An east side gem. Free popcorn, beautiful beer chalices, and a grand piano?! What more can you want! They are also open early, which is great when you need that occasional before noon beer. Cheap drinks, very divey, and the bartenders are always friendly. read more

Y-Not II Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Love the deuce!! Always a fun time. Friendly bartenders and interesting people. Cheap drinks and always love getting the set up. Also have darts, pool, popcorn and slot machines. read more

Y-Not II Tavern - Set up - Dive Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Cool dive bar with a fun drink "set up." I like that they have popcorn, but the machine was empty during my time. I also enjoyed playing darts in the back corner. read more

Y-Not II Tavern - Set Up - Dive Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

one of my favorite bars but one of the bartender is such a dick idk his name but he's so horrible to his customers he makes me feel like an inconvenience for coming here i was here april 30th and he was so rude to me and my friends read more

Espresso martinis were delicious and strong. Atmosphere is definitely more for those in their 20s not 40s & 50s. Jukebox after 2 hours never played my songs as people kept playing ahead of me. Very different! read more

This early morning bar that is the ideal place to wait for your car to be detailed next door at Metro. It's open late too, and reviewing the reviews, the closer you get to closing, the less friendly the bar is. I can't stay up that late so I won't ever experience that. Morning to afternoon the place is populated by neighborhood regulars, and the sun leaks in to reveal the dust. There's a picture of this place next to the "Dive Bar" entry in most dictionaries. I recommend parking between two much nicer cars than yours if you drive, but it's better to bicycle, walk, or take public transportation so you don't have to stop at one drink. However if you're waiting for your car next door at Metro, maybe you can order a Shirly Temple, but I can't guarantee that the bartender will know what you're talking about. read more

Y-Not II Tavern - Need to correct hours on YELP they are open at the butt crack of dawn. - Dive Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We found this place by accident during a bachelorette weekend. A true hole in the wall and very welcoming to our group! They are open super early and then go to the bar next store to keep the party going! read more

Y-Not II Tavern - Bar opens at 6 am - Dive Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I was having a 4 to 5 star evening at this classic Milwaukee dive bar that turned into a 1 star. My husband was ordering drinks on a tab, for himself and friends. I had friends ordering drinks via cash or their own cards. My husband paid for drinks. I paid for drinks. My friends paid for for their drinks. I know I was leaving tips when using cash, and all my friends are decent tippers as almost all of us have worked in service industry at one point in time. By the way, drink prices on a weekend evening were very reasonable. As we were leaving, the bartenders were cleaning up. One said to me, rudley, as we were walking out that my husband did not tip. I found that difficult to believe, but I left the cash that I had and apologized. I approached my husband about it, and he was extremely upset. He had a large bar tab and said he left a decent tip. There was clearly miscommunication between the bartenders, or the bartender was confused about who my husband was, or they were trying to get more money, or they were trying to create drama. Anyway, it was a weird, rude encounter that made myself and the others I was with question the integrity of the employees. Definitely a place for "regulars." Which I do not plan on becoming. :/ read more

Place is ok. Corner tap type. Many regulars here. Reason for the 3 is strictly on ordering drinks where the ice is over the glass even after the pour. Nice job on conserving on the alcohol. But terrible if you want Outsiders to ever come back. read more

Always a good, friendly, neighborhood dive bar. Everything is in mini bottles, and the price is worth everything.

What a hidden gem! Was brought here by a friend and I'm thankful for it. Great service friendly regulars and cheap drinks! One of the last bars that open early for folks that work 3rd shift. Take a chance and stop in, you will have fun read more

There is a two way mirror in the women's bathroom. Be safe ladies.

Fun every time Excellent beer specials Nice n' loud I love this joint, and there's no II ways about it. The neon lighting, the busy central bar, the darts in back, the banquette seating, the kitschy holiday stuff on the walls, the MORE neon lighting...all makes this a fun spot. I still smile to myself thinking about the copious amount of Honey Brown I was handed for three measly dollars on special one night - hoisting the thing practically gave my arm a legitimate workout. The bathrooms are small enough and grody enough that you want to spend as little time in there as possible, but that's easily overlooked. Some bars are refined; this one is just plain excellent for hanging out with friends and getting drunk. Pretty simple, n'est pas? If your night's to-do list includes those two agenda items, put this joint on the itinerary. Extra testimony - after a toxicology report, my friend's surgeon told him his appendix had likely burst around the time we were enjoying drink specials at the Y-Not II...and he didn't even realize it. See? It was THAT much FUN! So give it a shot. Y Not? read more

Y-Not II Tavern - Heavy liftin'. - Dive Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Great place to visit. Friendly staff and patrons. We were served quickly and prices were good.

This was my first time at the YNOT II. I've been to the YNOT III a few times. The bartender was incredibly nice and the owner was really friendly. They had a surprisingly good selection of beer on tap (including Dortmunder Gold) which is surprising since the YNOT II definitely has a dive feel to it. For 4pm on a Friday it was already hopping with regulars and not-so-regulars. People were friendly and willing to chat. The decor is a cultivated dive. The place is actually quite clean and nice, but it's dark and designed to feel like a hole-in-the-wall. There was a Golden Tee game in the corner and plenty of televisions (they were showing Dirty Rotten Scoundrels when we were there). We did learn that the tap lines are cleaned twice a month which is a huge deal if you value the flavor of your beer. The tappers are rotated pretty frequently to capitalize on what's on trend (some classics remain like Peroni, Newcastle, and macros). I'm giving three stars only because the bathrooms are tiny and there wasn't a happy hour deal going. I hope to revisit and upgrade. We had three rounds and our tab was a little over 24$. read more

Fair prices, plenty of seats, relaxed vibe. Love the neon signage. Open from 6am to 2am.

I will be telling every single living person I know not to enter this bar, because they are simply not welcome. I can't think of a more condemning complaint than that willing patrons who go out of their way to spend money at this establishment are all but asked to leave if they're not the 4-5 local townies that creep here every night of the week. My partner and I walked in to have a few beers and watch the UFC fight, which was on every TV. It soon became clear we were the only ones watching the fight, and were sitting quite a distance from everyone else, toward the back. At a crucial point in the match, the bar tender (who was standoffish and unhelpful to that point) went out of his way to change ONLY our TV to the news cycle (truly at the climax of the match). I looked around and every single other TV was still on the fight except for ours. I remind you, we were the only ones in this bar who remotely cared to watch it. I politely walked over to the other side of the room to a TV to finish the fight and the bartender watched me do it - never once offering to change it back. The circumstance was obviously intentional, even if it sounds petty. There were passive aggressive remarks and a VERY unwelcoming attitude from almost everyone inside. My question is: if people aren't welcome inside, why run a business? You all will be the first that I tell - do not go to Y Not II. read more

Plenty busy for a Saturday afternoon with affordable drinks everything that you could expect in a classic dive bar. Low lights makes most everyone beautiful, neon signs, cozy booths, drink specials, low prices big mugs, mmm-salty popcorn, darts, pool table, all kinds of imports and local brews on tap, juke box, fake plants, plenty of modern flat screens. Bartender was very attentive. Too bad, no more live bands in the back. I hope they reconsider having live music as this is a fun place. read more

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Great looking place with good popcorn and good classic beers. A nice dark environment with a classic old street look and design This place is located on a classic neighborhood near downtown and thankfully survives despite gentrification in the area . This bar looks great and is one of the best dive bars I have ever seen read more

Dive-y McDive Pants. Not that other people haven't said it, but I'll say it again. Y-Not II is a diiive. But... there's something insanely charming about this idiosyncratic place. Poodles everywhere. Old neons galore. Fatty Christmas lights. Halloween and Valentine's and Christmas and St. Patrick's day decor hanging for the ceiling... all together, all the time. Torn booths and dirty carpeting, and a strange lounge-y ladies room that's falling apart. But... Free popcorn that's salty and fantastic, as well as cheap booze and friendly folks. What's not to like? I like. read more

