no food great bartender Good customers Reilly's Second favorite bar. right behind 1a Cody's. & 1b. River Shannon read more

Carola's Hansa Clipper - Reilly dog's Second most favorite daytime bar, behind Cody's & River Shannon - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went on a Saturday and had a wonderful time. The bar was pretty quiet and they had a nice selection of drinks. read more

Carola's Hansa Clipper - Beer - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My love and I dropped into Carola's Hansa Clipper after dining at a nearby establishment on Halloween. Incredibly my non-costume this evening was a Hofbrauhaus Munich hoodie, so perhaps it was destiny that we wound up at this German bar in Lincoln Square for a nightcap. The peeps inside were playing chess, watching slasher movies, and fiddling with an old radiator. I pointed to my hoodie logo and ordered a half-liter of Hofbrau, while my love went with the Stiegl (hey it's an Austrian beer - close enough to Germany). Both beers were served in lovely (and heavy) Hofbrau steins. You can go big and order a full liter of beer in an enormous liter stein, but neither of us were that ambitious. read more

Chuck is a wonderful host. 10/10 experience. Although, the toilet is very close to the wall. I can overlook that because the service is just spectacular. read more

Terrible bar. I asked for three separate basic bar drinks and the bartender replied "we don't have stuff for that here." I asked for a Long Island and the bartender looked at me like I was an alien. I was disappointed but it wasn't a huge deal. It seemed like an okay dive bar, but the attitude of the bartender and lack of alcohol was a turn off. If all you drink is Jameson/Jim Bean or rail Tequila, this is a bar for you. read more

I've been here a few times and really want to like it. It seems like it wouldn't be bad if you came in with a ground of friends, but every time I've gone the atmosphere has been quiet and a little depressing. It does have a dive bar feel, but the type of dive bar where the 2 or so barflies give you the evil eye as you walk in, as if to say "what the hell are you doing here?" One time I went, half the beers on the menu were out. The bottles of alcohol behind the bar are just for show -- they don't actually contain any booze, so forget mixed drinks. The credit card limit is high, so you'd need to drink at least a liter of beer to hit it. When they do have it in stock, the beers are some decent German brands. The bartenders are friendly and take care of you. All in all, it's not my favorite place to go, but I do occasionally like to stop by when I'm in the mood. read more

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Last of the great old Lincoln Square bars. Retains all of the charm and character its maintained for years. The beer list is small but great. Excellent German beers on draft, rotated based on the season. Always playing music too. read more

Carola's Hansa Clipper - Ein Maß Hirter. Sehr lecker. - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'd only had 2 drinks at the previous pub when I entered this dive around 11pm so I was nowhere close to being affected by alcohol consumption. The lipstick laden tree stump of a woman behind the bar began complaining about her job from the start to another patron. I waited patiently to place my order when she walked away to do...something. Upon her return she paused and stated she was making an "executive decision" to not serve me. I never placed an order or exchanged a word with her and she completely made an ignorant judgement call. Another patron spoke up in my defense but she did not change her mind and lumped me with another inebriated person in proximity. Stay away from this place unless you want to be judged and mistreated for nothing. I'll never set foot in this place again unless I receive a direct apology. read more

Great german beer Great jukebox Great locals Great bartender My go to neighborhood comfortable authentic german divey bar read more

The bar manager is especially rude and devoid of any people skills. Makes you wonder how she ascended to such heights as head bar maid with such awful managerial instincts. My glass was chipped and asked for a new glass for my bourbon. Not a big ask by any means. Apparently that's too much for Natalia. Last time they'll see my business or my shadow. read more

German dive bar with awesome character, hospitality, and German draft beers on tap for great prices. read more

Carola's Hansa Clipper - Hirter draft beer - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Stop lookin'. Doesn't get any better. They serve beer. What else can be said. Go here.

This neighborhood is great. We came here after Maifest for a couple pints, expecting it to be good as ever. Instead, we were greeted with racism. A group of men (who called themselves regulars and 'have been coming here for years') stood at the end of the bar (all the way to the left if you're facing the bartender), called my friend "a terrorist," and harassed his wife. We called them out on it and he invited us to "step outside." I tried to tell the bartender (dark beard, glasses) but he didn't care. We ended up leaving. This is not a safe place for anyone not white. It's not a good place to patron unless you're okay with outright discrimination and threats of violence. Word of warning. There are SO many other options. Germantown/Lincoln Square is better than this place. read more

I love this bar so much. It's a great place to fall in on a cold winter day, chilly fall day, and equally as enjoyable in the spring and summer with the open windows. It is dive-y in the very best way. Unpretentious, cozy and just all around fantastic. We're moving out of the neighborhood and I will miss the Clipper like crazy! read more

