B.L.U.E.S.

This is a cozy, fun, and authentic Chicago blues bar. Drinks are cheap, service is good, and the music is GREAT! Real, old school Chicago blues. Get there by 9 or earlier to get a seat up front. $10 cover.Sure, the bathrooms are bad, the seating and decor is old, but thats the charm.House of Blues this aint.

What a cozy hole in the wall!First off, great selection of drinks. Ok, now, seating is obviously limited, but the crowd is cool and the atmosphere is warm. The little stage and close quarters make shows pretty intimate, which is great because blues is supposed to be that. The sound was great, the musicians were stellar. You can look up on their website the different live acts they have throughout the week.Overall, a must visit for anyone in town.

As authentic as it gets! I was lucky enough to meet a local who told me about the charm of this bar, where the decor has not changed and neither has the LIVE music... authentic Chicago town blues 💙 what a great introduction to the musical heritage and talents of this city!

Looks like a dive bar but feels like a fine dine. Great place to take your date after dinner for couple of drinks and listen to the blues train. Highly recommend place to take a detour if you haven’t planned for this. I was tired, and the bartender offering me a cup of coffee. I like that gesture. 4.5/5 is the perfect. Could have been 5/5 if they had my Bombay sapphire martini ;). Great place again, highly recommended.

Had an amazing time seeing John Primer and The Real Deal Blues Band last Saturday! The venue is small and intimate, giving you a unique sense of community. Despite being crowded, the service was great and we were never without water and drinks. It was worth it to show up early. Thanks for hosting a wonderful date night! (Wish I had better quality pictures, but I was distracted by the music, haha..)

Without a doubt one of the coolest blues dives in the world. Cheap entry, great takers every weekend, open late, and just an all around good time. Great taco joint next door too!

Went there Saturday 6/23. Music starts around 9:30pm. The place doesnt get crowded until between 10 or 11. I recommend getting there early for seats so you dont have to stand behind there. Gets a little hot once it gets too crowded.

Fantastic place with a great atmosphere. People from all walks of life listening to amazing blues

Great blues bar with local players and singers. If you want to take some beer and listen to good music.

Great place, great music and great vibe.We were there for an awesome show, and despite the place being packed woth people, the bartender was great and the atmosphere was great.

Ive always enjoyed dive bars and this is one of the great ones. I went there on a Sunday night and it cost $7 to get in. The band played several sets and it was terrific Blues. Great value for the $$ spent.Honestly the bar felt like a community. Someone came in for their birthday and the whole bar sang to him and shared in his celebration.The wait staff and bartenders were very nice but by no means would this be considered upscale.I found the drinks to be reasonably priced. I do not know if they serve food because I had come from dinner. There is limited street parking. Would highly recommend public transport or ride sharing.

This is a great, cozy Blues bar. The group was fantastic and the cover was reasonable for Chicago ($10.00). Theres not a lot of space so you may want to go early if you want to sit while watching the show. The bathrooms are not the best.

Was thrilled to find this place on my birthday last year. Best REAL blues bar left that hasnt turned into a tourist trap. I live in NW Indiana and have traveled to Chicago for good blues for years but have been increasingly disappointed with the venues I used to love. This place reminds me of exactly what I used love about blues bars...theyre not supposed to pretty and sterile.

The headline show was fun and really engaged the room. The jam session that followed was incredible, the music was amazing.

Amazing place, good prives, felt like a private show, awesome music.

Attended last night during August Blues fest.Best blues bar in Chicago for sure. Remarkable atmosphere. Old wood paneled walls covered with photos of blues artists from the past. Last night: Rodney Brown and Hot Rod band. Solid, solid performance. Members of band came out onto the floor with their instruments. Drinks were relatively inexpensive and cover was only $5. Service was excellent Bathrooms are funky. But highly recommend that you take it in.

Amazing music and atmosphere for original Chicago blues. Its a small venue so be ready to sit close to your neighbor and if you want to see get there before the show starts. But a truly amazong night every time!

Coming from abroad, I will miss the nights I spent there. From Magic Slim and L.V. Banks in the 90s, to John Primer and the jam nights in recent years. It was a friendly place with great music. Wish it will stay open. Thanks for the memories, I wear your T-shirts all the time!

Very local vibe. The service was great. Enjoyed watching the musicians play off each others energy. A guest trombone player with the Claudette Miller Band stole the show and left without a proper goodbye from the audience! The energy was amazing, wish great things for the band members. Really enjoyed.

