I called a couple weeks ago to schedule a birthday party at Delilah's and it took them forever to call me back. Actually, they never did. I was persistent and called them. I was looking for a dive bar in the area and heard such great things about Delilah's that I was adamant about having my party here. When I finally talked to the owner, Mike, we decided on 4/30 with the $20 package advertised on their website. (http://www.delilahschicago.com/party/) There was a party on their second floor from 9-11pm so we planned to start the party downstairs at 10:30pm and moved the party upstairs at 11pm. When we arrived on Saturday night we were told at the door that there was a private party upstairs but would open at 11pm. Weird, cause that's when our party was suppose to start upstairs. We spoke to Mike and advised that they don't have party packages and the $20 deal we spoke about didn't exist. Instead he said it would cost $20/person to have the private party upstairs, not including drinks. Too bad the website says it's $50 to reserve the upstairs room without drinks. The overall experience of planning the event was very disappointing. We ended up staying and having a good time anyway but I'm just quite disappointed in my whole experience. Maybe I didn't sound or look like I belonged in the bar but who are they to judge? And for a fact, I prefer dive bars. Definitely didn't deserve the disrespect. It'll be awhile before I'll be back there. read more

There isn't much to rant or rave about regarding Delilah's. Ended up here randomly & truly enjoyed the people watching more than the bar itself. It's an odd mix of people-punks, old men, cute girls, and tattooed men. Personally I have nothing against the above groups of people, but it didn't seem to flow very well. People were sitting in their little groups & even though it was somewhat obvious that people were eyeing each other across the room, no one made a move. Everyone stayed right where they were...in their comfort zones. Doubt I'll be back-kind of expensive for such a blah kind of place. read more

Esquire's Best Bar List: Best Dive Bar Winner. It delivered. While the journey to get there was long and seemingly neverending walking into Delilah's made it all worth it. Small, dark, smells a little strange, disgusting bathrooms, knowing if these walls could talk the stories it would have. My mom and I trekked to Delilah's on a Sunday afternoon. It was very mellow. Aside from the two of us and the bartender there were maybe five other people and a baby. Yes, a baby. "Ray" was playing on the screen and punk blared from speakers. There was a great selections of beers on tap and I must say the walls had the neatest carved pattern. While I was sipping my beer I noticed a group walk in and sit next to us. A man stood while the rest sat and seemed to be giving an oration. He got each person a sample of beer and I what I could overhear him describing the Valentine's Day massacre. I put two and two together and assumed it was a tour group. If a tour is willing to stop in a bar like Delilah's, that is a tour I need to take! It was a journey to get to Delilah's but it was worth finding out of it truly was worthy of being named, not a great, a BEST dive bar, and yes, it is worthy. read more

Stopped in a Friday night and here are the things that influenced my 3-star review: 1. bartenders actually MEASURING out your shots and pours of liquor into your mixed drinks. 2. one of the bartenders not being able to string together a coherent sentance (drugs in the 80's?) 3. helluva whiskey selection (two varieties of George Dickel). 4. $3 shots of Makers Mark on Fridays 5. Trixies wandering in, pounding whiskey and canned beer and getting mocked by the employees. I'll be back some time in the future. read more

Well, I walked in there for the first time with a bunch of friends a while back and an artist had his (her?) paintings up all over every wall. They were huge, and wildly colourful, and...of women's vaginas. Every type of position and various stage of undress was right there. On display. It was way too much for me, even with the 4 vodka gimlets I gulped down. What a train wreck. How you gonna relax and chill after work with all that up in your grill like that? So basically I can't tell you a single thing about the joint. Don't know about the service, or the quality of drinks, or hell even the bathroom. Too much sensory overload that night. It's OK, you can call me a prude. read more

I have come to terms with the fact that I am not cool. It's all good. I know where the "not cool" people hang out and where the cool people do. The cool people hang out at Delilah's. It's a decent bar. Between the drawings on the walls and the clientele, there is a lot to look at. The people were nice and they have Strongbow on tap and I loves that. Delilah's made me realize that I missed out on Morrissey in the late 80's. Damn, he's pretty. read more

