honestly don't understand the choice of music on a Friday night. The restaurant was playing Serbian music for most of the evening, which felt completely out of place for the crowd that was there. A more mainstream mix would have been something everyone could enjoy. On top of that, they charged a cover fee for the entertainment. If you're going to charge people extra, the music and atmosphere should appeal to the majority of your guests. Overall, I wasn't impressed and won't be back. read more

Came here as a one - off for a trivia championship game on 8/23/25 (shoutout to Top Hat Trivia). The overall atmosphere pretty much what you'd expect for a sports bar. High top seating and many TV's throughout. I didn't sample much food. I got the Mozza Stix, which were pretty sizable. They tasted good from what I can remember. The fries were also decent. My concern comes from my drink. I ordered a soda (coke I think) and I was surprised to find an ant in it. No one else at my table had that happen so I am sure it was a one time thing, but it did slightly concern me about the cleanliness, though the place seemed well maintained. read more

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Amazing food and staff. Julia the bartender was very attending and made us feel at home. Margaritas and ice tea were on point. Peter the man, manager helped us with music selection. Amazing day read more

Play Book Sports Bar - Sports Bars Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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Food is fantastic. Service is great quick soup of the day Southwest hangovers is great. I ordered the hot chicken sandwich and my wife ordered there pesto chicken sandwich. read more

Play Book Sports Bar - Hot chicken sandwich - Sports Bars Near Me - Niles, Illinois

From the moment we walked in, the ambiance immediately stood out -- warm lighting, great energy, and a vibe that felt both relaxed and elevated. The music was perfectly curated; loud enough to create atmosphere but never overpowering conversation. The food was outstanding. Every dish came out fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. You can tell real care goes into both the ingredients and the execution. Service was attentive without being intrusive, which made the experience even better. This is the kind of place you look forward to coming back to -- great food, great mood, and a memorable night overall. read more

Play Book Sports Bar - Barbecue whiskey burger & The Boss Skirt Steak Sandwich - Sports Bars Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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This was a spur of the moment drop in right when they opened. Very clean! Staff was nice and helpful. Food was delicious and prompt. read more

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I came here a few years ago for the first time and I didn't see the hyper surrounding this place, but then I came here with a couple of friends the other day, and we had a great experience. The friends my husband and I came with come here often, so when they recommended we come for dinner, we agreed because obviously, something keeps having them return here. When my husband and I came here the first time years ago, it was for New Year's Eve, and it was PACKED and of course had a totally different ambiance, so I know this place can get pretty fun and crazy with events. When we walked in, there was no hostess and there was only a group of firemen sitting and standing by the bar, so we had to flag down one of the waitresses ourselves, which was totally fine because we came on a Monday night and it was a slow night for them. Once we saw a waitress, we were seated right away in one of the semi-circular booths. The vibe of the dining room is that of a normal sports bar with many large TVs, but they have a lot of different food, including Polish options like pierogis. Pricewise, everything is comparable to other sports bars; most meals are between $13-$20. For my drink, I ordered the mango mojito and it was delicious. It was sweet and not too strong. As for food, my husband and I ordered the "wicked wings" which are just their traditional chicken wings. We both ordered the garlic buffalo ones and my husband also ordered the parmesan garlic flavor. We both ended up liking our wings a lot because the garlic buffalo sauce was delicious and had a perfect consistency of not being too thick or watery. Overall, I would come again. I no longer live in the area so it's not somewhere I would want/need to commute for, but when I'm in the area, it's a good option. read more

Play Book Sports Bar - Garlic buffalo wings - Sports Bars Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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This place is amazing. What a great place to go. The music was great and atmosphere was amazing. The food was really good. I really like their chicken wings and potato skins. The waitress and the bar tender were personable. Both beautiful and kind people. When I am back in Chicago I will visiting again. read more

