Loafers is amazing. We love this small neighborhood bar. No frill, all chill. We've always had exceptional service, especially from Pam. Pam is one of those ladies who you just instantly love and want to be around all the time. There will never be a time where we walk in, see Pam, and NOT want to stay for the rest of the day just to hang out with her. If you're looking for a bar that has a theme, and is a place for anything more than a drink and some company, this isn't the bar for you. If you want a bar and here you can just relax, feel like you're at home, and just take your mind off the day? You found your new towny bar. read more

This is one my favorite late night bars, right on the corner with a lit up Old Style marquee; what more could you ask for? Every person I've ever sat next to was super cool, and the bartenders always know the score. Schlitz, PBR, Hamms, and Old style stock the cooler top shelf, and plenty of craft beers in there as well. If you swing in and forget your tab open, I have it on good authority that they will take good care of your card until you get back read more

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I'm sorry but this is THE WORST. Gave it another chance after a horrid first time.... TODAY... we walk into the bar, not expecting a club or anything but a simple bar, and it seemed so at first. We go up to the bar & immediately the man next to us looks at my friend's roommate and says "you're definitely going to need to show her your id(referring to the bartender)". 2nd... the bartender then reaches out and says , while looking at my friend, "have I seen y'all before?" & we say we have been here before. Then my friend starts introducing us, and gets to Megan(who is a Hispanic woman) and gets IMMEDIATELY interrupted by "I don't need to hear about your roommates", looking directly at Megan. Going back a couple weeks... we were here & the racism was so apparent we had to walk out... To think we gave this place a second chance, and FOR WHAT.... DO NOT GO HERE. read more

I love Loafers (it was aka Sam's, then the pandemic, now aka Pam's)! "Making your way in the world today Takes everything you've got Taking a break from all your worries Sure would help a lot Wouldn't you like to get away?" But I am distressed to see the negative comments about people not feeling welcome. That's exactly the opposite of my experience. In fact, my favorite part of Pam's is how welcoming it is. To everyone! It's basically the cliche Cheers, but with a much more interesting crowd. They took the Hipster transition in stride. Now Hipsters walk in and NASCAR Dads welcome them like no where else! The most diverse of my friends and neighbors also just love it! I recommend Pam's to everyone I can, entirely because of the atmosphere and it's welcoming people. Love Pam! Although I do miss Sam too! Please join us! Especially if you are interesting. Packers fans? You're welcome too, but we'll have to talk. "Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name And they're always glad you came You want to be where you can see Our troubles are all the same You want to be where everybody knows your name" read more

Loafers is a great neighborhood Chicago bar with excellent service. Pam is AMAZING!!!! Andrew and Chuck are incredible as well! Pam is just the greatest though and is such a treasure! I love her so much read more

Had high hopes for this place. I really wanted to find a local spot to visit every weekend but I will not be returning. We felt very uncomfortable and unwelcome at this bar because of the bartender, Pam. She made a racist remark towards my friend's name when she checked our IDs. I don't usually write bad reviews but I want to warn any POC and/or queer people that they will not have a positive experience at this place. read more

Solid "divebar". Has a pool table, jukebox, and friendly bartender Stacey. Surprisingly wide selection of craft beers from diverse breweries. Dog friendly and I'm pretty sure you can bring your own food. I think they have kareoke on Thursdays but I did not have a chance to experience the joy :) Would definitely pop in again if I was in the area. read more

Loafers - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Pam is an absolute gem of a human. Accommodating, friendly, welcoming, and makes great conversation. Really made my first time to loafers a special one. I will be back!! read more

Good lord..... this bar...... listen, I don't know who needs to talk to what relative, but whoever's mom or aunt or wife or sister or girlfriend is related to the owners .... Y'all gotta ban her. She completely ruined the vibe for a relaxing Saturday night my friends and I were tryna have. She was clearly intoxicated, and her passive aggressive racism is not appreciated. If the patio isn't dog friendly, just say that. We were specifically told dogs were fine. A dog barked at 9PM, and someone's blacked out aunt went nuclear Karen. We get it, you have "authority".....congrats I guess.... You only get one first impression. Mine is bad. I'm not much of a Yelp review guy, but when Patio Pam dares you to leave a yelp review, you do it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ read more

