Theory

Theory in Chicago is a top-notch sports bar that delivers an exceptional experience. Located in the vibrant River North neighborhood, it’s the perfect spot for sports enthusiasts and food lovers alike.**Highlights:**1. **Atmosphere:** The ambiance is lively and energetic, with multiple large screens ensuring you wont miss any game action. The decor is modern and stylish, creating a comfortable and inviting space.2. **Food:** The menu offers a great selection of bar favorites and gourmet options. From delicious burgers to fresh salads, theres something for everyone.3. **Drinks:** The bar features an extensive drink menu, including craft beers, creative cocktails, and a good wine selection.4. **Service:** The staff is friendly and attentive, ensuring a pleasant dining experience.**Tips:**- **Game Days:** Arrive early on game days to grab a good seat, as it can get quite busy.- **Reservations:** Consider making a reservation, especially on weekends or during major sports events.- **Specials:** Check out their daily specials and happy hour deals for great value.Overall, Theory offers a fantastic blend of great food, drinks, and a dynamic atmosphere, making it a must-visit spot in Chicago.

Such a fun sports bar in River North! I came to watch the F1 race as it has such a great energy and atmosphere. Everyone is super excited and invested which made it all the more fun! The service was pretty good even though it was super busy but I felt like the portion sizes were pretty small for the appetizers. Overall a really good time though!

We come here for the Copa America Final. Awesome environment and tasty food! Every corner has TV, so every seat is good for watching games. We order salad, boneless wings, and potatoes are all good. The only little downside is that the AC is not that strong, and I got bit by mosquitoes there. But anyway, wonderful experience there.

Youll never miss a single angle of any game you watch at Theory, and youll get to see it all while eating some of the best sports bar food youve ever had.I went on a company dinner here last week, and I loved the atmosphere. It felt homey, like a good neighborhood spot, but still upscale, which is a tough balance to achieve.The servers were really attentive, and the food and drinks came out really quick too!! I had the Theory Burger, plus some of my friends Mac n Cheese flatbread. I completely recommend both, they seriously exploded with flavor while being really hearty and satisfying.One of the best parts of Theory is that if youre going there to watch a game, you dont ever have to worry about getting a good spot to see. There are plenty of T.V.s for everyone, which so many places like Theory tend to skimp out on.Overall, if youre looking for a solid sportsbar with an upscale feel, Theory is the place to be.

I love this place!!! We came from Florida for Vacation and my BF wanted to watch a Gators basketball game. We walked in and they find us a table and the put the game on the TV for him! All employees were very nice. The food is good too! The tots and fries were AMAZING! Highly recommended!

I’ve been here for Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals and during the 2024 Olympic Basketball Gold Medal Match and I can honestly say that this is my go to spot to catch a sporting event. The burger is elite, their buffalo wings are big and flavorful and their queso is top notch. I will start to recommend this bar to tourists and traveling professionals downtown for the foreseeable future 🥇

This place is a must for my friend and I whenever we go to Chicago, which is 3 to 4 times per year. Joel, the owner, is so courteous and recognizes and welcomes us every time like were locals. The food and service are always on point, and the atmosphere is always upbeat and inviting. This is not just another sports bar -- its an institution.

The description says the bar is upscale. There is nothing upscale about this bar. It’s lovely and cosy but not upscale. Food is okay- typical bar food.Great for watching major games but get there early or else you get charged a $10 cover fee.

Theory in downtown Chicago impressed our entire team!The atmosphere was perfect, with a blend of sophistication and comfort that felt ideal for any occasion.The real star was the food, though. Their menu offered delicious takes on classic foods, like juicy burgers and hot pretzel bites, and everything we tried was bursting with fresh flavors.Service was just as fantastic. Friendly and knowledgeable servers who made us feel right at home.Theory is a must-try for anyone looking for a great casual dining experience in the Windy City!

I was introduced to Theory upon finding out they are one of the only bars in Chicago that will open up early to stream Formula 1 Races. Any bar that fulfills this quality instantly gets five stars from me. In addition to supporting my F1 fandom, Theory has an awesome 2$ mimosa deal during brunches and some delicious food to go with it. The service is great and the atmosphere is awesome. Wonderful sports bar and I can’t wait to go back.

I’ve been coming to Theory for Tuesday Trivia night since 2019 and somehow haven’t left a review. This is what every River North bar should aspire to. Excellent food, great staff, fun vibes, and some good drink specials considering the area. The owner Joel takes great pride in his bar, and we love all of the Tuesday night staff. Adding a picture of my recent Taco Flatbread for context!

Enjoyed my time at Theory with my girlfriend watching the Euro Cup game. Many TVs everywhere so you can watch the game from anywhere. Great food and beer and good atmosphere. Friendly staff always checked in on us. Would return next time Im in the Windy City.

This place is the perfect sports bar. Sound on! Open early for soccer, had an nhl flag outside before playoff games, good beer selection and delicious food. Found it by chance on a work trip - made sure to come back basically every day. And will be sad to leave - if I lived here Id be a regular. Cant say enough positive things!

This place is a good vibe. Came here on a whim to watch the NBA playoffs.. Definitely glad we came. Was greeted the right way as though they were very grateful for our service.. Dannie was a great server and drinks were good... Walking distance from hotel was good too as we stayed on Wacker... Definitely a sports bar worthy of checking out.

We had a blast watching game 6 on Saturday, highly recommend getting a reso if you want to come here. Our server was awesome and put up with 10 rowdy Albertans! Food was surprisingly good, only complaint on the atmosphere was the mens washroom. Had to hold my breath in there for the smell.

Theory is a must-visit place when coming to Chicago. The vibes are high and the atmosphere is great, especially for sports. There are a million TVs in there I swear, so its great to watch your favorite teams play. The food was delicious, especially the nachos and buffalo chicken wrap. The people working were really friendly and attentive. You have to try the Martinis Mule, especially if you visited Martinis in Iowa City!!!! So good!!

Great experience in terms of atmosphere and service. Our server was attentive and kind, and every other person said hello and was friendly at every interaction. The bar space was nice and updated and you really could see like a hundred TVs from any seat. I appreciated that they didnt have the tables crammed together, either, so you could actually move around. The only cons: the food and the bathrooms. My friends used both bathrooms throughout the evening at different times, and everyone had the same experience... It was not just one bathroom or the other, or a singular moment in time before it had been cleaned. Regarding food, its very expensive for what it is. The sweet potato fries were unseasoned and while it was a generous serving, it was not worth almost $8. Same for the pretzel sticks, which came with cheese sauce that legit had no flavor (I think $12-16 for those as well, 4 pretzel sticks). Admittedly, we only ordered those items because of how expensive everything else was, so maybe other food is good, but I was not convinced by those tester items.

Great place to watch F1. Came here early on a Saturday for the race and couldnt believe how many people were already posted up. Tons of TVs, very very good service. Good mix of food options as well. Drinks are as expected for a place like this, youre not coming here for craft cocktails.