First things first. I do NOT look like a punk rock girl.. but I have the punk rock girl spirit raging deep inside me. I'm a big fan of punk....ska.....mod...all of it. And I did experiment with black eyeliner, combat boots, and a 1/2 shaved head in the late 80's, so maybe that counts for a little? Anyway, I walked into Delilah's last night with the bro and the first thing I heard was a great obscure Who song. That's when I felt like I finally felt at home in a bar. I'm not really a bar girl at all. I mean, I will go to a bar with some friends, especially if there is good food or a concert, but this place would actually be a place I would hang in just because it's that cool. I was here on a Thursday night, so I don't know how the crowd is when it's really busy, but the vibe was mellow.. the music was great... and the funky movie from the 60's was groovy. I hope to go back soon! read more

I'm a fan. Rockabilly little spot. Slightly toned down from Estelles, Delilah's is pretty chill with super nice bartenders and staff. Easy place to go to grab a beer and chit chat anytime and catch a glimpse or two of the b movies and old school porn flicks that may or may not be playing on the tvs. I may be shot for saying this, but I enjoy it more without all the smoke these days. I'd rather freeze my tootsie off outside and have a smoke than wake up in the morning smelling like a cigarette butt. I'm not a huge smoker so it doesn't bother me. read more

I view Delilah's as two different bars. On weeknights and off-peak hours, it's a chill place with a jaw-droppingly good selection of whiskies. For a whisky lover, perusing the phone-book like menu of rare bourbons and scotches is a real treat. There are malts on there I simply haven't seen anywhere else, including the liquor store. The owner is well connected, passionate about whisky, and focused on offering the best whisky in the world for remarkably reasonable prices. I love chatting with the owner when he's tending bar, it's the best place to learn about the world of whisky. Then there's Friday and Saturday night. The bar turns into a super loud and crowded punk bar. I get the appeal since they have great specials and a handful of good beers on tap. I don't hate visiting at peak times, but it's definitely not the same. The bartenders are super busy and it can be difficult to order a special whisky that takes them a while to find on the shelf. This is a special place, just know that depending on when you go, you'll get a very different experience. read more

How fun! I went to see a friend who in on a record label spin some tunes a few weeks ago, what a unique space. Highly recommended. read more

I walked into this bar last night not knowing what to expect. In all honesty, my companion and I just wanted a place to get out of the freezing rain and use the bathroom, and maybe grab a beer. I'd heard of this place before but had never really been intrigued enough to make it a destination. After this, though, I think that will change. Walking in, I was first taken aback by the fact that the bouncer wasn't a dick, which seems incredibly uncommon nowadays. He greeted us with a smile and an upbeat demeanor, almost as if he realized he was representing his place of business, a concept absent from the heads of a lot of bouncers at other bars/clubs. First impressions were good. I loved the dive bar ambiance, broken-in bar stools, dim lighting, loud music, etc. I was also surprised by both the great selection of drinks as well as the low prices. Flustered as my friend and I were from the walk in the sleet, it took us a minute to figure out what we wanted to drink. The bartender was totally helpful and actually suggested a few things that I would have never even tried. The clientele was great. People were in high spirits and very approachable. I was impressed. I really dug this spot. I will definitely be back. read more

Came here on a whim after finding out their incredible Monday night special: $1 American beers. I had pondered what American beers they were until we got there, when we found out that there was actually a beer called American. $1 beers? $3 Jim Beam drinks? All right by me. We settled in to a table near the front of the bar and enjoyed our cheap, delicious drinks. (BTW, American tastes like Old Style, I think). Lights were low, music was loud enough to hear but not so loud I had to shout at the people two feet away from me. I liked the relaxed, low key atmosphere here and the bartender was nice, quick and had a heavy hand. I'll definitely want to come back here to try some of their fancy whiskeys, and Monday night seems like the night for me! read more

