Shakers...you're a good time! I came here on a bar crawl and this was our last stop. Came for the marini's, stayed for the karaoke. We were having so much fun we didn't want to leave! The vibes are just so good and so was the crowd. The staff is awesome and makes a great martini! They have over a dozen different types of martinis to choose from, but went with a classic vodka. Maybe on my next visit I'll branch out a little bit. If you're on the hunt for a fun, low pressure neighborhood spot (thats open late!) this is it. read more

Stumbled in here for my first non alcohol drink . Richard the bartender was super sweet and kind . He helped me find a non alcohol cocktail I liked and there was a stand up comedian here. read more

I've been coming to Shaker's for quite a while, and last night was my last time. The night began like any other night out to Shaker's with friends. Grab a Hurricane, sing karaoke, play some pool, and have a good time. What began to turn a good night into a bad one was when I set my drink on the wooden edge of the pool table, without letting go of it, and that prompted the security guy to confront me. He said to not set my drink on the pool table, and if I do it again, I'm getting kicked out. When it came time for me to perform a karaoke song, I did what I always do. I like to add a layer or two of theatricality to a given funny song choice. Shaker's is known for being a welcoming, inclusive place with an artistic eye, so I figured it was the best place for this unorthodox approach to karaoke. Up until last night, I've had no problems putting on performances like this there. However, last night, I chose to sing a severely butchered and bumbling version of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck Of The Edmond Fitzgerald" while comically aggressively trying to rile people up during the instrumental breaks. This performance proved to the staff to be a bit too real. After the performance, I went for a second drink, and the bartender wouldn't serve me. I asked why, and he said it was because of what I did during my karaoke song. I told him it was an act. He said it wasn't his decision, but his boss' decision. I asked to speak to the boss. He said he didn't know where he was. He gave me my check for the one drink, I paid for it, told my friends what happened, and I left Shaker's for good. I've never in my life been cut off or essentially feel unwelcome by a staff. They need to take a long look at themselves in the mirror. read more

Have you ever walked into a bar that doesn't feel very inviting? Mainly because the patrons are regulars, you're the outsider. Well, that is not the case at Shakers. It is a very welcoming bar. I didn't feel out of place at all. There were regulars there as well as newbies like myself. I got to meet two of the bartenders, Dan and Mark. Dan was my bartender, and I met Mark during shift change. Both are enjoyable people, and although the interaction with each was small, they made me feel good, and I can't wait to go back. I like that the environment was inclusive and friendly to all. On to the booze! They have a leaderboard for people doing one of the various passport challenges. I got on to the Long Island passport challenge. I had my first two out of 26. I started with the Hurricane, and it was good. I moved on to the Mango Long Island, and it was better. I do hope they keep getting better. My next rounds will be based on the recommendations of other patrons. read more

Shakers On Clark - Hurricane Left Mango Right. Long Islands - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was literally the worst experience I have ever had at any bar. the bartender was so insanely drunk and SCREAMED at me and my friends for asking to switch the way we were paying after she had already done it wrong. the bouncer then also yelled at us to get the f*** out after someone accidentally broke a glass and offered to help clean it up and locked the doors behind us an hour before they closed. Will never go back, have never experienced worse people at a bar. Also after she (bartender) cussed us out for asking for a VERY reasonable thing, she gave herself a massive tip. Would give this place a 0 if I could. read more

Owners and bartenders are the best in the business! Very welcoming bar with fun karaoke crowds. They've got darts and a pool table, board games, popcorn, and drink passports. I like that it's slightly outside the epicenter of boystown and Cubs chaos. The energy is still interesting but not crazy. read more

Such an inclusive and welcoming bar! Stopped by for karaoke and now I can't wait to come back!

