- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
BIG Bar
- Nearest Transit:
-
Randolph/wabash (Brown Line, Green Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line)
State/lake (Brown Line, Green Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line)
Lake (Red Line)
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Music:
- Music Videos
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
57 reviews for BIG Bar
Review Highlights
"I would recommend sharing the 48 ounce martinis."
(in 4 reviews)
"...a bar that was previously reviewed for having a great view."
(in 6 reviews)
"People watching=Priceless."
(in 3 reviews)
Loading...
57 reviews in English
-
Review from Tony K.
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Sure it's a bar in a hotel - but man does it have a great view of the city.
Service/drinks are OK at best.. but the view is why I enjoyed this place so much. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Portage Park, Chicago, IL
10/11/2011
A wave of nostalgia swept over me as I waited in the Big Bar for a friend staying at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The service, price and quality of drinks are comparable to what we should expect from the area hotels, bars and restaurants.
It just looks so damn cool! The windows, the bottles, the ladder, the hanging TVs over the atrium. As late as it was, as busy as it was, we still managed to find a table. -
Review from Kelly D.
Sycamore, IL
1/27/2012
There Is a bitchy asian lady here. Boom done
-
Review from Stef M.
7/5/2011
I like this bar. It gets a mixed crowd of tourists (what do you expect for a hotel bar) and regulars. Their drinks are priced the same as most bars in the loop. Expect to pay $12.00-14.00 for a premium mixed drink or martini anywhere in the loop. That said, their martinis are awesome. The overhead spaciousness, view of city and view of hotel lobby are nice.
There is a good amount of seating but the seating could use a little updating. Most people that go here order the giant margarita/martini - made to share. They also offer a wide variety of appetizers and they are pretty tasty - try the Big Bar Nachos - everything comes separate so you can layer/dip as you please. -
Review from julie q.
4/28/2011
Went here last night for an after work drink - we looked like we were the toursits. We got two 48 ounce martinis. Delish and for $22 the value can't be beat.
On another note - the decor could liven up a bit - It felt like I was in a hotel in 1984. -
Review from B D.
Indianapolis, IN
6/25/2011
As someone who has worked in a restaurant for many years, both as a server and a manager, I truly understand the frustration of the customers that walk in with 30 seconds to spare and demand the house. I assure you that we were not of that nature on our visit. We arrived at the restaurant at approximately 11:40, largely because I had scoped out the possible late night dining opportunities prior to our arrival and according to the Hyatt Regency website, the Big bar was open until 2 am. This apparent typo was unfortunate, but given the simplicity of the menu we decided that we could still be in and out before we were too far past the midnight hour. There were several guests in the bar as well, including a group of six young men that walked in maybe five minutes before us that were served with much less attitude than ourselves.
If we sat at 11:40, we sat and waited to be even acknowledged by the serving staff until 11:50, by which point we had decided on both drinks and snacks. Our solitude during this time was not because there were no servers present, but because they were blatantly attempting to avoid both eye contact and our table. When they finally ran the drinks to the table next to us, I managed to get the attention of the server, who instead of identifying us as her table that she had been neglecting, responded with, "Okay, I'll be there in a minute." When she came back, we inquired about the availability of the kitchen, to which we heard, "I guess you can order, but you better hurry up, we close at 12." At this point, our server has made it quite clear that she has somewhere between little and absolutely no desire to take care of us. Fine, just take care of simple requests and we'll be on our way.
No. We order, don't see her again for another 15 minutes or so, and our pretzel and nachos are back to eat. At this point, we both feel bad and are basically eating our food as quickly as possible. Eventually, we see her again when our drinks are gone. Desiring nothing more than a box, that is what I request. After indicating that such a request is easy to fulfill and she'll be right back, we sit there for another half hour, picking at food, with no boxes in sight. Then, after she has presented and processed our bill, she returns to grab our nacho plate and ask if we're done. I am VERY patient, but at this point I was done. I responded with something along the lines of, "Well, apparently I am..." to which she apologized and left the nachos. Too little, too late.
I decided to go to Chicago for part of my wife's Christmas present. She loved every second of it...except for our experience here. I have no doubt that anyone would have been frustrated with the service provided to us on short notice. The food was good, the ambiance was great, but the service was atrocious. There are plenty of places around that are worth the overpriced drinks, don't waste your time here. -
Review from K S.
