The Avenue Tavern
Categories: Bars, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lakeview2916 N Broadway Street
(between Oakdale Ave & Surf St)
Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 975-7000
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 3:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.
Sat 11:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Thu, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
37 reviews
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
"The decor in this place is unlike any place I've ever been to. It feels like a nice sports bar but in a someone's house which happens to be…" read more »
52 Reviews for The Avenue Tavern
This place is a great stop off if you are in Lakeview. Their outdoor patio is relaxing (but small) and there is tons of people watching. I have been here a couple of times, but most recently was for the pride parade yesterday. I can honestly say that I was SUPER impressed with the service. That bar was getting completely slammed, and not only did the bartenders keep their cool - they remained friendly and fast throughout the whole evening. Nice work!
Only drawback, that corndog and fries...eeek! Talk about some major undercooking.
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Kicked off Thursday night ruckus with a few drinks at Avenue Tavern. It's a small-ish bar and a mini patio. Unless you've built a rapport with the bartender or servers (in which case I commend you because one of them was *hot*), it's nothing special. But you could tell the locals loved it.
Drinks were cheap though, and although the martinis don't taste great here, the service was excellent. Approved of the Stoli gimlets - $7. The first one had a bit too much lime, and when we asked for a *little less lime*, we definitely got it.
The music alternated between random and recognizable. But just because you know a song does NOT mean you like it. General observation: there were a ton of TVs. What the hell was "So You Think You Can Dance" doing on those screens? Not that I don't like the show, I was just surprised.
2 stars - for the cheapness and the attractive server.
"I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be....whelmed?"
Yeah - at Avenue Tavern.
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What a melting pot...
You have boystown to the North and Lincoln Park to the south and everyone who has to decided to live west coming together on one spot.
This is the bar where I feel comfortable taking my str8 visitors as well feeling comfortable myself.
All prices are reasonable.
The bar food is hands down the best in Chicago, I dare you to challenge those chicken fingers!
One note: Staff lighten up, bigger tips - - "Why so serious?"
Av was our corner bar for awhile there, and I never really became a big fan. It works if you're close-by and need a couple beers, but I wouldn't travel to hang out there. I hate writing reviews like this, but everything is just "ok."
The specials are Ok, like $2 domestic bottles on Tuesdays- I've seen better, but it'll do. The food is edible, but not great. I do not get where people are coming up with this "best chicken tenders ever" line. The waiter said they were his favorite in the city, so I tried them... and they were practically grilled. If you're gonna say "chicken tenders" on the menu, those puppies better be deep fried ; )
We'll be back because its a convenient location to grab a few, and a great people-watching spot across from Cesar's. Outdoor seating is a plus, too.
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Ummm... What's up with all these low star ratings for AveTav?
I love Ave Tav: Nate, The Great, is hands down the best bartender around. Always cheerful and chatty and making drinks the way they should be. And the chicken tenders and honey mustard are to die for. I mean it, I'm considering changing my "Last Meal" answer in my profile to Ave Tav Chicken Fingers and Stoli Blue and Seven.
Summer at Ave Tav, here I come.
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I've only been to Ave Tav a couple times, but I enjoyed it. The food is reasonably priced and pretty tasty foor bar grub. Average beer and liquor selection, and there's always a tv with the game on.
This may sound weird, but the best thing about avenue tavern is their chicken fingers and fries! OMG they are sooooo good. I think it's the batter...it's light and crispy and delish. They're my favorite chicken fingers in the city! They also make their own ranch dressing, so if you're in the mood for chicken fingers, then come here! We also enjoy getting their beer towers. Chill, neighboorhood joint to watch a game and throw back a few.
My reaction is pretty much the same...eh. It as okay. I always walked by here during the summer and thought it looked like a cool place. So one day while waiting for the dog to get groomed we decided to try it. Beer choice was okay...liquor even less so. The bartender was just to the point, no conversation considering how dead it was. But that's fine too. Maybe I'll come back and sit outside with the dog like I've seen others do. Maybe she'll make this place more entertaining...and wow! You'd think they still allowed smoking in there with the cig smell of that place. But I'm sure how many year's of smoking is not an easy smell to get out!
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This was the lucky locale of the awesomely sexy "Buffython 2008", and I must say I was consistently surprised by how great the service, the food, and the overall mood were. The bartenders/ managers/ waitresses didn't give me and my friends wedgies or shove us in lockers or any of the above; to the contrary, they were cool and made us geeks feel very much at home.
The food was tasty (the chicken tenders have a superior breading) and, though I'm not a martini girl, I sprang for the pomegranate martini...and was surprised to find I LOVED it. Not too sweet. Not too boozy. Just right.
I know everyone wants to hate this place b/c of the 'tards that so often call it home during the weekend, but I had a great time.
Thanks Ave Tav for hosting Buffython!
