Debonair Social Club

Thursday are awesome — I just re-​lived 8^th grade and knew all the songs. Must go for people born in early 70s and into New Wave — nice staff too and great DJs. I will be back!

Came to see a band. Paid a ten dollar cover and the band played for all of 45 minutes. The beer list is pretty terrible, and you’ll pay 7 bucks for a fOcking CAN. I know it’s hipster cool to serve beer in a can and not let it breathe, but don’t charge me 7 gotdamn dollars for something that doesn’t break 6% ABV. If I go somewhere, and $ 50 later I’m not drunk, we have a problem. If I tell my friends I’m going to another bar to grab a couple beers and I’ll be right back, we have a problem.
The space itself was decent, bouncers were super cool, as were the servers. Dark and intimate, I enjoyed the scene and the band was awesome.

It’s a club. They play music. Drinks are served. And this weekend I realized I’m way too old to be in this kind of place.
I hadn’t stepped foot in a club in at least 3 years. But Saturday night I let a couple of youngins convince me this was a good idea. Debonair had a $ 5 cover on a Saturday night which didn’t break the bank but it was minorly annoying. They played some good music, mostly top 40 stuff, mostly hip hop. I wish I could comment on drink prices but I’m a girl… I didn’t pay for any drinks!
Clientele wasn’t superb looking but they were confident enough to keep coming up to this chick & hitting on her. No I will not be dancing with you, sir!
Conclusion — A fine place to head to and dance if you’re of the proper age. Don’t embarrass yourself like I did by after an hour of dancing going & sitting in a booth sipping on sizzurp.

They have a $ 20 dollar minimum on credit cards, which isn’t a big deal. But they take your ID with your credit card to start a tab. I left the bar without closing my tab, realized in the cab what I did and decided to go back next day to get it. They open at 10pm during the week so I couldn’t get there for about 3 days. I check my credit card statement and they charged me $ 40. I go back to the bar and they don’t have my ID or credit card. But they were able to charge my card without a signature. It’s one thing to take a credit card, but it’s absolutely ridiculous to take an ID for a tab when you are not competent to safely secure it. That will be the last time I ever walk into this establishment.

I was treated very unfairly at this place this past weekend. I had on causal attire and was constantly harassed about a suit blazer and shoes. Mind you, I was dressed as if I just got off work (because I was) and the bouncer or some guy said I had to take of the suit jacket or leave. My friend had on a hat he was asked to take it off, then he later came back as asked him to leave because his hat was still visible. It almost felt racial because I could spot at least 10 other people there that (for lack of better words) «not meeting dress code attire.» Mind you I had already spent a nice amount on drinks to have a good time and to be constantly harassed for something stupid just isn’t good for business. If you’re not white, don’t wear a suit, have any typeof hat on wear boots,. You’ll be harassed.
Jerks!

This place freaks me out a bit. First of all, it’s way too dark. Second, I don’t even wanna know what’s in that basement. Third, it’s way too dark. It may be the spot to be for some people, but not to me. There are much better bars to go to in the Wicker Park area. Or, there’s always the old-​fashioned ‘Hell, I’ll just drink at home’ party of 1 gig.

Would really not recommend going here on Neo nights. Thursdays use to be my favorite but I am a little fearful of how they treat some of the customers so I plan to avoid the place now.

I have mixed feeling about this place. As its now the new and hopefully only temporary home of former club Neo.
Neo was my favorite place in Chicago to dance or just grab a drink. I was a regular. But with its closing it moved to Debonair and Ive had mixed experiences, when compared to how awesome old Neo used to be. I am thankful that Neo in some form still exists, tho now only a shadow of its former self. Happy that most of the Neo bar staff and some bouncers are still there, but Ive had several issues getting in at the door as its a Debonair door guy who doesn’t know or honor the Neo password they would give out on facebook. Hopefully this has changed and its the old Neo doorguy or gal.
But with that said, Thursday are still the best night for 80s. On the plus side now with two floors if you’re not feeling the poppy new wave on the main floor, you can get harder EBM /​Industrial 80s in the basement. I love being able to switch at a moments notice.
Space can get crowded, especially in the basement. but still great place to dance and hang with friends.
Hopefully soon Neo can find its new home. And a new chapter can begin.

