BBQ Pontoon — Local services in Chicago

What would have easily been a 5 star review, was unfortunately thwarted by the last few minutes of the rental. We had an issue when we were switching drivers, and couldn't get the boat to start. The staff was quick to answer our call and resolve our issue, and we completed the remainder of our trip without any problems. However, as soon as we got back, one of the workers was quick to accuse us of breaking the company's policy by "pulling over", which he claimed caused damage to the boat's motor. We clarified that we simply put the boat in neutral while switching drivers and we were at least 20 feet away from the ledge. The staff member doubled down and kept trying to use our words against us. The entire encounter was shady and felt like a ploy to keep our $400 deposit. Thankfully they gave it back, but it overall left a bad taste and ruined the mood. I will not be returning. If you choose to book with them, take pictures of the boat beforehand and inquire about possible damages. The staff member who helped us at the start of our trip even acknowledged that the boat was in a rough condition, as evidenced by the janky driver's seat and finnicky...

I was charged $400 for “damages” they claimed we did. We went on the boat on August 25th. The experience on the boat was nice but I would never go with BBQ Pontoon again. They texted us saying they’re keeping a $400 deposit because there were some dents made on the outside of the boat. Richy said it had looked like we stopped somewhere and that’s how the damages were made. I let him know that they have air tags on the boat and they can see that not once did we make any stops. He kept trying to make excuses as to how the damages were our fault and how his staff checks for damages and noticed them fast yet we were never told anything while docking the boat. Of course as an upset customer I asked to speak to the owner to see if there was a way we can prove we didn’t damage the boat. I was respectful the whole time and genuinely thought they’d try to help but no. I’ve called multiple times since August 25th and not once after the first phone call did they answer my phone calls or reach out to me. I would NOT recommend...

I rented a pontoon for 8 people to celebrate a birthday. We all had a great time! Parking was easy to get to. Alejandro was very friendly and gave everyone a thorough safety briefing before we got on the boat. He went over how to work the pizza oven with my sister who was the "grill master." It's a propane pizza oven with a pizza stone. We had a choice of cheese or pepperoni pizza. We bought a second for the trip. They provide (small) paper plates, napkins and something to cut the pizza. We had plenty of time to cook both pizzas, eat, clean up and still enjoy cruising on the river before heading back. Alejandro provided simple instructions on how to drive the boat and the rules of river cruising. If you've ever wanted to see Chicago from a different perspective, this is something you must do! BBQ Pontoon is honestly a perfect company, and I couldn't be happier in my decision to book a cruise on the river with them. I would 10/10 do it again--a fireworks cruise would be so much fun! Thank you,...