My favorite neighborhood bar. Come for the great drink deals, stay for the stellar staff! Free popcorn, dog friendly, bring your own food. It's a cozy space that is clean and welcoming. There's a pool table, darts, karaoke, and a weekly comedy open mic. read more

See all

Came in here to see what their karaoke was like on a Saturday night and was so disappointed. The staff was so rude that they not only completely ruined our mood immediately after coming in but we ultimately were so uncomfortable that we just chose to leave. There were barely any people in here so there's no excuse for being so mean when we just wanted to sit and listen to music. There are cooler karaoke bars with much nicer people! I.e Mustache Cafe, Trader Todd's, Brando's Speakeasy, etc. read more

DELICIOUS long islands!! $12 for this huge drink and the staff is awesome! We got a strawberry pina Coloda, original, wild berry, peach, and blood orange. All good besides wild berry and peach are mid. The place is clean and nice bathrooms! read more

Shakers On Clark - Long islands - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Strong Drinks/Comedians Monthly: Shakers Host a comedy show... "Comedy Killz" 3rd Friday of every month 8:30pm. Located in the Lakeview neighborhood. I visited first time tonite for the show. The bar spacious. In addition to the main bar, A pool table is down stairs & lounge area is adjacent to bar area. The lounge area is where the comedians perform. I ordered a Cosmopolitan. Strong/Delicious! The show featured (6) comedians. All very funny. Bonnie the bartender friendly/courteous. read more

See all

Such a good fun experience it's a very cute little spot to have a drink or sing some karaoke.

Great bar with a chill neighborhood vibe. Located on an island not quite Boystown, not quite Wrigleyville, Shakers is a great place to stop in for a quick beer or to have a fun night of pool & darts. They don't serve food but you can have it delivered or brought in. Staff is super friendly! read more

The rudest bartender. Crazy to think that the place is so empty and yet the bartender couldn't be bothered to be the very least welcoming.

A fantastic spot for karaoke, super welcoming atmosphere and Rich behind the bar is an absolute friendly gem. You'll love it here.

This is your typical hole in the wall/college type of bar. They have $10 large long islands in many flavors. I had a cherry long island, I would next time just stick with a long beach instead. The staff was friendly, they just need to do a last call earlier than 1:45 AM when they close at 2AM. If they are known for these large long islands they need to give you enough time to finish them. So maybe last call should be at 1:30AM? read more

Shakers on Clark was awesome. Stopped by with a group of friend. One was celebrating a birthday. Wanted to get a bucket list item off and do stand up. The crew worked them into the normal show and it was awesome. They have drink specials and are known for there huge long islands. I had the beer of the month and enjoyed the show. Cool spot to stop in. read more

See all

There was an absolutely horrible bouncer- the rest of the staff was nice and the drinks were good, but he was so cruel and seemed like he was on a weird power trip. I have seen other reviews mention this guy, and I liked the business apart from him... read more

The people who work here are awesome! They are extremely kind, and genuinely care about their customers. Their drinks are also delicious (they have tons of different flavors of long islands), they have free fresh popcorn, and they play great music! Oh, and they have sports on big TVs if that's something you are into. The place is nice and open (not too hot or too crowded) and they even have a photo booth! Will definitely come back. read more

Shakers On Clark - Delicious drinks! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A friend and I came on a Sunday evening to enjoy a drink while in the area. I knew this place was a must for us to try when I read in a Yelp review about the flavored long islands. I love a good long island, and that combined with fruit flavoring sounded super appealing. Luckily for us, the 23oz long islands were on special for $8.50. I ended up getting the pineapple flavored long island, and it was very good. The bartender poured pineapple juice in with the alcoholic mixture and the whole drink was refreshing. Sunday was also karaoke night and my buddy and I got our chance to "shine" on stage. The atmosphere at Shakers appears to be pretty lo key, and the space is pretty large inside. read more

Shakers On Clark - Pineapple long island - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

bartenders were amazing and experience with karoke was also amazing , but the id checker at the front was absolutely rude. he yelled at me and my friends and called us disrespectful because we were finishing our drinks 20 minutes before close. he was extremely rude and unprofessional but thankfully the bartenders apologized for his uncalled behavior. would recommend coming here but beware of the rude man up front who is on power trip for no reason. read more

