- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Pellys Liquors
Category: Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
3444 N Lincoln Ave(between Cornelia Ave & Hermitage Ave)
Chicago, IL 60657
Neighborhood: Lakeview
(773) 528-1338
- Nearest Transit:
-
Paulina (Brown Line)
Addison-Brown (Brown Line)
Southport (Brown Line)
- Hours:
Mon 10 am - 9 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Pellys Liquors
23 reviews in English
-
Review from Sarah O.
Chicago, IL
1/1/2012
The folks at Pellys - particularly Rocky - have never steered me wrong. I'm not a drinker, but dear friends are, and I've gone to Pellys a few times for gifts. Every time, they've given me suggestions that were within my budget AND huge hits with the gift recipients. It may not be the most polished place, but I'll go with customer service over hardwood flooring any day of the week.
-
Review from Nicholas C.
Chicago, IL
12/11/2011
This is one of the worst stores I have ever been in. The owner is incredibly rude and will refuse to complete your transaction if you make her angry in some way. Waste of her time and yours.
-
Review from Vanessa M.
Chicago, IL
5/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
"Please Do Not Use Your Cell Phone Inside. It Makes You Vexing and Insolent. (If you don't know what that means, please use a dictionary.)"
This is what you first notice on the door before even going into the store. This is one of the best signs ever. And pretty true to boot. It makes me smile a little bit every time I come here. The liquor store has a pretty solid range in different types of liquors. I've been able to find a couple of hard to find whiskeys with no problem. They also have a decent amount of wine and a good selection of beer. If you're ever looking for something, they have told me before that they'll order it for you (and order extra if they think they can sell more). All in all, a good liquor store close to my apt.Listed in: Would you like some wine with…
-
Review from J J.
Chicago, IL
6/30/2011 1 photo
Rude rude rude. I recently went into Pelly's the other day to purchase a 7UP for my sick friend & a selzter for me. The very rude attendant told me there was a $10 min all credit card purchases. I have been down this road many of times & I know the rules & for those of you who don't know as far as Visa goes merchants cannot require a minimum purchase on debit cards whether there Visa or Mastercards. They can however charge a $10 minimum on major credit cards. As for MasterCard they cannot charge a minimum ever whether it's a Debit or Major credit card.
I asked the cashier for the managers information he first told me he didn't know who the manager was. I asked him ok you must think I'm stupid I then said who do you report to he said something like a guy I said so does this guy have a name he said he wasn't sure he also told me he was just filling in for someobe so after entertaining this retarded conversation with this retarded individual he tells me the owners name is George & for me to find to look on the door for the hours of operation & that's when he will be in. I've been calling for 2 days now & someone keeps telling me George is not in & to call back. I think it's the same idiot I dealth with before you know the one with the bleak future ahead of him.
Needless to say I've reported this store to Visa & MasterCard if any company continues to violate their merchant credit card privileges they will as someone stated earlier in another review will lose their right to accept those Types of credit cards. -
Review from Helena B.
9/19/2010
Pellys has earned its place as our go-to neighborhood liquor store. It's close to home and the El and has an impressive selection of micro and craft brews. As a beer girl, being able to grab something that does not fall into the "Lite" family is a huge plus. The selection of local/Midwest beers (Goose Island, Bells, Great Lakes) is noteworthy and appreciated.
Feeling a bit fancier? The wine selection here is also quite expansive. You could definitely pop in before a dinner party and show up with cute red or white (oh, admit it, you pick wines based on the labels, too, no shame in that!). Pellys also carries a variety of hard alcohols and mixers.
There is, however, a $10 minimum (before tax) for using a credit card, so if you plan on grabbing a six pack on the way home from work, plan on bringing some green. Apparently retailers are allowed to enforce minimums now, so hit up the ATM.Listed in: Livin' La Vida Lincoln
-
Review from Patrick P.
Chicago, IL
11/27/2010
Liquor... I don't even know her!!!!
Run-of-the-mill liquor stores -- But that ain't a bad thing.
It's got beer, wine, and booze. And a parking lot to boot.
Great for in and out business... Get your booze and get the "f" to where you need to be to drink it!
