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Four Farthings Tavern
Categories: Nightlife Bars Pubs Restaurants American (Traditional) Pubs, American (Traditional) [Edit]
2060 N Cleveland Ave(between Armitage Ave & Dickens Ave)
Chicago, IL 60614
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
(773) 935-2060
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 am
Sat 11:30 am - 3 am
Sun 10 am - 2 am
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Music:
- Live, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
92 reviews for Four Farthings Tavern
Review Highlights
"Nothing brings strangers together quite like karaoke."
(in 22 reviews)
"...food was better than expected and overall great experience."
(in 3 reviews)
"Excellent location, live music, fast and friendly service."
(in 5 reviews)
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92 reviews in English
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Review from S B.
Chicago, IL
1/25/2012
After visiting the Chicago Historical Society today we thought we'd cap our day with a slice of Chicago style pizza but after seeing this really cool corner tavern in Lincoln Park we decided to check it out...
And even though we didn't eat in the "formal" dining room with news celebrity Carol Marin, our wait staff was just as friendly, accommodating and the food excellent! Strongly recommend the chicken wings to start - best I have ever had...not frozen, fried & reheated but grilled fresh!!
If you are not a burger person go for the monterey chicken or the grilled salmon paddy sandwich served with fries or fresh fruit...both excellent!!
Our wait staff also mentioned the SuperBowl Party on Sunday for only $35 a person that will cover dinner & drinks & a free raffle ticket for a trip for 2 to Hawaii...
Four Farthings also had a great brunch menu so we will have to come back to give that a try too -
I would definitely recommend this place to everyone! -
Review from Kevin L.
Chicago, IL
1/9/2012
EDIT #2: Last visit to establishment for brunch on 1/8/12
OK to good food for brunch or dinner (have not been here for lunch) with arguably one of the best outdoor patios in Lincoln Park/Old Town in the spring-fall that is absolutely ruined by poor service, as mentioned several times in the reviews here on Yelp. (EDIT: Most recently 5/16/11, 6/7/11, 8/1/11, and 11/5/11)
This is a place that is rare in that you nearly forget how bad the service was the last time you were here (if you go here once every six weeks or so) as the food almost compensates for your frustrations that will slowly build up as your meal takes place.
A few things to keep in mind as you consider coming to this place:
1. You will be thirsty. You will be served water (eventually) in a small rocks-sized glass that will be refilled (if you are lucky) once when your food arrives, and on a good day, one more time if you flag down the waiter/waitress to refill your glass.
2. You will encounter frustrating inattentiveness. You will encounter many servers walking around and/or eating at the bar if you are sitting inside no matter how busy the establishment is. (If you are seated outside, expect to see your server twice, maybe three times while you are there for a 1-1.5 hour brunch).
3. You will wait. And wait. And wait some more.
4. You will wonder if your server suffered some sort of horrific accident while watching ESPN in the bar area as their prolonged absence will give you cause for concern.
5. You will consider leaving and going someplace else, decide to go somewhere else, then begin to stand up and leave just as your absentee server comes out with either your coffee, first round of drinks, or main course.
6. You will swear upon leaving this place that you will not go back again no matter how decent the food was.
7. You will laugh at the 'People love us on Yelp!' sticker on the door as you leave.
8. You will return six weeks later, and try to reassure yourself that the service "could not possibly be as bad as last time."
9. You will be wrong.
Highlight: Huevos Rancheros for Brunch.Comment from John C. of Four Farthings Tavern 1/24/2012
Hi Kevin, It sounds like you have had a few tough… More » -
Review from Laura L.
10/19/2011
Went here on a Tuesday night with another couple and we were surprised how great this place was!
They have a very extensive menu - bar food as well as more fancier food (steaks, pasta, etc). Even better, we were there on a Tuesday night which is $0.35 for wings - 20 wings for $7? Yes please! (The cajun wings were a stand out). And there was live music which added a little something extra.
I got the fish and chips - fish fried to perfection but the "chips" were just alright. My husband ordered the ribs which were delicious!
Overall, I was definitely impressed with this place. Good food, reasonable price, and a very wide variety of choices.
Can't wait to return. -
Review from Tom G.