I've driven by this bar a hundred times and never given it a second thought. I got pulled in by a friend who goes there regularly and was blown away by the patio I didn't even know existed. As good as the back yard was my night continued in the direction of excellence. There was an incredibly charming woman behind the bar that took care of me until my friends arrived and holy shit. What a treasure. Pat... maybe Pam. I'll be back for the patio once it gets warm but I'll visit often until then for some conversations with my new friend and her exceptional perspective. Do yourself a solid and check out this neighborhood gem. read more

Cute little dive bar. Great drinks. Stacey the bartender was super nice and fun to talk to. Jukebox is cool. Great song selections!! But I do have 2 suggestions lol Please get a blender! Frozen blended Drinks for Summer! Think about it lol AND a little seating area outside for us smokers. Maybe with some cute outdoor lights (Costco) definitely an eye catcher for people driving by. But other than that! Awesome Place! We'll be back!! read more

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Stopped in for karaoke, but ended up having a good time without. Pam was bartending and incredibly sweet and helpful. First time in and will return to see Pam! read more

As of 2022 I'm afraid that if you are a person of color going to Loafers, beware! I have been stopping by Loafers a few times a year for over 10 years and it was a welcoming place before. Unfortunately my recent experience there has erased those positive feelings. I entered the bar on Christmas Eve Friday morning, about 1:30 a.m. thinking of catching the last call after meeting other friends in the neighborhood. Please note, this was a night when the temperature was 0° F, with a wind chill further below that. I was bundled up for the extreme cold, and after briefly speaking to a customer sitting close to the entrance (through fogged glasses) I walked further into the bar and took off my hat, and face mask. At that point the bartender approached me to scold me about walking into the bar with my face covered, and to say that there is a crime wave now, that I was scaring the customers (by standing still), and that she was calling the police. After being shuffled back outside, and continuing my walk home the whole brief experience caught up with me, and was extremely hurtful, in particular since this had been a place I always enjoyed going to. Looking at the other recent reviews here it appears my experience isn't unique for other members of POC and LGBTQ communities sadly. read more

Great bar and great service - Pam the bartender is so friendly and authentic. She makes coming here a great time. Highly recommend.

This place is dangerous! Not in a "you might get shanked in the bathroom" sort of way, but it's dangerous all the same. We headed up to Loafers to catch the end of the Olympic hockey game after a boozy dinner down the street. Our first brush with danger came when my friend started jumping up and down screaming "Jane Fonda, Jane Fonda." She didn't realize they weren't playing shout-out-your-answer trivia, but write it down, turn it in and see if you won trivia. Fortunately, the guy who was pissed that she gave away the answer stopped giving us the evil eye after an hour or so. The bar is long and narrow, most of the seating is at the bar or along the rail at the wall. We happened to snag the only real table and some stools. I don't know if it was the stool, the lopsided table, or the booze, but early on I almost took my stool and the entire table with me when I got up to get a drink! Dangerous, I tell you! The bar has a pool table, dart board (the electronic kind if An is reading this), and Touchtunes jukebox. This is a neighborhood dive bar, so don't expect a lot of top shelf liquors or a robust beer selection, beer is mainly Bud, Miller and Corona products; however they do carry Magic Hat, which made me a happy camper. Drinks are reasonably priced, but resist the temptation to see how far your hard earned dollars can stretch; my one friend learned that lesson the hard way. Dangerous! At some point we (me) joined the subsequent rounds of free trivia; you earn tickets just for being there. Collect enough of tickets and you can earn free drinks, sweet! We must have tipped well or looked cute because the bartender gave us a free round of his bomb pop shots, I have no idea what's in them, but they really do taste like the popsicle! By the time I stumbled down the street to the Brown line we had made friends with several patrons and were all feeling no pain, good times! Just remember, a trip to Loafers is fun, but could result in one/all of the following: mystery bruises in hard to reach places, missing chunks of time, raging hangovers, or a trip to the ER (true story). Don't forget: *Free wifi *Cash only *Trivia Fridays *Dangerous read more

There's no name on the sign, just a beer logo. That should give you an idea of what you're getting in to. This is a no-frills dive bar. Make no mistake, it's a great bar, but don't expect fancy cocktails or organic booze. On a Tuesday night this place was pretty dead, and the bartender was incredibly friendly and accommodating. They had a bunch of "Olympic" specials, and all of their drinks seemed reasonably priced. I ended up getting a pitcher, which only set me back $5. There's a pool table in the back, a jukebox, and of course plenty of TV's. When it's warmer they have BBQ's on the weekend. It's a nice place to stop and get a drink. read more

