Awesome local dive bar with history. The owner loves squirrels and the 3 Stooges. He works there during the day and his son takes over at night. No food other then snacks however there is a Subway Sandwich store next door plus they allow you to have food delivered there. read more

My friend was looking everywhere for a "Chicago Handshake" which apparently is not a sex thing. We ended 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! read more

Squirrel Cage Tavern - "Chicago Handshake" - Dive Bars Near Me - Lisle, Illinois

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This is a family owned business with kind service and decent prices. It's not a restaurant but rather a joint where you can get together without music blaring so you can hear each other. Very clean bathrooms! Not a fancy place, but welcoming. I love this place!! read more

Love a good dive bar and that this is. Trivia Tuesdays are fun. I have been here maybe a handful of times and every time it's the same bartender. He's cool. Have always had a pleasant time here. read more

Squirrel Cage Tavern - Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Lisle, Illinois

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Steve, the 3rd generation owner, was so welcoming and I appreciated the "all ages" vibe.

Came to Squirrel Cage for the first time and it did not disappoint. This is the dive bar of my dreams. Friendly bartender and patrons, inexpensive ice cold beer, and delicious Champion frozen pizzas to eat. Can't wait to return! read more

Squirrel Cage Tavern - The mountains are blue! - Dive Bars Near Me - Lisle, Illinois

Awesome dive bar in Lisle! The name of this joint alone gets two snaps up, plus they got us with the Pabst Blue Ribbon signage out front. First of all... they have Malort shots! What?! Second... the merchandise. Yes. The merchandise is hysterical. My husband and I are each the proud owners of that famous skull logo shirts. I laugh every time I wear mine. Third... the money taped on the ceiling, just fascinates us. Something about people writing on dirty old money and pasting to a bar's ceiling is just typical dive. Didn't have the food here but it is cheap. I heard it was good, will have to try it again. The owner was super nice. The Walter Payton beer glasses are my fav. Our friends brought us here because they knew we would instantly love it. My husband is a big fan of Schlitz beer and there is plenty of that here! Sorry have been meaning to post this but it was still in my drafts. I hope this place can survive the pandemic because it is a fun place to have a few laughs and drinks. read more

If I could rate 0 stars I would, rude old man waddling around being mean to customers for being too loud. Please avoid.

Like another reviewer, we were also denied service by the elderly male bartender for absolutely no reason (3 of us in our mid 30s on a Sunday evening). I used to occasionally come here more than a decade ago when his son was the bartender with no issues. This man however told us he "does not want people like us there" and "don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out" among other things I do not wish to post. Absolutely unacceptable treatment. We ended up going up the street to Nel's instead where it is more welcoming. read more

Love this place! Great service, friendly neighborhood patrons, crispy pizza, reasonable prices AND swanky t-shirts Drove past for years & never noticed this place. Heard about it from a neighbor and now share this gem with everyone. It's has the feel of a small northern town bar with dollar bills attached to the ceiling, stuffed squirrels & massive parking lot. Come on down. read more

Good old fashioned shot and beer bar friendly place family owned good prices frozen pizza only gotta love it

Small group was denied because bartender didn't want to serve us. would not recommend as a dive bar.

Ols school deliciousness - feels like you're in rural Wisconsin. And to all the whiney reviewers, take it somewhere else. I walked in this place for the time and was greeted promptly and courteously. Drinks are good and well-priced. The atmosphere is comfy (to me at least) and the bartender was attentive and welcoming. Wish there were more places like this personally and I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

As far as a dive bar is concerned, this is a five star place. Friendly owner, cheap beer, limited selection, only serves pizza, Don't dare order a chocolate martini or some frozen fruity drink. This place doesn't serve foo foo drinks and fake people. read more

This bar is known as a dive bar. My friends and I have stopped several times on our way home from The Morton Arboretum. They don't have much to offer except frozen pizza, a few slot machines ... and friendly local customers. Bring cash as they do not except credit or debit cards. Stop in and say hi to Steve... This is just a hole in the wall bar but it's a really fun & friendly place ! read more

