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This bar can definitely be fun to go to. I used to go there for many years in a row until it started becoming over popular and getting more crowded. I hate to be the type of person who sounds like that, but it's true when places get to be too popular, it's time to move on.
Still this place totally did have it's awesome nights. Smiths night was really cool for a while, but I haven't been to that in over a year because, yet again, it got to be too popular. Soul night there is totally cool too.
Basically there's a good chance that you can have a good time there. The Djs usually are good. The dance floor is great to be in. Bartenders are nice and drinks are cheap. There's a good amount of space for seating and standing. Decorations there are pretty sweet.
ANOTHER major thing is that this place is a hook-up bar. I have so often been with friends who have hooked up there. It seems like almost every single time I'm there, a good amount of guys and girls are just looking to hook-up with someone, more so than you see at other bars. That's almost happened to me a bunch of times there, and it usually doesn't.
But anyway, it can be a lot of fun for dancing or just chillin, maybe on one of their special nights. I'd say just skip the place if it seems way too crowded, especially if there's a line outside. That is NOT at all a place that you want to wait in line to get in to.
Wish Danny's wasn't so far away. Quite the unique bar for Chicago. It doesn't want too much attention but it certainly gets it.
The doorman is well mannered. The bartender is really nice and when I ordered two drinks he asked if I'd like water with those. That was a first. The coat girl had a 1950's elegance to her but she was really enjoying her job. In this business you at least gotta fake it.
The space seems like it was an apartment in a Victorian turned into a bar. Small and irregular rooms make the place interesting as does the mismatched furniture. The customers stand out as if you are at a Yelp event. But, that crowd really lacks diversity not that I was made uncomfortable.
Stop by if you are in the area and make sure to get there early as the line gets huge. Hey, for a rum 'n' coke and glass of wine it's only $10. Wouldn't you wait in line?
Yep, yelpers! :D
This place was really cool. Last night was reggae night and I loooooved it; I haven't danced in a really long time and I didn't stop once the music came on lol.
The bartenders were nice/pleasant and fast. And the drinks were a good price which I liked.
Ok, so I know the place is small, but it gives it a cozy, let me casually bump/glide my hand across your back or butt and then say, "excuse me", like I didn't mean to do it ;).
All 'n all, had some drinks by candle light (which was also a plus), danced with some cool people i've never met before and then walked across the street and three flights of stairs and called it a night. Lovely.
I went on a Friday and wasn't expecting the wait outside but once I got in I was grateful they didn't let the place get too crowded. The atmosphere was chill and the music is good.
Danny's is on a small street tucked away from traffic which definitely adds on to its charm. Inside the lights are dim but it maintains a trendy chill vibe to it. The drinks are reasonably priced and I would come back again either in warmer weather for the wait.... or during a slower night. Put your thinking caps on though the people you meet here are thinkers not stinkers. Arrive with a good spirit and open mind and you'll leave as I did... Pleasantly Surprised :)
This comes too late to save Danny's*, alas, but it's worth posting if it will save at least one good bar somewhere.
Are you brand-new condo owner? A recent graduate? A new emigre enjoying your first "grown-up" job? A pioneer resettled from one of those neighborhoods that all of your classmates in Arlington Heights, Michigan, or Ohio think are the only places in Chicago to live?
If so, this is for you.
So you just moved in and now you're looking for a neighborhood bar. Perhaps hoping to meet promising young future exes. Or maybe you're just dying to check out that "cool" bar that you overheard some kids in Urban Outfitters talk about. Here are some simple rules to follow to ensure that everyone has a good time:
1. Don't complain that the bar isn't like the bars you usually patronize.
2. Don't bring 100 of your closest friends.
3. Don't go just to watch "the game."
4. Don't ask for TVs to be turned on, or up, so that you can watch "the game."
5. Don't sexually harass - I believe you would term it "hit on" - every woman in the bar.
6. Be patient with the staff and tip well. But don't be a d-bag about the fact that you're tipping.
7. Don't complain about the music.
8. Don't try to change the bar or its music so that it's more like the bars you usually patronize.
9. Don't request that the bar bring in more scantily-clad alcohol marketing teams.
But most importantly:
10. You know how you act when you're out at some bar in Wrigleyville or Lincoln Park or River North? Don't act like that.
