This 4 star review is really for the Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza. Â I was hesitant to order pizza at this place of all the pizza places in Chicago, but I didn't regret it. Â It was absolutely delicious and some of the best pizza I've had in a while. Â Plus it came in slices which are so much better than those little squares!
There are tons of TVs everywhere which made this a great place to catch a Hawks game on a Friday night. Â There are lots of beers on tap to choose from, and the waitress was there often enough to make us take full advantage of all of those beer options. Â
The only really weird thing is how HUGE the booths are. Â I had to be one of those couples I usually judge that sit on the same side of a table ... but the booth was so wide I literally couldn't hear my boyfriend otherwise. Â
As an IU fan, I can only hope they'll bring this divine pizza to Kirkwoods - otherwise, I'll be back here for more!
This is probably my favorite place in the city for generic sports watching (e.g. playoffs when my team is not involved or when there are 3 or 4 football/basketball games on at once). Â The number of TVs that they have is ridiculous and, weather permitting, there is a decent sized patio outside with more TVs. Â Their beer selection is good - I would say on par with many of the other Southport bars though. Â I really like the atmosphere at night too... its generally busy and full but not so much that it is impossible to walk around. Â I should mention that when I'm not on the patio i like to sit up in the cozy back-back room which looks out over the bar/patio and is a bit less crowded. Â You can also see about 20 different TVs at once from up there.
The service has always been really good. Â The main knock I would have would be that the food is only so-so. Â Its not bad, but their entrees and apps are just okay. Â The one exception is the skillet cookie which is one of the most decadent things I've ever eaten - so awesome! Â Prices are average.
Overall, the atmosphere and service is very solid, the food is so-so, and the beer selection is above average. Â Great all-purpose sports bar.
I'm generally a fan of the Four Corners Group and used to be a fan specifically of Crossing. My sons love the personal tvs at the booths, 2 smaller ones below a 50", and the skillet cookie dessert. I like the fish tacos and the tater tots (recommended over the fries) but the place is dropping fast in our rankings due to 3 consecutive visits with really bad service. The beef is mostly that it's slow, slow, slow but they also are slipping in the busboy department and the friendliness area. The Bar and Grill sector is super competitive; not much separates the, "We'll go there twice a month," from the "off-the-list." The Crossing is in danger of being the latter.
Review Source:I couldn't have been happier when this bar opened up close to our house! Â They have an excellent atmosphere and outdoor elation area. Â The best thing about this bar though is their food. Â They by far have the best bar food I have had! Â The only thing preventing five stars is that it is somewhat over priced and there isn't always the best deals.
Review Source:Great place for KU alums, major bonus points for the take home Jayhawk stadium cups! Gathered here a few Sundays ago for a friend's going away party and football watching. The upper level is great for groups, with a TON of TV options. Our waitress at first was a bit overwhelmed and the first two tap beers I got were warm, but I think something was wrong with the line. So quickly made it right and everything was great from there. Nachos were delicious and fed a crowd, the buffalo chicken egg rolls, not so much :( Chili mac and tots were tasty. Grab a pint of Boulevard Wheat and enjoy a taste of home!
It was too cold and rainy to go outside but their patio looked really nice and would be great on a summer day!
Came here on a Saturday night to watch some football and have a few beers. The atmosphere here is great, crowded, but we were able to secure a table for four by the front. Our waitress was attentive and accommodating when our table requested that two different games be turned on at the TVs closest to us.
They have $5 stadium cups of Coors and Miller on Saturday, don't forget you can take home the cups! We left with a very impressive stack. Ordered a few dishes that were decent bar food. We enjoyed the wings, but it weirdly only came with 11 when the order was supposed to come with 12. Additionally, we ordered the mac 'n cheese with andouille sausage which was really tasty, but a smaller portion than I expected. I'm always a little baffled when restaurants present a small serving size of $9 mac 'n cheese. It wouldn't kill you/cost you to add some more noodles...One of our dining companions had the soft pretzels which looked really good.
Overall, I'll definitely return to The Crossing to watch football/consume American beverages, but probably eat elsewhere
I just love The Crossing! Â They have a FANTASTIC outdoor patio, and the indoor space is great too. Â I haven't tried their food yet, but I can say that it looks pretty darn good! Â The cherry on top is that they are a KU bar (ROCK CHALK!) and they had Southern Tier Pumking on tap the last time I was there! Â Love it, and will most definitely be back!
