I'll admit that I'm a bit lax with my Yelp reviews but a recent trip to Rosa's has spurred me into action. This place is my number one live blues venue in all of Chicago. It's got a friendly vibe, consistently great music and a true "bluesy" atmosphere that puts me in mind of my very favorite spots down in Clarksdale, Mississippi. If you're looking for tired retreads of "Sweet Home Chicago" and busloads of loud-talking tourists, then don't make the trek to this blues institution in Logan Square. Rosa's is the spot for real blues lovers who appreciate top-notch music. Rosa's has been in business for over 30 years and there's a reason for its longevity. It's a home for blues lovers and a great place for musicians to both play and even hang out on their off days. Another thing I love about this club is that fact that they truly care about the musicians who play there. When Eddie C. Campbell had a stroke, they hosted a benefit to help with his health expenses. And when Eric "Guitar" Davis was tragically murdered, Rosa's put on a benefit to raise money for his children. Rosa's is a family business who treats its artists like "famiglia" and has definitely earned the title of "Chicago's Friendliest Blues Lounge!" With summer winding down, it's time to take a gander at Rosa's September calendar where you'll find everyone from Jimmy Burns and Sugar Blue to Mike Wheeler, Melvin Taylor and other great artists on the docket. So whether you're in town for a few days or a died-in-the-wool Chicagoan, I would highly recommend Rosa's as THE place to hear authentic, true blues music. read more

Nice atmosphere good music, very cool and interesting interior decor, definitely coming back when I go visit Chicago again

Prepare to slow the bartenders arm are on its way down. They are very heavy handed with there drinks here. You will be falling off your stool in no time if you are not careful. If you like very strong drinks, This will be your new fav place. They are definitely not afraid to let the alcohol pour. The music is awesome. The musicians are very raw and talented. I was highly impressed. I was slightly apprehensive leaving. But they called a cab for us and made sure that we got in safely. Rosa's will see me again read more

Very authentic place, friendly staff and affordable beers. There is even a small area in front of the stage where people dance. I was on Halloween night and I did not want to have the frantic booze night. The band was awesome and I had a wonderful time. The cover was not expensive ($15). read more

Rosa's Lounge - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

As far as blues places go, this is probably as authentic of a place as I've ever been to! Nothing fancy, hardly any tourists, no gimicky atmosphere, heck even the outside of the place at first makes you think "wow, this could potentially be a hellhole" ... but I promise, it is most certainly not. It's an authentic, intimate blues experience. The place is usually crowded but not uncomfortably packed to the brim. Sometime last year we had the pleasure of stumbling upon a Sugar Blue performance. The music itself was amazing. And get this ... up at the bar, ROSA herself served me my drink!! Seriously, she's gotta be like 80 -- I almost felt guilty, like I was ordering a beer from my grandma, not to mention I had a bit of cleavage showing. Awful. But once you get over that momentary guilt, it's all good. She's cool. Just like the very place named after her. read more

I've found my neighborhood go-to. Worth coming back to! Reasonable cover & drink prices. The band hit the spot! #ChicagoBlues read more

Yay. Live nearby and have looked longingly out the bus window hoping I could drag some friends westward to stop in here with me...lo and behold, a Groupon comes along and for 50 bones we got admission for 3 of us on a Friday night plus many many drinks and the final bill was 10.00. More importantly the music was delicious and authentic and it felt like the kind of warm neighborhood joint where I would feel okay sitting at the bar solo listening to some music. I loved it as did my amigos. Best way to sum up the place is to relay a story about when we were leaving...an obvious regular said it was a pleasure meeting us, could he have our seats, and to say hello to him when we come back. And its pretty much a given...I will be back! read more

First timer and won't be the last. Big James and The Chicago Playboys killed it. Nice throw back lounge with some good old blues. Bartenders are Super! And they can dance. Drinks spot on for decent price. And no DAMN auto pour... nuff said read more

