Tapster is definitely for some people, just not for me. Pros: you can sample drinks before pouring yourself a full one, bring your own food, and play one of the many board games they have. Cons: it's pricy. Can't speak for the beers, but the cocktails are $2.75 per ounce. An aperol spritz is typically 7 oz, and if you pour that here it is $20 before tip. Speaking of, the folks working are friendly, but it does feel a little crazy to have suggested tip amounts of 18, 20, and 25% when all they do is charge your card and grab empty glasses. read more

This is the perfect spot to hang out for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. I got to try 10 different beers while I was here. The Salted Caramel Apple cider literally changed my life. read more

Great spot in Lincoln Park for a casual drink with friends or family. I had previously been to Tapster's other location but found out it is now closed. Their Lincoln Park location is smaller but just as good! I love the idea of connecting to a card and self pouring based on the cost per oz. One can select from beers, wines, cocktails, or non-alc drinks on the self taps and choosing how much you want: a full drink or taster. Beers cost about $6-8, wine around $12, cocktails a but more. They also serve $6 shot and $2 popcorn bowls. Tax and gratuity are built into the per oz cost as well. Their selection has local and larger brand beers. I got an espresso martini on tap which was delicious! There were tons of tv's playing sports games too. We loved our casual yet fun experience here and would certainly come back! read more

Really nice neighborhood bar, but super expensive. $20+ for a lowball cocktail pour and mandatory minimum 18% tip despite pouring your own drinks. It's a nice place, but it's gotten far too expensive to be worth it read more

I mean, the pour your own can be a little fun if it's a first time. But I'd call the drink prices for you doing your own work as mostly insane. They rely on nobody being able to calculate the per ounce price into a standard pint of beer. Once you do... yikes. $11 beer? $16 beer? There are some nice rotating selections here, but these are not crazy rare. They are just massively overpriced, even for Lincoln Park. As a beer lover, there were 2-3 options I found interesting (a wild ale from Beglye, a wine-barrel aged beer from Maplewood). But most were more standard fare. The hazy IPA, etc. There are other bars in Chicago I'd head to for craft beer selection. And you'd pay a reasonable price, and have it poured for you correctly. Would be one star, but making it 2 because the staff I interacted with were friendly and efficient, and the vibe is comfortable and standard. Byo food can be nice (we brought charcuterie). But the gauging beer prices cancel most of it for me. Not coming back voluntarily. read more

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What a fun little neighborhood bar! We were in town for a friend's birthday and she has reserved the room in the back for us. The atmosphere here is very warm and woody, but the outside patio is perfect for the summer! I love that this is a pay-by-the-oz, so you don't have to get a full drink if you don't want to. You start by checking in with a staff member to get a tapster card, then you use it to tap each drink tap to pour yourself a drink - then you check out at the end to charge your card. One suggestion I'd make is to switch the cards to something like wristbands (we have one in Minneapolis like this) - people in our party kept leaving/losing their cards. I gave this place only 4 stars because I didn't love the selection of drinks on tap. This place is definitely beer heavy, but I was hoping for some more variety. There was only one seltzer, and no sours. You could get hard drinks behind the bar which was nice. Overall, definitely a fun place to visit! read more

Tapster is such a cool concept! They offer all different types of beers (lagers, cider, sour) and then you serve yourself. Similar to an arcade you receive a plastic card when you first walk in and to turn the machines on you have to put the card in. As you fill your glass, the price goes up and you'll close out with the cashier at the end. I love this format because you can refill as you please. It also allows you to try a little of any beer you want. This spot is very chill with board games, jenga, and free popcorn! This is a great spot especially for groups, but really anyone. read more

Tapster Lincoln Park - Menu organized by type of beer. - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This was my first visit to the Lincoln Park location-- so cozy! I also love the wicker park location and the concept of being able to taste so many different things! This location so much smaller and more intimate. The lighting was low with some music playing-- overall such a great place to gather and catch up with friends or coworkers. Selection of drinks ranged from non alcoholic CBD lemonade (was very yummy!) to wine, all types of beer, and some wild card items like lychee lime hard kombucha. I appreciate the non alcoholic options so everyone can be included and comfortable. Can't forget to mention the free popcorn! One of my favorite things in a bar truthfully as i'm always snacking. Highly recommend for your next get together! read more