(Last visited 7/24/2021.) Hanging out downtown Chicago for the weekend with a bunch of friends and you already know what time it is... time for brunch! So before coming out here I did some research to find out who serves bottomless mimosas because... thats of the utmost importance to me. Lol. So I found this place, Theory, only a 10-minute walk from my hotel so here we are! Heres how it went.Atmosphere/Appearance: Set right on Hubbard Street is this gem. Its like a sports bar, but a little more upscale. It gave me GOOD hipster vibes, good energy and I really liked hanging out here. The restaurant was of a medium size, which I think it great for a big city downtown location.Service: I cant remember the young ladys name who took care of us, but she was awesome. She was snarky, fun, energetic and made sure our table of 6 had everything we needed for the hours we stayed there. Lol.Food: So any chance I can try a restaurants wings, I like to. Its my thing, if you havent learned that by now. Lol. Check out The Hungry Road on YouTube to see how serious I am about my wings. Lol. The first of 2 flavors was the Kill Bill wings. These reminded me a lot of the Bang Bang sauce that Ive seen at so many restaurants. It was delicious, creamy, savory, garlicy and just a TTAADD bit sweet. Decent. The next flavor was their Buffalo. It had a great, classic flavor which I really enjoyed. The bottomless mimosas were on point and had me feeling GGRREEAATT. Lol.Value: The wings are sold by the pound. So you could get 6, 7 or 8 depending on their size. My Kill Bill order came with 7, but Buffalo came with 8. $16.00. Thats STEEP. I know were downtown, but eh... whatever. Still steep no matter how you look at it. Drinking unlimited sparkling wine helps with paying more for stuff. Lol. So, on Saturdays and Sundays this place offers a bottomless mimosa package for $45.00 that lets you drink from 11:00am to 2:00pm. In the package include the drinks, unlimited Bloody Marys and an entrée. (The wings counted, though I cant remember if they let me combine 2 orders or if I payed for the extra one. No matter.). Bring your wallet if youre coming to hang out.In conclusion, Id totally come back here and try out some of their other menu options out. I know they are more than their wings so Id love to try out a burger or one of their specials!If you made it this far in the review, I appreciate you reading. Please do me a favor and head on over to The Hungry Road on YouTube and subscribe! My channel features a lot of food, car and exclusive shoe related content! Help me grow! Thank you so much!

Got fries, pretzels, and wings. The wings weren’t great and made the person who ordered them feel nauseated but the owner was informed and was pretty chill about it. Don’t go here if you actually care about f1. Could not hear squat during the race. It was extremely loud. The audio was super imbalanced with music playing over at times. For a place that markets themselves as an f1 bar it didn’t feel like that. Feel free to go for the aesthetic but not if you actually want to watch the race.Edited to add:I appreciated the offer and did find it to be extremely accommodating. However the way the music was pumping coupled with the fact that the audio was not great, made for a poor experience for watching the race. This didn’t seem like something that could be fixed on the spot, and if that’s just how the bar is then maybe it’s just not for me and that’s nobody’s fault, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. Again the servers and owner that came up to us were great and super helpful just wanted to add that.

Excellent food and drink selection. Great place to catch a football game, plenty of TVs with multiple games on. The owner was super friendly and welcoming.

It was ok. Space is terrific, DEFINITELY a good place to watch a game / event. LOTS of TVs (in good shape). In good shape, clean & good service. In this area, those a very positive elements.However, had a small, boring menu, food was pretty pedestrian (particularly for the price) and a REALLY disappointing tap selection. Id come back, but only as a place to watch something. Would not come back for food, in particular

Food was average, service atmosphere decent. What I can’t understand is why we were charged a $10 cover fee per person (myself and bf) when we not only had reservations but our friends who go there 3 mins before us, did not get charged .not sure what kind of scam they have going on but we won’t be back.

All around an amazing experience from beginning to the end. We were greeted by the owner who was extremely gracious and thankful we were there and made us feel welcome the minute we walked through the door. As a huge Patriots fan it was the warm welcome of a Chicago bar that will bring me back game to game to game. Great drinks, food and service!

Great place for watch soccer and another’s sports 🥂 the food -and service is good !

Wow - my first time at Theory in River North, and Im very pleased. That was just about the best tomato soup and grilled cheese that Ive had. Three types of cheese, tomato and onion, thick, fresh bread... yum! My wife had the Southwest salad and she loved it. The pineapple cider to drink was delicious too! The Cookie Skillet for dessert was enough for four to share - a hot cookie and cold ice cream make for a pretty amazing combination! My wife and I had the kids with us for dinner, and the music was a touch on the loud side but it is a bar, after all. Prices are reasonable, but a touch on the high side for some items. Wonderful service - we all loved our server, and hope to see her again the next time were in River North!

Standard bar food. GOOD Sliders, we ordered twice. Juicy, seasoned decent and fresh with a toasted buttered bun. The accompanying Tator Tots were lukewarm and disappointing. Not worth sending them back.Service is efficient but listless if you are not a regular then it becomes a bit more perky. The exception is the Angela Bassett doppelganger, who was friendly, very welcoming and personable, while remaining productive with our seating and other guests who came behind us.The Buffalo wings were coated and came room temp at best. You can tell theyre pre-cooked with possibly a quick refry then maybe a light toss in sweetish sauce that soaked into the floured coating. This is why a hard fry without a floured coating is better, unless you fry the coated wings FRESH, which they did not do by a longshot!Additional Buffalo sauce will cost extra, which sucks because the sauce they toss in is soaked into the breaded chicken and come dry. A sports bar/pub, in particular, SHOULD BE providing unlimited condiments! The accompanying dressing is your choice of either flavorless Ranch or Blue Cheese with a few sparse pieces Celery and Carrot crudite.The drinks are NOT worth the price. If anything, maybe the strong Manhattan with Pig Whistle Bourbon at $16. The Apple Cider Mimosa, at best, ONLY should have been $7-9. The $11 price is robbery, especially when I told them a splash of Cider and the wait person stated, Well, you wont get anymore Champagne, your glass will be a little over half full.Overall, this place can easily be a HARD pass!

Great spot! My favorite spot in Chiago so far. As soon as we walked into the restaurant the hostess greeted us and made us feel at home the server 《aubrey》 was awesome and started with the awesome 3$ beers 《1 litre》specials. Overall, the great food, variety of daily drink deals, amazing customer service and the awesome atmosphere made the perfect spot for me and my friends. We will be back again.

Really cool spot to stop by on a Saturday afternoon to enjoy a cocktail and/or beer. The staff were nice and attentive. They never let me feel me feel like I couldn’t have what I wanted when I wanted it. Prices are on par with Downtown Chicago prices, but the atmosphere is what you’re here for.

I heard about Theory from a friend. He frequently visits for F1 watch parties. The owner, Joel and his crew, made us feel welcome at every turn! Maria was super attentive and Joel made an effort to meet the patrons coming for the race. The Brunch menu offered something for everyone without overwhelming customers. The coffee was ON POINT. Joel serves Hexe Coffee, which is a local roaster. Not many restaurants/bars give much thought to their coffee... clearly not the case with Theory. Nice crowd and great vibe for the race on a Sunday AM! Worth the trip from the burbs.

Very modern restaurant with a marble or granite bar top. Solid range of beers on tap, including the Goose Island Full Pocket Pils.

We were in Chicago for the weekend and wanted to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes play football vs Minnesota Gophers. So happy we found Theory! This place was rockin!! Full of Iowa fans. We had pulled chicken quesadilla and couple of drinks. The staff was so darn friendly and into the game also. It was as if I was in Iowa City and not downtown Chicago!!

