Bub City

Disappointing in so many ways.
We made a reservation for this past Saturday night. We have two kids (ages 5 and 8) and my husband and I thought an afternoon at the zoo followed by dinner at Bub City would be fun.
On the positive side, Bub City has a great atmosphere. Melman and team at LEYE have done a bang up job of creating a honkytonk atmosphere. I was so excited for live country music until I learned the band does not start till 11PM. Oh well. They could have had a guitarist singing a capella country songs from 6 – 10. Heaven knows the place was packed and the crowd would have loved it.
Then, on being seated our waitress told me that there is a mannequin in the women’s room. «So I would not be surprised». I had no idea what she was talking about. The mannequin is a man, presumably a cowboy, leaning up against a urinal peeing. It’s a long way to go for a visual joke that well, just isn’t funny. So I found myself explaining how some adults would find this funny, they even bothered to place a urinal on the wall to get the joke just right. If you ask me it is kinda stupid.
On to dinner, it is expensive. Each entrée comes with noting yet is priced as though it should. $ 23 for a slab of ribs and we get to buy the sides at $ 6-​$ 8 each. $ 6 for tater tots and a small bowl of baked beans. Like I said, kinda stupid.
When I asked if they had crayons for the kids the hostess said «nope».
Overall our experience was really lame. I would not recommend this place nor would I return. Poor value for the money. No chance in hell of hearing live music unless it is late. And the food is meh. Save your shekels and get bbq at Smoque or Urrban BBQ up in Highland Park and hit the live music at Old Town School of Folk Music.

5 stars based on the Bloody Mary bar alone. I’ve been searching for a good Bloody Mary bar with all the fixins’ and this one is on point. Oysters, shrimp, bacon, grilled cheese, the list goes on. 10 $ per trip. The Nashville hot chicken sandwich is the perfect pairing. Having lived in Nashville I feel back at home with the live country music, food, and a bloody in hand.

This place is terrific, though given the fact that it’s a Melman joint, I’d expect nothing less. Service is impeccable and the food… man, the food. We started with the trucker snacks — pimento cheese and hot links on saltines — and the pulled pork fries which would’ve been more than enough on their own. For a meal, the burnt ends were on point — perfectly tender, smoky, just a delight.
One key point to make note of – Our server, upon noticing that our appetizers were proving to be quite the challenge to finish, offered to take the sides off our main course so we could better enjoy our main course. It’s a small touch but that kind of attentiveness can really make a difference. I’ll be going back to Bub City for sure.

Bloody Mary bar?!? Well hot damn count me in!
I am a huge fan of Bloody Mary’s and Bloody Maria’s. When I found out Bub City has a build your Bloody Mary bar we made sure to check it out. It was a packed house on the Saturday afternoon we came. The wait was about 30 – 35 minutes for a table of two. They send you a text when your table is ready which is super helpful.
The brunch menu is alright. We ordered the sticky buns, green chili scrambler and brisket eggs benedict. Our waitress was also manning the bar, so the service as a bit slow. However, she made sure to give us our token to grab our Bloody Mary right away. The Bloody Mary bar had an array of liquors, toppings, sauces to choose from. My heart jumped when I saw they had tequila to make Bloody Maria. Seriously, try tequila instead of vodka next time it makes the drink sweeter. Loved that they had mini Miller High Life as your beer back. They’re pretty heavy handed with the booze so 1 is probably good enough.
The food was alright. Nothing life changing or rave worthy about. The eggs in the scrambler were a bit overdone, but the salsa verde was pretty good. The Benedict was good but needed more sauce. The sticky buns were probably my favorite dish. They’re adorable and taste delicious!
I probably would’ve given this place a higher rating if it wasn’t for the service. The food took a good 60 minutes to come out to our table. They seemed short staffed, but wasn’t sure if it was a one time deal or always like it. Either way, they’ve some pretty great drink specials so I will have to come back.

ok all, i want to be nice. but after 3 calls to bob that manager who said we will take care of this issue i was cool. our to go order was 2 hours late and tasted like their garbage
, i gave you 2 weeks to give us our $ 47 back and you lied about corporate mombo jombo — nice going–

Been here for 50 minutes now and still don’t have any food on the table. At first I thought it was because they’re backed and the kitchen is backed up, but now looking at the people sitting next to us settling their check when they sat down 10 minutes after us, I’m becoming to realize it’s just the service. My guess is that they simply forgot to put our order in.
Asked for the manager and the best I got was: «Ours takes longer to cook.»… This is a wing place, so I don’t quite see how our wings take longer then their burger… But ok…

