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    Big Joe's

    3.9 (114 reviews)
    InexpensiveBars
    Closed 1:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Big Joe's Photos

    BIG JOE'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Juke Box
    Divey
    Casual
    Loud

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    Reviews With Photos

    We met one of the turtles!
    Jacqueline F.

    Turtle races you ask? Why yes! What an interesting concept for a dive bar. On Friday nights to keep you people entertained, 5 bodacious turtles race for your entertainment every 15 mins. Dont worry, no turtles are harmed in the process. I am a proud owner of a red eared slider myself so I kept an eye out for any signs. Anyways, the more drinks you buys, the more chances that you get to participate in the race via raffle ticket. If your ticket numbers get called you get assigned a turtle to cheer for! I had a great time with my friends here. Drinks were cheap too! The place was small but cozy. And the atmosphere was chill with everyone excited to cheer on the turtles of the night. If you haven't been here on a Friday night yet, come check them out!

    Michael B.

    Three words: TURTLE. RACING. FRIDAYS. That's all you will need to know when coming to this bar located on the north side of Chicago. Big Joe's a cash-only dive bar located in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. Beers are cheap, and entertainment is exciting. The place is a bit on the small side (or maybe the crowds too big) but that makes it all the cozier during those frigid winter months. What also makes this place worthwhile to me is the fact that it isn't too well known to be crowded with tourists while also being known enough to not be empty. Also, a great idea to take your out-of-town friend when they visit. A great (somewhat) hidden gem in Chicago. And don't worry, they do take good care of the turtles. I know, I asked as well. 5/5. PS. Best of luck if you end up with Yolanda as your turtle.

    Don't forget cash only.
    Timothy N.

    I came here when it was a slow day just a relaxing Sunday for quick drink with a friend. The bartender was super nice. Since it was a slow day, she unlock the pool table since we were the only patrons at the time. This is quite a chill bar if you don't go during their turtle racing night. Drafts were five bucks when I was there. Not too shabby of a place.

    Free drink token
    Allie D.

    If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: "You need to experience a turtle race at least once in your life!" For this reason, Big Joe's has been on my Chicago bucket list since moving here and lucky for me, I only live a couple blocks away. Honestly, it wasn't as crazy as I expected, but it definitely gets busy for a neighborhood dive bar. It's an interesting mix of regulars, tourists, and young people who come from all over the city. The way it works is pretty simple. Buy drinks, earn raffle tickets. The more tickets you accumulate, the greater your chances are of getting drawn to participate in the race. I was miraculously drawn two races in a row, despite the drunkards behind me that had WAY more tickets. My first turtle was Jolanda, "the slowest fucking turtle", as they say. It seems kind of mean that they keep repeating that over and over again throughout the night, but the Turtle Wrangler seems to be in some kind of trance when he says it. Anyway, she got 2nd to last place which got me squat. In the second race, I got paired with Lola (also, incredibly slow) but luckily enough, she was slow enough to come in last which meant a free drink token for me! ...it's the little things in life. I guess the Turtle Gods were looking out for us that night, because our group was extremely lucky. In fact, out of our group of six, four of us got picked to race and two of us raced multiple times. My friend even made it to the final round and won a t-shirt! Score. I'd like to think he wears it around his apartment everyday and gives himself thumbs up in the mirror. Did I mention some lady just walked up to him and handed him a drink after that? The drink was awful, but the glory was magnificent. We were Turtle Kings, if only for a night. FYI: The turtle races start around 10PM on Friday nights. It's extremely difficult to find accurate information about this anywhere online, which is strange considering so many people say "Oh, you must go and experience it!" but yet you can't find two sites with reliable, matching info about WHEN to go. Many people say you must go early. I've heard people start filling up the place 1-2 hours prior, however, that was not my experience. Maybe I just got lucky, but the bar never hit capacity and the crowd kept dwindling throughout the night, strengthening our chances of getting to race. With that said, our neighbors had some out-of-towners come stay with them last weekend and when they tried going around 7:30, they were turned away. I guess it's a crapshoot. "May the odds be...." God, I hate myself sometimes. Just do it.

    Live Turtle Feed
    An P.