Its pretty rare I feel compelled enough to actually write a review, let alone a positive one. I cant say enough about this venue, the staff, and the hospitality shown. Theory provided us the upstairs for a Football themed hospitality event for ~150 people. Holly was very attentive and couldnt have been more helpful. She took care of everything and treated us like we were best friends. Nothing but compliments from the guests. I would highly recommend this space for any event you have coming up. Thank You so much!

Went here because barstool denied entry and I DO NOT REGRET. Caught UFC 300 here with some of my friends and they did not disappoint. Amazing staff, amazing atmosphere, amazing food. I’d give it 6 starts if I could. F barstool across the street!Also did not mind the music between the fights. The DJ was doing his thing!

Food was delicious. The Mac & Cheese Flatbread really was amazing. The wings were incredible. They had bottomless mimosas. Atmosphere was amazing. Not mad at all!

We enjoyed a late dinner at Theory on a very busy night. Despite being a full house, the service and food/drinks were perfect. Cant wait to come back!

The service was good, the food was okay but that bloody mary was trash. If you like just tomato juice, tobacco and vodka in your bloody, then this place is for you. They further classed things down by using disposable plates, glasses and cutlery. I would definitely not recommend this place for brunch, you can do better at Perkins.

Amazing place to watch an f1 race! can get a little crowded and hard to hear, but great vibes! must book over 2 weeks in advance for race time

We were here on a Saturday morning to watch the football (Soccer) music was way too loud for the amount of people in there. Service was ok, drinks and food quite expensive. Not in a rush to go back

Another not my first time here, but first Google Review for this place! So glad this place has lasted so long on this Hubbard strip. Came around 1pm on a Sunday to catch the NFL AFC Championship Bengals/Chiefs game, and it was not as busy as I expected it to be. The only thing I can think of was because of the COVID-19 Vaccine mandate, but an hour to a couple hours later, people began to trickle in and seats began to fill up. 5-stars are for their service but food can be a bit better. Pictured here are the Bottomless Mimosa deal and ordered Avocado Toast with Hashbrowns.

First time watching F1, really great time and great sports restaurant/ bar.

In town and was told that I had to watch the F1 race at Theory...so glad I did!!! Amazing place. Well done!

Anita was our server and she was fantastic! She was so sweet and attentive, despite how crazy busy it was! Within 2 minutes of our table sitting down she was right there to greet us, super friendly and kind. We loved her!

Food and drinks both are just okies! Plus the service is not great in an hour the waiter came 5 times to check it was bit annoying

Amazing staff! Didnt have reservations for a big game and they kept us in the loop on a cancellation and got us a table. Fast and friendly service plus TVs everywhere, hard to miss a play here (even in the bathroom). Food was good, better than standard bar fare but the bbq pulled pork was a bit of a miss.

Great Sports bar to watch fights. Plenty of Big screen televisions everywhere. Good food. Bar food served after dinner.. Full bar up & downstairs.

We felt kind of duped by the recent 5 star reviews, expecting a sports bar with good food and drinks. We ordered the wings and quesadillas, and they were honestly terrible. The wings used a cheap sauce that was overly spicy with little flavor, and the quesadillas had fajita veggies in them that were clearly cooked in burnt oil. Total came out to close to $40 for these two items as well without including any drinks. Both my wife and I felt sick after eating there. The atmosphere seemed nice with a big group to watch the game, and there were multiple TVs, but it felt loud, cramped/crowded, and kind of dirty. I do not believe this place lives up to its 4 star plus rating, especially if you’re planning to order any food.

Theory was a cool sports bar to spend a Thurs night just having drinks and watching a football game. The wings were tasty and the buffalo sauce was actually hot. But the fries were the star of the show. I wanted to return just to have the fries again.

This place rocks! Plenty of beers on tap with different happy hour deals each day. TVs covering every inch of the wall and they always have the game on. The food is great too especially the Kill Bill wings. Have had many great times with Sam and the rest of the staff. Best sports bar in the city

Omg the wings here are everything! I had the kill bill and honey sriracha and the killbill shrimp. These were easily the best wings I’ve had in a long time. If you’re having a wing craving, you will not be disappointed. Our waitress was actually perfect. She didn’t hover and annoy, and was there when we needed anything. Good place to watch sports, good vibes, amazing food.Pros:Food is on pointStaff is friendly and attentiveHigh energy vibes for sports gamesCons:Bathroom was ugly

In town for business for the week. After being turned away as a party of 1 from Mother Hubbards rude security, I came here and was very happy I did.The security was polite, the service was great, I was able to get a table and order food for some Sunday football. The food was great!All I can say is this place is ran right and it worth checking out for game day. It will also continue to benefit from the bar next door hiring rude security.

Theory,Practically one of those places where you ll never gret disappointed.Be it food, ambience, atmosphere, music , service.They ace in every area. My experiece was really really good here. Located in the heart of hubbard street theory is one of the greatest gastro pub I have ever been to.Group of people on a friday night wants to hangout, this is the place to be.We tried old fashioned cocktail, spicy marg, cherry mule they were all lovely.In the food section I loved the kill bill wings (appropriately cooked and tenderness).In terms if price they are reasonable. All in all I will rate 5 out of 5.

Came here a few times on my visit to the city, great little sports bar, with great staff and a good selection of food and drinks!

Great atmosphere for watching some games and having some beers. The service was algo great, nice place. Thanks!

Amazing time spent here with great vibes . We Came for Bottomless mimosa and enjoyed every moment of it - Our table waitress did us so good shout out to Courtney! Will definitely come back and recommend!!

Best breakfast tacos you will ever have. Period. Great place to watch sports and have a really good meal.

Listen, I dont care why you go here, just make sure you dont leave until youve had a plate of the wings. These wings have the perfect balance of flavor, spice, and seasoning.This wing is avoids all the pitfalls and masks. It has the right ratio of sauce. Its not soaked in sauce. It has the perfect amount of breading, its not this heavy, thick battered breading. It has seasoning seemingly applied prior to saucing, so it gives the wing a bit more depth of flavor. Most places, a wing is a wing is a wing. These guys nail it. Ill stop by ANYTIME Im in the area now, and next time, Im going after the Carne Asada burger, which from what I can read, is basically a taco burger.Thats happening.Dont pass on the wings!Street parking and spot hero parking available close by.

Found this place by accident while walking through the streets of Chicago. The staff was caring and knowledgeable about food allergies.They offer gluten free buns for $1 more so I ordered a classic Cheesburger. The buns did fall apart immediately but the chef is not to blame as this is due to the missing sticky protein in gf buns. Beer selection was good too – I enjoyed it!

Order the loaded waffle fries and be mind blown! Awesome atmosphere, very friendly and a great place to watch a game.

Absolutely awesome! Went in on a Monday and they had 3$ 32 oz beers! It was great before going to a concert at the house of blues. We had the nachos, the queso and the cookie for dessert. It was such good food and such a great price.

A friend and I visited this bar for his birthday (and to watch a basketball game) and we absolutely loved this place! The staff were friendly, helpful and attentive- and, the drinks we had were fantastic! I highly recommend the Angry Nerd (the shorter drink pictured).

Solid food and strong mimosas. friendly, chill service. definitely the best place to watch F1

Good place to share a drink with Friends.

We were there and watched sunday football. it has many screens so that everyone can watch the game. our waitress was very attentive and the food tasted great. can only recommend this sports bar👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Went here for a Watch party of my college football team while on a trip in Chicago for a few days. While on the trip I went to many high end restaurants and this place had the best food of any of them. The lady who was working our section - her name was Alaina I believe (or something close to that) - was very patient with several drunk adults. Chips and queso was good. Mac and cheese flat bread was exactly what it sounds like but I would recommend getting it to share. 10/10 would sports bar here again. Also my mom really liked the sliders.

New Englanders here, visiting from out of state and looking for a good place to watch the first Pats game of the season. We absolutely found it here! Great location, tons of TVs playing the game, impeccable vibes and music to groove to between plays. The staff was super attentive even though they were beyond slammed, and the food was delish game day fare. We ended up canceling our dinner plans to stay for the experience. 11/10 would recommend.

Had a nice time watching football at Theory. Lots and lots of TVs. Seemed clean other than the bathrooms.

Theory always provides the best vibes whether it’s game day or not! They have the friendliest staff and the manager, Sam, always ensures everything is perfect and that we have an outstanding time! We seemingly never overstay our welcome although we spend hours and hours at Theory! We now proudly call Theory our home!!! It won’t disappoint!

If you want an elevated sportsbar experience this is the one. Great food, and especially great service!

The BEST place to watch F1 races in the city. I drive from the suburbs just to come here. Easy parking, food is good, and they have tons of tvs to catch the action. Highly recommend for race day, especially if watching with friends - the atmosphere is great.

Everything you want in a sports bar. Many TVs, tasty food, music over commercials, and fast service. Only downside is it is definitely on the more expensive side compared to competition.

Excellent experience and pretty family friendly before dark! Best customer service we had during our stay in Chicago. Amazing wait staff, fantastic food, and wonderful ambiance. 10/10 would recommend! Saved our night after a bad experience trying to dine at another restaurant with a long wait despite our reservation - which we were a few minutes early for :(

Went to watch the F1 and it was a great experience. Atmosphere was amazing and the service was top notch. Will definitely be back for other races. Great bar - would highly recommend.

Was there to get some food and drink last night. Unfortunately the kitchen was closed the time we got there. We then stayed for drinks. Did spend over $200 on drinks between five of us. It’s not a bad location .

Theory is one of our favorite bars! The food and atmosphere are great and we’ve spent many fun weekends here. Samjam is the best!! He always makes our days so fun and goes above and beyond. Must try the pickle martini!!!

A must try lovely service everyone is nice. Food and drinks so gooood.

I love Theory! Such an easy spot to get together with friends and groups of all sizes. I’ve now hosted two events there as well, and the staff is so so nice and accommodating, super helpful, and make sure it all goes so smoothly. Also the food is delish and a great menu!

Came in today to try Theory after hearing amazing things for a while now. The food was amazing and the service was great! Best part was when the owner came up and personally thanked our party for coming in. He was very thankful and kind, we will definitely be back because of his kindness. The Buffalo chicken sandwich was fantastic, highly recommend

Great Boston team supporting bar. The fried Oreos were amazing

Service was outstanding. I love the sound on during the football games. Maybe ease up on the terrible loud rap music during the commercials though. Egad. Not everyone likes that noise.

We were in Chicago from Kansas City & were hoping to find a place to watch our home football team game on Monday night. We looked online for a sports bar near and found Theory. We called to see if they would be showing our game and they said they would make it work for us. Our expectations were low, but we decided to give it a try. OMG! They blew us out of the water and our night at Theory became the best part of our whole trip. They went out of their way to make us feel special and by the end of the night, it felt like we were friends with the staff. Georgia was the most amazing & fun server and Sam continually checked in on us and made sure we had everything we needed (& more!) We will definitely be back to our new favorite little Chicago bar! Theory, you & your staff, rock!

We had the best experience at Theory. We had reservations during the early Sunday football games. When the World Cup went long, the staff went above and beyond to keep us happy and comfortable during the understandable wait. Really can’t say enough about the service, and the food and drinks were just as good. Big thanks!

I thoroughly enjoyed the AIDS Foundation - Chicago Volunteer Bingo Event hosted at Theory! Aside from the delicious food the staff was very pleasant and attentive! I was so am a that there were so many television screens, all playing at once, showing different programs; yet, depending on where one sat it is an easy feat to concentrate on one particular screen! 💯

NOT A PLACE TO WATCH A FIGHT.I don’t know who’s in charge of audio but it was terrible. They audios would overlap each other from different sports. On top of that horrible music selection, no one is choosing to play Work it and Reverse it in 2023. Food and service was good. Horrible atmosphere to watch the fights

I have been enjoying Theory for over 6 years now. The service is always incredible, just find Emily or Bri behind the bar and Joel or Sam at the door waiting with a smile. Drinks are very good and rarely low for long. And the food…most places that have incredible people and decent drinks would slouch in the kitchen. But this place makes it a priority to serve good wings and sandwiches as if dining was their main business. This place should be your regular spot if only for the rest amazing staff and friendly vibe, but it’s running on all cylinders and has been FOR YEARS. Can’t recommend it strongly enough

Will be returning to try the food another day, I didnt try the food but it looked tasty. The atmosphere started to pick up around 6-7pm. Service from my short visit was spectacular.

Went Sunday after the Chicago Marathon to watch some football. Theory was awesome. TVs everywhere and they do an excellent job with the audio AND making sure the game you want to watch is accessible to you. The food and drinks were great but what really made the place stand out was the staff. Every staff member we encountered was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They go out of their way to serve you and make sure you have a good experience.

Avoid trivia night if you arent playing. Its very very loud. Food was good but the spicy chicken was way small for the price charged.The service however was stellar.

The manager is amazing! The food is fantastic and the service is great! Best sports bar in Chicago. My husband and I have been twice and both times have been great. The manger makes you feel like you are a regular/VIP. He is very genuine. The waitress we had today was Robin and she was wonderful! We will definitely keep coming back.

Queso wasnt cheesy, seemed like it was made with dehydrated milk. Wife said it was more likely spoiled with little chunks. Wings were alright, but the blue cheese and ranch seemed to be watered down]. There isnt a bad seat in the house for watching the game though and staff was friendly

Came from Michigan to watch a football game, not knowing this was an Iowa bar. The real surprise was how great this place is on every level! The staff (especially the owner) could not be more welcoming! The brunch food was great! The bartenders were extremely nice! Loved everything about our experience! If anyone is looking for a great place to watch a game, with great food and drinks, this is where you need to be! Cant recommend this place enough!

Was in Chicago for just a couple days & ended up coming here 3 times. Every one who works here is SO sweet, (especially Alena!) Food was good too. Owner is so nice!! It was St. Patty’s Day weekend and the service was still amazing.

Great drinks, wings and burgers, there are tvs in every direction so whatever games youre watching are easy to hear. Not much space to move when busy. Great for watching sports and drinking, need to speak very loud to hear across the table.

Good vibes! Good food! Friendly staff! They thanked me just for walking in! Very cool place. Will be back!

Very good burgers. I especially like the Hole in One which has an egg over easy and avocado.

