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Categories: Bars, Performing Arts [Edit]
Neighborhood: Logan SquareCalifornia (Blue O'Hare)
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Ronny's Rules for two reasons....but only if you can get passed it's screwed up facade.
Bands play and you like it!
You see your friends there...isn't that all that matters?
There are TONS of reasons why you could pick on Ronny's. Sure....the bathrooms are pretty repulsive; I just deal with it and learn to joke about with people who have experienced the madness of peeing in a bathroom with two toilets, and no stalls. Yeah the beer is expensive. Pick your poison. I don't go to Ronny's for read more » the beer. I also don't go to Ronny's for the service...although I have to admit sometimes I do observe bad service, and can understand how this is a turn-off for some (maybe most?) people. Funny thing is, I talked to Ronny once, and he said to me, quote, "I love to see people in my bar laughing, smiling, and having a good time".
The point is. Ronny's STILL rules. Whether you go to shows all the time, or just to support your friends' band when they play there....either way....you still can't see a show anywhere in the city of Chicago..like the one you'll see at Ronny's!
PLUS...the best part is. Ronny's is what you make of it. It's the people that fill it's doors that make if a memorable place.
I LOVE RONNY'S!!!
Ronny's Rules for two reasons....but only if you can get passed it's screwed up facade.
Bands play…
Read more »
This Dive Bar makes all others pat themselves on the back in smug congratulation. However, it makes no promises from the outset, so you'd be a fool to be disappointed. The bar itself is small, dim, and furnished with mismatched, cracked, brown leather barstools out of your Uncle's basement circa 1974 (so THAT'S where they went!). The "performance" area used to be a garage, so yeah, wear a cute coat and keep it on.
Despite all this divey-ness, I still paid $3 for a PBR. Boo! Hiss!
Word to the wise (or those in the "performance" area of Ronny's): The bathroom is FOUL. I have no idea how it isn't a public health hazard - I mean SERIOUSLY. Don't go in there. You will never in your life have to go that badly. A kidney infection might actually be *more* pleasant.
Yeah I am dreading going there tonight to see my friend from out of town play. All the negative things people have been writing are correct. The bartenders are BITCHES--they alternate between ignoring you and acting like they want you to choke on your beer. The sound does suck in general which is ok cause it's a punk place--but the temperature is what pisses me off. Either sweating or freezing.
***later***
OMG it was so f*ed up because the smell of GAS in the performance room was so bad that they had to air it out...then they canceled the show. Gross.
Yikes. Smells like something/someone is rotting in this building. One of the only places where the bartender has given me attitude for ordering a drink. The bathroom is so bad that I feel one should experience it first-hand so i won't go into it here. The type of place you order a beer because a drink is too risky. 2 stars because they books some of my friends' bands.
I live in front of this place, and no thanks. The people=lame, beer=cheaper elsewhere. Nothing appeals to me about this place. Worst part: the hipsters take up valuable parking space. Next.
Ronny's sucks. the sound sucks. the bartenders suck. the beer prices suck.
I pray for a decent space to open up and start booking the bands that play this dump. i truly hate coming here, but i love the music.
Lets play the word game real quick: type out the first five words that come to your mind when I say a word.
RONNY'S.....Go......
sticky, gym-sock, toilet, musty, ramen (as in the noodle)
Yes, I am aware that "gym sock" is two words, but with a hyphen, they become one and I need them together becuse they do not hold the same meaning as seperate words.
What a shithole! But...as stated by many reviewers previously, you don't go to Ronny's to enjoy a spirit and lounge in a cozy atmosphere. You go to Ronny's to check out the great bands that perform in the former garage gone venue...barely. from what I understand, they recently put dry wall up, added some lighting and threw in a huge power fan. Whatever...who cares..the bands rock it out anyway.
Ronny himself was a pretty decent guy, calling me "honey" and "darling" as he passed me my $3 PBRs across the bar. His wife and kid rolled in around 11 on a Thursday night. His daughter was like 8 so that was a little wierd, but I don't have kids yet so who am I to tell others how to raise theirs.
Yes, the bathroom was raunchy as hell and all four walls were covered with PBR cans. There was something to effect of a stick of crisco looking thing in the bathroom sink, but I washed my hands anyway because there was so much grossness in the rest of the shitter. I nearly had a panic attack when I thought that I locked myself in because the door lock was sticking and I had to put in some elbow grease to re-open it. I lived.
