Charleston
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Fri, Sat, Thu
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
47 Reviews for Charleston
It's kind of a hidden treasure on a little side street. Chill scene, good beer selection, very unpretentious vibe. They also have 2.50 PBRs if you want swill or are on a budget. Me likey. Not a dive bar by any stretch, this place strikes me more like a coffeehouse that serves beer from an ambiance standpoint. The bartenders are super friendly, and the live bands they choose to play there definitely fit the vibe of the place (you won't find any death metal bands there). This certainly is not a place to hi-five, do shots, and obnoxiously flirt with women and/or homoeroticism, you will be viewed as a rube.
I haven't done anything but a weeknight here but I could definitely see this place becoming part of my personal bar pantheon.
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I'm glad I was able to get out of my eternal funk last night and head over here with Martha and a couple other people to grab a beer. Tired feet are no excuse to be a boring old hermit. Ok, maybe they are, but I'm trying not to be such an anti-social bastard. This place is located near the pool that Martha and I used to frequent, and it brought back memories of our less lazy days when we'd walk all over the place to swim and get nachos and go thrifting. Anyway, time to stop waxing nostalgic about 7-11 nachos. The bar is cozy and relatively free of douchebags. There's a pool table in back and live music, though the place seems a little small for that and was a bit crowded at 11:00 on a Friday night. I'd definitely come back and check it out again. Perhaps to get wasted on $3.75 well drinks on Wednesdays. Hmmmm....
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This place is one of the main reasons I despise Los Angeles and want so badly to move far away from here and back to Chicago.
This place is full of real people.
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It's the perfect neighborhood dive. Only problem was that it smelled like a locker room. Honestly, hard to complain but my Guiness was like 5.35...
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Perfect place to unwind after work, where everyone leaves you alone, unless you want company, no left over rank cig smell from last year since they were smoke free before it was trendy, I mean law....
Never get here in time to hear the bands but always get a barstool offered by one of the regulars (gentlemen!) and there is no attitude or pretension here. I was shocked by the great wine they offered the other night, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Not that I'm a wine snob but don't like to mix....and was surprised by the nice offering. Totally unexpected.
The cluttered back bar actually makes me feel good about having a messy desk and just the friendliness of the staff and the nice non-judgemental and interesting people that hang there earn the extra star ratings. And the bartender makes a mean batch of microwave popcorn (for like a nickel) and on one recent visit, gifted us with SMARTIES! Amazing with the Sauv. Blanc and popcorn! The prices here are soooo refreshing. Definitely a place to walk to as parking is a drag. Welcome change to my lineup!
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On my Yelp-a-versary I am giving out some "West Bucktown" love to a place that in my mind comes close to the Platonic ideal of a pub. I'm thinking of somewhere that could measure up to long gone places like Augenblick and Max Tavern--they just had a great vibe. Well, Charleston ranks up there with the best.
PS: Why is it that people insist on calling any establishment more than 10 years old a dive? I just don't get it.
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One of the few Chicago bars that stood toe to toe with the late great Bucket 'O Suds!
Went no smoking before the ban.
If there is a TV, it has never been on.
This is the real deal.
I LOVE CHARLESTON
peace . love . goat
www.bucktown.org
I'm not sure why people consider the Charleston a dive bar. It's got a old-school feel to it, but it's mostly filled with hipster yuppies (I can say that since I tend to fall in that category). It's not a trendy bar, but then again it's not like they have a lot of great beer specials that you'd expect at a dive. I think this place is transitioning to more and more yuppy, which is good or bad depending on what group you are in. Personally, I may be a yuppy but I appreciate good deals and that's just not something you're going to find here. The bands are good (though they make it very difficult to talk), and they do have a good selection of beers and wine. It does have a good ambiance, but I'm a budget snob. I'll come here when my friends want to, but it wouldn't be my choice.
I came here one night during the winter to meet up with friend's friends...I was tired and pretty trashed. But it turned out to be one of the better decisions I have ever made late at night.
