Blue Frog Bar & Grill

04/03/08

Dive in!!!

by Nelbel22 at Citysearch

I wanted to do karaoke for my 25th birthday, but I hang around the suburban K-Bar scenes. I wanted something in the city that wouldn't be too expensive, friendly atmosphere, great song book, etc. I did HOURS of research all over different Chicago search sites (such as this one) trying to figure out which would be the perfect bar for me. For some reason, Blue Frog didn't pop up in most of my searches despite the fact that karaoke seems to be a major part of the draw here. I only happened upon the name through a review for another K-Bar. There aren't many reviews on this site for Blue Frog, but there are a LOT out there, and TONS of positive feedback, most of which said the same thing, to the effect of "This place is a dive, and at first I was hesitant about it, but then for some reason it turned out to be one of the best bar nights EVER!" Well, after reading more than 40 reviews to that effect, I was sold.

So this past Saturday I walked in at 8 PM, my immediate thought was "Oh God, this IS a dive." The little alarms went off in my head and I wanted to leave. But no, I knew if I was feeling the same thing as past reviewers, the fun must be coming! And it did!! First of all, THANK GOD my party got there at 8:30 PM, because we got a great table (this place is TINY), and this bar was PACKED SOLID by 10. The KJ (karaoke jockey), Mary, was hilarious and amazing. The book was totally solid, TONS of great selections, and the small size of the place made it feel like a sing-a-long in a basement (I defy you not to join in with Toto's "Africa" or Wilson Phillip's "Hold On"!). The drinks were strong, too...I ordered a rum and coke, it was tall and DEFINITELY a double-shot, a good deal for $7 or so, and ZERO attitude from the kindly bartenders is a major plus. Lots of great little fried foods to line the stomach with, too (fried mac 'n cheese is a weakness of mine). The only downside here was the size of this teeny bar, but dang, I will be BACK ASAP!!!

• Pros: Friendly, crazy atmosphere. Like a big 'ol party!
• Cons: Tiny place = get there early, especially on a Saturday night.

09/26/07

River North / Loop need more places like this!

by pghmofo at Citysearch

Blue Frog is a fun, comfortable, friendly place in River North. A really great change of pace from a lot of the other options in the area. Great specials, great food, and Super friendly service make this my favorite lunch spot in River North. Try the American Panini on Sun Dried Focaccia.

• Pros: Service, Ambiance
• Cons: None really

01/09/07

Best Burgers in River North... Amazingly friendly bartenders and super fun Karaoke

by nstellato at Citysearch

They food was suprisingly superior to what i expected. This place may look like a dive bar but it totaly isnt. They had a good menu, really fair prices, the service was super fast and friendly. Later that night, after having a few good priced and well made drinks, karaoke started... What a blast! This place didnt charge a cover, and the drinks were the same price all night (They didnt charge more for the entertainment) and they even let my friend park for free in thier lot... which downtown is un heard of! All said, i had a great time at the Blue Frog and totaly would recomend it to anyone looking for good food, fun times and a great deal for the money.

• Pros: Free Parking, Well made drinks, great food, friendly staff, Karaoke rocked
• Cons: small place, looks like a dive bar atomosphere at first