Bottom line...good for upfront and in your face small bands rocking out. Avagami and Flotation Walls rocked!
A charming little whole in the wall. And by charming I mean I was afraid to use the bathroom. It had that feeling you get when you're seeing your friend's play a show at some sort of garage venue in high school. Except here you have to pay $3 for your can of PR.
I'd rather go to a dive bar that smells like puke than one that smells like piss.
Only went here because some friends' bands were playing. Read the reviews on yelp, so my expectations were low. They were met, just barely. Ugh.
After the concert, at least 3 people (who don't normally hang out with one another) got sick with coughing illnesses, including my boyfriend who actually got whooping cough. Is it fair to hold Ronny's responsible? Not really, but try telling that to my boyfriend, who will never step foot inside again.
Me, I might go back, but only because I like supporting my friend's bands, even in trying conditions. I would probably wear gloves and a surgical mask, though.
let me start off by saying the only reason I decided to come here four months ago was because if you notice, the first page of reviews are mostly positive. I normally can depend on fellow yelpers feed back on bars, but not in this case. At the time I didn't live in the area, It was my roommates birthday, and I decided It might be a good idea to change up the scenery and try a new bar. we actually almost walked passed it, based on the outside appearance, the bar looked abandoned. I walk in and to my surprise their was about 15 people crammed in this rinky dink bar. It only took me a few minutes to realize that the drunk rambling older bartender behind the bar was in fact the owner himself. Okay.. A little bizarre but so long as the drinks are cheap and I'm being attended to I could give two shits if the bartenders/ owners drunk or not. I sat there for a good 15 minutes while I watched this guy poor shot after shot for himself and these four hipsters. He pulled out a old picture of himself to show them and only them. He was infatuated with these guys, and whats sad is, it wasnt like these guys were generously tipping him.Here I am I'm still standing with a 20 dollar bill in my hand waiting to order my damn beers. Finally after taking a shot with his hipster buddies he looks in my general direction. I order two pbrs and two shots of Jameson..18 dollars. Jesus christ. He immediatly goes back to the guys in the corner and ignores not only me and my friend but about 10 other patrons, who I happend to notice were mainly female. They looked generally annoyed but to my surprise they were complaining to the owner in a voice that a mother would use when talking to their 3 year old kid..Okay then.I drink my over priced PBR while watching everything unfold. This guy was so fucking trashed, no one else mattered to him but the four guys to my left. I over hear one of them mention its his birthday. Next thing i know Ronny's not only pouring the birthday boy a free shot, but another for himself and the three others that are with him. At this point im already thinking about leaving but not before I mention to him that its in fact my friends birthday too. Not only did he not acknowledge what I said, He didnt even bother to look in my general direction. This continued for another 15 minutes. I notice to my right 3 people bringing it to ronnys attention that they have been waiting for a drink for some time now but he just brushes them off. I tap him on the arm and let him know that not only are we ready for two more beers but so are alot of other people, and finally to my surprise I get a glance in my general direction. "I'll be right with you babe." he says, and continues to drink with his new found friends while slurring of course. Needles to say, my friend and I not only got riped off, but we waited there for a good 40 minutes and all we left with was a shot and a beer each. Ive never seen such a thing, I'll never go back. and enough with the bullshit about its a dive, its to be expected.. i love dives, and this place is just pathetic. Every time i walk past this place It amazes me to see that It in fact is still open. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time.
Wait a minute wait a minute; people go to Ronny's JUST to hang out in the bar? Are you fucking kidding me? No wonder there are so many wimps rating it low. Of course the bar is a piece of shit, no one cares about it. Hell this place isn't even open when there's not a show happening. Trust me, I know this because one night I lost my cell phone and tried to come in the next night only to find the door locked and the lights off. Anyone bitching, why don't you just walk down the street and head to The Logan; you'll feel more at home there, bro.
What Ronny's is is a space for weird, left of center bands to play. Plain and simple, you should be there for the music. I will in no way say I support the sound of all the bands that grace the floor of the garage but I one hundred percent support the attitude that MP puts into their booking. I've seen some amazing shows there and will continue to keep walking through the door and get my hand marked for cheap, fun entertainment.
