My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025! Restaurant: 59/50 Month tried: October Favorite dish: Fried Pickles We've heard so much about the legendary Carol's Pub and were happy to finally swing by for drinks and music. I can't really rate it as a full restaurant yet because we only had fried pickles, but the menu is small and simple and smelled delicious. The serving of pickles was HUGE! Fit for like six people, not just the two of us. And they were yummy. The artist playing when we went was great. I've heard the music lineup is always reliably good, as are the events. It's high on my 2026 goal list to come back for karaoke, bingo, and drag brunch. read more

Staple in the Andersonville area for the good old classic bar experience in Chicago. Great draft selection, good food options - though I will say their idea of tater tots is maybe a little unique (but still good!). Go if you want to catch the local game, go if you want somewhere low key and straightforward, go if you just want to experience local Chicago. read more

Carol's Pub - Thematic decor - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a cool Chicago establishment. There was a small cover for the band when we went, but the drinks were affordable (I had the pink lemonade drink, but I don't remember what exactly it was called). They also serve food (including fried bologna sandwiches! Reminded me of back home in Kentucky). Really great vibes, the bartenders were cool, and so were the people. Definitely recommend this chill dive bar. read more

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Unexpected delight. Carol's outside didn't prepare me for delightful pub and ambiance inside. Great draft selection, holiday-inspired specialty cocktails, great burgers, festively decorated venue and attentive service. We had chicken wings - a mix of buffalo and Parmesan seasonings, burgers and cheese fries made with Merkt's cheese . We left while they were setting up for entertainment. It's unanimous that we will be back again. read more

Great dive with food at a reasonable price. A very welcoming ambiance. Love the characters who hang here too

I do miss going to Carols sometimes, such a good neighborhood spot with live music and a great HH....the food is solid, loved the chicken tendies, not breaded, basically grilled chicken, so good, service was great...The HH Margs are great for the price too. We had a blast chillin' and listening to the band...good times. read more

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I am not sure what has happened at Carol's, but last night was a pretty big disaster. First of all, I know it gets pretty crowded for Cougar Bingo so I saw that they now offer reservations and jumped on the opportunity. I also saw that there was a $6 per person deposit. When I arrived, I was not acknowledged, but saw that there was a sheet on my table. I ended up sitting down and nobody mentioned the reservation the whole night. It was also pretty empty so I am not sure why the deposit was even needed. I will keep an eye on this. They put us at a table near the front, but my friends asked if we could go to an empty back table. I was a little concerned because I had already ordered my food and a drink so I didn't want to mess up their system. They said "not a problem" and that was the LAST time I saw a server. Yes, I was there for almost three hours and NOBODY came back to our table. The other three people at my table had to wave down a server to get more drinks and any other food. Based on my position at the table, they never asked me if I needed a refill until the very end of the show. I had to wave to a server to get more food and another drink. Instead, they were too busy on their phones (yeah, on their phones) in the corner. The Bingo cleared half out in the middle so I wonder if other people got fed up. I had to literally go to the bar to close out since they hold credit cards. I know servers get a lot of crap, but there were 4 and they did squat the entire night. As for other issues, a server spilled an entire tray of drinks on my friend. While it wasn't her fault, all she got was a "sorry" and a towel. No free drinks, no discount, nothing. I hope her dress is ok. The other weird thing was that their $14 and $16 burgers do not come with a side. For some reason, I thought a $14 burger would come with some kind of side or you could add a side for $3 or something. Nope. I am not sure if something weird happened last night or if this is the norm, but I was extremely disappointed in this place and its service. I used to love coming here, but now they are nickel and diming people for poor service. read more

Thank you, Carol's Pub, for being an amazing spot for our weekly Friday night happy hours! My friends and I always look forward to the welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff who consistently make us feel at home. Recently, we brought a larger group for a friend's birthday, and the team went above and beyond to make it special--we even got to decorate! The happy hour deals are unbeatable, and the entertainment, lively vibe, and delicious food make it a standout venue. Highly recommend Carol's for anyone looking for great food, great people, and a great time! Can't wait for our next visit! read more

