On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Sports Bars [Edit]
Neighborhoods: West Loop, Near West SideRacine (Blue)
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Fri. 3:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Loading...
Stopped by on our way the Blackhawks game (which is just a few blocks away) and sat out on their patio. Actually had a great draft beer special. $5 for a stadium cup of bud or Coors light. Getting ready for the game, we pounded back a few. Typical bar fare, with a scrumptious turkey burger mixed with brie and apples. Sounds different weird, but is really different good.
Our waitress, although prompt, never cracked a smile our entire stay. And we were there for close to 2 hours. I thought she'd be happy b/c the bar probably only gets this packed during 'hawks games, but she was not having it.
If I lived in this neighborhood, I would definitely make this a regular hang out.
Sorry Westend, but this is not going to be pretty.
Miller Lite tap served in plastic REUSED cups for $5. When I saw the cups, I thought "how nice, a souvenir I can take home." Then my date tasted something sweet and felt something slimey on his lip...cherry chapstick...but I don't wear cherry chapstick and neither does he! Oh gross!!! So you mean to tell me you reuse plastic cups? So what's with all the nice glassware adorning the bar? The bartender was nice enough to spot us that one beer, but if you ask me, he should've paid the entire round of $5 Miller Lites on tap. Furthermore, if you're going to spot us a beer, don't use another plastic cup!
All in all, not the worst experience ever, but I definitely don't think it's worth it at $5 a domestic. That's ridiculous no matter where you're at.
I've visited this place twice before. Once was before going to see Green Day at the United Center and recently for the Bruce Springsteen concert.
This is due to the bar offering a free shuttle to United Center for Concerts and Games. Parking in the area is decent and far enough away from the United Center to make it optimal if your looking to get a drink before the show.
The menu is large and has plenty to choose from. It has lots of seating, but plan ahead if there is a game on because the bar can be very crowded by game time. I found this out the hard-way arriving for the Springsteen concert while the Bears Game was on and there wasn't a seat available.
I highly recommend for dinner, watching the game or just looking for a night out.
Excellent Bar and Grille.
Westend is the best bar in the West Loop by far. The owners made a fantastic decision opening this place in the burgeoning West Loop. And the Blackhawks revival certainly hasn't hurt either.
Pre-game and post-game Hawks and Bulls, this place is going to be packed, so make sure you know the schedule before coming here if you're not in those crowds. Pre-game Hawks, it is ALL guys, so your scamming prospects will be nil.
On weekend non-game nights, there's a good crowd here ranging from people in their 20s to their 40s.
West End changed their music style at some point. They started off playing rock "Rockit" style, but now they play a lot of dance and top-40 kind of stuff. Sometimes they do pepper a little old school rock in, which is a good thing. The main problem with the music is that it's just TOO LOUD. Westend: you're not a club.
I've had the food here a handful of times, and it's better than your average bar food. The fries are really good as I recall.
Service here is great. I've been in bars where the bartenders seem to never come to you. At Westend, you will be served promptly and enthusiastically by your barkeeps.
Recommend coming here any day of the week for food or drinks. West End is the oasis of the West Loop.
I love the ambiance here because I don't feel like I'm in a room full of Big 10 douchebags from Lincoln Park. Great groups of late 20's-30 somethings all having a good time, hanging out.
Nice selection of beers (delirium & fin du monde!) which will get you crawling out of there if you're not careful!
Food is just ok - pizza crust is quite thick. chicken wings were a bit chewy.
Really good bloody mary's....!
Great spot in the West Loop with great weekday specials. Ahem, $5 glasses of wine and $5 salads on Wednesdays. Done & done.
I'm obsessed with the southwest salad, any of the wraps, the turkey burgers and oh my, those fish tacos.
Good people watching as well.
I'm not a real bar-going type of person these days--I left Lakeview for a reason. I hate any bar that smacks of Wrigleyville, or has similar, overpriced shitty beers, crap food, and waitresses who are hungover and look like they want to punch me.
