if your 18-24 then this is a place you might like. Otherwise it is a student dive bar in a world class city. Nice old backgammon type table in back. it deserves to be in a better place. This place was smelly and dirty and there was a dog in the bar when I went. the young crowd was really over served and loud. Surprising to see a college town bar in a city. Bad place for most.
Review Source:Finding myself going here more and more often. Â This is a hidden gem - their burgers are truly legit, not to mention they have one of my favorite salads. Â Hope the word doesn't get out - this is getting to be one of my fave lunch spots, not just for the great food, but their friendly staff.
Review Source:Western burger, onion ring 8 oz burger, and thick! Now this is what i'm talking about as far as burgers go. When someone ask's you to go get a real burger, maybe you need to mozzie on down to this location. Their fries were actually really good shoe string style and they have vinegar on the tables so that you can pick it up a notch.
The place looks like an old brothel with its brick walls and vintage look so this for me is always a good sign. Truly a gem nestled inside of Taylor Street and a hidden gem amongst burger joints.
We came for lunch so of course we couldn't taste their large selection of beers, but next time I will if I am not working.
Went back here one night because it was in the area and I looked at their website and it said they had 2 dollar beers. Asked the bartender and he said that the website hadn't been updated in 5 years and that none of those specials exist in a tone that made it seem like it was my fault or I'm an idiot for believing their website was accurate.
The bartender was not helpful at all after that point and had a 'buy full priced drinks or get out' kind of attitude.
Decent bar with food that can be hit or miss when it comes to environment. We had the lovely experience of enjoying obnoxiously loud brobags and a lady harnessing a newborn.
Either way, they have $2 Hamm's cans daily and their food is really good. Their burgers are served on texas toast and you have the choice of tots or fries.
I ordered the Western with tots, but would get fries next time. They are those tasty seasoned fries like Checker's used to have.
Great place to stop in and catch a game on a hot weekend. During the heatwave when the central air crapped out in my place this was heaven. Excellent pours. Good selection of beers. The bartenders are extremely friendly. I have no complaints but I've never tried the food. With Davanti right down the street it's hard to eat anywhere else! This is a fun place to get a drink before dinner.
Review Source:You know the bar is good when you wake up with a goose nest hairdo, a missing liver and a bottle of bacon vodka. It all started when we made friends with the owners at Baconfest 2012. That's the drunkest my group of Russian/American friends and I have been in the last 10 years. Laid back bar, plenty of cozy seating and good music. Note to self: makes it difficult to walk out of the bar when you open the umbrella inside.
Review Source:I have now been to Drum & Monkey a couple times, mostly because it's near school, but I have yet to have an amazing experience. The first time I went, I could hardly handle the music (blaring + bad taste), but when I last visited, it was actually ok. It got a little louder as the evening progressed, although there was pretty much no one in the bar, but I'll let that pass.
What most annoyed me about D&M was the waitress. She was really nice at first, but then she started ignoring our table. She seemed only interested in serving half of the table at a time, which, despite her brilliant application of eyeshadow, made me think she wasn't too quick.
Overall, I'm not going to avoid Drum & Monkey, but it certainly isn't going to be my first choice going forward.
I honestly don't remember what exactly we ordered unless I look at my foodie photos. Â Non-memorable dinner experience I guess.
I had a salad with avocado, bacon, onion, egg, goat cheese and balsamic dressing. Â It was alright. Â The bacon and lettuce were fresh and so crisp. Â This is the salad you'd order if you had a craving for something crunchy. Â The hubby ordered a burger, something with jalapeno's on it. Â It was a massive burger served on Texas toast. Â He said he was a little worried it would be too hot, but it was just the right amount of heat.
We were just having dinner, using a Groupon NOW. Â There wasn't exactly a waitress, so the bartender doubled as our server. Â They came only to take our order and bring our drinks, the kitchen brought out our food. Â We had to flag down our check when we were done. Â We were never checked on for refills or asked if we needed anything else. Â Glad we didn't pay full price for that kind of dining experience. Â I would never come here for dinner again, drinks maybe (and that's a big MAYBE).
I've been here twice, the first time was a weekday evening. Â It was dead inside, but they had good music playing so I thought it was alright.
My second visit was a Saturday evening and it was predictably packed with obnoxious college kids. Â Another reviewer made a comment about this not being a place for the 25 and up crowd and I'd have to agree.
Besides all that I think it's overpriced. Â On Saturday I ordered a Guiness and a cherry bomb which was 13 bucks. Â I don't know if it was 5 and 8 bucks or 6 and 7, but either way that seems like too much. Â I don't know, maybe that's a reasonable price and I'm just used to bars with good deals. Â Whatever, that's more than I want to pay.