Carol's Pub - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place wasn't what I expected and it was fantastic! I came here on a holiday Monday afternoon and while quiet initially, it allowed me to enjoy some of their great pub food. The wings were exceptional and I also enjoyed their house made chips. Later in the afternoon, the crowd picked up and it was a fun atmosphere. Enjoyed the country music and the bartenders were super friendly. Look forward to going here again and perhaps do some line dancing! read more

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Accepting reservations for game day and then refusing to honor them is blatantly misleading. We arrived only to be told it was "first come, first served," with no seating available and no staff assisting guests. I had to track someone down myself just to get an explanation. Had this been communicated honestly in advance, I would have gone early to get seats or gotten accommodations elsewhere. It was messy and complete waste of my time. read more

We come her a lot because it's right down the street but be prepared to bring a police escort with you if you intend to pick up food to go on a band night. It's happened at least a hand full of times where I arrive to get a to go order and am greeted by the over eager door man who will not budge on making you pay a door fee to enter. Honestly that's fine! He clearly thinks we are just dying to hear the band for free so bad that we must lie about trying to pick up food to go so we can sneak in! It's really ridiculous! This time he did actually offer to send someone to the patio so we can order from there but when you have to get back home fast you don't have time for the servers to forget about you on a patio. (Happens a lot when we chose to dine in) Anyway, I ordered online and used the side door to enter at the pick up time said on my emailed receipt and when I exited there where literally 3 men waiting for me! Two door guys and a manger, when they saw the to go bag they all backed off but damn! So yeah, being a police escort to pick up food here cause they def will treat you like a criminal. read more

Nice place! Good drinks, they also have live music all country $10 cover. Wasn't our vibes but we were curious and it wasn't bad.. it would a great place to go with a big group thar like live country music. read more

Carol's Pub - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is always a great time. From the food to the music it's the best spot. Andrew our server was amazing and so helpful. My favorite part is the Busch lite, burgers and tenders. read more

Formerly a super dive bar and now it's kind of a trendy hipster bar but it still has charm. It's not as fun as it used to be but it's cleaner thankfully. Carol's Pub is a long time favorite for drinks and music. One of the big changes is there's food, and some of it's actually good. The prices have gone up as a result but you can still find some cheaper things and it's still not that expensive considering everything and quality. A lot of history about this bar. It's been around since 1972, and had a long list of musical performances. They play mostly country stuff. It's not my preference. They do play other stuff though. Some alternative and other hip music. There was recently a surprise appearance by countryish alternative band Wilco. Last time we got drinks and food. We were impressed. It's about $10 for a house specialty cocktail. The Carol's Cooler was the best of these. Light and refreshing. This was made with blackberries, Few gin, mint, and soda. As for the food, we got a Soft Pretzel. It's $11 for a big one covered in salt. Had to shake this off. Pretzel was still good after that. Food otherwise is greasy. There's burgers and that kind of stuff. Come for drinks, food, and music. It plays mostly country but there's other things. The act sometimes is famous, or was famous or whatever. read more

Carol's Pub - Carol's Cooler With A Soft Pretzel - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've lived in the neighborhood for over a year now and had no ventured into this place until literally this week. My friend and I stumbled on their weekly Wednesday trivia night and it was great! We sat at the bar and played for there. Our bartender was sweet and helpful and also went up to the host of the trivia night to get us sheets to play the game. We ordered various drinks and I liked what they had on draft - there's some decent options. The food here looked pretty good. We ordered the hush puppies and I had asked for buffalo chicken wings however she gave me tenders instead on accident (however I didn't say anything). The hush puppies were actually pretty decent! The chicken tenders were good - pretty standard. I'd wanna come back to try their burgers next time for sure. Overall a good vibe - I didn't feel out of place a queer person which was good. Given that it's in Uptown, it makes sense, but I was initially a bit weary coming here at first because of it being a country bar and just not really knowing what to expect, but I had a great time here with my other queer friend. Kudos for still being gay friendly. They also have patio seating on Leland, and on most warmer nights, they'll have the big windows on both sides open which adds to the ambiance. Definitely recommend this spot! Also, by no means does it feel like a dive bar - just an FYI. It's a pretty large place. read more