Rosa's Lounge is the absolute genuine artifact real deal Chicago blues bar, one of few left not only in Chicago but in the world. If you like Blues it is a must. Out-of-the-way location but as soon as you enter you will smile and say yes this is it the holy Grail I get it. For the ridiculously modest sum of 10 or 15 bucks depending who's playing, you gain entry to a shrine for blues enthusiast. Walk in any night and you can see the likes of Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Lurrie Bell (son of the great harmonica player may he rest in peace Carey Bell), or any number of local Bluesmen who have been around for decades and are authentic and just flat-out great singers and players. Drinks are fine and the food is edible. The owner is usually at the door and he is a wealth of information just ask him anything about Blues performers and he will have plenty of info. It is definitely a come one come all they are happy to see you. Dancing is encouraged and all I can say is if you like Blues even a little bit it is worth the track admittedly in an out-of-the-way place where are there where there are few other places to go so just check the schedule to make sure they are open that night as sometimes it is closed for a private party. Rosa's is one of the things that make Chicago a great tourist spot but this is most assuredly not a tourist place. Go while you can and it is still open you will never forget your experience at Rosa's. read more

The best. This is all you need to do when you want Chicago Blues. Its a good ways out west, but completely worth it! read more

Hell yah, I love you Rosa's! They'll make you feel so at home you'll wonder why your house looks like a drug addicted blues musician's! read more

Really is as good as it gets. The owner and staff treated my party of 10 people with excellent service. They saved tables for us when we called ahead, served our drinks promptly and even split the bill for us by couple without even asking. I could go on about the great service, but I want to get to the great atmosphere. Perfect for a non-touristy, legit blues club. Great dive-bar vibe, but you can tell the owners care. Got to see harmonica legend, Billy Branch. It was an all-around great experience. read more

Rosa's Lounge - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing live music. Great people watching. And everyone is dancing! Try to get in early for a seat there isn't much standing room, otherwise you'll just have to dance ;) read more

Rosa's was the last blues bar we visited in Chicago. I wish it was the first. I loved the vibe here. The decor was perfect- slightly divey, but absolutely perfect for the atmosphere created. The people in the club were so friendly and inviting. Mary Lane, a Chicago blues legend, came and got us all up out of our seats dancing. We danced, and danced some more. I will be back. read more

Charming blues club. Yeah, it's a block or two off from the gentrification of Logan Square, but I promise you'll be fine. The space is intimate, the bartender smart and friendly. The crowd skews older most nights, so expect more beer than fancy cocktails. That said, the beer and cider was pretty reasonable ($4-6), as was the cover ($7). They will take cards for the cover at the bar if you ask. Music wasn't their normal (more acclaimed) act when we were there, but it was good and I enjoyed the smaller crowd. Definitely worth a stop in if you like blues or old-timey bars. read more

Live music was incredible.. Random people kept showing up off the street with instruments and joined in one after the other in one of the most amazing jam sessions i've ever witnessed.. Drinks were stiff and cheap.. Everyone in the place was happy and friendly.. read more

BEWARE! Second time going to Rosa's and was over charged $60 and Tony the owner is refusing to give our money back! The handwritten bill was in 2 different styles of writing, the bartenders may not have meant to make a mistake but when 2 people are waiting on you, maybe they each wrote down the same drinks twice and we got double charged? We started a tab there on Friday night and 3 out of 4 of us in our group were drinking. We had 4 drinks a piece in the 3 hours we were there + one malort = 13 drinks all together and was charged for over 18 drinks. We questioned our charges night of and they refused to change it. I called questioning our charges again and instead the owner sat and bragged about himself for 2 HOURS! "I'm for Italy, I had no money and passed out on a side walk, I have integrity, I married a lawyer, we back political candidates, blues needs me, I don't care about money, Logan Square can thank me for changing the neighborhood" so on and so on and so on. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS! Your bartenders made a mistake, fix the problem, that's it! Also, I didn't call to hear about your life story, I called to get my money back bc coming to your place cost me $300! The only solution I was told was "You can dispute charges through your bank". He said he has an "error proof" system where his bartenders write everything down by hand and it's impossible to make a mistake. Getting a computerized Point Of Sale system can provide a time stamp of charges, not someone's scratchy handwriting, adding 5 $12 drinks to our tab! He said there would be no reason for his bartenders to do that, and when I replied "Maybe to possibly raise their tip percentage?" He said "my bartenders are Christians and don't drink, they are not dishonest." That's just creepy and weird. This is just another dirty place that rips off new comers, that's poorly managed, using religion as a shield and are too greedy to admit that there could have been a mistake made. As a bartender of 13 years myself, save your money and go to Kingston mines or Buddy Guys. Ps look up articles about this place, they got shutdown for a bit for the staff selling cocaine to an undercover cop, with mother/owner witnessing the transaction, said by undercover cop. read more

Do yourself a favor and go here!!! Amazing blues. Met the legendary Mary Lane who played a few impromptu songs on a Thursday night. We also met the owner who was super nice and will definitely go back next time I'm in Chicago. read more