Plus - it's next door to the Pleasure Chest. So when you need some more lube to go with your Hennessy and love-making, you can do it all in one stop! -
Review from Meredith B.
Pittsburgh, PA
6/15/2010
What's with all the hate? This place was fantastic!
First of all - the sign on the door demands that you not talk on your cell phone in the store. I mean really, is that too much to ask? We actually loved the sign and told the guy at the register that we totally agreed. Seriously people, don't talk on your phone for FIVE MINUTES - can you survive?
They had a bottle of a fairly rare vodka that my boyfriend and I love - I was amazed that they had it. We asked if they had something else - I think it was banana liqueur, and they said no, but that if we told them the particular brand we wanted, they'd try to order it for us. !!!!! We couldn't remember the brand name, but when we find it, you can bet we'll order it from Pellys. That's service.
The man who rang us up was extremely friendly and good-natured. We were very impressed with the store, having driven by it a million times before. Now we'll be sure to return! -
Review from Megan C.
Austin, TX
9/15/2008
Pelly's is awesome! First off, no one there is stoned, not within the past year, at least, anyway. Second, no one smokes in there. You can tell this by seeing them go outside to smoke. Maybe it was like that a long time ago, but not now, for sure.
They are always super friendly and helpful with suggestions. They also carry my favorite organic white wine, that I can't find anywhere else. Take that, Whole Foods. -
Review from Joe T.
Cincinnati, OH
7/16/2008
I stumble through the gate connecting my back patio to the alley, through the alleyways, across Cornelia, and VOILA - I have cigarettes and booze in a matter of minutes. Pelly's, stay right where you are.
There are some valid complaints about this place here. I know I personally HATE it when any establishment refuses to accept my counterfeit money (hey, at least she didn't call the cops on you - http://www.ripoffrepor...). And I get really annoyed when I'm so cash poor that I can't afford an $8 pack of cigarettes, so I have to buy a tallboy to reach the credit card minimum.
Complaining about the cell phone policy, however, is just asinine. I understand that it is really important that you tell your drinking buddies about your near miss with the ugly chick at the bar the night before, but you can carry on that conversation on the El, at the Waterhouse, or in the bleachers at the Cubs game.
The staff here might be a little eccentric, but they're really friendly and once they get to know you they will treat you like family whenever you walk through the door. -
Review from Vivian Y.
10/20/2009
Watch out! Walk in here and risk getting your head chopped off or losing your balls! Customer satisfaction is not a priority here. I have never ever written such a harsh review but it was absolutely earned after my experience today.
I hope anyone that visits will go out of their was to use their cell phone whilst inside AND call visa/MasterCard/Amex and report her for charging $0.75 for credit card transaction! -
Review from Emily K.
Chicago, IL
7/30/2008
We lived across the street from Pelly's for 2 years and while Armanetti's has a much better selection there were some times when you didn't feel like walking the extra half a block so Pelly's it was.
The staff seems to all be related and they're really friendly. The older woman who works there recognized us by name and was really cool and asked us a lot of questions and told us stories.
Now that I live in Ravenswood I'm not sad that we don't go to Pelly's anymore but while it lasted it was a marriage of convenience and I have fond memories of the drunk-stumble across the street for another bottle of red wine that I didn't need. Or my roommate coming home and saying "Dude, so the Pelly's lady told me..." -
Review from Kate W.
Chicago, IL
3/25/2008
If their prices were just a bit cheaper they'd get a five star.
This place is great. Not really- but it has this crazy cute charm about it. It's dirty. It's small. The staff is odd. There is a $10 minimum for credit cards. But it's your friendly neighborhood liquor store.
They have most beer, wine and liquor you could want. Plus, our new favorite cheap alcohol obsession: Admiral Nelson Spiced Rum. "Because an Admiral out ranks a Captain any day."
If there was a Binny's I could walk to I probably would. But there isn't. You know what there is? Pelly's. -
Review from Damian C.
5/26/2008
I have to thank my friends for this experience. If they would have had a keg at their cookout as opposed to spring the BYOB on us, the story behind this review never would have happened.
I stopped over at Pelly's to grab some beers with one of my friends on our way to a cookout. I noticed the "vexing and insolent" sign on the door regarding cell phones, which made me think that the staff was likely to be a bunch of jokesters and easygoing people with an interesting sense of humor. My friends later said they go there all the time and always talk to the nice lady behind the counter.