Loafers - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for the first time last Friday. The bartender, Pam, shook my hand and introduced herself to me. She immediately made me feel like a longtime regular, chatting and joking with me and the rest of the patrons. By the time we left, the place was packed and Pam knew everybody's name. Her excellent service guaranteed that I'll be back. read more

Loafers is a great little neighborhood bar, a true classic Chicago dive. But what sets it apart from most is the staff. Specifically, Pam. She's the only reason I come to Loafers. Even when I was living out of state, I'd come by just to stop by and say hi to her. When she isn't working her normal shift, regulars ask where she's at or when she'll be back! All in all, a solid place, especially if you're new in town and looking to connect with the local community. read more

Nice local corner bar with friendly service, regulars, nice atmosphere, pool table, outdoor area and good times.

Great old style neighborhood bar! Love my Pammy! She is a gem! Love Andrew, Chuck, and Jordan too! Always get that good old school feeling when I'm there! Bars like loafers are what Chicago bar life is all about! Cheers realness. read more

Great spot in the neighborhood where you can expect to know everyone's name. Pam is a great time and is the heart and soul of the place.

What an amazing dive bar! Pam is the absolute best. So kind and caring, remembers your name and treats you like family.

Patio Pam is a total hoot! She made the night more fun than I expected. I went in to shoot some pool and have a few beers, and ended up having some of the best conversations ever. Highly recommend. read more

I've lived right down the street for over a year now and still had never been inside until a week ago. Not that I was turned off in anyway because I love a good dive bar but just hadn't happened. I went to watch the Cubs beat the Cardinals (as they are tearing their way through the NL playoffs) one afternoon and I was pleasantly surprised. It was clean and tidy and the just enough tv action going on. The bathrooms were nicer than your average dive bar, seemed to be kept clean which I appreciate. What REALLY impressed me was their beer selection- much better than I expected! They have Not Your Father's Root Beer on tap (hello lover!) and about 5 others. Large bottle selection, they also have a few wines and spritzers in their coolers. The downside was the bartender, she was somewhat attentive but looked pretty bored to be there and not very friendly. But maybe it was a rough day for her, they were anticipated a huge crowd for the Cubs win. All in all it exceeded my expectations and I will be back for another Cubbies game! read more

Loafers - Watching the Cubbies - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Loafers is the first bar I stepped foot into when I turned 21, so I've been going there for quite some time (I'm almost 25). I've been reading some older reviews on here, and I have to say the bar has come a long way if they are true. I've never seen roaches in this bar, and I've never had a watered down drink. I've also never seen homeless people or thugs hang outside the bar. Nor inside. However, if you're looking for a local bar to feel at home at or even have a cheap drink then this is the place to be. Stacy, JoJo, and Rory are the best bartenders around there :) and Frannie will always be missed! read more

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You all have to meet the bartender Sam. She is the best. Originally from Kingston Mines and wanted to move closer to home. What a gem. She cooks complimentary food. Yummy meatloaf, mashed potatoes and yummy vegetables and she can mix the best dirty martinis. What a warm personality! I wish she were my mom. What a natural nurturer. Just what you need after a hard day of work! read more

ffffffrrraaaaaaaannnniiiiieeeeee. Frannie is the best. This place is the best price in town.#jeep Rory and JoJo are​ cool too........... read more

I feel it would be a great injustice to give any bar with Not Your Father's Root Beer on tap anything less than 4 stars. The best part is that, to my knowledge, it's always on tap. A lot of bars have stopped serving it as an occasional offering because I hear the sugar can gunk up the hoses and affect other beers being served afterward. That's probably less of a problem if you designate that it be on draft all the time. I don't think this is a soccer bar, but that seems to be what's on every time we come here and I'm OK with it. And I'm really happy they have Touch Tunes, so we usually take over the jukebox. There's a pool table too! We've been served by a couple different people and I have no complaints there. We're especially appreciative that this bar takes credit in a sea of seemingly cash only establishments. read more

