Stand back. They have a Pacman/Ms. Pacman/Galaga machine, people. That's pretty much the only reason why I'll go back. I'm joking. No, but seriously, I do love me some Galaga. I came in with several Yelpers after the Salud event. The place was kind of empty at the time but not a bad place to hold an un-official after-party party. The front windows opened up to the front patio. Too bad it was raining otherwise, I'm sure we would've hung out in the front. The bartender was friendly and made a rather tasty $6 amaretto stone sour. I'd come back if friends wanted to check it out...and maybe to work on improving my Galaga skills. ;-) read more

Decent prices and a decent environment considering the craziness Wicker has to offer. Go pre game or post game here, and chow down some bar food while your at it. The food isn't too bad, fairly average but your taste buds will be secondary to your stomach needs after a night bar hopping. read more

I've been to this bar twice; once late last year and the other time was a couple of weekends okay. My first visit was just okay, but I remember it being dirty, blah, and I reeked of smoke. I have to be honest and say that I wasn't too happy when I found we would be hanging out at Swig. But my friend was in from out of town and he was going to be dj'ing there that night. I had no choice but to give it another chance. Well my opinion has definitely changed. I had a great time, everything was clean, it wasn't crowded to the point that I couldn't get a beer and the bartender made me a pretty kick ass martini that I saw another girl in the bar drinking. And I don't even drink martinis. I only have one complaint. There was an obnoxious drunk guy running around causing havoc making racist and rude comments to people in our group. My friend alerted the bartender but I'm not sure anything was done and at one point the drunkard was talking to the bouncer acting stupid and the bouncer just laughed. I felt something should've been done, he really needed to just go home and sleep off his stupidity. But other than that it was a good night and I wouldn't mind going back. read more

Blah. Bartenders are nice, which saves it from being a 2-star place. But was sorta empty inside when we stopped by on a Friday night at 10PM. Pool tables are a nice touch, but that's pretty much it. Decor is blah, the crowd that eventually came in was blah. Nothing horrible, just blah. read more

Chill vibes and welcoming atmosphere, will definitely come back. Sat out on the patio/front end of the joint and the bartender checked in and all. read more

Went there on Friday night to meet up with some friends. There are table all around and one bar. There is a Pac Man and a small-sized pool table in the back (I think it is 6.5ft), so it isn't a full size. Beers were about $5 and mixed were a little more than that. They ran out of well vodka, so they were serving Absolut for their well drinks...not bad. The service was like night and day. There was one bartender who was on top of everything and was always there to help. Then there was the other one. It was as if she did not care about anything or anyone. There were quite a few people at the bar looking for a drink and she would not go to them. If the other bartender wasn't there, I would probably still be waiting for my drink. read more

This place was decent. Randomly walking around bar hopping and made this place our last stop. Drinks were pretty cheap and it was not overly crowded or loud ( which I like so i can actually converse with people). Even though it wasnt that crowded the bartenders were standing around on their cell phones and really werent paying attention when we were trying to order another round. Wasnt terrible but wasnt great either. read more

The best part of this bar is that it's never crowded. This may also be the worst part of this bar. Don't go there if you want to meet someone, but do go there if you have all the company you need. Their food and drinks are reasonably priced, but with hardly any patrons, how do they stay open? I have no idea, but I'm not going to question whether they sell drugs out of the back. I will however, keep going there on Saturday afternoons with friends to sit outside munching on sweet and crunchy onion rings and sipping on whatever $5 drink special they're offering that day. They always have a good one! read more

Went here last night for some drinks, it was pretty much empty, but then again it was a Monday night. What do you expect? They had some decent deals for a Monday night, and we got a table on the patio for the evening. The staff even came out to the patio to get us more drinks and food. I think the service was good, but it was pretty damn hot in the bar itself. Doesn't this place have a/c? read more

