Phyllis’ Musical Inn

We came across Phyllis' one night when my husband and I were looking for a bar to go to after our wedding ceremony. We were looking for somewhere that had that dive bar feel, great service and good music. When we walked into Phyllis' and sat down at the bar and spoke to their staff, looked at the beer selection , the atmosphere and music , we were sold. The owners were so friendly and accomodating. When we asked if we can have our afterparty there, they did not hesitate to say yes. They offered to decorate an area for us, and allow us to put on our playlist. Our afterparty was perfect. The owners and staff were waiting for us and our party and did such a great job at attending our large group. Everyone loved the feel of this bar ! Can't wait to have our anniversary drink there next year:)

Woke up in the beer garden at 6am when cleaning service arrived. Vague memories of a guy selling tamales while a sort of punk free-jazz band wailed away onstage. Owner Clem made me do a mug of some kind of mead. Fight broke out over free potato chips and a toothless girl ran out crying at one point. I passed out trying to reach the men's room. If you come here bring a jacket and some sturdy boots.

Group was harassed (unnecessarily) by the owner. We were here for a wedding after party and he had no reason to kick us out. We were sitting quietly. Do not give business here. People had bought rounds of drinks and given tips to the band. There were several other groups of rowdy younger people and we were relatively calm. Worst place I’ve ever been and will not be returning.

Absolutely terrible experience here. The owner Clem was incredibly rude and unprofessional- demanded that our group tip for a medicore band that we could not see (we were outside) and started relentlessly harassing us. This is very likely a failing bar with an owner desperate pinch every penny out of people that come. I feel bad for the very kind workers who have to work under this tyrant. Do not go to this bar if you want to have a peaceful evening or have a diverse group of friends or you will be targeted.

Do not come here, staff are very rude and disrespectful. I was here with a big group and we were sat outside minding our own business when an old man who worked there came over demanding tips for the band even though we had already tipped. When we refused to tip more, he kicked us out and was so profusely rude to everyone in our group. Unless you want to be disrespected, don’t go here.

Owner Clem is extremely rude. Service is average, prices are over priced for the dive bar it is. Clem walked around demanding tips for the band that they probably won’t see. Instead of asking a large group to move away from the fire exit he kicked them out and was extremely hostile. Will be taking my business to much better dive bars here on out.

Bad experience for visitor. Owner made me uncomfortable asked too many questions while watching band. Band was single redeeming star.

Local dove bar. Ended up going on brass band night...super cool older musicians and sounded great. Bar manager walked around with a tip jar and basically demanded tip. I gladly gave money but would have rather not had a tip jar presented to me. Cheap beer no frills Joint. Cash only

Came here on the fourth of July and they said $10 cover for the band outside. I said I'm not going out there, I'm here for the indoor dive bar atmosphere. They said ok cool, no charge! lol Amazing, Cheers good ole mates. Stayed for a few drinks and failed to hit on the hot bartender Jaclyn. Can't win them all, maybe next time! I'll return for that phone #.

Reports are that people are being drugged/"Roofied" here by a BARTENDER, and management's reaction is to be hostile to those who have been harmed and report it. https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/15z4mt8/be_careful/ "On Friday night (8/18), a group of 6 girls went to Phyllis' Musical Inn in Wicker Park where we believe 4 of us were drugged. The effects ranged from feeling much more intoxicated than expected, to hours-long blackouts, slowed heart rate, intense vomiting, inability to speak, and complete memory loss. The only connection between our experiences of being spiked was a bartender who made our drinks (1-2 per person) out of sight. Though there is no way to prove anything definitively, those of us served by the other bartender were unafflicted. We had hoped that notifying the bar would prompt internal preventative action, but efforts to inform management were met with defensive hostility. Efforts to file a report with the police were dismissed."

Came on a Friday night and they had live music. No cover for entry, cash only bar, and a nice patio in the back. Loved that they left the door open so you could still hear the music while sitting outside.

