The South Loop Club seems to come to my rescue at the oddest times. Â This rescue came on a recent Sunday afternoon where we were trying to catch the Hawks game but our first bar choice was closed.
We walked down a couple of blocks to South Loop Club and entered an almost empty bar.
We had our pick of seats, plopped ourselves down and started to watch the game. Â There was a sound issue (tons of static) that almost had us up and walking to someplace else in the neighborhood, but once we motioned it, the bartender adjusted something and the rest of the game was free of the static.
We didn't eat on this visit but I noticed the menu hasn't changed much if at all. Â And Sandy, our server, was efficient and friendly, i just wished for her sake that there were a few more patrons in the place.
My favorite part (other than the great company i was with) was when two older women walked in and asked if they needed a "membership card" Â to come in.
Didn't have the heart to tell them that the South Loop "Club" will never be that kind of place!
They have awesome ribs and wings! This bar has been here forever and definitely old school Chicago. I think some people may miss it because it looks kind of shady and South Loop hasn't always been the best area, but give it a shot for the food if your going to the Merle Reskin Theatre or live in the now trendy neighborhood.
Review Source:South loop club is my go to neighborhood bar. Â I can see why some people may have these complaints but I always sit at the bar. Â Kim (the bartender) is a very welcoming, warm, and talkative bartender. Â She brings great service every time! If you want to talk, she'll talk. Â Food wise, I recommend the hummus, wings, and the wraps. Â Great place to stop in for a drink before going out or late night munchies.
Review Source:I go to SLC once in a while when I want to eat a very good half of chicken and curly fries. Â I watch a sports event on one of the screens while waiting, and maybe have a beer. Â The service is good. Â They make sure you're ok with the drink and the chicken and leave you alone. Â It's reasonably priced and the chicken is very very good. Â I just like it plain, but they also have it greek style and barbeque. I don't use it as a drinking place or a place with friends or for a date. It serves the purpose of a good meal.
Review Source:This place is beyond awful. Have accidentally been here two times in the past two weeks now. First of all, the food is an absolute travesty. Have now tried a burger and a philly cheesesteak. Â The only accurate description I can come up with is "culinary abortion." I can even accept one bad meal as an exception, but this was two train wrecks. The staff seems unknowledgeable, disengaged, and just border line rude. The drinks are average at best and incredibly expensive. This is designed to be a dive bar, and has no redeeming quality aside from horrific food and abysmal service. Do yourself a favor and don't bother coming here. There aren't many options in this neighborhood, but take a cab, a train, a bus, or a piggy back ride elsewhere so not to waste your time, money, or taste buds here.
Review Source:The smoke from the grill here wafts around this place for about a block or so before it's carried away by the lake breeze. Did you ever see those cartoons where food smells become hands and they lead a character by the nose to its origin? That's what it's like for me when I walk by this place.
Put them to the test and see for yourself, these are THE best charbroiled burgers in the neighborhood. NO ONE can beat them, not even SRO a few blocks down, and they put up a pretty good fight. And if you like fries, most stuff comes with curly fries at no extra cost. If you're feeling adventurous, get the crazy onions for a little extra. Amazing. If what you REALLY want is a charbroiled burger, (or anything charbroiled, for that matter)? Go here! They're open VERY late, and the service is prompt and good.
I don't usually dine in here, but the neighborhood people seem to like it. I'm not much of a drinker or a sports fan, so I think if you like that, you'll like having a beer and watching a game here too. I get my stuff to go, in the back side of the bar (entrance on Balbo). Order your food ahead of time (because who wants to wait?), go there, pick it up, and leave the very nice cooks a tip; they always do a GREAT job!
This place is very close to my office. One can choose carryout, eat in the dive bar, or take a seat on the sidewalk. The carryout option is a good choice if you want to be quick and cheap about lunch. The buggers are charbroiled goodness on a bun. The servers are friendly. Skip the iced tea.
Review Source:Wow- how this place is in business is a million dollar question. This is at best a 2 star dive bar (generously rated here). I felt like I was stepping back in time by entering SLC. From the big tube tvs, to the dingy tables, to the corona salt and pepper shakers, this place hasn't had any improvements made to it in awhile. That's all fine, i suppose. However, the service was inhospitable and rude.
I'm nearly ashamed to say I've been here, but need to do the right thing and forewarn other potential customers from mistakenly entering the SLC.
i hate hatin' on dive bars. Â but this place belongs in the suburbs or in my hometown of 5,000 people. Â no joke. Â my bff, who attended columbia circa 2005, said that she had many a night here at the SLC, and since we were in da hood, we stopped by for a drink. Â things change - maybe it was because she was a wee lad/drunken college student or maybe the bar just got crappier. Â either way, we only stayed for a cheap pitcher of bud and a hummus plate (w/ chips - add $1 - weird). Â i will give the hummus props, because it actually WAS tasty. Â i've had bad, dry hummus at other places, and this was surprisingly yummy.
we sat outside, drank out of plastic pint glasses with the old skool goose island summertime logo (the goose rocks a hat and sunglasses - rad.)
yelp will remove my review if i don't surround my comment with substantial verbiage about why i detest this place.
i used to run in here for a cold one after a run along the lake front on my way back to my apartment. i personally thing they can clean this place up but the owners are stingy outright and have zero interest in what the customers has to say.
ask the waitresses they'll tell you management scolds them if they hand out too much napkins. Â
i stopped running in here since I found cleaner bars in the area. and somewhere where the entrance doesn't smell like uren on a hot day. well maybe if their high society managers gets their behind from out the building and them washing the sidewalks perhaps i'll change my view.
A place for college kids to throw their money away; the South Loop Club has almost no saving graces.
The food was pricey, took forever, and was stupidly overpriced, same for the drink (five dollars for a 8oz rum and diet coke). The server was friendly, however, it wasn't her day, and with the asshole managers screaming at the poor woman, it was easy to sympathize.
Oh yeah, the managers will destroy any server in front of the customers because lord knows their horse isn't high enough. They tore her apart when she messed up my ticked by undercharging me a dollar (nothing like having a managers stale breath on your neck and eyes down your shirt) citing her as a bimbo, and "stupid bitch."
The management renders this restaurant useless.
I used to come to SLC all the time with my friend while she was at Columbia, and we would head over there after classes/work to drink some long islands. Sigh. Memories.
Decent selection of drinks; about average to slightly high pricing. We used to go here for the wraps, the falafel and the cheese sticks (all highly priced for what you get).
Service has really started to fail during the past three years. Granted, we don't come here much anymore, but our severs always manage to forget half the order or manage to be completely slow with everything from bringing water, another drink, or even just the check.
The cheese sticks are still tasty, but there are more than enough pubs and bars in the area where you can get more bang for your buck, along with better service.
NEEEEEVER AGAIN! i could smell the bathroom from the middle of the...dinning(?) area, the creepy pengiunesque manager or whatever that cepter's position was had chest hair sticking out so far that it was hard to tell it from his beard, food? eh, and four bucks for a pbr on special? ha, ok. they're two bucks, one on special anywhere else, but senility's a bitch. i made a deal with them and they're 'don't like it, fuckin leave' attitudes aaaaand that brings us to here. so,yeah, not a bad burger when you're shitfaced at 4 30 am on a saturday, but if you complain they'll piss on your teeth.
Review Source:yes
nice place to grab a drink in the south loop. spacious with plenty of seating, Â lots of plants along fill the space and give it a nice botanic vibe, which helps balance out the 10+ tv's that line the walls presenting a medley of sporting events. Â considering this is downtown it has cheap drinks + a chill vibe.
Very good service. There are a lot of bad reviews to this place and that because the people going there were looking something this place do not offer.
If you want to party hard, this is not your place. However, if you want to go with friends and have a few beers this is your place.
This is good for a conversation with drinks, it isnt a place were you are going to meet new people.
Cheers
So... first time in chi-town, landed on Michigan ave and Yelpers be my virtual friend guides for late night fare, right.
Well late must be a relative term cus just shy of the witching hour doesn't constitute as late at this stablishment. The fry cook states 3:30? or so as last call for your belly, that's during the work week mind you.
