05/26/08

Classless

by nonemcnone

While the Signature Lounge might have some appeal to tourists who have never been to a big city and are excited to be on such a high floor with nice views, it is a complete fraud for all others.

You wait on a line expecting to be brought up to a nice, classy establishment with a view. When you get up there, you feel like youre in a cheap casino or a waiting room at a VFW hall. Not only this, but people hop tables like animals trying to get closer to the windows so they can actually see the view. I brought my fiance here and quite frankly was embarrassed. Places like this in other cities actually plan and design so they are worth the inflated drink places, but the Signature Lounge is happy to just take your money. Poor reflection on the Hancock Building and Chicago in general. Don't waste your time, trust me.

• Pros: Carpet from 1970's brings back nostalgia, decent mojitos
• Cons: Pretty much everything.

11/25/07

Skip the observatory, go for the lounge

by jericsmall

The Signature Lounge is one of my favorite spots in Chicago. Go up in the winter evenings for happy hour or during the daytime for afternoon drinks on the weekend. The view is spectacular, the bar itself upscale feeling, and if you tip well, the service pretty darn good. The mixing can be hit-or-miss, so I always settle for a nice Bailey's on the rocks, which always satisfies. A great experience if you take the time to relax and enjoy.

11/20/07

Great view, disappointing service

by rstrntlvr

This lounge was simply mediocre and were it not for the view from it's choice position on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building it would not have been worth the trip or the $24 parking. Given it's prestige and many review's on this website maybe my expectations were too high but I have been to many a lounge/bar where the service is great and atmosphere is as nice as the associated restaurant. While I have not been the the restaurant on the 95th I can say my companion and I experienced the following negatives....1) we were given no guidance on seating. The lounge has a couple of sections and initially you may think there is just the small front room. We basically just roamed all over until we found the back room. 2) The fryer was broken so they literally did not have over 1/2 of the items on the menu 3) Our server was not attentive and we had to go to the bar for refills. I think that is enough said. The view is exceptional and really the only reason to go.

• Pros: View
• Cons: Service, Parking as with anywhere downtown Chi is expensive

10/22/07

Best view in Chi- Town

by travel4job

Never thought I would have the nerve to go up 96 floors, but I am so glad my family talked me into it. People say it is something you "MUST " do while in Chicago....how true that is. The view is awesome, best view IS in the ladies room. There can be a wait at times if you go later in the evening after 10pm. We usually take the first seat available and table hop until we get as close as possible to the windows on the left side of the room. Don't expect your waitress to carry your drinks if you are a table hopper, why would you?? Drinks are pricey but it is worth it for the atmosphere. Nice place to go either before hitting the clubs or after a nice dinner out. Very romantic, as we saw several couples each visit , getting engaged, celebrating anniversaries, honeymoons, etc.. Do not be in a rush while there....just enjoy all the excitement and views.

• Pros: View, atmosphere, ambience
• Cons: Pricey drinks, can be crowded and noisey.

06/24/07

Bad service, Drinks were so-so.

by pinkfacedbunny

My fiance and I were at the Signature Restaurant before we went up to the Lounge. The restaurant was great, the food was superb and the service was excellent. The lounge, however, pales in comparison in terms of service and food. After having such a great time at the restaurant, we were both psyched up for the lounge. We ordered 2 drinks from a very limited drink menu and dessert - molten chocolate cake. When my dessert came, the ice-cream was halfway melted.. and when I cut open the cake, it wasn't molten or flowing or any of that sort.. it was a chocolate Sponge cake, which wasn't a big deal at first. When the waitress came over to check on us, I pointed it out that it wasn't molten, to which she replied, "oh yeah it's supposed to be like that". Come on, I've tried molten cake at more places than I can count with my fingers, I even know how to make it myself.. please don't BS me and tell me that a sponge cake is the same thing as a molten chocolate cake. A simple acknowledgement of over-baking or whatever would have been more polite. Soon after, a table opened up by the window and we wanted to shift.. so we asked the waitress if we could do so. She replied nonchalantly that we should inform her after we move, then turned and walked away. She did not even offer to help us move our drinks or dessert - something I would expect from a top-notch bar/lounge. Additionally, there were plenty of kids running around, which was noisy and unromantic. The restaurant was great, but the bar.. stay away.

• Pros: Great view.
• Cons: BAD service.

05/17/07

I heart the signature lounge!

by chitowngrl

I always have out of town guests and I always bring them to the signature lounge. You can't beat the view or the ambience. I personally like the appetizers, and ever though the drinks are a little pricey it is definitely worth it to hang out up there and chat with your friends for awhile. If you have out of town guests this is definitely a must do. Just go up there, have a drink and enjoy. And if you are a lady, check out the view from the ladies room, its awesome!

• Pros: the view and atmosphere
• Cons: service can be a little slow

02/27/07

View View View

by akira101

So we get to the John Hancock building on Feb 17 2007 and they just had a fire inside the building!! We came back an hour later and they allowed people up to the Signature Lounge. And of course, it's all about the view... not the drinks. $8 for a heiniken? But it's well worth the trip just for the view...

• Pros: View View View
• Cons: cost of drinks

01/30/07

Amazing View

by ganative79

I felt very much like a tourist, but what a VIEW! An unspectacular wine list, but plenty of exotic mixed drinks. Keep an eye out a nab a table by window. Wasn't very busy, but service was still quite slow. Miniature glasses of wine.

• Pros: View

11/24/06

Great View

by pinoyvlf

If you are a tourist and want a great view of the city, Signature Lounge is the place to go! It is better than paying just to go to an observatory deck inside the Sears or the Hancock tower. The lounge offers a cheaper option for a great view. My girlfriend and I went here during non-peak season and enjoyed the view very much! And another tip is that the view in the women's restroom is one of the best (not from presonal experience...). Of course at a place like this with such a view, all the drinks and menu items will be over priced. Still the ruben sandwhich and the few drinks that we had were well worth the view we had. I think this place is awesome to go to as long as you dont go during a peak time.

• Pros: Great View!
• Cons: A little pricey but better than paying just to go to an observatory deck

06/14/06

nice view but otherwise worthless

by sarahmh

Some friends and I checked out the Signature Lounge on a recent trip to Chicago, and I was totally disappointed. This might have something to do with the fact that we went on a Saturday night in Spring (it was probably busier than most nights), but still! To begin with, there was very long line just to get onto the elevator to get to the Signature Lounge. When we got to the front of the line, an elevator attendant packed us in like sardines. Once we got upstairs, we were told that the main area was too full and were ushered to a secondary lounge area. The view was nice, but we were nowhere by the windows. We were placed at a ridiculously small table (almost all of the tables were the size of cocktail tables). It was very loud. The room seemed to be filled with nothing but tourists. Our waitress was nice enough, I guess, but she seemed very frazzled and kept messing up our drink order. My husband didnt want anything to drink. Too bad they have a 1 drink minimum. He was stuck sipping on a $6 bottle of water. My drink was gross and overpriced. My friends drink (a frozen drink) tasted better, but was still about $3 too expensive. We looked at the appetizers, but they seemed to be on par with something you might find at TGIFridays. There was nothing elegant are posh or relaxing about our experience. We had our drinks, stopped by the bathroom (and it does have a beautiful view) and got out of there. A big waste of money.

• Pros: the view; location
• Cons: poor quality; over priced; ambience