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The Funhouse
Categories: Nightlife Bars Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Bars, Music Venues [Edit]
206 5th Ave N(between John St & Broad St)
Seattle, WA 98109
Neighbourhood: Queen Anne
(206) 374-8400
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 3 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Music:
- Live, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
67 reviews for The Funhouse
Review Highlights
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"...outside patio with a basketball hoop and picnic tables for..." In 7 reviews -
"the bartenders are the sweetest ladies in town." In 15 reviews -
"Friendly faces and strong drinks." In 5 reviews
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67 reviews in English
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Review from Anthony A.
Seattle, WA
5/24/2012
Last night my nephew wanted us all to go here for his 21st birthday. That included his mother, myself and his other uncle. We're older and not into the nightlife like we used to be (it'll happen, LOL!). Well one of the three of us is a cheapskate and didn't want to pay the $5 cover since we were only staying for one drink. The bouncer was totally cool and let us come in, have a drink with our nephew and skip the cover. That was awesome and why The Funhouse is getting 5 stars!! The drinks were well poured and a reasonable price too. The thing is, it a smart business move on their part to accomodate their customers this way. There were 10 people in our party and 7 of them were staying, paid the cover, enjoyed the band and drank vs all of us going somewhere else to accomodate the 'cheapskate' uncle. So go check them out!!
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Review from Jessica H.
Los Angeles, CA
2/23/2012
from the outside i had no idea what this place was.. i finally discovered it was a bar when i yelped "bars" in my current location.. once we got in my friends and i discovered that its just you're average local bar in downtown seattle.. they do have a basketball hoop and also some interesting decorations.. and by interesting i mean sort of weird.. slightly halloween-ish..
we ordered a round of jello shots which are always fun.. can never go wrong with that.. they had some live performers that night which was entertaining to watch...
there's nothing too special about this place.. but its not completely horrible.. it seemed to be a "go to" bar for locals...
..the drinks weren't bad.. they were "a-ok" .. again very basic, average bar.. not mediocre.. not extravagant.. -
Review from Kristin B.
Marysville, WA
5/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
What can I say...this place has always been a good time when I go. The workers might not be very friendly but whatever, I just get my drink from them and move on. They have good shows here and the back patio is great to hang out on.
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Review from Christiane B.
Berkeley, CA
4/6/2012
Visited from California just a few months ago and thought it was a sweet place for a strong drink and live local bands. Small but perfect for my tastes. Not into fancy shmancy joints so this place served its purpose. Would and do plan on going back next time I'm in seattle
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Review from Clover A.
11/3/2011
KICKING OF THE ASS!
Drinks are strong, just like they all say.
Bands are fun, staff are nice (for nasty, dirty punk rockers) and the atmosphere inside and out on the patio is just what you need for a night of fun(house)
Go there, see a band, get yourself a drink or five and I'm sure you'll feel like you've been hanging out with the cool kids. -
Review from Kate S.
10/4/2011
Oh...the Funhouse.
Even when I've been here on ~really~ bad personal days I've ended up having a good time. The staff; especially Holly, know how to take care of you if all it amounts to is an extra strong drink and a genuine smile thrown your way.
With the scary clown on top, Halloween decorations plastered all over the place all year round, the fabulous outdoor patio, the great local (and loud) bands they have playing, cheap stiff drinks, band stickers stuck everywhere that keep you looking for a favorite, clean facilities, and one of the awesomest bartenders (Holly) around...you can't go wrong!
I love it's skuzzy-punk-rock-faux-divey-bits to pieces!Listed in: Another Belltown list, Go ahead, entertain me!, Get yo' drank on
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Review from Gillian W.
Portland, OR
2/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Well, you know I'm a rebel and once someone says "I'd turn back if were you" I go running right into the fire! We found a couple of other places we stopped into. One of the bartenders told us this was a scary place. I wondered just how bad it could it could be and since we stayed out almost all day, we finally got around to enjoying this place. It wasn't packed or anything when we went in and almost everyone just at the bar. We did a drive by boozing- basically went in no tab chugged and ran but I did take a moment to drink in the atmosphere. It might be a little itimidating if you don't like clowns, that the theme. I hate clowns myself but after a few it doesn't matter..