Westlake, OH
2/9/2012
Had a chicken pasta with tomato sauce Watery tasteless tomato sauce-- the worst I have had anywhere. Dried out chicken. Painfully slow service. The server had too many tables and could not keep up.
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Review from Eric B.
Chicago, IL
1/18/2012
Fun place for karaoke. I won a Heineken kegerator here, so that's a plus. The scene changes dramatically between dinner and drinking time. Ive only had appetizers so i cant judge the food. The old bartender is a staple, but he was rude to me once. I dont dock a place stars for one time bad service, so I'm sure karma bit him in the butt that night by making him crack like a prepubescent teenager singing karaoke.
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Review from Jackie W.
Menomonee Falls, WI
1/23/2012
First time at Four Farthings. Fantastic food, friendly service. Would recommend this restaurant/bar to anyone.
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Review from Danielle R.
Chicago, IL
12/27/2011
My family was in town, and we wanted some place with TV's to watch the games that were on. We ate in the side room of the bar. Service was great. Food was great. Nice selection of beers. Good, homey atmosphere. Live music was nice.
Noteworthy items: Beef Stew (on special, but fantastic!), Veil Parmesan (one of the best we've ever had), the Pulled Pork sandwich and Quesadillas.
All in all, was pretty impressed by this place, and would definitely return for a nice, casual dinner. -
Review from Frank E.
This place was great. Just a local small neighborhood bar in Chicago. We came here prior to heading to a pizza joint and they ended up having trivia that night. They have yummy free popcorn in the back.
Unfortunately with us being from Seattle, the trivia had a category to filter out non-locals.... "Chicago Colleges"
We failed miserably at this one. It was still fun. Apparently the bar tender was the same bar tender that was there when my fiance co-worker used to live in Chicago and frequented this bar 15/20 years ago. That was cool.
They did change it up as well where no longer was there a pool table in the back and made more room for bar seating.
This place is quaint and 'cool'. -
Review from E R.
Chicago, IL
1/20/2012
We always have fun here. The crowd is lively, the age groups are spread across the board, and the karaoke led by Luis is a blast. The wine is not so good, but no big deal.
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Review from Joseph M.
Chicago, IL
8/1/2011
We were seated immediately and courteously by a hostess who ensured that we were brought tiny glasses of water on a baking hot July afternoon. Our server arrived a few minutes later, but before we were quite ready for anything but drinks. This was already a promising start, but it proved to be a false one.
After a leisurely perusal of the menu and an extraordinarily difficult time deciding between options, we made our choices and were surprised the server hadn't come back to check on us. We were equally surprised five minutes later when the beer finally arrived, our order was finally taken, our water was not refilled, and my sweetheart was not brought a larger glass despite not ordering another drink. Perhaps this was an oversight and our waiter was busy inside. Perhaps not.
The seafood chowder was completely acceptable, but not what I'd call tasty or flavorful. Perhaps inoffensive? The hot jerk wings were really neither, and while the flavor was still pretty good, the wings themselves were rather dry and tough to chew. My girlfriend got the artichoke and hearts of palm salad, which was almost inoffensive as well. The taste was fine, but not great, and the whole salad was sitting in a huge puddle of water: I assume this means the artichokes and the hearts of palm came straight from the can and there was no attempt to drain them. That was certainly their taste.
And then there's the absentee waiter. This man was nowhere to be found for the entire meal, seemingly refused to refill our tiny waters (though he succeeded once after bringing out food), and hadn't any clue we might be finished with our meal. After a ten minute wait for the check, I went inside, asked for the bill, and observed our erstwhile server talking with the cooks. I asked the gentleman helping me if he was just chatting the entire time, and was advised that he had to make the evening menu. All well and good, but not for us.
At 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon, one would expect service to be the least of one's worries at an established Lincoln Park restaurant. But then, one would also expect a decent plate of food. Four Farthings was not up to our expectations. -
Review from Jason Z.
6/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
As the missus and I were walking around the neighborhood, we decided to have lunch here and sit outside on their patio. Before we could even walk in the door to ask for a table, the bus boy pointed to a table outside for us to sit. The bus boy brought menus as we sat, and then waited for our waiter to take our order. And waited, and waited.
When he finally arrived, he asked to take our drink order first. I asked, "Do you have sweet tea vodka?" He replied, "I don't know." And then just stood there. No, "Let me go check," or "sorry, we don't carry it." Nope, from him I just got a "I don't know." Clearly he wasn't going to waste his time or mine by walking inside to inquire. So we just decided to order beer and be done with it.
The beer came quick, and our lunch orders were taken, and again the food was brought pretty quick by the runner. However, by this time I was almost done with my beer, and was in the mood for a second (it was a hot day after-all). So I waited for the waiter, and waited, and waited. So I ate some more of my sandwich, and then the 2nd half, and then all my fries, and he never showed until it was time to bring us the check. By that time, I was ready to go to a bar that would actually care if I ordered a second drink.
The food was only OK. I had a roast beef sandwich, that was decent. Amanda C had the brat. Again, it was OK, but nothing special. The food wasn't enough to make up for the terrible waitstaff. I almost never give a one star review, but the waiter turned me off so much, there is ZERO reason to ever consider going back. -
Review from Jessica G.
Villa Park, IL
11/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went with a moderate-sized group this afternoon. Service was a tiny bit slower than I would like but acceptable in general - it did take us a while to get our food. I had the veggie sandwich that comes on a pita, which was pretty tasty. The burger seemed to be a hit with our party but it seems the fish and chips were not that great today. If we lived in the neighborhood, I could see coming here frequently - it has a cozy and friendly but almost grandparenty vibe to it. Not bad.
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Review from Molly P.
Chicago, IL
2/27/2011
Mother. of. God. If you enjoy having your eardrums assaulted by the tone deaf screechings of people who--inexplicably--are unaware of how terrible they sound, then this is the place for you. This is not like Blue Frog, where the people who sing there actually have talent and the song choice is generally pretty stellar. At Four Farthings, it's like they've assembled every person in the city who should not, under any circumstances, sing outside the confines of their showers, and then handed them a song list of tunes that frankly should never be played or performed ever again. These people make bad songs worse. It's really unbelievable.
Before the karaoke train wreck hit the bar, it was a decent place, but the karaoke left me so scarred, and my ear drums so irreparably damaged, I'll never go back.Comment from John C. of Four Farthings Tavern 5/10/2011
Really sorry we won't be seeing you again Molly. More » -
Review from Maggie K.
Chicago, IL
8/16/2011
Sat outside in the middle of the week - service was poor but food made up for it. I also think the guy was new. The atmosphere was nice - we went inside to the bar to listen to live music when we were done. That was awesome - until the team they sponsor walked in and starting screaming over the musician. We left. All in all, good food that was slightly overpriced, but a nice girls date night during the summer.
Comment from John C. of Four Farthings Tavern 8/23/2011
Hi Maggie, Thanks for taking the time to review Four… More » -
Review from Damian C.
1/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
A somewhat classyish restaurant by day that moonlights as a karaoke bar? Oh lordy.
I drive by this place every day to and from work and never knew it was quite the combo, nor did I realize it was as popular as it is. I stopped in on Saturday night for a friend's birthday and was completely shocked at how packed the place was. And I was completely shocked by how OLD everyone was. At around 10:00PM the average age in the bar was 40+ and seemed a place that a youngin' like me would take their parents to while visiting.
Karaoke is not my thing, but my friends get a kick out of it, and it provided some great comic relief. The karaoke master (or whatever is a good word) was quite the singer himself. I've never seen a man do as great with a Madonna 80s medley as he did.
After midnight the old guys were pretty much gone, the bar cleared up, and the young kids went wild.
Fairly quick bartenders and good people. All in all, not a bad place. What a surprise! -
Review from Annie D.
10/18/2010 1 Check-in Here
I could have sworn Lady Gaga was here.
Four Farthings was a bit rough, to be honest. And while I had a ton of fun there, I don't think I'd frequent the FF if I lived in Chicago. My impression was that it's a sort of surly, divey old pub with karaoke. I'm all for divey old pubs with karaoke, but I could deal without the surly part.
We sat in the back area, away from most of the wild and crazy kids, but we had one of the most unfriendly servers. She acted annoyed with us at every point of contact with her. And then this dangerously drunk woman came up to our table and stared/wobbled at us for about 30 minutes. There's no other word for it but weird. Real weird.
The KJ had an incredible voice, but he was the kind of KJ that sings every other song, so it takes forever to get to your song. And while the Lady Gaga-belting KJ was good, it was Danny W's stylized version of "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys that stole the show. Yes.Listed in: Chicagoing
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Review from mark s.
Chicago, IL
10/28/2011
Nice atmosphere. White table cloths. Quality food. Fair prices. A fine neighborhood restaurant. The dining room is separate from the bar.
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Review from Heather P.
Chicago, IL
12/31/2010
I hosted a 30th surprise birthday here about a year ago and I can't say enough good things about the experience. I worked with the owner to set everything up and he couldn't have been more pleasant or accommodating.
I went in to check out the space and it was fantastic, not to mention that they don't charge a fee to utilize the room. They allowed me to bring in an outside cake, but I ordered from the menu for the party. The muffaletta sandwiches were a huge hit. The wings were really meaty and good. The service was incredible. They had a good selection of tap beers and reasonably priced as far as I was concerned.
I think this place is a real gem. Come in for the neighborhood atmosphere to watch a football game at the bar or go and sit in the dining room with your family for a quality dining experience. And if you ever need to host a party of some sort - this is definitely the place to do it! -
Review from Christina Y.
Santa Monica, CA
6/26/2010
I have no clue why at every work trip I attend, we somehow end up at a divey karaoke bar. In Denver, the one we patronized featured a homeless man who asked one of my lovely coworkers to slow dance - he must have known that it was her first day on the job. And by the way, their dance was lovely. In Long Beach, I ended up in a breathless duet with a coworker singing Violent Femmes. In San Francisco, a typically mild-mannered male coworker worked the dance floor with a Britney Spears hit. And this time, it was at Four Farthings, led there by a coworker who used to bartend there, and this may have been the most memorable work karaoke experience yet.
The moment we walked in, I could feel my hip coworkers' hearts breaking a little. The crowd skewed very young, many looking like they were still in college, and almost everyone in the room seemed to be blacked out. We headed to a back room and grabbed a table in the "Free Party Room." There was a popcorn machine in the back corner that made some of us very excited, but sadly there was no receptacle for the popcorn, so we were reduced to staring at it longingly.
Soon our waitress came and from her first glare, we knew she hated us. Why? Because we were sitting in the Free Party Room? Because we wanted to pay her money to bring us drinks, as her job requires? Who knows? But I do know that the corners of her mouth were permanently pointed towards the floor and every time we asked a question I was afraid she was about to throw a punch.
I will say the exact opposite about Shannon, the bartender. Grinning ear to ear, endlessly cheerful, funny and cool, we absolutely loved this woman. Give her a raise!
Now on to the good stuff. After a while we decided it was pointless to be here and not sing a bit. The karaoke "stage" is really a patch of floor right by the main entrance, one huge speaker pointed right in your ear. The KJ here is no ordinary KJ - he's an outrageously good singer who sounds just like Gaga, Madonna, Leona Lewis... basically every diva combined into one sassy package. Between other people's songs, he'd put on a show of his own, dancing on the bar, humping drunk patrons and generally being a fantastic performer. I think he made a deal with the bar where he could have a nightly show of his own as long as they called it 'karaoke' and he allowed random other suckers to try their luck in between his numbers.
One of those suckers was me, going up there like a fool with my two coworkers to sing the theme song to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air only to find that there are two extra verses to the song that were never featured in the show! How embarrassing. To make things worse, we were sandwiched by two of the KJs best performances of the night. We decided the only solution was to dance the night away, and that we did. The fact that Four Farthings made a bunch of working 20 somethings dance like maniacs after a tiring day of work at a bar they'd never visit normally is really saying something and may make up for the mean service we received in the Free Party Room.
Say what you will about Four Farthings, but I walked out of there with some great memories, met some very interesting characters and worked up a sweat. So all in all, I'd call it a success. -
Review from Sandra G.
Chicago, IL
7/26/2010
So after a steamy Saturday afternoon at the Sheffield Garden Walk and ready for some air conditioning, at the recommendation of some friends we went to Four Farthings specifically so that one of them (no names please) could serenade us and dedicate his version of La Bamba to the latinos in the house. Thanks T!
