Yesterday, the Icon lounge, located in The Forge in Joliet, IL, was throwing a Halloween party, and my friend and I arrived at 9, not realizing that they opened at 10. So, we decided to wait for an hour. As soon as it turned 10, a bouncer named Brian came to check our IDs, and we were first in line. When it came time for him to check my friend's ID, there was no issue, but when it came to me, he told us he'd come back but never did. Once the door for the club opened, security checked our IDs, patted us down, and let us go through. However, security inside the club said that Brian had failed to input my passport data and that if I'm not in the system, they can't let us go in and that we should go back out and talk to him. So, my friend and I did as we were told, only to get ignored for 30 minutes. After those 30 minutes, he finally asked why we were waiting by him, and we explained that when we went inside, they told us to go back out and talk to him as he failed to input my passport data into the system. Any reasonable person would have rechecked my passport and found a way to manually input my data into the system. However, because Brian is incompetent at his job, he told us to wait until he checked the entire line's IDs, which went around the corner, despite my friend and I being first in line. As someone who has worked in the service industry, it is a known thing that you do not keep people waiting, and if there's an issue, you must resolve it immediately. After another 30 minutes, Brian speaks up and says that you need an ID, and I explained that my passport is a valid ID based on the Illinois Liquor Control Act that allows any valid, unexpired, government-issued ID, such as a driver's license, state photo ID, passport, or military identification, to be used for verifying age. The Forge's own website even states, "A valid U.S passport or travel visa/passport issued by a foreign country containing the holder's photograph" is allowed. After I had explained this to Brian, he said that I needed a barcode, and what will a passport do for me, and that there is a process, and if I went ahead and typed up your passport data, I'll be ruining the process. In response to that, I said that my friend and I came in first, so we shouldn't have to wait for him to scan everyone's IDs before trying to resolve my issue, which causes him to turn his back on me and complain to a random girl that some people don't have spatial awareness, as if he is not the one in the wrong, which is incredibly rude. After such impoliteness from Brian's behalf, my friend and I decided to take our business someplace else. However, I would like to recommend that to prevent this from happening again, you should perhaps hire a bouncer who actually knows what they are doing and has a better, welcoming, and professional attitude, or hire more than one bouncer who is competent enough to resolve issues in a timely manner instead of making us wait for an hour to not even fix anything. read more

I think this place is cool! I went for my friends birthday party last weekend on a Friday and got there at 1130pm by 1230am there were a lot more people. The decor of this place is a hit or miss in some parts. In some areas the wallpaper is falling off but it does offer Instagram worthy spots around the club to take photos with friends. It's not the most pristine clean place, so if you go in knowing that then it's fine. They also have a menu and my friend got chicken fingers and said they were good. Overall I wouldn't go out of my way to go back, but if a friend suggested we go- I wouldn't be opposed. read more

This has got to be the weirdest bar in Indy. My fiancé and I show up for our joint bachelor/bachelorette party dressed nicely. They let her in and accost me at the door, telling me that I can't get in wearing my sweater... I'm like ok that's weird, but all bars have their own dress code and quirks... so I drop my sweater off in my car and put on a peacoat because I still want to enjoy my night. When I arrive back at the bar they pat me down (quite aggressively I must add) I understood that because they saw me go back to me car. The door man then pulls my cigarettes and keys out of my pocket and tell me I can't come in with them. I told him no sir, we will not be patronizing your business, that's extremely weird, and I've never heard of a bar doing that. On the way out one of the doormen said they're a million dollar business they know what they're doing. Another doorman said you wouldn't like it out there anyways because there was nothing but teeny boppers inside. It should be noted that all of this happened during prom season. My fiancé walked off with haste after that. It was such a weird experience. read more

I have been to Icon plenty of times now and I have fun every time I visit. When you first walk in the environment is chill and accepting of all individuals. I really like the fact that there are seats to sit down.. especially if you're wearing heels! Ah! However the vibe is laid back. You can wear wedges and jeans or dress it up if you like. I have been with my friends and also participated in a Brunch there that my friends hosted and it was a good time. The food was good and the bottomless drinks was a plus! C Hov does a great job with marketing and keeping Indy alive. I really enjoy supporting him when I go as well. One day my boyfriend and I will go for Wine Wednesday and Taco Tuesday! I heard a lot of positives about it and can't wait to try it out. Pros: Good food Friendly Accepting of all Good customer service Nice environment. Cons: Restrooms are very small! read more