PBRs are three bucks which is kind of a crime but the book bag option is always there if you're feeling sketchy enough. I cannot confirm or deny that I've ever done it (but I have).
Mr. Ronny himself walked toward me- headed for the bathroom- and as he approached me, he nodded pleasantly and passed gas in his wake, a lot of gas, foul gas.
A couple months later, I saw his wife and he drinking at one of my favorite Logan Square dives, Dorothy's on Armitage
Something makes me think Ronnie's been stuffing the ballot box here because this place is by no means a three star joint. C'mon hipsters, no matter how many great memories you have of evenings where you got so shit faced you turned a casual acquaintance into a relationship because after the two of you woke up together the next morning you weren't all that entirely weirded out by seeing each other naked and decided it was one of the lesser drunk mistakes you've made this summer doesn't give this place charm, personality or a reason to give the establishment $3 for a can of PBR when the place is permasoaked with the scent of cat piss.
So, for those of you who haven't been, let me set the stage. Ronnie's is a shit hole bar that some local hipster promoters who from what I understand have a reputation for being assholes (i.e. over charging patrons and ripping off bands but stay in business because they have history in this town) got to start doing shows at in a adjacent room that appears to have been an auto garage that they drywalled up and the set up a p.a. Now, Ronnie's is not a dive bar; a dive bar has personality based on it's own place in it's own world that you, the patron may stumble upon. A dive bar is not aware that it's a dive bar, it just is. Ronnie's is a place that realised that kids in tight pants who parent's give money to like to live vicariously by visiting seedy establishments so instead of caring about things like health standards and non flooding toilets, they concentrated on things like how much one can mark up cheap alcohol and still get kids to pay for it. The aforementioned $3 PBR cans, $4 Budweiser, and $5 whiskeys are exact ally what you'd expect to pay at some douchy new Wicker Park joint, but being that this place is supposed to be a shit hole that is literally reminiscent of excrement, that's just highway robbery.
The bathroom is also a whole other experience that photos cannot do justice to. Upon entering the men's room (haven't seen the ladies', ladies) one is greeted by a stopped up and dripping sink that appears to have been that way for a while from the residue ring that marks the water's level and the murky film on the surface. The toilet is pretty much the same, except for the brown, freestanding water behind it that the management is apparently dealing with by placing a grey sweatshirt back there to sop up any excess moisture. If one uses the toilet, I would advise to let the yellow mellow because it's pretty much guaranteed that if that son-of-a-bitch flushes, it's gonna be giving refunds real quick if you catch my drift.
You may be wondering why I'd give an establishment of such contempt an astonishing two star review, and that's because they actually get some good music in there from time to time and I guess it's the out sourcing of talent that could get me to return. But while they do get good bands, they still charge too much for essentially a show in a garage through the type of PA. groups who tour high schools telling kids not to do drugs use. Here's a little word to the wise if you ever do find yourself there to see music; you don't have to pay. If you notice, there's a small sign next to the person demanding money for you to see your friend's band that clearly states that the City of Chicago has decreed that they can't charge patron for admission to a show, but they can accept "donations" for performances. So, no matter what they tell you, payment is optional and if they tell you you have to pay, tell them you work for the city and then just keep walking, because you know they're not giving the bands a fair cut. Also, another great part about the fact that the shows are in a separate room is that when you walk back into the bar, you get punched in the face (again) by a fog bank of cat urine that never ceases to surprise even the most seasoned of non-showering scenesters.
So kids, don't believe the hype. Ronnie's is nothing more than a ploy to separate you from your parent's money. If you want to visit a cool bar that teeters on dangerous, ride your Urban Outfitters single speed South because not even Henry Chianski would have found whatever charm the kids think Ronnie's has.
I live 6 blocks from this bar.
Let me put it this way. I opened the bathroom door, and considered biking home to use to the bathroom.
The only good thing about the bathroom door not closing all the way is that I didn't have to touch the knob to get out.
EDIT: Yes, I understand it's 'just a dive bar.' However, 'dive bar' and 'hepatitis' do not need to be synonymous. You are not any cooler because you like piss on the floor. In fact, that makes you less cool.
