Saw Jinjer here. Parking garage nearby was easy to get to. Venue is small but concerts are usually better in smaller venues, anyway. I would definitely see another concert here again.
Took my daughter to an all ages show, staff is outstanding
Super cool venue! Didn't get a chance to eat but the drinks were good and the vibe was pretty chill!
Came out for the J boog concert here and had dinner with my girl, my cousin and his wife. The decor was nice, and the food was good
Was a great place for an intimate concert. The food was OK a little pricey but Chicago seems to be that way. We will gladly come back and see some bands.
Bottom lounge is awesome! There is a really cool bar area in front, and a nice stage in the back. Love coming here for shows, or just to hang out.
Great music venue. Friendly staff. Decent food. Great drink selection. A very good night out.
Over all had a good time. Services was slow that night for food. However everything else was great. Saw Northlane on the 24th.
Way better than average bar food, the Bavarian pretzel with beer cheese appetizer is huge (plan on sharing!) and the triple grilled cheese is really tasty. Hard to find a cab after a show at Bottom Lounge since it's off the beaten path. Coming and going feels sketchy under the el track on Lake Street, so it's not a place you want to find yourself when you've had one too many! Love the awesome panoramic views from the rooftop deck!
Great place to see a band, and hang out after and play pinball.
Awesome sound, pretty clean venue food is actually really good
I went here for Twiztid's 10th anniversary of W.I.C.K.E.D. show. Never been here prior and I love the atmosphere. My only poor criticism upon this venue is the initial demeanor of the security staff. They went a bit too far with some of their "securing" actions... but they did apoligize when they realized their wrongs.
Solid place to see a metal or punk show. Good beer selection and coat check is helpful.
Food is Awesome!! Last time I was here was back in 2013 for Zombie Prom. Had an Killer of a Time!
One of my favorite music venues in Chicago. Good selection of beers, cocktails. Plenty or room to dance by the stage!
Was there on 3-3-19 for an event upstairs. All of the staff were very nice, the food service was quick and delicious. I can definitely recommend the pulled pork!
Service is great. Venue was perfect for a small wedding. Outdoor seating is it nice addition. Event couldn't have gone better.
Another one of my favorite music venues. I like that no matter where you stand, you can get a decent view of the stage. Plus, they have really good beer selections at decent prices. Protip: The bathroom at the back of the concert section is always crowded and can be hard to get to. Go back out to the front and use the bathroom there. Way easier.
Great venue and awesome staff! The only thing that went wrong was I was marked under 21 (after I was carded) when I'm older than that (not a super big deal)
The venue for bands is great. The only complaint is the merch table location. It makes it a little difficult to get to the restroom, but then again I don't see where else they would move the merch tables.
Great food, excellent service, intimate venue with a killer P.A.
Great club! If I'm ever in Chicago again, I shall return!
Good acoustics but one of the worst lighting conditions I've ever seen.
Had a nice time at the Austim School benefit. Food was good. Room is very noisy with hard surfaces throughout so it is hard to hear singer.
Pleasantly surprised! Went here for a wedding which was held on the stage in the backroom and then had the reception Up stairs. Great place with a great view!
Awesome venue for shows. Sound quality is top notch.
Great time seen TWIZTID and for what it is drinks way to high
Great place. Good food and atmosphere. Upstairs can be rented for events.
The best place to see a show in Chicago. Small venue that lets you get up close and personal with the bands. Amazing selection of craft beer (on draft, plus extensive can/bottle line up). Food is great too. This venue is far and away better than any other place I've attended a concert in Chicago.
Went here for a 3yo birthday party. It was fun, good food.
Great service. Outdoor patio amazing!!! Food was delicious.
Sound isn't bad, I really liked the decor and setup, but awful location and policies. My friend snuck in a water bottle with some vodka and orange juice and about 30 minutes into the show a staff member asked us whether or not the bottle had alcohol. I figured I might as well be honest with the guy, so I said yes. He told us we needed to leave, despite the fact that we paid full price for their damn show. Come on, just take the bottle and let us listen to the music we paid for!!! They were so rude and condescending too. Not sure if I want to go back, apparently it doesn't take much for them to kick you out.
was in Chicago with my boss on business for a couple of days (a Monday through Wednesday) and I realized on the Saturday before I left a musician I followed had released a new album AND also discovered he was playing in Chicago on the Tuesday that I was visiting. The artist? Nick Waterhouse. The venue? Bottom Lounge. I was really pumped to see the show, though I didn't know anything about Bottom Lounge. It turns out this place is much like a lot of other places that I've seen great, new or lesser known, up-and-coming acts. It's your basic brick warehouse space with a bar in one corner and a stage set up in another area that could hold MAYBE 500 people. It wasn't as large as I expected, but it had an honest, gritty, underground vibe to it. There was a temporary wall along one side of the room that could probably be removed to open it up for another couple of hundred people, but either way it was a standing venue - no seats. There was also no smoking, which I appreciated. I can't say anything about the service as we had a 30 minute drive ahead of us so we didn't drink. The staff seemed pretty cool though. No issues that I saw. The only parking I saw was a small lot next to the place that might have fit 25 - 30 cars, but there may be other parking that I'm unaware of. We found a spot in the small lot so we were happy. If I lived in Chicago I'd probably be at Bottom Lounge regularly for my music diet.
Great staff excellent craft beer selection and killer sound
Food wasn't the greatest. The service was the worst. Ignorant staff.
