Stopped here while on the Lakeview Dive Bar Classic crawl! Be aware it's CASH ONLY. We didn't know this and were not prepared :') We came on a super busy night, servers were quick to get us our drinks and were friendly. This is definitely a dive bar, and there's not a ton of seating. There's a jukebox that periodically played music throughout the night but the vibes were overall pretty good. Definitely recommend if you like a dive bar and want to check a new one out. read more

Definitely a DIVE bar. The vibes were kind of low because there was no music playing at first, but eventually they turned the jukebox on which helped. This bar is cash only so keep that in mind. I ordered a glass of wine which was $9 and seemed a little steep considering I think it was the last of a bottle that had been sitting in their fridge for awhile. Cheap beer options though. It definitely seemed a little dingy and seems more like a night-cap type place or just to pop in for a quick drink. read more

simply the best at what they do. It's fun watching them turn away wayward cubbies on game day. no dive tribute bar, no sir. read more

See all

We went to this bar this past weekend and it was fantastic. I wish sober me would remember the names of people that drunk me meets so I could give special recognition to the bartender. Beautiful lady, great personality and just hands down a great establishment. Unfortunately they are a cash only bar and when I go out, I intentionally try not to take my atm card but thankfully on this night I was able to withdraw money. I look forward to returning to this place, it's conveniently located near the Belmont red line stop. And next time I will take more pictures read more

L & L Tavern - They do serve authentic Chicago River if you're thirsty - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The vibe in here is fun and energetic, despite not being a huge place. There are lots of drink options in the cooler, and the bartender was super friendly. Definitely a great place. read more

Have you ever went past this bar and thought it was a bit creepy. If you have then you aren't the only one, because they even admit it. L & L Tavern claims to be the creepiest bar in the country, and looking at the inside makes it easy to see why. Even in the middle of the day it's dark in here. The strange but interesting decorations on the wall make this a dive bar at its "finest" if you can say that. A lot of history about this creepy ass bar. It's been around for a long time. This used to be another bar and was a hangout in the punk scene in the 1970s or whenever. It looks like it hasn't changed a lot. The area around Belmont and Clark has gentrified, but not this. Bar stools are cracking and holes are patched up with band stickers. There's funny decor on the walls. A Nativity scene of Joseph and Mary holding PBRs. The tap selection isn't that impressive, but there's lots of bottles and cans though. It's about $6 for a cocktail. There's plenty of cheaper liquors. Bathrooms are interesting. They're covered in graffiti and other stuff. Cool old classics on the jukebox. It's also the kind of bar that's cash only. This is a good place to go if you want to know what it was like in a divey ass bar way back whenever. read more

See all

It really is a dive bar. I don't think I saw one chair that wasn't on the final day of life. It's dark, sticky, and cash only. The windows were dirty, the paint was peeling, and the customer service matched the environment..... Being in the same bar as two previous dudes (who did some real bad things) was a weird feeling, but tbh, I could see why they went there. It was cool to drink a beer in such a historical Chicago place! read more

See all

THE DIVE BAR in Chicago. The place to go to chill and have a good time with friends. Great selection of beers, (no drafts), great jukebox, great vibe. Karen our bartender was very, very nice. read more

Want to drink Malört and a PBR? Can't go wrong here. Don't want to drink Malört and PBR? Well, Salt Lake City has city in its name. read more

I was introduced to this bar in the 1990s by a brilliant and charismatic Irish actor who haunted it when he was alive--he was working with a small theater around the corner--and who I wish would haunt it now; it hasn't changed at all and his spirit would fit right in. I was too busy communing with my memories and staring into my glass of Jameson's to talk to anyone, but the conversation at the bar, on which I was not too busy to eavesdrop, was down to earth and interesting. If I lived anywhere nearby I'd move my home office (basically a laptop) into a corner of this place and hang out for hours. Additional points for asking for proof of vaccination. As for allegations of less than fanatical cleanliness, clearly those people haven't had dinner at some of my friends' apartments. read more

L & L Tavern - I wondered briefly whether the ghost I was seeking was beaming himself in through the light at the top, but I think it's a heat pipe. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had a beer here and it cursed my bloodline for 7 generations. Highly recommend! Vibes immaculate.

Say no more! From the prices to the people, it's truly a hidden gem in Chicago! Charles Manson would approve! read more

L & L Tavern - Say no more!!! Pictures don't lie and the prices don't either! Hidden gem in Chicago! Charles Mansion would approve. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

God do I love an old school tavern. Chicago has many of them and L&L is one of the best. Great service, prices, atmosphere, and locals. Looking forward to my next visit. Best in the afternoon, but always great. read more

Total dive bar. Not in a good way. The ceiling's caving in. The floor tiles are broken. There's no knob or lock on the men's bathroom door. Vinyl chairs are held together with duct tape. The bar is populated by broken-down old people who look like sea captains. But maybe you're into that sort of thing. read more

Wow-eee.... another of Chicago's finest dive bars. If dark and decrepit is your idea of fun, you'll surely enjoy L&L. They serve Malort which excites my boyfriend and is the reason we've been on drunken occasion. It is really not all that bad, just definitely not my scene. At least the bathroom (women's) is clean! read more

L & L Tavern - Malort all around. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

My favorite bar in Chicago, maybe the world. It's a total dive with an excellent jukebox and chairs held together with stickers.