In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I am good friends with the owners and am thus probably biased here. But even if I wasn't, I'd have high praise for this place. If you visited when it was 3160, do return because it's got a completely different vibe now. The owners (Jason & Mark) brightened the place up, expanded the drink selection significantly, hired some top-notch bartenders, and most importantly, created a very friendly and open environment with zero attitude. They are all about customer service so frankly, whatever you're into, they will probably let you do. Wanna watch a game? If it's not already playing (they have the NFL Ticket package and a bunch of other satellite sports packages), they will turn it on for you. Want to listen to the upgraded jukebox? Cool. Want to host your birthday party there and bring in a bunch of food? No problem. Forgot to charge your phone? Oh, they have some on-hand for you to borrow. They are just incredibly accomodating and eager to please. They've only been open for a couple weeks but I am already super-impressed and excited to see what comes next. I know they have plans for live entertainment, trivia nights, karaoke and other fun stuff. read more

Cool little spot. Defiantly not a noticeable bar. However the space is surprisingly large, has a cool pool table lounge spot on a lower level. Good beer selection and they have cool different things during the week. Got to meet one of the owners, very friendly and accommodating. read more

Shakers is a great place to spend your evenings! Everyone that works there is friendly, there are darts, a video game on the bar, and they have so many events! Their Wednesday night Stripper Bingo x2 is a blast!! And, it's free to play! We also have a good time playing Couples of Shakers, which is like the old Newlyweds game show. They give away shots and gift certificates at most of their events - so you get a little back by participating, which is nice. The bar is very 'local' meaning that it's not there to capture a certain group of people, but rather be a local watering hole for everyone. I'd say that this bar is a low-key sports bar that caters to straight, gay, and trans alike because everyone likes a good drink and nice people! It's a great place to enjoy the diversity of Lakeview! If you're looking to grab a drink with a friend, catch up with a friend, meet new people, or watch a game, Shakers is a pretty solid choice. Do try to make it to one of their events like Bingo, Couples of Shakers, or various others - it's a pretty good time. NOTE: the bar has phone chargers and they have a variety of snacks available for free if you ask the bartender. Also it's a BYOF bar, so a lot of people will come for a drink and have their dinner delivered and eat at the bar. read more

I think coming on a Monday night was not great. The drinks were a good price and good but the comedy show was not funny. Definitely has a small, divey vibe if you are into that. The bartender was really nice and helpful and close to where we were staying. read more

Great place to hang out, have a beer, charge your phone and play pool or darts . Also have live shows, or bands and karaoke . Lots of tv to watch any sporting events or the Kentucky derby. read more

Shakers On Clark - Shot of the bar area - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Had a couple of margaritas before the Blueman group. Place was descent waitress was great. read more

Shakers On Clark - Blood Orange, passion fruit margarita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I just can't say enough of how well they treated us here. We went to the new whiskey place on Halsted before coming here and made a big mistake. My boyfriend and I had such a wonderful experience here that I would never go to Halsted ever again. Plus we had three drinks each here for the same price as one read more

There is nothing I love more than this bar! The perfect middleman between Boystown and Wrigleyville, this bar accommodates everyone AND specializes in personalization. read more

My cousin and her friend came up from Southern Illinois for a visit and I took them to the city, and some buddies of mine just so happened to be playing a gig here so we stopped by. The place was very nice, not too crowded and the drinks were actually VERY reasonably priced, especially for the area. My cousin's friend had a little too much to drink and ended up leaving her bag behind on accident, and the owner Jason found it and saw that her phone was in there as well and I had called it three times while we were looking for it. He got ahold of me the next afternoon and though the other two were already on their way back to Southern IL, he said that he could ship the bag back home to her so she wouldn't have to come all the way back to get it, and was very friendly and courteous about the whole situation on the phone. Excellent service! Will definitely come back at some point :) read more

