Montrose Saloon

Montrose Saloon is the perfect chill spot for a laid-back night out. The selection of local craft brews is awesome, and they always have something new to try on tap. I went last Friday, had a couple of pints (spent about $20), and caught some live music, which was a great vibe. The bartenders are super friendly, and the crowd is always relaxed—no pretension, just good times. Plus, the place has that cozy neighborhood bar feel, which I love. If you're into craft beers and live tunes, Montrose Saloon should definitely be on your radar.

This is a really fun music venue on Montrose (hence the name) typically 4 bands almost every night, One 50 minute set after another. A great way to hear emerging and under the radar local music. There is a large, seasonal beer garden as well.

Great local dive. Enjoy the live bands but I don't get the "jazz happy hour". There's no specials and it's way way too loud to hold a conversation... which I though was the point of a "happy hour".

A little small on the inside but a very nice atmosphere. The service was very good considering crowded the bar was. We saw a live band on Friday night and they were excellent. Lots of beers and a good variety of cocktails and prices were in line with the area.

Door guy is loaded with arctic circle grade gear under a heat lamp and freaks out when people get too close to his table because it "ruins his flow." Employee needs to get a life and management needs to figure out how tickets work. Operations better off at an elementary school bake sale.

Great venue to see bands. Small but very cool atmosphere. great outside garden area. The band "The awfully Good" were unique and awesome!

I’ve been here a few times to see a local band - I wouldn’t otherwise have ever known about this place or come in. While it’s a nice atmosphere and the music always sounds good, the last two visits have been pretty disappointing due to rude staff members and a lack of adherence to the music schedule/amount of music promised. The band I went to see was advertised to play from 10p-12p and at 11:30pm one of the bartenders cut them off by aggressively motioning his hand across his neck at them from behind the bar. Their mics were then subsequently cut off as well. I also know that when the band questioned the guy about it they were met with a less than polite/professional response. I would have kept buying drinks if the music kept playing, but I closed my tab out instead. My interactions buying drinks with 2 of the 3 bartenders working were unpleasant as well. I’m not sure what the deal was or why everyone working there was in such a foul mood, but I won’t be returning as a result. Everyone in that bar was there to see a band- this place is not in a location that gets foot traffic. Why push people out like this when they are seemingly the majority of your business? Shameful.

We were the oldest people in the place. We were just looking for a random Place we’d never been to spend one of our last nights in Chicago. We were FLOORED by the musicians! Just go!

Great place for music and drinks! Has a really good beer garden as well. Highly recommended

The place is a decent music venue. If you decide to go and watch a band, DO NOT stand next to the old player piano that other people set drinks on. Otherwise, a blond lady with glasses will make you feel like garbage. After asking why she was mad at me, she said she wasn't talking to me, even though there was nobody else in the vicinity. I gave her the opportunity to apologize, but alas, she didn't think it was important, so she gets a two star review. The music and sound quality in the place are good. My suggestion, if you don't want people to set drinks on the piano that you placed inside your bar as decoration, put a sign on it that says "No Drinks!" And learn hospitality.

Decent enough bar with a large outdoor area. We were there for some friends going away shindig. Drinks are reasonable price and the staff was very nice. Proof of vaccination is required to enter the bar, which I have no problem with, but their website should be updated to let folks know. The only reason we knew was because the folks throwing the party stated that in the invite. Place was clean and the bartender was nice. They do have live entertainment as well. Nice enough place but can't say it is one I would go out of my way to visit. There was not much in the way of items I would order to drink. There was nothing sparkling on the menu, which left still wine and I don't drink that as much. That said, this is probably a great bar for folks that drink beer or like their cocktails large and low cost. They let you order out for food, so that would be nice in the outdoor area. Even better if I can bring in my own bubbles :-)

Any bar, that has the unmitigated audacity; AND the talent, to pull off a Mark Sandman/Morphine tribute with multiple local bands; AND have it actually work?! beautifully...is...well...just that...beautiful. "You speak my language!"

