Heads up it's a DIVE bar, so jump in. One beer on tap. a good selection in the case, and you can name your bourbon, whiskey shot if you want. Yes, cash only. I haven't been there for many years, it was fine then, and it was fine this time too. Can't say I've ever had any complaints about the joint. We use to have more of these bars in Chicago, too bad they're almost gone. We used to call them old man bars, remember when your pop went to the bar after work. Well, to be honest, my dad wasn't a drinker so no. However, I remember going to the corner bar with my grade school friend to find her dad. It's sort of like that. But instead, everyone is in there 20s or 30s, trying to be retro or something. read more

Racism vibes - my friend (who is white ) and I were served and charged differently for the same exact drinks. I wouldn't come here if you're a POC. read more

I'm not a stranger to dive bars. I didn't have unrealistic expectations for this place. That being said, this place is horrible. I could look past the barely working A/C and general dirty premises. But it got worse. When I went back to the bar because I was given ginger beer instead of a ginger ale, the bartender was visibly put out. Then a person, who I found out later was the owner, went into a tizzy because the band had placed papers on the bar that gave patrons the option to tip digitally. He started yelling that only HIS tip jar was allowed. Then he threw them on my table saying that they weren't allowed. I told him they weren't mine, but he was not listening. He then proceeded to scream at the band setting up. He kept yelling about his tip jar, which makes one wonder what the big deal is. Then he was questioning the band and their equipment in a very demeaning way. The funny thing is the band didn't take his abuse and packed up. The owner then tried to backtrack but the damage was done. My advice DON'T GO HERE and if you're a musician DON'T PLAY HERE! read more

Megan was an awesome bartender, my gf and I are big fans of jazz and live music. We will be coming back for the cheap beer and drinks. Only thing I'd mention is the bathroom could use a good clean, and if the old video games were working they could make some extra money from me, my dad and brother. read more

We were excited to come in here for a birthday party and it was an extremely weird vibe. We came in to have a couple of drinks and upon walking in were asked for our ID's by a random old man at the bar who had an empty beer glass and shot glass next to him. We simply asked if he was the bouncer and he blew up at us making us leave. Still unsure if he was a bouncer as two other men came up to try to mitigate the situation but the damage was done. Do not recommend. read more

The bathrooms are tiny and in desperate need of an update but this place is awesome. It's the epitome of a dive but offers excellent live music and great service! It's a must visit if you're in the wicker park area. read more

TERRIBLE!!!! bombarded at the door by a man with a pitcher asking us to tip the band. says we all need to put in a buck or two, cash. we are a party of 8 and someone in the party offers to put in $10, paying for the 8 of us plus some extra. he said that $10 wouldn't do and instead give him $20. he then argued with us on the amount we tipped when we tipped him well over what he requested. after that he wouldn't let two of our 8 inside without tipping FURTHER. the two others only had a $20 and told him and he goes "okay" and held his pitcher out for the $20. $40 for 8 people and a pushy man who gave us bad vibes. DO NOT GO HERE!!!!! read more

Great service with very friendly bartender. Fun and unique bar we really enjoyed. Met lots of good people- including a cat. read more

Phyllis' Musical Inn - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Reports are that people are being drugged/"Roofied" here by a BARTENDER, and management's reaction is to be hostile to those who have been harmed and report it. https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/15z4mt8/be_careful/ "On Friday night (8/18), a group of 6 girls went to Phyllis' Musical Inn in Wicker Park where we believe 4 of us were drugged. The effects ranged from feeling much more intoxicated than expected, to hours-long blackouts, slowed heart rate, intense vomiting, inability to speak, and complete memory loss. The only connection between our experiences of being spiked was a bartender who made our drinks (1-2 per person) out of sight. Though there is no way to prove anything definitively, those of us served by the other bartender were unafflicted. We had hoped that notifying the bar would prompt internal preventative action, but efforts to inform management were met with defensive hostility. Efforts to file a report with the police were dismissed." read more

