Started going to Jake's in 1986. Moved out of the neighborhood in 2003. It was a great bar, but as all things, time changes things. I saw a lot of bad reviews but like any "Dive Bar" , your expectations should be low. Try it yourself. The actual bar interior is a classic. I would suggest going there when it's non bar rush hour, like it's a day drinking bar. Cheers. read more

Eh. They used to be great before Covid. Now, it's become an early 20 something "club." Weird. Anyways, doesn't feel like the dive bar it used to be. Drink are fine. Service was fine. It's just the vibe has really changed. read more

Jake's Pub - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I recently stopped by Jake's and had a great time. The bartender was friendly and made me feel welcome. Solid beer selection. The place has a lot of character. Been going here for 15 + years. Highly recommeded! read more

Jake's Pub - inside the bar - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

we had one good server, the rest were totally rude and pointing (coming from owners itself). It was totally inappropriate the way they treated their customers. read more

I haven't been there in years, but always deeply appreciated the service and the pours. Norm Van Lier used to sit up front on the way home from Bulls games, esp. the championship seasons, it was amazing who I'd see. Need to stop back in for a couple drinks. read more

Wow. Jake is the best. My friends and I stopped in with hangovers hoping for bloodies. They were out of bloody mix, and we were so sad. BUT Jake himself offered to go to the store and get what was needed to make us the best bloodies in Chicago. Fantastic customer service, kind owner and bartender, and delicious bloodies! read more

My friends and I stopped at Jake's on a birthday trolley. After we walked in, the bartender was EXTREMELY rude and yelling at us all to see our IDs. We all showed him our IDs right away (we are all 27/28) and he continued to give us a hard time and single people in our group out for literally no reason. It was absolutely unhinged behavior and the most rude experience I've ever had. We all left immediately and they lost out on 25 people's drink orders. I definitely do not recommend coming here. read more

This is a very interesting and friendly place. Very welcoming . Long time neighborhood bar with your go to basics.

Our bar tender was AMAZING!! Our first time in Chicago and he gave us the Chicago hand shake. Hate Malort, but he made it taste good! Benjamin Franklin we LOVE YOU. Thanks Casey!!!! read more

The servers are good, the drink selection is good, and the vibe is perfect for a not-too-wild night out

I love a dive bar, especially one with a pool table, some arcade games, and a jukebox! Although online it states this is a cash only bar, it isn't. The bartender was super friendly and seemed to know a lot of the regulars, and I love a bar where patrons and staff interact like old friends!! They have a decent selection of beer on tap. I also love the decor in here with all the tap handles along the ceiling and the photo of Jake's in the 1940s when it opened. Definitely recommend stopping by this quaint corner spot! read more

Jake's Pub - Inside - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Door guy would not allow people who were of age with legal IDs into the bar because they were out of state

People here mad when they go to a dive bar and it's kind of divey lol. Great vibes all around

We had one beer and decided to leave shortly. The bar counter table was not clean. It was a game night, so the bar was packed. This place is like for sports fun. read more

On Saturday evening (4/3/21) I got a text from my friend to meet her at Jake's Pub. Upon my arrival, I noticed that the hostess was not wearing a mask, nor was the bartender. None of the customers were wearing masks, but they were all seated and eating/drinking. Our group was seated toward the entrance and repeatedly the hostess and bartender requested ONLY us to wear our masks. The hostess actually said "please can you wear your mask. I know I should practice what I preach, but could you put it on" We removed them again to have our drinks and then the bartender (ALSO UNMASKED) requested ONLY our party to put on our masks. I repeatedly thought- no one else, not even the staff are wearing masks here. This was when I realized that we being singled out as the only non-white people in the place. I left in anger, not wanting to spend a penny more in a bar that was blatantly treating us differently from other patrons. In reading reviews and this eater.com article (https://chicago.eater.com/2018/4/23/17271380/jakes-pub-n-word-meltdown-owners-yelp-facebook-reviews), I realized this has been an issue with Jack's pub for many years. I hope others will boycott this establishment as there are many other bars in the area that are inclusive, welcoming, follow covid precautions and are anti-racist. read more

Why I will never be back: When: Saturday, November 17th around 5PM Who: We were 2 of 4 customers in the bar. What: David Allen Coe - If that ain't country (I'll kiss your ass). Bridge 1 lyrics: "Working like a n***r" for my room and board." This song played proudly in the bar. I didn't believe what I heard. Had to look it up to confirm the lyrics. The song was clearly the bartender's choice because when we walked in he was blasting Law & Order SVU reruns. When the singer dropped the n-word the couple behind us giggled. So did the bartender. What more Do I need to say? Shame on this business and its employees. read more

Definitely a hole in the wall spot!! Cool location and it is a cool feel in here too with wood paneling all over!! The only thing is it is cash only which they don't tell you about. I came in and didn't have any cash on me. I just left because of it. I totally forgot it was cash only. I have been here to play darts with friends here before which was fun! read more

Perfect place if your looking for a dark bar on a hot day. Traditional bar with a pool table, a lot of character and friendly service.