Normally I think of Loafers as a regular neighborhood dive bar. In my 8 years living up the street, I've learned a lot of my neighbors don't like it and feel it brings a seedy element to the neighborhood. True, it has a sordid past, but I think we can give clean slates and move on. It isn't pretty, it isn't classy, but what dive bar is? It has occasional rowdy patrons that are a little disruptive in the neighborhood, but nothing too terrible. However recently the class of clientele is taking a serious nose dive. Tonight there were seven or eight guys standing outside smoking. They thought it was appropriate to grab at me as I walked by. I wasn't patronizing this is establishment tonight, just walking from the el to my apartment. After tonight's episode I don't know that I will ever go here again. It's clearly not a safe environment and the owners need to do something about that. read more

Bars are good for many things. Some bars are good for picking up the ladies and gents. Other bars are good for dancing the night away. Some bars are good for a quiet conversation in a dark corner. This bar, my friends, is good for lifting spirits when most needed with cheap drinks, good company, friendly staff and a single welcoming pool table in the back. I spent a happy Thursday evening here chatting with a few regulars and having a heart-to-heart with a good friend over a good game of pool and a few beers. Each game of pool costs about a buck. When we set up our first game and a ball was missing, the staff got on their hands and knees with us looking for the missing ball. Ball was found, and crisis averted. I appreciated the generous supply of chalk for the game, perched next to a board that read in scrawled white chalk: "Happy Birthday, Boss!" I will assume they meant THE Boss as his birthday had only been one week prior. The beers were cheap, and once we were joined by more friends, pitchers were the way to go. You may indeed wind up in a conversation with a regular or two here. There's nothing like the low-key atmosphere of a bar like Loafer's to get to know somebody new and different from you. If you're in the market for a bar that only pretends to be a dive bar or a "cool" dive bar, then I suggest you go elsewhere. Loafer's is the real deal with no frills but quality drinks for cheap and friendly people all around. You'll probably leave in higher spirits than when you came in. read more

Solid three-star dive bar. This place is a little off of the beaten path, but worth a visit. Pros: - Cheap drinks, especially on week nights when you get a decent sized pitcher of bud/budlight/michelob for $5. - Nice selection on the juke box. - Friendly staff. - The regulars make for interesting people watching (see Peter M.'s review). - Weekend karaoke, sometimes painfully awful, alway amusing if you're drunk. - Free Wi-Fi, which is weird, but I appreciate the gesture. Cons: - Smokey, smokey, smokey. - The regulars. I had a 20 minute conversation with a guy in a language I didn't know. It didn't seem to be a problem for him, though. And all I know is that his sister stole his Oldsmobile. - It's a narrow space so you need to be prepared to stand. - You need a key to get into the bathroom, which is not good in case of an emergency. read more

Loafer's is a hidden gem, if what you mean by gem is: a great dive bar with at least two interesting beers on tap, the appropriate number and size televisions for the space, a decent pool table and an amazing like-family connection to their regulars. And a cheap cheap drink specials every day of the week, including a $5 "lunch box" of Jim Beam and domestic can. The bartender Diane is the alternate universe near opposite to Cheers' Diane. She's brunette, has a wide-open but streetwise personality, remembers your drink and her default facial expression is a genuine smile. She's also the keeper of the calendar, making sure that sympathy cards, birthday cakes, the NCAA brackets and the St. Patrick's Day lottery ticket happen. It's that kind of bar. Everyone from 20 to 70 I've seen in here. You'll find some hipster, some oldsters and some "old enough to know betters." Right by the Rockwell Brown Line Stop and two doors down from the best and cheapest Bahn Mi (Nu Lan get the lemongrass tofu or chicken) sandwiches in the city, and Loafers will give you a paper plate and a napkin to eat them before you think to ask. It's a Chicago experience to do a Nu Lan-Loafers night. Lunch box is on Tuesday. read more

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I echo the general consensus of this being a great dive bar, for all the usual reasons dive bars can be great. Cheap beers, local, sports, wifi (though you'd be an asshole to bring your mac here I think) and a pool table. But remember a few things. It is not place where a few ladies can stop in on a slow night to chat over a beer. Barney Gumble is guaranteed to slink up to your bar stool and massage your arms while discussing his gambling strategies. Also, this is not one of those dive bars with a curated jukebox, righteously defended by the bartender and regulars. Loafers has a touchtone jukebox, giving the masses a dangerous amount of power. You'll hear a random rotation of country, bieber-ness & nickelback-ness as the warring factions throw their dollars down. The upside of this: When a song comes on that doesn't totally suck, the whole bar sings along in a feelgood Cameron Crowe movie moment. Good for: When it's busy and you are in the mood for random hijinks Bad for: A few females to chill out on a slow night read more

