Loving the Ten Cat Tavern for many years now... classic joint, the most chill bar, like, ever... good prices on tap beer, friendly bartenders, several pool tables, a back room with a fireplace, and an outdoor patio perfect for those summer nights. It's true, no food, but if you're lucky the tamale guy will come. And there's not much better than that. Ten Cat and the Long Room are the real strongholds in this neighborhood which doesn't have much other nightlife. When I used to live in the area, barhopping one to the other always seemed like the right thing to do. Parking is easy, and you can walk quickly over from the brown line as well. Great neighborhood joint. read more

Great atmosphere. Good place for a drink on a first date. Sit in the back room by the fireplace. Dog friendly!

My favorite bar in the city, hands down. Other places have better beer selections, but there are very few bars in Chicago that are this friendly. Chris, Dave, Larry, and all the other bartenders are friendly and smart and fun to talk to. The regulars who sit at the bar are friendly. The back room with the faux fireplace is the best place to sit during winter, because it's so cozy. And the outdoor patio in summer rocks. read more

Great place for pool, jazz, and one of da few joints in da city dat ain't too crowded on the weekends. I guess it used to be a fashion boutique, so they gots very impressive Mosaics on the walls, plus some notable local art. Their pool tables are immaculately kept up, which is refreshing. There's also a pleasant outdoor beer garden in the back for us smokers. read more

- Great atmosphere! Danny, the bartender makes a KILLER margarita. Very accommodating and helpful guy, also great place! Small fireplace and "hidden" garden in the back. You can also play pool as well. No food but there are randoms who come in and sell tamales!!! read more

Am here with some "business associates" - folks I work with. Love the decor and ambience - laid back and mellow. Love the reasonable price for drinks, excellent beer selection and the dogs...three here tonight. Willl be back. read more

This place is totally chill. It is so chill that it has inspired me to break one of my cardinal rules and use "chill" as an adjective. Great place to relax without loud music or pushy crowds. The place is very tastefully appointed in classic "dive bar" fashion, eclectic and retro - the bar and fixtures appear to be vintage art deco, very swank. (I guess it's not "retro" if it was there when it was new - that just makes it "antique," or if it's more recent, "old.") The bartender was a real sweetie, too. The jukebox was cranking out the "K-Tel Dive Bar Gold" - Link Wray, the Ventures, Billy Holiday, Fats Domino. Good stuff. read more

Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good is that the bartenders were sincerely nice, helpful and friendly. The bad is that they serve Barefoot wine. It's really terrible wine and provides an even worse hangover. The ugly is that someone needs to stop adding "art" to this place. I was here years ago and it seemed to be more of a truly vintage bar. Now it looks like a bad arts and craft studio. The patio has this great urban backyard charm, but they could probably get in another table or two if they edited the "decorative" planters that have invaded so much space. Why so much real estate for cheesy flower pots? Still, it's a pretty solid place to meet up with friends. I'd go back, but skip the wine. read more

These are the bars that make Chicago special. Music playing at a reasonably low level; no trashy rap music; quiet backrooms with intimate seating and a fireplace; a wonderful back patio for smoking; a great beer selection, and the list goes on. Now one of my favorite bars in the city. read more

Good jukebox, large and spacious ,big pool tables, outdoor patio. I do have to question paying $1 to play pool, since none of the tables have quarter machines on them. Maybe its a huge cash cow? Anyway, the drinks are decent and the place is nice overall... read more

Came here on a Thursday night, it was very dead. It was filled with locals who kind of gave, "Who are yewwww?" looks when we came in, but it was all good. No one bothered us. My Jack and H20 was $5, SUPER reasonable!!! Also, they seem to have something for everyone. A bar to sit at with pool tables up front, a back room that's dimly lit with couches for making out (and ohhhh how I did) and a porch area that closes early... maybe 11:30. Bathrooms are nice and clean, however only one pot to piss in for ladies, 3 for men. That's backwards thinking, m'dears. Perfect, laid back place to meet friends or take dates. read more

I really like this bar - one of the few places in Chicago where you can get Newcastle! The outside patio is great in the warmer weather, and everyone here is very laid back. Great place to play a game of pool, and it's not so loud that you can actually have a conversation. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a place to chill out on a weeknight, and not too crowded on the weekends. read more

One of my favorite dives in the area. This goes great with The Long Room as some of my favorite hangouts on the irving park stretch. Great lounge and feel to this place overall. Two pool tables and plenty of pool players even though I am not one of them. A lot of great taps and decent prices. They have a fireplace and a great jukebox. I haven't been out in the garden yet as I have only been here in the winter. I have to say for what it is its exactly what I want in a bar and a place. Love going here. read more

