If you're looking for a great dive bar on Division, then definitely go here. I love it. The bartender that we had was extremely nice. The bar has awesome specials. He has two old CRT TVs and a regular old white kenmoore refrigerator to chill liquor and beer. Only been there once, but definitely need to go back. Daily specials that I recommend: $2 Old styles $2.50 domestics read more

I absolutely love this place. The owners tend bar there and are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. The customers are always friendly (the regulars are gems), there's free popcorn, and the juke box is fantastic! The rest of the staff is always on point and very friendly, even the bouncers! They're very lax and calm. The whole atmosphere is pretty laid back and I love it. Not the type of place where you expect a fight. PS. I hear that it's haunted. read more

I like to go to Gold Star when I want a cheap and dirty night out. Or a quick and dirty place to grab a few cocktails before heading to the main event of the evening. Cheap? Why, yes. I paid $17 for two Stoli sodas and one Tanqueray and tonic. Can't beat that, especially since cocktails are stiff and not tiny. Dirty? Kinda, but it's part of Gold Star's charm. They have straight up lawn furniture for tables and chairs. Doesn't get dirtier than that. Quick? Pretty much. It's never that crowded, so it's pretty easy to snag a lawn chair and get down to business. I think the real reason I like Gold Star is because it's everything that most bars on the Damen/Division strip aren't (anymore). Dark. Dirty. Looks like a drug deal could go down in the bathroom. Minimal decor. I've actually puked on the sidewalk outside Gold Star. No bullshit. And most importantly NOT Fifty/50. God, I hate that place. read more

shark. another shark penis? boobs! shark shark beer please. pool table penis shark. boobs! read more

Gold Star is not a place that I would have chosen on my own mainly because I know nothing about dive bars. I think Gold star definitely has the dive bar feel to it in the sense that nothing looks polished and pristine. Their did not appear to be many sketchy looking people in the place and I always thought that was a dive bar requirement. wait, unless we were the sketchy people! But anyway cool place to wind down and end the evening or keep the evening going if you're hardcore. I like snacks so any bar handing out free snacks (popcorn) is cool in my book. Bonus points for the tamale guy who came right on time because I was starving. Laid back, no frills, no dirty looks for dressing like a preppy=fine by me read more

This place can be most easily described as "Rainbo for Ugly People." Seriously, coming here is like entering a Dumpiest Outfit competition, and I love it. I made a meal of their popcorn last night. As free bar snacks go, this was top notch. Not stale or overly salty. But you're probably not here for the popcorn... the beer is cheap and the selection is very do-able. The first time I came here I didn't have much of a look 'round before ordering and asked "Do you have PBR?" and the bartender gave me the friendliest of "Bitch, please"s. How could they not have the peebs... I really like the bar itself too. Vintage classy, lights up all purdy-like. It goes on forever so there's always a nice spot for you to belly up to... I had fun counting all the elephant trinkets they had on the shelves. A must on your Division St. bar crawl. read more

This place is a quality dive bar with plenty of room to move around. Pool table in back and jukebox make a nice addition. Cash only!

This Dive of dives is a welcome relief from obnoxious sports bars and overpriced cocktail lounges. It looks old, smells old, is old. But who cares? You're not there to critique the decor, you're there to drink. Just bring some cash. read more

gold star is a good place to meet up before you head out. i don't ever stay really late there, so i can't speak for the crowd after 10ish. it's dirty, but in a good way! like a kinky chick. read more

Cheap Boddington's cans, Slayer in the jukebox, tamale guy after midnight, and the faint smell of urine...it doesn't get any better than this. read more

No pretention. No line. Great jukebox. Pool table. It's just a plain old bar which in its neighborhood is bcoming more and more rare.

Used to come in all the time. Without the old bartenders it's just not the same. Won't be coming back.

Best shark dick bar in Chicago. Hands down.

This is the main reason I hate myself for moving to the burbs. Great bartenders and jukebox. I used to live down the street and loved this joint from day one. When I come back to the neighborhood I always stop in for a few. Too bad the rest of the neighborhood had to turn into such Yuppie Trash. Please don't ever change. read more

Cheap beer! Cash only, laid back atmosphere. Pool table, juke box. And! They sell Hamm's. What more do you need? Food? Call in an order to Pizza Metro: pick it up, come back and get another one of those cheap drinks. Or wait for the Tamale Guy to swing by. With solid staff and an ATM, Gold Star is a shining example of what a dive bar should be. read more

Been comin here since before I moved into this hood 5 years ago, they have a really nice FREE pool table, get a whiskey sour. Fairly large place. Love. read more

Gold Star is the perfect dive bar. It's exquisite. - Fully loaded jukebox - The El Rey channel is on when important sports games aren't - The bartenders are super cool - Complimentary popcorn Heads up: it is cash only, but this means prices are super reasonable read more