I've only been here for their Monday 4 dollar burger and tots special. It's not very.. attractive inside. I mean it's a bar. Kind of a plain, black, dirty bar.. But when you are craving a good food deal and German Beer and you also happen to be a lazy Wicker Park resident, venturing into a plain, black, dirty bar is not a bad idea. There is no "you have to buy a drink in order for the deal to work" nonsense. Their special is very clear and honest. Just walk in, take a seat, order a burger and BAM, you receive a burger (and a GENEROUS amount of tatar tots) all for just 4 dollars. Put down a 5 (because one should always remember to pay tip), smile at your nice waiter (because they really are very nice here) and walk home while rubbing your very satisfied belly. The End. Those looking for a life changing culinary experience..skip this review. * And by "black" I'm referring to the decor not the people. read more

Went here tonight by accident...it was great! Low key, good drinks, good hummus :) Our bartender Seth was super attentive and friendly! read more

If you're a friend of the bar staff or a friend of a friend, etc, this place is better than average. If you're not? Well, you can file this bar next to other ones with one adjective, noun, or verb in the title (that are not a person's name)- Fizz, Belly's, Crush, Piece, Can's, Pint. You get the idea. Nothing horrible and nothing mind blowing. I went last night needing to punish my liver. It did the trick. read more

Pretty chill spot. Sometimes the wicker park "crotch" gets a little too crazy and this is just the spot to hear good DJs on the weekend and take 'er easy with a good selection of beer and a low key vibe. One of the bartenders (Nikky) is a real sweatheart and takes good care of her employees, DJs and patrons. If you wanna do some coke, get sloppy and dance to electro stuff head over to crocodile... If you wanna kick back, be able to actually sit, jam to some great tunes and have a chill night in a bar that's not too crazy.... This is the spot.. Good place to pregame too if you're headin out for some serious galavanting. read more

I brought my cousin and her friends here after their flight from New York and we all liked it a lot. It was pretty empty (but what do you expect for a Sunday night), but I liked it. The bartender, Jeremy, was great! Right when we entered the bar we sat down and within 30 seconds he came and brought us our menus. He recommended the wings, which I ordered, and they were pretty good. Nothing extraordinary, but it was pretty good. The drinks were averaged price and I also like how they had a pool table in the back of the room. This bar, from what it seems, is great if you want to just chill and maybe pre-game or want a drink after a long night with no hassel. Again, Jeremy the bartender, was great! Really liked him a lot. Will be coming back if I ever just want to grab a beer and chill. read more

Another decent Milwaukee Ave pub! I like the vibe in here better than some of the others though. Cheap drinks and decent service!

Good people, chill atmosphere, and solid music (especially on Thursdays!!)

It's a neighborhood bar, with daily drink specials, Dj's on the weekends and free pool on Sundays, what's not to like about this place? You should check it out! No gimmicks... lovely... read more

ATTN: SWIG MGR: I decided to make a trip to Wicker Park on a Wensday evening 8ish, with a friend. Upon the many bar choices that we kept seeing, a bright red neon sign "Swig" stood out. Once entering the empty establishment, excluding the three 2 people tables in the sidewalk, we sat at the bar and waited for the tall male bartender to take our order. After 7 mins of waiting in an empty bar, the bartender casualy begins making two cocktails and pulling out a beer. However, he did not greet, or knowledge us at all. A couple then later walked up to the bar and were ignored just as we were. I understand that people have bad days or have heavier issues behind there minds, but If you don't wanna do your job, then call off, have someone else who is eager to work be there. That being said, we walked out and went elsewhere. read more

This is the kind of small bar I've dreamed about. First of all, we have to discuss the music. I hadn't heard of a single band that they planned but it was a great mix of Blue/Jazz and rock music. I want that playlist! The guy behind the bar did a great job and even recommend a great cider (I can't handle the taste of beer) I love this place and hope to go back there soon. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!! I come here mainly for their wings. Their service is always exceptional. Occasionally they have forgotten to attend my table but because I of their excellent service, that is no bother . I can patiently wait ! read more