Review Source:Great food, great server, great management.
I came here for Bears/Packers last night. Not the best place to watch a game. Lots of douchebags there to mack on women, and lots of women who aren't watching the game - even thought they have on Urlacher jerseys or shirts that claim they only kiss Packer fans (Riiiight.) They even played dance music during the commercials. Sorry, not for me.
The service was excellent though. Our server was always checking on us and always prompt when returning with food and drinks. She was so friendly, even amidst the DB's staring her down. The manager came by and apologized that the food was slow to leave the kitchen. But I thought it came out fast. Regardless he paid for our meal, no questions asked.
I have recently made the transition to poultry after living vegetarian for five years. I couldn't ask for a better transition meal than the turkey burger at Crossing. This burger was phenomenal. Even if you are a burger enthusiast, try the turkey burger. It's smokey and thick and cooked perfectly. So good.
I would come back here, for dinner and drinks. I will not come here after dark, when the frat boys come out to prowl.
I go here a lot. Â I'm addicted to several things at The Crossing:
1. The outdoor patio. Â Sitting outside watching a baseball game on summer night is tough to beat.
2. Boulevard Wheat Ale on tap. Â To make it better now it's a Saturday special for 22 oz is $5.
3. Their food is pretty decent and frequently the nightly specials are cheaper than cooking at home
To top it all off the staff is typically very good.
I just love this place. Great back bar with a wall of TV's for ultimate sports viewing. This ownership group just knows what we Chicagoans want from a bar. The outdoor patio in the way back is fantastic too. I always go with the turkey burger which never ceases to satisfy. It's a bit off the beaten path on a quiet stretch of Southport, but worth the walk. Go to nearby Gaslight afterwards which is the same ownership group if you are looking for something less sports-bar.
Review Source:This place is awesome. Â A group of us came Monday for a bite to eat and a beer to unwind after a crappy Monday at work. Â The place is pretty big and the ambiance is neat. Â There are TVs everywhere so its perfect for watching a game.
Monday they have a great special of $5 burgers with a side and $3 all drafts. Â The burger was amazing and my friends who had the turkey burger said that was also very good. Â
The Crossing is a great place, I will def be back!!
Highlight- the pizza is awesome!!
The crossing sponsors our vball team, so I've been here once a week pretty much this whole summer.
On Wednesdays, the pizzas are $9- you should definitely try it out. All the speciality pizzas are delicious. Buffalo chicken, BBQ chicken and mushroom with goat cheese are my favorite. Even better when ordered in the same night- we've got hungry people on our team!
I've come a few times on some nights out but just remember it being loud on the inside, but hey, it's a bar.
I think this would be a great happy hr place, all the food I've seen has looked great.
One con- the waitress we tend to get usually seem lost, don't bring enough plates, etc. If the service was a bit better I'd give it 5 stars.
I was here a few months ago, but since it was the day Derrick Rose was injured, I think I have attempted to block all memories of that day from my brain. Â
I again recently ventured into this establishment for a few post work drinks with some friends who live nearby and while the bad memories came back, so did the good ones. Â Aka the blackened chicken nachos. Â I don't know how they make any money off of these bad boys because they are so cheap and plentiful, but I have to exercise extra self control to avoid going back and attempting to eat a whole serving alone. Â
Other than those amazing nachos, the staff is friendly, there are TVs everywhere so you don't miss any of the game wherever you look. Â Overall, I can see myself spending more and more time here as the summer goes along.
Walking down this quiet residential looking street, you wouldn't even know that the Crossing was here-- let alone that it has a huge awesome beer garden in the back! Â This is a really great chill bar and it is part of the Four Corners family (Sidebar, West End, etc.) so the food and service is as consistently good as all the other bars. Â Cool space, very reasonable prices, and good food-- I won't give it 5 stars because I kept ordering Sam Summer and they kept serving me Summer Shandy. Â
If I am back in this neighborhood though, I would absolutely come back!
I threw a graduation party there last weekend and I highly recommend The Crossing! One of the friends I was throwing the party for had one request, she wanted to have the party outside on a patio. Â It was a surprisingly difficult request! Â I called about a dozen different bars with patios and none of them allow you to book a party on the patio. Â Finally I found The Crossing. Â They let me book the party on the patio and they were very accommodating!