Could be a great bar, but the bouncers are aggressive angry jealous lunatics,

OMG I loved this place for the minimal time spent there. I was able to catch a burlesque show & drag show all in one night without notice. I had a blast discovering RedRum and the bartenders were quick to meet my needs for drinks.

And this is where our night took an interesting turn. This was our fourth and final drinking stop for the evening. My friend and I were really just looking for a fun place to dance and enjoy a few drinks. Another friend from the area recommended this bar. We both arrived sober and that, my friends, is where the story ends. We enjoyed the music and, for the most part, the company. Inebriated people can be annoying but that is unfortunately the risk you take in almost any bar or club. We bought drinks, we bought other people drinks, my friend bought the bartender drinks, we made Dionysus proud. Our wallets though were quite disappointed by our behavior.
Caveat, though NOT at all associated with this bar, we were robbed while waiting for the L-​Train that night so no matter where you are, please drink responsibly and watch your surroundings.

I am writing in hopes that something in the way this place does business changes, because unfortunately, I had such a horrible experience with the bar staff tonight I feel compelled to write about it.
I came to the club at approximately 11pm with a friend and had a great time socializing and dancing. I had purchased a cocktail with cash and proceeded to purchase another with a debit card. The bartender informed me there would be a $ 20 minimum. I gave her the card and then she asked for my ID, which I thought was strange, but agreed to hand it over anyway. After a half hour or so I was ready to leave and asked one of the two bartenders to return my cards and she replied, SHE didn’t have them. So I said, «Well, I guess the other bartender does.» She grabbed the other girl and told her I requested to have my cards returned, and she told me it was policy I must pay $ 20. I told her I understood the policy, and so I would like to leave, and asked she place the $ 20 minimum on my card so I could leave. She gave me a dirty look, argued with me, left, and then returned with my cards saying she bought me the drink and I better «get away from her bar.» Absolutely shocked at her reaction, I looked at her counterpart for some kind of reassurance and she also affirmed I «better leave the bar» in a very rude and stern tone.
I am a professional journalist but I’m no stranger to working behind a Chicago bar or two. I understand people can be drunk and walk out on tabs. However is it necessary to treat a costumer this way who was looking to settle up? I may be a bit «old» at 37 to be in a club, but at this point I understand the basic necessities of keeping a business alive. The way I was treated for asking to give the bar $ 12 of my money for free, just to get my ID and debit card returned, and met with rude and downright mean orders to vacate the bar immediately was absolutely absurd!
I’m really concerned not only how this club is run but who is behind the bar.
Please, train your bartenders to be respectful of their costumers, especially ones who want to put non-​existent FREE cash on a debit card just to get it returned so they can leave for the evening. I’m not sure where her harsh reaction was coming from, and I was treated so rudely I’ll never be back, nor would ever recommend anyone ever go here. I hope they’ll train these girls better so we can keep Chicago hospitality alive and to a decent standard. I understand it’s a nightclub and not a fine dining establishment, but can’t we do better?

No. Bye forever. They’re rude. Other places to go in Wicker like Tavern down the block

This place attracts a lot of random people, I feel like. It’s not very clean. A small dance club with an improvising DJ.

Bottle service, great DJ, awesome music, good bartenders. FUN PLACE!

Eh. I’ve Been in worse bars. But I’ve also definitely been in better. Only good thing was the band last night.
Bartenders are slow even when the place is empty. Doorman is a complete tool. Typical meathead basically.
Drinks were weak and over priced.
Worst part is they try to charge a cover for this shit. Thankfully the doorman is easily distracted
So many better options in wicker park.

