Milwaukee Avenue is such a treasure trove of places to eat, drink and shop. My love and I were about to head somewhere else along Milwaukee Avenue when we literally happened to spot Navigator Taproom and decided to try it out. Navigator Taproom is a place where you pour your own beer and are charged by the ounce, so be careful! There are over 50 taps to choose from, so there's quite a variety of beers, ciders, and even wines that will appeal to just about all tastes. Between the two of us, I think we tried out seven different beers and ciders, and I'd say we enjoyed every ounce that we poured. Paper Plane Pizza is part of the establishment, though we did not eat anything. Definitely give Navigator Taproom if you're in the area. read more

Great idea, reasonably priced, extra value at Happy Hour and extremely economical with a Groupon. A true Choose Your Adventure drinking experience. Pay by the amount YOU or from the taps. Besides beer, seltzer, and kombucha, there are several wines and cocktails. Local, international, craft and classic brews all labeled by style. While detailed descriptions may be lacking, tasting an ounce for a few cents isn't a big commitment. They are also low and no alcohol selections. There's currently a pizza pop up providing food. Hostess was super helpful. There are a few outside tables as well. Good music. And games. Something for anyone and everyone. Will return. read more

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Overall nice space. I really like how the tap wall is set up and how you self-serve. A bit loud, but that's probably because there was another event happening at the same time. read more

I come very infrequently and was impressed by the beverage selection and service during my most recent visit for the most part. My only turn off was the large amount of glasses that weren't properly cleaned. So many of the glasses (mainly wine and cocktail ones) had lipstick and other noticeable debris still all over the top. It wasn't just one or two, there was over a dozen like this. I had better luck with the beer glasses, but some of those were pretty dirty as well. Outside of this, I thought that their happy hour deals were really good and I like that they have pizza available (as of April 2025). read more

Tim, the owner is absolutely amazing! He goes above and beyond to make sure you are taken care of! This was my second time coming here with a big group and it was an absolute blast! Bekah also goes above and beyond to make sure we are taken care of as well. I will for sure be going back and I highly recommend coming here for a party! Oh and the pizza place there is pretty good! read more

I've been wanting to come here for a while as well. I usually do breweries but since I ate dinner across the street, decided it would be a great time to finally check this place out. The staff here was great. Very friendly and welcoming. The beer selection was great and they even have wine and pre made cocktails. My only issue, and it's totally not on them, was the vibe. It was pretty dead for a Friday night. The bar across the street was packed! Just wish the ambience was better, but if you want to chill and drink some beer in a quiet place then this is definitely for you. I can still see myself returning though. read more

Really chill during the afternoon. Lots and lots of options to choose from and probably the best system I've ever seen at similar bar set ups elsewhere. The free chips was just cool and I loved the board games they had. The service was friendly and it was decorated for Halloween which was fun. read more

Navigator Taproom - Taps - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great bar not super family friendly neither mens or women's bathroom had a changing table which made my experience not pleasant.

Navigator Taproom is a self-service taproom with a very good beer selection and a few wines and cocktails on tap. You're charged by the ounce you pour and the tablet by the tap shows the amount and price as you're pouring. It's a nice option, from time to time, for a change from the dime a dozen watering holes in the city. I was there fairly early and it was quiet so I can't speak to the overall ambience. read more

This is a fantastic spot to grab a quick drink and enjoy a selection of beer and wine, with a wide variety to satisfy any craving. I especially enjoyed the self-serve taps, where you control the pour and only pay for what you drink. read more

Groups of beer lovers will enjoy this taproom with selections from the local craft breweries. It's a fantastic way to sample beers from many different places. Navigator Taproom also is different than a normal bar because the customers pour it themselves. Allows one to get as much as they feel. The prices vary but mostly are okay. A place similar is District Brew Works, but that's different because that's a collection of small breweries. It's different here because there's both local and national beers to choose from. The local breweries mostly have their own tap rooms, but you can also pour a beer here. Beers rotate so come back often to see what they have. It's about 50 cents an ounce. Be careful because it adds up fast. Last time I met a few people here and we tried some of what's on tap. Always a ton of good local choices. Pipeworks is one of the breweries that doesn't have a taproom, but here you can pour some. Available was the Mosaic On Repeat, which is an IPA New England Hazy. There's also usually a few selections from Lagunitas, which isn't totally a local beer, and Maplewood. Fun times with beers and games. It doesn't have any food, but you can bring some in. They also have activity nights like trivia. read more

