Smokey Hollow Nightlife Theater

I tried to go this past weekend. Closed at 12 on a Friday night with a sign saying ‘revoked’ on their door. Yikes.

Best club I’ve been to in a long time! I took my friends from out of town and they had a blast.
Pros: We got in for free. There was a decent line but it moved pretty quick (any club in Chicago with out a line probably isn’t gonna be that great.) The bouncers are polite and very professional. DJ was playing the best hip hop/​house music. Very crowded, but EVERYONE was having an awesome time. Great place to dress nice. Safe place. Bartenders were quick and attentive and made great drinks. I never had an issue with waiting FOREVER to get a drink like you do at some places. The best part… ITS OPEN TILL 3AM, so we partied a little longer than the rest of Chicago’s 2am bars, and had zero problem grabbing an über after.
Cons: nothing
We had an amazing time! We left with more energy too. Definitely a place I plan to frequent.

You have basic go-​go dancers, not burlesque. You play basic mainstream hip-​hop music circa 2006, by a basic DJ. You attract the basic crowd with simple minds who think they’re having speakeasy/​burlesque experience. What you are is every other nightclub that offers nothing new. You will excel to attract the crowd you desire & I can’t hate on that but do not claim to be something you’re not. The lemmings will come if you say «river north, vip, bottle service, DJ». No need to tarnish image of the actual speakeasy/​burlesque venues, you’ll be just fine Shallow Hollow.

You guys. Not sure how they have this many good reviews, but my friends and I tried this place out on Saturday and it wasn’t at all what we were expecting. When we called ahead a day prior, they said they don’t charge cover, but when we got there, guys were being charged $ 20/​per person. It was 11pm, still kind of early and the place wasn’t super crowded either. The music was okay, but the DJ kept skipping way too much. The drinks were normal pricing for River North, but super weak. The people working there were nice, but I think we were expecting this place to be a little more entertaining and a little more burlesque/​speakeasy-​ish. This place fell pretty flat for us!

This place is doing everything right. It’s upscale to the right amount where you can still have fun. Not over the top and not trashy. It’s got a great intimate atmosphere. However, be aware that this is a burlesque club. I didn’t know that and was surprised by the strip shows. They’re pretty tasteful but it could lead to an awkward situation if you don’t know that going in. The tables have built in hidden cabinets behind them for your coats which saves time and money on coat checks. This is really an underground gem and I hope it stays that way!

Such a cool concept. The acts were nothing short of phenomenal. The staff was attentive and nice, which is abnormal for a club in River North. I was extremely impressed & will definitely be back!

Exactly what this city needed. A breath of fresh air into the nightlife scene. This is something that seems like it was pulled out of LA/​NYC/​Vegas and dropped into River North (not that I don’t love Chicago, but let’s face it we are a town run by sports bars and cookie cutter clubs). A touch of class and a nice upscale feel without being pretentious or over the top, breaking the mold of our local nightlife establishment. I thought the staff was really friendly and professional, everything was well priced and the atmosphere was energetic and just a really good time. The night I was there, the DJ really had the crowd going, unlike the mega warehouse type clubs there is really a good connection between the DJ/​music and the people because of it’s size. The place has an intimate feel which is missing from most places these days and the theatrical performances give an added dimension that really elevates the experience and makes for a unique and memorable night out. And mixed drinks with cold pressed juices?! Stay healthy and hydrated while you drink…

This place is like nothing I’ve been to in Chicago so far. Its like a bar, but a nightclub with cool acts, entertainment (and really different stuff so its variety). We were going to just stop in, check it out and leave but we stayed almost till close. Cool crowd too. Cool concept.