Board Room Chicago- A Boutique Nightclub

This place sucks. Awful music and filled with douchebags. The bar will lose your credit card and not look for it. This place sucks.

I was dragged here by a friend who was in town. If I were in my clubbing prime, I’d enjoy it, but because I’m passed that age, I was highly annoyed. They were playing hip hop when we first got there, but as the night went on — it switched to fist pumping bullshiiit (which is typical). PLENTY of «bro’s» — if that’s your thing. If you’re still in your early 20’s — you’ll probably enjoy it. Or if you’re just creepy and in-​denial that you’re not a spring chicken anymore.

Had a great time here. Happened to be a Tuesday night for an event and we had bottle service. The music was great and the drinks, since we could dictate what we wanted, were good as well. The bathroom attendant was the sweetest woman in the world (and we all made friends with her, as drunk people do). The dancers were cool as well and the booths were comfortable and spacious.

Caveat: I haven’t been here on a club night. :-/​But hey, I’ve seen the venue and I checked in so here’s my brief review!
I was here for a private event. It was an open bar and it was catered. I have no idea if the club had anything to do with that. Nevertheless, I had no complaints. The staff was attentive and the space was nice. It seems like it would be mad small for a club though… unless I only saw part of the space. There were large booths on the right-​hand side and the bar lining the left-​hand side when you walk in. There was also a large pole/​beam/​structure in the middle of the room which seems like it would be awkward and split the middle of the dance floor. But like I said, I wasn’t there for the club so this is just my observation from a private event.

Haha, I see I’m in the minority.
Many things about Board Room are completely ordinary for a club. They have rude door guys, scantily clad go-​go dancers, weak and overpriced drinks, and for the most part they play house music.
And then some things are not so ordinary: dancing mascots, random freebies (light-​up rings), heaps of napkins thrown in the air, and said go-​go dancers are encapsulated in windows. About an hour before they close they start playing hood music… which I love. Because at 3 am, everyone can relate to deep head bobbing to A$AP Rocky and 2 Chainz.
One time my friend was dancing on one of the couches and fell into the table, sending glasses and drinks everywhere. They didn’t kick him out until he fell a second time, and when they did they were actually pretty nice about it.
I always have fun here.

Interesting place. We had no trouble at the door; all of the girls were wearing heels and dresses, but nothing too aggressive or crazy. It was $ 20 for the gentleman in the group. We were inside in less than 3 minutes, although we arrived at 1:40am, which is apparently early for this venue. Within 20 minutes, the place was full!
Also, at 2am the live entertainment starts… Go Go Dancers in glass cages above the bar. The dancers were very good and entertaining; however, it made for an interesting crowd vibe. All of the men were watching the dancers and not paying attention to the ladies they were with. I wouldn’t come here with someone you were interested in getting their attention.
The venue is on the smaller side, but lots of bottle service areas. Not sure I would consider it upscale… worst bathrooms of any of the nightclubs we visited.
Also, the venue was really dark with REALLY, REALLY loud music. This is not a place to go to speak to anyone. Essentially: Dance, Drink, Go Home.

If it wasn’t for the friends I was with that night, this place would get one star. Typical jam packed club, that’s way darker than needed to be and can’t have a conversation with anyone without yelling. Ended up paying more than expected to get in the door, vegas style, but we’re not even in Vegas! damn.
I did have a good time that night, but it wasn’t because of the venue.

Been here twice and never really had an issue… as a matter of fact I kinda like this joint. Definitely a step up from being that piece of shit club formerly known as Rino.
Bouncers have been cool with me and the coat check girls are always pleasant.
This is your typical night spot: scantily clad, club employed chicks dancing near poles and by the dj booth. Gets shoulder to shoulder after midnight so dancing space will be limited. Also, you got the VIP/​table service action going on so its a full service joint. The bartenders are usually easy to get a hold of even when crowded and they pour a pretty decent drink.
Probably wouldn’t be here all that often, but wouldn’t be mad if someone suggested it.

