The Owl

The Owl is actually two bars: Before ~9pm it's a neighborhood dive. An excellent happy hour, sparse customers, the baked-in smell of decades of bodily fluids, and an eclectic soundtrack depending on who's tending bar. After ~9pm, there's usually a DJ in the big open dance floor in back. The music is turned up to 11, you won't be able to hear your friends anymore, and it usually gets pretty packed. Every time I've been there past 11pm there's been either a fight or some R-rated PDA. Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to deter you, just want you to know what you're in for. Either way, the taps are usually a good mix of options, the prices aren't insane (check out HH for a great deal), and I've yet to meet an unfriendly bartender. FYI - there is no food here.

First time in with guests from Chicago and we had the best time. Amy is a national treasure!!

Just ran in for a quick beer . Bar atmosphere was fun . Had fun conversation with the bartender. Reasonable prices

Staff wasn't engaging with customers. Scene is pretty cool though. Drinks were great.

I dont know why and how me and group always end up here the atmosphere is wonderful THE DJ SUCKS never play good music, will play one good song and mix it with a horrible song , please get a young dj in there, dj simmy someone I beg you, this bar would be 5 star if you had a dj that was actually good

The vibes are always amazing here, music is hit or miss though 😶

Chill, decent drinks, and open late. I'd go again if I'm i the area for some nice lowlight atmosphere.

great little place. good service and good drinks.

Super cute dive bar. Bartenders were averagely friendly. They weren't able to make a birthday cake shot ‍. Lemon drop was good. The worst mule I've ever tasted. It was comparable to cleaning solution. I took about 3 sips and left 90% of the drink over.

Bartender was knowledgeable and friendly! The atmosphere is super cool... dark, mysterious yet inviting!

the bar is very dark and the only lighting is candles across the bar. they had a decent photo booth and vending machine (free plan b!). the drinks were pricey and there was nothing too crazy that made it stand out. feels more like a sit down and catch up or blind date bar not socialize. service was also decent - semi attentive nothing insane.

Dark and divey on our visit. Just the way I like it. A very cool bar in Logan Square. We stopped in for a few drinks and cocktails. Service was outstanding! I actually missed taking pictures because I was having great conversations with a couple of bar staff from Florida. Beautiful bar, great drinks, amazing staff. We didn't make it back on our last trip, but will definitely be returning here on future visits.

Premier after hours spot. We always have so much fun here. The long islands are always my go to drink. They have great music and a great bar staff!

Super cute bar only drinks no food came here to get a drink while waiting to be called from restaurant, bartender super friendly jen gave us great drink suggestions .daughter just moved to neighborhood so need to get all the food bars

Great bar in Chicago for drinks and chill ambiance. Masks are required at the door but you can remove them immediately at the bar. The staff was friendly (bouncer & bartender) & I enjoyed my drink. I stopped by at 12:45am on a Wednesday & there was a good amount of people there. The music was like 90s rock; im not too familiar with that genre so I could be wrong, but it was nice background music. No billboard 100 songs here, but good vibes all the same. Best thing about this place is that they are open later than most other spots in the area and the drinks were like $8-$10. Win-win. Check 'em out if you're in the area!

Tried to steal my money for a "tip" of $15 on a $20 bill. I asked where my change was and they said they thought I was leaving a generous tip. I'm sorry but that's WAY too generous.

Best 4am bar in the city and a great monthly DJ lineup. During the early evening it's a chill spot to get Happy Hour and the bartenders are all great. Gets packed at night so get there before the other bars close.

Came in not expecting to write a review. Ended up loving everything. Joel was awesome after I told a dumbass dad joke. Took it very well. Regardless generous whiskey pour. Last time I was here I came for my 23rd birthday. Came back tonight and it was exceptional yet again. Thanks guys, cheers!!

Bar that often attracts a crowd but lacking in personality compared to other bars in the same area.

Literally sitting in here with 8 patrons and the bartender only talking to a female at the bar. Asked if he took song requests and by policy he said no. Bruh you got 3 couples and the girl you're flirting with constantly

I was here last few Saturdays and this place was fun. Really good mix of party music and diverse crowds of people. Kind of hard to get drinks once its packed tho

I randomly found this place online and decided to check it out due to their awesome happy hour. The service has always been great and it's never too crowded during the happy hour. Even went there for New Year's Eve and the service was still top notch.

Cool bar but rude DJ. No one on the dance floor. After requesting a song they refused to play another genre.

