I need to get back to the Village Tap just for the beer garden. I was here when it was chilly, and the whole patio is walled and ceiling-ed, so you don't get cold. But I imagine it's awesome in the summer.
Village Tap was the location of my first Dragon's Milk. I had a few, and I probably should not have ridden my bike home. That stuff is stronger than a cocktail!
I like the picnic table vibe in the back room. It's super casual but not divey. And the beer list is long.
I enjoyed The Village Tap - even in the winter (this place boasts their beer garden / patio).
The patio area is covered and heated in the winter so that it's still accessible in cold weather. And even then, I really enjoyed sitting back there. Â a. it was more quiet than the bar area, and b. It reminded me of being at a camp cafeteria (not in a bad way) - it's loaded with wooden picnic tables, and there is a tall brick wall with ivy creeping up the side. Â It's the kind of patio that you'd dream about having at your own house.
My date and I ordered some burgers with regular fries and sweet potato fries - Â everything was pretty good. Â My turkey burg was served on a buttery brioche bun - I love those things. Â They have a nice variety of beers too. Â
I shall return in the summer months to experience the picnic tables in the sunshine.
I used to come here with friends when I lived a block away, around '95. Â We used to like to drink cheeeeap and plow into some nachos or whatever... we werent picky. Â I also happened to get engaged to my wife, in the beer garden on Valentines day '99 - it was a spur of the moment thing... I am a hopeless romantic, what do you want from me? Â I haden't been back in almost 13 years, but my sister-in-law and her husband were in town and they specifically wanted a place with a good beer variety and food - they are visiting from St Louis, Â so they're not hard to please. Â The Village Tap is smaller than I remembered and they don't have my old pinball anymore... they serve a whole mess of beers on tap from IPAs to delicate Belgian ales... they will have something you'll like, I promise. Â The food, however was mediocre. The apps were not offensives; we liked their wings and hummus platter. Â My shrimp tacos were underwhelming and could've used some simple seasonings. Â We ordered 2 burger's which were fine, but the fries were inedible. Â Special mention should be given to the server who was uber helpful and attentive - he was making all kinds of great suggestionsn and flowing us great samples. Â He turned a 3 star review into a 4 star review.
Review Source:After reading some of these reviews I'm not sure people are going into the same establishment. Over the past 6months been here 4 times, 2 inside and 2 in the garden, and thought nothing but great things.
Always had a server at our table, either one of the bartenders on weekdays, or an actual server in the beer garden and they always took food orders, beer orders, brought water, etc....
The main attraction here is the frequently rotating craft tap selection with competitive prices - can enjoy many more pints/sample pours here than my other mainstays like Fountainhead, Bad Apple, Hop Leaf. Â Food is slightly better than average bar food.
So cute!
Village Tap is really a cute bar on Roscoe that is warm and friendly. Â It's not a huge space, but it's warm and friendly with a decent wine selection, good beer selection and a large amount of food options. Â
It seems to be a family spot with kids wandering around as well during the earlier hours. Â
Definitely worth a stop in if you're in the neighborhood.
I like coming here.
The beer garden out back can be open and airy or the roof can be closed if it starts to drizzle.
Great attention from the staff.
Decent beer list and prompt refills.
They have basic burgers and sandwiches. Nothing special. This is just a cool neighborhood hangout place.
Bike parking on street.
There isn't a bad thing to say here. Beautiful beer garden, an insanely good beer selection, and top notch pub grub -- especially the burgers.
The service is extremely friendly and efficient. (Especially Juan, who was planning to take his citizenship test the day after I met him.) The vibe in the summer is as good as summer in Chicago gets, but the inside is classic Chicago tavern, too.