Came to see a favorite band play here a few weeks ago. Cover was $ 10. The bouncer asked which band I came to see, and he gifted me a free drink voucher. He was the friendliest staff member I encountered all night. I was later told that each band had to individually get 60 people through the door in order to get paid. I’d be surprised if there’s room enough for much more than 60 people total.
I’m not sure why this venue is touted as a «dance club» or offers space to bands. The layout is all kinds of wrong for just about anything but grabbing a drink, which is fine… Just do one thing well! Don’t do all things and be content with mediocre…
The venue appears to be a two level club, but the downstairs was dark and unused while I was there. The upper level is a good size, but the centralized bar makes the overall room feel cramped. The two-​sided, oblong bar is unfortunately outfitted with a super low overhead ceiling which further isolates the left and right sides of the club. The remaining space is room enough on the left for two large high tops, a couple 6-​person booths and some standing room at the bar or against the hallway wall. The right side is overcrowded with tables and chairs. The «dance floor» is elevated and doubles as a stage for bands. It’s worth noting that a 5pc band is pushing the limits of having enough performance space.
The bartender was courteous enough, but seemed bored and wishing she were anywhere else. It didnt take long before I was, too.

Stop here for a girls night out. My friends really wanted to check this place out. There was a cover charge to get in on a Saturday night. There is two floors and they were both pretty empty. The music was good most of the time, they placed a variety which is always nice. My girls and I ended up leaving after an hour. Is not a place I see myself going back. Maybe if there is no cover charge to get in.

For no reason other than an ego trip, one of the bouncers literally pushed me out of the entryway last night because I had inquired about why there was a cover. I wasn’t refusing to pay the $ 5, just odd that a bar has such a low cover in the first place.
The bouncer had a pretty messed up face so I can only assume he’s been doing this forever and will most likely only amount to that in life. I suppose I actually helped him yesterday, by making him feel important as a gatekeeper to a trashy bar and using that power to deny me access. You’re welcome, then.

Last night I went to the Jeezy’s Juke Joint fundraiser show. The show itself was absolutely amazing, such great entertainment. But the tech guys continuously fucked up the music and lights. They’re lack of effort to sort out the problems almost made me think that they were screwing with the show on purpose. They would turn off the lights DURING performances, and it was NOTICEABLY happening when the more voluptuous women were on stage. Tech seemed to run smoothly when it was a small bodied performer. The crowd even started shouting «stop turning off the lights!!!» At
point one of the tech guys SUSHED the audience… professional. Way to let everyone know you’re complete asshole,

Horrible and disgusting. Saw an altercation on the street on the way in, which should have been my cue to run away screaming before things got worse. However, I was attending a friend’s birthday event in the downstairs area. Ke$ha, et. al blaring on the main level = shoot me in the face, now. Recommend earplugs either way.
Downstairs was fine aside from the near-​sexual assault I witnessed – a guy was trying to pull girl back into his clutches after she made clear attempts to pull away. When I left, another guy had pulled her breast out of her shirt.
The real treat came on the way out. A tall, thin, bearded, blue-​eyed bouncer dragged a patron out by his face. They struggled against each other for a moment, knocking into me on the sidewalk. I had to scramble out of the way before the bouncer, holding the patron in a headlock, took him to the ground with a half dozen audible punches in the face. When he picked him back up, his entire face was pouring blood, like something out of a horror movie. Another bouncer intervened, separating them for a moment. The first bouncer then body-​slammed the patron vertically against the front of the building, cracking his head against it. The whole scene was viscerally disturbing enough that I got nauseous, and another bystander began sobbing immediately. I didn’t stick around to find out what happened next, but the patron definitely needed medical attention. Way to go, Debonair, employing violent lunatics whose job descriptions include splattering customers’ brains across the concrete… all in the name of «protecting» the grime inside the doors. I hope this place burns to the ground.

This was a fun spot for some dancing. There was a line, but it didn’t take long. They played lots of hip hop for white people. I liked that there was a deal on Tecates-​aroudn $ 3 a pop. Best part-​photobooth!!!

