Smaller bar restaurant. Went here for lunch. Inexplicably had the herky sticks and the flat bread. Two pizzas for lunch? Herky sticks are the bar's version of Gumby pokey sticks. Oh yes. Yummy. Both were very tasty. Couldn't finish the flat bread and couldn't stop eating the sticks. Service a little slow for lunch. 10/7/18 edit: I did go back a couple weeks later for lunch. Service time was normal for lunch. I had the same BBQ flat bread but no herky sticks. Still couldn't finish it all. read more

Theory - Chicago pokey sticks - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here to watch a World Series baseball game. They said "go up stairs" the volume will be working up there. Once upstairs, I realized that half of the room was playing the World Series volume while half was playing music. When I asked to turn down the music so we could listen to the game they told me "NO". Find another sports bar read more

Everything was so great! Staff was some of the nicest people! So accommodating. I would go back absolutely! All the great reviews are spot on. Give it a try !! read more

Lots of good things happening at Theory! The exposed brick wall creates a visually appealing environment Lots of tv's and a crowd of young professionals creates a lively atmosphere The beer list, cocktail menu and bourbon selection are impressive The food menu has good variety and high quality - the southwest salad and taco flatbread, specifically, draw high praise The servers - we had Maria - are attentive and personable There are certainly tons of options in Chicago, but Theory is on my list for each time we visit read more

The perfect bar to watch the Hawkeyes game at (or anything sports related)! They have TONS of TV's, two bars (one on each floor), if you buy a beer you get an Iowa/Theory yellow cup to take home, they pass out free shots to everyone every time Iowa scores a touchdown, and thier staff are THE nicest. This bar looks like it's brand new but it has been open for over 14 years old. We ordered the Pretzel Sticks and the cheese dip was amazing. It tasted like fondue - you can tell they use real cheese. - 5/5 stars! read more

Theory - Pretzel Sticks - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a place that has a great atmosphere and even better service We had a group of 20 and they reserves a back portion of the bar for us and enables us to watch what we wanted on the very large projection screen tv which was an added bonus The service all evening was very attentive by both the servers as well as the hosts. Our group opted for the bucket approach and they kept the buckets coming in and out and made sure that we had fresh cut limes as needed This was overall very good experience and a great downtown location with a large group and I would highly recommend if you're looking for the same kind of night out read more

Theory - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Picked up food from here during the lockdown and it was great. Called it in, pulled up out front of the restaurant and the food was brought right out to our car. As part of a partnership as an Iowa Hawkeye bar, we got a free Iowa Chicago Club shirt with our order! Got two wraps, fries, tots, and 1/2 Herky sticks which was way too much food for 2 but we were feeling gluttonous during the stay-at-home period and leftover cheesy bread sounded fantastic. Food was great and we were happy to support one of our Iowa bars during this trying time! Go Hawks! read more

Theory - All the dipping sauces, half a SW wrap, tots, fries, and a herky stick - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came here with a coupla girlfriends while in Chi-Town one evening. We all have different dietary needs (one lactose intolerant, one vegetarian, one pescatarian), but we were all able to order with no problem. It was a beautiful evening so the doors were open, which was a good idea in theory (see what i did there), but there were people smoking right outside so it made the dinner pretty uncomfortable since we were seated closeby. The only seating available was high seating as well, which was a drag. I get the feeling Chicago loves high seating, though. We went out to eat quite a bit for about 5 days and everywhere we went had lots of high seating, which I abhor. BUT ANYWAY, the food was really good and our server was friendly and patient with us. The fried pickles were fresh to order and piping hot (a couple tongues didn't quite make it, sadly...) but delicious. The nachos had the right ratio of topping per chip and the chips weren't soggy and limp like some places. I got the fish and chips with tater tots and immediately regretted not getting fries when my food came. The tots were overcooked and hard--i left most of them on my plate. The fish was good but the none of the coating really stayed on. My friends both enjoyed their meals, although i think one friend was a little disappointed in the beat flatbread. The flavors were good, but the actual flatbread was pretty limp, which made it difficult to pick up and eat comfortably. All things considered, it was a good experience. read more

Have been here several times and each was a great experience. Friendly service, classy bar, good drinks and great looking and tasting food. The kind of bar you look forward to visiting. I'll be back. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE! The food here was so bomb and the music was great!!! Apparently after a certain hour the atmosphere changes and I think only 21+ older can enter (Not 100% sure, but they check ID's at the door so that's why I made that assumption) but both the Southwest Salad and Mask melter are worth trying, I 10/10 recommend!!! read more