Two entrances with a connected hall links the storefront fare with a medium smallish size sports bar. The menu prices for burgers are well within reason for the city setting you back less than a couple bottles of beer (bar bought mind you).  Cooked to order generous size beef patty with Swiss and sautéed mushrooms in this instance with a side of fries and the trimmings.  Not writing home to mom about (you on here mom?) but served it's purpose none the less.
The real treat was as the prior poster stated. My food was to go so bar seat later and I'm having a nice chat with the lovely Diana and her Ukrainian waitress friend Love. Â Yep, that really was her name. Â If you have a thing for eastern block beauties with their big eyes and alluring accents this might be your place for a cultural experience.
The place was vacant on a Tuesday night at this hour but it sounds like "the after bars" crowd gets their hunger satiated here.  Suited me fine because the highlight was cultural  : )
Up unitl last night I have not been here since 2006 and thats because Im not usually hanging out in this part of the South Loop although my gym is right there. It was packed as hell due to people stumbling over from the Bears game. We luckily were able to grab a table considering the crowd. Our waitress with her name tatted on her breast was pretty cool at first, but I guess her shift ended at some point and she didnt give a damn about letting us know as some other waitress showed up and started working with us.
I did the damn thang on 8 out of 10 awesome buffalo wings and 2 Modelos. Thanks to Lori L and Mike W for finishing off the last two. We enjoyed the first part of the Patriots-Jets game as we ended the nightcap. Good place to go to only if you need a drink in the area, but it is a tight space inside. The peeps that work here are pretty cool.
If walking past the SLC in any direction, keep walking, you're likely to find a bar with better food, service, and hygiene. Â Most of the mangers walking around were too busy watching games and checking their "picks" to realize that whole customer experience was a sinking ship. Â How is this place still open? Â
Note: Â When the dishwasher comes out from the kitchen, hairnet and all, and makes more popcorn for the bar, something is wrong.
Hah! The Boston fan below me had a similar experience, though I wasn't a total Masshole. I came for the Sox vs Sox games in July '11 and went here late at night. It was a quick walk from the hotel and was always open -- I think they close at 5am or something.
I had the same Ukrainian or they hire Ukrainians often. She was very nice, but had to be reminded of what we ordered, didn't know when I said "Pabst" that means PBR, and forgot a few items. That said, she accommodated my 6 year old niece in this dive, so I appreciated it.
It is a dive bar, but it's not loud or rowdy. The food is actually pretty good! The mini pizzas were exactly what I needed with my beer after a long day touring Chitown. I met up with a friend from the area who hadn't been there, but really loved it and wanted to go back in the future.
Solid dive bar near downtown. Â
There are a ton of TVs, although they're not the fancy schmancy jumbo flat screens that new places have, but they all do the job!
I didn't order food here, but pitchers of Blue Moon instead (it's way cheaper if you have 2 or more people). Â Glassware and the bar was clean, and service was awesome.
Danny for Bartender of the year! Â :-)
Alright South Loop Club, you've taunted me for years. I could never think of a real reason to go in but you ARE a bar after all so hey let's take a gamble on some Sunday night pre-season football.
Empty at 8pm. Hrm. $12 pitcher of PBR? Ehhh...Ok. Wings and a split gyro. Ok. Just ok. Well, that's not true, the gyro was pretty darn tasty but it was that runny tzatziki and not the thicker, better stuff.
The whole experience was... weird. Like a combo strip mall/Mos Isley/South Elgin/Southside kind joint. Weird and overpriced. A pint of PBR is normally $5 and yeah ok I get the real estate excuse but really? A fin? Yeesh.
It's a 4am bar and I'm sure that's a selling point to someone, but you will not catch us there again - Bears game, 4am hankerin' or the fact that you aren't Bar Louie notwithstanding. Buh' bye.
The drink prices aren't the best and the environment isn't that great either. Don't come here to drink.
However, the food isn't that bad. If you're one of those kids who's lived in the south loop, you've more than likely eaten here. The SLC is badass for one reason: it's open past 9:00 PM. In the south loop, nearly all note worthy eateries close way too early, making SLC one of yr best options.
