A true rock n roll bar. I love everything about Delilah's. The music is awesome, staff is amazing and it just feels like home. You can find me here on Mondays because I'm a bargain hunter and can't pass up $1 beer and $2 whiskey. I'm a beer and whiskey enthusiast (when my budget allows for it) and Delilah's has such an amazing selection, all at fair prices! I've attended some of their whiskey seminars and plan to go to more in the future. If you don't like punk rock, playing pool or pinball, this isn't your place. read more

Delilah's - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to Delilah's last night for my friends 21st and had a terrible experience. The lady bartending threw away my friends drink and threatened to kick us out for having a drink from outside the bar. Rather than giving us the chance to take the drink and leave or throw it away and continue staying there she took matters into her own hands and decided to just throw away our drink. After tipping her and apologizing she continued to give us bad service until we decided to leave. The other staff was lovey and rest of the environment was great. However will definitely not be going back after how the old lady with the glasses and tattoos decided to treat us read more

Delilah's, if only you were a little closer to my place. You seem to pop into the rotation once every year or two and I don't know why not more. Great selection of Beer from your basic's to the tasty (subjective) imports that you have found for our consumption and a huge selection of Whiskeys. Morrissey was playing (DJ for only Morrissey... hmm I liked it) at a decent level you could still carry on a conversation, or ignore one you did not want to be a part of. Despite it getting a little crowded the feel is relaxed, no attitude. A solid goto place... Perhaps I need to go to a little more. read more

Came here on a Thursday night and got some cheap drinks DRINKS: Drinks were relatively cheap, for being a lincoln park bar. SERVICE: The bartendress was super sweet and knew all of the specials. She was also able to recite the specials and events they had going on for the whole week. ATMOSHPERE: The music was loud and everyone seemed to be in a pretty good mood. I was surprised by the robust crowd on a Thursday night. read more

These type of dives are the best. The ones that resemble Delilah's are bare that take themselves out of the norm. It ain't your average old man dive with a heavy sports vibe and accessible pop/dance music playing in the background, nah not here. The night I walked into Delilah's, these people had a Smiths playlist play. All. Night. Seriously, from when I walked in til when they shouted last call in the dead of night. Nothing but post-punk goodness. Anyways, that took me aback. Not many places these days play such great music. Obviously, Delilah's is catered more to the punk rockers of the city, and I'm all for that. There are two floors at this place, and to be honest, I was too gone to remember what the first floor looked like so I'll talk about the second. It was a fairly roomy space with TVs, a bar (but of course), some seats, pinball machines, and a pool table. Sounds like one Hell of a haven from this subzero weather to me! But really, whoever runs the place did a good job in creating a more darker atmosphere with this bar. I feel like it's Halloween in there, and that's always an awesome feeling. read more

Had a great time on a late Friday night. Both floors were jam packed but the bartenders were doing a good job. Drinks menu is extensive and they have specials each night..the one on Friday was Labatt Blue Canadian beer for $4. What a steal! Drunken pool games upstairs can get pretty competitive lol. We played twice and both times had to watch the board so that our name doesn't get erased haha. No food in the bar probably but there are some great late night food options right next to it - a pizza by the slice and a Mexican fast food restaurant. Both are really good! read more

This place rules. I was in town on a Monday night for Skate Punk night. It was awesome, they had free pool, skate videos playing on the TV and of course punk rock music playing. The dj was actually spinning punk vinyl. Drinks were cheap and good. Even met a pal who bought me a Marlöt shot. Everyone seemed to be having a great time cool vibe for the fellow punx. I'll definitely return next time I'm in town. Ask they have a HUGE selection of whiskey, which is amazing for a punk dive. read more

Delilah's - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great bar and an amazing whiskey selection, but I am really writing this because I want to thank the amazing bartender who overheard my date pressuring me to keep drinking and stepped in and told the guy off. You really put that dude in his place and gave me an out to leave an awkward first date. Thank you! read more

Leave your collared shirts at home and roll up your sleaves to show off that ink. This place reminds me of a spot you might fidn in LA's Silverlake district. It's a divey bar that serves high end whiskey and just about any booze you'd want. The cliental is straight out of a Tattoo casting call, but very chill. I think we were there on country night because that's all they played. They even had country westerns playing on the TV's. However it was the gritty country--Cash. Fun dive spot where you are able to get a seat and have a convo. read more

