It's too bad Cans is closing next week. Â My hubby and I came here last week for Trivia with Dan (since we missed our regular Sunday) and we enjoyed ourselves. Â The beer on Tuesdays is cheap ($3 Miller Lite pints and other specials) and they offer half-price appetizers. Â Awesome, if you ask me. Â Even more awesome if we had eaten anything.
The menu looked pretty good, I've heard the food is yummy. Â There's ample seating and it was pretty busy on a Tuesday, but not terribly so. Â There was room to walk around and tables for everyone.
Again, too bad this place is closing. Â It's a great spot for cheap beer, sports and - of course - awesome trivia.
Salt, Salt and Salt. Lots of it on the wings we ordered and fries. It has been at least 6-8 months since last I've been here but what happened? Was it an off night? Was it because it was late Sunday night?? I used live in the hood and would go at least once every two weeks. I'd sing the praises for the "Cans Cut" wings but after tonight, I'm not so sure I'd do that. We had the Buffalo, root beer BBQ, Sirracha honey and some Sweet Asian (forgot what type on the last one) and the Buffalo, Sweet Asian and Root Beer BBQ were REALLY salty! Plus the Fresh Cut Fries were salty as well. I was really bummed out and they've always been consistent. Ill go back in a few weeks to give it another shake but man I'm bummed.
Review Source:I kept seeing this sign in their window when I would walk by from the 'L' claiming it had won some award for (Best Wings) it finally got the best of me and I went in to check it out (as I like me some wings ya know) as my date and I walk in the door this large man jumps out of a chair and comes and gets in our face - it was SO odd I did not know if he was joking or what was going on - I said what? Â He says in this disgusted voice "give me your id's" he looked at them did not say thank you or welcome (this was our greeting) now part of me wanted to take this guy out side and explain (decent human behavior) but all I really wanted was a couple wings and get out of there, so I stayed- the wings show up (they are similar to Hooters style, large breaded, lame) I ordered the hottest they had and they are weak and I do mean weak, I left immediately and will of course Never return - why would a person want to go to a restaurant and feel like getting in a fist fight with the staff the second they walk in ? Â (must be good for business) Don't make the same mistake I made, avoid this place at all costs.
Review Source:When I headed out to Wicker Park for an acquaintance's birthday I did not expect this to be the kind of bar I would find. It was pretty packed with bros and really isn't my sort of place. They did have a wide selection of canned beers and the mixed drinks were pretty strong. Nonetheless, I don't think this is my scene.
Review Source:I never thought I would say this but the wings here might be as good as the wings @ Wings Around The World. Not as many flavors as WATW, but just as good!
Me and some buddies decided this was where we would watch the Bears get smacked by the 49ers this past Monday. one of my buddies is a fixture here so we were treated with the utmost respect when we stepped inside. They also let us group together a bunch of tables for our party of 12. All of the peeps that worked here were very cool and personable especially our waitress Sydney. She really took care of us and made sure we were showered with beer and shots. The PBR was on deck as well as some other beer I cant remember the name of...golden something that Sydney recommended.
Back to the wings....
BBQ, Thai, Chinese, Root Beer, Buffalo....they all blew me the fuck away as I could not stop eating them....Its safe to say that I was in wing heaven!
The bar is very cool and seemed very live...I wouldn't mind watching all Monday night games here. They were so cool, they turned the music down once my favorite pregame segment came on; C'mon Man.
Awesome sports bar in Bucktown!
Well.....besides the convenience of the place...you aren't missing much.
I came here for trivia on Tuesday and found the place to be filled with a lot of intense trivia people...I want to go somewhere where it's relaxing and people are playing for fun, not where they get stressed about winning! For those of you who are trivia junkies, this will be a great trivia spot for you.
Cans is usually out of half of their drinks so dont be surprised when you end up with your fifth choice beer. On the upside, their staff is pretty friendly which slightly makes up for you getting some rando beer.
By the way, trivia runs until almost 11!!! That is crazy to me that it goes on forever on a Tuesday night. There's got to be a better option!
I haven't eaten the food here, but the appetizers are half off on Tuesday and they looked might tasty.
Went to Cans this last week for a birthday party. Â The staff was friendly and quick. Â The food was pretty good. Â They had the tables reserved for us. Â The only down side ( and this is not in their control) was the parking situation. Â Damen is under construction so it made getting to the bar a bit of a hassle. Â That being said, I would enourage all my friends to check out Cans.
