Open List Home > Chicago, IL > bars grills & pubs > Rainbo Club
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Just south of Division Street on Damen Avenue, the Rainbo Club calls little attention to itself aside from a small pink neon sign above the entry. It's one big, dimly lit room filled with beautifully preserved...
citysearch.com - expert review - 04/06/2004
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Yo. Rainbo Club. Did you get a discount on the sign cause the painter forgot to do the W in the rainbow? Did the painter have Rambo on the brain while painting? I don't know and I don't care. I…
yelp.com - user review - 06/30/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Holy crap, I saw Britt Daniel there tonight. Any bar that he endorses is ok by me.
yelp.com - user review - 06/21/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
When I first moved to Chicago I thought this was a gay roller rink (something about the sign out front... not really sure). It's ok. One of those places where there is always someone bound to be…
yelp.com - user review - 06/16/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Seems like this place is really polarizing! I enjoyed myself last Thursday night at Rainbo. Sure, there are a ton of "hipsters" there.. who cares? It's great people watching and cheap drinks in a…
yelp.com - user review - 06/05/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
If it is good enough for Mario Batali, Iron Chef of America, it is good enough for me. He was here... it was 3 am... that was a funny combination.
yelp.com - user review - 06/05/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This has become my neighborhood favorite, yeah i get it, when its busy its not so good, rather its cramped. The red vinyl couch- you feel like royalty, you get a good view, its a people watchers…
yelp.com - user review - 06/04/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
One time I went here on a super busy Saturday night and some fucking moron was sitting by himself reading a book.
yelp.com - user review - 05/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
100% Hipster Bar Guarantee! This place is a great bar to chill with a few friends and get some cheap beers. The art on the walls creeped me out a bit, however, it's entertaining to look at. At least…
yelp.com - user review - 05/15/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Hipster bar checklist: - PBR on tap
yelp.com - user review - 05/01/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I have been going here for more than 15 years. Guess what - you have to stand! Guess what - sometimes there are jerks there. Guess what - there is no other place I would rather have a beer in…
yelp.com - user review - 04/18/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Running a search on the word "hipster" in these reviews nearly broke my computer. I agree with Steve K. in that people need to stop whining about the presence of 'hipsters' at their bars. You nancies…
yelp.com - user review - 04/15/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
The last time I went here it smelled like mold, I almost wished that the smoking ban had been lifted. Here's a conversation I had w/ a bartender:
yelp.com - user review - 04/13/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
First off its not a gay bar (people always ask). So ok, the Rainbo was one of the smokiest and least ventilated dives in this nieghborhood (along with club foot). With the smoking ban, this is no…
yelp.com - user review - 04/07/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
I rate my bars on whether Bukowski would drink there. I believe he would stay far away from the Rainbo. Therefore I can not approve of it. Sorry, Rainbo.
yelp.com - user review - 03/28/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Its a good, no frills, no bros dive bar. The bartender did scoff at me when I ordered a coke, but that happens everywhere. I like the seating. Its got a good feel.
yelp.com - user review - 03/25/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I had a good time here. Good & cheap drinks.