Quite possibly the best karaoke spot. Ever. Great draft selection. Full bar with formidable whiskey and scotch selection. $3 specials - drafts, shots, food. Decent flour chips and fish tacos with a spicy pico de gallo. Two giant books of songs. At some point, I realized that there was no need to read through the books - they had everything. Was expecting a dive bar and was pleasantly surprised to enter a freshly renovated space with cute, friendly bartenders along with a fun, friendly crowd. I honed my vocal/theatrical stylings in private rooms at Korean karaoke establishments, but think I've found my new stage.
Review Source:I might find myself at the D&M on a Thursday night which is the busiest night for them, having myself a PBR. The crowd is usually college kids and locals. I love the Bartenders because they are honest and generous with the alcohol serving. They have a nice Lil back alley type area to drink and smoke if you choose.
this place is alright with me
Slightly better-than-average college bar menu (albeit not particularly Irish); college bar prices.
The bartender did an excellent job of timing the Guinness pours so that no one went thirsty while waiting for settling.
Friendly and perfectly pleasant for lunch, but likely not the scene for anyone 25+ after dark.
Great place. Went there on a whim while strolling Taylor St. ALMOST went to Hawkeyes, but D&M's menu looked more appealing.
It was very quiet there at 4pm so my wife and I were able to enjoy a beer and some great service. Bartender/Waiter was awesome!
$3 Food Specials 4-6pm and drink specials every day.
We had Fried Ravioli, Fried pickles, Irish Nachos, Veggie burger. Everything was very good, came out quick & hot!
Nice little outdoor patio as well. VERY CITY-Like!
5 Stars is very tough in my book! You can bet a 4 Star from me is a place worth going to!
I'm not in that area often, but would most definitely go there again.
Good Irish bar near the UIC campus.
The prices are decent, but compared to other bars on Taylor street, the prices are pretty good. Â They have an above average booze selection. Â The food is pretty good and the decor is okay. Â What makes the Drum a good bar is the ppl. Â Everyone from the kitchen staff, door staff, bartenders and owners are pretty friendly. Â I regularly sit at the bar and see how the staff interacts with their guests. Â They are consistent.
The Drum is easily one of the better bars on Taylor street.
Hawkeyes can kiss my hairy a$$.
Ive been Drum and Monkey'd three times total, once on a Monday at 5PM for dollar mini sandwiches, once on a Thursday at 1PM for lunch, and the third time on a Wednesday evening around 5:30PM for the burger and sierra nevada for 7 bucks special. The beer selection is decent and one of the better on the block.
Monday: tried one of each, all were mediocre and not worth mentioning. The bartender/waiter forgot the buffalo chicken mini twice and it was very cold at arrival (yes, the little sandwiches actually came out individually for some reason). Â This bartender (the guy will appear again) appeared to be drinking with his patrons, which didnt really bother me aside from his terribly slow and forgetful service.
Thursday: The same bartender is working (wonderful), but he seems much more alert or at least energetic than previously at entrance. I ordered some of the wings thinking it would be fast and couldnt be bad. I was right about that, the wings were quite tasty and very meaty with a few sauce selections. i liked the sesame terryaki best. I would definietly go back for a decent wing special if they have one???
Of note: it took our pal the bartender about 25 minutes and three asks to finally bring the check (during luch hour). There were 3 other people in the bar (sitting at stools ) and would you believe it, drinking with our buddy. Isnt he swell. When we paid it was pretty clear Cheech had been taking a "smokey" break.
Wednesday: The burger was good, a standard beef patty with fixings. Of course I enjoyed the Sierra Nevada, thats  a given. What was also a given, long wait in an empty bar for mediocre food and slightly overpriced drafts served from a special bartender.  Food Not for me, but the free shuffleboard is awesome and I could see it being a decent place for sporting events.
It's a pretty straightforward Irish Pub w. not a lot  frills.  The bar area seemed to sport a bit of character (read: distressed and worn, but in a good way).  They do serve Matilda on tap which was nice. Â
They have really good deals on both food and drink so be sure to check them out (a ton of $3 daily deals and also $3 apps from around 2p-6P . Â We had the chicken fingers and chimichanga (beef), both were tasty. Â We were there early so it wasn't packed but defo a college kid sort of establishment from what i could tell.
