Blackie's is a cozy neighborhood bar that boasts excellent burgers and a fascinating history. Â Service is solid and the friendliness of the patrons envelops you as you enjoy a cold one at the classic style bar. Â Positioned near the Dearborn Station to service passengers going in and out of the city, Blackie's is used to strangers passing though its doors. Â But do yourself a favor, don't be a stranger to this Chicago establishment.
Review Source:Cute place serving late breaky :-)
I was craving breakfast but it was noon or 1pm. Where on earth was I going to find breakfast at this hour? Luckily we passed blackies on the corner of the street. It's a restaurant/bar/arcade. It has everything you need. I ordered the corn beef hash and it came with eggs, hash browns and toast. It was a lot of food for ~$10. The service was good but the bathroom was tiny. Overall, it's a decent place if you're looking for pretty good food and a laid back atmosphere.
I am giving Blackie's three stars for good service, decent food and a good menu. Blackies is the type of place that you go to while catching up with an old friend or a low key bar that you go to for a quick bite alone. The atmosphere at Blackies is not your life of the party bar where you go to meet people, but it is a relaxing reasonably priced bar.
Enjoy!
Pros -
Juke Box
Pac Man arcade game
Bar table top game
Good seating
Shot specials after 9pm
Friendly bartenders and waiters
Cons -
Shot specials don't start until 9pm
You can't get an itemized copy of your bill to take with you
Very quiet bar
This place is everything a standard bar should be.
No obnoxious music, no hipsters, great service, good food, and great drink specials.
I've lived in the area for 3 years now and cant believe I waited so long to review this place.
Blackies, my "go to" bar.... you are awesome. Don't change.
It was a company's event the menu was pre-fixed with open bar. Because I don't drink, I just keep ordering soda with no alcohol. Anyway, the appetizer was sliced tomatos on the bread, which is not too different from the break offered free. So, I did not see much value there. For the main, veggie pasta was served, which was pretty good. This place should be a lot more enjoyable if you get to order your foods on your own.
Review Source:Hello adorable little bar within walking distance where I can order a nice brunch, lunch, drink, and/or dinner!
I ordered the salmon burger and a dirty martini. Salmon burger was scrumptious and the fries were a little crunchy on the ends-- my favorite! Service was great, waitress was friendly and seemed like she actually enjoyed her job. The outside patio is great for people-watching, who doesn't LOVE people watching? Personally, it's my favorite past time.
I'm a fan of Blackie's. Cheers!
Stopped in here for dinner before going out on Saturday night. Â Not a very comprehensive beer list. Â For food we ordered a burger and the jerk chicken sandwich. Â The jerk chicken sandwich tasted like some kind of sour lemon flavoring and was not edible. Â The burger was ok, not great. Â I asked for it rare, and it was pretty close to rare which doesn't always happen these days. Â While it looks like they make their own patties, the burger was pretty dry on the inside (keep in mind it was rare) which to me means they make the patties and then freeze them? Â Not sure if that's true, but that's unfortunate if it is. Â It didn't taste like the patty had any seasoning either, but maybe that was due to the freezing process. Â They do know how to grill onions for a burger so that was a redeeming quality. Â Also, the fries were pretty good too. Â
Our waitress while talking to us about the menu gets called away to talk to someone on the phone. Â I will assume that it was a customer for a takeout order, but we're sitting right there in the bar trying to order, so that was a little annoying, but otherwise she was very friendly. Â I do wish she had steered us away from that chicken sandwich...
The music was controlled by a juke box, which is fine, but for some reason if no one had selected songs then NO music would play which happened a couple times and gives a very strange atmosphere.
Overall not great... but at least the price was ok. Â With Villains around the corner its going to be hard to justify coming here again.
The patio is an urban delight watching the South Loopers, and visitors navigate through the area whilst soaking up the dying embers of the day and later the excitement of the night.