ICON Lounge - Icon brunchin hard. - Lounges Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Had a great time a few people were smoking but wasn't supposed to be but other then that me and my wife had a great time the drinks were great for the price and tasted great read more

I came in today for the special of the day through their partner, Exotic On the Run. Shrimp and Grits. It was very tasty! I would have preferred a larger portion size of grits for the price point. The five shrimp were sufficient and were large. The presentation would be great if it were plated, as the aluminum foil is a little disquieting. I got it as a to-go order and needed to reheat it once I got home. I would have preferred for it to have been in a container that was microwave safe. read more

ICON Lounge - a meal of mashed potatoes, meatballs, and gravy - Lounges Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Ten dollars is pocket change these days; however, if a $10 bill fell out of my pocket, I'd still be disappointed. I recently spent this amount on a cover charge for an evening at the ICON Lounge. While I wouldn't take the evening back, I'm looking forward to telling you why this "establishment" isn't worth the dirt on my shoe. The ICON Lounge is a shady place, and I recognized this before I even entered the building. The "security guard" at the entrance was busy talking on his phone before he even noted my presence. When he did, he was polite, but his search was more thorough than the TSA's. Was ISIS lurking in the club? As an adventurous guy, and I was about to find out. To my relief, there were no ISIS members inside - only a fun-loving Latin dance crowd. Seating was very limited, and all the tables and couches had "reserved" signs on them. While we were able to sit on a couch for a short while, a staff member approached us, telling us to move as others had reserved it. We later learned this was a lie: the other patrons who occupied the space (and later shared it with us) said they never reserved anything. Other than lying to us, we found the staff to be completely disorganized. No one quite seemed to know what was going on - or where customers could or could not be. Being a very small club, there wasn't much room to spread out. The drinks at the ICON Lounge are overpriced. From what I saw, there were no top-shelf liquors other than Grey Goose. The beer selection is abysmal. Despite the low quality selections, the drink prices were high. If my memory serves, bottle service for a junk whiskey like Crown Royal was $120. The bathrooms were small and filthy. If you must choose the ICON Lounge, don't order any drinks to avoid the urge to urinate. The only reason I gave the ICON Lounge two starts is because of the music. I really enjoyed the Latin band, and the Reggaeton music being spun by the DJs. Despite its small size, the ICON is a fun place to dance. My fellow clubgoers were friendly, and I enjoyed meeting some nice new people. Don't worry, ICON Lounge, I probably won't be back. read more

This was my first time visiting this bar. Went on a friday night. It was a lot smaller than some of the other clubs in the area. I do like that the bar is kinda raised where you have to walk up a couple of steps to get to it. It was very crowded and kinda difficult to navigate around due to the small space. There wasn't really any where you could just sit. Your only option was to stand at the bar or stand in a crowd of people. The bathrooms were small, only two stalls and the main door to the bathroom was propped open one of the times I went so anyone could look in. One of the doors to the bathroom didn't have a lock so some refused to use it, which made the wait in line a lot longer. only one sink to wash your hands, so there was a line for the toilet and one for the sink. This wasn't a bad place to be but definitely wasn't one of my favorites. read more

ICON gets 5 stars because they were not ready for the crowd we had but they made us feel welcomed! We were in town for the National Urban League Conference and needed a place to party since we received bad service at the prior venue. We walk over to ICON and said hey we have a large group coming and their action showed that they wanted us to patronize the venue and were going to provide good service. I did not have any drinks so I cannot speak on the quality. read more

$20 to get... for you get crowd or if you like to club.. needs some upgrades to support the weekend scene. read more

ICON Lounge - Saturday night.. - Lounges Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Icon Lounge has become one of the premiere destinations for entertainment in Indianapolis. Between their weekly events, impromptu events, holiday events, food, bar, etc. it's hard to not mention Icon. The food is great! My favorite is the Cajun pasta. Their Cajun Bistro is typically open from 5-10pm. And they have some of the best DJ's in the city on a weekly basis. read more

ICON Lounge - a hot dog with broccoli and cheese - Lounges Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Icon Lounge used to be the Buddha Lounge. However new management has completely renovated the space and turned it into the Icon Lounge. One new edition to space is featuring a food vendor, which currently includes Exotic on the Run. Exotic on the Run his one of my favorite restaurants in the city. However, I do prefer the 38th Street location over the Icon location. Nevertheless when you're in the club and you've been drinking, having this food vendor here is very nice. The Icon is a favorite and commonly used venue for many other within my social circles are for a party, celebrations, and overall a good night out. The layout of the club is not different from what it was in the Buddha Lounge. You still have the wide open space in the front of the house with the bar. In the back of the house, you have the VIP in a second bar. However, everything now is white decor instead of the dark black and red. You can go to the Icon Lounge Instagram page for the events they're hosting. Usually, the weekends is the best to attend for nightlife. read more

