What a dope experience! My SIL has lived in Chicago for awhile and we went to visit her! She said we HAD to do this experience because it was so fun. Eating pizza, driving yourself on the boat and site seeing with friends! What more could you want? We rented the boat, it was for 2 hours and they provide 1 frozen pizza for 10 people. I wish it was more.. considering you're paying about $60 bucks per person (taxes, gratuity). Since she's done this before, we bought 3 more pizzas and snacks before we arrived. So cool and since we did it in the evening, it felt so great and was gorgeous. The moon was full, and it was an awesome evening. Getting there/parking was great. They have a huge parking lot. The employees were kind, walked us through the safety and let us on our way. It was an awesome experience, check it out but keep it quiet! read more

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TL;DR: Christina and Rich were awesome and informative, clean boat and easy to operate, grill on the boat was tricky but it cooked the pizza and the pizza was good, 10/10 would recommend! This was an amazing and much needed experience, especially right now. My friends and I arrived a bit too early, but we didn't have to wait long because Christina was able to check us in and get us on a boat in no time! She was really nice and gave us a quick overview of what to expect before we headed down to the dock. They are limiting it to four people/per boat right now, but honestly that was perfect because we had room to spread out a bit. The boats are sanitized after each group too. Rich thoroughly explained how to operate the boat and our route options. None of us had ever driven a boat before, and he helped us feel comfortable with it before we left the dock. I was one of the drivers (we took turns) and I though it was a lot of fun actually. Also, they have pizza that you grill on the boat and it's pretty good! The grill itself was a bit tricky, but the pizza got cooked, so that's all that really matters haha. 10/10 would recommend! read more

BBQ Pontoon - View from the boat, we had just left the dock. - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I will give them a 5 star rating because they were thorough, professional and gave us all the things we needed to ensure it was a great time. Our boat was good, instructions were clear, staff was helpful. We all had a great time. Thank you BBQ Pontoon. Only 1 feedback is we were a bit lost as we didn't know where the paperwork was to be filled. Just a sign or indication would be nice. Otherwise, overall a fantastic experience. read more

Our trip on the BBQ Pontoon Boat was fantastic. Hank was friendly and encouraging to those of us who are afraid of water. The directions were spot on. The boat was easy to handle. The trip was beautiful. It was amazing seeing the city from this perspective. I highly recommend this experience. You can catch the boat a little south of downtown in Chinatown. Parking is great. Staff is wonderful. read more

I booked this cruise as an extension of my birthday celebration. The boat was easy to navigate and the rules were clear. There was ample free parking. The employees were very helpful and willing to assist with any questions my group had. The only negative thing I have to say is that during the check-in process, a deposit was requested. The employee explicitly said that the card would not be charged and it would only be a temporary hold that would be released in a couple of hours. However, the card was charged and the funds were not released. Being more transparent about the deposit would have made the experience more pleasant because I felt manipulated into thinking the funds would be available as promised. Overall, the boat ride itself was a pleasant experience and I would recommend it. read more

What a great experience. We basically did our own version of an architectural tour and got to see beautiful Chicago! The group did an amazing job explaining all details of the boat, the rules of the river, and safety measures. The boat was clean and the pizza was yummy! Definitely recommend it for out of towners or even local Chicagoans like our crew! read more

Amazing customer service!!! My original booking the weather did a 360, thunderstorms and tornadoes. I was contacted and rebooked for the next weekend. Great customer service from beginning to end. Love the Bluetooth connection on pontoon, good speakers. Love BBQ Pontoon!!! Down to earth staff, and relax feeling when it comes to renting their pontoons. second time renting from them and every experience is perfect. read more

This is a hidden gem in Chicago!! The staff is knowledgeable, efficient, and fun. Cruising the river with a group of good friends at our own pace with a pizza in the oven, our coolers packed with drinks and treats taking in the beauty of the city on a summer evening is priceless. BBQ Pontoon is easy to find, has parking, is reasonably priced for a great Chicago River experience! read more

What a great experience. 11 adults took the largest pontoon out and had a wonderful evening trip up the river. The 12 foot boat looks brand new and very comfortable for the 'work' group. We grabbed a mixture of food from the restaurant next door as well as some of our own... would do the same again next time. Can't recommend these folks enough. Issue free, great customer service and fabulous value for money compared to other rentals (at the time of renting a couple of weeks ago). read more

