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Category: Dive Bars
2149 S Halsted St
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Bud Light- $2.50 [times 5]
Photobooth- $3.00 [times 4...5...?]
Tots- $3.50 [but free since i munched from Michael G's basket]
totes in love with Skylark.
"oh my god, my cigarette won't light. seriously...what the hell?!"
"IT'S BACKWARDS!!!"
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My grandmother passed away in 2005 and afterwards my dad cleaned out her house and threw out all her random circa 1940-1950 nic nacs and furniture.
My dad lied to me. He gave it all to Skylark. That or the owners went to 67th and Pulaski and dug through the trash.
This bar smells like my grandma's basement. It has the same random shit in little curio cabinets at the bar as my grandma's basement. Similar furniture. The only things my grandma didn't have that they have here are a photobooth (hipster bar staple) and the hipster clientele. Oh yeah, she also didn't have a phenomenal (and phenomenally inexpensive) beer list that included one of my favorite beers ever on tap - Rogue Juniper Pale Ale.
So yeah, everything in here looks circa-1940, even the music. Which was some weird big-band like stuff. I don't even know how to describe it. I had heard they had a juke box with great music on it by bands no one's ever heard of and I think that was an urban legend. There were mooseheads and some weird puma looking things and guns on the walls, the people-watching was hilarious, and, well, look, you just have to go there to get the full experience.
Hilarious how it's 2 doors down from Nightwood, which charges $9 for a bowl of soup, $13 for a cheeseburger.
My only slight beef is the bartender seemed a little snippy. Maybe a little cocky. I don't know. It probably stemmed from the fact that we walked in there with slightly more preppy attire. North Face coats, and I was wearing my work clothes. We didn't look like the hipster clientele. Here's the deal. We're not invading from the northside, if anything you hipster kids are. These are my stomping grounds, which have radically changed ever since I bought my place 5 minutes away from here. So the haters need to kiss my rear end.
:)
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If you took Marie's Riptide and make it three times the size, it would become Skylark.
When I walked in I immediately got the smell of my grandmother's old attic. The beer selection was decent, with plenty of low priced brews for the local hipster down on his luck.
The worst part of my experience was the bathroom. I used to think the L and L Tavern had the worst bathroom in the city, but I can say without a hint off sarcasm I have changed chimpanzee diapers that smelled better than this bathroom. Just make sure to hold your breath.
All and all a pretty good dive bar, but I would suggest tinkling in the alley on the Blago graffiti instead of using the can here.
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I went to this bar a couple of months ago after checking out the art galleries for Second Fridays in Pilsen. The waitress was not very nice nor was she very attentive. She very obviously wanted to be anywhere but here and took forever to take our order. And when she did, she turned away before I could ask for another another drink. I liked the atmosphere of the place, but it was very hard to hear because they had the music up so loud. It was impossible to have a conversation about anything. Overall my experience wasn't the best and I probably won't be back there for a while.
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I'll keep this pithy....
Microbrews. Tots. People watching. Bam. Go there b/c it's "trendy" and "hipster", stay there b/c you don't feel like a jackass in a polo and jeans.
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"You better not Yelp about this," my friend said as we entered the Skylark the other night. Knowing my friend takes personal offense to being included in my Yelp reviews (Sorry, dude. Goes with the territory of dining out with Yelpers!), I briefly considered NOT Yelping about the Skylark. But here I am Yelping, neglecting any promises I previously made. So what would push me over the edge to betray a friend's trust?
Well, for starters: Delicious, delicious lemon cumin vinaigrette salad dressing. While tater tots are hot at the Skylark, I took my chances on the specials menu with an avocado and mixed greens salad. No regrets, my friends! Fresh avocados, plump tomato slices, goat cheese crumbles and that fantastic vinaigrette... Mm...
Previously mentioned friend's hummus plate was fantastic as well--indubitably a top 3 hummus experience. Pita was tasty as well.
Most of the staff was quite nice, though I detected a bit of condescending sass from one dude. That's cool though. Whatever gets you through the night, I suppose.
And of course, the vibe here was what really made me fall in love. While low on frills, the Skylark's comfy cozy chairs and couches, the pinball machine and the photo booth tucked in the corner all make for a welcoming experience. Definitely worth a trek from the north side any night.
