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Lincoln Hall
Rating Details »
Category: Music Venues
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, DePaul2424 N Lincoln Ave
(between Halsted St & Fullerton Ave)
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 525-2508
- Nearest Transit:
-
Fullerton (Purple Express, Brown, Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Thu, Fri
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
16 reviews for Lincoln Hall
I can't tell you how happy I am that Chicago has another good live music venue - too many of the city's venues have closed in the last few years (RIP Hothouse), and a number of places that used to emphasize bands have turned to DJs instead, since the associated costs with having them are apparently less (as a musician who's had a fair amount of formal training and have been playing since I was five, this is sad - before everyone gets up in arms, I will say that while good DJs do have talent, but it simply doesn't take as much background and there often isn't much live performance involved).
Lincoln Hall is a beautiful music venue brought to you by the owners of Schuba's (another great music venue, I might add). Everything is new - it hasn't been open long - and the venue feels comfortable. It's a fairly intimate space with exposed brick and warm wood floors; if you're on the main floor, you're probably seated, but there's also a balcony with some tables and cushioned chairs as well. I saw Ari Hest tonight, and the venue was full but not packed with about 100 people. There was a lovely listening room vibe, and the volume levels were perfect for being able to hear the band without wanting earplugs. The sound overall was fantastic.
There is food available in addition to a full bar on both levels. The small non-music area is a separate bar. It looks like they do brunch.
Parking is difficult, but they do offer valet for $12. Barring that, you can often find parking on Fullerton nearer the L stop (hmm, though now that I've said that, maybe you won't be able to do that any longer).
Some of the other reviews complained about scheduling/timing issues, but we didn't have any tonight.
I am really, really impressed with this venue.
For some time, was seeing shows advertised here and quite frankly had never heard of this venue. I don't know the full story, but I'm guessing it was remodeled from something previous? Either way, they did an excellent job. Not only does it maintain that old/urban edge to it, but the whole space gives a really initimate feel for shows (went to see The Walkmen).
I really liked as well, that we had the choice of staying on the lower level or going up to the balcony -- usually it's a different price or priveledge. Bar was a tad pricey and a little bit slow, but the place was also slammed -- so I'll give them that one.
Definitely will keep an eye on this place for upcoming gigs because it was a great spot to catch an act!
Despite a somewhat annoying location, this place is awesome! New finishes, great beer selection, and a room that feels small and intimate. 506 (i think?) is the total capacity, and there's not a bad sight line in the house. Bar in the front room, bar on the main floor and a bar on the balcony. They've thought this place out well!
Sure, there seemed to be some scheduling/timing issues with the bands we were there to see, but I was kept in the loop via email from the venue. LH even "unsubscribed" me from the email updates after the show was over -- THANK YOU for not automatically adding me to some shi**y mailing list without my consent!
The sound guy is good. White Denim sounded killer.
I can't wait until my next chance to check a show there. From the looks of the schedule, there are some excellent bands coming through. Schubas dudes: continue killin it!
Beyond the great stage, sound and acts (some Christian bands, by the way), there is a great restaurant. There are specials and regular menu items. Today I had the off-menu shrimp po-boy and it was very good but not like the Local Option version. Their soups are "souper" -- had a squash and ginger soup recently. Salads are solid, especially the purple and green (beet) and fried green tomato.
I have come here for lunch since the opening -- venue was once Three Penny Cinema. On the second visit, the staff knew me by name. My warnings: I did not appreciate the flatbread and would not come at night to eat during performances. Nice dining space with best near windows to lookout to the Jewel carts folks drinking out of paper bags and doctors mixing it up at Children's Memorial Hospital pocket garden at Fullerton and Halsted.
Great spot. We stood in balcony and had a great view. Sound was good. 3 bars but yes, small plastic cups if ordering in 2 outer bars. And very nice bathrooms for a veune of its size. But there is no in and out policy which sucks for you smokers.
We went for the "Grand Opening". Not sure what was so grand about it. We were expecting free comemerative posters or t-shirts or comp food or discounted drinks but got none. Or at least a surprise guest and got none. It was just another ordinary night out.
I didn't know that they had food! That goes to show that you should read Yelp reviews before visiting a place, not afterwards.