    One friend got picked for the turtle race. Then another friend got picked for a turtle race. Then another friend who never been there before got picked for the turtle race.. Then I got sad. THEN I got picked for the turtle race with the fastest turtle!!!!!!!!!!! Then my turtle lost. Then I got sad. Then someone was playing with my darts and wouldn't give them back and started insulting me. Then I took my darts back with force and foul language. Then I played darts. Then I won money playing darts. Then I was happy. I do not know why I drank an entire pitcher with no cup.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great atmosphere, great people! Go on Fridays for the turtle races. You won't regret it

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    3 years ago

    This place rocks. Cash only, steel tip darts, chill vibes. And everybody loves turtles

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    4 years ago

    Fun dive that makes you feel like you're hanging out at your neighbors house. Can't beat the prices or the turtle races!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Big Joe's

    Review Highlights - Big Joe's

    No telling what Jolanda will do every night, but there's not doubt she's the slowest turtle in the world.

    Mentioned in 51 reviews

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    Nobody's Darling

    Nobody's Darling

    4.6
    (92 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    Minority-owned & operated

    In honor of Women's History Month I would like to update my review of Nobody's Darling to state…read morethat the lovely owners of this fine establishment are still doing their thing. Nobody's Darling is not just to have a chat and cocktail, they offer quite a few events for folks to attend. Below are a few examples of the swinging times you can have there. In 2026 I am so happy that they are still in business and thriving. The vibe is still cool, the menu for the cocktails is still exciting and the crowd is eclectic. Wine Down Wednesday Unwind midweek with Happy Hour 5-7pm $7 glasses of wine $20 bottles Thursday: Pitch Your Peeps Help your friend find love (or vibes). Pitch them to the room - all relationship styles welcome. Feel Good Fridayz w/ DJ All The Way Kay Start the weekend right! Happy Hour 5-7pm DJ Kay live 8-11pm Sunday Karaoke All Day Happy Hour starting at 2pm Karaoke 5pm-8pm Sip.Sing. Repeat. Empanadas by De Luna Empanada 7pm-10pm DJ Gloria on the decks Cocktails flowing all night Friday, March 20 DJ Set 8-11PM

    Great drinks and no douchy "bro" energy to be found anywhere. I love this bar. The staff is so…read morefriendly and the vibe of the entire experience was very appealing. It's thought of as a gay bar and clearly that's a lot of the clientele, but all are welcome. Cocktails are delicious and run about $15 each. Pretty standard pricing. They have a good selection of n/a drinks and a menu for lower alcohol cocktails as well. Great neighborhood bar

    Photos
    Lipstick Lover!
    Lipstick Lover!
    Kahlo Margarita
    Kahlo Margarita
    Nobody's Darling

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    Platform 47

    Platform 47

    4.8
    (40 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    This place is right off the Damen brown line stop. Down the block from Lawrence Ave. It used to be…read morea different restaurant a couple of years ago and it shut down, but a couple bought it and revamped the spot. It was three of us meeting for dinner and some drinks. My friend had white wine, hubby had an Espressotini, and I the watermelon-cucumber marg. We ordered the cauliflower ceviche, the Cauliflower wings, and the Brussels sprouts as appetizer. Then as an entree, my friend had the Jalisco Burger, hubby had the Salmon, and I a Salmon Caesar Salad. I personally loved the salad and the appetizers were great. Everyone else ate ALL their food, so I assume they also enjoyed it. The location was actually having an 80s night and there was a Dj and space for dancing. There were some people there dress for the themed night and it was just a great vibe. Talking with our friend and eating made us lose track of time and then it was time to leave but before we did, we met one of the owners who actually recommended I come by and visit. (Shoutout to Marcos ) He is the most warm and sunny person, and he was so grateful we actually came by. We had a shot and honestly I'd come back because of him. He told us a little bit about him, his family and about the restaurant backstory. I truly recommend you coming here, you will have a great time. Oh, and almost forgot, they have outside sitting, so you know it will be a great time when you just want to have an outside patio vibe with friends and some drinks. P.s. As you can tell, there are only two pictures. I was so, involved in the moment with my friend's stories and then the appetizers came and nothing else mattered. We all lost track of time and just enjoyed the vibe, the beautiful night, and time with friends, drinks, and food. Oh and 80s music.

    I stopped by Monday since they were donating 15% of tabs to The Friendship Center food pantry. I'd…read morebeen meaning to come by since they so generously donated mac and cheese to them for the Thanksgiving meals for the hungry in our community. It's a nice place. Kind of a sports bar but seems a little nicer than your average storeys bar. Service was friendly and helpful. I got the vegetarian ceviche, and it was delicious! It was served with aioli and a healing serving of chips. I've never eaten seafood and been vegetarian for over 30 years, but my boyfriend had a taste and also thought it was good and said they got the right flavor profile. He got the burger and tots and said both were very good. I'll definitely be back!

