Super cool spot. makes me feel like I'm in an old speakeasy - although - I don't think old speakeasy were every that crowded. Drinks are a bit pricy and it can be crowded but it's a must do if you like Prohibition history or dive bars. As other reviews mentioned - you can miss the spot if you don't look close enough AND the night can vary depending on whos playing. The music is super fun and it's just such a unique place. I would recommend popping in for a drink and then heading somewhere else to drink more (to not spend too much money) read more

Incredibly rude service. Both bartenders were so aggressive and seemed like serving me and my two friends a drink was a complete hassle.... it was weird. It's upsetting because I live in the neighborhood and it is a cool bar but not sure I can give them my business after last night. read more

It was my first time at this place this weekend, and it was one of the worst experiences I've ever had. Bartender was very drunk and spilled my beer all over the bar. He said he would take it off my tab, but when it wasn't and I confronted him, he was VERY aggressive. He kept saying, "now you're not going to take care of my girls? now you're not going to tip us?" Which was not true, I did tip 20%. Though, I don't like to be bullied into a tip for poor service from a drunk bartender. After I filled out my receipt, he grabbed it from me, whispered something to the female bartender and they laughed, then he put up his hand and loudly yelled, "BYYYYYE!" I'm a small lady, and his aggressive attitude was honestly so offensive and I was really scared. It actually made me cry, I was so in shock. It ruined the rest of the night, and I'm still thinking about the bad experience several days later. Anyway, I have absolutely zero intention of ever stepping foot in this bar again and have every intention with sharing this story with as many people as possible so that they too can avoid this place at all costs. read more

I've always been a big fan of this place and look forward to bringing out of town visitors here to give them a cool and historic perspective of Chicago. Located smack dab on the section of "State Street that great street" that Frank Sinatra sings about, this place will not disappoint even your "coolest" out of town friend. I recently had a bad experience here with a bartender. Frustrated because I was entertaining work clients I was trying to close a deal with and the service affected the mood of the entire night, I wrote a very detailed account of what had happened and expressed how disappointed I was in a Yelp review. Almost immediately I received a private message from Michael, the owner. Not only was his response swift and professional, it showed a sensitivity to my situation and a genuine desire to right the wrong that had happened. I considered leaving my previous review up with a few amendments, but I realized that everyone has off days. How terrible would it be if others followed us around at our office jobs and kept track of the times we weren't at our best? it just didn't feel right to leave the review up. On top of that the bartender who had treated us rudely messaged me, not because she was angry but because she was sorry for having behaved this way and wanted to make sure I knew it was "her not me." Here are a few things I know: there are wonderful places in Chicago to take friends or go out to have a good time, and Zebra Lounge is at the top of that list. Having worked in the service industry for 10 years I know that it's next to impossible to never have an off day. You can pretty much guarantee that if you frequent a favorite spot enough there's bound to be one not-so-perfect experience. But when that happens, and you express your dissatisfaction and the entire staff works so hard to make sure it doesn't happen again, you know you're dealing with a classy joint. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a cool vibe, great music and genuinely nice people (both in the lounge and behind the bar). read more

First, to clear up some of the misinformation I've seen in posts, the apartment building the Zebra Lounge is located in is NOT a transient hotel. I live there and I'm not a hooker nor do I do coke. Plainly put, the Zebra Lounge is a reprieve for the dwindling number of cool people who happen to live in and around the douchiest bar scene ever. Now on to the infamous snack mix. As about five other people have said, it's stale. Off-putting maybe to a sober person but think about the shit you'll eat when you're drunk and craving salt. The fact that they give you free food to snack on is way more than a lot of bars in the city can say. Other pros to the lounge: IT'S DARK. This is perfect if you have an ugly date with a good personality. Like others said, the drinks are strong so relax and enjoy watching the only face in the bar you can make out, the maniacal, wide-eyed piano player Tommy. I can rarely make out what songs he's playing but if you listen carefully you'll hear Lionel Richie or The Supremes, I think. Overall, this place is good for people watching, getting sloppy with less than 5 friends, and pretending you live in a cooler era. read more

5 stars for the piano man. He started his show at 9ish. The place needs entertainment for the diverse sets of clients that come in. 3 stars on drinks. Their menu is scant but you could probably request 2 stars on service. you may be better off ordering at the bar when it gets crowded. The place is small and there aren't too many seats. Overall was not too crazy for the place after giving it a try read more