The bar is what a bar should be. Â Long, wooden and equipped. Â Quick with a drink and in some cases refills. Â Music on the Jukebox (Your choice). Â Familiar faces. Â Good times. Â Decorations for every occasion. Â TVs for the games at every turn of the head. Â Mirrors to people watch and soak in the atmosphere. Â Cute signs. Â Sometimes rocking and sometimes relaxed. Â The coffee at the end of the visit is a must - really good.
Dining area is very good. Â Comfortable. Â The food is terrific. Â I eat lunch there regularly and have never had a bad meal. Â New menu items are appreciated, and the specials help keep the choices varied. Â It isn't Alinea, but for a reasonable price you get a tasty meal. Â It is my place of choice for casual business meetings, or to grab a bite in South Loop. Â Breakfasts are fabulous too.
The hidden gem is the private party area. Â Absolutely stunning. Â It feels like walking back in time. Â A remarkable venue for private parties. Â I even held an international owners business meeting over a couple of days. Â Everything was amazing. Â Catered to our every need.
Service is excellent. Â They have their rushes like every good establishment. Â You see the staff hustling to get everything handled. Â When things are settled they are attentive and cheerful.
Greatest moment was probably sitting at a table next to the table of The Greatest.
The owners are quite literally the best. Â They care. Â You see them regularly in the restaurant and bar making sure the standards are kept up. Â They know the regulars, the community and are always pleased to make new friends.
Came in with a group of 7, and were seated promptly. However, we didn't see a waiter for at least 10 minutes. A staff member came by and brought us tiny glasses of water, which we promptly drained. We were never asked if we wanted drinks, which we did. With a group our size, they should have left the pitcher of water on the table, since we were almost always sitting with empty glasses. We finally got to place our orders (10 minutes + after sitting down), and the food took quite a while to come out. Tasted good, excellent fries, good pasta, good burgers. (prices a bit high, but for the city, not bad). We were again ignored as soon as the food was on the table. That was the last we saw of our server, one of our group had to hunt someone down for our check.
We were quite upset to find that there was an 18% gratuity added to groups of 6+. I'm thinking this might be the reason for lack of service, they already knew they were guaranteed a nice tip. Only time we ever saw a server was to take food orders and to drop off food. Horrible, horrible service. I have never been so ignored at a restaurant before!
I live right around the block and Blackies has become my go-to dinner and a beer destination. Specifically, they make a killer burger and fries (I know, I know, there's not much to deep-fried potatoes - but they are seriously awesome!). If you want the burger, check out the $8 before 8PM special (valid 7 days p/w).
This is definitely a low-key neighborhood restaurant and that's why I love it: no pretense, great prices, tasty food and cheap drinks.
Came here this past Sunday to watch the Bears game due to Villains just a half block north seemed to be abandoned. I didnt have a problem coming here as an alternative because I often heard their burgers are pretty darn good, not to mention I was starving and this was the closest place from my original destination.
I ordered a Modelo along with a Blackie's Cheeseburger. The burger was pretty damn good as it didnt take too long to come out. Great flavor and a nice size! Two Modelos later along with a bloody mary (hungover from the night before) and I was a few sheets to the wind. The bloody mary itself needed some serious doctoring up though.
This place is pretty cool except for the music selection. Sounds like I was listening to a lot of 70s & 80s country classics. Televisions at all angles for your viewing pleasures. Seems like a place where friendly people come for food and drinks.
The first time we went we were seated right away. Service was really good and the food was fine. Decent portions etc. Nice and kid firendly as there is plenty of space in there for a stroller.
Second time, we wanted to see the ManU v's City game and were told prior that it would be on. We got there and they tried to get it on, it wasnt available for the network? so we missed almost all the game. We ended up at the South Water Kitchen on Wabash and they had it :) So difficult to find a real football game playing. As big as ManU.....Chicago is disappointing at times. Really!!!!!
Nice enough. When you come in you pass the bar first, so you get to check what is on tap.
I had the BLT which had meaty and thick bacon cooked just right for a sandwich. The mayo was great and not overwhelming, with just the right amount applied. The lettuce was whole leaf and crispy. Very enjoyable. I chose coleslaw for my side and it was very tasty and a generous amount served on another leaf of lettuce.