Walking in at about 9:30pm the place was quiet with tables readily available, I admittedly felt right at home as it reminded me of the typical nicer Wisconsin corner bars that adorn every street turn of my agriculturally-astute homeland. I said, remind-ED me (throat clearing) until in walked Lady Gaga himself.
I have never had such a great time watching and listening to a karaoke DJ (what are they called anyways?). This DJ left me so impressed I even caught the name of the karaoke business, Standing Ovations karaoke! As Lady Gaga was performing, on the bar, on the stools, and perched on a ledge I caught a few passers-by peering in through the windows to see what was going on in the now, fully-packed, vibrant, ladies dancing everywhere, people-clapping, awe-inspiring bar.
As Lady Gaga walked out the front door to sing to people outside, drawing in even more of a crowd to the tunes of Madonna, I thought to myself, the owner of Four Farthings knew exactly what they were doing when they hired THIS karaoke company.
Don't be disillusioned by the perceptibly "calm" crowd on a Saturday evening pre-karaoke, it's merely the calm before the storm, so be prepared to "Vogue" into the wee hours of the night, and if your name is "Alejandro", prepare yourself for your very own special performance. -
Review from Abby S.
6/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
I believe that I sang some karaoke here a few weeks ago... OK, I *know* that I sang some karaoke here a few weeks ago. And that's about all I remember from my experience at Four Farthings :)
I kid, I kid... sort of. It was the last stop of the night for my posse and we had already had a few. But the staff here seems pretty equipped to deal with the drunkards and I'm pretty sure we were the least offensive people at the bar that night. I seem to recall a gal who was so drunk she was cross-eyed, who was stealing drinks off of the bar. So compared to her, we were A-OK! Eventually someone from behind the bar called her a cab, so an extra star goes to the staff for making sure she got home safely.
But back to the karaoke. It's your standard KJ working the room, the kind who sings two songs of his choice (with a few friends constantly cheering him on) before letting someone else take a turn. My fave of the night had to be Danny W's rousing rendition of "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. Obviously Danny W has a solid Plan B in effect in case this CM gig doesn't pan out :)
Is this the kind of bar where I'd hang out on a regular basis if I lived here? Probably not. But it was fun to belt out some tunes (and get video taped while in the act) and dance like a goon with friends. And that's what Four Farthings is all about. -
Review from jaime p.
Chicago, IL
8/13/2011
Walking into the empty dim bar, my expectations fell. I had just placed a take-out order and was seriously beginning to question how essential food was for the evening. Getting home and unwrapping the food, my first thought was that they had confused the orders and given me someone else's food; there was just that much of it! All of it was MARVELOUS! Nothing super fancy, just typical neighborhood bar fare, but all of it with just a little bit more of a kick than you expect.
Suuuuper delicious, super affordable, and super quick! (Seriously, the whole order, including a steak, was ready in literally 7 minutes.) -
Review from Molly L.
10/13/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place was a bit confusing. The bar is kind of dive-y, but the restaurant is really nice. It's like it has a difficult time making up its mind what it is.
My boyfriend and I went there for dinner (the restaurant side). My boyfriend was very excited when he discovered that they have Anchor Steam beer on tap. We got chicken potstickers to start. They were delicious, and I seriously wanted to drink the dipping sauce they came with. For our entrees, I ordered a ribeye with a Cajun pepper sauce and garlic mashed potatoes. The boyfriend ordered pecan-crusted pork chops with a cranberry relish with red potatoes and onions. I'd give the ribeye a 3/5 stars and the pork chop a 5/5. The service was just OK, but I credit this on them being busier than expected on Marathon Sunday.
I live just down the street and it's on http://restaurant.com, so I'll probably be back at some point for dinner, but I'm not really sure about the bar side. -
Review from Mandy P.
6/5/2011
It's been awhile since I've been somewhere and had a hard time choosing just one thing from the menu. Each section I saw had at least a couple of choices I would order and that is not a typical occurrence for me. I settled on the butternut squash ravioli special, which was not bursting with flavor but satisfactory nonetheless. On top of enjoying the selections available to me I also was charmed by dining outisde in their dog-friendly sidewalk set-up. For the most part the staff were very friendly and accomodating. Add in the warm summer breaze and this place was ideal.