Oh, and Danny's? I still miss you sometimes.
*Three stars for the excellent poetry reading series and usually friendly staff - and for not effacing the remnants of the building's past as a Tied House.
Danny's. Soul night. If there's a crazier, more entertaining and fun place to be on a Wednesday night, I'd love to hear about it.
If you've never been to Danny's, you need to get there immediately. Located on a residential street in Bucktown, it's a house that someone decided to convert into a bar. Yes. A house. Into a bar. You get that feeling of being at a most excellent house party without actually trashing you or your friends' houses. I can't think of a better venue for a party.
While Danny's is awesome on any night of the week, Soul Night is without a doubt the crown jewel their event calendar. Where else can you find a whole bar packed to the gills with hipster dudes and girls, decked out in their finest skinny jeans and fedoras, dancing their asses off to the best soul and funk music you'll hear anywhere? It's all hot and sweaty, the floor is shaking and people are practically devouring each other whole in the little alcoves.
If you're a planning kind of person, try to get there early... definitely before 10pm (when the DJ starts) to stake out a little corner table and avoid waiting in the inevitable line that forms down the street. It seems I'm not the only one on to Soul Night; It's one of the hottest spots in town so being prepared will help you avoid standing in line, cursing the people inside who are probably making out with a hot stranger on the dance floor.
I really can't say enough about this place. It's kind of the best bar I've been to in a long time.
This is by far one of my favorite bars in the city. I recommend going on a weekday, as the weekend's can get pretty crowded and sweaty by all the drunkin LP crowd.
The music is great! The bartenders are friendly! and the atmosphere is warm and inviting!
I'm not going to sugar coat it, Danny's in my opinion was just OK. While I can't say Danny's has a terrible flaw that resulted in me giving it only 3 stars, I cant say that it had a fantastic redeeming quality that made it stand out.
I went to Danny's on a Wednesday for soul night. The crowd was interesting and the drinks were relatively cheap, but the music wasn't my favorite. I was itching to dance, but for the hour or two I was there no song was upbeat enough for me to get my grove on.
Maybe I should head there on a weekend to get the true Danny's experience.
Danny's your like a great house party that always has good music too many people and feet never stop moving.
Don't get me wrong I love you, but there are moments where I wish everyone didn't love you as much as me.
I have never bought any drinks here so I can't speak to that, but I can speak to the fact that I always have fun and dance my butt off.
If you want to dance to some good stuff come on out, it's the best house party you'll ever attend.
The BEST bar in Chicago, as far as I'm concerned. So cool, yet totally unpretentious; a great crowd frequents this place. Someone said that it feels kind of like being at a house party and that's really true. It's split into different "rooms" which are open to the central dance floor behind the DJ. The manager is an artist and designs and redesigns the rooms, so you never know what it will look like inside when you go. He also invites other artists to design some of the rooms, so there are times I've been there and each room has it's own feel, designed by a different artist. The bartenders are friendly and welcoming. The DJs are highly talented, playing obscure, often dancable music. The genre can range from old school soul to electronic; it depends on the DJ. It can get really crowded here, so if you don't like the feeling of being at a crowded house party, you should maybe stay away on weekend nights. I used to go to this bar all the time when I lived in Chicago. Since I've moved to San Francisco, whenever I'm visiting back home, I go here every chance I get.
Go here. Dance your ass off. Don't let your scarf fall on the floor. That's all I gotta say.
OK, it's got that chill house-party vibe, alright. The bartenders are cool and friendly, and the 20-something, 30-something crowd is laid-back and fun. Definitely not a college dive, and most definitely not a fancy shmancy club. I had a jolly time dancing to the unidentifiable music on a nice buzz. A rather small space, but somehow fitting for the type of venue Danny's is.