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First I would like to comment on Beth P's review. The chicken tenders are deep fried. I asked the bartender after reading your review, he also told me that they are made from scratch. The food at Avenue is some of the best bar grub I have had. The staff is polite and fun to talk to. Overall a great place to come to.
The only flaw of this place is the amount of douche bags that go in there. Most of the staff is awesome, there's a couple aloof waiters/waitresses, but good booze and good food (especially for a bar).
Meh, not bad. Not spectacular either. The food is a slight step above normal bar fare, the chicken strips are tasty. The drinks are good, I recommend the Avenue Martini. But the other martinis on the menu are made with the same vodka (I can't remember what kind at the moment) and it is truly AWFUL.
But that's not why I gave it three stars. It's just not my type of bar or ambiance. There are plenty of better bars nearby.
Eh. I've ended up here a few times, usually when I'm far beyond my limit. The service is always okay (though I got a free shot last time. why? who knows, they just magically appeared) and the food is decent (good spinach dip).
Both times I have been in (one was a Sunday and the other I think was a Saturday) they had $10 domestic buckets which I can always get behind. I would never go out of my way to come here but when I'm already drunk and walking past, its a decent stop.
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It's a great neighborhood bar...good music...nice bartenders. Always meet really interesting people.
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I have mixed feelings on this place. The food is better than average for a bar IMO, but the staff and customers can be a pain.
I've been in twice and both times the bartenders were a mix of really nice and "I'm so cool because I'm behind here and you aren't" so it is totally hit or miss with that...
Also, last time I was in there I had to deal with some rowdy anti-bears fans and one guy that was trashed that decided to rub my shoulder and say hi as he was walking by - "uh, sorry man, I don't swing that way" was all I could think about for the next half hour...
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Ave Tav used to be one of my regular haunts when my best friend lived nearby. It's nothing fancy, but the food is decent and the beer is cold. The music was always really loud, so it's not a good date bar. But it's fine for hanging out with a group.
I'm s-l--i-g-h-t-l-y biased on this place, I used to be a charter member regular here. I know the owner, the bouncers, the bartenders, the mgmt, whatever. But this is a pure and honest review. Its a cool place, I always find myself by the bar, although its not one of the most comfy areas to hangout at. I like the food, its not 5 Star dining, and anyone coming here looking for that is a fool! They make VERY GOOD drinks here.... the infamous STRONG ISLAND ICE TEA. Not on the menu, but you have to ask the bartender specifically for it by giving a secret hand signal....Okay I'm kidding about the hand signal thing, but just ask for it. It'll do you in very well.
Restrooms suck tho. Too tiny, too congested, almost part of the main eating area, it sits in a nook toward the rear, between the mini office and main floor. eh..... it really needs an HGTV style expansion/renovation.
Parking is a bit of a headache in this neighborhood tho, so plan on cabbing it. I don't think any eateries or bars in a 3 block span offer Valet parking here.
All that said this is a good place to warm up/get started for a night in the city. Come here, hang out, get some cocktails n brews in you before you head out for your main evening event.
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Well, I lived within three blocks of this bar for over four years and only have ventured in there maybe 3 times...
It's OK. They seem to have decent drink specials ($8 pitchers of domestic, $12 pitchers of import on a Monday night), the food is OK. Lots of TVs, which is nice if you wanna catch a game. The service is friendly...
I just can't give more than three stars because there's nothing incredibly special about it. It's fine, not a bad place to stop for a quick bite, but nothing stands out for it to make me insist upon returning there. (Eh, I'm kind of a crabby reviewer today!)
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This place definitely earned a "meh" from me.
ATMOSPHERE -
Stopped in there last Sunday during the Cubs game. Place was pretty quiet on the inside, except for the TVs blaring out the game on five or six flat screen TVs. The place itself was pretty clean, good sized bar, all that jazz. I've been by at night and the place gets pretty packed. It isn't really anything special, but it does have a nice open air feel to it. They did have a ton of people working their, a guy behind the bar, a bar back, and two waitresses. We definitely didn't wait long for service and the food came out pretty quickly, even though it did take awhile for her to come back to take our entree order after ordering an ap.
FOOD -
I was starved when I went in there. But I was pretty disappointed across the board with the food. We ordered the artichoke dip for an ap, which was decent, but lacking salt and was made without much cheese. Which is okay, I guess, but not exactly what my stomach was craving. We then ordered the Coney Dogs and their BBQ chix flat bread pizza. The flat bread pizza wasn't bad and was pretty modestly priced.
My coney dogs, which I absolutely love generally, were B.A.D., bad. I'm fairly certain they microwaved my dogs and if they didn't they left them on one side of the grill too long as they were charred and terribly stale. The chili and melted cheese were okay, but the bun tasted like it had been sitting in a fridge for about 1 week too long. Stale hot dog buns and burnt hot dogs do not a good Coney dog make.