I was REALLY excited about going here. But I walked in and was the youngest by at least 30 years. Plus, my dress was black and white striped and I felt a little embarrassed about the whole zebra thing. Decor looked real cool though, I'll definitely give it a second try when I return to Chicago. read more

Come for the piano music, stay for the snack mix. Hands down my favorite neighborhood spot. Interesting mix of people and strong drinks. read more

Best lounge/bar in Chicago (if you want to have a good time with friends and live music and you are not in college). The bartenders were average at best. They are not very responsive and do not make a very good drink, so I'd suggest you stick to beer. The pianist is the main event here. It's small so I'm glad we arrived early, took claim to our booth and proceeded to assassinate my liver (slowly on beer). There are some obscure songs I tired to throw out that the Pianist did not know but he made up for it by offering 2 for 1's and completely NAILING a Trio of Queen songs for me. Next time I'm in town this is the only place I need to visit at night. read more

This place is ****ing awesome. 'Nuff said. Go there now, and support the amazing musicians! All the piano players were fantastic, and played nearly everything the audience threw at them. I requested "Fool in the Rain," and the guy NAILED it. There were multiple players playing music from many different genres. Sam Cooke to Snoop Dogg, Zeppelin to Zac Brown. It was a great mix, and the audience was really into it. Truly a fun night, especially for a Wednesday. I cannot wait to go back. read more

"Ignition (Remix)" on request by the live pianist. Done and done. read more

I've attempted to come on multiple occasions where there were so many people piling in the doorway I'd had thought it was a fire hazard from a far. I finally got the chance a few weekends ago. My group and I tried to go to the hanggeup at 1:30. We were dressed obnoxiously for the hanggeup - aka guys in sleek suits, girls in all black "classier" clubwear. Anyhow, we could tell the bouncers there wanted NOTHING to do with us. It didn't help that we drunkenly may have flashed a $100 bill at them. Anyway, we stumbled to the Zebra Lounge, also a late night bar - just 3 blocks north. There was a crowd, but nothing overwhelming like I've seen it in the past. Given that it was 2am, we missed the music completely. Either that, or my whole group was just too plastered to hear anything over the rumble of our own voices. I don't know what I expected, but this was definitely close. Janky, divey, and I can imagine pretty OK if they didn't charge a premium for the area. 2 makers/splash of cokes for nearly $30 after tip. Steep for the decor...and truly, despite the zip code, it's proximity to division made it seem ridiculously overpriced. That + one bathroom? Don't know if I'll be back anytime soon... read more

First time visiting Chicago while LALAPALOOZA was in town (yikes!).....so a small bunch of us ladies were looking for an adult piano bar without kids running around and FOUND IT HERE! It's a small old school venue, nothing fancy, small crowd, dark, red lights, the gal behind the bar wasn't skimpy on the drinks, and the guy behind the piano was really fun!! Sorry guys, I can't remember your names (the drinks were that good lol!). You can yell out requests, but don't get bummed if he can't play something, he tries to find a compromise. :) BEST way to end our weekend, we definitely plan to go back for our next trip! Also, although this was off the beaten path (and a Sunday), it wasn't hard for Uber to find us after business hours...which came in handy with just us girls. When going here, just look for an apartment building, you'll see the sign on the wall. We were second guessing it when we arrived but it turned out to be a fun experience... read more

Where to begin. The piano thing is cool, but how many times can you listen to someone doing an iffy rendition of "Tiny Dancer"? Seems it to be a rare thing when a song actually gets played through and in a decent manner. That brings me to the piano players. The cute short gal is fun. Thought I heard her name was Cassandra. Not sure. Another night we got Steve the creepy player with a kind of goth-look thing going on complete with eyeliner. Yuck! The place itself is cramped when they fill up and getting a drink it pretty tough at those times. Best to go on an off night like Sunday or Monday. The other nights are bad wedding gone totally shit show. Speaking of drinks. We've noticed that the drinks are almost always priced differently. It feels like they raise prices when people get their buzz on and don't really seem to notice or care. We've gone on Thursday nights for 3 weeks in a row and have paid anywhere from $12 to 18 for the exact same martinis. Another thing is the bathroom situation. There is only one! One bathroom to be used by men and women! Be ready ladies. When you're there late, you can almost always count on some guy to leave the seat down and pee all over it. We usually just run next door to use the bathroom at the other bar. Hopefully the owners do something about the shadiness that goes on there. read more

