I had a great experience at Benchmark. We came for the bottomless food and drink brunch. $50 per person. The food options were always fresh (except the salad). The build your own waffle and omelette stations were very good! There's a donut wall...so unique! The Mac and cheese was goood! The server always filled our glasses with champagne for mimosas. They gave my boyfriend a great birthday surprise with free Jell-O shots. Worth it! You can make reservations too. read more

Benchmark Chicago - Buffet choices. So freaking good - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food is always so good here! I love their fries so much! Also the boneless chicken wings are great! I usually get the buffalo or honey siracha. My favorite part.. $3 jameson shots on thursdays! We got there around 930, the kitchen closes at 10. It's seat yourself. Our server Genevieve was so nice! read more

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Stopped by for drinks with a friend on a Saturday evening and sat outside. Huge bar inside, decent menu, and drinks. The service was fantastic, even though they were quite busy. Our server was attentive and friendly and we never had to seek her out. We had a couple rounds of drinks and then ordered mini burgers with Merkt's cheddar and fries. I'm not the biggest fan of Merkt's cheddar as it can be quite sharp and rich. I also got to try a new beer for the first time - Pipeworks Brewing Ninja vs. Unicorn. If you enjoy hoppy beers, try out this double IPA. read more

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Super fun and best boozy brunch! The buffet has so much choice and the donut wall is awesome! Definitely the place to be on a Saturday. read more

Benchmark Chicago - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

IMO, Benchmark puts all other brunches to shame! The food is great, your drinks are always full, and everyone always has fun. I can not wait to visit Chicago again and go to Benchmark because there really isn't anything like it in NYC. read more

Benchmark is the absolute best. This food and their drink pour are top notch!!! Come here for happy hour and I promise you won't go anywhere else! read more

Best bar food by far!! Love the vibe and the service here is great! Highly recommend their pizza

Sarah W. is the most lit girl ever! She helped my party of 25+ out and we had the best time for the birthday girl's time. She always checked up on us, made sure we were topped off and she was just the best! read more

What a disappointing end to a Friday night! A group of my girlfriends and I came here last night and had a table which we sat at the whole night. We were having a great time, as we usually do, until the lights came on, and the night took a turn for the worse. We had recently closed our tab when the lights came on, and we're waiting for our checks before we were able to leave. Well, an employee who might have been a manager(he was one of the few employees not wearing all black) came over and started screaming at our table to leave! Trust me, we're used to the normal "LASSSSST CALLLL" but this was something else. We ordered drinks when they originally yelled last call, and literally just received them. Let alone, we didn't even receive our check yet! We explained this to the man and he (I couldn't make this up) got in our faces and inevitably dropped the F bomb! He told us straight up, that he didn't care that we just received our drinks, we needed to get the f$&@ out! So we're rushing to leave now, finally got our check, and my friend noticed that her jacket which was on the end of the bench is missing! She asked the man that was yelling at our table(he was the closest help she could find) if any jackets had been turned in, and he said "not yours!" He refused to even let her look at the ones that had! All in all, that employee showed us the epitome of bad customer service. I was SO fed-up with this place last night that I definitely don't plan to return, which is sad, because this was a past favorite spot that my crew frequented often. Sorry Benchmark, but you need to hire some non-asshole employees! read more

Have been here for brunch and for a night out with friends. I gotta say vibes were very different both times so it just depends on the day. The brunch food, there's a lot of options and the lady pouring us our bottomless mimosas was extremely generous the night out vibe was weird but I tHink it was just the DJ read more

I would like to start with the positives. They play quite good music which consists of rap and R&B. Now for the rest. We were serviced drinks 2 minutes before the bar closed and we yelled at for not drinking fast enough. One of the friends told what looked like the manager that we were just serviced and waiting for the bill. She also told him politely that she would finish her beer quickly (this was her first one). The manager or person that seemed to have the most authority told my friend to shut the f@&$ up. I feel this is inappropriate in any circumstance, especially if that was the manager. They should lead by example. He also was pointing in her face and telling her to get out. I understand we all have rough days at work and continuously work long hours but this is truly unacceptable . I will not be returning and I hope the staff treats their customers better read more

