I'm a sucker for a well dressed man and a good dive bar. Seriously...they know what the hell they're doing. Dead animal head hanging above the bar? Check. Plenty of light up Budweiser and Old Style signs? Check. Frosty beer mugs and a jukebox plum full of classic rock? Check. Extra points for the Tommy Gun above the bar. Beer. They have it. Also, this place is eerily reminiscent of a bar I spent years of my life in Madison, Wi known as The Silver Dollar. At the Dollar, there is an old Vietnam vet who sits, everyday, fourth barstool from the end of the bar with his pitcher of Miller Lite, and a 12 ounce glass filled with ice carefully placed inside as a bobber to keep it cold. The Corner HAS PITCHERS WITH THIS BUILT IN!! You know that's a good dive bar when they encourage drinking a pitcher of beer all by your lonesome. Bartender was very cool and attentive. I was saddened by two things, but neither reflect on the bar. 1) Since my last trip, approx. 2006, the bar seems to have been infiltrated by some people who I would expect to see in Lincoln Park bars. Not my scene, but it was ok. They seemed nice enough. 2) The old lady who had been working every time I went has passed away. Sad...they have pictures of her above the bar, so I think she's chillin' with the Dive Bar goddesses in heaven. Overall, awesome time. I love that people can come, hang out and have a low-key time for cheap, and bring their dog. read more

You know, scrolling through the reviews previous, out of curiosity, one might notice the pattern: everyone, in general, seems to enjoy The Corner. And with good reason. People: nice. Beer: Honker's was $2 b/c they were trying to get rid of it.* Dogs: Check. Decent Music: Check. Noise: "I would ask you to repeat yourself, but I surprisingly understood you quite well at a normal level of speaking."** *The second one was free anyway. ?? **No need for yelling. I can hear the music, the inside noises, but most importantly the convo. Ta. Da. read more

I've driven by this place for years, but never stopped in (what can I say, I live at the Bob Inn!!!!) until I was on a charity bar-a-thon recently. Loved it - great bar (huge old 1920's slab of booze laden oak), fantastic bartender, cheap drinks, nice crowd. Did I mention the bartender? She was ridiculously helpful and nice, stopped to chat & take photos of us, sassy and smart - I'd go back just to hang out with her again. I'd definitely recommend this place, mellow, friendly, cheap - classic Chicago neighborhood bar. I just wish it was a leetle bit closer to my house, darn it. read more

Walked in a pretty dead bar and it was disappointing, BUT the Bartender was awesome. We came here a few times while in Chicago even on a night when its pretty dead its still fun because he gave us some great advice on places to eat and go for fun and gave us a free shot of Mallort because we were from out of town, that is THE shot to take in Chicago apparently. Loved it. read more

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

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As far as dive bars go, this place is a crown jewel. They've got the game on both TVs, and the slurred political talk is flowing like the inexpensive name brand booze on special. If this place had a pool table, it'd be heaven. Kinda low on ladies, as most dives are, though after 2 $1.25 PBRs this place is a great start to an even greater evening. read more

Upon our first visit to The Corner we were pleased to find out that one of the beers on special was the Sam Adams Octoberfest. Let me just say the 'introductory price', as they called it, was a steal. If I told you what the actual price was the place would be stampeded with thirsty yelpers. The Corner has a few televisions mounted up on the wall and both Cubs and Sox games were on. I'd say there were no more than 15 or 20 patrons in the rest of the place, so we were able to grab a table and make ourselves comfortable. It also appears that The Corner is dog friendly. There were two pooches present when we were there, including the largest golden retriever I have ever seen. The staff (one bartender) was friendly and I never had to wait more than a minute for a fresh beer. The one and only possible drawback here are the restrooms. To me, I wasn't bothered in the least, but someone out there might be. I'll be back again. read more

Great little hole in the wall dive bar. People are friendly, beer is cheap, what more could you ask for?

Great place in my neighborhood that I never seemed to notice before. Total old man-hole-in-the-wall kind of place but super friendly. There was a good mix of youngsters and oldsters alike. Cheap drinks and good tunes on the juke. A little smoky but not so bothersome that it'd stop me from coming back! 2/52 read more

A five star rating under its past life when it was "Rich's First One Today". How can you not get lit up in a place with that name? http://chicagobarproject.com/Memoriam/Rich's/Rich's.htm The new ownership does a nice job at keeping the prices and neighborhood atmosphere close to the way it was. But, minus one star for losing the great name. If you miss the cheap drinking of the old Tuman's, but like cleaner bathrooms you'll be right at home. read more

I also remember the days of Rich's first one today. this is the epitome of hidden gem neighborhood dive bars. I used to be in here at least 3 times a week while living in Logan Square. I didnt mind being the youngest person in the bar at 5 in the afternoon. The regulars are rather friendly, and some may even have a good story or two to tell. Old Style on tap and toaster oven pizzas while watching Jeopardy. Good times. If youre into Country music, Toby Keith's "I love this Bar" would be a perfect description. I think it may be in the jukebox as well. read more

This place is delightful. I needed some place to cut loose for cheap, and it didn't disappoint. $1.75 beers is almost unheard of in the city. My friends plan on coming back again soon. My bartender was great and so were the people in the bar. read more

Dive bars in Chicago rarely get friendly than The Corner Bar. Located in the Holstein Park neighborhood of Bucktown, we were greeted immediately upon walking in the door by the friendly bartender. Beer selection while not extensive was solid and ridiculously cheap and although the place is tiny, you can usually find a seat. The people are welcoming and the regular events such as potlucks, game and holiday parties, trivia nights and karaoke are worth a visit. Definitely a locals bar, parking can be difficult but bike parking is across the street. read more

This place is a great cheap neighborhood spot. A good place to watch games, or just have a chat with some of the folks from around. There are usually a few dogs wandering around or sitting in the bar stools, decent music in the juke box and easy going bartenders. Be sure to stop in on Sunday for the buy one get one special, but don't stick around too long or you'll be calling off the next day. read more

Great little bar with some of the lowest drink prices in town. Everybody is always friendly, customers and bartenders alike. It's the first and last place I take all my out-of-town friends when we go out. It's an old school joint that televises all of Chicago's sports teams, has karaoke, a couple vid games, and the funniest men's $h!tter I've ever seen. . . . ANYWHERE Basically, if you can't have a good time here, you're incapable of having a good time. . . . . ANYWHERE. read more

It's been awhile since I've been to The Corner, but I love it. I used to live about 40 yds from the front door, so it was a good friend to me. Cheap beer, great juke box, great bartenders (don't know if Noah is still there, but he was the best)! read more

GREAT dive. Great jukebox. Great staff. This is a great place to start or to grab a couple drinks and watch the game. They have LABATT on tap (last time I went, it was $8 for a pitcher. yup). I could usually find a spot to sit, but it does fill up for games. They have snacks for sale, which is always nice. The people are talkative and friendly. There's usually at least a couple guys at the bar regardless of the time of day. I used to live around the corner, and I'm mad I didn't come here more often or participate in the Sunday football pot luck. read more

For a cheap dive bar this ones good. It used to be that you could get a large pitcher of Old Style for about $5, but prices have changed and it looks like Blatz is the new cheap one. It's kind of crap, basically like the worse version of Schlitz. But still for how cheap and pitcher size it's worth it. The bartenders have changed numerous times over the past couple of years I've been there. All of them have been really nice though and social to my friends and I. One of them gave us a free frozen pizza. Always playing classic rock and showing some sort of game there. Very local type of people in there, sometimes hipsters. read more

This is what a Dive Bar should be. Great jukebox, cheap beers/drinks, good TV, dogs are allowed, and best of all friendly bartenders. I would like to rate it lower so the secret doesn't get out, but I think it is too late. read more

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place! Drink specials, a jukebox with songs that I actually like, and the friendliest bartenders/managers I've met in my 13 years in this city are only a few things that make this the best "dive" bar in Bucktown. I promise you that if you go to The Corner, you will be welcomed with a smile by both the staff and the regulars. read more

Awesome bar, awesome staff! Dog friendly!! Great neighborhood bar!! Good specials everyday of the week. You need to saddle up and get a drink at this bar. read more

A great neighborhood dive. Cheap drinks, awesome bartenders, good juke box, and an awesome place to watch Bears games. $1.50 PBR pints and Malort shots are my staples at The Corner Bar. read more

I can't say enough positive about this place. It's a neighborhood dive for sure, but not filled with depressing drunks. Instead it's filled with a combination of Bucktown young professionals, and some blue collar workers having an after work drink. The staff is beyond amazing, and it takes all of two orders with a nice tip to be getting free drinks. Never once had a bad time going here. It truly is a place where everybody knows your name. read more

Love this bar. Who doesn't love cheap booze, great bartenders and a jukebox that won't quit? There are different specials every day to keep you coming back. You'll see a lot of the same face everytime you but they're all friendly. Worth the trip, how a bar should be. read more

This place is awesome. I went in here on a wintry Thursday by myself, brand new to Chicago, and was instantly greeted by just about everyone in the bar. The bartender welcomed me to the neighborhood and introduced me to the regulars. All in all one of the friendliest bar experiences I've ever had! And $1.50 PBR on draft can't be beat. read more

This place is awesome. I went in here on a wintry Thursday by myself, brand new to Chicago, and was instantly greeted by just about everyone in the bar. The bartender welcomed me to the neighborhood and introduced me to the regulars. All in all one of the friendliest bar experiences I've ever had! And $1.50 PBR on draft can't be beat. read more

Corner bar is just a dope place to start AND end the night bartenders are chill af and I love the vibe. Do it. They give away free food on certain holidays too which is mad cool. read more

Awesome non-hipster dive bar if you live in the neighborhood or have friends who do. Good launch spot or last spot. Great Thursday karaoke night crowd. Unlike many hipster dive bars, they proudly display Chicago sports games. read more

I was in the bar tonight watching the Hawks game and was kicked out for no good reason

Fantastic neighborhood dive bar where the staff is super friendly and one can tell there's a healthy number of regulars who frequent this location. The drinks are cheap and the vibes, great. Bucktown has been impressive for quality and cost. read more

My kind of bar! Better than 5-star! 1. Dog-friendly! All friendly dogs are welcome inside the bar! 2. Friendly bartenders and costumers! 3. Cheap beer & booze! 4. At-home atmosphere! 5. Ever present tamale guy when you get hungry! 6. On one TV: baseball/basketball games for my bf, on the other TV: Law & Order TV show for me... hehehe 7. Free bowl of water and cookie treats for my pups 8. Everybody luvs dogs! 9. Most of all, I can actually hear myself speak, not too loud! We'll be back soon with Brutus and Diamond! read more

When they say dive bar, they REALLY mean dive bar! In any case, this place was pretty cool. I liked the cheap drinks, free street parking, and the fact that folks could bring their dogs. The bathroom was pretty interesting, but the service was friendly and cheap. Don't forget to bring cash, as this place is cash only... read more

This bar is a really great dive bar. They have some fantastic drink specials, and they also do a ton of different fun events. The bartneders are really nice, and the regulars are very welcoming. read more

Great small neighborhood bar in the middle of nowhere. Actually Bucktown between Damen and Western avenue in Chicago. if you can find this bar and another one hidden on the next street then you deserve a free drink. Small bar that fits into the neighborhood nicely. read more

The best neighborhood bar in Chicago.. Maybe the best in the world. very affordable drinks, nice bartenders, welcoming regulars. Perfect.

Not bad, though I guess I have to come in here more to get the real feel. They let us bring our dachshund in, and the patrons & bartender were real friendly. Seemed to be a cheap place to get hammered. It's a pretty straight-up old timey watering hole, no frills but a decent neighborhood joint overall. Three stars is still a good review, it just hasn't gone into that "special place" yet. read more

What can I say about the Corner Bar? It's like the Bucktown neighborhoods version of Cheers. Friendly Regulars, terrific drink specials and did I mention Trivia Tuesdays and Karaoke Thursdays? Check it out, you'll be glad that you did! read more

I love The Corner! Free spicy snack mix, cheap beer, and an awesome juke box. Don't come here expecting to order a martini, but do bring your dog and chat with the bartender. read more

You must go here this week to experience the Halloween decorations. Out of control good!

A great way to experience the neighborhood! We came in from Philadelphia not expecting much and were greeted like we lived there for years.

The Corner is what it is and that is a classic neighborhood watering hole . The bartenders are pretty good (nothing fancy here to mess up) and usually remember what I'm drinking. The owner Terry is a classic Chicago neighborhood guy, and a really nice guy. The place is old school but always has an interesting cast of characters and random dogs who are very well behaved. The Corner also has a kick ass juke box and serves a mean frozen pizza and drinks are pretty inexpensive. The bartenders are usually on top of things and it never gets too crazy here. Low key, mellow vibe with no frills. read more