Jimmy's Bar

Went to listen to the band Cousin Eddie and have a few brews, unfortunately due to the amount of cigerette and cigar smoke that filled the room it was impossible to stay for more than a few minutes. The area the band played had walls and a roof over it and was just missing windows so I guess they consider that to be an outdoor patio and smoking was allowed. Felt sorry for the band as they were stuck breathing that all nite. Never got a chance to grab a brew as there were no waitresses in that outside area. I guess if you want to relive the 80s in a smoke filled bar this is your place. Mentioned the cigar smoke in the confined area to the owner and he could have cared less.

I had driven by Jimmy and always thought they did not serve food? I found out that I was wrong. They have a limited bar menu, that includes appetizer s and sandwiches. We started with the Irish Chips, which was potato wedge s and cheese., which was a good start. I had the burger which was very good and my guest had the fish and chips which were also very good. The inside seating is limited, but they have two covered outside eating areas, one in the back and one on the side. Jimmys is a great place if you are in West Peoria, I will be back.

Best bar and heaviest pour, bar none in Peoria. One of the nicest owners and staffs you will ever see. Highly recommend.

Great local place! My go to stop in for drinks. Great social atmosphere and the bartenders are all so friendly!!

Good old Jimmy's.

I have spend more of my college days here than in actual classes... ok maybe not...but...Dear o' Jimmy holds a special place in my heart.

Since writing poetry got old after the angst of high school miraculously dissipated

I will spare you the lullaby...

However, if I had to write a little ditty about this place
it would go something like this...

Roses are red, violets are blue
I love Jimmy's Bar and so should you!

Oh enough of the nonsense....
the Zooks use to play here religiously, my friends use to drink here sacrilegiously, and now when I return as a full-fledged adult with what resembles a career, while numinously killing it in this adulting life thing....I still find this place crowded, full of piss-drunk peeps and still warm outside in the middle of winter. I don't think this place will ever change. Thanks for that Jimmy.

Free Popcorn and wait for it...Free Pretzels.

Honestly folks it doesn't get much better. As if they couldn't decide which salty snack to give absolutely free to their loyal patrons, they just decided to give both.

You'll see the popcorn machine, but the free pretzels aren't advertised.
Now you know the secret. Use it wisely.

Some people will say that Jimmy's Bar has many faults...including their inconvenient location, poor parking, cramped interior, lack of seating on busy nights, inadequate bathrooms, etc.

These are legitimate concerns. However, somehow when you enter Jimmy's all your cares disappear and you'll have then super-power to look past these quirky defects to just enjoy yourself for a few minutes.

If you ever see me in Jimmy's, just remember that I'm the guy who told you about the free pretzels.

It took the bartender 10 minutes to make 3 Vegas bombs for the customer next to me. They have 4 bartenders for a tiny bar so it's actually ridiculous how long it takes to get a drink. You will leave smelling like grease. They have one toilet for men and one for women, so there is always a line for them in the middle of the already tight hallway and walkway to get to and from the back. And for some reason they pride themselves on having really strong drinks, so everyone in there is on the verge of passing out or vomiting. Just overall uncomfortable and leaves a bad taste

Jimmy's is pretty much an institution. I've been going there for more than 20 years, back then to hear live music out on the patio (Bodside Zukes, anyone?), most recently on Christmas night to grab some drinks and a bite of food. I honestly didn't remember that they had food at Jimmy's and expected to be told that there was just popcorn and maybe some fish on a cracker available, but they had a food menu (on Christmas, no less) and our bartender grilled us up some hot burgers that hit the spot.
The parking lot is a little precarious in my opinion. Every time I back out of there, no matter which side I parked on I feel like a car is going to come out of nowhere and rip the bumper off the back of my car as I back out. But it's never happened to me and I've never heard of any crazy parking lot accidents there, so maybe I'm just being paranoid.
The bar can get crowded as it's not large, but there are also times when it's pretty chill. It's not far out of downtown, so if you're looking for a bit of a "Cheer's" kind of bar, give Jimmy's a try.

When I need to feel at home this is my pup and has been for over 30 years. Learned to pour Guinness here. Always a friend there, always friendly due largely to Jimmy and the tenor of the Spears family all these years. Other than when the kids stream in later in the evening, it's the most comfortable gin joint in Peoria

I like college bars a lot. Not as much as I did when I was in college. But college bars are a far cry from the bars for people who wish they were still in college. Good college bars are all about cheap drinks, enjoying them with your best friends (who all live in the same city), and the unbridled enthusiasm of youth and hormones. Even a few older weirdos like me won't ruin a good college bar.

Jimmy's meets all these criteria. To boot, they have a friendly old bouncer that looks like your Irish grandpa. I bet he'd just as soon toss you on his lap and tell you a story as he'd check your ID. Even better, he doesn't flash the "ID" sign language in your face. Certainly you know this gesture. Nearly every no-necked bouncer from Atlantic to Pacific employs it. Pinky, ring, and middle finger glued to palm, with the thumb and index forming a two inch gap. This is how the bouncer both requests your ID and shows you the size of his dick. Fortunately you won't have to deal with this at Jimmy's.

I normally don't like a bar more than 30-40% full, but with Jimmy's it's welcome. Remember, college bar. Hot, sweaty, and people hanging from the rafters. Bartenders wear white shirts and ties. I can hardly imagine an outfit more inappropriate for someone tending bar. What a fraud Tom Cruise's character in Cocktail was. Anyone who wears such an outfit and isn't completely covered in sweat and bar detritus at the end of the night should be fired.

There's a semi-ventilated patio out back where smoking and karoake are permitted. There was some guy smoking a cigar there. Surely there is no better way to spot a poseur than to see one smoking a cigar in a bar. He's had the foresight to cut the cigar beforehand, or to bring a cutter. He expects people to take note of his different smelling tobacco, and he thinks that women and edgier men will admire him for his obstinate approach. That guy does not deserve any bar, but especially not one like this.

"Snug."

"Cozy."

"Packed like sardines."

These are all lines you will here within two minutes of being inside one of Peoria's most revered and historic pubs. Everyone who goes to Jimmy's is in for an intimate drinking experience and by the end of the night, the guy or gal you've been rubbing shoulders with will be your new drinking buddy.

Big Bradley U. haunt, so there's a wide variety of ages here at this west Peoria pub. Smoking and live music area outside!