Ka-rap! A friend of a friend (who lives in Lincoln Park, I should point out) said we should go to Swig because it was "cool". The whole time I was there I was thinking...yeah lady, this place might be cool if it were located in West Virgina. Wicker Park has got some really solid bars so it baffles me why anyone hangs out at poopholes like Swig, Nick's Beergoggles, The Boundary, Moonshine etc. Oh yeah. Because they have bad taste. Swig had all their plasmas tuned into CSPAN the night I was there. And there was not any breaking news. Food and drinks were sub par. Fuck I don't even remember what I had because it was just that boring. I couldn't even face getting drunk there. There were also yelling drunks and Pearl Jam cranked to 11. I consumed what I had ordered and got the fuck out. I haven't been back. read more

This place was only ok while the TVs were on and it was a sports bar. On Thursday, at around 10pm, it converted into a better place with a DJ. Bartenders are nice and prices are reasonable. It was relatively lively. The DJs were awesome. I also liked the lighting at the bar. read more

Sometimes I wonder what makes one place popular and the one right next to it a dud. This was our 5th bar on a Saturday girls night out. Every other place we had been on Milwaukee was pretty crowded. We walked into Swig and wondered who died. It seemed like it had potential, big tv's, nice tables, a pool table, room for dancing...I was not impressed with the music or our bartender. The price of the beer was not worth the lack of ambience for me. Unless I see a mass crowd in this place next time, I will be avoiding it. read more

People may want to take this review with a grain of salt, but I still want to give a bad review. Do what you want with it. I stopped in here for a friend's birthday. He did mention that the last time he'd been here he was pretty f-ed up, he doesn't remember leaving. But that happens quite often with him, and quite often in this neighborhood. We've never had a problem anywhere. Except for SWIG. The place was decently busy for a Wed night. Lots of bros, I laughed about it. Not sure what I expected. The barback was pleasant to us, remembered my friend and said hello, mentioned that it had been a while. Things were fine until a girl stepped behind the bar. My one friend (not the birthday fella) ordered a drink and was served promptly. Then the birthday fella ordered a drink and was ignored. After asking- very politely, I might add- two more times, she still pretended not to hear him. Mind you, it was not so loud of busy that she couldn't have heard him. She was obviously ignoring him and it was rude. So I said, "Excuse me, can I get a 312 please?" For him. She knew this was for him. I had a 3/4 full Kettle One left in front of me. So she looks at me, says, "Sure," and grabs my drink, dumps it out and sets a bottle of 312 in front of me with a stonecoldbitchface and walks away. I then shouted, "And my tab. Now." Whatever. I asked my friend when we left (which, btw, like the other review mention, this place is stupidly overpriced) what happened last time. He doesn't remember. Regardless, I think if you don't want someone in your bar, don't let him in. Perhaps my friend said or did something inappropriate- hence the grain of salt comment; so much so that he was not welcome there. If that is the case, ask him to leave. Tell us we are not welcome. It is YOUR bar, you have the right to refuse service. What is f-ed up is allowing us to ring up a stupid tab, throwing away nearly full drinks that have been paid for, and just overall shitty treatment. I will not be back. read more

Cool little hole in the wall place for a quick drink. Very dimly lit atmosphere and some TVs for your entertainment. Plenty of daily drink specials and they do have a pool table. read more

I've gone to Swig several time and usually go when there aren't too many people there. The staff is always so friendly and helpful. I never wait too long for my food or my drink. The price is pretty good for the area and you won't find too many Lincoln Park type people in this bar just a good crowd who enjoys a good drink and a good time. read more

Reliable dive bar with accommodating staff and diverse music that varies by night. Grab a Kentucky Mule and some tater tots and chill.

