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Categories: Bars, Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: LakeviewAddison (Red)
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I had read a bunch of reviews for this place because they are some of the funniest ones I've seen. Then I went here a week ago. Oh my Lord, it is ALL true! I have never seen a bigger bunch of creepy guys in my life. They just stand at the bar, with their backs to it, and STARE! They don't even talk to each other...they just ogle unsuspecting women. Or maybe just stepping foot in a place like this makes you a suspecting woman...
Now, that being said, I found that if you get there early (around 9:00) and stake out some tables and meet a large group of friends, you can have a swell time...at least i did. Our waitress made sure we had drinks, although my first two beers were skunky.
With all of the TV screens and ample room, it is probably a good place to watch a game.
Bottom line: If you can find enjoyment from laughing at d-bags, you can still have a good time.
30-somethings beware. You may feel like you've traveled back in time to your college years.
But honestly, I love Barleycorn (maybe that has something to do with the fact that I'm still IN college), but I can see why some people hate it. The downstairs is chill, the bar is really cool with the model ships and such, a bunch of very large flat screens are sure to please the sports fan. Then there's the upstairs. I've never had to wait in line, even when the upstairs is packed. I guess I just go at the right time. It's a lot of fun! Songs that are currently on the radio and even some with a more dance beat mixed in. It's a pretty well mixed crowd, in terms of ages and ethnicity. I mean, it's a party bar, let's face it. If you're looking for more of a chill, dive bar, then obviously there are better choices for that!
Point being: you want to party like your college days? Come to Barleycorn.
Disclaimer: All the times I have been here- have been for private parties in the upstairs bar area. So if you are heading over to John Barleycorn's for a drink downstairs just to hang out- you should read a different review.
That aside- Barleycorn's actually does a pretty good job with the large parties. The space upstairs is huge- bar in the center with a large dance floor and plenty of wall space to lean upon. There are tables on the one end but never enough to snag a seat (at least not when I've been there)
I could have lived without the giant bouncer at the door carding me and mumbling something about going upstairs only to have someone else grab me and affix a neon bracelet to my arm so I could drink but considering this neighborhood- I guess worse could have happened.
As for those bracelets- most of the time they go the bracelet route (feels a little collegiate) where you can drink anything you want and pay only one price up front. Where it gets confusing is- that in an effort to please everyone- everyone at the party doesn't have to buy the wrist band. So you end up standing behind some guy who wants some crazy drink that isn't covered and then starts digging in his pockets to pay. In my opinion- since it's a private party anyway- forego the bracelet and make it an open bar- so much easier. Of course, the onus is on them then to keep non party goers on the main floor.
Service runs the gamut- on some visits the bartenders have been great- on others- not so good so it's the luck of the draw.
Barleycorns is not a place I would stop in unless someone I knew was having some type of party, fundraiser, or any of the other reasons I've been there. But if you are looking for a venue that is cheap and easily holds 400 people- you may want to check it out.
We had some visitors from Ohio this last weekend and we took them to Wrigleyville for a good time. Towards 1230pm we decided to switch bars again and go to John Barleycorn. It was good at first, we got drinks and surprisingly a table but then all of a sudden it went down hill...
The bartender seemed good at first, he tended to us right away and our friend started a tab so we continued to go to him. My sister ordered a vodka tonic and he gave her 2 of them and when she said she had only ordered 1 he said no you just ordered 2 and walked away. My sister had just met us there and it was her first drink of the night, so its not like she drunkenly ordered 2 drinks on accident. She couldn't believe his attitude, but figured she didn't have to go back up for awhile.
Then her boyfriend ordered a beer, but the bartender gave him the wrong one and then refused to give him the one he had originally ordered. We couldn't believe it, was this bartender hearing impaired? We all heard what he ordered, and that's not what he got. So we promptly closed the tab, to find that he had CHARGED US FOR HIS MISTAKES!! He then continued to ignore us. So we left, i mean come on, how big of douche do you have to be?
