Awesome local joint. No outside signage, but inside, the bartenders are awesome - friendly and always ready with a fresh drink. The vibe is super-cool dive bar. Nice clean bar-sized pool table and at least one good stick :-). Great music on the jukebox and it gets crowded quickly. Or maybe it was just the party I was with, but at any rate, it's on my list for must do everytime I go to Chicago. read more

J&M Tap - a ceiling fan and a street sign - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good local bar. It's hidden a bit off the corner of Augusta and Leavitt with little indication a bar is around here. J&M Tap is for sure a neighborhood joint. Chances are it hasn't changed a lot from years ago. That could be both a good and bad thing. Cheap drinks are the name of the game here. It has lots of cheap canned beers and bottles mostly. There's not much on tap. It has a $7 special for Tullamore Dew and a domestic beer. That's about the most expensive thing in the place. Has no food except $1 for a big of chips. They usually let you bring in something. Amazingly clean. This looks like you might catch something here, but it's good about sanitation so it's better than it looks. Has an old classic dive bar feel. It's hidden from the street so you need to know it's here first or else you won't see it. This will still be pretty hard to find if you've never been here so keep an eye out around this intersection if walking. read more

J&M Tap - The $7 Special Beer And Tullamore Dew Shot With Chips - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The best neighborhood bar!!! Bartenders are awesome , vibe is the best, perfect if you want a low key vibe or keep the party going for a late night bar! Highly recommend! Also cash bar only, there is an atm inside though! read more

Excellent old school Ukrainian Village bar. No sign on the front which is already a good sign (no pun intended). Great drink prices and great bartender, Clayton. Had a Bell's Two-Hearted, bought a t-shirt and continued my bar crawl. Great first stop. read more

J&M Tap - J&M - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

J&M is the best bar in the city. The drinks are always cold, the bartenders are delightful, and it's nickname the Secret Squirrel is quite accurate as you might walk right past it without realizing it's a bar. read more

Shush! Let me let you in on a secret. The J & M Tap is probably one of the best neighborhood joynts I have been to in awhile. It is tucked away on an unassuming corner (so tucked away that the only way you know it's a bar is the small neon beer sign in the window) in Ukrainian Village. We were turned on to this place by a local at another bar a few blocks away. Said if we wanted a "real bar" experience (and not one on Division which is where we were) we needed to come to the J & M Tap. In fact- he even said he'd buy us a drink if we found it! This is a bar that seemingly got lost in the 70's. Cheap beer ($2.50 for a beer!), pool table, pretty good tunes on the jukebox and an interesting mix of patrons make this bar a "go to" in my book. Everything in this place is a bit of an adventure. I went to use the restroom and the guy at the pool table yells out to me "You need a key!" A key? Kind of like stopping at a gas station in the 70's. "The key" came on a giant key chain and let me into the restroom and then I had to relock it on my way out. Interesting. When I asked about that- the bartender told me it cuts down on "shenanigans" in the restroom. Really? The restroom, like the rest of the bar probably wouldn't be high on my list for "shenanigans"! Oh, and ladies- I was one of probably only 5 women in the place so if you are playing the odds game- this place is your kind of place. Cheap beer, good tunes and a restroom key that if it could talk could undoubtedly regale you with "tales from the toilet"- you can bet I'll be back. read more

Love the vibe, love the service. Local place to the core. Clean friendly and great prices. I hope they stay real and will be back again.

This local watering hole is top notch! There is no sign, which makes it so much more fun to find. Just look for the neon lights in the window. The bartenders are friendly, the atmosphere is top notch, and the beer is cold. If you need more than that I can't help you. I'm from out of town, but I have always felt like a local when I step in here. Can't wait to come back and have another beer! read more