I finally tried food from here late at night on a Saturday with a few friends. We had a table by the entrance. Service wasn't anything spectacular, but the bar was pretty busy when we were here. I ordered the BLT with fries and thought it tasted good meaning it tasted just like I'd expect a BLT to taste like and a little above that. Nothing really stood out, but I go to this bar to drink and have fun... so having food that is at least decent is all that matters to me in this type of setting late at night. My review update is short, so please read my prior review to find out my thoughts on the bar from the non-food perspective. I usually only come here or The Vig when I go out in Old Town (at night). read more

Benchmark Chicago - BLT with fries - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So fun for day or night! Me and my friends had a blast. Great music and great bar bites!

This place is amazing! I went here for my best friends 21st birthday brunch and let me tell you, wow. The manager, Marty, is such a great guy. I'm vegan and he personally came to the table and spoke with me regarding the options that I had. Then he took it one step further and brought my entire table vegan options out. No other manager has ever done this for me and I was refreshed by his generosity and genuineness. He really made me feel comfortable and made my entire day better. I highly recommend Benchmark to all, I promise your experience will be worth it. read more

This is a great spot! We came here on a sunday afternoon just in time for brunch! I'm not such a big fan of brunch foods, but don't worry about that because this place has everything! I ordered the Nacho's and they were delicious. My friends got a side of tatter tots (that they thought were just for them), however when they came out this side was big enough to feed a whole army. Don't worry that wasn't a problem. I happily helped them eat what they weren't able to! I will definitely be back to try other options, or just get the nacho's again! read more

Benchmark Chicago - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Thanks Kipp for the terrific service! Everyone at this bar was helpful and very nice. The boneless buffalo wings are amazing and so is the southwest salad! Thanks to this staff!! read more

Came here with a group of friends for my birthday on Thursday ($10 all you can eat tacos). I think that if the regular menu offers seafood options they should offer that for this event too. I don't eat meat other than seafood so I paid for a tortilla full of lettuce and salsa . Have some veggies people!! I loved that they had my table ready in the best spot possible and our waitress was fast and friendly. This is a great spot to hang out at but parking was a big issue here. Come early if you want tacos because not only do you waste time finding parking but you also have to wait for them to refill the small station. read more

Benchmark Chicago - Rooftop - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bouncers are undertrained and judgmental towards customers . Maybe they should open the door for their customers instead of me doing their job for them . Simple gradituity is enough to not be allowed into the bar apparently . Terrible example to set for a prestigious old town area . read more

Such a good brunch spot! We went for a friends birthday & had such a great time. The buffet brunch selection is on point! They had everything from made to order omelets, a donut wall, meat carving station, Mac n cheese, pizza, oysters, shrimp etc! It's a great price & there's bottomless mimosas & bloodys. The music was great, as well. There was a slight issue with timing of the next reservation for our table but the manager was AWESOME! He offered our party (of 11 people) 2 rounds of shots for free plus 20% off the entire check. Fixed things in my book!! Thanks again...will definitely be back! read more

Sarah W made our time here at benchmark. Super attentive and nice. Will come back for her! Food and vibe was also pretty amazing if you're looking to party. read more

Great bar. Been here many times. Probably will come back. BUT, they were streaming lolla on every tv and when I asked the manager, who is a doppelgänger of Jimmy Carr, to change to a different artist stream... he refused. We initially came into the bar to get food but STAYED for several hours to continue to watch lolla. We were the only ones actually paying any attention to the stream (there were max 30 people inside at any time). Is it really that big of a deal to change the stream? Are you not in the service industry? I don't think our request was that ridiculous or annoying after me my friends collectively spent around $400 over several hours watching the stream. Disappointing. Edit: bar tender changed it. Awesome bar tender 5 stars. read more