We were at an event held there. The food was perfect and the staff was so nice!

Theory was great! Lets start with dessert since its on my tongue still...the cookie skillet with iced cream!!!!! Its fresh baked in a skillet and served warm. WOW. Save room and an absolute steal at $9 enough to feed definitely two people three as well. The turkey wrap and fries was on point. Delicious and fresh ingredients. Fries were crisp and tasty. Hummus had a unique taste to it that I couldnt quite figure out but I really liked it. The pita was warm and fresh and they brought us several more pieces upon request. Bathrooms clean. The absolute best part was the availability of NFL games both inside and out. The curbside seating was perfect on a gorgeous day with 3 HDTVs and 3 different games on as well as every other game on the NFL ticket on inside. Food was more than reasonably priced as well. Service was impeccable and the managers were very nice greeting and asking how our experience was at Theory.

Went to watch an F1 race. The owner and the server both were amazing. Extremely kind and happy to see customers. Loved the vibe. We got the bottomless brunch which was a steal! Definitely check it out for sports nights:)

Best sports bar Ive ever been to. Great food & service. Lots of TVs. Event space. NFL Sunday Ticket! Highly recommended.

Outstanding place to watch football. many Large screens to watch all the games. Very good food ,full bar with very well made drinks.Excellent upstairs area for parties.

Food was delicious(boneless wings) drinks were fine, music was good, and service was excellent. Not too busy when I was there. Would love to go back again!

Theory is the best bar in River North. Amongst all of the night clubs trying to be something more, Theory remains a timeless spot for watching the game, a date, a party, happy hour, etc. The waitresses, waiters, and bartenders are always pleasant. The owner is a legend. They truly appreciate people being in their restaurant. Will continue to go back time and time again not only because the food is incredible and the beers are cold, but the people make this place special. Shoutout Theory!!

I was looking for a Hawkeye bar in Chicago, and Theory did NOT disappoint. Great atmosphere and staff. The place felt like IOWA.I didnt have food, so no rating

Theory is the best! i’m so happy they started playing formula one races and iowa games are a fun time. one of their managers, sam, always takes such good care of us. love it here

Staff was nice. Very attentive. Food came out fast, fresh and tasty for it to be a crowded Sunday evening. Drinks were flowing. It was super packed but it didnt stop the servers from making sure the patrons were taken care of. Great visit. Id visit again. Recommend the Hot Hoisin Wings and Sliders. Quesadillas were decent as well. Drink menu is pretty extensive.

Best sports bar in Chicago! Great food and drink. Manager saw me watching an obscure game on my phone. He came over and asked if I wanted it on TV and then turned it on a TV where i could see it perfectly. Amazing customer service.

Im an old guy and this place was crowded and LOUD. Hard to talk to the other people I was there with. My chicken sandwich was fine; my usually vegetarian wife had few choices. Several different games on a number of TVs. Better for younger folk there to see a game.

Went here late night for a drink on a weekend. The service was okay. The drinks we ordered were average, not the best alcohol or taste. The music was really loud. Okay for a late night quick drink but dont expect much.

Great place to spend the early morning enjoying an overseas football game. Staff was attentive and the food and drinks were on point.

We really enjoyed our time and service here. We came in with a large group last minute and they were able to accommodate us and provide great service. The food and drinks were great along with the atmosphere with all of the TVs to watch the games on. We will definitely come back next time we are in Chicago!

Went here for a work event and had a lovely time. The space is very nice and the staff was so friendly. While I didnt try any of their drinks, the food was very yummy and we had some great appetizers. Their guac was delicious, as well as their grilled cheese sandwich and their flatbreads. You should definitely check it out, and enjoy your time!

Great time. Very friendly to the f1 fans even at 6am!! The food was awesome and they were accommodating to big groups. 💖

Theory is a place to go and every staff member from the owner to the bartender makes you feel like family.

Great vibe for sports, and the staff get things done!

Great place to watch a game and grab a beer. The staff is extremely friendly and attentive and the food is excellent. After 9 they play great music and you always have a lively crowd. Highly recommend if you’re looking for an unpretentious place to have fun on Hubbard. The owner is a truly caring person who goes out of his way to make sure you enjoy yourself. It’s also a great place to host events and fundraisers.

The nicest service in Chicago.Honestly in river north, most bars have some rude wait staff, but at Theory theyre 10/10 best. Quick, nice, smiles, fast turn around on tables and great food! Plus they show the UFC fights weekly.

We originally came to Theory for the brunch menu and the bottomless mix & match, but we found it to be way more than that. The atmosphere, the customer service, and the food itself was beyond amazing. Come early and youll beat the rush. The turkey wrap with a side of Mac n cheese & the flatten the curve burger were so delicious. Bottomless mimosa/sangria/bloody Mary were also amazing and the food came out quick. $5 32 oz beers were a winner as well. The owner takes the time to come and chat with you while social distancing. I feel like Im at home while at this place. Come check it out.

Theory was the best part of my getaway to Chicago! The atmosphere and wait staff make the experience amazing. I felt at home as soon as I walked in the door. The owner greets you as soon as you walk in and the other workers are very attentive! If you want to watch ANY game this is the place to go. There are TONS of tvs and amazing food!

Went in today to watch the Chiefs, the owner Joel took care of us right away...and I noticed he did this to everyone that walked in. Came in because another review said it was just a TV showroom that had food. It is, in the best way.The bartenders were great, good food and vibes all around.Thank you!

Went here with a couple of buddies for birthday drinks and the atmosphere, people and drinks were very welcoming, never felt such hospitality from a downtown bar. Mimosas on the weekend, would highly recommend.

We had a large group there for the NCAAs and everyone loved the place. Food was good and theres a great selection of beer and wine. Our server, Georgia, took fantastic care of us. We will be back.

Came to Concept to watch USC (sadly) lose to Utah last night. While that was disappointing, our waitress was not. Anita was such a sweet and attentive server during a very chaotic game and went above and beyond to make sure we had a great evening regardless of the loss. We will definitely be back.

This place is pretty awesome. I didn’t come here for food and drink but the lounge scene was great. Look forward to coming again!!

Great sports bar showing all types of sports!

I used to think Theory was just your average sports bar, but today I decided it deserved much better recognition. Its really close to my office, so its the perfect place to watch a game or grab lunch. The food is always good and they have specials every day of the week. Today I got the beef brisket sandwich and it was amazing! The manager is awesome and accommodates everyone. They have a back room that seems like the perfect place to host a party. I definitely recommend it.

Best sports bar I’ve ever been to. Top notch service. Phenomenal food. Immaculate vibes.

I have been going to theory for over four years. Brought a friend that never been there. We were going for their great burgers. Food to me is always good. But...this visit we given warm water out the facet. My friend did not complain but every guests had ice cold water. When I brought it up to a manager there. They said what do you want me to do about it?. I stated to treat all guests the same. We spend money just like everyone else and desire the same service. Sorry, Joe! Your server fell short.

Amazing atmosphere, amazing brunch... Lovely service. Went for brunch during March Madness loved it so much we came back after dinner. Super accommodating...made sure we had a table to come back too on a busy night. Dont miss out on this gem!! We will be back for sure.