This place is a last great remaining German neighborhood bars in Lincoln Sq. Awesome draft selection and good mixed drinks. The bartenders are cool and friendly. A must-go for a Lincoln Sq visit. read more

Who knew that you could get frozen cocktails for $5 in this tiny little bar in Lincoln Square? After imbibing on about a pitcher of 'em, I do now. And, the Monday night bartender actually loves making them! Sigh... my hangover was totally his idea ;) They serve huge steins of German beer that, for some reason, pair perfectly with some Johnny Cash on the jukebox. This watering hole may just be the most divey of the bars in this neighborhood, but I for one really dig its quaint atmosphere with outdated, ugly wood paneling and random decor strewn about with neither rhyme nor reason. This bar has its group of dedicated regulars, and don't be surprised if one of them buys you and your friends a round as they did for my group! Behold: the generosity of strangers at the Hansa Clipper. read more

Carola's Hansa Clipper - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fun place. Good German beers on draft. Cool that they allow dogs. Bartenders are friendly. Convenient location in Lincoln Square close to the Western stop on the el. Clean bathrooms. Overall, certainly worth checking out. read more

Great local bar! My girlfriend and I were in and then a nasty group of what looked like underage kids walked in. The bartender ID'ed them and only 3 had their ID and told the others that unless they showed their ID, they couldn't stay. One guy seemed drunk and kept calling it a shitty bar. She asked those without ID's to leave. I don't blame her. Hey she's just doing her job. Anyway we LOVE THE HANSA CLIPPER AND WILL BE BACK OFTEN!!! read more

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This joint is definitely a hidden gem in Lincoln Square for sure! Don't expect anything nice inside except for cold German Brews, great bartenders, good jukebox & some hilarious locals!! They are dog friendly & they also have some bar snacks such as Landjager & Jagermeister. One of the last of a dying breed and the music is set loud so you can hear what you pay to play! Great service from both bartenders I've dealt with-Christina is great.. get dat did read more

Drunk friend calls me at midnight on a Thursday. DF: Get out of bed and get over to Carola's. ME: Hell No. I'm in my pajamas. DF: You have to get over here. You are never going to believe how drunk the bartender is. She can't open the register, and she's slurring and stumbling. ME: I'll be there in 5 minutes... (5 minutes later, I walk up to the bar and witness Drunk Bartender still at the register) ME: Hi, I'll have a Spaten DB: Shoots me this look as if to say, Can't you see I'm busy? But gets me my beer. DF: Yep, she's been at the register since I called you. DF and I proceed to have a good time with a few more beers. She never did get that damn register open. We threw down some $20's and went home happy. read more

Not a bad place, went just earlier today - Saturday around 4pm - and there was empty bar tables to sit at and didn't have A/C on, but the dogs/pups made up for it. The bartender was cool and entertaining with other friends/patrons. We had hofbrau Pilsner at first , then had a the lager versions of it after finding out it would cost a surcharge since the minimum credit card limit is $15 ( our hofbrau pilsners costed $12 total). So we got the smaller glasses of the hofbrau lager. It's a cool place where you're left alone and people seem chill there and do their own thing. Again, it's always cool to have dogs allowed in an establishment . read more

I came in here on a late night with a group of people. There were only about 4 people before the 7 of us walked. The bar smelled very musty but it was a divey/ unique place. Three of the people left because they weren't feeling the vibe and then 1 guy who stayed said it was a shitty bar. He tried to order and the bartender refused because he called the bar shitty, he told her he could go somewhere else. I tried to order and she told me "no I'm done." I left because if you don't want business that's fine I'll go somewhere else. It's a small bar and I'm not sure why they feel so entitled. As a small bar don't refuse business imo. The reason they heard my friend saying it was shorty was because no one was in the bar.... read more

Hansa Clipper, you have made a few more fans. Three more, to be exact. I wandered in around midnight with two girlfriends, intent on improving my skills around men...because, Yelp, I am hopeless. I freeze, I stammer, I forget to make eye contact. In a word, I become my HS freshman self all over again. But, Melanie V. and our resident troublemaker friend, Pok, were on the case. All we needed was a bar with a good collection of men to chat up, yummy beer, and some seats. Since we were in the hood for some good KBBQ at Woo Chon, the ladies suggested Atlantic as a starting point. We walk in and walk right back out. Repeat performance at three other joints. But, the night was back on track when we walked into Hansa. Men to chat with, a jukebox, a super attentive bartender rocking his cute, Croatian accent, and a $12 tab for three girls feasting the night away on Henny and coke, Stella, and Julius. Could I really ask for more? Umm, yes, I could. The bartender? He's got moves! The man dances and well! read more