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Came back from dinner with my sister and it was OK. Good but nothing spectacular.
2 beers
Calamari salad with balsamic vinegrette reduction - didn't have much flavor at all. I was kinda shocked, but we had to add a good amount of salt/pepper
Skylark burger - quite hefty burger, but I hate when the server asks you how you would like your burger cooked (I ask for medium) and she comes out with a well done. Why bother asking?? Comes with tots or salad.
Overall we spend $15 each with tax and tip, but not sure if I would want to come back.
After returning a couple times (once for Day Drinkers Club - Pilsen ed.) I have decided that Skylark is mosdef where it is at in the Dirty South (my nickname for that 'hood).
The bartenders there are the best friendliest folks; srsly can I import them up to my northern parts of the city?? They give me things like citrus for my water and olives to nom with no dirty looks. I ask about beers they give me tastes. They let my drunk ass call them darling. They give me change for the WORKING photobooth! w00h00!
I accidentally opened the bathroom door on a woman peeing and she was all ::shrug:: and her face read like 'whoops, guess I forgot to lock it.' Up north I would have been given a dirty look like it was MY fault.
If this place continues to rock my northside world it will be on its way to 5 stars. Have to try some more of their food because that will be what does it. And did I mention they play some great music, cuz they do.
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Ok, piecing it together, through the beer haze of the night...
*Great beer selection; a couple I did…
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I patronized the Skylark last night for the first time. I had heard three times prior to entering the door that it was a great bar. However, I try to make my own decisions, because restaurant and bar recommendations are somewhat like movie reviews.
This bar is by far one of the best dives i've been to. I'm cheap, broke and I enjoy good music, and this bar really delivered. The drinks are cheap, the music is was excellent and the service was the friendliest I have ever experienced in my entire life. The bartenders were jovial and the serving staff were accommodating and nothing but smiles, even during the busiest time. It was a refreshing bar experience. Usually bar staff looks at you like you just took a gigantic dump on their face...but not at the Skylark! And a photo booth will always make me swoon, so...perhaps it doesn't take much to make me happy.
I had the....wait for it...pulled pork. It was alright. It wouldn't save the world but it was pretty tasty. The tater tots were little gems though, although far too many for me to actually finish them all.
Overall, I really liked this bar and I enjoyed it. It was a bit of a walk, even for living in Pilsen.
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What used to be a true dive neighborhood bar is now Pilsen hipster central. I'm not going to knock it for that, I've enjoyed myself each time I ventured in but know, if you consider yourself a dive bar connesieur, THIS IS NOT A TRUE DIVE.
True dive bars aren't frequented by Art Walk crowds, this place is entirely peopled by these folks. You CAN, however, enjoy dive decore, cleanliness, food, and bathroom conditions, so its not all bad.
If you're into that, this place is a lot of fun. Decent beer and spirits selection and good vibe, not negative or pretentious.
Great spot (only spot really...) if you live in Pilsen or Little Village, not sure I would travel to get there though...
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This place rocks!!! As the anchor establishment of Pilsen, this is an absolute must patron regularly. The people and the raw energy of this bar are what makes it great, extremely friendly and fun. Artistic class. Appropriately priced for the hood, food is good, try the tater tots! The best attribute to this place is there is no ego involved in any aspect. Nothing but good things, love Sunday nights.
There are dive bars and then there is the Skylark.
Tater tots, no windows, huge booths, long bar, dim lighting, awesome urinals (gross right), and tons of great beer on tap. This is what make the Skylark great.
Other qualities are its location (Halsted and Cermak under the Dan Ryan overpass), drab exterior, discrete sign (I went past this place like ten times before I realized it wasn't an abandoned store front) and large interior (great for large groups)
If you are ever in the West Loop/UIC/Pilsen neighborhood and want a great dive bar stop in here. You won't regret it.
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The four stars for the bar remain but I probably won't be raving about the eats anytime soon.
My playmate and I moseyed into a surprisingly full Skylark due to an art walk happening in the neighborhood. We snagged two seats at the bar and ordered up. A few beers goes without saying as well as applewood smoked brisket for him, pulled pork for me, both with tater tots, of course.
