At the corner of Dayton Street and Weed Street, the appropriately named Weeds Tavern is a Chicago dive bar with a sneaky strong history that might be surprising for a building in the shadow of fresh apartment buildings and a sprawling Apple Store just a few feet away. What is today known as a bit of a sports bar, Weeds Tavern has deep roots in poetry, street art and a potentially inebriated Jamie Lee Curtis.

Before operating as a bar, what is today Weeds Tavern was once a children’s furniture store and later a two-lane bowling alley. Some records suggest the land was also used as a mechanic’s shop, the site of the old garage now the beer Weeds Tavern beer garden. In 1963, Paul Martinez purchased the then-bowling alley and converted it into the 1555 Club, a nod to the bar’s 1555 Dayton Street address. A hangout for nearby factory workers throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the neighborhood declined as factories shut down and revived again as redevelopment crept back into the area.

Management of the bar transferred to Martinez’s two nephews, Sergio and Richie during the 1980s and the name was changed to Weeds Tavern. Sergio Mayora, in particular, quickly made a strong impression, attracting a loyal crowd and diversifying the allure of the bar by operating poetry readings and jazz sessions. Maybe most famously, Mayora began designing and distributing bespoke posters with a unique style that quickly generated traffic back to the Chicago dive bar. So notable were Mayora’s designs that an anthology including each piece was published in 2023 with a foreword by actor and Weeds Tavern patron, Michael Shannon.

Sergio retired in 2014 and today the bar is operated by John Martinez, keeping Weeds Tavern in the Martinez family. Upon taking over, John implemented a series of renovations that included a deep clean, new surfaces and, sadly, the removal of a number of bras that once hung from the Weeds Tavern ceiling, placed there by enthusiastic customers. As mentioned, somewhere along Weeds Tavern’s history, Jamie Lee Curtis stopped in for some tequila and like many Chicago bars, Weeds Tavern boasts a John Cusack sighting as he reportedly tended bar one evening.

Today, thanks to John’s renovations, Weeds Tavern is carving a fresh reputation as a sports destination, owed in part to its status as a gathering place for Chicago Fire supporters. Though the space has clearly been updated, the bar’s front door hints at its artistic past with a mural stretching across a set of double doors. Inside, Mayora’s artwork is celebrated along devoted space on the bar’s back wall. Modern elements like an updated bar made out of horizontal wood slats contrast with the structure’s obvious age, maybe most obviously demonstrated by exposed brick that looks ancient rather than trendy.

Deep history aside, Weeds Tavern is also home to one of Chicago’s most unique dive bar patio scenes, the external space fenced in and secluded. Fence-mounted plants and metal patio furniture create a beer garden-like atmosphere, some of the space sheltered under attached roofing. The bar’s long history of accommodating dogs extends not only to this outdoor patio but to the space inside as well.