    Photos
    Smoky lady
    Smoky lady
    Wings
    Wings
    Platform 47

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    Rogers Park Social

    Rogers Park Social

    4.6
    (240 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    A wonderful experience on New Year's Day. Here's the link…read morefor the menu https://rpsocial.square.site/s/order We had a great service experience from the one server working, and the overall look of the place was festive from the holidays. If it looks like it's full when you first walk in, make sure you ask somebody for the place where you can sit in the room... versus the bar. And bring your dog! We saw several people with well behaved pups in there. An employee from a local pizza place walked around offering individual pizzas to buy. I also noticed they had an outdoor heated enclosed patio.

    I Had A Very Disappointing Experience At Rogers Park Social. I Am Currently Dealing With Back…read moreIssues And Was Unable To Sit Comfortably In The High-Top Chair At Our Table. I Politely Asked The Waitress Whether I Could Switch One Chair So I Could Sit Comfortably. Rather Than Offering A Simple Solution, She Abruptly Told Me That She Could Not Accommodate The Request. We Then Respectfully Asked The Guests At The Nearby Table Whether They Were Using The Chair, And They Kindly Confirmed That They Were Not. We Moved It To Our Table Without Disrupting Anyone, And The Waitress Did Not Raise Any Concern Afterward. That Made The Initial Refusal Especially Frustrating. This Was A Small, Reasonable Request That Would Have Had No Impact On Other Guests Or The Staff. Instead, I Was Made To Feel Like An Inconvenience. It Was Also A Sunday Evening When The Venue Was Not Crowded At All. After The Initial Interaction, Our Server Never Came Back To Check On Our Table Or Ask Whether We Wanted To Order Additional Drinks. The Bartender Eventually Had To Come Out From Behind The Bar To See If We Needed Anything. For A Group Of Five, That Level Of Attentiveness Was Disappointing. A Venue That Promotes Itself As Welcoming And Accommodating Should Be Prepared To Make Basic Seating Adjustments For Guests With Mobility, Injury, Or Back-Related Concerns And Should Provide Consistent Service Throughout The Visit. Based On Our Experience, We Will Not Be Returning.

    Photos
    Rogers Park Social
    Rogers Park Social
    Rogers Park Social

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    Sweethearts Bar

    Sweethearts Bar

    4.4
    (8 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    Very fun shotgun bar next to Lonesome Rose that was rocking 70s and 80s dance tracks on a Recent…read moreSaturday night. Excellent cocktails and complementary taxidermy

    What an lovely discovery Sweethearts Bar turned out to be! The Doctor and I were looking for a new…read morehappy hour place to hang, and we came across Sweethearts Bar. The entrance to the bar is located to the left of Lonesome Rose, which gives it a hideaway feel. The décor is lovely and the vibe is cozy and chill. I kind of felt like I was in a Western bar with the big bull head starting down at me. I would say that for parties of 2 to 4, this is a good joint to hang out in, but any larger groups, I did not see a space to accommodate more than 4 people. The night we were there, they had a cool 80s playlist going and that was nice to sit and chair dance while drinking my cava. The Doctor liked the fact that the beer was really cold. And I loved that they had sparkling wine. There is a small section on the menu for food: chips/salsa, Chile con queso, guacamole, Heartbreaker Burger (Chorizo Smash Patty, Grilled Onion, Cilantro, Chile Con Queso, Pickled Jalapeno, Shredded Lettuce, Jalapeno Ranch, Sesame Seed Bun) and Truck Stop Nachos. I got the Truck Stop Nachos (Black Beans, Queso, Pickled Red Onions, Pickled Peppers, Tomato, Crema). You have the option to add Picadillo Beef, Chorizo, or Carne Asada as protein. But you also have the option to have it vegan. I went with steak. Overall this was a nice snack but would have liked a little more steak added to it. I am not sure if you can order from the menu of Lonesome Rose, but the next time we go, I will ask about that. And I have to remember not to call Lonesome Rose, Lonesome Dove (the novel and mini-series). The selection of cocktails is decent, and it is nice that they have non-alcoholic beverages as well. For those that like hard seltzers, they have those as well as a "Toke Cosmic Berry", which is a THC seltzer. Service was nice, the bartender was attentive and friendly. We will definitely be adding this to our rotation of happy hour places.

    Photos
    Sidecar!
    Sidecar!
    Sweethearts Bar
    Beer

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    Beer

    Big Joe's - bars - Updated July 2026

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