Nice beer list, great food, good service. HORRIBLE MUSIC! It is as if the person who owns and/or runs the bar has great taste in food and beer and has spent a good amount of time creating a comfortable down home atmosphere but also wants to make the place a club. Totally one of those bars that is trying to sell both worlds, craft beer during the day, and annoying chicks yelling "shots" as the boist up their tube tops at night. And the music is really bad, an immature mix of Katie Perry and kesha etc. Â Definitely one of those bars where you have to yell very loud to hear one another. I am a hole-in-the-wall guy, I am not some snooty cougar lady, trust me, eat here early and then leave.
 I will go back during dinner hours but later than that the place is undrinkable.
If someone would just take care of that music the place could be great.
Came here on a hot Saturday afternoon for lunch and didn't really want to sit outside, even though their beer garden in the back is really nice. Air conditioning it was for me that day, so inside I sat. The Village Tap has a great selection of beers, and the burgers have that distinct charbroiled taste, which you really don't come by all that often. Â The toppings weren't very inventive but jeez I don't need to be wowed all the time. Sometimes I just want a good ol' burger, you know?
The staff is really friendly too, so that's always a plus. TVs inside for watching the game and good prices. Heard Jak's Tap is the sister bar too...so supposedly the same sort of fare. I'd be back for sure!
I absolutely love this bar! I came here back in December of 2011 for a beer class through Groupon, and I've been meaning to come back for awhile. Luckily, in celebration of my boyfriend's birthday, we met up with a few friends here around 9pm on a Saturday. They have an amazing beer list of mostly regional craft beers, as well as some of the standard beers that you'll find just about anywhere. It's nice that they offer two sizes for nearly every beer--a 4 ounce "taster" or a full glass of beer. Regardless, you will not be disappointed with their beer list as it appeals to any beer snob's tastes.
As for the food, I've only ever had their steak nachos, which I would highly recommend. Their steak is grilled to order and it's actually real meat--which is an added plus. They use tons of REAL cheese (no cheese sauce here!) and lots of guacamole, sour cream, beans, and other toppings.
The atmosphere here is always pretty lively, but I've never had trouble finding a seat or a table. They have an enclosed beer garden that I've only seen in the winter, and I'd love to sit out here in the summertime and enjoy a few beers. Their service is consistent and the waitress is very attentive and has a great sense of humor. I'm pretty sure that they just have one waitress that always tends to the beer garden, and she's always been great.
I'll definitely be coming back here again in the near future, and I just hope that another four months don't go by before I'm able to go back.
My favorite neighborhood bar.
Such a cozy place. Always playing good music.
They have a lot of good beer on tap and I love the water tap they have at the bar! I always feel like a pest asking the bartender or server for a bunch of water refills. They also have really dank food. I've had the nachos, hummus, onions rings (amazing) and  I hear the turkey burger is really good there too, its next on my list to try.
The Village Tap is great if you are looking for a small bar in Roscoe Village for a drink and good conversation. Â There are a couple of TV's to watch games but it is certainly not a sports bar.
The beer selection at the Village Tap is great - there is a wide variety of micro brews and Belgian beers on tap or available. Â If you are a fan of Tripel Karmeliet you can count on getting a nice cold glass here. Â The beer menu changes from time to time so if you enjoy trying new brews there are plenty of options here.
The food is standard pub grub. Â Nothing fancy but the black bean burger here is typically pretty solid. Â The only drawback for food is that you have to order it yourself towards the back of the bar. Â Don't worry it's not that long of a walk...
I pretty much love everything about The Village Tap. Â A great neighborhood bar with a fantastic craft beer selection, a beer garden open year round, above average bar food (and huge portions of it!), a friendly staff, a fireplace to cozy up to in the wintertime, and one of my favorite features-a water tap on the bar that faces out so I can refill my water as often as I want without having to bother the bar staff. Â I'm sorry if that is a dorky favorite feature but I love it! Â
As far as food goes the reuben, the nachos, the onion rings, and the fish & chips are my favs.  The onion rings basket is absolutely massive and can feed several people without a problem.  The fish is huge and delciously battered and fried to  golden perfection and served with a yummy homemade tartar sauce.
