If you're ever in Hegewish, the southeast corner of Chicago, then you should absolutely make time…read morefor a stop at Old Time Tap. This truly is a neighborhood bar like you might remember from your childhood or that you may only see now in older movies or tv shows set in the 70s or 80s. Everybody knows everybody else. They laugh with each other, get annoyed with the guy who is there a little too long every day (but also love him), and just enjoy leaving their cares outside and being with each other. In that way, as well as the group outings they do and the nondescript exterior, this really is an old time tavern. But, in some ways, that name misses something. The old time may be in the vibe or the original floors or ceilings, but there's something fresh here, from the surprisingly great selection of drinks (at half the price or less of the places up here on the north side), to the way this neighborhood staple has been ushered into the 21st century by its newer owners. We stuck out like a sore thumb but were made to feel at home within 30 seconds. You could feel the family vibe, and it immediately made you wish you had something similar in your neighborhood. And, maybe you can't - there's something that can only come from a bunch of people who have lived in the same corner of the world for decades convening in one spot. I don't know, it was kind of beautiful. Not everyone there has the same views on life, the same income, or the same goals. Some are old timers reveling in their glory days, some are middle aged parents, and some of twenty somethings trying to live their best lives. It didn't matter - it was like one big family reunion. Again, the bartender was incredible, talking to us, answering questions, filling us in on the neighborhood and giving us some tips. There are bars we've been going to in this city for seven years where they may know our names, but where we've never been treated with such kindness and welcoming. I don't know how often we'll get down to Hegewish, which sort of reminded me of the old port neighborhood of Baltimore, Canton. But, I'll tell you what; if we're ever even remotely close, we're going to pop in here. Maybe even make an afternoon of it alongside skipping over to Hammond, IN. Go in and (temporarily) be a part of the family. If you're just looking for a nice place to have a drink, watch a game, listen to some music, and have fun conversation with some locals, you'd be hard pressed to find a better place to do it.

Great neighborhood bar. Also friendly bartenders. Only has pizza to eat that they will heat up for…read moreyou. There are several restaurants in the area that you can order from that will deliver or you can pick up and eat here with your favorite drink. They have food during special events at times.

I love this little place! The food is always delicious and the waitresses are delightful! I wish…read morethey stayed open later though.

It seems every time I go there, I look around and something doesn't seem right. I ventured into…read morethe Men's room and for some reason I noticed this time that I failed to notice last time was the completely rusted out baseboard heating unit running under the window. It was crumbling just one good kick and the whole unit would end up being a pile of rusty scrapes! Great customer visuals! On yet another time, I visited I was informed by the female bartender that the decided to go home early. Therefore, the kitchen was closed as we drove out for nothing, wasting our time and gas. Oh well! Not even a I'm sorry! The best time to come here is about 3pm when the city of Chicago workers will assure your safety and a good time eating and drinking. Nobody wants to eat good food in a questionable place. I wish this place would clean up their act.

Writing about this place on Yelp is akin to blogging about gas lanterns, but I'm vain, and being…read morethe first and only reviewer of this place makes me happy. Georgie's is a f***ing dive. The owner is a drunk. Upstairs is a transient residence. There are no specialty brews. The pool table is a miserable wreck. Hardly-used arcade games from a couple of decades ago abound. And the only food you'll ever see is subcontractor pizza from outside the building. All that said, if you want to drink drinks the way they're supposed to be made, if you love true neighborhood bars, if you want to play pool with good-but-non-judgmental types, if you want to drink alone or with eight friends, if you don't like shoulder throws as you're walking your drink around, if you like perfect jukeboxes, if you enjoy paying the absolute minimum, if you happen to be south, this is the bar for you. I've seen dogs stroll in with owners, met every employee in just two visits, and gotten to toast a birthday boy on a pub crawl (which, mysteriously, stayed around for three hours *longer* than it was supposed to), and hugged my bartender. If you're around, give it a go.

Great old school dive bar-great jukebox and pool table. Bartender Michelle was fun and personable…read more Cute cozy place if you are looking for a nice neighborhood bar.

William I had my first shot and beer here at age 19, may I…read moresay I am now 76. Worked at Ford, I and a test driver went over for a liquid lunch and it was great! I also have fond memories of the 505 club and Hot Dog Joe's. Must admit I loved the whole hood!