Ah, the Hansa Clipper..........a bar that has been in Lincoln Square forever! Back in the day, they had a "Piano" in front where a guy named "Victor" would play his tunes! His name was Victor! How do i know that??? Because they had a sign in the window made out of cardboard saying "now playing...Victor" They also had a pool table! well, the Piano and Victor are gone as the pool table. I think Victor must have died by now!!!! Our group stumbled in on our pub crawl, it was the 2nd stop of the night. I think we pretty much freaked out the bar and bartender! She was firing out beers fine.....then out came the Jaeger Bombs...oh boy!! Poor lady, nice......and actually did pour a very nice bomb! Props to Joanne!!!!! I have been coming to Hansa Clipper for years..........always good to pop in!! Give the neighborhood bars some love! read more

This bar is 2.5 stars. Nothing special. Average beer selection. Go here for an average night. Jukebox is one of those LAME only-the-one-popular-song-from-the-album ones. And the internet connection was not working. You cannot even liven up this place with some cool tunes. I was there on a Saturday night, looked like a mix of locals and those like me who were left wondering how and why I stopped on in. read more

This bar is awful. The wood paneling is creepy. The atmosphere is creepy. The music, particularly the live music, is dreadful. The beer list would have to be, like, unbelievably amazing to make up for all the other things I don't like about this place. It isn't. It's not even the best bar in the area for drinking 'til your dead--that would be ricochet's, or that one place by the rockwell stop that may or may not have a name. I don't understand why people go here. There are at least ten bars within 4 blocks of this place. Go to one of them instead. read more

My first experience at the Clipper came on a rainy Monday afternoon to shoot some pool. Myself and two regulars (?) were the only patrons. The regulars did not speak. "I'll have a dark German beer", I asked the bartender. "What size?" "big, I guess." "frosted glass or regular glass?" "frosted." I liked the option of not having a frosted glass. Probably the only reason I gave this two stars. A few minutes passed, and the bartender told me a story about how two patrons died in the bar, ten years apart. He told the story in a matter-of-fact way, as if the mayor had stopped in recently, or he had just bought a new Volkswagen. "You like Tex Ritter?" the bartender asked a few minutes later. "I suppose." We listened to Tex Ritter in silence. I nursed my dark beer until the rain cleared, finished my pool game and called it an afternoon - all the while hoping I wasn't patron number 3. read more

It's hard to believe a dive bar could still exist in the gentrified, breeder neighborhood ofLincoln Square, but it does. And I have an affection for it. Nothing special, but that's kind of what's special. read more

Interesting! Having walked by this "dive" numerous times, wifey & I gave each other that "look" this afternoon while walking by. By that "look" I DO NOT mean the I love you look, but the I want a cold beer "look!" Yes, we, or I, am a raging alcoholic:) Nevertheless, we walked in, and were greeted by a dog. Okay, this is cool, now we sit at the bar, and the friendly German lady explained what beers they have. I went with the dark, and wifey had some lighter beer that I cannot pronounce? Shame, as I am German....I should know this stuff, right? All in all, fun patrons, doggies running freely and frolicking, cool bartender whose BAC level was probably higher than Andy Dick in his prime, and we got to meet the infamous regular, "Hanns." Hanns didn't speak, but was graciously greeted by the other regulars. He had a confused, open mouth stare...not a retarded look, but just highly inebriated "100 mile stare" look if you get my drift. Cool place when you're in the mood for this kind of dive bar scene...I will return! read more

I think the roll-over pop up thing-y here on Yelp best describes how I feel about this place: "Yay! I'm a fan." Even though I'm far from a regular, they always remember me and my girls and refill our beers on the bar when we're in the loo. Love the Clipper! I've been in here with all sorts of folks and never got an attitude or even sideways glance. Never been anything but friendly and good (drunken) vibes when I go in here! Less crowded and more authentic than the Hutenbar, I love to come here on off nights and drink and get rowdy with three other friends and randoms in the bar. The one thing I've noticed that can't really be called a complaint is that in a place like this, a digital jukebox is an anachronism...but once the beer flows one hardly notices. read more

Ooh the Clip. This place is a really good time. Gary the bartender during the week is super nice - like having your Dad serving you a beer. He had us taste every beer on tap before we ordered something we liked. They have a full bar, but why go to a German beer bar and order a fancy shot. They also have these table side beer tap things - a tube about two feet high and about 5 inches in diameter with a tap - for about 20 bucks. I will order one the next time I go to the Clip with some friends. Anyway, there are no neo-nazis at the Clipper. Maybe there used to be or something, but its just usually just a couple of old guys or people from the neighborhood. I would recommend the Clip for a couple of beers during the week. A low key place with delicious German beer. Its great if you want to avoid the yuppy traffic at the other German bars in Lincoln Square. read more