Tapster Lincoln Park - Any bar with popcorn is a YES from me! So many great options! - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have never left a review on yelp before but for Tapster I have to. Amazing staff. Great setup and ambiance. I love the serve yourself pay by the oz system as a craft beer enjoyer who likes to sample a lot of different things it makes it incredibly affordable. Their happy hour rates on domestics are also quite literally the best I have ever seen. 10/10 read more

I am extremely disappointed in the way staff members spoke to us while we were leaving Tapster. One of the workers aggressively made a comment towards one of my friends so we immediately walked outside. While we were outside said employee who made the comment walked towards another employee who came outside and told us to leave the property. At this point we were already on the sidewalk no longer inside. Sidewalks adjacent to public streets are public property managed by the city or local municipality, even if they run directly in front of a privately owned business. For us to be told to leave the property when we were already off the property is ridiculous. We did nothing wrong and were falsely accused of doing something we did not do. What happened was uncalled for, unprofessional and completely avoidable. No establishment should allow its employees to treat customers with hostility or make baseless accusations. read more

We love a good neighborhood bar. This place has unlimited options, free board games, and movie popcorn for only $2! The patio is redone, and this is a great place tucked away in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. 10/10 recommend. read more

Tapster Lincoln Park - Inside - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We love going to tapster! Always a great variety of beers. We especially love the sour and fruited selections. We had a fruited beer and a lemonade whiskey this time. Our favorite part are the games available. Highly recommend this as the end to your night. Also noteworthy: they allow you to bring food in! read more

Tapster Lincoln Park - Whiskey lemonade and fruited sour - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I will definitely be back. So how it works as you go in and you check in with the bartender and they give you a little card and they run your card for 20 bucks and then you can just pour as much beer as you want and you pay by the ounce. Plus, they have popcorn that you can pay I think a dollar for. It was a little treat on a Sunday to just have a beer and enjoy the patio. read more

Tapster Lincoln Park - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Just found out that Tapster is dog friendly so will definitely be returning with our dog! It's a smaller place, but there are several high tops to sit at if you're just drinking. Since it's bring your own food we ordered pizza and had a bit of a challenge eating it at the smaller tables. I love the idea of self service and they had some good options for everyone (wine, beer, cider) as well as big bowls of popcorn for just $2! The only thing that threw me off a bit was the express checkout that forced you to pay at minimum 18% tip when it's a self service place. read more

I freakin' love this spot. So fun for groups. We had a triple date hangout kinda Saturday night here, and it was a blast. I personally love serving myself as I enjoy the feeling. It's also nice to be able to get a drink the moment you want it without waiting or awkwardly flagging down a worker. Very reasonably priced in my opinion. Great TVs everywhere with fun places to sit both inside and out. Cool swinging benches inside by the giant Jenga. Awesome board games too if that's more your thing. Since they don't serve food, you can bring your own food or have a delivery person drop it off at the door. We got Nando's. Beer & chicken: what's not to love? Really great spot. Will be returning ASAP! read more

Fun concept. Attentive staff & service Loved variety of on tap options. Lots of tvs to watch sports! read more

I held off going for so long because I just assumed it'd be overpriced like some other serve-yourself bars. But I was so wrong and am sad I didn't go sooner! They give you a card that you use to activate individual taps as you pour beer into your own glass. It's a great beer selection with ~20 taps or so and the taps are generally organized by type of beer - so the IPAs are grouped together, the stouts grouped together, the weizens, etc. During COVID they fortunately opened up a back patio which is very Chicagoan - neighborhoody and local. Perfect for hanging out on an afternoon. They even just added delivery to your table from 5411 which is awesome! I keep stopping by on walks to try a half beer or two. Awesome spot! read more

Definitely give tapster a try. A great place to sample. Beers and other alcoholic beverages. A fun place to hang out. The low price popcorn is delicious and we sat and played cards for a bit and had a large variety of beverages and discovered some new things that we really really enjoy. That's the point of Tapster! Give it a try! read more

Staff very friendly and helpful. Great selection of beer and some wines. Was nice to try different drinks without committing to whole glass. Does get expensive if having to much fun though haha they have a great Yelp check in offer so worth trying!!! Nice outdoor patio with lots of fun games to chose from. Fun hangout too. Parking easy to find on street also! read more

Love this bar! The staff is always super friendly. They are dog friendly inside which is a huge plus.

