Decent
Typical Wrigley bar. Came here to see a band play. There was a $7 cover charge. Big stage. Decent sound. Huge venue. Typical drink prices. Typical is the key word here.
So when I checked in on Yelp, it said the place was closed. Â That was decidedly not the case, though I admit it was confusing. Â The entrance was through the cafe and not well marked once inside.
We split some fries and wings as we weren't super hungry. Â Great view of Wrigley and I can see it as a great spot during a game... though likely it'd be a massive shit show.
The jalapeno wings were very tasty, but so were the mild. Â I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the mild wings more... Â It's not in my hood so I won't be back soon, but the wings are worth stopping for.
The Hold Steady once said that "Chicago seemed tired last night." Last night clearly wasn't a Tuesday at Cubby Bear. I didn't know what to expect coming into CB, but I wasn't expecting a packed house and a live cover band. The place was bumping and the beer was reasonably priced for a place like this (Green Line Ale was $5, I believe).
Way better atmosphere than I expected for a Tuesday night. Good work, Chicago.
Okie Dokie... I'm good with the sound system, the food is pretty decent too and I like the live music they have sometimes.
The thing I'm not good with is the fact that 2 shots of Jack and a Patron costs $25 or that a was daggone near $15 for a folded over tortilla with chicken 'n cheese in it aka: Chicken Quesadilla... The upside to both those little doozies - The shots are *almost doubles and the Quesadilla was pretty good and came with salsa, sour cream and Guac.
Staff is friendly enough and the bartenders just seem to pour drinks and go about their business. Speaking of the bar - no bar stools. Speaking of no bar stools - there's a serious disparity in what I call Chair to Table Ratio. Chairs are a hot commodity at Cubby... people tried taking ours twice! and we were AT our table too... Â Ain't nobody got time for that!
Seriously though, find a table with chairs and you're golden, we were standing at our table for 30 minutes before we were able to (by advisement of wait staff) snag some from another table when they're not around".
Bathrooms - Mens room has an attendant, nice guy, been there every Saturday for like 20 years he said. His little table of stuffs includes - Mints, Gums, assorted Axe stuff, ahem condoms... oh and Jolly frickin' Ranchers!
Coat check - I forgot what the charge was, but I DO remember thinking "F that mess" and walking to the car in a jacket and then walking back without one.
Oh - Â if they bar line is too long, they sell beer at the coat check too.
Bonus - coat check girl is cute.
If a band I like is playing there, I'd definitely come back and check it out... though I'd probably preflight at another bar first... Cubby just seems a bit steep on their beers and shots.
We headed here after a show at The Metro cause the party wasn't over yet! Little did I know that my alcohol buzz would come to a screeching halt after ordering an $8 Heineken. I'm too damn cheap and not a big enough drinker for that. I don't know if they have specials or not, but next time (if there is a next time) I'll find out before ordering. I also didn't have a dollar to tip the bathroom attendant so I felt like sh*t for the better part of an hour.
The place was packed and there was some attractive ladies and men shaking their booties at the band. If there was a good band playing, I'd probably come back. If not, there's hundreds of better places to spend a Saturday night.
For Salsa dancers Cubby Bear on Sunday nights is one of the best spots in town. The better parts are: quality live music and the start time: 9pm so you can get home at a normal time if you need to go to work Monday morning. You can also get a superb lesson by a Latin Street Dance Studio instructor.
The negatives are: music may get a bit too loud. A notch down and it would be perfect. Another negative, on some nights the floor is too sticky which makes it difficult to dance.
The food and drinks are quite good. I recommend this place!
When a singer's definition of vibrato is to shake their face, you know this is going to be a hot mess. Â
Welcome to Thursday Night at The Cubby Bear featuring a live cover band attempting to cover songs like "Santeria," "I Knew You Were Trouble," "Before He Cheats," "Chicken Fried," "Edge of Glory," and "Everybody Talks." Â
Realistically the best part? Â The bouncers dancing along having the time of their lives.
This review is for Cubby Bear on Sunday nights.
...a.k.a. SALSA NIGHT!!!!
