The best bar in all of chicago! One of my friends mentioned this place and since then there is not a weekend that passes that we don't come here! All of the Bartenders are incredible human beings ( but huge shout out to Jess and Pedro!!!! ), so nice to talk to and make everyone feel welcomed! This bar has truly become my groups second home! Love every second of it read more

Bad music way to fucken loud at A certain hour when people should just be having a drink and vibing read more

I rate the service 0/10 because I came here and was not served. The bartender seemed to be avoiding me. And I left after 10 minutes trying to get the attention of the bartender to order a drink. I guess their personal conversation was more important. So food and ambience are also 0/10. There's a lot of great bars within a block or two of this establishment. Go to those places instead. read more

Chill spot, got couches and draft Old Style. Watched the ECF here like a king. College style hangout

Cool local spot with a unique, dimly lit vibe! It gets packed on weekends but the crowd is nice and they've always got good music playing. Drink prices are reasonable ($11 for a vodka soda and a beer) and there's plenty of seating for groups! Will definitely be coming back here in the future. read more

What an amazing vibe! Went there this past Friday by myself and befriended so many people. Bartenders were super friendly and also brought that vibe. My first time there and will for sure plan on going back there!! Love love that it's dog friendly! Drinks were also delicious!! read more

amazing!! beautiful bartenders (especially whitneyyyy lol) amazing amazing amazing. wouldn't change a thing ! so kind and sexy ! love you guys ! read more

Stopped in on a Friday night and sat in the back area. They have a full bar, plenty of seating throughout with some tables at the front, and a pool table in back. I loved that they were playing a movie with sound as well, when we went it was Candyman. read more

I won't continue to profilgate the fetishazation of dive bars. The facts I got mixed drinks for $6 a pop. The varnish and wood on the actual bar shows years of enjoyment from customers. ATM on site. Beers on draft and bottles. I think 2 or 3 the beers has one of those dive bar prices that make you do a double take. What a time to be alive. The bar isn't doing a reinterpretation or an irony dive bar thing. It's the actual thing. read more

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DISGUSTING! One of the employees was so messed up on lord knows what that he was passed out on the bar. He would wake up every so often and then slam his head back down. Eventually, he grabbed our bag of leftovers from the restaurant down the street and ripped it too shreds. He ate every last bite as we watched in horror. When we asked the staff if he worked there, they confidently replied, "Yeah he works here." When they saw what he was doing and how he was acting, they simply acknowledged with a head nod and nothing more. I told them they needed to get him help because something was wrong. No thank you. No apologies. Nothing. This place is disgusting as are the employees--not even the ones passed out on the bar eating my food without permission. read more

Gold Star Bar - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Caution: the bartender at this bar ran a tip scam on my friend and I. I came in on Wednesday night to enjoy a few beers before everything was going to close down on Friday. I got there a bit before my friend and ordered some drinks. My friend walked in later and the bartender told her that I came there all the time and never tipped. This is absolutely not true as I'd only been there one other time (with a different bartender) in the past year and I *always* tip 25%+ during covid. I had no idea about this interaction as my friend didn't mention it until after we left. At the end of the night we closed out and I decided to tip $20 on a $35 bill because I knew everything was closing down and wanted to leave more than I usually do to help the wait staff out. The bartender asked me to leave then proceeded to tell my friend that I didn't tip at all. When she asked for the receipt to see, the bartender produced it with a squiggle through the tip line despite the total being correct (FYI the tip line doesn't matter, you can charge the full tipped amount based only on the total line). She then guilted my friend into covering the tip in cash (she tipped $40 because she was convinced at the time). I was distraught and put a $20 cash tip to cover my tip. We then learned later she charged the full tipped amount on the card as well. I will never be back to this place. I couldn't believe what happened and that both my friend and I fell for the scam. Avoid at all costs, there are plenty of great dive bars in the city that don't employ scammers like this. read more

Nice bar good music friendly door guy great selections I came here by myself on a Friday night and Whitney and Julian who were both rather busy at the bar, still made me feel right at home When I mentioned I was visiting and kept getting lost on Google Maps. Whitney even drew me directions to my next destination. After mentioning something about being trans, Julian asked my pronouns. In a really nice way and made it may feel way more comfortable as it is trans women alone at a bar at 1 AM. Also as I'm sober, they had a great non alcoholic menu. and didn't treat me as a second-class citizen being of the non-drinking variety all in all great place would absolutely come back/recommended read more

Only the finest of dive bars in Wicker Park. My personal local watering hole. No food but Carl is always willing to whip up some popcorn. And they never run out of Lone Star. FREE POOL and a solid jukebox. They feature artists and have the information available. Go with friends, co-workers, or by yourself! Always a good time! Cash only! read more