I had the $3.50 Stella on tap.
Overall a very good meal experience.
I can't say I've ever actually wined or dined here, but since my aunt is an acquaintance of the owner, we used the bar's bathroom while tailgating for a football game in the parking lot across the street. Â The staff was friendly and accommodating - and we paid them back by taking a hearty shot of tequila before going on our merry way. Â
Plus, the breakfast looked top notch. Â I should probably go in to eat sometime.
3-stars is about right.
This is a good place to go when you just want a burger and a beer and to get out of the house for an hour or so. Don't expect it to blow your doors down. It satisfies thirst and hunger and does it okay I guess. Nothing special though.
Out of all the Blackie's I've been to in Chicago, this one is the best in terms of customer service. Other Blackie's have waitresses that act like they're going to bite your face off (I'm looking at you, Blackie's on Wells). Thanks for being normal waitresses!
This place is ok.... The breakfast was pretty okay. Â I had the french toast, sage sausage links & 1 scrambled egg. Â The french tast was fluffy, but both the toast & sausage were served to me at room temp. Â They have some great coffee selections, and the waitress kept the refills coming so I was able to keep the caffine lion inside of me tame just a while longer.
My husbands scrambled eggs were served VERY runny, and he had to send them back, but he enjoyed the hash & wheat toast that accompanied his meal. Â The pricing for the meal was decent, but I could not bring myself to pay $5.50 for a mimosa made with Andre'. Â I can but a whole bottle of Andre' for $5 bucks and mimosa myself to no end at home (which is what I ended up doing anyway)! lol.
This place looks like it doubles as a sports bar, but from my table the TV view wasn't that optimal so I doubt that I will be catching a baseball game here anytime soon.
Not sure that it would be one of my first 3 choices for lunch or brunch, but could be a 4th choice depending on the day.
So Blackies is in our hood and we go there every now and then, especially since Hackneys is on my bad side with their raised prices and less food on the plate meals. Â We always sit outside - the patio is nice and it's dog friendly!! Â The best thing I've had at Blackies is the tuna melt - so, so good. Â I recently discovered that I like tuna salad, but am very picky about where I order it from (so far, jimmy johns and Blackies are the only two I like) and Blackies not only does it right, but it was so good on the grilled bread with cheese. Â Cole slaw is fresh, colorful and flavorful - and homemade. Â Why someone would get chips instead is beyond me. Â Aside from that, the fried mushrooms are pretty good, as are the burgers. Â Go before 8pm and you get a burger and draft domestic beer (including 312 and others) for 8 bucks.
Great local restaurant with decent food and a nice outdoor patio.
Ok, I'll admit that I tried this place because I heard Vince Vaughn eats breakfast here sometimes. Â Sadly, no Vince, but I thought the food was great and cheap. Â Loved the hash browns. Â
I'd like to have come later in the day because if you check in via FB, you can get a bucket of beers for $10! Â Sweet.
Old style bar with a pretty good kitchen. Â It is Sunday night so kitchen closes at 7pm and had to hussle to get there for dinner. Â Ate pizza and drank manhattans. Â A decent meal, but the pizza ws average at best.
Prompt service, clean, did not smell.
At that end of Dearborn and Clark you are a block off of the lake and it has a residential feel to it. Â Very comfortable area to walk around.
Not a monunental experience, just getting a bite to eat. Â Would have been better if I went with locals.
We've lived in the South Loop for 3 years and have never tried this SL institution so we decided to finally try it. In the end, we probably would've been better off waiting another 3...
Here are my gripes:
1. Ambiance. It smelled...off. When you walk in a restaurant you want it to smell like the delicious food you are about to eat, not your grandma's musty house (and I understand some places that is part of the charm...not here).
2. Service. Our server sat at an empty table and was on her phone the entire time. We had to stand up and walk over to her on multiple occasions to get her attention and, even then, she acted like she couldn't be bothered with us.
3. The food. Chicken sandwich was not worth $11. A smallish piece of chicken (with odd tasting BBQ sauce) inside a massive store-bought bun. Â The lettuce and tomato were inedible. Tots and loaded grilled cheese were forgettable.
