Nels Old Time Inn

Go to this Dive Bar!! Inexpensive drinks & great vibes. Big TVs & games. The thin crust Pizza was…read morethe only food item but it was delicious and went perfect while we drank and watched the World Cup. Also The Owner & his Wife are awesome down to earth people. Cheers!!

My friend was looking everywhere for a "Chicago Handshake" which apparently is not a sex thing. We…read moreended up looking on yelp for the best place to find one and Squirrel Cage was it! Staff was friendly, and it just happened to be Tuesday trivia night! We had a great time at this dive bar and would recommend! Just make sure to bring cash as they do not accept cards!

Pizza!

Bar

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Trivia and those running it

Maple Avenue Pub

3.9(48 reviews)

0.8 mi

THE USUAL SUSPECTS…read more This dive bar in Lisle is a haven for townies, which is certainly a vibe. Maple Ave Pub is, unsurprisingly, on Maple Ave just west of Route 53 in the western suburbs of Chicago. I'd estimate I've stopped here close to a dozen times, although a handful of those instances I neglected to check-in on Yelp for fear of my wife seeing it ("I thought you were coming straight home from work....") An older woman's been behind the counter seemingly every time, taking drink orders and making small talk. She's friendly--moreso with the locals than with me--and I'll occasionally get called 'hun', 'sweetie', etc, which is endearing. I got way better service from the hot tattooed barkeeps at Brauer House in Lombard, however. To be perfectly honest, I've never eaten anything here. The wings look like they might pass muster, though there's a few items that raise an eyebrow (clam chowder at a dive bar? thanks, I'll pass). Possum Pub in Melrose Park had surprisingly good food, and it was a major dive, so perhaps I ought to give the grub here a shot sometime. They have several pool tables, a Big Buck Hunter, Golden Tee, dart board, boxing machine, and pair of pinball machines; as of 6/19/24 they've got a Star Trek premium (Stern, 2013) and JAWS (Stern, 2024). In the past they had Oktoberfest (American Pinball, 2018), Fish Tales (Williams, 1992), and a stunning Circus Voltaire (Bally, 1997). Last week, the A/C wasn't working so this place was SWELTERING on one of the hottest days of the year. Normally I stick around for a couple pints and 2-3 games of pinball, but it was so toasty inside (worse than outside) I only played 1 game and skipped the beer completely. There were no fans on, either. * TL;DR * Dive bars are all well and good, but maybe it's time I found a new spot to hit up for a cheap domestic pint. Over the years I've gotten a handful of looks that can be described as quizzical at best, and dirty at worst. I've been ignored by the bartender numerous times--with cash in hand, mind you--while she's chatting away with regulars, as I'm standing there absolutely parched. I want to like Maple Ave Pub, but the feeling doesn't seem mutual. If it weren't for the pinball tables, I probably wouldn't return.

Old school, no frills--yes fun, un-corporate, low key place to hang with a friendly crowd and…read moretender--better than Cheers!. Old school, dark wood, good ole' bar with plenty of ways to entertain you. Decent selection on tap and in bottles as well as cocktails. Good bar food. Reasonable prices! Come as you are, no one cares. Bottom line: Very low key, decent bang for the buck on refreshments and food, low key crowd, lots of stuff to do.

A classic Williams pinball, circa 1992! Other pinball tables have come and gone, but Fish Tales has stuck around

Comfy spot to watch the game.

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How can you play a pinball table called Oktoberfest and not enjoy a cold beer? PROST!

JR's Place

4.0(95 reviews)

0.2 mi

It's not fancy, but food is excellent!! Prices are more than…read morefair, and portion size is generous Hamburgers at lunch, and skillet combos for breakfast, are terrific. Owner JR is sweet, and wait staff is friendly and welcoming. Not to be missed

Dang, prices increased by 16% on September 1st. That's four times what restaurants typically…read moreincrease. I asked my server when prices went up 16% and she said they only went up 10%. But my b&g up with coffee was $10.04 and today was $11.66. They also seem to collect more taxes than what is the rate for Lisle, which is 7.25%. I didn't realize JR sold his restaurant in January of this year and now only comes in on Tues/Thu. Not sure why their coffee smells so bad, but I often dump it out, as it stinks up my car and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I suppose their prices are still reasonable, but not the value they once were.