I had never been to The Crossing before and was surprised at how lovely their patio is! Â I couldn't believe that I had never been there before. Â I do frequent other bars owned by the same group (Sidebar, Gaslight, Kirkwoods, and I know The Crossing wouldn't let me down!) Â I think that the food at these bars is some of the best bar fare in the city. Â They seem to have added some healthier items to the menu as well! Â Quinoa is available as a side dish now! Â All of the salads are available as wraps. Â With lots of delicious food options there is something for everyone!
The Crossing is a bigger bar - lots of inside space. Â Definitely a great place to watch a game. Â The service was fantastic. Â Our server was on top of things all night. Â I planned the party with JT and he was great too! Â Very easy to communicate with via email, and everything went very smoothly.
I still can't believe that it took me so long to discover The Crossing but I will definitely be back! Â This is a great place to host a party, catch a game, or get a bite to eat.
I'm a big fan of this place. Awesome patio during the warm months and the food is really good for a "bar" setting. Staff is always friendly and helpful. It's a great place to watch a game, but I come here just for dinner sometimes too because the food is that good. The only con is that the drinks can be a bit pricey if they aren't on special - which I don't think should be the case for a bar on Southport in LP.
Review Source:I ended up at Crossing for the Four Corners 'Cinco de Derby' bar crawl earlier this month. There were three choices (Kirkwood, Crossing & School Yard) and we decided to start at Crossing and I was hooked. I have been to all the other Four Corners places so I was not surprised I liked Crossing but of all of them this may now be my favorite. The bar crawl we signed up for was a great deal $20 for all you can drink margaritas, Coronas and tacos. The taco bar was delicious and the margaritas were huge and very strong. I was super impressed by Crossing and the whole deal in general.
A week later a group of friends and I decided to go to Crossing for dinner. We sat outside on their comfy and huge patio. They had a great drink special ($6 tall and $4 short Stoli drinks). They had a huge variety of Stoli vodkas and the drinks were affordable and delicious. We also had the quesadillas and blackened chicken nachos for an appetizer. I didn't try the quesadillas but everyone loved them. I was a huge fan of the nachos and was really glad they came in an extra large size (very handy for our large group). A lot of people in our group had the fish and shrimp tacos which were a big hit. I had a grilled cheese which was delicious but very rich (I could only eat half). Their fries were also a hit with our group. Between all of us we had the sweet potato fries and the house season fries and all were great. Last but not least we got a free skillet cookie (my friend had checked in 3 times on four square) and it was gobbled up in about three minutes.
We all really enjoyed the food and ambiance of Crossing. I am hoping to have a lot more great times there this summer. However, I will say our waitress was not great which is why I'm only giving it four stars instead of the five it would have had if service would have been better.
Try it out!
The Crossing has many things going for it.  I'm a Jayhawk and this is my favorite place  to catch a KU game. The atmosphere on game days is fantastic. While it may not be in Lawrence KS it definitely makes me feel much closer to the rest of Jayhawk nation.
 They have my favorite beer on tap, Boulevard Wheat.  The food here is pretty good and the staff has always been pretty friendly and attentive. I would recommend The Crossing to anyone looking for a nice place to have a few drinks and some tasty bar food.
What do you do when the Bird's Nest is packed, and you have a major craving for wings? Walk a couple blocks down Southport and dine at The Crossing! I came here last night to watch the Bulls vs. Miami game, and we killed in OT in case you missed it-it was awesome.
FYI, this is a Kansas bar, so for those of you who have college sport loyalties (which I don't hehe), this might be good to know! I was a big fan of their food. The specials were $9 Miller buckets and $5 appetizers. I got the Sweet and Spicy Boneless Wings, and my partner got the Blackened Chicken Nachos. Both apps were really tasty, and a steal for $5! The Nachos literally came on a pizza pan, so it can definitely feed a group. Even though we were pretty full on the apps, we decided to share an entree. We got the Shrimp Tacos and Fries. Again, both were delicious, and very filling. They were also $9, so a fabulous value.