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It's bar food. Don't come in rating this place like it's Nobu. Get the totchos - tater tot nachos! It was the best thing we had and the only thing I'd come back for. Stay away from the fried chicken biscuit thingy, and you'll be fine. Weren't sure what we got... or what it's made out of... I'll have to try the wings next time. They're apparently the best. PSA: Check in on Yelp for 15% off! read more

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Kick ass sports bar for college games. Manager super attentive, bartender never let a drink go dry. Great bar food. This will now be my official college football bar anytime I'm in the Windy City! read more

Theory is in reality an a-ok 3-star bar with sports everywhere you look ... or ... it's a TV showroom that sells beer. Either way, you're gonna drink and watch the game du jour. The team and bartenders were nice ... and wearing t-shirts supporting the New England Patriots. Is this a "Pats Bar" in the heart of Bears country? I don't have a cub in the fight so, honestly, I'm indifferent as long as it's a "Pints Bar" and gets me another round of Anti-Hero American IPA from Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL) strafing my liver with 6.7% abv and my tongue with 65 ibu. Wanting to up my drinking game to championship Patriots level, my next pint was a Ninja vs Unicorn Imperial IPA from Piperworks Brewing Co (also in Chicago, IL) which deflated my soberness with 8.0% abv and 150 ibu. I'm not sure if it was the unicorn or the ninja, but this brew was a mythical double IPA. The beers were fine and the TVs were, too. If you're in the area, the reality is that you can down a drink and watch sports here in Theory. read more

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They don't need to get ready here at Theory, they stay ready! The staff is attentive and welcoming - from the bar, to the severs, to the kitchen, they are all ready to serve! Great location with a lot of tables, a lot of TVs and a lot of drinks for everyone. And the food, upscale bar food that tastes great! 12/10 recommend, especially for a football Sunday! GO LIONS (even though it is a Bears bar ;) ). read more

Had an AMAZING time at Theory for Saturday College Football. Didn't fully realize it was a USC bar but the environment & vibe was the best! The manager was fantastic at noticing we were wearing other teams gear & made sure our games were on. GREAT atmosphere & the bartender ensured drinks were always filled. HIGHLY recommend this place for great football viewing of any game & top notch service. Thank you!!! read more

Still an old favorite. Lots of changes since Covid. #1 for sports! Great bar food plus!

Great place to go and enjoy a drink or two!! Staff very friendly and helpful! Definitely will go back. Go Hawks Go!

Food and service were great. Boneless wings were fantastic. Mac & cheese flatbread was good but would probably just get side of Mac and cheese next time instead. But the Oreos were the bomb!!! I could get those EVERY TIME!!! read more

Best sports bar in river north! Their food is some of the best bar food out there and their staff is attentive and friendly! I always enjoy watching games at Theory! read more

I love Theory!! I am so happy that we stumbled upon this place during our time in Chicago. If you're a sports fan, specifically a Golden State Warriors fan, this restaurant/bar is a must. Came here for Game 4 of the 2017 NBA finals (Friday, 6/9/17). We showed up about an hour and a half early and luckily secured the LAST table available. This place filled up super early and super quick. It's known to be a Golden State Warriors bar, and has been that way long before they started winning championships. Our server told us that when the owner opened it up years ago, he picked two of the worst teams in sports to follow. GSW was the NBA team that was chosen. I do not remember what the football team is for sure, though I believe it is the Patriots. Everyone here is cheering for the Warriors, so other fans: Be wary. Before the game, TVs were playing miscellaneous sports channels. Theory has countless TVs. You're bound to have a good view of at least a couple no matter where you sit. Once game-time hit, every TV was plugged into the game, and to my delight, they played game audio whenever it was on! During commercials, they would switch the audio to music. The music was on point. They had a good commercial break playlist. I liked their system. Makes it even easier to know when the games back on after commercials in case you get distracted. Top notch basketball sports bar atmosphere aside, Theory served me one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I have ever had. Seriously, it might be my favorite of all time. I scarfed it down in about a minute. It was big and substantial, too! Lots of meat. Great flavor. I'm craving another one as I write this. The house smoked pork shoulder with bbq sauce was to die for. The drinks were also good. I had myself quite a few beers while enjoying the game. Theory was easily one of my favorite restaurants/bars that I went to all trip. It has the BEST pulled pork sandwich around, for sure. The beers are good, the vibes are good, service is quick and attentive, and everything else is pretty perfect. Go ahead and check this place out!! read more

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When I tell you the customer service is top notch. It really is. I tried making reservations day of for 10 people. The gentleman on the phone told me he couldn't do that on game day on short notice. He sincerely apologize and said I could come In an hour or so before my request and see if I could get a table and if not I quote " hopefully I can do something for you in the future and i appreciate you for considering our business" I'm thinking to my self "yeah ok". So that's what I did and they made it work. All of the staff was super polite and friendly. I even asked our waitress why the he11 Is everyone so nice here? She simply said that's just the way it is here. Everyone in our group enjoyed their food and drinks. read more