Multiple high chairs available

Country fried steak

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Price increase 9/2026

NWB The Next Whiskey Bar Lisle

4.3(494 reviews)

0.2 mi

Great place. They out performed on every level of service, atmosphere and quality. I will be backread more

NWB is located in downtown Lisle and can seat ~50ish people. They also have outdoor seating as…read morewell. Parking is street parking and it was easy for me to find a spot. A friend and I stopped in for a weekday lunch and there were about 15 other customers as well. This is a casual whiskey bar with your standard bar food and drinks. Service throughout was kind of inconsistent but still OK. The food came out fairly quick which is ideal for me anyway haha. We both opted for the $10 smash burger lunch special that comes with fries. For $10 this is a great deal. The burger was juicy and delicious. The sauce on the burger goes very well with it and the bun is buttery, very good. The fries? Meh, they were pretty bland and stale.

Table top and bar seating as well as an outdoor area

NWB Burger

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Very unique root beer. Hints of cinnamon and ginger

Evviva Bar & Eatery

3.5(338 reviews)

0.0 mi

We first visited this spot 3 years ago on a business trip, and we haven't stopped talking about it…read moresince! We finally had the chance to return to the Chicago area, and our absolute first priority was coming back to the place we've been bragging about for years. It did not disappoint! You absolutely must order the extra thin crust pizza--it is hands-down the best. We happened to visit during a Bears game, and the energy in the bar was incredible. So much fun! The staff was wonderful, too. Even though the place was packed and super busy because of the game, the service was still fast, attentive, and friendly. So glad we came back!

A perfect neighborhood bar, with delicious pizza and lots of beer!…read more We spent a few hours and enjoyed excellent service, delicious pizza abs a couple pitchers of beer! Didn't remember to take pics...because we were having too much fun!

Dry ass chicken sandwich and hockey puck burger.

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Poor customer service. Got charged for a kids meal even though their website and server told me kids eat free

Bevi's Bar and Eatery

1.0(1 review)

2.6 mi

Yeah... imagine walking into a bar that eerily resembles Paddy's Pub from Always Sunny In…read morePhiladelphia. Usually this place is empty and I'm surprised customers aren't up serving themselves. I actually am making a mistake by mentioning Always Sunny cus undoubtedly someone will read that and say, "oh man, that rocks!" and completely forget that the show is about 4 (now 5) people running a pit that is one inspection away from being condemned. It's probably a mistake even bringing them up in a review, because by doing so I'm making this place known. I had to search for the info. to add the business. Their link didn't work for me, but I included it anyway. I googled it and it came up... along with an equally cheery review from "Victor" - "I was there on a Wed. and one of the bartenders was drunk and dancing on the bar spilling peoples drinks. How tacky..then a baby comes out of the back room....really, great parenting". Reading that didn't shock me in the least. This experience is a actually a step up from Thursday night when the silence is broken by a terrible jam band/cover band. Talk about taking the two worst types of bands and mating them into a truly painful experience. The best bet is to avoid it, but if you must go - arm yourself with a tetanus/penicillin combo shot. They sell those at Walgreens, right?

Q Pub and Grill

3.6(55 reviews)

2.6 mi

The outside doesn't seem very inviting, but the inside is a nice village-style bar. There are…read moretables on both sides and in the middle, with the bar centered. In the back corner they have ring toss, darts, and beer pong, plus seating all around. It was clean and the service was good. Sundays also allow free games with a $10 minimum food purchase, which is a nice touch. I ordered the pretzel and it was good. It took about 15 minutes, and it was pretty salty -- definitely better if you brush some of it off. I also couldn't help but notice the vent above me. It had some buildup, and I kept thinking about it possibly dropping into my food.

When it rains it floods in the pool area. Not the best kept tables. The menu is mediocre at best…read morebar service is terrible weeknights. The wanna be a porn star bartender with the horrible mustache and muscle shirts is absolutely ridiculous. Can only open cans, terrible at mixed drinks and rude. If you don't have to be there, don't . Plenty of other pool halls.

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Crosstown Pub & Grill Naperville

3.4(794 reviews)

3.1 mi

The food is delicious at crosstown pub and Grill. The service is great with Peter and Madeline and…read moreLexi. They were very knowledgeable. Very nice. I recommend this place highly

We were looking for a new place to try that was close to home, and after consulting yelp, we…read moredecided to try Crosstown Pub. We went on Super Bowl Sunday the first time, and were seated right away. Our waitress, Ciera, explained the specials to us and gave us some time to decide on our order. She was great, the right mix of attentiveness but not hovering, super friendly too. On Sundays, apps, crocks, and salads are all half off. Such an amazing deal, especially in this economy. My husband really enjoyed their devils eggs, he ate all 12! The appetizer sampler was great, and we ordered 10 wings with the devils sauce. Ciera was concerned it may be too spicy for us, so we tried a sample with some fries. It's delicious! The devils sauce is one of the components of the wing challenge, so we understand her concern. We went back again on Valentine's Day for a late stop after a busy day. They have a $5 burger and fry special. Again, great food at a great price! Ciera waited on us again, and again, she was incredible. The bartender was very friendly when we were coming and going, and the rest of the staff we saw on Super Bowl Sunday seemed very hard working as they prepped take out orders for the game. They have a great space in the dining area to host events. I'm hoping to host something here in the near future. Overall, I think we've found our new go to hang out. I highly recommend Crosstown. Check out their menu and daily specials, the food is definitely worth the visit.

