This is a great Wrigleyville bar. If you want away from the crowds and something a little more chill and cheaper- Trace is the best choice. The music is generally softer so you can actually hear each other. Because it's close, I go year round. The bartenders are nice and attentive as well as the ownership. The upstairs bar is available for rent and has live music sometimes. This is a 4 o'clock bar so arrive before 2 to skip the line... I get there about 9 to have time to chat with friends before it gets crazy! Hope to see you there :) read more

Actual text from my phone: Friend "Just got off work. Where are you guys?" Me "Trace Trace in your face. Get your ass here now.com" So, as we all know, 4am bars may not be the best decision you can make all night. But, if you are going here, at least you are making a better decision then going to Tai's til 4 or Big Shitty. This place is actually clean, including the bathrooms. And they play great music. There is no jukebox or dj, just someone's really good collection of rock music. The doormen are great. If some skeezy guy is bothering you, they will actually deal with him. All the guy bartenders are great. Kelly is great. Some of the other girl bartenders are not my favorite people in the world. Which is too bad for them. Finally, if you are into concert poster art, you will really appreciate the collection at Trace. Easily one of the better collections of any bar in the city. read more

I agree with most of the other reviews. Very relaxed vibe and it is definitely missing the post-college frat and soror girls that frequent Wrigleyville. Lots of tv and menus to order in from the bartender! read more

Cliff is awesome! He's such a great guy I keep coming here week after week! If you evened want an awesome place to hangout on a late night, come here!! read more

Trace - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I would give zero stars if I could. By far the worst bar staff in all of Wrigley, Went there for the first time and was told I come in all the time and never tip and frequently leave the bar without paying. All this despite me having NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE. Avoid the bat at all cost. Far too many good bars with friendly wait staff. read more

They always have good music here. The staff is really nice. The first time we went here the bartender gave us a free shot just because we had never been there before. That is how you make me a new patron... We explained that we were having a charity pub crawl and the staff got together and MADE me have the bar crawl come through trace. They all wanted to be part of it. They gave us the upstairs room to ourselves, let us bring pizza in from Red Ivy to sell by the slice, gave us the best specials out of all of the bars, and let us use the AV equip for our raffle. Thanks guys! read more

Very chill place with great vibes! Mike, Eddie, and the crew are wonderful and make you feel very welcome. Great staff, great deals, and great times! read more

If I wake up in the morning and don't quite recall where I was the night before, it usually means I wound up at Trace. Open until 4:00 A.M., this bar is best when there wasn't a Cubs night game because it will be filled with suburbites puking all over themselves after they've been drinking since 4:00 the afternoon prior. Always a fun time with a few regrets, not to be done often at risk of liver failure/loss of dignity. read more

We visited some friends who live in the area and they brought us to this bar for late night. Very few things on draft with a full bar that they don't seem to plan on using. I asked what they had (as I don't understand the late night bar thing coming from NYC where things just fully stay open through the night) and the bartender just gave a sarcastic face and didn't answer so- I ordered a margarita and she gave me another snide look so my friend from town ordered me a beer. Apparently they didn't serve anything fancy like a margarita at late night which is fine but exactly the reason I asked. I don't think she was trying to come off rude and I'm sure she deals with a whole bunch of drunk characters (given the shift) but we happened to come in sober. The other bartender who settled our check was way more friendly. The place gets very crowded and accumulated a long line once the other bars closed. Their upstairs is frat house humid and hot. It'd be fine to come here if you just want to party and are already intoxicated from the previous stop. Good scene to keep the party going. read more

Great environment with a great staff that knows how to treat their customers well. Best late night spot in Wrigley can't wait to come back with a group read more

This a great bar a stone's kick from Wrigley field. The decor doesn't stand out. But, I am new to Chicago and I found the people to be really friendly. The bartender was quick and fun. The drinks were wicked cheap - $6 for a Ketel One and tonic! FYI - $15 minimum for credit cards. read more

It's the only place that's open at 4am on a Saturday, so that's the big draw-in. The drinks are reasonably priced (for the area), although the service can be slow when it's busy but what place isn't? The patrons I've encountered here have been nice and the bouncers are friendly. Come here late at night if you still feel like partying at 4am! read more