was extremely disappointed. First of all a friend of mine was performing there and we were all extremely excited for them. For a "Live Music Venue" the sound was awful, and the audio guy was playing games on his phone the whole show. The sound guy possessed no skills or didn't even tr. My advice to anyone going to play there, bring your own audio person to mix your show. wish it ended there, but no. Our first server was great, took real good care of us, but was the first one to be cut, so when we went to settle our bill the closing server had all sorts of attitude. Over charged us for drinks and the idiot kid who was pretending to be manager was no help. Better options like Reggie's and Martyr's. Avoid this place and if you're and artists looking for a venue, you're better off at the other two. read more

I am loving this neighborly local bar in Uptown. I came here with a group of friends for their weekly trivia night and I do suggest coming a little on the earlier side as it was packed with groups of people waiting to play. This was my first time at Carol's Pub so not sure how the ambiance normally is - but it was DECKED out in Christmas decor. The bar has a homey laid back vibe to it. The servers are hustling and even though the place was packed I never felt ignored or was waiting for a drink for a long time. I did order the cheese fries and fried pickle chips which were both plentiful. I'm glad they put the cheese sauce on the side because I was not a fan of it but the fries themselves were good. I can not highly recommend trivia night here enough. The game was a good paced, never felt like it lagged or took forever to play, the categories were a good mix of things and was easy to keep up with! We're already planning our next trivia night outing here! read more

This place rocks. There is a cover (never a fan of a cover), but the music was great. Our server was awesome. Food was surprisingly good for a bar. It wasn't crazy expensive, and they let me dance which is so awesome of them because I'm so terrible at dancing that I often ruin the vibes for everyone else! I highly recommend. P.S. the lighting makes everyone look phenomenal. read more

Carol's Pub - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Back in 2009 I used to hang out with this guy I will refer to as Billy ER. Because he used to insult people he barely knew and I thought it would get him into the E R We used to come here and there was lots of randoms who used to come here get into fights while they were wearing their overalls from Oshkosh. One time at about 2 am this guy didn't like that I was conversing with his female subordinate at the office and he asked what I thought of him kicking my "a--" . If I recall correctly I asked him what he thought of anger management classes . His response to my surprise is "where do I go" Anyways this was the place where it was rough and tumble and people did lots of shots. My understanding is they are under new management . I was surprised that I was able to have a salad . The wait staff was pleasant and was able to order drinks from them not just to go to the bartender. Last night my brother ordered a ukranian mule and I questioned if they would be able to tell what he was doing and getting a moscow mule. He told me not to doubt them. Karaoke is great here ...if you wanted only country karaoke understand that they include other genre's of music so it will get interesting. Nice fun place read more

Recently booked Carol's Pub for a special birthday bash and everything was GREAT! From the food, service, drinks, to the music on the stage. What a grand booking. Loved working with Lauren! read more

Carol's Pub - St. Jams rock 'n roll band - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great greatest personal mangers fantastic food fresh made fried potatoes and potato chips EVERYTHING on menu unbelievable even salad with fresh blue cheese. atmosphere and music make this the perfect hangout now the service you get the best for the reasonable price. I have to mention Agnes fantastic worries about everything going on. Don't wanna mention them all because I'll probably forget one but a few Dan Morgan, Faith, etc. I know I forgot someone, but they all know me by name. Sounds like cheers. read more

