Go to this Dive Bar!! Inexpensive drinks & great vibes. Big TVs & games. The thin crust Pizza was…read morethe only food item but it was delicious and went perfect while we drank and watched the World Cup. Also The Owner & his Wife are awesome down to earth people. Cheers!!

My friend was looking everywhere for a "Chicago Handshake" which apparently is not a sex thing. We…read moreended up looking on yelp for the best place to find one and Squirrel Cage was it! Staff was friendly, and it just happened to be Tuesday trivia night! We had a great time at this dive bar and would recommend! Just make sure to bring cash as they do not accept cards!

Favorite place in the world, no notes. Friendly staff, cheap drinks, FIRE pizza, and great patrons!…read moreThursday they do karaoke and the crowd loves it! Everyone gets in on it!

Friendly people, cheap drinks, lots of fun! Bring your friends to sing Karaoke on Thursday nights!read more

If you're looking for a true neighborhood pub experience, Jackson Avenue Pub is definitely worth…read morechecking out. The restaurant itself is very small, with a bar and just a handful of tables, but that's part of its charm. It genuinely feels like the kind of pub you'd stumble into while traveling outside the U.S. Thankfully, we were lucky enough to walk in and find a table ready for us. My wife and I started with the pretzels and beer cheese appetizer, which was a delicious way to kick things off. For our entrees, I went with the fried pickle burger, while my wife ordered the buffalo chicken wrap. The burger was perfectly juicy, and honestly, it was one of the best, if not the best, burgers I've had in Naperville. The buffalo chicken wrap was very good as well, with a nice kick from the buffalo sauce. Overall, Jackson Avenue Pub has that cozy, authentic pub atmosphere that's hard to find, along with some really tasty food. Definitely a spot we'd come back to!

We were in the area after spending about three hours at the DuPage Children's Museum, and by then…read morewe were starving. Luckily, this burger spot was only a block away. I was even more excited after finding out it had been nominated for one of the best burgers in Naperville, I'm always up for a great burger. The restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Naperville. Parking can be challenging, but we visited on a weekday between 2 and 3 p.m., so we were able to find a spot without much trouble. When we walked in, we seated ourselves since there wasn't a hostess. Although the restaurant looks small from the outside, the layout is well designed, so it never felt cramped. Our server was friendly, attentive, and impressively efficient. She was handling both serving and bartending duties with only one food runner helping, yet she still provided excellent customer service. One thing I really appreciated was the ability to customize your burger by choosing your preferred protein and bun. My wife ordered the Cowboy Burger. It was good, but I definitely enjoyed my burger more. I went with the Diablo Burger, and it did not disappoint. The 1/2 pound beef patty was cooked perfectly juicy, well-seasoned, and full of flavor. The roasted jalapeños and sriracha sauce added just the right amount of heat, while the bacon and fried egg brought even more richness and texture. The toasted pretzel bun held everything together beautifully. Taking that first bite and watching the creamy egg yolk run down the burger made every bite even more satisfying. My wife and I left very happy with our meal. Whenever we're back in the Naperville area, we've already agreed that this place will definitely be on our list to visit again.

I like the Lantern. Sometimes. During the school year, it's completely overrun by college kids…read more 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

Had some great drinks and pretty average food at this long time local bar. It claims to be the…read moreoldest 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.

A dive if I've ever seen one! This bar feels pretty much like a house party. It's small and…read moredoesn't really have AC. Starts to get pretty packed and being shoved around is about par for the course. The karaoke line can get pretty substantial so add your song quickly! We had shots of malort :) the vibes are on point and the singing is fun! There is an outdoor deck for nice weather as well and what seems like a gravel parking lot

Try not to go here on Wednesday Friday or Saturday when Ashley is working she makes up random…read moreprices for the the drinks she serves pending on how nice you are to her . That being said I used to frequent this bar for 10+ years when I got sober I used to go hang out with friends there and she charged me $1.50 on top of what the non-alcoholic beer cost . So that means she's intentionally and knowingly overcharging the designated driver ​ that's trying to stay sober and​ and driving our friends around so they don't have to pay for an Uber ...​

Had cheap drinks at this bar in Elgin. It seems like a good place to watch games. The Dive Bar…read morecertainly has an appropriate name. Actually it's better than it sounds because it's clean. There's fun things including a pool table. Even with the name of it we still think it's a pretty cool bar. It's one of the few not fancy looking places in this part of the city. There's a few parts of it with their own atmosphere and gatherings. Basically it has a couple entrances. One is where they have the pool table. It's about $5 to get a basic cocktail. We got something with whiskey. Main bar area is in the middle. The other entrance goes to another seating area full of tables. Here is where to go if not sitting at the bar. They sometimes have events such as live music. Good bar that's better than many think it would be. It's located on Highland at Grove. They're open late including both weekdays and weekends.