This is a really great spot I almost don't want to yelp about because I don't want it to get all crowded and stupid. I've been here on a friday night with two other people, had a perfect long island for a great price and been able to hear my conversation on our own little sofa thing (without yelling) with our own little table. I don't know about anyone else but that's a pretty awesome scene to me. They've got a pretty huge bar, a really cute older bartendress lady with a funny hat (who I've met) whose super cool, and some pool tables toward the back. It's an artsy atmosphere and pretty classy. This is probably one of my favorite little secret spots for a relaxing night out with a couple friends right now. read more

Old school feel dive bar with pool tables and out side patio. Comfortable and easy place to hang. Low key.

This is a very relaxed bar where anyone would feel comfortable. Seating is plentiful and varied. There are some tables and some more comfy type chairs and such in the back area. They have two very nice, full-size pool tables and the competition here is pretty good. Oh yeah, you can bring your pooch. read more

I first went to Ten Cat to shoot pool, but I keep going back because I like the vibe. The first time I went, there was a friendly regular at the bar who had music from his Ipod playing through the speakers, and he was playing some interesting African music. The bartenders are courteous and the bar offers a good special on PBRs. The only way that you can tell people are hanging out in the backroom is cause they occasionally resurface to refresh their beers and go back into hiding. read more

When you think "dive bar", this is the place you're imagining. Only complaint is that the seating is a little strange. You're either up against a wall near the door or in a small back room where it's so loud that you can't hear the person next to you. Enjoyed the drinks and the atmosphere nonetheless and will probably be back. read more

Hey Crystal, I think I was there the night you were there! Are you from Bruddars? I remember because you guys were so pissed the bartender was giving you a hard time. I happened to ask the bartender who worked earlier when your team was there and he said you guys didn't tip him all night. Then the second bartender (not Amy but close enough) didn't want to give you guys special service because you shafted the first bartender! Anyway, hope your APA night went well, and I hope you treat the Brudders bartenders better than you treat the ten cat bartenders. read more

For my money, one of the best beer gardens in the city. Really good margaritas here too, but I generally go for a beer - a decent selection on hand. One evening they played Morphine's "Cure for Pain" CD in its entirety. That won points with me. I'm not a pool player, but if you are Ten Cat has the big tables for your enjoyment. A good place to relax year round. read more

Super friendly bar tender! The usual type of bar drinks, decent pour strength. Lots of good beer choices. My favorite part is the mascot dog that everybody seemed to know. The patio out back is nice and no street noise. The pool table was busy, but you can get on in 30 minutes or so. read more

The entranceway is phenomenal, I've never felt the need to say this about a bar. Beyond that, a very open room with copious amounts of vintage seating and two immaculately kept pool tables. The pool is free at odd times and when the tables aren't being circled by sharks. Even then, as I learned on Saturday, it's easy enough to get invited into a game. The jukebox is full of jazz that contribute nicely to the retro feel of this dive, but the quality of craft beers and clientele make me hesitant to call this bar townie. There's an interesting back room with a fireplace I'm looking forward to trying out when the weather cools down but for the moment the back patio is where it is at. The large open seating reminds of your spinster aunt's patio in the burbs but the garden, lighting, and ambiance really transports you from Irving and Ashland to a happy place. I also really enjoyed having a chat with one of the bartenders when myself and a friend were the only people playing pool late one night. I've never had a problem waiting for drinks, and they all seem to be interesting characters. It took me too long to find this bar after living in the neighborhood for over a year, don't make the same mistake. read more

Nice antique pool tables, small shooting area and small beer garden. Where this place is big is, the local patrons, its a friendly spot and the beers are well priced and cold. Be careful, there are some sneeky good pool players lurking around in there. read more

Ok I've been here twice since I moved last week and I have mixed feelings about the bar. I went on a Tuesday or Wednesday, cant remember, and then I went last night (saturday) and during the week was by far the better time to go. It was more relaxed and maybe coulda got in a pool game if i wanted but on saturday it was different. After grabbing a $3.50 bud light (ehhhh) and $4.50 glass of pinot (not bad) i took my usual spot at the amazing pinball machine (Roller coaster Tycoon!) As my girlfriend watched me practically break the pinball machine (yea...pro) she sat in the old school chairs and relaxed. I sat down with her afterwards but i was annoyed by the "corporations are bringing us down" talk from the guys sitting across from us....After that i looked towards the pool tables thinkin hey...maybe i can get a game...nope its like a fuckin cult. So we got outta there. Overall its a great place to relax but i think during the week is a better time for me. read more