The only things I weren't crazy about were their prices on some of their beers. I ordered 2 Allagash Whites, and they were $8 each. Yikes!!! I totally wasn't expecting that, but probably should have because they didn't list the price on the menu. I will be a little more careful of what I drink here, and will probably just stick with their specials. The service was also a bit shaky overall i.e. we didn't get menus and waitress didn't come by very often. So I had to knock a star off for that.
However, The Crossing won me over with everything else, so I recommend it to catch a game or a hangout with friends!
This review is for the Saturday night service at the front bar at Crossing. Â The two bartenders were out-of-control miserable. Â They were some old school bullies.
I'm not even going to mention that the drinks were really bad, but they were. I also got yelled at for handing the bartender my card, and not specifying that I wanted it closed. Â Why not just take a few seconds to ask me? Â How the heck am I supposed to know what to say to you when you are mean muggin' at me like that? Why don't you smile? What's the matter? Â
My friend bought 2 beers ($8) and got $2 back in change from the bartender from her twenty. Â When she asked about her change, the ratty haired bartender said "I put your money on the counter and you just left it sitting there". Â Oh, right, because your service is so great that I decided to tip $12 as gratitude from your throwing 2 beers at me. She then went straight to the tip bucket, and pulled the $12 out that was never given as change. She is obviously trying to take advantage of the customers.
Look, one shouldn't expect great drinks or even wonderful service from a bar like The Crossing. Â But, there is an expectation that the bartenders be friendly and non-confrontational. Â I hate leaving a 1 star review for a business based on the conduct of a couple bad apples, but given the way these "ladies" were acting out, it's impossible to believe that the management doesn't know about what is going on.
I've been to The Crossing a few times, typically late on a Saturday night, and each time I spent most of my time near the front/close to the bar. Â I enjoyed myself, but missed out on all the bar had to offer. Â Now that the weather is nice, I met some friends for early evening drinks in the beer garden, and I discovered just how fantastic The Crossing is! Â The beer garden has pretty lights, tall tables, TVs, and a loungey-couch area. Â On Wednesdays they have trivia from 8-10PM, $9 pizzas, and $9 pitchers of Coors light. Â I had a lovely evening, and I look forward to spending many nights here in the spring and summer.
Review Source:This place is punter central. Â I almost want to say it has an Identity Crisis but in reality it's just a Crisis in general Â
I dare say there wasn't a square inch of the walls that weren't covered by LCD, LED or Plasma...overkill would be a monumental understatement. Â It was actually laughable, almost like a joke how many TV's they have but then you realize it's all by design to appease the AV challenged, intellectually inept or both.
Service was abysmal but then again when you shoehorn in about 100 ppl too many you'll get that. Â
If you want to go back to the days of a Uni Frat party, The Corner will deliver.
Otherwise: Take a pass [x]
Fantastic Pizza! Â Wednesday night $9 Pizza! Â Best Deal Around for high quality Pizza!!!!! Â Great Staff Tasty pizza!! Â Don't miss the black bean burger or the super sized nachos. Â Good ambiance for game watching. Â We have had the same waitress the last several times and she does a great job of providing a very high level of service.
If you a looking  for a great place to watch a game or hang out with friends or your family.  This is a great pick.  Be ware the on weekends during football season it is very busy and much less kid friendly.  Great for kids most week nights!
Hold up. Â This place serves aquariums.
AQUARIUMS. Â Of beer. Â Delicious Coors Light. Â Yum Yum Yum.
You don't know what an aquarium is? Â Well, in OU terms, it's a 32oz glass goblet of wonder that holds your favorite hoppy beverage for a price of $3. Â One of my favorite things from college and one of the reasons I had to lose 20lbs once I graduated.
For $6 here, give me 3. Â
I don't care if there are service issues or not. Â They have aquariums. Â I miss college.
Such an awesome place. I live really near by so it's a shame I didn't discover this until lately.
I went here with my roommate for a friend's birthday. The group was rather large and a lot of us didn't know each other. We only had a small table with some bar stools so we ended up standing around the table. The place was packed by the way.
A waitress came over and took our drink orders. She was seriously tiny - and this comes from a 5'1 girl. But she was fast and nice. And she was the reason why I gave this place a 5-stars.
As the night went on, our group kept getting bigger, as friends of friends started showing up. Our waitress kept coming back to take more drink orders, and she didn't seem to have to take a note or something. Now I am not against sport bar waitresses, but I have learned a few things from my short years of drinking - pay attention to your tab. We weren't gonna pay for 20 people's drinks, and we knew dividing the tab at the end would be a bitch.
So at one point, my roommate grabbed her and ask: "are you keeping our tabs separated?" She looked at us confusingly and said, yes, then proceeded to pointed at each and every single one of us to say how many drinks of which kind we each had - and she was dead on! Impressive but I guess it's her job.
Now I felt bad for questioning her. A bit later on, she came back with a tray full of shots, and we were confused as for who ordered it, and she said: "oh it's on the house." WHAT? awesome of course!!!!! And way to make us feel bad about questioning her earlier.
But that wasn't the end of the story - when we finally decided to roll out, we each got our tab, and of course someone had gone home without paying. Fortunately it was only a beer, and as we were looking at each other again confusingly, our waitress took the tab and said: "don't worry about it." Of course we weren't gonna pull a jerk move on her, and someone in our group took the tab and paid for it.
Her services were absolutely outstanding. She could have had attitude, instead she was very relaxed and cool - plus while dealing with our large group, she was fast, but not short, and always with a smile.
I sound like I have a girl-crush on this waitress but I'd come back to this place for her services.
I had some KU fan friends coming to Chicago the second week of the NCAA Tournament, and we needed a place where they could be among some like-minded folk. Â Like any good scout, I had to do some recon on Crossing beforehand. Â I've got decent street cred as far as Chicago bars go, and I wasn't about to blow it with the out of towners. Â
We arrived around midnight on a Saturday evening, and my first thought was regret for not having brought a flashlight. Â Any respectable meat market is going to keep the lights low, but it gets pretty damn dim in here. Â It looked like they had a good number of draughts, but if I can't even make out the tap heads, I can't very well order them. Â Fortunately the head of the Guinness tap shone like a beacon in a storm. Â
We made our way to the back bar area, where tables and chairs had been cleared to make room for a dance floor. Â We realized that we were standing by a DJ booth/cubbyhole. Â Lady Gaga and mashups (where two shitty songs are willfully combined) made for the blare.* Â A bouncer at the top of a staircase turned the uninvited away from a private party area. Â I was not long for Crossing. Â
A few weeks passed, though, and I still hadn't picked a KU bar for the tourists. Â I then considered the fact that there aren't many bars in this world that don't work just fine at 4 in the afternoon, and that turned out to be the case with Crossing. Â We were just a bit late to grab a table (lots of scowling solitary Trixies in blue holding spots for unarrived groups), but the back bar was completely empty. Â
And for that matter, the character of the bar was completely different. Â The erstwhile dance floor had been populated with tables and chairs, we could see what the taps offered, and we noticed a skylight for the first time. Â Our bartender took good care of us, and our trips to the bathroom were rewarded with the fervent hand dryings of the Xlerator (a distant cousin of the more formidable Dyson Airblade). Â After the game, we made our way to Pequod's for a late dinner before Crossing Cinderella'd into the clubbiness I'd encountered once already. Â
So, there is a time and a place for Crossing. Â It's not a bar I'd open and close, but only a handful of establishments know that rarefied air. Â
Finally, Yelp would do well to consolidate the reviews on this place. Â There are not two bars with "Crossing" in the title located on the same stretch of Southport in Lincoln Park. Â
*Excessive decibel level can be a common theme in my bitter old man reviews, but the intensity of the noise at Crossing was corroborated by one of my visiting friends. Â He described it as the loudest bar he'd ever patronized. Â This guy doesn't frequent dives and low key joints, either--his bachelor party consisted of clubbing in Ibiza.
Crossing is hands down my favorite sports bar in Chicago. It's huge, has more TV's than any other place I've ever seen, a laid back crowd, cool bartenders, huge bars, good food, and a spectacular outdoor space for summer. I've only gone during Saturday football games, so I don't know that the loud music and noise complaints are about.
Technically this place is a Kansas bar, but when I've gone I've seen tons of Big Ten people. That may have something to do with the fact that Kansas isn't so good at the football.
Newsflash: Crossing is on SOUTHPORT. Â
Why would you EVER wait in line for this bar?
Oh, that's right. Â Maybe because it's dbag central. Â It IS a KU bar afterall....
