A very cute place for chilling late at night! I really appreciated that they had tasty decaf coffee and the ice cream sundae was bomb. It was SUPER packed so the seating process was a little chaotic and we ended up waiting in line twice and some teen girls stole half our table but it was alright in the end cuz the waitress was trying to do like ten things at once after all. It was a little claustrophobic with how many people there were on a winter Saturday night, so something to watch out for. But we had a good time playing games!
Eileen Rohan
Huge fan of this place! Just went for my first time and definitely will be returning. Cozy and sooooo many places to sit. Perfect for catching up with a friend or a first date. Love the menu options and the vibes are not to be missed. Also not to be missed is the PARKING which sadly I didn’t not see until after I paid for a meter- won’t make that mistake again. def recommend!
Kyle Pucciarello
So glad that Kibbitznest survived the pandemic and appears to be thriving here in the fall of 2022!We hadn't been since pre-pandemic, but kept it on our radar. On a fairly gloomy and windy November Saturday, looking for something different to do we couldn't have chosen a better place than Kibbitznest.I've always loved the vibe, great music in the front and back rooms, with scores of books and board games to keep you entertained and engaged in different ways for as long as you choose.There is a fairly sizable menu for both drinks and food (snacks), the Applejack Warmer with brandy remains a standout.I almost wish there was some way to truly enforce people not being on their phones, because there were a few folks fielding phone calls or texting incessantly- that's not the point of this place at all! Kibbitznest is like the coolest library you've ever been to, or some rich person's incredible finished basement or tree house or something.I love it here, and will definitely be a frequent visitor throughout the cold months of the winter.
Jon Matthew
Not sure why they only have an alcoholic free Krombacher on their menu, but my date ordered it by mistake, not really giving it a second thought. They made us buy another beer instead of doing the decent thing and letting her get a new free one.Also, there was a big creep there who kept asking people to open mayo packets. He had like 10 mayo packets that he kept asking new people to open. Why so much mayo?Ambiance is nice. 3/5 stars.
Emily M.
Really fun atmosphere and lots of games to choose from. Food is a little expensive but decent amount and quality.
Marissa M.
This is the coffee bar of my dreams: - Books - Fireplace - Good drinks - Comfy chairs - Board games - Good atmosphere - Reasonable prices - Charcuterie boards This place is a gem, and I will definitely be back!
Laura Augustaitis
Amazing drinks. Got an aperol spritz and an amaretto sour and they were incredible. Bought a book while I was there too. Great atmosphere. Wish they had vegan food there, but it's byof, so I could technically bring stuff if I needed to.
Sean Callaway
Cozy spot with a nice bar and good-looking snacks. Would make a nice early date spot with the books and board games.
Kyle P.
So glad that Kibbitznest survived the pandemic and appears to be thriving here in the fall of 2022! We hadn't been since pre-pandemic, but kept it on our radar. On a fairly gloomy and windy November Saturday, looking for something different to do we couldn't have chosen a better place than Kibbitznest. I've always loved the vibe, great music in the front and back rooms, with scores of books and board games to keep you entertained and engaged in different ways for as long as you choose. There is a fairly sizable menu for both drinks and food (snacks), the Applejack Warmer with brandy remains a standout. I almost wish there was some way to truly enforce people not being on their phones, because there were a few folks fielding phone calls or texting incessantly- that's not the point of this place at all! Kibbitznest is like the coolest library you've ever been to, or some rich person's incredible finished basement or tree house or something. I love it here, and will definitely be a frequent visitor throughout the cold months of the winter.
melinda miscevich
I have always been a big fan of this establishment. Last month I held my baby shower there and the ambiance and venue set up was perfect for that kind of event. My family really liked how different it was in there and just a cozy place to be. It’s family owned and one true testament to the type of people who own it is that we left my brothers card behind and it had $300 in it, I hadn’t even called them yet to see if it was there because we were searching our home still and the owner emailed me and Venmo’d over the money. A lot of people finding a card with cash wouldn’t have ever said anything and to me that says a lot about their integrity. I included pictures if anyone is thinking of hosting their event there you can see how we were able to decorate in this very special Chicago staple.
If you like Guthries in Lakeview you will love this bar. I'm more sorry I didn't come sooner. Great very homey happy bar to be able to have a conversation and some good drinks and bites. The board games are great addition
Steve A.
Basically it's a bar and a bookstore. It's a pretty hip nerdy concept. Kibbitznest is one of the most interesting late night places I've been to. Has a bar along with a few tables, or go in the back and find a quieter area. There's lots of books to check out, and there's often guest performers. A pretty interesting thing about this is it's both a bar and a bookstore. It has both coffee and alcohol on the menu. There's also food but what they have is pretty limited, so it's not a good idea to come hungry though. Last time it wasn't that busy. We sat at the bar at first. It has a few good deals on drinks. The prices aren't that good but not that bad for quality. Each of us got the My Way Martini. It's $10 to get it customized how you want one. This has a choice of gin, and get it dry or dirty, so you can choose whatever. I got it with Beefeater. She got it with Tanqueray. As for the food, there's not a lot and there's few vegetarian choices. We got Jose's Chips And Inca's Salsa. It's about $5 for a good amount. The salsa had a nice spice. Finally before we left we checked out some of the books. It has a good selection of new and old ones. There was an author speaking in the back so we listened to a reading and other things.
Elias Gharios
Awesome atmosphere. Had a few hours to kill and had a chance to have a few good drinks and chat with the friendly staff. Great hot dogs too…way better than Portillo’s!
Sunny Patel
Randomly found this place and really loving the vibe! Drinks were smooth. Lots of books and board games. We came in on a Wednesday night and it was pretty chill. Staff is really nice. Not many food options but that's not what this place is about.