I don't understand, does the expression, "the customers always right" mean nothing anymore? I have worked in restaurant/bar atmospheres and we know better than to question a customer if they say we gave them something they didn't order, its not like correcting the situation is going to lose them millions of dollars! If anything they might just lose a customer and all the money they would have spent in the future.
I am sure I will be back, because it seems like it could be a fun bar. But i will be avoiding this bartender and his lack of customer service or respect! I will of course update this review if my next experience is better. Hopefully it is!
My friend and I made the mistake of picking the corner of Addison and Clark to meet up at 1pm yesterday, forgetting about the Cubs game and high chance of rain. The rain started up just as we got to the corner, so we ran inside John Barleycorn as a place to be dry, get a bite to eat, and catch up.
We were seated immediately, and a waitress came over to ask if she could get us anything to drink, and we both said water... Once the waters came, they just forgot about us. It took about ten minutes before we gave up on them ever coming back over, so we finally waved someone down, though it was another few minutes before they actually stopped at our table.
(I should note that there were very few tables full at this point. It wasn't busy. And we were right next to the other tables with people.)
Anyway, we ordered pizza cones, which turned out to be pretty good though since there were three different flavors, I sort of expected them to tell us which ones were which.
After we finished, there was another long wait trying to get them to realize we needed the check.
So, no, not somewhere to go if you're short on time, nor is it a good place to chat since it's loud... though it's a Wrigleyville bar during a Cubs game, so I don't hold that against them.
I'd like to think that at age 25, I'm still chock full of youthful exuberance and energy.
John Barleycorn is probably the first place I've walked into and thought "yep....I'm too damn old for this." I'm sure already tipsy Depaul undergrads will probably get a kick out of this place, and more power to them if they do.
Sometimes you're suckered into going places you'd rater not.
John Barleycorn was this place for me
And by the experience I had there I can honestly say I would rater be punched in the nuts by a foul mouthed cantankerous midget than have the misfortune of being stuck here again.
It was actually, hell on earth
At one point I was sure that we had actually entered the Seventh circle of hell( those violent against themselves) in the XIV canto of Dante's Inferno
as was described
"Enormous herds of naked souls I saw
lamenting til their eyes were burned of tears
they seemed condemned by an unequal law
for some were stretched supine upon the ground
some squatted with their arms about themselves
and others without pause roamed round and round"
This was to be the scene that I had encountered here.
Frantically like a bear caught in a bear trap I resorted to my last possible route of egress.
And chewed the metaphoric bear trap which had ensnared me made my flight from this terrible, terrible den of inequity.
Cornered, scared, and outnumbered I ran to the doors post haste leaving the droning sound of senseless hip hop music with over enthusiastic use of the vocoder behind me.
Bounding past the throngs of those who stood in line to enter and in such were doomed to become part of this menagerie of over priced drinks, mediocre whores, scaly douche bags, and bad music, I gave thought to warning them of their impending doom.
Eyeing an old friend whom was standing in line I made my way towards him to give him trial of my journey through this dark abyss of mindlessness but, it was too late his collar was already popped. I weeped, knowing he would never return to any semblance of decency after his hand had been stamped.
I sought solace in the paper bag wrapped elixir that is the 24 oz. of Old style, whilst licking my wounds taking stock of my life up to that fateful journey to John barleycorn.
Sadly though, it wasn't enough
John Barleycorn. You make me hate myself
I finally made my way to the upstairs section of Barleycorn. It was not something I'd expected, it's a club - now I understand why girls are so scantily clad when they head to Barleycorn.
I'm so over the clubbing thing so I'll just stick to the downstairs bar area where I can sit back, relax and actually hear my friends when they're talking to me.
I usually come to Barleycorn on low-key nights, when I just wanna hang back and have a couple drinks… Read more »
I am almost embarassed to admit that I brought my friend from out of town here.
This place is full of "bros" looking for that "special girl" of the evening, and will flock to you like I have never seen before in my life. I don't know what it is about this place that gives guys such a confidence boost, but it was blatently obvious what was going on.
Upstairs was even weirder. A "nightclub" in Wrigley? So confusing.
Upside, the place is massive, and it will definitely have the space for a bigger group of people, otherwise... I wouldn't suggest it.