If I had a buck for every time I've stumbled into this place wanting a gyro, I'd have like twenty extra bucks in my pocket. The burgers aren't that bad either. Chicken skewers are alright too.
The SLC is like your creepy uncle you see every once in a while: kinda cool in small doses, smells like alcohol.
I kind of like South Loop Club because what you see is what you get. It feel like that's where you go when you want bad things to happen (like getting blackout drunk or going home with a homeless dude or something).
Anyway, food is average and decently priced. Pitchers are cheap-ish and they have beer/pitcher specials. Service has always been adequate. Bathrooms are horrifying. Good for loud groups or some rowdy after work fun.
There is not one single redeeming quality about this place. NOT ONE!
1) Can you really call it service if the waitress doesn't do anything? I don't think so. Our waitress not only took 20 minutes per drink order, but she also wouldn't clear any of the empties, or food baskets that were sitting there for more than an hour after completion. I would rather just go up to the bar and order my own drinks and bring them back to the table, instead of them adding the 15% gratuity by a do nothing.
2) No matter what you cannot split the check, or open your own tab if you meet up with a couple of friends that have already been there for a couple of hours. Which has a chance of being detrimental to the checking account. All of the bills are hand written, not printed up reciept, so then you have to try to figure out at the end of the night who owes what, and also try to figure out why the bill is so outrageously expensive. I was so pissed. Our bill, mind you this is a dive bar, there were like 2 or 3 appetizers ordered, and a decent amount of drinks, came out to $275. Now I was there with about six people. I had about 5 or 6 drinks. Somehow I wound up paying 55 dollars for those 5 or 6 drinks. Now I wouldn't mind paying that if this was an upscale lounge, a nice restaraunt, or something other than a bar with ice cubes in the urinals. Needless to say I was pissed.
3) Me and the group I was with are all employees at a large hotel nearby and give this hemmorhoid of a place thousands upon thousands of dollars per year in extra revenue. Now you would think that due to the fact we send those thousands upon thousands of dollars their way, they would maybe pick up one round, or at least offer to take just one drink off the check. At least that is what you would think they would do. But no. And they have officially pissed me off now, especially due to this last visit. I will make it a point as long as I am working over here to not send anyone over here ever again. It will give me personal pleasure in knowing that this place will be losing out on thousands of dollars. Because in all honesty, they don't deserve a fucking dime.
4) Management. Yeah, if that's what you could call it. There was one time in particular when I had a couple of drinks in me, nothing outrageous, and I was enjoying a conversation with the one waitress that was actually good at what she did, and also has since quit, when the younger manager who thinks his shit doesn't stink starts giving her shit. Now this is another time when I got royaly pissed off. So I made my dislike for this ass clown well known when I loudly told the bartender that he is a douche bag. Of course he came up to me, and asked if I had a problem. This is about the time when I was yelling so close to his face that I spit on it. YAY!!! Mind you I'm a lover not a fighter, but he was 2.1 seconds away from getting laid out on the ground. I made the conscious decesion to leave before I was arrested for assault and battery.
5) So to put an end to this shortened long story. DONT COME HERE!
DONT COME HERE! DONT COME HERE! I cannot express to you enough that you will be treated like shit. You will pay a lot for that shitty treatment. And if you are so desperate to come here, just order the food and take it to George's. They'll allow you to do it, i've done it and been much happier as an end result.
I love this place. Y'know, after a long night and you still wanna drink and consume greasy food to soak up all the booze you drank, then go here.
Yeah the decor is dated, but do I really care about that when I am starvin' Marvin at 4am? NO!
This place cracks me up sometimes. I tell you everyone has a story to tell here, even the cops that come in for some food. It's gotta be good if they visit here!
Seriously though, I am picky about my food, especially being veggie and all. They do have a bit of grease on their menu but they also have a bunch of healthy selections also. Their Falafel are great and so are their Tacos.
Everything is reasonably priced and although it can be rowdy sometimes, you can still chill and enjoy your meal and drink.