ALCOHOL - pretty standard fair, though they do have Sapporo on tap, which the waitress was more than happy to point out. I guess it is their calling card? Maybe not, but otherwise she was a little too giddy about Japanese beer for a 12:30 on a Sunday.
Overall, the food wasn't great, the alcohol was what it should be and the atmosphere was at most, decent, at worst, unoriginal. Decent place, but nothing to write home to mom about.
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A special thank you to this establishment that donates 100% of the proceeds from food and drink to the Dining Out For Life event. Many of the staff also donates their tips. Brava! Bravo!
Dining Out For Life is tonight, Thursday April 26th 2007. This is an annual event with over 2500 restaurants in 33 cities participating in raising money (over $2 million a year) to support missions of agencies throughout North America for people living with HIV/AIDS.
http://www.diningoutfo...
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$12 long island pitchers? Yes Please!!
Met a group up here, had no trouble finding a seat within 15 minutes, and proceeded to have a lot of fun drinking without spending a fortune. The music was fun and wait-staff decently pleasant. Nice mixed crowd. Casual and overall a good time! I will go back if I am in the neighborhood, for sure.
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Was there yesterday to watch some football and encountered some of the most obnoxious people I've seen in a bar in a while. I know every bar has its "regulars", but these people were pretty out of hand wasted. Especially the guy screaming insults at the small group of Lions fans (trying to celebrate one of very few wins) - the manager sitting and drinking with his friends should have instead done his job by getting up and kicking this guy out.
Food-wise...Chili was terrible - really watery. Everything else was okay, not exciting bar food. My friend liked her veggie burger.
The two servers seemed to be trying, but were way too busy. Bathrooms were disgusting for 4pm on a Sunday.
Won't be coming back.
Yippee!!! Whenever my friends come to town, it's the first place they want to go. For my in-town friends, it's the place we go most often for casual drinks, good conversation, and to meet and mix with some of Lakeview's most fun and interesting people (all ages, always). Thanks, Avenue, for great times! And I give 5 stars to a place that my Mom and Dad like too!!! Now that IS a challenge! Also, great fun with the jack-o-lanterns!
Not impressed.
Went on a whim last night with the gf. We got there about 10, so the patio was closing and we had to sit inside. We were able to squeeze down to some seats at the end of the front window, so at least it wasn't horribly smoky. It was loud with a loud and obnoxious frat boy-cum-broker crowd. There were a couple guys playing one of those video "find the differences in these pictures" games with the naked blond fake-boobed porn stars this crowd apparently so admires... Classy.
The bartender spent more time talking to his buddies sitting at the bar than paying attention to customers. It was busy, but not close to obscenely so, so definite points off there. I had wanted a quick bite and was curious as to how the food here was... After finally managing to get a food menu from another bartender/waitress (she was doing both, also not looking for people wanting her) and looked over the typical bar-food fare. Nothing particularly special, and all overpriced. I think the cheapest thing was some $5 french fries. Spinach and artichoke dip was $8.25! I settled on the $6.50 12" pizza, adopting the old "pizza/sex, bad's still pretty good" mindset.
I could go into some extended sexual metaphors now, but suffice to say I walked out unsatisfied. If the pizza is any indicator of the rest of the menu, I'll be skipping it all together. Plenty of other places to get actually decent bar food. This was some cheese and veggies thrown on what seemed to be a tortilla and stuck in an overheated oven for a bit. Brown and crunchy on the edges, tepid under the cheese. A couple pieces of veggie per slice. And it took a group effort to get us the pizza, plates, silverware, and napkins.
So after 1 beer a piece and what could be the sorriest excuse for a pizza I've been served, we walked home. Curiosity satiated. And having left, it's unlikely we'll be going back.
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i agree with the reviews that say "meh." pretty much my experience. nice enough people, sort of slow service, smelled like barf where i was sitting and it wasn't even 7 PM on a monday...
the fish and chips were fine. the martini was pretty good. an easy place to sit and talk (save the barf smell). the guys playing video games were a bit intense about throwing themselves on the machine and grunting loudly.
i'd go again and hope for a barf-free smell, but there are places i like a lot more in the neighborhood.
My view of this place seems to be right about on target with the rest of the other reviewers here. Clean place, plenty of t.v's for sports games. Can I just tell you that they have stevie b's "dream girl" on the juke box... that's an old ass freestyle track from back in the day. How can you beat $13 dollar pitchers of Long Island Iced tea on Friday nights. The staff and the regular patrons I met here were pretty cool, I think I'll come here again, probably rather soon if all works out. Overall this place isn't great but with some soft booths in the back, plenty of seating, great drink specials it has the makings of a decent hang out spot.
