Benchmark Chicago

What kind of music do they play?

It's pop and rap but very current music! Stuff that you hear on on main stream radio

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Is there a live DJ plying during brunch on the weekends?

No, but there is music playing

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Hey everyone, I just wanted to know, if for the brunch on Sundays, after the two hour table limit,…

Hello, yes you can stay and enjoy the package until brunch ends.

Hey! I'm thinking about having my 25th celebrated here on a Saturday night with a wristband deal from 9-12, can anyone tell me if this is a good location for 20somethings, big group, and to dance? Is there a DJ?

You can definitely set up a wristband deal. There is plenty of room as there are 2 floors and every weekend there is a live DJ playing music.

Is it weird to bring kids here for the brunch?

It is more of an adult atmosphere but there are wristbands that include unlimited mimosas and just the brunch. I'm sure the kids would enjoy the make-your-own omelet station, there are mini waffles that you can combine with chicken, and there is a… Read more

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Old Town Ale House

4.2(331 reviews)

•$

Love Old Town Ale House. Definitely a Chicago staple. Featured on Anthony Bourdain's show way back…read morewhen....it's got the divey, Chicago-y, gritty vibe I love. Cash only. Owner is a hoot. He's an artist and his art is wonderful political commentary. Bartenders are cool, drinks not too expensive, and good location in Old Town.

A bar with a past! Comedy sketched pictures everywhere that will bring up a chuckle or two…read more Beers, shots and good bartender good night and good vibes.

Back side of the bar . Great original Art!

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Woodie's Flat

4.0(428 reviews)

I've been walking past this place for like 10 years and finally went in, and honestly... I feel…read morelike I got mugged by a sticky-floor college bar. $18 mixed drinks, plus a 4% credit card fee, is wild for a place that feels like it survives on spilled beer, bad decisions, and trust funds. The happy hour is the best ticket. The beer was good tall frosty mug, I'll give them that. But anything beyond beer felt offensively overpriced. The food was good $19 for 9-10 wings were actually the best I have had in a while, smoked then fried tasty and the pork fries seemed good. The crowd was very North Shore college kid energy, like Dad's AmEx is somewhere in the room picking up the tab. Would I come back? Yes and because staff was way cool down to earth and that and wings sold me. Might make Big Daddy's occasional stop but not an everyday watering hole.

First time here . Wings were good. Service good. I sat outside. Next time I will sit inside.read more

Interior upstairs

Smoked then grilled sweet bourbon wings

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Jalapeño margarita

Corcoran's Grill & Pub

3.4(424 reviews)

0.1 mi•Lincoln Park

Service here is excellent. There is seating outside and inside. We had a couple a drafts - Dove…read moreTail. Which is a great beer and then we ordered the Pub burger with waffle fries. The burger is very nice size and came out with all the toppings. That said it was incredibly bland meat. The burger needs some work. But the waffle Fries were spot on. So overall great spot.

Came here for lunch but the food wasn't impressive. Almost everything felt overly dry or…read moreovercooked. Cheese curds were heavily breaded, and not nearly as good as any cheese curds we had in Wisconsin. Many cheese curds were cut too small, so all you are eating is the breading... Curry fries were very soft. We asked for a medium-rare burger, but ended with a medium-well burger. Tons of meat, but just overcooked and not tasty. I had the driest falafel in the Shawarma Salad bowl. The falafel was pressed flat, which may be a great idea to those who love the crunchy shell. You can clearly see the texture in the hummus, which is also too dry. Chicken was probably the best ingredient on this plate. Often see this place being busy, but maybe just not for me.

0.0 mi•Old Town, Near North Side

Espresso martini (3 beans!)

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Buckets

The VIG Chicago

4.1(945 reviews)

Sydney the bartender B boo yah…read more A am so excited for my drink R right Sydney's so good at her job T too cool E end of night? Never N noons please D did we just have the best night ever E everybody to the Vig Sydney's on R really good bartender

Can always count on The Vig for a good cocktail or food! Solid spot with a variety of offerings on…read moretheir menu. Nice patio for summer. Kind attentive servers.