Great place, fun yet chill, and open late! Bartender tonight was awesome! DEF will come back!!!

This place has a sign on the window proudly proclaiming it as "The creepiest bar in the USA", apparently according to one Google review. Having been here, I can't dispute that. Not that it's creepy in a bad way. The bartender (owner, maybe?) was really nice. The few folks in here towards the end of the work day were nice and looked normal. The beer selection is not bad, though heavy on the PBR-type beers, which if you know me, you know that's not my style. At all. But there are a few nice beers here, as well as scotches and a full bar. The bar itself is a pit. Trashed bar stools, a ratty bar, dusty bar back, etc. I dared not go into the restroom. I doubt I'll be spending a lot of time here. Yeah, it has a kind of low-class charm. But a little too 'divey' for me. read more

I love to hide away in a bar, relatively un-noticed & left to my own devices & drink. L and L Tavern is perfectly tucked away at the famous intersection of Clark & Belmont. The tavern is tiny, dark, & all music (classic punk, classic rock & good ol' grunge...) come from the FREE juke box. Let the good tunes roll... for free. So fun. The bartenders are quick with the drinks & generous with the pours. The front-door person even made a point to tell me to, "Wait to leave ," until a few regulars had left (apparently these regulars are "friendly" with the ladies...) so I felt looked after even though I was left to enjoy my drinks & my tunes. I do not usually venture out of my neighborhood for a night out at a good tavern, but L and L will be an exception for me. Not crowded, great service & drinks... the kind of night out that definitely required a cab ride home. read more

L & L Tavern - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of my favorite dive bars. Plenty of people watching fun, all kinds of people show up as the night goes on. Some green neon, just enough lighting for your eyes to fix itself to and scan the room for the bars full flavor. Look up at the board or just above the middle of the bar and see their full line of beers. They sell the extra large size bottle of Fat tire, $7 and worth the buzz. Heineken Lights and reg $4. They play all kinds of music, no specific kind. Last night for example it went from Gun's and Roses to a forget able hip hop song. Why don't they have "Black Betty" by Spiderbait, it's a fuckin great song. I think most people use this oasis for a bathroom break. Guys there is absofuckinglutley no reason you should be missing the target, the men's room has a urinal and a toilet. I'm an advocate for dry floors in the Men's room. P.s. last evening, the Gothic dominatrix ladies that walked in, all black attire and look, WoOT! Hot. read more

As far dive bars go, this is the seediest dive bar I have ever seen! It's fantastic!! The floor is ripped up, the stools are ripped and held together by band stickers!!! This place is exactly what a dive bar should aspire to be!! Old school signs for Hamms beer, Old Style, Schlitz, and a few others! read more

See all

It's fun, it's cheap, it's clearly cash only so don't even try floating your bad checks in here, son. It's not flashy. The women's bathroom is very nearly an installed outhouse, only the locks on outhouse doors usually work whereas the lock on the bathroom door here, does not. Bartender was nice, fast, eager to slice fruit for a drink that may need an accompaniment. Again, it's not fancy but their beer selection here (low end to mid-range) was actually pretty damn impressive and the prices are so low in such a prime piece of real estate that this place is almost a 5 for me. Just get the ladies room lock fixed and this place is perfect for what it is. read more

I walked past it a thousand times. Why did I just recently try this bar? Not only do they have whiskey specials, they also have whisky specials! I heart L&L. I have never gotten a $3 Scotch anywhere else. So whenever I'm running errands in Lakeview and want to escape it all for a few minutes, I hop on in here and see what's new for a few bucks... And then order three. Sometimes I stay longer than I should, chatting with the most amazing people. All kinds show up in a place like this. It's like Alice in Wonderland. A whole different world, right on Clark Street. Update: John Handy! Not to be confused with Jack Handy! read more

One of the Beat Dive Bars I've ever been in. Great bartender, drink prices and June box. This is a must when in Chicago.