Heads up it's a DIVE bar, so jump in. One beer on tap. a good selection in the case, and you can name your bourbon, whiskey shot if you want. Yes, cash only. I haven't been there for many years, it was fine then, and it was fine this time too. Can't say I've ever had any complaints about the joint. We use to have more of these bars in Chicago, too bad they're almost gone. We used to call them old man bars, remember when your pop went to the bar after work. Well, to be honest, my dad wasn't a drinker so no. However, I remember going to the corner bar with my grade school friend to find her dad. It's sort of like that. But instead, everyone is in there 20s or 30s, trying to be retro or something.

Do not come here, staff are very rude and disrespectful. I was here with a big group and we were sat outside minding our own business when an old man who worked there came over demanding tips for the band even though we had already tipped. When we refused to tip more, he kicked us out and was so profusely rude to everyone in our group. Unless you want to be disrespected, don't go here.

Owner of the bar is horrible. My friend was waiting in line for the bathroom, and upon coming out, the owner popped a balloon in her face. He then walked by and yelled at us to "get the f*ck out" and opened the door waiting for us all to leave. He told me friend she didn't let an elderly lady use the restroom before her, when said lady never asked to go first. No reason to get kicked out of a bar. Rude bartenders and bad service. Will not be returning.

Cash only bar, not friendly staff at all. Innocently we're sitting outside and was told I'm not a father and can go to another bar. Visiting Chicago and was attempting to experience Division street, very bad customer service, not welcoming and extremely abrasive to innocent visiting customers willing to give them business. Do not recommend going to this bar or Division street at all. A try-hard bar to be 'unique' by being cash-only, when in reality just out of touch and out of date place that's not worth visiting.

All of the reviews here about how awful the owner is are 100% accurate. I'm honestly shocked the place is in business with an individual like him running it. He's aggressive and rude. One of his off duty staff spit an entire shot of Malort all over me (pro tip Scott: you drink like a child so just skip the shots). Had to pull an apology out of the off duty bartender which obviously was incredibly frustrating. The smirk on his face really was unbelievable. Then while I was still trying to clean myself up and talking to my husband about it the owner told ME to drop it because it didn't happen. When I assured him it very much did he said "he didn't mean to" and basically I could leave if I was bothered by it. Don't worry I was waiting for my Lyft to arrive. Won't be back. Also no AC, cash only, no on-site atm and over priced for a dive bar. There are so many better places to go. Safe yourself the experience.

You can tell from the reviews already but like everyone says, owner is rude but the bar is great. Bartenders are good when owner isn't around. Really nice casual outdoor spot.

Five star dive bar with great music. Never had a bad time and I go back pretty regularly

If your thinking dive bar chicago? This is the place PBR special and Ms. Pac Man Totally cool vibe at this place. Everyone was having a blast the night I was there. This isn't a trendy neck beard kinda place. Great service no frills antique decor If your just looking to hang and throw back beer with no attitudes this is your bar

This will be short and sweet. The owner of this place is a complete asshole. I live next door to this dump and on several occasions, he has been rude & unapologetic about it. My wife and I went in there recently for the open mic/live music. Before I could even order a drink, he came around the bar with a jar asking for me to put money in to support the band. I literally just walked in, when I refused; he made some shitty comment. Another time, walking home from work while he was pressure washing the entire sidewalk and would not stop to let anyone through, he told my wife and me that we could just walk in the street. This guy sucks, if you see him there, he's prob the one with the huge gut and acting like an asshole. I'll tell you before he does "go somewhere else"

Came here a few times pre-covid and loved it. Went there last night and they're not following social distancing or mask wearing guidelines very well, definitely felt bad and won't be back for a while. The owner was there and kept demanding things from the one bartender who had to continually bail on customers in the middle of orders - it was so rude and the owner seriously seems like a dick. I had two brief interactions with him and he was really rude. (Hello owner if you're reading this! You seemed like a dick.) This place had such a great vibe the other times I came and I've been trying to support places like this so the pandemic doesn't close them (RIP California Clipper) but it was just hands down the most germ-danger I've seen since places started reopening. I would advise others to stay away. There are other cool small businesses that are actually following covid guidelines that could use your support instead.