Dining area

10 wings with cheesy garlic

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$5.00 House Margarita!

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant

3.9(1k reviews)

2.7 mi

My husband and I were celebrating our anniversary. The food was excellent and our server Jaliyah…read morewas amazing! Though the restaurant was busy she was friendly, efficient and always had a smile on her face! Jaliyah made our dining experience perfect! We will be back to Coopers Hawk! Terri and Sal Capra

I, my wife and mother in-law came here for dinner after leaving the city for my nephew's graduation…read morethe next day. We were actually running a bit behind, so my wife called and informed the front desk, and they made accommodations for us. We ordered the Over The Border Egg Rolls as a starter. They were nice and crispy, full of flavor and tasty. They were however, right on the cusp of being salty. We all felt that way, which kind of sucked, but mind you, we all don't really eat a lot of salt, so how palates are a bit different from others. They were still good though. For dinner, I had the Tim's Favorite Chicken Giardiniera and my wife had Gnocchi Butternut Squash and my mother in-law had the Pistachio Crusted Grouper. My wish was pretty freakin good. I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing. The chicken was pretty thin and crisp but not dry at all! The giardiniera add the right amount of heat, spice and brightness to the dish. The cheese played well in the background and the mash potatoes were nice and smooth. I wish they had a bit more wasabi flavor though. My wife and mother-in's food was also pretty good. I think we all took home left-overs! A- -Gone.......

Entry

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Inside

Levee Karaoke & BBQ

4.5(19 reviews)

7.3 mi

We went for a friend's birthday and it was an awesome time! The vibes were great for a private…read morekaraoke room. They also have a food menu and also a drink menu. We ordered a handful of soju bottles and it was great! Also their service was awesome, they checked in on us occasionally and also brought a fountain of water. We also had a cake for my friend's birthday and they offered to refrigerate it. Not sure if they'll do that often but they were so awesome about it! Great vibes, bathroom accessible, room had great space, and the staff were accessible the whole time. 5/5!

LOST IN TRANSLATION…read more Karaoke would've been a lot more fun.... if we actually had some English songs to pick from. My wife's birthday request was to do some singing, and with the demise of Punch Bowl Social in Schaumburg (R.I.P), I needed a backup. Eventually I came across this place in Yorkshire Plaza, a strip mall that's right across the street from Fox Valley Mall in Aurora. We were the only customers at 6pm, but I thought nothing of it at the time, assuming the rowdiness would filter in later. Levee Karaoke & BBQ is much bigger on the inside with nine private karaoke rooms, a billiards table, and a bar. It's $48 per room per hour on Friday nights and weekends. Searching through their database of songs was challenging. In order to find a multi-word song, you had to type in its initials ("I Believe In A Thing Called Love" becomes "IBIATCL") which was very hit-or-miss. For instance, we saw one song by Linkin Park, but nothing else from them. We noticed a TON of Chinese songs (nearly 75% of the catalog) with very few American artists represented apart from Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Beyonce. Truthfully, we struggled to find any popular rock songs in English. Even mainstays like "Don't Stop Believing" were nowhere to be found. I wasn't impressed with the fried appetizer sampler ($15): a handful of fries, 4 onion rings, 3 mac 'n' cheese bites, 2 chicken wings and a sad pair of mozzarella sticks. Plus, the dipping sauces they gave us came in the smallest cups that are commercially available. It all looked like something a college roommate threw together in a rush. On the other hand, we enjoyed the BBQ skewer combo ($19). They gave us two each of cumin lamb, ribeye, pork, grilled cauliflower, and grilled brussel sprouts. We liked the dry seasoning on the veggies, and my wife loved the ribeye. The mini steamed buns (10 for $12) were fine, nothing too special but at least they were filling. The staff were very nice. Our server was responsive any time we pressed the in-room service button. A 12oz can of diet Coke was $2.50 (damn y'all!), which is steep considering a tall Sapporo draft was only $6. Yet another reason to drink beer, folks. At checkout, I briefly thought they comped us an hour of karaoke. Turns out, the "-$48" on our receipt was just the deposit being taken off the final bill; they did not in fact, give us anything for free. Expensive karaoke on top of a confusing Chinese-based system adds up to a tough, tough sell. * TL;DR * My wife and I had a decent amount of fun but nowhere near "$50 an hour" worth of fun. Regardless of where you are or what services you offer, that pricing is insane. Compare this to Punch Bowl Social ($40/hr), Lincoln Karaoke downtown ($30/hr), or Round One ($17/hr) which is quite literally across the street. Charging this much has to be how Levee stays in business, because it was a ghost town on a Friday night (where was everyone??) Had I'd known we'd spend half an hour sifting through the cumbersome catalog trying to find something familiar to Western audiences, I would have gone elsewhere instead. When we did karaoke in Osaka, Japan - over 6,000 miles away - their song selection was ten times better than here, in suburban Illinois. That's whack. All told, two hours with food and drinks ran me just shy of $200. I'm not spending that kind of money again pretending to "sing" Ariana Grande because my only other choices are songs in Mandarin.... which I do not speak. It's gonna be a 'no' from me, dawg.

