The Chicago tavern guide

This guide is for anyone who wants a Chicago bar that feels like the city: a corner tap with a neon beer sign, a jukebox and a bartender who has seen it all. It is written for newcomers figuring out where regulars drink and for longtime residents who have not been past their own block in a while.

It covers the old taverns that have outlasted everything around them, neighborhood bars on the North, West and South sides, sports bars that are not part of a chain, bars where the kitchen is a real reason to go, and a short explainer on what separates a tavern from a restaurant that happens to pour beer. Many of these places are cash only and most are 21 and over, so bring an ID and some bills.

Old Style on tap: the classics

Old Town Ale House

Near Second City in Old Town, the Old Town Ale House has poured drinks since 1958 and moved to its current spot at 219 W North Ave, at Wieland, after a 1971 fire, when regulars helped carry the bar across the street. The walls are the draw: Bruce Elliott’s paintings of regulars, politicians and public figures cover the room. The bar is cash only with an ATM, and the posted hours run 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sunday through Friday and until 5 a.m. on Saturday. The Sedgwick stop on the Brown and Purple lines is a short walk, and the #72 North Avenue bus stops out front. Street parking near Wells is scarce on show nights.

Simon’s Tavern

In Andersonville at 5210 N Clark St., Simon’s Tavern became a legal bar in 1934 after a Prohibition run as a basement speakeasy, according to Block Club Chicago. The reason to go is glögg, the Swedish mulled wine the bar serves with a gingersnap in winter; Block Club reported a frozen version in summer. The sign outside, a herring in a Viking helmet holding a martini, is hard to miss. The bar takes cash only. The Berwyn Red Line stop is about a 10-minute walk east, and the #22 Clark bus runs past the door.

The Green Mill

Uptown’s Green Mill at Lawrence and Broadway is a jazz room that runs as a tavern, and the club’s own FAQ notes that Chicago law keeps anyone under 21 out. Dave Jemilo opened the current version on June 19, 1986, and the club marked its 40th anniversary this year by bringing back music after 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with a $5 cover for the late sets. There are no reservations and no food; seating is first come, first served and payment is cash only, with an ATM inside. The Lawrence Red Line stop is one block east, and the club has a parking lot after 6:30 p.m.

L&L Tavern

At 3207 N Clark St. in Lakeview, L&L Tavern is about as stripped down as a Chicago bar gets: no tap, a chalkboard list of cans such as Hamm’s, Old Style, Schlitz and PBR, a peeling tin ceiling and a jukebox. The bar made the Elite Eight of Block Club’s 2026 jukebox bracket. The bathrooms do not lock, the bar takes cash only, and the lore about who drank here is best heard from the bartender. The Belmont stop on the Red, Brown and Purple lines is a couple of blocks away.

Neighborhood bars by side of town

The North Side is well covered by the classics above, so this section heads west and south.

West Side: Inner Town Pub

On a residential corner in Ukrainian Village, Inner Town Pub at 1935 W Thomas St. has operated under that name since 1983, according to Block Club Chicago, which also found a 1943 ad for the earlier Kentucky Tavern at the address selling Old Style. Pool and darts are free, there are about eight beers on draft plus a cocktail list, and Elvis memorabilia is everywhere. The pub is cash only with an ATM. The Division Blue Line stop is about a 10-minute walk; the side streets are mostly residential, so read the signs for permit parking before leaving a car.

South Side: Bernice’s Tavern and Maria’s

In Bridgeport at 3238 S Halsted St., Bernice’s Tavern has been in the Badauskas family since the 1960s and sits in a building that was once a funeral parlor. Expect to be buzzed in, then find a Formica bar, a small stage, Lithuanian Svyturys beer and plenty of Malört. The tavern is cash only and has no kitchen, though you can bring food. Block Club’s November 2025 Bridgeport gift guide confirmed the tavern is still open.

A few blocks away, Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar at 960 W 31st St. is a classic Chicago “slashie,” a liquor store in front and a tavern in back, run by the same family since 1986. The bar opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays, 3 p.m. on Friday, noon on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday, and the patio closes at 11 p.m. The #35 bus on 31st Street stops nearby.

In Hyde Park, The Falcon Inn at 1601 E 53rd St. sits beside the Metra Electric tracks near the 53rd Street station. Pitchers of domestic beer run near or under $10, according to Block Club’s 2025 report, and karaoke and DJ nights fill the side room. Food comes through a shared window from Cholie’s Pizza. Cash only, with an ATM.