As if the world's greatest dive bar couldn't get any better. My most recent visit introduced me to the "Malörtarita". A wonderful blend of Malört and Margarita mix. As I took my first sip I "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLnWf1sQkjY" in my pants. read more

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Unassuming on the outside, the building can easily be construed as vacant with an adjacent gravel parking lot. The weathered vintage "Pabst" sign may act as the only clue of possible inhabitance. The interior is dynamic while displaying dark wood paneling, an equally dark hardwood bar, a darker atmosphere of shadows and an off white drop ceiling reminiscent of what "shot and a beer" joints were supposed to be when they were called "Taverns"! The "U" shaped Bar is worn and etched from forearms and elbows with a few gouges thrown in for good measure. This is where you have 27 possible choices to sit your ass down and enjoy the view from 27 different perspectives!!! Squirrel Cage Tavern is a text book example of a true dive. read more

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Not much to say about this bar except that it's solid, divey, cheap, and friendly. Came here for the first time after work with coworkers and had knocked back a few. Cash only, as expected. I'll be back again sometime after work to blow off some steam with friends. Bottom line, it's a good place to grab a Chicago Handshake. read more

A gentle neighborhood "old man" bar that harkens back to the 50's with a take way counter, pickled eggs behind the bar and pizzas cooked under heat lamps and lots of string cheese. stuffed squirrels everywhere, several tvs for watching sports. they even have local produced hard liquor that I have never heard of. The place does have some unusual hours for a bar, but that is just what makes it like popping into someone's house for a drink- just doesn't seem too commerial. read more

A cool place to just hang out and have a few drinks with great owners and good people.

In Lisle, there are a couple of close bars to 4 Lakes area Lisle without really strapping the seat belt on. The Lodge is the closest and its convenient but its not a "simple" man's bar as its moosehead over the fireplace might convince you otherwise. Loud, mostly obnoxious, Top 10 dance hits of the year, something I'm not too familiar with until I began visiting a few times over the summer. The Maple Pub, is not so bad with its pool tables and internet jukebox but still not home. Then theres the "old white house bar" with a PBR hanging outside. Called the Squirrel Cage Tavern. The moment I walk in I hear angels singing...the old type of comfortable hunter's bar with a circle bar, dim lighting, three stooges pictures hanging, cheap mugs of domestic drafts, and a jukebox that has some of the best tunes I've seen at a bar in a long time. This particular time I walked in Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" was playing, and I knew right away this was the neighborhood bar I could get used to hanging my hat by the door. The bartender Steve is a really friendly guy, fun to talk to and good at remembering names and faces. So this great bar has a name that isn't printed on a sign outside, I guess at one point there was a sign that was outside that read "THE SQUIRREL CAGE" Best bar in Lisle! As Neil Young says, "Meet the losers in the best bars, meet the winners in the dives." P.S. - $$$ ONLY. read more

I'm just a squirrel, tryin' to get a nut, so move your butt--to the dance floor... Remember the old C&C Music Factory song? You won't find it playing at the Squirrel Cage. And you DEFINITELY won't find a dance floor. Or a pool table. What you'll find are great drinks, a small but homey-atmosphere, and some of the friendliest people behind the bar that you'll ever meet. You don't go to The Cage to sip wine and talk about stocks. You go to hang out with friends, grab a brew and relax. A simple review for a simple and great bar. read more

Ohhh Squirrel Cage. How do I even describe this place? If you're driving by it, you probably wouldn't even think twice that it could possibly be a bar. It looks like a random house on the street that has a bar sign hanging outside. An old co-worker of mine used to rave about this place, but his girlfriend would always make jokes about it. I had this vision in my head that it was the coolest, hippest place in Lisle! A few months later I had stopped in with a friend after sushi. I have to admit, I definitely felt like I was walking into some random person's basement but upon entering felt completely different. Well, it still looks like someones basement but it was such a great little place! It seemed like everyone knew each other, and everyone was extremely friendly. We grabbed a table and immediately had some people come over and talk to us. I wonder how they could tell we'd never been there. The scared looks on our faces when we were walking into the unexpected, or the fact that we had NO idea it was cash only. I felt bad because I never carry cash on me, so my friend had to get my drinks for me. When she ran out of cash, we had her boyfriend swing by and bring more cash! Problem solved. Just went back to this place last weekend and there were maybe 4 people in the bar at the time. Completely full from sushi (yes im a bit obsessed with sushi) we didn't stay longer than a beer. I def recommend this bar when you're looking for a good "shot & beer" bar thats pretty laid back with decent music. JUST DON'T FORGET TO BRING CASH! read more

