Sidekicks

Great spot to hangout. This place is great for Bachelors party, birthday party, guys and ladies night out. The place is open til 4am 7days a week. I haven’t been here in 3years. Wow! Good times
Make sure that you bring cash. The food is great! Staff are cool.

Definitely a cheap, old and outdated dive bar. Bathrooms smells, karaōke system outdated and mics mostly held together by duck tape, chairs and stools ripped, and you have your choice of fried food and burgers. If that’s what you want, you can definitely find it here.
Personally, there’s better, more populated karaōke dive bars then this one.

I really like this place. The staff are very nice and their karaōke is super fun. They used to have this jerk of a DJ do the karaōke but he is gone and has been replaced by a much nicer and more approachable guy. The establishment is clean and the drinks and food they serve are pretty decent. For me, the main draw is that they have karaōke every night. I would recommend this place to someone who wants to have a good time.

This place is the most magical karaōke wonderland. You can expect smells reminiscent of your grandma’s attic, at least one spotting of male mullet, and women with feathered hair and rhinestone bedazzled T-​SHIRTS. You can also expect to hear the most passionate renditions of your favorite and most timeless 80s and 90s classics. If you like Alice’s, you will LOVE sidekicks, unless you are just a basic bitch who only goes to karaōke bars when you’re too drunk to remember. Be Brave… go to Sidekicks. But please don’t if you can’t appreciate the realness. Cash Only!

I love going to sidekicks. It’s been a long time. I enjoy karaōke whether sober or not. Chrissy is the best waitress ever. She’s a lot of fun and a sweet person. Most of the singers that pop on stage are decent singers so it’s a lot of fun. There’s a dance floor in case you like dancing, some video games, and darts in the back room. Open til 4am!

This bar is mentioned in the dictionary under the term «dive bar.» But, not a dive bar in that vintage, hip kind of way. Dive bar in the old, seen better days, dumpy kind of way.
The place is very dark, with old neon beer signs along its paneled walls. We arrived on a Saturday night and there was one other group there. There were a couple bartenders and one waitress. She comes around to take our orders and we ask for a beer list. She proceeds to take a handwritten note out of a tip jar she carries around with her on her serving tray and reads us a list of beers. My husband and i each pick a seasonal draft — $ 5 for one and $ 6 for the other. OK, totally reasonable prices for a bar in Chicago, but not here. It appeared well drinks were on special because a friend got a Diet and run for $ 4.50.
One friend went up to the bar to order when she got there, pulled out her credit card, and she was yelled at that they don’t take plastic. OK, the bar doesn’t take credit cards. Annoying? Sure. But no need to yell. They pointed her to an old ATM to use if she needed it. Luckily, we all had cash.
Karaōke was happening by the time we got there. It was weird in that even though there weren’t many people there, the wait time to sing was pretty long. We quickly realized this was due to a few factors:
(1) The other group there must have submitted 10 requests together, because the same people kept going up over and over and over again before anyone else did.
(2) The DJ decided to take his time at the mic. And not during times when he had no requests.
(3) Some people pick songs not made for karaōke. I’m talking 8 – 9 minute long obscure songs with large chunks of instrumental breaks.
Shortly before we left around 11 or so, our waitress started walking around with colorful shots in a plastic «test tube» shot glass. I hadn’t seen those since college. I think that about sums up the night.
I was only there for a couple hours, but it felt like much longer. I wasn’t a fan.

Awesome dive. Big area, darts and obvi kareoke. Downsides are the lack of cheap drink options and terrible food. Don’t eat here. Can’t wait till my birthday, wanna throw it here!!!

It’s kind of like a want to be Cheers that also wants to be a hardcore karaōke bar at the same time and it fails on all fronts. The décor is outdated, dirty, and honestly kind of creepy. I wouldn’t go back unless it’s 2 a.m. and it’s the bar we stumble upon.

The bouncer demanded that I break Chicago law by trying to force me to use a bathroom that doesn’t match the gender marker on my driver’s license. I showed him said license and he said, «I don’t care». The staff is incredibly disrespectful and this business deserves nobody’s patronage.

Cash only although there is an ATM if you can get past the $ 3 fee. Diverse crowd. Casual. My family is in love with this place. Huge portions for food especially for the price. Awesome bartender. Each and every DJ has a kick ass voice so when no one else is up and singing the djs have got it still going on :) look out for john and jim (sings just like Sinatra)

Had a good time, crowd was really good… Service could have been a little better but overall good experience.

Not sure that this place is really all that good. Sound system is old and what is it with the duct tape holding the microphone to the Mic stand? I think they still use discs at this place! Look out for the regulars that are there on Tuesday nights, who sing Andy Williams and of course the guy who dresses in the Elvis costume! This is definitely for older crowds at this place.

I went here for my 21^st birthday because karaōke is my jam. Upon arrival the bouncer was extremely rude and wasn’t going to let me in because I didn’t have an updated ID (I had been 21 for 20 minutes so clearly that wasn’t possible to have a brand new ID). After my friends and I had told him it was my bday and he let us in but had attitude. After that everything was pretty good. I wish I knew her name but our shots lady (older woman with blonde hair) was great to us and made us feel comfortable. There are a ton of songs to pick from and they have decent drink specials.