My brother and I were welcomed walking in late on a Sat night looking for a place to just have a few. Y-Not II absolutely delivered. Calm dive bar where you can sit back and have a drink. Will return. read more

Whoever the lady is serving the small side of the Y-not bar on van Buren street has the WORST attitude out of anyone I've ever met. I came in with a group of friends early in the morning (mind you it was already very busy inside for this early hour) and she demanded all of our IDs. This is not a problem as we are all in between ages 25-30, but the way she demanded was incredibly disrespectful and she yelled it over all the other guests present and quite literally embarrassed us. She then proceeded to have the most horrible attitude toward all of us when we tried to order a drink, use the bathroom, have conversation with her, etc. she has short hair and she is a witch. I will NEVER come back to this place because of her horrible attitude to customers and I will never advise my friends to go here. There was nothing pleasant about this experience, when we were only there to enjoy the environment and purchase drinks. I wish I could give negative stars to this woman for how horrible her attitude was towards customers. It's clear she has favorites- so watch out if you're not one of them! read more

This place and Monica's on Astor are my two fave dives in Milwaukee. It turns out that they are the same family, so I am not shocked. I have been to Y-Not II a few times now, and the bartender is always fun and friendly, remembers me, and the people around the bar are good folks too. I will continue to to come back whenever I want a post work beer in a chill dive. read more

Service is excellent here and the bathrooms are clean. Lots of space for people to spread out and keep their 6 foot requirement. They have decorations for every holiday throughout the year, so it's always festive! read more

Y-Not II (pronounced why-not two) is an iconic Eastside Milwaukee corner bar. The dim lighting, excessive neon, and bohemian patrons could make it seem like the ambiance is fabricated, kitschy, and too divey to be true. But rest assured -- this is not kitsch. This great bar has not changed in 35 years (with the exception of new booths purchased in 2005). This is a place for bohemians and artsy types from all over the city, the place can get a bit smokey (but all Milwaukee bars are very smokey), the popcorn is always a welcome gamble, and the juke-box is one of the best in Milwaukee. You cannot beat $2 for a goblet of Blatz. If you live in Milwaukee, you already know about the Y-Not. If you are visiting, make sure to make your way down to experience a Milwaukee classic. read more

Y-Not II Tavern - Y-Not II - Dive Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Poodles galore. (you'll see what I mean) Dive bar perfection. Friendly bartenders. I'll be back. read more

Y-Not II Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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3 stars is pretty generous for this bar but I think the atmosphere and beer selection makes up for a lot of what it lacks. For one- the bathroom has no lock and is missing half of the toilet seat. And the seat itself is spring loaded so you have to sit on it to prevent it from shooting back up. The dart board was pretty old and had some wear and tear on it. Other than that everything was at least ok. Beers were good- bartenders were nice and attentive, and I liked the couches and sofa chairs in the front of the bar. It gave it a nice accent to the dingy atmosphere further back. I kind of dig the dinginess but the chairs are a nice touch even if they're a little older and worn down. read more

Bartender was extremely rude to start. Cursed at us multiple times very unprofessional. We won money on the slot machines and they refused to pay us out. Overall I would avoid this place at all costs. read more

So, to the best of my knowledge I came into this bar for my first drink while visiting Milwaukee for the first time. If I recall correctly I had a few drinks while Amanda was tending bar and then Nicki took over from there. Both ladies were super friendly and made me feel right at home. I ran the jukebox for a few hours and everyone was digging the music, and a guy named JD actually bought me a shot because he liked that I picked a Sonic Youth song. I plan to return next year to play a few tunes and have some well poured cocktails. read more

Y-Not II Tavern - Thanks for the shot JD!!! - Dive Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Great prices. Girl bartender was great but the ginger behind the bar came off rude. Looked at us like he wanted to murder us when we asked to close out. Another murder look when we "bothered" him for some change, I don't think you should be at a place where you're "afraid" to ask for service. Ginger didn't talk to our friend group just made a snarking remark after listening to our conversation. Prices,environment, or popcorn don't mean anything when the people behind the bar change the experience for you. read more

Tony is the greatest. Terrific bartenders. Bargain beer prices. What else is there? Oh... right ... Music Great jukebox. read more

Boy, oh boy! I wish I lived a bit closer to this gem of a dive. I've only warmed the worn & torn bar seats a few times. But, I plan to visit more frequently now that the charm shined so brightly on my smiling beardface. In the past, I had only slid in the door late at night with plenty of pops already filling my belly. A recent visit, however, began on sober footing. I looked around the huge space smiling at some of the decorations I remembered. I pointed & marveled at the few hilarious bits that were strangled out of my brain by the bountiful booze that was blissfully imbibed. Now, however, Y-Not II stands-out as a strong & glorious dark tower in my brainscape of Milwaukee. There, it is a windowless tower of Cream City Brick - stained with coal soot - whose black doors open to a staircase that leads only downward, down to a dank dungeon where time dissolves. All holidays are present at once. Bottles of booze flutter into existence at scales Alice would have experienced through the looking glass. Rod Serling warned us of such places. If you choose to step over the edge, embrace each moment cautiously. "You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension...You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance." Let's go to Y-Not II & get weird, you freaks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y read more

I love a good dive bar and this little guy takes the cake! Y-Not II has it all. Cheap liters of beer (thier special runs you about $3.75) and a set-up, which includes two mini bottles, a glass of ice, and a soda/mixer is around $6.00.These are prices that keep me coming back! The atmosphere here is definitively dive. There are old diner booths, a chaise lounge in the corner, and random office chairs all tossed together around a central bar. There are decorations for every holiday perpetually attached to the ceiling. A standard poodle named "Ralph" frequents this place and just celebrated his 14th birthday! There is free pool here (although not on a regulation table!) and free popcorn. How fresh the popcorn is depends on the bartender...and once even had frosted flakes mixed in...certainly a unique take on kettle corn! They also offer darts, golden tee, and pinball as well as a couple of tv's usually tuned into a movie or a sporting event. A jukebox plays in the evening and the selection has not been touched since the early 90's. Now the people that come to Y-Not II are as equally varied and bizarre as the establishment itself. I've seen accountants doing business over a lunch beer, welders and roofers, laundry mat patrons just waiting for the spin cycle to end and an assortment of people just looking for a decently priced beverage. There are young folks, old folks, folky folks, just simply a lot of variety! Get to know your bartender here and you will be infinitely rewarded! Whatever you do though, don't get on their bad side as their are plenty of people who are unwelcome during certain bartender's shifts...That being noted, have fun here and don't take it too seriously! read more

After a long day at work and almost 24 hours without alcohol in my system, some friends and I decided to see what was up at the ol' Y-Not II on a Monday night. I've been to the Y-Not II a couple of times now and I have to say that this little dive bar has some good things going for it. We walked in and found our way to some open seats at the bar where the bartender served us up some nice cold liters of beer. The bartender was friendly and told us about the bottles of mini booze stacked above the bar and how it was their "thing" to serve these little bottles (2 for $5 I think) with a mixer of your choice. I'll definitely be having a few of those the next time I'm there... After we got our beers, we helped ourselves to some free popcorn, watched the locals play cribbage (even the bartender tagged out to play a few games), and just enjoyed the christmas lights, 80's carpet, and the TONS of holiday decor. Basically, this place is exactly what you'd picture a local bar in northern Wisconsin to be. So if that's your thing, you definitely need to check out Y-Not II! read more

Classic MKE dive bar and I say that with all my love. This ain't no hipster or Bright Young Thing bar. This is the bar for tired union organizers, cranky 40+'ers who just want a beer and to be left alone, aging punk rockers, and folks who just want a bar that is just a damn bar. Really, does every bar have to have a theme? No, they do not. And no one does straight out "bar" than the Y Not II. I went here with my hubby the other day. Both of us were tired and just wanted to have a beer and chill out. Really eclectic crowd. Everyone relaxed and laid back. The place is showing its age, but that's just the way I like it! Perfection. read more