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Review from Nick C.
10/4/2011
Who's house... funhouse!
Anywhere that puts up a basketball court gets 5 star in book (easy tip for everyone). Classic dive bar. -
Review from Christen g.
Seattle, WA
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Who doesn't like a bar with sassy bartenders, a basketball court and good music? I love coming here and watching and playing basketball with ll the hipsters who secretly love sports and are wicked competitive. :) I'm really into this place and hope to see more shows and drink more whisky here.
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Review from Alisa B.
2/5/2011 ROTD 11/4/2011
When I think about great places for small shows of local music I usually think of this place within my first 5 choices. It's tiny... I mean REALLY tiny! but that's what makes it so totally awesome! My friends punk band played here a couple of nights ago and the stage barely fit two guitarists, a yeller, a bass player and drum set... it's kind of what makes it so cool.
Nice patio with a basketball hoop to spend some time at if you're waiting for the next band or you're craving some nicotine.
Drinks... well stick with beer and ciders here (they have strongbow) and of course the ubiquitous jello shots of doom : )
Overall I do like this place and when my friends play there again I'll be back for more!Listed in: My ROTDs!
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Review from Danny S.
Olympia, WA
12/1/2011
As far as I know this is the place where punk makes it's last stand in Seatle
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Review from Mel O.
I LOVE this joint.
Everytime i go here the staff is super nice and the shows are pretty kickin'. the drink pricey are pretty reasonable....and they have rainier in a bottle(i love those damn bottle cap picture puzzles)!!
I had a chance to see "the A-frames" and "X"(old punk band from Australia)...super good....made the drummer from the A-frames call my friend mike(he was supposed to come to the show and then bailed out...that'll show 'em!)....then we took shots of whiskey...ahh...good times.
AND...if it's in between bands, not a night where bands play, or the bands just plain suck...you can shoot some hoops, whilst drinking your booze and smoking thoust(improv shakespear for 'your') cigarette out in the back patio/beer garden.Listed in: eye of the tiger, boozy jacoozy
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Review from Kate D.
San Francisco, CA
5/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
A fairly large venue with ample accommodations for all. One large wrap around bar, a stage with plenty of room. An outside patio with a basketball hoop and picnic tables for seating. Pinball machine and a shooting game, but the real deal are the awesome bands that get to come and grace us with our presence.
Just saw local artist Ana Bender play along with a band from Kentucky The Infected. A great show and great people attended. Just a 6$ cover charge which was reasonable for the caliber of the show.
If you ever just want to hear live music check this place out. -
Review from Emily T.
6/30/2010 ROTD 12/31/2010
I recently described the Funhouse as grungetastic because, well, it is.
I don't find myself here often because the shows booked here aren't really my scene. However, if you are into punk, metal or hard core, then the Funhouse may very well be YOUR scene. And it can be your scene for a pretty cheap cover fee (normally $5-$10).
On my last visit, I stood behind the guy who ordered, "Just giving me something in a can." I, on the other hand, ordered Jameson and ginger. The bartender looked at me and grabbed a tall glass and said, "I assume anyone drinking whiskey wants a double." Alright, double it is.
The Funhouse looks like it was decorated by someone's creepy, retired carnie uncle, but I suppose it could be endearing in a dive bar sort of way. The bathrooms though aren't endearing. Cramped, dirty quarters - I'll hold it.Listed in: Reviews for the Refrigerator, Music Venues
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Review from Morgan L.
9/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
My boyfriend and I had our first date here!
Great venue. Great drinks. Great staff. Great location.
Six months later we are still together. Thanks Funhouse.Listed in: Best I Ever Had
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Review from April P.
Spokane, WA
11/1/2011
Pretty much amazing.... if you like loud punk/rock/metal, open floors and pinball. We do! We also got to meet a celebrity there- the fourth best bartender in Western Washington! Everyone was awesome. The back patio also has a basketball court. It's a FUN HOUSE!!
