The Standard Taproom located on 119th St. in Whiting is one of the best local bars around. And with…read more20-30 rotating beers on tap every week or so, you'll never get tired of the selection. They also have cocktails and wine. Service is wonderful & the vibe is very lowkey. They allow outside food which is great during football season. Theres always plenty of open tables, great TV, Thursday night records & outdoor bistro seating during the summer months. All in all an A+, it's one of our favorite haunts.

I've been a regular for about 2 years, and I think the negative reviews are just because people are…read moreexpecting a general bar/cheap taproom, so here are disclaimers about standard Tap. -THE BEER IS EXPENSIVE: The owner is exceptionally picky about what he puts on draft and tries to source beers that are harder to find in Indiana. Because they are of better quality and harder to find, they are a bit more expensive. Standard Tap sells big brand beer in bottles and cans if you just want a cheap regular beer. -THE BEER HAS NO HEAD: This is 100% intentional. You go to most good breweries and they intentionally pour a smaller head. -THERE IS NO FOOD: At no point has this place ever advertised food. They do, however, allow you to bring whatever you want in. They offer takeout menus from local businesses, or you can bring your own food and snacks from home. This is actually becoming much more popular with breweries, bars, and taprooms. My personal experience with the service has been fine. I will say that the husband and wife who own it are the only employees, so it will take a while to get your beer if they are busy. If you genuinely like craft beer, and not just Sunking and Sierra Nevada, this place is worth a try. There is always a variety of beers on tap, so there is something for everyone. The highlight of this place is beer but there are other alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks offered. My advice is to pack some snacks and head there on a weekday night if you really want to get a feel for this place.

I didn't know this bar had a name.. I love it! Although smoking can be a bit much indoors, I do…read moreenjoy having a few drinks here in between gambling. Push is in the middle of Horseshoe Casino.. it's a circular bar with tables and seats surrounding. Decor is dark but comfortable. Clean and spacious layout. Bartenders are friendly and attentive. Diverse crowd of people. Drinks aren't too pricey... There's decent music, plenty TVs; fun vibe. I've never been here as a "club" and hardly seen anyone dancing. But this joint is cool to just chill during your Horseshoe adventures, ha. I've been to Push at least 10 times. Always a good time!

Plus 1 star for being the easiest place to get a drink at the Horseshoe Casino. I didn't see any…read moreother bars around so if you need a drink, come here. Plus 1 for cheap drinks. $11 for a Bloody Mary and a Jack and Coke Plus 1 for having a name that is gambling-related Minus 1 for being named after the most boring possible outcome in gambling. Would you go to a place named Tie? Didn't think so. Minus 2 for the service. It took forever to get a drink sitting at one of the tables around the perimeter. It might have been better to just go to the bar, but why bother? Minus 1 for the exterior. Approaching Push from the casino floor, I couldn't even tell it was open until walking by the entrance. All that is visible is an opaque curtain around the outside with two openings. At first, I thought it was a stage that was closed for the night. Minus 1 for the interior. I guess they didn't bother renovating this place for the re-opening. It looked like a bad cruise ship lounge from the 70s - and not in a good way. Also, would it kill them to clean the bugs and debris from the light fixtures? Plus 5 for the people-watching. If you're a sarcastic S.O.B. like I am, kick back and enjoy the Hoosiers. Minus 3 for the music. They had a DJ playing mash-ups and all of the greatest hits from 1992. Do you miss hearing Tag Team's "Whoop, There It Is"? Come here! What put the nail in the coffin for this place was the mash-up of "Rumpshaker" and "Paper Planes". You heard me. I actually heard the following: "All I wanna do is runna zoom, zoom, zoom in a boom boom....and take your money!" Plus 1 for being my first one-star review. I can't believe it took this long. Thank you, Push, for being my inspiration.

Come on in, the vibe is right and this is the place to be…read more This couple has been married for over twenty-one years and have worked together to offer us a brand that truly embodies the perfectionists they are. The name Maxey as well as their slogan; cold drinks, good laughs and great times is synonymous with the couple's ability to be both hospitable and entertaining. After speaking with them, I learned that they have enjoyed hosting parties at their house for years. They have also generously fed family and friends during the holiday seasons. Whether or not you showed up, was your choice but all were invited. The music was always upbeat, drinks stayed cold, everyone laughed and every belly was fed. The only thing this couple would run out of was room. Very happy to see the opening of Maxey's Sports Lounge. What a beautiful establishment; every detail meticulously planned, from floor to ceiling with state of the art fixtures throughout. Drinks are excellent; great variety of house and premium liquors. There is a nice offering of fried foods to choose from; catfish filets, whole wings, fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and mushrooms. I had the wings; crispy outside with a seasoned crust which comes with fries and was really good. I am truly grateful for the Maxey's allowing me the opportunity to come in and spend some time with them before their grand opening. I am sure the couple anticipates booking a lot of different sporting events, parties and comedy shows that will fill up their space. Whatever you are celebrating, whatever the occasion, come on in. This is the place to be. Trust me, your experience is going to be memorable.

