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    The Welcome Back Lounge

    4.5 (139 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

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    THE WELCOME BACK LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy
    Loud

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    Back closed in patio
    Ali M.

    This place is weird and really cool. Front is a typical bar and back is like an outdoor tailgate. You order drinks at the bus bar and food is brought to your table so very low key and relaxed. Great happy hour specials and bar food was delicious. 10/10 for a really fun vibe!

    Patty Melt
    Candace W.

    Came here with a few friends for the amazing brunch deal ($30 for bottomless mimosas plus an entree of choice) and had a great time. The pours were very champagne heavy, service was nice and attentive, and the music was "groovy". The food was the star of the show. My patty melt was absolutely delicious and my friend who got the veggie burger said it was the best veggie patty she'd ever had. My other friends got breakfast sandwiches and loved them. We came at 11:10am and it was pretty empty, but started to get busier around 12:30ish. Overall: very affordable retro brunch spot with strong mimosas and delicious food to go with it.

    Mezcal punch, guava spritz
    Austin S.

    "Welcome back!" We're greeted upon our first steps in the door... a clever way to greet guests 10/10 on that Honestly, a super cool spot, very instagrammable patio and interior. We grabbed a few drinks and they were all good, very party-esque/elevated divey. The mezcal punch was the least favorite. They are definitely having fun with this one but bc it is served in the plastic fruit punch jug from childhood the drink is not adequately chilled. The bottom was luke warm bc the plastic cannot sustain the temperature of the drink. The guava spritz was enjoyable. So was the pineapple daq which had aperol... an interesting riff, but certainly making it more approachable for the uncertain. Adding a familiar ingredient like aperol permits more to venture out. Fun spot to hang with friends, for enjoyable drinks

    Bar area in the back
    Jessica B.

    Very cute social place to hang out and grab a bite. Service is reasonable and food is pretty solid, but mostly good for the vibes.

    Margaret P.

    Came here on a Thursday night around 7PM, so it was still relatively empty. The staff at the bar was super nice and the drinks were cheap. I loved the patio area where they had an old school bus to make it look like we were somewhere else. The overall decor of this place was super cute and a place that I could see myself visiting again next time I'm in Chicago.

    Tequila Ginger Lime
    Joneice B.

    Enjoyable time hanging out at Welcome Back Lounge. Wanted to grab a happy hour drinks with my husband since it was 83 degrees in October. Probably the last times it will be in the 80 until next summer. For happy hour we had the option for discounted beer or mixed drinks. My husband grabbed a Guinness for $5 and I grabbed Tequila Ginger with Lime for $6. The patio was a vibe. We were to grab a table with a game. Some tables had jenga and others had connect 4. We played a few rounds of connect 4 while enjoying our cocktails. All in all, we had a great time in the fresh air and good company. The outside bartender was really entertaining.

    Tang cocktail and guava cocktail
    Ruhi P.

    This place looks like a great time honestly. My friend and I went in for just a drink because we were walking around the area. The bartender was very Nice and helpful. The tang drink was good but the guava one was very sweet and syrupy, did not take any alcohol at all, could barely finish it. Only reason I gave it 2 stars is for the drink, everything else seemed great!

    Hot Tots
    Diana C.

    This place was super unique and had a whole bus in the back! You can sit inside the bus or just order drinks from it but either way that's cool. The lavender lemonade cocktail was my favorite. The servers were super cool and the tots were quite tasty but not really that spicy. Would definitely recommend!

    The bus bar in the back garden.
    Diane C.

    My daughter and I stopped by for a few drinks and some food and had a great time. We had the hibiscus cocktail and a lavender cocktail which were both creative concoctions of yumminess!! Combine that with the epic burger and Cancun Fried Chicken Sandwhich and it was a dinner to remember. The fried chicken was seasoned to perfection and not greasy at all. The combination of toppings made this the perfect summer sammy. The burger was also so very yummy with all the toppings. The vibe of this place was fun and kitschy with a bus in the back garden that acts as the bar in the space. So very fun!! Meanwhile, the inside bar area is right out of the late 70's/early 80's. The vinyl chairs and brown wooden bar bring me back to my childhood. Everything about this place exudes come, have fun and stay for awhile.