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Review from Toonces C.
Los Angeles, CA
11/3/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Someone stole the giant clown head! Assholes! They found it in the parking lot of the McDonalds trashed.
What has this world come to when giant clown heads are no longer safe? I fear for the future of our children!!
OK so I like this place, cool bartenders and great live local bands. I caught some punk indie band on Sunday I totally enjoyed it. Beware of the heater you will melt. -
Review from Megan B.
Seattle, WA
10/8/2007
One of the best places I've ever seen a show. Why you say? Because it's teeny. I got to see one of my favorite musicians this week in a tiny club for $10, and that is fucking awesome.
What is not fucking awesome is the tall guy who pushed his way right in front of me and blocked my fiew of the short stage. Or the two ridiclous idiots that kept dancing around like they were on ecstacy. Come on! This was not that kind of show! I hate assholes. That is not the Funhouse's fault, though. That's my fault for allowing assholes to irritate me so much! -
Review from Christyne B.
Ballard, WA
2/24/2009
If I could give this joint more stars, I would. I loved it when it was Zak's and I love it as the Funhouse. All the ladies serving there are fantastic, spunky, pour with a heavy hand and will not hesitate to bitch someone out if they are so deserving. The added bonus of the chick bartender - the bathrooms (the girl's bathroom anyhow) is consistently clean enough to warrant setting one's purse down without concern of some random nasty shmeg getting all over it. I guess that pretty much goes for one's arse as well.
I have seen an amazing array of local and traveling bands and am never disappointed when after they get done screaming their bloody heads off, they join me on the back deck for a smoke and a quasi intelligent (depending on how much I or they had to drink) congenial conversation about stuff and things. The punks are as sweet and polite as they are rough looking and I have never had any problems here. I have gotten completely ess faced knowing that if anything ever went down, people here would have my back.
There is a large area next to the stage where bands can store their stuff and kick back in the green room, swallowing PBR and random drinks, after they load in from the back door which faces the bar's 8 or 10 car lot. There is a pay to park lot just beyond that but there is a plethora of parking on the streets all around this joint.
I have swiped many flyers of many fantastic shows and love this bar with every punk and hard rock cell in my body.Listed in: Sweet joints to chill at...
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Review from Sarah B.
Seattle, WA
6/9/2006
We went here for a show a few weeks ago and were turned away. Why? Because it was so popular that they had reached full capacity. But we were waiting for an act so we grabbed a drink at the 5 point nearby and returned later to find almost everyone gone, which was great.
The place has so much charm. Posters and pictures everywhere and this feeling that you are in someone's basement at a private party. We were there to see "Captured by Robots" and were not disappointed. A great intimate setting, a bunch of drunk happy people and cake. Incredible.
Definitely a good place to catch a show but know that it is small and you may have to wait for people to leave if you arrive late. -
Review from Angie B.
Chehalis, WA
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
When i review a place, i try to separate the actual place from the bands that played. That's simply impossible this time. This was the best show we as a band have ever played. Was it the great sound and the friendly and helpful sound guy? Is it the rear-load in, parking lot for bands, holding area for equipment AND full cooler of PBR in the "green room"? The staff were all friendly, no attitude. And i'm not name-dropping, but it might be the fact that this night we were honored to open for The Goddamn Gallows, Jayke Orvis and the Broken Band, James Hunnicutt, and Gutter Gourmet this night. We still have a good feeling from this night. There were a few random bitches that wandered in, looking very out of place and clean, and pissed that they were getting bumped into while they were standing in the front. Did not mar my 5 stars. Love you Funhouse!!!!
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Review from Mawlee D.
Tacoma, WA
8/23/2007
I cant even believe how great this bar is!
The shows are always great and the bartenders are a bunch of older ladies who i guarantee will not forget what your drinking.
Parking kinda sucks, but what kinda parking is good in Seattle.
They also have this great outdoor covered area for smoking.
All in all probably my favorite bar in Seattle. -
Review from Chivahn W.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 6/9/2009
I've been to the Funhouse a few more times now, and while it is always a good time, they lose a star for the attitude from one bartender that seems to always be working when I'm there.