My friend recently celebrated her 23rd birthday, so we decided to do our first "boozy brunch" in Chicago (recently moved to the city) to celebrate. She is a huge fan of 4C establishments and Benchmark specifically, so we decided to try Benchmark's brunch because of their availability and affordability. We had a stellar time and ended up there from 11 am - almost 3 pm. They have a 2 hour table limit, which was not an issue in the slightest. We were able to continue our bottomless brunch and mimosa ($40 total) extravaganza downstairs at 1 pm when our time at our table was up. Our server, Bailey, was on it the entire morning and made it a super pleasant experience - even taking time to split the bill amongst all of us and take several photos. read more

Great service and tater tots! Also the happy hour is until 8 which is amazing! Get a vodka pineapple

Benchmarks Chicken and Waffles has the best syrup I have ever had! Miss the pre Covid options they had for brunch but overall good place!

Anywhere ...bar, restaurant, cafe whatever that gives you and your crew diarrhea via food should not be in existence. I was here this past Friday and made the mistake of eating here. That Saturday I was in pain and spent the day on toilet.. same goes for my companions . read more

I had New Years Day brunch at Benchmark, and boy it was a blast. It was not that crowded, which was surprising but I was grateful for it. The server would come around every so often, but when she did she filled all of our mimosa glasses full. They had an assortment of juices to choose from and fruits to garnish with. They also had a bottomless brunch with an assortment of items. All of the food was mediocre, but that was probably because they were appealing to a variety of hungover taste buds. One of the managers went around and was pouring people free shots! I will definitely be back. read more

I went there Saturday when the weather was nice for the first time and the roof was open and there were great vibes. I had the spicy chicken sandwich when I got hungry and to my surprise it came with an option between 4 sides with no up charge! Tried a few cocktails loved the "today we rose" I've never had a drink like that it was really good. Service was great and friendly would definitely recommend!! read more

We went saturday for brunch, it was awesome the roof was open & the sun was shining. We ended up staying all day dancing up there!

Atmosphere and service is incredible. The open concept two story bar combined with bumping modern hip-hop/pop music makes this spot very enticing for a mid twenties college student/ borderline alcoholic. Donut "rack" was aesthetically pleasing, yet delicious. BYO omelette was even better. Place was fired tf up by noon. Waitresses seem to enjoy pooring mimosas down my throat, which was a perfect cure for the day after a late Friday night out with the squad. read more

Went for brunch, was greeted and served our alcohol at a good pace, but once the group arrived it took at least 15 to get any other waters or alcohol. We didn't see our server for roughly 30 mins after that. After apologizing for forgetting she took our orders, and again we didn't see her until our meals were finished. The food was great, no complaints about the quality! It took almost an hour after eating to get our checks and they were a disaster. Orders we placed for takeout weren't put in, checks were wrong which we just covered for each other- all in all terrible service & attention. Will not be back when we visit Chicago next. read more

There lots of great places in Old Town, but Benchmark is by far the most modern and spacious; if that's important to you. They have two floors. The upstairs has its one bar, and huge lounge area. Great place for drinks, and watch sports. XXXL Big screen TV watched the Costa Rica - Mexico soccer game. I haven't tried their food yet. read more

Doesn't get any better! Mike and team go out of their way to make you feel at home! My favorite bar in Chi!

This place is SPECTACULAR!!!!! Never been to a better bar in Chicago. The bartenders are all soooo cute and nice too!

Best bar ever!! Drinks are so good and staff is so nice!! I had a blast there for my best friends bday :)

In all fairness, I was here with a large group of friends when the place was packed to the gills. Still, service was decent, drinks and the selection of drink choices was good and the drinks refreshing; fish tacos and shared apps were ultra fresh and very tasty. Everything was actually great until it was time to head to the ladies room. OMG. The ladies room looked like a hurricane had passed in its wake, maybe worse by the standards of a girl that has seen a few major wild hurricanes. It was just about taking any and all of the oohs and ahs out of our visit. I want to come back, and perhaps have a better experience overall, but with the bathroom situation, I can't in all sincerity say that will ever happen. The renovation was/is a definite plus. Don't head to the bathroom and you'll be fine! read more

So if you want to come to this bar for a good beer selection and enough food for your money-- wrong choice. The inside/outside atmosphere of this place is probably the only thing it has going for it. Douche dudes and oh, if you order the chicken/wing app, you can expect a toddler meal. So much for a "sharing plate". read more

Benchmark Chicago - Boneless chicken app is just sad. You get 6 of these tiny bites and yes those are carrots and celery "shavings". All for $9... - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bottomless mimosa brunch here is a 10/10. When we went I did not expect anywhere near as good of a time as I had. The DJ was playing amazing songs, just great pick after great pick. The food was super good and overall it was simply a great time. 10/10 will go again read more

Before beginning at Benchmark you have to ask yourself the question "How bro friendly am I?" If the answer is very little to not friendly at all then you might as well take the 50 bucks you were going to spend, buy some cargo shorts/Michigan State apparel and stare at yourself in the mirror while the latest Nickleback CD is soundtracking. It's going to be that painful for you. Being bro friendly myself I really don't have any problems with the type of clientele you'd figure a sports bar in Old Town would attract. Even if I did though, I think I'd be able to overlook it due to just too many awesome features. It's got lots of open-air patio space that flows really well. Perfect for getting some rays while catching the game. The food is really tasty upscale bar bites, and they offer the greatest type of potato on the market...tots. There's a build your own bloody bar on the weekends with all the ingredients so you don't have to worry about if they make a good one or not. The staff is very friendly all around, and even when they're busy they seem to do it with a smile. Sure, it's easy to hate on a place because you overheard a couple d-bags argue about who's d**k is bigger or who from the Tigers should make the all star team, but I'm not holding it against Benchmark. What they control they're pretty awesome at, and I've never left without anything but a 5 star experience. read more

Oh Benchmark, where every frat bro resides on any given weekend night. Don't get me wrong, who am I to complain, I just personally don't like a side of vineyard vine with my gin & tonic. I digress...service was great, waitress was so attentive, almost too attentive if that's possible! It was packed, for 8:30 on a Friday night, I was a little surprised but I am assuming this is manys after work drink spot. Lots of room, and if you're lucky to get a spot on the second floor with retractable roof, nothings better. Food was good, I would call it above average bar food! I had the southwest chicken wrap with tater tots, let's just say the tots were the real winner that night. It seems like it would be a great spot for a large group! And single girls, grab your wing women because men are not sparse at Benchmark. read more

My first impression with Benchmark wasn't a positive one. My friends and I were looking for a place to go after a filling meal of burgers and beers and decided on Benchmark. We arrived to see the cattle call line for The Jersey Shore II: This Time, It's Midwestern. Not that anxious to get a std or into a bar fight, I opted out of waiting in the blocks long line. I had a crappy-to-average time at a neighboring bar and went home. Take two. Some friends and co-workers decided to give this place a shot. I was uncertain, but my endorphins were high from a successful evening and I wanted to do a little post-celebration. I'm glad I came along for the ride. This time, there was no wait and ample room to get a drink and eat on. It's a sports bar. Don't expect Charlie Trotter or Rick Bayless to pop out of the back and kitchen and ask you what you want to eat. Stay in the sports bar wheelhouse and all will be well. I had tots with melted dipping cheese. Yes, you are jealous. It's a sports bar. Don't expect Alpana Singh to swirl your fancy wine for you but even she wouldn't turn down a draft Magic Hat #9 -- and neither did I. The physical space is pretty huge with a nice layout. The flow makes sense and the retractable roof looks to be a big draw. It was way too cold for that nonsense when I was there, but I can see noshing/drinking under a summer sky being a huge draw to this place. The crowd skews mid to upper 20s, male and bro... but it's a sports bar. In Old Town. I was pleased to see far less Snookis and Situations than I was expecting. They must have been at the gym/free clinic. read more