[Empty Bottle, circa 2003, half drunk] Twitchy friend, giggling: "Wait, let me get this straight. The woman you brought home last night, the one you called me about at 2:45am and said was, if I remember correctly, 'fucking smoking' ... She had a penis." Nameless friend: "Could you keep your fucking voice down?" TF: "I'm just trying to get my facts straight for when I make this into a film." NF: "She had a goddamned DICK." Justin V: "So you took a man home last night and tried to have sex with him." NF: "You know what, fuck you." TF: "I can't believe you're out in public, man. I would honestly be halfway to Texas by now." JV: "I hear they're into that down there." [small scuffle, TF intervenes, bouncer looms, apologies are made] JV: "I'm sorry. I thought this shit only happened in movies. Or Florida." TF: "We have to get you out of here, man. You need to be out of the limelight for a bit, okay? What if people know?" NF: "Oh Jesus. Jesus Christ." TF: "It's okay, you just need some beers, right? Maybe a bottle of whiskey? We'll fix you up right. Come on, I know where to go." JV (whispering): "Where are we going to take him? Indiana? The band hasn't even played yet." TF: "The day you almost bang a guy you thought was a girl and have the balls to own up to it I will be sure to keep this conversation in mind." JV: "No, no, I get that part. Seriously, though ... where are we going to take him? He's a fairly recognizable guy. I wish I could say the same for the chick he took home." TF: "That's not funny." JV: "Yes it is." TF: "Yeah, it is. We're going to J&M." JV: "Where the hell is that?" TF: "Exactly. Come on." Turns out it's about four minutes from the Bottle on foot. It also has a pool table, about three toothless old Ukrainian guys and a bartendress that makes you feel about a foot tall and ugly as hell. J&M. Helping regular guys forget about almost banging irregular guys for at least six years. ps: now with hipsters! read more

Welcome to the neighborhood! That's exactly how I felt when I first walked in here. The J&M is approximately one block from my front door. I would've gone here many moons ago if I would've known which of the three doors to enter. Eventually, I just chose the one that the smokers came out of. After my first visit, I was hooked. So far, I've dined on free candy, pretzels, and cupcakes. A couple nights ago we sat around and watched a crappy bootleg of Borat. Combine that with a crowd of people that only get here by foot, free pool, $5-$7 pitchers, and the tamale man... that's a good night. I finally have the perfect place to meet my neighbors. Thank you. read more

I heart Ukrainian Village.......the area, though becoming very up and coming, still has an edge about it and if you look hard enough you can find bars that use to occupy many a block in this fine city. J&M Tap is one of those bars that probably resembles those bars from years gone by..... It sometimes amuses me when I read of folks spending upwards of a million dollars to open a new bar in say....the West Loop or River North and it STILL gets 3 stars.....yet J&M Tap gets 4 and it is a Dive Bar?!?!?! So why 4 stars? Well the decor is plain, dark, and very outdated, but it is those qualities that make it what it is as a dive bar. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, you'll blow right by the bar on Leavitt if you are not careful as it has NO signage outside. Only a few neon beer signs peeking out from tiny windows would give you any indication there was anything there in the first place. As you enter the bar a door man is there to card folks and the bar extends half the distance of the place with the remaining half consisting of coolers, bathrooms, and a pool table. A jukebox is well stocked with good music that will make you finding yourself singing to the songs out of the blue.....though this one is OLD SCHOOL in the fact is has no internet connection, so what you see is what you get. Adequate seating is available, but arrive early or if you come late then plan to stand. Last night was a mix of what appeared to me to be regulars and small table of young women enjoying a pitcher and some guys playing pool in the back. Drink prices are CHEAP. $2.50 for Miller High Life....go to someplace near by like Bar Deville and you'll pay almost twice that price for the same beer? WTF? The have liquor specials that have to be some of the cheapest I've seen in such parts of town. As the night wore on the bar got more and more crowded.....women....looking for attention, go here....plenty of guys are in this place. So as a dive bar this is a real gem. read more