Checking in for restaurants week — dinner
My brother and I decided to stop by bub city during restaurant week since it have a good rep and happened to be in the list of participating restaurants for the restaurant week.
We went on a Monday night so there was a crowd but it wasn’t really busy. We didn’t have no appointment, just walk in. That was a plus.
The ambience was nice, I have never been to a restaurant like this so it was refreshing. I love the décor and layout.
We picked from the special menu crafted specially for the restaurant week. I had the general Joe’s chicken, bbq Salmon, and brisket baked beans. My brother called a smoked brisket taquitos, natural brisket (fatty side) and sweet tater fluff. We also called for a fried pickle dish — off special menu– since we saw raving reviews of it. We each had a whiskey glass. Mine was four Rose yellow whiskey — on the rock (old fashioned style). He had an old fashioned.
The whiskey doesn’t disappoint! I love it. The appetizers were filling and by the timw the entrée and side dishes came out we were plenty full. My favorite gave to be the chicken. I simply love it. The salmon is good and generously portioned, but I had better. My brother love his dishes but abhore the sweet tater fluff. I have to admit that it was too sweet. I can eat it only after removing the fluffy marshmallow looking top. We didn’t end up finishing our meals so we had it packed to go along with the two pie slices that never made it to the table.
All in all, we would come back. But next time we would go off menu rather than waiting for the restaurant week speciallt crafted menu. More freedom of choice.

Yummy!!! I have fallen in love with food apps and have been ordering delivery like crazy. I have been wanting to check out Bub City so I used my grubhub $ 10.00 coupon to order Bub City. Don’t judge how much I ordered cause I didn’t eat it all in one sitting :) LOL
Sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit — OMG that biscuit! Even if the rest of the ingredients were missing from the sandwich I would still not complain cause that buttermilk biscuit was just that good. The egg was made perfectly and the gooey cheese was the icing on top. This sandwich alone is 5 stars
Waffle Fries — I’m not a huge fan of waffle fries and these were okay. Nothing special.
Brussel Sprouts — I had these for lunch the next day and they were amazing! Love whatever sauce they are in. I would totally order these again.
All in all good food and I will have to go check out the restaurant.

I was in Chicago visiting and was really excited to find out that it was restaurant week. After researching several different menus, Bub City seemed like a fun and laid back place to get some good food. I noticed that I wasn’t able to make a last minute reservation online, which is expected during restaurant week. When I arrived, I was quoted 1 hour which was not bad at all, considering how packed the place was.
I rated this place only 3 stars, mainly because I was really annoyed that although I was quoted an hour. I was not seated until 2 ½ hrs after I arrived. Every time I had asked the hostess how much longer, she would reply «You’re next, 20 more minutes.» I was fine waiting an hour for a table, but if I had known that it was going to be so long I would’ve chosen another restaurant.
The food was okay. We picked items off of the restaurant week menu and then extra appetizers. My favorite part of the whole meal was the fried pickles. Our server was great and I wish I remembered his name so I could thank him for making our experience better.
I liked the live music during my meal. I could tell this place gets rowdy during the weekends, so expect a lot of drunk crazy people. I didn’t really mind, but stay away if you’re looking for a quiet intimate dinner.

I’m not seeking out country music unless I’m immersed in a culture where country music is woven so tightly into the fabric that it would be foolish not to dive in… I enjoy immersion into my environment, and enjoy people able to do the same. I think being a chameleon is a beautiful trait within human beings… Tribalism is not.
All that said, Bub City is not exactly an authentic experience of Chicago if you’re hosting guests, but we were happy to partake in the fun atmosphere Bub City provides. They call themselves an authentic experience of Nashville culture, with traditional barbecue staples and a rotating music scene of up-​and-​coming country talent.
The waitstaff wear flannel and blue jeans, the decorations are southern inspired, and brisket, barbecue, and whiskey are the main portions of the menu.
They have a stage and live bands playing. I love live music of any type or stripe — and the live band here was no exception. Country twang, boot stomping, all that. I felt transported back to 6^th street in Austin, Texas.
We had a great time! This restaurant is in a touristy area and I’d be safe to assume many of the people here were from out of town. If you’re a local and you dig country music, or you’ve always wanted to go to Nashville — Bub City will surely be at the top of your list.
On the negative side, the food we tried was decent, basic — the apple pie was not good. The service was lacking. I can’t say whether or not this place would survive in Nashville or Austin. The vibe was like Rainforest Café, Hard Rock, or Motown…
Go to Bub City for the live music and the atmosphere. I would like to say I will definitely return to try more barbecue items from the menu when that craving hits me. The brisket sandwich and waffle fries with garlic dipping sauce were very good and the highlight of our food experience — but with so many good barbecue joints in Chicago I most likely am lying about ever returning to Bub City. If Bub City did not feel like a gimmick I would be more enthused about returning.