The cute little patio area is shaded and secluded. The inside is a little divy but otherwise it's cute. Good drinks and they have live music here sometimes. Overall, I'd come back, especially for the patio. Drinks are pretty cheap and during the time of COVID the tables are appropriately spaced. The front needs a little love, but the inside is definitely fun.

5 stars. Amazing service and people! Shout out to the best bartender Shannon who made our night a blast

Fun, old school place!!!!!! LOVE the friendly bar kitty!!! I always have a fun time here. You never know what you are gonna get! Can't wait for the return of live music

One of the worst venues I've been to in Chicago. I plan corporate events and I would never come here for work or with friends. Terrible service and awful management. I never write reviews but had to share. I don't recommend coming here.

Watch your belongings here. Came here on a Saturday night and someone either found my wallet or took it out of my purse, took all the cash, and threw my wallet on the floor on their way out. Otherwise, typical dive bar.

Great place to play or listen to bands. Great staff. Clem Rocks! Shannon Rocks. My band played a gig here and loved it. Great atmosphere. Beautiful bar. Just a great place to be.

I've always loved this place -- the owner, Clem, seems down-to-earth, the decor is amazing, and the acts are quirky at worst and usually much more than that. I think the other positive reviewers share my perception, but it's weird to see that the negative reviews are so consistently critical of the staff, because I've never had an issue with any of them. True, they're not mixologists, but this is a shot-and-a-beer place, and in these days of ingratiating bros and flirty bimbos serving $12 cocktails, it's refreshing to have someone who just serves you your beer and whisky and accepts your cash instead of giving you a lap dance... Yeah, maybe they're not especially effusive, and one guy does seem to be in his own world... but a bit of gesticulation gets his attention, and I've never seen him or any of his colleagues being intentionally rude to customers. My suggestion: show up with CASH (no credit cards), catch a show (usually start late -- like 9pm), relax, and laugh. The place will grow on you... It's special.

Sometimes you stumble across a truly wonderful place, full of truly amazing people. But then you realize they're only letting other white people in, and that is pretty fucked up. Bartender: so amazing!!!!!! Owner: super nice to me, but told my black friends to gtfo. What century is it?

Super fun place. The Jazz on Sunday nights is especially good. Old school school selection of bottled beers.

Maybe we got there too early. Although at 11:00 on a Friday night, the place ought to be getting into it's groove for the night. Phyllis' came highly recommended to me by a friend who doesn't toss reccos out lightly, so when I found myself in the neighborhood the other night- I thought I'd stop in. We were stopped at the door to pay the $5 cover. No problem, or so I thought. I guess I should have asked what time the "real" band started, for what was playing in the front of the bar when we walked in had to be an opening act, right? I stopped at the bar to get a drink and was totally ignored by the bartender. Funny. . .he had time to chat up the girl next to me who had arrived after me and I'm quite sure if she had not said something to him about me being "next", I'd still be standing there waiting to buy a beer. We made our way through the bar and out the side door to a very nice beer garden, whose distance from the stage made the music actually bearable. We sat at a small table sipping our beers in this secluded setting for awhile waiting for the band to change. When it didn't, we looked at each other and decided we had had enough of this place for one night. I love dive bars. I love music. I love beer gardens. So why didn't I love Phyllis'? Not sure. But on this night something just wasn't working.

We went to see an old friend of my wife's perform as part of a songwriter's event. Good service, 100% a dive bar. As a dive bar with live music its four stars. As anything else its much less. Not much else to say about it.

I can't say I really dig this place, although I respect what an institution it is. The drink selection is by-and-large way too expensive ($5 for a Beck's? What is this, Moe's Cantina?). Even the low-end beer isn't cheap. I can go down the street and get drinks much cheaper at any other bar. Plus, if they have live music it's always way too loud. I did see an incredible puppet show here though that blew my mind it was so awesome. The basketball hoops outside (only before 11pm) add a star automatically. Best idea ever. But aside from that, this is just an overpriced hipster hangout.