Review Source:While this isn't the most glamorous bar in family-friendly Bucktown, I am surprised that it is getting bad reviews. Â The waitresses are nice (especially the blonde). Â The food is typical bar food, but their beer selection is the highlight. Â They also make the strongest vodka lemonade in town. Â This is definitely a place to go watch football games and spend hours while not wasting all of your money on expensive drinks. Â If you want classy go to Bull and Bear, if you want a lot of TVs with a wide selection of beer go to Cans!
Review Source:"Meh. I've experienced better" perfectly sums up how I feel about Can's. It's a totally fine place, and it's nice that it is usually not too crowded. However, there are lots of places that are more fun to hang out nearby, and better places to watch sports if that's what you're into. The beer selection is fine, the service is fairly unremarkable, and there's nothing fantastic about the prices. There are friendlier, more fun crowds elsewhere in the neighborhood.
Review Source:This place has a great beer list. Â I'm not a huge fan in most of them coming in cans (I get it, its the name) when I know they bottle the same beer - but they gave me a glass so it was all good.
The downside is that service is somewhat lethargic, even when they aren't too busy. Â Also, I think this is more of a 1AM bar then a dinner or pre-game spot. Â We came in a little early on a Friday and I think even the staff was surprised to see us.
There was nothing terrible about the experience, but I think you can find something more interesting or unique in the neighborhood.
Oh Cans, how I haven't missed thee. When I first moved to Bucktown a few years ago, Cans was fun but...the experience has dimmed.
It's still fun for trivia night, game time, etc. but it really misses the mark for me when I see older men wearing weird overalls and randoms being all swarmy.
I come here on the reg because the staff is super attentive and nice - great bartenders! There are so many options for beer...it's incredible. Also, they just updated their menu and have some pretty delicious new things on it. The mac and cheese is one of the best I've ever had. Try the poutine too...yum!!!
I should add that Cans is a great place for sports - tons of TV's around the bar. It's also a University of Michigan bar for all of you Wolverine fans out there...
WING LOVERS UNITE!
Ok, even I can't believe I'm giving Cans 5 stars but this is based solely on their wings. Â
I love buffalo wings. I love them so much that if anyone orders them in a restaurant and their delicious aroma hits my nose, I start drooling. Â Mmmmm....wings.
Also, let me preface that I am not a huge fan of different flavored wings. I was (key word "was") strictly a buffalo type of girl. Â Not anymore!
Cans won best wing in WingFest 2012 for their Chinese spicy sweet wing. Â Once you take a bite, you'll know why. Â They are ridiculously good with a crispy outside and perfect sweet asian sauce with extra left over on the plate for more dipping.It was a table fave! Â Order it as the "cans cut" which is butterflied and pulled to the top of the bone. Oh so easy to eat and delish!
The buffalo were pretty damn good too. And I really enjoyed the green tabasco wings cooked crispy. Â
Monday night = 50 cent wings. Score!
As for the bar itself, it's your standard "let's get druuuuunk" kinda place that reminds you of college. The bathrooms need a good cleaning...well actually the entire bar probably does but nonetheless if you love wings, GO HERE!
I will give the caveat that I have only drank here, so I can't evaluate the food, which to be frank looked barely pedestrian and borderline microwaved. However, I'll ignore that.
The beer list is very solid, and includes all the heavy hitters you would want out of a Chicago establishment focusing on cans (Daisy Cutter and Cut Throat), as well as some unique options. The vibe at the place is laid-back (although it was a bit on the empty side for a Thursday night on which Bucktown was hoppin'), and service is appropriate. I'd probably give them four stars, but the prices were a little steep; most bars at Chicago charge $5 for Daisy Cutter, and Cans charges $6.50. I'm a beer enthusiast who loves cans, but even I feel a bit miffed at being asked to pay that much for a can of beer. Still, it's chill enough, and supposedly they have solid trivia, so I'll probably come back.
So, a few co-workers and I were looking for a good spot to check out some Trivia and let loose when someone recommended good ol' Cans in Wicker Park/Bucktown. I must admit  I'm glad they did!
Trivia is on Tuesday's at 8PM (I recommend getting there by 7:30 to secure a table) and is pretty dang fun. It's about 2 1/2 hrs long with some decent questions...they make you think that's for sure but not too bad where I feel like a complete idiot. Prizes are so-so. It's typically a gift certificate or tickets to something.
