I've been to Boss Bar a few times. It usually has a good crowd and is always a fun time. Cheap drinks and appetizers. They are open later than other bars in the area so it is a good place to continue your evening. Service can be slow sometimes, but with the amount of people that are there it is to be expected. Overall, a good place to hang out, but don't expect anything fancy. read more

The Boss Bar - Loaded Chili and Cheese Fries - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm so glad this bar is operating during COVID times. The staff is all wearing masks and people are pretty spaced out from one another. I'm all about the vibe and I loved the vibe this bar gave off. It's like a sports bar but also super cool and has a nice anterior. The drinks weren't anything special but they were normally priced and hit the spot. The music was really good with a variety of rock, hip hop, reggaeton, and oldies. I new it would be a great bar from the outside And I was right! I'm surprised it doesn't have better reviews from others! read more

The Boss Bar - a group of people sitting at the bar - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Place slaps! I can't have more fun at any other bar in the city! #Jenna #sistasista read more

Bouncers in front are racist, degrading, rude, and disrespectful. Told us to "go back to [our] country" and to "stop doing crack" (amongst other disgusting comments) when we were reentering the bar from the street patio to use the restroom. They had a completely different attitude towards the white people we were with. It be your own people. These orders probably come from management, but these people are lost. read more

The Boss Bar - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So my friends and I were dancing! We are all black identifying. A random Mexican bus boy told us to buy a drink or leave. We aren't poor so we did. But fuck him!!!!! read more

If I could give it 0 stars I would. My friend was wrongfully accused of drinking alcohol from an outside alcohol and after proof they refused to apologize for wrongfully accusing him. I talked to the manager on duty and they were EXTREMELY unprofessional mindfully yelled at me (look at the camera around 11:35 by the door) read more

Yelp tells me to select a rating - I would give Boss Bar 0 out of 5 stars, but unfortunately I have to give the establishment 1 star to post a review. I experienced not once, but twice on two separate occasions blatant acts of racism by the bouncer and manager on duty. 4 friends and I wanted to go into Boss Bar a couple weekends ago for my birthday. One of my friends who came out that night is a POC. The bouncer let my 3 friends and I in, but looks the POC up and down, and tells her "she has been over-served." A sad excuse to not let her into the bar. At that point in the night, we had all been drinking before, and that one particular friend was standing in line like the rest of us doing absolutely nothing wrong. She was not acting belligerent or out-of-line by any means, and hadn't even spoken a word while in line. If anything, I had more drinks than her at that moment, so why was I let in, and she wasn't? Absolutely pathetic. When I confronted the bouncer about the racist act, he was emotionless, and told me repeatedly "she was over-served", and "to have a good night." I asked to speak to the manager on duty about this situation, and he acted about the same. To reiterate, this was the second time I've experienced this situation over the past 4-5 years with the same particular friend at Boss Bar. It is completely unacceptable, and I will not be stepping foot at Boss Bar ever again. Not only that, but I will be telling everyone I know to never go into Boss Bar again. read more

Overtly racist and rude bouncers. I've patronized Boss Bar for the last 5 years, but after last night, I will NEVER return. In short- If you have on ripped or distressed jeans AND your skin is brown, you will be denied admittance. I visited Boss Bar at about 2am last night. I was down the street at the House of Blues beforehand and planned to indulge in more libations at Boss Bar to end my night. We walked over, hopped in line, then the bouncer informed us that they had a strict dress code prohibiting patrons from wearing ripped jeans. Both of my friends had on ripped jeans, so we couldn't enter. We walked over to talk with the bouncer, because they've both been inside with distressed jeans before. When we approached the bouncer to get further insight on the situation, he became very nasty and aggressive. We asked if we could speak with the manager, and he snarkily replied that he "was" the manager. While we were standing there, we saw not one but two white people enter with distressed jeans (one male and one female). A few moments later, an Indian girl and her boyfriend tried to enter, and he quickly turned her around for having a hole over her knee. This newfound dress code is ignorant and tasteless, but to add insult to injury, it's only enforced on people of color?! That's ridiculous. I work hard for my money, and it is green everywhere I go. I don't and won't spend my money anywhere that I'm not welcomed. read more

The Boss Bar - Another photo of the bouncer after imposing his discriminatory dress code on my friends - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The Boss where the bar can be dead and they'll tell you they aren't allowing walk ins...great looking out for your bartenders and letting them make any money. read more

This bar has a great vibe and the atmosphere is just right. The pool table is great and not too expensive. I recommend this bar!

Had drinks there on Friday, had 5 mixed drinks total and the bill was 40 bucks. Went back on Saturday and we had one beer and a mixed drink and it was 25 bucks. When i asked the bartender who floated around like she was all that (NOT) about the hefty price, she copped an attitude like she was some tough ass. Piss poor attitude and of guts. Yeah u know who you are loser. read more

You get a dive bar feel here, FOR SURE. It doesn't quite fit in with surrounding bars as we came from Untitled a block away that had a business casual dress code. Definitely no dress code here. Our group really enjoys dive bars actually so we gave this place a shot on Saturday night. It was extremely crowded when we walked in. It actually reminded me of a college house party where people were literally shoulder to shoulder and everything smelled like beer. The music was also blasting so bye bye to conversation. We didn't have high expectations so we were in for the ride. I ordered Miller Lites for our group because there was a magical opening at the bar and I figured they didn't have many craft options. I felt really rushed ordering with how many people were trying to get each bartenders' attention. I heard someone saying that the bar went through a recent renovation and they expanded a bit. The expansion you think would give the bar a more spacious feel but it didn't. The space was still divided. Maybe it was just extra packed that night? There just wasn't many places to sit or even stand with that many people. I also heard they have some good drink deals on other nights of the week maybe to check out. They were open till 5am on Saturdays but we left well before that. All in all, if you are in a dive-bar mood, I'd check it out. I'd recommend not coming too late and avoid coming with a large group if you're planning to come later in the night. read more

Its an unsafe place to be! Be careful with the security staff they be picking random fights with people! It didn't happened to me but I have witness a lot of fights with no purpose and I have ask them why? And they don't answer back... read more

I had the worst experience of my life last night. During my best friend's bachelorette party- the Secuirty guard sexually harassed me, publicly shamed me, and threatened me all in one conversation. After letting my friends in, he stopped me and asked if I was from Chicago. He then told me I "can't be wearing that" and that the local bars have a "dress code" because people who "dressed like" me "make trouble and no one wants trouble." He was going to "let it slide" and when I asked what he meant or what the issue was, he kept repeating the same vague taunting statements and then said "you'll figure it out soon." I felt so incredibly violated, unsafe, and confused. I'm a 33 year old business owner and have never been someone who creates drama in bars. I ended up having to leave the party and return home because I felt so embarrassed and freaked out. read more

Was assaulted by the security here, punched four times and filed a police report. This place operates without any leadership and I will not return to spend a single cent. In the past 4 years I have as well with my fiancé spent thousands of dollars here. Mimi behind the bar was always a pleasant server and she made the place worth it, however the failure of this establishment to maintain a safe environment and protect its paying costumers from security personal with lack of training and discipline to deal with less than optimal situations. Enjoy the well deserved bad PR and lawsuit against your establishment. read more

Employee got super aggressive when I asked if there was a kitchen connected to the restaurant and got defensive for some reason causing a bad experience. The rest of the night was staring me down and talking to our wait staff and it seemed like they were talking behind our back. Terrible experience. Have their names. But don't make it public. Boss bar-- figure it out read more

Woke up this morning to a text alert from my discover card where my card was "manually" entered for a transaction that I did not do. It was done today at 4am I am in schaumburg sleep at my hotel. we were at this place on Sunday and someone has copied my card info and rang a transaction. I am PISSED. I FEEL VIOLATED. I Am traveling here to visit Chicago for the first time and this is how this establishment treats their customers. I woke up and asked my sister and brother if they had transactions on their card this morning also and my brother had 2 transactions this morning from them also. My sister is on the phone with her credit card company now to see if her card was compromised as well.. i am soo upset. So customers BEWARE! read more

I wish I could leave 0 stars but I guess I'll have to give it 1 star. I understand why the bar was empty when we walked in. Out of 4 people they thought 1 one of the ID's were fake and refused to serve all of us just because the ID's were from out-of-state. The bartender called the bouncer over and I told them I could call the police to come verify the ID's then the bouncer forced us leave. This is the absolutely worst experience I've had at a bar. Only go here if you want terrible service and to be disrespected. read more

Decent bar. Come early because it gets pretty packed in here. By midnight everyone will be wasted and super horny. It can get annoying. Crowd is mixed. Meaning some grown ups, some pretending to be grown ups, (some cute most not)....however once the drinks start its easy to tell the difference. Everyone seems to be looking to hook up for the night. Music is also mixed...some hip hop, some top 40, some bullshit! Drinks are strong and the waitress keeps them coming. Bouncers are super serious like they are guarding the POTUS. Get in & get out! read more

The Boss Bar - Saturday nite - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Honestly, unsure how I feel about this place. It's not bad but it's not the same vibe as the other typical clubs in the area. I've never really planned to end up here but somehow I always do when the lines are too long elsewhere. The pizza window has to be the highlight in my opinion. Recently, just went back here and lost my phone and wallet there and the manager was very helpful the next day in helping me get my stuff back! Definitely appreciated it. I would recommend for anyone looking for something more chill. read more

The place gives racists vibes. Wearing a dress and heels on my birthday, I was told that I was not wearing the right attire, despite visibly seeing people with torn up old Jordan's and jeans (with rips) on in the bar. Very disappointed! I ended up going down the street to goose island (which I would highly recommend). read more

Incompetent door guy and bouncers. As he mentioned that it's closing time, to finish our drinks and move towards the door I've just gotten my drink. I began drinking it as I sat down next to a group of people. He walks over to me, looks me in my face clearly upset that I sat down, and then throws my drink across the bar yelling "you think I'm f**king playin with you". Kind of shocked since none of us expected it, I then get up and start walking out with my friends who are trying to deescalate the situation, while the bouncer continues to threaten to beat me up. Meanwhile his coworker keeps on repeating himself on how they handle things nonviolently. What a joke. I come to this bar quite often, but some of these people are clearly incapable of critical thinking. It's a 5am dive, and it's exactly what you'd expect. Too much alcohol and testosterone mixed into one spot. read more

I have slightly mixed feelings about Boss Bar. Came here with a group last night for some food and drinks. We scored a table up near the front, and they had the garage door open so we got an 'outside in' dining experience. It's a dive bar, but not a super divey one, if that makes sense. Prices are cheap, they had a $5 wine special on Wednesday, along with a $10 burger and a beer deal. (We had just come from Three Dots and a Dash, so the price differential was extra noticeable to us). Our server was friendly, but she got a little inattentive towards the end of the night-it took a while to get her attention to settle up. The wine was fine, for $5 I'll take it but I get that wine isn't their specialty. I had the mozzarella sticks and they too were okay, not terribly flavorful but not awful. The music was LOUD. We were sitting near the front and we still had to shout to be heard, even to the person sitting next to us! My ears were ringing after I left. I could see that maybe if they were going for a dance vibe and wanted people up and moving, but it wasn't that busy and the vibe was more 'sit and talk.' A guy who was friends with the owner bought our table a bucket of beers, which was a nice gesture (apparently he does that a lot). Overall, it was an okay experience. I'd likely go back if they turned the music down a bit . . . read more

So... theres nothing too special about this bar but it most definitely gets the job done. When I go to Chicago, this bar is usually pretty close my hotel. Its a good place to meet my friends to catch up, in a buy a pitcher of draft beer and order a thin pizza kinda way. I have always had a positive experience with the staff here. read more

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Shady as HELL ! (Cannot cuss on this but it begins with F) Barmaid took debit card as we told we were gonna run a tab. I know this is routine, however.... charged our card for a $40 tab. I asked if being charged. Said no. Found out later my $40 I gave was a $40 "tip" and charged $40. Played "dumb" when confronted. read more

the general manger was nothing but rude we and my friends went out to get drinks and as soon as we got there. We were told to leave but when we ask to speak to him he was hiding and trying to avoid speaking. Luckily one of friends knew the owner and that was the only way we was allowed. Never coming back. read more

Wow! Our company had half the patrons at boss bar. On a Tuesday. And one person had Birkenstocks sandals on. The hey wouldn't let him in. I tried to understand what the no sandals policy on a very in crowded Tuesday was and I heard that the bartender got harassed by someone wearing sandals. I've clearly been to Boss Bar with many people in sandals. I'm wearing sandals in the bar where I'm writing this! And certainly will be telling all of our work teams to find a different late night work bar. Very sad as this is usually very fun. read more

Stopped in for a drink and stayed half the night. They have a pool table and a good bit of bar space. We didn't have any trouble getting drinks, and they had everything you need read more

We stopped by this bar because we were on a waiting list for dinner at a restaurant just a couple buildings down and wanted to kill some time over drinks. North Clark Street was blocked off so the surrounding establishments set up plenty of outdoor seating on the pavement. When we walked up to the entrance, the bouncer asked for our IDs which we whipped out to show him. He was courteous to us, said we could choose any table and a waiter will come to take our orders. The bar inside was very dark with loud music blasting and large LCD screens broadcasting sports game of that evening which somewhat illuminated the room. It was a very eventful day and we just wanted some appetizers and drinks. We chose a table at the corner of their outdoor area situated in the middle of the street and proceeded to use our phones to pull up the online menu. We pretty much knew immediately what each wanted, but a waiter/waitress never stopped by our table. We scanned the outdoor seating area which was decently filled and saw one waitress. As we waited in anticipation for someone to come take our orders, several patrons glanced at us, but we never got the attention of the waitress. We even tried to flag someone down, but to no avail. We continued to wait until our patience grew thin and after approximately 15-20 minutes, we decided to leave. I rarely do this, but it clearly seemed like our business was not wanted here. I wanted to say something to the bouncer, but he was gone from his post when we made our way towards the front of the building to exit around the makeshift outdoor seating area. We didn't have any issues with the bouncer like many of the other reviewers mentioned, but we did have a problem with not getting any service after we were seated. read more

The crowd here stinks. I went here with my bros and everyone was a jerk to us. We wanted to get a drink but I guess we weren't boss enough. read more

If you're looking for rude bouncers and a late night bar fight, this is your place! The only reason to go is if it's 3 am and cold out

DRINKING LIKE A BOSS Downtown Chicago doesn't have a lot of dive bars left. This place use to be very divvy but it has been spruced up a little bit. I still feel the dive aura in here. We arrived at around 8ish on a Wednesday night. There was a nice crowd inside but it wasn't packed. The bartenders were very attentive and asked us what we needed. Sometimes a dive bar can be a little territorial when you're not a regular. The prices were much better then the place we came from down the street. They were serving whiskey here for $7 and the place 100 feet away was trying to sell us a 1 ounce whiskey shot for $100. Imagine how much the whole bottle would have cost us there. I could definitely drink here like a BOSS at $7 whiskeys! Since we already had some over priced whiskey we decided to go with some Stella on tap. Pints were only $6 which is a great price for a downtown bar. The center bar is a little weird. It seems to be sunken which makes the bartenders look very short. I made a comment about it and the bartender said, "Everyone thinks I'm like 5 foot." I did feel like I was in Alice from Wonderland and the room was shrinking around me. When you walk in you will notice the original Chicago BOSS. He will be starring at you and you will instantly feel the original mayor Daley's presence. I don't know the past history of this place but I'm sure many city contracts were bought & sold here in the back room. It's the Chicago way! The music is driven by a juke box which you can actually use a credit card to buy music. My buddy said that there's a app where you can actually pick the songs from your mobile phone. What? Now I'm drinking like a BOSS and never have to leave my bar stool unless #1 calls. Which after drinking some beer is always knocking on the bladder door. The music was going great until someone selected Michael Bolton "How can we be lovers when we can't be friends?" I asked the bartender if she had a dump button and she said she wished. I know if the original BOSS was here he would have taken a bat to that juke box. We would never hear Bolton sing here again! So next time your in downtown and you want the feel of a dive then this is the place. They have plenty of TVs so if you want to watch sports this is a great place. The bar also had that good old bar stench. You know the smell of beer and spirits that have been spilled a million times on the wooden floors. That smell only goes away if you burn it down and since this bar has survived many things I don't see that happening any time soon. So stop in for a drink because there is something special about a bar that smells like history. read more

The Boss Bar - Drinking like a BOSS! - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Cockroaches and fruit flies everywhere....I love a dive bar but not bug infested. Went here on Saturday before the Health Department shut it down...gross! Boss bar, you used to be my fav...now your just disgusting! read more

I enjoy going to The Boss Bar! I've have been here multiple times. They usually play cool music, and they mix it up, the vibe is usually one of 'good times,' you can order from the pizza window, beer selections are slightly better than your normal college bar (e.g., more than just Coors, Bud Light, and Corona). You can actually get a few craft brews. They also have funny shit on the walls, like a photo of a lion attacking a zebra. WTF? LOL In addition, they have a pool-table and the staff is usually friendly and fast. Oh, and their neon sign is also super cool! The reason I can't give them a higher rating, however, is the music is way too fucking loud. Why are the decibels always set to "Eleven--Jet Engine"? It's a bar (observe the name), not an Aerosmith concert. Cocktails are meh to okay. And the tables and counters, as well as bathrooms are also not always cleaned. They are sometimes gross and sticky. These few critiques can--and should--be addressed by their management team. Other areas that maybe can't be helped, as well as perhaps good problems to have for a bar, are that on weekends, it's always packed. Finding a seat, means you got lucky. In addition, because the bar's women (staff and patrons) are usually sexy and dressed to match, they tend to attract a lot of of dumb cocky guys with way too much I-don't-know-how-to-control-myself-testosterone. In other words, it's a successful bar, and yes, it can be very fun, but it can also be super annoying to be elbowed constantly by Biff and Jeff, as well as to tell them (actually shout, because it's too loud to talk in there), "Yeah, man, she's with us!" Haha! I'll likely be back. I just wish they'd lower the volume to ten, referee the douchey dudes, and lift a finger to pick up a wet rag a little bit more often. Other than that, it's a fine establishment! read more

Boss Bar is open until 5:00 a.m. on the weekends, 4:00 a.m. on weekdays; they have a license to serve after 2:00 a.m. This place definitely gets crowded, but if you're in River North on a Sunday late afternoon/early evening it can be a cool spot to grab a beer. Boss has the old style oblong-shaped wood bar. Pool table is in the back of the bar. Five big screen TV's and the bartenders are friendly. read more

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The Boss? Is that what this place is called? I wondered about the name the entire time I was here. Hmm . . . . . .could it be because you have to walk past some of the biggest bouncers I've ever seen to enter the place? Were they the boss? Or was it because the place is run by bartenders who are clearly "the boss" wearing tops that allow men to see all the way down to their naval? Eh- maybe not. My guess? It probably refers to the wall sized mural of "Hizzoner" Richard J Daley that takes over one wall as you enter the place. The "Big Boss". Whatever the reason- this open late, dive of a bar with a decent jukebox, cheap beer, plenty of "regulars" and quick service was recently a last stop on a late night out. The service actually surprised me as usually in a bar that caters to men with only female bartenders, women who come in with men are often ignored. Not so here. I actually think that the bartender went out of her way to be nice to me (but maybe she was more "interested" in my friend!) You can get food late (try the cheese fries) and the people watching gets pretty stellar as the night (morning?) goes on. Doubt "The Boss" will ever become my regular watering hole, but on those late nights when cheap beer is "boss", and common sense has gone out the window, you just might find me there taking it all in. read more

********************* 1110 ******************** So my best friend, the only white girl in the whole wide world that I adore so much was getting married that Memorial's Day weekend. I couldn't believe it was the bride's idea for us to come here post wedding :-) The Boss Bar is big with a big oval bar, very smart lay out for guests to order drink, may high tops, and tables throughout the bar. It was a Sunday night the day before Monday holiday, around 11 PM. This place was jam packed. It was nice looking crowd, a lot of cute guys haha, yes, I said it. The bartenders were all girls, and they were all hot. 2 girls & 1 waitress were serving our group, and they were both polite, gracious, and great host to our group. The drinks were strong, the music was good, and we had all wedding party friends with us. We had a great time, minus, people pumping to us every few minutes, because it was so crowded, but what do you expect, it's a holiday weekend. read more

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The boss bar is an interesting place with a very diverse gathering of people. What I like most about the bar is that its the opposite of most river north bars, and lacks the pretentious dbag's you would see at Paris club! read more

The Boss Bar - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Comfortable bar when you walk in. Its loud and energy is hype if that's what your looking for. We stopped for drinks only. Would be good for a group. read more

The Boss Bar - Entrance of bar - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Not a bad place to grab an after work drink or an after dinner drink in which was the case for me this past Friday as we came over to continue celebrating a friend's bday. We got a table near the door and settled in. Our waitress took care of us and made sure the drinks were a coming. Bar staff was great as well turning around drinks in a quick like manner. Olivia was definitely a bright spot and made sure I was good and drizzunk when i left the place. The jukebox near the disgusting bathroom was the soundtrack for our awesome evening. Good spot read more