Which is why I love the Westend. The food is good. It's not great, but after you eat it, you don't want to kill yourself (or worry about what kind of health code violations the bar is making). They actually have some decent wines by the glass so you can take your girlfriend there. The TVs are all very nice and have a variety of games going on at all times so you can keep up with pretty much whatever you came in to see. The music is cheesy but fine and the service, even when crowded is usually decent. The clientele is pretty well behaved. There are no drunk skanks tottering around on knockoff Loubies, and the Ed Hardy wearing douchebag quotient is fairly low--mostly people in their late 20's-30's who are unpretentious and friendly and from the neighborhood . It's a really nice neighborhood bar.
Came here on a Saturday night for a private party and Westend was awesome!
Firstly, they let our party have a private space (big room overlooking Madison with glass doors) for free! No charge, no package deal, no drink minimum....just "here's a private room!"
Also, the service is fantastic. I loathe bars where ordering a drink takes so long that by the time you get it you're sober again...not here! The drinks are great...they have the huge fishbowl drink that is the biggest drink I've ever seen in my life. It's fun for a table to share. The food is delicious and I highly recommend the stuffed hot pretzel appetizer.
I can't say enough great things about this place....go here! Oh, also nice touch with the flat-screen TV's built into the booths.
Business idea: open bar near United Center so every person attending an event doesn't go to one bar.
I mean the West End must be a goldmine! I've gone here the last two times I was going to the United Center for something (Clapton & Winwood and Pearl Jam- jealous?! You should be.) and it's been jamming! In a good way though, always a good time. Try and have your ever-privileged friend that gets off work early to score a table. Unless you are cool standing.
The place is a good time...depending on what is going on at the UC that night. When I was there, the crowd was pretty cool, (see: people slamming as many drinks as possible before having to pay $6.25 for a draft beer). They mix the music they play with the band that is playing at the UC that night; very good marketing tool to get people very excited and eager to get hammered! Hence the, " dude seriously, Pearl Jam is sick!, " I heard after a group of guys slammed O-bomb's.
The place is really big...they do try to pack it in. The bartenders try their best too, people just need to chill out! We know the show starts at 7:30...but that is ticket time people! You know they aren't going on until at least 8:15 p.m.! Settle down, you will get drunk. You will.
I had the caprese sandwich when I was here and it was really good, so were the fries. The sandwich didn't get soggy, which it often does, and it was loaded with tomatoes and cheese. Yum. I mean, I really just go here to pre-game so...that is about it with the food portion of this review.
They also have a shuttle that takes you to the UC! That is very nice of them, I mean really though. Tip the driver people, TIP THE DRIVER. Seriously.
You know what? I really like this place.
My friend was actually on a reality show that aired on Spike TV last night, and Westend was kind enough to not only designate an entire section of TVs in the bar to the show, but they also turned off the music and turned up the TVs so everyone could spread out and enjoy seeing our friend get crushed by professional football players. The staff was super accommodating.
Prices are just a touch high ($3.50 for a Coors Light draft? Ouch.), but I'll pay a bit extra to have a beer in a nice sports bar.
Oh yes... single ladies? This place is absolutely crawling with dudes. If you can't get a number here, you can't get a number anywhere!
This is how my Saturday night started.
Conversation with my friend from Minnesota: "Yo Angie! How…
Read more »
The amount of new cache that the Chicago Blackhawks have around these parts is astounding. It used to be that you could go into almost any bar near the United Center on a Blackhawks night and have it be just a little busier than normal, but nothing insane (unlike Bulls games). Those days are long gone - especially at Westend Bar.
The Blackhawks might still not sell out the United Center all the time, but their fans certainly sell out Westend.
Yes, it's Standing Room Only around these parts for a Bulls or a Blackhawks game. Well, even that's debatable. I was just amazed when I went here before the Blackhawks/Blue Jackets game a couple of weeks ago that the fire marshal or cops didn't bust down the door and shut the place down (cops are Blackhawks fans as well?). There really isn't even room to stand. The entire time I was there, however, I kept thinking to myself, "this bar wouldn't be so bad if it weren't packed to 2000 percent of capacity" (that might be hyperbole)."