Listen folks, I like dive bars. With the old men at the end of the bar staring you up and down, the never-ending towel machine in the bathroom for drying your hands, the sticky floors, the cheap drinks, and the free popcorn that you eat despite it all, and that faint vomit smell from years of dishonorable nights.
But Ronny's is not a dive bar. It's a "place of business" that should be shut down by the health department. It's worse than a basement show. It's how I imagine fish feel when they are poured into the toilet to be put out of their misery.
Let me walk you through my first (and hopefully last) visit to Ronny's.
My sister's band was playing there on a weekend and since I usually cannot make her midnight weekday shows (hey, I have a job still, yes in this economy), I decided that I gotta support my sister so why not stop by, pay my $8 and clap a bit.
It was a rainy night where the temp had just dropped about 30 degrees so the boyfriend and I drove his car down. I was wearing a fucking hoodie, so that just showed how much I cared about my appearance at that point.
We wander up past the roadie looking dudes smoking about one foot from the door and walk in.
BAM! MY NOSE HAS BEEN ASSUALTED! I REPEAT, MY NASAL CAVITIES HAVE JUST BEEN RAPED!
To say that this place smells like urine/cat box/a toilet is to say that the grand canyon is a pothole. It's beyond that. I've been to an apartment that houses up to 8 cats and after 30 minutes, I didn't notice the smell. Not Ronny's. It's as if the bartender is holding a febreze bottle full of pure cat piss and spraying it in the air every 5-10 minutes. Yes, it's that bad.
So the old man at the door asks for our IDs, we hand them over, he checks and hands them back, pretty standard so far. I say hi to my sister, pay the band lady my money, she marks my hand, and my sister informs me that two more bands are on before her.
So as to not destroy my ear drums, we decided to sit at the bar and have a beer (maybe two) before her set was up.
We grab a couple stools near the end and sit. The bartender woman comes over and basically looks at us as if we just rear ended her car.
The boyfriend orders a PBR and I say that I don't need anything right now.
So then she asks for MY ID.
Yeah, the person NOT ordering a drink. AND I was ID'ed at the door.
So, since I obey rules most of the time, I hand over my ID.
She looks at it standing there, looks at me, then walks away with my ID.
She stands by the light from the neon sign reading my ID.
Then she grabs a flashlight and is fucking inspecting this thing like it's a god damned dinosaur bone.
Then she walks to the doorman and at this point she is at the complete opposite side of the bar, talking to the doorman with my ID in hand. I cannot hear her, but I am like OK WTF I DID NOT EVEN ORDER A DRINK. Meanwhile, she had already given my boyfriend his drink, he's drinking and his money is still sitting on the counter.
So then, she stays at the complete other side of the bar as the DOORMAN walks over. He has my ID in his hand, looks at it, looks at me, then hands it over simply saying "This is you. She thought this wasn't you."
WHAT THE HELL?!
First off, I am 23, 24 in less than two months. Meaning my picture is less than 5 years old. The ONLY difference is I have bangs now. I don't even have glasses on, a hat, my hood up, NOTHING. Bangs my friend. BANGS.
AND I DIDN'T EVEN ORDER A DRINK!!!!!!!
So finally, the woman walks back over and simply takes my boyfriends money he left on the counter, not saying a word.
Ok I'm livid as this point. I want to leave but I can't since I paid my money and I want to see my sisters band. I mean, this place smells like piss, they sell PBR cans for $3 (I can get $2 pints on draught at nicer places), and the fucking BITCH (in yes, hello kitty pants wtf) behind the counter needs a fucking beat down like no one's business.
Then when I WANTED to actually purchase a miller light, I had to practically wave her texting/lazy bitch ass down only for her to not give me a please, thanks, or even a "whattya want?". I don't think she ever looked me in the eye.
Now, I can understand that the people who work here have to be hard carders. I mean, this is a bar that hosts bands that only people in 8th grade usually listen to (or even know about). They probably have to deal with a lot of bullshit too, so I understand it can get frustrating.
But either treat your customers with respect or throw out the alcohol and allow high schoolers in this venue and start serving juice boxes.