This place was awful and I cant not stress enough to avoid it!!!
We went last night for New Years Eve. We bought the VIP table for 8 which included 2 bottles of vodka and 3 bottles of Champagne. The NYE «rules» said that you would have to give up the table at 1 am unless you bought an additional bottle (no other details) Of course they poured Champagne from the first minute, so we ran out quickly. I purchased an additional bottle and asked them to pour it for us right before midnight. I also purchased 4 Jaeger bombs.
After dropping $ 1700 for the table, and $ 477 for an additional bottle and 4 jaeger bombs. At 1:01 am they came up to us and demanded we vacate the table. When I told our waitress that I had bought another bottle so we should be able to stay (thats what their policy stated when we bought the package), she went and talked to the manager who then said it was a $ 1000 minimum to stay. (contrary to their written polcy during puchase) They then had the nerve to tell me exactly how much more I had to spend to keep the table for another hour! ($ 523 if you are keeping track!)
We declined and then they started rushing everyone out like cattle. The waitress brought me a BLANK old school credit card receipt (the kind they run through a carbon copy printer) and demanded I sign it. I refused until it was filled out and suddenly two huge bouncers descended on me and literally dragged me into some back room and pushed me up against a wall. In the meantime they had taken our ¾ full bottle of Vodka (already paid for) from the table. They said that it was empty and only good til 1 am so they would not give it back. They then told me and my friends that they had security camera footage and could prove it was empty. I called their bluff and said show it to me, at which point they refused.
They kept insisting I sign the blank receipt and refused to give me my ID or Credit Card back until I did. At this point I took out my phone and started to call the police. Suddenly they filled out the receipt and gave me my cards back. They then escorted me out of their «interrogation room» and I found out that they had kicked my friends out already for questioning their tactics.
To add insult to injury, two of my friends purses and phones had been stolen during this incident.
In conclusion — an absolute rip off and shake down!!! Do yourself a favor and go to one of the more professional clubs down town!
Oh, and their website is pretty weak too — should have been my first clue…

I would rate this –5 stars if I could.
Door crew: this was the rudest service I have EVER received. Please remember that you are working a door at a slimy club in Chicago. Get an education and a real job before you speak to me condescendingly. Oh and to the female– do NOT call me sweetheart, I am not a 5 year old girl with pigtails.
I will never ever be back and will absolutely lose respect for anyone that thinks this place is worth their time and money.

I go to a lot of clubs. I like clubs. I like skanky women and overpriced drinks. I like bottles and sparklers because they make me feel good about myself.
That said, this place is sucks. Hard.

I brought a group of people… more than 125 to be exact. Most of them liked it. This took place last week
I liked the vibe. I would just questions why it needs to be so dark inside because its really not a speakeasy place… Jess was a wonderful hostess and made me and my friends feel at home…
People liked the european vodka that we were drinking mixed drinks with… I forgot the name of it and will update this with the name when i remember.

Late Tuesday night, though apparently not late for the standard Board Room crowd, a group of 4 girls and 2 dudes taxi’d to this nightclub. We had spent the day in breakout sessions and ballrooms for a conference of non-​profit folks and their corporate vendors/​partners. Which is to say we were not very fashionably dressed beyond dresses and slacks respectively. This was our fourth stop of the night.
No delay at the door. We headed in, beats bumping and all that noise. Darkness glowed around the red-​lit bar and blue/​purple light bulbs. The floor was fairly empty. I think my rum & cokes were $ 10 each. Didn’t pay for them all myself (must get the buzz going to get my groove on these days), but I didn’t mind paying for a few since they were decently strong. Female bartenders doubled occassionally as dancers in boxes back above the bar. They were quite nice and attentive.
I’m not sure what the gripe is about this place, because I danced my ass off and had a blast. Board room is fun and a bit tacky. Later in the night, the place filled out, people poured into the giant booths and climbed atop them for what I presume was a house photog. A few of our party finagled into a photo just for fun. I mean, I would never take most of these people I saw seriously, what’s the point?
When two of us went out for fresh air, the bouncers were very nice and made conversation with us. The staff in the bathroom was nice/​apathetic. And I danced my ass off!
We all know you have to have the right amount of booze, buds, and decent surroundings to have a good night dancing. This music wasn’t overly pretentious or dominated by skrillex. The dude played freaking Bloc Party. Unexpected in this place.
I didn’t see a fuzzy bear or napkins all over the place. Maybe Tuesdays are a good night at Board Room.

Only got here because we were drunk and following friends blindly. Cover was a joke but whatever. It was probably about 2:30am when we got here after a different lounge closed.
This place was gross, very dark and TINY.
The women’s bathroom was super small and only had THREE stalls and a super rude and very ghetto bathroom attendant. Who the EFF tells someone to get out of the bathroom stall when they’re still using it? This place definitely needs to re-​evaluate their employees and teach them some manners! I didn’t understand the stuffed animal guy– CREEPY, much? And the go-​gos were snotty, couldn’t dance, and unattractive (even though I was drunk!).
These employees act as if they work for an exclusive club or lounge in Vegas or NYC. Please. I’ve both to both cities multiple times and partied fabulously in both– happily paying cover and spending my money crazily!
I esp hated that they kept tossing napkins on the floor. It felt like damn toilet paper stuck to my heels. And slippery at that! Hazards just waiting to happen. If you’re going to toss ‘confetti’, buy confetti!!!
Overall: I would NEVER come here again– even with free cover. If I could give Boardroom NEGATIVE stars I would! If I wanted to be addressed by GHETTO EMPLOYEES with no etiquette, manners, nor sense; spend lots of money, and still have a shitty time then maybe I would come back.
**A note of warning: if a bar/​nightclub gets a bunch of negative reviews by females… AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

Unacceptable behavior upon arrival. Very rude. Egotistical. Sorry excuse for «exclusive.» I hope the owner takes the time to read these reviews below and really reconsiders who he/​she hires for door man, otherwise I cannot see this club ever succeeding in Chi-​town when there are many other clubs known for MUCH better customer service as Board Room has none. Don’t waste your time, energy or money.
Nuff said.