Came in for the bears game. Was my girlfriend and my first time and we didn't know what to expect. As we entered, we were warmly greeted by who was definitely management. We grabbed seats at the bar and were met with the bartender Katrina. Service from the bar was exceptional. Would not recommend going anywhere else to watch a game! Kudos to the team, but larger kudos to Katrina for being truly hospitable and letting 2 first timers feel like they were regulars. Don't let me get started on the food! Please give this place an opportunity, but make sure Katrina is serving you!!!! read more

will never step foot in this place again. On September 27, 2025, around 9:00 p.m., I was physically assaulted by one of the security guards here. I was just there as a paying customer when, without reason or justification, the guard put his hands on me aggressively. The whole incident left me humiliated and shaken. I've been dealing with emotional distress and anxiety since it happened. No one deserves to feel unsafe going out for a drink or watching a game. Management has been notified, and I've demanded they preserve surveillance footage. If this is how Playbook treats its customers, people need to know. Absolutely unacceptable. read more

Wings baby! Their bone in buffalo garlic are so good! The blue cheese dressing is too runny but otherwise no complaints. The bartender took great care of us and even made thoughtful recommendations from the menu. It's a nice sports bar with a clean atmosphere. read more

Great place for an afternooner - stopped in for lunch and had a beer with a friend. The bartender Gaga was awesome and well attentive to our needs! Great burger and boneless wings! A definite must stop in spot if in their neighborhood read more

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I've been here many times over the years. They are crowded if sports are on, which makes for a fun environment. The food is good, my favorite being the wraps. read more

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Food was FANTASTIC for a sports bar- Will come back!!! Also great atmosphere to watch any sport's game. Staff is great and will adjust TV channels if needed! read more

I like this place, I've been a couple times during lunch hours and have never stayed late or too long. They have a basic bar food menu mixed in with some other items like pierogis and other stuff. They have a decent amount of tvs, seating areas and a patio with seating. I think the food is ok and the service has been good each time I've been. They've got some slots if you're into that too. It's an average sports bar that is good to catch some different sporting events. I see promotions for UFC and last time I was here, customers came in to watch the UEL soccer championship and were accommodated. If you're looking for somewhere to catch a game in the area, check this spot out, I'm sure they can take care of you. read more

Last night at Playbook in Niles, my sister was harassed with transphobic slurs, followed around the bar, and kicked out after finally having the courage to go out dressed how she wanted. The staff lied about the closing time just to get her to leave. This is wrong, and it needs to be called out. read more

I'm upping my rating from my previous review by a star. Service has improved since we first started going there. In fact, two of the last three times it was excellent. We've been several times during the pandemic. In the summer of 2020, when we were still only eating outside, their patio was a great place to hang out and have a meal. Now that we're vaccinated and have moved back inside, we're still very comfortable -- we just avoid going when it's really crowded. We were most recently there for lunch on New Year's Eve, as they were unloading and setting up the band equipment for the celebration that evening. We sat in a booth by the bar, and had excellent, attentive service by the bartender, Gosia (aka Maggie), who made me two excellent espresso martinis. She apologized that they didn't have espresso that day, but I couldn't taste the difference -- they were excellent. This has, albeit a bit slowly, become one of our favorite close-to-home places to visit. We look forward to going back again sometime soon. read more

Vibe is nice, one of the better sports bar type places in the area in terms of the energy. Food is super mediocre, do NOT get the fish tacos, fish is definitely from frozen and sort of gross. Mozz sticks and my friends burger were decent, and fries were acceptable. Play book served me spanish rice that was either multiple days old or severely undercooked. When I told the server, she offered me a side of fries as a replacement, and then charged me $5 for them. I would maybe come back here to get a beer and watch the game, but will NOT be returning for dinner. read more

Wow. Had a really amazing experience and thanks to our server DIANA. She Pours the best miller lights. was Very attentive at all times. Very sweet and made mine and my friend's experience just more fun. We''ll come back if she is behind the bar. read more