This is one of the best weekly salsa nights in Chicago. Â I know you want to get sleep before work on Monday morning, but come on. Â Live a little!
There are lots of on1 and on2 dancers--a good variety of dance levels, too. Â There is usually live music. Â You can check the website for Latin Street Dancing to see which band is playing and to get on the guest list. Â (Free before 9pm if you print out the ticket!!)
See you there!
The Cubby Bear is fun. Came here to see Wedding Banned and love the 80s music. Big stage for the band and there is a huge dance floor. The coat check is key in the winter. Was with friends who complained that Wedding Banned is nowhere near as good as they used to be, but nonetheless, the 80s songs were awesome. The other songs were a mixed bag. Fun place for live music and dancing.
Review Source:Solid bar right by Wrigley Field. Â Definitely crazy during a game, so avoid it like the plague if you don't want to be around the drunken cubby fans.
Food is good, I LOVE their fries and the service is usually pretty friendly, though I understand why some of them can get annoyed with all the intoxicated customers.
One bogus aspect? Â After 9 they start charging for water, if you don't want to pay you can get a cup of ice and fill it up fro the water fountain. Â I don't know if any other Chicago bar does this, but it almost doesn't surprise me if more did.
Not going to lie, it hard for me to give an objective review of Cubby Bear. Â I've been here multiple times, and regardless of my blood alcohol level there always seems to be people here who are way drunker and way looking to bump into you an your group. Â I've even seen a really great band here, one that I've loved seeing live in NOLA, DFW, Chicago et al and yet the experience here was diluted by the venue crowd. Id like to say I won't come back, but I'll probably find myself in here again someday, meeting a group of friends or coworkers, wondering why I'm wasting my time in a rowdy, loud, sloppy sports/college bar.
Review Source:Had a great time with some new friends that introduced me to Cubby Bear. Â I'm new to the area and was very happy with the type of people here, the staff was all pretty nice overall. Â My neighbor that took me here was part of a special event so that was a little extra nice to get to experience the place without the bigger crowds that appeared later in the evening.
High energy level though out the place - from patrons to staff - very cool.
I like Cubby Bear, you know the little pink bear character from the Gummi Bears cartoon courtesy of the Disney Afternoon? This one not so much.
I've been here twice and trust me, I'm not 'bouncing here and there and everywhere' to  come back. I would not step foot in here during Cubs season. But I have been here to see bands- Wedding Banned and Hairbangers Ball respectively. It's really not a bad place to see a band, there is plenty of space and it's not too packed with people so getting drinks and going to a bathroom without a wait isn't a problem. What is a problem is paying $6 a beer. Just because you are near Wrigley doesn't mean you can charge similar prices to those actually in the stadium.Yes, they do have a policy for holding your id with your credit card when you start a tab. Lame.
I'm not opposed to coming back for another show ($8 at the door) but I wouldn't even consider eating here let alone hanging out here longer than I need to... and the people who work there can be hit or miss.
Terrible concert venue! Rarely are there bands worth seeing, which is fortunate, but if you happen to find yourself at the C.B. for a show, be on your guard! Security is incompetent, bone-headed, and completely invisible. The C.B. is a sports bar for drunk, yuppie morons, NOT a music venue! Avoid!
Review Source:How is it possible that I have not ever written a review here?! I brought my out of town cousin and her friends here to experience a bar at Wrigley while the game was going on. I can't remember if it was a home or away game that day but the bar was pretty quiet for that time in the afternoon. We each had a pint of beer and hung out for a bit. I thought that it wasn't a typical rowdy experience that a tourist might have, so I feel like the girls missed out a bit.
Review Source:The Cubby Bear is a gender equal study in Chicago sloppiness and people who don't know any better.
Have you ever driven by a car dealership and seen the blow up stickman who flails in the direction of the wind? Â The dudes at the Cubby Bear dance just like this but with a beer in hand. Â
There are a few good, silly bands that come through this place. Â Two stars for the bands. Â Other than that, for me, this place is the pits and deserves one star. Â I dread the next summer day I set foot in the Cubby Bear.
I tried Sunday Salsa night a few times. Â The live music is great and so hard to find. Â This aspect is the only positive thing about Cubby Bear.