Friend planned a surprise party here last night. The people were incredibly helpful and were super aware of how to not spoil a surprise! They were also jamming Elvis tunes all night, which is a bonus. read more

Perfect dive bar. They have a crazy whiskey selection. They also have an upstairs with a pool table. It's a fun place to go and have a drink. Feels authentic and less cookie cutter than a lot of the area bars. read more

I love this place for the mere fact that it's pretty much black inside with hints of green. Green is my favorite color, incase you didn't know. I liked the general vibe this place had, even though we went early in the day and it was pretty dead. Stopped in to grab a drink, I tried their cocktail of the month which was the Swamp Thing Elixer which had apple vodka, green tea vodka, and soda. Pretty tasty. I loved that they had nuts in a quarter candy vending machine. It was the best mix of tacky/cute/clever to me. They also had Gunslinger Beef jerky for sale by the bar! Cool little snacks if you ask me. The Emerald Ice Jukebox looked pretty sweet. Might have to request some songs next time. For sure wanna go back at night sometime. read more

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Great bar in LP. This place is really fun and different than any other bar i've been to in Chicago. It is dark and divy and it is great! If you are looking for a night cap or a low key night, go here. If you are out with your friends all day and want to keep drinking, go here. It is a good place to go no matter what type of vibe you're looking for (except if you're looking for a rooftop). 5 stars for Delilah's. read more

Hosted a private event in upstairs - fun and unique room. Had activities to keep people entertained (pool, game machines) and they let you put on your own tunes and bring in your own food. The staff (mike, sue, Mary) were honestly some of the nicest and wholesome people I have ever met. Will absolutely be recommending and booking them in the future! read more

What a gem. The interior has a really intimate vibe, excellent movies being played in the background, and just a mix of music that's everything from reggae to 90s hiphop to alt. rock to chill. I love whiskey, so this was just fantastic! They got a good variety and an excellent bartender. He knew his drinks and he was such a chill person to talk to. read more

Delilah's - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

love love love this bar. cheap tshirts, cheap drinks, amazing selection of craft beer. alot of drink and shots specials. fun staff! plenty of places to sit. awesome music and concerts playing on the tvs. overall an amazing time. bathrooms are small, clean, but private. i loved the whole atmosphere. i would come back here in a heartbeat all the way from jersey! read more

I don't give very many bad and low reviews but I'm writing this based on my first and so far only experience at this place. The service was ok (and I do love and appreciate their beer selection - especially one of my favorite beers Hoegaarden on draft) but their one bathroom for ladies and one bathroom for gentlemen seem desperately not enough for busy night such as Saturday night (yesterday). Speaking of the bathroom - this is why I have to give such a low review. The bathroom itself isn't in very good condition to start with and it just isn't enjoyable to use unless you are drunk enough that you simply don't care at all which I wasn't ... in addition to the bathroom being in bad state as it's, yesterday it was also very dirty and nobody seemed to check on it over the course of two and half hours that we were there, which in my opinion should be done frequently, especially if you only have two bathrooms for the whole bar! read more

I have been to Delilah's twice now, once as a patron and once with a private party. As patrons, my wife and I, had a lovely time. The bartender paid the right amount of attention to us and gave us suggestions for what to drink. The bar itself looks great, and isn't slammed on weeknights, but Friday and Saturday night, it can get a little busy, however, that's to be expected. When my wife and I rented out the room upstairs for our wedding reception, the staff, Mary, Mike, Zack, and Christine, went above and beyond to accommodate both our guests, food, and anything else that popped up. I can't recommend this place enough, it is a perfect spot to chill and have a few drinks, listen to some good music, or have a party. I will be going back and promoting it as much as possible. Thank you Delilah's for doing everything you did and making it an unforgettable experience. read more