Honestly, this place is a fucking hellhole. Free pool is not enough to get me to walk foot in here again. I don't listen to the bands that come through here and if I feel like smelling piss for 2 hours, I will simply carry a urinal cake around my neck.
not a great place, nor a bad place, if ronny is drunk he'll get you a drink, or you may not get a cent for playing a show there, he's in it for the cash, for sure, not the music, but he lets lots of bands (some good ones too) go through and make what they can scrape out of the place,
Its like the Fireside's older brother, that shoots heroin in the alley while piss drunk, then sleeps in some garbage cans
bring your own tolet paper
Rules people need to know when visiting a place like Ronnys:
1. Do your pooping at home before you leave! (preferably right before you shower) This applies to really going out in general, but especially when you are about to go to a dive ass bar with eyebrow-raising bathrooms.
2. The bathrooms in the garage are much nicer (not saying much, I know) than the bathrooms in the bar.
3. You can't complain about smell or bartenders that will not bend over backwards for you in a dive bar. You shouldn't be going to a place like this if such things offend you.
4. Bring earplugs. yes, the bartender plays music too loud sometimes to drown out the bands. So, you compensate.
Now, I'm not saying this place is the greatest or anything, I live right next to it and barely ever go there anymore, but really, I feel no sympathy for people complaining about what is typical for any dive bar, or people complaining about a $6-$8 cover charge to see bands.
Ronny's makes me itch, Ronny wears nice sweaters, he likes to roast whole pigs, he has a mental disorder, and as for us hipster promoters who book this space, we don't take a profit from shows and most the time lose money, the main purpose is to provide a steady place for unwanted unknown touring bands, when Morgan does not pay to get in he is stealing from touring bands, real nice... I don't mind opinions, I do mind slander, but hey, nobody reads Morgan's pointless blog, so he has to write somewhere about something right? maybe people like Morgan should get more involved in a scene if they actually care, we welcome you! maybe you can do an interview with us on your awesome blog? or volunteer at shows? or help clean Ronny's bathrooms?
I was unfamiliar with this being a music venue. Then 'Chic-A-Go-Go' E-Mailed me that a benefit show for Leukemia & Lymphoma prevention was going to occur here.
A reading of the previous Yelp reviews for Ronny's expressed that this was the modern day incubator for any number of *other* contagious diseases.
Another strike against Yelp. So many wusses. They must have been raised in a hyperbolic chamber; never exposed even as much to grit getting underneath their fingernails. Guess what? You can catch tuberculosis from *breathing* in oxygen in the atmosphere. So if germs squick you out, and you don't want to catch TB, I keenly advise you to cease breathing.
Ronny's is a two-part venue. The bar part up front is a bilingual (English | Spanish) dive bar. You should settle for the megabrews which are $3.00 (Pabst Blue Ribbon or Miller High Life). There are two TV sets, subscribed to Comcast cable. The bar itself looks as though it has been around since the 1940s.
The rear [southern] portion of this venue is the garage, which has been converted to the music room. The triangular layout puts the acts at one point, and the audience in the two points opposing it.
This is a loud room, which needs amplification. It was booked by MP Shows at one time. I don't know if it is currently (because other venues have opened). You should find "one-rung-up" punk rock acts playing here. There is some space for dancing. But there was not any of that going on this evening.
The bathroom, which seemingly draws a lot of the jaw-dropping comments, is not the worst I have ever glimpsed {see the photo}. I shall scrawl that it is in rough use. But what do you want? Do you want a bathroom like the Abbey Pub, which has an attendant you have to tip every time you use it? Such that you have to leave before all the acts play, because you can't afford any more drinks, and you can't afford any more trips to the bathroom? [You do? You're a wuss. The 'scene' does not need you.]
To me, Ronny's is the epitome of the three-star rating. It is not "as good as it gets", and it is not horrible. Yes, you can find those beers for less than $3. But as this neighborhood changes (Revolution Brwg., a classy brewpub, is going to open on Milwaukee Ave. three blocks away later this year.), I definitely think this little, family-run bar is going to absorb the overflow. Maybe it will even take on one or two good beers. (I'd settle for it getting Point or Leinenkugel.)
Transit options: The Blue Line "L"'s California station is two blocks north. This portion of the Blue Line has been rehabilitated. The #52 Kedzie|California bus runs northbound until 11:30 pm, and southbound until 11:00 pm. The #56 Milwaukee bus runs southeast until 1:10 am. I shall not mention the #73 Armitage bus, because it is likely high on the list of the routes which would be cut back or suspended due to CTA funding issues.
