I like the Lantern. Sometimes. During the school year, it's completely overrun by college kids. Especially on Tues nights when it's karaoke night. But midday to early evenings, it's a good place to stop in for cheap cocktails and greasy food. Service is always great. Even when the place is slammed. They're hustling read more

Had some great drinks and pretty average food at this long time local bar. It claims to be the oldest bar in downtown Naperville. The Lantern has only been around since the 1960s so not sure how it's possible. Basically the drinks are why people come. The food is typical bar stuff like wings and greasy things. Certainly it's a lot more casual than almost anything else around here. It's not full of hipsters and the like. The place looks a lot older than it says it is really. More like a bar that has food. You can find some pretty great specials. It's about $7 for a basic cocktail. There's also a happy hour. It's half off for appetizers. Save a lot on these. It's usually about $6 for chips and salsa, but we saved a few bucks. The rest of the menu has burgers and typical kind of stuff. Great place for happy hour. It's not as crowded as the other places around it. This is a great alternative for those overpriced hipster hangouts or wherever. read more

The Lantern - Whiskey With Chips And Salsa - Bars Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

Where do I begin? It's my new favorite dive bar in the suburbs! We were just strolling through the neighborhood and I was compelled to take a peek caus there was a sign outside boasting of Naperville's oldest tavern. It is a beautiful old building, very well maintained and huge. I had to buy a souvenir shirt for my husband haha. They have a decent looking food menu but we didn't eat here. I asked a patron who was eating a burger how it was and he said the food is great. They reeled us back in later that day because they had karaoke!! This place was hopping like crazy! The DJ had an interesting way to request songs via an app. I only got one song as there were a ton of singers. We had an absolute blast. Come back for the karaoke! Great people watching. My friend was back a week ago and Cuba Gooding Jr was karaoking with the locals there! Wow read more

See all

best place to grab a drink and have a fun night. Naperville staple. Never lets you down

Divey but fun. Decent selection of beer and cider. Our group enjoyed our brews. Service was decent. read more

The Lantern - a neon sign for stella artois - Bars Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

See all

Place is okay. Come here for the beer and environment. Has darts if you're into that. Gets pretty packed and very noisy. Seating is about 2-3 per table so squeeze tables together if you can. Our waitress was very busy and super helpful. Had the triple jam beer kinda fruit tasting, but not too bad. Would recommend. read more

The Lantern - the menu for the drink menu - Bars Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

See all

The Lantern is Naperville's finest landmarks. So much history here, but what the best thing about The Lantern is that it has that down hometown feel in a big city. The bartenders are always Top Notch, and the food is really yummy. You definitely need to try the burger! Heck, order two because you might want to take one home. The atmosphere is dark and cozy with lots of energy. If you are in " The Ville" you MUST make this your first stop! read more

Burgers are great Dive bar with history Lots of specials Popcorn and beer Ok service read more

Been going here for years. It's a place for drinks. Not to eat. Sent back potato skins because they were burnt. Second serving you could definitely tell they were frozen for a while. Not good. Also very small. The fish and chips was cooked with old oil and made my lady sick. Not a place to eat. read more

Loved getting hammered here with Ken, my mother in laws real estate agent. Man that guy could polish of the beers and shots. He's back drinking so we should be in soon. Coffee with Ken more like beers with Ken read more

Tuesday Night Karaoke is amazing at The Lantern. A lot of talented singers and the KJ Shawn is excellent at his job. Every Tuesday night I have been there, the place was packed. The staff and other customers have been very friendly and accepting of me(I am a very intense talented unique performer and because I am "different" than others, I am not always accepted or feel welcome at some other bars). I really enjoy singing and dancing at The Lantern and I encourage other singers/dancers to try this place out ! A.Ron read more

The Lantern - A.Ron, owner @waxpaxquake performing Karaoke. - Bars Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

See all

Drinks were limited, small, and not good. It feels dirty and is not a place to relax and have a drink.

I love this place. Burgers are perfect. Try the jalapeño cheeseburger! Yum. Been coming here for 20 years plus. It's a Naperville staple. Come mid-day and sit at the bar while you eat and have a cold brew. Staff is awesome. Burgers are cooked with Casey's meat so you can't go wrong!! read more

Stopped in to have a beer on a Saturday afternoon. There was no one seated at the bar and a few tables were taken with people eating lunch. They have lots of tvs and the bar has a divey feel but I don't think it is a dive bar. Probably 10-15 beers on tap plus a large liquor selection. Didn't try the food but everyone else seemed to be having lunch. A good place to have a drink if you are in downtown Naperville. read more

This place continues to be a fantastic, no frills, proper neighborhood tavern. It's an old school favorite with locals, a college town hangout, and a destination for people from neighboring towns and further. Burgers and sandwiches are great, service is friendly, and the value can't be beat. All these things lead a place that's moving just about every night so you can have fun during the week too. Trivia Wednesday and Kareoke Tuesday. Sometimes live music. I see a lot of people having trouble with their ID and complaining here. Total nonsense. The guys at the door do a great job keeping a busy pace safe. read more

The bouncer was very rude. Was very judgemental toward me and my girlfriend. I would never come back to this bar. Naperville has very many better options. DONT COME HERE. read more

The bouncer here told me my ID was fake and proceeded to use the infinity stones on me. read more

The Lantern - a man and a woman talking to each other - Bars Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

The Lantern is the best place to gather with friends for great food and drinks! The staff is amazing and the sliders are delicious! We're so lucky to have a long standing establishment where everyone feels at home! read more

The Lantern is a GEM in Naperville! Not only do they have great food (you must have the cheese curds!) but the atmosphere is exactly what you want when you just want to hang out with friends, watch some sports and drink some good beer! Jamie and the rest of the staff are fun, welcoming, attentive and engaging! Not to mention, when I come in with my tennis team, they handle our large orders and multitude of requests with ease! read more