This place is so close to my house yet I don't seem to visit as often as I may like. Pretty dive bar-ish, which I actually really like. It's a place where you can just fade into the background. You may get the whole "everyone turns to look at you," when you walk in, but mostly because the bar is oval shaped and they are probably just seeing if they know the person who is coming in. I went here first with my parents and my uncle who was visiting from out of town. My uncle is a vet and we have a tradition that when we are together whether here or there, we go on a VFW tour. After going to the Lisle VFW, we were not thrilled with the fact that is was rrrrreally smoky (regardless of the smoking ban). Since the Squirrel Cage is sort of similar to the VFW feel, we decided to hit it up and were thrilled. I'll go back soon I'm sure. P.S. Closed Saturdy and Sunday read more

What a nightmare this was. It's one of those places where if you don't know someone, you are likely to feel alienated and alone. I stood by the door waiting for a group of friends to show up. After maybe two minutes, the bartender called me out and the next thing I know, a dozen people are staring at me. Feeling totally uncomfortable, I just walked out. A bar is supposed to make people feel welcome and invited. I had no such experience and I would not return. read more

The Squirrel Cage is one of those local dive bars that you wouldn't voluntarily walk into, but once you're introduced to it, you're hooked. It's more of an "old guy" bar that doesn't attract a lot of young people because it's not trendy. We used to come here for Happy Hours a lot when I worked in the area, and we still get together here with friends who can appreciate it. It's in an old white house that doesn't even look like a bar from the outside except for the neon PBR beer sign hanging outside. It's definitely not fancy or contemporary - more of a hunting lodge look with lots of stuffed squirrels, of course. Prices are dirt cheap. There's plenty of classic rock on the jukebox, a pool table, and a few TVs for watching sports. The only food offered is snack items like frozen pizzas, string cheese, and pickled eggs. It's also one of the few places I know where you can find $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon beers, some obscure brands of liquor that no one's ever heard of, and dice games like Ship, Captain, Mate and Crew. A great neighborhood bar, if you're not afraid to be different. read more

Never have had the opportunity to visit The Squirrel Cage, so we went on September 11th, 2015 for my husband's 40th bday and what an awesome time we had. Great music, good drinks and super yummy pizza! Thanks for everything. Look forward to returning ASAP. One more thing, I really don't like the fact that The Squirrel Cage Tavern is classified as a "dive bar" on Yelp - that is very inaccurate. I have been to some pretty bad bars in the city and suburbs which are WAY worse that The Squirrel Cage Tavern which I would consider more of a "dive bar". The Squirrel Cage Tavern is a family run business that offers a place where you can just hang out, play some music, be yourself and have a good time. If that's what a "dive bar" is, then I guess I am all for it, but "dive bar" gives a negative connotation to this place that is not true. read more

Let me preface this by saying "I love a good dive bar." Really I do. This place was under my radar for far too long. I wish I had known about this place when I was a student at Benedictine. Or spent a lot more time in the Lombard/Glen Ellyn/Lisle area... Anyways, came over here for some trivia and was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere is just cool. It looks like the kind of place that once you've been there a few times, the bartenders know your story, and you want to keep coming back because it's like home. I haven't had a good home bar since Flaherty's closed in 2008...maybe I'll give this place a try when I live a bit closer. :) PS: everyone is spot on with that pizza. It smells stellar. I'll be ordering it next week! read more

What an amazing dive bar! Went for trivia Tuesday and had a blast! The place was packed, the beer was cold and we had a great time at the bar talking with the bartenders. They've got frozen pizzas for food and a few TV's for some sports action. The trivia was done really well even if our team didn't know most of the answers! This is as good as dive bars get my friends, you should definitely stop on bye read more

If you like a dive bar you will love the Squirrel Cage Tavern! Old school bar, and you never know who is going to show up! Cash Only!

