Blokes & Birds

This place is fun to visit as an out of towner. The drinks are delicious, the staff is super friendly, and the food is delicious. The bar has two levels. Downstairs is where you will often kind Karaōke or a comedy show.
The next time I blow through Chicago, this place is definitely on my list!

Went here for dinner to try it out since we passed by it so often. First impressions were great, seemed like a cool place inside, seated right away at a cool table. Drinks were out in no time, and the old fashioned I got was really great — that’s the only reason this is a 2 star instead of a 1. To be fair, we should’ve been warned by the kitschy cliché mustaches that adorned everything…
Waitress took a long time to come and take our food orders, and mine came out wrong even though she had read it back correctly. Supposed to be a medium-​cooked plain cheeseburger, came out well done and coated in some kind of gross mayo. I asked the person who brought it out for some ketchup to hide the taste since I couldn’t scrape it off entirely, and he promised to get it right away — that was the last we ever saw of him.
I waited for a while, as my girlfriend finished a third of her meal, and finally managed to wave down another server — for being only half full, it seemed like no one was really paying attention. The hostess was on her phone the entire time actually — how unprofessional is that! You come into the restaurant and she’s leaning at the stand and visibly scrolling on Facebook or whatever, while I’m ten feet away and waving for service. Wow.
I finally flagged someone down and demanded just one little bowl of ketchup already so I could eat, and our waitress brought it back, noticed the plate where I had scraped everything off because she got my order wrong, didn’t seem to care, and walked away immediately. Ok… After all that, biting into it and finding out it was thoroughly well done wasn’t so bad because I was pretty resigned to having a bad experience here anyway.
The waitress never even seemed to care. Didn’t even apologize or offer to correct it. Wouldn’t have been a big deal if it was just, like, a tomato that I could pick off, but this gross mayo sauce was so soaked into the whole burger and bun that I couldn’t even finish it.
I left with a disgusting taste in my mouth and I’m never coming back. There are plenty of other options just steps away — don’t waste your time with this lackluster place.

Pros:
The food is great! Lots of options for brunch and lunch.
It has a great atmosphere and vibe.
The staff is very friendly and accommodating.
Cons:
Service is rough. I think it’s a management issue, as the staff is hustling constantly, but organization is poor. Our group’s food came out over the course of 5 – 10 minutes instead of all at once, drinks weren’t refilled consistently, and we have our order taken for a long time. Servers have way too much to do and not enough support.
They didn’t get our orders correct in the kitchen. The server repeated them correctly, but food came out incorrect.
The acoustic brunch thing. This is the big one. It’s a really cool idea, in theory. In practice, it’s too loud, no one likes it, and it’s unnecessary. No one is coming here for this, and it’s actually probably turning more people away than it’s bringing in. If the set was shortened and the volume lowered significantly, the experience would be greatly improved and more enjoyable.

Came here prior to heading to a concert at the Vic. The place is really nice inside but I was less than impressed with the service. Our waiter seemed nice and the appetizer came out quickly; however, we waited over 30 minutes for our entrees to come out, even though they weren’t anything that should have taken that long and the place was only half full. During our wait for our food, our waiter was no where to be seen. When the food finally came out, they messed up some of the order and it wasn’t warm. My bf got the fish and chips which he thought was okay. I ordered the gnocchi primavera which was completely flavorless and bland. My friend on the other hand thought her pork rib sandwich was decent. Least to say, I will not be back.

A classy establishment with mustaches and a basement popping with events worth your while. Whether it’s live music, comedy shows, or karaōke — don’t mind me passionately belting out tunes from my childhood after ingesting Blokes’ hearty grub — you’re in for a treat. Shoot for their pulled pork or beef sandwiches, or their mushroom ragu. My only complaint is that service has been somewhat slow on a couple of occasions, but I wasn’t in the biggest rush, either, so it didn’t ruin my experience. The staff is actually really personable and helpful, also boosting the review.