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Review from John H.
6/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for the bar... and was pretty pleased. Bartenders were attentive and it didn't take forever to get the liquid courage flowing even though the place was pretty crowded. It was a Friday night so people were out and about - thank goodness for taxis since I have no idea how to get back to this place.
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Review from Mark M.
Chicago, IL
8/9/2011
I've only had dinner here before but i stopped for breakfast last Sunday morning. It was good to see the outdoor dining area was open as it was a great day. The hostess was courteous and the waitress was quick to get our order. Breakfast was solid, just like dinner - kudos to the chef. Definitely worth a second visit.
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Review from A C.
Chicago, IL
5/2/2011
Love this place. I live nearby and have stopped in with friends for lunch and dinner 3 or 4 times. I have always had great service and the food is way better quality than "bar food." I plan on taking my mother here when she comes to town next weekend!
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Review from Carla F.
Chicago, IL
1/12/2010
I've always had a good time when I've come to Four Farthings. The food is pretty good, nothing out of this world. Most of the times I have been there were on nights that they had live music. The crowd has been fun, not too crazy and the employees were always really nice and attentive.
I'm looking forward to returning. -
Review from Elizabeth B.
Chicago, IL
1/4/2009
Any meal eaten on a weekend before 6pm is brunch to me.
At 2:30pm, my Mom, a friend of the family, and I decided on Farthing's for brunch.
My Mom and I both had the omelet of the day - prosciutto, mozzarella, and fresh spinach with a side of chef's potatoes. I was very impressed with the dish's flavor although it was a bit on the salty side. The third member of our party had the crab cakes Benedict and enjoyed it a lot. Nobody in our party was able to finish the entire portion; they were big!
The coffee was hot and strong. The bagels, muffins, and spreads brought out prior to the meal were an unexpected bonus and tasty!
I liked the mix of bar patrons and white table cloth restaurant patrons. I would consider coming back here for drinks with friends. I will definitely be back for brunch! -
Review from Jenny T.
Chicago, IL
9/28/2008
Grabbed brunch here today with some friends & was underwhelmed. The prices were a bit high for the lack of "wowness" in the dishes. I had the pancake of the day (banana walnut, yum!) & even though it was plated beautiful with tons of fresh fruit, the pancakes were just...well...boring.
My friend Eleanor had the smoked salmon, spinach, and creamed cheese omelet & the salmon was definitely not smoked & the pieces were too big. Everyone was stuffed when they left, but unimpressed. I'd like to go back & sit outside on a morning when I wasn't out all night & see how I feel about Four Farthings then, but as of today I'm just not feeling it. -
Review from Michael H.
Chicago, IL
5/16/2011
Hadn't been to this place in quite some time but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food!! This was like the first nice day of Spring and the patio had just opened. They had one server on dealing with like 15 tables so obviously the service was horrible- I'm sure they have rectified that by now. Great Bar Room Inside/ Perfect Neighborhood Patio outside! Everyone at our table seemed very happy with their Lunch- We had the Pot Stickers and Popcorn Shrimp for Apps, The Pot Stickers are AMAZING! Our table was seated next to Ron Magers from Ch.7 and when I heard him order the Pulled Pork Sand I was SOLD!! I was not disappointed/ It was phenomenal...Can't wait to go back here for Lunch and Highly Recommend The Joint!! As far as Karaoke?? I just don't know or care! GTFJD
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Review from Jacob J.
7/22/2007
One review mentions this a great place to find cougars! Wow. I never found cougars, only old neighborhood men on the prowl. I remember many many times, rolling in there for an after work session with some of my flirty femme co-workers, local old peeps buying round after round. Nice guys. Never bought me a round. Except once, he said I was handsome. First time a stranger buys me a drink!, Hell no I won't turn it down.
Four Farthings is a neighborhood staple. When you're local its great. I've never had food, so, don't care much whether I go back or not.
Reasonably priced alcohol?? For who? Depends on what your drinking. Lets say its reasonable if you are good to the bartenders and get to know'em. Walking in off the street, I would say, you're getting almost downtown prices.