Bathrooms are definitely clean and high standard. Bar is pretty substantial for being in Illinois. It's great that they have huge speaker stacks but I didn't know I'd walk away being physically injured by the sound anywhere in their concert venue. Kind of strange how the restaurant and venue are divided into a back room situation but it'd be easy to grab a meal before show time. The formal bar area smelled a whole lot like pot after everything was said and done.
Not the cheapest of places to drink, but the multiple performance spots, well-staffed kitchen/bar, and awesome cozy-cool atmosphere balances out that tiny imperfection. This place has an unbelievably aroma constantly emanating from the kitchen. When a food item pops outta the back, you instantly crave whatever that might be.
Excellent stage set-up where everyone has an easy view. Sound design and ceiling height allows you to hear music over all the folks talking instead of listening. Small enough that concerts feel intimate but not so small that its impossible to get tickets to good acts. Bonus: great beer selection.
Great beer selection. I like the open ceiling and brick walls. Nice accessories.
Saw a Lollapalooza after show here and the atmosphere was great. Good beer selection and plenty of space for a general admission concert.
Decent venue for shows. Drinks are reasonably priced, bathrooms are tolerable, and you can see for any angle. Really nowhere to sit down if you're looking for a break. Restaurant out front has pretty good bar-style food should you need to grab a bite. Located under the El tracks, which is a little dark late at night, but usually cabs circle the area when shows let out.
Bad service and nasty food u wont recommend this for my closest enemy
Last weekend, I went to the Bottom Lounge to see Create Your Summer Tour, and my overall experience was nothing short of amazing! First, the location is convenient for me, as it's in the West Loop, so I was able to grab a bite to eat after the show, and it's very close to the L (2 blocks from Ashland, although I walked all the way there from Navy Pier and back to Morgan Street and later Ogilvie Transportation Center), and within walking distance of both Ogilvie and Union Stations, and close to the Kennedy Expressway for drivers. Second, I thought the staff was competent in handling a large crowd, and everyone was well behaved (although it was a family-friendly, all ages show with many kids, so I don't know if the same can be said for adult shows). The venue is standing room only, and I could see pretty well from the back of the room (although I'm quite tall). Lastly, the show was great, worth every penny of my $135 ticket! It was a night to remember!
The gm and event planner were awesome and very supportive of our event
Went during covid to look at the place for a wedding venue the lady who was showing the place was full of passion and pride excited to come back when the place is open.
Great time! Drinks were good, intimate setting for lolla aftershow. Lots of fun!
***I've only been here for concerts. Never sat in the bar area*** I've been here many times now (somewhere between 10-20) and it is hands down my favorite place to see a band/artist perform. I'm not sure the amount specifically the back of this building fits but if I had to guess, no more than 500. I've been to concerts of all sizes (anywhere from 50-50,000) but close up and intimate shows like the ones the Bottom Lounge provides are my favorite. The sound quality and loudness are great. The level of the stage is perfect. Security isn't mean (in my personal experiences). Good room for bands to set up their merchandise and for people to line up and buy it. Bathrooms are near by. Exit door is near by. They don't let the room get too full so you can always retreat to the back of the room and get some air if needed. There's also a little bar area in the corner you can get some drinks or water. The whole place is in general, very easy to maneuver around and get to where you need to be. If you're thinking about going to a concert here, you won't regret it.
Always down to earth, great drinks and good music. Don't miss it if you're from out of town.
One of my favorite venues. Never had any issues. Beer is pretty good.
Nice venue. Didn't know they offered free parking until after I used spot hero.
Really awesome experience! Great scotch selection! Wonderful show! Our whole time at the venue was fantastic! Wish the bouncer wasn't a douche though. He was the only damper on our night!
Needs some kind of seating. Otherwise great place and venue
Really cool, laid back venue! Mid sized with good visibility from any spot and really good sound
Great sound and super friendly staff. Catch a show here or just grab lunch. And free parking!!!
Love the Bottom Lounge. Multi venue / bar n restaurant with pinball....... Place is awesome! My favorite venue in Chicago
Great bar and bartenders. Excellent place to see a show in the evening or get lunch in the afternoon.
Great place to see live music, no matter where you stand in here it's always like your close to the stage.
I love this place. The venue is small and barricade-less so it feels very intimate, and I love the variety of acts hosted here. I've seen indie rock groups, pop rock and electronic music all in the same venue. Free cups of water!!! The food is decent, too, and the bar provides a cool place to escape from sweaty dance parties when you need. Easy to get to by public transit, too, and the staff is sweet (though the coat check girl I last experienced seemed under the influence and gave us the wrong bag).
Cool hip place in a really sketchy and unsafe part of the west loop. Got my car broken into when I went to see the ataris last week, never parking in that lot near the place if I ever visit again. Don't know if the lot is owned by Bottom Lounge, but don't ever park in that lot if you are going in the lounge for the night. No street lights or cameras around that side of the block either.
Solid beer menu and decent bar food. Some nice pinballs to play also.
Great place to see a show. Parking is limited, but it is available. The artists that they are booking have been good and vast. Easy access off 290/88/90-94 and is a safe area. Security staff is good and venue has cheap coat check.
Great place for shows and the bar had a lot of different beers at good prices.
Fun place for a show or drinks. Attended several times.
One of the best live music venues in the city. Also the food is fantastic. Only downside is the drink prices keep going up every couple months.