Navigator Taproom - The Pipeworks Mosaic On Repeat - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This tap room is really nice . Some friends from my kickball team used to come to this bar all the time and so they were very familiar with the setup. This was my 1st time coming to this tap room even though I have passed by it on Milwaukee several times. We had a reservation for a table as we had decided to host our friendsgiving event at the bar. That was really sweet of them to allow us to do that because we were able to bring enjoy the beer and just enjoy the beer wine at the tap room and hang out openly. In general there is no food at this bar but they do allow you to order from restaurants and have it delivered to the bar. There are several restaurants really close by so it would be easy to either pick take out and bring it with you or have it delivered. The bar was nice enough to have some free chips and pretzels to grab. I thought that was pretty nice in case you didn't eat or need it just to dry your mouth out a little bit. On to the fun stuff, this is a self serve bar option but they also have a full service bar. However the concept is pretty cool because you get a card that's attached to your credit card and you take your card and go put your a card on the scanner and go pour an ounce or more wine, beer, or cocktails. So say for instance you wanted to try a beer but you didn't necessarily want to get a whole 12 oz pour you could try one oz. If you like 1 oz taste it and then get more. They had a pretty good awesome selection of both beers and wine. I started off with wine and then headed to have a few beers towards the end. The the price point for the wine I got was $1.50 per ounce which is kind of pricey but thought wine was quality. *they do have cheaper wine per ounce. The price point for the beer started at 30 cents per ounce and went up from there there was 2 different .30 cents per ounce beers which wasn't bad. They also had some really cool ciders and cbd infused beers. I would definitely go back. However I probably would just stick to the beer since you can't buy the wine by the bottle. Clearly I like to pour 8 to 10 oz pores per glass which gets really pricey really fast. On the other hand if I was pouring the 30 cents beer then each beer was turned out to be about 4 bucks. Definitely would cost more if you were buying more of a high end beer but the nice part about this restaurant is that you can try it before committing to a beer pint. I noticed that this tap room does offer growler service. You could purchase your growler from them or bring yours with you. I always like having that option if you find the craft beer that you like. you can just take it home and enjoy the 64 oz with your family. This place is very clean but also has a homey-feel, as you could play games that they have. I could also see myself just coming and reading a book enjoying a glass of wine and sitting on the couch. Tip: $2 mystery shot was fun. Grabbed a dozen for my group. read more

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It's fun to try once then you realize .65 / oz is a $10.40 pint of beer. Plus by pour your own they provide less jobs. I'd go back more if they had neighborhood standard prices. You can get the same pint down the street for $6 or $7. Not really rare options or something. The untapped menu where you can check in is cool. Staff have been friendly. read more

Navigator Taproom - Tap wall - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is by far the best of the "pour your own beer" places I've ever been. The people who work there are all great and friendly too. Been doing trivia here on Wednesdays and it's great! read more

For the second year, an organization that I'm part of has hosted a comedy fundraiser at Navigator. The Navigator staff are always beyond friendly, flexible, and generous. The space is clean and spacious. The self service taps are perfect to allow guests to try small amounts of a variety of drinks. So glad to have this spot in the neighborhood! read more

Obsessed. I've been to an innumerable of pour-your-own beer spots (that's a lie...it's been about 6) and Navigator Taproom in Logan Square is my favorite of all! First things first, it's Bring Your Own Food and Serai is right across the street. That's a no-brainer. They have 48 taps and aside from 8 for wine & a couple for crap beers (Stella & Old Style when I was there), their beer selection is way better than most of the Pour Your Own spots around town. I'm a certified @HungryBeerChick (just ask my instagram handle) and I was trying new-to-me brew, after new brew. That's a true rarity when I am at beer bars. The atmosphere is super chill here. I love that it's not some dark, dreary place like similar bars but rather has huge windows & is incredibly welcoming with tables at various heights and sizes. The staff is just as welcoming, greeting everyone friendly as they enter & helping explain the entire concept to them. I got the most thorough explanation at a pour-your-own spot ever. Bonus: They have a ton of games you can play while hanging out here. Another very unique thing about Navigator is they have an actual bar in addition to all the tapped items. So fear not coming with non-beer lovers! Though you probably should defriend them for being ridiculous and not enjoying the best liquid on the planet...if you must stay associated with them, they can have their fruity, tutty, margarita-uti. So in love with Navigator Taproom and will be back soon for more beers! Plus Trivia Night!!! read more