Had a nice beer and sat down as jazz band started to play inches away from me. Two saxes, drums and a stand up bass. While I probably wouldn't put that kind of music on my iPod, it was quite enjoyable and added to the ambiance of this place.
I'd like to go back once it warms up again.
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i've only been here once but i love it!
the night we went there was a country/folk 3 piece band playing old school shit and it was awsome. the beer is cheap, the people seem nice enough and although its run down some, the bathroom was clean.
i shall return.
I have only been here once & keep meaning to come back. It's a lovely place & it feels like home. It's a dive, yet still feels classy. Live music, nice ambiance where you can go somewhere to have a good conversation.
Great vintage looking bar, interesting knick knacks everywhere and a very interesting mix of people--younger, older, smartly dressed, very casual--and everyone blends in together and gets along. The night I was there, they had a great live band. People really seemed to be enjoying themselves here without worrying about how good they looked, and I didn't see one shitfaced person. Overall a great vibe.
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The Charleston is very shiny right now, as the Christmas decorations are still up and largely consist of tin foil-wrapped objects. Everything from the poo box to the piano is wrapped in tin foil.
I wish I'd purchased a bunch of those light up spiral lawn decorations in the after-Christmas sales. Then I could have hung them upside down from the ceiling at my wedding like Charleston does and saved some money on lighting and centerpieces.
I had a very chill time on a quiet, wintry Thursday eve with my buddy Shawn S, warmed by countless cups of coffee and Bailey's that the bartender Jason was kind enough to keep a-coming.
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This place is the most relaxed bar EVAH. Went here this afternoon, no better place to while away an afternoon dishing and sipping beers.
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The Charleston is the BEST. It's very friendly, relaxed, chill, homey, buttery... Jason, the bartender was very friendly and accommodating, make a fresh pot of coffee on a cold winter evening at the behest of Nat R., even after explaining to her that it was just recently made. But she still doesn't drink coffee from the bottom of the pot (not like there's a spit-shot in the there). Anyway, I digress...
Back to the review, a great old bar. The tamale guy pops in a couple times a night. There's plenty of seating, live entertainment on occasion, a good beer selection, a pool table, and always friendly peeps. It's a destination place in Bucktown.
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A very affordable bar that is worth traveling to Bucktown for. Met up with a large size group for a fun night. Thursday night wasn't crowed, filled with mostly regulars. Friendly bartenders.
No food, but are accommodating to you receiving carryout. Overall a fun time that's great for groups and conversation.
This place rocks. Smoke-free! Yes! I'm here a few times a month and I love it. The staff is very cool; drinks are reasonably priced, there are games available, and there's a stuffed goat in the window. Really, what more could you want?
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Yay Charleston! Get on wit your bad self! Have music most nights if you want to and don't charge a cover, ever! You started the smoking ban, and then it became instantly cool to hang outside w/the musicians and light up...
Your beers are excellent. Your service is laid back but friendly. Your tamale guy comes twice a night and they are always hot!!!!
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I second all of the reviews that include "warm," "cozy," and "inviting." Yes indeed. And eclectic, affordable, and filled with friendly neighbors from any distance away into the bargain. I've seen just one band here, but I consider that enough to judge how thoroughly the Charleston makes its guest musicians at home. If I were to become a bar fly, I'd be one here and feel ever so content being so until I went to bar fly heaven.
dive bar perfection.
I have lived in bucktown/wicker park for 6 years, and have been to most of em. This is everything a bar should aspired to be. Tasty cold well priced beers. Low key atmosphere. Great people. Music almost 7 days a week. This place makes me happy I live in Chicago.
Favorite Bar in Chicago hands down.