Great place to stop if you're in Niles. The food is top notch and the staff is great. I've been coming here for almost a year and the consistency has never faded. Special appreciation to Julia for always rolling out the red carpet and her recommendations. Highly recommend this place if you're in the area. read more

Play Book Sports Bar - Amazing espresso martini! - Sports Bars Near Me - Niles, Illinois

My sister has been bugging me to go here forever! I finally had the chance last Wednesday night. I needed to kill some time before picking up my daughter from volleyball practice. From the outside, Playbook looks dark but inside they have just the perfect amount of lighting for a bar, several TVs and 2 bars. There are also some pub games like pool. It was almost 7pm so we decided to give the happy hour drink specials a try. We got a mojito and a margarita. There was no salt on the rim but several pieces of lime, lemon and orange. Both drinks were OK in taste but I definitely started to feel a buzz. The food specials were available all night (past 7pm when the drink specials ended). Get the mini Mac sliders - 2 for $5. Delicious. They also come with waffle fries. We also tried the meat (beef) dumplings. This was interesting. The meat was minced and it tasted OK. Next time I will try the potato version. The chip chip is a plate of home made potato chips with a dipping sauce. Pretty good. Our server was polite and prompt. If you're in the neighborhood, give Playbook a try. Service is great and there are a variety of drink and food specials. read more

Play Book Sports Bar - Drink specials 4-7pm but app specials all night - Sports Bars Near Me - Niles, Illinois

I love PlayBook! Perfect for groups or even little date out with your friends or significant other. The food has so many options to choose from you won't even know where to begin. I have tried so many things of that menu and never once complained. Definitely try their new coco shrimp on the menu it's delicious. Has even shredded coconuts on top! Yum ! I also love the huge selection of beer they have. Can't go wrong with a nice ice cold beer right ? One of my favorite places to stop by when I'm in the area and highly recommend this place a try . read more

Play Book Sports Bar - Coco Shrimp - Sports Bars Near Me - Niles, Illinois

The bartenders are amazing - Tiffany and Jesse Are great and not bad to look at! The food is typical bar food but can't complain about anything. I really enjoy it there! read more

Went out with a couple of friends for dinner and drinks . The food was very good had appetizers to start nachos . South west egg rolls .shrimp everthing came out hot and fast our server liz kept the area clean she was knowledgeable. Made recommendations she made us feel comfortable checked on us frequently to make sure everything was on point. Dinner was chicken wings pasta and a burger .we could not complain the food was great prices were on point . Noise level was good there were a few groups there enjoying there time . Everyone in the place looked happy . Definitely going back to watch a game and chill . read more

Never Never Never go to this bar! Walked into bar and there was no cover on the website promoting the fight. Showed up and they charged $10 cover. After trying out 2 atms for 15 minutes that didn't work I finally got enough money to pay cover. The guy told me to sit anywhere which we did. The waitress then told us we were sitting in a restricted areas and had to leave. At no point did anyone try to help or seat us elsewhere. Instead they brought the bouncer to kick us out. The manager finally came and not only didn't apologize but said we could leave. Waste of an Uber ride and also a waste of an ATM fee! Avoid at all costs read more

They "fixed" what was never broken to begin with..this place used to be great with a great crowd and amazing music you wouldn't find anywhere else especially great retro music but now...they did a 180 and fired all the great dj, security guards, started charging cover and made the dance floor even smaller. Music wise..let's not even get started with the same 8 songs this new dj plays from 2016 and it's ALL Latin music, this place should be called Latinbook. But hey if you like paying $10 cover, get squashed on the tiny dance floor by inconsiderate people to hear Despacito and Vente Pa Ca 57 million times on repeat all night then this place is for you! PS: I am part Latin and if I wanted Latino music I'd go to the hundred other Latin clubs around the city. And this isn't even good Latin music either!! read more