This was our second stop during a night out with some coworkers. One of them had suggested Ten Cat. I had never heard of the place or really ever remember ever seeing the place. That's kinda makes this place cool. Not a place that gets very crowded and is very mellow and laid back. I really love the jukebox. Great blues and jazz is all you will find on this jukebox. They have a nice back room if you want a quiet place to talk. I will be back here in the summer to check out the back patio. read more

Aside from the surly bartender that first served us and barked "whaddya want!?", this place was excellent. Kitschy home decor, great bluesy jukebox selection, ivy covered beer garden, billiards, mosaics, cheap booze, mixed low-key crowd = awesome! The bartenders that served us later on were more friendly, so we will definitely go back. read more

Great little pool tavern. Nice tables, good music and vibe. Greatbdrinks, clean and friendly service. read more

I can't believe that everything everyone said about chillness, chameleon qualities, and other notes of non-pretentious and down-home description, were all completely true. I can't believe it because, as everyone said, the bar is all of these things and unconsciously so. Very good spot for a group of folks going out. read more

One of my favorite bars in Chicago. Awesome bartenders, great juke box, and cold beers. It's got a nice fire place in the back, and a solid beer garden to enjoy in the summer. read more

This place was a huge bummer, and I credit it all to the horrible bartender. Half the time she sat on the other side of the bar chatting it up, and when she was "working" it was having a shot with some dudes to our right. I am sure the place itself is great, but the service needs help. Maybe the other bartenders are better. Tonight was a blonde Asian. Unless you're a regular, do a hard pass. read more

This is a barman's bar (bar, bar, bar...) I would never consider this a dive because of all of the love that goes into maintaining those two jems sitting in the middle of the room. Drinks are priced right, you can catch a serious lesson in the game from one of the regulars, what else could you ask for? I used to play & imbibe here often and it is one of the places I miss most in Chicago... read more

My go to bar after work. How can you go wrong? The bartenders are amazing (Larry,Lucy, and Paris) the atmosphere is perfect and dark. There are a couple of pool tables and a back room with a fireplace. Love this place. read more

Ten Cat is easily one of my favorite bars in the city. It's got a comfortable, laid back living-room vibe and is rarely over crowded. One of the best features is the amazing outdoor patio in the summertime. The staff is genuinely friendly and helpful and the beer selection is good. read more

I absolutely LOVE this bar, and I just now realized it! I live a block away, and had been there twice before, but only sat at the bar. Last weekend, I discovered a whole new world in the Ten Cat! It has lots more room in the back with crazy and neat furniture that makes you feel like you're in somebody's old historic house. I got a peak of the garden out back, but it was so packed that we couldn't sit anywhere, so next time we'll go earlier. It looked very mysterious though. The lady bartender is so friendly and doesn't make you wait too long, at least we didn't wait. I am excited to go back and lounge around in someone else's house, or at least feel like it. read more

Great little bar. Stumbled across it just now. The bartender was nice and helpful and directed me to a diner even though it was essentially detering a customer on a slow night. Great music. Great decor. Beautiful Art on the walls. Simply described as eclectic and with character. Its too bad that I don't live in Chicago because this would be my go-to spot. read more

This is one of those bars that is a bit worn around the edges, but in that very special way that typifies a great Chicago bar. I've only been to Ten Cat a couple times, but each visit was perfect from the attentive, but chill bar service to the laid back clientele to the dude bringing in an Igloo cooler of homemade tamales just as hunger struck. I love the homey-ness of the place (especially the back room that looks a bit like Grandma's sunroom) and look forward to my next visit with good friends. read more

A big thank you to Ten Cat - we spent our New Year's eve here and it was delightful. Super friendly bartender, excellent jukebox (mellow and bluesy) and not too crowded. They even had Chili and Sloppy Joe's out to help soak up the booze! read more

i like this place. it's within walking distance of my house. it's super laid back. it has a dive bar feel without a filthy dive bar bathroom. good selection of beers. free pool. the last time i was in there some dude was nerding around on his macbook - so maybe that means free wifi too? not sure... read more

Probably my favorite bar. Nice low-key vibe, great Jukebox, two of the coolest pool tables you'll ever see and a couple of quirky pinball/video games to boot. I don't get over there nearly as often as I should. But it IS one of those "Hey meet me for a drink" places that I'm likely to show up at if that's where you decide to tell people where to go. read more

What a great unique bar. They have two pool tables and a very cozy back room that is hardly ever crowded. The plush furniture and fireplace gives the feeling you are guests in someone's living room. They have a patio as well. read more