The pulled pork struck us immediately with a mystery ingredient it took a few bites to place. Cumin. Cumin in pulled pork sauce... it overpowered and I didn't finish it. Buddy on the other hand, finished every scrap of his brisket though the first few chews revealed what appeared to be fake smoke flavoring. Neither of us loved what we got, but it's good to know there's food there in a pinch.
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Very friendly bartenders, very good prices.
I wish I could remember more of the experience...
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Gotta make this one quick. I am at work now after a pretty long night out at the Skylark and I am not feeling all that well. I really shouldn't be pushing the blame on this place considering it was me who chose to drink as much as I did... But then again- I am the type of guy that likes to pass the blame for all of my problems.
So screw you Skylark for seducing me with some solid craft brews on tap for a really cheap price (think a few offerings of Three Floyd's, Great Lakes, Bells and many, many more for $4.50 a pint). Those tater tots, while delicious (dare I say perfect?), were tasty and plentiful (all for $3.00) last night, but they ain't doing me any good right now...
I guess I feel about as bad as your men's bathroom stinks- which is to say awfully so. Seriously people... That is one funky men's room and I don't mean in the George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic way. It ain't funky- its rank... Nasty... Incomparable...
I wish I had a bag of frozen peas to cover my aching head. Why doesn't this office have a frickin' cot? I want my bed...
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Napoleon Dynamite and the ancient bar in my great-grandmother's village had a baby.
Skylark.
Weird but true. Disturbingly so.
The details:
Tater tots : NP all the way. But don't pack them in your pockets, they are plenty. And cheap.
Taste great with Oberon and Gumballhead.
Old fashioned terrazzo floors: great-grandmother for sure. With the distinct smell that comes with it.
Cannot describe. Have to live/inhale it.
Chipped paint on the walls, metal chairs, green armchairs and blue laminate tables : NP and grandma.
The potent smell next to the 'gents' restroom : tough call. Let's say that it is pretty close in my mind to a llama's hangout.
The lady in blue : duh.
Nice child, full of promises.
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I came to the Skylark after going to the Fiesta Del Sol for some refreshments in the afternoon. I never got to try the food out since I ate plenty at the Fiesta. Since it was so sunny that day initially when I walked in my eyes had a hard time adjusting to the darkness inside the bar. Once inside this place was very roomy and I can see why this place is very popular at night. They had an very good beer selection and from what I saw typical bar food. Since we were there in the afternoon the bar tender was our waiter and we got our beer promptly and my friends ordered some food. Since it was so hot outside that day they had the AC turned up and it was kinda chilly in there but not that bad. I really want to come here in the evening when there its more lively and really experience this place. I definitely will be back.
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I'm still a fan, the food is really great, to the extent that I'll put up with one of the bartenders there (everyone else has been nice) who's an angry dork. My brother was there a few weeks ago, playing pinball and was told he was too loud and to leave. Its a bar for goodness sakes and you have the machine in your establishment, expect people to play the damned thing. I don't know if it was the same guy that was snarky to me when I went in recently, but its easy to dislike him if i think he is.
The food is so great, everything is reasonably priced, and I'll continue to go.
I really dig this place. I agree that its low-key, the bartenders are all really nice, I never have… Read more »
I like to think of Skylark as having the beer quality of Mitchell's (34th & Halsted), and the atmosphere quality of Bernice's Tavern (32nd & Halsted), though that doesn't mean this lovely little dive is not uniquely wonderful in it's own ways.
I don't really have a lot to say about Skylark, as most everything I'd have to say would be a reiteration of everything else that's been said by the other yelpers. However, I do offer one unique bit of advice: When ordering the tater tots (which you really can't skip if you're a regular inhabitant), don't try the 'ranch' dipping sauce. It's not really ranchy, it's more like.. watered down coffee creamer that's been solidified in some way. The bbq, and the honey mustard are just fine and dandy, but the ranch is just not happenin'.
I have yet to have the burger, but a friend says that it's delicious. I'll update if I ever get it, but my trips to cermak & halsted seem to be beer-centric for the most part.
