Subterranean / Beat Kitchen Reviews

Awesome place to see a show. Extensive beer list and a full bar as well.

Great bands, good sized venue. Doesn't get hot and stuffy like most other places. Great drink specials.

It's very cozy for live music and the food wasn't bad either

Very nice full bar in front, jammin: bands in back. Excellent acoustics, great sound. Outstanding musicianship.

Maaaaaan, if you want a great beer and a super intimate show, this is the spot ladies and gents.

Well I have always enjoyed coming to the Beat Kitchen for music and a couple drinks with friends, I was not impressed at all with the Sunday brunch.

The venue was small and intimate. There is enough room to dance and not feel to crowded however there's no place to easily dispose of your empty beverage container. That said, the price is right, drinks are fair, and the staff was kind. I definitely recommend.

So yesterday my entire building caught on fire which is literally 6 houses down from beat kitchen. in between talking to the 10 firefighters and building inspector I had to go somewhere to warm up. My roommate and sister decided to go in beat kitchen to figure out what the hell im going to do. I was in and out of there all day. That had somehow found on it was my place that caught fire and caused all of Belmont to be blocked off. Myself and my family ended up coming there after the fire. Ordered drinks and food and tried to make the best of a terrible situation. We went to pay the bill and to our suprise beat kitchen had covered the entire check.

It's the little things in life like this, that proves there is still great people and great establishments like beat kitchen.

Thank you guys so much, and if I can ever pay it forward in anyway please let me know.

I will be a customer for life

Cool space. Too bad there is an Anita Alvarez sign in the window. Probably won't ever come back.

We saw the Steve'N Seagulls, and ClusterPluck. Both bands were fantastic. We had a fun time.

While not someplace that I frequent being in a neighboring state, I did find it to be a unique little place. Only giving four stars because of it being a bar, they do not have somewhere for "underage" patrons to sit/hang out before concerts that are open to their age group. The concert that I took my son to ended up starting later than the ticket time and he was forced to stand outside in the cold for well over an hour past the time the concert was supposed to start because he was a minor (under 21). However, with that aside, it was a nice place. I ended up getting dinner here towards the end of the concert while I was waiting on my son to get out of the concert.

Wait staff was friendly, swift, and informative. Offered to keep an eye on my table, as I was eating alone, so that I could run to the restroom before my food came.

Food was okay.. it's a bar. I've definitely had much worse from actual restaurants. I ordered their steak salad with no tomatoes. Serving size was big and filling.

Good food, not great. Some bar staff were either mad to be there or just not very happy in general. Music by faux furrs and temporary pharoahs was awesome-great place to listen to live music. Retro feel in the bar and music venue. Bathrooms left some things to be desired.

I go here from time to time, & be going here occasionally. The staff here gets my sense of humour. Always nice to have in The Windy City.

Long time venue for music and comedy with decent food. Great place to just hang out or see a cheap show.

Love this place! The stage has some aesthetics to it!

My fav bar and venue mix ever! I absolutely love going to shows here and never have I had a complaint.

Really nice venue, good sound, great staff but security sucks! Was there on Saturday for the bombflower album release(great band check them out) and there was some girl there who kept punching people in the crowd intentionally over and over again and the security guard did nothing about it but "break up" the 15 "fights" (people defending themselves) multiple people told him she was a problem and needed to leave and nothing was done. Security is there to protect the venue AND PATRONS. They should have dealt with this issue the first time!

Food was good. Intimate venue for seeing a show. Kind of a "dive bar" feel to it.

Staff and venue are great. Awesome food and booze and beer selection. Would frequent again

I am a fairly old guy so you gotta take this with a grain of salt.

Liked it.
I am an Exit, Neo, Smart bar, Union, kinda guy.
Hansel and Greta at front are fine, your personal relationship is cool with me, just get me a drink.
Doormen are supercool, in fact been around the world and only akihabara dudes were cooler.
Venue rocks for the size of the crowds.
Parking, pssht I could eat pie and drink a big glass of milk and park backwards with my d**k in my hand and never park so easy.
You guys are all right.
P.S. Monobody...holy hell are they amazing.

