The Foundation Room

Love the foundation room! Excellent atmosphere… Best steak skewers in da city hands down

Tried it out for dinner on a Gilt City deal, so no membership involved. The yellowtail bruschetta and Vietnamese chicken meatball appetizers were both fabulous and the apple bread pudding with caramel sauce just melts in your mouth. Service and décor were fine but nothing to write home about. Seems like a cool place to grab some drinks and appetizers, but I’m not sure it’s worth the $$$$ to become a member

I’ve been to the foundation room several times and it’s a funny story how we ended up here tonight… but that’s neither here nor there.
The Foundation room is actually members only, but you can easily get in for events. I’ll have to admit the dimly lit fourth floor is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Nice comfy couches, private rooms with Buddha statues, and an awesome bartender that help us with our selfies and really took care of me in my girl tonight. :) We had the pineapple upside down and keylime martini. Both as delicious as the dessert.
Not exactly what we were planning on doing tonight and not the typical crowd we like, but still good times were had :)

The Foundation Room is a great spot to listen to some music, grab a pre– or post-​dinner drink or generally hang out & talk. The food and drinks are fairly pricey compared to other options in the area but the nice lounge feel encourages you to stay for at least one drink. When there is an artist performing, it is a very intimate setting yet isn’t so loud that you can’t talk. I haven’t tried the food yet but their drinks were pretty good — not amazing, but not bad at all. In general, you’re paying for the ambiance here but you can certainly do far worse in that department.

Nice for a quiet drink with a member. Too crowded for a good club, especially since it is not very well ventilated and they seem to run the fireplace all the time, even when it’s hot.

Having come to the House of Blues over the years, I never knew much about «The Foundation Room» My music loving friend got a membership. And now, it’s the only way I will go to a show! The drinks and food might be a little pricey, but if you want to party like a rock star its the way to go. The Aaron Sanchez designed Steak tacos, are small, but mind blowing great. Just wish they had Sam Adams.
If you ever get a chance to see a show, and know someone who can take you via the foundation room, its nearly a once in a lifetime way of having a blast!

For years I’ve wanted to solve the mystery of the secret entrance behind the velvet ropes that are guarded by massive doormen. An old friend lives in Marina City hence I would often frequent the gift shop to buy Nag Champa and always stare down that secret entrance, curiousity eating away at me. One day I walked over to Ken, the bouncer, and simply asked. «It’s a VIP member’s only club. It’s about $$$$$ for bronze level, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for gold, etc.» I must’ve looked like a deer in headlights b/​c he then added «Would you like to go upstairs and have a look? Have a drink while you’re up there.» And so began my love affair with the Foundation Room. When those elevator doors opened I thought I was going to flatline. I thought at any minute Gary Oldman from Bram Stoker’s Dracula was going to greet me with a glass of absinthe. The ambiance is ethereal and seductive. I want to move in. My favorite room is the main room: vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows, rich velvet on the wall, plush sectionals all centered around a gorgeous dark wood fireplace. As nag champa wafts through the air and you begin to explore the hidden rooms in this little labyrinth and drink in every painstaking detail surrounding you, you begin to understand why this is VIP. That being said, no matter how gorgeous the ambiance was or the fact that I wanted to lick the walls, if the service was bad, I wouldn’t be insanely raving about this place. Throughout my visits, the staff has exceeded my expectations, each and every time. The level of professionalism starts with Travis, the manager and trickles down to everyone I’ve had the pleasure of meeting: Ken, Johannes, David (security), Meghan and Jocelyn (cocktail waitresses), Neil and Gordon (bartenders) and Ms. Ann (bathroom concierge). Their level of professionalism, friendliness and down to earth qualities continue to blow me away. The drinks are exquisite (try the French Martini) and the menu exceptional. They will rent rooms for parties (food + dj) ergo I strongly recommend finding a way to experience it. You’re welcome.