I attempted to go this bar last night (6/16) around 11:30. Despite the fact that I've been here multiple times, the "bouncer" would not let me in. I am almost 25 years old and had multiple forms of ID proving I am of legal age. He was still incredibly rude and would not let me enter the bar. He claimed my ID was fake and attempted to take it away. This used to be one of my favorite bars, but I will no longer be coming here as a result of the extremely rude and poor service. read more

unfriendly bartenders. creepy manager. racist owner (google "jakes pub Chicago racism"). do not waste your time or money here!

Definitely a dark dive bar as Angie M mentioned back in 2008. As a beer guy, I truly enjoyed the selection here as I had a Delirium Tremons as well as Kwak. Bartenders were really nice as they definitely took care of my party of 4. This just happened to be another stop along the drunken express I was on this past Friday. I definitely want to come here and sit for a few hours to enjoy some brews over an extended period of time...luv it! read more

Jake's will always have a place in my heart. My husband and I had our first date there. And our second. And our third... Yeah, we used to hang out there a lot. It was our neighborhood bar and... well... we like to drink! We also like playing darts and there is a digital steel tip board there. Not only did I fall for my husband beneath those dim lights... I also found true love in a glass. Yes, it was at Jake's that I had my first Delerium Tremens... and it's been bliss ever since. What I love about this place is that you tend to not encounter the newly immigrated from Naperville/Arlington Heights/etc "kids" that are now out getting blackout drunk all over Lincoln Park and Lakeview. Maybe the dingy-ness turns then away. Whatever it is, don't change a thing! read more

There's not much to say about Jake's that you can't figure out for yourself. There's beer, liquors and popcorn. The popcorn ends up on the floor so your shoes get all gummy. The bartenders and everyone is generally friendly, and the mood changes based on time of day, and whether it's a traditional drinking holiday. This place isn't exactly near to me (about a mile's walk, so not exactly far either). What I do like is that this place is two blocks from petco, so I walk my dog to petco, and then walk my dog to Jake's. Obviously, this is best done on warmer days (walk, don't drive!). You'll love it - a refreshing brew, while your dog will enjoy all the floor popcorn (they don't seem to believe in the 5 second rule...). read more

Jake's Pub - Sally enjoying time at jake's - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A buddy of mine wanted to celebrate his birthday with his puppy as they share the same big day so he wanted to find a Bar that allows Dogs. He settled on Jake's. I thought the name sounded familiar and when I got there I realized why... many an interesting night came from here a few years ago. With an eclectic beer selection, Hawks and Bulls on the TV, decent music selection playing at a level where you could talk and Dogs hanging with their owners I have to say it was a good time. Laid back and casual bar for an evening of relaxing fun, I'll go back. read more

My friend and I decided to walk in here towards the end of the night because she didn't feel comfortable driving home yet. We asked the bouncer at the door whether they serve food and he said yes. We ask the server about the food options and to our dismay the only thing they had available was a couple bags of chips and the free popcorn they always serve. The chips were a $1. The server brings us 1 glass of water for 2 people.. Rude much. Then 15 minutes later she changes her mind on the price of the bag of chips we already started eating and says they are $2 each. Isn't the code of business to honor your price? Besides it was just $ 1 no significant loss there.. At the end we wanted to pay our bill and go home. She was on a smoke break for what felt like 15 minutes and nobody else available to take our money so we could leave. The service was extremely poor. read more

Wandered into this dive bar with a friend after dinner one night. Little did we know we were walking into something so AWESOME. As others have noted, dogs can be found roaming around, playing with patrons. The bartenders are hilarious and super friendly. Drinks are cheap. There's a jukebox, and generally good music selection playing. We didn't play pool or darts that night, but I'll definitely be back for that another time. read more

