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The Stretch Bar and Grill
Rating Details »
Category: Sports Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lakeview3485 N Clark St
Wrigleyville
(between Sheffield Ave & Newport Ave)
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 755-3980
- Nearest Transit:
-
Addison (Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 4:00 p.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:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- DJ
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
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"I went back here this past weekend and watched some NFL games. They have a bunch of TV's and 3 different rooms to watch the games. AWESOME!!…" read more »
17 reviews for The Stretch Bar and Grill
Cute little Wrigleyville bar with a great vibe. I'm not one for hanging out in Wrigleyville, but like this bar a lot. The staff is very friendly and attentive, and love that their front windows slide out for an "al fresco" type of feel.
Didn't eat, but the food looked amazing. I opted to go with the drinkies--nothing says loving like sweet tea vodka and lemonade! :-)
Awwww, my first flagged and subsequently removed review. Apparently my two line and drunken (yet still perfectly grammatically constructed and got at least one FUC each) review did not display enough information to convey that I really had stepped foot inside "The Stretch Bar and Grill." I will change that now, because I'm a whiner with a strong opinion.
You know that Poison Idea song "Pure Hate?" You know, the one where the chorus has the line "look in my brain and see the hate/it's pure." Here's a streaming MP3 - http://www.imeem.com/s... That was the internal soundtrack in my mind, which was unfortunately drowned out by tasteless pop hits. I've been to hundreds of shows where my ears didn't ring as loud as they did after a couple hours in here.
Why was I here you ask? A good friend of mine from high school, one who has spent the last six years not living in the city, and subsequently doesn't know much about where to go out, was in town to celebrate her birthday. If we get a chance to hang out twice a year it's a huge deal; we literally see each other that little. So despite my misgivings and begging not to go into Wrigleyville, I was overruled and my quest to hang out with my friend put me into my personal hell.
Little did any of us know but apparently Wrigley Field had just hosted Rascal Flats that night so the neighborhood was a hoppin'. Crap. So "The Stretch Bar and Grill." The front area was so congested that it took a couple minutes to even make it to the back. I'm amazed that in a place where I managed to overhear "Fags" and "Bitches" used in an obviously derogatory connotation (heard these colorful terms while using the bathroom, which was the only place I really could hear) did not see a problem cramming so many sweaty men into such a tiny area and into such compromising positions.
Once done wading through the cramped opening we made into all the way to the back where it was still packed but slightly less so. I ambled up to the bar and waited a good long time before getting any attention; it's a crowded bar I know but still. Luckily a table opened up so we plopped ourselves around the table and I took the role of "that guy sitting down scowling instead of dancing." Fucking Rashida Jones could have showed up and asked me for a dance and I wouldn't have done it. I did notice out of the corner of my eye that the bartenders were dancing quite a bit though, which is kind of counteractive to their job.
Eventually the horrid meat market/stockyard atmosphere began to grate everyone and I was asked if I knew any other places in the area that were better than this. THANKS FOR ASKING FINALLY, JEEZ! I let them know about The Gingerman, described it a little bit and sold even the frattiest frat boy I know that leaving was a solid business plan.
So what did I walk out of "The Stretch Bar and Grill" with? I walked out with the smell of Axe clinging to me from the leaving effort, two ringing ears and less self respect. So yes, I was here. I survived two hours; can you do any better?
Addendum 1 - Bathroom floor was completely covered in piss and broken glass. I'm pretty sure a rip in the canvas of my shoes occurred while using said bathroom.
Addendum 2 - One thing I liked? Hamm's. Very cold Hamm's. It may have cost as much for one can as a six pack does at a store but at least it was Hamm's.
My friends and I went to Stretch after a Cubs victory. BTW, the Cubs won because I wore my blue and red boxers.
We walked in and the crowd was immediately friendly. Random guys were high-5ing me and talking and in the back random girls were dancing with my friends and I.
Stretch B & G has one of the best drinks I've tasted - it rivals the Mojito and Margarita. It is the Arnold Palmer - tea infused vodka with lemonade served in a mason jar. If Quagmire was with us, he'd say, "Gigadee gigadee goooooooooh!"
I was sad to see Tryst go, but this place interested me after reviewing the menu. I came here with a small group of friends for dinner on a Wednesday night. All of the burgers were $5. I don't remember the drink specials. We had mac n cheese fritters which were divine and the crab and roasted artichoke dip. Yum! I had the Waveland Ave burger (Jack Daniels chipotle sauce, smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomato) and chili lime fries. It was incredible! I can't wait to go back for it. Our waitress was attentive and knowledgeable on beers we inquired about. Definatly check this place out for the burgers!