Yes ladies and gentlemen, the Shake & Bake made a guest appearance at Rosas last night. Of course we arrived here a little early and there was some High schoolers in there listening and jamming along with the Blues.....that was awesome that young kids appreciate this music and will keep this music going!! I later found out they were on a field trip! FROM Minnesota!!!! The only bad thing about this was that the Bar was closed while they were there! Well 20 minutes later the kids left (they left their catered food, you can guess what happened to that , yes free food at Rosa's!) and the bar was re-opened Oh yesssss Flexing of the booze continued and Thursday night returned to its normality of Tony and the gang jamming to the blues! Good time! this place is good when you have a hankering to go and do listen to something different. DONT forget to read the lyrics written all over the walls in the mens washroom ;) NO I didnt write those 7 years ago!!! hehehehehehehe shake & bake seal of approval! read more

You are looking for a great place to hear the best musicians. This is it. Very modest place, stick to the beer and wine. This place is family run and has so much personality. read more

Our experience at Rosa's was great! We saw The Kinsey Report there last night and had a blast. It was a welcoming, non pretentious atmosphere, with GREAT live music. Service was good, prices were very reasonable ($15/person cover, 3 beers & 3 bourbons for $45). We will certainly be back. Would be a great place for a girls night out, or a night with a big group as well - the dance floor was lively! So glad it is so close to us - looking forward to walks in the Summer to catch some great live music! read more

A true Chicago classic. This place is so much fun without any pretension. Nothing fancy, just good people, decent drinks and GREAT music. If you catch Melvin T. playing, you just hit the jackpot. read more

First, the music is first class, not amateurish. As far as the rest of the atmosphere, it's borderline dive bar-ish. The whole place is pretty small, and it gets pretty crowded when there is a concert. I could not order an old-fashioned at the bar because they don't have bitters. This is the oldest whiskey cocktail in the history of whiskey, and they couldn't do it? Surprising, every other place I've been to could make an old fashioned. But I didn't come here to drink, came here to listen to the blues. The owner asked me on the way out how I found out about the lounge, and he was surprised to hear that it was from yelp. He didn't think anyone uses it. That's probably true for most of the crowd, which is made up of mostly people in their 40s and 50s. Did I mention the music is really good? read more

I hadn't been in this blues bar since 1994. I already give it 5 stars. great place to show off with your friends. Certain nights have guitar night where people can play their instrument and other nights entertainers will show off their guitar blue songs. Great food and drink as well. read more

Yes old school . This place was great. Had a whiskey and kicked back with my cousin and his friends here. One for the books.

Very laid back bar that has an amazing array of highly touted, professional music that is as good as any top-notch blues/jazz bar that would cost 2-3X as much on the other side of town. Drinks are stiff/top shelf and the music is stellar. Every time we go we have an amazing time. Highly recommend read more

Rosa's is true blues bar, not the stuff created for tourist dollars. My first visit was 21 years ago and I was a regular at that time. I have since left the area and have to admit that I had not been back in 16 years. Finding ourselves open for New Year's, and my wife never having been to a real blues bar I made the arrangements. It was like seeing an old friend. You will find the owner on the property, in fact expect to be welcomed by him at the door if you arrive prior to the band. Tony wears many hats and is quite busy but still takes the time to be cordial with his costumers. They are a full bar with beer in bottles and a limited selection on tap. They also have the popular liquors available. The music is loud so if this is a problem sit closer to the door. You will not find any main stream performers here. It's all about the blues and the feature Chicago blues bands. Depending on the night, you will find different bands. It's a great place to enjoy some awesome music in an intimate setting. My wife loved the place and experience. She can now say she has been to real blues bar! read more

This place is great. The band on Tuesday nights is fantastic. I think it's $7 to get in.