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if there is ONE bar in this city which i avoid like the plague it would be this one.
the decore and lay out arent any different than any other mid sized place in this city, so there is nothing special there.
they have the standard beers and booze.
it has been non smoking for a while, no big deal.
the crowd? the employees? ugh...my friends cant drag me to this place.
i swear every time i go there (when dragged) the bartenders seem like it's a burden for them to get someone a beer. the eye rolling complacent blah blah of someone who seems like they hate their job really doesn't make for good beer drinking fun if you ask me.
the people? man, i really don't like hippies. sorry. i am liberal. L I B E R A L but hippies tend to be just as intolerant as say, oh, born again christian bush lovers.
every conversation i have in there turns in to some judgmental pseudo intelligent club of left wing blah blah which is just as creepy as right wing self fulfilling weirdness . my roommate, who pretty much lives there, is always like "dude these people are so smart and cool to talk to." i sure don't agree with that. it's like talking to super ego college professor, or even better, a LAWYER. always right, never wrong, cant listen to another's point of view something or other. I am not talking just one person, it is like some club hang out for this.
i am in that place for more than one beer and i feel my pacifist beliefs slowly being stripped away to the point of columbine.
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Great neighborhood bar! There is always some good live music. The space is small but pretty cozy and most nights of the week you can find a place to sit. The beer selection is pretty good and at decent prices.
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When all is said and done, this is what I want from a bar -- good beer poured well (I'm a draught snob), a laid-back atmosphere where you can truly enjoy the company of your friends, no smoke, and a sense of belonging to the neighbourhood. When the feel of the place is so soaked and steeped in Chicago-ness, like Goose Island ageing in an oaken cask, a corner tavern that might very well let you adopt a barstool, it's icing on the cake -- or froth on your ale.
The Charleston is one of those places, helping Bucktown keep it real even as its old school Chicago-ness makes it a top candidate for hipster scenery. Amidst antique coolers always fully stocked with beer and old pot-bellied heaters always fully stocked with coal, there's a billiards table with felt so seasoned that regulars should know their way around it blindfolded and wooden tables and chairs that conjure the spirit of the Pickwick Arms (no coincidence that one of the cross-streets is Dickens), they make room for a small alcove where musicians play for free. Country, bluegrass, bossa nova and more, performed by independent bands and musicians trying to get heard just loud enough above the drone of conversation.
Mid-set, you might just feel yourself getting hot under your collar and a little damp around the forehead. It could be the overactive heater, but I think it's the warmth of many humble folks packed into a cosy tavern with no pretensions (because that's so sang froid) mixed with the passion of musicians who play for you with big smiles and knowing winks to one another.
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After needing just one more glass of wine to keep the progress of planning a wedding underway..we found ourselves at "Singer Songwriter Night" at the Charleston.
Not normally my cup of tea, but for some reason you can never go wrong at the Charleston.
Smoke free, warm atmosphere, good people, great bartenders (a whiskey on the house for my tipsy fiance).
Great drink specials any day of the week and they have popcorn if you ask!
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This bar gets five stars for being the first smoke free bar in Chicago. HEAVEN for a non-smoker (I could say more, but I'll leave it at that).
Family run bar, fairly cramped, and hard to find a table during the peak periods, but lots of cool stuff laying around (Check out the abandoned cotton candy machine by the bathroom - big, pink and out of this world!). Silver walls, lots of crazy colorings on the wall (one time there was a blue Elmo - I was so confused! Is it Grover or Elmo?).
Big selection of beer - and don't forget to check out the selection for cats - Tunawater Ale!
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Probably one of my favorite bars in the Bucktown area! It's small, quaint, unpretentious, and everyone is welcome! Yes, even you frat boys, as long as you keep the rowdiness to a minimum.
It's a great spot to have a drink and chat with friends during the evening, or hang out with a book during the day time. Some nights they have an open mic, and the musicians are usually pretty darned good.
The only thing I guess is that previous years they didn't have the AC going during the summer, so it got kinda gross. Hopefully they added more fans this time around cuz I'll definitely be back for more =)
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Met a friend here on a whim and fell in love. A definately beautiful atmosphere and the people were friendly and unpretentious. I actually got a very kind UChicago grad student to give me a impromptu physics lesson! That and a good glass of wine at a reasonable price as well as the awesome live music makes this a great getaway.
Fantastic neighborhood ambiance, no smokes, characters at the bar, take out menus, best place in Chicago to spend a rainy weekend afternoon into evening.
Damn you, you guys need to get Belgians on tap.