Decision tree for going to Delilahs: 1. Do you want to accidentally (drunkenly) spend too much money for the best whiskey selection you will ever see? Yes: go to Delilah's Else: Do you want to accidentally (drunkenly) spend too much money on a phenomenal selection of super strong/bourbon barrel aged beers? Yes: go to Delilah's. Else: Something is wrong. Buy some plaid/get glass/grow a beard, start graduate school, and re-answer questions 1 and 2 until you say "yes". read more

Let me just start out my saying that I am a HUGE 50's enthusiast. Give me Brando, give me Dean, give me Monroe! I have 50's themed posters all over my house and I am a avid collecter of 50's memorabilia. So, when I found out there was a rockabilly-themed bar in Chicago, I was overjoyed! I run an IRC chat channel for Chicago area 50's recreationist and we needed a place to meet to plan a film festival. As you can imagine, if we were to meet at a regular bar with popadores and ciggarettes rolled up in the sleeve, we would get a lot of funny looks. At Delilahs, we felt right at home! Not only were there fellow "50's fanatics", but they fit our style perfectly. I even saw a woman with a pin-up girl tatoo (tatoo's are a little to much for me personally, but I applaud the dedication!). If I were asked to describe it, I would say the bar from Roadhouse meets the dance-contest diner from Pulp Fiction. For me, this bar brought me back to a place where milk shakes and the twist were a way of life! read more

Best Bourbon selection in the city, if not the country (Kentucky would take exception to the latter, I'm sure). Great music. 'Nuff said.

This bar is surrounded by the likes of Starbucks, sushi bars and fancy apartment complexes. Oh yeah, and DePaul University. I had heard through the grapevine of a punk rock-spinning bar in Lincoln Park. I automatically assumed it was a college or sports bar that didn't do their proper research when hiring a DJ... But it acutally looks very much like a dive bar! I think it might even be a dive bar. And they have many things to drink, including $1 cans of obscure crap beer. Pleasantly surprised is what I am! read more

Hey there Delilah Don't you worry about the distance I'm right there if you get lonely Give this song another listen... Just kidding! I've been to Delilah's a couple times, a couple times too few. This is a great bar that I don't take advantage enough of. They have good cheap beer and one of the greatest whiskey selections in the city. I recommend the 1792 ;) The bartenders are generally cool. They play good punk / indie / rockabilly music generally. I haven't meandered upstairs much since it generally seems packed up that way. Delilah's is just a great dive that promotes good whiskey. I like it. I like it alot. read more

Oh. My. God. This place is absolutely amazing, and it is no wonder many in this great city call this place the best bar in Chicagoland. Ridiculously amazing beer list, even better whiskey selection, a different drink special everyday that you actually use (American Beer in cans for $1 - hell yes), friendly, engaging people and servers, an awesome atmosphere, this place has it all, whether it's packed (weekends are very busy) or you are there with the regulars on a Wednesday evening. Don't let the exterior or punk rock feel to the place scare you away. One caution though - once you start going to Delilah's, all other bars in Chicagoland will seem to be missing that extra little 'something' that makes a good bar a GREAT bar. read more

Awesome dive and a great first date! Great selection and very knowledgeable about whiskeys. Also, hollllly crap they do love the Buffalo Bills. I do believe every, and I mean EVERY Buffalo Bills fan that exists goes here. All the Bills. read more

My friend and I were on our way to a show at the Elbo room. We stopped in this bar. It's pretty sweet! The bartenders were awesome. The music was great. Huge, huge selection of whiskey as well. They had a PBR special the day we were there. Love it! I've become a huge fan of PBR since moving to Chicago. The vibe in this place was legit. And I really like the name. read more

I've been looking for my Lucky13 replacement and I think I've found it. Delilah's has all the things I look for in a bar...dark, chill clientele, dark, strong drinks and a great jukebox. I'm going to make this place my home away from home. read more

Amazing whiskey selection, friendly atmosphere, helpful bartenders!! Upstairs was cooler than expected! Will go here more often for sure

A couple hundred dollar bar tab later will tell you just how much I love this place. By far the friendliest bartenders I have ever encountered followed by a totally friendly crowd. I kept wondering why people were so nice but hey, totally the kind of place. We thought we'd go in for a drink, we ended up practically crying when it was bar close. Fell into bed around 5am, what a perfect night thanks to the awesome crowd, good music, tasty drinks and kick ass bartenders! MUST GO!! read more

Well kids, what I must say is this: Friday nights... drumroll please... $2.00 Maker's Mark! HOLY SCHNIKIES!!! WTF?!? Enough said, methinks. I love this haunt... good music... generally a mix of New Wave, Metal, Punk, etc.. Melikes. Sufficiently divey with a hint of unique. Only problem is that it is in The Heart of Darkness known as Lincoln Park... other than that... it rocks. read more

The crowd is usually weird here. I'm not a huge fan, but I don't hate it either. It's a neutral feeling I have towards this place

There was a time when this was a really cool place. Not so much anymore. I recently met some friends there and the music was so loud you couldn't even talk. And it also seemed to be a lot smokier than I remember. The staff is very cool and attentive, I give them kudos for that. But most of the people who go there these days I find very annoying, so much so that I probably won't head back there for a while. Sad, really. This used to once be a very cool punk bar. Their music selection is quite good, just far too loud. read more

This is the bar I was proud to bring my out-of-town guest to until the gigantic rat ran across the floor... UPSTAIRS. I'll never hear the end of it from my work friends. So awesome. Add that to your Best Bourbon Bar accolades. It's a real hit with the ladies. read more

Punk rock. Whiskey. Pool & Pinball. It all leads to a great night. One of my favorite bars in the city, let alone the best dive bars. I think this is a place that is a good test of the friends you should keep and the people you should date. If they don't like this place then in my opinion you should re-evaluate your relationships. If you don't like it, then I'm not sure how good of friends we would be. One of the best whiskey selections in the city, but even if you don't like whiskey, you can grab a beer and be happy to have found a down-to-earth place that isn't afraid to show their tattoos in Lincoln Park/Lakeview. Sometimes the music is loud and the room is hot, but the people are generally cool, the staff knowledgable and drinks reasonable. read more

What's with all the hating on Delilah's? I LIKE this bar! But only under certain conditions: If you want to have a good time, don't go on the weekend. Go on weeknights. I love when they play crappy/amazing horror movies on the TV screens around the bar. When I've gone, the bartenders have been nice enough. A little aloof, I guess. Nothing remarkable. The drinks are okay... it's a nice bar. The ambience really makes it - but the ambience is only okay when the Lincoln Park kids stay OUT of the bar. read more

Delilah's is the saving grace of that neighborhood. The only time I'm over there is when I'm at Delilah's. Yeah its dark and "alternative" or whatever but more importantly serves a variety of beers and whiskeys, pours stiff drinks, has excellent specials and hosts cool events. And the second floor bar area is a sweet bonus. read more

So nearly 400 reviews with a four star average have it right--Delilah's is pretty great. But I need to share a story from a recent visit to exemplifies WHY they are so awesome. I stopped by with my husband, the scotch afficianado, recently before a dinner reservation in the area. I partook of the $3 Four Roses (I enjoy bourbon but the subtleties of the expensive stuff are lost on me) while he indulged in some rare whiskies and chatted with the bartender. Around 5, a large group rolls in shouting, chanting, singing, and just generally being disruptive. It was annoying, and not in the spirit of what the bar should be. One of the group saddles up to the bar a while in and makes a joke about how annoying their group was. The bartender's response was literally so perfect I'm in awe: to paraphrase, he acknowledged their loudness and basically said, "just so you know, you guys are pretty atypical for the crowd here at this time--we just opened for the day so most people here are just wanting to have a quiet drink and chill, so the chanting and everything is probably a little much." It was such a classy but honest way to let them know that they were at the wrong bar for what they were looking for...really impressive finesse that a lot of bartenders lack nowadays. Nice job Delilah's! read more