Oh, man. This place. My friends and I refer to it as "The PBR bar." It's the type of place that I'm really not comfortable going into. But I still do, from time to time. The best part about this place: the PBR pitchers for $4. Yeah. That's amazing. The worst part: the awkward fear that it instills into some of my friends. An Indian friend of mine felt terribly uncomfortable in this place, fearing the xenophobic notions with which "rednecks" are plagued with. I knew better: this place was legit. The music on the Juke was the standard 1960's and 70's rock. Petty, CCR, The Boss. The drinks were cheap. The place looked like it was some guy's house converted into a bar. And the smell? It was the smell of a bar! I'd definitely go again, but I can't seem to get my friends to join me. read more

The Squirrel Cage is the quintessential dive bar. You're guaranteed that most of the people sitting in the place not only know one another, but have a personal and/or family connection. Booze prices are extremely reasonable with a few draft options, but a surprisingly large selection (approximately 15) of bottled beers. They have some snack and food options (chips, popcorn, frozen pizza) if you get hungry while drinking. The best part of this place is by far the bartenders/owners - Steve, his wife Amy, and Steve's dad Laddie. Stop in, say, hi, and have a drink! read more

Love trivia Tuesdays. Always great service. Frozen pizza is really good. Cash only. Real nice neighborhood bar.

Definitely a classic dive bar. Walking in on a Monday at open, you'll see the daily visitors lining the bar. My friend and I have never visited this bar before so when we walked in, we weren't sure how it would be. The bartender was extremely nice and did not give us a second glance. The beers were definitely reasonable in regards to price. For a dive, he had a pretty good selection of liquor and beers on tap. The ambiance is crazy in here. The place is located in the basement of a white house. The bar is definitely worn and broken in. The bathrooms are basically out of the 50's. Overall this place is one of a kind. I'm sure it's a pretty popular place on the weekends. Give it a try! One thing to consider, I didn't see a credit card machine. His register was way old school. So, bring cash. read more

Just go. There is no sign that reads "Squirrel Cage"........its just a lit PBR Sign. which is awesome. All the bartenders are friendly and there's great history in this place. Just Go. read more

I have driven past the Squirrel Cage countless times and never had the urge to go in. However, last Friday night that changed. I called my buddy and said, let's try this place called The Squirrel Cage. He questioned the place, but I gave a brief rundown of what I expected the place to be like. We went. My first impression within the first few minutes was that the people there were regulars...bartender seemed to know them all. They made room so my buddy and I could sit at bar...very friendly gesture. They had good tunes on the radio and even have TouchTunes jukebox. I highly recommend trying their Malort...its delicious. Great cozy place, decently priced beer, some tvs for sports, friend patrons and a better staff. Can't ask for much more. read more

Nice relaxing place. Friendly people. Can't go wrong.

Definitely the best bar in the area! Do not go anywhere else. Spend your money here! String cheese for $.50 and pizza. You can't go wrong! read more

How many positive things can you say about the local watering hole? This is such a great spot. Bartenders are some of the best people in Lisle, super friendly. They make you feel like family. The regulars are great fun. I love stopping by for a beer every once in a while. No frills place, easy peasy atmosphere. Will keep coming back for years! read more

Stopped in with a friend from the neighborhood and the bartenders treated me like they knew me for years. Had PBR because it seemed like the right thing to do. It was fresh and cold, so not a bad choice. There were so many cool things around the bar to look at, including the creepy clown doll behind the bar with his hands in his pockets. And I was tricked into trying Malort. People were telling me how "delicious" it was, except for the one lady that made a gag reflex. I should have listened to her. It took 45 minutes to get that taste out of my mouth and no amount of PBR helped. An all around good time. read more