The  have several big flatscreen TVs, perfect for watching sports-I've come in for a Bears game and it was a great place to watch, I'm sure you can say the same for the Bulls, Hawks, and Cubs.  They've also got a great assortment of board games to keep you entertained while you drink-just an excuse to hang around longer!  Even though I don't exactly live in the 'hood, I still think The Village Tap is the perfect Roscoe Village neighborhood bar.
Tapped it. Â Finally. Â Well, I never really did chase it. Â I got it on the first try after always previously dismissing it. Â
After all those occasions of going to Dumpigans following Retro or the Oyster Fest, we finally went to Village Tap post-game. Â
I can't say anything about Village Tap that hasn't already been said by others. Â It's basically a dive in the front with benches on a patio in the back. Â Hey, the bathroom is miles better than Dumpigan's. Â
I stayed for a couple hours or so post-game following Oyster Fest. Â What finally drew me out was the constant drone of "yeeahhhohayyahh, hmmmm, yahdahah." Â Yes, mush mouth himself took over the sound track to this place for at least a half hour, so I had to bolt. Â Pearl Jam sucks. Â I ended up walking all the way over to Lincoln and then well south just to clear that drivel out of my head. Â
Village Tap isn't a bad place. Â It would make a great local if I lived in the area. Â I'd take it over Dumpigan's any day of the week. Â
It's 3 1/2 stars. Â
I'd tap it again next year after the local fest.
The laid back vibe and solid beer selection is why Tap  is fast becoming my favorite neighborhood bar.
   Â
    Even on prime nights VT manages to be crowded but ,not too crowded  and offers several local beers on tap that you don't see everywhere. There Decor features art work that seems to change every month or so,which is also for sale (reasonably priced at that). Moreover, there's a beer garden in the back that has a roof/cover, for those not so nice summer days.
    My only knock is that the service is often underwhelming. The servers tend to disappear for extended periods and my beer glass sat empty for far too long on occasion. I think they need to hire additional servers for peak times, if not for  that I would have given them 5 stars.
    Overall, if you still like bars but feel like your outgrowing the Wrigleyville  scene, this is just the sort of bar your looking for.
I have been to The Village Tap a few times over the years and have known it best as a place with a year round beer garden, which is fabu because I'm a beer garden lovin' gal! Â But this past Sunday I got to know The Village Tap as a sports bar when I went to watch some March Madness. Â
I had never noticed the variety of beers on the menu and was quite impressed, although I stuck to the Guinness. Â They also offer some pretty decent pub grub. Â My chicken fingers and fries came out piping hot and were delicious (after I gave them a few minutes to cool off.)
There was a decent amount of televisions to watch the games, but not so many screens that it felt overwhelming, and our service was great. Â Well done, Village Tap. Â Well done.
Have you ever photo-bombed a photo booth? WELL, I have. Happened here. Not sure if it's appropriate to do, but I did... and I don't care. Speaking of, Village Tap has a photo booth which is rad!
The food is so/so...
The hummus plate is huge and with lots and lots of pita and they also have cucumber, tomato, and falafel on top of it... The hummus is kinda bland and the falafel is dry. It's not terrible, but certainly not great. The pico-de-gallo that comes with the chips is off the damn chain. They should serve a bigger bowl of this, and a smaller portion of the chipolte salsa...
All in all, Village Tap is cute... But, not cute cute.
Hip Hop Neighborhood Hooray!
Self billed as "CHICAGO'S PREMIERE NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN AND BEER GARDEN!!!" (wow, yell much?) the Village Tap has much to be proud of in both their extensive beer selection and glorious outdoor digs.
The super private beer garden replete with twinkling lights, ivy clad walls, picnic tables and space aplenty for you and your pale ale posse is truly a delight to behold. Oh, and did I neglect to mention the fire place? Um, yeah... Village Tap is the only beer garden I'm aware of that withstands and maintains business throughout all of Chicago's fabulous four seasons. That's right! Feeling a 'bout of Fall Blues upon you? Seasonal Affective Disorder - ahem, SAD - gotcha down? Hit up the climate perfect beer garden here for a remembrance of Summer days and a tribute to all things outdoor galore!