Whiskey Dive Bar If you like whiskey and dive bars, look no further. The whiskey menu is quite extensive and the bar tenders are very knowledgeable of their spirits. Early in the evening the music is at a tolerable level so you can speak with your company, but as the night goes on the music volume is raised at exponential increments very quickly. Surprisingly for it's dive feel, it is not as hipster as you would first imagine. I will definitely be visiting this location again in the near future. read more

Shady. We were coming from work and were rather dressed up compared to the clientele. It is a dive bar but part of a dive bar's appeal is that it appeals to all kinds of people. Unfortunately, it gave off the aura of trying too hard to be a scene. The staff was overly friendly but consistently under poured our drinks - tiny pours. It was almost like saying f-you corporate bastards, I am going to under pour and charge you $50 for this round. Job well done - we are not coming back. read more

Best bar in Chicago! Punk rock, great craft beer, and friendly staff! What more could you want? read more

Delilah's accepts all kinds. If you're the type of person who'd even consider going there I'm sure you'd fit in just fine. I like that they make an effort to show cool old movies and have special theme nights, etc. I also just love the way the building looks. read more

I love Delilah's like black loves red, like whisky loves fighting, like punk loves loud. I love Mike Miller's fantastic attitude and top-notch scotch. I love Mary's miniskirts and margaritas. Public gushing aside, it is a perfect antidote to the stifling atmosphere of Lincoln Park and there are enough spirits here to accommodate anyone's tastes. In addition to all that, there's a great jukebox, regular DJs, a very mixed and generally friendly crowd, personable staff- what more could you ask for? Oh, right. Pool table's upstairs. read more

Delilah's is a great place. Definitely a dive, but something for everyone. Especially if you like whiskey, which is funny because I don't. But if you know someone who does, then this is a place worth checking out. Is it a full scale bar regardless, so there's something for everyone. There's also an upstairs area with a pool table, but no whiskey options up there you can only get that downstairs. But there's some cool drawings on the wall upstairs like the acid-tripped my little pony. Service is very helpful as I find everyone who works there can help with recommendations for any libation. Plus they also have various themed nights whether it's music, DJs, certain drinks, etc. The bathrooms are not pretty. Yes it can also smell funny there too sometimes. I prefer to go during the week when the crowd and smells are more low key. read more

Great punk/alt music on every night. Great punk/alt crowd on weeknights. Frat guys/gals get mixed in on weekends lately. Giant selection of whiskey, great selection of Belgian Beer! Upstairs has nicer bathrooms- decent enough place to go to get it on in a pinch. Top place to sit at the bar, listen to music and drink alone when feeling social on a weeknight. The annual vintage motorcycle show here (every year around father's day) is a don't miss- hundreds of European/Japanese tricked out bikes/bikers and a great time! read more

This is another one of those bars that are in my top five to hang out in in the city. I never had a bad drink here and over the years found myself stumbling out of its doors many times. Their drink selection is really one of the best and I loved going to their beer tastings when I could. They also used to host The Chicago Weekender parties and the Mods vs Rockers event. They always have the most eclectic DJ's and music and I always tried to make it to their once a month SKA music night with DJ Wren. Unfortunately in recent years it has been infiltrated with a lot of prep types but it still holds on to its core clientele. I will always frequent Delilahs as this is one of the few unique bars left in the city. read more

Chicago now is home to way too many fake Irish and other types of bars springing up everywhere, completely devoid of personality or history. Cool vibe here at Delilah's, which may be one of the last real bars in the city. In fact, this is where Kurt & Courtney met, upstairs by the pool tables, sometime in the late 1980s (she was dating Billy Corgan at the time, but went home with Kurt). read more

Delilah's - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois