Quintessential community bar. Friendly staff. They made us Italian beefs during the World Cup.

My lovely wife and I were checking out a neighborhood rummage sale in Bucktown recently. We decided to pop into The Corner Bar, and indeed it is located at the corner of Leavitt and Palmer. We originally were going to have just one drink, but the overall hospitality and coziness of the place (and free food) led us to stay for quite awhile. This is a "dive bar" with a regulars crowd, but we still felt very welcome here as newbies. They had a Goose Island beer special, which was refreshing while we checked out part of the Bears game (currently still the Chicago Bears) on the tube. We enjoyed part of a sub sandwich, and Italian beef sandwiches served at halftime, and it was a nice touch that the food was provided free to customers. The Corner Bar is people-friendly and dog-friendly too. read more

Stumbled upon this place after having dinner in the area and I wish I hadn't. I asked the bartender for a lemon drop martini and he told me " I'm not doing all that". I've never been to a bar where the bartender was ignorant enough to say that to a customer. read more

The Corner Bar is our favorite neighborhood spot. Great vibes, amazing staff... a true gem!

one of the OGs, and the last great bar in the neighborhood. Chicago handshake and a high life kinda place.

The definition of a dive bar but in such a good way. It's super small, not much to do other than hang out and have some drinks. They have an AMI so you can play your own music and a few TVs so you can watch the Cubs game, etc. Service is friendly and the prices are decent which is nice in this neighborhood! read more

Bill is amazing! He takes the dive bar experience to another level! Glad i stopped in this hidden gem!! And handsome

THEY CHARGE $3.00 FOR ICE IN YOUR DRINK!!!!! THAT SAYS IT ALL.THE PLACE USED TO BE GOOD, FAIRLY PRICED, BUT NOW WAY OVERPRICED FOR WHAT IT IS,,,,A CORNER BAR that is now a rip off. limited bar cocktails available, nothing more than simple mixes, can't make an old fashion, and the liquor selection is lacking. i think what they did is they saw leavitt inn 2 blocks north and what they charge and what they have and figured they would stick it to the customers and they do. now i see why leavitt inn is not only better but fairly priced, they have food and a full bar and charge basically the same as this place. the way i see it, if you are going to charge the prices this place does, the bar should be more extensive, cocktails should be more than simple stuff, and you should have food, or you are a rip off. was there last night, and really the service is lacking, the bathroom messy , not clean, and drinks overpriced for what the place is. this was the first time i came back (i've lived in the neighborhood for the last 15 years) in over a year as a year ago, the bartender was quite rude, and i don't get it that it is still that way. you're better off for the prices to go to leavitt inn, at least you have good service there and drink choices as they have a full bar, not a limited bar like this place. for better pricing and better more entertaining places, go instead to the cabaret, a few blocks away, or to o's on western, both have better bars and better pricing, better bang for the buck. sadly, this place used to be good, but since the ownership change, rudeness, and becoming expensive for what they give you is now the norm here. the 5 star reviews of this place are not from people who live in the neighborhood, but from outsiders who don't know what a corner bar is supposed to be, and the history of this place....and really, they are people who don't go out much. it's sad this place became what it is today, but that is the reality of today's world, owners like these see competition and match their prices without matching the product and service and get away with it as most consumers don't know. as i said, $3.00 for ice in a plastic glass says it all!!!!!!! read more

This bar is an extension of my living room. I have always felt comfortable, been charged fairly, and had great beverages! The bartenders are kind and attentive. A truly great neighborhood dive bar with chill patrons. Bill is the GOAT. read more

This is the kind of place to wander in, have a drink, meet great Chicago neighborhood people, and of course buy someone you love a shot of Malört. Surrounded by residences, the corner bar is tucked into Bucktown in the most convenient way. Perhaps you're wandering home from a house party, or maybe you had dinner on Damen and you're cutting through the neighborhood to get late night tacos, or catch the blue line. At some point you'll see that little house on the corner has some neon signs, and yes! It is in fact the bar where you will have your night cap. It was dark, cold, and snowy outside, but as soon as you open the door, it's warm and loud with people yelling over each other discussing which Chicago team is the better franchise, the Bulls or the Blackhawks, laughter, perhaps some crying... you'll walk up to the bar order your drink and feel right at home. read more

The Corner Bar - a sign that reads as for me and my house we will serve malbart - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Thank you The corner bar!! I was in Bucktown for work and I had such an amazing time at this establishment! I love how welcoming everyone was, the bar itself and even learned to love Malört after the 5th shot! Can't wait to come back; hopefully soon! read more

The Corner Bar - Corner bar selfi - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was walking to the Leavitt Street Tavern and passed by Corner Bar. As it has an Old Style sign outside, pursuant to Chicago Code, I was required to go inside and have an Old Style. The people both behind the bar and sitting at the bar could not have been friendlier. Great local place with cool atmosphere. I will be back next time I am in town. Highly recommend. I forget the name of the bartender but he was super friendly and welcoming. read more

What a spectacular find for us Australian travellers. We love the 'off the beaten track' spots. This optimises this ethos. Bill was fantastic behind the bar and introduced us to Malort. It's a must try whilst in town. In an expensive city this place is a well priced gem. read more

Showneice is the best!! You really can't go wrong with any bartender, any day, any time. Music is a mix but if you ask to change it up or use the touch tunes, you can determine the vibes. Best deals, best regulars, dog friendly, free popcorn... home away from home. read more

The Corner Bar - This is Bill - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bart taught me how to bowl over 200 on the bowling game, Jamie is the man, Bill is a pros pro, very dog and neighbor friendly. No frills, just everything you need and nothing you don't. Jukebox is popping, so is the popcorn read more

A great bar in a nice quiet neighborhood in Bucktown. Great prices and a great craft beer selection on tap and in cans.

I'll tell ya, if I lived in this neighborhood I'd be here a lot. Dim, cold lites, good flare. I struggled with the bowling game, would like to give it another shot. Chalk on the brick, enjoyable. This place seems like it represents the Windy City . Good stuff guys. read more

The Corner Bar - Men - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Since the first time I came here it became home. Personally my favorite bar of all time, I was recommended here knowing I would probably love it and I've never looked back. A classic Chicago vibe with locals and guest who are awesome. Especially the bartender I believe his name is Jaimito he is one of the most amazing people to ever be behind a bar, and I now call him a great friend. Nothing but love and of course, an amazing time. BUT, beware of one bartender named Johnny for sure. DO NOT come if he's there he does not care and he's rude (to everyone I've brought) and unapologetic and not someone worth giving business to. But other than that when he's there it is literally the best place in the world and represents Chicago to the fullest. Strongly recommend coming here, you won't regret it. read more

The Corner Bar - A good night at Corner - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

'09 Was supposed to be the Year of the Dive Bar and I have slacked on my mission so we had a Pub Crawl last night and this place was on the list... Fantastic place. Our bartender was attentive and nice, drinks were cheap and the place just feels good.... for a dive bar. Locals, Hipsters and then us. Great thing about Chicago when you get off the main drag you can find gems like this this. read more

+ Second rounds were on the house last night--every person that I saw come in. + New cool dogs to play with (e.g. Gus the bassett hound) + Guinness and Amstel Light on special last night + Bartender agreed to put the Phillies game (ESPN) on one of the TVs. + Great juke box tunes which allowed me to continue my multi-site unwanted serenading + A hilariously graffitied cow poster + The tommy gun is still there. This is the best neighborhood bar ever. read more

The best tucked away, local dive. Love it! Dog friendly, people friendly, drinks friendly. This dive is a gem. read more

