Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

I was a musician who used to play there. Then they stopped paying us.

They texted us one morning saying all live music would be cancelled until further notice. I’ve talked to several other musicians who’ve played there too, and many of us have not even received our final checks yet.

I wish I could say this is a shock, but ever since the new owner, Houda, bought the place, they’ve been cutting corners in every way possible. All you need to do is step inside to see what a mess they’ve made of things.

A few months ago for example, I was playing my set in the front room and the new part-time manager was watching Tik Toks with his phone at FULL VOLUME. In the middle of my set. There were people who were enjoying their drinks, trying to listen to the music, and were getting visibly frustrated. The lack of self-awareness on this guy’s end would’ve been hilarious if it wasn’t interfering with people trying to have a good time.

So there you have it. The old Davenport’s is gone — the fun, weird, cute little piano bar has been replaced with just another a generic cocktail lounge. The new team here had so many opportunities to correct course over the past few weeks, but their narcissism and disrespect for the arts, artists, and the community could not be more apparent.

And to anyone considering working with them, good luck and...

I've been multiple times in 14 years, including 4 or 5 times during the last year since the new owners took over. Most of what I loved about the old Davenports - the service, the talent, etc, is still just as good as it was before, but what I don't understand is when we're all there to listen/watch the show/open mic, the managers will take up a table, usually near the piano, talking and laughing over the show/performers, an obvious distraction for a number of us that are there to sing or enjoy the show.

Last time I was there, one of them was vaping the whole time, and one night, one was watching videos on his phone WITH SOUND cranked up so high that we could hear it from half way across the room (over the singers) - and when the bathrooms need attention (no paper products), they shrug and say they're on it and then just sit there. The last hour there were no towells or toilet paper.

Words of wisdom to the new owners/management, if you aren't interested in the performance & would prefer to watch videos on your phone, get high, or yuk it up with your colleagues, do it from your office and don't ruin the show for everyone else. You're making it harder for those of us who spend money to order that next drink, which hurts your employees and ultimately your...

Lovely piano bar with delicious libations served by friendly and attentive staff. We came here Linda Kahn's one man off Broadway performance named "Say Yes". Where she performed was a small but very quaint venue which was decorated with hardwoods and darker drapes which I can guess was for sound purposes. The place was sold out but not overly crowded. They had the tables spaced adequately so everyone could still move freely and the staff could still be attentive during the performance. I ordered a delicious Old Fashion and my wife and our friend had Banana Rum cocktails mixed with frangelica and another cream based liquor that was absolutely amazing. The performance was wonderful and I found myself quite emotionally moved during numerous parts of the show. The acoustics of the room were perfect for the piano and bass when accompanied by Linda's beautiful voice. We loved the show and were quite pleased with the manner in which it...