A good mix of quality and value

I've heard a lot of good things about The Criket, so I decided to give this club a try. I arrived on a Friday evening right around 9pm. The club itself is very easy to locate along Michigan Ave. The club's parking lot, and entrance, is around back. I had to cut through the parking lot for the resturaunt next door and enter the club's parking lot off of Kean St. I arrived to a parking lot that was mostly full, with maybe only 3 or 4 parking spaces available. There is no valet parking, which is a nice feature for those who want to minimize non-dancer clubbing expenses.

The cover charge to get inside was $10, which is the same as what they charge at most clubs in the area. Once inside, I was told that it was free seating at the bar or tables, but I would have to pay to sit at a booth, which I think was $20, but I don't exactly remember. Once inside the club, the bar is immediately to the right. Towards the back is the VIP area, and to the left of that is the bathrooms. There is no bathroom attendant, which is nice since I don't think it is a necessary commodity for a club to have. Also in the back far left corner is a room with video slot machines, and also appears to be the designated smoking area. Having smoking restricted to one secluded area is a nice feature. The stage was in the middle of the club. There were 2 dancers on the stage at all times, each dancing to 2 songs at one end before rotating to the other end for 2 songs.

After giving myself a quick mini-tour of the club, I found an open seat at the bar and ordered a beer, which was $7, a little pricey but on par for what many clubs charge. I made a quick scan around the club and saw maybe 5 dancers sitting and chatting with regulars. The selection of dancers was a good ratio, with half of them being white, half of them being AA, some being spinners and others being big and busty. After a few minutes, I left the bar area and found an open table and sat down so I could have a better look at the stage activity.