Spent a week in Chicago on business back in October. Randomly found this place, and it became my go-to every night. Great door guys, very helpful, and the owner was very present- my friend and I noticed a group lacking seating so we moved down one stool each to allow them to all sit together. The owner happened to notice this and brought us shots to thank us for being nice. It was unexpected but a very decent gesture by him. Food was good and beer prices were good too. If we ever got bored anywhere we had a running theme- let’s go back to Theory. We never regretted it.

Ample tvs. Pitchers are outrageously priced and have a plastic piece filling a huge amount of volume. Just get multiple full priced beers for less. Dead for sports..Response to the owner: Since I cant make a reply or a second 2 star review. We (group of 4) had ordered 4 separate modelos during happy hour ($5 each) and the server asked would you rather just get a pitcher? Implying there wouldnt be a difference or that it would be more convenient. Funny enough, it costed 6 dollars more than if we had just each gotten our own. When we received the pitcher we poured them out into the cups and found that the largest pour went only slightly above half of the height of the cups we were given. After we finished the pitcher, I ordered one separately and got the happy hour deal on it and we noticed the glass (different size than the cup since we understand volume) was filled nearly to the brim. We took one of the first cups we were given and I poured the contents in it and it clearly surpassed half the height of the original cup.Now after accurately pointing out that other countries have different standards, the owner enlightened me to the fact that I am a tourist; which I hadnt myself been made aware of since I thought that living here since I was born would label me as a local. Guess not.Another update: After reading a bunch of other replies to lower rating reviews by the owner, Ive decided to lower my review to 1 star due to them being an egotistical narcissist who would rather blame the customers than change what seems to be a reoccurring issue.

Came here for drinks on Friday night. Excellent service from Robyn, tons of tv screens & the BEST jams! I’m sad no one was dancing because they were playing all the hits. Laid back vibe. Would come back to try the brunch.

WOW We were pleasantly surprised with this place.Wish we could give extra stars for being a IOWA bar.We stopped in here as we were visiting a friend next door but saw it was a IOWA bar so we decided we had to stop in for 1 drink to check it out.The vibe was cool and not the River North vibe I was expecting.Staff was super nice.Food looked delicious but we never tried any.Will definitely check this place out again and make a day of it there.

Though we came in a large group the food came out promptly and delicious. The chicken tenders were very crisp while tossed in a nice sauce. The drinks were also pretty tasty and there was a nice special the day we went.

Had such a great experience at Theory. I am from Chicago, but live in Austin, and was here visiting for Thanksgiving with my husband who is from Texas. The longhorns were playing and he wanted to try and watch them, so we came to theory for some food and football. When we got there, we were pretty much the only patrons there so the manager not only put the UT game on every TV, but played the sound for the game right up until about 5 minutes before kickoff for the Iowa game. The food and drinks were good, and all the staff was incredibly kind and accommodating.

Great place to grab a drink. Visited on a Friday afternoon and lively place with lots of TVs and good small food options.

Gold stars on so many levels!#tacocrawlThey use flour tortillas! Awesome waitress!!! Go Hawks!!!! Sangria!!!!!

Im visiting from Arizona. I was looking for a fun, good place to eat. This place is awesome. I had the buffalo chicken sandwich that is one of the best Ive ever had. It was Monday and I had an old fashion that was one of the specials, one of the best Ive had. A bonus is that they use clear ice cubes. Im making this a stop at least one night of any future visits.

We had a great experience here. Music is jumpin. Great food. The honey sriracha wings are amazing. Marty the security guard was super personable. You can tell he keeps the place in order and really cares for everyone, but also very engaging and play a part in the experience. Service from Aubrey was great. Very knowledgeable about the beers and gave great recommendations. Will come back again.

Went for NCAA mens play in game. It was trivia night (Tuesday) and we had a great time. Food was excellent. Drinks were average price for the strip and found out its a Patriots bar. Lots of plasma screens and a great place to watch any sports. Very attentive staff.

Theory might just be my new favorite restaurant/bar in Chicago!!!I first went for their Bingo Brunch, and was BEYOND impressed with the food (those Nutella Poppers 😍) & drink selections, as well as the kindness of the staff, and how much fun the Bingo rounds were! I returned with co-workers for Thursday Trivia and again was blown away by Theory! The wings were quite frankly the best BBQ wings Ive ever had, and I loved the use of screens having a perfect mix of the trivia questions along with the NBA playoffs. Overall, I am so impressed with Theory & Im already planning my next return! Highly recommend!!

Owner welcomed us and sat us right away, he was very sweet. The salsa was amazing and we even got some extra shots for our team getting touchdowns. Great time.

First time at Theory and was very happy with the entire experience. The owner Joel was in that day and was extremely humble and kind to everyone. The food was excellent and our waitress Megan and the entire staff were great! We will go back our next wkend get away to the city! Oh and you must try the chicken nachos :)

This grill had fast friendly service and the food was good. Being a bar it was a bit noisy for me especially when they talked on the loud speaker for the game of trivia.

The food and beer was awesome.We got the fried pickles, BBQ Chicken flatbread, and the Blackened Chicken Sandwich. I was not disappointed with any of our choices. The atmosphere is a fun one and the service was quick and precise. I am definitely planning on coming back.

Came with a group of friends on a Thursday for a get together. We started off with some creative and tasty appetizers. I really enjoyed the loaded tots! For my meal I had to order the Chicago Dogs because I love Chicago! The buns were toasted which complemented the warm dog and flavorful toppings nicely.Overall - the prices were fair and the servers were so polite!

We stumbled upon Theory while just walking along the street in search of light food and drinks. After relatively poor service at other places on our trip to Chicago, the staff at this place was GREAT--some of the best ever. The place was VERY busy on this Tuesday night, as the Cubs were in the playoffs. One of the appetizers my friend wanted was unavailable--the manager / owner came over and was so apologetic and offered her any appetizer she wanted, on the house. He talked to us briefly and was just so genuine and nice. The food and drinks were very good and reasonably priced. Will definitely come back whenever in Chicago!

Great place to watch the game. Friendly staff good food 😋. Neighborhood pub feel.

I come here very often and love their happy hour, especially on Fridays. Very disappointed that their grilled cheese with bacon and avocado is now just a simple grilled cheeses with the same price. I definitely won’t be here as often. Bummer

The owner was very nice to us. He got us at a table in a very crowded bar of us Hawkeye fans. Food was really good and service was very good from our waitress Georgia. Bartenders were alright. I wanted to get a tee shirt, but tbe owner left before In could ask. We will be back.

I stopped in to meet a friend for drinks on a Tuesday after work. It wasnt crowded at all, but things picked up closer to 7pm. The specials were great-- $7 tacos (3) on Tuesdays! I had the tilapia ones and they were delicious. Service was okay. Overall, its a nice place to try after work if you work in the area.

Thanks for great service and your staff was awesome! Will definitely come back especially if Iowa is playing. Only complaint is we lost to Purdue today. But great atmosphere to watch the Hawks.

Went with hubby and son. I have celiac and must be gluten free. Finding a place to eat who can accommodate and offers a variety can be tough. We were greeted warmly by Joel, the owner, who assured me there were many items to choose from that would be gluten free and explained the items I needed to avoid. The waitress was already aware I needed gluten free when she came to take our order. The fish tacos I had were delish. The hot dogs ...and burger the others had said were also delicious. Enjoyed trivia and the warmth and friendliness of the owner. Will absolutely go back.