Merari Diorio
Really cute and cozy place. Great time to go in the afternoon and just relax and play board games or even read. Staff is so friendly and drinks are great!
A very cute place for chilling late at night! I really appreciated that they had tasty decaf coffee and the ice cream sundae was bomb. It was SUPER packed so the seating process was a little chaotic and we ended up waiting in line twice and some teen girls stole half our table but it was alright in the end cuz the waitress was trying to do like ten things at once after all. It was a little claustrophobic with how many people there were on a winter Saturday night, so something to watch out for. But we had a good time playing games!
Huge fan of this place! Just went for my first time and definitely will be returning. Cozy and sooooo many places to sit. Perfect for catching up with a friend or a first date. Love the menu options and the vibes are not to be missed. Also not to be missed is the PARKING which sadly I didn’t not see until after I paid for a meter- won’t make that mistake again. def recommend!
So glad that Kibbitznest survived the pandemic and appears to be thriving here in the fall of 2022!We hadn't been since pre-pandemic, but kept it on our radar. On a fairly gloomy and windy November Saturday, looking for something different to do we couldn't have chosen a better place than Kibbitznest.I've always loved the vibe, great music in the front and back rooms, with scores of books and board games to keep you entertained and engaged in different ways for as long as you choose.There is a fairly sizable menu for both drinks and food (snacks), the Applejack Warmer with brandy remains a standout.I almost wish there was some way to truly enforce people not being on their phones, because there were a few folks fielding phone calls or texting incessantly- that's not the point of this place at all! Kibbitznest is like the coolest library you've ever been to, or some rich person's incredible finished basement or tree house or something.I love it here, and will definitely be a frequent visitor throughout the cold months of the winter.
Not sure why they only have an alcoholic free Krombacher on their menu, but my date ordered it by mistake, not really giving it a second thought. They made us buy another beer instead of doing the decent thing and letting her get a new free one.Also, there was a big creep there who kept asking people to open mayo packets. He had like 10 mayo packets that he kept asking new people to open. Why so much mayo?Ambiance is nice. 3/5 stars.
Really fun atmosphere and lots of games to choose from. Food is a little expensive but decent amount and quality.
This is the coffee bar of my dreams: - Books - Fireplace - Good drinks - Comfy chairs - Board games - Good atmosphere - Reasonable prices - Charcuterie boards This place is a gem, and I will definitely be back!
Amazing drinks. Got an aperol spritz and an amaretto sour and they were incredible. Bought a book while I was there too. Great atmosphere. Wish they had vegan food there, but it's byof, so I could technically bring stuff if I needed to.
Cozy spot with a nice bar and good-looking snacks. Would make a nice early date spot with the books and board games.
So glad that Kibbitznest survived the pandemic and appears to be thriving here in the fall of 2022! We hadn't been since pre-pandemic, but kept it on our radar. On a fairly gloomy and windy November Saturday, looking for something different to do we couldn't have chosen a better place than Kibbitznest. I've always loved the vibe, great music in the front and back rooms, with scores of books and board games to keep you entertained and engaged in different ways for as long as you choose. There is a fairly sizable menu for both drinks and food (snacks), the Applejack Warmer with brandy remains a standout. I almost wish there was some way to truly enforce people not being on their phones, because there were a few folks fielding phone calls or texting incessantly- that's not the point of this place at all! Kibbitznest is like the coolest library you've ever been to, or some rich person's incredible finished basement or tree house or something. I love it here, and will definitely be a frequent visitor throughout the cold months of the winter.
I have always been a big fan of this establishment. Last month I held my baby shower there and the ambiance and venue set up was perfect for that kind of event. My family really liked how different it was in there and just a cozy place to be. It’s family owned and one true testament to the type of people who own it is that we left my brothers card behind and it had $300 in it, I hadn’t even called them yet to see if it was there because we were searching our home still and the owner emailed me and Venmo’d over the money. A lot of people finding a card with cash wouldn’t have ever said anything and to me that says a lot about their integrity. I included pictures if anyone is thinking of hosting their event there you can see how we were able to decorate in this very special Chicago staple.
Restaurantji Recommends
If you like Guthries in Lakeview you will love this bar. I'm more sorry I didn't come sooner. Great very homey happy bar to be able to have a conversation and some good drinks and bites. The board games are great addition
Basically it's a bar and a bookstore. It's a pretty hip nerdy concept. Kibbitznest is one of the most interesting late night places I've been to. Has a bar along with a few tables, or go in the back and find a quieter area. There's lots of books to check out, and there's often guest performers. A pretty interesting thing about this is it's both a bar and a bookstore. It has both coffee and alcohol on the menu. There's also food but what they have is pretty limited, so it's not a good idea to come hungry though. Last time it wasn't that busy. We sat at the bar at first. It has a few good deals on drinks. The prices aren't that good but not that bad for quality. Each of us got the My Way Martini. It's $10 to get it customized how you want one. This has a choice of gin, and get it dry or dirty, so you can choose whatever. I got it with Beefeater. She got it with Tanqueray. As for the food, there's not a lot and there's few vegetarian choices. We got Jose's Chips And Inca's Salsa. It's about $5 for a good amount. The salsa had a nice spice. Finally before we left we checked out some of the books. It has a good selection of new and old ones. There was an author speaking in the back so we listened to a reading and other things.
Awesome atmosphere. Had a few hours to kill and had a chance to have a few good drinks and chat with the friendly staff. Great hot dogs too…way better than Portillo’s!
Randomly found this place and really loving the vibe! Drinks were smooth. Lots of books and board games. We came in on a Wednesday night and it was pretty chill. Staff is really nice. Not many food options but that's not what this place is about.
Really cute and cozy place. Great time to go in the afternoon and just relax and play board games or even read. Staff is so friendly and drinks are great!