A smattering of just a few favorite beers on tap to taste and tempt at this Village Tap........
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Allagash White
Bells Two Hearted
Bells Oberon
Lagunitas IPA
Pyramid Haywire
Trumer Pils
Guinness Stout
Triple Karmeliet
..... and the hits just keep on comin'!
Word on the street is their grub is quite noteworthy as well (think: Gumbo, an array of Burgers, Tacos, Fish 'n Chips), but I've yet to sample. All those calories from all that yummy beer and I'm content to go without official sustenance. Perhaps I just need a french fry partner in crime... so, see you at the Tap?
Boyfriend and I were looking for a place for a quick, casual dinner in Roscoe Village (my new 'hood!) and decided to try out the '& Grill" part of this "Bar & Grill". After choosing a seat, we poured over the menu. Impressive, I must admit - chicken sandwiches with guacamole, falafel, turkey burgers, and more. Each comes with a choice of sides including hummus, chips & salsa, fries, onion rings, and side salad.
Dinner decisions made (chicken guac for me, turkey burger for him) we sit and wait. And wait... And wait. Um, are we not cool enough? I try to make pleading eye contact with the waitress. Finally, the not-really-a-waitress looks at us and says, coldly, "you know there's no table service, right?" Uh, no. How would we? It doesn't indicate that anywhere. Whatever, to the bar we go!
Our food arrives quickly, and is quite good. We wash it down with many diet cokes (me) and a Stella (him). On one of my many repeat-trips to the bar to get a diet coke refill (I'm a thirsty girl) I noticed the schedule of beer specials - and perhaps that will lure me back, largely because I live in the area now. Not sure I'd bother hopping on a bus to come back here.
My expectations were set on medium when I went in for some afterdinner drinks with a bestie but was pleasantly surprised. First, the doorman and bartender treated him like the king he is. So rare to get a neighborhood friendly experience from a popular spot!
I found it to have a chill vibe, nice mix of music, not too crowded-even on a Saturday night, attentive service and an awesome, insulated beer garden. We shared some sweet stargazing and warmed our bones with some drinks, while the outside world was embittered against the cruel Chicago chill.
Visit and enjoy the respite in the cold or warm months.
Ok weekend, what did you do with the cool neighborhood bar I visited during the week? Â
The beer selection was great and the bartender dug me because I ordered a Lagunitas, but man, the clientel was essentially one oozing bag o' douche. Â To be fair, my crowd and our conversation quickly devolved from a frank discussion on single payer healthcare reform to a frank discussion on tranny porn, but we are youngish guys out having fun on the weekend. Â The hipsters a few tables over were mocking damn near everything my friend said (apparently they didn't have enough pomade in their schwaas or their swiss army messenger bags were strapped too tight). Â Another patron made fun of my friends ears in the bathroom (granted, my friend does have ears like Soviet era satelites, but it was still uncouth)
I still give the place 4 stars because, despite some douche infiltration on its right flank, it's still a decent neighborhood joint.
Does anbody know if this place is wheelchair accessible? Â Should I deduct a star if they aern't? I am so confused.
I really really like this place... At first glance it is you just above average pub... with a better beer selection than  normal.. but that would be a superficial glance... Â
The menu kicks this place up a notch... Â As a person who is a pescatarian I usually have few options at the pub to eat and enjoy outside of cheese fries or a bad cheese pizza.
But Village has a large selection that suits my tastes including a good fish and chips, veggie chili and falafil.
plus they have a photo booth so kudos for that.. :)
Village tap is like the perfect median neighborhood pub for Chicago, the one that should be used to calibrate the neighborhood pub scale. If you and some friends want to go to a bar to have some food and drinks, this is the place that will meet your needs without going one step further.