We were on our way back to the train station to wait for the first service of the morning and stopped by for a night cap. We went in and not even a couple minutes later, they announced last call lol. They were nice enough though to let us order our last round for the night and we hung out for another 15-20 minutes or so before the lights came on. Everyone including the bouncers were very friendly. read more

This is pretty much the only 5am bar in wrigley....yet all the frat trash from the bars down the street dont really come here. Perfect! I have always had fun here, there is usually a bit of a line but it moves quick. Inside is sometimes a little crowded but cmon is 2am and your drunk. Do you actually care? No, because an ice cold PBR/Old Style/or whatever tallboy was just handed to you by one of the awesome bartenders that work here. read more

Fun and friendly bar. Cool bartenders. Nice upstairs private space with DJ booth and full bar. Awesome music (Read: Postal Service) Kinda reminds me of a chill Colorado-vibey bar. Love it. read more

Pretty small bar in Wrigley. The nice thing is that it was a relatively calm place despite us visiting right after a game. Liked the interior and the big booths. Had a pretty strong mixed drink... can't complain about that! I look forward to visiting Trace again and seeing what the night time offers. read more

Great service, especially if you're a regular. Open till 4am. Decent flat HD TVs. read more

I'm new to the city and on my first night out as a resident I asked around where to go for late night that wouldn't be too far from my house...everyone said Trace. I was sold! When I visited last time, I fell in love with the short line outside, the solid mix of music and the fact that they carry PURPLE HAZE. I'm not from NOLA, but it is definitely my second home :) Thank you Trace for the great memories thus far and I'm sure I'll become a regular (once I find a job)!! read more

Came here for a beer before the Bad Religion show at the Metro. Wasn't too crowded, but it was pretty early. Got a seat at the bar and enjoyed a nice cold beer in peace. Had a banana bread beer on tap that was really good. Plenty of room to sit at the bar or to grab a table. Bathrooms were very clean. I'd stop in again for a drink or two. read more

Service was quick but bartender was rude. Place was packed and the people were friendly. The creepy guys took no for an answer. There is no tab minimum so you could stop in for one or two drinks after a game. Pleasant experience! read more

My friend and I were denied entry to this place last night because the bouncer didn't want anymore people in. He wanted to close early. I tried telling him we were industry people and still he didn't care and was extremely rude. I'll never go back. Which is sad because I live in the neighborhood. read more

While I wouldn't say Trace is my first choice destination spot, I wasn't disappointed. Simple bar atmosphere, moderately priced drinks and a relatively non-fratty environment. Double bonus: I saw a dude wearing a bright green Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sweatshirt here on a Saturday night. That's worth three stars alone in my book. Oh yes, they're open late, so get there before 2am to avoid a line. read more

Cool environment. Older music and music videos were playing in the background. Bar tender was a bit of a d*^k and very short with our group.

I always seem to have a good time here because the music and the crowds are fun. I usually hang out in the upstairs area (mostly go there for private parties), and my only complaint is that there is only one bathroom. There always seems to be a line. As far as Wrigleyville bars go, this is one of the few I would actually want to hang out at. read more

By default I dislike 4am bars. From the outset, they have a large burden to overcome because I'll spend my money there. Trace starts off with two strikes for being in Wrigleyville and for having an Ed Hardy-esque logo. But Trace is a 4am bar I might just have a soft spot for. Even after 2am, it's lively without being overbearing. If you're in Lakeview and the bartender has just called last-call, head up to Trace. read more

Good vibes can be had at this simple bar right by Wrigly Field. Frequented by beer vendors and people walking towards the metra train station on Irving Park. A good crowd of geeky fair weather Cubs fans and silly rockstar vendors. Ask for Dan and Pete on gameday, they'll explain anything you want to know on vending. read more

I LOVE this bar. Its laid-back and fun environement is the reason why my friend and I threw our joint birthday party there. We were able to reserve the upstairs party room for no charge and worked out an awesome drink package with our host. Even though there were two of us, we BOTH received complimentary drink bracelets! The bar has very cool artwork and is perfect for either great conversations (tons of seating) or dancing. read more