Hole in the wall, but great. never had a bad experience. good drinks, good price always friendly people in there. if you ever want to hide from someone this would be the place. this is not a trendy place to be seen. this is a place to get drunk and sing with the piano player. now I want to go back... read more

Had a great time. This is a small place, and many of the patrons appear to have been there since the 80's....as is the music. But it was a blast. Not an extensive bar, but that's not what you are there for. read more

Zebra Lounge - Those mirrors make it look larger. This is a small spot. - Lounges Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The extraordinary thing about Zebra Lounge is that it's so small, and so tucked away, that you probably have walked by it several times and not even known it was there. Part of the reason for this is that the entrance to the bar is through an entrance of a high rise--front gate and front door and all. There's a sign on the outside that advertises the Lounge, but even then, it is subtle to the eye, and could easily be overlooked as well. Fortunately this lack of attention is all for the best. The place is so tiny that a large following would make the place unbearable most nights, when it fills up to an adequate capacity of twenty-five to forty people. On weekends, the drunken boors from around the corner on Division Street will often wander in like deers caught in the headlights, wondering what fool in their right mind would open a bar so small, so dimly lit, and so cool. Then they order a round of Miller Lights, chug them down, and head back out to the party zone on Division to find some gutter to puke into, another larger bar with trendier house music bumping, jocko-homo doormen, and an overpriced pizza vendor. Well, as you can see, I don't like those people on Division, which makes the Zebra Lounge a godsend. Zebra is a place out of time, an anachronism, an enigma. Locals who seem like they've been coming to the bar since the 70s camp out from late afternoon into the evening, burning down cigarettes and drinking gin and tonics, whiskeys, and martinis. Local youngsters from the area service jobs who know about the place will stop in for a couple drinks (before, after, and sometimes during a shift) and carry on an amiable chat with one of the similarly-aged bartenders, who add a little bit of youth to the bar's vintage aesthetic. The actual piano-lounge aspect of the bar doesn't go into full swing until the evening time, and on weeknights it doesn't last all that long either. Go on the weekend if you want to check out the mainstay pianist serenading the crowd with his kitschy, campy, tongue-in-cheek renditions of crowd-pleasing favorites by songwriters you will recognize. Often you're just as likely to hear a cover of Elton John as a plausible rearrangement of Brittany Spears' "Oops I Did It Again." Like I said before, most of the act is somewhat of a parody, although cheesiness and all, it brings a festive and very real lifeline to the tiny space, and isn't overwhelming in any of its novelty. The best time to check this bar out is weeknights between early evening and midnight. This is when it feels like Cheers. Weekend nights it starts to feel like a crowded chicken coop. Drinks are perhaps fifty cents to a dollar cheaper than down the block at The Hunt Club, but a rum and Diet is still $5.50. It's the Gold Coast, so don't expect any deals. Another bonus for the happy hour crowd is the trail mix left out on all the tables and on the bar. It is one of the most addictive trail mixes in all of the world. I shit you not! read more

We squeezed in Saturday at around midnight and it was wall to wall people. The place gets elbow to elbow packed. The crowd is mixed 20-50 and everyone was friendly. Even as crowded as it was we never waited long for a drink. The piano player was excellent and the owner and bartender were great and very friendly also. A very cool little place. read more

Zebra Lounge - Excellent piano player. - Lounges Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my gem of a local bar that is old school Chicago. I only recommend coming here with some good friends to just laugh, drink and have a good time. Its not a place to be seen. Its not a place to have a fro-fro drink. Its a place that you WISH was around the corner from your apartment that has the best service and the best snack mix in town. They make it themselves. Kitsch piano guy and a heavy pour of Stoli make any trip to Chicago worth a visit to. read more

What can you say about one of the oldest bars in Chicago? If you are looking for someplace to share a drink with friends or take someone special, this is the place to go. If you are looking for good conversation with the most eclectic group of chicagoans that I have found, this is the place to go. And if you are looking to laugh at people who walk in from division street look around and walk out because they have absolutely no idea what a good bar means, this is the place to go. Dimly lit, live piano, good drinks, they'll even throw the game on if you ask. This as as throw back as you can get in Chicago, what bars used to be. If you don't like crowds or blaring music this is the place you want. There are bars and then there are true lounges, others try but this place got it right almost 80 years ago. You can paint stripes on an ass, but that doesn't make it a zebra. read more

Good live music. But they charged me $28 for three drinks and two hours into the night charged me $13 for one of the same one drinks and wouldn't let me use my card. #shady. read more