Be ware of the not-terribly-long-but-long-wait line outside. Given the space limit, they only let people in when people leave and free up the space.
Soul Night! Soul Night at Danny's. Ah, I love it and I need to dance at Soul Night way more often than I have.
I've been to Danny's twice: about 4 years ago, then about 3 months ago. Both times for Soul Night, which occurs once a month (I can never remember when). It wasn't as cool as I remembered it when I returned recently, but that has more to do with the changing population of the neighborhood than the bar itself (too many popped-collar dudes ogling the cute hipster chicks).
BUT. The bar itself is nevertheless great. It appears to be a gutted house with a bar and various rooms with space for dancing/sitting/drinking. The lighting is sparse and the effect is subsequently pretty striking, a kind of post-apocalyptic domestic scene. Drinks are cheap, the music was great. The boy and I got dressed up (I wore my beloved poofy houndstooth dress), got drunk and danced the night away. I can't wait to go back. Maybe this time for Smiths Night?
I went here last night after a 2 year absence. This place has still got it! A great time and great beers on tap. Alagash White and Lagunitas IPA?? Sold!
This place is so intertwined with my having a good time over the years that I don't know what my life would have turned out like had it never existed.
If there is any bar in Chicago that I would call "my bar", Danny's would be it. I cannot remember EVER having a bad time at Danny's (although remembering everything that I have ever done at Danny's would be ever-so-difficult, as I am usually there getting three-sheets-to-the-wind with my favorite sidekick, "The Fuzz"!)
More than that, though, I love Danny's SOOOO because it is NEVER DULL and ALWAYS an adventure.
First, to prepare you for your adventure do the following (in hopes that you won't be disappointed in any way):
1. Bring cash
2. Wear something creative or adventurous
3. Prepare to possibly wait outside for a bit in line with a cast of characters (depending on your arrival time - the earlier the better to avoid this)
Now...
~ In DA HIZ-ouse ~
Probably my FAV thing about Danny's is that it makes its home in an old house, so you always feel as if you're at a house party rather than a commercial bar. The ceilings are relatively low for a bar, and there are four main rooms to adventure into. Upon entrance you will be greeted by a cash-only bar to your left in the first room, a central room that doubles as a dance floor, a two smaller and cozier rooms near the back.
~ Potty Break ~
I notice that people seem to have trouble finding the bathrooms at Danny's (bad for them...GREAT for you tho!)...they ARE sort of hidden. The first is in the entry room to the right of the bar against the back wall. Yes, there is a small door there leading to a pisser equally as small. Careful taking your drink in there, as there is really nowhere to set it (so maybe leave it at the table with a coaster on the top).
The second bathroom is past the bar (watch your step up the 2 stairs!) and to your right. OH YEAH! Let it all hang out for a sec...
~ And Then Break-It-Doooown ~
As I mentioned previously, there's a dance floor. In the middle of it all, you can find hipsters, travelers and party-goers of all types swingin' hips and pursing lips to some great tunes. And, what I love is that even if you are trying NOT to dance, but want to move from the front bar area to the back (or visit the bathroom), you will be forced to walk through the dance floor. My sincerest hope is that you will get sucked in with the beats! ;-P
~ Foreign-grrrrrs! ~
Part of the allure of Danny's is that I always seem to meet foreigners there. Spaniards...Oye! Frenchmen...Bonjour! Whether you prefer manly Armenian men or totally 'conflicted' Israeli boy-toys, lads of all stripes visit Danny's. I have cried with a Spaniard and fought with a Frenchman and lived to tell you this tale. I suggest you do the same!
A buddy and myself went to this bar yesterday. We are from the South side, and the dive bars aren't exactly the nicest. So, we said... let's check out the North side's take on it.
Right when we entered, there weren't a lot of people, but it was nice. Everyone seems cool and non-judgmental.
i was a bit disappointed because i was duped by the Schlitz sign. No Schlitz in sight!! But, i immediately became happy by their selection and prices.
