The Black Duck may be a nice-looking place (clean big rooms, lots of polished wood) but a line out front? That seems somewhat overdone, but then again, so does the crowd to this place, who spend most of the line time chatting on cell phones and angrily smoking. Hang out in the upstairs rooms, where everybody looks bored, or head downstairs to the beautiful people rec room. The downstairs bar is too small; it really is like someone's basement, right down to the details (which include a TV and some seasonal decorations), which causes unreal congestion, cranky drinkers and a general atmosphere of the unfun. You can't fault the Black Duck, really, it's more the crowd that leaves you feeling like you crashed a party. There's just not a lot of elbow room or friendliness to the Duck, which is too bad because the location is great (the Lincoln Park theatre area of Halsted).

Centerstage Reviewer: Erin Brereton