Beware: this spot apparently charges $ 2 on top of menu price for «neat» spirits. This was nowhere on the menu and I honestly can’t fathom why on earth they charge more for the privilege of not having ice cubes. We were really peeved that they decide to up-​charge our relatively large bill for no apparent reason.
The food menu (at least on NYE) left something to be desired. The cocktails were good and they have an impressive scotch collection — this is a great place to bring the whiskey addict in your life for drinks (with the caveat mentioned above). The burger was woefully under-​flavored and «medium well» still bled when I cut into it. They make a variety of amazing aoilis that they don’t use in cooking — you can just order them on the side.
Service was slow — so much so that the bartender eventually brought us our drinks after noting we were staring at them up on the bar since our waiter hadn’t bothered to come pick them up. Overall, not a bad spot for a drink, but there are better bars in the area.

It wasn’t totally offensive, which I consider a good thing considering:
1. I’m 35-​years-​old
2. This bar is in Wrigleyville
So here we are.
Blokes & Birds is kind of that medium between dive and really upscale bar. They have lots of high tables, seating and a more than decent menu. They also have a dude with a guitar signing which got really loud, really annoying and really lame after awhile.
Prices are on the higher end, too, but nothing crazy. $ 10 for an old fashioned. A decent selection of craft beers. Some specialty cocktails if that’s your thing. Coors Light if you’re not feeling fancy.
I liked the big open space. I didn’t like the single ladies bathroom. WTF. We need more than one toilet, yo.
So… medium?

Love this place. Way more upscale in design than the places a little farther north on Clark and way less duchy as well. They recently updated the lower level which features many seating sections for groups of people. They also have karaōke on Friday nights!
The staff and bartenders are all really cool. They even make their own house infused vodka!
The craft cocktails all look really good. I would definitely recommend The Statesider. I can’t wait to go back and try the food too!
Overall it’s a really chill bar that would be great to hang out with a group of friends down in the lower lever or even a date with dimly lit intimate setting of the main floor

Having seen this restaurant many times as I rode past it on the bus and having read reviews about this restaurant, I decided to try it… finally.
I had arrived about 5:00pm on a recent Saturday. I figure this place was going to be very busy or slow (since it was early). I walked in and the restaurant was empty. I was greeted by the hostess, who was very charming. She had seated me in the front by the large windows. The menu is very basic — a little bit of everything.
Jon, server, had greeted me and went over the menu and specials. From all of the reviews, I knew that I was going to order the Fish ‘n Chips. I didn’t order any appetizers so I would have room for dessert at the end of the meal.
The dining room has a very modern feeling to it with the wall to wall windows, wooden floors, exposed brick to the exposed ceiling beams and the wooden planks to cover some of the ceiling.
The food runner brought the meal to me within a reasonable amount of time. The one piece to fish was place over the plate of fries. The filet was very meaty and flaky. The fries were very well seasoned with maybe with sea salt. Jon was check in periodically without being overbearing. Great server. After eating the one piece of fish and majority of the fries, I was done. No room for dessert.
Jon did go over the desserts, but I just couldn’t eat another bite.
So if you are in the Wrigleyville area, check out this restaurant! I look forward to my next adventure to this restaurant.

Prices close to $ 10. Good Enough Guy Portion. Dish and Ingredient sophistication in comfort food.
JOSH HOP HASH ($ 11) — a balanced dish. Josh’s recommendation for scrambled eggs was perfect. I request a bit more Angus beef. I always hesitate when ketchup is introduced… but when you dip potatoes in ketchup — tasty! Edge into the hollandaise sauce.
METROPOLIS COFFEE — I am in heaven for $ 2 bottomless. Great presentation.
SERVICE — Patrick is informative upbeat with passion.
VENUE — clean, organized. Single stall Ladies Room has mouthwash and lotion to prep you for a make out session with a hottie. *wink*