Skylark is really my favorite bar in Chicago and the only bar I go to with any frequency. It's dark and post-industrial (...or maybe stil in the thick of industrialization?!??!), but it's also friendly and neighborhoodly. The crowd changes depending on what time of day it is, but everyone is nice and tolerable at all times, despite the whole I'm-cool-and-live-in-a-loft-East-Pilsen thing. The staff members here are either a.) no nonsense and highly competent or b.) amiable chaps who'll getcha a nice brew.
Mixed drinks are cheap (I think a g&t costs 3.25--don't quote me on that though) and beers are well-chosen, with lots of Midwestern ones. Whenever my dude-bros come to town, I always take them here. It could just be my group of friends, but I find this place offers its comforts and delights to everyone: my Indiana Amish country bro liked it, my German bro liked it, a British guy liked it too. And then me and my former roommates, all of us moderately girly with humble Midwestern sensibilities, enjoy this place a whole lot too.
Oh, and the food is delicious. GIMME MORE PIEROGIS!
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When I'm patching up my wounds and drinking foul homebrew in the bunker after another dust-up with Skynet's killer cyborgs, my mind will no doubt drift back to the nights I spent at the Skylark.
Every so often I'm sure I'll lead my squad through the piles of skulls and rubble in what once was Pilsen to the ruins of the Skylark and stop for a minute to think about what we've lost: pierogies, tater tots, collard greens, good craft brew taps and bottles, country music playing, and a bourbon shelf worth wading through rivers of blood to reach.
Go now, before the machines raze Pilsen and crush your skull beneath their pitiless iron treads.
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Stopped by there recently on a Friday night with a couple of buddies from our neighborhood. The place was packed, it was around midnite. It was impossible to get through to the bar to order mainly because of the "gaggle" of filthy hipsters in front of it. Sadly enough they were frightened when I put a little basss in my voice and told the m to "make a hole" so other people could get by to get a drink. Thye brought this to the attention of their bar tender friend, whom told my friend no more drinks for us because, as he said,"My friend's over there said he pretty unruly, and I can't serve him anymore"
Really!?
Because the unwashed group of righteous hipsters sez, they're scarred now I don't any more beer?
My friend told the bar keep in question this was silly but, the bar keep insisted on no more beer
That is bullshit, as was that bar keep's way of dealing with this.
Do you run a bar or library?
I've been going here since '03 and been kicked out of this place for the silliest things.
this place ain't no neighborhood joint
it's faux and the fact that people flock to it is sad
never again skylark, never again.
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Sometimes I meet the "felonious architect" here sometimes for draft beer, which is good and has a… Read more »
I was just there again last night and truly enjoyed the experience. The Skylark should serve as a model for what every bar should be like. The best part of the evening was seeing the woman with the big 80's hair and red fringe leather jacket. She rocked!
The Skylark burger I had last night was probably the best I've had since I have been going there. The tots were just the right amount of crispy on the outside.
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This is what a bar should be like. Good food, great beer, no nonsense decor. Friendly bartenders.… Read more »
Good place, not too crowded, great atmosphere. I think this place is perfect if you want to hang out with friends. There is no loud music involved and the selection of beers is great.
Perfect for a chill night.
Don't be detered by the warehouse-y exterior of the bar.. The sign for Skylark is so subtle, you could almost miss it. But, this isn't a bar to miss!
Yes, Skylark is a hipster bar, but that shouldn't be something to scare away those who are not.
Reasons to go:
1) Wide selection of beer on tap
2) Helpful and attentive bartenders/waitstaff
3) Pinball machine
4) Tator tots with three dipping sauces
5) Generally interesting music
6) Best bar within a mile radius (at least that I'm aware of..)
There could be more seating and it could be a little less packed, but try going a bit early and grabbing some food and you won't have a problem finding a table!
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Ahh, Skylark. I've pushed past your rusty entrance gate many a night looking down at the mosiac tile entrance-wondering what this building was in its past life.
I've sat in your rounded booths, at your bar and in the center of the room at your wobbly, metal tables. Your large room with it's high ceilings, and uneven floor make me think of the old rec centers that I used to hang at during a simpler time.
I've met people who make me laugh, observed people who make me wonder and listened to some interesting bands play their music and then pass a hat for payment.
I've eaten your tasty tater tots (forego the sauces- the plain ones with ketchup are about as good as they come). And I've eaten your daily specials which always amaze me with their attempted grandeur (items like top sirloin steak and avocado salad seem to be incongruous with the rest of the "bar food like" menu). On Fridays- you serve up a pretty good fish fry but you often run out before I ever show up.
Your charm lies in the great music, the photobooth that spits out pics reminding me of why I shouldn't be out so late, and the bartenders and servers serving up cheap beers ($2.50 Miller Lites or $2.00 PBR's) on a regular basis. Your streets offer up easy, free parking, even during the busiest of times. And your cash only policy keeps things easy. You are simple, but that is part of your appeal.
You don't beckon to people with flashing neon, yet they find you anyway. And once they do, you, oh Skylark, enfold them in your welcoming arms and make them feel as though they have come home. And they have.
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This will be the first, and only 5-star review (or any review) I give to an establishment that I have yet to set foot inside.
Brian, the middle-aged bartender works here also works at another bar to which I am a regular.
He is mega awesome not only as a bartender but also as someone to talk to and hang out with. I will admit it, I don't get to this part of town and I really don't have any plans to.
But because Brian works here, and the fact I hear alot of great reviews from my friends, I will have to plan an outing one of these days.
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What a great little dive bar. You could fly by this place and miss it completely. When you enter, you'll be surprised by the size of the bar which is quite open, but that becomes a negative once a band gets in there as the noise covers the entire place with no where to escape.
With strange framed pictures of mystic banners from some old order or fraternal organization makes me think with was a Moose Lodge that the members just up and left and rented it out with all the "fixins."
At night the bar is a glow with light which makes it look quite nice. The remainder of the space is plain and the tables in the back are just cheap, but plenty of room to sit. Several booths opposite of the bar were filled and probably the best seats in the house for people watching.
EVERYONE was eating the night I was there, though I have yet to try any of their dishes including their tater tots. Drinks are cheap with PBRs at the bottom of the price scale, but beware, this is cash only. Parking is on the street and you should have any problems finding one within a half block.
They have jazz playing on Monday's though the band does pass around a hat so I won't write that it is free.
This is a little gem of a dive bar that has great prices....folks say great food...and a nice atmosphere.
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I bartend here at the Skylark and love the place, the food and the drinks - and the great prices. My thanks to Nick and Ted o. for the good words. To Rob R. - you dug the 90s Clipper and dig the Skylark. I bartended and managed at the former in that period until the change. Small world. I have a very soft spot in my heart for these kinds of bars.
CORRECTION TO YELP INFO: there is NO jukebox at the Skylark. The bartenders play records, cds or mp3s and at times there is live music.
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Love it!
Cheap beers, bartenders who can mix drinks, attentive servers, delicious gourmet bar food!!! What more do you want? Okay, maybe a few more chairs and for the area to have a better parking situation but that's really searching. Oh.. and please take credit cards... this is place where it's easy to get lost in how many drinks you've had and then realize that you ran out of cash.
Love the photo booth, who doesn't? But would like to see it in working order a little more often. I've been there 3 times and it's been broken... c'mon! I need my pic taken so I can remember the joyous time I had there.
Actually, since the movie "the breakup" it's gotten a little bit of weird crowd but they give up easy and are out before 10. :)
Hit up skylark for a divey good time.
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$2.50 for a Miller Lite. In the city of Chicago. Helllloooo, lover.
Completely outta my hood, but my friend tells me that we MUST go here to imbibe and this friend is one who has never steered me wrong. Seriously. So when she says "let's go," I must follow. I know good times always ensue. It was worth the extra trip to the ATM (cash only, kiddos).
The sloping floors and slightly fluorescent lighting made me reminisce for the olden days when I'd get a handful of quarters to play pinball. Only now this time I'm using my quarters for beer.
Oh yeah, and the photo booth. I'm in love.
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Oh, Skylark.
Cheap beer calls...
Smudged photobooth strips...the real.
A girl in a wig, or was it?
A group in medieval garb, singing English lit?
Boys with beards.
Sloping floors, with running drips of beer to prove it.
Room to roam, if one should choose.
Tasty food, to boot. Tater tots seem to be the key.
Take a seat in half-moon booth,
Or pull up a metal chair...
Cash only, credit-wielding friends...
Make your way to Cermak and Halsted,
Worth the trek, in any weather...
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If I had to start a bar business of my own, Skylark could well be a good model to work off of. Right next to Green Mill. Those two couldn't compare though. Apples and Oranges.
I've come here often, not only because a lot of my friends who live on the south side come here to hang, but frankly - it's a bar you can really lay back in.
The kitchen provides a simple array of foods, one notably a favorite amongst my friends - the tater tots. Who knew, eh? I suppose when you have enough drinks in you amongst possibly other things prior to entering the bar, you can get rather hungry...
The drinks are pretty stiff, but I can't complain really. Not to mention the prices that go with it. When you consider the type of crowd this bar tends to bring, you can't help but think that management knows it's customers - we're students (or were), we're poor, and we want to have a good time. Well, at least on one spectrum end of the type of folks who come in here.
I've heard a lot of words like "hipsters" and "pretentious" or "art fags" come out of some people's mouths when they talk or hear about Skylark. My thoughts on that? Frankly, it's all about your mindset. I'm thinking the severity of your scrutiny on the folks who go to Skylark reflect possibly your own insecurities. Whatever the hell they may be.
People go here to have a good time, meet some interesting folks, chill and relax, and express their undying love for the tater tots. Last time I went, a drunk chick started to strip tease near last call and expressed her affinity for PBR.
Anything goes, if you come here enough.
Ultimately, it's a no brainer. See you at Skylark.
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I offer 4 stars on this place because it's cool and laid back. I love that I can come here on a Friday at midnight, buy 3 cocktails (bourbon and cokes) with a $10 bill and get change. They make them stiff here so watch out!
I also enjoyed the fact that a table was not hard to come by, however expect large groups here - I think I spotted at least 4-5 large groups in this small establishment all weary skinny jeans, vintage jumpers and black rimmed artsy glasses. I love their style and wished that I didn't have thunder thighs, otherwise, I'd be all over skinny jeans with flats.
Anyway, try their collard greens with sesame and soy - I just wanted something to taste and these were SOOOOO good but expensive for the tiny plate that I got. It will leave you craving for more!
Of course, there's also the photobooth which we didn't check out, but I will next time!
One more thing - cabs are VERY HARD to come by in this neighborhood and that is when you should use the trusty CTA bus tracker which helped my friends get back up to Lakeview!!!
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Came here once for a late night nitecap. Fun bar and I'm giving it four stars for one simple reason: it reminded me of a Baltimore bar.
There's just something about Baltimore: quirky, unassuming, interesting. And that's how I would describe this place. I love how large the building is - most striking is how wide it is. I also think the strange entrance adds a whole level of adventure when you're trying to navigate the support post to get in the door.
The Skylark is my favorite place in the city to bring "outside beverages". If you're feeling puckish and nasty, you can watch society crumble in miniature: The thuggish doormen gnash their teeth and start punching away; the anxious bartenders go completely to pieces and smash glasses; the whole bar spills into the street.
Here at this tavern, the police are called in frequently for totally avoidable conflicts. If the Skylark staff were diplomats, the world would have been obliterated several times over.
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This bar has all the pros of a hipster dive bar and none of the cons. Lots of space and seating--it's like an old lodge or vfw, but doesn't have the musty moldy quality that you get from dumps like Innertown. And while the crowd might *look* like what you might find at the Rainbow Club or Happy Village, the hipsters all seemed friendly and unpretentious.
I realize that shitty canned beer or tiny 8oz drafts of shitty beer come with the territory for dive bars, but I love the great taps offered here. $4 a pint poured to the top on a saturday will keep me coming back. Just because I like shitty bars doesn't mean I want to drink shitty beer.
Look forward to going back to try the food and jukebox out!
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I rarely give a bar 5 stars but this place is fucking (insert witty synonym for awesome at a later date).
I have been trying to cut out the swears and calories this new year. One of them ain't working so well. OK two of them ain't working so well. Stop dwelling on my weight already!!! Oh You didn't say anything? Commence reading then...if you dare!
This place has one of the best crappers in the world. I thought the urinal at the Mutiny was awesome. The urinals are here are why god invented penises. ( I dare you to find another reason!). I actually was glad I had girl bladder that night.
The photo booth was cool. I will have to admit that I had only been in one once before and it was a unique touch to have in a bar. Not like a unique touch during private bible studies....this one wasn't mentally scarring. Nevermind.
The food was pretty good I will have to admit and I don't care, the small deep fried morsels of potato that everyone raves about were excellent. Everyone should come out to this place, its the near South Side so its just like coming to Tennessee or St Louis for most of you on the North Side.
Also the company I had that night was great after my epic failure of an event. I guess I should have made my event on a less snowier night. My transmission would have been thanking me as well.
* the last paragraph had nothing to do with the establishment and should be omitted. So get to omitting you lazy asses!
The place on the whole is deceptively large. I thought it was going to be a small hole. It is actually a rather large hole. The only downside was i saw a bunch of people I went to UIC with that i had forgotten their names so I avoided them all night. Or they avoided me...what a bunch of asshats!
Skylark is the best bar i have been to on the South Side hands down!
Hey!
Yeah you!
Get your hands down, i wasn't being literal. You nearly ruined my review!
That was a close one. So yeah if your in Pilsen looking for a place to drink I would head out here. I mean if you ever listen to anything I say anyways. Order a pint of Guinness or anything you want...its cheap!
Oh and they do that thing with the foam where they make a four leaf clover. I know its common but I am easily amused. Thank you for reading another one of my horribly rambling reviews.
People thought this was:
My best friend lives in Pilsen, so even though I'm way up near the tail end of the brown line, I come here quite a bit. There really isn't another place in the city like it. It's got that old-timey speakeasy feel, and it's somewhere to go whether you've got a lot you want to bitch about with your pals or you just want to sit by yourself.
The people? It's an interesting mix of crusty old man and hipster, but whatever. If that annoys you, just start a plaid shirt and/or buttcrack count. It's sure to be entertaining.
The most surprising thing about this place is how good the food is. It definitely doesn't look like a place where you'd want to order anything but tater tots (and the tater tots are great, don't get me wrong), but man, this place has some satisfying comfort food. The chicken with the mushroom gravy and the garlic mashed potatoes and the little side salad? This and a Gumball Head and some shit talking is all I need to fix my problems. Their burgers are great, too. They even have curry. And the photo booth is so awesome.
People thought this was:
Love this bar! Yes its true, there are some hipsters here, but that is bound to happen at any good place. Cheap, strong mixed drinks and a well priced, good selection of beers too. Ample seating for 2 or 12. The Skylark burger topped with coleslaw and onion rings can't be beat, and tater tots bring back great memories. Make some new memories with the photo booth in the back!
The Skylark has become my favorite bar in Chicago. Although it seems as the clientele has changed slightly in the passing weeks there is nothing that can take away the magnificence that is the Skylark. The Skylark has a really comfortable atmosphere and is sure to put you at ease no matter what you've been through.
Although the Skylark looks like a dive on the outside, don't be fooled. The food that comes out of this place is sure to delight your palette. The menu has changed recently and some things that were staples on the menu have become specials. I used to always get the strip steak as it came with a red wine reduction sauce, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Every time I have been in though this has been on the specials board. The tater tots with the three sauces are wonderful. They fry those bad boys, no baking. They come with honey mustard (my favorite), ranch and BBQ. Timely specials also include rack of lamb and scallops.
On to the drinks, I haven't found a better deal in the city as far as drinks go. I can get a Maker's Manhattan for 4 bucks. And this isn't some shit that somebody just whips together. This Manhattan is made with a careful and caring eye from one of the best bartenders in the city. It truly is perfect. My friend Casey and I were in recently and the bartender suggested a rum drink that he regularly drinks. Captain, ginger ale, a splash of soda and garnished with a lemon. Tastes a little like cream soda, but much better.
I would recommend the Skylark but only for those who are ready for it. Yeah they filmed that movie The Breakup here with Vince Vaughn, big deal. This place is for people who respect what the Skylark means to the city and it's southside.
People thought this was:
Neighborhood: Bridgeport
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Pilsen
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: University Village
Category: Burgers
Chicago, IL
Category: Books, Mags, Music and Video
Chicago, IL
Category: Music & DVD's
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