Great Brunch. Each one of his books has killed him a little more, said Norman Mailer quotably. And each one of these experiences has killed me a little too. Not because I poured into them a limited life’s essence but because I eat and drink to immobility, sampling everything so you don’t have to.

They cooked up some truly truly great fried chicken. Some excellent red rice and beans. Waffles and omelets that left none to be desired and deserts – well, I wish I could have given them a thorough tasting. Perhaps if I had four chambers in my stomach I could have. But then again, the stomach chambers of my cow-gods don’t really accept the salivated product of esophagus in parallel so I’m not sure how this would be advantageous unless one simply assumes that they have bigger serial ports due to their overall bigger size. That kinda makes sense. Anyway, this is irrelevant. I was astounded with just how good buffet brunch was. So good that the most unimaginative and bland thing served was bacon. Wow. That was actually typed and not deleted. That fact carries more weight than the statement itself. My only advice would be to not fill up with the early plates of lunch.

Everyone does it. HOB is no exception. Every single AYCE buffet in the history of dining wants you to fill on cheap and not expensive. Pasta Salad = cheap. Omelets = expensive. Lox = cheap. Carving Station = Expensive. Why else do you think things appear in the order that they do? Do NOT fill up on pasta salad or the heap of bacon or any other damn thing in the communal pots. EXCEPT the fired chicken. This was not given the reverence it deserved. Every piece should have been served in a numbered case. Have you been to Table 52 on Monday night? Art has nothing on this fried chicken. Thick, crispy, delicious batter. Flesh: tender and not even dreamt of overcooked. It peels off the bone as though it were osso buco. And rides down your throat like, well, it depends, or this simile is stillborn. You owe it to yourself to try it. Just not if you’re in line ahead of me.

Of course, now we knew we were coming to an area of discomfort. It was, after all a Gospel Brunch. And Gospel, either way it is defined, is absolutely useless to me. You want to spread the good word of your savior? I’d rather see you spread your legs. You want to sing in my ear while I’m trying to hear the crunch of batter? I’m going to stick my index finger up your nostril until about the second knuckle. If you deprive me of audio I actually wish to hear, I will deprive you of some other inputs and overload them with offense. But knowing that, as social creatures, we often tend to settings with a soundtrack, I cannot knock this one. It’s the HOB and it’s a Gospel Brunch and it reminded me of a set from Glee and you know, I’m one of 2 people I know who feel about music as I do. Clearly it has some merit or you humans would not keep making it. Just as long as you keep making the fried chicken, I don’t really give a veal shank.

Love,

MealSchpeal com…

I will never go back to the HOB Chicago. I have to give the house of blues one star for the great bands they bring through their stage. If they didn't have this one good feature they would be shut down by now, however, its a music venue, if you dont have good music your an idiot. Anyways my 3 encounters with the staff and managment here have been terrible. At the venue i felt very uncomfortable and the staff treats the people who pay for them to get payed like they are annoying. I will never return and most deffinatly speak no good about the house of blues in chicago, i sure hope chicago is the only bunk house of blues, if not then congrats to the staff at chicago for possibly ruining history. The bouncers and security guards treated me, my girlfriend and two friends like crap, and if you have a favorite band heading there soon, id spend a couple extra bucks for a plan ticket to another venue. I wouldnt be so passionate about their lack of costomer service if it were a one time thing, however, i have bought tickets to 3 shows there and only seen 2. Every trip made there thus far has been unpleasant and a mistake. SMH…

Chicago's Worst Music Venue. The 1st time I have gone to a Concert and had to watch the band on a fuzzy Monitor. I would say that the night probably cost my wife and I $250 to $350 factoring that we lost wages by leaving work early. Tickets about $46 a piece. 2.5 hour drive into the city from the suburbs. More then half the people in the balconies could not see the band. Is there something wrong with me? How does a place like this stay in business??…

Chicago's worst. If you are looking to have a good time this place is the last and I mean the LAST resort. To start off with, the staff are a bunch of overweight highschool dropouts who take their anger out on people waiting to get in. When I had gotten up to one of the staff, he immediately had a smart-ass attitude and told me to open my bag. I guess i didn't take it off fast enough because he grasped my wrist, twisted and yanked it to get the bag off. Little did that moron know he strained my wrist and i can't move my hand without having extreme pain shooting up my arm. The staff is very abusive there. If you don't have money growing on trees, not a VIP, or are an adolescent, the staff will treat u worse than the ground they walk on. I have witnessed on several occasions the staff beating on just kids who are ignorant to the severity of what is happening to them. These people WILL take advantage of you, they WILL take your belongings, and they Will take your money and good time. The setting is threadbare and uninteresting, a terrible attempt to have you spend money there. But don't worry, they have more tricks up their sleeves to get your money. You can't have any water of your own, and they snatched my cigarettes! Claiming that no smoking on premises is allowed, you can see (barely) on the ground floor the smoke rising through the lights. Overall this place hurts you, hurts your wallet, and lies to you. DO NOT COME HERE.…

Never spend your money in this S***hole. So as soon as i walk in this place is nothing special. Mediocre environment and surroundings, smelled like garbage when i walked in too. The bouncers there don't give two s**** about you or any other people, and they love to make your day terrible. When they search your bag, you can't even bring your own drink (mine was an un-opened gatorade) despite the over-priced floor tickets you buy from these cheapskates. This is all in hopes of you paying over $10 for a beverage so that they can ween as much money out of you as possible. If you are under 21, look out for people asking if you want boos because its a trap scheme, I saw many teens kicked off the premises for falling into one of their fake proposals. The seating up on the upper levels is terrible, there is no visual stimulation of the band or anything, all you get to look at is the run-of-the-mill decor of this shabby s***hole they call The House of Blues. More like the House of Ruse.…

HOB Chicago. Bought tickets online. Told twice by HOB that tickets were reserved seats. Total BS. There were no seats and the house manager's attitude was tough s--t. I spoke to other people who had the same experience and expected to be seated. Joan Armatrading was terrific and made it worthwhile but HOB ---never again.…

All Time Low. I have seen All Time Low several times and they are an awesome band. The last concert I saw them at was at the RAVE in Milwaukee and it was a blast alot of energy and not a bad seat in the house. Went last night to The House of Blues and the seating was terrible. Could not see the stage, The sound was horrible and it was not the bands fault they tried there asses off, But if you were not on the floor you could not see the band at all. I would never go there again. Cudos to All Time Low for not giving up on the show You Guy's Rock, the house of Blues suck.…

Best Concert Venue in Chicago. Owning a VIP Concierge service I go to almost every show and venue in Chicagoland. The House of Blues is by far the best venue we have sent clients and have personally gone to. From Jay Z to ZZ Top~Crystal Method to UFO every show has blown us away in this unique intimate setting. We now go for renting a Private Opera box for every show. ( these do sellout so act fast when you see a show coming) With waitress service to the opera box during show means you will not miss a beat! Have a truly amazing dinner experience in the Foundation Room dining room or go down to the back porch and have a Blues Burger ( My Fav). The only draw back is they will not let me move in!…