It is what is it!! Great dive bar. Open since 1954 and that was the last time the bathrooms were updated. Well priced drinks. Fun bartenders. Just about what you'd expect. Looking for the James Bond treatment (shaken not stirred)? Not here! Looking for a can of Hamms Beer or a bottle of Schlitz? You've hit the mother lode. read more

terrible experience. super rude and belittling staff and very disrespectful and bizarre interactions with them. my friend got berated by the owner who followed us outside and seemed like they wanted a fight. definitely won't be coming back here, there's so many other bars up and down division with similar vibes but friendly staff and we will definitely be sticking to those from now on. read more

We had one of the most uncomfortable experiences I've ever had at a bar last night while celebrating a friend's birthday. We were coming from an Ina Garten themed party and were wearing bobbed wigs. One of the staff members immediately and unprovoked started berating one of the members of our group. The employee was yelling at him, telling him not to touch the stage or the band. We didn't even know where the band was (they weren't even playing at the time). We were all stunned and confused, unsure what had brought this on. The person in our our group who was on the receiving end of the harassment was the only guy of our group who was wearing a wig, so we concluded the behavior must be rooted in homophobia and the employee must be under the influence of something. The whole thing was extremely scary and ruined our night. read more

Came on a Friday night and they had live music. No cover for entry, cash only bar, and a nice patio in the back. Loved that they left the door open so you could still hear the music while sitting outside. read more

Phyllis' Musical Inn - Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came here on the fourth of July and they said $10 cover for the band outside. I said I'm not going out there, I'm here for the indoor dive bar atmosphere. They said ok cool, no charge! lol Amazing, Cheers good ole mates. Stayed for a few drinks and failed to hit on the hot bartender Jaclyn. Can't win them all, maybe next time! I'll return for that phone #. read more

Cash only bar, not friendly staff at all. Innocently we're sitting outside and was told I'm not a father and can go to another bar. Visiting Chicago and was attempting to experience Division street, very bad customer service, not welcoming and extremely abrasive to innocent visiting customers willing to give them business. Do not recommend going to this bar or Division street at all. A try-hard bar to be 'unique' by being cash-only, when in reality just out of touch and out of date place that's not worth visiting. read more

All of the reviews here about how awful the owner is are 100% accurate. I'm honestly shocked the place is in business with an individual like him running it. He's aggressive and rude. One of his off duty staff spit an entire shot of Malort all over me (pro tip Scott: you drink like a child so just skip the shots). Had to pull an apology out of the off duty bartender which obviously was incredibly frustrating. The smirk on his face really was unbelievable. Then while I was still trying to clean myself up and talking to my husband about it the owner told ME to drop it because it didn't happen. When I assured him it very much did he said "he didn't mean to" and basically I could leave if I was bothered by it. Don't worry I was waiting for my Lyft to arrive. Won't be back. Also no AC, cash only, no on-site atm and over priced for a dive bar. There are so many better places to go. Safe yourself the experience. read more

