How anyone could rank this amazing preserved piece of Chicago history below 4 or 5 stars is beyond…read moreme. Seriously ... this was the best thing I did while visiting Chicago. It took 20 minutes and $25 each way to Uber there from my hotel in downtown Chicago, as it is 6 miles away. However, totally worth it. Yes ... it's cash only. That's a bit of a bummer. I'd rather pay a surcharge than trust the sketchy little ATM in the bar. Yes ... It's 'lived in'. I wouldn't call it dirty as much as it is worn. To me, this was part of the charm. It's been around since the 1920's and probably looks very similar to how it did in the 1940's. Dark, dingy and fun. Most of the mafia in Chicago didn't hang out downtown. This area is where their HQ was and where most of them congregated in the same way NY's mafia hung out in Bensonhurst instead of Manhattan. The area has a lot of vintage architecture and history, despite being a little more run down and 'authentic' than the more touristy downtown. I went on a Friday around 3:30 p.m. Already, the back seating area was full of people, however there were a few bar seats left in the front. An hour later, it was packed. They start charging a $20 (cash only) cover at 7 p.m. for the live band. Before that was a jazz organist, who was pretty good and a master at working the crowd. They have draft beer ($6 - $10) ... bottled beer ... and booze. My Old Fashioned was made with muddled orange and cherries and only cost $12. A gin and tonic was $9. It can be tough to get a drink because the one bartender works the entire bar. Nice guy though. Don't come here expecting anything other than a dive bar ... there is nothing modern about this place. However, it has one of the best vintage vibes I've honestly ever encountered in a jazz bar. Don't miss out on seeing this bar and hearing some music, even if it means having to Uber or drive. It will be worth the trip. There aren't many places around like this anymore.

Ever since I came back from a trip to NOLA a couple years ago (and subsequently moved to Chicago),…read moreI've been looking for a place like Green Mill. A spot where someone could walk in, maybe order a drink, and listen to some music without first opening Ticketmaster and shelling out half your paycheck to their junk fees. Some of their performances are free, and some have a reasonable cover of $10-20. There are also performances every night, sometimes even in the afternoon. The vibe inside is dimly lit and very old-timey. Even the bathroom had a bar of soap! I haven't seen a bar outside of a private residence! For sure, the vibe fits the history. Green Mill used to be a spot visited by Big Al himself. Yes, there are still connected tunnels used by the mob, no, you cannot see them. In terms of the bar, do not expect anything special. Their menu is limited to the beers, wines, and champagnes they have. They have spirits, but no cocktail menu - while they *might* be able to mix something simple like a Manhattan, be prepared for basic drinks along the lines of a gin & tonic. The service was fine, but a little abrupt. Not the best welcoming or inviting, but gruff and surly in a way that is probably cute to regulars, but less so to newcomers like myself. Final verdict: Green Mill is a place one comes for the music and the vibe and to get away from life for a little bit. It appears to be a third place for many regulars. It's worth giving a shot, as long as one is ready for an experience that's a little rough around the edges, arguably by design.

It's been a while since I have stopped in here and it is high time I did a review. I met The Queen…read morefor a drink at the Uptown Lounge one sunny Saturday afternoon this summer. I am happy to report that the place has not changed: still a chill vibe and an impressive beer/cider list if that is your jam, plus bubbles for me. Uptown opens from 4 pm to 4 am, so this was the place I use to hang out before shows at the Aragon and the Rivera before and after shows. The lounge still has the booths and tables as options if you don't want to sit at the bar, but me and The Queen sat at the bar. Uptown sort of reminds me of a TARDIS, it is bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside when you are just strolling by. spread out around its surprisingly spacious interior. The Queen ordered the Raspberry Beret and said it was great, followed by a Blakes's El Chavo cider (Habanero and Mango). She is big lover of ciders and according to her they have a decent list to select from. They also serve coffee in the morning, which is new for me. Not sure how that work in terms of the place being open and I don't know if they allow you to bring food into the place or not, I didn't think to ask. I do remember back in the day you could order from Papa Ray's (which closed some time ago), I will have to inquire about this as it would be nice to spend a leisurely nosh over drinks while sitting at the bar. Service was good. There were two ladies behind the bar. I think one was in training. Both were talkative but in a good way, and they took care of us. Because we were there at 4ish, it was pretty quiet and I did not mind that. The Doctor ended up joining us after completing his errands and we had a great time. We definitely will be adding this to our rotation of places to chill and have a drink.

This is a nice bar just off the Lawrence Red Line stop and close to Aragon and Riveria, so perfect…read morefor a drink before or after a show. I stopped in here once before meeting friends and enjoyed the vibes. Prices were reasonable and staff is very friendly. It can get packed with a cover but still a good time

As a resident of Uptown, I could not be more convenienced to attend concerts and see some of my…read morefavorite acts within walking distance to my home. However, I feel like the crowds are very over-sold and croweded, to say the least. On top of that, it is blazing hot inside. This is the kind of space where you will be dripping sweat and standing with little to no space between the others around you. Travel lightly, and wear lose/comfy clothing. Some favorites include: Hayley Williams, Young the Giant, The 1975, CHVRCHES, Lizzo, and Haim.

Probably one of my least favorite venues I've been to. It was extremely hot and crowded, and sight…read morelines weren't great. Entry was actually pretty smooth, they separated bags vs no bags. But exiting was ATROCIOUS. I'm not claustrophobic but it seriously sketched me out. The bottleneck at the stairs felt very not safe. Show felt oversold. That being said, Hayley Williams was great and the sound seemed decent!