Dear J&M, Why do you always make me black out? It might have something to do with $2.50 Maker's on Saturday's, but you'll never hear me complaining. A great place that nobody knows about, you can't even tell it's a bar as you're driving by on Augusta. It's pretty small so it will get crowded and usually theres only one bartender working. My best/worst J&M night happened when a group of us decided it would be great to take a bunch of specialty shots of "Pumpkin Smash", a little Halloween concoction that they had stored in jugs behind the bar. The bartender met our request for 6 shots of Pumpkin Smash with "I'm not sure you want that, I'll let you try it first". After a test shot and some rapid face contortions of awfulness we decided the smash was ripe for the taking. Little did I know that Pumpkin Smash makes you get locked out your apartment and ring every buzzer in the building at 4am until the lady on the top floor opens her window and yells "What the Fuck do you want!?!" (and damn does it make the floor sticky when you spill it too). You proceed to tell her that you live there and you don't know how but somebody seems to have locked the outside door and could she please let you in and that would be great and thanks. Luckily she is a nice woman. Moral: Always get the pumpkin smash read more

Pretzel sticks. Cheap and cold beer. Juke box. Ample supply of booze out of a bottle. Cheap. Pool table. A really old wall cooler that I bet at this point has become a part of the foundation for the entire building. Cheap. This place is rad for any sort of experiece out where you aren't trying to impress. Not that you can't impress people by coming here, because just walking through the doorway off of Augusta with anyone that has never been gives them a feeling like you have your shit together and are "local" or in the know. And it must be mentioned- there is a particular bartender here (not sure if she's a part of the ownership or not) that is INCREDIBLY sweet and friendly. It's recognizeable, and definitely a reason I want to go back. Along with the complimentary pretzel sticks. And the cheap drinks. And the pool table. read more

I used to like this place and gave them a lot of business. On or around the 4th there are fireworks in the lot across the street. It is the allusion that J&M had something to do with this event as let people park their chairs outside the tavern and basically cater to the event (and obviously make some extra cash with the people going in and purchasing beer and drinks). When i called today to ask if they would be having them again this year, I got an ear full. Don't bother calling because, as the bartender stated "WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO THE FIREWORKS. I WISH YOU PEOPLE WOULD STOP CALLING! WE HAVE NO IDEA WHEN!!!". Well, of course I'm going to stop calling and I'm also going to stop going to your establishment. Oh, I'm also going to stop recommending it to friends. Anything else you want me to stop doing? Had the woman who answered the phone (Saturday, July 2nd at 4:30PM) been civil and said "I'm not sure. We don't host the event" and left it at that, you wouldn't have lost my business. I would have come in, drank a few beers and that would be that. Cheers J&M, it was fun while it lasted. read more

Nice place. Free pretzel rods at the bar are on par with the free cheeseballs from Archie's. I'm a sucker for bar snacks. Don't come here looking for ambiance, there is none. There is, however, about 10-15 bar stools, ~2.5 tables, and a pool table. It's as awesomely divey as it gets. The beer is dirt cheap, and you can always get some sort of whiskey for $3. The bartender is the sweetest lady and sometimes I wanna go back there and wash dishes so she can rest her feet for a bit. The fridge where the beer is stored is so retro I'm sure there's some Billy Beer somewhere in the back. I went regularly years ago, but lost touch with the "Secret Squirrel". I recently became reacquainted with the bar and its pretzel sticks, and am glad to be back. A Tamale Guy nightly stop. read more

J&M is essentially my backyard (minus the school), so I was bound to eventually tumble in; literally. Having now been here while I was dead sober and piss drunk, I can say it is my favorite dive bar in the area, and maybe in Chicago. Let's start with the $2 Point drafts! This isn't some crap PBR, Beast, Natty, or Busch we're talking about - it's quality Northwoods Wisconsin beer! For 2 bucks! Couple that with cheap shots of Malort and a fifty cent upgrade to a Stella and we have a party. A+ on the drinks. As for the atmosphere, also top notch. Unlike some of the other dive bars in the area, the place isn't too bright, or too dimly lit. It's just right, offering an extremely welcoming environment. The juke box is exquisite - I personally like that some of the CDs are mixes with the tracks written on index cards! The pool table and casino games (legal? who cares) in the back are also legit. Good times. The bartenders (I think it's owned by former CPD officers and frequented by them) are sweet older women who know how to be accommodating through the free pretzel sticks, candy, and all around good vibes and kind service. BONUS: I have yet to see an infestation of hipsters at J&M! Let's hope the word doesn't get out... In conclusion, the perfect neighborhood dive. I wouldn't want it any other way. read more