After seeing one of these while I was on an architectural boat tour, I finally had the chance to experience it tonight. The two owners were very friendly and had everything ready to go when we arrived. They gave us very clear directions, and had the boat prepared with a table, garbage can, Bluetooth speakers, and one pizza. My tip would be to bring additional frozen pizzas to cook in the oven because one is not enough for 8 people. Calling it a "bbq pontoon" with one pizza is really just a gimmick, although bringing along extra pizzas helped. We had enough time to go all the way down both ends of the river and back. Everyone had tons of fun!! read more

We've rented two boats from BBQ Pontoon over the last month and both experiences have been fantastic. The staff was very helpful, particularly for boating newbies like us. The boats themselves were easy to drive and spacious for 6-8 people. It was great to be able to bring our own snacks and drinks while enjoying the pizza they provided. The 2-hour rental easily lets you get to the end of the main stem past the riverwalk, and then start making your way up the north branch before turning around. Made for a fun afternoon, will definitely be doing this again! read more

If you've never been on the Chicago river in a boat before this is something you have to put on your to-do list. It's very affordable for a 2 hour ride if you can split it with a group of 7 friends. The views are amazing and being on the water with the other boats and seeing all the people on bridges and on either side of the river is really fun! They provide you with one frozen digiorno pizza, so if you want more, bring more. The grill worked well and we got to enjoy some pizza and snacks while sailing along. You have to designate a captain for the boat so you may want to decide who that is before you set sail. read more

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If you leave a bad review please expect to get harassed by the owner days after coming to an agreement! He did not like the review and continues to message me and reply to my reviews after we had already came to an agreement. He claims instructions were given for 20 minutes but the video we took is no longer than 4 minutes. They do not know how to take criticism at all and will bother you. read more

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Absolutely wonderful experience and the best way to spend a Sunday! It was super simple to book online and park/find the location. My friends were in town for the weekend and we were all able to have a private experience on the water and have some delicious pizza provided by Rich and Christina. We also ordered ahead and grabbed some seafood from Lawrence's for the ride, the shrimp was so good! I've done the architecture tour a few times but for a similar price this was by far a way better experience. In the two hours we were able to see both routes, but I would highly recommend going past the river walk as the sights were gorgeous. Great customer service, amazing views, great music and tons of spectacular photos! A must do Chicago experience! read more

I attended BBQ Pontoon as one person in a group. There were 8 of us out to have a nice evening for a friends birthday. The owner greeted us warmly. The outside patio area was nice with tables where we were able to sit and collect our things as we all trickled in before our scheduled time. We all fit very comfortably on the pontoon. It was nice that the dock was a little bit away from the busy part of the river. The owner gave us a good idea of where to go and thanks to his direction we got to see the fireworks on Navy Pier (I've never been that close) and then cruise around the river for awhile after. It was really beautiful seeing everything on the river lit up (make sure to check on the art projection on Merchandise Mart). We had a wonderful evening. We brought a few extra frozen pizzas and found it easy to use the pizza oven. It was gas powered and cooked them pretty quick. I definitely recommend and I'm sad I haven't done this sooner. read more

This was my second summer using BBQ pontoon and it was just as great as the first time. Highly Recommend, very affordable. read more

My friends and I spotted the BBQ Pontoon last year while on the architectural boat tour and knew we needed to check it out. Just about a year later and we finally got the date squared away and HAD A BLAST. We had a phenomenal experience and would highly recommend it to anyone! The owners have this down to a science. From the bit of time we saw them before and after docking, they seemed to work well together! They did not forget any details. Since they have a pizza oven on the boat, it was so kind that they provided us with a mega spatula to handle the pizza and pizza scissors, as well as plates, napkins, a cooler, and a garbage can! The boat was equipped with 8 adult sized life jackets, Bluetooth speaker connection, and a fire extinguisher just in case you forget about your pizza for too long! The recommended route took us down the Chicago River, past the River walk and up to Navy Pier. Since our reservation was 6:45-8:45pm, we were lucky enough to see the sunset. Overall, great experience. *recommend bringing a few of your own frozen pizzas to cook in the pizza oven! read more