Gold Star Bar - a green sticker that says this is burn - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Just like any ol' Lincoln Park bar. It's nothing special. Billy C. doesn't blow winos for spare change. read more

Gold star is a FIVE star bar. Arthur the bartender is always friendly and ready to serve me a drink. If there's a bar in heaven, I hope it's called Gold Star. read more

It was once a reliable spot for a shot and a beer, some neighborhood conversation, and to catch a game on the single TV. Now, with much of the longtime staff canned, it is veering towards being indistinguishable from any of the other Wicker/Logan cocktail troughs that could be equally at home in Schaumburg. I was a patron for 15+ years and, at this point, can't really imagine ever returning for a visit. For a slice of what made this neighborhood desirable in the first place, you'll need to look elsewhere and not at the Gold Star. read more

Cozy neighborhood dive bar with free pool, nice staff, and fairly priced drinks! Gentle reminder to visitors though: this is a NEIGHBORHOOD bar and many folks live right above it. When patrons smoke/drink out front of the bar and yell + scream late on weeknights, it's pretty disturbing to the locals. There's never an issue on weekends which is interesting because you figure you sign up for noisy weekends living by a bar, but weeknights seem to have the loudest outdoor groups for some reason. Typing this at 1:00 AM on a Wednesday night after being woken up by the noise. Would be great if the number was reconnected so neighbors that just want to get some rest could call down :/ read more

I have come to this bar for YEARS. I've been in this neighborhood forever. Gold Star was a great dive bar for the longest time--one of my favorites. I always brought my dog here w no problem. The other patrons loved when I brought her. This was one of the charms of Gold Star--you'd always see people w their dogs. New owners came in and they decided no dogs allowed. Clearly they don't get this neighborhood. Or this bar. I'm so disappointed that such lame, old school owners have taken over. They classed up the place which was nice. But no dogs allowed shows how oblivious they are as to what a dog friendly neighborhood this is. Hey owners--you probably should get to know Wicker Park first before you moved in. You clearly don't get it. This is not the suburbs. Head to Phyllis's Musical Inn across the street for a dog friendly place. read more

Super friendly and fun service. Great specials. Good pool table space in the back. Price is right for a date or group of friends

Goldstar is phenomenal. Liz is a queen. Come to Goldstar. If you don't you suck. Just kidding you don't really suck. But go or come to Goldstar. You can get a 3 dollar beer whisky shot. That should be illegal, but it's not. I love you. Life is perfect. read more

Ventured here with some fellow yelpers after free theater night and had a pretty good time, although my previous nighttime manuevers caught up with me to the point I was about to fall asleep. First of all I think a bar that allows a dog to come and hang out is damn cool!!!! Very much a dive and they serve free popcorn while you drink your ass off of the cheap beer. Anywhere I can get Stella for $4 is okay in my book. The bartender was really nice as well I had a good laugh when I saw they serve Hamms & Schlitz in a can for $2. I have a friend that would jump all over that deal and practially move into the joint. They have pool and television in the back which is cool. As I stated in the beginning of the review, I was getting sleepy so I had to leave, but I definately would like to return read more

I came to Gold Star Bar on a Wednesday night with a big group of friends, almost all of whom were locals. We needed a comfortable place for about ten people, and this bar worked pretty well. It was almost empty the whole time we were there, from about 9:30 to midnight. Probably the least touristy place I've been to in Chicago, both in the good and bad ways. It wasn't the kind of place I'd go out of my way to visit. It was a dive bar with a grimy bathroom and completely nondescript decor. On the other hand, we got to sit and shoot the shit the whole time without any stress about getting in, or hearing each other, or navigating crowds for beer. Everything about it was easy and pleasant. Except for the Malort, maybe, which two of my friends bought me in two different forms during the course of the night. I had it in a shot first, and then mixed with a can of Stiegl Radler. Malort, for all you other out-of-towners, is a disgusting Chicago liquor with a bitter, rubber tire, medicinal, Four Loko taste that only gets stronger after you swallow. It's marketing campaign relies on an image of manliness, the implication being that you have to be a real man to suffer Malort for fun. It's actually easy to shoot. There's no burn going down, just a pervasive flavor that you can't scrape off your tongue soon enough. It was better with the Radler, which is another Chicago thing, a sweet, refreshing grapefruit beer. The Radler balanced the Malort out a bit, and I enjoyed the mix. I don't know when I'd go back to Gold Star Bar, but I'd recommend it if you're looking for a quiet place to hang out and drink. I had a great time, and am glad I checked Malort off my to-drink list. Probably won't be shooting that ever again. read more

I work in Wicker Park and always walked past here, and finally went in with a friend last night. She had been there many times before and since the renovations said that "it looks WAY nicer" and now takes credit cards. Upon walking in, it's got a dark hipster vibe. It smelled of fresh popcorn and was very clean feeling/looking (but not like those places that smell like chlorine trying to overcompensate for actually being nasty). $5 for a PBR and a shot caught our eyes, so that's what we stuck with. Outside of the $2 tap PBR, the rest of the beer prices were average for Chicago. Either way, I'd absolutely go back! read more

Gold star bar is a little hipster-y place, that looks dive like from the outside. The atmosphere was cool, dark and quiet, yet still entertaining. Candle lit. We had an old fashion, and it was close to the best I've had. And also the bartender gave a suggestion for a cider by I believe vander-something. Both were good, and the bartender was a conversationalist, but not annoying. read more

Dive bar. Nothing fancy shmancy or full of yuppies (an upside definitely). Chill atmosphere - was kinda packed when I went but not enough where I couldn't find where to sit... was able to get a beer when I needed one - didn't have to wave down the bartender. Plus... you don't have to spend alot to get a buzz - that's always good in this time of recession. I'll be going back. read more

Gold Star Bar - So you know what it looks like from the outside. - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The mood at this bar is your coworker who brags about - ... being from Naperville - ... their personal hand in saving dolphins by going strawless - ... having visited the south side once The gritty spirit of Nelson Algren was excised in the 2019 renovation. It's no longer a local bar so much as a tourist trap for out-of-towners hoping to experience an authentic Chicago dive (sorry folks, you're a little too late with this one). Now expect to be upsold a $40 Malort candle with your drink, and don't be surprised if a Gold Star Bar mention garners the same raised eyebrow from locals as spending a day on Navy Pier. To each his own but don't let the marketing/PR campaigns fool you into believing this bar is something it's so, so obviously not. read more

Like watching an episode of Bar Rescue in reverse. Everything that this bar used to be was "perfectly Chicago". A great jukebox, an eclectic clientele, interesting bartenders, shart stickers, etc... Now the bar looks like someone was gifted a $500 Crate & Barrel gift card and went hog wild with fake candles and lame furniture. Everything about this once great bar feels out of place. I challenge you to try to connect the dots on this new aesthetic. On a positive note the walls look nice and the bartenders don't give you guff when you pop in there to take a deuce without buying anything. read more

The friends I went here with on a Friday night at 8pm used to haunt this place 25 years ago. They said absolutely nothing had changed to the interior with the exception of a couple new wall decor. This is an old haunt that still has legs, if you're looking for a dive indie bar. Stepped up to three bar seats. Just came for the experience, served with kindness and cheap drinks; slight wait because the bartenders are just that social. The juke box is stacked with 50's - 80's tunes, skimmer on the 90's. Dim lit space wedged between other establishments, few windows, clean bathrooms, and all wood seating with low tables if not at the bar. The bar is lengthy, designed with a swerve. Popcorn isn't gluten free...er, the bartender's had no idea. Can't blame them. Chill place for a cocktail. read more

This iteration doesn't hold a candle to the old one, popped in over the weekend and couldn't believe how contrived the whole vibe felt. Drink was a drink, but nobody likes a fake dive. read more

Definitely a dive bar, but good for: - hanging out while waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant - quick, efficient service - delicious drinks - good pricing - friendly staff (sorry I was not the most helpful guest...) A nice dive in the area. I would like nothing more than to visit again when I'm not having a bad day (see not the most helpful guest above....). Thanks Gold Star! read more

I was at Gold Star last night for Virtually Home Chicago's Sexy Black event, which promotes awareness of the low adoption and high euthanasia rates of black cats and dogs. What a wonderful bar! The owners are animal rescuers so I got a lotta love for them right there. Anyhoo, the bar is nicely sized and very open. What surprised me was how easy it was to have a conversation there. The place was packed and music was playing and I could still easily hear and be heard by whomever I was having a conversation. The drinks were generous, well made and very reasonably priced (even beyond the specials they had to support the charity). We may have lucked out in finding parking on Division not too far from the bar. We did try the side streets first, only to learn they were zoned. read more

Gold Star Bar - Gold Star hosted Sexy Black III, a Virtually Home Chicago event to encourage adoption of black cats and dogs. Thanks, Gold Star! - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm new to the area and was looking for a low key place along this strip of strollers and Karen's and Kyle's. Music was fun and eclectic. Drinks were great and service w Liz was amazing. Bringing my friends to start our new spot to go to. read more

Wow nothing like it was. Dead on a Friday no jukebox which was a staple forever. A cocktail bar? Lol. This was a bar and shot place with community . Realize why people went here for years. Sad read more

Honestly, the first time I was here since change in ownership, our group was welcomed with enthusiasm. HOWEVER.... Since then, the new owners put out a public facebook post, talking tons of shit about former owners, staff, and patrons, while still keeping the Gold Star name, and insisting they would maintain the integrity of the original bar. Well, living in the area, I refuse to support people who talk shit about patrons and people who have kept the bar going (whether or not they feel a good job was done). They have a "if you don't like what we say, gtfo" attitude which is really sad. I would have continued to go here had they had more class and maybe got a PR person to handle their social media, as they're acting immature all over social media and public reviews and I won't support businesses who's owners spend their time insulting people. I won't be going back here, or to any of their other businesses, SOLELY because of how rude and immature the owners have been. I understand they wanted to defend themselves, but there's a way to have class when responding to criticisms, and they exude NONE of it. Too bad. :/ read more

Best bar in Chicago... Well I'm biased because I like 2 dollar beers, free pool and a great jukebox. If you don't like cheap drinks, free pool, or awesome jukeboxes then you would hate it here. and actually please stay away then =) There are usually some good pool payers hanging out in the back as well... read more

Gold Star Bar - Go into the light... - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is the dive bar you are looking for. 5 stars for true dive bar status. Dirty, falling apart, and a warped pool table. It's truly got everything. Of course they have Malört if you hate your friends or yourself. Great music on the jukebox and cheap drinks. read more

My husband and I live right by Gold Star, and we love it! Cheap drinks, great service, and fun atmosphere. Oh and FREE POPCORN!! It's probably our favorite bar in the neighborhood. read more

Spin your news reel, kids: happy times are here again in the land of Gold Star. Smiles were all around when two visits on the same day renewed my adoration for this place. The evening's festivities included a mostly hipster-free happy hour and a stop through a birthday party. Raise your glass and toast "happy birthday" to who? The popcorn machine was operating at full steam, and Powers entered the picture to provide a warm welcome on future visits. Look at those bartenders go! You could sit and home and continue to piece together scraps of pantyhose. Or, you can create your own wallet relief effort by saving your ration stamps and head over to Gold Star. With discoveries of the day like $4 Dead Guy Ale, $2 Hamms and Schlitz cans, $3 Old Style (the NEW formula!), $4 Bells Winter White, and a $3 tap special on Mondays, they're sure to go far. The elusive ghost remains a mystery to be uncovered. If you're lucky, an appearance by The Tamale Guy may instead provide the perfect way to fill your sails and send you home a little more smitten. Golly. read more

Shock, and then delight filled my heart as the bartender swept into view and revealed himself to be none other than legendary film actor John Cusack. "Hey bud, we have Malort and Old Style in this fridge I bought from my brother in law." The High Fidelity star said, all but holding up a skull in soliloquy, and I was transported, as I had been transported before by Mr. Cusack's spellbinding performance in Hot Tub Time Machine, to a place that exists only in the legends and hearts of a people uncorrupted by the material, unjaded by banality of the waking world. I began to involuntarily list the infinite number of his accomplishments in a monotone voice, masterpiece after masterpiece, unable to break eye contact. Then before I could stop myself, I blurted, "What's John Malkovich like?" I cursed my impropriety, but Cusack was humble. Demure, even. He handled the interaction with a grace no doubt born from incalculable red carpet appearances. He resumed filling up a round of Hot Toddy's and then with a glint in his eye and a mastery over the music of his voice and the canvas of his own face, he replied, "I'm not John Cusack."  I was bewitched. My heart took flight, my emotions made corporeal by barking half laughs half sobs, and I applauded. His skill was almost frightening. Surely such prowess has not been gleaned since the passing of Sir Lawrence of Olivier. The next morning I woke up with all ones in my wallet. An excellent, no frills dive. If you like old punk and metal, free pool, and cheap drinks, this is the place for you. Cash only. read more

Men In Black II: The Post Office Scene. That's pretty much what Gold Star reminds me of. Aliens and weirdos, man. I hope Biz Markie walks in one day. Gold Star, I wish I'd discovered you in my early 20s because I'd have made you my home. Something about you now though seems to have passed me by. I have a good time when I go, the music is right on the money (Fugazi and Pixies back to back), the beers are totally affordable and the bartenders are always cool. When I'm on Division in that part of town, which is almost never, I would happily make it a destination but for me, it's not a bar I'd go out of my way for. read more