Went on friday night with friends who go fairly regularly and had a lot of fun. It feels more like a local pub than a dive bar, even though it is a really young crowd. Lots of people, almost exclusively in their twenties, I think, but not a trashy atmosphere. And they have enough seating that we got a table on a friday night. The front part of the bar seemed a little higher energy (in a fun way), and the back was a great place to just chat and relax. The waitress was sweet and gave us our first drinks for free when she mixed up what the guys ordered with a different table and brought the wrong thing. No one complains about that : )
I am not a college dive bar kind of girl, and was totally comfortable here. Not sure about the prices, but I saw a good variety of beers being served to tables around us, and I like the laid-back atmosphere.
The best college-dive bar I've been to yet!
Its always full and lively, perfect location with lots of students collaborating inside. The night we ventured out there was some awesome karaoking going on, some genuinely funny and good standouts among the bunch!
I will highly recommend taking advantage of any of their specials; like soft taco Tuesdays. Toasted to perfection!
Another props of good mention go to the barstaff that really keep this place flowing.
Love: laid back energy, put back a few drinks, cheap food, great mix of post college crowd.
I freaking love this bar! Super laid back and always a good time. Bartenders are super friendly and will toss you a free shot every so often (I guess it helps that I'm a girl). Came here for the Hawks final cup game- it was an absolute blast! Last week, ended up here on a Tuesday night for girl's night out and there was karaoke, which was super entertaining and fun. I love the D & M even though I live nowhere near it!
... did I mention that they have free shuffle board?!
Let's call the Drum and Monkey what it is- a college bar. Â With that out of the way, even this "long past college" girl had fun here the other night- well after the bouncer let us in, that is.
We wandered down Taylor street and this place was hopping so we thought we would stop in for a beer before heading home. Â The bouncer carded me and then the conversation went something like this:
HE" Â "You're too old to drink in here"
ME: Â ""Did you just tell me I was too old?" My voice raising just a pitch as I am sure I reminded him of his mother.
HE: Â "Just kidding!"
ME" Â "Yeah right. Â And for that, you can buy us our first drink"
And so he did.
The bar takes up the entire length of the bar. Â The music playing on this night was from "my generation" and was, in fact, pretty good. Â The kid next to me called it "retro". Â Who knew I would live long enough to be "retro"?
Call it what you will - everyone was having fun, the service at the bar was good (especially given how packed it was) and the kids were willing to share whatever it was they were drinking (Shark tank anyone?? Â A pitcher of blue something served with your own straw?) Â Oh, those college days! Â (or daze as the case may be!)
They have a decent beer list, have pub games on week nights and you can usually find street parking in the area.
The Drum and Monkey will never be a destination bar for me- but on those nights when I find myself on Taylor Street and want to feel a little "retro", this is the place!
I love this place. Â I think its the free shuffle board that won me over, really. Â They also have some good food specials everyday. Â i don't know all of them, but I know on Tuesdays it is dollar tacos, and they're pretty damn good.
We had a fundraiser here for my master's program a few months ago and they were very accommodating.
The drinks are slightly expensive, but just go with a special and you'll be just fine.
It is pretty slow during the week nights, but still fun if you go with friends.
overpriced
The husband and I tried once. Â The ambience was OK. Â The menu was limited.
The beer list was impressive, but seemed overpriced.
The food was overpriced.
The service was slow.
Just an OK place. Â Nothing special about it as far as we're concerned.
Not worth another try either.
Let me start by saying I've never heard more accurate karaoke performances of Johnny Cash or Credence Clearwater Revival than I did on Tuesday karaoke night at Drum & Monkey. Holy moly! You'd swear they were just playing the radio.
Prices here are a nothing special - $5 for a pint of 312 or Bell's. Frankly I'm a little shocked that they charge $3 for a 12-ounce can of PBR.
You can get a 'side' of tater tots for $2 (although it was listed as $1 on the menu). They were pretty darn good, actually, Â and it was more than I could finish by myself. And they give you non-Heinz ketchup! I liked that.
Last summer, I spent countless afternoons here watching the Eurocup soccer tournament (thanks to the lack of cable TV at my apt). Â Since then, Drum and Monkey has been my neighborhood bar of choice for a chill night out with some neighborhood friends and colleagues after work (being that it's right down on Taylor from UIC medical campus). Â The bartenders and patrons are fun and laid-back chaps who don't mind making my drinks a bit less strong so I can watch and follow the games despite the lack of aldehyde dehydrogenase...
Good food at decent prices, good drinks, and fun folks. Â I believe I'm going there tonight to watch what might be the last of the Lakers v. Magic NBA playoffs.
Holy GooGobs!
