having are names in the lists. He keep insisting that it's pass 10 and that their tables are sold out, and to be able to get in, you supposed to have tables reserved. I have to say that this guy is racist and maybe this establishment influenced him to act like this. After my other cousin talked to another guy that it was ridiculous that we can't go in even after our reservation, they finally let us in. When we got there, there was literally 2 groups of people, 1 group consist of 4 people and then the other are 2 guys... I was livid.. The vip manager was also not very helpful after my cousin talked to him about what happened, they couldn't accommodate as even maybe one bottle service... after all the shit we went thru, we got 2 free shots... DO NOT go to this club!!! THERE ARE SO MANY BETTER PLACES!! Do not waste your money and support this kind of establishment that promotes this kind of business. read more

Didnt take walk ins until 1 am even tough the club was empty so we waited till then and came back at 1:00-1:15 am and the guy said there's no one inside lol this club is a joke 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

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

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

horrible experience. went for kehlanis after party and after getting a table the vip manager sold it out from under me and then proceeded to kick me and my girlfriend out for no reason. i paid over 1,000 and didn't even get to see the artist i came to see. definitely should've looked at reviews beforehand but they are definitely selective on who they let in. read more

Let me preface this review with pointing out that this is my first review since joining Yelp in 2011. I have never been so upset before that I felt my opinion should be heard...so the fact that I am writing this speaks volumes to the impact of my experience at this establishment. Let's start with the good: Other than the fact that I HAVE to give this establishment 1 star to write this review, I am actually OK with giving that one star because The Underground had 2 saving graces the other night: Levy the bartender (I'm coming to see you at your other gig Levy!) and the women's bathroom attendant who I struck up conversation with. Both amazing people that I urge you to see if you must go here, and tip them well! They deserve it. Now, the BAD: About 2 months ago, I started contacting different locations to see what our best options were for my sister's Bachelorette Party that I was planning. I tried numerous times via The Underground website to get in contact with someone on our options. Filled out the table reservations form a few times with no response. I even tried calling the phone number listed, to which I received a message that the voicemail was full so you couldn't leave a message. Eventually, I received a response from their VIP Host, Phil N. I was offered two options, $1,000 for bottle service or a $500 spend minimum for a table from 10pm to 1am. Since I couldn't afford the options and didn't want to force the girls in our party to shell out money, I asked if there was any other options without a table reservation. I was then told: "We have a guest list from 10:00pm - 11:00pm for free entry. All I need are full names." At which point I responded with a list of all the women's names. Flash forward to this past Saturday night. The girls are liquored up and ready to dance and party, and all 18 of us walk up to The Underground around 10:20pm where there is no line and just 2 men standing guard at the door. I walk up to them and let them know I have been in contact with Phil and he has our names on the guest list. The doorman proceeded to explain to me that when all the tables are reserved, they don't have a guest list. He never even tried to contact Phil to confirm or attempted to see if there was any guest list he didn't know about. Straight up turned us away. Thanks to one of the women in our group that refused to let them treat us that way, she let them know how shitty they were being and the second door man was nice enough to stand up for us and let us in...TO AN EMPTY CLUB! There was no reason that doorman should've tried turning us away and after reading the other reviews here and actually seeing news articles online about this place, I realize now that it could've been because the majority of us were minorities and didn't fit the "UG look." Which made sense, since there were tons of non-minorities, more casually dressed, that slowly streamed down from the entrance throughout our time there. We tried to have a good time once we were in and Levy did a great job at empathizing with us and letting management know that the doorman almost turned away 18 women, but it was too late. The group as a whole was pissed off with our initial treatment and it killed everyone's mood despite trying to continue having a good time. Eventually, we decided that it wasn't worth spending our money at this place and went elsewhere. I was extremely disappointed with my FIRST and LAST experience here at The Underground and would never recommend anyone to this place. Treating customers poorly isn't the way to run a business and I expected more from an establishment owned by Billy Dec. Don't waste your time, go across the street to Three Dots and a Dash. Music is great, drinks are amazing, and they don't treat people like trash. read more

I went here for my 21st. And they ruined my night, in all honesty. I had a curvaceous friend whom they wouldn't let through and the Russian looking, tall, bouncer ignored and pretended she wasn't there; the old, 40s looking bouncer also acquiesced . They discriminate against curvy women and only let skinny ones through first-- and I'm skinny, but will not stand for discrimination. Will NEVER go here again. The bouncers were discriminatory. Period. read more

Upon leaving The Underground around 2:30 AM, I mistakenly unlocked one of two doors (it was an easy pop-and-pull lock similar to a bathroom stall) at the exit and walked outside. A bouncer began yelling at me for my mistake, so I went back in, re-locked the door, and exited through the other door which looked exactly the same. I walked over to the bouncer and apologized for the misunderstanding, hoping to remedy what I thought was a completely honest mistake. He briefly replied, "Leave and go kill yourself." This story is a microcosm for my time at The Underground. I entered with a large group of friends and instantly became turned off by the staff within. I was constantly being shoved out of walkways by bouncers, flashed in the eyes with bright flashlights, and yelled at for very little issues. I understand the need to maintain order in venues such as this, but these bouncers took it to a whole new level. Clubs and bars are meant for the entertainment and satisfaction of customers. Customer service is a lost art at The Underground, unless you are lucky enough to afford a table. read more

Worst ever! Very selective of who they let in! They don't even acknowledge you if you don't look "good" to them!

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

Showed up with 8 friends, as this place was recommended for some reason, then was told by the 45 YEAR OLD DOORMAN that he "wasn't letting a Cubs fan in the door"(I was wearing a Cubbies hat). Then he went on to say that my $200 Nike's were "too casual". Unbelievable. 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

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

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

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

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