09/08/09

Had a blast

by jessicamilliman

So I went to Howl with a group of friends last weekend and we all had a great time! I have been there before, cause I live downtown Chicago, but I brought some Howl virgins in for a first time experience..and they too loved it. The service was good, the bartenders were friendly and on top of things, the drinks were great (I recommend getting a bucket if you're with a large group) and the piano players were awesome. Howl is by far the best piano bar I have been to!

• Pros: great musicians

09/08/09

Dont see what the hype is about

by DancingDana

I dont see what the hype is about for this place. We had reservations here and when we got there our tables were taken, when we asked why we did not have seating they said they only held them till 8pm., We arrived at 8:05. The reason we were late getting in is because the guy at the door could not find our name on the list and was trying to charge us afer we already paid. It was crowded and we could not even get a drink.

• Pros: music is good
• Cons: no seating rude staff

08/23/09

Awesome place to go

by lilmenoni

I had my bachlorette party there and it was a blast. There was great music and the performers really got into the crowd. There was a lot of dancing and you better be ready to laugh your butt off. I definetly recommend going to howl at the moon, just make sure you get there a little early to get a good seat.

• Pros: great music and fun atmosphere
• Cons: u have to make sure you get there a little early

05/29/09

Awesome Birthday Place!

by EntCruisesChi

I love piano bars and wanted somewhere to celebrate my birthday this year. I had heard great things about Howl at the Moon and it all proved true! We had a great time and they did get me up on stage for my birthday...as embarassing as it was. It got a little crowded at times, but everyone still had a fantastic time and the piano players were awesome!

• Pros: Fun atmosphere, talented staff
• Cons: Gets crowded early, almost TOO many celebrations

12/17/08

Great music, crowded venue.

by BearDownJen

I'm a big fan of piano bars and Howl at the Moon had to be one of the best I've seen. Huge energy from the pianists, band, and the crowd. I went on a Friday night and the crowd was very eclectic -- people of all ages singing along to old and new songs. The musicians are incredibly talented and interactive. The venue itself however is crowded and the dance floor is small. We had to troll around for a place to sit and it was packed when we got there at 10 pm! Drinks are a little pricey (I paid $12 for a bud light and a super small vodka/shirley temple without tip), but the experience is definitely worth it.

• Pros: Talented and interactive musicians, great vibe!
• Cons: Crowded venue, small dance floor, pricey drinks.

05/16/08

kind of love this place

by RCARRmercedes

We went here when my cousin was in town. Great time. Really liked the atmosphere and crowd. Even got a date from it. We'll see bout that one. parking is kind of a hassle, but overall would recommend to my buddys.

• Pros: liked the vibe
• Cons: got a great date out of it

03/17/08

Brilliant inclusive fun!

by Khole1980

We went to Howl at The Moon on Sunday 16th March, and had a brilliant time!

The players were really talented and gave it their all, even though they'd had a marathon session the day before for St P's Day.

Even though we were visiting from the UK, and some of the songs were completely new to us, we were still able to sing along to old classsics and rock our to some splendidly played Jovi!

Plus some of the band members and singing staff members were plenty easy on the eye for boys AND girls!

Drinks were slightly more expensive than we expected, but there were specials available on some beers.

I'd really recommend it for out of towners, only real complaint was that the dancefloor was much too small.

02/22/08

Guaranteed a great time

by Jovnka1

This place is so much fun!! The staff is very friendly and the service is great even if they are crowded. The musicians are very talented and keep the audience involved. It gets very crowded on the weekend. You have a much better chance of getting a table if you arrive early.

• Pros: Upbeat and a wide variety of patrons
• Cons: Can get really crowded

01/01/08

Bad Experience

by leathercy

Went to HATM last Thursday night about 8:30. The upper level was closed despite all the lower level tables being full. We asked an employee if we could sit in the upper level, there was 11 of us. The guy was a smartass. We stayed another five minutes. By that time there were 21 people standing waiting to sit down and they still wouldn't open the upper level When I asked to talk to a manager I was told by a waiter there was no mgr there. We went to the Red Head piano bar and was seated immediately even though it was crowded and had a great time. We will not be back at HATM

11/12/07

One howl of a good time!

by coronacouple

I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant the first time my wife wanted to go to Howl. She had been here for a bachelorette party and thought I would like the place. We're not clubbers but nor do we have one foot in the grave yet. This place appeals to most all ages, from 21 to 70, although the mainstay is probably the 30 somethings. You won't feel out of place here regardless.

The evenings start slowly but build fast and by 9PM on the weekends it's pretty crowded.

By 10PM there is a long line to get in. By constantly rotating performers it never gets old and the crowds control the show with requests. We have been back many times and no two nights are exactly alike.

The entertainment.......great! They do more than just play piano and sing. Drums, guitars, everything.

The food..........well, it's bar food. Somewhat limited menu but everything is edible, burgers are very good.

The drinks.......they have them all. Priced pretty much like most other Chicago locations.

The service........as we are regulars and know are severs as they know us, it's great. It gets very crowded and you may have to attract your server once in a while, or you can head to one of the two bars.

Is this place for you???? Well, depends on what you are looking for. We look for an evening of entertainment and are pretty open to most ideas. Howl offers you the chance to get interactive or just sit back and enjoy the show. A typical 5-6 hour night for the two of us is about $130 or so.........including tip and parking. Not bad considering we're talking downtown Chicago.

The Corona couple!

• Pros: Great value for an evening of entertainment downtown.
• Cons: Crowded later in the evening. Standing room only after 8 PM.