I went to the Charleston to meet up with a few friends and it was so crowded that I could barely move. If it wasn't for the blizzardy weather outside, I probably would have walked to another bar. We managed to scrounge up a table fairly quickly and a small jazz ensemble came onto play. Within the next 45 minutes, the place was jumpin with everyone dancing to beats from the carribean and I was enjoying myself. Great mixed crowd, no pretention and cheap drinks! The non-smoking is good too, so you go home not smelling like an ashtray.
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The Charleston is to neighborhood bars what really good homemade mac & cheese is to comfort food. If you've never been, I promise you, The Charleston will charm you.
Very casual (smoke free!) atmosphere loaded with character. A local gentleman comes through on weekend evenings selling hot tamales for next to nothing. And then the live music starts. It's not a big place, so 2-4 people is probably the right number.
You might walk into the Charleston a newbie, but you'll leave feeling like a regular.
Now this is a Bucktown bar held over from the pre-"Lottie's-as-a-sports-bar" crowd. Quaint, reasonably priced, and unpretentious, this place is casual and enjoyable. And it's been non-smoking for a long time.
It truly is a refreshing change of pace to go into a Bucktown bar that isn't trendy, just downright homey. Come to play pool, listen to live music, or just sit around and drink. There's also something cool about stepping up onto a porch to get into a bar.
Maybe if you're respectful, the bartender will tell you about what Bucktown used to be like before all the dogs and beautiful moms moved in.
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Very relaxed vibe. I'm a numbnuts smoker; I've tried to quit several times, but my mother told me to never quit anything. Smoking is the one thing that I've stuck to. I like the way the smoke coils when I'm thinking of the right word to say. It's stupid.
I still come to The Charleston. I've got no problem stepping outside for a quick smoke. Generally, the other smokers are huddled around the same grill ashtray talking shop on the side of the building.
Come by during their summer block party for grilled corn, penny beer, volleyball and smooth rock.
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Loved all the beers on tap. Loved that they had nightly specials. Loved that me and my cousin got lost on the way here because of the crotch. Crotch, aka, the intersection of a city that has more than 4 streets running off of it. Learned that from my other cousin. Loved visiting with family that I haven't seen in 5 years.
Yeah for the Charleston!
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me likey. drinking stiegl without smoke or irritating dudes about makes me feel like i'm in my living room.
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My beau and I strolled over to the Charleston one recent Friday evening. I really enjoyed the atmosphere. And the drinks were fairly priced. I would like to start going there more often - if not for the neighborhoody feel then for the fact that its smoke-free (recently quit and now I feel the plight of my non-smoking friends).
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I haven't been to the Charleston in a while but I've always had a good time here. They make a great Manhattan, by the way, best I've had. One night a long time ago I was there during what I assume was an open mike night yet it seemed even more casual than that. Anyway, one of the people who went up to perform was playing a trombone. How cool is that? When do you ever get to see a trombone player at an open mike? The old bar is quite beautiful and did I mention they make a great Manhattan?
Things I love about the Charleston:
- No smoking.
- Skilled, mellow bands playing for the love of the music
- A 9 foot pool table
- The honor system pay-for-play on said table (they also pass a can around for the band - if you like, you drop a few bucks in)
- The complete lack of pretension
- Macallan behind the bar
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Never lived in Bucktown, but this bar almost makes me wish I did- the perfect, respectable neighborhood bar, with good drinks, mature people, free live music that's often actually good, and smoke free. Not an everyday bar for me, but one I go to when I want some half-way civilized drinking around half-way civilized people...Like I said, not an everyday bar for me- the kind of place you might actually take your cool parents!
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Great local pub with nice pool table and local jazz and blues bands. They are Chicago's first non-smoking bar I do believe. They host a great block party in the summer and a chili cook-off in the winter. Nice place to relax and chat without being smoked out.
I lived down the street from the place for about three years on Charleston. I have to agree with every review to this point...this is the standard to measure all neighborhood bars. It's never crowded with annoying drunks, just real people looking to have good conversation in a very low key environment. This is not the place to go hook up, it is the place to meet friends on a Sunday afternoon and chat it up.
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