I went to The Stretch today for lunch before a cubs game. I sat at the bar and was immediately greeted by two very attractive bartender/waitresses, both of whom were very friendly and provided great service while I was there.
The menu at The Stretch is pretty small. There aren't a lot of choices outside the appetizers and a large set of suggested burger permutations. I ordered the Clark St. burger with turkey, which is basically a burger with bacon, cheese, avocado, lettuce and fried onion bits. I was happy to hear that none of their burgers, turkey included are ever frozen.
I have to say the burger was fantastic. It came piled high atop a fluffy square bun, each ingredient visible in the stack, delicious and present in every bite. The turkey patty was obviously handmade and it was extremely well seasoned. I couldn't quite identify the flavors that had permeated the meat but they were very enjoyable. Finally, the french fries were pretty standard as well but were seasoned with some large grain kosher salt, a nice touch that kicked them just a notch above ordinary.
If you aren't looking for a burger, this may not be the right place for a meal in Wrigleyville. But if you are, you could do a whole lot worse for your pre- or post-game chow down in this neighborhood (or elsewhere).
I had a ton of fun at Stretch. Everyone was nice, drinks didn't take long, and the waitress flirt just enough for it to be fun.
I also found out this great deal where you pay $25 to get a $50 gift certificate to Stretch. It's at this place called http://Mywrigleyville.com. I couldn't believe I was getting $25 free in drinks! The actual link is http://store.mywrigley....
I probably should be embarrassed that I patronized this bar on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of one week, but I'm not. Thursday night was not very crowded and our waitress (Chelsea I think) was really attentive and super nice. I ordered the quesadilla and wow was it good - the use Chihuahua cheese. I was originally brought out the wrong one but didn't mind waiting since we were just there to hang out anyway. The guy who ran out the food turned out to be the manager and he gave us a round of shots. Later on in the evening they brought us another round. Friday and Saturday were both after a Cubs game. Friday was packed but we got drinks at a pretty rapid pace. By Saturday I think word got out about how wonderful/cheap this place is and it was jammed.
Service: Fast and really friendly
Best deal: $2 Old Styles during Cubs games
I was there again and got to try the food... OH MY LORD.
Let's begin with the star of the evening... the hotdog. This is not a ballpark frank, let me tell you that.
They literally fill the thing with cheese and top it with some sort of spicy salsa-y type conconcotion. OH... and it's WRAPPED IN BACON!!! I couldn't make this up if I tried! And it's served in one of those amazing pretzel buns. Oh so delicious! I had two... oh and really good pickles too- and I am picky about pickles.
Then the mac n cheese balls. I actually think the things are bigger than golf balls... And they were amazing. Did you read that... AHHH MAZING! People were loving those! Just the right amount of fried crunchy goodness on the outside and warm melty mac n cheese inside! Tip- dip the balls in ketchup!!
I also sampled the homemade chips which came with the hotdog... we were fighting over them. Yes, we were. They are FANTASTIC!!!! Actually you get your choice of side with the hotdog... homemade chips, fries, sweet potato fries (which I am a sucker for) and there was something else that was a lime flavored fry I believe...? It caught my attention but I didn't sample it.
Then there's dessert... I tried both. There is a chocolate covered twinkie with raspberry sauce drizzled over it. It was really really tasty. Then there is a CRACKER JACK ice cream sundae! Oh Lordy! I never would have thought to put cracker jacks in an ice cream sundae but it was wonderful!
And the cocktails. They do the regular cocktail glasses you see at the local drinking establishments, but they also serve cocktails in mason jars. It's a really cool touch! I did not do the mason jar cocktail because I wanted to sample all their specialty cocktails and honestly I'd have been passed out in my Twinkie had I sampled all those concoctions in a mason jar! I sampled every specialty cocktail, and the best by far was the one made with root beer flavored vodka. It tasted like a root beer float. It was magical. The Derby was great too... especially if you like pineapple as I do. I can't remember the other specialty cocktail names as my mind got a tad fuzzy after a few drinks. They sure don't jip you on the booze!
If you do go to the Stretch- and it's a HUGE mistake not to- go with an appetite. Plan on dinner AND drinks. Their bar fare is not typical dull bar fare, it's unique- it's got that gourmet twist without the gourmet price.