What other spot has healthy soap. Better than that unhealthy soap being served at other bars.

We arrived in Chicago on Superbowl Sunday. We were turned away by a restaurant next door, they welcomed us in.We were grateful to find a place to watch the game. While the place is narrow and deep like most big city places, they have so many 📺s that there is no bad place to sit.We ordered Kill Nill wings, Theory burger, pretzels with queso. It was amazing and we found out this is a Hawkeye bar. It was amazing and they made our experience incredible❤.

Solid bar food. The fried pickles are really great and I love the $2 taco specials they have on Tuesday (shhh... the vegetarian option is actually the best one and this is coming from a serious carnivore!)Trivia night is always a blast. Its a great time to round up your friends and see what you all know. The environment is really lively and winner of best team name gets a round of shots (never a bad idea).

Good drinks. TVs everywhere. Good service and good food. Chairs a little uncomfortable (after being seated for 4hrs... We were there watching the Soccer World Cup). Overall 100% recommended.

Wonderful brunch menu and very polite staff and owners. We ordered the donuts, French toast, and breakfast sandwich and all were fantastic. Would definitely go back again to try other brunch items and their lunch menu.

A Lunch Fave! Great food and staff in a loose comfortable space. Easy to get a seat and the patrons are friendly , too. Tons of TVs to see whatever you need. Say Hi to Joel since hes bound to welcome you in personally.

Overall: Great spot for a typical sports bar option for general food and drinks or game day. It knows the audience and caters to it well.The good: Went during lunch with some coworkers and the experience was great. They take online reservations which was clutch and the service was fast and friendly throughout. No slipups whatsoever. The food is your standard bar fare, but it was all great and the portion sizes are good. The prices are downtown-based, but that was expected. Plenty of TVs all around. The kale caesar I had was plentiful and tasty.The not-so-good: They were playing their top-40 chart music too loud. It was hard to have a conversation at times. Again, we were there for lunch, so Im sure its different at night or during game days.Atmosphere: 8/10Service: 9/10Food: 8/10

I booked online and joined the waiting list since there were no reservations available, got a text a little after from Sam, he was extremely nice and helpful and booked us even with a full house. Great people, atmosphere and super friendly. Thank you for making our night perfect...Go Jazz!!

Its a must try!Gem of a place with incredible food and drinks. Come with an empty stomach - leave with a full heart, stomach and smile. Not only does Theory have great food, but an unbeatable atmosphere as well.Go ASAP! You deserve it!

This restaurant is pretty cool and I order from them often via pick-up and delivery. This restaurant has a cool sports bar atmosphere and the food is decent. I have dined here for lunch and they have a minimal crowd. However, after work - especially when our Chicago teams are playing, the place can get very crowded! My favorites are the Turkey Burger, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Cajun Shrimp Wrap (and salad) and the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup are yummy on a cold blistery day! Also, the manager Joel is really cool and so is Holly! :) I must be honest that most of the time, if you place a phone order and Holly does not take the order, you can almost guarantee that the order will be wrong...but, I still patronize their business because I like them. I gave the establishment 4 stars because while there have been glitches, their customer service is subperb! They always rectify the problem with a smile, which keeps the customer happy! An establishment that actually gets it and does not make excuses when mistakes are made! They will always have my companys business!

I was in town for the weekend, and asked various folks the best place to watch a Final Four game. I was pointed to Theory and they were right. So glad we went, it was perfect. The owner goes around and talks to nearly everyone to make sure things are good and get feedback, and they treated us very very good. Great staff, great food, great atmosphere!

Stopped in here while in town.They checked ID at the door rather than at the table or bar when purchasing alcohol. I dont know if this is standard, but it wasnt a problem either way.I grabbed a seat at the bar and was quickly greeted by the bartender. She was nice, friendly and attentive but not overly bothersome, which was nice.I ordered the Mac & Cheese Wedges. Amazing! It was like eating breaded Kraft Mac & Cheese dinner from the box!I followed that with Benjis Cheeseburger sliders. They were tasty, but a bit too much bun for the meat provided.To top it off, I arrived shortly before trivia began. I didnt win, but it was a nice diversion to a solo dinner!

Nice clean place. Waited for service sitting at the bar with two bartenders. Asked for the check, took 5 minutes to pick up my money, then she carried it around a while, then sat it by the register. Waited 10 more minutes while she talked to her friends and got sidetracked. Was not busy, only 8 others in the bar. Frustrating and went next door.

We walked in at 5 minutes to game time and the staff did EVERYTHING they could to find us a spot to sit and drink. This is a Patriots bar and Im not a fan, but they accommodated any request on the TVs for other games and were super awesome for non-new england fans. The manager checked on us multiple times to make sure we were being served adequately. Amazing time in a place picked at random. Great beer selection, delicious tatchos appetizer.

We’ve been visiting this bar for the past year from out of town and the service and hospitality is phenomenal. The owner and staff are so personable and offer the “neighborhood bar” atmosphere that is uncommon is this area. Blem and Joel truly make your entire experience and I highly recommend popping in for a game and a good time!

To be honest, I only found Theory because it was literally the only restaurant in downtown Chicago that had a reservation on OpenTable for 18 people on a Sunday for brunch last minute. It had 4 stars on Yelp, so why not go here?I am sooooooooo glad I did! First of all, it is very spacious for a restaurant in the heart of downtown Chicago. They had my party of 18 at a long table by a private TV room (perfect for kids to play in!). Staff was on their game and very helpful (They even divided our large partys bill according to person/couple).The food was good! My wife and I ordered the cinnamon donuts (Wow, we could have eaten an entire plate of those!) and the egg nachos. Both were perfect and satisfying.Also, if three in your party check-in on Yelp, you all get a 15% discount on your entire bill. We did that and our entire party of 18 for the discount!I definitely recommend Theory especially for a large party!

Start to finish an amazing experience. Our server was great, and the food was incredible! The manager stopped out to the table to make sure everything was perfect and we were being well taken care of. When we were leaving, every single staff member thanked us.

Went here to grab a bite before a House of Blues concert. Had a pretty decent BBQ chicken sandwich with tots (mmm...). The bartender was extremely nice and attentive, and the servers were fairly busy for a Wednesday evening - which is good. There were televisions throughout the place, playing all sorts of sports. The menu is listed as modern BBQ/Southern which seemed pretty accurate.There was a small outdoor seating area. A cool thing on their part was having televisions on swivel mounts that could swing around so people sitting outside can watch their favorite sports.A small room in the back is available for private parties. Ive decided to try it out for an event and they did a good job. Would definitely do it again for the right amount of people.

Pretty solid burger, speedy service and nice space to hang out with friends

I went here for a charity event. The layout of the place was pretty average, bar in the center and tables all around the walls. Lots of TVs and rather dark. I guess this would be for the high end sports fan.The food was good, for bar food. Jz is vegetarian and so she grabbed the hummus and pita and some salad things. The hummus was decent, but it probably came out of a box. Yes, I can tell the difference.The sliders and the tuna were good, the sliders particularly. There was also an awesome chicken with blue cheese slider/ sandwich that I couldnt get enough of, and sadly I had just one.The drinks were ok, nothing great. I would say, for the price I would expect better bar food but I think the prices are for the location, rather than the food. Good place to meet dad-in-law when you wanna do drinks.