Checked out this chill lounge in Hazel Crest. It certainly is more worthy than its craptastic…read morelocation. Maxey's is known for crowds that are better behaved and not troublemakers. A lot of great cocktails to choose among. There's also some things to eat but it's usually just things that are greasy. Basically this bar has a more mature crowd. It's great if not wanting to run into those who are about to pop a cap in the ass of someone. There's also limited hours so it's harder to get in whenever. A place that really limits when to go. This makes it harder to communicate with employees about events or other things. It's about $10 for a basic cocktail. The food is pretty basic, just things from the fryer to be honest. It's about $7 for an appetizer. They have the basics like onion rings. For sure there's a lot of events. It's located on 183rd Street at Kedzie. They're closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

BE CAREFUL. Bartenders will upcharge you for "Mixed Drink" when you NEVER asked for a double, neat,…read moretall drink etc. All I asked for was a whiskey and coke. When I called them out about it they said it's for liquor, that i never asked for btw. When I left for the bathroom BOTH bartenders came up to my date trying to defame me. The owner sits at the bar and watches his bartenders RIP OFF patrons with their own CUSTOM UpCharges. I'm a former bartender and see for yourself their MADE UP CHARGES.

Thanks again for the super loud music you are playing right now. You woke up my kids and they can't…read morego back to sleep. We live 1 block away. Please be considerate of your neighbors.

Call me an old timer if you will, but I love this place. Its like walking back in time. Piggy's is…read morea dive. A shithole even. But its my kind of shithole. And I love Indiana for not caving into the anti-smoking, fascist bastards who've been pushing their anti-tobacco agenda down our throats. It was so nice to be in a bar where I could light a Cigar and not get taken away in handcuffs. Piggy's reminds me of the old neighborhood taverns of yesteryear. The place was dark, dingy and comfy. I have to admit, I enjoyed my walk down the memory lane of booze. If you find yourself in Whiting and have the urge for a cold one, give Piggy's a try. Its a dingy, smokey delight. If I'm in the Whiting area, I'm definitely stopping back in. The first round is on me.

This is definately one of my favorite hangouts. It's one of the most fun bars in Lake County, and…read moreNW Indiana I'm sure. If you have a pretty big group of people though and try to sit atthe tables, it can get a little cramped. I think that the bowling machine more than compensates for tht flaw though. They have this arcade bowling game where you roll this sort of puck type thing and hit bowling pins, it's really fun. I'm pretty good at it naturally which is probably part of why I love it, hehe. The jukebox here is marvelous! I've sat there hearing great tune after great tune, usually hard rock and metal; Black Sabbath, Metallica, AC/DC and so forth. The bartenders are really nice as well. There's quite a few bikers in there, but it's not like they claim it as their turf or anything, they just chill and hangout like the rest of us. Piggy's is just good fun.

I first visited this place for a Stepping class on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM. It is decorated so…read morecute. The owner is a very nice lady. They offer charcuterie boards to go with the wine. It's a small place, perfect for a small gathering.

Let me start by saying that the views were 5 star and the place has a cool vibe - although the…read morehouse music they were playing was a bit loud for the small number of people eating when I was up there. That said, this place just completely disappointed. The food was just not good. I had the burger sliders and for $9 a piece you expect them to be something special. They were not. Overcooked with a little sauce and two pickles slapped on the bun with a tiny little dab of fake cheese - it was like a bad and way more expensive version of McDonald's. The onion rings were the frozen crumbly kind not the fresh beer battered kind and so that's a big "no!" for me. The dipping sauce was okay. Service was friendly and I think the guy was new but it wasn't good enough for a place like that at the top of the building. There were two servers so I'm guessing one was training maybe. They didn't make it to my table to check to see if everything was okay while I was eating and it even took them a while to notice that I was done eating. It's was slow so I don't think they were stressing with too many tables. That kind of place should knock your socks off - but it was on the low end of mediocre. I wouldn't go there again for food. Maybe it's a decent place to go to the bar but since I don't drink I can't help much on that end.