Really good food, great service. Plenty of parking. Lots of tvs playing the most popular sporting events including UFC. The DJ is awesome. The management is terrific. Highly recommended read more

Kungfu shrimp is good if crunchy. Other items maybe good if u eat them right after getting fried. I ordered delievery, even tho the food was hot they were all soggy except potato skins. I think ill like burger if i were drunk as it is greasy. Cheesecake was so bad my kids didnt want to eat it. read more

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Get it together! We reserved a table in advance for the boxing match and were told cover charge didn't start until 9pm. The day of we got there at 8pm and they told us there was a $20 cover charge and only standing room for the fight. Y'all ruined our Saturday night plans. read more

22 people 2 bars and 1 bartender/server I asked and it's only been her. Not her fault she's nice. But maan 10 min to get 1 drink 15-20 min for food order Aaand ridiculously over priced. Close to $2 per chicken wing and $6 bucks for a single Redbull.. read more

Not a huge fan. Ordered an avocado Cajun chicken salad. Lettuce was watery and oily and lacked flavor. No visible dressing, just watery and oily. How can you mess up a salad?? Chicken was salty. Waitress was inattentive even though when we sat down, the restaurant wasn't busy at all. Servers dress in these tacky, cheap spandex tube dresses. It's as if the owner said, let's get these women to show off their bodies using the cheapest clothes he could find. Not planning to come back. read more

I think we found our neighborhood sports bar/bar burger join.. It's interesting to see the mix of reviews because we had an experience that exceeded our expectations. We have driven past this place many many times and finally decided to stop in for food and drinks. The atmosphere is very cool with lots of TVs and nice lighting. Sat at the bar to watch some football. The beer on tap is ice cold! I ordered the Guinness pub burger and it was phenomenal. Good food, good service and nice sports bar atmosphere. Plan to come back for March madness. Wish we visited sooner. read more

The food at playbook is just amazing and very inexpensive. Great place to launch or go after an event at night.

Found This spot on Yelp... so glad we did! Great hidden spot to watch Bears games. Friendly staff and great service. Will return! read more

Play Book Sports Bar - Soup Of the Day was delicious! - Sports Bars Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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good food and nice vibe. drinks special are worth it and service was fast and didn't feel rushed.

Happy hour is the best time to go! Good food good atmosphere! Service was good too! They have a big selection of appetizers for $5 only and martinis for $5 will definitely go back. Above review was the first time I went. Second time I went with my friends,but it was disappointing very discriminating, the manager who worked on June 24th of 2018 was clearly disappointed because soo many people came for the soccer game! We could hear how he was complaining about closing the bar! We understand how hard it is to work when place is overpacked. But one of the manager was extremely rude and sooo unprofessional. Will not go back. The worst service I ever experienced read more

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Been there twice recently after dropping in literally 6 years ago. Irish peg in a Polish hole... Anywho, seems like a chill place. Reminds me of somewhere that used to be a couple miles away. I highly recommend avoiding the young staff's social media! Good food and reasonable drink prices. I hear nights have a cover, probably a younger crowd yet I will give it a try. They carry UFC fights which is a plus! Customer service seems good, I have my doubts it will last though. When you get burned once or twice you never trust easily. read more

Not sure why there is a Cover charge because place is a dump, staff acts like there important because they work at a sports bar Host's & Staff was rude and there's never a place to sit, no need to waste your money here, also food is terrible read more

First time here, passed by so many times before but never stopped by because it seemed packed. Few of the guys gathered here to watch March madness. The inside is super nice so we decided to sit at the bar. Our bartender/server Joanna was great, the service was super fast and the food was great. Definitely coming here again. read more

Me & my friends were looking for a spot to eat & found this sports bar so we decided to check it out. Turns out they dont like you wearing sweatpants despite them being a "sports bar" pretty hypocritical, but go off I guess. If you live in Niles & are wearing sweatpants, please save yourself the time & energy of coming to this spot lol read more