After hearing about John Barleycorn for years, I finally paid them a visit. John Barleycorn is not high on my "must try" list, but a friend of a friend knew someone who was playing in a band at Barleycorn and we went to support them.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but when we first walked in the downstairs bar seemed nice. We found a table and our waitress was very attentive. When our drinks came we were reminded of what type of bar we were in with the plastic beer glasses.
We soon made our way upstairs to see the band. The upstairs is HUGE! There are two bars and I experienced great service at both. The bathrooms were clean-ish. This was no where near as skeezy as I was imagining it to be. Why is everyone so down on Barleycorn?!? I figured it out when the band ended and we went back downstairs.
The second we reached the lower level my mind was flooded with questions. What is with these kids? Why is that girl wearing that?!?! Did she really just do that to that slimy looking guy?!? No really what is with these kids?!?!?
I didn't feel like fighting through the crowd to get out so a nice bouncer let us out the emergency exit. Whew! That was bizarre!
Unlike most reviewers I didn't come here for the nightlife but for a quick stop before going into a 12:05 Saturday Cubs game.
We were sat quickly, ordered quickly and got the task of lunch before the game done in plenty of time.
The menu is interesting but mostly focuses on your normal burgers, chicken, salads.
We had the pizza cones appetizer and it was okay. They were sort of pre-fabbed from Sysco or some other food purveyor and they were okay.
I had the Louisiana Chicken (grilled, tossed in wing sauce, topped with Mozzarella) with the 7-pepper fries and MK had a burger w/bacon and cheddar with cottage fries. Mine was fine, not as hot as I thought it would be, pepper fries were only fries, heavily peppered from a pepper grinder. MK's burger was good, but her cottage fries only seemed half done. Some were good and cooked and some were flabby and flat/wimpy.
It served a purpose.
If you enjoy this bar, then you fail at life.
I really don't need to write another one star review about this place because I think it's all been said in the multiple other one star reviews out there. But I wrote this so I could add it to my Yelp list "Places you should not end up late at night".
I was here on Halloween and honestly for what I paid it could've been better. The bartenders were rude and slow. The clientele was mostly early 20s, and the guys were pretty douchey and clearly on the prowl. They have bathroom attendants who horde all the paper towels so you have no choice than to take one from them. Oh and when we went downstairs, we had to wait in LINE to get back upstairs. Whaaat???
10 -Beers at 5 dollars a piece :(
9- Slutty girls showing their boobies :)(more like 900)
8- Tough guys looking to fight :(
7- AM. is always a good time to start drinking before a cubs game :)
6- Full hours of drinking before the cubs game :(
5- Kids learning early in life it's ok to drink while people are working :)
4- Times I heard someone puking in the bathroom :(
3- Times I was caught looking at slutty girls boobies :)
2- Drunk to stand by the time game started :(
1- Pretty good time had by all. :)
Wow I have sunk to an all time low on this one, I apologize for wasting your time. :(
Not a horrible place to stop in before a game to grab some food & drinks. We stay to the north side of the bar & always have great service. The food is a step above your average bar food.
This place sucks, WAY more than any other place in Wrigleyville. I've had to come here when friends choose it for celebrations, but I wouldn't ever step foot in this place when the location is my decision. It's crowded, really crowded.
The dance floor upstairs is dirty and full of gross old men, wasted "chads" and girls who look like they thought they were going to a night club but ended up in a bar. If I'm drunk enough, I will dance, but usually only for a song of two, until I get sick of being groped and having some strangers half-wood rubbed against me. There is always a line to get upstairs and that is mind boggling to me. The last time I was here (last night) I saw some entitled, bottle service douche bag spit on the floor. Yeah, inside a building, just spit, and then when I glared at him, he told me to get over myself, as though the expectation that someone wouldn't just spit on the floor, in a building is pretentious.
The bathrooms are disgusting, even though they have an attendant, who isn't shy about asking for your money, most of the night. The drinks are disgustingly expensive, $5 for a miller light, that makes me feel more violated than the "dancing" I just endured. Oh and there was a dance-version of sweet caroline at some point, it was more nauseating than the amount of liquor I had to drink to be convinced to come here.