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I've held two parties at Navigator Taproom: one for a large party of 30+ and another for a small party of 8. Both times, the team has been amazing. I reserved in advance, and Tim, the owner, was so quick to respond, and so kind. It's an awesome, chill place to host gatherings! They make it so easy for people to keep track of their own tabs with their card system, and as someone who can't drink that much beer, it's so nice being able to pour the precise amount you want for yourself. They've got a diverse selection (and a bar with hard liquor for those who want it), and I looooove that you can bring your own food! Highly recommend! read more

New favorite spot. BYO food is a plus! Came and sat inside- was nearly empty around happy hour time which was (for me) delightful. Lots of tap variety, not too heavy reliance on one beer style over another which I appreciated. They even have some wine for your friends who just can't get down with beer! More or less neutral aesthetic, metal chairs not as cozy as they could be. But I find myself wanting to come back again ASAP. Chill vibe with TVs and solid playlist. The experience that is what you make it- I like that about this spot and I can't recommended it highly enough. read more

Have loved watching this business grow from a humble dream to what it is today. Innovative ideas to benefit both the beer and wine connoisseur with a bar thrown in to boot. They even let you bring your own food. EXCELLENT! And if you don't bring food, the Thai place across the road will bring some in for you. It has a great sense of community and encourages time spent with friends over a drink we love. I even see people bringing their own board games. Get yourself in. Relax. Chill. Great competitions and trivia. read more

Navigator Taproom - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Really cool concept - like the Yogurtland/Menchie's of beer; Navigator is self-serve and pay by oz! This was my first time at a self-serve beer bar! It's great for folks like me who typically gravitate towards flights but at Navigator, I'm not limited to 4 or 5! Also, the tech experience is kind of cool. You swap your CC for a Dave & Busters'-like game card and then you tap your card & pour! They also have different glasses for their different beers. I wish that they had some kind of guide for which glass to use though! I'm not that beer savvy yet! As most reviews have mentioned, they don't serve food so they allow you to deliver in food, which is awesome! read more

If I could give Navigator Taproom 10 stars, I would. I emailed them to make a reservation for 14 people and Timothy was so incredibly lovely when I needed to make adjustments to the time and guest list. There was no run around with a deposit, no minimums, and no long and arduous process to get a table booked. When I arrived on the day of the reservation, the table was labeled with my name and the lovely hostess cleaned the table off for us before we sat down. Everyone was patient with all of my guests that had never been to the taproom and no one was hovering over our table. They have an incredible drink selection, although there weren't many alcohol free options that I could see - that doesn't mean they don't have them, I just didn't ask. I was comfortable with the CBD cider, but Tim's email did say they had a larger selection, so this place is great even if you're not drinking. I even was able to order food to the taproom. So long as you clean up after yourself, they don't mind. The only rule? No glitter. Not a problem at all. Bonus: they have trivia on Tuesdays and it's incredible. I'll be back for sure! read more

Tim was the best. Robert was also amazing. His beard was amazing. The service was great. The tap list, bomb (there will be no survivors). We absolutely had an great first time. Definitely coming back. Loved it. Amazing!!! Say anything else we'll defend Tim and you can go eff yourself! The place has lots of boards games, enough tv screens, bring your own food, good music, and a friendly helpful staff. Can't believe we haven't been to this gem of a place. Great concept and so many good choices. read more

Navigator Taproom - Tim giving stephany his shirt for giving him crap for drinking ipas - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

LOVE this place! And not only because I am a huge craft beer fan, but it is also because the concept is simply amazing. Thanks to their PourMyBeer self-serve technology, you can try anything you want in whichever quantity you want, because everything is priced per ounce. You see the price of beverages on the touchscreen above the taps (and you are also seeing how much you are spending every time you pour). Besides the price, it has other information about the drink such as ABV, where the drink is made etc. It is awesome because you are never stuck with a full glass of something you don't like! On top of that, PourMyBeer technology concept completely eliminates the lines! NO LINES even when it is busy! Besides tons of delicious and mainly local & craft beers, they also have a good variety of wines and even sake and kombucha! In addition to that, they have a full-fledged bar for those that want to do some hard liquor. Watch out for Malort special! Yuck! Btw. Navigator is BYOF = Bring Your Own Food (or order in). I definitely recommend Serai, it is Malaysian restaurant literally right across the street and their food is heavenly! (Lots of great vegetarian options) Totally recommend visiting! If you are new to self-serve, here is a video from Navigator on how it works - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slNhQxwCSL8, the cool guy behind the counter in the video is the owner of Navigator - Tim, super awesome guy and if you run into him, while you are in, you will be able to tell he runs this place with his heart! Cheers! read more