I had the most bizarre interaction here with a patron (named Steve) who upon reading reviews I'm convinced is the owner or perhaps the son or friend of the owner. Steve was whistling at the end of the bar at well over 170 decibels all night. Multiple other patrons darted him looks every time he would whistle and were clearly annoyed by him. He even tried to fight this 22 year old girl who gave him a dirty look over the whistling. It was seriously annoying. At one point a guy in his group got up to smoke a cigarette for almost 20 minutes, so I sat down in his seat. As soon as he came back, I said to the guy "Hey I'm so sorry, I wasn't trying to take your seat, I was just keeping it warm for you." We had a pleasant interaction with each other over it. I insisted again he take the seat and he refused... literally multiple times. I begged once more for him to take the seat and he insisted I sat back down, so I did. Well the whistling hog and his wife did not like this, and his wife started punching me in the back like a lunatic. She was screaming at me to get up. I explained that I had talked to his friend and offered him the seat back. I asked his friend to explain our interaction to his friends which he did to no avail. The "Security" at the door sat powerless and did absolutely nothing to de-escalate this. Eventually the whistling hog called my gf a stupid f$^%*^@ B!#%$ for literally no reason and I told him I wasn't going to let him talk to her like that. This guy gets up in my face and it escalated from there. After all this, no one even sat in the seat! So I just sat back down. So this guy gets back in my face AGAIN!! A grown adult threatening someone over a BARSTOOL. What a big overweight LOSER this guy was. Eventually the bartender had to come from behind the bar and de-escalate this, she acted like we were the problem. But also didn't kick me out either. I think she knew who the problem was, and was beyond tired of dealing with this guy. The worthless doorman sat there and did nothing. My guess is because he COULD do nothing. This owner is a jerk who would probably fire him on the spot. This place belongs on Bar Rescue. What owners sit at their own bar and kick paying customers out of seats? And fight other patrons?! Seriously, what in the absolute #$%& is going on in the dumpster fire of a bar? We did absolutely nothing wrong and these spineless owners act like entitled jerks. I was so nice to all the staff, all night long, that no one even threw me out over all of this. The doorman even apologized to me, they clearly have no control of this owner or manager or whatever he was. The staff seems immune to this owners antics, and do nothing about the scenes he causes with other patrons. I hope the IRS shuts this place down, there's a reason this cash only bar doesn't even have an ATM. Go to Rite Liquor down the street instead, or Gold Star Bar. read more

Do not come here, staff are very rude and disrespectful. I was here with a big group and we were sat outside minding our own business when an old man who worked there came over demanding tips for the band even though we had already tipped. When we refused to tip more, he kicked us out and was so profusely rude to everyone in our group. Unless you want to be disrespected, don't go here. read more

If your thinking dive bar chicago? This is the place PBR special and Ms. Pac Man Totally cool vibe at this place. Everyone was having a blast the night I was there. This isn't a trendy neck beard kinda place. Great service no frills antique decor If your just looking to hang and throw back beer with no attitudes this is your bar read more

Phyllis' Musical Inn - Nice street sausage - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This will be short and sweet. The owner of this place is a complete asshole. I live next door to this dump and on several occasions, he has been rude & unapologetic about it. My wife and I went in there recently for the open mic/live music. Before I could even order a drink, he came around the bar with a jar asking for me to put money in to support the band. I literally just walked in, when I refused; he made some shitty comment. Another time, walking home from work while he was pressure washing the entire sidewalk and would not stop to let anyone through, he told my wife and me that we could just walk in the street. This guy sucks, if you see him there, he's prob the one with the huge gut and acting like an asshole. I'll tell you before he does "go somewhere else" read more

Owner of the bar is horrible. My friend was waiting in line for the bathroom, and upon coming out, the owner popped a balloon in her face. He then walked by and yelled at us to "get the f*ck out" and opened the door waiting for us all to leave. He told me friend she didn't let an elderly lady use the restroom before her, when said lady never asked to go first. No reason to get kicked out of a bar. Rude bartenders and bad service. Will not be returning. read more

Came here a few times pre-covid and loved it. Went there last night and they're not following social distancing or mask wearing guidelines very well, definitely felt bad and won't be back for a while. The owner was there and kept demanding things from the one bartender who had to continually bail on customers in the middle of orders - it was so rude and the owner seriously seems like a dick. I had two brief interactions with him and he was really rude. (Hello owner if you're reading this! You seemed like a dick.) This place had such a great vibe the other times I came and I've been trying to support places like this so the pandemic doesn't close them (RIP California Clipper) but it was just hands down the most germ-danger I've seen since places started reopening. I would advise others to stay away. There are other cool small businesses that are actually following covid guidelines that could use your support instead. read more

The cute little patio area is shaded and secluded. The inside is a little divy but otherwise it's cute. Good drinks and they have live music here sometimes. Overall, I'd come back, especially for the patio. Drinks are pretty cheap and during the time of COVID the tables are appropriately spaced. The front needs a little love, but the inside is definitely fun. read more

Five star dive bar with great music. Never had a bad time and I go back pretty regularly

You can tell from the reviews already but like everyone says, owner is rude but the bar is great. Bartenders are good when owner isn't around. Really nice casual outdoor spot. read more