Blink and you might miss it. J & M lives on an unassuming corner in the Ukrainian Village, and if you didn't know it was there, it'd be very easy to miss. Lucky for me, it's a block from home - a quick stumble away. Once inside, you'll be glad you stopped in. The space is small and cramped and probably hasn't been cleaned since 1974, but these things all lend to its charm. There is even a key to the ladies' room (to prevent hanky panky, said the bartender. Hrmmmmmm.) I think there are other bartenders, but Samantha is the greatest. Shes there on weekends and even runs a movie night on Sunday nights. Chat her up and tip her well and she'll be your friend for life! And the drinks - I forgot what cheap drinking is like. $3 Makers on Saturday night? Yes please My gin and tonics weren't much more expensive. And they have Point on tap. I haven't seen that at any bar in Chicago. Now that I've told you about J&M, you better not steal my seat at the bar. Just sayin'. read more

Bad choice in my experience. Two of my friends were playing pool there against two guys who didn't know each other. My friends lost, but the one guy who was a regular walked away. The other guy said my friends could keep playing by themselves. Partway through the game, the regular came back, yelled at them, and started pushing the pool balls in the pockets. The bouncer then came over and started to throw us all out, mainly because he happened to be friends with the regular, having grown up in a gang with him. Surprisingly the bouncer ended up listening to our argument, then told us to sit down and finish our drinks while his friend waited outside. Of course then we were forced to leave. I think I'll skip that place from now on if that's how it's going to be there. Plenty of other dive bars around that are the same if not better. It's popular with people in the art world, but in this case who cares. read more

A group of friends and I visiting from out of town discovered J&M around the corner from where we were staying. Stiff whiskey cokes for $4? Don't mind if I do. It's truly the ultimate dive bar where, if you're willing to sit at the bar on a weeknight, you'd hear some crazy shit from fellow patrons. There's also a pool table, if you're into that kind of stuff. Cash only. read more

Friendly people there! Walked in and had an apple cider with my fiancé, he had one and we played 3 games of pool. $11 date! We were happy :) read more

J&M Tap - a man playing pool - Sports Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love this place so much that I probably shouldn't be reviewing it. The last time I was there, there were more hipsters than I remember showing up before; hope that was just an off night. My friends call this place simply 'Dirty Bar'. As in, "Where are we meeting up tonight?" "Oh, I thought we should start off at Dirty Bar with some cheap pitchers and figure it out from there." We never make it to whatever the next bar is supposed to be, because the bartender is so sweet, the beer is so cheap, and the atmosphere so unpretentious and 70's awesome. Oh, and they have pretzel sticks on the bar! Don't even bother trying to tell me that's not the coolest thing ever... read more

In one night at J&M we listened to various alt-pop-country, Barry White (three times), Bowie and Foreigner while mingling with a 50-something Chicagoan in overalls and a tall Native American rocker-guy wearing a crystal necklace. Besides, any bar is fun when you down multiple $3 draft Stellas on a dinner that consists of the bar cashews and slim jims. read more

pool table, cheap beer, pretzels for free. WTF else you expect for the price? Oh, and a juke box. After/before goin to Ola's. Bar hop your ass over here for some beers with the proletariats. w00t! read more

Trite as though this may sound, this is my nearest bar (two minutes door to door) and in the almost-two years I've been in my house I only made it to the J&M this past weekend. I'm not a thicko, right? I've known about this place for some time but I always stayed away out of respect for the townies. Then I heard about people calling this "the Hidden Squirrel", in addition to the promise of free candy and I was willing to brave the Stinkeye and mosey on over. Yeah, if you look like me (as so many people in my neighborhood do) you may have to endure some drunk old dame staring at you for a solid 60 seconds while you're being served but no one is ever going to be like, "We don't want your kind in these parts." The bartender was very pleasant and I was delighted to find the following: 1. $1.75 PBR Pints* 2. Massive vat of hard candy ripe for the taking 3. Complimentary pretzel logs 4. Clean and cool (well air conditioned) environs This place reminds me of some of the old neighborhood bars in Michigan... but then the Tamale Guy showed up. *Katie H.'s Handy-Dandy Ukie Vee PBR Pricing Guide Easy Bar - $4 Bottles Happy Village - $3 Bottles Goldstar - $2.50 Bottles Innertown Pub - $2.50 Pints Rainbo Club - $2 Pints J&M Tap - $1.75 Pints (I've missed a few places, but I'll update later) read more