The only saving grace for Blackie's was that when my fiance checked in via Facebook a coupon for free tots pulled up. That is the only reason it is getting a 3 instead of the 2 I think it deserves.
This seems like Blackie's is just skating by on it's history. With places like Villains and Hackneys (or, hell, even Bar Louie) nearby, I think we'll be skipping this one from now on.
My better half and I went to the annual Printer's Row Lit Fest and found ourselves at Blackie's for lunch. Â Our initial thoughts were to head into Bar Louie but since we haven't tried Blackie's, we figured it'd be as good a time to try it out as any. Â The Lit fest brought in a fair amount of walk-ins; the sidewalk was full so we were thankful for available seating indoors. Â The hostess was pleasant and led us to our table quickly. Â Kudos for the A/C on a hot day but please invest in a vent cover. Â Sitting there felt like we were in the path of a leaf blower. Â I wouldn't want vent dust all over my plate of food either.
Our eyes land on the mushroom burger - pretty standard but should be good yes? Â Asking about the tuna, our server casually mentioned it was out of a can. Â *Sigh* Â Oh well, I'm starving so let's try the tuna melt anyways. Â How bad can it be? Â The food arrived and my heart sank.
The tuna melt was essentially a grilled cheese with tuna salad in it. Â The sandwich was carelessly treated - the slices of bread snapped in half on each wedge of the sandwich and tossed back on top (as in 2 cracked slices of bread on top of being sliced). Â The cheese had already hardened. Â Nothing worse than warm tuna salad with hardened cheese. Â The side? Â Greasy gross potato chips. Â Completely my fault for even chancing a tuna melt at a burger joint. Â The mushroom burger, however, was also consistently bad. Â The burger came thick but gray and flavorless - a McDonald's would do a better job. Â The saddest thing was the best thing on the plate was the bought-in fries.
My wife mentioned that the place looked like a prime candidate for Kitchen Nightmares upon sitting down. Â I'm deeply saddened to see she was right. Â The kitchen didn't care about the food going out and it showed. Â For every person, there are usually a couple of things that one holds close to his heart... sacred even. Â For myself, there is the juicy goodness of a hearty burger and the custardy goodness of a fluffy bread pudding. What occurred at Blackie's could only be described as crime against gastronomy.
Here's the dilio, it's standard bar food; a little more, nothing less.
Do I feel they have the best burgers in town? Definitely not.
Are their menu items spectacular? Not by a long shot.
Is the music too loud? Umm, yeah.
Is there a comfortable feel when you walk in where you know no one is judging you and you can get a fresh salad or order carryout and have consistent food everytime? You know it!
I've said all that needs to be said about the Printer's Row staple otherwise known as Blackie's...Oh, except, I'll be there!
With a friend who lives in the neighborhood- Blackie's is more of a default stop than a destination. Usually it's for a drink at the bar versus eating while we figure out what we really want to do that night.
What surprises me the most every time I pull open the door is how I am consistently the only person in the place. Case in point, the last time I went here, my friend was running late so I parked the car and went into Blackie's. Now mind you, this is 6pm on a Saturday night so I expected there to be at least one other person in the place. Nope. Just me.
Fine by me as the service is always efficient but not necessarily friendly. If I am going to drink by myself, I long for a friendly bartender who will exchange a word or two with me, otherwise I sit at the bar alone looking at my image reflected in the mirror behind the bar like some crazed alcoholic!
Depending on the bartender, your drink will either be perfectly poured- or so strong that you'll wonder if there is any mixer in the thing! Prices for drinks and beers are reasonable and reflect most of the other places around this neighborhood.
The decor is eclectic. "Hands" holding beer bottles march across the top of the bar. Christmas lights seem to be a year round decoration and there are bar game machines scattered about.
So if you find yourself in the area and in need of a cocktail, stop in. Street parking is easy and seemingly you'll never have a problem finding a stool to belly up to the bar!
