6 months ago my rating of Goldie's would've been 2 or 3 stars. I used to think it didn't have much to offer other than $1 PBR drafts (and I'm more of a cocktail girl myself). But I've got friends who swear by the place and visit often, so I gave it several more shots--the place grew on me. First, it's a hop-skip-n-jump away from where I work, which makes for a convenient Happy Hour locale. It's also not too far from home, so I can easily ride my bike or walk to and from. Second, it's very clean. Yet it can sort of be considered a dive bar. Yet, it's honestly the cleanest dive-type bar I've seen in town. Third, there's that cheap PBR (pitchers too!), for those nights when the funds just aren't there. Mixed drinks/other beers aren't too pricey either. A slew of other reasons I'm now a fan: -The two bartenders who work there remember faces and often chat with the regulars. (Plus, they both have decent tunes they'll play from their respective iPods--respite from some of the terrible music some bar-goers select on the internet juke box). -They'll often hook up old Nintendo games (Mario Bros. 3, Mike Tyson's Punch Out!) for bar patrons to play. -The bar is small but never feels too packed for comfort. -The clientele ranges on any given night so you don't always get the same ol' crowd. -They have dartboards, and darts are just plain fun. read more

NBA Jam Tournament Edition, Free Darts, $1 pool, and $1 PBR Pints Everynight??? This is my kinda place! This is a really comfortable place despite the fact that I saw it on a more busy night. The inside is aesthetically pleasing, and has some nice exposed brick (I like that look!). I feel the place could use a little bit more seating, or at least a place to throw your jacket. Yes world, I did leave my jacket on the floor under the dart board. The crowd is diverse and outgoing. I noticed a few cool mustachioed people, and some hipsters. Did I mention they have NBA Jam Tournament Edition? That and a few other old school SNES games. Good neighborhood low key bar. I'm glad that this place is pretty close to the wrigleyville area, where bars are more like over crowded kennels. Check this out people! read more

It's a good spot to watch a game as they have multiple tv's and two big screens. Yeah they have $1 PBR's but I don't drink that shit. I'm not being snobby, I'm just not interested, even for one dollar. I can't swallow if I'm not in love. To each their own. The bartender can mix up a solid drink instead. The lone bartender is super cool, but I feel kinda bad for the guy when he's getting slammed with orders when it gets really busy and obviously it's slow moving with only himself on deck. There's no food here but they have plenty of menus on hand to order delivery and takeout. Chill place with the tamale guy making cameos here which if you're wasted go for it, if sober don't do it. read more

What can I say. This was the first bar I set foot in when visiting Chicago for the first time. Flew into Midway, took the Orange then Brown to the area. After all this traveling I needed a drink. The sandwich board outside proclaiming $1 PBR drafts had me at hello. Pool table is decent, staff and clientele are all fun to be around or not a bunch of jerks at the least. I would come in here more often if I lived in the neighborhood. read more

DOG FRIENDLY! I repeat, dog friendly! They actually allow you to bring your dog into the bar. I know this because we did bring our dog on a Saturday night. AWESOME. Otherwise the bar itself is kinda cool with a good mix of people. Seating is limited but it wasn't too bad; we found seats at the megatouch. Cheap beer, 2 dart boards (with real darts), a pool table and a good juke box make this a great local bar. We'll definatly be back. read more

$1.00 PBR drafts. All day. EVERY DAY. Provided they don't run out... This place is a comfortable neighborhood spot with cheap beer and cool bartenders. I am a big fan of the pin ball machine. If that's not your deal, there's also one pool table, a juke box with few songs and one (maybe two) dart boards. Cool factor: this bar is iPod compatible, so the bartenders will gladly hook you up and plug you in, provided you have a decent/mildly entertaining library downloaded. Warning: It can get kind of drafty and the bathrooms are always FREEZING. Remember to tip your bartenders well, even if the brews are cheap! I was in there a few months ago and these d-bags left $0.00 after drinking about $23.00 worth of PBR. Now that's class. read more

1$ PBR all the time, great. Excessive amount of mold in the tap lines that can even drown out the taste of that cheap beer, not worth it. Friendly staff and entertainment (darts, pool, and super nintendo) make it a fun place for the neighborhood, but stay away from the tap. read more

Best bar in Chicago! Period. $1 PBR pints "all day, everyday." $3 well drinks. $4 pitchers (of PBR). Great bartenders. Chill atmosphere. Pool. Free darts. Pinball. Booby hunt. You just can't beat Goldies. I know, I know... A lot of you are probably saying, "PBR?! Gross!" But let me tell you, after drinking it almost every weekend since moving to the neighborhood, it's premium beer. Really. And it's awesome when you drink all night long and your tab is less than $30 at the end of the night. Go here. Drink beer. read more

So, I think I may have been here on an 'off-night', as I've been there several times and had a great experience...Long story short: This place does $1 PBR drafts and $4 PBR pitchers. I go up to the bar to order and pitcher, and the guy ahead of me is doing the same. He gives the bartender and $5 bill ("All set") and the bartender - and I'm not kidding - goes "Seriously dude?". The customer look a little confused, and the bartender says "Those plastic cups cost a quarter a piece". At which point, I'm thinking; "either charge more or don't complain. Not the customer's problem, and you aren't not even the owner"! The customer then says "Sorry dude, I'll get you on the next round" and the bartender said "No you won't". Really? So I get my $4 pitcher, give a $5 tip - the bartender is very gracious - and go back to my seat. Fast forward to last call (only 2 round later) where we can't get a pitcher cause apparently they're "out of pitchers", so we get four beers. Twenty minutes later, we're sitting there drinking our last beers, and this bartender comes over to our table, and - and I'm not exaggerating here - literally takes them out of our hands! We're all just stunned, and this guy is like "I called closing time 20 minutes ago, you guys need to get out". What The F*ck? The one friend he didn't get the beer from "accidentally" dropped his beer on the floor and we left. Lucky there wasn't a fight; it almost seemed like that was what the bartender wanted... By the time we walked home, I realized I had forgotten my hoodie. I went to get it today - 2 days later - and the guy who helped me was awesome, super nice. I just don't know what to think. I would have thought that the bartender was having a really bad day if not for the other 1 star reviews for this guy. Who knows? Great bar, try it out and see if you get the right guy. On a great night, it can't be beaten! read more

100% a dive bar. Gotta love them. But, I love this bar for these reasons -The girls' bathroom was clean and HAD toilet paper. -The bartender didn't have oranges, for the blue moon, so what does he do? He adds actual orange juice to the beer. AMAZING! -He also doesn't have limes for the tequila shots. However, he has lemons, so lemons it is! -No food is served, but, there is a file folder of menus. Perfect! -The place is not crowded at all and is almost deserted. I hate people. read more

I used to come here alot, and then two things happened: I moved, and everyone that I knew and their mother always wanted to come here for whatever and it made me sick. But that's not Goldie's fault, oh no. I just took a break for awhile, kind of like thinking over a relationship gone bad. First off, THIS IS NOT A DIVE BAR. I can show you dive bars, people...and compared to those, Goldie's is like the Drake Hotel of dive bars if that's how you want to classify it. Otherwise, it's a regular bar. Kind of like Cheers, since it seems everyone knows everyone else in this place, but Cheers was bigger....and had older people getting into quirky adventures. I won't say I haven't had or seen my fair share of quirky or crazy things here (like the time a drunk guy fell on the sidewalk and snapped open his arm, or when me and my friend got hit on by 40 year old men, or when i beat everyone at the bar at Super mario Kart while a really drunk man told me I had nice hands), and that's why I do like coming here. There is one pool table which is hard to share once it gets crowded, but you get to meet some really awesome people that way, two dart boards that compete with the pool table space,and a pinball machine that i broke once. YAY! If you're lucky, you can score a chance to play some sweet old school NES or SNES games at the bar. It all depends on how nice the bartender is. The crowd here is typically young, energetic, and ready to get drunk. You can be as fancy or as slummy as you wish, and hardly anyone really notices anyway. And...SCORE! the Tamale guy makes regular appearances here, an always welcome sight. I have had some bad times here, so don't be surprised when some ass tries to take over your table while you are sitting there or if the bartender manages to ignore you even if you're the only person waiting at the bar for a drink. Other than that, it's pretty cool. I guess I miss Goldie's now, and i should go back. read more

I think Goldies is great.....why, mainly because to me, it isn't a dive bar in my opinion...just a good neighborhood bar that has darts, pool, TVs, and tunes along with cheap beer ($1 PBR) which means everyone can get their drink on and have a good time. I'm not sure what folks think they should expect from this bar, but whatever it is, it is probably unrealistic. Plus the location it is in is nice and safe....unlike other dive bars I've been to around the city. read more

