Pretty nice little place! Went on a Sunday afternoon, had a great time. Bartender (Ryan I believe?) Was insanely polite and fun. There are some silly, diva-ish reviews here, but as someone who just popped in for a drink, I have no complaints. Place is small, but immaculate and cute. Staff was nice, regulars and prices were great as well. No complaints! Will be backsies!!!!!
Review Source:There are only a couple bartenders and they always remember my drink. Both have a heavy handed pour. Prices are reasonable. Other customers are friendly and well behaved. There are often specials and/or music performances. Highly recommend if you live in the neighborhood and want to relax and have an after-work cocktail.
Review Source:First, see my 2007 Duke's review:
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/dukes-bar-aka-dukes-hideaway-chicago#hrid:ZT3DA08hjByjaW8UM9vdSQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
Rising from the ashes, and the empty cans of Meister Brau, of Duke's Hideaway, comes the Sidecar. It's all cleaned up, classed up, tarted up, but still has a great personality. Cleverly hung mirrors make the space seem larger than it actually is, a nice design trick! The bartenders and clientele are cute, charming and witty. Rogers Park is getting all chic!
I miss Duke's, as a good dive bar is sometimes tough to find. But this place is a nice addition to the neighborhood.
The following is an email I sent to the manager of Sidecar Bar on Monday (7/23/12):
Tom,
I was at your bar Sunday (7/22/12) afternoon with my partner and a few friends for the Bottomless Mimosa special. Â Petar was bartending.
I know that T's, Sidecar, and the Glenwood are all under the same management or umbrella company in some way.  I can say with all certainty that my partner nor I will ever step foot into any establishment Petar is bartending /serving.  He was beyond rude, threatening, told us the Mimosa special was over at 6 because he was out of  Brut, and went on to tell one of my friends who is a regular at Sidecar that he's thrown me out of everyplace he's worked and will bounce me out if I ever came into a place he was working.  WHAT?
Let me make it very clear that he has NEVER, asked me to leave anyplace he was working. EVER. Â
My partner & I met him a few years ago through a bartender at T's when she was bartending & possibly training him. Â He was very polite & even cool to us. Â I dined at T's a few months later with a group of friends and I can honestly say the entire table agreed he had the most miserable disposition, was rude, didn't get our order correct and never checked on us as any of the other servers ALWAYS do (hats off to Joel, Candice & Leigh!). Â I didn't take it personally, but the few times I saw him after that incident, I made sure that our group avoided him at all costs.
I will own up to any behavior--good or bad--but I will not be called a "mess" & be disparaged by anybody. My partner & I live in Andersonville, dine at T's often and travel north to be meet with friends at the Glenwood and Sidecar frequently. Â We have always had a good time and been treated with the respect we deserve as patrons and given excellent service. Â I will also say that in the past, when the Brut ran dry at Sidecar, it was replaced somehow by one of the other bars (I assume) and the fun and great service continued.
I don't know what Petar's problem is with me me or anybody I'm with, but he is absolutely rude, disrespectful and now I can add to the list a lying gossiper. I will say that after he told one of my friends in a very serious and impolite way that Sidecar didn't carry any of the beers he asked about and then rudely and abruptly ended the daily special, I will have to think twice about returning to any of the locations that your partnership runs (if he is working); especially after being threatened to be tossed out. Â I certainly don't want that to happen because of all the fun times I can associate with your establishments. Â We have always enjoyed ourselves and the excellent service we have received and would hate for that to end because of the attitude of a disgruntled employee.
I didn't want to rant on Yelp! or any of the other blogs, websites or Facebook that I could have---and gotten nowhere. Â I wanted to address this directly to you in the hope that it would be addressed. Â I do not plan on being bullied anytime soon to not visit some of our favorite dinner / drink spots by anyone.
I look forward to your response.
Best,
Ron
I was hoping to get some some type or response-sincere or otherwise, but received NOTHING! Â That is professionalism at its finest. Â Maybe that same professionalism is what trickles down to the staff? Â
BULLIED is the only word that comes to mind when I hear I'm going to bounced out of anyplace Petar, the bartender is serving up a rotten attitude & hate. I don't think so!
As I mentioned in my unreplied to email, this dude has the worst disposition, bad attitude and customer service I've come across anyplace except for the DMV. Â It's a shame that the management didn't bother to take the time or even care to reply. Â I said I didn't want to Yelp!, but maybe I can spare someone else a lousy waste of time in the future.
When I first walked in to Sidecar Bar, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was an upscale little lounge bar, but with the "dive bar" feel (a/k/a friendly, and no snobs).
The bartender Ryan was phenomenal. He did a great job of being able to chat with the guests while at the same time always having his eyes on the other guests in case they needed something.
I've now been there 3 times and each time had wonderful service and delicious drinks. I will definitely be back!
Not impressed. Â Nothing about Sidecar Bar is inviting. Â The atmosphere can't decide what it wants to be so just comes off as confusing. Â Drinks are OK but nothing to brag about. Â Bartender the nights I visited chatted with friends "a lot" and kinda ignored our table. Â Music is too loud and too dancy/housy/irritating. Â It would be nice it Sidecar could find a theme and stick with it. Â Something low key and inviting would be nice. Â The loud, irritating has been done to death.
Review Source:The atmosphere was ok, and  the music was "on", but something about this place didn't get me...or any other person  I was with for that matter.