The Corner Bar: The place for passive-aggressive lies and endless drama. The owner and associates of this establishment, apparently motivated by an intense displeasure with my perspective and patronage, found out that I liked to frequent the Innertown Pub, they then contacted it to express in no uncertain terms, that I was in fact the police, conducting undercover investigations. Shortly after learning these lies, among many others were being widely circulated, I was informed that if I slept with a specific female employee from this establishment such problems would cease. This slander, wrapped in hospitality malpractice and marinated in pungent intellectual weakness, all happened several years ago, but the drama just goes on and on without end. Needless to say I haven't been back since, but over the four plus years I did partake here, this type of defamation was commonplace for anyone who didn't fall into line. I will no doubt face reprisals for speaking out, as it was for voicing disgust at being greeted with a homosexual slur, by a staffer, which lead to the aforementioned incident. Yet this dude just can't abide such institutional ineptitude and refuses to ever be cowed by vitriol. Even the inaccurate kind. To sum it up, it's all fun and games at this dive, until it's not, then you'll realize the drama far exceeds any potential upside. So be smart kids and remember extortion and a poor attitude will only take you nowhere. Except here. However, if you'd like to feel better about yourself, whether it be your level of intelligence, class, professional acumen, worldliness, eloquence or ability to discern truth from just manipulative BS, then spend some time at this joint and you shall see life in a whole new light. Just don't say you haven't been warned about this malicious and persistent pattern of slander and inane pettiness. Enjoy! read more

This was our first stop on our trip to Chicago and the people there were awesome. The food and drinks were reasonably priced and the meal was delicious read more

Amazing place, amada is friendly and so made a lot of friends here. This place has cheap beer plus it's not too Crowded so you can come alone here and enjoy the night. read more

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I haven't been here in awhile, but i really like this place. Cheap drinks, old style on tap, Hamm's for a $1.50, great jukebox, and friendly bartenders. It's a tiny neighborhood dive bar gem. One sloppy evening I found the soundtrack to An American Tail (the movie with Fievel the mouse) and selected "Somewhere Out There" (Don't lie, i know you recognize this song). The whole bar sang along and i even saw some people slow dancing. It almost brought a tear to my eye. How many places can this happen at? read more

I love dive bars. A lot. And this one did not disappoint. Cheap pitchers of beer, like Blatz and Old style for $5, a varied jukebox, and cheap bar snacks. What could make a girl happier? Well my company, the awesome Ryan L and Matt L made my night pretty entertaining! Apparently they took the Fievel American Tale soundtrack out of the jukebox, so minus one star. I'd like to have heard that gem! read more

How have I lived right by this bar for six months and not ventured inside? Well, shame on me because this place is awesome. Last night, in the company of the dastardly David R., I made my inaugural visit. We were greeted at the door by two dogs who seemed to be having the time of their lives soaking up all the attention and petting. Even though I'm dog-less, dog-friendly establishments have a special place in my heart. Beyond the canine welcome, the bar was full of friendly locals. I suppose one of the reasons I hadn't been here was that I was worried I'd look silly drinking alone. I was completely wrong. For one, this place is completely casual and unpretentious, and secondly, I got the feeling you wouldn't be drinking *alone* for long. Seriously, the theme song to "Cheers" was running through my head on constant loop throughout our visit. The beer is cheap and good - they have Oberon and Brooklyn Brown Ale on tap. Hungry? In addition to the free spicy snack mix in bowls throughout the bar, they serve pizzas for $5 and the bartender has a stack of menus for nearby places that deliver. If you can hold out, this bar is on the tamale guy's fabled route. Tipping the scale from 4 to 5 stars was a sign I saw in the bathroom. In two weeks The Corner is hosting a Shower for some patron's new dog-baby. Fan-TASTIC. read more

This place doesn't even come up on the Yelp search (which is powered by Google Maps). Shame on you, infinitely knowledgeable Google, for keeping us Yelpers in the dark about this place incredible place. Not only is it hidden away under a hunter green awning on a quiet street corner in Bucktown (Leavitt and Palmer), the Southern California-esque screen doors make it look like creepy uncle Mike's living room. This bar is simply a room: four wood-paneled walls and beige ceiling and floor. Not much in the way of decoration besides the huge black boar head above the bar and some random beer and Bears paraphernalia. I ordered a Budweiser (ON TAP!) and a whiskey and Coke for my girlfriend. "$4.25," said the mild-mannered bartender, as he handed me back almost $16 in change. HOLY SHIT. Too bad I didn't know that Old Styles are a measly $1! Furthermore, it's a Cubs bar, which is cool in my book. The Golden Tee machine was green and really slow - don't waste your money. But after it ate some of my cash, the cool bartender paid for it out of the register. I must also comment on the jukebox: one of the best I've seen around: The Animals, John Cash, the Beatles, the Four Tops, the Who, etc. Nothing fancy here: just awesome classic rock'n'roll and cheap swill. And no creepy uncle Mike watching you uncomfortably while you imbibe. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! But shhhhh.... don't tell the frat boys. read more

I almost want to give it a bad review because I don't want anyone else to start going here! My friends and I are sort of dive bar/neighborhood bar lovers and we seek them out every weekend because they are always the most fun. This is by far our favorite one we have found. The bartender is awesome and fun and we love him! The jukebox is totally random and has so many great song to choose from. And your music won't get turned off if you play something even remotely acceptable. In fact, if you are friendly with the bartender and clientele it probably wouldn't get turned off if you play the suckiest of music. The prices are unbeatable. The regulars and so much fun and very welcoming. We went once and then went back a few months later and they remembered us and welcomed us back with open arms. The Corner is a great great find! But don't go. I'm sure YOU will HATE it! read more

Besides what Tim said... no frills. and there were quite a few could've-been-punk-rockers-10-years-ago that were easy on the eyes Conclusion: The Corner is nice 'n easy. read more

You want a Hamm's? Noah'll get to you in less than thirty seconds. Thirty seconds to give you a smile at the mention of Hamm's, take the dollar fifty, give you change and turn around so you can tip him whatever. I also apologize to the other six or so patrons that had to sit through The Gin Blossoms and then Smokey Robinson. Whooooops. Shit, Noah even let two regulars bust out their dogs in the bar. Thumbs up on that one. Bathrooms are pure character. Giant urinals that look like uprighted bathtubs? Fantastic. read more

This is a little neighborhood tap where you don't actually have to be "from the neighborhood" to feel welcome. Any place that allows dogs is golden to me, but the reason I'm giving it 5 stars is just about every time I come here I see something out of the ordinary. Last time it was a girl in her early 20's who decided it would be a good idea to start performing impressions/interpretive dances of any Olympic event we could shout out loud. The Corner is a pretty tiny establishment, which made "speed skating" and "triple jump" all the more interesting. By far my favorite experience at The Corner was just last spring. I had made plans to meet a friend here on the Sunday night before Memorial Day. I arrived first and the bar was about half full. I ordered a LaCrosse, and when I put a five down I was rebuffed. "No charge for that. The first drink on Sundays is always free here." Right on. My friend sent a text that he was running late (his cabbie had no idea where the place was). I started talking baseball with the bartender when suddenly the screen door burst open. A large mustachioed man in butcher whites came in bearing various meats and cheeses. He called himself Sargent Slaughter, and I'll be damned if he didn't look just like the old wrestler. Turns out the Sarge goes from bar to bar selling salamis, cheeses, bloody mary mixes, hot sauces and other condiments. The Tamale Guy meets Abe Froman? I guess so. I fired off a text to my friend. "YOU NEED TO GET OVER HERE NOW. 1ST DRINK IS FREE. SGT SLAUGHTER JUST WALKED IN & HE'S SELLING 5 LB. KIELBASAS" Within minutes the Sarge had sold a three foot summer sausage (which he had dubbed "The Homewrecker") to a young lady who immediately started swinging it like a Wiffle ball bat. By the time my friend finally arrived the Sarge had moved on to the next tavern, but only after giving away at least $20 in samples and selling 5 times that in product. Not bad for a Sunday night. read more