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Pizza was awesome! It's a perfect time to be out in the river, 2 hours goes by quick BUT it's more than enough time! The instructor gave clear and easy directions it's just a matter of following them properly! Bbq Pontoon was an awesome experience for myself and my family! Would definitely recommend! read more

The overall experience was great! The crew who checked us in were very accommodating and well prepared. We've never driven a boat before but they explained it really well and we had no problem navigating it by ourselves. The dock area where we needed to go was well directed with visible signs and was easy to locate. The pizza that the rental came with was very tasty! They had cheese and pepperoni as options, we tried both and they were not bad at all. You get 1 pizza for free and you pay $10/per pizza if you want more. They have 2 portable toilet in the dock station. I highly suggest use it before you start. read more

We have rented 3 years in a row on Father's Day and it has become a great tradition. So much fun! Helpful staff, easy parking, delicious pizza, can't beat the views! read more

Had an amazing time!!! It was our first time on a pontoon on the river. We've been on architecture tours but being the river on a pontoon was special. Having pizza is an extra bonus. The instructor was great. Instructions were very clear. The pontoon was also very clean. We just might make this an annual thing with BBQ Pontoon. Thanks BBQ Pontoon!! read more

Wonderful time. Boats are clean and easy to drive. Plenty of shade and sun depending on your preference. Two hours and nice chunk of time To explore heading towards downtown. Highly recommend. read more

A fantastic way to celebrate a special anniversary and share some fun with our children. This unique experience was worth the trip and it was nice to be a tourist in our own city. Easy to book, free to park, memories to keep. read more

We had the best time on the boat. The boat was nice and clean and the radio paired easily with our phones. The two hour time allowed us to go all the way to downtown and back with no problem! It was a great family time! read more

We had a great day out on BBQ Pontoon as a Father's Day treat. The staff at the dock were friendly, helpful and informative. While the pizza seemed a bit silly, we had a great time cooking it in the propane pizza oven on the river and actually enjoyed it as well. The boats were extremely clean and up to date. 2 hours was a great amount of time to see all the major sights on the branches of the Chicago river. We would definitely recommend and look forward to using BBQ Pontoon again! read more

BBQ Pontoon - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We booked this for an evening tour and we had gorgeous views of the city. The pizza cooker was easy to use and enjoyed byob. I highly recommend this if you want a different view of the city and a relaxed time. read more

My pals and I came back slightly late because of some traffic on the water, so I understand some frustration. However, the owner and his co-workers accused my friends and I of using drugs and alcohol as a reason for our tardiness. We are a group of minorities, so for them to accuse us of using substances while operating a motor vehicle, is sudo, if not blatantly racist. Super disappointing, because our group loves boats, pontoons etc. if I could give this business a quarter of a star I would. read more

Great experience! Wonderful way to spend a few hours enjoying a view of the city. I have kayaked the river and been on a few of the guided tours in the past but with this experience I really enjoyed being able to kick back and enjoy the city at our own pace with our family. The team at BBQ Pontoon were fantastic and their focus on customer service is what stood out for our family the most. Good location and parking, clear instructions, friendly team, super clean boats, and ran on schedule. Severe thunderstorms impacted our event and they were were very accommodating regarding rebooking (which we ended up doing a few hours later) as their focus was on ensuring a great experience for our family. Liked being able to bring our own cooler and snacks aboard and the afternoon was enjoyable for all. Will definitely return due to the great customer experience and clean boats. read more

Absolutely LOVE BBQ PONTOON!!! Have been on a couple of cruises already and enjoyed every minute of them.Went on a fireworks cruise and it was simply fantastic!!! Also went on a regular cruise on the north branch and was in AWWWWEEEEE of the most beautiful homes that are there.Think Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous!!! It was SURREAL!!! Like I wonder who actually lives there??? Britney Spears??? Brad Pitt?? Donald Trump Jr.?? Yes,THOSE TYPE of homes!!!! Its CRAZY!!! And Rich and his wife are just such wonderful people.Im definitely going to be a regular at BBQ PONTOONS!!! read more