Four months ago, my boyfriend and I broke up at the J&M. The bartenders kept buying us drinks in attempt to get us back together. We didn't get back together, but we got REALLY drunk. It was the best breakup ever. read more

Best neighborhood bar in the area, maybe even the city! The owner is a great guy and the bartender's are all very friendly.

Mitch, the owner, is the man! What an incredible bar. Reasonable prices with laid back environment. Best dive bar in Chicago!

i think it's great. but i don't think YOU should go there. no, i don't think you should go there at all. and since there's no sign...good luck finding the place...i went with jamie k. and she's got the secret knowlege of the J&M. now i have the knowledge as well. i am going back for sure, but i don't think i can take you with me....sorry. read more

Once you set foot into J&M, you know you'll be leaving shitfaced and nothing less. Dark, discreet, inexpensive and debaucherous, this place is the very best watering hole for those in the neighborhood. As a newcomer, one thing that I have come to appreciate most about Chicago is its willingness to booze up. This type of spirit and this type of dive are going to carry me through the winter. read more

Best bar in Chicago. Great locals, Friendly staff and cheap beer. What more could you ask for? I wish I could give this place a 6th star for the owner's stereotypical Chicago accent. If you are lucky enough to be at the bar at the same time as he is, engage with him as long as you can. It will be a memory that will last a lifetime. No food, but who cares? Definitely a five star bar. read more

This is my favorite bar so far in chicago. I love the blues, funk, and soul jukebox, low lighting, cheap PBR's and townie type clientelle. I will make this bar my regular stop. read more

Great neighborhood dive bar with excellent bartenders and a magical vibe. Come back again and again!

Had a couple beers with Mitch the owner last week on a quiet summer afternoon. This is a great neighborhood tavern. Unfortunately, not too many left like this one. Lock your 'tude up outside and spend some time with the regulars. read more

J&M is nice and simple. It's got a pool table, a juke box, and beer...What else do you really need? This is the type of bar you stop in for a few beers when you are on your way somewhere else. It's the real life equivalent of Moe's from the Simpsons. It doesn't promise much but always delivers. read more

Two video poker machines and a pool table. A old simple bar that still has its original cooler. Three simple tap choices. A dive bar it is.

love this place and Mitch is wonderful. great party room for events, and Mitch can cook! A tiotally fun place overall....

...its the best dive in the city. Its my place i go to for any reason I want. The juke box is awesome, bc its old school and has cd's...pitchers of cheap PBR, and the tamale man shows up every night. The people are always nice. if i have gone alone i have never had a issue of talking to someone. The guys who go there aren't rapey,,which is nice.(once in awhile a hottie too) read more

The regulars run this joint, and for the better. They've been around the neighborhood for years and it's like a time warp in that sense. If you acknowledge them somehow, you will have a better time here. When I was here, one of the regs must have put a lot of money in the jukebox, and they all went up to pick Motown songs one at a time. It was a really sweet, interactive vibe they had. The J & M Tap has a ton of heart. read more

If you're looking for a neighborhood bar - this is the place to go. You feel like one of the regulars after just a drink or two. I wish I lived closer so I could stumble home instead of my friend's place who just lives a few doors down. And! There's free candy!! read more

I have many reservations even Yelping this place. Not because they don't deserve it but more because they don't need the publicity and quite frankly its my dive! Anyway, it's exactly that....a great dive bar! Belly up, drop a dollar in the jukebox and grab a beer. Perhaps a little eight ball. Wanna be left alone and just chill with a cheep beer this is the spot if you're in the area. read more