Anyway, major props to our waitress! Â She was really friendly and really good about tending to our table/giving us refills. Â Even though it was pretty effin' crowded in there, she still made sure to check in on us! Â Great service! Â (Drinks were kinda expensive, though, for the area - 6.50 for a short whiskey/ginger and like 10 for a tall.)
The bar itself is really nice, too. Â I imagine that this would be a great place to watch a game because there are tv's ALL over the place. Â Since Crossing just recently opened, it has that new bar feel - not rundown ish as compared to Durkins, ya know? Â And...it's huge. Â Those are always pluses. Â Oh, and the dj spinning last night was pretty good, too. Â Impressed by his mix of song choices.
Personally, I'd never come back here again. Â The crowd is just waaaaaaay blech - Â too something I can't handle anymore.
I want to clarify one thing before I get started: the three stars are only for the venue itself. Â That's it.
This place is big, has a ton of tables, and the drinks are reasonably priced. Â Also, the chairs are like heaven they're so comfortable (although it may have been my aching high-heeled feet that fell so in love with the chairs). Â The music was awesome and overall the place was okay for a Saturday night out.
However, the crowd that this place attracts is ridiculous - spiked up hair, muscle tees, and huge CZ earrings a-la Jersey Shore. Â Yikes. Â The group next to us spilled an entire table of drinks on our poor friend and fellow Yelper, and a stand-off between the two parties ensued seeing as the frat-tastic guys were never taught what an apology is - too busy bromancing I guess. Â
I'll for sure come back here, just don't know how long I'll be able to stand it inside...
I love it.
A good sports bar to go to for food, great beer, fun people watching and of course any game. I have tried half the menu and have been satisfied. They put out great tasting plates of a large size. The beer selection is also good...balanced menu from around the world and styles.
The only downside...its a Huge Kansas bar so don't  plan on watching anything else while they are playing.
Crossing is a hidden gem for sure. Slightly off the beaten path for most but definitley worth a trip from a far.
I came to Crossing for a friends birthday party Saturday night. Unfortunately for my dear friend her birthday is celebrated smack dab in the middle of NFL playoffs so when we walked in to Crossing at 9pm it was already obnoxiously crowded, ick. Don't worry it cleared out after the game. Luckily TJ who I am assuming is a manager came to the rescue and escorted us to our reserved tables in the back.
What do I love about Crossing... hmmm?
1) Good food - Split the Burger with my friend. It was fabulous and served on a sturdy pretzel bun. The kitchen cut it for us and definitley sent out twice the normal amount of tots. Bonus points!
2) Good Service - Between the door guy, TJ, and our very attentive server everyone was helpful and nice.
3) Sweet Atmosphere - First off this place is HUGE. There is definitley something here for everyone. An endless supply of TV's, fire places, many different rooms including a raised lounge in the back, and a huge patio for your summer alfresco dining pleasure. Oh summer where art thou ?
I may be jumping the gun on this one since I have only been here once but I would say Crossing is currently in my top 3 bars of choice right now. The one piece of advice I would give them is just to keep the number of people they let in reasonable. Not everyone likes having to push through crowds to walk anywhere, oh wait no one likes that!
Come on four corners! Get your act together here!
I seriously was expecting the best from you, as I usually receive. However, I have to say that I was so so so so disappointed. And so were the other 8 people in my group.
The space is uber impressive. Great job on the design and layout while still keeping the integrity of the outside. The food was your standard 4corners fare...(which is usually Delish!)
BUT The service was the worst I've experienced in the city. OKAY, Maybe she was new, and we were so forgiving at the beginning...but it just got down right annoying and bad. Took me 1.5 hours to get a glass of water and two hours to be told that the drink I ordered was out of stock. (those are NOT exaggerations) You also forgot to bring our appetizers. One person asked for no dressing on a salad, even mentioning that "this is very important", but twice it was brought to us with dressing---seriously? The third time, 25 min later...you got it right. Â Horray for you. Oh, and thanks for the cold fries.
My recommendation would be to send the staff through some hard core training. Or bring in staff from your other establishments.
I don't usually write negative reviews, but hope that someone reads this and takes it to heart. Â You lost 8 customers in the blink of an eye and I'd love to see you stay open. Â So please shape up or ship out.
Southport Saloon, what? No Way. Really?