Wow absolutely love this place, definitely dangerous though! You swap out your credit card for a Tapster card and it basically records how much you drink and you get charged at the end of the time. You can get a small sample of the drink before committing to it too, which is nice. They have the widest selection of beer, but also have a few wines and cocktails on tap. There are some non alcoholic options as well (kombucha!!) Plenty of places to sit, and their back room has a variety of board games and giant jenga. Definitely a nice place for a laidback night out, or even a date. The card does cut you off after a certain amount though, and you'd have to go to the counter (don't ask me how I know haha). I love the self service, no waiting at all. Check in for 15% off your bill! read more

I've never experienced this concept before, but I absolutely loved it. I have a feeling this style will become more and more popular. When you enter, you trade your credit card for a "Tapster Card" which you use as a credit card to swipe for your drinks. The taps are set up where a regular bar would be and it's self-serve. You can use your tapster card to sample any amount of any drink on tap and your tab racks up on your tapster card. When you're finished sampling, you bring your tapster card back to the front and pay for your tab using the card you left behind the bar. I sampled nearly half of the options on tap and it was very affordable. While sampling, they have a ton of classic games to play as well as life sized Jenga in the back room. Since they do not serve food, feel free to bring your own or order from a nearby restaurant! I'll be back soon! read more

Tapster Lincoln Park - Self-serve Tap - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tapster has the best happy hour deal in the city!!! Anthony was the most friendly and helpful staff member I have ever encountered -- he deserves a raise. Will absolutely be coming back! read more

I really enjoyed Tapster. We went on a Friday evening right before it got busy and were able to find a table for 6 of us. Once you're ready, you go to the register and give your credit or debit card over to the server and they had you a Tapster card while they hold on to your form of payment. From there, it's all up to you! Every tap station has a slot of the card and you place the card in the slot, which unlocks the taps, and you pour in your choice of glass until you've had the amount you want! They have a wide array of beers, some cocktails, and wine choices - all from taps! Dogs are allowed inside and you can bring in your own food, or get free delivery to Tapster from a great empanada spot. They have various games that you can bring to your table and even have some trivia or theme nights throughout the month. This is a great way to taste several different beers without breaking the bank but if you just wanna hang out and have beer with some friends, this can get pricey. read more

A M A Z I N G ! ! ! Seriously, one of the coolest spots to hang out with friends/family in Chicago. It has something on draft for everyone! - tons of beers! (Majority are craft and local! Yippee!!) - wine - cocktails - kombuchas (even boozy one!!) - sodas - cold brew Thanks to their PourMyBeer self-serving technology, you can try anything you want in whichever quantity you want, because everything is priced per ounce. You see the price of everything on the touchscreen above the taps (and you are also seeing how much you are spending everytime you pour). Besides the price, it has other information about the drink such as ABV, where the drink is made etc. It is truly 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. Couple things to keep in mind: - Tapster is BYOF = Bring Your Own Food (or order in) - it is dog-friendly! Bring your furry friends along! Totally recommend visiting! If you are new to self-serving, here is a cool and funny video made by the owner of Tapster explaining how it works youtube.com/watch?v=E2UV... ! Cheers! read more

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Really neat bar in Lincoln Park! People get a card and can pour your own beer based off a really great tap list. Bar also has board games people pick up can play. Really relaxed bar vibes. Would suggest to anyone read more

Really cool concept but very few non-alcoholic options. I understand it's mainly focused on beer and it wouldn't be fair to expect a huge number of NA drink choices, but before going there with friends this weekend I checked the website and it said they are committed to having non-alcoholic taps at all times so I was feeling hopeful. However, once I got there I was informed the only NA drink available was root beer. Better than nothing I suppose but with various types of wine and premixed cocktails in addition to beer, you'd think they could have at least one NA beer or seltzer or even kombucha. The concept of no bar or bartenders was unique and fun, but unfortunately that means you can't just go up to a bar and order a soda with lime or other go-to NA drink you can get at literally any bar. Again, I recognize this is a place that is obviously centered around alcohol and you can't expect the best NA options, but a big flaw of not having an actual bar or bartender is that you lose the few options you do have at a normal bar. Ideally you could go out with friends and be able to enjoy yourself without drinking alcohol anywhere, without having to drink 3 full-sugar sodas... I had a headache in the morning anyway! Hopefully as the world continues to become more sober-friendly Tapster considers adding at least one NA beer or seltzer to their lineup. read more