This reminds me of the Oyster Bar in St. Louis: capacity maxes out aroound 150, a long narrow space, a heavy local scene ... It's one of those places where fellow blues musicians come out to watch and eventually get up on stage, where the announcer gives a shoot out to Momma after her long trip to Europe, where the people behind the bar were so old they once turned down Buddy Guy for being under age. Cover on the weekend was a bit high, $15. Dancing was minimal, even though a lot of Chicago blues was played. read more

Rosa's advertises as Chicago's friendliest blues lounge. In my opinion it's true. I was in Chicago for business this week. I was able to go to Tuesday and Thursday night. On Tuesday I went with some friends to see Nate Manos and Pete Galanis. One of my collegues started chatting with Pete towards the end of the night and next thing we knew he was handed a guitar and was playing the last 2 songs of the night. It was a blast! The Thursday jam night with James Wheeler as just as enjoyable. He opened the night with some songs from his first album and then opened up the stage. I am a stranger to Chicago and I've been to Rosa's only 3 times over the past 9 months, yet I was welcomed and treated like a regular by the staff and musicians. The emphasis here is on the music. There is no food served and the furnishings are basic. Don't go for a touristy experience. Leave your inhibitions at home and enjoy. They are about a 25 minute ride from the airport hotels and it's not down-town. read more

We came up from Indy specifically for the night of fantastic Blues featuring Billy Branch, Guy Davis, Corey Harris and Sugar Blues. It was great! The Show: Billy shared some great stories and a little of his unlimited history of his blues journey. Guy Davis was really good and his snappy personality brought the party to life. I love his voice. Corey Harris gave a great acoustic performance w/a strong voice singing what I would call the 'old' bues style. (-not an expert, just my opinion) I really like his song Station Blues. Then last but definitely not least, Sugar Blues did some accoustic and his band joined to fire up the house with electricity! What a great harp player Sugar is, Rico- plays fantastic guitar effortlessly, Pooky Styx-my hubster has seen before & knew he'd be all over those drums, and Sugar's bass player (his wife) was right on and brought a perky personality to the stage. (not to mention, she brought a pretty good size baby about to come into this world) What a beautiful name 'Llaria'. Good show! The Club: This is a small club with limited seating, so it was up close and personal. I called ahead from Indy w/a few questions since the 4day Windy City & these tickets were a birthday present for hubster. Tony was very helpful. He also helped us when we arrived there after the doors were open and all the good seats were taken. The hubster was disappointed, but Tony knew about his B-day and moved a couple chairs up front for us! -Thanks Tony, it was a great night. Other Stuff: --next time I think we'll drive our car there from the hotel, it was a little difficult getting a cab back to the hotel. One review mentioned stiff drinks, but we didn't think so. This place is definitely casual & unpretentious so don't be scared of the black plywood entry. All in all, we'll be back! read more

This place is great- definitely the friendliest blues club in Chicago. The music is a little funkier than I generally enjoy, but Tony and the bartenders make it a great place to hang out. Every time we've come in Tony has managed to make the experience personal and worth remembering for our crew. It's worth the cover charge, you're guaranteed a fun night here! read more

this is an awesome place tolisten to blues music alive.since i a newcomer.to Chicago area,i went to Rosa's three times and is a place full of MOJO !!! read more

Great service at the door and the bar. Melody Angel's music is incredible and the vibe is intimate but relaxed. It's such a treasure, I'm always surprised when it's not full. This is definitely a destination when family or friends are in town as well. read more

This place is awesome. Don't take it from me though...check it out yourself! OK, I'll admit that it's not in the best neighborhood but by the time you get inside, you almost forget where you are! The talent is amazing! The service is great! The ambiance is wonderful! I would definitely go back! read more

This is perhaps the most authentic Blues club I've ever been to in the city. There's a cover charge, which I tend to hate, but I'd say it's worth it. Awesome music and good drinks. Oh, and perhaps the best part-in the women's bathroom, they have this on the wall,"Nobody leaves this place without singin' the blues." So fantastic! If you don't know what that quote means or is from, well you just need to brush up on your Chicago themed cheesy 80's movies! Good times. read more

Great music! Good prices. Less tourists. This place is chill with lots of quirky decor and a good sound system. You can pay admission with a credit card if you don't have cash. read more

Just amazing. Walked in here late one night accidentally and it appeared to be an anniversary show. Stiff drinks and great music. We got in for half price and the owner even comped us for our next visit! read more

My favorite blues club in Chicago! Great tunes, good drinks, friendly staff and cozy, just the right size for a night of blues! Can't wait to go back! read more

called 'chicago's friendliest blues lounge', rosas's is a the family business of rosa (always behind the bar) and her son tony. the space is cozy, with a single bar to one side and small round tables on the other. the elevated stage has been graced by chicago's blues greats, some of whose pictures adorn the walls. the cover is reasonable, and the parties are fantastic - new year's featured billy branch and the sons of the blues, home-made eggplant lasagna, a champagne toast, and party favors - for $20. come for good music, good drinks, and true family atmosphere. read more