This used to be the Old Southport Saloon. Dive bar extraordinaire. Boy, Oh boy has it really come up from that ol' shanty! After a quite an expensive rehab that i thought was never going to surface (knowing how some "constructions and remodeling" don't happen in this economy).
It was the day of my company holiday party and I suppose everyone wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet. We walked here and got a table right away. There was a Blackhawks game that was ending and still had the college-middle aged folk strewn about the bar.
This place is surprisingly big with their 2 room layout. The service was fast and the drinks were mixed well. I can't comment on the food because we didn't have a chance to try any. The table come with their own TV screen behind a plated glass. It ALMOST seemed TOO busy but it was just right.
This was the perfect place to unwind from a crazy cool holiday party with a bunch of coworkers. This is the type of place where you want to meet with friends, grab a bite, and perhaps a good drink special.
My hats off to you Crossing. Thanks for the good times. See you later!
I like the space (and did when it was The Port), but maybe it will be better in the summer. Â Even though I do like some Four Corner bars a lot (Gaslight), this one didn't do anything for me. Â AND it made me feel like a Senior Citizen. Â AND it is loud - REAL loud.
The one thing I did like is that they had pizza. Â I rarely meet a pie I do not like, and this one was just fine. . .but SUPER greasy. Â I had to ask the waitress for extra napkins TWICE. Â Have you ever seen Along Came Polly? Â Sorry, Philip Seymour Hoffman but the pizza grease is not the best part. Â A leetle is good, but that much is just, well, a napkin killah!
I may be back here when the weather gets nicer. Â Or if I start hanging out with 22 year olds. Â I'd put money on the summer. . . .
Crossing. Â That's right. Â Crossing. Â No, it's not "Crossings" or "The Crossing." Â It's just plain old singular "Crossing." Â Go ahead and add a "Da" before "Crossing" if you're a local, but you're probably not, are you Toto, as this is a Kansas University bar. Â Yes, I said Kansas University. Â And it's in Chicago. Â Where are the emoticons on here (00)?
Anyway, Crossing is the old Southport City Saloon with a fresh coat of paint applied by the Four Corners Group. Â There's a front bar with tables, a middle bar with an open area and a back bar upstairs. Â And there's the myriad of televisions and the nice bathroom that are requisite with a Four Corners bar. Â The problem was that on the big screen in the middle bar they had the Hawks game scrunched down into a small corner of the screen. Â Westend wept. Â Otherwise, I have nothing bad to say about Crossing apart from the silly and lame Kansas motif. Â It's a welcome addition on an otherwise quiet stretch of Southport. Â And it will trump Jack's. Â
Four stars.
If sports are your thing- then Crossing is your place. Stopped in the other night to check out this two week old addition to Southport Ave. It was still so new that it smelled new inside, like paint and wood.
We sat in a giant booth in the front area. There are TV's everywhere (at least 50 in the place!) and while I get it's a sports bar- it is a little distracting. All I can say is don't bring your friends with ADD to this place as they will never be able to concentrate on anything! And it's LOUD! Having a conversation in this place is almost impossible as the music is cranked and there is nothing to deaden the sound. But hey- it's a sports bar- just know before you go!
If the front room and bar is not to your liking- there are 3 others (including an upstairs)and a great outdoor area which will be nice to sip a beer in when the weather warms up in the Spring with comfy seating clusters.
Owned by the Four Corners group- the menu here is similar to some of their other locations. The pretzel appetizers with dipping sauces, the wings, burgers, tater tots and other bar fare pretty much in keeping with those locations. On the night we were there- we had the chili- pretty tasty topped with sour cream, onions and cheese and the tilapia fish tacos with just the right amount of spice.
Our server was great- perky and accommodating. She even ran around to all 4 of the bars in the place to find my friend a certain kind of beer he wanted that three of the bars were out of- but she found a bottle finally and with a flourish- delivered it to our table. Thanks Mallory!
If you drive- parking is pretty easy on this stretch of Southport. All in with drinks and dinner our bill was about $50 which is again typical of this group of restaurants. Oh and you're in luck if you are a University of Kansas fan as this bar is dedicated to you!
It's another sports bar in Lincoln Park, I get it. But at least this one early on- is clean, has decent food, great service and on the night I was there- clientele that wasn't spilling their beer on me. And in my book . . .that's a win any day!