Fun time and great views of the city. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. We will definitely come back in the summer with more friends. Highly recommend you try a pontoon ride ! read more

We. Had so much fun on that pontoon. The views were excellent. The pontoon is spotless and very comfortable. We left the dock on time, despite it being a busy night for the owners who were very friendly. This ride was the highlight of our Florida guests. Do the fireworks slot, because riding to Navy Pier was excellent and viewing the NP fireworks on Saturday evening was spectacular. Will definitely book again. read more

We had a crew of 8 people, but I think 7 would be the most ideal number of passengers in terms of space. The owner was very helpful and got us going quicker than anticipated. Highly recommend renting for a quick outing with friends or coworkers in the summer. The pizza cooker was a solid bonus, and the frozen pizza they provided was good. Would recommend bringing 1-2 extra pizzas for a group this size. Only thing I wish was possible was to do a longer rental since we had such a great time and wanted to explore more of the river downtown and heading up north. I plan on renting from BBQ Pontoon again next summer. read more

We booked the 8-person pontoon for a 6:30-8:30 cruise on a weekday. I had some trouble with online booking, and the owner was quick to resolve my issues over the phone. The boat was ready exactly on time and they explained the rules and how to drive rather well. Boat was well equipped with FM Radio and Bluetooth and driving was very smooth. Boat was fun to drive and in 2 hours we were able to go up the south branch of the river, east on the main branch up to the locks and back, with a little detour on to the north branch as well (nothing to see on the north branch). Drop off was quick and easy, they were already waiting for us and all we had to do was hand over the wheel and we were done! One thing to improve was that although our deal was for up to 8 people and included pizza, they only had one medium pizza (~10") on the boat, for larger groups it might help to ensure there are more. read more

We had a beautiful night on the pontoon. Easy to access in Chinatown, perfect weather, a clean boat, easy to drive, and two hours to drive up and down the river. It was wonderful. The pizza onboard was a bonus, too! Would highly recommend it! read more

My friends and I had an absolute blast! The two hours is a perfect time frame for cruising the river. The boat was extremely clean, the pizza was delicious, and the blue tooth speaker was clutch. Very friendly staff! read more

Last week we were lucky enough to rent a pontoon boot for a ride down the river on one of the last summer nights in chicago. What an awesome experience. BBQ Pontoon was so perfect. They had everything ready for us, including instructions and even a pizza to cook on the back of the boat grill. I can't wait until next summer when we can do it again, this time during the day. Chicago is a beautiful city and this was a great way to see it. read more

There is only truly one way to see and feel our Majestic City in the summer! We rented a boat from #BBQPontoon.com and sailed down the river to the most spectacular sights. We were even invited to bake a pizza right on the boat, but this time, we opted to get some yummy shrimp at Lawrence's by the dock. This is a Chicago must! We loved every minute and will be back for sure! read more

It was a great experience. Staff was excellent gave clear and concise instructions and reviewed all important aspects of pontoon boat, boat was very clean throughout. Pizza was great (made two pies!). Grandchildren had a wonderful time and can't wait to do it again. Thank you for making the day special!! read more

Showed up for our 2 hour tour but were stopped by a federal agent (CGIS). Never called us to let us know they were having "issues." Not sure what the actual issue was but no tours for a while according to the staff. Horrible experience. read more

Worst experience ever! We went on the 1-8 person pontoon to celebrate our recent engagement with a few family and friends (6 people). As soon as we got on the river, the boat was making weird sounds and water kept flowing in from the front. We immediately went back to the dock and tried to call the company but couldn't get anyone. We literally stayed there for the 2 hours, calling constantly. When the guy finally came to the dock where he was to meet us at the end of our ride, he said he doesn't know why the boat was doing that and to call the main office (where no one answers). I called for the next two days trying to talk to someone but never got anything. I finally submitted my complaint on their "contact us" website page and Eva pretty much said that she didn't believe that we were at the dock the whole time (guess I should've posted time stamped pictures for her) and that the boat issues were our fault for driving too fast. We didn't even make it far enough out to go fast! This company doesn't care about anything but making money and deceiving customers trying to enjoy beautiful days out on the river. There are plenty of other companies with much better reviews. Save your money and avoid nightmares of dying in the river!! read more