I really didnt wanna go but i did, the beacon is like the best and then i go threw my stages of…read morehating it when i know i love it . I know its pretty psychotic and bipolar, so one thursday night i go in there to meet my scum crew. The night starts out slow as usual and then it starts to get worst, cause now they decide to bring there gurlfriends so i kinda got stuck at the bar with the new bartender.BOOO!!!!! no bueno.So the bartender tells me that " i guess it just me and you tonight kid " I go smoke and 2 old ladies come outta there car,start walkin towards the beacon.I heard my bartender scream and apprentley they were all friends who grew up together so whateve's.Then my bartender starts pouring me FREE shots of my fav. tequila.awesome !! Then shes giving me pitchers, her friends must have brought the ROCKAFELLER outta her. Now im a bit in the zone and im partying with old ladies. So now were drinking and kicking the bo bo's as they say, my bestie the squirrel master said the bartender had pepperoni's and she over heard him. Now she's showing us her chi-chi's and really didnt have pepperoni's, i kinda thought she would of .Now shes gotten threw her first flash she wont stop yah !!!! Then she takes the pitcher of water and pour's it down her low cut WHITE shirt omg. I literally lost it and made it rain on her. I got so excitied i threw my debit card at her i dont know why i did this but i just did. The beacon is one of those dives that ppl assume there not gonna have fun but you always see sumthing wacky for free and beers are always cheap shots are as well. I love this place and everytime something wacky happenes totally writing bout it on yelp. Hopefully yelp snobs aren't affended at what I write !!!!! cochina time

Dick's R U Crazy is the lone successor to a Calumet region Gay scene that once boasted five (5)…read moreflourishing and active Gay bars of which one was exclusively for Lesbians. Unfortunately, Calumet City succumbed to a sad combination of white flight and city officials Hell bent on destroying the State and Stateline entertainment corridor, leveling solid historic properties into a barren surface level wasteland, that remains void to this very day. We were once guided by the bright neon signs and chasing lights, like a mini-Las Vegas strip it was. God forbid someone was drinking, carrying on, staying out until past 4 a.m. and having a Gay ole time. So here we are at Dick's R U Crazy, this lone Gay venue has been established in 1990 and serves as a beacon of life for area Gays. It offers a traditional Gay bar feel from back in the day with two (2) chalk dusty pool tables and an eclectic variety of your usual patrons. A corridor leads past the restrooms on the right that opens up into a lounge area with intimately lit tables, a stage and runway avec drag drapes. However, classic Drag shows and those once crowned as bar royalty, drag queens, have been replaced in a new world favoring karaoke. Ugh! You cannot miss what you do not know. In my opinion, today's bar music or what I heard at Dick's was a bore. It's choppy and doesn't flow one song to the next. Who wants to hear and see Seth Meyers bash Trump on Big TV screens on a Friday night in your bar? A total waste of fun time! There must be something far more entertaining and uplighting to fill in the background with to get people up and dancing. Dancing!!? What the F..k is that? One might ask! Dick's R U Crazy is a Gay oasis in a desolate desert environment that doesn't offer many better options short of going into Boystown/Chicago . Hopefully one day the Calumet Region Gay scene will rebound. Dick's R U Crazy is a continuing work in progress.

I have never made a review before in my life, but the fact that I am now says a lot because of bad…read moreexperience they had. I went to this bar, cause I was visiting the area thinking it would be chill and fun got here at six because that's what online says but they were closed and the doors are locked. I was like OK whatever no big deal come back at 8 o'clock later but door is still locked but lights are on and This is during the winter and it's cold now I'm sitting here in the cold, waiting for my Uber to get me back home would not recommend to come here gay or not most likely they won't be open or let you in. PS this was on a Saturday night.

Call me an old timer if you will, but I love this place. Its like walking back in time. Piggy's is…read morea dive. A shithole even. But its my kind of shithole. And I love Indiana for not caving into the anti-smoking, fascist bastards who've been pushing their anti-tobacco agenda down our throats. It was so nice to be in a bar where I could light a Cigar and not get taken away in handcuffs. Piggy's reminds me of the old neighborhood taverns of yesteryear. The place was dark, dingy and comfy. I have to admit, I enjoyed my walk down the memory lane of booze. If you find yourself in Whiting and have the urge for a cold one, give Piggy's a try. Its a dingy, smokey delight. If I'm in the Whiting area, I'm definitely stopping back in. The first round is on me.

This is definately one of my favorite hangouts. It's one of the most fun bars in Lake County, and…read moreNW Indiana I'm sure. If you have a pretty big group of people though and try to sit atthe tables, it can get a little cramped. I think that the bowling machine more than compensates for tht flaw though. They have this arcade bowling game where you roll this sort of puck type thing and hit bowling pins, it's really fun. I'm pretty good at it naturally which is probably part of why I love it, hehe. The jukebox here is marvelous! I've sat there hearing great tune after great tune, usually hard rock and metal; Black Sabbath, Metallica, AC/DC and so forth. The bartenders are really nice as well. There's quite a few bikers in there, but it's not like they claim it as their turf or anything, they just chill and hangout like the rest of us. Piggy's is just good fun.

