Bottle service was great. Girls were awesome. Our night started off with Surf Mesa. Tunes were so good. However, the way staff handled things is my issue. We had random girls come over to our table and sit. Security told them to leave. But the manager and my friends got into it. They accommodated with shots, but after this, the vibe was killed. I am not sure how these girls got up to our table. Then, the table next to us crashed into our table and broke glasses which got on our feet and cut them up (we were bleeding). It was "cleaned up" fairly quickly, but so much glass still. I get it's dark and there's a lot happening, but what a hazard. Then we asked security for our bottle girl for more champagne glasses since ours were shattered from someone else crashing into us. Been about 15 minutes and still have not received new glasses for our champagne bottle which is still half full. We decided to just leave because management and service was awful. The only redeeming quality about this place was the DJ. read more

Sound-Bar is a loud and not horribly obnoxious nightclub on the Ontario entertainment corridor. My friend and I somehow gained entrance by throwing someone's name around, and we also scored a bunch of drink tickets. Considering the drinks were free, they were relatively strong for this lightweight drinker. If you like to see and be seen amongst the various spaces and dance areas, this may be your scene. read more

Gah.... this place is like Bar Chicago. Wait, except worse. I went once for one of those $30 all-you-can-drink specials, which was the club's only redeeming quality. Since you have to get there insanely early (at 9 p.m., which is EARLY for this club) there's no one inside. We had our own room reserved so the entire party could hang out. However, once the special ended and we wandered out in to the rest of the club, I noticed that I really wanted to poke my own eye out. It was possibly the most horrifying sight of my life: overdressed club rats and chads wearing their shiniest rave gear. There were updos, stilletos and spikey rave hair. It was horrible. Everyone was dancing to the worst possible music ever AND they were serious about it. Gag me with a spoon - blech. This is one of those places that I absolutely hate in real life. There are lines outside on the street (why in the world would a person WAIT to go in here?) and it costs $20 in cover on the weekend. $20 COVER?!?!?!?! What the hell is this place?! It's a shitty club in Chicago, how is there a velvet rope and a ridiculous cover? Once inside, drinks are a minimum of $10 and have approxiimately .02 ounces of alcohol in them. Best bet: stick with beer, at least you know what you're getting. Gah this place is scary. Just don't go. There's 1,000,000 better places in this city. Period. read more

Soundbar recently redeemed itself in my eyes! Maybe that's because I came here on a Thursday night and didn't have to deal with the psycho-crowdedness on the weekends! Not only did I get in for free, but the drinks were pretty good and decently priced! It wasn't that crowded when we got there, but it eventually began to fill up. It was a completely laid-back vibe and there was no pretentious attititude from anyone. Plus, the doorman completely boosted my ego by complimenting me! ;) The night ended with a free show from two of 'Chicago's hottest male dancers', so that was an added bonus! What more can you ask for? read more

It is a meat market filled with unsophisticated and horny men and skin tight dressed women. The music is super loud, perfect for gliding and one night stand. $20 cover charge. It is perfect for younger crowd who needs to release their "energy" There are dance floors on upstairs and downstairs. The lounge areas are in cornered rooms. read more

I'm here more often than I'd like to be, mostly because my friends like to "dance"/bump and grind and u can't do that on the gold coast clubs (or you can, but you'd be the only one). I swear, this is the most ethnically segregrated club I've ever been to. Techno/dance music on the top = white people. R+B, Rap, occasional bachata on the bottom = "ethnics" - asians, blacks, latinos. This club has a bitch dress code but the opposite of a gold coast clientele. So you'll meet a lot of really well dressed people humping each other on the dance floor while nursing their miller lite. read more

This place was absolutely awful. The music was deafeningly loud and the service was so-so. We went on night where there was a promotion involving 4 drinks before 11:30. We got there quite late, but still wanted to try and redeem our drinks. The first bartender was very nice but the second obviously saw us and proceeded to ignore us. Very professional. Cut to the dance floor. Hardly ANYONE was dancing. There was a group of about 7 guys in a circle trying to talk to eachother on the dance floor, which was really rude. read more