As my bestfriend, cousin, his best friend, and myself found ourselves walking down Taylor St. at 1am, we ran into Maura(?) and like the sirens' song, she hooked us into the Drum & Monkey.
If I recall correctly, she yelled, "O-BOMBS!" and despite only one of us ever having one before, her energy was enough to guide us inside.
Upon entry, the feel of the bar was perfect for a nice group to have a bucket or two and toss the worries to the wind. The barkeep was quite aware and was right on call every time we returned for another round.
We were later joined by another party, which included Maura, and later Steve, and I will say, Drum & Monkey was the place to be this morning!
I'd come back a bit earlier to give the menu a shot next time, but Saturday night was awesome!
This place will forever be "Four Corners" to me. I will miss Dominic and the chips & curry, but it's still pretty good. The bartender who last served me took about 5 minutes to pour my Guinness. Now that's the right way to do it! That alone is reason to come here.
Hungry vegans can enjoy the roasted veggie sandwich sans the goat cheese. They also have thick-cut fries for those who just want a snack.
Came here on a Saturday night (coincidentally the same night Cully did, read more for a different viewpoint), just looking for a bite to eat. Totally forgot about the Hawks/Bulls games, so was a bit surprised to see the place packed. Â We weren't able to get a table, so we pulled up next to the bar. Â
I wound up getting the fish & chips and my partner got the Mediterranean. The F&C were above average and the Mediterranean was pretty darned good. Â We started out our course with two Stellas, but then switched to the $2 PBR special - a good move if I do say so myself. Â
Definitely going to go back and now count this place as a good standby.
As for Cully's comment, we came in at half-time for the Bulls game, at which point every one of the TVs was turned to the Hawks game. As soon as the Bulls came back on, they switched and broadcasted the Bulls game throughout the joint. Â So I think you just had unfortunate timing versus an ulterior motives. When we left after the 3rd quarter - the place was packed with Bulls fans.
First time I went was on a weekday night and the place was practically empty, so I was a little suspicious. Â After hanging out a while I didn't even notice. Â My friends and I had a great time because it has a great atmosphere, good drink specials, and really friendly bartenders. Â
Every other time I have gone there have been other people in the bar, so I think it was a just a fluke that it was empty that one time. Â
They usually have a beer special and booze special, so it is easy on the pocketbook.
I was reluctant to give this place a full five stars, though I wanted to. Â The fact of the matter is that Drum and Monkey is located in close proximity to UIC, and you'll always get that group of shall we say, "obnoxiously exuberant" people that come in. Â
The place itself is great: fantastic servers and bartenders, great specials, and tater tots with ranch dressing? Â Heavenly. Â Shuffleboard was a fantastic addition and I've spent many an evening playing that while sipping on Jameson. Â
The drink selection is impressive, as is the ability to order by the bottle. Â
Recommended if you like a lively atmosphere with shuffleboard and great service with reasonable prices. Â Skip it if you can't stand the typical "college" crowd.
New management----
As someone who grew up in the irish south side and attended UIC, I've grown to loathe and avoid both "Irish Bars" (quotes intentional and appropriate to anyone who's been to more than a few that have nothing particularly irish except ownership) and "university village". Â Â Drum & Monkey became an exception tonight. Â
They have a wide variety of brown liquors and a relaxed atmosphere with that Irish wooden decor that would earn 3stars on any irish bar survey. Â The real gem is the food though. Â Yes, the gem at an irish bar is the food. Â Their fish and chips is delicious with a light beer batter. Â The reuben is cooked in red wine (wha?) and is, honestly, the best I've ever had... sorry mom. Â I'll be back for more strong drinks, corned beef and cabbage, twice baked tater tots and scottish egg (wrapped in sausage and deep fried!). Â + Â the service was excellent. Â The owner served us and the chef asked about the reuben. Â
I'm serious. Â This place totally surprised me. Â Its out of character for me to give this five stars, but I left rather satisfied.
This place is under new management now. Â They took the pay pool tables out, and added a sweet shuffleboard table! Â NICE!
The Guinness pour is awesome, and priced fairly. Â The decor is very chill, laid back. Â
They have some good apps as well, although the Guinness and great service will be the main factors that will bring me back.
Check it out - a good IRISH place on Taylor Street, who would have thought?
Like a comfy sweater that isn't necessarily the most stylish in your closet, but reliable and just feels good.
Very friendly service and thumbs up for the tater tots.
Come to think of it, as other yelpers have mentioned, the several times I've been there, it has been almost conspicuously empty. Â
You people bucking comfort for trendy?
Oh well, leaves more tots and beer for me.
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