I was there this past weekend having a great time when I got up to go to the bathroom and realized my purse was missing. My friends and I searched and searched for it, I was crying, and the staff were not only unhelpful but downright rude about my predicament. The bar staff did not care that someone had opened a tab using my ID AND credit card, yelled at me, and forced me to pay a tab I had nothing to do with. It was the worst experience I have ever had and will recommend to everyone I meet that you not support a place that encourages that sort of customer treatment. Not to mention the fact things get stolen here even when you're being responsible (the purse was hanging directly on my chair and I was in the same chair all evening.) Horrible place, horrible staff, never been treated with such downright cruelty. There are plenty of bars in Wrigleyville, pick another one for your night out. read more

I stopped by this place waiting for a group of friends that never showed up, but alas, that's neither here nor there...I was happy to spend my time in Trace. I liked the decor; it has the feel of a casual bar without being trashy or pumped up on muscle milk. There were two big televisions that I saw that had sports games on. The music selection was good, I'm thinking Interpol, and not so loud you can't talk. There's a good selection of beers on tap that are average-ly priced for the area ($5 for a glass of hacker-pschorr). The bartender was friendly and quick. The crowd was laid-back, no annoying freaks that so frequently crop up in this 'hood. read more

late night bar in wrigleyville, that plays rock music! Sick of the same awful music at the bars, come to trace. Prices are typical, staff is super friendly and chill. Late night bar, don't think they serve food. They play rock music and have the videos on the t.v.s Cool place that gets crowded. Been here twice, would stop by again. Not very often I am up to staying out for a 5 am place but this is one of the places I would go. read more

Don't waste your time here. I feel very sorry for who ever owns this place. They really need to hire more experienced and cool people. That's why this place is always empty, boring, nobody goes here and everyone just gives negative reviews. I use to like coming here back when they opened up. The only thing they got going on is that they are open late hours. Just sell your lease to subway, jimmy johns or dominoes so they can actually bring business to the neighborhood. Just a waste of space. Start selling hotdogs. Call it Trace's wiener circle. Number 1 for hotdogs in Chicago. And change the logo to a guy holding a hotdog coming out of an american flag. You will make more business. read more

Decided to give Trace another try a few days ago. The music had improved, actually heard some Pantera. This time, only half of the televisions were playing ESPN and they even did a "last call." read more

Staff here is great. Steps away from wrigley. Awesome music everything from 90s alternative to big sean. Ordered a bloody mary once on a really slow night cuz I was curious on what it tastes like and it surprisingly was amazing. read more

Great spot to go when the party dies. I haven't had to pay for drinks yet so I don't know how expensive it is. I love the music, and I can't wait to go again. read more

Everything was great until the two lovely girl bartenders were replaced with this psychotic dickhead with a beard and tattoos. He started screaming at my friend and I for not paying attention to the last call for shots, and kicked us out. Mind you, it was 10 minutes before closing...during last call that he did this. We didn't want shots. read more

I've been here quite a few times since my last review and the 5 star rating still stands. SmartBar is fun if you want to dance until 5am but Trace is good if you just want to hang out with friends until the wee hours of the morning. If you check into Foursquare before midnight and show the bartender your check-in, you get a free shot of Patron to get the party started! read more

I was here for a little bit late on evening and I didn't like it. Way way too crowded and a line get in to experience nothing. I'm hoping I can come back and have another experience to change my mind but this seems unlikely. So busy it was obnoxious though and the only draw was that it was open late. read more

This place looks kinda sketchy but it was a blasts. but it was just a good time with good music the men in there were kinda creepy and the line was insanely long and unbearable! They seriously let people in one at a time. The drinks were strong and the staff was friendly bartenders were quick and efficient. It's a good after hours spot people do get weird here so brace yourself! read more

This bar is a disaster. Most of the bartenders are hit and miss at best and there is no redeeming quality about this place. Drinks are moderately priced. Decor is just boring as hell and the big problem with this place is they have the same group of drunken regulars there every night. It just gets depressing seeing the same losers there every time I've been there. There is a reason this place is empty until all the other bars close. Avoid it like the plague unless you're too hammered to care about anything. read more

Don't appreciate having to wait & wait & wait at bar while bartender talks to his pals. It's good to keep the current customers happy, but don't piss off first timers at the bar! read more