They have a nice beer garden out back! One thumb up! It's a little cramped, though - some of  the picnic tables are unstable and all of them are hard to get into and out of. One thumb down!
The beer garden has a retractable roof so it can be used even when it's raining! One thumb up! If it's late in the summer, there's always enough standing water by the fences that you should expect mosquitos. One thumb down!
They have a decent selection of beers and a very typical pub food menu. They have Anchor Steam, my favorite! One thumb up! The tortilla chips served with the chips and salsa were stale. One thumb down!
They have a photo booth! One thumb up! You have to order everything at the bar. One thumb down!
It seems like every good thing at the Village Tap has one bad thing to keep it dead center. If you're nearby and wanting a little pub action, the Village Tap will not give you a lousy evening.
Still holding at 3 stars...even two years later. A-OK. Indeed.
I like:
Photobooth (vintage: A+)
Hummus (HUGE plate, with tons of pita: $8)
Great draft beer selection (Seriously)
Self-serve water tap (kitschy, funny)
Location (Roscoe Village, duh)
Fried falafel balls...at a bar!
Rusty old regulars, telling me to vandalize the parking meters.
I sort-of-don't-like:
Having to go to the bar to order: Full menu=full waitress.
Having to get my own water. Service, means...um, service.
Subtley snippy bartenders.
Teensy falafel balls
Dry falafel balls
The beer selection is king here, as well as the patio...which I didn't get to be a part of due to the Hurricane Chicago last night. Everything else? Eh, needs some work.
Visited last night for my birthday, and stayed far longer than anticipated because we were all having a great time, drinking good beer and hanging out in the photo booth. Â
I have to take away a star for the setup: we had tables reserved in the beer garden which unfortunately weren't together, so conversation between tables wasn't possible. Â Also, one of our tables was positioned right by a fountain, and the people sitting there were considerably wet after a while. They'd be well served taking out a few tables and allowing more room for folks to mingle. That's really the only complaint I have. Â
Our waitress was fine but not stellar, food came out at a reasonable time, pretty standard bar grub. Â I enjoyed the nachos, but not for eight bucks. Â Thankfully the relatively affordable mixed drinks and nice beer selection made up for it. Â The photo booth, for which I'm a sucker, was a definite plus.
Village Tap is a bit out of the way for me, so I won't be a regular, but I'll definitely be back now and then.
This place has a photo booth!!
The beer garden in the back is pretty cool, too. We couldn't get service while sitting in the beer garden. Not sure if they do not have servers out there or what, but we had to go up to the bar to order beers and food.
Great selection of beers. The fries were some of the best fries I've had since Minnies in Lincoln Park. Portions were huge.
This is a great neighborhood bar, non-pretentious and great for a casual, warm night of beer drinking.
Dear Patrons of Village Tap,
You know how awesome the bar is. The selection goes on and on and on. Not really, but you have quite the choice. Yes, for the Bell's and the Summit, and the 3 Floyds and 2 Brothers. Yes, yes, yes.
You sit at the beaten up wooden tables. And the worn seats at the bar. And hold onto the rails at the bar. And drink the free and 'tastey' water. And got promptly bus'd by the bus person. And eat their delicious food. And use their cherry tobacco scent'd bathrooms. And listening to the bartender's music via the laptop.
But shut the fucking door on your way out/in - those unfortunate people that are chatting and enjoying a Tuesday drink such as i and my companion- we gets the cold. She's all right, but fuck, after my BlackVelvet, I gotz the chills.
A former co-worker would call Village Tap a "sweater bar." And you know what? That's just fine with me.
I think it's her made-up term, but it gets its moniker for several reasons:
* It doesn't have a menu full of froufy martinis longer than your arm
* The beer selection outweighs the signature drink selection (I'm just guessing here, but I think it's a pretty safe bet).
* There is no DJ; they play a variety of music, including the Eagles.