This place is the best hole in the wall in the country. And I say that with the highest respect. The staff is great, music is always amazing and drinks are the most reasonably priced . Its truly a Chicago gem and a must do for any Blues music lover! The only down side is it gets uncomfortably crowded but its well worth it.

We were just walking down the street and decided to stop into B.L.U.E.S. Its a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place with live music (Blues, go figure). We enjoyed listening to the local musicians entertain us with their tunes. The beers were nothing special, but the atmosphere was amazing. If you enjoy the blues (or even if you dont) I recommend stopping by for a beer and listening to the local talent.

Great time tonight. Great music, friendly crowd. Very attentive staff. Other reviews complain about the bathrooms being bad... The ladies in our party said they were fine. Will definitely be back. We liked it better than Rosas.

This place holds a special spot for me, as I used to come here all the time when I was brand-new to Chicago. Lately, it seems very cramped, and the charming/small atmosphere doesnt quite compensate for having to be squashed in the back looking over many shoulders.The cover charge is usually less than $10, which is nice, and if youre looking for a cozy/divey feel, then this is definitely the place, but if you want space to sit, dont come here unless you plan to arrive early.

Whether or not your think youre a fan of the Blues, this is a great place for a night out. Its a small, cozy venue with a decidedly rustic decor. I cant compare it to Kingston Mines because Ive never been. Weve simply had too much fun every time we visited B.L.U.E.S to want to try something different.

Great little dive blues bar in an extremely entertaining area. Drinks were priced fairly, and the bartendress switched us up to top shelf gin after one or two. Small place, so get there early for a good seat.

One of the best blues bars in Chicago. Definitely more intimate than Kingston Mines. If you can get a cover charge for both then do it, its a great thing to be able to walk between the two. Get Mexican in between the two. Its open 24/7 and is fantastic.

Its impossible to give this place enough praise. It is a fantastic venue for reliable, unbelievably good and authentic Chicago blues. This should be a required stop for any person visiting the city, you can hear the cities history in the music alone.

Man friend brought me here after a fancy dinner. Was a tad bit overdressed but totally enjoyed myself. Sound and performers were great! Minus half star for snooty bartender - she was def a playa hater and not a girls girl. Drinks were average. Cover charge at the door and we had prime seating front/center. Wayyy more fun than Buddy Guy and HOB.

The place is small and dusty with bad customer service and old and uncomfortable chairs. The band was good but the sound quality was very poor. Surprisingly, the womens restroom was really clean, even in the end of the night.

During my stay in Chicago, I experienced the best live blues music experience in B.L.U.E.S. Cover charge was $10 and it was full, there were no enough chairs for everyone, but the band and music was great. Location is very convenient for public transport

I visited here 7 days ago from San Diego and although we have a variety of bars we dont have anything like B.L.U.E.S. The music was great, musicians play effortlessly and are talented. This joint is a hidden gem.Thank you Chicago for the great drinks, music and chill atmosphere. The service was great, fast and affordable.

Went here after I turned 21 and had an amazingly fun time. Vance Kelly and the Backstreet Blues Band played a great show and made a shoutout to me many times haha. Every person from all different walks of life having such a great time through the music is my kinda bar. Traditional and old yet still trendy and soulful.

A Blues institution and community cornerstone for decades. Diverse crowds gather to vibe and move and groove. Some soul-shaking blues musicians have taken the stage each time Ive attended, and Im always amazed theyre not playing bigger venues. This place just pumps out good times and memories on the daily. Class Chicago. The way Chicago should be.

To me this is blues music at its finest. I tell every tourist that wants to know which blues bar is better. I tell them “B.L.U.E.S.” (a.k.a. Blues on Halsted) It’s just the right size to really feel the music up close and personal! It feels like you are at a friend’s place—drinking, laughing and in some cases, dancing on the man-made party floor. One of the wonderful things about this place is the staff. Always friendly and enjoying (just like the customers) the splendid sounds of Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues, Carlos Johnson, or Little Ed and the Imperials. Great fun all around!

This place is an awesome hole in the wall blues club. It really doesnt get any better than this place. The music and hospitality is amazing. I would recommend this place to anyone interested in listening to hear live blues.