I went here last week to see a friend's band play. Having read the reviews I was prepared for the absolute worst - I mean, "reverse shower," really? Wow.
It wasn't that bad, though. The beer was pretty cheap - though we definitely got gouged on some tequila shots that were waaayyy overpriced (and the tequila tasted as though it had been sitting around in the bar for years). I thought it was pretty ludicrous that you had to pay $6 cover to listen to the bands. If you're going to charge cover, can you at least turn on the heat in that garage?
All in all, not as bad as I expected, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to hang out there (unless, of course, my friend's band plays there again).
Oh Ronny's. You were the place where I had to dig deep into my bag to find old receipts and coupons to use as toilet paper. You were also the place where I forged ahead and actually used the creepy male bathroom on the side of the bar, which again, didn't have toilet paper. You were also the place where I spent way too much money drinking your plastic cup drinks while seeing silly punk bands perform in a space that resembled my parent's unfinished basement. You remind me of being 15 again and not giving a damn and for that, you're a-ok.
...and the snowblower parked next to the pool table ain't a bad touch either!
I revisited. The bathroom in the bar area is....beyond belief.
The horror! The horror!
Spent a rare late night out here to see a good friend's band! (Shameless plug here for the Soft… Read more »
This isn't really a music venue, per se; it's basically a big ass garage attached to a dingy, galley-style old man bar. You have to pay a cover to enter into the garage-looking side, where bands play. The acoustics are horrible; you really might find yourself plugging your ears - *super loud*. There is a full bar on the regular bar side (where you enter), and a mini bar on the garage-side that just sells cans.
The only reason I give this place any stars is that they really are D.I.Y; basically anyone in a band can contact Ronny's to organize a show, hook up with other bands, etc. (Which, granted, has its pros and cons). A random quirk about Ronny's is that they rarely list cover charges via their show listings, so you don't know what you may be asked to pay upon arrival. (Although, it won't be much).
PS: This venue is listed as being in Bucktown - negative - it's in Logan Square.
Ronny, $3 for a 12oz pbr can??? i can't go for that. no i, no can do.
The real deal for underground local music. Every 2nd or 3rd night will have at least one… Read more »
Yeah this place nearly totally absolutely sucks. But with the demise of the Fireside Bowl, there are few places for unknown local and touring bands to play. I think the reviewer "Morgan" (see below) made some pretty accurate points about the quality of the bar and the general atmosphere, but what he said about not supporting the bands that play there is really lame. First he says that the only redeeming aspect of this dump is that it gives him an opportunity to see bands he might not have seen otherwise, and then he goes on to give tips on how to skip over the door fee and see the bands for free. Um, what?? OK if he was giving tips on how to get free drinks because he feels the bar is ripping off patrons with their ridiculous drink prices, maybe that would make me laugh. But not making a donation at the door for the band you're going to see means that there will not be any money for the bands, and as hard at that is on the local bands, for the touring bands that means real hardship: the touring band will probably not eat that night, they will probably not have any gas to get to their next gig, and may very well be stranded in Chicago for a while until someone bails them out of the situation. Touring in an unknown band is no joke. It's a huge risk, every step of the tour. These things are run on a shoestring and a prayer. Yeah, it's true that donations are not required here. They are not a financial or legal obligation of the attendee, but don't you think that there is a moral imperatve to give 5 bucks or whatever you can to give a band that probably drove in a beatup shitbox from outer bumfuck USA a chance to eat a taco and fuel up for their next show after they spend an hour or more entertaining you? What is that, one less PBR? It might just keep someone from errors in judgement later in the evening, and keep that someone from waking up with a perhaps regrettable surprise the next morning. (As described in your review.)
I don't suspect RONNY'S is a place I will return to unless there is a band playing that I really need to see. The PBRs are now up to $3 a can, which I think is a little expensive for a dive like this. My girlfriend was drinking Bacardi and cokes in the dark and didn't realize that the pulpy bits of lime in her drink were actually clusters of fruit flies. NASTY. To be fair, the owner was very apologetic and gave us a round of free beers.
The cover was $7, not bad to see four bands on a Friday night but honestly more than I expected to pay. The smell in the band room was an interesting blend of sweat, wet dog, BO and pot.