Yes, I like dumb girly drinks. Yes, I realize it isn't really the place for them. BUT I tip really well, and there is only ONE bartender who ever gives me attitude for it. I was there last week and I tried to order a lemondrop and she WALKED AWAY FROM ME.
Eff that. She will get no more of my money.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/30/2008
I have kind of a love-hate relationship with the Funhouse. They make good drinks, and the show I was… Read more »
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Review from Will L.
2/4/2008
I feel like I have a special connection to the funhouse. Mostly because one of our first posters is still hanging in the band room in the back. They painted over it with a clear gloss or something, and it's always cool to come here and head in back and look at how stupid we were for booking three shows in a week. Well, live and learn right?
Our first show at the funhouse was cool in that there wasn't a stage built yet. So we stood on the floor, eye to eye with our crowd. I could walk out hang out with people without having to worry about breaking my ankle jumping off the stage.
We've played there twice more since, (they have a fully functioning stage now, no worries), and I've gone to see a couple shows there now. The Funhouse is like Seattle's premiere punk venue. For whatever reason we fit right in. Bands can park in back and load right in -- there's a huge storage area between the band room and the stage with plenty of space for three bands to stow their stuff.
The bartenders are always awesome, they make killer drinks and are totally friendly. One of them is the artist who designed and created most of the decor hanging in the place. She also drew the big clown face that hangs on the side wall, over the tables. If anything, go there just to check it out.
There is a patio out back with a half court basketball hoop and some tables. You can escape to go have a smoke and shoot some hoops if you need to. A pool table is always hosting a game, and there may be a dart board somewhere, but I'm not sure on that.
Sound is good, the audience area is small enough that people generally wind up right in front of the stage which gives great energy to the bands.
All around a killer venue both to play and be in the audience.Listed in: Stay Tuned Was Here
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Review from Phil E.
Seattle, WA
2/5/2008
From a band's point of view I'm torn.. There was something charming about playing on the floor of The Funhouse back in the day - you were asses to elbows with the crowd. Face to face. So close you could smell the fragrant aroma waft in from the patrons - the musk of Drakkar Noir mixed with Big League Chew. Maybe that's just our audience.
On the other hand, now that they've got a kickass stage, monitors, lights - the whole nine - it's more of a "proper" venue and, as a performer, I can't say enough about a decent sound system. Plus I don't have drunken muttonheads grabbing at my keytar (you know who you are, Melvin).
The bartenders there are great. Personable. Fun. Quick with the refreshing, hoppy beverages I like so much. A great place to kick back with a beer and watch some local punk or eclectic hard rock. It's refreshing to have a venue in town that doesn't book the screaming death metal that's so popular with them meddling kids nowadays. They book good quality rock. The place has got a great atmosphere and if you're drunk and hungry afterwards, there's a handful of local, late night eats in the area.
So why didn't I give it five stars? I think it's the lack of chiliburgers. Or maybe I'm just braindead tonight. Either way, great place to perform or to check out some good live music. -
Review from Tonya H.
Seattle, WA
10/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
The Funhouse is a really neat little bar. I love the scary clowns everywhere and the decorated basketball court. It's too bad someone tried to steal the huge clown face outside. I can't wait until they finish making a new one and hang it back on the building. That's what attracted me to the bar on Yelp.
After going in, my friend played pinball and I sat at the bar chatting with the nice bartender. She seemed a little rough at first but I liked her the minute she opened her mouth. It's funny how she warns people to NOT use their Quackers after they come in from riding the Ducks. I rode the Ducks that day but I passed on getting a $2 quacker. They are annoying. So anyways, that made me really like her.
I can't wait to catch a show here soon! -
Review from Stacey M.
San Francisco, CA
7/20/2007
Just found out that the Lobo is closed due to gentrification or something (at least that's the rumor why it's closed). That leaves us with just a few remaining bars in Seattle where you can swill Pabst AND pour it on your friends.
I moved to Seattle several years ago not knowing anyone in this town. I met a fella who brought me to Zak's (now Funhouse) and I fell in love with Seattle. Pretension is laughable at this place, and the folks are friendly if you're not annoying.
