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    L & L Tavern

    3.7 (206 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican, Dive Bars
    Open 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    L & L Tavern Photos

    L & L TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Classy
    Juke Box

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    Recommended Reviews - L & L Tavern

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    understated men's room mirror
    Nick C.

    simply the best at what they do. It's fun watching them turn away wayward cubbies on game day. no dive tribute bar, no sir.

    They do serve authentic Chicago River if you're thirsty
    Richard T.

    We went to this bar this past weekend and it was fantastic. I wish sober me would remember the names of people that drunk me meets so I could give special recognition to the bartender. Beautiful lady, great personality and just hands down a great establishment. Unfortunately they are a cash only bar and when I go out, I intentionally try not to take my atm card but thankfully on this night I was able to withdraw money. I look forward to returning to this place, it's conveniently located near the Belmont red line stop. And next time I will take more pictures

    Paddy's
    Steve A.

    Have you ever went past this bar and thought it was a bit creepy. If you have then you aren't the only one, because they even admit it. L & L Tavern claims to be the creepiest bar in the country, and looking at the inside makes it easy to see why. Even in the middle of the day it's dark in here. The strange but interesting decorations on the wall make this a dive bar at its "finest" if you can say that. A lot of history about this creepy ass bar. It's been around for a long time. This used to be another bar and was a hangout in the punk scene in the 1970s or whenever. It looks like it hasn't changed a lot. The area around Belmont and Clark has gentrified, but not this. Bar stools are cracking and holes are patched up with band stickers. There's funny decor on the walls. A Nativity scene of Joseph and Mary holding PBRs. The tap selection isn't that impressive, but there's lots of bottles and cans though. It's about $6 for a cocktail. There's plenty of cheaper liquors. Bathrooms are interesting. They're covered in graffiti and other stuff. Cool old classics on the jukebox. It's also the kind of bar that's cash only. This is a good place to go if you want to know what it was like in a divey ass bar way back whenever.

    S B.

    It really is a dive bar. I don't think I saw one chair that wasn't on the final day of life. It's dark, sticky, and cash only. The windows were dirty, the paint was peeling, and the customer service matched the environment..... Being in the same bar as two previous dudes (who did some real bad things) was a weird feeling, but tbh, I could see why they went there. It was cool to drink a beer in such a historical Chicago place!

    I wondered briefly whether the ghost I was seeking was beaming himself in through the light at the top, but I think it's a heat pipe.
    Suzanne E.

    I was introduced to this bar in the 1990s by a brilliant and charismatic Irish actor who haunted it when he was alive--he was working with a small theater around the corner--and who I wish would haunt it now; it hasn't changed at all and his spirit would fit right in. I was too busy communing with my memories and staring into my glass of Jameson's to talk to anyone, but the conversation at the bar, on which I was not too busy to eavesdrop, was down to earth and interesting. If I lived anywhere nearby I'd move my home office (basically a laptop) into a corner of this place and hang out for hours. Additional points for asking for proof of vaccination. As for allegations of less than fanatical cleanliness, clearly those people haven't had dinner at some of my friends' apartments.

    Say no more!!! Pictures don't lie and the prices don't either! Hidden gem in Chicago! Charles Mansion would approve.
    Andy C.

    Say no more! From the prices to the people, it's truly a hidden gem in Chicago! Charles Manson would approve!

    Malort all around.
    Elise K.

    Wow-eee.... another of Chicago's finest dive bars. If dark and decrepit is your idea of fun, you'll surely enjoy L&L. They serve Malort which excites my boyfriend and is the reason we've been on drunken occasion. It is really not all that bad, just definitely not my scene. At least the bathroom (women's) is clean!

    Elizabeth F.

    I love to hide away in a bar, relatively un-noticed & left to my own devices & drink. L and L Tavern is perfectly tucked away at the famous intersection of Clark & Belmont. The tavern is tiny, dark, & all music (classic punk, classic rock & good ol' grunge...) come from the FREE juke box. Let the good tunes roll... for free. So fun. The bartenders are quick with the drinks & generous with the pours. The front-door person even made a point to tell me to, "Wait to leave ," until a few regulars had left (apparently these regulars are "friendly" with the ladies...) so I felt looked after even though I was left to enjoy my drinks & my tunes. I do not usually venture out of my neighborhood for a night out at a good tavern, but L and L will be an exception for me. Not crowded, great service & drinks... the kind of night out that definitely required a cab ride home.

    Old Style sign.  Awesome!

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    2 years ago

    I had a beer here and it cursed my bloodline for 7 generations. Highly recommend! Vibes immaculate.

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    4 years ago

    My favorite bar in Chicago, maybe the world. It's a total dive with an excellent jukebox and chairs held together with stickers.

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    11 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Great place, fun yet chill, and open late! Bartender tonight was awesome! DEF will come back!!!

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    4 years ago

    One of the Beat Dive Bars I've ever been in. Great bartender, drink prices and June box. This is a must when in Chicago.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - L & L Tavern

    Review Highlights - L & L Tavern

    One of the best jukeboxes left in Chicago - everything from Springsteen to CCR to the Lawrence Arms.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Gman Tavern  - Party central

    Gman Tavern

    4.1(209 reviews)
    0.8 miLakeview
    $$

    I have traveled the world looking for the best bar ambiance - Japan, Mexico, Iceland, Denmark,…read moreCanada, Italy, Poland. Gman Tavern is the best I've ever been to, and especially with Matilda!

    Only giving two stars because of the lovely bartender that served us (didn't catch their name)…read more There was however, another bartender (blonde) that seemed to have some issue with my friend and I being in the bar. We came in around 1:15am, thinking this would be a cool bar to end the night. The first bartender informed us that last call was approaching. We only wanted one round, so we immediately closed out after ordering. That bartender was very attentive and pleasant during the entire transaction. At 1:50am, the other bartender (who wasn't even serving us/hadn't spoke to us) came over and said we needed to start chugging. Her words: "I'm not going to tell you to get the f* out, but you need to chug". She kept telling us we needed to chug, and I kindly told her I wasn't chugging anything because we already paid and I can literally just leave. She brought up the bar closing soon (we already heard the very loud announcement for last call). She proceeded to blame it on having a bad day. Mind you, someone next to me literally just came in, and was being served. She tried to back out of it and kept repeating we'll know when it's time to go. I'm not sure what kind of establishment this is, but she didn't say anything to anyone else but us, the only two Black women at the bar at the time. I don't understand why she felt like it was okay to direct her "bad day" at us, sitting there calmly with two half drunken beers, while there were plenty of other people still up and active at the bar. The behavior displayed, completely unacceptable.

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    4.2(193 reviews)
    1.3 miLakeview
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    Stopped in to this place that had the Arsenal game on and was just praying it wasn't a Cubs day--…read moreno offense to anybody! This bar was awesome-- bartender was a guy called Scott who said he'd newly started but actually knew his stuff and converted my "just the one" plan into "I've got to be done at four lagers". Ask him for the Irish jokes-- he beat me at them, had me impressed-- and that's saying something, my Irish joke repertoire is, frankly, formidable. If your an Arsenal or EPL fan or not, do yourself a favor and check this place out.

    Hit up this bar soon after we went to another. It's in an area on Ashland where there's lots of…read moredive bars with cheap drinks and interesting characters. Ten Cat Tavern is pretty divey while being pretty nice at the same time. Kind of has a quiet coolness to it. Lots of cheap drinks and some more expensive stuff as well. As for the drinks it's mostly basic. It's about $6 for a cocktail. The cheapest ones include some pretty cheap whiskey. Also they have cheap cans of PBR. Seems like most people here are drinking beer, and these mostly are in bottles and cans like how a dive bar should. Also has a couple pool tables that somehow fit. The bar is pretty small but the coziness makes it charming though. Pretty clean. The place is dim so it's hard to know for sure. Got to mention for those who couldn't tell by the name that it's also pet friendly. It's usually dogs in here ironically. There's also a jukebox with a good collection of songs, and a few TVs for watching games or things.

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    L & L Tavern - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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