Nice my A$$.
We walk in and make our way through the maze of boxes and bottles over to the beer fridge. The two of us grab a two six packs and head up to the counter. My friend went to buy cigarettes, and the lady proceeded to tell us how her mom (or aunt, or something) got diagnosed with lung cancer and is still smoking. Not exactly an uplifting story, but whatever. Maybe this is her dry sense of humor shining through.
(In the meantime, two guys get in line behind us and are rolling their eyes, too.)
As the lady starts checking my friend out, I pull out a ghetto old-school $20 bill out of my wallet. I started showing my friend how weird it looked compared to the new bills, and the lady behind the counter cut me off and said "Yeah, we don't accept those". I actually thought she was kidding, but clearly she was not. She started telling me how using fake bills will actually cause them to lose money and that the Starbucks down the street got a fake $100 bill from someone just recently. Since I am fairly non-confrontational, I nicely tried telling her she was crazy but to no avail. I told her the money is real, it has a strip, and to bust out her little marker and check it. She met me for the challenge, marked the money, and sure enough it was real. However, this was not meant to be, and I realized this transaction was not about to be completed. I reached in my wallet and saw only a $5 (a new $5, by the way), glanced up at the $6.32 on the cash register, and reached for my credit card. Psycho cashier lady, now in a rude tone, stopped me again and quickly informed me there is a $10 minimum on credit cards also. Sweet crap! I bummed some change from my friend and paid for the beers.
While I was getting flustered over this, the guys in line were in full support of my friend and I. Where I was getting bored with the argument they were taking her on full swing. Eventually, we were all losers in this battle and had to laugh our way out of the store. I think the last words out of her mouth were "this is our business and these are the rules. If you don't like it, go take your money over to Armanetti's".
Let's all take her advice and head over there next time.Listed in: Less than or = to 2, We May Just Not Be Allowed…
-
Review from Jenna M.
Chicago, IL
10/24/2010
The attendant was REALLY rude and they did not have what I wanted. As far as neighborhood businesses go, this one was run very poorly and definitely not retaining me as a customer. Armanetti's down the block is friendlier and has a better variety. Belport Liquors at Belmont and Southport is run by an extremely nice man. I will not return to Pelly's unless I am desperate.
-
Review from Dan B.
San Francisco, CA
9/16/2009
I rarely write 1 star reviews but after a recent trip to Pelly's I felt compelled to share. Some friends and I popped in here to pick up a few mixers on the way to our night's destination due to its location, adjacent to the Paulina brown line stop. I got to the register and the total was $6.08, realizing I was a couple dollars short on cash I handed the woman at the register my card, she looks up at me and says "you are aware of the fee right?" umm excuse me?? She pointed to a sign on the counter stating that all credit card transactions were assessed a $.75 fee...ALL TRANSACTIONS. I am generally against credit card minimums, but this is a new low. I scrounged a couple more dollars from my friends and stated that I thought this was ridiculous and that I would not be returning due to this...her smug response "well it's probably your first time here anyway." You are right ma'am it is my first and most definitely my last, as well as the last for either of my friends.
Apparently here at Pelly's they have no interest in repeat business, and frankly the attitude of the staff seemed to communicate to me that they didn't care that I had patronized them in the first place. Now I know I was only spending 6 bucks on soda and such but I obviously was going to mix that with alcohol, which I am glad I purchased elsewhere. If I find myself in the area in search of spirits, mixers, cigarettes or anything else I will gladly go out of my way to spend my money elsewhere that appreciates the business. -
Review from Amanda H.
Chicago, IL
8/5/2008
Back in the day that I lived by Pelly's, it was my go-to place for picking up something to make me forget that I was a 1L in law school. I preferred Armenetti's down the street because they once offered me free bottles of wine they'd corked for a tasting that hadn't been consumed... but Pelly's has character. It had a clerk that was clearly always stoned. Another clerk was from West Virginia, like me. The one annoying thing is that the stoner clerk clearly smoked inside the store, even after the smoking ban, and it was sort of unpleasant.
-
Review from Katie J.
