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    The Bad Apple

    4.0 (81 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Order The Bad Apple Takeout or Delivery

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    Business Info

    THE BAD APPLE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Bad Apple

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    The Figs Is In
    Paige K.

    I would give a 3.5 but can't round up to 4 based on the burgs. I will start with the positive vibes though, the patio is huge, has good TVs and good vibes. Staff was friendly, and its dog friendly. We started with honey sriracha wings on the happy hour menu. They were tasty! Solid. I ordered the fig burger with sweet potato fries. The burger was alright but under seasoned or salted. Any bite without goat cheese and fig was very bland. Bun was good and cooked fine. SPF were very tasty. My husband got something with spicy mayo which I'm forgetting the name of. His patty was also under seasoned and he agreed without all the topping would be very subpar. His fries were good too. Overall, we agreed - vibes good, wings good, fries good. Neither of us would get the same burger next time, would maybe try the Waygu smash but otherwise wouldn't come FOR the burgs.

    Patio
    Katie E.

    Okay!! My only regret is not coming in here sooner.. I have been to the Bad Apple's first location, but it had been many years because it's a little bit further than where I live. When I saw the sign pop-up in the old John Barleycorn, I was ecstatic. I had my parents in town a couple weekends ago and after a long day of painting and moving, we popped into the bad apple and immediately got a seat on the patio. First off... The patio is INSANE! Probably the biggest in this area so I imagine there is no problem grabbing an outside table even on a really nice summer weekend. To start we got the pickled plate, which was really good, but definitely expected some pickles on there at least. Beers were great and all of our entrées were outstanding. I ordered the pulled pork tacos, which came with crispy Chicharron on top and red onions. I'm not kidding weeks later my mouth is watering writing this review. Will be back for brunch and more sitting on that patio before it gets too cold :)

    The Chicago Poutine
    Sabrina R.

    I popped into the bad apple this weekend and after peeking at reviews, it seemed like they were known for their burgers, but that is the last thing I would've recommend! Their fries are to die for and I love the poutine! I ended up ordering the patty melt, which was a little overdone for a medium, and extremely extremely sweet. I know it had caramelized onions, but it was way sweeter than I was expecting and not savory at all. Their truffle fries was definitely the way to go. The table next to me ordered their wings and all we didn't order them ourselves. I couldn't stop glancing over and drooling. It wasn't my favorite experience, but I'll find myself popping back in again to give it another try since their other dishes looked amazing.

    Crispy Honey Garlic Wings
    Allison G.

    The crispy soy garlic wings were super yummy! Crispy with a nice tangy sauce. My boyfriend got the 'just beyond the thunderdome' burger and enjoyed it! Comes with huge crispy onion rings on top. Fun place with a good atmosphere and friendly workers!

    Patio
    Rahima J.

    This is a cute patio seating restaurant. They have sport games playing on the TVs and the patio is very lively, great to sit and eat outside in good weather. The menu has a wide variety of food for everyone to choose from. The pickled platter was definitely a great surprise to find and try. Some of the food was a bit bland but would love to come back and try more off their wide menu to see if there are some hidden stars on there

    Just Beyond The Thunderdome with fries
    Joneice B.

    Choose Bad Apple in Lincoln Park as we are fans of the North location. We came on an early Saturday evening. My husband was still hungry after a late lunch. This location is new within the last 6 months. Will be a solid bar contribution to this area. We sat at the bar to be near the big TV and chat with the bartender. On this occasion my husband ordered the old fashion. He was impressed with his cocktail. The prices here are very reasonable for Lincoln Park. For food my husband ordered a burger on a pretzel bun. He previously had this same burger at the other location and it didn't disappoint. The burger was packed with onions rings, burger, brisket, pretzel bun and more. It was a flavor packed burger and the French fries were delicious and fresh. Overall we enjoyed the food and drinks. Extensive draft menu here. We tried a few beers and settled on the Porter and the Cider. Will be back as they have the Ghost Tequila and would like a spicy margarita made here. Gave it 4.5 out of 5 as the bartender forgot to put in my dessert. However this could easily be a 5 star experience.