Came here after work one day with some coworkers and it wasn't super busy yet. The service was great. I got the chicken walking taco and it was very filling. Definitely worth your money. My friends also seemed to enjoy their meals. Seems like a great place to watch a game or grab a drink after work. read more

Joel the manager understands hospitality. David is the sweetest giant you'll ever meet. Anita made sure we felt the love the entire visit. This place is what every sports bar should aspire to be. read more

The fried chicken is SO beyond disappointing. It was gross and sad to look at. Picture this, a Tyson frozen chicken patty the size of your palm or smaller. Way way way too small to be $13. It's basically a side dish. Take it off the menu. Service was hit and miss. Some people are very on their game and others will keep you waiting over hour for a glass of water - no joke, it was close to two hours. Blueberry pancakes are delicious. Home run with those. read more

Theory - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Terrible service terrible food don't recommend if visiting. Management had few words to remedy the situation at hand. Disgusting. Never coming back. read more

Omg the wings here are everything! I had the kill bill and honey sriracha and the killbill shrimp. These were easily the best wings I've had in a long time. If you're having a wing craving, you will not be disappointed. Our waitress was actually perfect. She didn't hover and annoy, and was there when we needed anything. Good place to watch sports, good vibes, amazing food. Pros: Food is on point Staff is friendly and attentive High energy vibes for sports games Check in on yelp for 15% off Cons: Bathroom was ugly read more

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Overall: Great spot for a typical sports bar option for general food and drinks or game day. It knows the audience and caters to it well. The good: Went during lunch with some coworkers and the experience was great. They take online reservations which was clutch and the service was fast and friendly throughout. No slipups whatsoever. The food is your standard bar fare, but it was all great and the portion sizes are good. The prices are downtown-based, but that was expected. Plenty of TVs all around. The kale caesar I had was plentiful and tasty. The not-so-good: They were playing their top-40 chart music too loud. It was hard to have a conversation at times. Again, we were there for lunch, so I'm sure it's different at night or during game days. Atmosphere: 8/10 Service: 9/10 Food: 8/10 read more

Theory - Kale ceasar salad - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I don't mind going to a place and putting some money down for good food, drinks and a good time, but what I do not like it being played like a fool. I asked the waiter for a drink recommendation she bring me a lemon drop martini which was ok but not $70 worth for 3 martinis?!! I had also asked for the price of a bucket of Heineken and I was told $25 when I get the bill she also charged $70 for 2 bucks of 5 beers ?!!! They definitely take advantage of people by misleading people with prices. Food was ok but also didn't get what we ordered. We kept as is since it took forever to get it. I wouldn't recommend. I actually did question the waiter but as you mentioned it was Christmas and I didn't want to make a big deal about it. If she didn't bring it up to your attention was because she didn't find it important enough or didn't care enough to correct the situation as I mentioned to her. The wings we ordered with sauce on the side (garlic parm and buffalo) but instead got them smothered in garlic parm in which we couldn't even eat ( maybe you noticed on plate when we left). I have no complaints on you as you were friendly and kind, but your waiter although she was very sweet she should make sure she provides correct pricing when asked for. read more

This is a great bar to watch the Pats play if you can get there early enough to secure some seats on the main floor. The second floor isn't as great for football anyway. The service was on point and the beer was good. However, the food was a huge let down like big time. I didn't even finish it cause it wasn't good. read more

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Great atmosphere and the wings were delicious!! Service was really great too! We will be going back read more

Theory - Shots of fireball and some Buffalo wings! - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

From the staff to the amazing owner, to the relaxed ambience, to the solid wine, beer, and cocktail selection and also the amazing food menu, this is an awesome place. On cold days, it's ideal to watch sports, have a great drink and a meal. What else could you want? Oh wait ... Also the music selection is the BEST! Everything you want in a bar, restaurant, or pub! read more