Southwest Side: Osito’s Tap

In Little Village at 2553 S Ridgeway Ave., Osito’s Tap opened in 2019 in a greystone that once held a Bohemian bar and bookie joint, according to the bar’s own history. The owners, who also run Moreno’s Liquors, pair craft spirits and cocktails with a food menu. The bar is closed Monday and Tuesday. The #60 bus on 26th Street is the easiest way there.

Sports bars that are not chains

The obvious place to start is Wrigleyville, and on game days the two bars near the ballpark fill early. Take the Red Line to Addison rather than trying to park; many side streets around Wrigley Field are restricted to residents with permits on game days, so read the signs.

Nisei Lounge

One block south of the ballpark at 3439 N Sheffield Ave., Nisei Lounge traces its name to a Japanese American-owned tavern on the Near North Side in the 1940s and later moved to Sheffield, according to Block Club’s 2025 history. An Old Style sign hangs outside, and the bar is known for house Malört infusions, darts, pool and a back patio. Food is beer nuts or whatever you bring. The bar takes cards.

Murphy’s Bleachers

Across Sheffield from Wrigley Field at 3655 N Sheffield Ave., Murphy’s Bleachers is family owned and has a full pub menu. The bar says it began after Prohibition as Ernie’s Bleachers, selling hot dogs and beer by the pail. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Friday and until 3 a.m. Saturday, and trivia runs Thursday nights except on home game days.

Kasey’s Tavern

In Printer’s Row at 701 S Dearborn St., Kasey’s Tavern is a neighborhood bar with more than 130 beers and a history that goes back to 1974, when Casmir “Kasey” Weglarz bought what was then Bernie’s Lounge. The bar opens at 10 a.m. on Sundays when the Bears play at home, which makes it a good pregame stop before walking or catching a bus to Soldier Field. The Harrison Red Line stop is about a block away.

Bars with a kitchen

Hopleaf Bar

In Andersonville at 5148 N Clark St., Hopleaf Bar has 62 taps, no TVs and a Belgian-leaning kitchen best known for mussels and frites. The bar is adults only, with no children or infants admitted, and opens at noon daily. Limited reservations are on Tock, but most tables are held for walk-ins. The bar closes December 24 and 25.

Moody’s Pub

Near the Thorndale Red Line stop in Edgewater at 5910 N Broadway, Moody’s Pub has served charbroiled burgers since 1959. Two fireplaces warm the dining room in winter, and a beer garden takes the overflow in warm months.

Skylark

In Pilsen at 2149 S Halsted St., Skylark opened in 2003 in a 1910 building that was built as a brewery-tied saloon, and six longtime workers bought the bar in early 2024. A basket of tater tots is $7 and the Skylark Burger is $14 on the current menu. The kitchen stays open until midnight Thursday through Saturday. The #8 Halsted bus stops nearby, and there is free live music on some nights; Surfin’ Bird plays the first Sunday of the month.

What a Chicago tavern is, and is not

A tavern here is a bar first. Food is optional, and many of the best ones sell chips, beer nuts or nothing and let you bring your own. Cash-only policies are common, and most such bars keep an ATM by the door. Malört, the bitter local liqueur, is on the back bar almost everywhere, and a shot paired with a cheap domestic beer is a standard order.

A tavern is also not a nightclub or a chain sports bar. The rooms tend to be small, the jukebox matters, and regulars treat the place as an extension of the neighborhood. A few hold late-hour licenses: the Old Town Ale House and the Green Mill stay open until 4 a.m. on some nights and 5 a.m. on Saturday. Everyone must be 21, and bars like Hopleaf and the Green Mill enforce that strictly.

The easiest way to get around is the CTA. The North Side bars in this guide are within about a 10-minute walk of an L stop, while the South and West Side picks are easier by bus. Divvy docks are common along Clark Street and Broadway. Leave the car at home; parking on side streets near Wrigley, in Old Town and in Ukrainian Village is tight, and some blocks are permit-only.

Good to know

Checked September 28, 2026. Simon’s switches to hot glögg as the weather turns, usually around the holidays. The Green Mill’s 1 a.m. weekend sets carry a $5 cover. Maria’s patio closes at 11 p.m., and outdoor seating at Moody’s and elsewhere depends on the weather. Hopleaf closes December 24 and 25. Hours listed here come from each bar’s own site; call ahead on holidays.

Know a place that belongs in this guide, or a detail that has changed? Send a correction.