This place is definitely hidden. I'm not sure I would have ever found it if it wasn't for Yelp! The drinks are very strong and reasonably priced. The service was not that friendly. Our waitress would do this drop off drink routine that I was glad I caught onto, otherwise a good 20 minutes may have passed before I realized she placed our drinks on the ledge behind us without saying a word. When we asked to close our tab, the total was charged to the card on tab without asking our preference. That's not very nice. The guy on the piano was not that good. Definitely have heard better at other piano bar scenes. However, he appeared to have groupies. It's not a terrible place to stop by to grab a drink and actually be able to find a seat on a Saturday night. Shockingly, you can have a conversation with someone, too! Glad I checked it out, but was hoping for a bit more. read more

Amazing as alway! Great place to go when we visit Chicago. Piano bar is awesome. Great drinks

One of the last Division St., off Rush St. gems...A true classic. First, there aren't too many piano bars left in Chicago. Second, how many of them can boast Tommy Richards who can belt out most tunes from memory. The other strong note is that they have one of the oldest liquor licenses in the city along with an entry way that oozes of nostalgia. I can fondly remember that the Zebra was one of Harry Caray's famed stop-offs before calling it a night. One can only hope that the Zebra Lounge will forever be an icon for the famed Canterbury Court Apartments. Chills, giggle, sing, and lounge...The Zebra is a true icon. read more

I have been going to the zebra since I moved here almost 2 years ago. It USED to be fun. Wonderful bartenders, regulars, fantastic players And wonderful vibe. I have went back only 3 times since the fall because I keep hoping It well be better. Old bartenders gone and replaced with Scamming service. I have been overcharged every time I Have been in there since. Service was less than stellar. Everything else its wonderful which its why the 2 starts. Good selection,.ambiance, talent. however with the current staff I'm sure many people like me have not went back. Charging double for wine, overcharging for scotch (we always ordered the same Thing with different inflated prices from each bartender) And being charged for things we didn't drink? Get real. I have the benefit of the doubt and kept going back hoping It would improve but has not. And treating customers like an inconvenience and rushing around does little to carter to the regulars bar it always was. Get with it and I'll stop back later. read more

An alternative to Howl at the Moon if you're looking for a piano bar. It's a fun time, everyone was singing and having a good time. Just be aware, it gets packed, so you'll likely be right up on people, and it ain't cheap, I paid like $7 for a corona :/ but hey for a one time thing it's a good time read more

I was hesitant to even write a review as I think the Zebra Lounge is one of the best kept secrets in the whole city. Given it's proximity to Crap Street, er Division, you would never in a million years guess it exists. Bill Murray frequents this establishment, and once I sang Cecilia with his wife and the piano player. Drunken karaoke is highly encouraged here. read more

Okay...seriously? Why does this place have more than an average 3 star rating. Avoid any snack mix on the bar tables like the plague - it's stale and tastes like old man hands. ( * don't ask why i know how that tastes, bad memories. ) I'd say the only positive thing i have to say about this place is that it has strong drinks? but i mean, walking in here is like walking into a douche's R us. i thought the bar scene around viagra triangle was bad.....but wow. I guess there was still a rung down the ladder to go. Plenty of middle aged dudes, and younger dudes trying to act like hipsters from another era entirely. Maybe i'm biased, but piano bars and weirdo clientele is just not my bag. Seemed a bit touristy as well..but i guess that whole area is. i want to give this 2.5 stars , but i cant - i feel bad giving any bar with decent service less than 3 - and 2.5 rounds up so you win by a mathematical law Zebra bar. p.s. - did i mention it's in a grimey apartment building? read more

What a charming place. Love the piano man and the Cheers-like atmosphere. The cocktails I ordered, though very pretty, were not very tasty. I don't mind spending a lot on drinks if they're good, but these just weren't. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! We were staying nearby at PUBLIC and I found this place while searching on Yelp. It's tiny....seriously, really small. I love that it's tucked away in an apartment building. I love that it's super intimate and they make great drinks (strong!). We had a ton of fun here - the pianist was very talented and she definitely entertained us. If you're in the area, I suggest stopping in! read more

Hidden gem in Chicago. I seldom go out in this area of the city. My first visit was part of Animal Awareness day and naturally the 20 of us sporting various costumes from the jungle had to stop at Zebra Lounge to hydrate. The piano man obliged and played some animal-friendly tunes for us. If you don't happen to be in costume, this would be a nice date spot. Live music. Dimly lit. All that adds up to dating success. At least according to modern romantic comedies. The crowd seemed to be in the 40+ bracket. We galloped out around 10 so I suspect it skews younger as the evening wanes onward. read more

