just had a blast at benchmark! the server, destiny, was awesome and kept up even though it was super busy. manager lauren was great too. food and drinks were killer! best spot for a saturday night in old town, will be back! read more

Would like to clarify that my handwriting was for sure written over. The first 5 where the tip is was obviously a 2 with a line put at the top and bottom to look like a 5 done by the waitress (thief) Maddi. Each 5 on the receipt looks different because she wrote over the 2 I put and made a fake 5 then proceeded to write the actual total herself. Including her outrageously underserved tip of over $5. Thanks for agreeing that it was indeed originally a 2.50 tip that was changed by your employee in your sorry attempt at an explanation. Pic for reference. Notice how it's only scribbled on the tip part cause she added money. read more

Benchmark Chicago - Picture of receipt with waiter their Maddis forgery - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fun brunch spot with friends. Great selections on food. You get DJ on brunch with bottomless mimosas, it's enough for the weekend. It does get crowded, so make sure you go in early. read more

Benchmark is a great sports bar! The food is only okay but the ambiance and night life is great! They have really good appetizer but I have a hard time finding entrees there that I like. The rooftop is a great place for a summer night! read more

I went here for brunch with a group of 5 and the only reservations that were available was 10:30 am lol so we did that but they offer a bottle of champagne and 2 mini pitchers of the juice of your choice for $20 which I thought was very reasonable! The brunch menu was just ok although I feel like out of the group of 6 of us everyone ordered one of the 6 options and everything looked good as well as was pretty good. We were seated on the second floor and where the open dining was at and loved it! Def great for covid reasons although none of the waitresses or host wore mask. Again I wore it until I was seated with my group and remained off while eating but I know it's optional for those who are vaccinated which I happen to be so I guess you ca assume all the restaurant workers are vaccinated too!? Lol idk but overall thought the experience was nice - not too expensive especially if you're with a group! Would def come back but for dinner just to see the difference in entertainment & music as well as how their nightlife is! read more

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It's been awhile since my last review of Benchmark and I figured it was a good time to give an update on this place... I think on average I'll come by here maybe every couple of months and am consistently reminded of how they keep things fresh here. By this, I mean I enjoy how they seem to evolve their menu and seem to experiment with what people are enjoying here. I gotta say their burger game here is probably the most underrated! I recall there being a time when I came by here last summer and my girlfriend ordered a burger and they brought out two burgers... "Sir, we only order one burger!" Not sure if it was the kitchen manager or the chef that brought out that extra double patty burger, but he wanted our honest opinion on what our thoughts were on this new burger they planned on rolling out compared to what they had on their current menu at the time. Definitely, the new one was much juicier! On my last visit here earlier this week, their daily specials on Monday were $5 burgers and $6 22oz pours. I gotta say that turkey burger was bomb! Spicy mayo drizzled over spinach leaves, provolone cheese, sliced avocado, and a well seasoned turkey patty. Benchmark you continue to surprise me with your food game... Plus it comes with your choice of side! I typically go for their tater tots but decided to go for their vegetable of the day, a grilled cauliflower and broccoli medley lightly salted. NOT BAD! All for $5? Ummm deal? Anyways, I'll definitely be back! Be sure to ask what their daily specials are! I suppose my next update will be when I do brunch here. Their build yo' own bloody mary bar has always been top notch IMO. 'Til next time, cheers! read more

Benchmark Chicago - Grilled veggies and a turkey burger. $5 on Mondays! - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Popped in here with my husband for some brunch for our first day in Chicago. Fahdi at the upstairs bar was awesome! She gave us tons of recommendations of places to visit - on top of great menu/drink recommendations here. The barbacoa skillet she recommended was amazing! Mike came over to check on us (I think the manager), he was great too. Great way to kick off our trip! We will definitely be back anytime we're in Chicago. read more

Great place for brunch with friends. Came with a group of five and Kip was very welcoming and accommodating. Food and drinks were good- will definitely be coming back! read more

Masters on the big screen cold beer! The servers were fun I forgot her name but we all had a great time.

I've always come here for a night out but never for brunch, and this is somewhere that should definitely be added to the list! It's very good value for money as it's $40 for food and mimosas or just $25 for food. The food options include an omelette station, fruit, pizza, chicken nuggets, oysters, desserts, a donut wall and more! Definitely can't go hungry here. The bartenders are very attentive to filling up your drink when you are out. You have three different types of juice options to mix with your champagne. The ambiance is fun with good music. The second floor doubles up as the rooftop since the ceiling opens up. It's basically a great party while brunching. Go and enjoy! read more

Benchmark Chicago - Lots of food! - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Got the chicken and waffles and they were the best I've had. Mostly because I loved their habanero maple syrup. It added a unique kick that I absolutely loved. read more

Benchmark Chicago - Chicken & Waffle - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not a great bar. The security guards have nothing better to do than kick people out for no reason. They make you pay a cover and you have to wait 20+ minutes for a drink, I would spend your money somewhere else. read more