It's a hipster dive bar, no more, no less. It has good selections, reasonable prices, great jukebox, and a relaxed atmosphere. One star off for the crowd which is a mix of suburbanites looking to safely "slum-it" and hipsters with one too many pieces of hipster flair (head band, ironic t-shirt, mustache, old skool high tops, Chrome messenger bag, etc.) read more

If you are looking for a cheap night out in Chicago...this is a good place to go. On a Saturday night, miller light was $3 a bottle!! Mixed drinks $5. The bartenders have been around the block and are willing to make any type of drink that you want. Including a recipe that my friend wanted to try that she pulled off her blackberry...they never even blinked an eye! Downside--cash only (there is an atm inside) and kind of smelly. read more

Ahhhh, good ol' Gold Star. Dirty, awesome J-box, pool table, cheap beer, eclectic mix of people. I'd like to bitch about the influx of yuppies that has happened in the last few years or how it seems to get so crowded on the weekends these days, but I won't. For, in the end, don't we all of us want to drink cheap beer on thrift store furniture? I know I do. Are the pretentious bicycle guys that much different in their mind sets as their brethren from Lincoln Park. I don't thinks so. This is a place you can have a conversation with strangers and actually enjoy it. There's no dance floor, no DJ, no shitty club music on the juke. Hell, that alone weeds out a lot of the younger idiots and anyone who's into places like Moonshine, Red Ivy, Tavern, etc. I think if you're a girl you'll feel more relaxed at a place like this, and if a guy comes up to you there's a good chance he'll have something original to say. At the very least it probably won't be a loud, sweaty, blind-drunk, asshole . If you're a guy you'll feel more comfortable talking to a girl at a place like this, too. I do admit that it's predominantly a hipster hangout. I suppose I fall into that category my damn self, though I wouldn't be caught dead in skinny jeans and I enjoy being athletic. Definitely the preeminent dive in that area since the old Tuman's Alcohol Abuse Center days...god I miss that bar. read more

This place is SERIOUS about pool playing. The line for singles play (no doubles allowed!) was five to ten people long at all times last night, making each loss extra devastating. However, the games move quickly, the quality of play is strong (most of the players seem to be a part of a league here) and this is definitely the place to go if you are looking for an evening of very competitive play. Plus the table is free (and rolls true)! I will definitely be back the next time I'm in the hood and feeling on my game. read more

The first time I came here, I saw a guy in a bunny suit get his ass kicked. I've been coming back for seconds ever since.

Great dive. Ryan is a great, friendly bartender! Queue up some tunes on the juke box n hang for a while.

Ah, who can argue with PBR? Plus, Susan is one of the nicest ladies I know. I have never felt uncomfortable sitting waiting for friends. It's easy to strike up a conversation with anyone, unlike other bars in Chicago. read more

QUOTES: "A real Chicago Bar, period... depresses the hell out of medohipster infestation. Let's go over the basics: It's nothing fancy on the inside, rather retro looking: bathroom graffiti, chairs, last call being shouted out around 1:15ish. Lawn chairs, small why did you have to let all of those freaking douche bags in? The bartenders don't give a very good pour. TV in the corner with questionable picture quality; I usually get a hankering for you can see why its a dive bar for sure! It's actually semi-unpleasant. I think it's too bright in there sometimes. Until I realized I sucked. Pool table, juke box and dim litted. Miller Lite when I'm here, I'm a natural-born social climber should avoid wasting any time at this place. Probably all the TVs playing White Sox games. The friendliest bartenders, uncomfortable seating. I'd knock off half a great bartender. star. Coke I ordered was $1. Only a dollar and unflatteringly flourescent. Served in a pint glass. However, I have no clue what is wrong with their syrup or machine, if you want to play pool unmolested, uncomfortable seating. This is really and uninviting hole. Goddamn plastic lawn chair and there's no DJ booth. I will drink the most horrifying; nothing against the bartenders, who have all been super nice. I gave up 3 or 4 years ago, and good with the getting of the drinks in a timely manner for a reasonable price, as well as the way that is appealing when you're 22 and don't have a job. I have no use for the Gold Star. I hate Rolling Rock." DONE. Thank you Bill Burroughs for the cut-up. Blah blah blabbity blah. You are the rocks that the river erodes. You suck and you will die with a hole in your soul having always missed out on this. In the afterlife you will worry over that little gap in your heart, the black tooth in your fakeass 'slum bar smile', wondering what you left undone. A shadow will be cast. You will always be a tiny bit hungry. Does anyone in this city know what the hell a BAR is? Perhaps you were searching for a Club. This place is not a CLUB. It is a BAR. A BAR? Yep. You put your ass in a stool, your elbows on the pad, your feet on the rail, some cash on the wood and you get beer in your hand and you relax. It's that easy. This is a BAR. Dim. Open early. Cheap. Popcorn. Bathroom door freshly built where a heroin crazed junky kicked himself out of it. A cold one on the house every now and then from the smiling owners. You think: "Shit. If I were shot through the head and had to see one last visage of this plane, I hope it'd be Susan escorting me to the great beyond with a big ol' double shot of Makers." Why can't we just hang out and have a beer? Get over yourselves. read more