I live a couple blocks away from carols and feel so lucky to have such a wonderful "neighborhood" bar. I seriously treat this place as a second home with my best friend and her 2 kids. Some of the staff has gotten to know us and loves to entertain and chat with the kids (if they're not busy, of course). Food & drink: They have excellent bar food. I personally love their pretzel with cheese because they use merkts cheddar cheese. They also use this on their burgers and my fiance & dad love the burger! (I'm not a burger person). The drinks are as expected for a neighborhood bar and are very inexpensive for the city . I honestly go here 1-2 times a week. I never thought I'd be a regular anywhere but I think it's safe to say I am. It's definitely making me feel more attached to this neighborhood. read more

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So out of the ashes, a phoenix rises at the corner of Clark and Leland. This is not the dive bar that I came to love over time. This is truly a Pygmalion transformation. Eliza Doolittle definitely got a bath and clean bathrooms. I was a fan of the old Carol's because of Diamondback, the house band. Not a big fan of country music, I did like this band. I also liked to see the old couple that use to come in and dance on Saturday's. I did not go there for the ambiance because there was none. Dirty bathrooms, douchey sloppy no dancing drunks (male and female), a rat swinging from the ceiling on a trapeze. The new and improved Carol's is clean, light and airy. If you never went into the old Carol's, you can't fully appreciate the transformation. Walking into the old Carol's was like walking into basement of Norman Bate's mom's house. The new owners have transformed the basement into a nice opened space venue, with windows that you can not only see out of, but they open to allow in fresh air (once the weather permits). The bathrooms have been renovated to allow you to actually use them without fear. They are very clean and there are multiple stalls. Back in the old days, I used the bathroom before going there to avoid using theirs, and when it got close to breaking the seal, it was time to go. There are now booths and high top tables. The kitchen is visible and clean. The food is basic but good. Nice solid burgers and fries. A woman sitting next to us at the bar had the tater tots and offered us one....they were more like big potato balls, but not much in the way of flavor, in my opinion. Nick, the bartender on Saturday, was very personable and attentive. And it was great to see CJ back. She was one of the old bartenders who took care of us back in the day. She is also responsible for the art that you will see along the wall if you go to the clean bathrooms. We got there at 8:30 pm and the place was already packed; was not use to seeing that as the crowds use to come in after 10 pm. We lucked out and found seats at the bar. But by the time the band came on, the place was packed and loud; it was difficult to hear the band. Bottom line, kudos to the new owners for revamping the joint. Hope they do well and can maintain the momentum. read more

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Says it's a 4am bar. It's a 2am bar. They claim it's been so for years. Lame. Food is good though. They serve coffee late. All in all 3.5/5. read more

Sheesh . And furthermore sheesh. Love this crazy place. By the way , you will too. Don't question me. You will be wrong. Please, just trust me for the love of Pete. read more

Carol's Pub - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

OMG, this place is so much fun. They have events like live music, trivia and even a Cougar bingo, LOL. The staff and clientele is friendly and they make you feel welcome and confortable. Excellent drink selection as well as a full bar and sometimes there are drink specials. They have "bar food" but the kind you actually want to eat and enjoy eating. don't hesitate from waiting until you get there to eat- its really good! Check out Carol's- read more

This is what a good neighborhood bar should be. Good atmosphere, good service, reasonably priced with good nightly deals, good music options - and surprisingly good food. Burgers and chicken tenders or wings are really good. Weeknights are a perfect night if you are looking to grab a bite and grab a few drinks. Weekends can get packed when there is live entertainment. Good spot overall. read more

Checked Carol's out for the first time this past weekend and was impressed! We saw a live band & their stage setup is great- tables in front of the stage but also seats behind the bar area further away. I didn't get a chance to try the food, but definitely will on the next visit- hard to find a bar that has a grill like that anymore. Total Nashville vibes. Will be back! read more