Benchmark recently reopened after an interior renovation with new finishes and upgraded menu. I stopped in for the official re-opening and had dinner with my sister at the bar. Atmosphere: active, loud, good for groups. The place was full and the after-work crowd was taking advantage of both the air space beneath the retractable roof and the outdoor seating on the sidewalk. This is consistent every time I have visited. People love this popular bar and it speaks directly to 20-somethings. Drinks: the cocktail menu is fun and all are priced at $12. I had the cucumber gimlet, which was light and refreshing. The frozen rose sounded great, and will be a tasty treat during summer. The drinks are poured 3/4 full in the glass, at least among those I observed made by the bartender. Food: we started with the shareable Burnt End Potato Skins (2 for $10), which are a new addition to the menu and delicious. The potato is sliced in half and topped with cheddar cheese, habanero pork belly (mild, in my opinion), and bbq sauce and scallions. It's not a twice baked potato, but a real potato skin. We then ordered the Turkey Burger ($12) and Tuna Poke Mini Tacos (3 for $9). The turkey burger patty was a bit flavorless, but there's plenty of avocado, provolone, and mixed greens to add some texture. Waffle fries are excellent and well salted. The Tuna Poké tacos were stuffed with poke and slathered with guacamole on top. The guacamole was a bit heavy, but there's plenty of tuna poké underneath. The crispy wonton shell is tasty and crunchy. Other: the music is loud and the bathrooms need better maintenance, as 3 of the women's stalls were out of toilet paper. Come for day drinking or boozy brunch, but don't bring the kids. read more

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Great ambiance! I came here for drinks with some coworkers and the bartender even offered us free shots.

Definitely my favorite brunch spot! I always recommend it to all. Lots of food options and bottomless mimosas. Great service and music is on point. It's a party in there. I can't wait to go back next week. Be ware of the brunch times. Make sure you get there early for good spot. read more

Very dated review! Whoops! I am also reviewing ONLY on the bar service and drink. I did not eat here. I repeat, I did not eat here. Anyways, stumbled in here around Halloween weekend where it was PACKED. I mean, there were some area with a bit of room but literally could be making out with the person next to me, close. My friends ans I had to wait in this line to head upstairs because it was hitting capacity. Not a long of a wait though. Hooray! We were able to slide our way to the bar and order our drinks. Nick, our bartender, was very attentive and friendly. That is rare to find on a busy and packed evening. I wasn't sure what to drink so he whip me up with something super fresh. Thanks dude! On the downside, being there at closing is a complete nightmare. The bouncers are literally pushing you out of the door at this time. No patience at all. I can't blame them if more than half of the attendees were absolutely smashed. read more

Benchmark Chicago - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for briefly for a drink with my gf Friday night--The music was very lively and it was definitely a decent crowd inside. Very cool bar. Drinks are eh kinda pricey but it's chicago. We didn't stay too long because we were very tired but we did order takeout. I ordered 6 buffalo wings for $13.00 and also a side of Tater Tots for $7.00. So plentiful. read more

I've been at Benchmark both for Saturday brunch and weekday happy hour. Brunch: So for brunch you can either opt for just the brunch buffet (25 dollars) or also add the bottomless mimosas for 15 more dollars. You're mimosas glasses will never be empty and there is so many food options! Donut walls, cotton candy machines, a huge variety of breakfast and lunch options and desserts!! I also loved the atmosphere! Benchmark is a great brunch place! Happy Hour: I met up with a few friends after work and we decided to grab drinks at Benchmark. There was a special going on the day I was there (pizza and a bottle of wine for 20 dollars). The pizza wasn't that great but I still loved the atmosphere so I think I would be back here to grab a drink after work with friends. Probably wouldn't get the pizza/wine special again though. read more

I was kicked out for being Hispanic. A member of the staff did not like how I looked and told me to leave. I refused and he had me escorted out by bouncers. Police and ambulance came to the scene and I filed a police report. read more

Had the best time here with some friends watching Iowa football. The staff, the music, and the atmosphere was fantastic. I would recommend Benchmark to anyone and everyone! read more

Came here to watch the Penn State v Michigan game at night. We got a table and were able to watch the game no problem. This place gets CROWDED and not ganna lie gave me a college feel that made me want to run away but after a few drinks it felt fine. The bathrooms are located downstairs and waiters/waitresses will come to you and take your orders so you don't have to shovel your away through people to the bar read more

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Great food and drinks ! Had a turkey burger and mimosas. Wow. The deal of the day is $20 for a bottle and all the mixers. Well 3 bottles later ! Great place ! read more

I've never actually been to this restaurant but I was sitting at the loading zone in front of the place with my lights flashing and the owner threatened to have my car towed. My wife had just run into the spice house next door to grab our favorite spices. It's perfectly legal to sit with lights flashing in a loading zone while you load and unload passengers and products. No restaurant owner has a right to claim street space for themselves. read more