As far as customer service there goes, there are very cool bartenders. They know your drink and treat you with respect. Not only that, but the guy even gave us a free beer! That's customer appreciation for you. I tip generously, though. So, maybe that had something to do with it.
I plan to check this place out again under a much crowded circumstance... perhaps on a Friday?
Edit: So, i ended up going on a Friday night. I am still a fan of this place. We got a good crowd, the same awesome service from the bartenders, and now.. we got awesome music. I dig your take on dive bars, North Siders! Let's have a drink!
More Edit: I went again this past Sunday. I still love this place. Matter of fact, let me change my score to a 5! I try to go there at least once a week. If you spot me, feel free to say hi to me. I'll get ya a beer.
I am a huge fan! I went on the recommendation of a friend and was a little put-off by the surroundings (it's on a very residential street tucked away from most of the Bucktown nightlife). BUT the inside is absolutely amazing. You feel like you're hanging out in someone's private lounge. AND the drinks are surprisingly cheap. Good music and good company make this place a winner.
i love a good house party. there's something to be said for being jam packed into someone's living room with a bunch of strangers while the music blasts, the floor shakes, and every corner is filled with at least 1 couple frantically swapping spit. welcome to danny's, aka my sophomore year in college (minus the keg and jello shots).
notes:
- wear as little clothing as possible and stand by the air conditioner. trust me.
- get there early (9pm early) on soul night. the line was long all night starting around 10.
- byob. there are so many people there that a) they won't notice, and b) it will take you forever to get a drink at the bar.
- if you are buying drinks, the cheapest beer they have is a $4.50 amstel light. also the only light beer- no domestics. not even schlitz, although they have a huge sign out front. lame.
- the music was insanely good. had a good time shakin my money maker (though i made no money).
i'll be back for sure!
I really like Danny's. I want to continue to really like Danny's more. Thursday nights there are sooo much fun... until it gets too crowded and hot. Oh yes, it's hot. Not just warm, you actually get flashes where you think you're in an oven. There's no AC. Well, there sort of is... a couple cheap ass window units and a giant fan they'll only turn on in extreme situations.
Also, they only take cash which is fine for me but I have friends who refuse to prepare themselves with cash... one of those being my BF. So it's a bummer.
I went there once on Saturday and it was kind of a suck-fest. Sometimes the crowd is really weird and the bar set up itself is not ideal. We tried coming here a few weeks ago on a Saturday and there was huge line... Danny's is okay but not line-worthy by any means.
And once you get inside, it's very hard to get a drink even on a non-busy night. You pretty much need to pick a spot to stand or ( if you're lucky enough) to sit and stay there until the whole place clears out. The bathroom situation is also a little hairy. I know it was an old apartment but they need to do something. The bathroom doors barely close and I can't image are up to any sort of code. I'm always afraid someone's going to bust in on me.
I'd say to give it a shot during the week. Go around 10:30ish on a Thursday and you'll prob have a great time... until you start to get cooked alive by the heat. PS- get a little buzz going before you head in because again, it's VERY hard to get to the bar. If it's a weekend, skip it. In my heart this place gets four stars.
I love Danny's! Came here for a friend's birthday party on Wednesday, aka Soul Night. Great chill bar with a home like feel. I love the back area of the bar. Nice private nook areas where you can hold intimate conversations. They also have one of my favorite beers, Unibroue Ephemere! I also like how they keep the crowds in check so it doesn't get overly crowded. It does get hot up in there so wear something slinky.
I've lived in Chicago, New Orleans, and now live in L.A. There isn't a bar that can top it. There are some that come close. I've seen some reviews complaining about the music. If you like to hear top 40, this is NOT your bar. If you like to hear something new and different, this IS your bar. There are different dj's almost every night. Friendly and quick bar staff. My favorite bar hands down. I miss you Danny's.
I don't know if this is probably because it was the first "dive" bar I went to, but 10 years after the time I was here, I still love this place.
Danny's is a fun unassuming bar, because it's in a house and it's on a sidestreet. The are a few couches and chairs, but this place has a pretty wide open layout.