This place is solid. $3 PBRs. Geat jukebox. Zero douche factor. Nuff said. It's a stereotypical dive bar. Cash Only. Bar staff are rock stars! read more

L & L Tavern - Gold - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What does L and L stand for? Little and Lovely? Loose and Lady-free? Lively and Ludicrous? I do not know but I am sure that the L and L Tavern is a legitimate dive bar. It kind of looks like the Pabst Blue Ribbon Fairy threw up in here -how many things can say PBR? A bell, stickers on the bar stool, clocks - the list goes on. PBR bottles are only two-fitty which is pretty sweet. If you want a can of the stuff you can opt for the green one which is non-alcoholic. Who knew? I stopped by here pre-Yelp party on Wednesday because I was parked by Linens & Things and didn't want to get a ticket for exceeding the two hour parking limit. L and L was a good spot to kill an hour / drink two Miller Lites. The bartender is great - looks like he may live here though. I also enjoyed watching the Simpsons with the regulars. Hehe. I didn't notice any tighty-pants hipsters so I will give this place a solid thumbs up. read more

It's not that this place is one of the most disgusting dives I've ever entered that annoyed me so much, or that the rotting vinyl tile floor is so torn that it's impossible not to jiggle on your barstool let alone even scooch your stool up to the bar. It's the asshole behind the bar who got under my skin. We went here after a long day for a beer. The place was empty on a Sunday afternoon during footbal hour. Gee; if I were the Sunday bartender lacking football clientele, I'd talk to my customers, act friendly like I gave a rat's ass that they were there, you know? We ordered. He plunked down our drinks and walked away. Moron. I unpluncked one of the two dollar bills I'd plunked down for a tip. We finished our one drink, and left. No wonder it's empty on a Sunday afternoon. read more

I have a soft spot for dive bars. And this place is a dive bar. Most definitely. Or maybe it's just a dump. To be a dive bar, there has to be some kind of charm. Even if it's three bearded dudes playing a game of Risk. Or I don't know what. Something redeeming. Somehow, somewhere. This bar was tended by a mean middle aged lady who evidently hated me and my friend. It was actually quite comical how when she carded me, she conduced tests on my id to check its validity. She shone a pen flashlight very close on parts of the card. Then she flexed the ID (??). It was about a one minute process. There was a lot of squinting. And I'm 40. We ordered drinks, which I gather was a huge ask. Not particularly cheap either. And they should be. All the chairs are old and torn. At one point the mean bartender started screaming at some dude to 'get the fck out'. Loud yelling. If you go here, I'd suggest you don't get out of line. read more

Okay, here is my L&L story....I have a few friends that are gay and from time to time I tag along with them and visited a few of their bars on Halstead........on this particular night they wanted to have a few drinks in one where little boys dance on the bar in thongs..............Ur uh.......no thank you. I think I'll hang out with some of my fellow straights......but where....as I walked up to Clark I saw L&L and walked in. This dark dive bar isn't necessarily unique and nothing about it strikes me to single something out, but I ordered a PBR and awaited my gay friends to move onto the next bar and call me. After my first beer the phone rang...it was them, but music was playing too loud on the jukebox so I moved to the door....I just happened to be dressed in mostly black and stood at the open door on the phone.........I must have had a serious look on my face because........ A kid....walks in and sees me at the door........pulls out his wallet and hands me his ID....while trying to still carry on the conversation and without missing a beat I take the ID...act like I'm looking at it and give it back to the kid........not a second longer another "kid" walks in an following the last kid also presents his ID...then a girl...another boy..by this time I happen to look up at the bartender who is mouthing the works...."what the f*ck are you doing?!?!"...........that was my cue........exit stage left.......and out the door I went. Hmmmm....perhaps a doorman is something I should pursue...it seems at the very least I have the look for it???? This dive bar is one that a good stop off for a beer....... read more

Tiny, dirty and cheap. Just how I like my bars! This place is an oasis in Wrigleyville, a safe haven for those not fond of all the frat boys with striped shirts and spikey hair. If you looked up "dive bar" in a dictionary or encylopedia - the L&L would be a prime example. It embodies that vibe and that's why I love this place. read more

There's a lot of straight talk about the L and L being a dive bar. Sure, it has symptoms of a dive bar: an O.G. jukebox that doesn't provide Miley Cyrus downloads and grudgingly accepts U.S. currency printed after 1990; cheap beer and dim lighting; a bartender that looks like King Hippo from Mike Tyson's Punch Out. But there are some anti-divey elements at play. I purchased an Estonian beer here. Baltic beer screams cosmopolitan Oprah Book Club bar--not dive. Exhibit B: Cartoon Network was on the television. Why don't you just let the nerdz bring in their Robot Chicken DVDs and turn the joint into an Internet cafe? Not saying you have to show Russ Meyer films on loop but something that advertises itself as a Superstation would suffice. Dive debate aside, I had a decent time. Kinda cramped. My final jukebox selection was cutoff by the bartender playing Jonny Cash. Didn't care for that too much, but maybe its a closing-time ritual? read more