The ambiance here is excellent -- my friends and I joked around about it being the kind of place cool vampires hang out because of the tasteful red lighting. It's a place where you can have a conversation with friends without raising your voice too much, and there are also seats in the back to hang out. The dance floor is occupied by seating and COVID-necessitated space now; it's the kind of bar you start a night off with. The only bummer here was the service. We went on a Friday night and the Owl seemed really understaffed; it was a full house and there was only one bartender. With that in mind, ordering a drink took 15-20 minutes each time. Consider ordering rounds with friends to cut down on wait time.

My wallet and phone were stolen right out of my jacket pocket on the dance floor Friday night. Staff told me "I don't care that's your fault". Zero help, zero empathy. I've been here a few times before with friends. Some fun but would never go without guy friends present. There are some creepy people here and apparently there are thieves too. Staff is also pretty mean in general. Will not be back.

This was our first time at The Owl, my friend group was looking for a bar open late nights. We found this place and decided to give it a try. Drinks were good and the bartender was friendly and got our drinks right every time! I loved the Photo Booth they had, definitely something unique about this place!!

Maybe Tuesday night was not the best day to go to the Owl but hey, at least we tried. Odd design with lots of random decorations around. Not sure what was the purpose of the matches on the bar if you can't smoke inside but everything in there seemed confusing anyway. We ordered a few drinks at the bar and bartender could not care less about us being there. There were literally 6 other people in the whole bar and he provided us with zero customer service when we had questions about the menu. One thing that I liked though was a photo booth! Quality of pictures is very high and backdrop is very creative! Not sure that would be enough for me to be back..

For the love of Jesus or whatever you believe in. Please get a new DJ. This place would be an easy 5 stars but the music he spins is obviously old records he found and dusted off in his mums basement from 1981.

Like a beacon of hope on a stormy night, The Owl sticks out in the overcrowded, overpriced spots popping up in Logan Square. I've passed by The Owl many times and never thought much of it. I finally stopped in this past weekend and am happy to say I will be stopping in much more. We grabbed a seat up at the bar and were taken care of right away, checked in on often, and just felt like we got the proper attention the whole night. Beer prices are completely reasonable and we were really happy with their beer list. They had a great draft list, even better list of bottle & cans, plus had some specialty cocktails. I ordered a Clown Shoes brew and thought it was super sweet that the bartender not only warned me about it being 12.5% but also brought me out an ice water along with it. Minutes earlier, a girl of no more than 110 lbs plummeted to the ground in a thunderous thud that I would never have imagined a tiny thing that size could produce. Her drunken stupor of a fall shook the entire bar and required three men pulling her pancaked body up off the ground. The girl got up and started gyrating vigorously, I'm assuming, in an attempt to dance along to the music. So....based on those events, I'm on board with the warning on the alcohol content & water from the bartender. Bonus points for having a cassette tape vending machine - word up. Inside track...My first tape was either Jon Secada, Green Day or En Vogue...one of the three for sure. I mention that because they actually played Free Your Mind the night I was in! Super random music selection ranging from 90s R&B like that to punk rock Bikini Kill. If it's Saturday night in Logan Square and you're looking for somewhere chill, don't care about being in 'the scene' and are up for some good drinks, I highly recommend The Owl.

5 stars cuz I love you but you gotta tell ya DJs to play better music they've killed 3-4 full dance floors tonight

gave my card and id to some random person. if you go here make sure the lights are on.

Belligerent naughtiness. Had to help calm down a fight while in line. Nice cute people. Some mean people too. Would go back.

Bartender, named Ryan, was yelling at us and telling us to get drinks elsewhere when we weren't receiving great service from him. We tried to be cordial and he verbally attacked us for no reason. We were going to tip him on the next drink

Very sad, used to adore this place and always made an effort to visit when in town. Sub-Applebee's bartender and well, it smells like poo poo. You be the judge, are $4 beers worth it? Guess it depends on the night.

7/15 Honestly had a bad experience because of the bartender. He was rude. Beer cans had dust on the top, but was replaced without making it a big deal. If the bartender was better, this would be a great place to grab a few drinks.

A friend and I came for a late night drink. Granted we understand that vaccination cards are needed to come inside. The security at the front door basically was giving us a hard time to get in. He asked us for our id's, we showed him...he was basically scanning our ids as if they weren't us, he then asked for our vaccination cards we explained to him we had pictures of it in our phones. We showed him, he said he don't expect pictures of the actual vaccination card. However he allowed the people behind us to show theirs on they phone. I didn't wanna think it was because we were black young woman. I don't wanna suggest this establishment was racial profiling but thats what it was giving.