Not the first place I would think to go, but I went last night bc I had guests from the suburbs who had never been. I'm also on their email list and usually know about the up and coming events. It was definitely a great night to go, they dubbed it 'Customer Appreciation Night' and waived cover the entire evening. Everybody at the door was nice and had smiles (a bit unusual). When I got there, the line was around the corner, but I waited no more than 5 minutes. The crowd is definitely mixed here, that is one of the things I love about this place. If you get tired of dancing or don't want to be surrounded by everybody, there is usually enough room to sneak off to the side to get some space. The greatest thing about last night: ALL DRINKS WERE $3!!! What a bargain, especially for a place where drinks typically average $10. Moral of the review: if you see an ad for customer appreciation night, it's worth contemplating the visit! read more

Well, I was pleased that I had a secret code (oooh) to get in here this past Friday night, thus avoiding a ridiculous $20 cover and I got 2 free drink tickets too! This is usually enough to make me love a place, but Sound Bar was underwhelming from minute one. We were pulling up in a taxi and a power-trippy guy yelled at our cabbie to pull up like 20 more feet. There was no one else around us. Yeck. Then, we get into a short line and the barf smell from the alley followed us all the way into the bar! Gross! The Lurch-looking bouncer inside forced everyone to check their coats, though a few cool kids snuck by him. The drink deal lead to THE MOST massive lines to get a drink than I have ever seen in a bar. There were hundreds of people at each bar and only one bartender to help people. After I drank down my two and got in line again to buy for friends who had just arrived, I was surprised (ok. shocked!) that our 4 well drinks (i.e. no-name vodka + mixer) were $9 EACH. Geez. I'd be fine paying $9 for Jack and Coke or Absolut & Soda, but rail drinks? Crazy town. On the positive side, it was fun to people-watch and the music downstairs was pleasant... they had a little Reggaetón, some early 2000's stuff. This is supposed to be a club/bar to relax and hang out with friends at...but Sound Bar wound up micro-managing the evening into a sub-par experience. read more

I've only been there once, on a Thursday. They only had the main floor open, so I can't comment on the upstairs room. The dance floor on the first floor is a bit odd since it is in the middle of the room, with a bar at either side. It is awkward because of the shape of the dance floor. It is right below the DJ (he is behind a glass window), and it is sort of squished between the two lounge-type areas that each belong to their respective side of the room, each side with its own bar. However as the drinks are taken and the night rolls on, more people flood the middle of the room and dance, so as to make it less awkward, and after a while you just forget about it and dance. What is more awkward to me is the area by the bathrooms. If the dance floor gets filled in the front, it starts spilling out to the back to where the bathrooms are, into a larger rectangular room, which is intended for dancing (because there's a go-go dancer stationed there), but the shape is awkward is in spacing. All in all, they had 5 dollar drinks, I paid no cover, danced, and had a good time. Can't say it wasn't worth it to visit at least once, and yes I would probably go again to check it out another night. I did street parking. read more

I was here for a networking event on a thursday after work, so I did not get the full Soundbar, club feel. However, I would like to say a few things. They rolled out a dirty red carpet for us AFTER people were already lined up...um, what? Then they were trying to hang the sign that was promoting all the sponsors, while we were waiting in line at 6pm (the time the event was supposed to begin), um, really? However, one plus was that the event was a lot of fun...drinks, food, massages, music, other free stuff. And the bartenders were really nice even though they were handing out free drinks. I think I might actually try this place sometime, even though I am not a club person. We shall see. read more

I was recently at Sound-Bar to attend Hunk O Mania for a bachelorette party. While the show is a whole other story (way too intense for my taste), the bar was the real problem for me. Drinks were incredibly expensive, but I get it, it's Chicago. What really upset me and everyone in my group was that the drink must have been watered down. We all had between 3-4 four vodka drinks and not a single one of us was remotely buzzed. So not only did we spend a ton of money on drinks, but we didn't even feel the effects of them. Sneak in a flask or two, don't bother spending your money at the bar. read more