Typical bar. Hosted a party here on a Saturday night, and they were the best deal I could find: no cover, no guest list, wristband package optional ($30 for 3 hours, included domestic beers and mixed drinks), except they promised bar food enough to feed 20, but it never came! Good shot deals on a Saturday night, except they serve them to you in plastic cups. Only two single-toilet restooms, so naturally the line to the women's restroom is like a 15-minute wait. Music was whatever - a mixed bag of everything you've heard of. read more

Not that impressed with this place. The appetizers are pretty decent and the mac 'n' cheese might be worth a quick visit. The staff is friendly and attentive too, but I don't see myself returning to this place in the face of all the better places to go here in Chicago. read more

I enjoy this bar because it has cheap drinks that are quite boozy. They also have great happy hour and drink deals. It's an unpretentious bar in Wicker Park that is one of the few non-sports bars around here. I also really enjoy the house music on Thursday nights, it's a real treat. This is definitely a great neighborhood hang out. read more

After seeing this bar shamelessly promoted on an episode of Rock of Love 2, I had every intention of never entering its doors. Yesterday I was walking by when my friends behind me decided to go in. I followed. It was 4pm on a Wednesday and there were more staff than patrons. The artichoke and spinach ravioli were a little to intensely breaded and fried for my taste. The hummus wasn't great. I bet the pool table was just fine. No intentions of returning. Looks like their 15 minutes of fame is over, best to take out a cable advertisement if they want to relive the glory. read more

My friend Rob and I went to an opening on Milwaukee Ave in Wicker and we needed a drink afterward. I haven't really hung out in the neighborhood in years, but the place we used to go burned down from a small grease fire, so we tried Swig. I have to say we had a great time in this bar. We had a great bartender, I think his name was Gary, and he made good drinks and told good stories. He apparently started his own golf tournament or something. We were in there around 1030 on a Saturday and it was bumping but you didn't feel overwhelmed by it. They do mostly classic cocktail riffs so we had a couple of those and then switched to beer. To paraphrase Taft, 'we are all imperfect, and we cannot expect the perfect bar.' But this bar does a good job. read more

First off music/DJ's are INCREDIBLE! None of the radio stuff you hear everywhere else. Old school hip hop that'll make you throw your hands in the air with out someone yellin at you to do so. Also throw in some funk, soul, and some classic rnb and then you realize your shaking your ars and had only a drink here.. awesome! Real fun chill spot i highly recommend this place. read more

I love this place! It's very relax and chill. Music is good and GREAT bar food. Staff always gives great service!

eh, went to watch football here. the bartender was very nice. poured a decent drink and was friendly. food was very boring. my salad was pretty hefty but came on a small small plate. the hummus wasnt very good. bathroom was disgusting. oh, they also played waaaaay to much black rebel motorcycle club. i probably wouldnt go back. read more

After trying to get into Danny's (which was packed as usual), some friends and I wandered over to Wicker Park. We happened upon Swig, liked the name, and the old school hip hop they were playing, and decided to walk in. Well the name and the music was all it had going for it. When I go to Wicker Park, I expect to be surrounded by an edgier, less fratty crowd. I felt more like I was in Lincoln Park. We played a round of pool and called it a night. read more

So to defend Josh and his bar Swig im giving his bar 4 stars. To Andrew, Stacey and Brett how can you rate a bar if you have never been there before? Based on some trashy reality show? So what if he went on the show and promoted his bar and embarassed his ex girlfriend. She's on rock of love trying to date or bang brett michaels. Thats pretty embarasessing and trashy on her part. I'm sure shes on the show to find " true love" with Brett Michaels. As for swig i've been there a hand full of times and its fine. The food is good and the drinks are average price. And theres always seats open at the bar which is a plus. So check the bar out before before you rate it based off of rock of love. read more

Great spot! Djs on the weekend make for a fun environment, can also be super chill weekdays with good music! Bartenders are fun and social! Specials are great and the food surpasses all bar food expectations! The patio in the summer makes for a great wicker park vibe! Defiantly worth checking out ;) read more

Went here Friday night. $5 margaritas caught my eye. The old school hip hop caught my ears. Had fun. Wished people were dancing, but it was alright with me. Cool spot slightly south of all the Wicker Park late night hipster hullabaloo. Definitely gonna go back. :) read more

I was in town for a couple weeks for the holidays and got to go see my friend, DJ Ami Dukes spin at Swig. What fun! Had to go back a second Saturday and bring all my friends with me! I loved EVERYTHING he thew on! Saturday nights are definitely where it's at, I will for sure go back whenever i'm in town for good drinks, good music, and fun and friendly atmosphere. read more