yelp.com - user review - 03/22/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
When I moved here in October of 2003 from the DC area, land of few photobooths, I was thrilled the first couple times I went to Rainbo. A photobooth, cheap drinks, Tamale Guy? The thrill was gone when…
yelp.com - user review - 03/20/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Rainbo is one of the first bars I went to in Chicago after turning 21. Sadly, that was 10 years ago. Not sadly, I still love the hipster-filled haven where cheap drinks flow freely, the photo booth…
yelp.com - user review - 03/18/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
hipster central late in the evening, but before then, usually just a few people here and there- every single time i've been there, i've sat in the same booth. i love going here for an after work…
yelp.com - user review - 03/16/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Yes, the Wicker Park hipsters unite at Rainbo. Yes, the bartender will judge you for ordering an "uncool" cocktail or beer. What's his criteria? Who knows, it's arbitrary all right. And I'm talking…
yelp.com - user review - 02/19/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
You know, the music is pretty good. It's not the cheapest joint, nor the cleanest, and i have seen some heroically obtuse haircuts in there, but all in all ... good stuff. Everyone keeps complaining…
yelp.com - user review - 02/08/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Aw, Rainbo. I have spent many a long night at this bar. It's a good spot to meet up with friends, grab a seat at the bar, and drink for cheep. I think now with the smoking ban in effect (and The…
yelp.com - user review - 01/19/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I always try to not blame a place for its clientele, but its very hard not to when you are surrounded by 50 people with the worst haircuts you have seen since junior high. At least they have Guinness…
yelp.com - user review - 01/09/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Rotating "art." One time I went in and someone had printed out the MITB record cover on a shitty dot matrix printer on multicolor paper. If that isn't indicative of a hipster haven I don't know WHAT…
yelp.com - user review - 01/09/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I like how everyone who loves/likes this place has some sort of disclaimer in their review. This place is cheap. The photobooth is rad. I generally like the people who hangout here. I like the…
yelp.com - user review - 01/09/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Update: I stupidly made the mistake of visiting Rainbo on a Saturday night, and I'm still not sure if I was at Rainbo or a sorority/fraternity meeting of the mindless (and fashion senseless - oh wait,…
yelp.com - user review - 01/08/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
BLECH. It was bad enough when it was just hipsters, now it's hipsters and the trixies who want to sleep with them.
yelp.com - user review - 01/08/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
On Friday and Saturday night, you can pretty much assume you will be standing the whole night as seating in this hole-in-the-wall is pretty much non-existent, bar a few scattered booths and barstools…
yelp.com - user review - 01/06/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The best way to enjoy Rainbo is to: 1) arrive late after drinking somewhere else, preferably for a long time; 2) buy a drink; 3) hit the photo booth; 4) finish your drink and leave. In other words,…
yelp.com - user review - 12/24/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Ever heard the song "Admit It" by Say Anything? I'm pretty sure it's directed at the crowd that frequents the Rainbo Club.
yelp.com - user review - 12/16/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
One of the best photobooths in the city. Great quality, nice black borders, and best of all, you can drink and take pictures at the same time. The bar is meh (to use a Yelp quote) and the neglected,…
yelp.com - user review - 12/10/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
much as i'd like to be, i'll never be a hipster. i'm a hipster wanna be. and i'm okay with that most of the time. and so, i go to rainbo and they seem to be okay with me and my wanna-be hipster self…
yelp.com - user review - 12/08/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Ummmm.... is it just me or does anyone really dislike bars that look like the inside of a log cabin? I hated the decor. Too crowded. DIdn't stay long. The bar is far too large and causes there to be…
yelp.com - user review - 12/08/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
I may just lose my hipster card for giving Rainbo a so-so review, but here goes, anyway... I'm not certain what people see in this place. The huge bar takes up nearly half of the room, it's impossible…
yelp.com - user review - 11/25/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I like the Rainbo Club. Though I don't wear tight pants and drink PBR exclusively, I like the vibe this place has. It regularly gets too crowded, but I am usually here earlier in the night so it's not…
yelp.com - user review - 11/07/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
After reading the word "hipster" in most of the reviews of the Rainbo Club, I couldn't wait to actually get there and see what the heck a hipster actually is. I admit I felt a little apprehension,…
yelp.com - user review - 10/31/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The Photo booth is this place's redeeming quality, its one of the best in the city. The booth is better than the one at skylark, but the beer is nothing in comparison. If you really want your every…
yelp.com - user review - 10/29/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
[phone rings] Me: Hello?
yelp.com - user review - 10/27/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I did not get sneered at when I went in here for a drink and in fact I made a few friends while I was out. Before you jump to assumptions let me tell you that I do not have the fucking time or energy…
yelp.com - user review - 10/26/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Theres good and bad things to be said about this place, but when you boil it down this is a place where the doorman reads books, semi-artistic people drink their fears away and a photo booth. I've had…
yelp.com - user review - 10/24/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I think I've finally come to terms with Rainbo. The bartenders will be dicks.
yelp.com - user review - 10/19/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
i completely hate the crowd here. and it's also too brightly lit. and there aren't enough places to sit. but the beer is cheap, and the bartenders take no lip, for which i will give them nothing but…
yelp.com - user review - 10/17/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I think I'm done.