On most days you can find a nice group of people at the bar.
People are mostly local. The bar and its patrons have charm. I wonder if they chose this name, Four Farthings because it could be a place to find people of all places? Though.. you really find mostly white peeps. Don't let that stop you from stopping by. Its what you make of the place and its people.
The name is found in the Lord of the Rings story. Frodo Baggins resides in the Shire. The Shire is made up of four provinces, The Four Farthings. Same? No idea. -
Review from Vanessa C.
Chicago, IL
6/8/2011
I had been here before for karaoke on a weeknight and weekend, which was fun. Went here last weekend for a friends birthday, we wanted to sit outside but also wanted to make reservations. Was pleasantly surprised with the food and atmosphere. Not what I expected from what I usually considered to be a bar. The food was better than expected and overall great experience!
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Review from Nick M.
2/11/2010
Half bar, half restaurant, I think half is Four Farthings theme.
Our waitress was helpful and nice only half of the time, the other half she was kind of mean and impatient. Maybe multiple personality or something!?!
The restaurant side was only half full but they managed to pack everyone on top of each other. So much for private conversations!
Finally the food was really only half eatable! My chicken dish (though I can't even remember the ingredients) was... not worth mentioning. The Grouper was fantastic and the portion size was amazing.
Half of me would go back to check out the bar, but the half says forget it don't bother. Though I hear they have live music so maybe. -
Review from Beth P.
Chicago, IL
5/6/2008
"What're we doing tonight?"
"Aw nothin, just heading down to the farthings."
The first two years I lived in Chicago, that conversation was had at least thrice a week. Fresh outta college, our boys lived right above four farthings. We fit right in with all the regulars of all ages and all afflictions. Many a night was had just sitting there until 3 or 4am singing Bob Seger or making fun of those singing Bob Seger. The owners were always cool with letting us stay late. Completely unpretencious, comfortable, friendly and affordable.
Their outdoor tables are the perfect spot to enjoy a cold one on a picturesque corner of lincoln park, and enjoy the freaky mural on the side of the carnival grocery store. -
Review from Mia P.
Chicago, IL
5/17/2011
Had another fabulous afternoon at Four Farthings! Great food, friendly staff and tons of TV's here to catch games! Owner John Corry was even on site to say hi and was so gracious and thanked us all for coming in. And I hear Wed night trivia is a good time from friends, so will have to check it out soon.
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Review from Christina S.
Chicago, IL
9/3/2007
The guy in the window seat was eating a run-of-the-mill burger, but I was stooped over in hunger after a long day of apartment hunting, so I went inside... weaved past the bar, waved aside the cigarette smoke, and made my way into a big, comfy booth. The menu is a strange mix of... well, everything. I had the stuffed tomato salad, and it was absolutely delicious. The tomatoes and the fruit were plump and tasted farm-fresh. Totally shocking for a little tavern in the middle of the city.
UPDATE: I've gone back a few times now, and one thing keeps getting under my skin. I've never been asked if I'd like a table! I always have to track someone down and tell them I'd like to eat.
UPDATE: OMG. I get Continental frequent flier miles here. -
Review from Lindsay S.
Chicago, IL
10/6/2011
Went for lunch and it was a beautiful fall day so we sat outside. Service was prompt and very accommodating. The food was fantastic and plentiful. I also thought that food presentation was nice. Overall a great experience and a nice neighborhood spot with fantastic food.
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Review from Jeff K.
Chicago, IL
7/23/2006
I've eaten at Four Farthings perhaps a dozen times over the years, and the food/service has been great every time. I've only been in the bar a few times, but each time it was lively and not horribly crowded. They even showed the 2006 Stanley Cup finals -- one of the few bars in the city (country?) to do so. Bravo!
We ate appetizers in the bar the last time we were there and the food was very, very good. Not what you'd expect for bar food. Can't wait to get back! -
Review from Sarah S.
Chicago, IL
3/9/2010
Went here last Saturday around 11ish. It was packed!! We had no idea they had karaoke. This is a great neighborhood bar. I would definitely love to come back.
Drinks were reasonably priced. The crowd was very fun and a good mix of people.