What am I doing in a Saloon on a Monday night? I got invited by the bassist of the Dan Hollohan band and who am I to say no? Why five stars? Well the bassist is my friend damnit and this place has the cajones to call itself a Saloon in Chicago. True to its name we're listening to country tonight, they sound pretty good too. You can order anything you want as long as it's alcoholic, especially micro brews. Monday night has 2 advantages 1. Easy parking 2. You can still find seats coming in late. What more can you ask for?

**LOCAL ARTISTS BEWARE**. This slimy bar may not pay you for your work!! My friends' band was one of four bands playing one weekend. Living in the city, I had never heard of Montrose Saloon, so I was excited to maybe find a cool bar to support! I showed up right before my friends' band was meant to start, but was turned away by a staff member at the door ("bouncer"). The "bouncer" said they could not sell any more tickets because they were "at capacity" and suggested I "try back in an hour" (exactly when my friends' band would be DONE playing). Meanwhile, from the sidewalk, you could see 4-6 tables in their garden completely empty and a handful of people scatter about - TONS of space. My friends (who showed up to the venue at the beginning of the night) said it was not even CLOSE to packed inside (and it hadn't been all night). Trying to help, one of those friends asked around to the staff inside about letting more people in and most staff shrugged it off (or repeated the same script) but one person told her the bouncer could let people in if/when people left. Meanwhile, I saw at least a dozen people leave and still the "bouncer" said he "couldn't sell more tickets until the people inside told him he could." At least 6 people besides me were also turned away over the span of 25 minutes. One of them was even told by a staff member they couldn't sell more tickets because they had "a deal with the band". Once another staff member came to relieve the "bouncer", I was FINALLY allowed to pay $15 to come in. Seeing the inside of the bar for myself, I *also* felt like there was plenty of capacity; the bartenders were NOT swamped, the audio guy was able to freely walk around checking sound levels... totally open! The band after my friends had a similar crowd. After the show, we told the band members what happened and they were concerned because the deal they made with the bar was that they'd get paid a portion of the ticket sales if they got at least 25 people to show up for them. Sure enough, the bar didn't pay the band... citing a total ticket sale number that was not even close to the correct amount of people that we know showed up for them (not to mention the other people that were turned away). So they lied about the bands ticket sales and claimed the bar was "at capacity" when it clearly wasn't. Either this is gross negligence/incompetence on the bar/owner (not giving your staff the ability to radio each other or even, oh I dunno, use their CELL PHONES to communicate with each other), or this bar is MALICIOUSLY trying to take advantage of local artists by inviting them play then fixing the system so they have an excuse NOT to pay them. Looking into it more, this bar has a recent history of slimy business practice in not paying their artists...These musicians are not some 15-year-olds who just started playing together a month ago.. these are people whose LIVELIHOOD is performing live music. I'm warning everybody we know in the local music scene to NOT play this bar.

We ended up here at the suggestion of someone we met at Fuller's down the street. Our mission had been to find some live music after a Cubs game and Fuller's dropped the ball on that one. Thankfully, we ended up here. They check so many boxes here. Old Chicago bar feel, great atmosphere and music to die for. Just top notch all the way around. The beer garden was fantastic. The drink selections were on point as well as great bartenders who made us all feel like we had been coming there for years. The only drawback was not having food. We did see that others had pizzas brought in which is pretty cool. Will most certainly be heading back to this hidden gem.

Good drinks, local bar, love that they have fund raising for the puppies! Come support local businesses

I was going to Twisted Hippo brewery and noticed this quaint little bar just across the street. I had some time to kill so I popped in. It's got a nice cozy vibe inside. Cool decor with several vintage pieces all over the bar. They have a pretty decent craft beer selection. They also had live music playing since it was a Friday night, though based on signs it seems they have live music quite a bit, which is cool for sure, only thing is if there is, there might not be any seats available since there isn't a ton of space inside. However once it's warm out again they have a big back patio so that will definitely open up more space. Bartenders were all nice. Parking is pretty easy in the area, or it's a few blocks walk from the Francisco brown line stop. Would definitely be open to coming back.