I like this place so much I bought the t-shirt. Very authentic punk bar, with an incredibly sophisticated and elaborate selection of whiskey. I like to try a new one each time I come here. They also play great films, the past few times I've been here they were playing El Topo and the original Mad Max. Monday night is popping (they have their beer specials if you are one of the weirdos who comes here and doesn't have whiskey). I've met many interesting people (on a varying spectrum of levels of savory) upstairs while playing pool. Never a dull night here. read more

- Cheap daily beer and whiskey special - Tons of whiskey and beer to choose from - 2 levels of dark dive decor - Abstract wall art - Interesting selection of music every night -The occasional 70's porn being shown on the TV's - Great people watching - Friendly servers Mix them how you want, hell take a few out of the list and you'll still end up with a place that makes you remember why you love drinking. Its dingy, the table seats have tears in them and a few less springs. The bathrooms are plastered with every sticker imaginable and are not worth taking a crap in. Most girls there look like they would rather punch me instead of making an attempt of a smile. Dammit why do I enjoy this place. If you don't like this place you should have known not to walk in in the first place. read more

Delilah's - The king is watching you - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you claim to be a whisky guy and you live in the Midwest Delilahs is a pilgrimage you must make. Truly an epic selection of hard to find juice. I had my first sip of Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye at Delilahs. Unreal is all I can say! read more

Delilah's - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The best whisky list you could imagine and the most helpful, professional bartenders. Plus badass music. It's worthwhile to ask the bartenders for advice, even if you don't have a super intense whisky background they will bring you something delicious and in the price range you desire. They are not intimidating at all. That said, no one gives you stink eye if you just get a quick beer or a shot. So in other words, the perfect bar! read more

I very rarely give out 5 stars. I feel like to earn five stars there has to be something that business is doing to earn it. Delilahs has many many reasons. Let's start out with the basics, there is no dress code. No cover. Yes it is a dive bar. There is no table service, no bulls**t mixologists making fancy mixed drinks. You either sit at the bar and order your drinks or grab a small table and sit.The crowd skews towards punk and other similar music followers. There was a guy playing records which was mainly punk,ska, and obsecure reggae towards the end of the night. The staff is very friendly even the door guy. I don't particularly fit the usual crowd that is there but they made me feel welcome anyways. On the surface it looks like any old bar, until you look at the bourbon and American whisky list and realize that the menu is literally 12pages long front and back. No joke the bourbon part was probably 4-5pages. I have never seen this much bourbon and American whisky in one place before. It runs the gamut from cheap pour of jack Daniels to a.h. Hirsch 16 year special reserve and everything in between. Much of what they carry is either hard to find, discontinued, or non existent. If you really want to get something good ask for mike Miller, the bars owner. His knowledge was mind blowing. We had a good talk about rare bourbon and i learned some stuff I didn't know about before. Besides bourbon and American whisky, they had a pretty good amount of scotch, and other international whiskeys. The prices are very reasonable and they sell everything on the menu in 1oz pours. I wish all bars would do this. I like to try new things when I'm at a bar,and there's nothing worse then getting 2oz of something you don't like. Here they do 1oz and if you like it get more. In closing, mike and his team are all cool, the bar isn't huge but it gets the job done, the bathroom has a lock on the door, soap and towels. This is a pet peeve of mine going to bars, clubs etc where the bathroom is really dirty and the doors don't lock or no soap. They have cool bar shirts for sale. And they sell everything including beers for a reasonable price. All bars should have this business model. Mike you rule! read more

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Whiskey Bar. The best of the best. Bartenders are so knowledgeable on this subject. Great vibe. Always great music. Always a good time, even if you go in there by yourself. Keep up the good work. read more

First bar I ever went to in Chicago. Never seen it sober. Good. Cheap. Rock and roll. (Like my ex-girlfriend, but a bar.) I'd be in here 24/7 if it was open 24/7. (Like my ex-girlfriend, but a bar.) There's occasionally a bunch of assholes in here when I want to be. (Like my ex-girlfriend, but a bar.) Still, no matter how much I might shit talk it or pee on it, Delilah's is wonderful and I should go there more often. (Like my ex-girlfriend, but a bar.) I love you, Delilah's. Why did you marry that fucking teacher's assistant? You're so stupid sometimes. You're so beautiful. God I miss you. Can't we just- Just- *sobbing* read more

Step into my time machine and come with me back to January 2002. It's my first weekend living in Chicago, I don't know a soul in the city, and I want to go out. Somehow I ended up at Delilah's. I honestly don't remember how. I think I was looking in the Reader for bars that had live music or something. Anyhoo, the details aren't important - which is good, because I don't remember very many from that night. I remember I sat at a table all by my lonesome and enjoyed a long island iced tea or three. (Oh, Young Jo and your long island drinking ways.) I remember the bartender being exceptionally cool. I remember there were no live bands that night, much to my disappointment. ...and that's about all I remember. I haven't been back since, but every single time I pass by here I think "awww, that was the first bar I ever went to as a Chicago resident." And for that, it will always hold a special place in my heart. read more

I don't know much about whiskey but I do know a thing about good beer. And yes, they do have exactly that at Delilah's. If I write anything out of character in this review, go ahead and blame me. Actually... let's blame the guys from the New Holland Brewing Company. Because they're pushing their new glorious artisan spirits on me and of course their legendary brews. As if! Like they need to twist my beer-lovin' arms. Into tastings? Well you're in the right place. Yes, I'm on my laptop right now in a dark corner. And they're pulling me back in... I think I need to go. Right. Now. Don't leave without checking out the cool art. The music's good too. I'm bopping my head around a bit, not gonna lie. Okaygoodnight. Back to my brew! read more

About as Wicker Park of a bar as you can possibly get in Lincoln Park. It's a sweet little slice of hipster heaven amidst the at times obnoxious scene that is Lincoln Ave. There's tons of whiskey, great specials, and cool bartenders. The couches have some "character" (meaning they're shitty, but perfectly appropriate for a dive bar) lighting is extremely low, and the music is everything you won't find down the street at Gin Mill. Cash only, but if you dig a different scene than the normal Michigan State ba...I mean Lincoln Park bar you'll enjoy Delilah's. read more

On Mondays, Delilah's has $1 American Beers. After the Yelp event last week, we decided we needed to get out of expensive near north and find a bar with some sweet Monday night specials. Where did I turn? Yelp, of course! Armed with my Blackberry, I searched for some Monday night drink specials and this was the top of the list. What's an American Beer you ask? We debated this in the car on the way to the bar and it turns out we were completely off. We thought it meant domestic or maybe just synonymous with Miller. Nope. There is an actual brand of beer called American. And you know what? When it's served perfectly chilled, it tastes pretty darn good. And it is $1. Yay! The music was pretty good. Not exactly what I would have chosen, but it wasn't so loud that I couldn't hear my friends. The decor of the place is pretty eclectic, decorated with posters of singers, albums, random pieces of pop culture (Laura Palmer!) - I definitely like it. On a Monday night the place wasn't full so we had no problem grabbing a table for our party of four. Maybe I'll find myself back here when I have nothing to do on a Monday - it's right off the Diversey bus. read more