Cheers to my new neighborhood favorite!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
4/2/2009 First to Review
This bar brings a nicer classier feel to Wrigleyville! THANK GOD! WE NEED THAT! Drunk frat boys… Read more »
I visited the stretch on a sat and once during the week after work...happy hour time. Both times the bar was kind of dead and lacking the party atmosphere, but it was a good choice for getting a table, throwing back a few with friends, and actually being able to hold a convo.
MUST TRY their Mac and Cheese with Bacon. This is the BEST mac and cheese in the city. It had a wonderful "crust" and gooey gouda goodness inside. Everyone was begging to try a bite!
Fun fun fun!
Yes, I had a fun time here! This was my post NV bar of the evening. What a drastic change that was. I showed up with friends already pretty drunk, so everything was just fine. The bathroom was very small with only two stalls. Unfortuanately, I did not get to try the drinks. I'd had enough. The music was just what I needed to dance. My friend and I went to the back empty corner and foolishly hopped around to Kanye, MIA, and T-Pain. The people were cool. This one guy made fun of my Elaine Benes dancing. That was okay, though. Still worthy of many stars.
There are few place in Wrigleyville that I actually like, so for me to say that I kind of like this one makes me feel like it could be easier to sway me to come out to the area. I really enjoyed the music here since it makes you want to dance even though there's not really a dance floor. Even though the bar had a lot of people inside, we did not experience any issues of waiting around to get a drink. I would attribute that to good bar service actually that the bartenders are quick and the waitresses are getting drinks back to people quickly. So, even if you aren't enjoying the place at least you'll be able to drink more and without having to fight your way in to get another drink.
I like this bar a lot - good atmosphere. Came here for lunch with my friend Christy on Friday before the cubs game. Our waitress was so attentive and very nice. She was always checking on us, but not in an annoying way. The bloody mary was really good - it has a pickle AND olives in it. I was super excited about that! The chopped salad (minus chicken and bacon) was really good. I enjoyed every bite. My only request would be to reduce the price of the salad for those that don't eat meat. I wanted to order the Wedge salad, but they no longer have it in the kitchen although it's on the menu. The chopped salad is $11 with the meat and I was still charged that.
This bar was much weaker than Tryst. At least Tryst had a decor going for it, this was nothing but bad wood paneling and rude bartenders. The DJ was ridiculous, switching from 80's staple songs to 'Back that Ass up', not sure where that was headed. Also, the sad bouncer with a beanie decided to give my friend a hard time, after cursing and yelling for no reason there were words exchanged ending in more of his cursing, etc so we all decided to leave. Is cursing really necessary especially when the person is calm and collected having had no alcohol whatsoever that evening? What kind of business is this? I realize we are all out to make money but when 8 people are spending hundreds of dollars while with someone in AA is a guest with those people spending money on drinks is it necessary to berate and threaten? I think not. The economy is down, but please sir, get your priorities straight and learn a little thing called 'business ethics'.
Last Friday I was walking down Clark with a few people, looking for somewhere to go to have drinks and food. We pretty much had no clue what we wanted, but as we walked by The Stretch our decision was made for us. As we passed the door, the guy standing outside said "Free shots if you come in!". Sold!
Last weekend was their "soft "opening and we were really impressed. They have a good menu with good food, most are twists on your typical bar fare. $15 buckets aren't bad for being close to Wrigley as well.
The guy who called us in ended up being one of the owners, we chatted it up with him and he was a really cool guy. Our waitress was great, super nice and on top of things. The whole staff is composed of super cute girls, I can see it being a favorite for guys!
They have nice flatscreens behind the bar (ideal for the first 2 days of March Madness), a sleek look and a back room that looks like it would be great for parties. I was also impressed by the music selection...They played some good hip hop that many bars overlook for Top 40.
Not your typical beer on the floor, puke in the bathroom stall Wrigley bar (not that I don't love those as well). I will definitely be back! After all, we walked in at about 7 o'clock last Friday and didn't leave until almost 2!
ended up here during an impromptu barcrawl last weekend after hearing good things.
$15 domestic buckets on sundays, friendly bouncer/bartenders, nice decor, great tunes, and spacious back room made for a great time. back room would be a perfect private party spot - love it.
what i've seen of the stretch is good - we'll see how it handles its first summer on clark.
Bar atmosphere, good DJ, weak mixed drinks (as in poor alcohol to mix ratio)
This is pretty much no different than when it was Tryst, and overall is nothing that special. The music was good tho, and the drinks were like they should be - I could detect no stinginess on the pours.