Front door guy was a huge asshole. He was offended that I didn't know there was a show that night. "How did you not know we had a show today? we have shows every day" he said. He is the young white guy with the mustache. Bartenders here don't know how to make cocktails, which is fine, but don't advertise cocktails on the menu if you can't make them properly. Ambiance/outdoor seating area was nice.

Live music, cold beer, friendly people, with an owner who is committed to maintaining the balance of all three. Great place to visit.

been here BC ( before covid) and was fun. Live band outside during DC (i think you will get this.) well I hope) Great outdoor area. and staff!

So far so good! when I wandered into this place for the first time during Craft Beer Week with my passport I was greeted by Steve the bartender. Since it was early n sunny outside this dark wooed bar was empty when I arrived. Slowly it filled up and Steve filled me in on the deal with this place. I really don't want to say too too much about the patio. You'll know why when you see it yourself. Just go. Bring a beer snack of your own since they have no pretzels or bar snacks that looked appealing. Hot cheetoes meh.

Montrose Saloon is an excellent place for friends gathering and musical nights. would love to come again. old school style. a gem in chicagoland.

Due to Covid-19, I don't get out much, BUT I still want to give my review of the Montrose Saloon. Some of my favorite life memories have happened here because of the live music, bar staff, and customers. I love everything about this place, especially its vintage look. Thanks to their physical-distancing rules, I will make it a point to venture out to one of my favorite places in the Midwest. As soon as I can find my photos and videos of the myriad concerts that I have seen, I will share them. I have a few "homes away from home" and the Montrose Saloon is one of them.

Came out with a couple friends to check out a band that was playing here. The weather was going to stop us. It's a sleepy little bar in the best way. A little bit of a dive vibe, but with secrets you'll want to check out. They've got a stage up front. Some tables along the wall and then a long bar. There are two pinball machines in the back, as well as two jukeboxes (one for sure has free play). How cool is that! Not just one jukebox, but two...with real records in them. They also have TouchTunes. The group we came to see was Diana & the Dishes. It was fun. They are a great group and fun to listen to, super awesome people. Came down and talked to people between breaks.They played a originals and some covers. The bartender was nice, though he didn't know who was on the stage. It's a small menu, but they've got whiskey options, which was pretty cool. They've got a decent selection of cider as well. TLDR: great bar to come chill in, in the area. Quieter, but nice if you're just looking to chill and for some decently priced drinks.

Is't possible? Have I yet to write a review here for this bedrock establishment? Well that shall change herein. I've been here a few times, and ok, perhaps sometimes the sound might be a bit forward, but without exception, there have been amazing bands in the lineup. It definitely has a genuine quality to the decor. What does that mean, you ask? I am not sure. What I do know, is that the crowd here is sweet. I mean, I haven't met all of them, but they seem really chill and there's a nice age range. Bands I've seen here, have largely been seriously good. Occasionally there's maybe a friend of a friend warming up for the main band, but don't be deterred by this. Spoiler alert, the bar staff are so friendly, you'll want to order more beer. Beer choices are good too. Great place to get lost in the city, if that is your desire.

Checked out the newly renovated Montrose Saloon last night and it was better than ever. More local craft beers, an expanded patio area with new bocce courts, an outdoor beer garden with an outdoor bar and patio, and a tiny facelift indoors. Really it felt much the same as before, still cozy and intimate with a laid back crowd. Good beer selection from local breweries like Spiteful, Dovetail, and Off Color. Really a great neighborhood place, and located in a great spot near many takeout options, and Ravinia Brewing once they open. Will be back to play bocce as much as possible...They have a number of upcoming free live music shows booked on their Facebook page, which is very cool. The 1-star review here is funny and completely unfounded. Lysa H., try to BYOB at any bar and see what happens... seriously, wtf?