Top spot in Chitown. In from St. Louis last year and the owner bent over backwoods to get us a table on football Sunday. A year later I’m back in town and back to Theory because of the hospitality from “Joel” the owner. Once again the hospitality and service is amazing, even with the precautions in place the service has been amazing. Joel once again got us in on a busy Friday night. Emily(Blem) the bartender is amazing, excellent service and very friendly. Everyone just makes you feel at home and guarantees you a good time. Customer for life!!

Great sports bar with really good food and some of the best service around. The staff is very friendly. I stopped in on Saturday during an Iowa football game (Theory is a Hawkeyes bar) and it was a great experience. If youre in River North and you want to grab some great bar food or post up for games, Theory is your spot.

They have bottomless mimosas and have Trivia!!! Awesome place with an awesome vibe. I didnt care for the food because the menu was small, but other than that it was fun! I also loved the music choices!!

I visited Theory yesterday to watch a UK football match, they couldn’t get the game on at first and gave us free nachos because they felt bad. A member of staff kept trying and got the game on. The staff were friendly, service was brilliant and food was also excellent! Anyone wanting to go watch sport, drink or eat in Chicago must go to Theory! The staff go beyond expectations!

The manager and staff went beyond and above to commode us. We were 8 and my mother, she is 84. And she was so happy and like the food and she enjoy the new experience of having brunch in a bar. So if i could 10 stars for the manager!

Amazing place!! Was there visiting from Houston and went to watch the Astros Yankees game 6 and although 99% of the crowd was there for Penn St v Michigan Sam and our waitress didnt hesitate to find us a spot where we can enjoy our game. Atmosphere was great people were friendly and sam and our waitress kept making sure we were taken care of and eventually we got to get sound and the game full size view. Anytime Im in Chicago you best believe in will go visit this place

Fantastic service. Super fun atmosphere, and delicious food! Would insist you visit when youre in the heart of Chicago 🧳 Joel was awesome 🤟Cheers to your success!Shout out from Oregon 🍻

Being successful sometimes comes down to the simple act of just being nice. Joel (owner) genuinely thanked us for our business on several occasions and made us feel as if we were at home. Jason (bartender) provided consistent service behind the bar. I will strongly recommend this place to anyone I know who will be visiting Chicago.

Great place for any sporting event. Owners are very very nice. Food is ok. Very loud

Been here twice. Nice place. Not a lot of cocktails to select from but overall nice food, great and friendly staff, good music. There was even a live band the last time I was in there. Will surely be back there again

Ordered the rice bowl vegetarian, came with chicken. Asked for more water, bartender got distracted and didn’t get to it until 10 min later. Not crazy busy, and had 2 ppl behind the bar. Cool atmosphere but just got everything wrong

Excellently prepared cocktails in a timely fashion. Perfect menu options for a couple in the middle of their shopping day. Theory is not your average Chicago restaurant. Look for contemporary decorations and great lighting, smooth styling, friendly atmosphere, attentive staff, knowledgeable bartender, clean restrooms, larger beer selection, tasty appetizers, and easy location in the city.

Came here during a World Cup game and had to wait quite a bit for a table. The host was very apologetic about the wait and kept checking in on us to make sure we were ok, which was a gesture we appreciated. We ordered the pizza and lettuce wraps. Both were above average for pub food. Their specials are a good deal and makes the place affordable, so be sure to check those out. I didnt like the noise level in there; I had to shout all the time and couldnt hear my boyfriend half the time. Not sure if it was the music or if it was just extra crowded, but if you want a quieter place, this is not your bar.

Fun and lively sports bar. Lots of TVs and party music. Because the bar is more narrow and it’s usually packed on weekends, it tends to feel a little more intimate. Big Iowa football bar. Food and cocktails were great!

Went there for Champions league final. Albeit the result wasnt something I had hoped, the bar was good. A lot of TVs so didnt miss the game at all. The drink selection is pretty decent.

Very racist staff. My Hispanic family and I came to eat here and the staff was just so impatient with my poor old uncle he wasnt very clear with his order because of his accent he didnt deserve them rolling back their eyes and you can sense the attitude. The food was so so nothing to hype over. Enjoyed the beer tho. Wont be returning.

Theory is the place to go to. Staff is super friendly. Everyone feels like a VIP. Upscale food for a reasonable price and a great bartender.

Good place. Clean, for the most part. Bathrooms were a little tossed. Good staff. Chill, upscale sports bar during the day that turns into more of a club-like atmosphere at night. Especially on Friday and Saturday nights.

Nice bar. Food is good too. Im not much for bars in general but this place was good. Lots of TVs. Crowded but even still not too bad. The owner did a nice job with some difficult people. The bar itself was good. Gotta pay to park if you drive. Makes it even more expensive but it is a downtown bar so it would not be cheap.

Met up with our granddaughter and her boyfriend here before heading to Lookingglass Theatre for 20,000 Leagues. Chose Theory because it was an easy walk from the theatre and offered a great discount if you had theater tickets. On the plus side: great atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff, efficient service (we mentioned we were going to the theatre when we made reservations and they made sure we had plenty of time to get there), surprisingly affordable prices. On the minus side - and the ONLY reason for less than 5 stars - my wife and I both ordered a half order of the biscuits and gravy and agreed that it was the worst weve ever had. There was more than enough to be sure, but the biscuits were hard and stale and both the look and taste of the gravy were like nothing weve ever encountered...and thats NOT a compliment. Our granddaughter had the fried chicken sandwich and loved it, however. Takeaway is that Theory is a 5 star experience in every way...as long as you steer clear of the biscuits and gravy!UPDATE: I received a nice letter from Joel Sorinsky, owner of Theory, today with his sincere apology for our unfortunate dining experience - and a gift card so we can give it another chance. Would that every business were this responsive to their customers. I am sorely tempted to bump my review up to 5 stars...but the biscuits and gravy really was awful. Joels unexpected response certainly deserves to raise the review to 4 stars, though. Thank you, Joel - and you can count on seeing us next time were in our favorite city. We might even bring along a really good recipe for biscuits and gravy!

Joel and theory staff always provide an excellent experience. I always recommend watching sports at this bar. Go Hawks!

Amazing!!!! Seriously if you want amazing service, food, beer and fun go here. We came for lunch and staff was so great, got us a table so fast even with being busy and we never had to ask for anything they were a step ahead everytime. Owner was walking around and just real. Not fake like others.....cannot say enough! Great job

Food, drinks & atmosphere were great!

Probably one of the best chill restaurants in Chicago! The first time I went was on a date night and the atmosphere was DOPE. The food was good and don’t even get me started on the music, ALL throwback HIP HOP AND R&B! They’ve gained a consistent customer.

Their nachos are perfection. Each chip is its own complete nacho, and it is delightful. Also had a pretty good bucket deal on High Noons for at least Wednesday

Very accommodating, way overpriced for nominal pub type fare. Fried pickles were great. Way too loud...expected much better food for the price. Might recommend. Excellent place to watch a game though.

From the first steps of me walking in. I was greeted several times with smiles and great energy. The food is great and the staff is even better. 100% recommend!