This is definitely not a CLUB !!! It is a well decorated corner bar. (not the good kind) I read all the bad reviews before I went there so I wasn't expecting too much. However, this was just pure bad. The crowd was boring and the dj's sucked!!! If you have a choice don't go there! read more

It was my first time at this place and walking up to the bar the bouncers were pretty rude to me from the beginning. I've been bouncing at clubs and I know that it's not how you treat the customers coming in. Unless they were acting ridiculous when coming up you should make them feel welcomed otherwise they won't want to come back. It's kind of the first impression of the place. Once I got into the bar it had a pretty good vibe. There was a wide demographic of people and seemed like a great time for everyone. The DJs were great and the bartender I went to was quick to serve me. Other than the initial entry I enjoyed the bar. I would definitely come back again. read more

This was my first experience at the Sound Bar, and honestly I had a blast. My friends dragged me out after work to dinner (See my Bar Louie Review) and insisted we go afterward. I by NO means was dressed to go here so I was a bit self conscious. That should not have been a worry. Once everyone started flowing in, the atmosphere was great!! There are two floors, but I stayed at the bottom. I drank, I danced, I drank some more. The drinks were good and not over priced. The bartenders were nice and made sure everyone got served in a timely manner. The music was Awesome. Sometimes in clubs they play all one type of music for too long, or cut the music short early. Not this DJ. They were on point. I don't remember their name (blame it on the ah-ah-ah-ah-alcohol lol) but I will definitely find out. This was one of my best nights out. Call first to find out the cover. This was the first time EVER I have not been mad to pay at cover. Highly recommend for groups and parties. read more

I went to see NERO. There was a small line, got there at like 10:30 PM. The line was fast, they ask we have our tickets and ID ready so it was easy to get in. For this particular night, it didn't appear that the dress code was super strict/enforced - there were people wearing clean sneakers, some people dressed in boho hippy wear, some wearing rave clothing. It was easy to get drinks and the bartenders were all very friendly. Security was regularly shining lights on the floors and cleaning up any broken glasses. Two dudes almost got into a fight but it was shut down fast - no one got kicked out. Honestly, I would have never gone to Sound Bar if it wasn't for NERO attracting me there. I admit I was apprehensive when I learned this was a night club with table service (I don't really club), and some of the past reviews got me nervous but it was pretty chill. Got parking super close via Spot Hero. Just try not to hang around outside when it gets super late, things get kinda crazy in River North! read more

EDM clubrats, this is the place for you. I had a blast at Sound Bar on a Saturday night. The DJs were doing a great job spinning some awesome house beats. I got in for free by RSVPing early in the day and made it to the club before 11:30pm. The place is half-full before midnight, so that's awesome! The interior is beautiful and classy. The people are I'd say above-average looking. So I am pretty sure you can find have fun meeting pretty faces. Only thing is the cost for drinks, duh. I bought a cranberry vodka for $8, and the bartender poured Smirnoff (!). I was expecting something nicer than that... Then my friends bought us pineapple-cranberry with Grey Goose, at $11, so I'd go with that next time. Overall. I loved it. Sound bar is going to be my new hot spot. Especially when the music is so f-ing awesome, I cannot wait going there again. read more

This is my current go-to night club. I think a lot of these reviews are way too hard on this place. Show the staff respect, and you'll get respect back. A few reasons I prefer this place. 1. Admission is always reasonable. RSVP online in advance and you can get in free before a certain time. Maybe $20 if not, but probably depends on the night. Still not bad. 2. Vodka soda is $10, which is probably the best price for a cocktail in river north, night club or not. 3. It's never been overly crowded while I've been here. There's always room to move around and never feel overwhelmed. 4. 3 rooms with different music. Usually some type of house music in the main room with an awesome sound system, a wild card DJ off the main room, and hip hop downstairs. You can move around and enjoy different music without committing to 1 DJ or type of music for the whole night. 5. There's ample SEATING! 6. I've never had a problem getting in. You'll see girls in dresses or jeans. Guys in collared shirts, sweaters, or t-shirts. I'm sure there's a dress code, but I can't really figure out what it is. 7. I usually see less "slop" here than in other night clubs nearby. There's always a bad apple, but I think the crowd is usually ok and usually a late 20s crowd. 8. There are always plenty of bartenders so you never have to wait for a drink. 9. Plenty of restroom stalls. read more