Great place that sets the perfect atmosphere for bands.

From my limited experience, the Beat Kitchen is/was awesome.

Additionally, it's a great value, for music event tickets (and live music entertainment provided at the event). [But compared to the dirt cheap music/show/concert tickets, the bar charges a decent price for most drinks at Chicago prices, comparatively. For example, the on-tap beer started at $3 or $4. A can of 312 was $6. (Prices vary.)]

Back to my recent experience at the Beat Kitchen during last week (on a weeknight, a Thursday [night], of all days/nights!).

Anyway, THE FACTS: The Knowmads ROCKED The Roof And Straight Lit The Beat Kitchen On Fire; It Got Hot In There... LOL. WHAT AN INTENSE PERFORMANCE BY THE UNDERGROUND, SEATTLE-BASED, HIP-HOP DUO 0F LYRICAL RAPPERS - FOR THEIR CHICAGO FANS & MEMBERS OF THEIR MUSICAL FAM! An Intense & Amazing Experience at 2100 W Belmont in Chicago (at the Knowmad's Live Concert/Show/Performance - [last] Thursday, October 4th, 2018)!!!

Wasn't expecting much from the Beat Kitchen, considering it was less than $20 for the tickets, but I was pleasantly surprised - and left wanting nothing more!

There was literally an unasked-for-encore, at the end, and then fans began chanting for "one more", so they did a second 'traditional style encore' to their 'original or first, originally surprise/unrequested/unprovoked encore'. It was amazing..

The Perfect Show. At the Perfect Low-Key Venue.

Great place to catch a show, small venue, good food, great beer selection.

Went here for a show. Ate a burger at the bar beforehand. It was excellent. Good beer selection, and a nice, big room in the back for live music.

Got a 5 inch gash on the top of my head from the last show i went. 10/10 would get cut again

Couldnt get in because the cop wanna be bouncer decided he didnt like my attitude. As I was getting my ID out I calmly commented that i was 56 years old and sure looked old enough to drink. Don't go there - he may decide he is not admitting your type that day.

You know that kind of place where it's an all in one friendly neighborhood bar/cafe with regular music in a room in the back and a performance space upstairs small enough to be called intimate where mostly local comics perform....a place you were happy you find on this cold autumn night? Well, I found one! Bus 146 and 77 will take you there from downtown. And back. A mixed fun crowd.

Went to this place, because it s near by. Spent about $25 on food that I couldn t even eat ($8.00 soggy/ wet fries and a $16 steak quesadilla with hardly any meat . I picked my order up pretty promptly, but everything was extremely soggy and kind of thrown together. I understand it was around 9:00, but when I called they explained that it happens with to go orders ... a hey fries on us next time would have been nice... at least I know where not to get take out from, now on.

Live music in a local neighborhood.. priceless. Beer selection isn't too shabby..a must for any local.

Always love hanging out at this place, whether it be as a performer or a patron. My main and probably only gripe about this place over the years has been the consistent stream of lacklustre sound engineers. Sometimes it's incredibly on point, other times it's a muddy mess with seemingly no care or attention paid to the nuances of the acts on stage. Beer selection is great, food is pretty decent bar food and the entertainment variety that comes through is fantastic.

Excellent sound quality. Bartenders very fast and friendly!

Excellent little venue! Never had a bad crowd at a show I've seen here, and have always appreciated the variety and caliber of performers invited to the space. Bartenders, and door-staff are friendly, and drinks are a good price with specials often offered. If you're here for a concert, it isn't too much of a challenge to arrive slightly early and secure a spot with a solid view of the stage. Bonus points for a sound team who nicely balances levels without giving in to the "Chicago standard" of just blasting the low end until your ears ache and the notes are entirely massacred into noise.

Classic Chicago bar/venue. Lots of punk and metal. I've seen several shows here. Layout of the bar kinda sucks but whaddayagonnado?

I'm sure the food was good but it came out bro cold. We came to see a show and it was standing room only. We had planned to eat during it. You have to eat outside the show showroom so you can't watch and eat at the same time. Maybe this was just a crazy popular show because I did see tables and chairs stacked but I had an unpleasant experience because it was 2 hours of standing in a poor spot because I was starving and decided to get an appetizer an hour before the show.