Jake's Pub - Jack & Coke - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awesome local dive, with a phenomenal beer list and also a wide variety of....popcorn toppings! No joke, they have like 7 or 8 different popcorn seasonings you can sprinkle on your popcorn. I dunno why, but I find that amusing. Its like the Bubba Gump of popcorn: butter popcorn, cheddar popcorn, white cheddar popcorn, nacho cheese flavored popcorn...there's ranch popcorn, bacon popcorn, jalepeno popcorn.... Jake's is a fun no-frills neighborhood place, with a great beer (and popcorn) selection - just remember, cash only since before the credit card was invented! read more

The only upside of going here is that I can now confidently say that I have been to the absolute worst bar in all of Chicago. The bar itself is gross and made me sick. The staff are incredibly rude and incompetent. There was legitimately not one positive part of this experience. Go to literally any other bar. read more

Wandered in here the other night after dinner up the street and I have to say that I was impressed. Jake's Pub gets two thumbs up status from me. And to think that this place has been in the same location for over 70 years! How I have never been here, I'll never know! It was a Friday night so I thought this place would be packed. It was full, but there was still room to move around and we even got seats at the bar after only a short wait. The bartender was great. She offered up some suggestions of beers (they've got quite the selection) and replaced a beer when I told it tasted like the can it came in. Bring cash cuz they don't take credit. And if you are a dart aficionado (like I am) this is the place for you as there is a dartboard in the back (pool table too but that's not my game!). The music was good on the night we were there, but it's a jukebox, so it's the luck of the draw as to who's paying to play their tunes on the night you are there. Great place to meet up with friends, have a few beers and laugh the night away. Thank heaven I have friends in this neighborhood as this feels like my new "neighborhood" bar! read more

One of the last bastions of pure unadulterated boozing in Lakeview/LP. They got cheap beer, expensive beer and all kinds of decent to great whiskeys. Killer juke box. Not a "scene" bar, just a corner pub to hang at. Update: The old girl got a facelift! First time ever I do believe. New floors, ceiling and bathrooms. Nice! read more

Jake's Pub - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Jakes is the best pub in Chciago. Anna was the best bartender I've ever had. She had a conversation. With everyone. Super cool! Great experience, will be back! read more

A bar where you can bring your dog? Rock. I don't have a dog yet, but when I do, it's coming here with me. I had my first Kwak here, and I was seriously amused by the fancy glass it was served in. It's a good beer, and I would probably drink it in anything, but that glass is just wicked cool. read more

Jake's Pub - Kwak! - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a pretty cool dive bar. And they have quite a few beer choices - the good kind. It's just the right amount of old and loud. And the crowd is fun. The service is good. And well, it's got most everything you want out of a dive bar. read more

I was stunned by the lack of professionalism of the waitress. What could have been a nice Sunday evening pool game with friends in a local pub was instead a terrible experience... The waitress was outright judgmental because I ordered non-alcoholic drink: "you know you are in a bar, right?". She was rude, no 'thank you's nor 'hello/goodbye', and felt that it was acceptable to keep us waiting while she was taking shots with other customers. We also accidentally spilled a drink, and when we asked for something to wipe it off, she simply said: "no, it's expensive" - whatever that means. We will certainly not set foot in this bar again as long as she works there, which shouldn't be long if any manager takes notice of her work read more

Came in here on a Saturday night around 9 and it was pretty busy but not to an annoying level. The bartender was attentive, despite having to attend to everyone in the bar by himself. The one thing I didn't like was that when I asked him how much a specific drink was, he told me $4.50, but then proceeded to charge me $6.50. Two bucks may not seem like a big deal, but it's the principle! Plus I'm on the broker side with student loans! However, the overall vibe here is nice and casual, kind of homey. Definitely worth coming in for a drink. read more

While I love a dive bar. Going to this bar past 10pm you will catch the bartenders drunk and unable to keep up with attendance. They favor prior guests and do not spread service to other attendees. I have never had a worse experience at a bar like this. read more

Horrible service. Stopped in on a Saturday, basically ignored by bartenders.

The owner is unbelievably rude and I've also had a negative experience with a couple of the bartenders where they will walk right past and ignore you or will roll their eyes in annoyance. Super unfriendly staff, would not recommend. read more

My friends and I specifically came here because we saw the reviews that the resident dogs would be out and about and mingling. We came in and they immediately rushed them behind the car and locked the pet gate. They had previously been out with the other patrons prior to my group getting there... Not sure why they put them away. If you're going to have beautiful doggos at your bar, why wouldn't you let people pet them? If they're mean, leave them at home. read more

Remind you my husband and I are of color and have no issue at the bar! The only issue is the occasional bouncer who may or may not be a d*** but the bartenders are great read more