    Matterhorn burger was maybe a tad too much cheese but a good burger
    Lucas W.

    Was really excited to try it once it opened and it lived up to my expectations. In some ways, it reminds me of Kumas in the creativity of the burger menu but also in the feel of the place (if you swap sports for heavy metal, which yes.) I've gotten a couple burgers there by now and they were all cooked exactly as I ordered and all full of flavors. Of course, some of the combinations of flavors were better than others. For instance, the fig and goat cheese one was tasty but just too much fig so wouldn't necessarily get it again. The Matterhorn has raclette cheese poured over the burger and was super unique. So far, I think my favorite has to either be though the French Onion Patty Melt which adds some gruyere cheese and a bit of au jus to a patty melt which takes something great and makes it even better. I also liked the chili gouda one. The fries are great too and ability to add tons of seasoning for an extra dollar is awesome. Great and diverse beer menu to boot if you're eating on property. Would recommend doing so too because there's a cool patio out back. Can't wait to go back/order delivery again

    Nada Burger
    Cheryl W.

    I've been to the original location in Lincoln Square so I was excited to check out their newest location in Lincoln Park. I came here on a Friday night for dinner with some friends. It was fairly easy to get a table inside. Service was great and attentive from the get go. They have great beer list full of beers you normally don't see. I had the Parisian Patty Melt. I enjoyed it, but wish that it would have been served at a hotter temperature. I also didn't like the house made ketchup. It was missing the salt that normal ketchup has. I will need to come back to try the other burgers. The others in my party had the nada burger, bad apple burger, and the Matterhorn. Everybody enjoyed their food.

    Front entrance
    Rob G.

    Came back to try the burgers and they lived up to the hype. Had the Southern Dandy - It was exceptional. The grilled onions were excellent and the beef perfectly cooked to medium. A shoutout to the bartenders who were super friendly and attentive. Made great cider recommendations.

    Drink menu
    Kendra M.

    Well, this new location of The Bad Apple has been open for two weeks and I've already been twice, sooo. Yeah. That about sums it up. I'm sold on the drink menu. I don't drink beer but I love cider, and it's hard to find places with more than 1 or 2 cider options. Bad Apple has such good variety of ciders and beers! And the patio feels like a beer garden with all the tree coverage, so basically this is a perfect place to drink all day. The food prices are so refreshingly NORMAL!! It seems like every new restaurant nowadays just adds $4 to the price of the restaurants around it. So seeing salads WITH MEAT for $17 and burgers under $20 is amazing. I don't eat beef so I've had the buffalo cauliflower wrap and the fish & chips. The wraps come in a thick warm pita, not just a tortilla, which is sooo yummy. And the fish & chips were DELISH, and so large that I got lunch for the next two days out of it. Plus all the fry seasonings rock. Next I'm coming back for that ice cream cake...I need it. There are definitely some hiccups since they are so new. Our first visit, the music was SO LOUD. They definitely need some dampeners or something inside. It also took about an hour to get our food the first time, but that was opening weekend. Both things were better the second time around, but still a little slow. I'm confident they'll get on track soon!! I'm so happy to have Bad Apple in the neighborhood, and I know I'll be here often to watch sports, drink cider, and eat my way through the menu.

    Chicken Bacon ranch Poutine

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    11 months ago

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    6 months ago

    INCREDIBLE service. Sweetest staff. Great food, fun bar. Amazing ambiance! Come to Bad Apple

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    6 months ago

    Great service. Staff was incredibly accommodating. I would recommend this place to any and all that are in the area

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    We loved Bad Apple! The bartender was very attentive. Cool laidback space, great for watching a game. The food was delicious.

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    1 year ago

    The food was delicious. Our waitress was amazing & quick! I wil be coming back again!

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    2 years ago

    The food was as great as the energy. We were seated right away and server was super helpful and sweet, definitely coming back.