Carola Hansa Clipper's bathroom is dimly lit in a soothing kind of way. Though the doors are thin, the loud music in the bar will drown all but the worst sounds you'll be making. On entering, you have the choice to use an old urinal if all you need is number 1. The dim lighting also gives it a relaxing, comfortable, and homey feel that is complemented by the non industrial toilet and the roll of paper towels for hand drying. The tile is pretty plain and the floors are a little dirty but the dim lighting masks it. I would say it lacks color but it fits with the feel of the bar. I personally enjoy the it though it lacks distinguishing features that would make it a grade A bathroom. Awkwardly placed sink, decent graffiti on the door, and tp a step or two above the worst. Lastly, I pity the fool who follows you in, as this enclosed space lacks a fan. B- Favorite piece of graffiti: "Smoke school, stay in pot." read more

Was in the neighborhood looking it over as a place to live and loved it! If I lived in Lincoln Square THIS would be my hangout. Genuine, sweet patrons and waitstaff and of course great German pours! A place my Irish grandparents would have loved! Think: Moose Lodge meets a sweet neighborhood bar ... great, great place. Hope you will be my new neighborhood bar soon in my new neighborhood, Sweet Carola's. Cheers! read more

There are divey bars and there is the Clipper who won't hesitate to fill up your plastic liter glass you got from Maifest/German-American fest across the street. This no frills German dive bar just wants to Prost and drink. read more

I don't understand the surliness that many other reviewers have noted as having suffered at this bar. I've been there many times, by myself, with the ol' lady, and with a large group and have been treated warmly by the staff and the regulars every time. It's definitely on the dive-y side for the Square, but that's fine by me as Huettenbar and the rest are already over-crowded and pricier and more annoying overall. It's quieter, which I prefer. The live music on Fridays and Saturdays, I actually enjoy. The acts they get are actually talented acoustic guitarists with good voices who play generally crowd-pleasing sets of material. Beats an over-amped juke blaring DMB and Katy Perry all night. Maybe a few years ago it was worse, but I've been there quite a few times in the last year and have had an excellent time every time. read more

I have found one of the best bars in the city! To hang out in this bar I did not have too drop my yelp credentials to stay and enjoy a drink. They even offered me a little free appetizer to start my time off in this chicago staple. The bar is a great neighborhood spot, friendly bar staff and a great list of Quality German beers. read more

Stopped in here for a round of Würzburger Hofbräu recently, served in half liter dimpled mugs. The beer was fresh and tasted good, that's usually all I need at a dive bar. Sure it's dark and lacks the kitsch of the Brauhaus and Huettenbar, but it's a nice place to escape and drink some quality German biers. During the World Cup Germany game the crowd skewed younger, the Dead Kennedys played on the jukebox, and there was a general convivial atmosphere. The decor was spartan, but not without some interesting old maps of Germany, flags, and fun stuff behind the bar. I'd return here again, it was a fun time. read more

For most people this is a 3 star place, but I really liked the laid back feel of it. On a saturday night, the crowd was pretty mixed up. A pub crawl suddenly filled the place tight for an hour, then was gone. A nice place to hang and have a conversation and not deal with being in a sports bar, or hipster bar, or loud club, etc. They have a variety of german beers, I'm not familiar enough to comment but the bartender seemed knowledgeable and offered to let me try some samples before I ordered something. I'm not sure I'd ever be a regular but it's a great place to drop in on. To put it another way, it's not a cool bar, but eventually you find cool bars a little annoying. I'm not sure how this bar could possibly be "scary". It's a bar with german beers and some german beer signs. If that's scary, maybe a TGIF or Shoney's would be more your speed. They are all over the burbs, can't miss em... read more

Yuck!!!! Dingy, stinky, and gross. Some of the worst energy I've ever experienced. The blonde bimbo bartender was so unfriendly and there was absolutely no one there. It wasn't like she was frazzled from work. After reading the other comments, it now makes more sense. Perhaps I didn't look straight enough for her. I initially ordered a beer and it was terrible-warm and nasty. I actually left half of the beer and ordered a Long Island Tea. She said she didn't know how to make it and then proceeded to just start pouring booze even though I offered to Google the recipe. Surprisingly, the drink was not horrendous but was definitely in the bottom 25%. Want to have fun? Go to Spyners, another dive bar just around the corner on Western--so much diversity and people are friendly!!!!! read more

A place for the elite dirtbag edge of hipsterdom. Drunken people getting frisky with each other on the barstools, and a bartender who spends most of his time selecting crappy music from the jukebox (the kind where you don't need to have a mullet to appreciate it, but it helps). The sound has that lovely combination of annoyingly loud and amazingly bad quality. If you don't mind listening to bad music on blown-out speakers wheezing and thumping at high volume, this is the place for you. Decent beer selection though. read more