The bands were great and the crowd was really into it, but I couldn't help wishing the gig had been booked at the Hideout, the Bottle, or, I don't know, anywhere but here.
Most disgusting bathroom I've seen outside of Grant Park at the end of the 3rd of July Fireworks. It's difficult to squat and tiptoe at the same time.
Its been two years since my first review of this place. Time for an update.
They've made improvements in the venue space.
They put drywall up.
The sounds seems to be a bit better.
I can stand being here.
In fact I don't mind it because most bottles are $3 and that's do-able. Not much else to say.
Wandered in here right before last call on a Saturay night this past summer. Its a neighborhood bar,… Read more »
have i reviewed ronny's before? iunno, probably. but i see a five star review. that's ridiculous. i'm out of chicago now, and ronny's is one place i will not miss. for a couple years i'd be there all the time. $2 pabst. bands i wanted to see. people i wanted to see.
as of when i left (this may have changed in the WEEK i've been gone), there were no shows i wanted to see at ronny's. maybe chicago is just becoming a loft city, and that'd rule. cheep booze for all. but be that as it may, ronny's is not a place that you should go or your band should play. everything about the smell, the contempt for customers, the lack of any effort to make this a hospitable environment whatsoever--everything you read in 7/8 reviews below: all true. it's like ronny's just took the famous line from field of dreams, y'know, "if you build it, they will come." and, y'know, said, "well, they're already coming...i guess we don't really have to build it."
i'm tempted to leave a two star review for a few reasons: free pool, you can sneak beer in in the winter (they don't even OPEN your pabst! that's not just discourteous, it's bad business practice, especially with foremost three blocks away!), you can smoke around the corner, and fun times i've had there. here are the reasons it gets one star: the pool table always has someone sitting on it, and it's been spilled on more times than...iunno, paris hilton? sneaking beer and smoking around the corner are signs of a place that just sucks (at other places you at least have to go in the alley, or you care what the neighbors think--ronny's neighbor is a fucking police station, and even they realize that being at ronny's is greater punishment than they can inflict upon you), and i had fun times in my uncle's basement while not contracting VD from the door handle.
oh, the "juke box" is ronny playing norteno (i don't know how to do the tilde) music over the bands. and "full bar" means, y'know, what they can get from foremost for cheap, because THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A DISTRIBUTOR. CHRIST. fuck this place.
ronny's sucks.
the stars are for the bands, who tend to be good.
the best thing i can say about the bar is that in…
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clean your f'n bathroom! sick! last night wasn't my first night at ronny's but perhaps my most sober. and sober natalie no likey the soaked bathrooom with urine and god knows what covering the ENTIRE floor and toilet seat, and one roll of toilet paper sitting on the floor soaking up the floor juices. while i'm no stranger to squatting in horrid bathroom stalls, no bathroom compares to ronny's when it comes to urine smell, wetness factor, and dirty moldy tile floor. and my friend had to stand guard for me as there was no lock!
i agree that nearly every employee of ronny's looks miserable but i think they're about as happy as they can be standing around smelling piss all night.
that being said, ronny's is a fun place to see a show, is pretty cheap, and has free pool. the problem is that i never go to a bar and not have to pee...
I love Ronny's. It's not SUPPOSED to be foo-foo, or even necessarily supa-hygenic. It's a bar owned by a dude named Ronny whose neon lights are broken. Great bands play in the back room, where even in the dead of lame-ass chicago winter, people are dancing so jubilantly that i've seen lead singers strip down to their longjohns. The people here are always fun - I've bumped into former profs from the School of the Art Institute here, and local musicians/friends abound. I met Sam Beam there. Besides, who goes to a bar based on how yelpers rate its bathrooms? Read also: Jason A's basic rules on going to dive bars. Woot.
Blah. I've puked at better places.
Why did it take my dive bar loving ass so long to come here?
Walking into Ronny's, I felt as though I had been transported back to my friend's dark and dingy basement, complete with neon beer signs, an unstable bar, and decor that never left 1976. Ronny was manning the bar. He's a rotund and grizzly man who doesn't say much but will make sure you have a drink in front of you. The bar itself has a strange smell to it. Almost makes me miss the haze of smoke that this place would be covered in sans the smoking ban. But it's alright, it adds to the dive factor.