Am I the only one that did not like the bloody mary like at all? The service was not good either. I wouldn’t waste my time here going back again.

I can’t rate the entire experience, given I wasn’t dining at the restaurant but instead, had my order delivered. As far as BBQ goes… I’ve been to or ordered from all the big names in Chicago during my 2 years here… and continue trying others that I find or get referred to. So, if you’ve got a fav, please, add yours comments to my post!
(A quick side note… I used Caviar —
— instead of Grubhub/​DiningIn and they are great! My first experience with them was delivering for RPM. Check them out… $ 1.99 delivery. They, also, show media quality pix of every meal a restaurant offers, which is sooo helpful when you’re considering a restaurant that’s new to you.)
Back to Bub City
The highlight of the meal was a big surprise… the Brisket Baked Beans were 5++ Stars. They were the BEST baked beans I’ve ever had. The blend of beans and balance of heat to sweet made for unmatched flavor. The added brisket was a great compliment, letting the beans be the star of the show, which they were. The cook on the beans was perfect compared to some restaurants whose beans are mush from too much time in a hot pot. My only angst was the ratio of beans to liquid… although, perhaps, an unlucky scoop; my order was about 2 to 1 — beans to liquid. That said, I want more — right now — just recalling my meal, while writing this post.
Sadly, the ribs were just 3 Stars for me. Some moist, some dryer. There were ribs that had a higher concentration and volume of rub on them, resulting in bites where the spice overshadowed any flavor of the pork itself. For as much as I love ribs… next time, I’ll select another meat option.
I hate posts where the writer sounds like a wanna-​be food critic, so excuse my next comment if it smacks of that tone.
Given that some BBQ meats/​sandwiches have sauce on them and that beans, bread and mac& cheese are all softer on the palate… I want some crunch from my coleslaw. Because Bub City processes theirs so finely, It’s got a mushy texture like ground horseradish. Only 1 Star from me, I understand why it’s not offered as an optional side.
Maybe I’m old school but… what’s up with no cornbread? Personally, cornbread, coleslaw and pickles are the holy trinity of sides to accompany BBQ (although, I’m anxious to try the mac & cheese). Bub City, please, consider a skillet type cornbread like Banderas… it leaves others in the dust. Banderas does for cornbread what Bub City does for beans.

Hungry for some BBQ, we decided to check out Bub City while staying downtown.
What drew was here was the old school atmosphere, whiskey selection and barbeque selection. We were not disappointed even in the slightest.
I do recommend the Trucker Snacks as an appetizer. The hot links were delicious and the cheese sauce they used was amazing.
If you know anything about barbeque then you know that burnt ends are the holy grail of meats. If don’t know anything about barbeque, burnt ends is the «bacon of brisket». With brisket already being tender and flavorful, burnt ends taste like heaven in your mouth.
They came in a small skillet pan, maybe 10 pieces or so. The platter is served with a piece of bread, pickles and coleslaw. The chipotle brisket mac and cheese is such an awesome treat. It’s an enormous portion of mac and cheese with jalapenos and brisket. The tender pieces of meat and spiciness will make you not want to put your fork down.
My girlfriend ordered the cheeseburger and practically inhaled it. Their menu has so many different options that coming here will make for one tough decision about what to order which is the best kind of problem to have at a restaurant.
The food, friendly service, great bar, TVs, and live music make this place simply perfect. I’ll definitely come here regularly and you owe it to yourself to try it as well.

I didn’t realize the first time I was here was for a co-​workers birthday lunch. My most recent experience was also for a colleagues birthday lunch. We decided upon Bub City the second time around based on our first experience, which was fantastic. I’m updating my original review for the exceptional customer service we received. Too often Unilocal reviews highlight the negative experiences.
I will say the service from beginning to end of meal was exceptional. I will definitely be back and will continue to recommend Bub City to friends.