If you have to hang out in Wrigleyville, that's bad enough, don't come to John Barleycorn unless you're a masochist and looking to destroy any chance of having a good time.
good place to drink and dance!
Are you 20 years old and want to pretend that you're awesome?
Can't wait to get your hands on a rum and Coke served in plastic?
Excited to get groped by a frat boy on the dance floor while Britney Spears plays?
Then Barleycorn is the bar for you!
Great and spacious place to drop in after the game for a nice cold beer. I love all of the high tables. It makes you want to drink more...well, me anyways!
I made the mistake of reading the reviews of John Barleycorn on Yelp before going here, and I was expecting to totally hate it. Especially because I was planning to go on St. Patrick's Day. Yeesh. But I went, and I survived, and I feel compelled to give it a little more love than it's received recently.
Fortunately, we happened to start drinking early, before it got busy. The weather was beautiful (damn you, Chicago springtime!) and the staff had opened all the windows in the front out onto the street. Our group snagged a table by the front for some nice breezes and optimal people-watching out on the sidewalk. Perfect.
The service was awesome, particularly for a holiday. I never had to get up for a drink once. The $3 Guinness kept flowing. No complaints here. Also, the bathrooms were much cleaner than I had been expecting.
I can see that on a regular night, particularly during baseball season, the clientele would veer dangerously into complete douchery, hence my reluctance to give this place four or five stars. But it was certainly a fun place to spend St. Patrick's Day!
I think last night was the first time I've ever been to the Barleycorn in Wrigleyville. I can't begin to describe how lame this place is. We only went there because a friend was celebrating his birthday there. We waited in line with about 50 underage kids for about fifteen minutes before we got in. The bouncers were having a field day letting any girl who would flirt with them cut the line.
Once we were in the place was wide open. There was a ton of room to fit all of the people who were waiting outside. The decor was nice as it is at the Lincoln location.
Apparently they were giving away something upstairs because there was another huge line to get up there and people were begging and pleading this extremely obese bouncer. You could just tell he loved his power. Anyways that was the gist of my experience. I don't think you could pay me to come back here.
I usually try to avoid this place, but I have two words why you should give it a try: Hawkeye Football.
On Saturdays in the fall this is my favorite spot in Chicago to gather with friends to watch Hawkeye football. During the game they have a food and drink special for $25 or $30 (can't exactly remember). It is for this reason, and this reason only, I root for overtime.
All the TVs are on the Hawks and I always have a good time. Now if I go back at 11 p.m., it's usually a different story.
This is where the suburb kids go. Overpriced food and mediocre beer.
They have decent spot for dancing upstairs, but other than that..this place is only good for its location in Wrigleyville. Its dark, big..and geared for kids from Downers Grove. Bud Light and large TVs to watch ESPN, yay.
Lived close by, and would only go when no other options existed (or our out-town-guests wanted it). Try searching Metromix, The Reader ..or wherever and you can typically find a far better neighborhood joint within a few blocks. Save the dancing for Division..this place isn't worth it.
Ok, so I was there for the live music on Thursday night. A friend of a friend was playing so a group of us showed up in support.
We were told we had to wait downstairs till 8 when the music would start upstairs. At 8 sharp we heard music upstairs but nobody who worked there seemed to realize this, as they kept the rope across the stairs until 830 (even though we asked several times if we could go up) when someone finally moved it and we were allowed to go up.
My friend ordered a midori sour, I had a hot cocoa with a shot of Bailey's. Her midori sour was $7 which I think is a little pricey, the hot cocoa was reasonable though-only $3.50 (she obviously forgot to charge me for the shot)
Anyway, I have no idea what this place is like any other time, but it was totally empty the entire time we were there.
Do not let the name fool you: this is not an Irish Bar. John Barleycorn is just your typical Wrigleyville bar. The bar/eatery has nothing special, but also has nothing egregiously wrong with it. Though, locals do see it as a college-type bar where many suburbanites migrate to on the weekends.