Love Goldies! Can't beat the specials ($1 PBR every day? Yes, please) and the prices on other beers are just as good as nearby places. But it's the vibe that keeps me coming back. Laid back - drink some beers, throw some darts, play some tunes on the juke - good times all around. And it's that same vibe that goes with the service as well. Attentive but never pushy, available but never in your face, Aaron is as good as it gets behind the bar. If you're looking for a place to catch up with someone and have a few beers where you can actually hear the conversation you're trying to have, Goldie's can't be beat. If you want to grab a couple before seeing a play nearby, this is your joint. If you want to throw some darts and watch the game on the GIANT screen inside, head on over. If you want to be a pretentious jag and not appreciate a neighborhood bar for what it is, keep on truckin. F YEAH GOLDIES! read more

I came in to catch some classic $1 PBR and $4 pitchers. Instead I got to watch two hipsters order two bags of tamales from the Tamale Guy and them go to town on it. The highlight of the evening was watching the hipsters play Mike Tyson's Punchout then get their ass kicked by Glass Joe. The one hipster gave it to the bartender, who beat Glass Joe in 43 seconds. He gave it back to the other hipster who then lost to Von Kaiser. The same hipster then got knocked out by Glass Joe. *points and laughs* read more

Jason and Chris are great tending bar. Always professional and take care of customers. Pool (free on weds w/ $1 pbr) Free darts (2 cork boards, not the shit plastic) $2 pbr everyday Jukebox Board games Huge, wall size projector screen. Great for sports games, especially Hawks games. (They turn the sound on for games which is an added bonus for hardcore fans) Low key place to have a drink or 10. No food but you can order in. They provide plates and napkins to better your stay. read more

I want to take this moment to let you know that I am the mayor of Goldies on FourSquare. You will never take that away from me. Cheap beer? Yes. Nice bartenders? Yes. Free Wifi? Uh...yes. Board games? Yes (do not even think of challenging me to Apples to Apples because YOU WILL LOSE). Pinball? Video games on the TV? Comfort? Darts? Pool? YES YES YES YES YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. (my head just exploded) Let's go there. Now. read more

Maybe they were having a bad night, but when my wife and I walked in expecting to order food and some drinks we were not acknowledged at all. There was one other person in the entire place sitting at the bar silently nursing a drink. The bartender looked at us and turned around to fiddle with the TV. We sat at a table and looked in his direction. Nothing. My wife made eye contact with him. Nothing. There was no music playing and neither men spoke a word. We felt creeped out and so we left. I'm not sure what the deal was, but the vibe was really weird and the customer service was non-existent. read more

Four Words: This place is awesome. That's it. Oh yeah, one other note: Thanks Zak O. for introducing this bar to me. Without him it wouldn't have been possible to find the $1.00 PBR love. read more

Another great neighborhood bar. Bartenders are great. Clean, large space. No kitchen, but Pete's Pizza delivers in less than 30 min. read more

4 Dollar PBR pitchers plus being able to be the peanut gallery for the Nintendo equals the most fun you can get for 4 bucks. What can I say about Goldies that everyone else hasn't (Because I waited way too long to get here). A bartender that could solo the entire place, from tending, to cleaning, to music, to being social. A freaking Nintendo in a bar, which other places should totally pick up on because that is genius. The cheapest beer on the north side (until someone proves me wrong) in a locale that could easily be charging double. They don't have food in house, but not only do they have a ton of menus for delivery, but Tamale Guy showed up, which always makes the night more fun and delicious. read more

So the other day was my second time coming here and again I wasn't disappointed in the service nor the atmosphere. Pretty fun place when you can get a chance to shoot some pool or play darts. Or my favorite part playing some old super NES games, like mario kart. Major stars = You can't beat the $1 PBR drafts. Could have been a five star if they would have put the guy with the dog in check. I love the fact that it's do friendly but man you can't be throwing tennis balls all over the place and hitting people and hitting beerss read more

Great place to hang out, shoot some darts, play pool. Beer prices are unmatched, nothing is that cheap in the city. Not too much to say other than, you want a nice bar to hang out, give Goldies a shot. read more

Horrible Bartender.. They have specials but he didn't even tell me about them? Nice job-- then charged $10 for a Domestic and a shitty shot of JAMO?? Are you guys trying to be like Rockit? Never be back read more

DR. MARIO + $1 PBRs = ??? Just your average night at Goldies. I actually like myself a little too much to subject my body to PBR drafts and opt for (obscenely priced by comparison) $3.50 Coors Light bottles instead. That said, while I may not partake in the special, I appreciate the fact that it's there. In addition to great beer prices, Goldies also offers pool, darts, and old-school video games like Dr. Mario, Tetris, and RC Pro-Am on a TV above the bar so everyone can critique your technique or lack thereof. read more

I had a great time at Goldies. I wasn't drinking at the time - but that doesnt mean you can't have a good time at a bar when you have good people around. The drink specials were ridiculously cheap! There is a pool table - and its open enough so you don't feel so cramped in the small area that the bar seems to have. Will go back for great drink deals in the future! read more

My favorite bar in the city. No high class cocktails. No all black-clad bouncers with ear pieces. No orange glow-tan bimbos. No dudes of the vertical-striped-shirt-open-with-a-wife-beater-underneath-and-sideways-cubs-hats variety. Cheap beer for those who want it. A great, standard liquor and non-PBR beer selection for those who want something else (but really, who wants that?). Free darts and free pool (but watch out, APA runs league games here some days during the week...and those guys mean business). No one else come here though....I want it to be all mine. Seriously....the place smells like farts....don't come.... read more

Goldie's at its best may be the best bar on the face of the planet. There is no cage to dance in, there is no club music, seating is limited, and it is my favorite bar in the world (so far). Some key selling points: $1 PBR, every night. $4 PBR Pitchers, every night, Oldschool Pacman machine, free SNES, darts, a bartender that looks like Keefer Sutherland, you can order in food; the list goes on. read more

I adore little hole in the wall bars. For me, Goldies might just take the cake. The idea of watching random movies on the big screen while hanging out with friends is entirely too appealing to me. I love the darts and pool, not to mention the NASCAR pinball and--the best part--PBR for $1. I must also mention the exposed brick walls, which is a part of Chicago I just love. Looking for a relaxed evening? Goldies is, most certainly, THE place to relax. read more

Nice little neighborhood bar with a decent selection and moderately priced seasonal specials. There's a pool table + several large TVs for the sports lovers. There were a few board games including Trivial Pursuit available for bar-goers to play... read more

Goldies Pub - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

As everyone else has mentioned... $1 PBR's. Arron is funny... and if you don't think he is, then you're obviously an idiot. Ask him about the best love note he ever received, I bet you get a smile from him. Did I mention Aaron has a killer smile? Awesome f'n bar. If you're lucky you'll find my girlfriends and I ponied up to the bar this summer. read more

A UCF Bar! Being from Orlando, that is quite a unique experience. Goldie's is a great great bar to chill at, and keep in mind $1 PBR drafts are just as good as any lower quality draft. They have darts, pool tables, and video games. Service is quick and never gets insanely crowded. People are also down to earth. read more

I like Goldie's. Nothing pretentious, board games, TVs, jukebox, good draft beers and $1 PBRs. This last visit was especially noteworthy because one of the other customers had their Boston Terrier in the place and he was running around on the bar...on top of the bar. I, being a dog lover, loved it. It helps that the pooch was adorable, friendly and didn't try to drink my beer. Jason,the bartender, was especially awesome. He offered to let me taste the beers (perhaps the fact that I wasn't there for the $1 PBRs made me a novel customer?) and had great background knowledge of each of the ones on draft. We made the rounds with Revolution's Anti-Hero IPA and Bottom Up Wit, then it was on to the Breckenridge Christmas Ale. Unfortunately they were out of Dragon's Milk Ale (one of my favorites) but hey...nobody's perfect. I feel like I drank some other beers too but then again I was about 6-7 in at this point so I probably forgot. Interesting range of clientele that was good - unpretentious. Ordered pizza from across the street...overall Good Night! read more

4 Dollar pitchers of PBR+ darts+ pool+= Fun night out with friends Totally low key, perfect place to hang out with friends and drink some good cheap beer while playing some traditional bar games. read more