Here are my complaints.
First of all, the liquor is cheap, and I don't like cheap liquor. Â They don't have Bombay Sapphire or Grey Goose, not good!
Secondly, it is really, really hard to find a good lead. Â Most of the guys have just learned how to turn and that is all they want to do, over and over and over and over again. Â
The least appealing thing is what happens to be located across the street. Â Yes, I am a Sox fan so it's just not worth it anymore. Â
Oh well, three strikes and you're OUT!
Bands. Bands. Bands. This review is for music nights, only, as I've never been to Cubby Bear for anything  but bands and music. The Cubby Bear has a nice big stage, and you can get close to some of your fave local bands and fave oldies acts (XRT has brought World Party, the Fixx, the Alarm, English Beat).
The sounds is...umm...loud and clear. Not too much they can do with the box they've got. Cubby Bear has a typical bar menu, but I recommend eating beforehand. Bar service is adequate- probably have PTSD from all the Cubs games they have to bartend, here!
Bathrooms are downstairs- clean, and the men's has those old school bathroom attendants who crack funny, and try to sell you a stick of Big Red or a spray of Polo for an extra buck. Just doing their job. Tip them once and you're good.
Cubby Bear- three stars on band nights!
Went to Cubby bear to see a music show. Â
I could see this place being a good place to go before a cubs game. Â Large open w/ two huge bars down each side of the space - if staffed right, i can see them slinging a ton of beer before a game.
Service was good for a can beer joint. Â Everyone moved quick behind the bar and I was surprised at how nice the entire staff was from bouncers to bar tenders. Â
Not the best music venue - sight lines are awful due to a bunch of larger pillers throughout the main area - clearly was not built to be a concert facility. Â if you are not directly in front of the stage, you will not see much. Â Sound is ok. Â Could be better for a venue of this size.
All-in-all, if a band you have tos ee is playing there, it could be worse, but I would not recommend going to on a whim to see some music. Â Much better venues for that.
Sometimes when you're traveling to an unfamiliar city for the first time, and you're looking for a good meal, you regret not actually having access to yelp all the time. Â This is one of those time, as it appears yelp would've steered me elsewhere.
The situation: we were looking for a place to eat lunch before our Wrigley Field tour. Â We saw a bar across the street, and decided to try it out. Â Traveling companion wanted a beer, and I wanted some good Italian beef and sausage.
I guess I kind of assumed that if they were offering an Italian beef and sausage combo, they would make it, you know, not suck. Â I know the Italian sausage itself has marinara on it, but if you're adding the beef, why would you still put marinara on it? Â My friend, a one-time Chicagoan, expressed some confusion as to why they would think such an approach to the Italian beef and sausage sandwich to be wise. Â My taste buds were at least as confused, as they couldn't decide whether they were experience Italian sausage, or Italian beef. Â It was like two sandwiches in one, rather than one sandwich with two complementary meats.
Seriously, Cubby Bear, ditch the marinara on the Italian beef and sausage combo.
One more thing I think might be worth mentioning is that apparently these people aren't aware that they make cups larger than 8 oz. Â The servers would certainly have a much easier job if they didn't have to refill my soda every three sips.
Also, they were loudly playing some of the very worst music the 90s had to offer. Â You know, that post-grunge garbage.
At least the view through the front door is cool.
Okay, so I went here this past Sunday after a Cubs game, specifically one in which they were victorious. It was far beyond what I expected and not in the favorable direction:
1) It was serving as a dance club - on Sunday at 4:30 in the afternoon.
2) $6 for a 16 oz. beer - (This is to be expected, I suppose, especially considering the location across the street from Wrigley, but it would have been easier if it had an inviting atmosphere -- like Cheers, perhaps.)
3) The music was so loud, socializing was not an option.
To be fair, we did not eat any of the food, so I am willing to go for another visit when the Cubs are out of town.
I'd recommend another bar in the area, but I've yet to go to one in Wrigleyville for which I could do so.
It's really hard to rate this place. The three stars aren't the best indicator of the amount of fun I had there (of the salsa-dancing kind), which is closer to 4.5 stars. Perhaps you'll understand my judgment if I give you The Cubby Bear's positives and negatives...
The pluses:
+ Â Live music with a free salsa dancing lesson, depending on who's playing, it can range from great to mediocre (the latter very rarely).
+ Â You can avoid the cover and get a parking spot if you get there early; but then again, if everybody follows this advice, the purpose is defeated.
+ Women who go there generally have the right attitude for salsa dancing venues: be open to dance with whomever (it's generally not a meat market)...
+ To the immediately above point, IF you do want to hunt for some game, you'll find a couple of nice looking girls.
The minuses:
- It's not a hardwood dancing floor; big minus for salsa-dancing purposes
- In general, the food here sucks; other Yelpers have spoken ad nauseam about this (ad nauseam precisely because the food is nauseating)
- Tied with the mediocre food are the high prices for it, which does not correspond  with the quality.
- The music selection could be better, but that depends on the band.
I recently moved to Milwaukee and was surprised to listen to people rave about The Cubby  Bear. Sure, you probably get a higher ratio of good dancers than you would get in Milwaukee, but this place is not what you would expect of a self-proclaimed great salsa dancing night in a city like Chicago.
Though I've only been here once, I still feel the info I provide will be worth it's weight in gold. Â (Oh, and this is only for their Sunday Salsa Nights.)
1. Â Unless you arrive before 9pm be prepared to dole out some cash:
   a.  The closest lot (which is at the Taco Bell next door) will cost you $15.  These prices seem to be standard for Chi town, so maybe your jaw won't drop like this out-of-towners did.
   b.  If you're smart, you'll go to <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.LaBoriqua.com&s=905c151929ffca657796b255e11e5103bed248a8b227c97900d7ce128085e50a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.LaBoriqua.com</a>, sign up for the guest list, and print out your confirmation page then show up before 9pm like a good little salsero/salsera.  Otherwise, you'll be stuck paying $10 at the door like me.  They did have a live band, though, so in the end I didn't mind supporting the musicians.  And another thing of note, they only take cash at the door but will take credit cards at the bar. Â
2. Â Be prepared to sweat. Â On this particularly muggy Memorial Day weekend, the place was jam packed but the AC didn't seem to care. Â I was a hot mess after my first cha cha cha.
3. Â The dance floor is a bit of a jungle, and people don't seem to care so much about slot-dancing. Â I saw a lot of Cuban style (aka swing the lady out in any which direction you want, thereby bumping her into any dancer in close proximity). Â This means a lot of stepped on toes - especially on a night as crowded as that one.
4. Â The floor is cement, so I think leather-soled shoes work best, ladies.
5. Â If you're looking for experienced dancers, they seemed to congregate in the corner to the right of the stage. Â Luckily for me, they were all willing to accept my invitation to dance with a smile. Â
All in all, a good time.
PS
Not sure if they offer any free water, I paid for a bottle.
Without a game going on the place was kind of lifeless and/or depressing. Bartenders were attentive, but not the friendliest I've ever seen. Patrons were in various states of drunkenness on a Saturday afternoon. And the prices were a bit too high for my taste... but at this point you're paying for location and atmosphere not service and style, right?
Worth noting, this is the first bar I've ever witnessed someone being blatantly turned down when he tried to order a drink. Clearly the guy was sloshed, so it was definitely the right call, but the way it was handled was pretty smooth, so props to that bartender in particular.
This review is specific to salsa night on Sunday nights. The DJ is great. The band that played on May 6th was excellent. The place is open and spacious to allow for plenty of booty shaking and twirling bodies.
It was a mature crowd and everyone was either watching the exceptional salsa dancing on the floor, hanging at the tables having a good time, or doing fancy footwork and twirls on the floor. Drinks are decent and obviously pricey.
It was a $10 cover, which is not bad, especially when you get to hear a live salsa band for a few hours. Plus they have competitions and it's so much fun to watch.
I'll definately be a frequent visitor here on Sunday nights.
PS- salsa lessons at 7p with an instructor before the 9pm salsa nights on Sundays.
You can't ignore the fact that this is a Cubs-centric bar. Â I shouldn't even have to tell you that... the name implies it. Â It's literally diagonal from the main entrance of Wrigley Field.
I can speak to their bar section only because, let's be honest, after a Cubs game I'm likely to be found at Cubby Bear for an end-cap. Â I have, on occasion, tried their food. Â Typical bar fare, nothing too extravagant or classy.
I presume this place survives on home game attendance alone since nothing about Cubby Bear strikes me as particularly enticing outside of habit. Â Go to Wrigley Field, watch Cubs lose, get drinks at Cubby Bear... you get the idea.
I sub for 'bags' and this is their location.
Bartenders are friendly.
$6 for a plastic cup of New Belgian Fat Tire.
Four big TVs playing sports stations...two of the stations were the same.
Directly across from Wrigley Field.
I don't think I would come here on my own or even suggest to friends that this was a place to go for fun. Beer selection plays a big part.
I wish their beer selection was better and that they had better prices.
For those in cars, there is a big parking lot just to the west of the building.
I've been going to the Cubby Bear on occasion for the several years I've lived in the area. Â Most times it's during baseball season, but every once in a while my girlfriends and I like to have a cheesy night out in the winter to see bands like Wedding Banned or Sixteen Candles. Â
We had one of these such nights last night when Wedding Banned was playing. Â We ordered drinks from the front bar by the entrance from a bald male bartender (I wish I knew his name). Â Everything was fine until I tried to order a second drink from him. Â The bar was busy and he was running around. Â That's fine...I don't expect him to drop everything and just serve me. Â But after waiting patiently for several minutes and trying to get his attention, a girl walks right up next to me at the bar and he immediately asks her what she wants. Â Now, I felt I needed to intervene and tell the bartender that she just walked up, but I had been waiting several minutes. Â He turned and said to me with a lot of attitude "Now you'll have to wait even longer." Â That was completely uncalled for and unprofessional. Â Needless to say he received no tips from me the rest of the night! Â
I've never had an issue with Cubby Bear in the past, but after being treated that way, I will be happy to take my business to the many other bars in the area!
Scenario #1: After any Cubs game it will be packed full of drunks. There will be a DJ and a cover band playing all your favorite pop songs. And they jack up the beer prices. Annoying bathroom attendant.
Scenario #2: Non-Cubs game to see a band. Hefty cover considering the venue. Annoying bathroom attendant. Still serving Guinness in plastic cups(really?). Oh and even though I bought 4 rounds from same bartender and tipped nicely, would not give me a cup of water. I had to buy one for $3 or use the water fountain.
Not quite as bad as Moe's or Barleycorn, but then we're getting into a tallest midget conversation. Â
I saw Wedding Banned here once and had fun. Â How come no one ever gives these 80s cover bands a chance in Chicago? Â It's so hard to find their shows. Â You'd think with all our festivals and outdoor parties, you'd see them more often, but no such luck. Â
I ordered a Guinness, which arrived before me in a plastic cup. Â Apparently Cubby Bear does not trust its customers not to be complete dumbasses, and I can't say I blame them. Â Of course, I don't actually trust them to be competent publicans. Â
There's a bathroom attendant, but don't worry--all Cubby Bear bathroom attendants are ABAA (American Bathroom Attendant Association) certified.
Oh hey college house parties, where have you been?
Drinking here is exactly like being in a fraternity basement. It is loud, there are drunk chicks dancing by themselves and lots of beer. It is dark and there is a big stage for all sorts of debauchery. This place is quite large, and from what I can tell no windows because during the day it felt like midnight.
I am in my 20's and I think this scene may be a bit too young for me. Sure this place is a lot of fun, but fun doesn't have to be so expensive. This may just be me being a little too picky with my bars, but I love natural light during the day and being able to hear my friends standing next to me.
On top of all of this, they make you pay 3$ for a water bottle! No tap for you!
Bogus, but this place gets two stars because against my better judgement, I danced here. Ooops!
At Cubby Bear, you sign up online for free admission to their Live Salsa Sundays. Â (The event is Latin music played at a deafening volume into horrendous acoustics, but the dancing is great nonetheless.) Â Then you receive a basic email confirming
that your name is on the "guestlist." Â
But be forewarned folks, Cubby Bear has a brilliant scam going. Â You show up for your free entry and they won't let you in when you display your smart phone with the email that they sent you. Â They also won't let you show state-issued ID to match your name on the very list they have right there at the door. Â No, you have to have printed out your email. Â The email, mind you, doesn't even have a barcode.
What are the odds that you have put their email on paper? Â Exactly. Â Surprise! Â Suddenly you are paying $10 at the door. Â Brilliant.
This review is limited to my visits here on Sundays, when they play salsa.
There are 2 bars in this place - one is on the right side of the main entrance, and the other is in the back. I have had bad experiences when I ordered my booze in the back, from a tall male bartender.
For a Maker's Mark on the rock, $8 was the price when I ordered at the bar close to the entrance. However, $12 was charged when I order in the back. I told that tall bartender that I usually paid $8 for the identical drink from the other bar, but he didn't care and asked me to pay $12. So I told him "you know what, I'll cancel this then, and I will buy it from the other bar where I can get charged only for $8." He then just threw the drink in a garbage bin. What a waste.
Other time I ordered an Effen & cranberry juice from the same guy I think, and the drink tasted like straight cranberry juice, so I asked him to add a bit more, then he asked me to pay more. I told him to taste how sober the drink was, but he just kept asking me to pay more.
Since those bad experiences, I order my drinks from the bar close to the entrance only.
What can I say about the Cubby Bear that hasn't already been said? Â It's a great game-day bar for Cubs games because it's huge and you don't feel like you're going to suffocate. Â The beer is cold and relatively cheap and the food is kinda great! Â It's just general bar food, but I really like the little bit I've had (chicken quesadillas).
Live band karaoke is a BLAST on Wednesday nights. Â Everyone has to try it at least once!
Bottom Line Up Front: This is where I start the next Great Chicago Fire.
The Chicago Fire was started October 8, 1871 and lasted learly 3 days. The fire jumped the Chicago River twice, killed over 300 people, left over 100,000 people homeless, and destroyed 4 square miles of the city. It is considered one of the greatest disasters of the 19th century. The irony of the situation is that the city's grossly disorganized tenament housing was destroyed and made way for a complete reorganization. The plan was called  "the Paris of the Plains," and the goal was to make Chicago the crown jewel of the midwest.
Wrigleyville is currently the big shithole that the near south loop warehouse district was back in the 19th century... and the Cubby Bear is the black hole epicenter of douchery and trixi-hood. The Cubby Bear serves warm $7 Bud Light tall boys to guys in Sperry topsiders who wear sunglasses at night, but don't know who the fuck Corey Hart was. After Cubs games they have a DJ spinning the best Ke$ha, Britney, and Justin Bieber house-beat remixes. This is one of those "Bachelorette Party Headquarters" bars that could make Jesse "The Body" Ventura regret that feather boas were ever invented.
The faux classy clientelle should be enough to keep you away, but if that's not enough, the rude and inconsiderate staff surely will. You will wait for at least 30 minutes to get the attention of a bartender and there's a 50/50 shot that they'll either get your order wrong or steal your credit card. This is one of those places that everyone who is visiting Chicago is told is a "must visit," by people that hate them.
This bar houses all nine circles of hell from Dante's "Divine Comedy." [limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery.] Normally, that would be a ringing endorcement from me... but this place is like hell without all the fun parts.
If you like this place you're probably going to vote for Palin/Bachman in 2012.
Decent place to leadoff when it comes to bar hopping around Wrigley Field for a Cubs game.
It's directly across the front entrance of Wrigley and even though it's pretty spacious inside, as you would expect it's super crowded.  Standing room only with about an hour and half til first pitch. (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4_9G72COc9jrQHA2VE-f2Q?select=AjYKRXO72hqWxj7ze5CgtQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>)
There's tv's everywhere but with so much action and noise going on it's information overload.
Their tap could use a few more beers, the prices are decent. Kudos to the bartenders who try their best given the non stop lines.
(<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4_9G72COc9jrQHA2VE-f2Q?select=a8FN82DKhekbRZkyHVi7RQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>)
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