Note: I have one visited Carol's for karaoke night on Wednesdays so my review is only based on this. Carol's is a great neighborhood bar to hang out with friends. I love the karaoke they do here on Wednesday nights (Pop Up Karaoke). There are definitely regulars that frequent the bar, so it's nice to see familiar faces and to strike up conversations with fellow neighbors. Drinks are pretty cheap and the cocktails on the menu are pretty tasty. Sweater weather is definitely my favorite. The bartenders are very friendly and I've never had any issues with, well, anything here :) It's a welcoming space for all kinds of people (so don't let the country western bar theme scare you off). Definitely worth visiting and frequenting if you live in the area, and even if you don't, the karaoke is still worth making a trip for! read more

Carol's Pub - My karaoke swag - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We visited the bar Thursday evening from 7-9pm. Staff was friendly, food and drink were reasonable, and live music was very nice to chill. We ordered fries and chips: fries were crunchy and warm enough and the volume was great for two of us, but chip&dip was flavorless and disappointing. The Christmas decorations were cheering. I felt that customers were respectful towards band members and they listened to them well, which is one of the reasons I like this place. I'll come back some time soon! read more

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Chicago staple! My partner use to live above here so Ive had many nights of food orders and great service from the family here at Carol's. The energy is great and cool like you've been there or like in a cheers way, I think its fun for a late night out in the town if you want to chill out with friends and do nothing. read more

Visited carols pub for the first time this weekend, and couldn't have had a better time. It was for a special event, and seemed to be a limited crowd, so that may have helped, but we did not feel too crowded at all. The waitresses were attentive taking drink orders from crowd. It was very clean. The lights hanging from roof and decor was very fun. We were right in front of stage, and the sound was a little over our heads and drowned out because the high hanging speakers were above us so directed the sound behind us, but overall, we had a great time! Parking was also very easy outside. read more

NEW AND IMPROVED!!! Clean! Open! Airy! Smells good, not bad! well priced drinks, and now - FOOD! I'll be back for some of that, but my assessment on my first visit since the remodel? WELL DONE, CAROL'S!!! read more

Carol's was great! Seemed like one of their first nights back with indoor dining so will give them a pass on the poor service, waiting an hour before placing an order and having to go up to the bar to do so. Granted the burger hit the spot! Seriously a great burger and we loved the option to include Merks cheddar. Would return for the burger alone and fun bar atmosphere with country music - my fave vibe. Will also add a note to avoid the pickle fries though, gosh, they were way too salty. Go for the burger alone - trust me! Oh and thank you Carol's for the complementary Jell-O shots! Very purple, very potent :) read more

Carol's Pub - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place would give dives a bad name. Apparently, in the neighborhood, it is a local hotspot. However, we were very disappointed and could not get out of there fast enough. The drinks weren't very good, there weren't nearly enough places to set your drink, and the layout is not really conducive to even having a conversation. The music was decent, though. So if you were just looking for a place to stand, hold a domestic beer, and listen to a band, I guess this is where you go. read more

Carol's Pub - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went here on a Friday to get out of the house and see some live music. Had a great time. I sat at the bar and the service was awesome. The band was good . I was drinking beer and their list is good with drink specials. The chicken tenders were the bomb and I definitely recommend them along with the fried pickles. Nice atmosphere with plenty of room and open windows. read more

Great local bar! I come for their awesome food specials, great Chicago dogs, plus awesome drink specials. They have a stage where they have shows (pre-COVID) and the service is always on point. Worth checking out for sure. read more

I love this place. I love the staff. I love the old Carol's and I love the new Carol's even more. Glad the new owners was able to keep the same great times but clean it up. The food is amazing and with COVID, the ownership the management and staff is taking extra pre caution for your safety and the staff. I feel totally safe here and in good hands. read more

Carol's Pub - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great drinks! And the food was tasteful, greasy and delicious... just what i was looking for! The burger was full if flavor! Fries were chicago cut classics and the pickles a perfect pair for the fabulous cocktails! read more

Carol's Pub - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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oh my god.. morgan is the best bartender i've ever had in my life. jonny is amazing too! i had SUCH a great experience here.