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This place was great for a group that wants different beers, ciders and wine. The vibe is very chill. There is a row of different beers, ciders, and wine along the back with different cups. You put the card they give you up on which alcohol beverage you want and then just pour. The price is depending on how many ounces you pour. The place also has many board games, lifesize jenga etc. It's a great way to try different beers and enjoy the games and snacks. read more

Tim, Ben and Bekah at the Navigator make hosting an event incredibly easy! We were able to reserve tables ahead of time and create a fun environment for our guests. Navigator Taproom is a wonderful place to gather with friends and enjoy an evening of beer and fun! read more

Fun and casual night? I'm down! This place is SO fun and has such a cool concept. The concept: self serve type of tap room. With soo many choices of beer, cider, and wine. You get a card and pay by the ounce. At the end, you check out and pay whatever you spent. If you don't like any of the choices there's also a bar with spirits and hard liquor. They have $4 jack and cokes!! Plus Moscow mules! There's games for people to play such as Jenga, Connect 4, what the meme and all kinds of board games. It's fun to come with a big group, but I suggest making reservations. Things can get real crowded. They have the bring your own food rule, so people literally bring boxes of pizza and all kinds of food. I believe they also have their own menu but we opted out to bring our own food. Definitely a fun way to hang out with friends and have a good time. It is also very affordable! They also play pretty good music!! Staff is amazing and will patiently explain the concept to people. Will definitely be coming back!! read more

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We've gone to a bar similar to this setup before. You walk in, put a card on file and they give a charge card, you fill up glasses with beer/wine on tap and cash out at the end. The beer selection was great! Happened to stumble upon trivia night last night (Wednesday). Def recommend. read more

Navigator Taproom - Wittbier - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The GOOD: friendly staff, self help bars are a cool concept, wide selection of beer, pour as much and as little as you want, everchanging taps, wide selection of beer, some wine and cider!, boardgames!, free popcorn!, shots and mixed drinks available at the side bar, energetic atmosphere, BRING YOUR OWN FOOD! :) THE BAD: smaller bathrooms THE UGLY: hide your credit card because this place is addicting and fun! read more

What an amazing concept!!! Love the self- serve taps of beer, ciders, stouts, sours and even wine! It was great to stand there and sample as much as i wanted in order to make my choice. We ordered pizza for delivery and it was a great night! They have games, played Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em... will definitely be back!!! read more

Navigator Taproom - Such a great self-serve tap room!!! - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We love Nav! In addition to a plethora of delicious beers (and wine and kombucha and hard seltzer and cocktails), they just have the best vibe and best service! This past weekend we had a casual shindig for my friend's 40th birthday and it could not have gone better. Tim (the owner) was so easy to work with and let us reserve space in the tent. He also let us decorate as much as we wanted, bring in outside food, and, by request, play only 90's jams!!! Ben, the manager on staff, was so, so nice as well and really made the day special. He helped us hang decorations, cut our pizza that arrived uncut, and was just overall such a joy. We told him he has 6 new late-thirty-something BFFs Can't wait to come back and enjoy summer beers on tap! Thanks Navigator for such a great experience! read more

Navigator Taproom - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ambiance: casual Food: BYO food Service: 5/5 I LOVE bars where you can pay for the amount that you drink. Think of beer as froyo style where you can sample everything but you don't have to commit unless you want to. My friend recommended that we go here on a Saturday night and I was stoked! We were a pretty large party so I went ahead and made reservations on Resy (super easy btw). When you walk in, you're greeted immediately and once you're ready there were workers ready to explain their process. 1) get a glass 2) put your card up 3) pour to your heart's desire 4) repeat with new glass 5) pay when you're done and feel satisfied. I really liked that they also had complimentary pretzels and popcorn. It was also super awesome that you can bring OUTSIDE food AND they had board games. My only word of caution is the beers are lined up from weakest to strongest, not by price. Some of the beers mixed in are way more expensive than others! read more

Navigator Taproom - Beer Bar Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's a fun place to visit and to try a lot of different things. Personally, though, I'd rather go to a regular taproom and get a few sips on the house to help choose what I want in a full glass. Literally a sip or two was like $1.00. If you're like me and want to try everything, you're down $20 already not including tax and (whatever tip we're supposed to leave for a tip when there's literally no bartender or anyone serving you... why did I even feel obligated to tip at all?) I mean, tips are for service, besides being greeted when I was in front of the tappers and being told goodbye when I left, there really wasn't much "service". There was one beer that I really liked, the Astronaut Eye Scream. The best of the bunch! But, way too much of a rip off in terms of cost. Better options out there IMO. As long as people are willing to throw away extra $$$$, though, can't blame a business for being willing to take people's money. read more