Great local music all the time. There may be a small cover but it's worth it. I just saw 6kitty, Money Baby, and always popular Dyes last week and it was packed. Microbrews etc. The open mic on Tuesday is very mellow and easy to play. Their sound system is ***** five star for their room.

The craft beer choices are legit and always changing. They don't have a food menu but they sell flaming hot cheetos! Phoebe, Jordan and Jeff are super cool bartenders. There is a beer garden in the summer time. Cool place to grab a drink! If you want a $3 PBR they have it. It's a bar. Cheers!

The Montrose is my home away from home. The regulars there always have a smile and a warm hug for me (and my husband.) The staff is friendly and delightful. They have live music regularly and treat their talent well. The monthly bluegrass jam is a real treat! Plus their jukebox offers everything from Abba to Zappa! The Montrose has a big heart. They have been hosting benefits for quite awhile. They support causes from fundraisers for WLUW to Ovarian Cancer to raising monies for public school children's dance competitions! In the summer their beer garden can't be beat!

Good people, good owners, good place. Bummer about some of the bad reviews...one individual has a weird personal vendetta but hoping the others were just a bad day for the folks working there. Check them out!

Great neighborhood bar with excellent entertainment, reasonable drinks, and fantastic outdoor space.

They have great drink specials nice environment open to every one. I am always treated well when I stop in ...

This bar is great and has a really chill beer garden. Nice people, reasonably priced, feels like a place for regulars.

Live music was cool, Bill was 26 plus 5 tip which was left on the bill! Friend bill also 26 he put 5 on the bar! Leaving one of the bartenders chased us down the street like her life depended on it and asked for a tip. White girl blondish hair followed by the blonde long haired bouncer.. Terrible and never again!

Great old Saloon! Real good selection of Chi-Town brews on draft that are served COLD and fresh/ you can tell the lines are CLEAN! Cool old windows made out of bottles and tons of board games to be had at this establishment. The bartender was great and the clientele seemed to be locals?! Prices fair and it's right next to Breakroom Brewing.. get dat did

Montrose is defintely not going to WOW anyone that comes in with medium/high expectations. it is the epitome of a 'dive bar' with it's rustic decor and dark lighting. The owner, Jerry, is an AWESOME GUY and always is open to sponsor our softball teams and tournament teams. In the summer months, the outdoor beer garden comes is very handy. there is a nice sized patio for chillin out...a yard with tables and horseshoes....and even a GAS GRILL that anyone can use. It is BYOM(meat) of course though. Defintely an awesome owner that wants to make sure everyone present is enjoying themselves. We will be around this place for many more years to come!

Going here was quite an adventure for me. A friend had expressed interest in checking out their bluegrass night, so we made tentative plans to stop in. I got there a little before she did, so I ordered my first jack and coke. Mmmm, strong drinks, cheap prices. Friend shows up, we drink some more, we do some venting, then the music starts. It was okay. I definitely wouldn't object to going back.

The Montrose is one of the first bars I came to in Chicago when I moved here from New Orleans and it continues to be my favorite. It has the perfect dive feeling, but is perfectly clean with the friendliest faces you can hope to find. I've made many a friend while sitting on the stools at the bar. Great jukebox .... great ambiance .... affordable drinks. And, you can pitch horseshoes. Or play Scrabble. Or pool. Or toss a beanbag or two.

This is a horrible place. Total dive. They don't serve food. They serve horrible wine. They don't have captain Morgan. And they think there is a rule that people can't BYO wine and charge a cork fee. And the bartender we had was a total bitch. Keep walking -don't stop here!

It's been about 7 years since I last reviewed the Montrose. Time for an update! Since my initial review, I've moved into the neighborhood. Therefore, I've patronized this place often. The Montrose Saloon continues to be one of my favorite bars ever. Here are the myriad reasons why: - It's about as unpretentious as it gets. Everyone is welcome here. - The bar staff. Joanie, Jeff, Kristen, etc. are all great. Jeff has an unparalleled wit and my co-workers and I like to "visit Jeff" after work on Fridays. - The beer. The taps clearly reflect the "craft beer trend." Begyle's Tough Guy Ale, Revolution's Anti-Hero, Half Acre's Daisy Cutter, Lagunitas' Pils, Oskar Blue's Dale's Pale Ale, etc. - The whisky/whiskey. Check out the list. - Outdoor space. It's huge! It's simple-- picnic benches, tables, umbrellas. Bring on the nice weather!

Great joint. Big glasses of booze for cheap. Internet jukebox, which = everything you want to listen to. Late close, typical dive bar.

I was in the neighborhood and looking for a beer garden. I pulled up my trusty yelp iphone app and was led to the montrose saloon based on its great reviews and decided to try..... Well, I am assuming that all the yelp reviews for this "bar" were either paid or done by brainwashed patrons. This could not haven been a worse experience. First, we found the "beer garden" which was basically a deserted and overgrown weed lot with rotting wood furniture. Nice but no biggie as we had expected a dive. Second, there was no service. Yes, there was a bartender who greeted us but she never came out to the patio to serve or suggest we needed to go out and get drinks. She just stayed inside chatting with a patron. We understood that this might be a consistent problem as one chair on the patio had a piece bitten out of it. We suspect an earlier patron had done this out of desperation waiting for service. Third, when we left the bartender said nothing and did not think it was odd that we had never been served. Overall, you can skip this place unless you have such a severe jonesing for alcohol or warped lawn furniture that you cannot make it another block.

This is, by far, my favorite neighborhood dive bar! Super cheap drinks, really friendly staff, super cheap drinks, cool beer garden, super cheap drinks, good jukebox, super cheap drinks, low-key (which I love) atmosphere, and super cheap drinks. Wait? Did I mention super cheap drinks? I stumbled out of there one night only spending $20 and I'm a healthy tipper!

This place is fantastic. Nuff said. Ok, ok, for those of you who may need a little more then that, here goes. *Pros* - Spacious beer garden - Really friendly bartenders & patrons - Cheap beer & drinks And not that you really need anymore pros then that, here's some more: - Bags & horshoes you can play on a nice sunny day out in the beer garden. - And if you get bored with those, they also have a bunch of board games and a pool table. - A grill that is available for all to use. Yes, you can bring your own meat, fish, veggies, whatever you like and BBQ it up! Just make sure and bring a little extra, you wouldn't want to leave the bartenders hungry would you?!! - If grillin's not your thing, they also have like 50 menus from places in the area that will deliver there. *Cons* - Uhm, give me a minute. Ok, I need just one more minute. Hmm. Sorry, I can't think of any cons except that I live a mile away and not around the corner! After spending a glorious Sunday afternoon here recently with friends, games, beer, and pizza, all I can say is I can't wait till the fickleness of Chicago weather fades away in to full blown summer so I can spend many more a weekend afternoon in the beer garden here. So Montrose Saloon, save a picnic table for me cuz I'll be back soon!

I was here for the length of one drink, but I'm a fan. It's a perfect dive bar. They don't try to be anything else. I wish I had gotten the name of the pear cider on tap because that sh!t was legit. I would've had a few more if we hadn't had places to go. Their selection of ciders impressed me. Most places have one or two, and I'm lucky to find a pear. This place had at least 4 with two pear and a cherry. I sipped a little of the cherry my sister-in-law had, and it was super good. Tart and sweet at the same time. The pear variety I had was on tap, and seriously--so good. The bartender was a sweetheart, and he was accommodating while we perused the giant selection. We sat on the patio, and that was nice, too. Plenty of tables and chairs. Perfect for exactly what it is--a dive. It's awesome. If you want froo-froo, then, yeah; skip it. If you want a wine tap, food, and corking, perhaps you should be looking elsewhere. There are a million bars in Chicago and plenty in Irving Park.

nice selection of drinks. a great space out back.decent bands. and best of all--you can take doggies!

I dropped in here last weekend to check out my friend Ken's band. Not a bad little place. Totally no frills. Cheap cold beer on tap, check, Maker's Mark, check, a pool table, check. The place was pretty packed with a pretty diverse crowd. I can't say anything spectacular about my experience, but I can't say anything bad. Cleaner bathrooms would be a nice touch, but hey, it's a bar. What do I expect?

One of our favorite neighborhood bars! They often have live music and during the summer there's a huge 'beer garden' out back. A cozy, unpretentious spot when you want to relax over a beer or simple cocktail. A year or so ago, I met what was then the new owner of Montrose Saloon, and he was very nice and through our conversation, I could tell he genuinely cared about the customers. Around that time, they updated the outdoor sign, put up a new fence around the building, updated the bathrooms and more. Pop in and have a drink -- you won't be disappointed :)

great patio, great service, a lot of leftover staff from quenchers. an honest place that still puts on shows.

An entire star for being within stumbling distance of my front door. This is a great little neighborhood bar...relaxed, laid back, chill, comfy. The staff is friendly enough, and there is live music often enough. There is a large beer garden with horseshoes and bags and do-it-yo'self grillin'. Cheap booze, too! Can't argue with these things, really. Montrose Saloon is a really good neighborhood hang out in a neighborhood that lacks neighborhood hang outs.

Really nice neighborhood bar with live music most nights and a really pleasant patio/yard. Come for the nice selection on tap, stay for the sand bocce courts!

The Montrose Saloon is one of my favorite places to go in the neighborhood. It's close by, relaxed, and cheap. First experience was for a birthday party - cheap drinks and fun times. Second time was a random December afternoon after a weekend brunch - rather enjoyed the juke box and holiday-themed shots. Third and subsequent visits all kind of merge into one another, ranging from a quiet drink at the bar with a friend to a large group and an even larger pizza out in the biergarten. (I recommend Angelo's down the street - they'll deliver to the bar or if you can manage walking the 2 blocks down Montrose you'll get your pizza even sooner.) Second Wednesday of the month is bluegrass night (though it usually includes quite a bit of country western and folk) - live music that is best enjoyed sitting outside, so you can actually still carry on a conversation. I always order the Old Style on tap and avoid anyone who tries to get me to drink Malort. Oh, wait. Those are the people that I go there with...

Best bar/beer garden in the City!!! The staff are cool and friendly and the owner is a riot! They've expanded the beer selection, have some pretty cool bands on the weekends and the place has recently been remodeled with great bathrooms! Grab some friends, bring in a pizza and chill in the garden! It just doesn't get any better than this!

I went here on bluegrass night about a year ago and I really don't know why I haven't been back. I think it's because my friend moved out of the hood and all my other friends are too lazy to leave their own areas. Anyway, it was great- cheap beers, friendly people, great tunes, what more could you ask for? Oh, and y'all had me at Beer Garden. and Grill. Definitely coming back here this summer.

So this place is literally steps from my apartment, and I think I'm going to be here all the freaking time now. I stopped in for a couple beers with a friend and it's pretty much amazing. Cheap drinks, great jukebox, snacks (although I'd probably only buy them if I was wasted, they look like they've been sitting on the shelf for quite some time) and a beer garden! The bartender was a doll, and the old timers sitting at the bar were hilarious and all around friendly. And I have yet to see bluegrass night, but you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be there with a harmonica in hand.

Friendly neighborhood "dive bar". $2.50 beer, Old Style on tap, friendly patrons. What more can you ask for?

Montrose Saloon is everything you could possibly want in a corner bar and then some. With music, comedy and more seven nights a week there's always something going on. And the place has an ambiance that feels like home. Top it off with a good beer selection, reasonable prices and a fun outdoor area and you have one of the best neighborhood music spots in the whole city.