Hoot, hoot. Owl is a quirky and mysterious bar for the adventurous. The dim lighting and lengthy interior highlight the intimate and lively atmosphere. This bar is ideal for getting late night drinks, sharing stories, and listening to music. It's the 4am heart of Logan Square. There's a beer here for any mood. Three wines made it onto the drink list. But, it was the cocktails that caught my eye: fruity, floral, and distinct with words like, rhubarb, rose hip liquor, and bitters. I asked the bartender about the cocktails. He suggested the Devil's Haircut (Four Roses Bourbon, Giffard Abricot du Roussillon, Averna Amaro, Lemon), and added that it was his favorite Owl cocktail. I liked how the citrus taste complimented the bourbon. I ordered two. All the cocktails are sweet in their own way. Spectacular service from Marcus!! This place is worth venturing to for the past midnight vibe. Check out the indoor waterfall while listening to some tunes. Will return for the unique cocktails, vast beer list, and great service!

So, the Owl requested that Yelp remove my original review. Judging by some of the other reviews, this is a common practice for them. It is easier to request a post to be removed then to actually address their staffing problems. I've only been to the Owl late night which may explain why all of my experiences there have been rated moderate to down right horrendous. I definitely will not be going back after my last incident though. In the women's bathroom, there are 3 stalls. When I went into the bathroom one late night, there was a wait which is typical and to be expected. In two of the stalls, there were two girls in a very loud conversation with each other. Several women rotated in and out of one stall while the other two remained occupied by the same two girls. After, I left the only available stall, the line behind me had grown even longer and i knocked on the door of the other two stall requesting that the two girls be considerate of these women who have been in line for a while. I told the girl in the stall that if she is upset with this, she can talk to me outside of the stall because I didn't want any of the women who have been waiting patiently, to be yelled out for my actions. This girl, who claimed that she worked there, came out of the stall like a bat out of hell, didn't wash her filthy hands and yelled profanities at me. This girl told me to "get the f*** out of her bar" among other rage filled comments. She grabbed the bouncer and kicked me out. I was absolutely disgusted with her abhorrent, inconsiderate behavior towards me and the other women in the bathroom. I had to stand outside in 4 degree weather until the manager was available to discuss the incident. As most people state, I wish I could give this place zero stars, but this single star was earned by the considerate door guy working that evening that seemed genuinely concerned by the way I was treated. Finally, I was able to speak with the manager who sided with her employee with the explosive temper who treat paying customers like crap. The employee claimed that I threatened her. There were witness that could obviously testified otherwise. It is ridiculous and counterproductive to threaten anyone to get out of a bathroom stall if they are in a locked, secure place. Obviously, someone who was threatened or felt threatened wouldn't come storming out of the stall, screaming profanities and insisted on escorting me out even after the bouncer was present and escorting me out. If you have seen other reviews, this isn't the first time that people have been mistreated by staff. I think that the Owl should invest in anger management for some of their employees. Before this incident, there were many reasons why I would not recommend this bar. If you want a better late night bar experience, East Room and Late Bar are nearby. Don't waste your money here.

Extremely. Rude. Staff. My cousins were in town for Thanksgiving and I brought them here. The bar was empty and all the seats in the front were set up so that only 2 people could sit at a table, and so we made our way over to the one large group table at the way back of the bar. As soon as we sat down, we couldn't breathe because the heater was right above us and blasting heat. After buying a few rounds, we finally asked the bartender if it was possible for them to turn down the heat for us, to which they responded in the most disrespectful manner, "You guys aren't the only ones here! We're not going to turn down the heat just for your group." We were shocked at the response--even if they couldn't turn down the heat, they could have responded in a more professional way. We're never coming here again because of this.

Since the owl complained about my last comment to Yelp: "Two bartenders for 200 people on a Saturday night is like shooting a BB gun at a freight train.", I'll expand it... Takes 30 minutes to get a drink because they are under staffed. Unless it is a last resort, I wouldn't waste your time. Since they complained about my comment instead of asking about it, I assume the reason for the staff issues is due to poor management, lacking on the customer service side of a service first industry. The two bartenders they had were friendly but not much they can do with the amount of people and a huge bar with no one behind it.

They play the music loud even by bar standards. If you want to talk to someone you have to shout and they have to be right next to your face. You might think I'm an old man for complaining about this, but I'm in my twenties. It's hard to get drinks, or pay for your drinks, or really communicate in any way with the bartenders unless you're sitting right at the bar with a megaphone. It's hard to move around inside and the bathrooms always have a big line. If you're into all that, then it's great.

Great little dive bar where you can barely see your dates face! Lucky for me I have a glass eye and they didn't notice a thign!