Great concert, but not great Emcee for new years eve. We dont need a new york count down, and we dont need the band standing around for 5 minutes while Emcee counts down every 20s. Killed the mood! Music was great as always, however

My review is based on the customer service that was received while at B.L.U.E.S. I was celebrating my 40th Birthday with friends and family, and we went there after dinner. I tried making reservations for a group, however, no one ever called me back (despite being told some one would call me back). Despite not having reservations, we did find seating. During our time there, my 77 year old mother fell to the ground. None of the staff (including our waitress) acknowledged it or came by to see If she was okay. At the time, I did not pay it any mind because they were busy and gave them the benefit of the doubt that they did not see an elderly women fall to the ground. However, as we were leaving I heard our waitress talking to another employee and saying, well she already fell... The waitress saw that I overheard her and had an awkward look, but never apologized or took the time to check to see if my mother was actually okay. I give the establishment a zero for customer service and give the waitress even less, for seeing what happened and not helping at the time, but speaking negatively later against an elderly women. I would love to be able to say Id give this place a second chance, however their blatant disrespect for the elderly and paying customers leaves much to be desired. As a business, you have a fiduciary duty to yourr clients and they failed to meet that duty. The waitress was rude and demeaning. If Im going to invite friends to spend money at an establishment, this will not be the place.

Chicago is known for creating the blues and it is a shame we do not have more blues bars! I lived close to this particular place and it was fun to go here for some of the best music in all of the city without the large ticket prices. This place is not for the faint of heart, nor your girlfriend who has to use the bathroom after every beer, because I will not recommend using the bathroom here even once. Halstead is one of my favorite streets in all of Chicago but this part of Halstead is right in-between two nice areas. The surrounding bars and tacos joints are a lot of fun for late night eats too! Definitely something to try if you live nearby.

BLUES always puts on great talent and is full of nice people, friendly bartenders, and is a generally congenital place. Its got a more casual laid back feel than The Mines just down the street. I love going on free cover nights and heading back and forth between BLUES and the mines between sets.

Nice little Blues Bar, awesome vibe.I was there only one time and just for two hours, but those were worth it. Nice blues by the Corey Dennison Band.Went there on a Sunday, when the cover also covers for the entry to Kingston Mines. Worth it.

Love the atmosphere & music but...Bartender stuck her hands inside a jar of cherries & thought she was gonna put it in my drink. No, use an utensil & our drinks were extremely watered down. We went Sunday night July 2,2017

Second time trip to Chicago, first up close and personal blues show. I was looking for a genuine Chicago Blues music experience and thats exactly what my friends and I received. Ambiance is relaxed, fusing the comfort of your friendly neighborhood watering hole combined with an amalgam of Blues History memorabilia plastered from wall to wall. Feast your eyes on this living, breathing, shrine to the Blues music genre prior to showtime in order to get your senses primed for the quality entertainment that awaits you. Wait staff, bar tenders, and MCs make you feel right at home and a part of the show. Marty Sammon set the bar really high with his tantalizing piano skills. From the eyes and ears of a nubile Blues Music fan, the Blues on Halsted is the place to be.

Great venue, very intimate - BEST SERVER EVER! Excellent bands - highly recommend! Get there early so you can get a good seat and get comfortable!

I never thought I could have a bad experience at BLUES - it is (and now, was) my go to bar for when I host guests who live outside the Midwest. I should start by saying that the band and the servers/waitresses were great, as they always are, and that they alone deserve 5 stars.The bad experience: My brother (who was visiting from California) and I showed up early and got good seats right in front of the band. We were having a really good time enjoying our drinks and the music. During intermission my husband came into BLUES and joined us at the front. He said hello and proceeded to ask if either of us had cash, and right at that moment the bouncer announces - over the mic - that my husband needs to get the hell over to the entrance to pay his cover. As we each search our pockets for cash the bouncer again begins to say that he needs to pay the cover NOW. My brother hands my husband a twenty and they begin to walk back towards the bouncer. But again, he picks up the mic and says, pay the cover now you F**** a****** or get the hell out. They began to yell at each other, my husbands gets kicked out, and we all leave feeling like crap.The rude mic announcements were completely unnecessary. Kicking my husband out was completely unnecessary. BLUES is small. It was intermission. There was absolutely no need to pick up a mic and speak that way. The bouncer was incredibly unreasonable. Our fun family night was ruined.BLUES has lost our loyalty.