Worst experience ever. Sound bar needs to work on their hospitality skills instead of promoting. I've worked in the industry for over a year now and have never been treated badly by another night club before. The staff was extremely ride without reason. My friend showed a bouncer her ID and for some reason he had a problem with it and needed someone else to check. Then he said "it's the young ones taller than me that I need to look out for" and laughed. Ok tall joke, I get it but doesn't need to be rude about it and say it to someone else with three tall girls in front of him. Then waiting in line to pay we were told to "get the fuck out" by another man that was overhearing our conversation about the first bouncer. Wish 0 stars were an option. read more

My friend and I had pretty good time here on Saturday night. Before you go, make sure to sign up for the guest list to avoid the $20 cover. On the night we went, the down stairs played hip-hop while the upper floor was mix of typical house/slightly ebm-ish music. This music combo was perfect for us. I preferred the hard-shaking upper floor vs my friend loves the hip-hop. So if the music is right, I suppose this place can be fun. I agree, that this is not the greatest club I've been to. And I don't know what's up with the "no hanging around on the steps" policy. One of the club guy was rude enough to push my friend off the area - as if! The door man was very nice, though. He helped us pick up the cab (I mean he really really did, and was so kind) in midst of the 2am comotion. read more

Line bar. Lines to get in, lines to the bathroom, lines to VIP after you've purchased bottle service. Bleh. read more

I've been ther couple times, I never like it. Music is bad, and the dancing floor is small, drinks bad and the floor is always dirty. Well, two stars read more

This place has sort of worn out its welcome. Its like meeting your girlfriends best friend, she seems like a nice person but once you get to know her, you just feel like she's out to make you miserable. You want to like this place, and certain dj's that have started playing this place make you think that you could still deal with it, but deep down you know you don't want to. The main dance floor is set up in a weird way, the downstairs closes to early and the staff all over this place is way to high on itself. I only go here when somebody I must see is here and only when I can use my sound-bar card to get in either for really cheap or nothing at all. Go if you're from out of town you'll love the size and design, but really it's like the girls you'll mostly meet here, one hit wonders. TIP: Get as drunk as you possibly can before you get here or you'll be taking out a mortgage to fund your evening. read more

good lord, I went against my years of good club judgement and went here as a "wingman" for my friend with a couple girls. The door people are such the cliche of the eliteist sliding arbitrary dress code enforcers ive ever seen. After the $20 cover, then the horrible, and I mean horrible DJing (see below), and finally the ATM charges almost $5 for withdrawl?!!? I was friggen pissed, and told my friend that he owed me BIG. Yes I bought a beer, and I didnt tip.. i would have liked to but I was gouged 25 by the time I made 20 feet in the club. The place was mostly indian and white, and a bunch of guys standing around watching two girls dance on a box. Big deal. What a horrible club. STAY AWAY read more

I'm ambivalent about Sound Bar. I don't love it; I don't hate it. I don't ever plan to go there; but I don't hate it if I do go there. It's a club: it's loud, it's full of people you either like or don't like, drinks are $9, there is a cover of $20 (which I have never paid-only been there for parties) and there are a lot of creepy guys hanging about. There's nothing unique about the decor, the music or the people who go there, but it certainly isn't the worst place I've ever been to in the city. read more

Hot and Crowded and Douchey. No Thanks. Thank goodness when I went it was for a birthday party and I didn't have to pay cover. I may have voted this higher had I made it out to the BT show that was here. I'd imagine with that much talent it wouldn't matter what the venue was. read more