The owners tried to fight us!!!! Will never ever be going here! The owners are legit crazy! I was with a group of friend walking down the street and we threw garbage in the dumpster on the side of the restaurant that was placed on THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK. The owner came running, sprinting at my bf screaming to take his garbage out of there. Grabbed the cooler that was in his hands and was yelling "Let's fight, let's fight!" We all were trying to calm her down and I told her to act like an adult and calm down. She then pointed at all of us and said "adults?! You're a 'dumb dumb'" I cannot even make this up. All the while her husband was also screaming about his garbage. Never in my life have I experienced such unprofessionalism from a business owner or adult for that matter; they were out of their minds. A piece of advice, if you don't want people throwing garbage in your garbage can, then get it off the public side walk and put a lock on it. Don't run up to people, grabbing their belongings and yelling at them to fight. I have know idea how they own a business.

This is a classic dive bar, that was once full of working class people, but is now home to Hipsters only. I was trying to get a table at Smoke Daddy's on Saturday night, and the wait was 45 minutes, and i didn't have 45 minutes to wait. So i ordered out and took the food next door to Phyllis. This has to be my favorite thing about the place truthfully. They don't care what you eat in there, as long as you take your trash out. The bar itself is old, and other then the new flat screen televisions they put up (only two), nothing in that bar has been redone in probably 30 years. The bar, chairs, floor, painting, and bartender have probably been the same since 1980. Its retro cool in that sense, and if someone wanted to film a movie with a bar scene, this would be a good place to look at. Unfortunately the bathroom is also probably 30 years old, and the only way i will use it again is if i have a bio-hazard suit to wear. Everything was wet when i stepped into the bathroom and it smelled like the bathrooms at Soldiers Field in the 4th quarter. I also don't like the lack of a jukebox. A place like this needs one. Instead, the bartender performs double duty on slow nights, running back and forth between the bar and the DJ Booth. But booze is cheap, and if you don't want to deal with a crowd, this is your place.

An old time authentic bar from the 50s. Has a lot of the original interior from when it was a polka bar. Nice outdoor beer garden space. It's not fancy, has only a few beers on tap, but the bartender is friendly and this place is very very cool.

Cool place, unique atmosphere. Staff was cool. Informed us of the live music schedule which was cool. Pretty inexpensive for Chicago area which is awesome. They had a back patio as well that looked pretty cool. Kinda run down though. I'd go to watch a band play for sure.

I've been here a number of times and have seen it consistently decline. Unfortunately the staff has no regard for its patrons. The manager, Clem, sits at the bar obviously intoxicated and refuses to offer services of the basketball court in the back. It is a very sad picture here, unfortunately. There is no good time or sanitary time to be had here.

Love this place and Clem! Looking forward to 2018 playing here and living here! Shannon is a jewel of a bartender and the whole staff from Rubin to John to Robin to Kris rock!

This place is the coolest little dive bar ever been to in my life. The owner is a really cool guy and he loves to share a drink with anyone that comes in! The music is always on point and the vibes are always wonderful. If you want to have a good night, listen to some good music, and enjoy some drinks Phyllis' is the place to be!

A three-star rating because they bring in great musical acts. Everything else about this place screams mediocre. Decent choice of liquor, no taps, cramped space; it has it all. If you want a cheap place to drink on Division, you got either this or Gold Star, which are conveniently located across the street from each other. You live in Chicago, or you're visiting the city, either way there are other places to go and drink.

Older dive bar with a lot of funky art/murals around. Worth coming to for free live music and their beer garden with a basketball hoop. Cash only and pretty cheap. Typically can tell if the music is worth it just by walking by as they have the door open - jazz jam sessions on Mondays.