The prices are pretty good as well as they normally have an appetizer "happy hour" where everything is pretty much under $5.00. (Note - Cans doesn't exactly offer fine dining so don't expect much but it's definitely doable for a night of drinking/trivia - Â I do recommend the buffalo tenders).
All in all I've never had a bad time here & definitely recommend it! Just make sure you brush up on your geography before going....
Some time has passed and I've now been to cans plenty of times (as the b/f loves this place). Â It grows on me more and more each time. Â
I like food before I drink, so a bar with good food and drinks specials is a bar I like to keep visiting. Â Cans has updated it's menu and I am especially happy about their pretzel bites falafel, yes falafel and a bar (sooo goood). Â The pretzel bites are so darn good and cute, too! Â The cheese sauce that comes with it is amazing. Â Mustard and marinara come with it as well. Â Mustard makes sense of course, but don't waste your time with marinara when there's a cup of delicious cheese sauce instead. Â The spinach artichoke dip is pretty tasty and I like their wings a lot.
This is a good place for watching a sports game or for just grabbing some food and drinks on a week night. Â
The servers are great, I love all the girls we've had wait on us so far. Â The manager is a good guy too and takes care of his regulars.
Uggghhh!!!
I will admit, I should not be venturing into these types of bars not being a sports fan and all, but sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do to appease our friends.
I think I need new friends.
I have been here a couple of times. Â Most recently was a couple of weekends ago. Â This place oozes college/sports/vomit/obnoxiousness. Â The servers...to be honest, I don't recall anyone helping us besides the bartender. Â
I am divorcing the friend that forces me here again.
So I went to college. I've done the college thing. I drank crappy beer and shouted the lyrics to "Don't Stop Believin'" on more than one occasion, but at some point, we all have to grow up. We had our fun. That's what Wrigleyville is for.
I'll wander in to Cans on occasion when my friends try to convince me (again) that it has some redeeming qualities. For some reason, I never learn my lesson. They do have a ton of cans of beer (as the name would suggest) but they are grossly overpriced and the bartenders are generally very rude and unaccommodating when it starts getting crowded (which it usually is, like, all the time.)
Maybe I'm just bitter because of a few bad experiences, but I figure that I live around so many quality bars, why spend my money at a place that feels like a college party but, dare I say, isn't as fun?
The only redeeming qualities are:
1. The doorman is usually the same guy and he is awesome. He will greet you as you walk past even if you aren't going in to Cans and he's super friendly. He should get a raise.
2. The Cans festival in the summer is usually pretty fun (assuming you're amused with semi-washed up bands that generally have one song everyone knows - case in point Wang Chung, Naughty By Nature and Vanilla Ice.)
3. There are some nice waitresses I've run in to on weeknights. If you go in here earlier in the night, the odds are you'll have a friendly waitress and some pretty decent bar food.
All in all, this place has a lot of growing up to do. I honestly wish I could give it more stars because it's a bar in my neighborhood (which I hold dear), but I can't rightly do it.
Cans is where all of the Wrigleyville bros go when they get confused and jump on the Blue Line train whilst intoxicated. Â Or maybe that's my empirical observation.
Alright, so they serve beer in cans (and it's cheap). Â Cans touts 30+ beers in cans, but when 80% of your selection is some form of Budweiser or Coors and Brooklyn Lager is a "craft beer," then Houston, we have a problem.
There are a few bar games (Buck Hunt, but no Erotic Photo Hunt) and an upstairs, but very little room to dance/ fist-pump to all of the David Guetta, Lady Gaga, and Taio Cruz.
It was at Cans that I actually learned that the proper term for a mega-sized can of beer is a "tall boy." Â So at least my visit was educational.
No matter what the other reviews say this place has a special spot in my heart - I am not sure I have laughed so hard at so many people in such a short time, as I did here.
YES this place IS filled with d-bags! And guess what? they are all WASTED! Not drunk, but barely standing $hitfaced drunk. And they each danced, alone, by themselves - on the tiny dancefloor.
What this means is this is the BEST place to people watch ever!!!
Get a table close to and in view of the small dancefloor and bar area - we must have had the best table there for this. Let the good times roll.
Table service was attentive and did not get too slow once the place got crowded. Drink prices were very good and the place is huge inside. Not sure it is the bar to frequent but when you need a good laugh and are not in a pissy mood I highly recommend it.
Oh and FYI I think the average age here is 24 - hence all the stupid d-bags.