There are really nice, large televisions placed in every possible sightline (especially important when trying to see through a sea - make that an ocean - of heads) and the patrons actually care what's on them.
And if you get there before 4:00 p.m. and manage to snag a booth (some of our group got there at 4:30 and were shut out), these have "private" televisions built into them. The tables, however, which can be snagged a bit later, are annoyingly small. But the tables are not as annoyingly small as the food portion. Even if my grilled cheese and avocado sandwich was excellent, at $8.50 - one of the cheapest things on the menu - for how small it was, it was not that excellent.
Still, all the annoyances (including the fact that these are not the working class Blackhawks fans but the yuppie ones) aside, Westend could be worse. They have a free shuttle to the United Center that runs "until every last person who wants it has taken it." The beer prices are slightly below average for the Near West Side. And finally they're Red Eye's bar for Michigan State in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, so props for that. Though the fact that a shudder went down my spine when I saw that and I haven't gone back might be saying something. And I'm not even that crowd averse.
Good place to watch a Hawks or Bulls game if you can't get tickets to go. It's always packed in here with fans before/after home games so plan on getting there early if you're looking to sit down and eat.
Had the buffalo chicken wrap and it was just ok. Nothing special. My friend had the chicken quesadillas, and they were just ok too. Service was semi-attentive, even when it wasn't so busy.
The buzz on Yelp is that this is one of the more popular places to watch the NHL playoffs. I can see why- there are about 30 or 50 televisions and/or mirrors reflecting televisions here (hard to tell which was which). A handful of intimate booths featured *two* TVs each (= disaster for a date / blissful compromise for a non-communicating & failing relationship), but anyone can sneak a peak at the current scoreboard during a trip to the men's room. The bar itself is a huge square, lending good visibility to the generous mix of 1) well-heeled businessmen, 2) unkempt XYs in sweatshirts, and 3) a fair number of fine-looking XXs who almost distracted me from my noble mission of cheering on the Penguins' pursuit of the 2009 Goblet of Stan. This might be a good spot for you to meet someone to some day share a romantic two-television booth.
My bartender wins an award for water refill frequency (did he realize, guy by himself w/ notebook = Yelp reviewer?) and kept doing the rounds for periodic updates on how things were going and/or to eavesdrop on my cryptic review of his service. I really enjoyed my fish tacos (mix/match of tilapia, cod, shrimp- all good) and drinks, and all were fairly priced. There's a good range of beers- the standard Miller and Budweiser is supported by the likes of Delirium, Fin du Monde, Anchor Steam, Flying Dog, etc. For the budget conscious, it's worth noting that at 8.5% alcohol, the $5 Founder's Dirty Bastard is a more cost-effective way to get your buzz on than the $3 drafts (Tuesday prices).
I've heard this place gets chaotic on Red Wings nights, but I rank it with the best for watching the other NHL playoff games.
"OMG, I found a bar that has awesome food, drink specials, it's near the United Center and has a trolley that will drive us to and from the UC for the (Bruce Springsteen, Hawks, Bulls etc) show/game! That is suuuuper cool, lets go!"
Yeah, apparently I was the last to get this memo. Getting to this bar at 5:30 any night of the week before an event at the United Center will get you, um, exactly NOTHING. We couldn't get a seat, couldn't get a drink at the bar, couldn't order food and once we decided to leave it took us 15 minutes to get out the door. It's a great idea in theory, especially since their food is pretty good and they've got that whole "we've got lots of wood and a whole bunch of tv's" thing going for them.
I would come back for the awesome food but probably not before any events at the United Center.
My good friend was on Spike TV's Pro's Vs. Joes (yea he's amazing) so he had the viewing party here last week. It's a pretty big bar, nicely sectioned off. They have a decent beer selection, they had Matilda on tap as well ,sometimes I can't believe I pay $9 for one beer. Oh well, life goes on.
I ended up ordering a Portabella Burger which was pretty good, the regular fries and sweet potatoe fries were FLAME! My friends enjoyed their burgers and salads too.
This is a spot to check out if you want to drag a huge group somewhere.