I booked a table with bottle service at Sound Bar this past Saturday for a bachelorette party. I've been here a few times previously with the ladies for a night of dancing, and we always manage to have a fun time so I thought it would be an ideal location for this type of celebration. High's: 1. Our server, and what I believe was the manager, were SO attentive and friendly. They checked in with me multiple times throughout the night to make sure we were content. 2. Dance floor is nice and big. 3. Our table was so ideal - right above the dance floor and beside the glass-walled DJ booth, so really cool vibe. Lo's: 1. The door bouncer's were dicks. Granted, this is typical for any club, but when I pay for VIP service, I expect to be treated like a VIP. My friends arrived maybe 10 minutes before me, and they were made to wait in line until I arrived. Then, while they were straightening out our reservation, the door bouncer used various intimidation tactics to scare my friend into saying she had too much to drink. Waiting in line at this place made me feel like I was headed into a gas chamber at Auschwitz. 2. The bathroom was some random, unmarked door off to the side of a room. Note to Sound Bar: Mark the door, so you don't have people walking up to your staff asking where the bathroom is. Overall, good experience. Price was about what you can expect to pay at a club for bottle service. read more

Awful, don't go. Does it take 8 people to check id's and stand in lines, when there is no one inside. Why the strange glass rooms, with awful set up and bottleneck to the bars? Did you have no one in restaurant design give you some advice as to flow? It is mildly smelly, could be cool looking, but I kind of felt like I was standing in the basement of an awful fraternity- with very expensive drinks, and a minimum on my credit card (isn't that illegal?) I won't be back. read more

If I could give this place a zero I would. Two of the staff were nice, the rest are terrible. One security guard stomped on my friend's foot on purpose. Seriously this place is garbage! The rooms are set up well, but I would never spend time and money at an establishment that is this unprofessional. The people who appeared to be regulars smelled horrible. If Yellow Claw comes here again I will just have to miss it because this place SUCKS!!!!!!! read more

Sound-Bar - Stomped on a woman's foot bc she was changing her shoes to flats. - Dance Clubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sound Bar is an OK place; the layout of the club is great, allowing for easy flow of people from one room to another, while separating the rooms (music) well enough to keep the zones distinct. Typically there's hiphop on one level and electronica on another. Club goers are more open than most places, and everyone seems to appreciate that they're out to have fun. Reviews noting "sleeziy dudes, and trashy girls" should take note that this speaks of most clubs around the world; and IMHO, Sound Bar isn't any worse. The drinks ARE overpriced though, and one can drop $100-200 easily in given night, but this is very typical for Chicago. read more

Big, but not Vision-big. I dig the place, but I would give it five stars if the hip-hop was upstairs and the electronic music downstairs. I love electronic music, but not at clubs. It's too fast, violent, and not conducive to attempting any sensual movements and dancing to the beats. Sure, you can, but I just don't care for it. So I go downstairs to the hip-hop. Unfortunately, it's one huge cross downstairs, which can get pretty jam-packed and prove hard to dance at all. I found a little area to the side of the VIP lounge where I could shake my ass with my girlfriend and have enough room to incorporate some salsa footwork and spins. Good times. If you don't like clubs, don't review this place. It's a club. It's going to be expensive. They may make you wait in a line. It's part of the clubbing scene. What the fuck did you expect? Seriously. Now get your head on straight and go review something that pertains to your "scene" because it's actually applicable. read more

I have been here a couple of times - mostly for birthday/special parties. I have only paid cover once (that being said, I would not come here if I had to pay cover again - was just dragged in with a bunch of ladies once and couldn't refuse). Downstairs they have hip hop and the DJ is pretty decent. It's nice that they have ample seating space downstairs but the crowd isn't that great. It's mostly men with their guy friends. Upstairs presents another world - the Round Room (pretentious at times, and almost cool at others) and the main Techno area. I wish they'd play house. Regular techno is so boring. Overall - drinks are fine, music downstairs is good, upstairs is bad, crowd is not that great. Simple rule - if you have to pay $20 cover in Chicago, it's probably not worth it. read more

No, NO NO NO NO. Again, no. Let me tell you why Sound Bar is atrocious. First, I can appreciate a bar with diversity, this place does not, making me feel awkward and confused. There are two levels, the first being VIP, which is a joke because you just walk in. The lower floor has 3 bars, one of which has a HOT ass bartender. Generally speaking, the lower level is a humping pit of sweaty people, not my cut of tea. I'm not much for crowds, unless I'm drunk enough so, I try to stay on the upper level. The place is just grimy as a whole. You even need to go down an alley to enter, and the bouncers try to act like this place is cool. It's not cool, it's sad. read more

