Happy Day Tavern is situated on the corner of Elston and Pulaski. Based on looking at its website…read moreand its location only a few blocks from our homestead, my lovely wife and I decided to give them a try even though it was a frigid Saturday evening. We walked in and noticed that the crowd was nonexistent, even though there was a football playoff broadcast on all of its screens. There was the bartender and one other fellow, who might have been the manager or just a pal of the bartender. My love and I each chose a Revolution draft beer, and were a bit taken back that the total tab was a shade over $20 for our two beers. Frankly with the lack of ambience at this neighborhood dive bar attempting to be a sports bar or a hip downtown-ish establishment, it was a bit uncomfortable sitting at the bar. Needless to say, we did not stick around to experience the Saturday "DJ Night" as touted on its website.

For the Albany Park neighborhood, the $9 Anti Hero beer seemed high, but the place is local, so we…read morechecked it out after looking at their website menu. The beers were actually over $9, which seemed so high for this area. Service was meh, and the vibe was also meh.

If I lived nearby, I would definitely visit OIB at least once per week! For now, I'm settling for a…read morebranded t-shirt and fond memories. At 4pm on a weekday it was already bustling, and this place is popular for good reason! The entire vibe and the staff are just super cool. Even the bathrooms are an experience, with heavy metal music blasting in a way that just adds to the unique charm. To drink, I tried the lucky linny and blood orange sour, which were both fantastic. I'm not typically a huge beer person, but after this visit I'm well on my way to crossing to the other side. For the appetizer, we split the cheese curds. I really liked the Korean inspired twist and the kimchi aioli served alongside. I think it could've used a little more salt and arrived warmer for a nice cheese pull, but otherwise it was enjoyable. I opted for the double cheeseburger as the main event, and it was really well done. The beef was juicy, perfectly cooked, with ample high quality cheese and caramelized onions. I think the sauce could've used an extra something, but overall it was a great burger. Great experience all around. Can't recommend highly enough and look forward to returning soon!

My friend and I were fortunate to get two seats at the bar because this place was packed at 6:00pm…read moreon the Friday we went. But after settling in, the bartender took care of us, and I very much appreciated the $5 pints on special because most things seemed to cost a few bucks more than it needed to. The Brussels sprouts appetizer was worth it, though. The mac and cheese, even with bacon added, topped out at okay. From at atmosphere standpoint, it definitely the place to be in Mayfair/Old Irving Park.

This is to whatever asshole answered the phone tonight! I called to ask if they were going to be…read moreshowing the fight and the asshole said no and hung up on me!

My goodness please try the patty melt. I love this place. Whether going through a break up, having…read morean afternoon beer, or both..please try the patty melt.

A friend of mine kept raving about the smashburgers so we had to check it out. Lots of flavor…read morecombos including chicken burgers. Really friendly service, great beer list, fun cocktails with some silly sweet shots. Choose your own adventure super juicy chicken wings. Got the double smashburger which was salty and crunchy and overhung the bun . Not pretty but delish. A hint of spice. Wings were great. Lots of sports on multiple TVs. Definitely a great neighborhood hang. Also worth the drive by if you're in the area!

Good Delivery Food, But In-Person Service Needs Major Attention…read more I chose PrimeTime Bar for a friend's birthday celebration last night, fully expecting a great experience because I've always been so impressed with their delivery. The kitchen here usually delivers, but the in-person visit was unfortunately dragged down by highly non-attentive service. The bar was pretty quiet and not many people were there at the time. There's open seating, so we quickly sat ourselves. After no initial greeting from the server, we ordered a few drinks from the bartender. We sat for a staggering 45 minutes without a server checking in, offering drinks, or even bringing basic water to the table. I eventually had to get up to request water. When we did finally order, we ordered a few burgers and wings. The burgers were good as expected. The wings had a somewhat strange, possibly pre-breaded texture and were very large, although the flavor was okay. Not to mention the wings were dropped off without plates, so our party of 4 ate on napkins. To top it all off, we had to flag down our server just to pay the bill. It was incredibly disappointing service, especially when the Smashburger is above average. I won't be recommending the in-person experience to anyone anytime soon.

Classic dive. Dirt cheap drinks, good tunes on the jukebox, friendly regulars. Also I did wake up…read morevery hungover so truth in advertising.

I made a super quick search for a liquor store nearby because I needed a place to be able to pick…read moreup a couple of cold sixers since I was running late. Yelp lead me to Hangovers and I managed to park right up front to shoot in and out. I could tell that it's a pretty local place and there were a couple of old timers seated at the tables just catching up. Pre-covid I'm pretty certain they would have all been at the bar but that was closed. The selection was kind of grim, to be honest, some pretty empty shelves with a lot of mass-market beers. Their craft beer selection was equally sparse during my visit with just a couple of offerings from just a few local breweries, as in I could easily count on one hand. If I was at the bar I would be writing a different review but for craft selection, particularly local stuff this may not be the place you're looking for.

Oh my god. It's always a pleasure eating at eris- lovely staff, great vibes, and that blueberry…read morecider with mosaic hops is LET ME TELL YOU. I got the vegan handheld sausage, and I am having a full on "Harry met Sally" moment with my leftovers right now. That was so good my hands are tingling. I immediately want three more, and I am not generally a very hungry person. Also what are those potato chips? Those are the best potato chips I've ever had. 10/10, will devour again.

When visiting Eris, it's important to manage your expectations, as it wasn't what I expected. This…read moreisn't a bad thing--it's just a statement of fact. I thought it would be more like a brewery where one could spend some time hanging out and unwinding, a "third-place" kind of spot. When I showed up, I found that while there was a patio, it was the kind where you had to be seated by a host. Thus, unless you are at the bar, spontaneous conversations with strangers are less likely. With that said, Eris is a large brewpub with a full bar, including liquor and cocktails, as well as a robust food menu. Wanting only to try some ciders, I took a seat at the bar. I had the opportunity to try a 5-ounce pour each of the E-Phoria and the Van Van Mojo. Both were tasty. The E-Phoria was on the sweeter side, while the Van Van Mojo was less sweet (though not entirely dry) and unique with the addition of blueberries. Neither was mind-blowing, but both were enjoyable in their own right. The bar service was A-OK, especially considering it was a very quiet night. It was friendly and somewhat attentive. I appreciate that there are some closing-related duties that have to be done, and watching the two patrons at the bar like a hawk might make them nervous. Final Verdict: I think the trick with Eris is not to treat it as a "let me get a beverage and hang out" place, but rather a place for a sit-down meal and drinks. With that, I am hoping to return at some point with an empty stomach. However, to be 100% fair, I am not itching to break down the door and come back.

The food is great. The service is great and if the TV worked, that would be great too.read more

My favorite local spot for a Friday fish fry! It comes out with three perfectly crispy pieces of…read morefish, a creamy coleslaw side, and fries. We opt to replace the fries with tots! This is all you can eat as a Friday special- just the fish, not the sides. I started with the three and got an order of two then an order of one you order by the piece once you finish your main meal. Served with the meal you get a basket with malted vinegar, Tabasco, Cholula, ketchup, and mustard. The fish fry is $18.95 all you can eat on Fridays. The blue moon draft is $5 on Fridays as well. The other daily deal is the $5 Tito's drinks. Quality and taste are great. Service is quick and friendly! The bar has a great vibe as it's central to the restaurant but there are some high top tables along the perimeter as well.

Gracie O'Malley's is one of those rare spots that instantly feels like "your place." The vibe is…read morewarm and welcoming, and the staff truly makes the experience. Huge shoutout to Elena, Sarah, and Laura -- they're the kind of team that remembers you, takes great care of you, and makes every visit feel special. The drinks are solid and come out fast, and the food hits exactly what you want from a great neighborhood pub: comforting, satisfying, and consistently good. Try the wings!! 10/10 Add in plenty of TVs, great music, and a crowd that's a perfect mix of regulars and first-timers, and it's easy to see why this place is such a favorite. Overall, Gracie O'Malley's is a go-to spot where good service, good drinks, and good people come together. Highly recommend.

One of the best sports bars I've been to! TONS of TVs and ample space for a large group of alumni…read moreto watch the game. We came as a group from uva and the staff was able to give us some tables and we were very happy with how everything went. There were plenty of other groups in the bar and there was room for everyone. Nice big windows that open all the way up so you're half sitting outside. So nice when the weather is warm. The drinks are reasonably priced there are SO MANY TVs everywhere so there's no craning your neck to see your fav game. The apps were some of the best bar food I've had. Overall we couldn't have asked for a better venue to host our game watch. We hope to be back again soon!

We were blown away by takeout from Avondale Tap - what a treat!…read more Looking for a great sandwich, I stumbled upon Avondale Tap in a delivery app and cross checked it with Yelp, seeing great reviews. I'm so glad I found it because it did not disappoint. We ordered a duck grinder with sweet potato tots subbed for fries, along with a cheeseburger from the kids menu. The quality and flavor of everything was excellent, as was the value. The duck grinder and very generous side of tots was enough for two meals (for me, at least). But even if it wasn't, I wouldn't care because it was so unique and delicious. The richness of the tender, well-seasoned duck was complemented beautifully by the chimichurri, and the roll was just the right size and thickness to hold everything together while letting the filling take center stage. The burger was also great - and at a quarter pound vs the half pound burgers on the regular menu, it's a nice choice if you don't want something huge. Whatever is happening in the Avondale Tap kitchen, they've got a great thing going. I'd order again (or check them out in person) in a heartbeat!

Great place to grab some wings and watch a game. It's a Michigan themed bar (Go Blue!) which was…read morefun and the wings were super yummy

I read Chicago Magazine and sometime within the last 3 to 4 years Ted McClelland wrote an article…read moreabout exploring Belmont avenue. He mentions this bar. The prices are pretty inexpensive. It is cash only. They ice/ chill the glasses they serve the beer in. It is certainly "dive" "corner tavern" kind of bar. I chose the schooner of MGD because I don't really see the beer places anymore. Like Miller Lite and Miller High life are way more popular these days. I don't work over the summer and there happened to be lots of senior citizens here in the middle of day and definitely noteworthy to get some wisdom from older folks that are still being active+ having fun.

Good vibes. Good homies. Good chill. If you know you know. Cold beers. Tight peoples.read more