Hands down the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had in my life. Highly recommend that, as well as the burger, the Brussels sprouts, and a Manhattan.
I’ve been to Bub for brunch, lunch, dinner, and for a night out and I honestly love this spot for all. Their brunch is fantastic, with a Bloody Mary bar and well versed menu of egg dishes, waffles, and more. I love the chicken and waffles!
The dinner menu is full of great southern comfort cooking and like I said earlier, the mac cannot be missed. There’s something for everyone and the servers are always forthcoming with suggestions.
Bub is a fantastic spot for groups of all sizes and tastes. Check it out!

The brunch food is not memorable, but the atmosphere for a group with kids is perfect, loud, and reasonably affordable. Next time I come in, I’ll be sure to order more BBQ!
Came by for brunch last weekend with a party of seven (five adults, two kids under three). Save for the brisket, which was reasonably tasty, the rest of the vanilla brunch items (biscuits and gravy, omelettes, breakfast potatoes, mimosas, eggs, etc.) are good enough to get by. But for the price, at least I left pretty full. Service was very fast for a noon brunch time, another important thing in my book when I’m trying to get kids fed so I can get out the door. And Bub City is on OpenTable so it was great to be able to stroll in and be seated at my reservation time.
I’ve been here for drinks a couple of times and that was better than the food experience, but glad that I finally showed up to eat some of the food.

Just a quick note in a carry out order. Slab of ribs and some tater tots. The tots were surprisingly good for carry out, still crispy and a nice amount for $ 3. The slab on the other hand was one of the driest I’ve ever had. I don’t mind a real smoked slab that you need to work to get off the bone but this was cooked for way too long (like double). Should not have ever been sold to a customer. It was closer to jerky than bbq…

A little piece of Texas in Chicago. We ended up here by accident as Three Dots and a Dash was not open yet so we decided to grab a beer here while we waited. As a life long Texan I was really happy to walk in and see a Shiner Beer sign and Lone Star beer in stock. So I am biased and I give these guys a bit of a bump for that reason. Our bartender was a really cute chick from Montana and was really friendly.
The beer selection is diverse. Unfortunately I did not get to try the food but I would give it a shot but I would be skeptical that it can live up to true Texas BBQ but hey I could be wrong.

I can only review Bub City based on brunch, but I’ve gotta say, it’s pretty tasty! You’ll want to come into Bub City looking for a heavy brunch with that down home feel, though. Biscuits, gravy, cheesy grits, fried chicken & waffles… that’s the type of down home cooking I’m talking about. The entire brunch menu is food coma-​inducing, but I didn’t really regret it at all. I opted for the beef brisket benedict… so heavy… so good… so worth it.
The staff was incredibly nice and gave us an honest breakdown of everything on the menu, provided fast service with a personality, and kept my water topped off to help wash down the artery-​clogging meal we ate. The atmosphere is something straight out of Nashville, with the country theme being undeniable. I can only imagine how crazy it gets in the evenings, but for brunch it was laid back. For a place in the sometimes-​pretentious River North, it was a nice surprise for us when we just wanted something simple.
Ultimately, I don’t see Bub City being the type of place I’d frequent if I were a local, but there’s a good energy about the place that could appeal to tourists who like live country music (country karaōke backed by a live band!), heavy meals, and want to avoid feeling underdressed at some of the other restaurants nearby. Don’t come here looking to eat healthy or enjoy a quiet night out, but if you’re looking for a fun vibe, I could see Bub City hitting the spot.

Bub City is a place I never thought I’d see in Chicago! A country bar seems a little out of place but it was a great time. The bar is just a fun place to be in anyway. There are decorations everywhere and TVs as well. Just looking around it feels like a fun time.
We came here on a Saturday afternoon when we felt like getting a few drinks before preparing for the night. When we arrived they still had their bloody mary bar open which was extremely impressive. I’m not a bloody mary fan at all but they had everything under the sun to pile your drink high.
I opted for some sort of flavored margarita and a couple beers. Prices seemed on par with other Chicago bars so we were good there.
We tried to get a table for our group of 8 when we got in but that wasn’t going to happen with how busy it was so we just sat up at the bar. We ordered some food for lunch and the bartender was able to take care of us well enough!
I got the mac and cheese and holy crap was it delicious. All it probably needed was a little cracked pepper on top but other than that, probably some of the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. It came out super hot in a cast iron «skillet» and the rest is history.
I heard they have live music quite a lot there so that’s another thing to keep in mind! If you’re looking for a chance of pace when going out, Bub City could be the place for you!