We were helped by Lulu, and she made our experience so enjoyable! She was super funny, attentive, and so sweet. I'll definitely ask for her next time we go. The food was also amazing! read more

Good HH! (Happy hour) $3-$5 drinks, tons of good food on the menu and the staff is super friendly. Great music playing. read more

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Dropped in yesterday ( a Tuesday night) for a casual night out with the boyfriend. I was drawn to the menu as I'm a pescatarian and they had a number of options that excited me. There were mayyybe 50 ppl in the space (mostly small groups) and the bar was WIDE OPEN literally no one was sitting at the bar lol. As I approached the bar there were two female servers/bartenders behind the bar having convo. No biggie, my bf was captivated by crumbl across the street so I wanted to wait for him before ordering, no big deal. Their convo ended and Erin, the bartender who was working on our side never acknowledge me. I had to beckon her over so that I could get some water and so she could wipe down the area I was sitting at...again, very empty bar. Eventually I ordered a dranky dranky and my boyfriend arrived. Bar still very empty Erin walked passed us several times as if we weren't there and she was extremely busy ( there were three guys that were at the bar at this time) she approached them quickly and took all their orders, whilst I'm trying to get her attention so that we could put in our apps. I let her know that we'd order more food but we'd start with the Brussels ( which were delish). Our food arrived, she saw our food arrive. We waited AGAIN for at least another 5min for her to ACKNOWLEDGE OUR HAND GESTURES and call outs as we did not have utensils or small plates to eat with...now I'm getting annoyed. We eat the Brussels. Get her attention and name so that I can stop saying excuse me because clearly she doesn't respond to that. She comes over and we let her know we're ready to order. She says "ok well you wanna get it in quick because the kitchen closes in ten mins" ... well you weren't going to mention that when we placed our first order or when our Brussels came out? Especially since we said we'd like to order more? There's more about the service that i could write, but instead just know that the Erin's service was ALL bad. Especially for it to be a very chill amount of people in the establishment. As we finished our plates ( mahi tacos and spicy chicken sandwich- both were just, meh) and paid our bill, another smal group of women approached the bar and were served promptly *shrugs* Very unpleasant experience. read more

Great establishment. Molly is even better. If only the Hawkeyes could score on offense.

Absolutely loved this place. Its a fun restaurant in the heart if Old Town; perfect to go out with friends. We got the Salmon BLT which was GREAT and the Mediterranean Platter that was ok. The rose cocktail was also really good and surprisingly strong. Try to come for brunch! read more

Benchmark Chicago - Mediterranean plate - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had drinks only. I had a ginger and cuke mojito, was really refreshing and tasty on a hot day. Good crowd all around. I like the small 2-tops on the second floor, cool layout. Very fun and cool vibe in this place. read more

service was amazing! very quick with drinks and food. The food was okay, good for watching the game. We had a blast and loved the raffle they had going on through the games. read more

If you're cool, you come here for gameday. Good food and drinks, great people, not much more you can ask for.

The best game day spot!! Fun raffles at half time and a very fun atmosphere! Food was great and my server rocked.

I love benchmark! The service is amazing and great outside vibes. Really really enjoy.

Mauv was an absolute slay tnight. Gave us exceptional service and recommend the best entrees for us. Go mauv ur the best

Been here multiple times. Great place to rock out with your hawk out. Best spot in old town

Came here for the Iowa/Iowa state game and had the best time. Great food, the chicken nachos on special were phenomenal!! Alexa our server did a great job, overall fantastic experience. read more

Just moved to the city for Iowa City and having a bar that is dedicated to the Hawks makes me feel so welcomed! Benchmark have my heart! Go hawks! read more

Came in for football Sunday to watch the Bears and Packers game. Sat for 40 minutes without having our order taken. When we called our server for the second time (blonde girl with a short messy bob and a flannel) she very aggressively popped off on us and said "what else do you want to do. I brought you waters!" And we said "aren't you a server? Aren't you supposed to check in on us after bringing us waters? You didn't even take our order" with her responding "I'm just gonna go get another server to serve you" .... We saw her go back to the other server VERY CLEARLY talking bad about us. At that point we decided to get up and leave. The other server offered to serve us but at that point we didn't want to give this organization any of our money. The game ended at that point and they weren't even that busy. Avoid if you want good service!!! If I could give it less than 1 star I would. read more

Came here for dinner and drinks. Food was great, vibes were even better! Alexa was my server, and being unsure on what to have she gave great recommendations on drinks and food and it didn't let us down so i will definitely be back! She's the best! read more

Benchmark is the best!! All the staff is great but especially Mauv and the person who runs trivia every week! Happy hour deals are SUCH a steal, the girlies and i are here every week. Highly recommend the nachos! read more