Blackie's IS NOT a bar that decided to put eggs, bacon, and coffee on the menu for the hell of it - these guys do breakfast just the way you need it! The specials are derivations of pretty standard breakfast fare (skillets, omelets, eggs Benedict). Portions are great and value is tremendous. They brew a good cup of coffee and, from what I was told, make a mean Bloody Mary.
The tables turn pretty quickly, so don't get alarmed if you walk in to a full room. You can always eat at the bar, if you're cool with that. But, if the Bears are playing, you might want to get there early or find someplace else to go.
Sunday Bears game food and watering required (which was not Bar Louie). Blackie's, you're right around the corner and you have cheap beers on Fridays - maybe you'll be exactly the right spot to watch the game!
Blackie didn't exactly share our hopes and dreams.
Breakfast is served on the weekends until 1 or so, "drink specials" include $4.50 Bloody Marys and $5.50 mimosas, respectively. Generally speaking, you put a Bloody in front of me and it's down my gullet in a hot second. But not these Bloodies. My companion actually swiped mine and finished it because I could not bear to. As he put it, "tastes like an airport Bloody". Awful. We quickly ordered two Champagne of Beers to get the taste out.
Onto the chicken wings. No sauce, just deep fried with your "choice" of bbq (not good) and dill ranch (no option to try, didn't arrive with the wings, but didn't ask for it). They were pretty big and pretty juicy but I guess I just like mine pre-sauced and buffalo'd. Eh. The side salad was pretty good, no limp lettuce or anything.
A few more beers, one more entree and watching the Lions get housed by the Bears later, the bill. Get ready.... wait for it... SIXTY THREE DOLLARS.
I know! Me too!
We sat there in stunned silence trying to figure out who added a small tract of land to our order until we realized the math appeared correct. $3.50 for High Life which, no matter where I'm at, is infuriating (and we didn't even have that many). Hand-totaled checks always make me a little nervous, but this one seemed to be pretty correct.
Lesson of the day: stick to Blackie's for their cheap beer Fridays and find somewhere else to spend a Bears game. Ouch.
Not sure why there's a disparity between the ratings. Â The only thing I can think of is that people are expecting Blackies to be something it's not. Â It's not haute cuisine. Â It doesn't have the family fun atmosphere like Hackney's, nor does it pretend to. Â
Sure, you can walk in and it might take a few moments for someone to acknowledge your presence. Â The restaurant is dim. Â There's a juke box that gasp, still uses CD's. Â The floor in the rear of the restaurant is uneven. Â Going to the men's room is like a journey through the olden days of Chicago (but believe me, it's a cool walk from your table to the actual restroom)
But who cares? Â Blackie's doesn't pretend to be glitzy and glamorous. Â They do a 5 dollar martini on Sundays, and they may have some drink specials, but don't expect to get the red carpet treatment when you come here. Â The best I can liken it to is to O'Leary's Public House, except this place isn't Irish.
They have very good bruschetta, as someone has alluded to. Â Don't like garlic infused bruschetta? Â Then you've never had real bruschetta. Â There's a lot of garlic in Blackie's, and it's very flavorful. Â Like burgers? Â This is a pretty good place for them. Â Enough said. Â And it's one of the few places in Chicago that still serves liver sausage sandwiches, and believe me - it doesn't taste bad at all.
You have your selection of beers. Â Some are the popular ones, but indeed - they still have PBR, Old Style, Miller High Life, MGD Lite, etc. etc. Service is pretty quick, and prices are reasonable. Â Your check even comes in this cool little folder that has the Camel cigarette logo lit up using hidden LCD's. Â Yes, I know that promoting smoking isn't great, but the concept of the LCD lit check book is pretty cool.
Recommended if you are going with a group of people for lunch or dinner, or if you like eating or drinking by yourself. Â Skip it if you expect it to have the same ambiance as Bar Louie or Hackney's.
After taking my brother's dog for a walk with my mom on a bright, sunny Saturday afternoon we decided to stop here for a drink. They have a really good selection of beers, but I can't remember exactly what they had on tap except for Blue Moon which is what my mother got.