I've been here a few times for Blackhawks/Bulls games and it has been a great time. You will have a huge TV in your face wherever you look which is great for watching "the game." However, it can get ridiculously crowded, so you may also have someone's hand on your ass throughout "the game." Unless you want that hand on your ass, then you may like the crowdiness. Overall, great atmosphere to watch a game with a big group. Get there early and get a table or booth and you won't be disappointed. That's all I got....
I've been to this bar a couple of times, and it's usually just ok. They always have good game coverage on the tvs and I like their menu. The best sandwich is the chicken BLT with pancetta and mozerella. Their appetizers are a little different than your typical bar food.
To bring my review down a bit, last time I was there my boyfriend and I waited a good hour for our check/change and that was just bad service. Our waitress apologized after the first delay, but then continued to take another 30 minutes to return to us. I know it's busy, and they must have been understaffed but if you realized you were not providing good service, wouldn't you try to do better? We were in a back corner, so maybe that caused even more of a delay? I guess there shouldn't be any excuses.
This is the type of place where you stay close to the bar.
Holy shit is Westend Bar packed before a Bulls game. I should have known given the proximity to the United Center, but the brain was running a bit slow. I had to stand at my friends' table since I arrived later and wasn't able to grab a chair or put two tables together. Expect a decent wait between ordering and receiving drinks/food because of the large crowd. I had a few bites from the pretzel plate, which comes with one regular with salt, one pizza pretzel (with sauce in the middle), and a jalapeno one. The pretzels come out piping hot and soft, but harden quickly as they cool, so eat them fast. It also comes with cheese sauce and honey mustard on the side. The honey mustard is awesome, with a real kick to it that will make your sinuses tingle.
People are like vultures here when circling for an open table and will pounce the moment you make any movements to leave your spot. We took advantage of the free shuttle to the United Center, which didn't take long at all, and was sure to leave a buck or two for the driver.
Perfect neighborhood bar. I wouldn't frequent this location as often if I didn't live right next door - but for what it offers its A - ok.
If you are looking for a dining deal or a cheap date definitely call for their special of the day, they offer different $5 food specials. Its also a premo place to watch sports, they have mini flat screens in the booths and all through out the bar.
I have mixed feelings for this place.
I went in for happy hour, as I work a block away. When we got in it was dead, you know because it was 4pm. But soon enough it got busy. They have a decent beer selection, but no Newcastle! Lame! On fridays they have half priced appetizers, so that makes for a decent happy hour pull. The fries were really good, and everything else looked good too.
Downfall is the crowd. Its a lot of frat-ish guys, sort of bro-tastic. If you can tolerate that, or sit in the back, its fine. I had a good time and I'd go again. its probably better than many other things in the area, and hey its a block from work. Can't say no to that.
Went again, this time for $10 14" pizzas with unlimited toppings. Pizzas were decent, best with as many toppings as possible since the moz cheese is really salty. They also had a great beer deal and of course, yummy spinach artichoke dip (with unlimited chips!) My friend ordered the southwest salad, which she loves, but to me it was just mediocre since the flavors didn't blend as well as I've had before.
If I wasn't so into rating places based on food, I would give this place a 4 for service :)
Went here for 1/2 off appetizers, a special they had during a Blackhawks game. It wasn't jam packed… Read more »
great thursday night special - $2.50 domestic bottles (okay, not that great but whatevs) and $10 pizzas with unlimited toppings.
i was expecting a pretty crappy bar pizza but i was pleasantly suprised! simple crust, simple sauce, fresh meats & veggies = good solid pie for a good solid $10. definitely feeds 2 people easily, probably 3 less hungry people.
servers were really friendly and attentive. one of the girls actually remembered my bf since he and his roommates come in pretty frequently - points for her!
it's right down the street from his place, so i'm sure we'll keep coming back for their weekday specials...
This is the alternative to hitting up The Stanley Club (see other reviews or "Local Hockey" list) after events at the United Center or playing a game at Johnny's Ice House. They've got a very respectable beer selection that is reasonably priced, and from what I've had from the kitchen, a pretty nice menu. My only complaint is that the kitchen doesn't stay open long enough; it would be awesome to be able to order late night eats after the games let out and some beers have been consumed.