My boyfriend has a man crush on this place and I really don't know why. My neighbor also went there often, but I think that's because he was crushing on one of the bartenders. Anyway... cash only... cheap drinks... dirty... old... sarcastic staff... oh wait... now I know why my boyfriend has a man crush.... I lived across the street, but didn't frequent this place. It just kind of reminded me of a place hipsters would go - thinking they were cool by being in an old dive. Eh. I like other dives better. read more

In my dozen or so visits to the L&L, I have always found the place to be a haven for asshole bartenders. Personally, I don't understand the reasoning behind the rude bartender. Sure it sucks to be around a bunch of drunken idiots clambering for your attention, complaining about getting the wrong drink or perhaps hitting on you. Next thing you know they're pissing all over your bathroom like a sprinkler and projectile vomiting like the end of the Nathan's hot dog eating contest. Regardless, you know exactly what you were getting into when you started the job. And I don't know about anyone else, but I'm sure as hell going to leave a better tip and stay for another round--not to mention--tell my friends to come join me if the bartender is happy and taking care of me. Until then, go bitch up a rope. read more

After a Cubs game we hopped on the Red Line. I quickly realized that I had to go to the bathroom SO bad! So we got off at the next stop and walked directly to what smelled like the next bathroom. Once inside we realized that this bathroom was actually a bar with a pretty kick ass jukebox selection, so we ordered a beer and grabbed a stool. Around 6 in the evening we were the only people there, and had no complaints about the service. At one point I knocked over my empty PBR can (yeah, my own dumb move) and the bartender snarled "that is not funny" in my direction. It's honestly not a place that I am going to intentionally return to, but if I need to pee again I know where to stop. read more

I wish this place was closer to my house. I'd be there everyday. But it's a small trek to Lakeview and I just don't make the effort often enough. It's a dive. Boy, do I love dives. And I love the people who come in here. And the whiskey! All the whiskey. And the specials. And bartenders whose respect you have to earn. I've seen people sneered-out, a coupla' suits actually. Fun stuff. And a rad jukebox. And free tampons for the girls! Yes, I said it. Tampons. read more

This place blows goats. The bartenders were miserably sloooooow. On top of that, I have never felt less comfortable in a dive bar in my life. The clientele gave us those "what are YOU doing here" stares. Apparently I forgot my thrift store clothes and my Elvis Costello glasses. I'd rather go to one of the crapholes closer to Wrigley than this dump. Edit: I walked by last night, and there were no less than 5 (count em, FIVE!) fixie bikes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-gear_bicycle) locked up on bike racks outside! This place does not deserve the label "dive bar". Can we add "hipster douche bag hangout" to the Yelp label choices? read more

The L&L is a great dive. Once took a big group of co-workers in there and we had a blast plugging the great jukebox and didn't at all get the hairy eyeball from the regulars. The bar keep is friendly and genuine. A great place to stop when you're tired of the no-personality-different from-the-next-bar places in Wrigleyville. read more

Calling this place a dive bar really does an injustice to all great dive bars out there! This place is no more than a mere hole in the wall! To be honest it kind of scared me...it was so dark and dirty and not to mention I think I stood out worse than anyone there in my "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Audrey Hephurn coat. The bartenders were rude and the guy at the door was also really rude. Drinks were over priced and ill prepared. I ordered an Amaretto Sour...how hard is that? And the drink was the worst thing I had ever gotten in my life!!! Not to mention it took her like 15 minutes to make the drink. No I will not be going back here! Ever!!! read more

I think this place is neat. They're conveniently located half a block from the red line, and they've got a pretty decent beer selection. It really seems like a pub crawl destination... Not the type of place you'd want to stay through, say... two bathroom breaks. However, their bathrooms are nasty.I'm not talking "Oh this is a little dirty." I'm talking no lock on the door, a toilet full of the previous inconsiderate patron's unflushed matter, nondescript piles of fluid matter in the corners, and a little hole in the wall that makes you want to get out of there as soon as possible. I'm talking about a smell that rivals port-a-potties in the middle of July. Come here for a beer, or better yet, a shot of Malort. Stay out of the bathrooms. Cash Only. Seriously. read more

The only time I go to the L&L is when my friend Sean has a birthday, since he more or less lives there with his boyfriend, All Of The Whiskey, Ever. And his other boyfriend, The Jukebox At The L&L. So Emily B and I trekked out to Belmont/Clark to buy him some shots and watch him do dumb things because of All Of The Whiskey, Ever. We were not disappointed. What WAS disappointing was the fact that the lone bartender could never seem to: A) make her way down to the other end of the bar where we were standing with empty glasses and cash in hand and, B) handle more than one drink order at a time. There's a lot of whiskey and the crowd is fun and The Jukebox At The L&L is stocked with good drinkin' tunes (IE: Tom Waits), but you might wait a while for your drinks. ALSO: They're cash only, and while there IS an ATM, it's in the most awkward spot of all time, so you're more or less leaning over someone else's table to get your 20s and pay your $3 ATM fee. read more