Their bruschetta is amazing. Crisp, fresh, and perfectly seasoned they really made the stop worth while. Should I ever journey back to Chicago in the future I'll definitely have to stop back here and have dinner, since I'm sure it won't disappoint.
The service was also very good. We had one waiter and another gentleman who I think was on bus-boy duty, but helped us out a great deal. We'd gone for a long walk before settling down at one of their outside tables so Chalupa was thirsty and we were letting him drink out of one of the water glasses. Romeo, the bus-boy, was probably taking his break but came over and asked if we'd want a water bowl for the dog. We were very surprised, especially since we hadn't been all too sure they would allow us to sit with the dog anyhow.
Not far from our Chicago office, and I'm always looking for a good breakfast place, and from the outside and the menu, this looked good.
There is a sign above the door that says "Slightly better than hospital food." - cute, I thought, until my food arrived, then I realized I'd have to taste hospital food again before I could pass final judgment.
The food was really bland. Â I ordered an omelette, bacon and hash browns. Â The omelette was incredibly unseasoned in any way. Â The portions were all pretty good size, but no amount of salt and pepper could wake the dish up. Â I kept looking down at what I was eating as it was colorful and looked good, but completely void of taste.
Hash browns (?) were like mashed potatoes. Â If they aren't supposed to be hash browns and are supposed to be more like grits, then it's my mistake, but they were creamy like plain 'ol mashed potatoes.
Bacon was small and fatty in comparison to other restaurants.
Service was decent, food came fast, prices reasonable. Â Bummer because the place scored reasonably well in all other departments, it's a cute place, clean, homey, but sheesh, the food was inexcusable.
I live in the neighborhood and don't even eat at this place anymore. Most people get confused, thinking it's affiliated with Boston Blackie's and it's not. So go a block over to Hackney's if you're looking for a great burger -- you ain't gonna get one here.
Everytime I've been, I thought the food was just so-so and the service quite indifferent. Fortunately there are many more options in Printer's Row and this place is a last resort. Only go there if you're famished and every place else is crowded. I guarantee you that Blackie's won't be.
I ate here recently with some friends and although the food was good, I was not blown away. I had a ham and swiss omelette and the eggs were very much overcooked.
Portions were very well sized though and prices were reasonable. It doubles as a good "morning after" breakfast place for those rough nights when you just need something in your stomach again...
Where is everyone? Â Why is it that, when we visit on any evening, we're the only ones here? Â The service is just fine, beer selection is very good, prices are reasonable, they've got outdoor seating, and the parking's not really that hard to find. Â
Maybe I'm just going at the wrong times, but if I wanted to drink alone, I'd stay at home. Â
It's a fine place to enjoy a beverage, but BYOB. Â (Bring Your Own Buddies).
Simply not good. Â I ate here last night and was very disappointed with both food and service. Â
I ordered a BLT while my husband ordered a cheeseburger, and we split a basket of onion rings.  The BLT was made with overcooked and low quality bacon, the bread  was of the Wonderbread variety, and the mayonnaise tasted like it was about to turn.  The cheeseburger was okay, but was heavily overcooked and served on a low quality bun.  Add to that extremely slow service and my opinion of Blackie's continued to drop and drop.
The only saving grace? Â AMAZINGLY GOOD ONION RINGS!!! Â Apparently they make their own beer batter and fry the onion rings fresh. Â The onion rings were really quite a treat. Â And I should also mention that, while tortuously slow, our waiter was pleasant and friendly.
I just wish the onion rings were enough to save the otherwise disappointing experience.
I love Blackie's- granted it could be because of all the times I've been there and had drinks with friends. Â The staff is super friendly and the menu is good reliable bar food. Â
The patio is a definite winner, but just make sure you let the wait staff know that you're out there- or you could be sitting a while. Â Also, even if the kitchen is closed, sometimes the staff will be nice and make you a pizza if you're still hungry. Â
In short- it's a great place to relax and have a drink- especially if the patio is open. Â Also great for a group- we've been accommodated with last minute groups of more than 20 people.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
