Chicago Dive Bar Guide

Unique, Neighborhood Dives Every Block

Cataloging the Chicago dive bar scene is a daunting task. Midwestern drinking is a time-honored tradition and when mixed with a few hundred years of history and lake effect snow, the dive bar conditions are favorable. As a result, the rolling expanse of Chicago brings with it a patchwork of neighborhood dive bars, each unique, each catering to a separate micro-community in a city full of them.

Uniquely loved in Chicago is the dive bar “slashie,” the term given to hybrid businesses with liquor licenses old enough to allow on-site and to-go sales. That means places like Rossi’s Liquors downtown and Rite Liquors in Ukrainian Village offer the chance to sit down for a shot of Malort and grab a six-pack of Old Style for the road. Because these licenses aren’t available anymore, slashies are a dying breed but offer some of the best divey drinking in the city.

In a city where so much has happened, inevitably the dive bar stories can be fairly unique, from the serial killer-tinged history of L&L Tavern to the nautically-inspired Simon’s Tavern complete with Viking fish neon sign. Rainbo Club can stake a claim to the independent music scene of early 1990s Chicago and Shinnick’s Pub can tout itself as an Irish institution and one of the oldest in the city at that.

On every corner there’s a new discovery, making a bar crawl around the city a good idea no matter where it starts. Nisei Lounge in Wrigleyville, The Cove Lounge in Hyde Park and this reviewer’s favorite, Inner Town Pub in Ukrainian Village, they and so many great dive bars like them offer perfect launching points to explore one of the world’s great (drinking) cities.

Dive Bar Map

Chicago Dive Bar Reviews

Ranked Order

Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Inner Town Pub

Review Rating: 10 out of 10
Possibly the perfect dive bar, Inner Town Pub mixes dim light, stained glass and a mysterious illuminated sign.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Rite Liquors

Review Rating: 10 out of 10
A classic Chicago "slashie" part dive bar, part liquor store and maybe the city's best example of both.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Rossi's Liquors

Review Rating: 10 out of 10
Downtown Chicago's dive bar soul, another hybrid liquor store and dive bar under a pitched roof.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Rose's Lounge

Review Rating: 10 out of 10
It's Christmas outside, it's Christmas inside, it's open when they feel like and it's unlike anything else.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Simon's Tavern

Review Rating: 10 out of 10
If you like dive bar neon that features Viking fish, this is our spot, modeled after a famous ocean liner.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

L&L Tavern

Review Rating: 10 out of 10
Perfect people gazing spot that is perhaps too perfect thanks to a faint link to serial killers, plural.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Rainbo Club

Review Rating: 9 out of 10
The stage once hosted burlesque shows and the space thrived during the 1990s alt-music boom.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Old Town Ale House

Review Rating: 9 out of 10
If you like nude pictures of politicians, this is your dive bar, part art gallery, part political statement.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Chipp Inn

Review Rating: 9 out of 10
The quintessential neighborhood dive bar so old that no one knows exactly how old it may be.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Joe's on Broadway

Review Rating: 9 out of 10
There's a lot of Malort-fueled visual stimulation crammed into this tiny footprint.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Sovereign Liquors

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Edgewater community anchor since the 1940s and home to a mix of regulars & students.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Ola's Liquors

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Ola's features a few rows of liquor bottles, a counter to drink on and that's about it.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Archie's Iowa Rockwell Tavern

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
On the edge of Ukrainian Village, the perfect corner dive to start a crawl.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Shinnick's Pub

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
In the running for oldest dive bar in the city, a South Side White Sox Irish hub.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Reed's Local

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Rare is the place that mixes VHS tapes and open mic nights in the same space.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Big Joe's

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Turtle races, live Jeopardy and about a dozen other reasons to grab a beer.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Delilah's

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Ground zero for the bourbon boom in America, with an epic sign too.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Skylark

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
The tiny sign contrasts the cavernous, bank lobby-style space inside.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Olde Town Inn

Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Elgin's oldest bar, tracing its history back to a 1927 BBQ joint on the same spot.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Zakopane

Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Named after a town in Poland with Polish beer and Polish liquor inside.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

The Cove Lounge

Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Vaguely nautical, today featuring a massive Obama mural hovering over the proceedings.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Max's Place

Review Rating: 7 out of 10
It looks closed, in a good way, about as bare bones as a Chicago dive bar gets.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Nisei Lounge

Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Built for second-generation Asian-Americans, today the last dive in Wrigleyville.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Bob Inn

Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Comfortable, neighborhood corner spot that does the simple things perfectly.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

The Corner Bar

Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Truth in advertising, to be sure, this corner spot mixes new surfaces and vintage elements.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Whirlaway Lounge

Review Rating: 6 out of 10
Whirlaway Lounge was founded with the winnings on Triple Crown longshot Whirlaway.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Riccochet's

Review Rating: 6 out of 10
Corner spot with a devotion to darts and a dose of on-tap Old Style.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Punky's Pub

Review Rating: 6 out of 10
Downtown Lombard, right off the train stop, perfect for pre- or post-work diversion.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Alice's Lounge

Review Rating: 6 out of 10
Karaoke is the clear drawing card here, a center island immersing the singer in the crowd.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill - Columbus Dive Bar Exterior

Carol's Pub

Review Rating: 5 out of 10
Gentrified ex-dive with a deep history amid needed, business-saving renovations.

Chicago Dive Bars Not Yet Reviewed

Must Visit Recommendations

Unfortunately, we have not yet been to every single dive bar in the city, but there probably a few more punch cards on our livers, so we’ll make it there soon. In the meantime, the curated list of dives below comes highly recommended by a variety of friends, online sources and drunks.

Bridgeport

Bernice's Tavern

3238 S Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60608
Google Map

East Ukrainian Village

Nilda's Place

1858 W Iowa St
Chicago, IL 60622
Google Map

Near North

Streeter's Tavern

50 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
Google Map

The Loop

Sky-Ride Cocktail Lounge

105 W Van Buren St
Chicago, IL 60605
Google Map

Other Dive Bar Options

Big Chicks

5024 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60640
Google Map

Bridgeport Inn

2901 S Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60608
Google Map

Burwood Tap

724 W Wrightwood Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
Google Map

Caminos de Michoacan

1659 W Cullerton St
Chicago, IL 60608
Google Map

Cole's Bar

2338 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
Google Map

Double Bubble

6036 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660
Google Map

Empty Bottle

1035 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
Google Map

Falcon Inn

1601 E 53rd St
Chicago, IL 60615
Google Map

Four Treys

3333 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
Google Map

Galway Bay

500 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614
Google Map

J&M Tap

957 N Leavitt St
Chicago, IL 60622
Google Map

Jaqueline's Lakeview East

3420 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
Google Map

Jefferson Park Inn

4874 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60630
Google Map

Lange's Lounge

3500 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
Google Map

Lemming's Tavern

1850 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
Google Map

Liar's Club

1665 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
Google Map

Liberty Lounge

3341 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
Google Map

Oakwood 83

1959 W Montrose Ave
Chicago, IL 60613
Google Map

Oasis Tavern

6809 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60626
Google Map

Phyllis Musical Inn

1800 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
Google Map

Podlasie Pool Club

2918 N Central Park Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
Google Map

Reggies

2105 S State St
Chicago, IL 60616
Google Map

Richard's Bar

491 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60654
Google Map

Rosa's Lounge

3420 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
Google Map

Shamrock Club

210 Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
Google Map

Sidekicks

4424 W Montrose Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
Google Map

Snickers Bar & Grill

448 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
Google Map

Stella's Tap

935 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
Google Map

The Cabin

4104 N Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60641
Google Map

The Burlington

3425 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
Google Map

The Continental

2801 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
Google Map

The Lodge Tavern

21 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60610
Google Map

The North End

3733 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60613
Google Map

Turtle's Bar & Grill

238 W 33rd St
Chicago, IL 60616
Google Map

Woodlawn Tap

1172 E 55th St
Chicago, IL 60615
Google Map

What Did We Miss?

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