VERY overrated is all I can say. We were 1 of 3 tables being served that evening while the staff looked at the sea of empty tables. The staff was great and the food was fine. But that’s just it, it was fine… and way over priced. After feeling ripped off for a $ 10 side of mashed potatoes, we didn’t even stay at the bar. To be fair, the bar had a few more people in it. The type of people who were ordering bottle service at 9pm with less than 20 people in the room… So yeah, out the door we were.
This place was a huge let down after being at the Foundation Room in Vegas. Maybe I’ll try here again, but just for drinks next time.

This place is overrated. I found them on
(sooo how is it SUCH an exclusive place?) and needed to call about 8 different times to make a reservation, since there are multiple numbers for this place posted, and not enough people answering the phone.
The host was not very warm since it was noted that we were not members (again, get over yourselves!) and were shown to what felt like a darkened dining room from a wealthy family 50 years ago. The average age of couples there was about 50 years old. Main course prices ranged from $ 38-​$ 45, which included shared sides, served family style. So for $ 38, I got a piece of whitefish and had to split 4 pieces of asparagus, lumpy mashed potatoes and a ramekin of mushrooms with my bf. Seriously, with these prices, I expected my own sides! Also, the tables were an awkward width, so I felt like I was really far from my date… but I didn’t want to speak up because then the quiet vibe there would have been disrupted. Not cool for a Friday night!
This place is unnecessarily pretentious… it’s just a restaurant for people who want to be able to say they belong to a quiet supper club while paying high prices for average food. I thought it would be much cooler and a better experience since it is at the HoB, but I was definitely disappointed. So two meals, one bottle of wine ($ 38, the second cheapest on the white wine list!) and minus $ 50 for the
, we still had a bill of $ 100 incl. tax and tip. I can think of MANY other places I would rather have a nice date than here.

Can’t say enough good things about the House of Blues Foundation Room. The staff, service and ambiance are excellent. About the only negative is the menu in the Foundation Room Restaurant. It tends to be too high-​end with limited options for those who don’t feel like a fancy dinner before a show. However, you can order from the Back Porch Restaurant as well and the staff bring it to the Foundation Room if you would prefer a burger or simple salad or steak so there are lots of options. The staff all get to know you, remember your name and favorite drinks and generally treat you like a VIP. The security staff also take very good care of the patrons. One of my favorite places in Chicago!

Honestly, I can’t really remember that much. but I do remember how awesome this place was decorated.
With our tickets we got entrance into the foundation room. It’s a cool idea, you get the 21+ tickets you get entrance into the bar. Except the person you came to see, is outside on stage. At any point you can go on the balcony and watch but it just doesn’t seem as fun.
I had no idea this existed and I’ve been to plenty of shows here. Anyways, the drinks normal River North prices, but not too bad. I’d check it out, also it was $ 10 more for a 21+ area, which you will want. Trust me.

If you aren’t a fan of the HOB than the HOB ‘s Foundation Room probably won’t be your cup of tea. The Foundation Room requires a membership (or rental via a special event) and can be filled with the company that you’d expect to keep with a private club (read: can be slightly stuffy). That being said, I’ve mostly only had good experiences.
The décor is Asian inspired — if you’ve ever wanted to look at a Buddha while drinking a scotch you could do far worse than the Foundation room.

For the disastrous state of the patrons yesterday evening, I am double impressed with how incredible the staff was. Often times we overlook staff at shows, but not here! Top notch folks! Can’t wait to go back.

A friend of mine has a membership here, and I guess the Foundation Room and the bar are pretty exclusive spots. Great to come here before a show, I enjoy the bar area much more than the restaurant. Beautiful décor, very romantic, and cool bartender.
I am not a big fan of the restaurant. It is a beautiful space, but it sounds like the music is coming from a clock radio, which is very distracting. And the service here is hit or miss.
The food is delicious, especially desert. I recommend eating at the bar.