Like everyone states, no frills. No frills is good... Just what we wanted, someplace to get a couple of drinks with no attitude. Inexpensive with no hype. I don't like frilly drinks and beer doesn't agree with me, that's my friends choice. For me a good vodka, on the rocks or not, depending on my mood. A decent selection of beer on tap, and they do have Grey Goose, which I had. The difference between a vodka shot and a martini, is the glass and the price. I don't need a stinking fancy glass and a five buck surcharge for a drink. Place is friendly, all seats were taken, however several "happy" chivalrous men offered us their chairs, how charming. One guy said, "how could I not, for two such good looking girls?" Oh, yeah he had tipped back a few! Warning, if you're a non-smoker, it's not a large bar and most people were smoking. My jacket will need to be cleaned, and I found myself craving a cigarette, I quit many years ago. Good classic tunes on the jukebox. We will be back. read more

I'm searching for a bar with the following criterion: 1. 1st pitcher of beer is free 2. 5th pitcher of beer is free 3. They know everyone's name and job 4. There's a bloody mary bar for Valentines Day 5. They host chili lunches sometimes, just for fun 6. They have giant tubs of giardinera for no discernible purpose 7. People actually wear clothing-- a bar is not an excuse to be a stripper 8. There will never, ever be a jager shot taken 9. Dogs are welcome 10. When your girlfriends car gets a flat tire out front, everyone gets involved, someone goes home for a jack, and the tire is fixed within half an hour. Oh wait...I found it. The Corner. Need I go on? read more

I came here after a long night chasing leads with Marty. Still no sign of Reggie Ledoux. The beer was ice cold and they didn't serve any of that snooty stuff. You can't beat $1.50 Pabst every night of the week. I would try to sleep, but the incessant howling of my past would never allow it. Good thing they stay open until 3 on Saturdays. read more

For the record, I truly loathe anybody that gives this place less than five stars. Don't listen to them. $1.50 pints of PBR. Thursday night karaoke. Derek. Need I say more? When I first moved to Chicago I spent weeknights at the CB and weekends at swankier bars in Bucktown and Wicker Park. Eventually I realized how stupid that was and the Corner Bar basically turned into my living room. CHECK IT OUT! read more

This is a good dive bar with neighborhood charm. Its also about 75 feet from my front door. In the spring, you will see many softball teams end up here after playing at Holstein Park which is a block away. And over the past 2 years they have hosted a pretty kick ass neighborhood block party on Palmer which includes an annual showing of the "Chicago Mud Queens" mud wrestling. I like it, its not one of my regular go-to's but the owners make an effort to weave the establishment into the neighborhoods friendly fabric. All sorts of people can be found here. However, it can be smokey. Real cheap beers good neighborhood feel. If you like dives, its a must . Be sure to enjoy a bowlful of complimentary "pub mix" along with your 6 dollar pitcher, but don't get too rowdy! some neighbors may be sleepin' :) read more

Solid dive bar. The malort is always flowing. They have really good drink specials though the week. The bartenders are awesome, and it doesn't get too horribly crowded. The regulars are all really nice. They also do a lot of different events. read more

Calling this place a "dive" is a bit of a stretch in my opinion. I'd call it a "comfy, neighborhood bar" - the kind of place where the patrons all live in a 4-block-radius of the joint and can meet randomly to discuss any neighborhood news. My heart was won when I ordered a $1.50 can of Hamm's and was told by the bartender that the first beer is free on Sundays - that alone could be worth the trip. There were pups in there too, which will make any place better. I never thought I'd say this, but I think the jukebox needs to be louder. It was so quiet that I forgot it was on at some points. Music selection therein is dece' - Smokey Robinson and James Brown are all you REALLY need to get the evening going. read more

I guess this place isn't half bad after all. Recently the bartender I complained about before heard about my harsh review, checked it out and ended up sending me an email apologizing for that whole incident. I was definitely not expecting that. If anything I expected the email to tell me where I can stick it. But that was really cool and nice of him to feel bad about something that happened almost a year ago. One thing i didn't mention about this bar in my last review that I still remember....it has an excellent ladies bathroom. It stayed super clean all night long which is pretty surprising for such a small place. Weird thing to notice? perhaps. but being a chick, these things matter to me. And someone actually had their dog inside with them all night long. Definite crowd pleaser. read more