Tapster was the absolute perfect location for my graduation party. My friends and family could enjoy the beers they liked and many were able to bring in food to enjoy. That back room was so fun with games and enough room for us to spread out and talk. The staff was so friendly for the planning beforehand and while we were there. I absolutely cant wait to go back! read more

While this is self serve - the staff in hand are very helpful, accommodating & pleasant to deal with. Great room, fun board games & offers you the option to order food in- and lots of TV's to catch any game! read more

My favorite place to get casual drinks with my friends. They have great beer options that always hit and the popcorn is yummy (but $3 and $1 for refills :,( ) you can bring in food also!!! read more

The owner said I should of approached him when I came in I thought it should of been the other way around. Also I was the only colored person in there when I came. I was asked to leave because it was a private event but I was asked to come back. I wasn't there for the whole time so I don't know if others had got rejected. I also told him I was part of media. P.S. I called the wicker park location also in the afternoon a day prior and I couldn't leave a message. read more

Tapster Lincoln Park - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is awesome and love the ambiance! So easy to get your drinks and the service was great as well. I will for sure be back! read more

What a great place with friendly staff & amazing selection. Overall really great vibes.

Discovered this bar on a bar crawl and wish we could've spent more time here! The idea isn't new (you link your debit card to their card and swipe it on whatever beer tap you want) but it's still so fun! They even have cocktail and wine tappers that you can swipe! The only downsides are that the tables are all way too close together and they practically force you to tip between 18-25#m% because you have to put your card in their "express checkout" boxes on your way out. read more

This was such a fun place to hangout, try a bunch of different beers, and play some games with friends. They have a wall of beers on tap you can try. The interactive screen will tell you how much each pour costs. They have a variety of beers, as well as wine and cocktails. They said they are going to begin charging people a 10$ minimum on cc's soon. Cash has no minimum read more

Tapster Lincoln Park - Paperless receipts. 15% yelp check in discount - Pubs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tapster is a great bar with a cool concept if you are a beer lover. You receive a Tapster Card linked to your credit card and this is how you pay for your drinks. The station is self serving with 3 drinks per screen. Each option comes with a description and price per oz. There are a few wine and mixed drink options, including one CBD infused Kombucha drink. In order get your drink, you choose your glass, insert the card, and pull the handle. The screen gives you the oz poured and how much the drink costs as you are pouring. Very interesting concept and the beers are always changing for new options. The popcorn served is also great! A yummy snack to munch on while you are drinking with friends. Great for a laidback night or even a date. There were reservations for the back room for a private party, but I believe they still had to come to the main room to get their drinks, so just keep that in mind! read more

We had a group gathering at Tapster and it was great! The concept is fun and exciting to self serve your beer, and they have all different size cups so you can just get tasters of everything/essentially build your own flight which is what I did! We went on a Sunday and easily got a table for 7. The ambiance is great, the staff and other guests were friendly and helpful. I will definitely be coming back soon to this neighborhood spot! read more

Perfect little empanadas--each one it's own delicious flavor palette. Banana Nutella is not to be missed!

OBSESSED. Crazy cool idea, fun events throughout the week, you buy what you pour. This is one of the coolest bars I have been to. They have multiple different tabs that you go up to with a card (credit card already attached) and you pour yourself drinks. You put the card in, pour, and then when you are finished a price is added to the card for your check out at the end. They have mixed drinks, cocktails, wines, so many beers. They have popcorn and empanadas that you can purchase. They have fun games and quirky events like trivia throughout the week. Their seating is normal in the front with a lot of televisions, and they have an area in the back with hanging benches and more exclusive for parties. Absolutely love. read more

Been coming to Tapsters ever since I moved into the neighborhood over a year ago. I love the vibe here, great for lowkey hanging out and playing cards with friends or catching a sports game. The patio is nice during the summer as well and they are super dog friendly. The beer selection is solid and rotates frequently but the prices are a bit on the higher side when filling up some speciality beers. Love the popcorn as well. Only thing I wish was different was they offered a few other types of small bar snacks or something to eat. A happy hour would be awesome too. Like 20% off tab during 4-5 PM or something like that. This is a go to and will stay in the rotation for some time read more