What are your favorite and least favorite bars in Chicago? (Charleston: house, college)

[aragx6]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what bars you love and hate in Chicago.

And just to start, I always loved Sheffield's outdoor area and I hated the Northsider. They wouldn't split tabs, ever. Even for food. Or let you move tables to make room for friends.

[Aleking]

Sheffields is the best in that area.

Short list: whistler, map room, hop leaf, smart bar, ollies

[ChikidII]

Her are my favorites: Orbit Room, Pint, Big Star, Square, Crocodile and The Southern.

Least favorite are anything in Wrigleyville or Viagra Triangle (although a few years back when in college it was the opposite, I used to love the bars in these hoods).

[jwaiter]

Least favorites: Everything in Wrigleyville (except Gingerman), everything on Lincoln Ave/DePaul area, except Local Option.

Faves: Rossi's, Happy Village, Rainbo, Gold Star, Buffalo Bar (inside Heartland Cafe), Carol's, L & L Tavern, Old Town Ale House, The Green Mill, Exit, Coles, The Burlington, Skylark, Gallery Cabaret.

[ChikidII]

Originally Posted by Aleking

Sheffields is the best in that area.

Short list: whistler, map room, hop leaf, smart bar, ollies

I wasn't crazy about whistler. I think cause everyone was telling me this place is awesome and amazing. Then I went and it was nothing special. It's not bad, but I think a tad bit overrated.

[nikitakolata]

I love Lux bar just because of their Lavender Lemon Drop martinis. They are awesome. They make good French martinis too and they have awesome truffle fries. The actual atmosphere is just, eh... but those fries and martinis are so good (now I want them...).

I haven't found a traditional bar that I really love. I do like watching college football at The Boundary sometimes because they will play the sound over the speakers (for games during the day), but that's about it. I end up going there to watch games I don't get; things on the Big 10 network, for example. I don't really know what it's like at night.

What I would love is to find a bar that makes good mixed drinks and has a good beer section (to please both me and my husband) and that doesn't play the music obnoxiously loud. The noise level is what keeps me at home these days, even if it is kind of lame.

[Jandur]

Galway Bay on Diversey (not to be confused with Galway Arms on Clark) is a great dive. Old Town Ale house is an obvious choice. Old Town Pub is a nice little spot. Whiskey Bar on Rush is a bit pricey but is about the only place in that area where you can sit down and have a casual conversation. Trinity on Halsted has $3 jameson every night of the week. Delilahs on Lincoln. Dukes at Clark and Wrightwood, Wrightwood Tap.

Blah blah. I think there are a lot of good bars in the city, most just don't get noticed.

Least Fave: Anything On division for the most part. Just about anything in Wrigley, though Wild Hare used to be great. Public House in River North is full of pretentious *******s.

[It'sAutomatic]

Rite Liquors is up there for me. You kind of have to be in the right mood for that place, but I personally like how it's well-lit, relatively quiet, a huge selection of liquor, and much of it is CHEAP (i.e. $3 glass of whiskey).

The Charleston in Bucktown is a more pricey, but very nice corner bar. $8 old fashioned are delicious and will knock you out.


I really hate douchey expensive hipster bars, and anywhere where the music is ridiculously loud. I'm generally not into places where people try to one-up each other in how fancy they can dress, either.

[rca215]

Sadly, least favorite is easier to list: Butch McGuire's (and all surrounding), English (and all surrounding), Benchmark (and all surrounding), Stanley's, Lottie's, McGee's, Kirkwood, Moe's Cantina, that tiki-themed place.

Bull & Bear gets a special nod as one of my least favorite places in America.

Favorites: Rocking Horse, Map Room, Local Option, Banger's & Lace, Hop Leaf, Silver Cloud, Sheffield's, Marge's Still, Marquee.

Guilty pleasures: Cans, 6 Degrees, Paddy Long's

[Aleking]

Originally Posted by ChikidII

I wasn't crazy about whistler. I think cause everyone was telling me this place is awesome and amazing. Then I went and it was nothing special. It's not bad, but I think a tad bit overrated.

strictly from a cocktail point of view, it was special the few times i've been there, beyond that, nothing special. For high end cocktails outside of a really nice restaurant in a semi laid back atmosphere, I think it's tops.

Wrigleyville is getting hated on a lot, probably for good reason...the stretch with Moes/Barleycorn etc really is awful. But some of the stuff nearby is pretty good...notably Toons and the aforementioned Sheffields which is an underrated beer destination.

Fountainhead is also worth throwing into the general great place to grab a beer mix.