This is a great place to come to, sit at the bar and order dinner or lunch. This place has a classic bar feel to it and the bartenders really make you feel at home. We came in and they gave us a taste of their bourbon which was fabulous. I’m normally not a big bourbon person but it had a lot of flavor. I ended up sticking with beer though and tried the pumpkin ale. It has all of the flavors of pumpkin without losing that classic beer finish.
To be honest coming in I wasn’t expecting much of the food, but don’t be mistaken this place has a great menu that doesn’t consist of typical bar food. I had the lamb burger with sweet potato fries and it was out of this world good. The lamb was juicy and cooked perfectly. The sweet potato fries came out hot and they had tons of flavor!
In summary, go here for a game and sit at the bar. You won’t be disappointed. The drinks are good, the food is good, and the service is fantastic.

Review for karaōke lounge only.
If you’re in the area, Blokes & Birds’ karaōke lounge makes an irresistible option for a Friday or Saturday night! Although the DJ doesn’t provide a song list, leaving patrons to think of songs from the top of mind, we were more than pleased that all our songs were available. He did seem to alternate between karaōke and standard numbers, which made the wait for the mic longer.
Fun bartenders, if a little overworked, and a friendly crowd to boot. I’ll be back as long as I’m nearby!

I absolutely loved this place. Probably my new favorite brunch spot in Chicago. $ 13 bottomless mimosas and so much amazing food – you must try the blokes breakfast. Anything you order is flawless! Nicole was my server and she was outstanding – my definition of outstanding is going above and beyond. She kept the drinks filled and made sure I was comfortable. I’ll be back for sure!

For drinks? Yes. 100%. They have good cocktails. Often takes a bit of time to get them, but they’re tasty.
For food? Forget it.
We went with a group of 12 to Blokes & Birds before the Billy Joel concert at Wrigley. We had a reservation. When we showed up, there were just two menus on the table.
After sharing menus, we ordered our drinks and appetizers. Some people had to reiterate their drink orders, since our server seemed to have forgotten them.
When the apps showed up, they didn’t bring silverware or plates, so we initially made due with the few place-​settings that were on the table to begin with.
Our entrees took nearly an hour to arrive. And when they did, we still had a severe shortage of napkins and silverware. I had to walk over to the place where all that was stacked and ask an employee to hook us up.
Many entrees came out prepared incorrectly. My fries were overcooked and flavorless.
I’ve been to Blokes & Birds several times and I generally enjoy it. But on a night when you know you’re going to get slammed and when a 12-​top submits a credit card number to hold a reservation, maybe consider things like having enough silverware, plates and menus for each customer to have one. That seems like what they teach you on day one of Restaurant School.
If you plan on eating here before an event at Wrigley, budget at least two and a half hours so you can compensate for their slow-​ass service.

First off — there is a check-​in special. A nip of their house-​infused bourbon… how can you pass this up? Our server brought a shot-​glass full of the flavor of the month, which in July happened to be a combination of vanilla, granny smith apples, and spices. Delightful. You’re off to a real good start, Blokes and Birds.
On Sunday they serve brunch until 3, which is when most people decide is the most sensible time of day to actually roll out of bed for their weekly supply of biscuits and gravy. Luckily, I was on a little vaca in Chicago, so my better half made sure we got there by 2 :)
The open-​air style of seating is something that the Twin Cities could definitely take a few tips on from Chicago. The restaurant itself is all dark wood and the lighting is sparse, but with all the doors all open, the darkness felt cool, and more like a refuge from the scorching sun outside. I also enjoyed the fresh cucumber water they served in place of regular tap water, and the table settings were simple, and not fussy. Pair that with the soft reggae music from above, and the breezes from outside, I really felt relaxed and at ease inside the space.
Errywhere I go for brunch, I look for eggs benny or biscuits and gravy. Meet their first cousin: spicy sausage gravy on top of thick biscuits, with a fried egg and dill sprigs, topped with 2 more large sausage links. My oh my, what a heavenly, meaty sensation. This was a brunch special, so I am not sure if you would find it on the regular menu.
The only thing I didn’t get, was that it was advertised as reflecting English-​pub culture. I really didn’t catch on to any of that — like at all. I think if I was coming to experience that aspect, I would have been disappointed. But lucky for me, I was greedy for brunch, and blinded by gravy.