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    2 years ago

    Great spot. The Apple is the new Mecca on Lincoln Park. Great patio and ambiance. Burgers are good and service was timely

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    2 years ago

    Food was bad but they had a nice outdoor patio. I had the turkey wrap - turkey was dry

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - The Bad Apple

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    Avaspi

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    Lost Never Found

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    This is a bittersweet review as this establishment recently closed. But I still feel the need to…read moregive them their props as I was definitely going to add Lost Never Found (LNF) to my rotation of places to hang out at. I happened to discover LNF during a Yelp Event when LNF turned into Rudolph's Bar, a jolly holly Xmas Extravaganza! I do not believe there was a single spot in the bar that had not been covered in Xmas decorations. It was total sensory overload to the point I did not put up any directions 2025 because I had seen enough at LNF. HAHAHAHAHA! On the strength of the food and drinks that night, I decided to go back once all of the Xmas hoopla was over. Going back in 2026 was a more subdue, but enjoyable time for me. As I mentioned in my 2025 review, even with all the Xmas decoration, the overall vibe was a step up from the typical bars around the Cubs playground. I would have loved a regular girls night out there instead of the last hurrah of me and The Queen. I had mentioned to her about the cocktails and the pizzas I had during the Yelp event and we decided to stop in before heading to the Alamo Drafthouse for a movie. Me and The Queen go the Spicy Sausage pizza and those fries, since I talked about the food to her. Again it was really good, with the crust still being nice and thin. The Queen did not think it was all that spicy, but she eats Hell Ramen Level 4, so I do not look to her for confirmation of hotness when it comes to food. We had cocktails and The Queen (because she was driving) had a Margarita made with a zero proof Tequila. I have to say it was not that bad and I got one and added Prosecco to it...delish. Me and The Queen had a great time chatting, eating and drinking at LNF, but were both sad that we were going to miss out on the opportunity to turn this into one of our rotation hangouts. But I will always be grateful for them introducing me to their Red Bull Winter Spritz. Since that Yelp Event, I have bought three cases of Red Bull Sugar-Free Fuji Apple and Ginger Winter Edition Energy Drink to make the cocktail. Not sure if it is exactly how they did it, but it works for me. So long LNF, it was good knowing you, even if it was for a short time. Deuces!

    My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025!…read moreRestaurant: 63/50 Month tried: November Favorite dish: I would not eat here again Woooof. We had a reservation for 9 am the day of the Michigan/Northwestern game at Wrigley Field. Figured we would have a quick brunch then go enjoy the pre-game atmosphere. Well, when we had been sitting for nearly 30 minutes with no server to be found, we started to get nervous. She finally came over and while she was sweet, really just nothing went right. A food runner brought out a tray that appeared to have all of our orders, but then only served one plate before walking away. It was a solid 10-15 minutes before anyone else's meals were brought out, and even then it was one plate at a time every few minutes, not the rest of the order at once. And everything was cold. Every single item. The chicken and waffles felt like it came out of the fridge it was so cold. And the worst part - we had a member in our party with a severe nut allergy, who told the server 3 times. She noted it, and made sure he would get white toast instead of wheat. When his meal came, there were two huge pieces of wheat toast with visible nuts across his ENTIRE plate. Touching every piece of food. He said again that he was allergic, and they just removed the toast and handed the plate back. It had already touched everything! Since at this point we had to leave soon for the game (and because we now couldn't trust a kitchen that doesn't understand a nut allergy), we just had them remove his order from the check and he didn't get to eat. The server did take 20% off the total bill and gave us a gift card to make up for our terrible experience. Like I said, she was very nice and trying her best. She was just at the mercy of the kitchen being behind and screwing up. But as a Wrigleyville restaurant, you MUST be able to handle lots of customers on a game day. That's like the one thing Wrigley bars need to be good at. This is just not an environment I would choose to be in again, especially for the steep prices. We'll use the gift card for drinks at the bar on a non-game day, and wipe our hands of Lost Never Found.

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    9 TO "7"5, "NEVER" MULE, Poison apple shot
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