Fritzy's Tavern

Wow a true dive bar.  Haven't seen one yet since I moved to Chicago.  The other "dives" I've been to are primarily run over with hipsters and novelty bar-goers, but not Fritzy's.  I actually want to give this place 3.5, but Yelp won't let me do that darn it.  

I have to admit, I felt a little uncomfortable walking in.  The patrons are clearly regulars and I felt a tad out of place. But once I started sipping on my ice cold beer, my worries slipped away.

What I liked:  really friendly bartenders, a nice man (perhaps the  manager?) offered us food from their pool tournament, cheap booze, and friendly patrons.  

The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because it was eeerily quiet.  I don't like to shout over music, but I also hate whispering in a bar - give me light tunes, or a Blackhawks game or something in the background.  There was a jukebox, but after picking a few songs, it was silent again.  The other issue is that there is a bit of  a weird smell.  Not sure what it is, but I have a sensitive nose so it kind of bothered me.  There was also a guy next to me eating which I'm sure added to it.  But these are minor things!  My husband loved the place and had no complaints.  

I'll definitely swing by again if I'm in the neighborhood.

Fritzy's is a super good neighborhood dive bar. The crowd is local, welcoming and warm (do not judge them by appearance), as are the bar staff and the owner Karen who introduced herself. The $2.50 PBR can special is pretty awesome and one drawback is the fairly limited selection of US craft beers. Plenty of TV screens to catch sports and a free pool table. We went along to catch the jazz, which is once a month and it was fairly decent. You can also order food from the diner next door (Alexanders which is pretty decent) and enjoy it in the bar area.

Wow. I walked in here on a whim, solo. Showed my I.D.  Walked to their  ATM, and having trouble taking money out, the lovely owner- helped me with the tricky machine.

Ordered my drink and got settled. I was there for 3 hours (till closing time) talking, laughing, and having a great time. I felt extremely welcomed. The owner and the bartender were very friendly!  I got invited for their event for the next day, which was sweet. Unable to make it, I came back the following day. Again the bartender on this Sunday shift was super nice and talked to his patrons like we were all good friends. Not to mention the knowledge and suggestions of different beers, he knew and got me to tasting.

I'm happy that Fritzy's Tavern is just across the street from me, and I'm soooo happy that it is my local Tavern.

Stop reading this and go get a drink at Fritzy's Tavern!