Zebra Lounge gets 3 1/2 Please, yelp, at 11:11 I wished that you would allow half-star ratings. Zebra Lounge is the perfect example of a venue that deserves an extra half star, but not the Full Monty. Methinks Zebra Lounge is best suite for the after-hours set. After you've been to the play or the movies, after you've been to dinner ... with wine. Going into this place sober is like having a giant magnifying glass in your hand; best to have some beer goggles on instead. On a recent visit an older woman with a bad dye job was flutteringly flipping her excessively long hair around so frequently and severely that everyone within a 4' radius was getting smacked by it. And if you've been there you know the room is barely 6' x 6'. The room can fill up quit quickly especially on the weekend. Keep your eyes peeled for local celebs. I've seen a few in my day. If you can suffer the other patrons and the overly-loud piano, Zebra Lounge is a perfectly nice haunt off the beaten path with talented mixologists for an after hours set. read more

i went here for new years eve this year with my girl friend because we really wanted to go to a piano bar. The place is quite small and probably can only fit 30 people max. we went a little early at 8 and we were one of the only ones in the bar. but in time the place was packed. The piano man didnt play as much as i hoped, probably 30 minutes then a 30 minute break. its a very nice bar and would recommend going with a date. drinks were about 6.50 for mixed drinks. Very small cozy feel to it and it seems like you could go talk to anyone in the place. read more

I hesitate to write a review on the Zebra because i don't want any more people to go there, not that my writings are going to drive any major crowd scene. The Zebra is a tiny piano bar on State Street steps off the Division Street bar (zoo) scene which was jumping this past Saturday as it is all Saturdays. Its in the ground floor of an apartment building and has been fun for years. You go for the intimate (tiny) space with live piano music and flowing beverages. The retro-cheese zebra theme mirror painting, zebra lamps, zebra pictures on the wall along with the red and black color scheme set the nighttime mood for local revelers. If you are up for a martini in a piano bar not much bigger than a martini glass you need to stop in at Zebra but don't tell anyone about this place. read more

3.5 solid stars for me. I came here with my co-workers to celebrate our holiday party. The place was rented out just for us and we came in the middle of the day after lunch. The lounge is super small and I could see it getting crowded during peak hours. The bartender seemed friendly. The piano player was the true star of the day. He was super fun and was able to play a majority of our requests. He even knew some hip hop and R&B tunes, which made me smile. He got everyone dancing and singing along to the music. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. read more

Four and a half stars, but I'm rounding up! I automatically love a bar with a live pianist--lounge singer--crooning Billy Joel and other guilty pleasure tunes. The crowd includes everyone from 20-something young professionals to older adults in their 50s. I recommend arriving early to snag a table or at least an area for your group to stand. The place fills up fast! Drink prices on par with other other low-key Chicago bars. read more

Not impressed. The only good thing was the martini. They were showing the hockey game. Look, I get it... it was apparently a pretty big game. But this isn't a sports bar. When the pianist decided to play, he didn't know the lyrics to the songs he was playing and started making them up. Huh? Leave off the TVs. Get some professional musicians. read more

Zebra Lounge is a fairly hidden piano lounge in Gold Coast that tourists seem to somehow find. Of the large handful of times I've been here, it's been hit or miss. In my opinion it completely depends on who is playing and who you are with. I've been there while there was someone great playing the piano and then other times where it's not so much. The company you are with will have an impact. Drinks are nothing special and the place isn't very big - but again, in my experience it is some nights really good and other nights not so much. Keep this in mind.. read more

I stay at the "PUBLIC" just a block over and walk over to have some strong drinks and a fun evening in the company of folks who like piano bars. The bartenders are cool and fun. Great neighborhood on a good weather night for some strolling and sing a long. read more

The simple formula of dive bar + piano + singing = a great time. We were here around 1am on a Friday and the place was packed...packed from them is about 25 people as the place doesn't have much room. A few tables around the perimeter and at the bar seating. Everyone falls in love with the chex mix they leave on the table, it makes for a great snack while drinking. The bartenders gladly come around and refill your bowl when its getting low and will even make it rain chex mix all over you should you ask. This place is a lot of fun and the pianoman's music book was quite vast ranging from classics to even Sublime (which was excellente!) This is a great place to end the night at and have fun. Lots of interesting people and great energy when the piano is playing. read more