I think they call this place "The Owl" because owls are nocturnal. When eveyrone else is sleeping they out and about. And theres no other way to describe this place. It is open till 4am everyday, yes everyday. I came here one night on a monday after drinking at Estereo, and this place was pretty packed till 4am, once again on a monday. There are not alot of places open this late especially on weekdays, so I do give this place some credit. The cocktails aren't bad but honestly if your drinking this late does it matter, Cheers!

The tubes of the Internet told me that one hoot of an owl was an omen of impending death but two meant success in anything that would be started soon after. In the parlance of our times, I believe that this means that one should always have (at least) two drinks at the Owl. And that is what I did. And here I am, alive to tell you about it. So whatever you do, don't just have one drink here. I'd hate to have to fill out paperwork in the event of your demise. But really, why would you only have one drink? The bar is long and luxurious, and loaded with curves that will knock your socks off. The room has glorious notes of kitsch, such as mirrored walls in the "dance floor", a faux rock fountain behind the bar, and an Old Style scrolling wall mounted, uh, what, diorama? It is all of a piece, a genuine throwback now coated with luxurious irony. And it tastes good, my noble bourbon boozers. But on to matters of substance. Here we have a long list of beers on drafts, and plenty of bourbon and rye. Indeed I enjoyed two of their excellent Bulliet Rye manhattans. They were easy drinking accompanied by great music on the jukebox, including Personal Jesus and Daft Punk. When we arrived around 8 pm on a Friday there were only a handful of patrons but it was hopping when we left around 10 PM. Why did we leave at 10 PM? Because like the Owl we have wisdom attained through our long years. The late bar hopping hours are for the owlets. Perhaps we will see you there.

I showed up after a serious full day of drinking with my buddy who swears by this place. I dont remember a whole lot except for him and I dancing with a group of hipster chicks near the back of this place and ordering a Stiegel Beer. I have to go back

Dark, warm, great selection of drinks. Music is variety and we love it here! The water fall behind the bar, the stage in the back, candles on the bar, it's a great place for hanging.

What a beautiful bar! I went here on a date. I had never been. She said it was her favorite. I was impressed from the winking owl sign out front. I didn't get a cocktail I ended up with an amazing pear cider so I can't say how well the drinks are. The bar tender was super friendly. The vending machine has some strange things in there. Like tapes and beer cozies. I also saw they have free music. Which is a huge plus. Behind the bar was a stunning waterfall. This is a good place for dates or just to go alone. I hear it gets super crowded on the weekends though.

Say what you will about Hipsters (though I still abhor facial hair), I do like the OCD Mid Century Moderne interiors that often are found in their lairs. This is a great little joint. One night, there was a line to get in, therefore, I did not go in on this night. No queues, no covers, I always say. The night I did go back was for a really fun Chicago Underground Film Fest event. The bar is set up so that there's a separate room half separated from the main room. Great place for a party in the back. Looks like there's a dance floor in back for a regular night. Up front are the attentive bartenders and awesome fountain behind the bar. Inexpensive drinks and a well designed interior (without being over designed) complete the place. Great joint! I'll be back!

Before entering "The Owl", I thought that the owl theme was limited to the outside of this establishment, but I was wrong. Inside you will find countless owl figures and pictures throughout the place. The owls and indoor waterfall make for a unique bar experience, and also the size of this place. The Owl is actually a pretty large bar, but this is not obvious from the outside. If you want a seat or to avoid a line, it is best to come a little earlier in the evening. Even at 10:30pm/11pm there still wasn't any line or huge crowd yet, but I heard that around midnight, that changes. I enjoyed my speciality rum cocktail from their menu, but I kind of wish they would add a couple more speciality cocktails to their menu to pick from. Our bartender also disappeared a lot outside and to other areas inside, so I wouldn't say the service is top notch, but it is what it is I guess. I still think this is a neat place to check out in the Logan Square area.

Went with a group here late and were dancing on the dance floor. Everything was okay until the boy in our group left for a second to use the bathroom and 3 of us girls were immediately were surrounded by guys who started groping us. We were huddled together and immediately left while the guys were following us still. Creepy atmosphere and no staff on the dance floor. When we got out of the bar visibly upset the bouncers gave 0 fu***