One of these things is not like the other! Can you guess what? It's me! A group of friends and I came here this past weekend to celebrate Mirrin M.'s birthday, and it was a bit different (for me) to say the least. It's a punk rock bar. I don't know much about the punk rock subculture, but I'd imagine Delilah's is as punk as you'll get in Lincoln Park. Honestly, had I not been here for a good friend's party, I would have left after my initial room scan. Nonetheless, I love me some Mirrin, so in I went. We had a planned, yet informal, gathering without any wristband deal or reserved tables. Because of this, we found ourselves taking over multiple tables on both levels and shuffling between the two groups. We began upstairs where we had one low booth at the top of the stairs. After being upstairs for a while, it became evident that the booth was a handicap for our large group as the booth people weren't accessible to any one more than one deep in our crowd. Because the area we were occupying was more of a walkway from the stairs, we were bumped often and the air was stuffy from too many bodies concentrated in an area. It's not a bad space for 4 or fewer people (the booth next to us had a card game going) but large groups are better off staying downstairs. In general, everyone may be better off staying downstairs because the stairs are ridiculously steep for a place that serves alcohol. The downstairs area is tiny with few tables and a small round couch area in the back. We had a table just across from the bar and ended up planting there for most of the night. As I said before, it was a different crowd than most of us were used to, but they didn't look at us funny (as WE were the fish out of water) so we went about our business as we started a tab and enjoyed our night. I didn't particularly care for the jukebox selection nor the gritty vibe, but the more I drank, the less I noticed. The bartenders were very friendly, and when they goofed and told my boyfriend that my tab was closed (causing me to think they'd given my card to someone else) they made up for the error for comping a round of shots. Shots make everything better. The only real issue that I had was the amount of brazenly creepy men out alone and on the prowl. While admiring a friend's engagement ring early in the night, one gentleman approached us and entered our conversation so casually that it took us at least a minute to figure out that he didn't know the other. It was only when he asked what we were doing later and winked that the stranger danger siren began to blare and I recognized him as the same creep that kept trying to touch my shoes and give me beads two St Patty's Days ago. Later in the night, a gentleman old enough to be my father come over and put his hands on the lower backs of both myself and another friend and ask us to do shots. It took 3 different requests for him to leave for him to get the hint. The creepy factor completely superseded the flattery. Here's the hard part. Sigh. It's not you Delilah's, it's me. Sure, I had a good time, but with that group of friends, I would have had a great time at an interstate rest stop - provided there was alcohol. You're the type of bar that most people will either love or hate. I don't hate you, but I don't love you either. Despite the fact that I'll likely never return, I'll still give you 3 stars because I think you could be enjoyed more by someone that is not me. Let's be honest, you're a nice bar and all, but in the end we're just not really right for each other. read more

Tipsy review! Five stars, wahoo!!! Alright, new favorite bar? New favorite bar. I wish I fit in here better. Music = great. Bartenders and crowd = great. Movies = great. Drink selection = great. Me = awkward. This bar has confirmed I am the most awkward person I know. Here are the facts: Whenever I have agreed to meet a friend at a bar, I've always arrived on time and have always had to end up waiting at least 15 minutes for said friend to show up (the friend doesn't matter--any I agree to meet is either chronically late or terrible with directions). This time I decided to show up 15 minutes late to cut out some of the awkward sitting alone looking around at the walls time. I was still 45 minutes early as it turns out... But here is what happened. No one looked at me funny. No creepy old guys tried to hit on me. The bar tenders did not ignore me. I was still awkward. So now I know for sure it's me, because the people here are just too great for it to be them that causes any awkwardness I feel. Also, I got 5 whiskey gingers for $20. F. I. V. E. Do you know how many cocktails $20 will get you at most places? About 1.8. Given, it's not the strongest pour of whiskey, but still I got five when I would normally get almost 2, so I see that as a huge plus. I went on two occasions, when it was both empty and very crowded. There was no change in the friendly service or the crowd of generally great people. Go! And take me with you!!! read more

Why haven't I written a review of the Mecca of whiskey joints? No idea. Whiskey, women, and song come to mind when I think of this place. Whiskey: If you want one of the best selections of whisk(e)y in the entire city, look no further. I have yet to try the Delilah's label. That's on the agenda for another visit. Women: I met some kick-ass Windy City Roller Derby girls here. Me-ow. Song: the music pumping made me want to throw on my old pair of combat boots, smoke a lot, and shove some people around. Yeah, just like that. My only complaint is the hipster posers that seem to fill up the place, but I can't blame Delilah's because it's just that cool. But please, hipsters...don't try so hard, it makes me want to introduce you to my boot. read more

Despite having a mediocre time, I really like Delilah's. I can see it's non-weekend potential and I greatly appreciate that. I went on Saturday and they had one of my favorite beers, Chang (Thai beer with elephants on the bottle) for $3- SCORE! It was quite crowded but at 11:00 they opened the upstairs area to the general public so I got to spread out a bit... and watch She-Ra on the TV! I liked the music but was kind of disappointed that there was no dancing... not even swaying... in fact people looked like they weren't even enjoying the music but I guess weekend crowds are a funny people. I would def. go back to try during the week OR if a friend has one of those open bar private parties. read more