Two levels complete John Barleycorn: the downstairs is more for talking (if you can talk over the loud music) while the upstairs is more for dancing on the weekends. Unless you love waiting in lines, make sure you arrive early to get upstairs for the dancing. What should you wear? I am not here to control your life, but weekend nights bring a dressier crowd while weekday nights have a more relaxed sports-watching vibe. Dress differently at your own risk. If you are dreaming about their food, your dreams are very average. John Barleycorn serves your typical bar food - burgers, fish n' chips, chicken tenders, etc.
Being a former Iowa Hawkeye, I have a bias for John Barleycorn's Saturday Hawkeye game special. The Hawkeye game is on nearly all the HDTV's and it costs $25 for an all you can drink/eat bar package during the game. Due to my bias, I will just give the deal a quick shout out in case you did not know about it.
All in all, John Barleycorn is just your standard Wrigleyville bar, but bigger. It's going to be loud, it's going to be packed (on the weekends), and it's going to have bar food. If this is the mood you are in, John Barleycorn is for you.
If i wasn't so drunk right now i wouldn't even waste my time reviewing this chad palace. Whatever the case i will. If you are a woman and a whore then go here there will be a million men with popped collars and flip flops wanting to put it in you. If you like Bon Jovi- Livin' on a prayer then add 4 stars
if not then you probably understand why i gave it one star.
I have only been to this bar once, but that was enough for me. I didn't live in Chicago at the time, so i did not know that this was a terrible place to go. The music sucked, the crowd was lame, but worst of all a guy pulled out his dick and showed it to me.
You will NEVER find me at this trash of a place.
Well, I like to drink and I like to drink a lot. I like VIP passes and we got them here for the VIP area of the upstairs area of John Barleycorn. I immediately loved the bar upon entering. It was scene I think everyone can get into b/c it was mellow on the first floor and ruckus on the second floor. It was set up well but does get a little packed around the front door.
We got there a little before our reservation, so we hit the bar on the 1st floor for a shot to kick off the 2nd part of our bachelorette party for Amy. The bar was long and big, so there was plenty of room for our 9 person party to crowd around and "SOCCCCIALLL!" after being served. It was still early and I realized when we left, that it definitely gets packed!
Our bartender was recognizable and once we figured out who she was (For those curious, Toni from Paradise Hotel, which she vehemently denied once being asked - I would too but HELLO...you were on TV, and those of us who love crap, late night TV....well, we are probably the same kind of peeps that frequent the bar you work at now...why lie?) avoided us like the plague, which made me laugh and entertained me so much.
The upstairs has two bouncers...one at the base of the stairs (gotta be on the list, dammit!) and then one at the top of the stairs. We got sat, had our own cutie pie waitress and enjoyed a bottle of champagne. Then, we hit the dance floor. We had a great time at John Barleycorn. And, the bathrooms weren't gross...which I always am happy to see...and there were plenty of stalls though I'm sure as the night wears on ...it gets more disgusting and more packed. The line was REALLY long when we left around 1 a.m. to head to our next stop. And the dance floor was bumpin', but we had our fair share of time here and needed to bounce.
However, I definitely think if you are into the hoppin' party scene, John Barleycorn is it...for a Friday or Saturday night and I have a feeling the downstairs is a great place to camp out for Happy Hour during the week. It was a cool kids' club. I liked it.
Allright, downstairs is allright to drink. But upstairs is basically a hump fest. Random ppl told me to dance with this one chick. Fun times..hah. I always happen to see people that I know or ppl from college; it's really strange. I guess it's the place to be.
Boo, John Barleycorn. Boo.
I've had the unfortunate pleasure of visiting this bar three times and each time it has been horrid.
It's like a horrifying mix of way overdressed club rats, over-inebriated Cubs fans and gross middle-aged single men. The bar is way too crowded - sometimes there's even a line. How is that possible? This place isn't good at all. The drinks are over priced, especially for the atmosphere. I can see paying slightly more for a drink if you love the bar, but this place is nothing to write home about at all.