I recently visited ICON Lounge 148 on Saturday night and was very impressed. Our group had cocktails and enjoyed the music. The music was great and the sections were large and perfect for groups/celebrations. I made sure to check out the food menu. I noticed on their Instagram page that they have a lot of specials (both drink and food) throughout the week, including half off sushi on Saturdays and Taco Tuesdays! I will definitely be back to check out the food menu! read more

New management I hear. I guess this has been open before under other names. However the club itself has nice decor when you enter with cool lights accented on the walls. Thumbs down: The back still looks under construction. The bathroom was extremely dark when you enter with one light. Thumbs Up: Bartender was mad cool! Most of the staff and women bartenders were there. Got to play my own music. Not sure what the deal was with theirs but it was still cool to play my own music. The club is pretty nice in size with different levels. I like that the bar has all these different levels to where there is seating and the dance floor as you enter. There's a VIP area as you come in the corner that gives a nice view of the club. Then there is an even higher level that appears to be a VIP area that overlooks the entire club. I love the gold they incorporated. Nice club. Would like to go during the weekend and try their food. Their menu options look great, try to find something for my vegetarian diet. Will be back! read more

Favorite spot to relax and chill like at home Great experience especially those plush seats with a cover and a pillow I mostly always fall asleep bad for business lol but I love it read more

This was the worst place I have ever been in the downtown area. I went on a Saturday night and there was pretty good crowd. The patrons were really friendly and excusing of my party as we had to squeeze through to get to the bar towards the back of the club. After squeezing through and bumping into everyone we approach the bar that has a short line. The music was great and as my party and I stood patiently waiting we were dancing and having a great time. After a few songs we noticed that the line to the bar wasn't moving. Then we noticed no one was attending behind the bar. A few employees came would appear every now again and as we tried to get their attention they completely ignored. Until one nice gentleman came back for the third time and decided to finally acknowledge us. Unfortunately he notified us that he wasn't a bartender and couldn't serve us any drinks. However, he was willing to go find the bartender to assist us. He went around the back, that connected to the bar at the front but we could see his interaction with bartender. She looked overwhelmed and like she didn't want to be bothered. The nice gentleman looked discourage as he walked back over. He informed us, after standing there for a good 20 mins, that the bar was closed and we'd have to go to the bar in the front. Not excited to hear the news, but relieved we knew where to go we made our way to bar in the front. Because this establishment is so tiny we literally only had to go around the corner. This bar was packed! It was slightly elevated with a few stairs leading to the bar. It had rails separating the bar area from the dance floor and when I say you couldn't even see the actual bar because there so many people isn't an exaggeration. We stood at the top of the stairs waiting in what we thought was the line. A security guard (standing right next to me) with a flashlight kept flashing his light at the stairs. Finally he informed us we couldn't stand there because waitress had get through there. I politely asked where do we stand to get a drink? He pointed to other side of the bar. I thanked him and tried to make my way over, but it was so packed at this point I was ready to leave. By the time we would have plowed through the crowd, waited in line, and got our drinks the night would've been over. After paying $20 a piece (for females), not able to get a drink, not knowing where to or not to stand, and being in there for 40 mins to an hour with no luck we decided to leave. If you don't mind large crowds, no drinks, being told you can't sit or stand here or there, and reasonable cover charge $20 for females and $50 for males this the place for you. Unfortunately that's not my vibe which is why I won't return. read more

I went to ICON for an early dinner. I ordered the Catfish dinner with Dirty Rice and Mac & Cheese. Everything was hot, fresh, and good! The customer service was excellent also. If you're looking for good customer service and a nice seafood menu check out icon. read more

No kidding this is the worst Collard greens I've ever eaten. I ordered catfish fillet Collards and Mac and cheese. Everything has toooo much sodium. And portion size is way too small for the price. This by far is the worst meal I've ever had. Never again read more

This is a really nice establishment. Would definitely be a great place to host events. I was there for a day party featuring a podcast i listen to. Only thing i have an issue with is the Highs in speakers. You are guaranteed to leave with ringing ears. read more

A great place to relax and have drink after work. Very nice set up and greaaat shrimp tacos!!