I have been here on many occasions after hours and the staff and food have never failed. It is always on my list to mange` mange` here after a late night out. Cheers South Loop Club!
As a Columbia College graduate I have been to this place more than once in the wee hours of the morning. Â Drinks and food pretty decent , what you would expect for a 5am bar.
The last time experienced The Club we were celebrating a nostalgic SoLo bar crawl for my friends b-day. Â At 4:50am we were pushed out the door by a large man with an empty tear tattoo next to his eye sarcastically calling me princess. Â
What a night.
I've been here a couple of times and I don't necessarily think this place is a dive bar. Â Of the few times I found myself at SLC, I found the experience to be rather typical; not the greatest but not the worst. Â
The interior of the bar has typical stuff on the walls like license plates, posters, etc. Â I didn't find it dingy or anything, just a typical bar. Â
The beer selection was decent and the service was OK. Â I like that you can get anything in the pitcher size and the prices are reasonable. Â The first time I went we had a group of about 10 and the service was fairly prompt. Â We ordered pitchers, so it's not like the server had to be hanging around all the time to see if we needed anything. Â
I've also sampled the falafel and I thought it was delicious. Â I haven't had any of the other food, but I'd be willing to try something else after the falafel experience.
I am pretty much an expert on dive bars, in fact I really love dive bars. Â
I do not like the South Loop Club. Â If possible, I'd give this place ZERO stars and then stand outside wearing one of those sandwich board places to keep unsuspecting tourists or locals who strayed too far from their homes to stay away!
I dedicated my extreme hatred and disgust for the South Loop Club to the following people:
1) That waitress I once had with the 80's curls who never once actually STOPPED at our table to ask if we needed anything and who had very boney elbows, I know because I literally had to grab one to get a beer after 20 minutes of her ignoring us.
2) Â The total jerk off "business men" guidos who call me "Baby", "Honey" and "Sweet heart" every-time I go in there and rub their polyester crotches against my ass.
3) The food for making my stomach hurt every time I smell the fucking shit.
Thanks South Loop Club for making hipster bars, with their tight panted men and droopy faces, look promising and inviting.
This is a pretty spiffy dive bar, complete with the lit-up neon signs outside the establishment and down-to-earth waitresses and bartenders. Â
I realize that the description "a spiffy dive bar" may qualify as a paradox, but it's not much of a self-contradictory statement if you believe that the South Loop Club actually went all out to appear as a dive bar. Â It's like that kid who buys $45 ripped and stained T-shirts from Abercrombie & Fitch just to imitate the ruggedness of a piss-poor farm kid from the boondocks. Â
The "divey" ambiance is somewhat authentic, but the high prices for their food and booze just reveal that they're amateurs. Â I've never had a bad time here (and I couldn't care less about how authentic/pseudo they are), but I'll never order their food again. Â Come here for the vibe and booze, but never the food.
This place should get 3 stars...the reason why...if you go here, I hope you know why you are going. You are going to a dive sports bar that has cold beer. The food is average to below average, and it is a little smokey, but.....the big but, they cater to whichever game you want to watch.
That is the point of going to a bar like this...the games and the beer...not the food... enough said
I wasn't expecting much when I strolled in here to watch some sports and have a few beers - for which this place succeeded quite nicely. The atmosphere has dive written all over it - from its cheeseball specials posted everywhere and heavy metal tinged/hockey hair Jukebox to its purposely abundant neon beer advert lighting. I had no problems with this joint. Â I ordered the wings and they were all right. The bartender was really nice and was checking up on me a lot. If I lived in Chicago I wouldn't mind her rubbing my feet.
btw...a couple songs I remember distinctively being played on the Juke were Dio's "Holy Diver" and Ozzy Osbourne's "Bark At The Moon". That should say it all...
The only reason to go to SLC is for their burgers. Â The SLC Special will always hold a special place in my heart... probably in the ventricles.
I would recommend getting it to go if you are able because the atmosphere is not great and neither are the bartenders. Â A friend I went with ordered the wings, despite my speech about the SLC Special being the only decent thing they have. Â The wings arrived at our table 40 minutes later...cold.
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