News flash, Board Room — you are in Chicago, not Vegas or NYC!!!
We made a reservation w/​the hostess several weeks in advance for a large party of girls coming in for a bachelorette party. Upon our arrival at 11:30, the door man pointed out that one of the girls was wearing flats so the rest of us could go in but not her (umm thanks for the wise suggestion, @$$hole). After considering finding alternate shoes, we presented the potential resolution to said «issue», to which he now had a new excuses that with so many girls, we would have to get a table at the going rate for the night, which starts at $ 2000…WTF???
What kind of club TURNS AWAY 14 girls b/​c there’s TOO MANY Of us??? Are you out of your MIND?! Board Room is a late night club and it was still early w/​no line… they only have business to GAIN w/​us being there.
One of the girls emphasized that if he turns us away b/​c of this ridiculous issue (btw the girl was wearing wedges, so they weren’t flats), 14 potential customers will bring their service to another club… to which he said «go ahead».
He further demeaned us by saying we were getting a comped bottle so our leaving the club will have no impact on their business (we were getting a comped champagne… the bottle of vodka was not comped).
He said the hostess w/​whom we made the arrangements was not there that night so there’s nothing that can be done and he makes the ultimate decision (pretty sure she was there and he was making this up just to be a jerk).
I then told him that there were no stipulations as far as shoes were concerned… we were told not to have any bachelorette paraphernalia and to come before 12, both of which we abided by, so this sudden change of rules made no sense. When he recalled his «it’ll cost you $ 2000» mantra, I asked to confirm that in the future … When a reservation is made in advance, the party can show up on their reserved night and he can completely change his mind about the terms of the reservation… his response? YES.
At this point we turned around and left for Privet, which had fantastic service and had an absolutely fabulous night.
For the record, I have been here before w/​o bottle service and it was a pretty lame experience. To say that there’s face control based on the characters I saw inside would be an overstatement. If I want to be surrounded by the cream of Chicago’s crop, I would go to Studio Paris or Cuvee and not this sorry excuse for exclusivity.

Bouncers: If you come early around 10, and you’re a girl, you will get in. If you are a guy, don’t come here unless you’re with a girl. I hate when my fiancé has to pay a 20 dollar cover, but he did on a Saturday night when we came here after having a drink at Citizen across the street. There were 2 guys dressed up in suits, and they wouldn’t let them in even though the club was COMPLETELY empty.
Bartendars: GETS SUPER CROWDED. Bartendars deal with you fast and want you out of their face. They are not the most friendly people you will meet and they take their work seriously. I don’t blame them, I saw huge drunkies at the end of the night here. I guess I’m just not a huge club person anymore.
Music: GREAT dance music. The ambiance is a perfect place to get down.
I see myself returning. If you like Sub 51, you’ll like this place, I sort of find them similar.

$$$$ accurately describes how much you’ll be spending.
What’s up with the napkin toss? really???

I wrote out a long review, but then I realized Board Room is best summed up like this:
There is a costumed bear («furry») running all over the club. And throwing napkins all over the floor is encouraged.
That is all.

Where do I begin with this place?
It was talked up to me as being the next big «hot spot» in Chicago. Getting in was a breeze, mind you it was Tuesday night. The place got really packed by midnight and there was definitely a good looking crowd. The music was fine (Chicago’s music is always 3 – 4 months behind the west coast, always been that way). They had a girl in a booth above the bar that was dancing in a shower, which was definitely something different and enjoyable for the single males in Chicago. Definitely copied from Vegas nightclubs, but was nice to see in Chicago.
Now onto the negative.
There were several things that made me wonder why people people spend their money here.
1. They had a furry monster running around the club. Why? You call yourself a «Boutique Nightclub». How is this classy? This is by far the cheesiest thing i’ve ever seen in any nightclub.
2. Napkins. Apparently at «The Boardroom», it’s ok for everyone to throw napkins all over the place, constantly. At one point there were 3 layers of napkins covering the place from front to back. How is THIS classy? I felt bad for all the girls who were dressed nice that had napkins stuck to their shoes. I can understand if they allow people to throw napkins, but please, CLEAN THEM UP. It’s not that hard to have a few people walk around with brooms. It was disgusting.
The manager approached me as he read some of my tweets that night talking negative about the place and offered to buy me a drink. I declined and told him how trashy and classless this place was. He then proceeded to tell me that he was «Trying to create an experience that people can’t find anywhere else in Chicago». Sorry James, I like you, and you’re a great guy, but I can get that experience all over Wrigleyville. Your club is trying too hard and will eventually fade away.
If you’re asked to go to the Napkin Room, do yourself a favor and stay home.