Great food, drinks, and view. We came on a Sunday and ordered some drinks to start, as well as…read moreBrussels sprouts. There were a small portion but delicious. Not too crispy but still tasty. We also shared the half chicken and Ceasar salad with shrimp. There were only 3 pieces of shrimp for the extra money we spent; but otherwise the food was delicious. Definitely on the pricier side because of the rooftop and area.

I have driven by here since they opened and said i need to check it out but haven't since last…read moreFriday night for a drinks on a much needed girls night out after a difficult, to put it lightly, few weeks. This place is amazing! You walk in to a trendy fun and welcoming bar. The bar tenders greeted us with friendly smiling faces. We found a place to sit in the back & we were given menus. Neither of us had ever been there before so we asked for recommendations. We went with something fruity, I think it was called paradise something, it had pineapple and coconut in it. But we had that to start. It was delicious. Then she came back and I asked for a recommendation on the dessert portion of the menu and she said the cupcake martini was a huge hit and so my friend & I did went with that -- just a note the cupcake martini has a lot more alcohol in it than the first one, whoa... -- but it was still really good! My friend and I had a blast while drinking our martinis and enjoying the atmosphere in the lounge. The way they set it up is really nice. I went home and immediately told my boyfriend about it. I'm really looking forward to going back and trying out different drinks! I haven't heard people talk about this place. It's like a hidden gem in Homewood!

This was a last-minute invite for me. I haven't been back since they stopped selling LoveLuvv…read moreSparkling Wines. If you know, you know. However, a friend got stood up, so I came in to fill the spot. First, I have to say this is definitely a nice little spot tucked into Homewood. It sits right in the heart of its town-ish downtown area and really completes that "where to go and meet the locals" vibe. The staff is always nice, and the drinks are always strong. Honestly, I would love to have something like this in the South Loop, but at the same time, I think part of what makes it work is exactly where it is. The main floor is comfortable and accessible, with loveseats, bar stools, and plenty of space to settle in. It falls just a hair short of having that comfortable neighborhood restaurant feel, just without the restaurant or the food. The cool part is that you can bring in food from any of the local places down the street, which fits perfectly with the whole neighborhood atmosphere. Then there's the basement speakeasy, which has an entirely different feel and is easily one of my favorite parts of the place. Overall, this is one of those places that reminds you that you don't always have to head into the city to find a great night out. It's comfortable, welcoming, has plenty of personality, and feels like it belongs exactly where it is. If you're in the south suburbs and looking for a place to grab a strong drink, meet up with friends, or just settle in and enjoy the evening, this should absolutely be on your list.

This used to be the go-to local bar to blow off steam after a tough day at work. The clientele is…read morecomprised of a really cool mix of local south- siders (read: White Sox fans!) and UChicago staff/students. There is an epic wall mural that features different aspects of the city, including a huge Barack Obama head. As I said: epic. The bar is separated into two distinct parts, divided by a counter/tables in the center (you have to walk all the way around if you want to switch sides or move at the tables). On one side is the bar and a few TVs to watch the games, giving it a louder sports bar kind of vibe. On the other side there are a bunch of tables--almost like picnic tables. It feels very communal and laid-back. It's a place you can sip on drinks and easily spend time with a group of friends. The Cove is very group-friendly. My favorite part? My friend brings his dog there and it's no problem. Is this bar a dive? Yes. Do I care? No. Do I actually love it? Absolutely. Best bar on the area, hands down.

The owner Sonnie Kireta and his security Milton Brawner used excessive force brutally assaulting my…read moreson who was a 3 year patron. My son had to leave in a ambulance,. had to go through wound care and physical therapy, unfortunately he had to learn that no where is a safe space and Bars in Hyde Park are not safe just because it is Hyde Par. Milton the security and owner had been drinking as well that night that's what I was told.. Beware this is not a safe place. The matter is still allegedly still being investigated we n witnesses it wss April 23 2026 because they won't release the entire video footage because it probably would incriminate the. I am still disgusted! I guess they have special privileges... Cancel the Cove .....

Ok love this awesome neighborhood bar. Willah was awesome and the people there could not be nicer…read more The only ding is they allow smoking there.

This place is a real find. The staff is great and the owner buys rounds all the time. It seems…read morelike a transient bar because of all the temporary workers from BP. I love this bar...it's my kind of place!