I have truthfully never been treated more poorly in my life then I did one evening by this establishment's owner. I'm not sure if he was intoxicated or simply just a jerk. Mind you, I was only here for maybe 10 minutes, and on my first drink, when I had the most insanely, bizarre encounter with this individual. I have never met someone so rude in my life. I will never step foot in this place again. Now I know why this was the one bar on the block that was not crowded. Do yourself a favor, save your dignity, and walk down the street to a different place.

Stay away from this bar!!! I was treated horribly by the owner. He screamed at me for putting my hand out for the bartenders attention saying I wouldn't be getting my drinks if I waved cash in the air. (I had no cash in my hand and I wasn't waving.) When I told him I wasn't ordering alcohol and that I would like an ice water because I'm pregnant he yelled "bullshit!" in my face 4 times. I really am 19 weeks pregnant. I was at the bar to watch my friends band play. He also spoke to his employees like they were trash. I will never be back to this bar and discourage anyone from giving it your business.

Boo! This place left a really bad taste in my mouth (...I'm pretty sure it was from this place...) mostly because the owner/manager/whoever the guy in charge that night was a complete asshat (can I say asshat on yelp? We'll find out). First, I tried to get a glass of water late in the night. I know. You don't make money when I order water. Hopefully you made money off the $30 I dropped on drinks or my 12 other friends at the bar. So when I ask you for a plastic cup to fill with water from the little jug you have, how about this: DON'T make a face, look at your bartender (currently making 3 drinks at the same time), say "she'll get you one..." and then spend the next 5-10 seconds awkwardly trying to find something to do to look busy like a total asshat. If you're having a hard time with that one, try this: DON'T pound on the door when I'm in the bathroom, here me say "Just a minute", and continue pounding on it for the next 3 minutes. Oh my god, the doors locked - there must be someone inside!! ...After this happened, I opened the door and he yells "Can I PLEASE put this trash can back in here now?!?" Yes. You can, now that I'm done. Such asshattery! If all else fails: DON'T be a dick to my very good friends, who are playing a free show at your crappy bar with no sound guy, as this is behavior typical among asshats. I only came to see them, and I can promise none of us will be back. Asshat. .... The outdoor patio is pretty sweet though. One star for the patio. That dude's still an asshat though.

This is a quintessential no frills dive bar in the best way. The drinks are strong, simple, and cheap. Seating is abundant. There are lots of fun things on the wall to stare at as you try to think of what to say to that cute random stranger. On weekend nights, there is often live music. It is always mediocre. In the summer, the back patio is the best part. Make sure to notice the hipster chic ivy wall.

When we walked in at 6pm on a Sunday night, they were out of ice. The bartender would take 15 minute smoke breaks, and ask you to wait. The arcade games lining the walls are dusty, non-functional, and hold old records instead. But they were grilling back near the horseshoe pit in the back patio and offered free food. And they have a basketball hoop which makes for an excellent drinking game of Horse. Based on all of this, I'd say they have NO interest whatsoever in being a bar or turning a profit. And I love it. pssst - like all true dives, cash only. No ATM on site.

Always (usually) a nice, mixed crowd. I love sitting outside and playing a pick-up game of Horse. Drinks used to be cheaper, and stiffer. Many a time I have stumbled up to Phyllis' only to discover there is a band playing, and they are expecting me to pay cover. And as much as I would love to support the independent music scene, the sounds sucks and you can't hear yourself think. So I go elsewhere. That being said, it's still one of my favorite places.

Walked into this place after 11pm on a Friday or Saturday a while back and it was deserted; one guy talking to the lone bartender. I guess we must have interrupted something because the bartender treated our presence as a nuisance and was unfriendly. Needless to say, empty dive bar, no music playing, and hostile looks from the bartender convinced my group that we were better off giving our money to another bar. Oh, and who are you kidding charging $3.25 for a bottle of PBR? What a joke.

I've never started out a night planning to go to this place. It just kinda happens. A great example was Saturday night, my girlfriend and I were just taking a walk down Division to enjoy the weather after the blazing heat and humidity had finally become manageable. Sure enough, all the bars were packed, with no seating available outdoors anywhere in sight. We walked by Phyllis' and heard some great live Chicago Blues music filtering out the door, so we decided to go in. We got some easy, quick service and sat on the patio for a while before going in to listen to the band. Plenty of room and open seats, but still very lively! Don't make this place your destination, but if you're walking by sometime, don't be afraid to pop in for a beer, some music....and some basketball on the back patio!

What you expect from a dive. Worst bar tender to customer management. One of the bar tenders looked me in the eye, said "I got you" and then went on to serve every other side of the bar. I understand you're busy, and I'm in the line but when you pass by each time you serve the other group of people, it means your word holds no weight.

Came here on a Friday night to see a friend's band play. Not only was the sound bad, the atmosphere was weird and dingy, and had a faint musty smell to it. Yeah, yeah, I get it, it's a dive bar, but at the very least, I want to sit down on a chair and not question its stickiness. I ordered a cranberry and vodka, which was essentially 4 parts cheap ass vodka, 1 part cranberry. Ick. The only redeeming things about the place were that it wasn't very crowded, there was no cover, and they let the tamale guy in around 2am. Nice way to make up for no snacks.

My friends occasionally DJ funk and soul at Phyllis', and that's the reason I've found myself here. Phyllis' is nice and "dive-y", with its dark, dank atmosphere, old musical wall murals and vintage refrigerators. There's enough room for dancing - if it isn't filled with misplaced hipsters, as it was when I last visited. I haven't visited on days with a band, so I've never paid a cover charge. I wonder if the environment changes depending on the music being played. I love funk/soul night with my friends! I'll give them a thumbs-up for having Newcastle. However, there are other places with wider selections that I prefer for drinking purposes. It isn't bad for what it is. It's also conveniently located close to the Division Blue line stop, so I can get home quickly without having to stand out in the awful winter weather.

My friend and I stumbled upon this place and decided to check it out. It's super casual and laid-back. Once you're inside you'd never think this place has an outdoor patio, but it does. It's pretty cool. There was entertainment out there which everyone else seemed to enjoy, except me. The patio setting was more of a hipster setting on this particular night. The bar wasn't though. I'm giving this place 3 stars because it's cash only. It's 2016. Please stop. My friend ordered a screw driver for me and the bartender filled my cup with 3/4 of vodka which was great, but I'm guessing it was cheap vodka because I couldn't even taste it. It was an okay place.

Holy hole in the wall batman! This is a legit dive bar with some of the coolest characters working there that I've encountered to date. The door guy would get up and just be gone for like 10-15 minutes at a time. I found that comical actually. Beyond that this bar has your staple beers for the area (Old Style, etc) and the nicest part of the place is the outdoor patio which is odd because when we were there nearly no one was taking advantage of it. Strange. Don't come here looking for fancy, just come here looking for laid back, come as you are type attitude. You will enjoy.

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!

Casual and Relaxing... This place is good for: shootin' the shit, reminiscing about old times, people watching, there are usually plenty of characters to be seen, saddling up to the bar to watch the game, forgetting your troubles, hiding from the rest of society, a night of worry free, heavy drinking, general merriment and laughs. Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of non-hipster types in here, some regular Joes and Janes watching the tube, having a brew, some local color and a ragtag collection of young, flannel-clad folk. The upsides are: Zero pretentiousness in here, friendly bartenders, laidback atmosphere (you could absolutely wear sweatpants in this bar and feel fine about it), cheap drinks, live entertainment, a great patio with a basketball hoop and they sell Christmas trees with a complimentary shot of Jack Daniels. The downsides are: The music is hit or miss, sometimes the place can feel a bit lonely, if it's not crowded, the folks at the bar are reminiscent of vultures, waiting for their next meal. Beyond that, go there if: You're looking for a solid dive bar without any danger lurking beneath the surface.