Huge seating areas away from the bar with flat screens and even personal screens at some booths scattered throughout; outdoor seating in warmer weather.
If there is a big game I want to see you will find me here watching it. Heck on any weekend of the college football season you will find me and my friends here watching all the games. This place can get very crowded and you have to get there early if you want to get a table. Once you stake your claim you cans sit back watch the game on what seems like a hundred big screen TVs. This is a Four Corner's bar you know what that means. Great food! Just about everything on the menu is good. I like their salads and wings. I really like that you can get different kinds of seasoning on the fries. Even though this place gets very busy the service is always quick.
It's been a while since we hit this newer bar to our hood. The first thing I noticed were the obnoxiously loud douchebags getting good and sauced at the bar in the middle of the day. Don't you tools know about Market? I had a hard time even hearing my wife or our waitress. Thankfully these jackasses departed pretty early into our visit and we settled back to enjoy ourselves. This place is big and loft styled. Many rooms, outdoor seating and tons of plasmas all around already showing whatever games are on. Like that in my bars. They have revised the menu and got rid of the best things on it sadly. Pretty stock bar options now. We split the pretzel app. Pass on the pizza one-no bueno. Unfortunately the apps seemed to be the best things left on the menu. I had some good wings. Get the insanity hot, spicy is nicey. My wife had the shrimp skewer and gazpacho. These were both huge portions and she got a big bowl of soup and two huge skewers of big ass shrimp. I've seen smaller lobster tails.
This was a good meal and they had some great beers on tap. Sam summer, Bells Oberon and Hacker Pschorr being the best of the lot. Not that it would have made a difference to the chumpy crowd that was already sloshed in the early afternoon. I could do without that questionable element, but this is a nice option to have in the neighborhood. Not too pricey either.
I live pretty close to this place so needless to say, I've been there a few times...and on different nights. The food is always good. The bartenders are very cool.
Weekends at night, you can be sure that it will be crowded. Weekdays, not so much. Its a pretty good place to go if you're headed to a bulls game or blackhawks game. They have a free shuttle to the United Center.
West End derives an extra star for the insanely cute/sweet/lovely door guy who let me in, despite the fact that I'd somehow left my wallet at home...I made it through the entire evening (elite party at West Loop Studio) and was completely oblivious that I had no money, no ID, and no way to get any money...(an extra thank you to my Yelp angel, Andrea W/R for spotting me the cash to get home...sigh)
Doorguy: Id Please.
Me: No problem.
Me: ::::errr, ok, maybe small problem:::::
Andrea: She's 25!
Doorguy: When were you born?
Me: Ummm, god, I drank a lot of champagne. 1982.
Doorguy: You hesitated.
Me: No, really. I'm set with 1982, trust me.
Doorguy: When did you graduate high school.
Me: Shit, what was IN that champagne!? uhhhhh, 2001.
Doorguy: Ok, ok...go ahead.
Me: Sweet, I passed!
So thank you doorman, in fact I am 25 years of age...I have been legally swindling champagne and consequently forgetting relevant facts for 4 years strong. Many kudos for allowing me into the after party...
Luckily, I did not see the plush leather furniture because I am pretty certain I would've curled up for a nap. Instead I perched at the bar and chit chatted the night away with some of my favorite yelpers....
Large bar, big crowd, clean, spacious, decent food offerings...and I didn't even have any money to buy anymore drinks, which probably saved me from myself, as I already wrangled an immense champagne hangover the next morning. We'll call it "rose" colored glasses...of pain.
I'd def go back, it's pretty sports bar trendy for me...but the staff was sweet and I want to sit in one of those chairs. :)
"Don't you think It's sort of loud in here? Wanna go?"
"Pardon?"
I said, "DON'T YOU THINK IT'S SORT OF LOUD IN HERE? WANNA GO?"
"I can't hear you. Let's go. It's too loud in here."
I think the bar is great. The food is good, it's a great place to watch a game, the bartenders are good and there is a shuttle to United Center events. I live across the street so it's definitely a good place to hang out BUT I have been treated badly twice by the manager and it really left a bad taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong, I will still go there if forced but if I see the manager, I walk back out.