I've lived in logan square for 8 years and have been coming here at random since. I never thought it was that great, seemed a bit overpriced for a dive bar, but usually people wanted to meet up there, and i had no reason to complain. I liked the waterfall and the spacious back area where one could get some small measure of privacy. I have seen this place at 3 AM and it is a dance party. I really hope slippery slope is coming back because now i dont feel comfortable coming to the Owl. What happened to me is of no great import. I walked up to the door with my friend (who is latino) and he was asked to show ID. As he was doing that, i stepped around, so as to get behind him and show my ID after. In the course of this i stumbled slightly. The bouncer said, to my friend, "you can go in but your friend cant go in." They said i "two-stepped." I am not sure if you havent been let into a bar, or a nightclub where you dont quite fit in, or told that you are too drunk, but its humiliating. To throw salt on the wound, another person in the area witnessed this and said, "you're too white to get in." Im sure this was a joke but my friend was convinced that they actually didnt want to let him in and they used me as an excuse. Now i dont believe that. Im more inclined to believe i was, in fact, too white. Regardless, the exchange did not go down well. Perhaps asking to be put through field sobriety tests did not do me any favors (and i understand, once the bouncer makes a decision, that decision is final) but i do believe they had a mistaken impression. Pardon me for my social anxiety clumsiness, pardon me for being lanky, but listen to me when i talk. I went to Whirlaway Lounge after and drowned my sorrows, pouring my heart out to the bartender. She said they were concerned about liability. I said, oh, dram shop laws? She said yes. And i said well, i said a lot more than most people that go in there, maybe if they actually listened to me they would know that i understood their concerns. But theyre not interested in that (there was no one else in line by the way). So I know, a bar is not a bouncer. And i know this bouncer wasnt even that bad. But the experience--it wasnt the type of rudeness that people complain about, it was a cooler rudeness, it was enforcing rules on me that more able-bodied people could sidestep. But i liked the Owl, even though it wasnt that great. Its an institution in this neighborhood, here before many others, but sadly, guarded by unreasonable human beings. Go get a shot and beer combo at Cole's for $5 instead of $8 (or go to boiler room and get a slice of pizza too for about the same). Go to Emporium (i have never felt unwelcome there, or slippery slope, or any other bar in the area, period.). Its sad, because i probably would have gone back, plenty of times. Now i just feel like i shouldnt support them. Two stepping does not equal drunkenness. There should be an opportunity for a second opinion. But thats not the way bars work, i know, ive been going to them for 18 years, and that weird antipathy for customers shouldnt be their privilege. These people are capitalizing on drunkenness, and if im not the type of person they want coming to their establishment, well that is their loss. You only get 1 second for a first impression. Its one of those sad truths about life, one of those things you wish people could see. When you look at me, you see what you want, but you dont know me, and you dont care to know me. Im just a useless vessel that pours out money and has no worth. Ill go back to my inferiority complex now, thanks. When i write my suicide note its going to read "Blame the Owl." If i ever open a bar, ill keep a BAC reader on the side, and a policy that no one over .08% is allowed. At least it will be administered on an equal basis.

Hola Paisa! Whoops...this isn't the old place with Mexican men in cowboy hats drinking Tecate?! WTF!!! Just kidding...that place creeped me out. Like that show Toddlers & Tiaras. Anyhoo.....I've been to The Owl, a few times already, and each time is a great time. They have a decent beer list, and a nice sized location to hang with your friends. They don't serve food, so make sure you catch the tamale guy if he swings by. The place picks up later in the night so make sure you get there early to snag a table or bar stool. The bar is really long, so it might take the bartender a little while to get your drink...but overall service has been really good here. So check it out, you'll be sure to have a hoot.

First time I heard of this place was at Billy Sunday New Years Eve circa 2014. Has a reputation as a hook up bar since it closes at 4 am. Nice beer selection, decent spirit variety. Wouldn't classify it as nice cocktail bar or nice craft beer bar but they literally have something for everyone. Seen decent DJs in the past. Dance floor is quality on the weekends. Tuesday specials for beer on Tuesday. Lighting is dim. Normally come after I'm done at Whistler.

Great place cool vibes....great music. I love the versatile ambiance......its better than the craziness happening next door to them. Awesome place, I had a great time with e people I met there.....and I may not forget to mention, they are open late.

My friend was determined to hit up the Owl after a long night at Emporium and Slippery Slope. As soon as Slippery Slope closed, we headed over and waited 30 minutes for the Owl since they open at 2AM. Worth it? I'm not sure. But it is refreshing to dance to 90s music without pretentious drinks and their prices. The atmosphere is different, but what do you expect in Logan Square? All in all, it's nice to have a super late night bar option that doesn't involve going to Boystown.

Slowest, laziest and dumbest bartenders I've ever encountered anywhere in Chicago. DJs don't know how to mix music. Save your time and money and go somewhere else with your friends.

No toilet paper in even 1 CUBICLE!!! Luckily the women in the bathroom were fab and someone asked the bartender, they said they were out of paper but had a secret roll behind the bar...??!! wtf guys get it together. It's Saturday night. Also stop serving vodka sodas with lemons, it's vile. Gimme a lime or two.