Okay, so this place is cheesier than a pizza, but I kinda like it!
Ambiance:
CHEESE, CHEESE EVERYWHERE.
Crowd:
Wicker park drunk people (you know…)
Seating:
Pretty good. Their bar is big and so are their tables, so if you’re coming to chill with friends, you can grab a spot usually.
Dancefloor:
White & Nerdy. Lots of fresh-​faced guys in collared shirts dancing awkwardly.
Décor:
It kind of looks like a gay club. Flourescent backlit walls everywhere, but I like color (preeeeetttty), and I like gay clubs so that’s cool with me!
Drinks:
They have good specials! Other than the specials drinks are reasonably priced + a few house cocktails which are slightly* better than OK
This place is tacky as hell, I still like coming here because it’s like the bar version of a cheesy horror movie. So bad it’s good.

you know all those 80’s movies where there is a party scene, everyone does coke at the club, someone contracts HIV soon after? Debonaire is that kind of place…
these reviews and the 2.5 star rating are pretty accurate…
i’ve seen this place get remolded at minimum 4 times in the 7 years i have been going to this place. i am NOT proud to say that i have been coming here for 7 years. If you are looking to club on a budget this can be a great place. PBR/​OldStyle are only $ 3 on a friday night; not bad. the sound system is great and the ambiance will impress suburban kids. the resident DJ Ryan paradise is alright mixing a blend of top 40 and popular electro.
i saw a lot of totally rad, trendy stylish babes dancing with some really lame Chad bros. so if your a college bro definitely stop at this place for some greezy pune.

Visited from out of town on a Saturday.
DJ spinning good tunes (mix of electronica, indie, all with good danceable beats).
A billion reserved tables, but no one showing up to take them.
$ 20 credit card minimum.
Nice bartender.
Lots of space to dance.
Largely empty, but maybe we were there too early.,?

Let’s talk a little bit about getting weird. Like straight up fight your way to the red-​lit stage, smash your back against the wall, and wiggle your jiggle with 300 of your brand-​spankin’ new besties for the night like no one’s watching, WEIRD.
My summer of liquor-​indulged shenanigans can be traced back to many nights at Debonair. I’ve even converted my Ukrainian Village-​dwelling friends, my LP trixie posse, and even my Wrigley-​lovin’ kids to becoming Debonair believers. Deblievers, if you will.
Usually my eclectic group starts out our Saturday nights with a little BOYB din din, followed by a few rowdy bottles of vodka, and then a magical moment happens. The last cocktail has been drained dry. The sheen of sweat is glistening on our foreheads. Our hips are swaying to nothing more than the melody of cabs whizzing by as we determine our fate on a blistering sidewalk. Then it’s decided. We’re ready to get weird.
Left in the dust is our stomping ground of tried and true River North. Our yellow chariot rockets through the city toward WiPa, hurdling us into a Blurred Lines frenzy that we can’t wait to unleash on the rocking crowd of Debonair.
We arrive at our destination and are faced with a cover. That sucks. I don’t typically go to places who charge cover, however I’d pay Debonair in Sour Patch Kids from their favorite 7-​Eleven if it got me through the door.
Once through the doors, you have two options. A. Buy bottle service and sit your fanny in a booth and watch the fun, or B. Bypass the cocktails altogether and make a beeline for the dance floor. I’ve done both, and both are fun, but there’s nothing like twerkin’ it with the crowd and losing yourself. The DJ must be different from the past negative reviews, because I absolutely love the EDM and rap tracks he lays down. When you’re light-​headed from the beats and losing half of your body mass from sweating, take a pit stop in the bathroom, where an attendant is there to hussle your ass if you lollygag too long, but has the best spread of chotckis I’ve ever seen. Then snag an O Bomb from the bartender with the blonde curly locks. He’s the best, and he’ll remember you if you come back.
A few rules to Debonair:
1. Do not bring drinks on the dance floor. That’s not a Deb rule, that’s my rule. We’re a hard-​partying bunch and don’t like to absorb Jack and Coke while we’re droppin’ it like it’s hot.
2. If you’re not in the mood to have a blast, then you won’t. And then you’ll nit pick the drinks, any dirt on the floor, and the people. Come ready to hang, or don’t come at all.
3. Most important– don’t be a Judgey McJudgerson. No one else gives a hoot what your shirt says or how twisted your skirt is getting or how awkward you’re moves are, so show the same respect and keep your Negative Nancy thoughts to yourself.
4. And one more thing– share the stage. That bitch is tiny and unless your moves were learned on you in a Vegas stripclub, let other people have a chance to act a fool in front of others, too.