Maybe we got there too early. Although at 11:00 on a Friday night, the place ought to be getting into it's groove for the night. Phyllis' came highly recommended to me by a friend who doesn't toss reccos out lightly, so when I found myself in the neighborhood the other night- I thought I'd stop in. We were stopped at the door to pay the $5 cover. No problem, or so I thought. I guess I should have asked what time the "real" band started, for what was playing in the front of the bar when we walked in had to be an opening act, right? I stopped at the bar to get a drink and was totally ignored by the bartender. Funny. . .he had time to chat up the girl next to me who had arrived after me and I'm quite sure if she had not said something to him about me being "next", I'd still be standing there waiting to buy a beer. We made our way through the bar and out the side door to a very nice beer garden, whose distance from the stage made the music actually bearable. We sat at a small table sipping our beers in this secluded setting for awhile waiting for the band to change. When it didn't, we looked at each other and decided we had had enough of this place for one night. I love dive bars. I love music. I love beer gardens. So why didn't I love Phyllis'? Not sure. But on this night something just wasn't working. read more

I can't say I really dig this place, although I respect what an institution it is. The drink selection is by-and-large way too expensive ($5 for a Beck's? What is this, Moe's Cantina?). Even the low-end beer isn't cheap. I can go down the street and get drinks much cheaper at any other bar. Plus, if they have live music it's always way too loud. I did see an incredible puppet show here though that blew my mind it was so awesome. The basketball hoops outside (only before 11pm) add a star automatically. Best idea ever. But aside from that, this is just an overpriced hipster hangout. read more

Phyllis' Musical Inn - van parked in front of a building - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a classic dive bar, that was once full of working class people, but is now home to Hipsters only. I was trying to get a table at Smoke Daddy's on Saturday night, and the wait was 45 minutes, and i didn't have 45 minutes to wait. So i ordered out and took the food next door to Phyllis. This has to be my favorite thing about the place truthfully. They don't care what you eat in there, as long as you take your trash out. The bar itself is old, and other then the new flat screen televisions they put up (only two), nothing in that bar has been redone in probably 30 years. The bar, chairs, floor, painting, and bartender have probably been the same since 1980. Its retro cool in that sense, and if someone wanted to film a movie with a bar scene, this would be a good place to look at. Unfortunately the bathroom is also probably 30 years old, and the only way i will use it again is if i have a bio-hazard suit to wear. Everything was wet when i stepped into the bathroom and it smelled like the bathrooms at Soldiers Field in the 4th quarter. I also don't like the lack of a jukebox. A place like this needs one. Instead, the bartender performs double duty on slow nights, running back and forth between the bar and the DJ Booth. But booze is cheap, and if you don't want to deal with a crowd, this is your place. read more

Holy hole in the wall batman! This is a legit dive bar with some of the coolest characters working there that I've encountered to date. The door guy would get up and just be gone for like 10-15 minutes at a time. I found that comical actually. Beyond that this bar has your staple beers for the area (Old Style, etc) and the nicest part of the place is the outdoor patio which is odd because when we were there nearly no one was taking advantage of it. Strange. Don't come here looking for fancy, just come here looking for laid back, come as you are type attitude. You will enjoy. read more

5 stars. Amazing service and people! Shout out to the best bartender Shannon who made our night a blast

Fun, old school place!!!!!! LOVE the friendly bar kitty!!! I always have a fun time here. You never know what you are gonna get! Can't wait for the return of live music read more

Watch your belongings here. Came here on a Saturday night and someone either found my wallet or took it out of my purse, took all the cash, and threw my wallet on the floor on their way out. Otherwise, typical dive bar. read more

I've always loved this place -- the owner, Clem, seems down-to-earth, the decor is amazing, and the acts are quirky at worst and usually much more than that. I think the other positive reviewers share my perception, but it's weird to see that the negative reviews are so consistently critical of the staff, because I've never had an issue with any of them. True, they're not mixologists, but this is a shot-and-a-beer place, and in these days of ingratiating bros and flirty bimbos serving $12 cocktails, it's refreshing to have someone who just serves you your beer and whisky and accepts your cash instead of giving you a lap dance... Yeah, maybe they're not especially effusive, and one guy does seem to be in his own world... but a bit of gesticulation gets his attention, and I've never seen him or any of his colleagues being intentionally rude to customers. My suggestion: show up with CASH (no credit cards), catch a show (usually start late -- like 9pm), relax, and laugh. The place will grow on you... It's special. read more

One of the worst venues I've been to in Chicago. I plan corporate events and I would never come here for work or with friends. Terrible service and awful management. I never write reviews but had to share. I don't recommend coming here. read more

Sometimes you stumble across a truly wonderful place, full of truly amazing people. But then you realize they're only letting other white people in, and that is pretty fucked up. Bartender: so amazing!!!!!! Owner: super nice to me, but told my black friends to gtfo. What century is it? read more

Great place to play or listen to bands. Great staff. Clem Rocks! Shannon Rocks. My band played a gig here and loved it. Great atmosphere. Beautiful bar. Just a great place to be. read more

Boo! This place left a really bad taste in my mouth (...I'm pretty sure it was from this place...) mostly because the owner/manager/whoever the guy in charge that night was a complete asshat (can I say asshat on yelp? We'll find out). First, I tried to get a glass of water late in the night. I know. You don't make money when I order water. Hopefully you made money off the $30 I dropped on drinks or my 12 other friends at the bar. So when I ask you for a plastic cup to fill with water from the little jug you have, how about this: DON'T make a face, look at your bartender (currently making 3 drinks at the same time), say "she'll get you one..." and then spend the next 5-10 seconds awkwardly trying to find something to do to look busy like a total asshat. If you're having a hard time with that one, try this: DON'T pound on the door when I'm in the bathroom, here me say "Just a minute", and continue pounding on it for the next 3 minutes. Oh my god, the doors locked - there must be someone inside!! ...After this happened, I opened the door and he yells "Can I PLEASE put this trash can back in here now?!?" Yes. You can, now that I'm done. Such asshattery! If all else fails: DON'T be a dick to my very good friends, who are playing a free show at your crappy bar with no sound guy, as this is behavior typical among asshats. I only came to see them, and I can promise none of us will be back. Asshat. .... The outdoor patio is pretty sweet though. One star for the patio. That dude's still an asshat though. read more

When we walked in at 6pm on a Sunday night, they were out of ice. The bartender would take 15 minute smoke breaks, and ask you to wait. The arcade games lining the walls are dusty, non-functional, and hold old records instead. But they were grilling back near the horseshoe pit in the back patio and offered free food. And they have a basketball hoop which makes for an excellent drinking game of Horse. Based on all of this, I'd say they have NO interest whatsoever in being a bar or turning a profit. And I love it. pssst - like all true dives, cash only. No ATM on site. read more

The owners tried to fight us!!!! Will never ever be going here! The owners are legit crazy! I was with a group of friend walking down the street and we threw garbage in the dumpster on the side of the restaurant that was placed on THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK. The owner came running, sprinting at my bf screaming to take his garbage out of there. Grabbed the cooler that was in his hands and was yelling "Let's fight, let's fight!" We all were trying to calm her down and I told her to act like an adult and calm down. She then pointed at all of us and said "adults?! You're a 'dumb dumb'" I cannot even make this up. All the while her husband was also screaming about his garbage. Never in my life have I experienced such unprofessionalism from a business owner or adult for that matter; they were out of their minds. A piece of advice, if you don't want people throwing garbage in your garbage can, then get it off the public side walk and put a lock on it. Don't run up to people, grabbing their belongings and yelling at them to fight. I have know idea how they own a business. read more

I've been here a number of times and have seen it consistently decline. Unfortunately the staff has no regard for its patrons. The manager, Clem, sits at the bar obviously intoxicated and refuses to offer services of the basketball court in the back. It is a very sad picture here, unfortunately. There is no good time or sanitary time to be had here. read more

Phyllis' Musical Inn - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois