As someone who's been to Poland and is 100% Polish, this bar literally reminds me of an old school pub in a small town in Poland. My friends and I walked past this bar on a busy Saturday night and noticed that not 1 person was in this bar. We went in and asked if they were open and the bartender said yes; we definitely loved that we had the whole place to ourselves! This bar is super old-timey, pretty run down, and makes you feel like you're in Shameless (the tv show). The juke box only played one song, they're cash only, they only really have standard drinks (they do not have green tea shots which I feel are very popular now), there was no music playing, and the space is 2 pool tables, the actual bar, and a very tiny bathroom in the back. The bartender was nice but it made it easier that some of my friends and I knew Polish, so we were able to speak with her. I think this bar is definitely one that stands out in its area due to its super old school-ness; it's the exact opposite of modern and new age. I think it should definitely keep its old timey feel but maybe get up to speed about certain things so they can get more customers! Like maybe fixing the jukebox (or playing music), or accepting credit/debit cards. I'd come again for a few rounds of pool and drinks! read more

See all

After a dinner, my girlfriend and I went for a drink or two. Absolutely gem of a bar in Chicago. Cash only, quiet and an amazing place to talk. Great service and the bar allows you to catch up with friends in a peaceful environment. No BS from the bartenders and it was a 10/10 experience. Will be back. read more

I love that this place is a survivor. It's a holdout - go to - cheap af short pour with an even shorter pool table surrounded by Naugahyde benches. It's only charm is it's lack of charm. I'm pretty sure all the words I spoke to the barkeep just now were wasted breath as I complemented the place for the aforementioned tenacity among the Targets and Foxtrots. Her reply was "seven dollars please." It seems she has found the one job in Chi where the only English she needs to know is the difference between Sobieski and Tito's as she moves back to the other end of the bar and surfs the tv for meaning awash a song known only to the Eurovision fan base. It's kind of awful and beautiful at once. I give this place 5 on the strength of it somehow being what might be described as the genuine article in the middle of what we old school neighbors call New Naperville. At least on Saturdays anyway. read more

An old -school cool Polish bar. Sit down, have a beer or two with Chester and gain an appreciation for how great this country is. read more

Zakopane - Polish party! - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

With the constantly morphing Wicker Park, or Chicago for that matter, this place is still holding on strong! This is an old school, straight up Polish bar that has been in the neighborhood before any hipster or suburban transplant ever heard of PBR, skinny jeans, or veganaise. The whole place is pretty much dive bar heaven, Christmas lights hung year round, beer posters from yesteryear, canned beers available, and old regulars that know everything about each other. They have spiritus, Polish grain alcohol, and you mix it with fruit syrup and shoot it down. I suggest a chaser, it burns! Expect the usual Polish and European beers and cheap domestics here and folks singing to the jukebox as the night goes on. They have live music on some nights and there are always fun characters in the midst, so enjoy a fun night and something totally different then what this neighborhood now has to offer. read more

See all

You want to visit a Chicago dive bar? This is a Chicago dive bar. 5 stars for achieving that inimitable distinction. The bar is situated right at the entrance, so as you walk in you can squeeze past a narrow gauntlet of patrons on bar stools and coats hanging on the wall. Once past this, the bar opens into a larger, wood-paneled area flanked by benches built into the wall. I'm certain that this design is a tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright's compression and release technique, an iconic aesthetic in the history of Chicagoland architecture. The bar has a pool table, so have your stack of quarters ready to hold your place in the line. The ladies' bathroom is hidden in the back, around a tiny corner, so you can feel like you are entering a magical portal. Instead, it is just a tiny space with a toilet, sink, and mirror. There won't always be soap, but you didn't come here for bells and whistles. The bar does have a few pre-pacakaged snacks, but like most Chicago bars, it's BYOfood. If you're lucky, the tamale guy will pass through the bar at the same time you get hungry. The odds of this happening are better than you'd expect. Otherwise, Pizza Metro across the street is a good option. Parking out front always seems to be available, which is a plus if you drive in Chicago. The bar closes after someone hovering around 30 stops keeping track of the time, which I believe is about 2am. Cash only. read more

I've been a regular at the Big Z for 11 years and I have to say, it sure has changed. Back in the old days it was me, Tommy and Mikey in a race to see who could drink themselves to death first. Tommy would say stuff like, "Cigarettes and booze are like dirt, and dirt ain't bad for ya!" Yeah, but you're not s'posed to drink and smoke dirt, Tommy! C'mon be smart! Miss ya, bud. Anyway, it used to be a place where an ex-major leaguer and an old Polish guy could get a beer and not have to listen to the wife and kids, even if they're dead...I walked in there Friday night and didn't get the memo that it was Cockblock a Former Gold Glover You Yuppie Fuck Night. It was bad enough when the skinny fuck hipsters who escaped from the Strokes stunk up the place. Well, I took a lady friend there and I'm not sure she liked it too much. Mikey is normally a quiet guy but when we came in he was yelling about his Polish-Italian sausage and inviting someone to bend over and hold their ankles so he could... read more

We never got in! We were there a bit early and someone came out and told us they weren't open yet. Ummmm to impress people the answer should have been we aren't open but I'll let you in. Won't return read more

Chester is a really good guy, and this bar is great for drinking day or night. Support polish businesses!

Oh sweet sweet Zubrowka. How you burn like only an 80-proof Polish-Belarusian vodka can. This place has it all: - old white ethnic men who give you sultry looks - hot eastern european bartendress (complete with mini skirt and barely-there boob shirt) - pool table that brews arguments and evil looks. fun! - dimly lit seating area in the back perfect for people watching - absent of L.P. homesteaders looking to slum it for a night Amen! read more

I went to a Yelp event here. I had no excuses not to go since this place is not far for me. I was last here about two years ago on a Saturday night and it was just me and my buddy. My, my how times have changed - I guess this is a hip place now. The scene is typical for the neighborhood bars in the area. Early on you have some of the salt of the earth old timers. Then you see some of the newer arrivals to the neighborhood aggregate. The crowd peaks at about 11:00 with more of a younger crowd. Then it starts to thin out until closing time with occasional gaggles of people coming and going until closing time. Then its time for people to go back to the places they will be from. The alcohol put me in a sociable mode. The people I talked to all seemed pleasant and down to earth. It was interesting hearing what brought them to this particular bar on a Saturday night. I'm sure the ghost of Lil Wally the Polka king haunts this place. read more

Yeah OK - if it weren't for Maya's missing toof and Adrian's Autechre fetish, I would have never discovered Zakopane (does Poland have the best sounding city names or what?). To be brutally honest, I would have never set foot in here on my own. For starts, it's just not my "scene". I don't really hang out at bars and I don't really hang out in this part of town so there were a few things working against this place. But man, when I sat down and Adrian passed me his beer to taste, I knew I was in the right place. I'm not a big beer drinker but DAYAM - Zyweic with syrup is the way to go! +1 for the busty bartender. Yes. --- I owe Dan E. a shot. I'm keeping this note here so I don't forget where I owe him from. read more

I'm about to do something that I'd normally consider a no-no on yelp- I'm giving a few bars the same review. Friday night began innocently with drinks at a local neighborhood bar. Around 11pm our waitress told us that our table was to be turned over to the DJ and that we could move to another table or pay our tab. We chose to go across the street to Phyllis' Musical Inn and check out some of the "hole in the wall" bars in my neighborhood. I've walked and driven by these establishments a lot but haven't been in all of them. And let me tell you- I was missing out. Now I have been to Phyllis' Musical Inn and Gold Star in the past, but the other stops of the night were new to me. And YES, I'll return to them all. In fact, a spring time 'hole-in-the-wall' pub crawl is already in the planning phases. Phyllis' Musical Inn: As I said I'd been here before. When my friend and I arrived Friday night it was a full house. But we still managed to get two seats at the bar. I LOVE that they had a live blues band playing. I loved even MORE that while we sat there they pumped out 'Sweet Home Chicago.' Not going to lie, it really made me smile from ear to ear. This was the sort of bar the Blues Brothers would love! We each had a (cheap!) PBR. A kindly patron bought me a shot, the bartender was awesome- explained that many in the crowd had just come from the wake of a young man that had been a regular at Phyllis'. The place may be a bit of a hole-in-the-wall but it also has a welcoming atmosphere. I like this place lots and shall be back- especially if the live band returns! Gold Star Bar: This is another one I'd been to once before. Last time I was here it was the middle of the day in the summer and it was empty except for the bartender and a random man at the bar having a cold one. It was a bit boring on my first visit. This time however the place was packed. We lucked out (again!) and found two seats at the bar. One of the bartenders was hot which helped. We enjoyed some more cheap beer... then things started to get fuzzy. I just remember smiling a lot... I will absolutely return. It's a GREAT Friday night crowd- totally different experience from my previous visit. Zakopane: Being a nice Polish gal, I had to try this bar. I loved it. Immediately people in here recognized my face as being that of a nice Polish girl. Immediately people were buying this nice Polish gal shots. And I found a $5 bill on the floor- and $5 bills are my favorite bills, so that was a happy moment! The bartenders were two awesome gals as well. There was nothing about this bar not to love. CAN'T RECALL THE NAME OF THE 4TH BAR: Cheapest beers of the NIGHT!!! Unreal how cheap the beer was! I think it was $1.50 each! AWESOME! I feel so bad that I can't remember the name. Again, things were fuzzy- plus it was late! Rite Liquors: The evening ended here- when they turned the lights on and ushered everyone the heck out. We had a blast here! This was my first slashie ever. Yes- it's a liquor store- situated inside a bar. I've never seen a bar with more bottles in my life. The wall of bottles of booze was endless. But it was also a liquor store. We loved it. Who even knew these establishments existed? I plan to return. It was so much fun! It was the most diverse crowd of the night which added to the experience! Some people had all their teeth, some people had no teeth. Some people were young business professionals such as myself, some people haven't had a job in two decades. It was fabulous! I MUST return! Friends- keep your eyes peeled for a 'hole-in-the-wall' pub crawl invite once the weather warms up. And in the meantime, you'll likely find me frequenting my new favorite watering holes. God I love my neighborhood! read more

Another bar I was cajoled into going to by a friend. This particular friend likes dives -- the seedier the better...he's a connoiseur, in fact. One of the few bars in the Division/Wicker Park road to hell that still maintains its old - read: non-hipster - crowd. There's not much to say about this place...except that if you are lucky, you'll sit next to one of the old men who will talk dirty to you, and when the bar mistress has her back to the bar, he'll talk about bending her over a table and taking her from behind. At least that's what he said when I was there. read more

FUCK THIS PLACE! A year or two ago, a bunch of friends rented out the back of this place for a birthday party and packed this place full of people. The bitches that run it, instead of being grateful for the business their shitty little dive bar was getting, decided instead to shit on all of the guests. They overcharged people for beers--completely dismissing the millions of signs toting the "drink specials" which were plastered on every surface, refused to wait on people--instead tending soley to their "regular" customers, and at one point throughout the evening LOCKED the front door and refused people re-entry, completely disregarding the fact that many of us had coats/bags/people inside. I will never go back to this place EVER again. I hope that this place burns down the most. read more

If you come here expecting a typical Division Street bar, you're in the wrong place. If you come here expecting crazy and unpredictable Polack antics, you're definitely in the right place. First off, everything is cheap as hell here. Don't try to order anything fancier than a simple mixed drink or a Bud. You'll get funny looks from the beautiful buxom blonde bartender who doesn't speak too much English. (You know, the one busting out of her shirt.) What you should do is sit down with your group and don't talk to any of the regulars. They don't tend to like people that aren't cleavage-baring and speaking the mother tongue. The Polacks still left over from the "Polish Broadway" days don't take too kindly to the new transplants to the hood so try not to piss them off. If you can manage to steer clear of that Eurotrash anger, you'll be left alone to get wasted listening to crazy Polish music, Ace of Base, Elvis, and other weird shit. (I'm not being derogatory here, this place is pretty trashy.) I've seen some crazy stuff here, including a black skinhead get called the n-word multiple times by a crazy fat drunk patron. YOU MUST ORDER AT LEAST ONE SHOT OF JABRUFKA. Jabrufka is bison-grass filtered vodka. It's greenish and tastes like cinnamon! A few of these and you won't be able to find the door with all the wood-wall paneling. read more

Per Justin V.: 'If you are not Polish and a woman, you will be sexually harrassed by an old man or six.' In that case, I'm seriously lucky that I was the only person in here (save the bartender)! She said the lack of a crowd was because it was Good Friday (really? Are people THAT religious?!), but who knows..... Kim K. was certainly right on target: 'Was served drinks containing an approximate ratio of 99:1 vodka to soda water by the blond mini skirt clad uber Polish bartender.' Those are some incredibly potent cocktails! read more

I went to a birthday celebration this past Saturday at Zakopane around 11 PM at night. Not too many people other than the ones in our birthday party, it felt crowded though because of the poor choice on where they keep the bar's pool table. The moment you enter the more open space past the jukebox you've got to avoid pool sticks to the head and ass. Speaking of the jukebox, the birthday boy was happy to find ABBA and Madonna available; and yes, he's gay, smarty pants. I was annoyed that almost everyone's review instructed to order "Zyweic with syrup" and when I did so, I got my Zyweic but when I asked for the syrup, busty bartender looked at me like a mannequin at a job interview. Too bad "drunk" is not really a universal language. Cheap drinks: that's about all you can look forward to here. read more

$5 cover to hang out in a tacky, dilapidated, dark and dank place, complete with actual holes in the walls and 1970's style faux wood paneling. Cheesy reggae. Casy only. Weak drinks. The bartenders dress like prostitutes...I don't say this to be disrespectful, and yes I know they are Polish...but seriously: late 80's-early 90's spandex mini skirts, 'thigh highs', knee high boots, and low cut wife-beaters? Seriously? (For an example of what I am describing, watch the music video for "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer). All in all, this place is a dump. (And I say this as someone who loves dive bars). read more

Exemplary dive bar. Decor hasn't been updated in a few decades, bartender is more interested in foreign film on tv than me, and smokes for sale on the bar (even though I don't smoke). Pool table, bad jukebox, Christmas lights, and more just put the finishing touches on this place. Bring cash, leave pretentiousness. read more

This is any Polish person's basement, with a tweek here or there. Find a person, any person, who is speaking some form of Polish and ask to drink in their basement. Chances are, that basement will be better stocked and better served than this place. Spirytus? Nope. If it weren't for other people that would trickle in, I would have left. This fine spirit may have been there considering the busty barkeep's reaction to my request (No....too young, what else?), so if you tickle her fancy, maybe? The decor, well, it leaves more to the imagination. The fake wood, the pool table and the neon lights- all staples for any Polish bar. The two inches I had in the bathroom was even better. The bump in stars was because of Polish dance numbers, seeing the lone regular, having sok for Zyweic (ask for a Zyweic with syrup...hell, even if you want something better, ask for the syrup to be heated up) and having a footstand at the bar gives the extra love, though not many stars. Only Bud Light on tap. More people trickle in around 11ish, or so I remember. Always a nice place to work on your Polish and listen to other Poles. Seriously, Polish Constitution Day visit with no Spirytus? read more

Oh sweet, Zakopane! I was so excited to see a place named after a town in Poland. This place definitely has character, and I love it. All the wood carvings and bright string lights all bring to mind bars in polish homes. (and I'm not kidding) The polish bartender is all business. I don't think I've ever seen her crack a smile. However, if you ask for a kamikaze, you get a funny look from her (as seen when I witnessed a naive patron approach the bar). I should mention that this is a dive bar, so it's a no frills place with no specialty drinks. The Zubrowka is a must. If you've had this polish liquor, you know what I mean. It's strong and goes down smoothly. I recommend it if you ever check this bar out. Na Zdrowie! read more

Quite the hidden gem. My friend introduced me to this place quite some time ago. You never know what you're going to get walking in here. This is the dive bar of dive bars. You will find Old Style and Amber Bock on tap. They have a pool table and a large seating area, though not many tables. It's strange (or maybe not) how many old men you'll find lurking in here. I even saw two old timers about to go at it, swearing and carrying on. It was more funny and sad than intimidating. Ladies, if you're looking for some sleazy attention from fellow patrons, this is THE place for you. I agree with Jess, this place is a must for people watching. This place is a must for fellow dive bar lovers. read more

Truly a hole in the wall! This place is almost dead every single time I go there. It does have a back area with seating and a pool table, but it's always empty and almost no lights on. It is a Polish bar for sure, and I have actually been corrected by the bartenders on how to pronounce the names of the Polish beers before being allowed to order. Did I mention that the pool table doesn't really work? Well it doesn't, at least the times I've been there. The owner had to come out with a screwdriver and fix it somehow. So what could possibly make this bar worth going to? It opens between 6 and 7 AM on most days to let late night workers in. That's really all there is to it. And I must say, I tried that on a Sunday morning once and the owner turned my friends and I away saying it wasn't until noon. We got dicked. read more

Polish beers + Horrible jukebox + Scantily dressed bartenders= great dive bar

A friend wrote a book about Chicago and every time he drives down Division, he calls it "Polish Main Street" which it was alongside Milwaukee Ave. This bar dates back to this period and is one of the few (Czar Bar is now gone) places that was here when the place had ethnic character. People call this area Ukranian Village now, but most of the area between Division and Milwaukee was actually Polish and places like Zakopane are original. These are the bars where people actually drank PBR and Schlitz without giving a damn about shopping at Urban Outfitters. Back in the day they hosted concerts in the back- the velvet curtain is still there! There is a cute 30-40 something Polish woman bartender here who is a riot, and yes there are 2-3 old Polish regulars who sit at the end and...oh my gosh, they actually speak Polish! On a Saturday night when the other bars are full of frat boys and annoying girls in riding boots you can actually get a beer here, and take a wild gamble on some Polka on the Jukebox. Drink cheap beer or Polish beer and don't bring your annoying suburban-bred friends. Do the suburban-to-city kids have to run every business out of business? I hope not. Fun fact for ya: The Zakopane mountain region in Poland is "the winter capital of Poland" and the center of "Highlander" culture in Poland. Most of the Poles in what used to be called "West Town" were highlanders. Note the mountains on the sign. read more

Grab yer beer and sit ya ass down! Thats pretty much it. Depending on what you look like you may get a old man flirting w/ you, or a old man giving you a stare because your not a reg.....whatever happens, its pretty basic and a great place for that. One of the few places in the area that isnt jam packed. I would honeslty take a date here because you can actually hold a converstation w/o feeling cramped read more

Remember to bring cash as it is a cash only bar. There is an ATM in the bar but I wouldn't recommend using it as it withdrew from my checking account without actually dispensing the money. I got some weird error so I assumed that the charge didn't go through and tried again. It worked the second time. But lo and behold I have 2 ATM withdrawals on my statement. read more

Oh sweet sweet Zubrowka, is right Jess and Tim! This place does have it all, and more. Cheap Old Style on tap. Zubrowka-o-plenty, unless you and your buddies drink the bar out of it (which we have done on several occasions). Wood paneling. Polish bartendresses. A grizzly old proprietor named Chester who has 10 jobs and sleeps 2 hours a night. A guy that lives upstairs named Cigar who may not actually live upstairs anymore, but I have seen him yelling at passers-by at Division and Damen with no shirt on. Ace of Base's opus "The Sign," Sabbath, Elvis, "Appetite for Destruction," Tom Jones and Polish rock in the juke box. Bathrooms that smell like someone took a dump in a pile of throw-up. It is like heaven, if heaven was a dive bar on Division. The crowd varies. It may be 20 hipsters on a Sat or you, a passed out smelly Eastern European at the bar and your beer. Either way, I have been going there for 7 or so years and I can't stay away... read more

Zakopane - Dive Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you're looking for a) that Polish Chicago experience and b) a dive bar with drinks for a great price, this is your place! Pick some Disco Polo hits to play from the jukebox and dance away. read more

this is my jam. local jam. since i move a wee bit farther away from the chipp inn (see my first EVA yelp review). it's great. cheap prices really REALLY interesting crowd. but if you don't like lecherous old polish men leering at you, you MIGHT want to opt out. doug s. (who i ran into there one night) tim m. and jess s. are right. it's a great piece of chicago. but if you want english spoken and dance tunes and a "scene?" don't bother coming. you'd just ruin the aesthetic. oh, unless you count a polish cover of "are you lonesome tonight" by elvis a dance tune. read more

Pool table across the street at Gold Star is free, this one is a dollar a game and covered with more stains than a blanket on a frat house couch. But the bartender hates you. But this is a quiet place to come and drink cold Budweisers. And watch the ESPY's. Chill neighborhood vibe. But since the pool table charges and it slopes downward, I knock off a star. read more

This place smells like a dead grandma's basement. But you can bring in your own food (pizza from Pizza Rustica down the street is highly recommended!) and drinks are super cheap. Cash only and the waitress was really friendly and quick with the service. That smell though. I just can't go back. read more

If you are going to complain about the environment on here then it's your fault you walked in in the first place. This is a cash only dive where what you see is what you get, but it can lead to some very fun times!!!! Also a recommendation for the gentlemen here: The Juke box has a lot of great music (Clapton, Stones, Johnny Cash, Beatles etc....) and a lot of shit (90s pop etc...). Take a girl there that you think may have some potential give her 5 dollars to put in the juke box and tell her to pick all the songs! Depending on her choices you will know if you want to take things any further! read more

Went here on a Saturday night with a friend for drinks. And it was disappointing. Funky odor and watered down drinks. The service was okay, not friendly. The employees looked bored, not having a good time, and it showed. We left quickly and went somewhere else. read more

I like dive bars and I remember Zakopane fondly. The polish gal behind the bar wore cloths that verged on stripper and I always had fun.

Cheap beer, horribly bad jukebox that it's funny good (disco polo), and pretty foreign bartender(s). Win win win. Mostly dead empty when I walk in there. Cash only. No nonsense place for people that just want to drink and have something pretty to look at. read more

i'm sorry for reviewing a place i've never had a drink at, but i just realized that i have an internal standard that automatically qualifies for five stars: - opens before 7am, if it ever closes. - busy at 7am. - drunk guys outside every afternoon in tank tops mouthing off about their weiners or singing polish war songs. read more

Well, its one of the last dive bars that are left in Wicker Park. I was always wondering why is this place always empty - it has the best location any bar owner could wish for. Well, last night I found out why - they dont give a shit about you unless you are Polish, the bartender (female) behind the bar really made sure that we don't have more than 1 beer there and was as rude as possible- we were the only customers there until one old Polish guy walked in and she became a glowing politeness to him. So my advice - unless you are Polish (not some Polish roots, no, actual Polish person that use to live in Poland) don't go there - their cheap beer really not worth it. read more

This is the coldest meanest bartender I have ever seen. This is a small bar with Polish flags and I assume maybe they are bitter it is no longer a Polish bar or something. The service was colder than the bad beed on tap and bottles were highly over priced. The seats are so old and ruionous from the thirties maybe. One bad pool table too close to the bar even though they have plenty of space. This is just a bad bar that trieds to be bad on purpose. read more