Maybe you've been chilling at a low-key bar in Bucktown for a few hours and you need to turn it up a notch. Or maybe you're leaving Wrigleyville after post-Cubs game debauchery and want to go somewhere closer to home, but don't want to just sit on your ass at a bar.
You need energy. You need dancing. You need loud music. You need Cans.
Cans is one of the only Bucktown bars I can think of that plays music that allows for some fist-pumping and dancing reminiscent of my fraternity party days. There's no lack of bodies in every square inch of this place on a weekend night, so unless you're an evil troll, you shouldn't have a difficult time finding SOMEONE to talk to/dance with/smooch (if you're so inclined). Â And come on. Â You know you like Cans. Â Don't deny it.
So yeah. Cans is pretty shameless.. But that's okay. You're allowed to get drunk and dance to Bon Jovi sometimes.
This review is based on Trivia Night... I feel the need to preface because for a long time I avoided the hell out of this place for it's frat like qualities.
I went this past Tuesday with some friends and the intention to rock out at trivia. We partook in their appetizer special... I want to say it made everything 1/2 price because it was all super cheap. We split the poppers, hummus, and fries and all were delicious. No joke, the fries were some of the best fries I'd had to date- totally fresh cut. I got the Bell's Oberon to drink and everyone else got the $4 Miller Lite in a 'souvenir' Cans cup.
The bartender was awesome, attentive, friendly, and not creepy at all. The trivia was awesome and the trivia host, Dan, is a rock star and total smarty pants.
We ended up losing out on a bad wager on the last round (Damn JFK Jr!)but still got some shirts as a consolation prize.
I will defo be back and ready to rock this trivia hot spot again.
This is my favorite bar in Wicker Park, which really doesn't say much.
The music mix is what you're looking for when you're out to party: 80s, 90s and 00s party hits. The waitresses are pretty ridiculous (my buddy was in love when we went here on a man-date) and the prices for cans are fantastic (cheap cans are all $3, which is awesome for any day of the week). You can even get the cheap swill of the month (ie. Buuuusch Light but changes, you know, every month) for $2.
I went here for the PHIZ bar crawl expecting the  slight Yelp bar snobbishness to kick in when they saw the multitudes of plasmas and scantily clad bartenders. But everyone had a great time, and weren't even drunk.
I don't know if this is always the case, but give Cans a shot, or at least know what you're getting into when you go there, Mr and Mrs. Rainbo Room.
Cans IS NOT a super trendy spot with unique food/drink and uber-hip patrons.
Instead, Cans IS...
...a decent place to go on a weekend night for youthful partying. Â The atmosphere is similar to what might be found in many Wrigleyville bars, which makes it a decent stop for those hosting a bachelor or bachelorette party in Wicker Park area.
...a laid back spot to start of a weekend evening, especially if you can snag a spot in the quieter upper-back room.
...a option for group trivia in the WP area.  Tuesday is trivia night and also  1/2 price appetizer night.  The trivia guy is sometimes incoherent, and the game goes on forever, but it's free, so you can leave whenever you want.
If non of these things appeal to you, and Cans might not be your "cup of beer."
Cans isn't the first stop on the Carol J express but for a neighborhood bar that happens to be in a really good neighborhood, Cans is okay. Â When they first took over my beloved Mad Bar, I just couldn't get past the concept of beer in Cans and the white trash connotations of the name. Â But time passed and I became less jaded.
On the PHIZ pub crawl we walked into Cans and were greeted politely by the doorman, promptly served by the bartender and they let us kind of take over the back room, even though it was technically closed. Â When the bar opened Kismet, the bartender was awesome and didn't even blink when I took an emergency phone call in the dishroom. Â Yeah, I thought I was still at mad bar for a second....oops.
In the summer they have a cute sidewalk cafe with great people watching, decent bar food and some fairly decent service.
Oh yeah, the music was great while I was there the last time. Â And nice plasma.
The backroom is great if you are with a big group. Â They have flat screens and their own bar in the back. Â I really liked this place. Â I came here for the PHIZ bar crawl. Â I don't know if i would go back without a group but I might.
The bathroom had an attendant. Â That was strange.
First, a word from...Paris? Or something.
"Oh can you do the Can Can?
If you can then I can
I can Can Can if you Can Can
Can you Can Can
Oh we can do the Can Can
Yes oui we we Can Can
We can Can Can
Yes oui we can Can!"