My friends and I wandered into the y not ii on saturday afternoon during harley fest. The looks we received from the 4 people at the bar "who are you and what are you doing in my bar?" Just for that we loved the place! Turns out it was the owners/staff sitting at the bar. They commanded us to come back on Thursday and spend our money. We'll be back. read more

The only bad thing I have to say about this place is that it ran out Budweiser when I was there. What a buzzkill. This also gives a hint at what kind of place this is. Friendly barkeeps and patrons (not Patron you tequila loving booze hound) and a great kind of secret dartboard in the back of the bar in what I like to call the Y Not II VIP lounge. Also the jukebox as a variety of music that you can play loud as you spill the pitcher of Budweiser you are drinking out of. read more

Hi my name is Peter. I'm an addict...an addict to dive bars. I have been here only a handful of times to drink and have enjoyed every time here. The staff is friendly and it reminds me of my old drive bar with popcorn, cheap beer, and people just wanting to have a cold one in peace. If you are more into the fancier bars this isn't your place as you will find mismatched seating, torn seating, dirty floors, and other awesome stuff that make a dive bar super awesome. Plus...there is a laundry mat next door so you can do your laundry while you drink. Stop on by on a nice hot day after walking home from Jazz in the Park and you will love the atmosphere. read more

So I caught myself walking from Metro Market to Brady Street with a group of friends on Saturday when we walked past the Y-Not II. Since it was a gorgeous day out and we were passing this bar that always fascinated us, we decided to pop in for a drink... because... why not?! (Sorry, I couldn't resist). We walked into the bar through the main door Lyon Street (the one with the carnival lights spelling its name) and were shocked by how many people were just hanging out, having beers and playing bar dice. After everybody's heads turned to look at me and my crew when we walked in, we grabbed some seats up at the bar. Everybody was still puzzled why we were there... I guess my plaid shorts and boat shoes are a little confusing for some. I didn't let this initial awkwardness phase me though, we stayed true to our objective... cold refreshment. Not really knowing what the selection was like, and not wanting to raise any more eyebrows, we opted to order some Miller Lites. I expected to get a bottle or maybe even a plastic cup of beer... no no no.... they came in glass goblets/chalices!!!! How fun is that!? As we were finishing our beers, my eyes started wandering around the bar. I was enthusiastic that Schlitz signs covered the walls... I may have to come back to grab one. However, my scoping out the joint led to some of the other bar patrons to question me. We soon found out that most of them were bartenders who were just hanging out at the Y-Not II on their day off... this really was THEIR bar!!! After a little smooth talking about my enthusiasm for the place, I think we ultimately gained acceptance. There were a few hurdles however... one of the bartenders thought that she recognized me as one of the guys she had to kick out a few weeks back (hopefully that is not the case ;)) but I assured her that I was not... that was all it really took. She took to me so much that she actually let me play with her adorable puppy that was sitting on one of the bar stools! I wanted to take him home with me... too bad my apartment doesn't allow dogs. Our conversation ended with two of the bartenders/patrons inviting us back to the Y-Not II next Thursday when they are working... but they were quick to remind us of our need to bring some cash! So brutally honest, so real, so fun... I love it! While I'm going to be out of town this next Thursday, I can guarantee that I will be back at some point in the future. Lastly, no review of the Y-Not II would be complete without at least some discussion about the interior decorations. There are two areas that really need to be addressed in this area: 1. The bar - This bar is straight out of a 1980s bowling alley... and it just fits so well. The sides are CARPETED with a lovely design of black background with neon instruments and decoration. This motif would fit perfectly at an Atlantic City casino... it's no wonder it found its home at the Y-Not II. 2. The ceiling - Holy Holidays! I know that I'm a little ADD, but this is amazing! Holiday decorations are hanging all over the bar... not just seasonally appropriate decorations... decorations for ALL holidays! Trying to remember back... there were snowflakes, pumpkins, turkeys, Santas, Easter eggs... they had all of their bases covered year round. My recommendation: Go visit the Y-Not II! Leave your reservations at home, put your drinking shoes on and go have one hell of a good time! read more

Two words: Free popcorn. Two more words: Cheap beer. Really, what else could one ask from a dive bar? read more