Patio Theater — Attraction in Jefferson Township

Another reason why Chicago SUCKS! This is a Horrible venue that, for the sake of profit only, holds events meant for well-respected theaters. Very poor customer service: first, you run into security guards that look like the cartel thugs from the southern border; second, a nasty-mean girl checking customers' tickets and rudely pointing them towards the hallway, where people gather in one big crowd with no lines designed; third, you come across a hole in the wall where they sell you disgusting hot-dogs and beer: they call it (the bar); although to the credit of the bartender who seems to be somewhat professional, washrooms are located in the basement and are attended by a quite man who deserves respect and tips, that's of course if you ever decide to go to this place; then, in the total absence of "the management", someone would open the door to a dark gloomy room where you can literally smell human urine. Welcome to the show! The sound mixing in the middle of the room belongs to antique shops from the bygone years, not to mention how the dude who is in charge of mixing and fixing the sound smells like, avoid being nearby! And not too far from the archaic sound system, a bicycle is parked against the chairs, yeah, right in the middle of it all, in case some drunkie needs a tour de France inside. The VIP tickets are not honored and there is no one to talk to, so you would end up in general admissions while your tickets cost you a "fictitious VIP status". Lastly, the band would have to delay the performance due to the failures of the acoustics resulting in alien noises that continue during the show. I would not name the band because I have been their fan for quite a long time, and it's not entirely their fault to choose this horrible so called music venue. I saw them in Europe and they performed in front of thousands in well known arenas where one would be taken by the sate of the art, well designed, properly equipped, and well staffed theaters. The Patio Theatre is one among many failures in Chicago, a city that was once known for music and art appreciation, including the legacy and influence of the Blues generation....

Why can’t we give a ZERO star? This place was horrible. The sound, the lights, the organization, everything. Very sketch. We saw a show with 4 comedians. They did not disappoint. But if you can get away without coming here, don’t come. No one knew what time the doors opened. We asked, they gave us a time, we saw on the poster that it was different. And in the end, they opened the doors at a time that was completely different. We called beforehand to see how the ‘meet and greet’ worked & of course, no working numbers. We paid extra for this. We know the guys we came to see always stick around & they will see every person that came. We bought these passes thinking we would see them before or at least boost us to the front of the line later. Instead we fought to get to the lobby after the show & once we worked our way towards the table, we were instructed to go back into the theater and get in a line that went from the door, back to the stage & wrap around. This could have easily been communicated. They pretty much just up charged for this meet & greet that the guys always do. It got us nothin special. I wonder if the act even got any money from the M&G upcharge..... They hustle everything here. The bartender would just randomly yell out asking if anyone wanted another drink, & same for the merch. It was endless. They were just interested in the stuff they would get a cut off of which is fine, but nothing about that place makes you want to put any more money into their pockets. This place COULD be beautiful with some work. It never will be with the current management or “team.” The staff was thrown together. All you need to do is show up with a “SECURITY” shirt & you’ve got the gig, but they didn’t know what to do. The seats are gross, the bathroom was gross. As far as the show went, you could hear the comedians. But they tried to play LOUD music before & it’s was rough. The lighting was the worse part of the show aspect. Unless there is a specific act you want to see, try to...

I am disabled, and use either a wheelchair or a walker. I'm glad I brought my walker to this venue, because my wheelchair would've been impossible to use here. No ADA info is listed on their website, and I was unable to reach anyone via the phone numbers (several were "out of service") or emails posted online to find out more info prior to the show.

The entrance ramp from the indoor lobby area to inside the theater is super steep, and there was a large triangular plastic cord cover at the very top at least 3 inches high that I had to step over and lift my walker over (I wish I had gotten a picture of this, but I was literally exhausted and feeling faint afterward because it triggered my condition so badly). All the other aisles between chairs also felt pretty steep. Their normal bathrooms are in the basement. Their accessible bathroom isn't actually up to standards either - the toilet is super low, the door was very skinny, and again there was a large and tall cord cover I had to go over. It was at the front right in the theater, directly next to the stage and by the old green room. The ADA seating area had an okay view, but the rows of folding chairs were very close together and I felt super crowded. The folding chairs provided in the main floor section were incredibly uncomfortable, to the point where I was considering leaving the show for a bit.

No huge issues with staff like some other reviewers shared, but they didn't seem super informed on how to handle guests requiring ADA accomodations (security at entry was going to make me wait at the end of the line going around the block, for example).

No parking lot on site, we had to park several blocks away.

Such a bummer, I really adore old historic venues and love the personality of this place, but it was horrible for me to try and navigate with the sub-par accessibility...