I enjoyed Carl Weathersby. He put on a great show. He gets a 5 stars! The place itself needs to be remodeled and they need more servers on the floor. One is not enough for the crowd they pull!

Always loved this joint and was a regular until I moved to Florida. (I bought Michael Colemans shoes -LOL). Ill be there next week and hope youre open.Fun fact: You opened the same year I became legal to drink, thats when I found you … 1979.

All blues, all the time in this tiny gem. It is oddly situated in the heart of bar city lincoln park but the crowd is usually cool and the acts are fun. If you dont love the blues youve got a whole in your soul.

Music is great, it has a great band playing.However the place is cramped and stinky! My friends told me the drinks they serve there isnt great either! It is all second rated!

Amazing musicians. Great atmosphere. Packed during the weekends but totally worth it. No food and dont expect over the top cocktails.

This place is a has-been. Every surface was sticky with old grime - disgusting. The cocktails were very watered down - I heard several people complain of the same thing. Even the lighting inside and out is broken down. A shame really.

This place is a must go to. Wonderful musicians and a great time. Very intimate and out of the way. I loved the atmosphere and Ill go back soon.

If this place was closer to home Id be here every night!! A small little bar with some of the best blues in all Chicagoland, this place is perfect to relax and soak in the music.

On Sundays we get here for free after paying for Kingston Mines entrance. Its very charming, we listened to great music,and they had the cubs game on.

Live Blues, beer, and booze Chicago style. What else do you need to know? Kingston Mines and BLUES allow you to go between each other with admission to one or the other. DO IT!

Not bad. $10 cover gets you in. Not much room, be prepared to stand. Music is fresh, unique and depends on the group.

Absolutely love this place! Great to see live bands every night. Best Blues experience.

Very recommended, good music and drinks.

Small and intimate, perfect for enjoying the live music.

Dive bar with a great vibe. Amazing live music. Small space where youre up close with the band.

Absolutely great. Music, drinks... reasonable prices. Just come in and enjoy Chicago at its best.

I hadnt been been there in so so long. But going back was just as Amazing as it ever was! Best place for Blues hands down

Amazing atmosphere, great music!!

Packed blues bar with great music and nifty vibe. Servers were attentive, considering how many people were in such a small place.

Had a good time. Low cover charge. Great band. Wonderful relaxed atmosphere.

Amazing place to enjoy great music in a cozy ambiance.Be ready for loud music and having a good time!

A classic joint. $10 cover and great blues. Had a great evening here watching John Primer.

My niece had her birthday party here, the night was going smooth until someone brought a bottle of Hennessy inside the club and left it on the floor, one of are invites turn the bottle in to the bar tender and instead the bar tender telling the whole club that if someone get caught bringing illegal drinks inside the club that they will be kick out, she single out are party and I dont feel that was right, I hope race didnt play a part of this!

Small bar with a great crowd and awesome performances. We loved our evening there.

Great blues music. Not fake

Great atmosphere, music was amazing and everybody was friendly. Will definitely be going again.

Awesome little blues bar. We were in town for a few days, and this was exactly what we were hoping to find. Well worth a visit

Saw Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials. Great show and great vibe to the place. Intimate for sure.

Because its where you make point and experience this craft up close, powerful musicians giving you the best they have,in your face !

Great music, chill vibe, reasonably priced drinks, small cover.

Demitria Taylor put on a great show. Always top notch talent at B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted.

Amazing place to listen the best blues.

Though I love Km, this place has its own great vibe. Been coming here for 40 years when in town and never had a bummer experience.

Great place to see a band. Fun for a small group. Need to upgrade bathrooms.

This place is great. Music was amazing and the people were very nice

The best blues bar in Chicago. Period. Its what a blues bar should be, small, old, and rockin.

Everything you want from Chicago, a fully stocked bar, fantastic live blues and everybody dancing and having a good time.

Venue is small, cover was around $10, but the live entertainment was fantastic!

Amazing experience. Must see venue for any blues lover.

Came recommended by Hannah from Milk Room - an absolute gem and a must-visit spot - proper hospitality!

Some of the most authentic blues you will get in Chicago, with a smaller crowd.

Very authentic place with live music. Interior is a bit rundown but thats part of the authenticity :-)

Wonderful atmosphere. Great music. A must visit.

My go to spot for blues in Chicago. I bring out of town guests here and Ive never been disappointed.

Great live blues band. A little cramped, but intimate and fun.