Yikez. Been here twice. The first time I was kind of weirded out. On the dance floor there was some serious music being played and there were some serious zombiez bobbing their heads and swaying in a strange trance, making me think that what they were seeing and hearing was not the same as what my reality was. Awkward. The second time we waited in line for a party and when we got to the front were told that the party we were going for (with free cover) was over and we had to pay a cover. The doormen were not nice about the whole situation. Meh. We left! We actually left the car with their valet service and hopped a cab to another club. read more

I didn't like the bouncers at all..and I couldn't tell you what the place looks like inside...They like to only let in who they know and then act like jerks the rest of the time. Honestly, I don't 'do' clubs like that. And, they are certainly 'like that.' Save yourself a trip. read more

Although I was not too fond of Sound-Bar in the beginning, recently I have changed my tune because of FRIDAY NIGHTS. Sound-Bar really shines on Friday nights. Whereas most clubs and lounges are hit-or-miss on this difficult night in Chicago, Sound-Bar has made a name for itself by bringing in big name DJ's (eg. Christopher Lawrence, Crystal Method, etc.) on Fridays and packing the place until closing at 4AM. As of writing this (March '06), there is not a better place to go on a Friday night for house and techno music. The downside is that they know that little tidbit, and $20 cover at the door is customary. Being on a list or receiving their text message may reduce that in half if you come early. Overall the staff is quite nice and friendly. The crowd is diverse--but not unbalanced--and is usually good (although after 3AM, expect a sausage fest). The DJ booth for the main dance floor is very close to the crowd, so that's pretty cool. My only complaints are sometimes they overuse the fog machine and if only we could remove those 2 big columns from main dance area--how much more open it would feel!! Sound-Bar has many different rooms, so is good for both dancing and lounging/bottle service. Downstairs they play more hip-hop and mainstream music, if the upstairs is not your scene. read more

One of the worse, overall, bars I've been to. The Music, though good, was way too loud (they really need a sound tech in there to show them how it's done right). Cover charge is $20 at the door unless you know someone. Dress is formal, & doorman is super strict about it. The drinks are weak & overpriced. The people are uptight & douchey. The layout was ok, & the different DJs in each room was nice but is nearly unnoticeable with all the sound systems at 11. You can't pick anyone up, let alone talk to them. Rich people will like it cause they will get noticed, everyone else will like it because they might get to see someone famous. If you have a lot of money, like to be noticed, & don't mind going partially deaf, then this is the place for you! All others should stay clear! read more

My friends and I really went out in downtown Chicago for the first time this past weekend. We went to Y-Bar directly before coming to this place, and at the time my impression was that Chicago had some of the most beautiful women in the world. Then we went into Sound-Bar. Hello reality! It was certainly far superior as a club architecturally. But the drinks were watered down, the music was lame (though they actually have hip-hop), and the women...well, let me just stop before I start sounding mean. Come if you're already hammered and your standards are ready to call it a night. read more

Been here a few times and even had my 22nd birthday bash here. At first it was a bit messy because they found my name on the guest list, but had all these restrictions that I had to be there earlier for free entry, blah blah blah. I'm like seriously? It's my birthday! After 10 minutes things got straighten out and myself and my guests of 15+ were able to enter with no complications, only to envy eyes as to why they had to wait and we didn't. Our host/waitress/server (what do you call the people that bring the bottles to your table, etc?!) was attentative and bottles kept coming and juices got refilled, we drank and danced the night away. Great music downstairs and we had our own section. I didn't tortue my lungs as much as I did on my 21st, but I was not a happy camper in the morning. I've also had good service by the bartendars downstairs other times I've been here and once you keep ordering and a few for the bartendar and have cute girlfriend's ah you're bound to get lucky with your bill ;). Sometimes girls just have all the luck. read more

Love this club. I was in town for New Year's with friends and we hit this place up the night before New Year's Eve. We had a great time, enjoyed a good crowd, danced to amazing music and made friends with John the super sexy bartender. I heart Sound Bar. read more