Beer in cans. Hmmm. Yeah, well I'm not much of a can person anyway...when I do drink beer. Luckily, they do have some stuff on draft. However, the novelty of a $2 can of Busch Light IS tempting once the night ticks on....
Waitress (Logan) was really on top of things. The elevated bar was taken over by us, and it worked well. Not crowded (THIS IS KEY to a good time here).
So throw back a can. Do the can can. Go to Cans. Just to say you did. :)
I like Cans.
Good music. Good drinks. The crowd consisted mainly of normal people, which is a really nice thing for the area. The back room was great, especially when they opened up that bar. It's a little quieter in there but still has televisions to watch whatever sporting event in on.
Cans is good in my book. I'll be back. It gets extra points for being walking distance from my home.
Yuppies sneakin' into Wicka Park!
That's right, it's a sports bar in Wicka Park! Â Let me say that again, it's a sports bar in Wicka Park! Â Same old douchbaggery you'd find over at any Wrigleyville or Lincoln Park hotspot with drink prices and discernible stale beer / pukey scent in the air. Â I have eaten and drank here and think it's a dandy old spot to have a sports bar while the long hairs and beardsters pass on by.
Why this place is awesome: Â One day after a bit in front of goat head fountain killing a twelver with my buddy we walked in Can's and walked up to the bar. Â We ordered one tall boy a piece and started drinking. Â After awhile, my buddy decided to ask the bartender if he could empty some beer cans into the trash can behind the bar. Â The bartender had no problem and watched as my buddy opened up his book bag and dumped twelve empty cans into the trash can.
Take THAT, Can's!!!
My friends and I went to Cans when it first opened, because we thought that a bar that only served beer in cans was a pretty cool idea. Â After being there for, oh, about 15 seconds, we realized how wrong we were. I think they offered maybe one or two canned beers- both for like $4. What is this, Wrigley Field? (Based on the crowd it was hard to tell.) I don't know, maybe that night I just wasn't in the mood to hang out with a bunch of overgrown frat-boys-turned-metrosexual-yuppie-wannabes hitting on scantily clad trixies. . . one of my friends made the shrewd observation that Cans was conveniently located directly across the street from a maternity store, surmising that most of the female patrons would probably need to make a stop there soonafter.
Granted, I haven't been back since, so maybe. . . it's different? I doubt it. Hey, if that's your scene, uh, more power to you. Next time I want to relive MTV spring break, I'll stop in. And then go home and shower.
This bar is for the people that miss their sororities and frats. Â If you have a striped shirt, you're "golden." Â Yay for you.
Music can be a trip, as it's usually old school and 80's hair bands. Â I guess it's what the kids like nowadays. Â Yep, I said kids. Â I feel so much older in here that it's quite ridiculous.
In the snowstorm of today, I happened to park across the street from Cans on Damen. As I walked past, I decided it might be time for a cheesebuger, so why not check it out, right?
Bad move on my part. This place, while clean, was brimming with the "college" guy scent. I could still smell the Axe body spray from last night.
My server was very nice, and attentive. I ordered the battered onion rings, and Cheeseburger with a PBR (in a can..how fucking novel!)
Upon the arrival of my food, I'm saddened to find out that the onion rings are the only thing they got right. The burger was a fairly bland hunk of meat, with 2 slices of cheese barely melted on top. I don't know about you, but that bugs the hell out of me. Melt that shit yo!
Oh, did I mention that the bun was at least 3 times the size of the burger ? So, i had like a 5 inch high stack of bread/burger/gross cheese/ more gigantic bun...yow. I think there should be an even bun to burger ratio going on.
Maybe Cans is a cool place to go on a Friday. Or maybe that's the dumbest idea I've ever had. I would suggest avoiding this place  (ooh.unless you wear a gallon of cologne, call women " sluts' and think that after you've had a few beers, you become hilarious)
For me, Cans is out of the picture. Want a good burger, a nice beer? Go across the street to Northside. Way better.
I have never really understood the appeal of Cans. Â Some of my friends have said that they have a great jukebox, but I've been there twice and never heard it. Â The clientele is not really my type...I stopped going to college parties a long time ago. Â Plus, I don't really like drinking beer out of cans. Â They smell funny. Â I prefer a bottle or *gasp* a glass. Â
The only positive thing that I can say about Cans is that, on slow nights, it's a nice place to grab a booth with a few friends and just hang out. Â Also, the food is ok.
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