Compare a Basement Goth and Metal Bar With a Lakeview Sports Bar in Chicago

Set inside the Links Hall Theater building at 952 W Newport Ave, The Underground Lounge is a basement bar reached by rickety wooden stairs. In operation from 1996, it hosts live goth, metal and industrial acts, DJs and a dance floor. The room has a black-painted cement floor, a cement vault stage, an L-shaped sofa, arcade games and a glass-block enclosed pool room, and bartenders are up for talk about punk and metal. The bar is 21+ and holds a 4.3 rating from 232 reviews.

The Butcher's Tap at 3553 N Southport Ave is a Lakeview sports bar and grill pouring an extensive list of tap beers. Burgers, sandwiches and cheese boards come out of the kitchen, and TVs and pool tables fill the casual room. An upstairs space is available for private parties. It opens at 11:00 AM every day and runs until 2:00 AM most nights and 3:00 AM on Saturday. The bar holds a 4.3 rating from 833 reviews.

Both bars hold a 4.3 rating, and both have pool, but they draw different nights. The Underground Lounge is about music, with goth, metal and industrial acts on a vault stage and DJs on a dance floor in a basement setting. The Butcher's Tap is about the game, with TVs, tap beers and a full menu of burgers and sandwiches. Choose The Underground Lounge for a late alternative night, and The Butcher's Tap for a group meal and a match. The Underground Lounge is 21+.