One star awarded because  their drinks are a decent price for a decent size GLASS..none of that mamby pamby plastic cup scrap.
One star is awarded for the fact that they have gay nights in a not-so-specifically-gay community. I, myself am bi, but the group  I took with me this previous Saturday night consisted of 2 gays ( a couple) , a single gay, and a single lesbian. All of us are mingle-rs, and socialists...but the bar was just not inviting ...even on gay night. I liked the semi-porn playing on the tv, and we really enjoyed the cheap pool table and dart games...but the set up was far from intimate.  I couldnt flick a booger to the next table they are so far away . Seriously. You better come with a large group , or you'll be bored to bits...and this is coming from me...a person who would choose to read and play bingo over a Jersey Shore party with free booze and tits galore...So it was MI-LD.
The bartenders were working at a decent pace, and the server was "ok", but nothing special.
I have been living in the Roger's Park area for nearly 13 months now, and this was the first time I stopped in to Sidecar Bar, and I am definitely not impressed. It's nice for the early 30's - late 40's gay couple/single white women groups who are in the neighborhood without any good news to share. Â Dull/dank/boring.
I really like this place. Â The Amaretto Bambino is by far the best Amaretto drink I've ever had (and I've tried many). Â I've seen a few people bitching about the price of the martinis, but I have to say it's spot on having spent $13, $15 and $18 on Martinis at other places the closer I get to downtown. Â I like the atmosphere and decorating scheme... although I agree with getting rid of the dart machine.
Review Source:Nice neighborhood, no attitude bar with good drinks and very nice staff. Â One of the best assets of the bar is the manager/bartender Ryan. Â He was made for the bar business! Â Very personable and fun (oh, and a cutie too). Â I really hope this place makes it! Â It is a great addition to the hood.
Review Source:For Rogers Park, you just can't charge $10 for a martini. I liked the candlelit areas and the chairs. The waiter was more content chilling at the bar and I actually had to get him myself in order to get drinks for my friend and I. If I didn't live in the neighborhood there wouldn't really be any reason to go there. I'll stick with Morseland.
Review Source:It's a bit overpriced. It's small. I'm not too sure about the theme.
But
It has potential. And it reminds me of the Glenwood when it first opened before it became the growing giant that it is now. I miss that bar, not that I don't like the Glenwood now but it's gotten louder and you can never get anything played on the Jukebox. Maybe this place will turn into the more casual side of Glenwood.
Note: Don't compare Dukes to this place. The late Duke's owners widow approached the Glenwood about buying this place. They did her a favor.
I really think this place is promising: I loved my cocktails and thought my bartenders were charming! I like that it's dark and I like the black and white movies as background. The meat and potatoes of the place is solid.
HOWEVER, they need to pick a direction and embrace it! It's jarring to be relaxing, sipping on a well-made cocktail and having a conversation with the tacky neon jukebox or incredibly loud dart machine sounding off randomly. It doesn't jive and that's what's confusing and keeping me from being a regular.
Went there once to try it out after the loss of Duke's which was a simple, welcoming neighborhood bar. Thought maybe change would be OK. Wrong. This place features what has to be intentionally bland/generic decor, pricey, and poorly prepared mixed drinks and an equally pricey and remarkably bland selection of tap and bottled beer. Service treated my girlfriend and I like walking $$, nothing more nothing less. A thorough disappointment, though it seems to fill up on weekend nights. Certainly doesn't add anything to the neighborhood, and unless they turn their cocktail program around in a hurry, not worth anyone making a trek up.
Review Source:ewwwww, a sidecar as made @ the ritz in the place vendome in paris there this drink was invented in 1924 is 8 parts conac, 2 parts cointreau  and 1 part lemon juice, that is juice from an actual lemon, not from concentrate poured outta a bottle or shot outta a gun..... and the bartender vests are absolutely charming when matched with ripped, baggy, grubby  designer blue jeans. Oh and if there is one movie ya don't show in black and white it's Stanley Kubricks 2001, a Space Odessey. And then there is the lame-o juke box, cause nothing breaks the lounge mood quite like when the dart players wanna hear the one hit wonder a-ha 'take me on 'blaring on the juke box.... jeah, a juke box, cause the owner wants to bleed every last cent of profit outta their clients.
1) if u r gonna serve classic cocktails, learn how to make them, they are classics for a reason
2) either have staff wear a uniform or street clothes, the mis-matched 3 piece suit vests certainly is a choice, however poor that choice is.
3) there are decades of black and white television shows and movies, if that is your video look, play.
4) choose a soundtrack, any soundtrack, NEVER leave the audio selection to your customers.
Finally, a great bar with great drinks in the neighborhood. Yeah, it's pricier than the dive bar that used to be there. You know why? Because it's not a dive -- it's an upscale cocktail lounge. The drinks are great. Nothing innovative, but perfectly executed. Go there. I hope it survives.
Review Source:Sidecar replaced the neighborhood dive bar Duke's Hideaway. The vibe is completely different. Instead of strong drinks and no cover music that one would find at Duke's, Sidecar serves up $10 martinis in a loungy atmosphere. The drinks are good, but not $10 good, and I question whether the alley location can support this kind of place. Chuckie's up the street has a similar vibe, main road visibility, and better prices. Morseland has drinks that are both cheaper and better, along with live music.
Review Source:
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