Good service. Paid $16 for a Reuben. It was ok, but not even close to good enough to justify the price. Maybe their drinks are better.

really good food, a bit over-priced but a great place for a first date

Saw Teddy Swims there last night. Easy parking, really good food, and great sound quality for the show. Altogether great venue!

Super small and intimate venue... perfect for a show!

One of our local favorites. Great patio that is dog friendly. Try the pesto pizza, tater tots, and fish tacos!

The pesto omelette was amazing and the wait staff so friendly and accommodating. We'll definitely be back!

Took my daughter to see Super Whatvr here. Very nice place to catch a band.

Staff are pretty cool, place has an extensive menu. The outdoor patio in the summer is.massive. the bathroom could use some work but overall it is a good place.

I go here for the comedy shows alone. It is a cash only bar which aggravates me, but the comedy shows are usually really cheap or free and quite funny!

Really pretentious service, and the food was clearly freezer to fryer. The waitress was entirely uninterested in helping us, and when I went to the bar, the bartender claimed it had just come up. I found that hard to believe, as it was rather cold. The movie event was fun, but the place is terribly run.

Good beer selection, an excellent menu (try the lamb quesadilla) and unusual events (check the Chicago reader) make this place a great unusual plane to hang.

Good show space..not huge, but enjoyable. Sound was mixed well. Service was friendly

Awesome venue. Not only is this a restaurant but there s also a cool venue in the back. Would recommend .

I went to see Brian Posehn here and it was a great experience. As busy as it was, the waitresses and staff were pleasant. I didn't order food, but I saw it brought out of the kitchen constantly and it looked and smelled good. Drinks were good, with prices you would expect. I have disabilities and even though it was a standing-only show, when asked they got me a chair and I sat up front on the left corner and had a great time with a lot less pain. I would definitely go to this venue again.

My people had a monthly show and Beat Kitchen let us use their upstairs free of charge for it. Incredibly nice staff and they put on awesome shows downstairs.

Great concert venue with good food and beer selection

Dive bar feel with excellent craft beer options. Great seeing bands in such a tiny venue and tickets are usually pretty cheap.

solid place for shows, nice bartenders.

bearded door guy sucks. obviously has some power trip complex and is one of the worst human beings that exists on our planet. incredibly rude and quick to love telling you no, for absolutely no reason, other than he just flat out sucks and enjoys ruining people's nights. there's no way his life is fulfilling.

were friends with the band and they told us that the venue even warned them about how bad he would be ahead of time, and they were right.

be warned.

The Beat Kitchen is one of the best venues I've ever been to. Great food, fairly cheap beer, and a rotating line up of killer show after killer show.
Also, The Beat Kitchen is hands down one of the best sounding venues I've ever been to. I'm not sure if it's the room or the way the sound is set up but this place sounds incredible.

AMAZING BURGERS. The food is great. The beer is great. The staff is great. The patio is great. What more could you ask for?

Nice place , bar in the front and music venue in the back.

Great bands, great food, good time...this is a nice, comfortable restaurant/bar. It has a good vibe. They also cater to kids events upstairs. Or rent the same room for adult party or events. I gave it 4 stars because the bathroom in the basement is quite small.

Awesome small atmosphere, with great drinks and live music!

I work for school of rock and the beat kitchen was nice enough to let us use their stage for a virtual concert for the kids to perform! Obviously with many precautions and no audience. But the owners and staff there are truly great people!!!

my band has played here a few times, and the staff here are always super nice and helpful to us! the sound guy is really helpful, and to boot, he makes us sound good! the food is pretty ok, but it's definitely good for a right before a show snack! would recommend.

I found myself at the beat kitchen because of a friend's band and really enjoyed myself!
I like the fact that the venue is separate from the restaurant/ bar area. The music was great, but it got a little loud at times. They also have a great outdoor patio! We had a lovely night.

Nice smaller venue. Good place to get up close and personal with the band. Cheap beer always available.

Saw my favorite band, Tops, here. Cool back room where the band plays. Good sound.