I had a good experience here; parking in the area is non-existent, so we used the valet; great service there! I thought it was a little odd that we were wristbanded outside of the venue and then directed down the street to the entrance, but in retrospect I was glad that somebody was telling me where to go. Tickets were will call, and the first person we say inside the doors was the will call guy. I asked him which was better, the main floor or balcony, and he directed me to the balcony. Great choice! I had a perfect view of the stage and the main floor, and watched the show comfortably from one of the cocktail tables up there.
Drinks: our waitress was great; the Bloody Marys were a bit thin (too much ice) but my 312 was delicious.
Noise Level: this part is on the bands, not the venue - turn it down! I want to hear the lyrics, not just the guitars!
Overall: This is an A-Ok venue. I'll be happy to return if a favorite band performs here. And I'll be sure to try the food next time, too!
I love Schubas. It is my favorite place in Chicago for live music and grabbing a few beers with friends.
Lincoln Hall has a lot of work to do. We recently saw David Bazan there.
Issue #1: 10:30 start time. At 10:30, we were standing in line outside of the building that stretched into the adjacent alley...and we were at the front of the line. They need to find a more efficient way of checking ID's and checking people off the guest list (real tickets perhaps?) I can't imagine how crappy this would have been if it was raining or cold.
Issue #2: Waited for 20 minutes at the main bar for a beer (all of the good beers are only on tap at the main bar). Neither of the bartenders acknowledged me or my girlfriend. We watched two others get served at the side of the bar where the servers pick up their drinks. My GF walked over there and was told she could not stand there. Eventually walked away without getting served and settled for lesser beer at one of the other bars.
Issue #3: During the show, people were told they could not leave the main music room and re-enter. This is very problematic since there are no bathrooms connected to the main music room. People were separated from their friends, spouses, and David Bazan. It was really quite tragic.
Issue #4: The space itself isn't that great. It's nice, new, and the sound was good but it's also cold (not temperature wise) and sterile. I can think of about 10 places in Chicago I'd rather go to watch live music.
Bottom line, I'd return here to see a band I really like and maybe grab a bite if I was in the neighborhood. But I'll stick with Schubas (or Elbo Room, Beat Kitchen, Subterranean, Double Door, Metro, Reggies, etc.) for checking out new music and grabbing some beers with friends.
Comment from Tim S. of
Lincoln Hall
10/26/2009
Thanks for your visiting LH. We are already rectifying the…
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My friend and I were nearly passed out on my floor (what, you don't do that?) while deciding what to eat for dinner. Due to our extreme lethargy, delivery was high on the list...when....
We saw that fancy guy from metromix-tv (he always wears a fancy shirt, like with curly doodles on it) on WGN reviewing the new bar/venue from the people at Schuba's, Lincoln Hall. Well, Lincoln Hall was the name our junior high, and they had tater tots, so we felt it to be serendipity.
Upon arrival we were quite excited at how new the place smelled. It was opening night. She ordered an eggplant parmesan sandwich and I the chicken white bean wrap. WHAT?!! they ran out of the chicken white bean wrap? I shake my fist at the others before me who ate it, but instead, I order the shrimp lettuce wraps (the white bean thing sounded awesome though, I will have to go back for it).
The shrimp was great. Lightly breaded (you can barely tell) and had a nice kick. A perfect amount of spice. If you are a spice-wimp though, it will be too much for you. I could see some having an issue with the amount of spice, but I loved it. It came with shrimp, rice, peanut sauce, cucumbers, lettuce..s, and basil. I was pleased. My friend was pleased with her eggplant.
Also the owner was quite attentive coming to ask us how we liked everything and tolerating our lame jokes and chit-chat. We told him our junior high was called lincoln hall. I thought it was nice that he pretended to care.
We forgot to take of the tour to see the venue for bands, but I'm sure it's great. I'll be back to eat and maybe see some bands.
Yeah... I'll give it 5 stars.
The place holds maybe 500 people, sound is amazing, stage is pretty high-up, so no matter where you are, you can see and hear.
The bar in the music room is pretty large, and the waitresses cover ground pretty well.