I can't decide between 3 and 4 stars.... Since this is probably the closest bar to where I live, it would be an asset if I could actually muster the courage to go in here, but having seen so many people who I'm guessing are "regulars" hanging around outside that frighten me a wee bit, I was incredibly reluctant to go here. But since I actually went here as a pre-game on NYE, I now feel I can form an educated opinion. It's nowhere near as scary as I had thought. I would never there by myself, and would hesitate to go with just one girlfriend, but with a boy or a group, it's not bad at all! The beers (2 shock tops for $6) were SUPER CHEAP. About the cost of one beer anywhere else. My boy had to ask for the total again since he thought he'd misheard. The pool table was indeed quite nice. They offered food to us since they were having their NYE shindig, but we politely declined as we had other obligations. I will be back. read more

Awesome dive bar in Lincoln Square - great place to banter with the bartender, the crowd, and just to sit back and enjoy a beer. They have specials every day, and Diane makes a mean bloody mary! read more

Loafers - A Dab will do you! - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Goddamn, I love this place. I can walk there, which makes it even better! When I go to a bar, it's usually a dirty, sleazy, questionable affair. I don't go to be seen, I don't go to impress, and I usually just want to be left alone with my companion(s) and my whiskey. That said, the bartenders here are a great group, and I'm always happy to chat with them. The drinks are great, but I usually stick to Maker's neat. There's karaoke on Saturdays, and the crowd is suprisingly NOT obnoxious! The place is VERY much a dive. If you're like me, then you'll love it. If not, then stay far away. We angry boozers are probably better off for it. read more

Just your basic neighborhood corner bar: cheap beer, t.v.'s, regulars on barstools. They've perked up the facade a bit, and the actual name of the bar is visible now, which makes it seem a little nicer and more inviting, but it's really just a no-frills place. They don't serve food, and there's no dance floor. Definitely not a Lincoln Square hipster hot-spot, or pseudo-dive. It's just... a bar. That's it. That's all. read more

This is a stereotypical "Dive bawr." Chicago at it's best! Once in a blue moon, I walk a few hundred feet to "Loafers." I really don't think most know the name, but just that it's located at Lawrence & Rockwell. For a dive bar, the prices are a little high, but you come here for the character. Or, characters. Grab a seat at the bar, and you'll most likely hear conversations ( or arguments) regarding sports, the current point spread, and how 'Da Cubbies are gonna do it this year. Wishful thinking, but the patrons at Loafers never disappoint when it comes to interesting conversation. Loafers is clean, and unlike some reviews, I've never felt like I was in some sort of imminent danger. Actually, everyone has always been friendly-especially, "Rory" the bartender. He's kind of like a redheaded version of Vince Vaughn. Absolutely hilarious, and a damn good bartender...you know, the kind that shakes your hand, asks your name, and introduces himself when you sit down at the bar. Loafers never disappoints. read more

Bars like this Rockwell dive with Old Style signs in place of a bar name frighten and excite me - like getting ready for a first date. Will they be clean? Friendly? Creepy? Cheap? I received a few curious looks as I pulled my headphones off and walked right into shit-tastic country blaring out with lyrics like, "God is great. Beer is Good. People are crazy." This being immediately followed by a 40-something throwing on a Miley Cirus song and dancing around in bobby socks. Maybe I should have left the headphones on, or at least if $20 hadn't seemed like a good chunk of drinking money, should have capitalized on the jukebox. The bartender's heavy-handedness made up for the surprisingly high prices. Maybe I should have been ordering swill beer-pitcher for myself along with every other bar regular that had seemed to have been there since at least 3 p.m. But as far as dives go, there weren't any creepy guys slinking up to my bar stool, the regulars were all friendly enough to ask who I was and if I was new to the neighborhood, and the place was clean. I'll come back for sure, with a little extra money for the jukebox this time. read more

I was walking by and decided to stop in for a quick beer, I haven't visited Loafer's in about two years. It was like I never left. I quickly felt right at home again. Fran the bartender truly was stellar with her service. She took care of me 100% and some. "Dive Bar" Call it what you want, they have more class than you think.... P.S. LOVE THE OLD STLYE SIGN... read more