yelp.com - user review - 10/13/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I went here on my first night out in Chicago. I just moved here from Seattle and was looking for a bar that had good music, affordable beer, and wasn't trendy or modern. We read in my guide book that…
yelp.com - user review - 10/07/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Since I recently moved to Chicago, I've been touring around the Ukie/Wickerpark bar scene, and this is by far my favorite. It reminds me of the Comet back in Seattle. I have noticed a significant…
yelp.com - user review - 10/07/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Dear Self-Conscious adults, Worry less about what all the "hipsters" are thinking and worry more about hanging out with your friends and enjoying your life. Crying about people not accepting you at a…
yelp.com - user review - 10/06/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Well, the drinks are cheap. *shrug*
yelp.com - user review - 09/30/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
I used to like this place, but on a Sat night you will find it crowded with hipster douchebags, smoky as a coal mine and playing crappy music. ugh...worst Guinness tap in town...flat..
yelp.com - user review - 09/22/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
ehh, i dont get the hype. Bunch of cooler than thou types and what kills me is that they arent even cool. Stiff wannabee's. Beer is kinda cheap, and the girls are pretty receptive (if they think…
yelp.com - user review - 09/22/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
ok- i logged alot of time in here thru the mid late 90's and since my work situation changed I dont really go out during the week. I went back with my friends last week and the music used to be a bit…
yelp.com - user review - 09/16/2007
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1.0 of 5 stars.
I don't dislike hipsters as much as I do the LP crowd but as somebody who frequents bars solo sometimes, my experiences here have always sucked. As somebody who used to work a bar gig and an…
yelp.com - user review - 09/13/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
The bottom line is that I've been to Rainbo perhaps twenty times since I reached drinking age eight years ago and probably had a good time there twice. I actually think I can identify the problem,…
yelp.com - user review - 09/04/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
This place is a total hole-in-the-wall dive bar. If you are a part of the trendy hipster scene it is probably the greatest bar in the world, but I found it to feel just plain grungy and dirty for my…
yelp.com - user review - 09/01/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Went here with a friend for a late night beer. The prices are right - it seemed like an ordinary bar. The artwork is pretty interesting, Francis Bacon-like. Just as a warning the Arkanoid video game…
yelp.com - user review - 08/25/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Don't believe the hype. This bar is boring and the bartenders are rude.
yelp.com - user review - 08/21/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
been going here for years. it has it waves of hipster, art fart, bike hipster, yuppy and weirdo kind of hanging in the same place. when it is packed? i leave. when it has a minimal crowd? ah yes, that…
yelp.com - user review - 08/14/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Meh, simply not for me. A lesbian bar!? Nope, that actually may have been more fun.... All I saw were hipsters of all sexual orientations. 50's pin up girl hipsters, fat butt crack showing hipsters,…
yelp.com - user review - 08/13/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
I have no problems with the bar itself or the booze served within. Heck, 10 - 15 years ago I used to drink at this place every night, literally. Nice bar, full of cheap booze, photo booth that…
yelp.com - user review - 08/11/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I am a sucker for photo booths. I am not a sucker for being sneered at for ordering a non Pabst product. But somehow...I still like that.
yelp.com - user review - 08/09/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
People, people - to be complaining about the crowd of hipsters (or semi-hipsters, or wannabe-hipsters) at a Ukr Village bar is completely ridiculous. That's like going to Barleycorn and being…
yelp.com - user review - 07/28/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
this place is great...total mix of clientele and no bar like it anywhere. it gets crowded, but people are really nice and everyone sorta just knows what they're getting when they walk in. what are you…
yelp.com - user review - 07/25/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I was a little bummed they couldn't give me a free shot on my 21st birthday (the guy who carded me didn't even say anything), but the cheapest Long Island Ice tea I've had yet, and who can pass up a…
yelp.com - user review - 07/24/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The reviews for this dive are all over the place. I visited Rainbo for the first time on Saturday not sure what to expect. It's been one of those places I've been wanting to try out for a long time…
yelp.com - user review - 07/16/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Of the 2343 times I've been here, the best is when I went and wore my Wu Tang shirt. When the Wu actually DID come on the sound system, I was the target of many booze soaked ice cubes. Good times.…
yelp.com - user review - 06/27/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I like Rainbo. It's laid back. Cheap beers. They need to have an atm there but considering there are 49584785902475 banks right around the corner it's not a big deal.