Its run by the good people at Schuba's - so the attention is paid to the proper details, and the staff is focused on doing things the right way.
Its a nice mid-sized venue for acts that are bigger than Schubas, but not big enough for the Metro, Riv or otherwise.
Do yourself a favor and see a show there. I'd challenge you to find something wrong with it.
We didn't eat here, this review is for a show only.
I was impressed with this space. The floor area isn't very big, so you are still quite close to the stage. A balcony forms a c-shape on the second floor. Probably a great place to be if you can find a spot at the railing, otherwise, probably not so much. The space had pretty good sound and it was clean. Ah, building done AFTER the smoking ban...
We arrived about 10 minutes after the start of the show (which started on time, btw). We ended up standing near the back of the floor, but I could still see the stage fairly well. A guy with a clicker kept track of who came in and out. My boyfriend was able to leave several times to use the restroom and come back in, so that issue must have been resolved since the opening. I'm guessing, however, that people were turned away from the main floor though, as it never got ridiculously crowded there. Awesome if you get a space, but I would probably be pissed if I had to go upstairs....I looked at people who weren't at the railing several times and thought that it looked crappy. So, come EARLY.
And whether this can be contributed to our show being on a Monday or because it appealed to an older/more courteous crowd, everyone near me was really quiet. Even the bar tender whispered. I felt like people were there to see the bands, not just be drunken douches that were only there to tell their friends they were there.
This review is based upon the shows that are being booked here and on the walk through of the place that I have done.
If you enjoy Schubas for the music that they bring in and the intimate location then this is your home away from Schubas. I for one already have tickets to three shows in the coming month just because of who is running this place and who is performing.
I can't wait to hear the sound system and see what this place will look like with a load of people in it.
The price range for shows is the same as Schubas and so are the food prices. Can't wait to check this out!
I was at The Walkmen show on Nov 13, 2009 and liked the venue almost as much as the show. Great beer and food selection. I like how there is a place to sit and talk with friends while the opening bands are playing. Everything there is top notch. And with the balcony there isn't a bad spot to check out the show. Great job guys!
I go to and have gone to a ton of shows in Chicago. Schubas is probably one of my two favorite places to see a concert at in Chicago, which is probably why I was so upset with my experience at the recent David Bazan show last week.
I purchased tickets in advance to see David Bazan at 7:00pm at Schubas. I get an email later saying that the has been moved to Lincoln Hall and with a new 10:30pm showtime. I was excited to see the new space so that kind of made up for the show being later and at a bigger venue, at least until we got there.
We showed up at 10:30pm to see that there was a line wrapping around the building and down the alley. Rather than stand in line we went and got something to drink and came back a half an hour later and the line was even longer. We got in line and waited another 40 minutes to get into the venue. There was one person checking the will call list and one point of entry to let people in.
Once we got into the venue there was no room left in the main music room...all full. We went upstairs and couldn't really see anything. Some people left and by the time David Bazan came on we could at least see between the people at the railing and watch the show. There were at least 75 people behind us in line that probably had it worse than us.
The sound system during the show sounded good. The space itself was meh. It might be a little too nice for my liking. I felt as though they spent more time working on the decor than they did training the staff. It also seemed like they oversold the venue since so many people couldn't actually see anything. It didn't feel like Schubas Part 2 to me.
On the way out one of the staff members asked us how we enjoyed the show. We voiced our concerns and he said that they were working to rectify things for the next show, it was their first sold out event, yadda yadda. I don't think I'll go back until I hear that things have been fixed.
Comment from Tim S. of
Lincoln Hall
10/28/2009
Since that night we've separated the will call into two…
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This place needs a lot of work. My ticket didn't guarantee me a chance to see anything. I should mention that I'm not a novice...I've been enjoying live music in Chicago for 15+ years, including probably 40-50 shows at Schubas on Belmont. So, this isn't a rant from someone who had a bad time because of inexperience. When I paid $27.50 for that ticket, I admit that I had a few expectations, one of which was that I would be allowed entrance into the room where the stage was set up and the music was being performed.
Four of us arrived at Lincoln Hall at about 7pm for dinner. We finished at 8:30pm and were headed into the show when the person at the door told us the room was at capacity (170) and we would not be able to enter. He immediately gave us an alternative solution, which was to head upstairs to the balcony, where we would be able to watch the show. We headed upstairs to find that we definitely would not be able to see the show from there, along with most of the other folks that were directed upstairs. The only people upstairs that could see were the people standing right along the railing and those tall enough to see over those folks. The balcony at Lincoln hall is "U" shaped, and all the way around (except for the right side, which was reserved for VIPs) it was about five people deep. The scene was really disappointing. Everyone upstairs, save the tall (btw...I'm 6'1") and the rail riders, was sad. Lots of complaining about the situation, some people approaching staff and asking if there was anything they could do. BTW...I heard that some people were sending Tweets and updating their Facebook statuses with a negative comment about Lincoln Hall from their iPhones and Blackberries.
With many unhappy customers missing the show and milling about in the balcony, the Lincoln Hall staff members said things like, "we are new to this, so you have to give us a break," and "sometimes you just can't see at live shows." What?? I get that sometimes you're stuck behind a really tall person or whatever at a show, but at least you have the option of moving to an area where you can see something. I would estimate that there was no possible way for at least 150 (probably more) of the people upstairs to see anywhere close to the stage. They also said that there were flat panel monitors in the back of the room where we could see the show. Not that it matters, because I didn't pay to see this show on a TV screen, but the feed showing on the monitors was of such poor quality, I couldn't tell which of the glowing white blobs on the screen was Jay Farrar and which was Benjamin Gibbard.
After going back downstairs, I was able to get a glimpse of Jay Farrar when the door was being opened to let the folks back in after they had gone to the bathroom. (I guess the door man had a photographic memory, because it wasn't like they gave the 170 lucky folks that were in the main room a special stamp or wristband) Resigned to standing on my tip-toes and catching glimpses as people came out to use the bathroom, my hopes and dreams were crushed when a Lincoln Hall staff member asked me to move away from the area because I was blocking the walkway, when I actually wasn't.
After waiting around for some people to leave the main hall, we finally convinced the doorman to allow us entrance with two songs left in the set. So, for my $27.50, I was in the room (with a 100% obstructed view due to the large column behind which I was standing) for two songs: the Dylan and Waits covers. Both were great in spite of the experience, but it left me even worse off knowing that I had just missed an incredible show.
The food was good, bartending service was good, and the room looked great from what I could see. The issue here is that Lincoln Hall should not sell as many tickets as the Chicago Fire Department says it can. I consider it a slap in the face to have purchased a ticket to an event without being guaranteed a chance to see it. I would also advise them to work with their staff on their customer service.
If a venue can fit 500 people into it, but only 350 can see the stage, then they should only sell 350 tickets.
This place is a very beautiful concert venue. Almost like the shrunk the metro to 1/3 scale and made it nicer. On a negative side though, while they have 20 beers in in the main bar the other two bars only have 10. Also, the beers they have are American, American craft, Belgian style, and Irish (Guiness and Harp). This makes me wonder why no German beers? This to me is a big downside. Also how can you have Irish beers without Smithwick's? The Great Lakes Porter and Dortmunder are also both great beers. Also, the two bars in the music hall give you small plastic cups, you have to to downstairs to the main bar to get a glass cup, which is another negative. Great venue and location. Nice to finally have a concert venue in Lincoln Park after the Lounge Ax shut down. They recently added 2 rows of chairs along the railing, which enables everyone to see on the balcony.
i go to a lot of rock shows, mostly at schubas, the empty bottle, elbo room, blah blah blah.... since i recently got married, i volunteered to go with my brother and his fiance to check out wedding halls. i had heard from one of the bartenders at schubas that they were opening a big hall and after digging a little, i found out they were doing weddings. so..... after touring a lot of chicago's big trendy loft-spaces that do weddings, i think we (my brother, his fiance, and myself) decided this was going to be the coolest spot for their wedding. we got the tour although its still not fully done yet. we have a huge family and they will have a long guest list so they needed a wedding reception venue that could hold at least 200. lincoln hall doesn't seem like it is going to be as rustic as salvage one or the illuminating company or that other place on goose island (gallery 128?) so it seems like it will be "nice," with still a little bit of edgy-ness.