Great drink prices, fun ecclectic dance music (not club music or indie rock) and fun crowd.
Remember when your friends in college got a bigass dirty house instead of an apartment, and you threw so many parties there that you completely destroyed the place?
That's Danny's.
So if you want to drink PBR until you black out, this place is awesome - but if you're looking for anything else, you should go somewhere else.
And for some reason there's always a line.
Oh Dannys.....
You're dark and often full of hipsters that are full of themselves, but you're great if one is looking for a secret dark corner to make out.
I barely remember things about you as I'm always wasted when I'm in you. Oh that sounds...oh if I had a nickel...
The crowd is young and diverse, yeah, 'hipster'.
The place was ridiculously crowded when I went on a Tuesday night - although I believe this was because it was 'Smiths Night'. There was actually a line outside.
'Smiths' night actually consists of a variety of electonic-ish music, such as 90's Iggy Pop (meh).
It smells - as in, there are way too many sweaty people bumpin' up against each other at any given time. The poor ventilation doesn't help. There is no central air, and the ACs were not turned on until like,12:30 am or so.
Cash only - and you have to go to 7-11 one block down, and another over to use an ATM.
Drinks were made ok - nothing to write home about, but not watered-down either.
You know that scene from the movie 'Kids' when Jenny walks into a club high on E? Yeah, it's kind of like that...a headache-inducing swarm of people.
In general, interesting crowd and prompt service, but really over-rated crappy dive bar...and I feel a little bad saying that as I noticed one of the bartenders works at Rodan...shit I love Rodan.
Okay, so I like it, but Danny's is a really, um, strange-ish place. Talk about hipsters unite! I like the prices of the drinks here, but the music was okay, the scene was unique, and it can best be described as an experience. It reminds me of what I picture a lot of bars in this area to be like about 20 years ago.
One night every four weeks dedicated to MORRISSEY and THE SMITHS???? Cheap, strong drinks, too. 15 stars!!!!!
To be fair, I'd become a dedicated patron of a gas station bathroom if they had a Morrissey night and beer, but this bar is top notch for being so comfortable, homey and inviting.
dark and moody bar with great music. love the atmosphere in back to catch up on conversation.
great perk is that coast will phone you when your table's ready around the corner.
This is a consistently enjoyable bar in Chicago which is hard to find.
Friendly staff, wise beer selection and patchwork DJ nights keep Danny's my first choice to grab a drink in the city. And you can find a good conversation at the bar if the right people are about.
The Smiths night is good. Tender Tuesdays are even better.
Don't be fooled, despite having a giant Schlitz sign outside their door, you will not find the beverage here. I have to say I'm a little disappointed by that fact. But the awesome people watching here makes up for that. Last night for birthday fiesta I had the pleasure of watching a couple doing a modified salsa dance to a a pixie's classic. Also there were plenty of girls that looked like they had just recovered from a Phish show, a random overworked I.T. guy and some dude in a fisherman's hat all trying cut a rug on the dance floor. Add a few drinks to the mix and you have yourself a very entertaining night.
Danny's is making a come back in my book. I feel that I've shied away from it over the past years,… Read more »
Great bar. I went once last summer where the coolest DJ I've ever heard was spinning.
The place can get a little crowded, but I'm a big fan of Danny's. Check it out!
I had yet to have a bad time at Danny's, and I live right around the corner. Dangerous combination!
As many have said before, tiny place, tinier bathrooms, cash only. Awesome dance floor - it's not a place to be "seen" but to have a good time. I've never felt self concious here dancing.
I love that it has cozier corners for when you want to just chill and watch everything happening around you.
Bartenders are pretty nice, if I sit at the bar we tend to end up chatting. They pour a mean gin and tonic.
Weekends can be crowded, but go earlier to start your night or during the week it amazing to wind down from a long day.
I went to Danny's for the first time about a month ago with a couple of friends for Off-Chances, the gay dance night. The first time around I had a blast--the music alone was enough to keep me there until they closed. However, I figured I'd wait until I went a second time to see if that first time was a hoax... I wasn't let down in any way. The music was still fantastic, the drinks were still good, the guys were still cute, and the crowd was still an eclectic bunch of fun.