We have been coming to Whiting the past four years for Pierogifest and we always start our days…read morehere. The bartender is friendly and we enjoy playing their bowling game before going to the festival. It is usually pretty empty other than regulars but we had fun watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics with the small group. They have a lot of plants and trees near the front window. In 2023 we tried to sit at a table by the window, but my friend accidentally touched a tree when trying to sit down because it was so crowded with plants. Not a problem, right? She didn't snap it in half or knock it over. The owner saw this and started yelling at my friend and kicked us out of the (already empty) bar. Then this year after the festival we went in to have one more beer. The owner again was in there, and we started to play music on their Touch Tunes and we were singing along ( to Bob Marley, the most chill of all music). The owner yelled that this was "not a karaoke bar" and that if we continued to sing she would shut the jukebox off. We continued singing and she turned it off. We left the establishment despite full beers and she locked the door behind us at 10pm on a Saturday. It is clear that the owner of this tired, dirty and rundown bar is not interested in having any patrons other than her regulars, even during the town's biggest events of the year. We enjoyed this hole in the wall in the past, despite the bathrooms being dirty and flooded, despite there being no draft beer, and despite having to clear our own tables. But this was the last straw and we will not be back because the owner is not worthy of our money.

Well, the three stars depend on what you are looking for. Dive bar? Check. Smoking inside?…read more Check. Pool table? Check. Electronic dart boards? Check. Bathrooms with tp? Check. We were in Whiting for Pierogi Fest and after the parade, it was just bat-shit crazy on 119th. The Clipper, which from the outside looks like it was originally a funeral home, was our refuge. And a place to use the loo. There is absolutely nothing special about this place but it saved me from tragedy. Porta-potty tragedy.

Stopped here in my old neighborhood on our way home from south Chicago. We were hungry and I was…read morevery happy to see they were still around ! It's been over an hour and I'm now waiting in the car on a not so busy Tuesday night, for my husband to wait for our food, still...... it was pierogi, a sandwich and coleslaw. Not even a well done porterhouse takes this long . Not only that, the staff did not apologize, did not offer something for waiting an hour (not since our arrival, but since we ordered food). Don't come here in a hurry. We won't be back . A nice tip, pierogi shouldn't take an hour or look like they been swimming in a deep fryer that hasn't been cleaned for a month. Also put your fried foods in paper bags instead of styrofoam wrapped in cellophane to keep the oil spill from leaking out ! It Keeps things crisp, costs less, and is better for the environment.

Fabulous corner tavern and restaurant in charming Whiting, Indiana. This establishment has a great…read moreneighborhood feel with lots of life and character that is a welcome experience to all the cookie cutter new additions out there that just don't reach this level of originality. No matter who you are in life's standing, you'll be welcomed at Center Lounge. The food is home cooking at it's best. Don't like to wait long for your food? You can be patient, get a drink and enjoy yourself but don't rush the cook who's working so hard to keep up with demand. The fish frys on all Fridays are exceptional and quite tasty. Potions are generous and prices are reasonable. Be thankful that Center Lounge is there to bring you a memorable good time with friends and family. Celebrate that you have such a great entertainment and a quality bar food spot within your midst. Patronize your local independent businesses! Center Lounge is highly recommended!

Cheap drinks and good atmosphere and quick service. Food was great and a large portion as well and…read morefast service

Jamie is the best bartender, super nice and great. Love her and wish to see her next time.read more

My husband and I attended a Bears Watch Party here with friends one Sunday. There was ample parking…read morealthough it was gravel. It's a large open space with a bar and ample seating, a great place to host an event. The drinks were pricey but good and they sold food, made to order. I deducted two stars because while they have several tv screens. we sat in front of the largest one but it kept going out. It was very annoying. Also one if the toilets in the ladies room didn't flush. That was very gross. We had a great time here with friends but hopefully going forward they have better housekeeping.

Even with GPS, La Isla Bonita was a bit of a hidden gem, but we eventually found it! We pulled into…read morethe spacious gravel parking lot, and while our car ended up a little dusty, it was a minor trade-off for the convenience. Just a heads-up, though: while there's plenty of parking, be mindful of the neighbors and avoid parking in their designated areas. We were there for a retirement party, and the venue truly shone. They offered a full bar and catered food that was absolutely amazing. The setup is fantastic, with both indoor and outdoor seating areas perfect for lounging and conversation. What truly impressed me, especially on a hot day, was the presence of portable air conditioning systems throughout the venue. This made for a remarkably comfortable experience. I highly recommend La Isla Bonita for any party needs--they did a great job! And the look of the venue is industrial, but you decorate how you'd like.