Check in here to get a free «nip of house infusion!» I ordered a Summer Breeze here, which really did taste like summer. It’s one of those well-​concocted cocktails that puts a smile on your face with the first sip.
I really like the décor of this place, so classy in an area so close to Wrigleyville. You won’t find the bros that run all over Wrigley here in Blokes and Birds. There’s also a downstairs, that someone told me has karaōke, but I didn’t have a chance to check it out. Next time!

Overall: Good bar atmosphere with a ‘classier’ feel, especially for the area. Good food and beer list. A solid option when it comes to bars and food in Wrigley.
The Good: Good food at decent prices. Some unique options, especially for a bar. Definitely higher class but the prices are great. Plus, free shot when you check in! Decent atmosphere.
The bad: Louder music, the live singer wasn’t that good. The food portions are smaller. I left wanting more. The waitress was so-​so. They didn’t even have the Hawks game audio on.
Atmosphere: 7.5
Service: ⁷⁄₁₀
Food: 7.5÷10

So, I came because Unilocal said there was karaōke! But wow this place is a little high brow for me. Not sure about upstairs, but downstairs, where the karaōke is, is very dimly lit yet elegant and I feel like I’ve walked into the super spacious living room of someone very well-​to-​do.
Comfortable leather couches with sparse yet trendy furnishings and an intimate bar with very nice glassware. Everyone is dressed rather nicely, definitely not your jeans and t-​shirt dive har karaōke!
Staff seems very nice. Touch screen song selection with music videos on the screen is interesting and probably more entertaining for the audience but a little distracting to the singer.

Service has always been outstanding, more than I would expect, and never less than perfect. Went here the other night and my first timer friends loved it here. Definitely check out their desserts (my friend said it was the best cookie he ever had which was a la mode) and house infused bourbon. They have great beer and alcohol selection. Dinner and drinks here with friends could make you stay here for HOURS. We were there from 7:30pm to 2:30am.
Never had their pork chop and the Amish chicken but my friends raved about them. I’ll have to try it next time. The only reason why I’m taking off one star though… Is because there’s no steak on the menu.

I went on a double date to Blokes & Birds this past Saturday night. I wanted to go to Owen and Engine, but they have recently blown up and couldn’t take reservations, so we settled on this other gastropub. We were able to make a reservation for 8:15pm. We arrived a little early and the place was almost full, but they don’t have that many tables. We were seated right away and left to wait for the other couple.
What I mean by left is left to sit for 15 minutes before our server even came over to take our drink order. And then left to sit for another 15 minutes before he came to finally take our food order. He was very attentive with the other tables around us, but he kind of seemed to be ignoring our table. I got tired of waiting, and my boyfriend had to do an airport pickup after dinner, so I finally just told him we were ready to take our order as he hurried past our table. We wanted to order everything together, but he just took our appetizer order and then told us he’d be back. His rationale was that we ordered a baked cheese that would take a long time. I wish we had ordered it within ten minutes of sitting down, but it was too late for that. We braced ourselves to see if he actually would return, but he did within a few minutes to take our food order.
We started off with the baked brie, which actually comes baked in an apple. It wasn’t anything substantial or flavorful, and I would probably skip it. When our appetizer was brought, I asked about the Unilocal offer, which was for a nip of the house infusion. The house infusion is an infused bourbon which they change monthly. The one had an almost minty flavor. And he brought a nap, small taste, over for everyone at our table. At that point, our service had improved greatly, but I was still a little annoyed about having to sit for so long without ordering.
I had the fish and chips as my entrée. It came with four sauces for dipping which was nice. One of them was the pea purée and another a malt vinegar aioli that was really tasty. The fish was very flavorful and the chips tasted really fresh and delicious. Everyone else said their food was really good, which redeemed the experience.