Bbq skewer sampler ($19): two each of lamb, brussel sprout, beef ribeye, cauliflower, and pork

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6 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Erika D.

0

6

0

12 years ago

This place sucks! We are "old Lisle" people who have a long history with the area and have seen this place go steadily downhill. The moment I walked in, I was immediately treated rudely by a haggard barmaid. I was also treated rudely by another barmaid and a vacant-headed bouncer. They kept saying how many bloody fights they had, but we are a calm, middle-aged couple who don't look for trouble and we can hold our liquor, unlike many of the drunks there who blurt out stupid stuff. We simply wanted to quietly drink one drink at a corner table outside. That's okay, we have money to spend and tip generously and we will just do it somewhere else. The drug addicts and degenerates can have it. Nels has really gone downhill since the Dooley's sold it. The new owners need to fire their help! The police could stand to do another sweep through Nels, as they periodically do. Head over to the VFW for cheap drinks and better people. read more

Liana R.

0

15

5

2 years ago

Nels Old Time Inn is the quintessential dive bar, exuding that perfect blend of grit and charm that makes it a true gem. With its unpretentious atmosphere, it's the kind of place where everyone feels like a regular, no matter how often you stop by. But what really sets this spot apart is Justine, the absolute best bartender around. She's got an uncanny ability to make you feel welcome from the moment you step in, always ready with a cold drink and a genuine smile. Whether you're a local or just passing through, she makes sure you're taken care of like family, offering up great conversation, spot-on drink recommendations, and all-around amazing service. It's the kind of place where you can kick back, relax, and know you're in good hands. read more

Johnny d.

0

2

0

15 years ago

This place is nice during the day (early morning) then in the afternoon,... you get one of two things,,, There is a woman claiming to be a teacher dancing around the bar like she's had a little too much of something cuz i swear I heard her say she was a Butterfly cux her wings fly where ever they may land,,... her sister who pretty much stuffs her face with food her entire shift and getting a drink from her is a joke,... not to mention being over charged on a credit card,,, Be very careful, back in the day when you had honest bartenders it was fun,... I now pay cash ripped off one time you loose Saturday night bartender!!! read more

Mackenzie L.

0

1

0

4 years ago

um no stars for this place. the big blonde lady behind the bar called me a cum dump. i still tipped her but seriously she's super fat and I'd rather be a cum dump over having my thighs rub together all the time. just saying. she makes a good drink but they just aren't nice people. im pretty sure they sell drugs out of the bar too. actually I know they do, but what can you do. people are silly sometimes! read more

Tony I.

0

2

0

6 years ago

this place smells like big foots dick and the regulars only breath out of their mouths 2 stars because bartender had big cans

Gene D.

0

4

0

5 years ago

Perfect for cheap drinks & conversation ...nice place to hide (lol)

Nels Old Time Inn - divebars - Updated October 2026

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My friends and I came here for the first time over the weekend. Our first impressions weren't the…read morebest. It just seemed like a small bar that you would pre-game at before actually "going out." However, after exploring around, there were actually so many fun things to do! There were free darts, pool was only $1 a round, and there was even karaoke. We ended up staying for almost 4 hours! We met a few locals who come here often and one of them even bought us drinks. We really enjoyed our time here. The only complaint would be that the drinks aren't the best in terms of options, but there's more than enough to get the job done. We would definitely be back in the future to have another chill game night with friends.

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