Great place with tons of interesting beer and cider choices. Love to try a bunch of different things, and this is the perfect place. Also a chill atmosphere inside, perfect for hanging out with friends. Staff is super nice and helpful as well. read more

I love this bar! It's super fun and casual where you seat yourself and pour your own beers in whatever amount or glass or combination you like. It's perfect for me who can't commit and enjoys tasting small amounts. I love coming hear with my boyfriend during waits for Wasabi Ramen, getting a quick drink in or chug before we have to run back over to claim our place in line. There are also plenty of party games and others to play, making the environment an extra plus! Something fun is that they rotate their drink selections pretty frequently, so you always get to try something new! read more

Navigator Taproom hosted our company holiday party and it was everything we could have asked for and more. Ben was the most accommodating, most friendly, most patient person and his staff was just as awesome. What a great space... tons of drinks (beer, wine, cocktails, N/A options) on tap, tons of board games, great music, great people. Big shoutout to Navigator for letting us crash and for making our holiday shindig epic! Cheers! read more

Navigator Taproom is an extremely cool concept that allows you to try a huge variety of beer and hang out in a pretty cool environment. As you enter, you temporarily trade your credit card for a taproom card that enables you to walk over to their wall and pour yourself a large selection of beers and a smaller selection of wines. While they also have a bar with liquor and other spirits in the far corner, no one in our group tried this option. The touch screens at the taps do a great job in providing detailed descriptions of the beers and the price is listed by the ounce, which makes it super convenient to try as many beers as you want without committing to a whole beer. So if you're unsure if you'll like a sour - you can literally try all of them without feeling like a jerk to ask for too many tastes from the bartender. I will say that the prices are a bit expensive, but I think because you can give yourself a partial pour and have significant variety, this should be expected. This place also has a healthy collection of board games and card games that you and your group can play making it a cool place to spend a day. Without having to worry about servers, you can just grab beers at your leisure. Additionally, the servers walked over providing complimentary bar snacks from pretzels to chips that make this place even cooler. For food - the bar has an agreement with the restaurant across the street so you have some access to heavier food, although my group didn't try the food, so I can't comment on its quality. The ambiance is definitely nice and clean as it's new and features a few different seating types, unique lighting, and an open floor plan. It might even be too clean and open as it doesn't always feel cosy as some other board game bars are able to achieve. Bottom line, navigator taproom I fully expect to a popular destination for many because of the unique approach to serving beers and wine, friendly service, and cool place to spend quite some time playing games and talking. read more

Highly recommend Navigator Taproom for parties. I attended a birthday party there in the spring and the hosts had nothing but great things to say about staff and venue so I decided to have my husbands party there as well. For $50 (which was given back to me as a loaded card to use the night of the party), the Navigator Taproom reserved for my party of 20, two long tables for then entire evening. Booking space was incredibly easy (via email) and the bar associate I worked with was super nice and helpful. They had everything set up when we got there, greeted us right away, and even offered my husband and I free birthday shots! They don't have food at Navigator which is fine because they let you bring in pretty much whatever you want to serve. Obviously they have plenty of drink options (beer, wine, cocktails) which is on guests to pay for. They also have fun games to play while you're drinking (Operation is much harder after a few drinks!). Navigator Taproom was awesome. I'd go back and definitely recommend for parties. read more

Let your desire for a good time navigate you to Navigator Taproom ! Whenever we need a relaxed space to hang out and have a few drinks and maybe play a few games, this is our spot. Navigator Taproom offers not only beer, but wine and cider on tap in addition to a full service bar. The service is always awesome! They also have some patio space; perfect for the warmer weather! read more

This was a really fun experience. I cannot say I have ever been in a bar quite like it. It was an activity! Beyond the great selection, you can adjust your portions to sample many. It was so much fun to try different types of beer. And the selection is beyond anything I have ever seen. The way the business is modeled allows a person to take samples and then a full glass of your favorite! It was a blast! read more

My family held a surprise engagement party here and we had the best time. The set up was perfect for what we needed. Staff was so accommodating and friendly. The beer selections and mixed drinks on tap were amazing. We will certainly be back! read more