    Corn dogs & "stadium" nachos
    Bianca R.

    Location is great, patio is cute, food was good. I do have to point out, the nachos are not by any means "stadium". If anything they're patio nachos! We ordered this thinking they were going to be huge, enough to share between a table of 4.....we all laughed when we saw the size. They are good do there's that at least.

    Burger
    Emma S.

    Burger and sweet potato waffle fries were great, and the Lavender drink was very tasty. Everything else was just ok, and a little pricy. Cute place for drinks with friends, or a late night snack if you're in the neighborhood.

    Me taking a shot with a free hotdog!
    Gigi P.

    I LOVE this bar. Jason the bartender was so amazing and helpful getting us drink swiftly. I came because someone told me they serve free hotdogs at midnight and they did not disappoint ! the hotdogs were yummy and i love that it attempts to sober people up. The music playing was also hit after hit after hit. whoever was on aux was doing a great job. I can't wait to go to this bar at midnight every night !

    Inside sitting at the bar

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    6 years ago

    Super friendly service, cool atmosphere and the food was awesome! The frozen drinks were delicious as was the Patty Melt! Will be back!

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    The best. Go! Great vibe. Great Drinks. Great soundtrack. Bingo board lets you know when your food is ready. So good.

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    3 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Samantha N.

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    6 years ago

    I don't post on Yelp but this joint is poppin! good food drinks and kick ass bartenders! Do yourself a favor and go check it out.

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

    This place has nothing to offer. Incredibly rude bouncer, stale drinks, and filthy floors. I felt like i was in a prison.

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    5 years ago

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    Page 4 of 4

    The Welcome Back Lounge Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Welcome Back Lounge

    Do you offer takeout or online orders?

    Hi Alex - we offer take out, but we do not currently offer online orders. For take out, we ask guests to order directly from the bartender and food is ready shortly thereafter. Thanks!

    Is this 21+?

    Hi Yanna - we are 21+ after 9pm, Sunday-Saturday. Thank you!

    Do you have happy hour? when and what is it? thank you!

    Hi Jeff - thank you for reaching out! We do not offer a happy hour menu, but we have a full bar and kitchen available!

    Are there brunch reservations? Is there typically a wait for a brunch group (6+)?

    Hi Taylor -- for tables larger than 6, we ask that you book with the events coordinator. Please email Samantha at Sam@LH.team.… 

    Hi are kids allowed on the patio?

    Hi Jamie - yes they are! Guests of all ages are welcome until 9p. We hope to see you soon!

    Are dogs allowed on the patio?

    Hi Chelsea, Dogs are allowed on our sidewalk cafe. We look forward to having you in!

    View All 7 Questions

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    Amazing pasta accompanied by even better service. The team helped us pair a bottle of wine with our…read morefamily style meal which went above and beyond. Fresh, inviting, and intimate atmosphere that wasn't too loud compared to others. Very limited street parking, would recommend walking or ride share. Overall, the food was seasonally fresh and innovative! Loved the apps and variety of pastas and cheeses on the dessert menu!

    The more I think about it, the more I realize I didn't really like it that much - mainly because…read morethere's no urgency or part of me that genuinely wants to return. Maybe going shortly after a trip to Italy ruined me a little lol, but I didn't fully understand the hype. The pasta was good, just not life-changing. I've honestly had better pasta elsewhere in Chicago. The agnolotti was my favorite. I liked the balance of flavors with the ricotta filling, although I thought the roe was a little unnecessary. It could've used a different topping or supplement that complemented the dish better. The pierogies were also pretty good. They had decent flavor and were cooked well (actually al dente, which I appreciated). The sauce itself was good, but it wasn't distributed evenly, so some bites had much more flavor than others. The carbonara was just okay to me. It lacked flavor, and I wish the sauce had been thicker and more cohesive. It broke. I did appreciate that the pasta was properly cooked, but overall, I thought all of the sauces could've been seasoned better. I might come back to try some of the other dishes, but I'm not exactly rushing to make another reservation.

    Photos
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