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OK. This place is right at the end of my street. The folks that work here are really nice, but other than that, there is nothing to make it stand apart from the pack.
Except...
Coney Dogs. Yes, Coney Dogs. Anyone who is from, or has been to, the metro Detroit area knows the true beauty of a well made Coney Dog. And Ave Tav's Coneys are...great. Grilled dogs, tons of Coney sauce, mustard, onions, and good, soggy buns. I would send someone here just for the Coney's alone. A++ on the Coneys!
Cute neighborhood bar that has a little of an identity crisis. Is it a sports bar or a tavern or modern styled bar? Regardless, it's a decent place to grab a drink. Their burgers are really good as well! If you live in the neighborhood, it's fun for a weekday night out.
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Oh, man, are you lost? You look a little sleek and glossy, did you wander too far south from Boystown? Oh, wait--you've got all that sports shit and puffy boys in striped shirts..maybe you want to head north to Lincoln park? I don't know dude, but you definitely should get moving--you're starting to look pretty tired.
Yeah, no problem kid. Later.
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There is nothing special about this place at all...the food is mediocre - even for pub fare - and where can't you go in Chicago to get a beer for $5? Also, is it a sports bar, or a lounge - it can't seem to make up its mind. And as far as service - totally sucks. Whether it's busy or slow, sitting outside or inside (well, especially outside), you have to flag someone down to get your server. It's one of the few places on Broadway in Lakeview to hang outside and have a drink - and that is the only reason why I'll stop in.
UPDATE: 9/16/2007
We ordered Red Bull and Vodkas - they tasted like sh-t. I asked the bartender what he gave us....his reply "Red Bull and Vodka."
Me: This is NOT Red Bull.
Bartender: "It's 'our' Red Bull.
Me: It's not Red Bull.
Bartender: It's 'our' Red Bull
Me: "Your" Red Bull is not Red Bull and it tastes like sh-t - asshole."
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Laid-back, cute place where you can just hang out with friends and catch up! Nothing beats the $5 martinis on Thursdays!
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Been there, loved it! I've gotten to know all the waitresses and bartenders and they are super sweet! They love meeting people and this place beats anything around by far! It's clean, it's fun and full of cuties. If you want something unique, but not too crazy, check it out!
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I never really knew what to think of this place. What was it? What was it called (your sign is so small)? I always walked by here but never stopped in. . .
Well, the mystery died when I met someone here for a blind date . . .so awful (the date, not The Avenue). I arrived on time and he was like, oh, an hour late. I thought I'd kick my solo time off with a bloody mary. I stood there and watched the bartender make it--it was awesome to see because everything that SHOULD be in a good bloody mary made it into that glass. Unfortunately, every loser at the bar commented on the drink as the bartender made it--"Ew. Ugh. You're putting that in there, gross! Who's drinking that thing, yuck!" Needless to say, I felt pretty awesome walking away from the bar with the "world's grosset drink" to wait at a table for the "world's worst blind dater".
Anyhoo, the drink was awesome and the date, not so much. I have been back to this place and it's grown on me. They have a GREAT blackened chicken caesar salad. And that bloody, man. Cheers to that bartender who made that masterpiece for me that night. Thanks for saving the night from a complete bust.
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Good place to watch a sports game or grab a drink with friends. The martinis are very good and the restaurant typically gets into the holiday seasons with fun decorations. The food is pretty good for a bar restaurant especially the artichoke dip and salads.
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I concur with DeeJ regarding the Detroit coneys and I can vouch for there authenticity. In fact all the food is quite good, for pub fare. The Avenue salad is a good "healthy" alternative. You can get just about any drink and it's a diverse crowd. You'll see a patron with a chocolate martini sitting next to someone drinking a Miller High Life. They have a DJ quite often now. I like the vibe of this place. In the warm months, their patio is always hopping.
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This place doesn't fit in with the neighborhood, though they do have a nice jack-o-lantern display around Halloween. If you like blaring televisions and run-of-mill Lincoln Park-type atmosphere, this is your place.
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Laid back atmosphere with good service - their Detroit Coney Dogs is a must try; I'm usually found there on Saturdays with their $5 margaritas, $4 burgers special
I really enjoy coming here for a variety of reasons. They always have great specials going on, and the service is always good. They have incredible Lemon Chills (which I refer to as an "adult slurpee") that are really tasty, especially on a typical Chicago hot, humid summer night. Usually it's not too crowded and I'm usually able to find a spot to sit for a bit. I'm also a huge fan of their chicken fingers!
This is a cute corner bar (literally) that has great food and a laid back atmosphere. The patio stays open until 11 p.m., and is a great spot for people watching on Broadway. It gets busy on nice weekend afternoons and evenings, so get there early!
A wonderful place to chill with friends and enjoy a drink or two after work. Definitely check this place out!
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