The second I walked through the doors at Sidekicks, I immediately thought that I went through some time portal and landed in a bar on the distant outskirts of Oklahoma City in 1974. The room just had a feel of being modern in 1972. There was an older guy dressed like Roy Orbison crooning on the mic. The other patrons looked like folks whose pontiac broke down on road trips and they are stuck in town waiting to have them fixed by the local mechanic.
I felt out of place here, but those that were there were having fun. Drink and food prices were reasonable. I had to leave because I got a little worried that I was stuck in a Twilight Zone episode and if I stayed too long I’d be stuck in the 70’s forever. I’ll go back once I memorize some sports scores to make a killing at the casinos if I do get stuck back in time.
Those that were there were having fun, so I guess if you are in the area and looking for karaōke, check it out.

This place is a relic, in all the right ways. Great place for Karaōke. Every one who works here was pretty much awesome to my group of rowdy drinkers.
Décor wise, you’re really feel like you’ve shot 40 years into the past once you walk into the door… but it works.
The place could use a good cleaning, but otherwise, it’s quite a blast.

I have to rate this place high because I have to be loyal. I used to go here every year for my birthday. EVERY year since I have been 21 or over. I love to sing more than any other hobby. I like this place because they have free karaōke.
What I didn’t like was when they started charging for karaōke. $ 1 per song. They stopped eventually, but because I like to sing they were losing money on me from drinks if I got anything alcoholic.

I used to go here a LOT more back in the day, as I hung out with a crowd that was OBSESSED with Karaōke. Now, I’m not obsessed with it, but oh — I may be known to bust out a few Madonna tunes now and then. A Led Zeppelin song here and there. Vanilla Ice, and. .. you get the picture. I am not Karaōke averse.
This place takes Karaōke seriously. Nice setup, and a semi-​separate bar area if you’d rather distance yourself from someone mercilessly mutilating Nuno Bettencourt’s Extreme ballad (WHY do people still sing that mess?).
They’ve got food here, and while it’s not the best, it’s not awful either. Overall, you can have some fun here, and it’s a great place to go with a big group. If you love to do Karaōke, definitely do not miss this place.

Sidekicks used to be my go to place for karaōke. 7 days a week of karaōke?! Yes please. They don’t have a very extensive book of songs and they are mostly sorted by song, towards the back of their song binders is a small section of songs sorted by artist. The karaōke went downhill when Taz their Veteran and well seasoned KJ left. He was replaced by a rude man whose name don’t come to me right now. One down fall to their operations is the fact that they charge a $ 1 to sing each song on Fridays and Saturdays. What a bummer!
Drinks are not too expensive, but definitely aren’t on the cheap side.
There’s a stage and dance area so you can cheer on your singing friends and dance.
They have a new system that lists who is up to sing and up to 3 other future singers.
It gets pretty busy here on weekends so my friends and I find ourselves here on weekdays when it’s a ghost town.
The parking lot is a big bonus and it’s right off the expressway.
The food isn’t bad. It’s definitely good place to stop and stuff your face when you’ve got a buzz going on when you’re bar hoping.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had many good memories here. Held lots of birthday parties here and the place is very spacious! If you ladies ever find yourself here check out the novelty condom and «toy» machine in the restroom! ;)

Italian Beef Crawl Stop #5: Sidekicks (3:09PM)
Sidekicks is one of the most versatile bars on the northwest side, on most nights you’ll find loud karaōke, people playing darts and food coming out of the walk through window of their kitchen. We arrived with the Italian Beef Crawl crew rolling 50 deep and hogging up all the space in the bar. An older fellow walked around giving free test tube shots to everyone. On the karaōke stage, someone else’s baby shower was set up with presents and balloons, but the party hadn’t started yet. Having played at Sidekicks several times for our Windy City Darters league, I felt right at home. I played more darts and lost, but didn’t mind because the beef was here!

Any bar that can put up with me singing «Locomotive Breath» by Jethro Tull is alright in my book.
See there are certain songs in any karaōke books that are just there for show. These include anything that starts with a five minute flute solo (alright, I’m slightly exaggerating, we all know Tull is metal). But it’s good I chose that song as it was an enlightening experience. As I stood petrified on the stage tapping my foot, I got a good look around the bar. The wide stage looks out onto a giant room. A room full of strangers. A lot of regulars. About the only thing missing from the scenario was a grate to catch the beer bottles that I figured were about to be thrown at me for making such a horrible karaōke choice and wasting everyone’s time.
But I made it through. And upon leaving the stage, I got congratulations from the crowd. In the fold, I was welcomed. Though I admit, no one was pushing the karaōke book in my direction again.
That my friends is Sidekicks. It’s the scene in «Pee Wee’s Big Adventure» where he sings «Deep In The Heart Of Texas» and avoids getting killed. Sure it seems hostile here at first. The bartender might not serve you in the back room (though table service is quick). The bouncer might look at you funny. But with a microphone in your hands (or with a group of people where the microphone is used at least), everyone at Sidekicks is your friend.
Plus the kitchen stays open late and there are jello shots from old-​school (slightly down on their luck looking) servers. The KJ, if it’s the right one, will have songs so new they have to be illegally downloaded. And the people singing run the full gamut of musical talent levels and genre’s chosen. This is not your 10 karaōke favorites bar (though you will hear the staples).
The haters are right. This is a piece of crap, old man bar, full of angry regulars. And thank goodness it is! There needs to be at least a couple real karaōke dive bars in real neighborhoods left in the city.