I appreciated the down to Earth staff and fellow patrons, but I'm at an age where I just can't do dirty bars anymore. This place was filthy and dingy. Bathrooms totally gross. Who would order food from here? I just don't understand why places don't invest money in upkeep. SHUDDERS. read more

Came here Friday night on a first date. Very casual, cozy, and hip. Bartender Ian was excellent, lots of people enjoying themselves but not too crowded or noisy. read more

Gold Star has become that first drink pub for me. Ya know i start my night off with a Carlsberg and then head off to the other dives. I was introduced to Gold Star by a friend- who came for the pool. Although i gotta say the times I've been there, those playing pool were pool Nazi's they just wouldn't let anyone step in. Nice atmosphere, get a mixture of clientele- sometimes its nice to get away from the hipsters. non pretentious, friendly bartenders- decent selection. read more

One of my fav haunts since I moved to the city. This place has not changed at all since I moved here14 years ago. You can get great drinks from the awesome bartenders and get in to a heated pool game in the back. Walls sport rotating art collections and I love the great selection of classic punk and metal tunes the juke box provides. The usual fare of Wicker hipsters, bike messengers and Old Style bottles can be found here. read more

Going to Gold Star has always felt like hanging out at my friend's basement in high school - only you don't have to worry about their parents dropping by and busting you smoking a pack of Virginia Slims you stole from you Mom's purse and drinking amaretto you busted out of the liquor cabinet.... but I digress. Plastic lawn furniture, too much lighting, white washed walls, cheap finishes, cheap drinks, eclectic crowd, excellent juke box... what more could you want from a basement/bar? Good place to meet random people or relax with some friends any night of the week. read more

Great dive. Thankful that it's right next to my apt. I'll be going here more often now that I know it is a chill place with cool, non-pretentious patrons who are interested in being nice and having a good time. Bartender w/dark hair and glasses was a charming lad as well. Go check it out, unless you are a douche. In that case, please stay away. read more

A solid dive bar, but with the quintessenial Chicago dive bar just down the street (Rite), it's not my fave.

Unpretentious and low key. It's a good place to go after work for a couple beers. I haven't really experienced the weekend crowd, but it's the perfect weekday bar. read more

The bar itself is a little gritty and divey, with little effort put into the atmosphere, and that's a good thing. The drinks are made, and priced, well. The service is friendly and the music is always good. read more

Okay, my favorite place for a jack and coke based on a couple of things - a terrific staff, decent prices and one of the best juke boxes in Chicago. The early crowed is usually punked out with the bike messenger crowd, but you can be left alone with your friends watching AMC and talking with the great bartenders or some of the business owners in the neighborhood who always seem to be in there if that's your schitck. read more

Nothing like a Sunday night, eating popcorn and drinking decently priced drinks, listening to good music. The bartenders on that night are great, too, and are still attentive if you're not drinking. Case and point: I had a whiskey and ginger ale and decided not to drink any more after that - a couple minutes later, a cup of water with a lime in it was put in front of me. Awesome! It does get a bit much on the weekends, though, and I try to avoid the sea of elbows. Not quite Rainbo Room irritating, but it does get close. read more

Having mistakenly wandered into 'mac's' up the street and unfortunately ordering something they referred to as a "margarita" (they were advertised on the window but blech. blech. bla. bluh.blech.) We asked for the check to cover our terrible mistake almost as soon as we sat down (after having to wait for our waitress to come back from some sort of adventure or other pressing commitment) and happily wandered into Goldstar. Thank you Gold Star for not being anything like Mac's. Thank you for being polite and cool looking and having open seats for us to sit in. Amen. read more

I still love Gold Star. But there's one bartender who is just the worst. Terrible service, shitty attitude, and rude to all customers. I just don't understand why he's tending bar if he's rude to customers and whines and groans about the simplest drink. read more

They always used to run out of Old Style and I hate Rolling Rock. Pretentious and a Packers Bar. I used to try to go and have a good time, but I gave up 3 or 4 years ago. read more

This is by far my favorite bar in Chicago. I love coming here with friends late at night for the cheap drinks and great staff. Sure, it may be full of hipsters (it is in Ukranian Village after all), but don't let that keep you away. Get over yourselves and your fear of the hipster and enjoy a cheap beer at the bar. read more