You have to know what you are getting in to when you come here. It's not a bring your grandparents to school type of hang out. There are puul tables, flippy cup and beer pong out on the floor. The music is for dancing with someone you may or may not know. The drinks are reasonable and easy to get.
We stayed until bar close. I would happily do it again.
SO sad they closed the keg. Yes it was dirty, and they served stale popcorn, but there will never be another place like the keg. It was rated as the 9th best college bar in the country! Most of my best college memories ocurred at this great place, and it will be sorely missed. I feel bad for the people at northwestern who will not be able to experience this place that unified the campus. The social life at Northwestern will never be the same :(
Review Source:I don't love it here and I don't hate it here. All I can say is that my experience is very very varied. Like I came here once when I was trying to match drinks with someone, and it was the best thing ever. But I also came here once while sober on a Saturday night and watched Kellogg students shake their hips awkwardly on the (empty) dance floor. I'm docking one star for the Kellogg students, and another star for the 50-year-out mountain men who creep around on crowded nights to gleer at undergrads. All in all, this is Northwestern's bar (like in the movies where every college has that bar that is their bar) and I can't hate it here.
Review Source:**I wish I could give it 2.5 stars but I can't so 2 it is.**
I'm laughing as I'm reviewing The Keg because it really is a college-fratty-type of establishment...complete with tables for drinking games, a stage with two poles and really nasty floors. Â But us business school students that think we're back in college frequent this spot on Tuesday nights partly for the drinking games, dancing and cheap drinks.
Every other night (with the exception of some Fridays) it's pretty dead and sprinkled with an "interesting" crowd. Â I have to be honest, I'm not sure you should be here unless you're either a school on a Tuesday night or a NW undergrad trying to "live the life".
I admit I walked into this place right after work on a Tuesday. Â That being said, it was one of the most depressing bar scenes I've ever seen. Â The place itself is disgusting and disheveled, as though nobody has cleaned it this year. Â There was the guy who was sitting, waiting, doing anything possible to avoid going home to his wife. Â There were others, all sitting alone, kind of unfriendly. Â The bartender was ok, and the beer (Fat Tire) was $4.50, which wasn't bad, so this place gets 2 stars. Â I wont be going back before 2am (when it supposedly becomes a Northwestern hangout)
Review Source:If you're looking at The Keg on Yelp, you shouldn't be going here.
I think the only rationalizations for coming to The Keg is that you're either being dragged here by drunk friends, or that you're underage. Â There is absolutely no reason anyone of age would ever want to come here sober. Â Dark, dirty, and borderline disgusting, the Keg is not an establishment of class or even affordability- the (mediocre) mixed drinks can still add up to a mighty tab.
If you must come here, I highly recommend getting a Stella from tap- only $4.50 and you're guaranteed a nice big *glass* rather than the plastic they often serve the domestics in.
Oh, and if you're not familiar, this place will be crawling with Northwestern and Kellogg students Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday of any given week. Â Beware.
No self-respecting person over the age of 20 should ever enter The Keg. Yes, I said 20, not 21. This place is overrun with little tykes who think they're the bees' knees with their fake IDs, and the management doesn't seem to care one ounce. Â Once you're legally allowed to drink, you might as well put it to good use and be a bloody adult.
Review Source:Came here because Bar Louie was packed. And that's the ONLY reason we came here. The place smells like a wet rag. Looks old fashioned and that is not a good thing. Drinks are reasonably priced, my buddy got a massive 24 oz. beer for only 4.50. Other than than that I cannot say anything else good about the place. They have one pool table, and it's the scummiest table I've ever seen. If you're thinking of coming here, I'd suggest Bar Louie.
Review Source:The Keg is a random joint son. The skinny: it's a divey bar, small dancefloor, pooltables, tv screens. Â I actually saw beer pong being played here...I guess that's pretty cool, but it tells you how unstructured the place is. Â Seems to be a mix of NU students and random suburbanites. Â You can come here on a weeknight and the place seems like its going out of business, and then the weekend its poppin. Â Anyway it's a simple place you can have fun
Review Source:The Keg is the bar equivalent of spending the entire day lying on the couch in your underwear, ignoring the basic life necessities like food or a trip to the bathroom because both involve standing up, watching Tyler Perry's show on WCIU because you wanted to see Cheaters five hours earlier and somehow the remote is now two feet out of reach. Walk for 5 minutes in almost any direction (or hop on the train into Chicago, a fairly large city directly south of Evanston that does in fact contain many drinking establishments of both dubious and excellent quality) and you can find a place that doesn't smell like the kind of movie theater only old people go to and where most of the crowd isn't trying to figure out how many absences they have left in their first period before they get an NC (ETHS run it!).
What I'm trying to say is, in short, go to the Keg if you are just motivated enough not to drink in your basement but too lazy to go to an actual bar - OR - if you are in high school. If a dive bar is what you desire, there are plenty in the city overrun with hipsters and somewhat alienated locals. This is not a "dive" really, just an Evanston institution for under 21's who like to pay bar prices instead of just finding a house party.
Mondays and Thursdays they serve large cups of cheap beer which attracts a huge, diverse crowd of people between the ages of around 15-48. Â There are two bars, and they serve complimentary gourmet popcorn. Â I think they serve food here because there is a kitchen, but I wouldn't know because I would sooner eat at a strip club breakfast buffet (and I totally have)
The music is ok right up until they start playing "Living on a prayer," at which the townies go nuts and suddenly you're in karaoke night.
Not much of an asian crowd here. Â Once my friends and I saw one asian girl and we all screamed, "ASIAN GIRL!!!" but she ran away.
There is a refreshing 1 inch deep pool that forms in the men's bathroom around 1 AM on the more popular nights.
I prefer the wednesdays when it is nearly empty because you can find the actual cast of the bar flies from the Simpsons.
The Keg is a great place to go as long as you know what you're getting in to for the night. Â Certain nights are packed with students from Northwestern looking to drink too much, play flip-cup and dance all night. Â (They usually show up after midnight.) Â Other days you might find a rugby team having a social there and singing songs after their match. Â
Overall it is a great place to go chill and have a couple of cheap beers with the guys.
I can't figure out what's more depressing -- being at the Keg when it's packed with underage students, or when it's completely empty.
At least when the Keg is crowded, it's harder to see it for what it really is. Â On Friday and Saturday nights, the sticky floor, smoke machine, and the funky popcorn stench are obscured by the hot, damp smell of massive throngs of teenagers with fake IDs. Â
When it's empty, it's just kind of sad.
I've only been to the Keg a few times and have yet to have a good experience there. I went during the summer with a small group. The place didn't have air conditioning and it got so hot that after about an hour we had to leave or we'd pass out. I went again in the early fall and the place was packed wall to wall (it had to be a fire hazard). Plus there were a ton of people that were underage (they were even asking us for 'pass backs' on our IDs). Of course all the underage kids were out of control. They were charging a $5 cover...for what I don't know. Needless to say I would never go there again.
However, if you're underage, want to dance, or enjoy a crazy/crowed bar this is the place for you.
ok listen. dont even try to dilute yourself into thinking that the keg is in any way a classy establishment. this is not a keg of blue moon, this is a keg of natty ice. that said, ive never really had a bad time here.
yes, ive always been extremely drunk by the time i got here, which im sure is a key to the keg's sticky floored charm. but oh, the people you'll meet.
ex: met someone here w/my group of friends who worked in a pretty ritzy restaurant in town...got to tour the wine room after hours and have some very tasty champagne.
cleary, that was an exceptional night, but at the keg you can always count on: a dj who will play whatever you want him to, dirty/uncoordinated/really inappropriate dancing on the dance floor (and stripper poles), cheap(ish) drinks, and pretty funny people watching
dont go for a life changing experience. its a dirty bar w/underage drinking and yes, a shooting did in fact happen several years ago. go because if anything youll drink cheap alcohol and see some pretty ridiculous people.
The Keg is what the kids today call a "dive bar", although I've never been one for that scene. What's cool about drinking in a dump? The crowd is an interesting mix of Northwestern students, locals, and, wannabe gangstas from the surrounding area. I talked to 2 women in the bathroom who said they routinely drive in from Waukegan on the weekends to "lay it out" at The Keg. And, I got a few marriage proposals from drunk 20-somethings, which is always nice.
The 2 uniformed police officers hanging out inside was a bit alarming. They weren't waiting for takeout or talking to a friend..they were there in an official capacity. Now, I've been to my share of bars and not all of them nice and not once, ever, have I seen cops openly patrolling the joint, and yet I was intrigued. What goes down at The Keg that requires the presence of armed lawmen? Truthfully, not much. We ordered beer and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had Fat Tire on tap. The beer prices were pretty decent, and the place looks like a typical college town bar. The DJ was playing good music, actually; a nice blend of old school hip hop and current tunes, some of which I didn't know and felt old, especially when there was much drunken grinding happening on the dance floor. Oh, and, the stripper pole off to the side saw a fair amount of action.
Our group of 6 stayed until 1:30 am and were surprised that it never got really crowded, even on a nice summer night. The biggest disappointment: the popcorn machine. Any place that has a popcorn machine w/free popcorn would normally rate 5 stars with me, but, their corn was sad: stale, chewy and absolutely no flavor. Had that been better they would have rated 4 stars. It's not the complete shit hole that I expected, and will probably go back every now and then when I'm feeling frisky.
Let me preface this by saying that if you are over the age of 19, you will not enjoy yourself here unless you are BLACKOUT drunk!
Ah, the Keg. So many memories, most of them....yucky. As a long time Evanston resident, this was one of the first bars I went to underage. My friends and I would file in with Arizona, Florida, Â Illinois and Connecticut fake IDs one after another and still get in without a problem. Thursdays used to be 18 and over night, but I'm not sure if they do that anymore. They used to give underage people a wristband to stop them from drinking the huge cups of watered down beer they serve. Yeah, right. One night I got kicked out not once, but twice for drinking underage. All I had to do was get someone to slip me in the back door. Classy. Yes, I used to dance on the poles in the front of the bar, but let me assure you that those days are long gone.
I am soooooo straight off of seeing 18 year old Northwestern girls girate, sweat, and attempt to dance w/ rhythm. I am also pretty good off of ever setting foot in the bathroom, which I have seen covered in slush, puke and God knows what else. The last time I went was on a Monday, which is apparently the Northwestern "jump off" night. I felt like a lame ass loser.
I may find myself back here sometime, but I surely won't remember it the next day. At least I hope not to.
Three star average? Â You're kidding, right? Â This is the shittiest bar on earth.
Even as a dumb-fuck freshman, I knew that this place was trash based on the stories and the clientele. Â Thankfully, I only set foot in there three times. Â The first was as a sophomore, when--I swear to God--I handed the bouncer my REAL ID, which showed me to be 19, and he just handed it back and waved me in. Â Unbelievable. Â
The second time I was actually legal, and my friend insisted on coming here on his 21st-birthday pub crawl. Â This was the place where the bartender gave him--unsolicited--a complimentary shot of Bacardi 151 even though he had clearly had way too much already. Â Class. Â My friend didn't make it to the men's room before ralphing up his entire pub crawl.
The third time was shortly after that for "Thirsty Thursdays" when they sell shit beer in a 32-ounce cup for really cheap. Â Even then I had developed the early stages of beer-snobbishness. Â I only went because I was trying to romance a girl who I knew would be there. Â I never did get together with that girl. Â I sure was a dumb bastard back then. Â In those days, your only choice was between The Keg and Tommy Nevin's. Â Now you have mediocre crap such as Prairie Moon and Bar Louie in addition to gems such as The Celtic Knot. Â There is no excuse EVER to visit this shithole. Â Don't go to The Keg unless you are under 21. Â Even then, I advise against it.
I hate The Keg.
Sick.
This bar f-ing sucks. A couple nights a week they have some 18+ over nights and there are even people there who use fake 18 yr old IDs. They come from all the local suburbs to drink up. So if your in the mood to party with 15 yr olds who get dropped off by their parents in their Dodge caravan (yes I have witnessed this with my own eyes) then go to the Keg! The floors are distgustingly sticky, I have a feeling there were once roaches crawling in my beer, and the lighting is yellow and makes everyone look jaundice. As an Evanston alumni, I stay far far away and keep my ass in Chicago. The Keg is disgusting and no 21 yr old should be caught dead in there. Unless you are trashed beyond recognition, you will have a miserable time. At least go around the corner to Prarie Moon or Bar Louie, it has more class and keeps the teenagers out.
O and get over the shooting people.
If you are stuck in Evanston the Keg is probably about the only busy late-night bars available. Even with that option, don't expect much from the crowd.
The bar does get an extra star from me because of the staff. Last time I was in my friend and I wanted to ditch our leather jackets, but had nowhere safe that we saw to put them. We slipped one of the friendlier bartenders a $20 to stuff them behind the bar for us and she made sure they were still there for us at the end of our night.
That is classy service...
Monday Night at the Keg: College Party Night complete with gigantic plastic cups for busch light, booty rap, girls in miniskirts grinding on the stage, and ten person lines to use the dirty bathroom. Its like Cancun in the middle of the first prohibition town in the middle of winter.
Thursday Night at the Keg: College Party Night thats almost as good as Monday's College Party Night.
One Night two summers ago: Someone got shot, It was a big deal, I don't know I wasn't there.
Every other Night at the Keg: Locals Night complete with pool tables, free popcorn, an empty bar, an often surly bartender, and random guys that install wiring from Wisconsin hoping to meat (er I mean meet) some college girls.
It's called "The Keg", so what can you expect? It's an Evanston staple, and one of the rights of passage for new freshmen at Northwestern. The dance floor is so crowded and there's the sketchy 45 year old men who are only there to try to bribe college girls with beer. But it does make for a fun Monday night out every once in awhile, and the music is usually pretty good and the drinks are fairly cheap. It's nothing compared to Nevin's or Prairie Moon, but it's one of the few places that let you in underaged on certain nights, so you take what you can get.
One night my friends did meet a bunch of Chicago Bears players there, though, so it does have its pay-offs.
Been going here since I came to Evanston to attend college. Â Yes, the locals can be seedy, yes the dance floor can be dirty, and yes, the abundance of underage kids can be annoying, but there is no mistaking that the Keg is still a great place to go on a Monday/Thursday night if you attend Northwestern, and any other night, expect to be sitting around with a select few loyal, local patrons. Â Every time I go, I have a great time dancing and seeing friends.
Review Source:Hark ye, Yelpers: The Keg is a breath of ... I hesitate to say "fresh" air, here... Perhaps "surprise" air is the proper word. Â One never knows exactly what will happen at The Keg. Â Sometimes, it's masquerading as a sports bar, with random hefty locals tossing back brew and pointing at hockey. Â Other nights? Â Full on G-Unit dance party, complete with hoochie mamas and shootings. Â
I know, I know. Â The shooting. Â We'll get around to that.
The Keg is the oldest bar in Evanston. Â It's got an identity crisis and hallelujah for that, because Evanston, I swear, it's nice but jeezis can it be boring. Â Any bar in Evanston - Nevin's, Blue Moon, Pete Miller's, Bar Louie (yeeuch) - you know exactly what's gong to happen inside just by the look of the facade. Â The Keg, not so much. Â Dunno about you folks, but if I'm going out for a night, I like me a little adventure, a little anything-can-happen. Â The Keg provides that. Â Never a dull moment. Â You always can meet someone colorful, have a really fascinating conversation; you just have to be willing to take the plunge.
I've taken off one star for two reasons. Â One - the shooting. Â Rumor has it happened and OK, not so cool. Â But two, and more importantly - the popcorn.
Watch out for this stuff, people. Â Whoa. Â It's the real killer. Â They have one of those self-serve popcorn machines in the corner of the front room, with the heat lamps: I swear to Christ it's an incubator for all that is gastronomically unholy. Â I don't know if the thing has ever been cleaned out. Â Remember that scene in the original Star Wars, when Luke and company jump into the trash compactor, and there's the monster living in the muck? Â Watch the popcorn machine long enough, you'll see that thing in there, all lurking and tenticular like the Loch Ness Monster. Â If you ever get the urge, please: drop the wicker basket and step away slowly, or suffer the stomach churning consequences! Â Do not say that I didn't warn you.
In conclusion: rock on, Club Keg! Â I shall not desert thee, shootings, bad popcorn and all.
This place brings back memories....I believe the first time I was here was when I was 19...er 21. Regardless of how illegal it was for me to be here, I had a good time. I dont know if I would now, but if you're into the undergrad scene or still have a fake ID and want to see if it still works, you'll fit right in here
Review Source:When I first moved here, I was told to check out housing in Evanston. Â Walking around made me hungry, so I asked a local for nice place to eat. Â Ended up here eating burger and fries talking to bunch of Northwestern students. Â I only been here once but I would definitely go back up there for some fries.. I don't know what was in it but it wasn't greasy at all and tasted good. Â Several months later, I heard someone got killed there. Hmm not sure if I would make it back up there again after hearing that.
Review Source:Decent place to hit up in Evanston - a cheaper alternative than Bar Louie next door and it's even got a pool table in the back. Â If you're just hanging out with a group of friends and no one to impress, stop by in the Keg and enjoy a couple beers while shooting some pool. Â The prices that you pay here for food and drinks are definitely a deal compared to other places around here. Â They've also got darts and this fun bowling game and foosball in the back, as well. Â Great place to catch a sports game in this Evanston dive.
Somehow, it's become a place for undergrad orgs at NU to throw parties here - the bar area up front is unbearable to be around but the back area by the pool tables and the bar there is less crowded on these party nights.
Even after an underage patron shot and killed another patron, the Keg continues to exist.
Before this, I'd have given the Keg 4 stars for its abundance of sketchy, 40 year old men hitting on underage teenage girls, but now it only gets a 3. Shame on you, Keg!
My work's staff society has events here, which is inherently funny. This was the first bar I went to underage (+1star). Their appetizer tray is AWFUL (-1star). If you're thinking about hosting an event where the bar provides the food, go somewhere else.
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