Chicago, IL
5/21/2010
I like Pelly's. Everytime I step in, they are super nice, always really helpful. One of the only places I can find close by that sells Gumballhead..that is my only complaint, it's out a lot. But they can't be blaimed, it's great beer!
-
Review from Julia J.
1/11/2010
So, Pelly's is generally a last resort for me. All of the reviews here are true. Small, dirty, moody staff. I think the woman who everyone complains about on here is just generally disgruntled about life, and you just have to take those people with a grain of salt. It's true, she's pissy about the cell phones and she's rude to customers about the credit card fees and everything in between. She's rude to you even if you're pleasant as pie. And this is a weird thing to gripe about, but I was behind a woman in line who was definitely pushing her late 50s or early sixties, and babs behind the counter kept calling her "young lady," as in "I'm sorry, young lady. There's a fee on credit card transactions." The older woman just stared at her. Insolent, indeed.
-
Review from Réjane P.
New York, NY
3/20/2009
I was introduced to this place by a friend who lives close by about 5 months ago, and I've been back several times since. Whenever I'm on my way to party on the north side, it's always my fist stop. The lady at the counter may be a bit different but she's always very polite and asks how I am. Granted, the store could use a little clean up, but all in all, a good experience.
-
Review from Luther Z.
Madison, WI
1/9/2007
As far as the card minimum thing goes - you are absolutely right, merchants can lose their right to run cards if they impose a minimum charge, or as I've seen at some places, charge a $.25-.50 surcharge. As for the place itself... it's dirty, and the staff there is a bit strange. The one guy w/ the big mustache is helpful, but often smells as if he's been indulging in the product. They have a sign on the door that says not to use cell phones on the premises because they are "vexing and insolent" then adds, "if you don't know what those words mean, use a dictionary." Given that it's a liquor store that I've seen alcoholics in, buying their $6 bottle of Dmitri vodka, this is the last establishment on earth that should be telling their customers what they can and cannot do. I understand that using a cell phone while engaging w/ the clerk is rude, but give me a break - you're a dirty liquor store! Actually, I do remember one time, before this sign was up, where I was asked to end my call or go outside. Another time, after I had purchased an item from Armanetti's down the street, and went to Pelly's to look for something else, the clerk had the nerve to ask me how much I had paid for my item at Armanetti's to which I replied that it was none of her business. I'll go here sometimes, but generally I make a point of going elsewhere - if I go, it's only a matter of convenience and ease. Oh yeah, a bottle of Jameson at CVS or Armanetti's runs between $17.99-19.99, at Pelly's it's $22.99. Maybe they can take those few extra bucks and clean the place up.
-
Review from Michael M.
Chicago, IL
3/2/2009
So I live Exactly in between Pelly's and Armanetti's. I have been to both several times and I must say. Pellys you suck, You need to first off clean up your store. The floors are dirty and there is crap everywhere and its very unorganized. Your wine is in boxes and not even out for display. The lady that works the counter doesnt seem to be fully there, I think she was in lala land when I went in. Oh yes and BTW your prices aren't all that great. I dont even understand how people go there when down the street Is Armanetti's Beverage Mart and that place is is Spectacular. Its clean, organized, well priced, always stocked, AMAZING BEER and WINE selection, and the staff there is awesome. I feel like Pellys is a run down place and is going to be of the past.
-
Review from Jessica M.
Elmwood Park, IL
5/17/2010
Creepy...
-
Review from Vanessa K.
Chicago, IL
7/4/2010
Pellys is okay in my book. It super close to home. Selection is wide enough for me. Parking lot is convenient when I'm driving home from work after a long day and need to stock up. I've never had any problems with the staff. They're usually pretty nice and I've even had some decent conversations with the older woman here. As far as the credit card minimum/ transaction charge. I'm okay with it. You gotta keep in mind that they're not trying to make any money off of you. They're just trying to make back the money that they shell out to credit card companies every month for you to have that convenience. They have a no cell phone policy which I'm also a fan of. Having worked many jobs in the service industry, I realize how annoying it is to help a customer who is glued to their cell phone. If you want to be pampered this is probably not the liquor store for you. If you're just looking for somewhere to pop in and buy some booze, then you shouldn't have any issues.