As I see other people have mentioned, the upstairs area is icky. When there isn't a line (again, why are there that many people in there?) it's just full of weird drunk club rats dancing alone out on the 'dance floor' and gross middle-aged single men who have absolutely no shame.
Only redeeming quality: Occasionally someone I know will have a $40 open bar party, which means the upstairs is reserved for the party only. I don't mind being surrounded by my friends, but other than these rare events, this place definitely sucks.
Why not 1 star? Let me explain...
As an Iowa Hawkeye fan, I miss the throngs of Hawkeye fans marching down Burlington street in Iowa City each Saturday morning in the Fall. If you haven't experienced a football Saturday in Iowa City it really is something special. Waking up after 2 hours of sleep and stopping at the Kum & Go to pick up a case of Coors Light is sorely missed. In Chicago, my best available option is to head to Clark street. Black and gold shirts flood the area and it brings me back to my college days. Everyone knows Merkle's is TRULY the Iowa bar in Chicago. These days the Barleycorn simply offers a better deal for me by having much better and more comfortable seating. The waitresses do a good job as well for dealing with drunk people that early in the morning. I admit I enjoy my time. Sorry Merkle's, I still really like you.
So why only 2 stars? Barleycorn sucks as a regular bar. Try coming here at night. I dare you. The bouncers act like it is the best bar in town and you should feel privileged to enter. You know the look I'm talking about. Where they check your ID in their best Arnold Schwarzenegger face and stare at you for 5 seconds without saying a word. I was once turned away for wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Once you get in, the main floor is pretty lame and most people start forming a line to head upstairs. Enjoy the wait to get up there. Upstairs you will find the typical rap/techno mix commonly acceptable among recent college grads. Guys will be sporting their most expensive polo and women can be found wearing their best little black dress. Add some alcohol and raging hormones and makeout sessions soon follow. You can also usually find a few bachelorette parties of women asking you to buy suckers for $1 and do crazy things at their expense. No thanks.
As a Hawkeye fan, I will use this place only for my Saturday morning football watching needs. Nothing more, nothing less. Take that away and you have the world's lamest bar along Clark street.
Who doesn't love paying 6 bucks for a four-month-past-the-expiration-date Bud Lite?!?
Not that I wasn't already aware that John Barleycorn is an overpriced bar full of fratboy tools and their ladyfriends (think fist-pumping action going on to remixed "Sweet Caroline".. oh and I refuse to use the term "Chad"), but it wasn't until last night I realized how obnoxious the staff is as well. First, my friend's peacoat is stolen from the seat right next to us. Not the establishments fault, true.. but just goes to show how sleazy the patrons are. Then, as I'm finishing up my ridiculously priced beer (apparently one of the worst beers now costs more than a shot), I see "DECEMBER" printed on it. While I'm hoping the numbers 2009 will appear after, I am sorely disappointed. "Expires" 2008 for sure. I grab my friend's beer, same thing. So, we go up to the fake ass Lady GaGa wannabe bartender, who is not serving anybody but ignores us for a good 6 or 7 minutes anyway. When I show her the date on the beers, she gives us a dirty look and says, "what, so you want your money back?" Uhhh YEAH. She proceeds to get our money whilst talking smack about us to another employee. Then she says, "so I see you managed to drink it all anyway." Yeah, because I would have FIRST seen that it was expired for four months and then CONTINUED drinking it just so I could get a free Bud Lite, you snotty bitch. Barf.
Haha this bar is an absolute joke. Anyone who tries to bring you here is pretty much proving himself to be an utter tool. I would rather fashion myself a noose out of my own shoelaces than spend one second at this soul-crushing dump.
Barleycorn in Lakeview is your typical Wrigleyville bar. Downstairs has a large open layout with tables and booths. Large windows open onto Clark street and provide ample people watching opportunities. Upstairs is more like a giant dance party with DJ music and plenty of lights and flat screen tvs. Not my favorite place to go on the weekends but one of many average bars on Clark Street.