Great music. I had a front row seat to a great band

Very small venue but amazing music evernight!

Excellent small musicbar to experience the actual state of the Chicago Blues.

Best spot for blues. Come early, or be prepared to be crowded around whilst standing.

GREAT music! You cant not have fun there!

You will enjoy the place Only if you know the blues and feel the blues.

Great Club to enjoy Live Chicago Blues music every day

Amazing time! Excellent spot for any true Blues fan.

Amazing blues/jazz performances there. A part of the spirit of the Chicago blues is there

Great atmosphere! Felt very comfortable, kind vibes!

Good music and atmosfera, regular service and drinks

Good place to listen Chicago blues music

Like an old blues shack you invited too many friends in. A classic good time joint

When you want to hear some real blues check this place out. May even catch me playing there someday.

I always love hangin out at BLUES when I am in Chi Town!

Absolutely incredible music and a cool old space.

Reasonable prices, excellent staff, good sound system

Sweet place for live music and late night drinks

The sister bar to Kingston Mines. Probably better and definitely smaller.

Guy at the door very disrespectful but the music and the atmosphere are superb!!

Awesome blues music with Chicago r & b kings!

Very quaint, compact place for live Blues.

One of the best music bars in the world

This place is awesome such great music

Best blues club in Chicago hands down.

Love that atmosphere. Good music

Best place to drink something listening good blues

Love the Artist that play there lots of fun

Супер!!!(Translated by Google)Super!!!

I love this place

You if you want a real Blues experience you got to go every time somebody blows my mind

Supercool blues venue and the place to see the whos who of Chicago blues.

Dependable low key blues club without the hype

Late night jams! Very cool club.

The music and the vibe were great!

Big Ray is very courteous and polite!

Best live Blues & staff! :-)

Very atmospheric place! Love it!

The blues was jamming, what a great way to end the weekend!

Great music and good vibed

Best blues I’ve ever listened to

Great intimate Chicago blues venue

One of my favorites in the country!

The best blues club there is

The best blues experience in Chicago!

Pistol Pete is totally awesome!!!

THE place to go in Chicago: amazing

Very good service and great blues

Nice place to visit & great blues

Great old blues played here

Great live music

Awesome!!!! This place is fantastic

Great music Great people

Great service & great Blues

Blues right in your face that close to you

Great music!

Great atmosphere!!

Oooooo!

Amazing atmosphere...

Real deal here!

Love it there!

Cool blues joint.

Excellent

Fantastic place 👊🏻😊

Highly recommended.

Awesome

Amazing

Had a blast

Fun

Good

Great old school blues

Great Blues Music

Excellent sound

Amazing experience

Great times

My home away from home

Classic

AwesomeRe

Fantastic!

Great blues

Awesome

We had an extraordinary evening in this club. It doesnt look like much but the programming is quality. The proof that day The Edge (U2) had slipped into the audience! And finally the team is great!

Good place to listen to good Blues live. Small, few tables, few chairs, a lot of alcohol and a lot of people. You end up talking to those next to you. They dont serve any food, not even snacks BUT they allow you to bring food if you want. There is a cover (generally it is $10 dollars, it depends on the artist who appears). It is between two subway stations so it is easy to get to.

A place that doesnt look very pleasant at first glance, but upon entering you find one of those dive bars wrapped in blues music that gives you the feeling of being at an intimate concert by some great artist. Recommendable.

Been there many times and the air you breathe is truly blues. the charm of the worn is felt as soon as you enter. Small in terms of space but large in terms of what it leaves customers with once they enter. safe place for safety and great staff.

Tiny bar where the atmosphere and programming are absolutely brilliant!Even though there are several concert halls and bars offering blues in Chicago, you have to make a detour to this establishment!

The music is original, the atmosphere is relaxed but the detail is that they dont sell snacks :/ only drinks

Small room where very good groups perform, generally from 9:30 p.m. Entry between $5 and $10

Great pub, small and excellent. There is no food, but they allow you to go get it and enter with whatever you want. highly recommended.

Great place and the Li eds and the blues imperials performance was amazing!

One of the best places to listen to Blues in Chicago

Excellent musical atmosphere. Obviously BLUES

Quality music. Affordable prices.

Excellent place, we had a great time.

Mythical Blues Club

Nice ambient music

Blues club respecting tradition

Excellent music! 🎸

Amazing place

Nice blues club