Bloomington, IL
12/12/2011
The drinks tasted good. Other than that... I can't say much. The service was not friendly at all. Decor was plain and uninspiring. Wish our waitress was a litte more interested in being nice. Very little open seating at 5:30 in the evenning. The bar is smack dab in the middle of huge hotel lobby so obviously its going to be pretty loud.
-
Review from Eirini L.
Chicago, IL
8/15/2011
Stopped by last weekend for a drink...a big drink! The bestest giant martinis ever here! We got the paradise it really was amazing, so fruity. Caution, these are best shared, you don't want to end up like the way-too-tipsy groomsmen we saw saunter in after a wedding and continue to drink sloppily.
-
Review from Josie D.
10/7/2010 2 Check-ins Here
It's a nice bar in the Hyatt hotel.
Quick tip: Mojitos = GREAT. Moderate selection of beer = OK. You have to ask before they bring some nuts = BOO. Not good for big groups - hard to find place to sit = Meh. -
Review from Amanda K.
9/28/2010 2 photos
Oh come on people!!! The view is amazing!!! :) our waitress was super friendly and awesome.. and the drinks we ordered were delicious (and Hyatt decent price in my mind)
Spiced Pear and Ginger Martini = a must!
my cousin got a Mango and something else martini.. in any case - the drinks were strong and delicious and the view is worth it. Pay the $12 for a cocktail and enjoy yourself! :) It's beautiful -
Review from Andrew S.
Chicago, IL
9/26/2010
I enjoyed myself here.
Kinda wandered in to grab a drink before heading to some other bars and it ended being rather pleasant.
There were a lot of nice people hanging out, probably staying at the hotel and staying in as opposed to bearing the rainy weather.
The waitress was pretty nice and when she learned it was my birthday the day before, offered to bring out a large piece of chocolate cake which was delicious! Free of charge. Nice gesture but she kind of had an attitude about it.... "The kitchen's closing, so it's now or never". Whatevs. Free cake is free cake.
We had 3 of the VERY BIG martinis and I thought they were all pretty tasty and fun to share with friends.
The waitress overcharged us for one drink, but only four dollars so we let it slide. Maybe her way of charging us for the cake....? Just kind of annoying.
It's a hotel bar so unless you're either staying at the hotel or it's the closest thing to you, it's probably not your best option. -
Review from Monica L.
Chicago, IL
5/12/2010
I had pretty high hopes for this bar. Key word: HAD.
Right off the bat I was pretty disappointed to find out that the bar was located on the 2nd floor. For a bar that was previously reviewed for having a great view...I expected something more like Signature Lounge's view of Chicago. Instead I got a view of maybe 1/3 of buildings...so think...pirated movies from a third world country. You know, the ones that you wish you didn't bother buying.
Margaritas were delicious. Can choose between mango/raspberry/strawberry...$12 for regular and $26 for THE BIG ONE. I'll have to say there's about 6 drinks in that big one so totally worth it. Friend of mine ordered a whiskey & coke for $10.
Minus 1 star for the mediocre service. Our waitress was not only super stingy about napkins when I accidentally spilled my drink. She also gave us the bill without asking if we wanted any more drinks. Like "get-out-of-my-house-now-so-I-can-seat-others" kind of vibe included. -
Review from Philly G.
Chicago, IL
3/14/2011 1 photo
Went here for st. patrick's day celebrations. Good drinks and quesadillas. I'd go back.
Listed in: good chi-town bars
-
Review from JAMES M.
Chicago, IL
7/27/2009
Yes its at the Hyatt....... But man we had a great time here! Awesome time.....we even got some souveniers didnt well!?......hehehehehe
This place is nice, touristy and well almost gimmicki but whats wrong with that???
HUGE drinks served in HUGE glasses 50 oz drinks!?? Top shelf booze, good location. Go ahead let loose and get ripped!!
The spot itself is on the 2nd floor overlooking the whole lobby! Lots and lots of windows,. very spacious.
This place has a good spot in my memory because of the great company and great time I had!
Also one of the bars downstaris turns into a dance floor at night.
Shake & bake seal of approval.
Hipster infestation level: 0 yeah a ZERO! -
Review from Nick A.
Malden, MA
10/14/2007
Sure, this place is somewhat cheesy, but the hotel location + oversize motif + bright colors + 90% tourist patrons gives the place a really fun vibe. As in, "I'm on vacation, so I don't mind paying $24 for a drink" kind of vibe. It is true that the "Big" cocktails ($12) weren't that big, so if you are there to have a couple, I would upgrade to the "Very Big" size ($24). They have many fun martini and cocktail choices on their cocktail menu.