I have never had a bad time at The Funhouse, including that time I flicked a lit cigarette in a girl's hair (woops). -
Review from Xav V.
5/17/2008
Remember when it was Zak's and that fun drug addict asshole Sal owned the joint. Ah, how I miss the camera in the ladies room. Oh wait....
I barely remember any of the nights spent at Funhouse, but I almost always wake up the next day feeling like I had a great time. Jesce and Holly are awesome gals and the regulars make me smile. The addition of the photobooth really is the cherry on the sundae for me as I am horrible about taking pictures with my camera while I'm out and the shots done in the photobooth are the only hint at what went on when I trying to retrace events later. -
Review from Jennifer C.
New York, NY
3/22/2008
I LOVE the Funhouse.
It's small and a bit of a dive but not so much so that it's gross, just comfortable. It's a great place to see shows, the drinks aren't too expensive, the location is surprisingly enjoyable, and it's unlikely that you'll be seriously annoyed by any other patron no matter who you are. Everyone from bikers to bums to hipsters to yuppies are all a milder version of themselves upon entering the Funhouse doors and we can all drink in harmony because whoever you are, it's cool. Just having a few drinks, maybe watching a few bands, it's all good. -
Review from Han O.
10/28/2009
Man, they have some shit punk bands on their roster. I check out their lineup on Myspace periodically and it is full of hilarity and sounds like great, thrashy, trashy fun.
We visited on a Saturday night with some friends to see Sioux City Pete and the Beggars, which looked interesting. The $6 cover was a great deal. We set up shop around the pool table as the other bands played. It was loud in the back, but not so loud that we couldn't have decent shouting conversations.
The bathrooms really need paper towel dispensers or hand dryer. I used the last inch of the old-school cloth dispenser around 10pm when the bands were just starting up...maybe that's where I got the fungal infection on my fingers.
I love their outdoor/covered area. There's a basketball hoop for the guys to get their testosterone going and the girls to relive their high school JV basketball glory. It was nice to have a smoking area without being forced the leave the venue (mostly since I don't smoke). There were a lot of interesting folks to strike up a conversation with. I remember trying to get a traveling comic to admit that he was mormon.
The staff is generally brusque though the bouncers were super helpful when the cue ball got stuck in the table. But then, they were very pushy at around 1:40am when the bands stopped playing and literally corralled everyone out the doors.
From what I remember, I had a great time. I'd definitely go again. -
Review from Alicia C.
Bellevue, WA
5/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Rude staff. We had 1 round when we sat down, but now we've been sitting at the bar for over 20 mins while the chubby bartender with a beard (sorry didn't get his name) ignores us while he talks to friends and takes orders form people he clearly knows- not cool after paying 24 bucks to get in.
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Review from Nicholas C.
Alameda, CA
4/9/2009
Ever walk into a place and have it feel like home, even though you are a thousand miles away........this way it. The vibe is just Good 'ol dirty punk rock n roll.
I can confidently say I received the heaviest shot of whiskey ever here. I had two shots of Knob Creek and was pretty buzzed......felt more like 3 1/2 shots. SO BIG!
I can't wait to come back and play. The stage is small but comfortable enough to tear it up on. This bar totally sold me on moving to Seattle. -
Review from Morgan G.
New York, NY
9/12/2008
Wandered in here around 4 in the afternoon after a touristy day exploring the city. We had left the space needle and realized we had some time to kill before a show across town later that night.
We spotted the crazy clown head from a ways away and figured whatever was inside was worth checking out.
For us two San Diegans on a mini vacation in the northwest, this place was like a little slice of our favorite divey bars back home. Friendly faces and strong drinks. A lovely lady named Lindsay chatted with us about music and all sorts of things while getting us nice and liquored up. Talk about an unplanned stop, but a really fun and memorable one at that.
If I'm ever back in the area, I'll stop in for a drink or a few for sure. -
Review from JP S.
Kailua Kona, HI
6/19/2009
I walk into the funhouse and im greeted by blaring music and the smell of freshly spilled beer....... I love this place already.
The bartender was awesome, yelling back and forth to about punk music while a local favorite punk band "The Bloodclots" is in full swing.
The time for a cigarette approaches, as i start to walk out the front door, i notice the patio out the side door. I see people drinking so i grab my drink and decide to check it out.
Its pretty sweet,one half is a covered area, and the other half is a bball hoop.
The Funhouse is awesome and is my 3rd favorite bar in Seattle. Definetley a must go for all interested in punk. -
Review from Mathieu Y.
2/7/2010
This bar made a really fun Saturday night. I came from Vancouver for the weekend, met a lot of other people visiting who also decided this was the best place to be., met a few awesome people in the smoking patio, and started a ridiculous dance party just by being my obnoxious, highly enthused self. They also provided an excuse to not end up in the backseat of a Sedan headed 40 miles south curtesy of a drunk driver (who happens to know the staff very well and got us in for free). The bar lay out makes this place a top notch venue, with curtesy to every cause for being in here (drinking, smoking, boredom, basketball?). I saw the posters up at the door, and I always recognize Vancouver acts playing here of various talent and influence.
In summary, this bar is so fun you wont notice that youre covered in beer and sweat until its much too late. Or you wont mind that I am. Hurray.Listed in: Dance to this music, Dive drinks
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Review from MIKO X.
Seattle, WA
12/23/2008
Better than the Five Point Cafe in EVERY POSSIBLE WAY. Fun, flirty female bartender usually. The place is homo-friendly NOT homophobic. And LIVE MUSIC!!! Woo hoo! Oh and the drinks they made me there were totally awesome- nice and strong. I only needed one, made the mistake of ordering two- well, not a mistake- but I hadn't eaten anything... ended up fighting with my friend Kenny for outing him to the manager to prove to him that the place doesn't hate queers- and the manager was great, LOL- but Kenny was PISSED... anyway, that's a whole other story...
I like this place! -
Review from Colin W.
San Diego, CA
10/26/2010
Good bar...decent sound system..."ok" bartender. Beer selection was mediocre, but being a semi-dive, I was able to adapt.
Cool place...would return if the good bands were there...cheap cover. -
Review from Allie S.
1/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
My boyfriend was a stand-in guitarist for a band performing last night so I ended up at the Funhouse for the first time. $5 cover (the price of which is set by the bands), excellent. Four strong drinks ran about $15 with the band discount, and the three drinks I had were so strong I was pretty much confined to sitting at a table drunk texting and giggling a lot -- just the way I like to drink! Clean bathrooms, too! From what my sent messages imply, I definitely had a five-star worthy time... that and I'll probably be back again next month when bf's band plays.
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Review from Billy D.
7/4/2010
Kind of a punk-ish scene bar that has a love for black paint on the inside. We had a good time here - strong drinks, good bartenders, and a live band.
The basketball court is awesome, being a block away from the needle and everything. -
Review from Matt C.
Chicago, IL
8/1/2008
Not being a native I had a hell of a time getting to this place from "University Village" at 11 pm on a rented scooter in the rain, seeing as your shitty city doesn't seem to like the idea of marked streets. Furthermore, when you have an overpass, isn't it traditionally the polite thing to do to tell people what exactly is overpassing you, so that if you needed to take it you might know what it was in advance?
To the important bits, this seems like a lot of Chicago music oriented bars with less standing room for seeing music and more high priced beer. I wouldn't mind the slightly inflated beer price if the sound was amazing and there was standing room for a bunch more people, but this wasn't the case.
The Funhouse is a "Funhouse" themed bar, plain and simple. Clowns on the walls, etc. Booths, bar seats, beer, some PA's and a deaf sound guy. Not complaining, its standard fair and rightly so for a cheap shitty bar, I just regret paying 12$ to see Annihilation Time and only catching their last song because I am an idiot and got turned around on my miniature rained-through hand drawn map.
Quite a nice little blip on the radar and if you leave while its still raining and look directly up the space needle has a neat rainy halo effect going on.