Oh Delilah's... I've been going into your dark belly for over 10 years. You've grown with me. When I needed Makers and Coke specials...you were there. When I needed a seat, and the only room was perching on top of kegs...you were there. When I needed a badass jukebox that could play my beloved hair band music as well as music others actually wanted to hear...you were there. When I needed an upper room for a private party...you were there. May you be there for everyone else as you have been for me. read more

This bar is pretty cool but the clientele that frequent here are a little too affluent/conservative for my taste, personally. Wide selection of beers to chose from, and the bartenders are pretty cool. read more

I'm going to give Delilah's the benefit of the doubt on this one, as I could really see a wonderful, magical place within its walls. An incredible beer selection, including all varietals of Chimay, local brews, cheap options, and Bell's Two-Hearted on draught. An equally diverse selection of harder liquor choices, all out in impressive display behind the bar. Walls jam-packed with art, posters, and various collections. A bathroom covered in murals and a mosaic, funky mirror (not so good for actually seeing yourself, but a great installation nonetheless). Friendly, helpful staff; interesting and diverse clientele. But oh dear God, do NOT come here on Tuesday nights. It's metal night, and the sound (no, I won't call it music) is truly jarring. I'd like to think of myself as relatively hip and young, but I couldn't stand it. My ears were ringing, I was getting angry, and it was impossible to hear anything from my cohorts. The screaming, the lack of melody... ugh. So, yes, come to Delilah's! Enjoy a true bar in all of its glory. Just don't come on Tuesdays. And if you have to, bring earplugs. read more

I was a bit skeptical when my brother-in-law and his fiancé said they wanted to check out Delilah's. "It's a punk rock whisky bar," they'd said. I was expecting some terrible faux-divey hipster bar with jerky bartenders. So imagine my surprise when we walked into Delilah's and found an actual divey, teensy-bit hipster bar with a lovely bar staff! The whisky list was impressive with 700+ selections (I asked)...the menu essentially looks like a karaoke song choice book. Loved: - the selection! while overwhelming, it was fun to go through and pick out new ones to try. - everything we tried was served neat in what looked to be a tiny juice glass. - the service! the bar staff was super friendly and sweet. they chatted us up about our selections and weren't at all judgmental or jerky. - the specials! while i didn't partake, the list of daily specials were particularly affordable. Atmosphere wise, the place wasn't too packed on a Friday night after 5PM and they were playing the original TMNT movie on the TVs. It was the perfect place to start the evening! read more

I called a couple weeks ago to schedule a birthday party at Delilah's and it took them forever to call me back. Actually, they never did. I was persistent and called them. I was looking for a dive bar in the area and heard such great things about Delilah's that I was adamant about having my party here. When I finally talked to the owner, Mike, we decided on 4/30 with the $20 package advertised on their website. (http://www.delilahschicago.com/party/) There was a party on their second floor from 9-11pm so we planned to start the party downstairs at 10:30pm and moved the party upstairs at 11pm. When we arrived on Saturday night we were told at the door that there was a private party upstairs but would open at 11pm. Weird, cause that's when our party was suppose to start upstairs. We spoke to Mike and advised that they don't have party packages and the $20 deal we spoke about didn't exist. Instead he said it would cost $20/person to have the private party upstairs, not including drinks. Too bad the website says it's $50 to reserve the upstairs room without drinks. The overall experience of planning the event was very disappointing. We ended up staying and having a good time anyway but I'm just quite disappointed in my whole experience. Maybe I didn't sound or look like I belonged in the bar but who are they to judge? And for a fact, I prefer dive bars. Definitely didn't deserve the disrespect. It'll be awhile before I'll be back there. read more

Definitely more for the alternative crowd. Cool dive bar for a unique experience. Nice staff, good drink list, and a "vintage"-but-clean atmosphere.alraady planning my next visit! read more

There isn't much to rant or rave about regarding Delilah's. Ended up here randomly & truly enjoyed the people watching more than the bar itself. It's an odd mix of people-punks, old men, cute girls, and tattooed men. Personally I have nothing against the above groups of people, but it didn't seem to flow very well. People were sitting in their little groups & even though it was somewhat obvious that people were eyeing each other across the room, no one made a move. Everyone stayed right where they were...in their comfort zones. Doubt I'll be back-kind of expensive for such a blah kind of place. read more