Typical post-college grad bar. Come with a group of friends and its alot of fun. Downstairs has a good amount of tables/booths/open space, upstairs has a DJ and large dance floor (apparently live music on thurs/fri nights).... I really dont understand why people rate it so horribly.... it is what it is, if you dont like that scene then you will obviously hate this place. I have to be in the mood for it, and with alot of friends, in that case its alot of fun then since the place is pretty big (as compared to red ivy across the street that is small as hell)
Eh, this was the second stop on my 21st birthday extravanganza. I was pretty drunk and I can have a good time anywhere when I'm drunk. But, even through my drunkeness, I remember thinking this place is kinda lame. Old guys aren't my thing, random rap songs from 2005 aren't either. Not to mention my Cosmo was pretty gross.
I would recommend this place if you are at least 26 or you're in Wrigleyville and already wasted and just don't really care where your are...
All in all, I don't think I would go back...
I'm not going to hold the fact that they kicked me out of this Barleycorn's location for stupid reasons hold me from giving them a good review.... It was years ago and now more of a joke amongst me and my friends than anything else.
I have since been back to this location since that incident and find it to be a fun place to hang out, have a drink - two, and socialize. I like that the front part of the bar is tables only where as the very back has music and a place to dance. It at least gives people more of a fighting chance to hear others talk. Yes, it's crowded, but it's a bar so what do you expect!?
All in all, I'd totally go back to John Barleycorn's.
John Barleycorn in Wrigleyville is like my second home!
All the doormen and bartenders are extremely friendly and as courteous as they come! I know some people have problems with them, but I have been going there religiously for 4 or 5 years now. This place is my version of cheers!
Its crowded for a reason! Hot women are all over the place, yea it is jammed with meatheads but if you have any game what so ever, you wont be leaving home alone.
Upstairs and Downstairs are 2 different worlds. If you only prefer to be upstairs then GET THERE EARLY!
Barleycorn is the place to be!
I was disappointed with myself for not giving my friend some input into where she was having her 30th birthday party, because then maybe we wouldn't have been here...
This is where you go in your college-aged glory days when you settle for shitty drinks and below par service. I used to come here when I first moved out to Chicago for specials maybe and my ex liked the place for dancing. I never really liked it then and even after the changes that they made to the top floor I don't like it even more. I actually liked the set up more back then where there was places to sit and lounge, and now it's just this open floor. It was drama getting to come into the top floor because they said that there was a $30 cover just to get in and get a wristband. You can't do one without the other basically. So my friend who is celebrating her 30th birthday party is stressing out because all her friends she invited are mostly not able to get in. She finally found a manager to prove to him via her blackberry an email he had sent stating the deal for her party and not having to pay the cover. If she didn't have it, she would have been screwed. It's so bullshit that you have this package and it doesn't include shots and stuff so it's not as if the bar couldn't be making money that way anyways. Seriously, even if you want the general public to see this as an exclusive downtown club - this is not the way to do it or drive business. Now, it only makes me want to tell people not to go here. In addition to all the drama of getting in, it always bugs me when I hear a song I like that I am only able to hear for like 15 seconds and it gets changed over to something else already. $20 minimum on credit cards. Your mixed drinks will taste like the mixer and you will taste very little alcohol, so they seem to be very stingy with this. Anyways, if you are chasing after "young tail", then this is the place to go. Needless to say, I hope no one else chooses this place to party at.
Good dance music; the patrons usually seem to be suburbanites. This place is large on the inside, with a huge second floor, but it's almost always really crowded. They have some weird system of allowing some people upstairs and not others. I didn't get it.
Upstairs is another bar with a large dance floor and some smaller sofas by windows, which is a nice area to chill in. The upstairs has one main bar and one bar off to the side as well. Good music, fun place to dance, and nice decor, but bad place to try to meet new people.
Sometimes the crowd seems to get a little rowdy, and guys will try to dance too close to all the girls. It can turn into a free-for-all the later in the night it gets. lol. And I just remembered that some guy tried to start a fight with me once after he almost knocked me over and stepped all over me!
Special
Chicago, IL
10 Dollars off
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Neighborhood: North Center
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Lounges
Evanston, IL
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Sports Bars
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