I have lived in the Naperville area since 2011. I've been to Lantern a handful of times and have noticed a recurring theme every visit. For one, the majority of rap/hip hop and Latin songs get skipped by the bartenders over rock and country songs on paid requests made over the TouchTunes app. Service is pretty slow if you are not a regular and last call is never announced and is subjective to certain individuals.. Also, keep track of your tab, because you will not be given an itemized bill. I wanted to see what I was paying for after this specific visit because I waited longer than normal for a drink while seated at the bar and was still given the wrong drink order a couple of times. After asking for the itemized bill, I was given a sarcastic response from an older bartender and given a handwritten bill with no drink names or prices. There are many local bars in surrounding area with more professional and consistent service than Lantern. read more

David is the best bouncer!!!!!!!!!! Our entire experience was heightened by him!!!!! Make sure to go on a night David is working!!!! Love this place/feel safe because of him. read more

Disappointed today in our favorite establishment in Naperville. Came in after Last Fling with the kids to have a burger, which are great, but was told after we put in our drink order that the kitchen was closed and the hot dogs they had a promo for were already gone. Ultimately just a disappointing experience at the place I would choose tenfold over any other in downtown. read more

Service? Ha! What service? We were ignored! I remember this place being way better. Maybe my expectations were lower. The place was overpacked with what? 2 1/2 employees! Watched us walk out. Not a word. read more

Walking by randomly on a Thursday night, we were drawn in by the live music and fun atmosphere. Mike, the owner, went above and beyond for my out of town friend and mom by welcoming us in with a table by the band and taking our order. Hightly recommend this place!! read more

I have never had such terrible service. Older lady was Bartendering and she was terrible. Definitely never coming back.

Amanda was serving us. Never going back again. Terrible service. Whether she is new or not. Unprofessional.

Multiple times, multiple friends have has stolen credit cards or been extremely over charged. They think people won't notice, always check your statement!!! Not to mention I have gotten food poisoning here and will never eat here again. read more

If you. An avoid James the bartender who seems like you're totally wasting his time, then you'll be ok

Great place to meet up with friends. Stay for a drink or all afternoon! Staff is super friendly and great bar food. a Naperville staple ! read more

Their fried pickles are to die for!!! My absolute fav!! Such a cute atmosphere as well!!

literally the greatest place on earth. have you ever met an angel? no? clearly you've never been to the lantern then. the bartenders are the bees knees, the cats meow. insert heart emoji. food is 11 outa 10. staff are 15 outa 10. tots are straight from heaven. read more

After reading all these negative reviews, figured we'd give this a try to see just how true these reviews could be. I'll start by saying maybe when posting a review, it should be preceded by the reviewers age. If you are under 40 and reviewing an old fashioned bar... just don't!! Go back to your over priced, fruity mixers you call drinks. Leave the real drinking for the adults. Now if you're looking for a place to have reasonably priced drinks, listen to music that doesn't include cuss words or gangster lyrics, then The Lantern in Naperville is the place. Staff was friendly, service was prompt and the environment reminded us of what a bar should be like. Unlike the other reviews that go straight to the race card, I'll say, we were respectful and were treated the same. Stop in, leave your race card, pompous privilege and bad attitude at home and you'll end up having a great time. read more

This place literally is the essence of Naperville. It is a perfect place if you are 32 and want to have a good night out! The is a bit of rich pompousness and woefully underpaid employee energy going on with the customers but everyone gets into a melting pot of $3 bluemoons and semi-craft beer. It's great for that exact energy that you think it would be. Mid 2000s hits and the occasional middle aged person screaming "WOO!" semi ironically but also enthusiastic enough to make everyone be okay with it. The staff is great but always seemed overwhelmed on thurs-sunday. So service can be slow but I never got a wrong drink or was overcharged. Stay away from the popcorn.... My rating system... is based on the local area and not of the world wide scope of quality & service. Comparing an experience in Berlin to Nepal wouldn't serve either justice. However judging each establishment based on their neighbor is a great way to determine the relative quality of an establishment. 5/5 - The most stand out performance compared to all other places of service in the local area (almost shocking) 4/5 - The highest level within the context of the local area (great/fantastic) 3/5 - On-Par with local area (Edible for all persons/usually good for families or a quick fix) 2/5 - Worse than other options locally (worth it only if it's the only thing open) 1/5 - Should seek new management or completely reinvent themselves. (This review is after several trips to the establishment 'pre or during' COVID-19 and does not reflect the status of the shop post pandemic) read more

Andy?!?!?!?! King. It's st paddy's day and he has made me feel so welcome and taken care of. Need a seat? He's gonna bring it to you. Need a table cleared? Andy's your guy. Fucking KING. Thank you Andy for making my st paddy's night incredible. Slainte read more

Go to bar to have quick drinks and and nice small places with a wide variety of drink options

Tami the bartender made this place a blast! First time checking out the Naperville area and she made it feel like home. I'll be back soon!

Fun atmosphere! It's a little hidden jewel in downtown Naperville. The service is fantastic, Jamie is the best. Very attentive and on top of everything. I highly recommend the "Lantern Mule" and the cheese curds! read more

I see your bouncers can't admit when they're wrong and they like to take ids from women. Definitely wouldn't recommend this place.

Imagine having a bouncer claiming to know what a fake ID looks like, only to be wrong but still adamant that a real ID from the DMV is somehow illegitimate. read more

This is a fun bar in downtown Naperville. It's kinda dive-y, but yet it's not. The beer list is decent. They have free popcorn to snack on. There's a good amount of seating. There's darts. The staff are friendly and helpful. It's definitely the kind of place where the staff knows their regulars and takes care of them. read more