Service? Already had my fill of champagne preceding my arrival so ordered only 1 beer from my server. Clearly a huge favor to West End's patrons.
Okay, so I'm struggling. What I do remember is this: spacious, clean, new-ish upscale bar with an extensive menu. Lots of space around the bar for me to drunkenly lean against. They played U2's "Lemon"! Flat screen TV's everywhere. And bright flashes of light courtesy of several digital cameras. I have yet to see pictures from our unofficial after-party here but I'm sure I was having all kinds of fun.
Plenty of space in the front party-room area. Maybe this is the area we hijacked? I'll have to give this spot another go during football season. Seemed like a solid neighborhood sports bar. I promise to provide more commentary following my next visit.
I arrived buzzed, and left cross-eyed. Thats usually a sign that I liked the place.
From what I can remember:
It was really big and had wonderful bathrooms.
It was too expensive for me, so I gave the bartender my story of how I'm an unpaid intern, so what can I get thats cost-effective (more drunk for my buck)... He hands me a long island ON THE HOUSE. WHAT?!
That should've been my only drink there, because homeboy made it STRONG... but it wasn't. Oh, me.
The bouncers didn't even make fun of me (loud enough for me to hear, that is) as I left with my shoes in hand. Good times. I would like to go back on a night they have specials.
In all fairness to them, they had no idea a slew of drunken Yelpers were going to pile in when things were winding down for the evening. So be fair peeps. I found it to be a clean space with a huge bar and plasmas for everyone. Whether they needed it or not. I also was completely sober (and REALLY blonde) when I arrived so it may hold a little influence over my general impression.
While the servers were clearly overwhelmed, (did anyone think to give them a heads up?) I had no problems because my Rolodex of a brain went into overdrive trying to figure out where I knew the bartender from. And when I saw the staff dancing as fast as they could, I ordered a bottle of wine instead of a glass, just to do my part.
They were wonderful to me and when I got my bill at the end, there was a few rounds of "goodwill" shots and drinks on there. All in all, I think its a nice room, maybe not so great acoustics but I loved the "flashback of my life" soundtrack of '90's pop and indie rock that was playing, the flirty softball teams, the kick ass service from Connie the bartender and the remarkable patience and grace under pressure.
One star off for the waitress asking people to close their tabs so she could leave. My answer as an owner would have been "we have a 2 am license". And I got carded so I should actually throw the fifth star in gratuitously
I don't hang around much in the West Loop. My impression of the West Loop is that it's so new that there's not much of a scene there. I'm always hoping to be proved wrong, but West End didn't really change my sentiment.
Yes, yes, there's an art scene, and there's a restaurant scene in W.L., but my taste in both is amateur at best. What the area lacks is the history that tends to seep into the bars, restaurants and people in areas that have been around long enough to have a history.
That's what I didn't feel here. The place was VERY nice, actually. Chairs that were more like thrones, a huge wraparound bar, lots of partially-enclosed areas that don't quite succeed in making West End feel smaller and cozier than it is.
I also don't trust bars that don't sell "staple" beers -- Old Style, Schlitz, PBR. Those standbys usually mean a bar has been there for the long-haul (or intends to be there for the long-haul). Instead, when asking if they had Old Style, then asking if they had PBR, I could see the waitress's smirk gradually widen. Hey, I'd been slamming Bellinis all night, I needed to go back to my roots. They did have High Life, so there's the saving three-star grace.
Ordering a beer like that is just my little quiet way of taking the piss out of a bar that's good, but so far, unremarkable. Maybe I should have spilt my beer all over the place -- a small contribution to an as yet blank canvas.
Owned by the Four Taverns Group (think Gaslight, Brownstone, etc.), & damn was I happy to hear that as we sat down for grub last night.
Four Taverns Group = Best Southwest Salad EVER!!!
I was this|close to licking my plate when I was done. Love it.