yelp.com - user review - 06/17/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Hmmm I don't know if Rainbo should have more stars from me or not. I've been there so many times over the years and I think it's more of a love/hate relationship. Be prepared to be stared at the…
yelp.com - user review - 06/14/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
This is the bar where humor and irony came to die. Still, it's hospitable. One of my first visits to Rainbo came very late after a long night. I did two shots and passed out on the couch. However,…
yelp.com - user review - 06/10/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The first time I came here, there were like three dogs just walkin around, chillin. It was weird because I thought maybe that was the norm... And one of these dogs was an enormous golden retriever (my…
yelp.com - user review - 06/04/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The few times I've wandered in here, I've wondered how to balance a drink and a cigarette while dodging people in bulky sweatshirts and hunting desperately for someplace to set that drink and…
yelp.com - user review - 05/29/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
If I run into people that I know everytime I go to Rainbo does that make me a hipster? Anyway . . . Rainbo gets a lot of shit. BUT they have super cheap drinks and a photobooth! I've never had bad…
yelp.com - user review - 05/28/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Why does everyone here enjoy looking disinterested in everything around them? Skip the weekends when it gets crowded. You may be hip for not even going.
yelp.com - user review - 05/22/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
If you don't like this place, try coming at a less-than-packed time. Weekends are usually filled with yahoos and scenesters, but most of the time it's great. I've found that weekday nights,…
yelp.com - user review - 05/21/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
i was just visiting town so maybe i dont' know that much. i many not know chicago but i do know a lot about bars. this is a good one. there was an old dog sleeping on the floor when i walked in. how…
yelp.com - user review - 05/09/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
There's a black and white photo booth on the premises. 'nuff said.
yelp.com - user review - 05/04/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The Rainbo is an ok place- just have a good enough buzz before you go so the crowd won't annoy you. It's usually packed. I wouldn't visit every day, but it is a nice place to people-watch. The cash…
yelp.com - user review - 05/04/2007
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1.0 of 5 stars.
"Omygod, LOOK at that guy. Nice 90s relaxed fit pants dude! I bet he has bloodflow in his legs. What a loser." "And look at HER. I bet she still thinks Alexisonfire is cool. Probably never even heard…
yelp.com - user review - 05/03/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Ok so I really like Rainbo. I always fall in love 18 times, exactly, every time I walk in the door. The staff is pretty attentive on the weekdays and if you hate crowded bars, then stay away on the…
yelp.com - user review - 05/03/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
three stars for serving alcohol. the rest? Feh. Go drinking there on a friday night and you'll be amazed at the lack of talent. Local bags sip their poison alongside Division street visitors who just…
yelp.com - user review - 04/28/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
This place is too crowded, too pretentious, too overpriced and WAY too loud for its own good. Unless you like standing toe to toe, butt to butt with sweaty people, being unable to talk because the din…
yelp.com - user review - 03/30/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
eh.. I spent my early 20's avoiding this place, even when friends insisted, I was convinced..mainly by others that this place was lame.
yelp.com - user review - 03/30/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The atmosphere is always a little tense, def not that cool or laid back, what with all the confusion in the air about just what is cool. There's some who go here mostly to be hip and seen, I guess,…
yelp.com - user review - 03/27/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Maybe you will get your own drink spilled on you by Vince Vaughn here (true story) I like this place, no matter what people say about it. It's just a short stroll from my home base. Sure it does seem…
yelp.com - user review - 03/08/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
This place is the HIPPEST place I've ever been, and I don't mean that in a good way. Don't get me wrong, I had fun, but I'm good at that. I would definitely suggest only going there with people who…
yelp.com - user review - 02/15/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I have mixed feelings about Rainbo. It really is the kind of place where you never feel quite welcome. The difference is that the staff usually makes you feel that way in a bar like this, but I…
yelp.com - user review - 02/15/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
People can bitch and moan all they want about the hipster ratio in Rainbo, but there is one unavoidable truth about this bar. It has $2 PBRs 7 days a week. Granted, other bars have $2.50 beers, but…
yelp.com - user review - 02/07/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Despite its drawbacks, the Rainbo Club is still a classic bar. It's a beautiful space with fantastic booths, a good beer selection, and a photobooth. But...you just have to come early. After around…
yelp.com - user review - 01/21/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Rainbo is a relatively cheap, hip, and overall unique bar. It has a pretty laid back atmosphere and would get 5 stars from me EXCEPT that some weekend bartenders and patrons have the "anti-society…
yelp.com - user review - 01/19/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Getting floothered at the 'Bo is miraculous because it doesn't break the bank, I get to stumble home in about 5 minutes and then I wake up the next morning with amusing photobooth pictures I vaguely…
yelp.com - user review - 01/18/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I went here on a Wednesday night so I didn't have the horrible overly hip experience that so many of you wrote about. The crowd there was completely laid back, actually, and the bartenders were cool…
yelp.com - user review - 01/12/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The crowd here's as pretentious and annoying as a lot of these other reviews indicate. The service does also suck. The ambiance of the place is pretty nice so you might want to head here for a few…
yelp.com - user review - 01/10/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Positives: Cute hip crowd; When it's packed you feel like you're at a good rager [Shoulder-to-shoulder and everyone spilling beer on everyone]; Photo booth. Negatives: No pitchers; Holier-than-thou…
yelp.com - user review - 01/04/2007
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Although the crowd can be a little bit of a drag it's usually not because of the pretense but because of so much insecurity it drips off of the walls. If you stay out of there on Friday and Saturday nights...
citysearch.com - user review - 12/27/2006
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3.0 of 5 stars.
They have cheap drinks, a pinball machine, and a photo booth. That keeps it at a nice three star rating because previous complaints about the crowd and service are all very well founded. But, if you…
yelp.com - user review - 12/27/2006
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1.0 of 5 stars.
I love to hate this place.
yelp.com - user review - 12/20/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is my Thursday night hangout spot. $2 PBRs can't be beat, and the music will never let you down. The photobooth = A HOWEVER -
yelp.com - user review - 12/17/2006
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3.0 of 5 stars.
It's a bar. it's full of hipsters and indie kids. There are some really cute guys. There are some really cute girls. There are some really mean, nasty, rude, tall, bald, white, bartenders who seem…
yelp.com - user review - 12/17/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I have more strips of photo booth pics from here than I care to think about, let alone admit to. On a recent rainy afternoon, my wife and I thumbed through some of them, "Do you remember that?" she'd…
yelp.com - user review - 12/13/2006
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3.0 of 5 stars.
hipster haven. do not enter without wearing black. or sporting a star tattoo or being prepared to name drop incessantly. that being said, it's okay here. best time i ever had here consisted of myself…
yelp.com - user review - 12/05/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I have no idea why so many people hate this place! I find it warm and relaxed, mostly drunk goofy guys and some hipsters, yes, but they have been there for 10 years! Photo booth is tops in fun,…
yelp.com - user review - 12/05/2006
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Rainbo is ok, but nothing special. It is certainly good for some late-night people watching and cheap beers. It's basically just a big open room with no atmosphere - unless you count sticky tables…
yelp.com - user review - 12/02/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
They have Scapa, which is a fine sipping whiskey for those in the need. Generally, the staff isn't that warm, but who's there for the company?? A good neighborhood place during the week if you want to…
yelp.com - user review - 12/02/2006
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1.0 of 5 stars.
I've been here a few times. I have 3 big complaints about this place: 1) You might find it hard to get a drink here. Be prepared to get ignored unless you're a friend of the bartender on busy nights…
yelp.com - user review - 12/02/2006
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I don't mind it so much early on a weeknight, when I can grab a seat at the bar or in a booth and yuk it up with my drinking partner. $2 PBR or a cheap well drink - thanks, sure, sounds good. But I…
yelp.com - user review - 11/22/2006
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