Great local bar, fantastic pricing. As of NYE 2025 they're been open three days. Locally owned…read more Cash only for now

Security, Service and people are cool as hell been going here for years…read more Unfortunately they have the WORST DJ's in Naperville. Its laughable what they play, shit from 2009-2012 basically and they cant get with the times i never understood that. If they hired more culturally diverse and more relevant music playing DJ's this place would crank out even more customers. Will they do that? Most likely not after 20 odd years lmao.

Went last night to Porter / Two Nine in Naperville with an out-of-town friend. The hostess was very…read morefriendly and said we could sit at any open table. Inside was empty. Being a good evening, all activities were out. The outside bar was crowded, so we took an empty table in the back open patio. A beautiful evening and a person singing and playing live music, added to the ambiance. It looked more like a neighbor's pub / bar having a party. Football was on and folks were cheering for their team. After a long wait, corn tortia chips and salsa was served . Drinks were OK, but the Mexican food was far below my standard. It was insipid and tasteless. Will never go there for Mexican food. Though the evening vibes and the impact in patio was amazing.

Why do I like Little Red Schoolhouse? Well my brother in law used to stop here on his way home from…read morework, a classic dive bar in the best sense of the word!

A nice dive bar in the area! We were the first ones when they opened to get a Bloody Mary. It was…read moreamazing! The bartender made them the perfect amount of spicy. It was worth the price because the Bloody Mary had many toppings.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS…read more This dive bar in Lisle is a haven for townies, which is certainly a vibe. Maple Ave Pub is, unsurprisingly, on Maple Ave just west of Route 53 in the western suburbs of Chicago. I'd estimate I've stopped here close to a dozen times, although a handful of those instances I neglected to check-in on Yelp for fear of my wife seeing it ("I thought you were coming straight home from work....") An older woman's been behind the counter seemingly every time, taking drink orders and making small talk. She's friendly--​moreso with the locals than with me--​and I'll occasionally get called 'hun', 'sweetie', etc, which is endearing. I got way better service from the hot tattooed barkeeps at Brauer House in Lombard, however. To be perfectly honest, I've never eaten anything here. The wings look like they might pass muster, though there's a few items that raise an eyebrow (clam chowder at a dive bar? thanks, I'll pass). Possum Pub in Melrose Park had surprisingly good food, and it was a major dive, so perhaps I ought to give the grub here a shot sometime. They have several pool tables, a Big Buck Hunter, Golden Tee, dart board, boxing machine, and pair of pinball machines; as of 6/19/24 they've got a Star Trek premium (Stern, 20​13) and JAWS (Stern, 2024). In the past they had Oktoberfest (American Pinball, ​2018), Fish Tales (Williams, 1992), and a stunning Circus Voltaire (Bally, 1997). Last week, the A/C wasn't working so this place was SWELTERING on one of the hottest days of the year. Normally I stick around for a couple pints and 2-3 games of pinball, but it was so toasty inside (worse than outside) I only played 1 game and skipped the beer completely. There were no fans on, either. * TL;DR * Dive bars are all well and good, but maybe it's time I found a new spot to hit up for a cheap domestic pint. Over the years I've gotten a handful of looks that can be described as quizzical at best, and dirty at worst. I've been ignored by the bartender numerous times--with cash in hand, mind you--while she's chatting away with regulars, as I'm standing there absolutely parched. I want to like Maple Ave Pub, but the feeling doesn't seem mutual. If it weren't for the pinball tables, I probably wouldn't return.

Old school, no frills--yes fun, un-corporate, low key place to hang with a friendly crowd and…read moretender--better than Cheers!. Old school, dark wood, good ole' bar with plenty of ways to entertain you. Decent selection on tap and in bottles as well as cocktails. Good bar food. Reasonable prices! Come as you are, no one cares. Bottom line: Very low key, decent bang for the buck on refreshments and food, low key crowd, lots of stuff to do.

Good place to get beers and some basic food is this bar. It seems like a pretty casual place for…read moreNaperville. Your Neighbors is a long time favorite for locals to hang out and watch games or any sports. A place that looks like it's been here quite awhile. They're cash only. Certainly it's not a classy looking place like so many of these trendy bars around here seem to be. It's located in a pretty unassuming part of a strip mall. The inside is bigger than it looks from outside. Has enough room for big crowds. The bar is in the middle, with more than enough tables. It's about $8 for a basic cocktail. The food isn't anything special. It's about $10 for Pretzel Bites. We couldn't find much else that appealed to us. A lot of the menu is the typical fried crap. There's also wings if wanting greasy and meaty. Has a pretty casual and greasy feeling about it. It's located in Hobson West Plaza. They're cash only because they're avoiding having to pay those credit card fees and whatever.

No updates since COVID, spend a little money for physical upgrades. Bring back Cole slaw with fish…read morefry