Came here to watch a football game a couple of days ago (I've been to theory before just not during the day) a few other places were packed and this is where my friends and I ended up. There were 4 of us we all walked in and they had open seating #winning but here comes the kicker.. they put 4 of us and a table of 2 ( they asked if we were going to eat and we said yes). **Just to paint a picture we are 4 very small individuals but its almost 3 pm and none of us have eaten so we were planning to chow down like a group of linebackers** So 1 star down to our table. Literally BEYOND CRAMMED. and then another start lost for our waitress our 3 waitresses over a 3 or 4 hour time span. and honestly when the waitresses suck it usually gets over compensated by amazing busboys and OMG they were even worse. but due to our table placement the waitresses were (polite word) complaining about getting through. okay cool we were sat there not our fault sorry ( absolutely NOT SORRY) Anyways food.. for an app we ordered Fried pickles- yummm. I personally ordered a kale Caesar salad. 1. Don't judge me I see my mistake 2. Clearly something is wrong with me get over it. 3. I was just as horrified by ordering a kale salad as a bar as you are reading this. Whatever skip it not worth 14$ ive eaten my share of amazing 14$ kale salad and this is sad, pathetic, and had no effort. My normal eating friends ordered a mac and cheese flatbread ( the mac and cheese was bomb but no one loved the flatbread part) also, my friend ordered sriracha on the side upon her food order and had to wait an extra 20 minutes to get it. Then normal eating friends ordered baked wings, French fries and a buffalo chicken flat bread.. over all the food was way better than expected and were all pleasantly surprised. BUT the best part the friend Nutella bites holy WOW amaze balls!!!! We ended up getting a second order ( no longer regretting my kale salad option), so delicious don't sleep on the Nutella bites people! Drinks- we ended up with beers and ciders. Nothing special. I wanted a cocktail but everything I asked about the waitresses had no idea and it was too packed for me to get out of my seat and go to the bar. read more

Originally came here to watch the Baylor Kansas basketball game. They had it on a few screens. The website mentioned this was one of the cities KU bars. The day that I arrived there was an NFL playoff game happening. The Chiefs were playing and Chiefs fans really came out. The bar was packed with Chiefs fans. Even though there was a football game going on that I didn't care much about it made for an interesting sports bar atmosphere. For beer got a milkshake IPA from Marz and some kind of Stout or winter beer. Ordered a burger and it came WELL DONE. Should have asked for medium well or something. Got wings as well. read more

Theory - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It is a sports bar with tons of TV's. Seemed to be a soccer crowd who were enthusiastic about the game. It was not too loud and you could definitely carry on a conversation. The food was good. My husband had the chicken wrap and really enjoyed it. I had the turkey club with bacon which was tasty. The service was just ok. read more

Great vibes. Wings are subpar. Really loved the fries, pretzels (not the cheese), and the skillet cookie though!

If you want to hear about my night, go check my review for 10pin bowling. Theory saved the night. There's a reason theory survivors the pandemic - their commitment to customer service and good fucking vibes. Theory pages the way for the rest of the entertainment industry in Chicago. This may sound embellished - but others should be taking notes. This up and coming establishment will be known to all in the next few years. Those who know, know the best kept secret in the city of Chicago. Come to theory. It's not a theory. It's a scientific fact. read more

Theory - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We got here late afternoon on a Saturday. Looking for a spot down the street from the downtown condo and decided to check Theory. My wife and I knew this spot was great for brunch and a late night spot but didn't know how good the lunch food was. Since it was still lent, the wife and I decided to get the Totchos (half Tots, half nachos and tons of deliciousness) and tacos (shrimp for the wife and fish for me). The food came out and the totchos just melted it or mouthes. It was Tots, cheese, jalapenos, guacamole and sour cream. Just think about those ingredients and start drooling now. They are too DIE for! The tacos were on point for an American spot. What I'm raving about this place is the service! They are all friendly and couldn't have asked for more. They were attentive yet not overwhelming. They knew the right amount of time to check up and when they did so, they were friendly and polite. We definitely would recommend this place and visit again! read more

Theory - Totchos...Tots + nachos = delicious - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I tried to make a reservation earlier in the day for my party of three, but apparently you can only make reservations here for party size of four and up. So we walked in on a Friday night at around 7pm, and there were plenty of empty tables. The service was quick and good. Our drink orders were taken right away, and our food came out quickly. Being a big burger fan, I ordered the French onion burger with a side of tater tots (you can choose between fries and tater tots). The burger was delicious, and the onion rings inside the burger was a nice touch! Overall, it's a pretty generic sports bar with lots of TVs. I thought it was unusually well-lit for a sports bar, but it seems like a fun atmosphere if you want to watch a game or come with a group of friends. read more

Theory - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here on St. Patrick's Day this year right after the River was turned green. We choice this place because it didn't have a line. Security did a great job of siphoning out trouble. Zero fights. Festive green drinks. Parade of bag pipes. Staff was attentive. Pub food that hits the spot when drinking. We left around 2:00pm, and there was a line down the block. Came here one other time this year after the Parts Town Convention. Service was still spot on. 10/10 would come here again. Great place for a date or groups. read more

Seriously great bar! I don't leave reviews often but the service was quick and the hostess even asked if we were hoping to watch a certain game and changed a TV for us. The nachos bites and south western salad were absolutely awesome. read more