My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025!…read moreRestaurant: 59/50 Month tried: October Favorite dish: Fried Pickles We've heard so much about the legendary Carol's Pub and were happy to finally swing by for drinks and music. I can't really rate it as a full restaurant yet because we only had fried pickles, but the menu is small and simple and smelled delicious. The serving of pickles was HUGE! Fit for like six people, not just the two of us. And they were yummy. The artist playing when we went was great. I've heard the music lineup is always reliably good, as are the events. It's high on my 2026 goal list to come back for karaoke, bingo, and drag brunch.

Staple in the Andersonville area for the good old classic bar experience in Chicago. Great draft…read moreselection, good food options - though I will say their idea of tater tots is maybe a little unique (but still good!). Go if you want to catch the local game, go if you want somewhere low key and straightforward, go if you just want to experience local Chicago.

I love that it's still around, but this is the worst venue in Chicago for seeing a crowded show. If…read moreyou're not in the front 25 or 30%, and under the balcony overhang or in the back, this place is the worst! If they elevated the stage 2 feet it would solve a lot of visual problems

I would give this place a 0 if i could. I wasn't let in because I had a hydration pack. A…read morelollapalooza aftershow, where lollapalooza DOES allow hydration packs, doesn't allow hydration packs inside. Don't be an aftershow venue if you don't have the same policies as the actual show. This cost me an extra $65 for a show i couldn't attend. I'm so pissed. Don't come here for lollapalooza aftershows.

Ahhhh the Metro. Just the other day I was chatting with friends about which music venue in Chicago…read morewe've been to most - and I can safely say for me, it's the Metro! Located right in Wrigleyville, parking can be a biotch, so I deff recommend taking the cta or ubering here. The bar is cash only, but there are ATMs inside the venue. The staff at the bars is always really nice! Pro tip: There's a nice balcony if you get there early enough you can be in the front of the balcony and see the show from up above!

One of the worst venues I've ever been to. They over sold tickets and crammed people inside. The…read moreservers were few and far between (i did feel bad for them though since they had to go through the crowd to give drinks) the main stage is elevated, but the viewing area is barely sloped so if you are not in the front three rows you can't see anything! They didn't even have screens showing the stage so people in the back could see. Overall terrible set up. Plus they had a second elevated surface with poor signage that people kept tripping over all night. The women's bathroom is all the way on the top floor and very inaccessible. They have a coat check which is nice for a few bucks, $5 maybe? Parking is spot hero and like $20. Overall a bad venue

I attended Will Anderson's show and poetry reading on Thursday, November 13, 2025…read more My 37 year old ankles were so happy to see the venue had set up rows of white seats for the 90 minute show. The white seats + the ambient Christmas lighting matched the content of the show perfectly. The acoustics were good and I was only pulled out of the show mentally a couple of times by the roar of an emergency vehicle siren. The sound system was crystal clear. My friend went to go purchase us Waterloo Sparkling Water for $2 per the wall, but the bartender gave it to her for free from the soda gun--I wasn't mad at that. Due to trekking from the suburbs to Wrigleyville, the timing was off to try the restaurant, but I appreciate the venue and look forward to the next show that piques my interest there!

Schubas Tavern is an interesting place. When you walk in, it looks like an unassuming little bar,…read morebut the place is much larger. There is a back room where live shows take place as well as an upstairs area with a bar and a dance space. The Queen has been there many times for their live shows and on certain nights they do a DJ upstairs. On this particular night, it was a dance night and The Queen asked if I wanted to go with her and I said yes. I mean, who doesn't want to dance? The bar itself was small and crowded, with a few people sitting on the side having eats. Can't speak to the food, but The Queen said she has eaten there and enjoyed it. I was not even aware that there was an upstairs until I saw a door open near the end of the bar and The Queen pulled me over to go up the stairs. Once upstairs, we entered this small room bathe in a red light. There were a few seats and tables. I would say that there are not a lot of seats, so you would have to get there to grab a seat at one of the tables or at the bar. The DJ that night was cool, spinning some great tunes. The Queen and I took turns dancing and drinking for several hours. I loved the vibe, it was like being in someone's basement chillin like a villain. After about a 2-3 hours, the place got crowded and we ended up leaving as it was getting hot. But we did have fun dancing with ourselves as well as some other folks on the floor. I could definitely see myself going back to Schubas Tavern to dance as it was cozy and intimate. I would be interested in trying the food as well. From what I could see, it looked pretty decent.

Just the right size to see a band. Whether on the floor or in the balcony, the site lines are good…read moreand despite being an old theatre, the sound is pretty good. Most shows are general admission, so if you want a good balcony seat or a spot near the stage, arrive early.

I visited The Vic for the first time in years to see comedian Janelle James. For whatever reason,…read moreshe chose to film her Netflix special there instead of a nicer venue. We arrived 30 minutes before the doors opened and found a line wrapped around the block. We had tickets for the second show, so we had to wait for the first show to let out. It was a little chilly so standing outside sucked. But the line moved quickly and finding a seat was painless. I found the venue and seating underwhelming. The seats are cheap folding chairs. They're packed tightly so good luck if you get stuck next to someone that's on the heavy side. During the show, a patron fell out of his seat twice and Janelle James ended up mentioning it in her act. He fell because the chairs were terrible!! Poorly constructed doesn't even begin to cover it. The acoustics were good though. I had no problem hearing Janelle James. I could barely see her though. The seating isn't elevated or sloped, so if you're short and surrounded by taller people, then you'll be staring at the back of their heads all night. That sucked, but what can you do? I caught glimpses of her sporadically, which ended up being fine. I didn't buy any food or alcohol, so i have no opinion on that. We exited the venue as quickly as we entered, which was a plus. I think it helped that we were seated towards the back. We got to the brown line in no time and were home soon after. The show was entertaining and I had a good time. Overall, the experience was satisfactory, but, I doubt I'd visit this venue again anytime soon.