Cripes! Those bathrooms are the things urban legends are made of.
There are a lot of shows at Ronny's, most priced at around $7. The beer is cheap and unfancy and the pool table is free. It does get pretty loud when there's a show in the back room, so prepare your ears and vocal chords for the strain. Also, the crowd is decidedly young and relatively attractive, if you're into the flannel-shirt-tight-pants-wearing-dirty-hair look the kids are rocking these days.
This place is a trip, but could use a lot of housekeeping. I don't think it would be terribly hard to spend 15 minutes cleaning up old beer cans from previous nights and possibly sweeping the floor. As others have mentioned it has a very unique smell and fruit flys are everywhere.
The concert venue plays very loud, but was decent. I can't imagine more than 20 people watching a show in there. I don't know if I'll be back, but Antioquia (band performing) salvaged the night.
Every neighborhood should have a Ronny's. Meaning, a down and dirty, cheap dive bar where cool bands can play. The bar area is small and raucous, and the band area is literally a converted garage. So when you see shows here the sound won't be great, but it will be lively and sweaty and fun.
This is like the replacement venue for the now closed Big Horse. Unfortunately, the Big Horse had great tacos. I wouldn't eat the food if Ronny's served it. As far as dive bars with live music, I think I prefer the Mutiny, but Ronny's has it's own distinctive smell.
I aksed the bartender if i could start a tab and she looked at me like I was out of my mind and said quite bluntly, no. Is that such a crazy request?
And my drinks were weak even though I tipped her well. And I asked for club soda once but got coke. Gross.
Oh, and some super grizzled, creepy guy was being all up in my face, but I guess I can't blame the establishment.
Free pool is cool though.
We weren't here for the show, so my review is from the perspective of a barfly.
When we first got here, I really liked it. Old bartender who gave us drinks but didn't say a word to us, a free pool table, weird junk behind the bar... it was pretty cool and would have gotten 4 stars, at least. 4 stars, yeah, because $3 PBR cans is kind of dumb.
But then the show started -- and the soundproofing was fine, the music didn't disturb us -- but between sets, I got really claustrophobic. Too many people spilling out and buying drinks. Sweaty punk kids (er, kids and older kids) leaning over us to order drinks... eventually I got the hell out.
It was good people watching though. Oh, and AGAIN with the fucking internet jukebox that has the same music as every other bar in the neighborhood. Sigh. I think real jukeboxes are dead :(
For the record, I did not think the bathroom was really gross at all, though maybe that means I am just a dirty dirty girl. I mean I was kind of turned off by the lack of soap but the bartender tossed a roll of toilet paper at me when I told them it ran out (after I myself used the last of it -- I am a good citizen like that) and the wall papered in PBR cans is kind of impressive if you think about the work that went into it. FYI, the light is outside the door -- I spent 5 minutes figuring that out, as did the girl who went in about 10 minutes later.
The proprietors of Ronny's did a shockingly good job of soundproofing that old garage they have bands play in. Watch out in the summer time though - the patrons are mostly of the indie boy set; not only does it get hot and sticky in that room when there's punk going down, but it begins to smell distinctly of schwetty balls.
So, bring a nose plug along with your ear plugs.
The sound in there is really amazing for the space. I've heard worse sound at the Aragon, so props Ronny's!
I still think they should sell six packs of the Peeber for $10. Buy 5 cans get the 6th free.
Talk about your classic dive bar. A buddy of mine's band played here, and if it wasn't for that I probably would never ever come here. It's a small whole in the wall bar with limited selections. But it does have a nice attachment where live bands can play. For the garage seen it's actually pretty decent. I was disappointed overall, I was hoping for something similar to the Mutiny. The prices for PBR were over priced as well, $3 for a 12oz, give a break that's a highway robbery. If I knew someone playing here I would probably show up but save my money to drink somewhere else.
I think Ronny's is one of the most fun places to see a band and/or play a show. It's like throwing your very own garage-house party, but it's not your house! Great sound system, cheap beers and no pretentiousness. Bathrooms are a bit icky for girls, and sometimes the bar can be smelly, so heads up for that. Otherwise this is a fun place to get crazy and rock out - cheap cover as well.
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