The bar is broken up into all of these little sections and alcoves, lit mainly with candles... and both times I've been there I find myself forgetting that I'm even in a bar. The bathrooms (both off the front bar and off the dance floor) can make for a hilarious experience for anyone.
Needless to say, I'll be going back.
I went last night for Off-Chances, the gay dance night. I had never been to Danny's so I had no idea what to expect, other than big glasses and low-cut t-shirts (on guys), but I was very pleasantly surprised at the place itself and the bartenders.
As people have mentioned, the smaller rooms make it feel like you're at a house party rather than a bar, which I love. The other benefit is that, while you can hear the music from the dancefloor, it's not blaring and ruining the conversation in the other rooms.
As for the staff, everyone was really friendly and seemed to appreciate all the customers. I didn't make it to the ATM before I got there, so by the end of the night I was down to my last $3 and told the bartender straight up that I didn't have the money to tip him and I would understand if he didn't want to serve me, but he was really nice and actually thanked me for being up front. So, all in all, a great place to chill or dance with friends, the place seems to sort of become whatever you want it to be.
I used to really like Danny's. I like all of the little nooks where you can sit, and it can be somewhat chill during the week. But I can't stand it on a saturday night. I went for a friend's birthday, and I was not pleased. First, you have to stand in line to get in, and its freezing, so that immediately irritates me. Now I know about the line. It almost always happens there on the weekends. But Danny's is totally not worth the wait in line.
So then we get inside, and the bar area is packed, and not really designed well for people to be standing, as you get shoved around by people trying to get through. THEN the dance area. Its not really a dance floor, so much as the biggest room in the bar. SO CRAZY PACKED that you couldn't really even dance. More like wriggle around while beeing squished by tons of people. And trying to navigate through the crowded floor to the other side proves to be challenging. And to that dickhead that was trying to push past the line of people trying to get through: you wont get there any faster by being a dick, so stop that!
I mean overall, its ok. But I definitely wouldn't go out of my way, and I would gladly tell people to go somewhere else if there is a line. I do like the atmosphere on the weekdays though.
Dear Danny's,
I am sorry I stayed away so long. It's just you know.. I moved out of the neighborhood.. and with the summer things got hectic. But over the Thanksgiving Holiday were really there for me.. with your dimly lit rooms and you stiff cheap drinks. You really know how to make a girl feel at home when she can't afford a $300 plane ticket.
So lets promise not to stay apart again so long ok? I'll make hike up Damen if you'll try not to be too packed. Deal?
xoxo,
Sarah
Very cozy bar - makes you feel almost like you are at a house party instead of a bar which makes the atmosphere a lot more intimate - dark lighting and great music make it easier to dance for the shy types, although I would prefer if there was a wee bit more room to dance around.... I went for their first Wednesday of the month soul music night and had a blast on the dance floor despite the close proximity of bodies and spilled drinks on the dance floor.... They also have a delicious double chocolate- flavored beer on tap! I look forward to going back many times in the future!!!
It's just fine until it gets busy. First time there in years and it's pretty much the same old. I like it.
About the, "until it gets busy"...the bottle neck that is the couple of stairs right by the DJ booth, and bar, and women's and men's bathroom can make a person crazy.
This review comes with the caveat that I went on a Monday night, for a fundraiser, where 50 percent of drinks purchased went to planting an orchard in the city of Chicago. Very cool. So there's that.
But I love, love, love the vibe. Love the low seats and intimate tables with candles. It went from being a great place to take a date (in that the low-lighting and quiet, eclectic music are conducive to looking good and conversing) to me losing my voice yelling at my friend about whether or not to buy organic. . . who was standing literally one foot from me.
I had one beer (school night), and it was deelish. I would like to try it again on Friday or Saturday night for the full effect, but the vibe on a week night is certainly what I look for in a destination for drinks and commiserating.
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