It was a mistake that we ended up here early last Saturday evening, but I'm glad we ventured in. After a cabbie misunderstood, "Go straight down Lincoln to the Brownstone" ,and for some reason I cannot possibly fathom, "Habib" took us east on Lawrence, and then on Damen, and after I instructed him he was taking us for a "joy-ride" that I adamantly would deny to pay for, we ended up on the corner---A $5 bill later (my negotiated rate) we enter 'Goldies." I will admit, needing a drink after this 15 minute out of the way venture, the $1 PBR sign was a godsend:) Upon entering, we were greeted by Craig (bartender / owner?), who was cool and very personable. Nevertheless, this really is not a dive-bar. Nice decor, tv's, good drink specials, pool tables, and free darts. What else do you want for a small, non pretentious bar? No food---but, it was a great place to grab a few drinks and watch the first half of the Bulls game. read more

Goldies is my favorite bar in Chicago. It's got it all. Huge hi def projector, several screens to watch whatever you want. Juke Box, Pool Table, Table Top Pac Man, Dart Boards, Board Games, The absolute hands down best drink special in Illinois ($1 PBR 16OZ - 365). Put on your party hat and catch your favorite sports game on the big screen - order out food to eat while you drink, or just wait for the Tamales guy for a hot and cheap fare. Pools games are easy to come by but usually not too crowded. The horse hair dart boards - replaced regularly - rule. Listen to your favorite tunes on the Juke Box, or sit back and relax to the musical selections of the bartenders - which are most adequate. Classic Rock, Reggae, Funk/Soul, Metal, etc., etc. I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't spend a good portion of my week in front of their super nintendo. With the "radio" controllers you can play from anywhere in the bar - line of sight doesn't matter. Have fun and keep the beer flowing. Oh, and tips ARE appreciated. read more

I love dive bars. Love. But there's just something about this place, and I can't put my finger on it, that I don't love. I've been here a couple times now, hoping that perhaps circumstances or company would change my opinion of it... but it didn't. It has all my favorite elements of any good dive bar - cheap drinks (that AREN'T the famous $1 PBR), jukebox, pool, darts, etc... but I think the positioning of the pool table and darts is kind of awkward. All I want to do is go to the other side of the bar or use the restroom, and I have to worry I'll get a dart to the head or a pool stick in my pancreas. I'm almost certain I'll be back here since many friends love it, but it certainly isn't at the top of my list for a night out. read more

My friend and stumbled upon this place on one of our bike pub crawls, in which we look for cool and somewhat off the beaten path bars to frequent. As we rode past it, something about the awning with just a martini glass called out to me. As did the giant sign outside with "$1 Pabst Pints". As I entered, I was surrounded by the dulcet tones of The Black Keys, dogs playing fetch in the bar and old Kung Fu movies playing on the big screen in the back. Childhood memories rushed back as two people handed off nintendo controllers, and I watched in silent protest as nobody picked Donatello while they played "Turtles in Time". A man who looked remarkably like a Lost Boy's era Keifer Sutherland got me a PBR and with my first sip, I knew I was home. Cheap beer, awesome bartender, old school nintendo games, darts, pool and a jukebox. What more could you want? read more

This place is fucking awesome .Let's begin: -$1 beers everyday of the week -Free dart board everyday of the week -Super Nintendo at the Bar (I saw Donkey Kong Go Carts!!) -Non-douche bag crowd -2 blocks from my apartment This is the ultimate neighborhood bar. It is great in every sense of the word, and has EXCELLENT deals on beers, and if you can believe it, even has Guiness Stout on draft. I was thoroughly impressed. It really depends on what type of person you are, and I think this place really sums up what type of person I am... I"ll leave that for you to figure out. Next time you're in North Center, you gotta check it out. Bring a few friends and relax, enjoy the chill atmosphere, and enjoy a beer while playing your favorite Super Nintendo classic (Killer Instinct, Donkey Kong, Super Mario II, Zelda, Street Fighter II Turbo, etc. etc.) read more

I have been hearing about Goldies Bar for some time and I finally made it out there. I enjoyed this small place where PBR is at a very good price. The price makes me happy. When I was there didn't see too many hipsters, but it was packed which was fun. The games are cool, but the darts aren't that great and neither are the bathrooms. That being said, I had a great time and even walked away with a new number in my phone. I'll be seeing you again sometime soon Goldies. read more

I was glad to see that Goldies is already killin' it on yelp, because somehow, it manages to maintain a dive bar atmosphere even though it is way more that that. It has everything I need: pool table, darts, a few tables, good beer on tap, oh and board games too. The regular bartender is awesome and always excited to tell us about the new beers he has on tap. He's great. read more