Interior

Peri Peri Pasta

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Jean Val Jean & Esprit

Winnie's

4.2(14 reviews)

Excellent bar. It's about time a good hoosiers bar opens up on this street. Great location,…read moreambiance, music, service, and drinks. There is an upstairs area that's a little more loungier whereas the downstairs can get more rowdy on game day. We came during the championship game, and this was the perfect spot to be. We came early to be able to snag some bar seats upstairs and enjoy multiple drinks and food. Drinks are great - some cocktails and beers are only offered downstairs. Food was a mix: Chimichurri cauliflower: smaller portion than I expected, nothing special I'd skip this dish. Ceasar salad: dressing is very heavy on the anchovy paste, otherwise good portion and veggies. Loaded fries: huge portion with lots of great toppings, though I wish their fries were more 'fry' like versus potato skin-like. Chicken tenders: I got this with sweet potato fries, and they were way too salty. The chicken tenders were 4 skimpy pieces of chicken, and I was charged for extra dipping sauces and ketchup. The spicy mango habanero and buffalo are good - skip the garlic parmesan. I will most definitely be back for the vibes, drinks, and service. I'm hoping the food is just working on some kinks and will get better the next time!

This sports bar has good food, excellent service, and is reasonably priced. We came here to watch…read morethe NFL playoffs. Every seat in the house has a good view of a widescreen TV with the game on. The bar has a cozy, casual vibe. On game day it's very loud; if you plan to chat with your group you'll be shouting to be heard! I highly recommend the chicken Caesar wrap. I had low expectations since this is a sports bar but this is probably the best chicken Caesar wrap I've had in my life. In light of how good this meal was I plan to return soon and try the rest of the menu. I also had a cocktail that was tasty and cheaper than some of the drinks on offer from nearby bars ($13).

0.0 mi•Old Town, Near North Side

Caesar Salad, Chimichurri Cauliflower and BLT

Caesar Salad next to BLT

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Steak Burger

LG's Bar

3.3(195 reviews)

LG's is a spot where you can come for happy hour drinks, then order dinner, and end the night…read moredancing late into the night. Love that I can stay at a single place for the night and have the vibe change as the night goes on. Solid spot for a night out! They've done festive shots for holidays which is always fun and creative. I loveeee their Cheddar Artichoke dip!

LG's is a typical Old Town bar. The bar itself is huge which is nice and there are plenty of tables…read moreand large booths surrounding it. There's not anything overly remarkable about it. They have a decent selection of beer on draft as well as cocktails. The cosmo I tried was surprisingly good. The food is OK. Some things are good (pretzel, chili) and some things leave a lot to be desired (Irish specials for st Patrick's day). It's definitely a place you eat at because you're already there drinking and not as a dining out destination.

Beautiful Bar

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Gf menu

The Field House

4.4(59 reviews)

1.3 mi•Lincoln Park

•$

I liked the vibe. I took a gal I met on that DoMePlz hook-up site everyone uses and she seemed to…read morehave a good time. She sure did eat a lot though. LOL. Had a great night though.

I love Fieldhouse. I didn't plan to do Dive Bar Wednesday this week but my former roommate Matt was…read moredrinking here alone and I had a long day so I was like fine, I'm tired but I'll come for one drink. Three drinks later I'm glad I came. Megg is a top tier bartender and I met this dude named Chris and another guy who I haven't met yet is wearing a Rage Against the Machine T-shirt so surely he's cool. Idk drinks aren't outlandishly expensive and I wish my dad could come to this bar but he lives in Connecticut so he probably won't. This bar is probably a good spot to bring a second date bc if they actually like it you'll probably get married. Don't do it on a first date though

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Drink Menu

Theory

4.1(984 reviews)

1.4 mi•Near North Side

Went here to watch football playoff games and the experience was amazing. They have TVs everywhere…read moreand during commercial breaks, they pay really good, upbeat music instead of having to listen to commercials. The food and drinks were also incredible. Would highly recommend the skirt steak nachos. All kinds of beer on tap and the service was amazing. Multiple people coming to check on you, including the manager who checks in on guests as well. If you're watching a game or want a cool sports bar to go to, I would highly recommend this place.

Our line of business hosted the holiday party here at "Theory." We had the entire second level to…read moreourselves. In additions, we had the access to the bar, appetizers, and dance floor (with music DJ'ed by one of our talented colleagues). My favorite appetizer was the miniature grilled cheese and tomato soup in a shot cup. The tomato soup was more like tomato sauce in terms of the texture. The presentation was super cute and it definitely added sophistication to this simple classic comfort food. Other appetizers that were brought to the party were sliders and boneless nuggets with various dipping sauces. The bartender who served me was nice to accommodate me with zero percent Guinness since I don't really drink. I have always been curious about this place. I would say "Theory" is a sports bar, serving the typical and creative bar food according to a plethora of pictures posted on Yelp. If I ever poke around this area with friends, I will keep this establishment in mind. Thank you for the staff members who helped make our holiday party a successful one!

Having a good time!

Crab Rangoon, Mac & Cheese Pizza, Southwest Salad

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The Scout

4.5(19 reviews)

My daughter and I went in today to try The Scout Waterhouse + Kitchen, as the bar that used to be…read morein this space was my favorite spot in the entire city of Chicago. If you've been to the old spot I'm talking about, you'll notice immediately that The Scout still has the beautiful, soaring ceilings, but they've also remodeled a chunk of the restaurant, which is great! We sat down pretty immediately at a table in the back of the restaurant - not too far from the (new) DJ booth, and our waitress was extremely kind and gave us prompt service. We were just hanging out, listening to the music, when the NFL Divisional playoff game that was on tonight came back on, and let me tell you, it was the loudest game audio I have ever heard in a bar, ever. I've been going to sports bars for most of my adult life, and I get that folks can get excited and loud and that's not what I'm talking about. The audio of just the announcers and players from the telecast were almost exceeding 100 dBA, slow, without the bar cheering. I've been an audio engineer for over 20 years, and that isn't too far off from the base level of what you'll experience at concerts at the United Center (102-110 dBA, slow). We asked twice if the zone that encompassed our area of the restaurant could be turned down - but nothing changed, so we took our food to go and left. It wasn't just "can't have a conversation" loud, it was "I can't think" loud. This place needs to do some system tuning (the example I'll give - if you go to a Yard House the environment is loud and lively but you can still hold a conversation at your table because the audio system is extremely well tuned). The food that we ate when we got home (Kids mac n cheese and buffalo wings) were exceptional, so that's why I'm not leaving a single star. I don't know if we'll be back, I was incredibly disappointed tonight.

We are so excited The Scout is back! We loved it when it was in the South Loop and mourned when it…read moreclosed. The Scout in Old Town captures the look of the OG but in a new fresh way - perfect for present-day. We were instantly and warmly welcomed upon arrival. Lexi was our server and honestly five stars don't do her justice. She deserves 5,000 stars! The menu features some of the same menu items that were at the South Loop location along with some newbies. Lexi let us know what was what and made excellent recommendations based on our preferences. I loved my salad, and my husband loved The Wolf (said it was just like he remembered - his favorite!!!). Definitely check The Scout out - but warning, you will be spoiled by their fantastic food and service so much you will never want to go anywhere else other than there. We highly recommend!

The Grilled Cheese! This is the best thing I've ever had. I got the plain one

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The Sedgwick Stop

3.7(133 reviews)

0.2 mi•Lincoln Park

Showed up before 11 PM on 10/19. Searched Yelp for late hour places due to a flat tire. Walked to…read moreThe Sedgwick Stop only to find it closed without any notice or explanation.

My love and I were looking for a bite and a brew on a Saturday evening, so we wound up at The…read moreSedgwick Stop, named appropriately as it's about a block away from the Brown Line Sedgwick station. It was not very busy when we were there, but apparently the place was packed for Tennessee Volunteers football game earlier that day. My burger and steak fries were good but not great. My love ordered a platter of three tacos and she said they were a bit spicy for her palate. I tried one and the taco was okay. Might be better off to stick with the drinks here.