Being that our group was varied in our favorite baseball teams, after dinner, we all made our way to the cushiony goodness that was the back room area with the leather seating & zillion flat screens. Left for the Tigers fan, Middle for the Red Sox fan, Right for me & the other Cubs fans. When the Red Sox were done, boom, the boys from Comiskey appeared for our White Sox fan.
The staff was super friendly, the food was delicious (mmmmm garlic fries - don't plan on kissing anyone after, though, & bring strong gum), & the availability of ALL of our favorite teams on the tellys was fantastic.
Bonus points for having soccer on which prompted me to have an incredibly tasty dream of David Beckham later....
Westend Bar and Grill was the "after party" bar of choice for the Elite event at West Loop Studios. Yelpers headed over there and partied into the night.
Nice little "dark oak and brass" bar with enough room for even out group to spread out. Plenty of TVs, great bartenders who were attentive to my drinking habit.
So this is another reason to take the Green Line and continue to discover the West End if you are not from that area.
OK, I can't help it, this is a Four Corners Tavern bar, and they have the Rueben Rolls...in my mind, this gives them four stars alone!
The food is very good (love the seasoning on their fries), they have decent food specials...lots of TVs if you're in the mood to watch a game. The service is adequate and attentive enough.
Yeah, it's a little full of the "I used to live in Lincoln Park, but now I'm so much cooler and live in the West Loop" people, but you don't have to talk to them. Just sit back, order some Rueben Rolls (trust me, you need them) and have a cocktail. Life's too short to worry about the d-bags at the next table.
"Are you going to the after-party?"
"Is there an after-party?"
"Where's the after-party?"
"What's around here?"
"West End."
"West End? As in the Pet Shop Boys' song, 'West End Girls'?"
"It's where? Where's that?"
"We going now?"
----------
End scene.
West End was within walking distance from West Loop Studio (and if you were careful that night, you probably avoided that doggie mess on the sidewalk on the way there....Not that I know or anything). It was a lot bigger inside than it looked from the outside. The place was already busy with the after-work crowds and softball teams (Thanks, MaryAnne, for pointing out that table, by the way.), and I'm sure our party of - how many? - made the place 10 times louder and busier.
I'd have to agree that there were too many TVs, especially in that back room where most of us sat. The women's bathroom was pretty big, and in my opinion, a good thing for a busy bar. My only interaction with the bartenders was when I had to get some water. To me, they looked pretty relieved when I only asked for water. Pizzas were really tasty and hit the spot during this drinking fiesta. It wasn't't a bad place, and I'm sure I'll be back whenever I'm in the area again.
Have been here only after Bulls/Hawks games, so I can't comment on how the place is normally, but I've always had a blast. As you can imagine, it gets crowded but if you can score a table, there's no reason to leave anytime soon. This will likely be my default, post-UC bar for sometime.
Three words:
Watered-
Down
Beer.
Want two more?
Hellaciously
Overpriced.
I have chosen to write my first review on the West End because, somehow, it has become my most frequented establishment since moving to Chicago. I have been here five times in two months, um wow, that's embarrassing. The food is above average bar food. Not to mention on Mondays the special is $5 burger and fries, which can only be out done by Thursday's $10 pizza (unlimited toppings) and $15 buckets of Goose! I'm a sucker for a great beer special and their pizza is quite yummy. There are lots of TVs and the waitstaff is very attentive about putting your favorite team on for your viewing pleasure.
They lack 5 stars because their waitstaff is not very knowledgeable about their beers. Now maybe that is only because I am a beer snob, if there is something on the menu that I am unfamiliar with I am going to require an explanation followed by a sample. And the beer selection isn't extensive; so I feel they should be able to tell me if it is a lager or an ale. If I ask if they have any IPA's they should know the answer to that too.
Otherwise nothing to complain about and chances are you will find me there on Thursdays.
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Neighborhood: West Loop
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: West Loop
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: West Loop
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: West Loop
Category: Gastropubs
Some good places to skate either within the city,…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
My new goal - to sample some of the flavor from…
I do happy hour a lot with my friends. Here's a…
west of the river east of ashland south of…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
No matter what it is, everything is better when…
A hockey idiot learns about the Great White…