This is a great neighborhood bar. Nothing fancy. Just great music, super friendly bartenders, and a great atmosphere for friends to hang out and have fun. They have super salty popcorn, and you're welcome to bring in outside food. If I lived closer I would be a regular at this place! We came here for pub trivia which was held in the back area. They have two stages so I can see where there could be karaoke, other performances, and games. If I'm ever in the area I'm definitely going to pop in. They also have tons of TVs so if you're looking for a place to watch sports I'm sure it would be a less crowded venue to hang. read more

I came to see my friends band here. The staff was so sweet! They literally picked up and table and moved it to the perfect spot for our small group. The drinks were made really well and the prices weren't terrible. At not exactly my typical scene but I won't hesitate to go again of friends are going. The crowd was decent. read more

Very welcoming atmosphere and small community vibe! Went for a drink on a Friday and karaoke on a Wednesday night and everyone was great and supportive of one another, the bartenders were very nice, and on Wednesday even got up to sing. Not too big if you don't like crowds, but also has something to offer for everyone. Would definitely go back! read more

I don't recommend this bar at all! The cocktail tastes not so good and bartender has a long face. I did not see friendly staff there. Maybe I should not go on Friday! read more

Just when I was starting to embrace this place... No more shakers for me! Danielle is gone

This place is in need of a Bar Rescue. Don't get me wrong, they are obviously trying very hard, but for what it is not clear. Given its location, it needs to have something to draw people. Within walking distance, you have Parrot's, L&L, Dram, Friar Tuck's, Jake's, Clark Bar, plus the "nicer" places like Dry Hop, Wilde and whatnot. My gf and I stopped in out of curiosity, and during the course of enjoying one beer, we noticed several deficiencies. First though, the bartender was very nice, and clearly a lot of effort has gone into the conversion from 3160, but much of that effort has been misguided. The wall color is a bold blue, with neon green covering the top couple feet of the walls. Not inviting, it comes off as a little Trader Todd's (not a good thing). They have a decent, but not outstanding, beer selection, but NO BEERS ON TAP. Don't recall the last time I was at a bar with no tappers. Apparently they have no food besides bowls of pretzels. If people are drinking, at some point they are going to get hungry. And if you have no food, they will leave. It would not take much to have a convection oven for pizzas and a deep fryer for fries, poppers, breaded mushrooms, etc. That would be sufficient to keep people there and make them thirstier and get them running up that tab. The drink specials are nothing special. Buckets of Corona in the winter? If you are going to have mainly craft beers, do some kind of craft buckets. And 12-13 kinds of Long Island Ice Teas? I don't know the last time I was within earshot of someone ordering a Long Island Ice Teas, let alone asking for one flavored like watermelon. Again, they obviously put some thought and a lot of effort in, but it should have been the other way around. It does have a pool table. It does have a good upper seating area that would be good for a group. It does have phone chargers at the bar. They do have plenty of TVs. But it's trying too hard at too many things instead of at the right things. They tried trivia, they're trying karaoke. Just work on giving a good, solid, quality experience and it'll work out. Look at some of the shitholes I mentioned that are doing just fine. read more

I'm giving this place only three stars because I'm not a fan of dive bars. Well that's the way it felt, even though they had live music. I love live kusic bars but this was more just loud place to be. The margaritas are not so great, I've had better at Ceasar's.The only reason it is getting three stars because my boyfriend likes dive bars and any bars with TV and sports. read more

Very friendly staff. Great prices. Great spot to bring friends and meet new people too.

Fantastic neighborhood bar. Has a very Cheers-y, everybody-knowns-your-name atmosphere. The bartenders and owners are very friendly, and they host lots of fun events. Sunday karaoke with Alma and Steve is a must! No beers on draft, fyi. read more

Would recommend. Small, friendly bar with very nice people and good times. Interesting layout with a pool table down stairs and a private/rentable lounge in the back of the bar. Entertainment on weekends that include drag shows, comedy shows, karaoke, etc. Darts, photo booth and juke box available everyday! read more