The location is actually pretty cool because it is part of the atrium space at the Hyatt Regency...it is on the second floor and looks out onto the atrium and first floor, and also has views through the glass walls and ceilings of the city. Plus, as I mentioned, the hotel location kind of makes you want to pretend you're on vacation, forget your worries, and knock a couple back. Of course, don't drink so much that you can't go home because getting a room for the night isn't exactly cheat at the Hyatt. Also, parking at the Hyatt will cost you an arm and a leg, which is even more reason to take a cab or public transit. If you have to drive to the area, I would seriously consider other parking options. -
Review from Anthony S.
Chicago, IL
4/4/2009
Well it's the hotel bar at the Hyatt Regency, so don't come here expecting too much. The first thing you'll notice aside from it being just up the stairs from the main floor of the hotel lobby, is the two massive plasma TVs, I want to say 70" or larger, suspended from the ceiling. My friends and I must have spent a good five to ten minutes trying to figure out how they were able to mount these suckers. The amazement of the TVs will eventually wane and when it does you'll realize that this is still a hotel bar, with a load of out-of-towners and a few locals, all between the ages of 21 and 65+.
From the looks of it, I'd say this place has copious amounts of liquor, the bar, which isn't called BIG Bar for nothing, has one of those ladders you see in libraries to reach shelves of books, only this ladder is intended to reach your favorite bottle of booze. I can't speak for the quality of the mix drinks since I just drank Heinekens but my lady friend seemed to enjoy her chick drink in a ginormous glass.Listed in: All Reviews
-
Review from Tom O.
Oakland, CA
7/17/2011
Slow service, not terribly impressive drinks, and expensive. It's a typical hotel bar for people who don't have a lot of options. At least it has big windows with a nice view of Wacker and the river.
-
Review from Jenelle G.
Chicago, IL
2/27/2008
What??!!!
I am horrified by the reviews with two stars; I am literally weeping. I LUUUUUVVVVVVV BIG BAR. The VIEW is awesome, the WINGS kick ass, and the Mega sized Martinis & Margaritas are (*sniff, sniff*) beautiful. Big Bar is the beginning of a memorable night. Not to mention it's in the perfect location!!
Damn, Damn, Damn the wretched souls who cannot partake and enjoy the goodness that is BIG BAR! -
Review from Halleh C.
Chicago, IL
6/8/2010
BIG bar, BIG drinks, BIG prices, SMALL amounts of booze.
lots of fillers, not a lot of alcohol. Too sweet and juicy for me. We sucked down 2 large ones and still had to go and drink pitchers of beers at some weird bar downtown to get our buzz on.
OH and the bartender (an older hispanic man) was probably the rudest bartender i've dealt with. He actually put his hand up as in "talk to the hand" when we were ordering (we were sober ps, so its not like we were being drunk idiots). I am shocked that the hyatt, a huge chain hotel, would allow someone to represent their company in that manner. He needs to be fired, ASAP. I will NEVER come here again, to drink, or to stay. -
Review from Kevin C.
Santa Barbara, CA
10/16/2010
Located at 151 Wacker... this place is just Wack.
they hired some fancy designer to do a Las Vegas mock up (which they pulled off very well) but with none of the fun; no dancing or music. There were also ZERO good looking girls at this place, seriously!
This is just an expensive bar in a convenient location. Hyatt Jr. suites are amazing though.
Oh yeah, terrible service from the bar manager, who 25 mins before they opened at 3pm, wouldn't let 12 guys and 3 professional photogs (dressed in tux's) take pictures at the bar as part of the pre wedding pictures... lame! -
Review from Tracy A.
Oakland, CA
7/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
Not as busy as it sounds.
Nice place to hang out and people watch. The length of the bar is pretty amazing. Not the best beer selections on tap but they do come in frosty mugs. Not sure I would ever come here if I wasn't already staying in the hotel. -
Review from Marshall J.
Austin, TX
2/11/2011
The price isn't bad and the portions can't be beat (my wife got an ENORMOUS cheese-covered hot dog for $9 and I got a great pound of hot wings for $14). Too bad the waitress wouldn't give us the time of day once she realized we weren't drinking alcohol. And the whole sports/tv/Las Vegas ambiance was lame.
-
Review from Jacob J.
12/28/2006 2 photos
If you take a seat at the Big ass bar, take a gander at the lovely Chicago sight. On your side of the glass you'll notice a few tiers of bottles, cognacs, vodkas, etc. Its a wonderful view.
I love the theme, "BIG". Bg ass quantity. Imagine a 48 oz martini, or a 108 oz beer tower. I think the largest chilled domestic mug is a 36 oz. Three sizes say it best, Big, bigger and biggest.
To me, its a treat. Once in awhile, stopping in for a big ass buzz is ok. Note the prices, 48 oz martini can run about $20 bucks +, its served in an oversized martini glass, must see!
Its located just up the escalator above Hard Drive. Look for a life sized martini glass. -
Review from Anthony R.
Berkeley, CA
4/1/2009
Not a bad bar, and certainly fairly BIG. I was staying at the Hyatt and figured it'd be worth checking out, especially after reading the copy on their website proudly proclaiming that "cocktails are served in two sizes: 'Big' and 'very Big'."
"Very big" is the only way to go, of course, and it needn't be said that there's something inherently magical and wacky about a 48oz cocktail served in a giant martini glass that comes with multiple straws for sharing.
Of course, they are mostly ice, and mostly sweet and not too strong - I split one at the end of an evening out and left less tipsy that I'd expect afterward. Would I pay $26 for one every night? No. But it is novel, and elevates Big Bar from a blah-hotel-bar to something at least a bit distinctive. -
Review from Jenny H.
Chicago, IL
1/8/2009
The only constant at the BIG Bar is the people watching and the lousy service. With all of the conventions that the Hyatt hosts, this place sure attracts some interesting people!
I have been here twice. The service was lacking both times. The waitresses were hard to get a hold of, and one of them actually brought us our tab before we asked for it because her shift was over. Seriously? Since this place is in a hotel, they really have no incentive to provide great service because they have new customers checking in every day.
The drinks may come in huge glasses, but most of that glass is probably filled with ice that will melt quickly and dilute your drink into a not-so-tasty watery mess. I haven't tried any of the food because it just didn't look very appetizing. -
Review from Kiarash Z.
Lima, OH
8/5/2007
Some out-of-town friends were staying at the Hyatt and asked me to meet them at Big Bar because they needed to get to sleep soon and the weather outside was shitty.
Driving straight over after work, I paid $23 for parking and God knows how much for beer.
The crowd was loaded with Chads and Trixies, alcoholic-looking businessmen and overdressed women.
Also, here's the thing about GIANT margaritas and martinis: They spill a lot. I got really tired for the occasional splash by a passing patron.
The floating video screens showed outdated music videos that were (thankfully) bearly audible.
On the up side, the bar is spacious and connected to a two-floor atrium of sorts. So smoke, sound and crowding become non-issues. For a hotel bar, it's spectacular, but Big Bar doesn't have much of a Chicago feel. -
Review from Larisa W.
Manhattan, NY
9/29/2011
Typical hotel bar, very touristy. Not many places to sit, especially if you are in a big group, but the drinks were good. I would recommend sharing the 48 ounce martinis!
-
Review from Candice C.
Chicago, IL
12/20/2007
I'm not so sure about this place. Yes, the bar is BIG, they have BIG drinks, the view is quite BIG, but the waitress with the BIG hair made several BIG mistakes, forgot part of our order, blamed it on others, and just made a BIG ol' mess of things.
There are a million bars inside ritzy downtown hotels... they don't have to be BIG to be cool and certainly aren't cool just because they're BIG. -
Review from Sonia C.
7/4/2009
Drinks are either BIG or VERY BIG. Our VERY BIG mango daiquiri came in a giant fishbowl sized martini glass and was enough for 4 people. It was tasty but it was extremely weak. Our other friends seemed to like the chocolate martinis and the mojitos just fine.
Food was average and not as BIG as I thought it would be. The nachos come with the ingredients separated instead of melted into an oozy mess which some of my friends liked, but I just thought it looked like the restaurant was too lazy to put everything together. The quesadillas were bite sized tortilla pockets filled with gooey cheese. Pretty great when you're tipsy. The buffalo wings were by far the best though - hot, spicy, and flavorful!
The atmosphere is ok. Most of the people that go there seem to be dowdily-dressed tourists in their 40s. I heard that it's a bit different on the weekends when the downstairs turns into a dance floor, but it was very tame on a weeknight.
The reason that I'm giving this place 2 stars is because of the service. Our waitress was horrible! She pounced on us 13 seconds after we sat down and asked what we wanted to order. I hadn't even opened the menu yet. After our orders came, she disappeared for 30 minutes before coming back to check on us. When a friend came late and tried to order, she frowned and pretended not to understand what he was ordering until we took out the menu and pointed to the drink. He has a slight accent, but she could have made more effort. When we tried to get her attention later, we had to resort to flagging down other waitresses so we could get our waitress.
So, if you come here, stay away from the older waitress who looks like an unattractive Tina Fey/Sarah Palin. It was no wonder that we were the only table that was seated in her section - everyone else had the sense to steer clear. -
Review from Tiffane C.
College Park, MD
11/22/2009
I used to frequent this place when I worked at 111 East Wacker. It's a nice, low-key place to have drinks. The views are cool and I like the open air feel that you get being over the hotel atrium.
They really do take the BIG thing seriously. The drinks sizes are outrageous, so be careful (or not) when you come here! The margaritas are awesome. That's all I go for.
If you work in the loop, this is a great place to take a load off. -
Review from Dan S.
River Falls, WI
3/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
It has a great view, but the prices for drinks are pretty ridiculous. There is a decent beer selection and a lot of choices for full bar. Their martinis are one of their signatures.
-
Review from Alex R.
Chicago, IL
7/27/2009 1 photo
Big drinks. VERY BIG Drinks. 48 ounces worth of very big drinks. The drinks are well-made and contain plenty of top shelf alcohol, making it a good value. Big Bar is definitely a fun place to go. Yes, it's gimmicky, but who cares?
The food is definitely sub-par, so stay away unless you are *really* hungry.
We are definitely coming back if opportunity arises. -
Review from jasmine p.
Chicago, IL
7/3/2010
Food and drinks were yummy but service could be better. My friend was visiting from outside of the country so I thought it would be cute for her to experience BIG Bar's BIG cocktails. In addition we ordered quesadillas and Seared Ahi Poke. The food was really good. I especially enjoyed the taro chips that came with the Seared Ahi Poke. *drools* However, I would have liked to enjoy the food more. Instead our waitress asked us every 10 mins. if we needed anything or if the food was good. There's a difference between attentive service and just plain annoying. Lady, puhlease let me enjoy the food and time catching up with my friend I haven't seen in ages!! Maybe our waitress was bored? We arrived after our Chicago Architectural Boat tour and just before the evening rush on a Friday night. Still it was no reason to bother us so often. A lesson in reading body language might be in order here. She also rushed us while we were eating, offering to take plates out of our way when we weren't even finished. Sooo come to BIG Bar if you want to eat and then leave or don't mind feeling rushed. Despite it's touristy appeal, this place is NO place to sit, relax, and enjoy appetizers and/or drinks.
Such a shame though because BIG Bar is situated in a great location close to Michigan Ave. and has a number of LARGE TV screens to watch sports. Located in the second floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel downtown, it is also convenient to residents of the Lakeshore East neighborhood and guests of the hotel. I wish I liked this place more... -
Review from jason p.
Chicago, IL
3/16/2008
If I could give this place zero stars, I would. I don't mind paying for drinks if they are quality made. Talk about a ripoff though. This must be where people come to learn how to bartend. Of all my experiences of this place, I've had horrible service each and every time. At first, it was a good place to come with co-workers since I work in the neighborhood, but it's still a great place for a crappy drink. Not to mention, the actual area where the lounge is sub-par. If someone pays me to go here, pays for my drinks, and pays me to slap my server, i'll go. But if anyone mentions this place to me, i will cringe at the though.
An example of my experience would be the denial of the signature big martinis. Whoever came up with the idioc idea of serving drinks in plastic miller light cups because of St. Patrick's day weekend was a bonehead. Talk about on some missed revenue opportunities. Our waitress forced us to cash out our check right after we ordered because her shift ended, which in my book is an ultimate "no-no." She didn't even offer us the opportunity to stay while someone else handled our table. Stay away from this place and head south to Miller's Pub. -
Review from Phil V.
Lake Forest, CA
7/20/2009
We arrived late to the hotel and wanted to have a bite to eat. By the time we checked in and dropped off our bags in our room, the only thing open was the BIG Bar. It was cool, the place was full, but we were able to find space at the bar. We ordered some drinks and the 3 tapas for $15 or something like that. The drinks were ok.. I had a local brew and my girlfriend had a drink that was like a pineapple mojito. The tapas were tasty. We has the camarones diablos, a seared tuna tar tar and the steak skewers. The only gripe is the extremely small portions. I understand its tapas style, but you could have given me a little more. Oh well.
Would I go back? Maybe. -
Review from Jen H.
Chicago, IL
5/29/2007
This place kind of scared me. I ordered a midori sour, and it was definitely not "BIG" as the drink menu promised. It also took 20 minutes to make. During the time I was waiting for this "small" drink, I am fairly sure I witnessed a "Pretty Woman-ish" business transaction go down. Of course, once you get your drink, you can go watch the ridiculously underaged and underdressed girls try to get into the overpriced Hyatt night club....
Cost of drink=$8
People watching=Priceless -
Review from Christy L.
Chicago, IL
2/26/2009
Well, the fact that this place was playing modern, fun country music on an early Saturday night yet was pulling the lounge vibe sold me! Our waitress was fun and friendly, attentive but not overbearing. We had an amazing view of the fireworks over the Chicago River as well (which was a pleasant surprise, who knew about the fireworks!). We also had 1 tapas, the curry sausages, and they were delicious (and cheap!).
Totally fun, definitely a good place to take tourists who want a view. -
Review from Becca S.
10/11/2010
I had some friends in town visiting staying at the Hyatt. I'd never been to this "Big Bar" but I thought it sounded great based on my friends' reports, and it's in a great location so this could have been my new hang out. It will not be. The drinks were fine. We tried to ask our waitress Dominika some questions but she wasn't biting. We asked if the 48 ounce drinks are ideally for one person to drink or for sharing. She said "they have ice in them." I didn't even understand that response. Dominika was attentive. She came by often to ask if we wanted another round of drinks. It was a Sunday night and we were sipping, so our drinks were going down slowly, and we said no a few times. We hadn't finished our drinks, but planned to get another round when we were ready. Dominika had other plans and brought our check. I guess you can only say no three times. There were loads of empty tables so it's also not as if she needed our table. We're good tippers. "Big mistake. Big. Huge."
The drinks weren't good enough to keep me going back. If you stay at the hotel and don't know enough about Chicago to venture out and find a place with better drinks and great service, head on down. For anyone with any other option, stay far away.
(the view isn't that great) -
Review from Ryan Matthew P.
Seattle, WA
11/7/2010
I worked for Hyatt for nearly 7 years and I have to say, I really expected better service from Hyatt employees. The Bartenders at this bar are douchebags...plain and simple. A friend and I went one evening around midnight, plenty of seating and there were two Bartenders on staff. We tried to ask questions, but they really couldn't pretend to care. The only excitement of the evening was about a dozen high-end hookers who came in to try and work the business crowd. As amusing as it was (including watching the Manager just gawk and let it happen), it wasn't enough incentive to even order one drink. Now I understand that this is a large hotel and they have very few employees handling the volume (typical cheap Hyatt), it wasn't worthy of my green.
-
Review from Stacy H.
Durham, NC
7/13/2011
Took a weekend trip to Chicago with my sister and after a long day of sightseeing we decided to just make our way back to the hotel. Used Yelp previously to find bars/clubs to go to on a Saturday, had a few options but we decided to start (well ended up here all night) at Big Bar. The hotel is huge so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The bar has a great view of Chicago and shelves of alcohol that apparently you need a ladder to reach. We were also hungry so my sister ordered the wings for us to share. We were expecting normal hot wings dipped in sauce but they brought out fried but spicy wings with the sauce on the side. We thought it was strange but ate it anyway, I'm not sure if my hunger took over but those were really good wings. We also ordered two of the large drinks; each one was about 22 bucks. Seemed overpriced but then again everything in Chicago seems overpriced to me!! They are huge and enough for 2 - 4 people to share, we were feeling pretty nice after the second one. I had been craving chocolate cake all day so we also ordered that, it was alright but I have had better. But then again who orders chocolate cake at a bar....
As far as the crowd, very diverse there was a group celebrating a birthday as well as a bridal party. A mix from younger people 23 and up to older businessmen, mainly tourist. We left the bar around 1 or 2 and according to the bar tender that's when it really picks up. It was crowded but not crowded enough that we couldn't make our way to the exit. The bartenders were pretty cool, very attentive and knowledge of the drinks. I'm not a big peach fan so when my sister ordered the second drink he was very light with whatever they put in to make it peachy. Overall it was a good experience and nice to be able to leave the bar and walk directly to your room.