* You can watch sports here
* The decor isn't sleek or trendy and there is no VIP section or bottle service.
* You can get real food here - burgers, chili, fries, etc.
* The people who come here don't dress up to be seen or make a fashion statement. To clarify, I'm not saying they look like slobs, I'm saying it's pretty normal to see most people in sweaters, jeans, or other casual attire (at least in the winter).
So, why do I like this place? See above. I guess "sweater bars" are my kind of place. I'm not trendy or cool and I don't crave martinis with made-up names; beer is just fine with me. Don't get me wrong, once in a while I like to get dressed up and go to places with froufy drinks et. al, but that's more the exception than the rule if you get my drift.
We dropped into Village Tap after our dinner up the street to have a few more drinks before calling it a night. I really loved the cute neighborhood feel about the place. We stood right near the fireplace, which kept us nice and toasty on a bitter cold Chicago night. If our one friend hadn't needed so much assistance staying vertical we would have been all over the photo booth.
The only hiccup was that my pint was flat and on the warm side, but they were very nice about letting me get something else.
Bottom line: I'd definitely come back, maybe next time I'll try some food and if it's warm enough sit out in the beer garden.
If anything, go for the beer garden out back. It positively HUMS with a relaxed vibe that's perfect for drinking the AMAZING assortment of tasty brews. The service is friendly,and the food is pretty good, too.
But the beer garden. MUST go for the beer garden.
And they have Bell's. Does it get any better? (Well, only if you go next door for some gelato after your brew fest!)
This was the ill fated last stop on my impromptu "Bloody Mary Crawl" last Saturday. Â
I was reminded that Village Tap has a lot of things I look for in a bar:
1) Delicious Bloody Marys--spicy with just the right amount of horseradish.
2) Excellent beer garden.
3) Great chill vibe for day drinking (don't worry, vibe extends into the night as well).
4) Photo Booth!!!! I've always said, Put me in a small box and I am hilarious--now I have proof!
The Village Tap is a place I will be frequenting in the future. Considering its closeness, it's convenient for me to walk over from my house, and stagger back when I please. I first visited the tap a week and a half ago with an old friend that I hadn't seen in a couple years for happy hour, and the Tap was super relaxed--we ordered ciders (Woodchuck Cider is my new favorite--so sparkly and crisp) and some cheesy nachos (loaded with cheese, beans, sour cream--a nice 'n greasy treat). We were able to have a conversation without crazy loud music, and ended our little reunion with silly pictures in their b & w photobooth. Perfection!
I will warn you that the atmosphere does change drastically on the weekends. My two friends and I stopped in about 12:15am this past Saturday night, and the crazy loud music was pumping, all the tables were taken and the spare space filled up with bodies. We were able to score a place at the bar eventually, and as the drunkies filed out, we nabbed a table. The bartender seemed a little scattered that evening, but hey, I would too. And my friends and I noticed that the bar draws a little bit of an older crowd...as 23 year olds, we were outnumbered by 30-40 year olds, perhaps older. Near the end of the evening, we were pleasantly harassed by an older guy who tried to convince us to pick up our drinks with our teeth (don't try this at home kids, especially if you're uber-wasted already, as this guy was) which, needless to say, was relatively unsuccessful.
Not only will I be back for an afternoon snack and sip, I'll be back to take on the oldies.
4 stars on beer selection alone. Â It's rare to find such a wide variety at a neighborhood bar.
It can get a bit crowded at times, but most of the times I've been there it's not been too bad. Â
The beer garden is nice, complete with retractable dome. Â But servers often seem to forget your out there. Â
The food is above average for local tavern fare, and they'll cook for you pretty late.
I REALLY wanted to like this place. Â This section of Roscoe Village is as cute as a bunny and the Village Tap is absolutely my kind of place. Â RIGHT up my alley. Â Or so it seemed. . .
On Saturday I sauntered in here after the Cubs game to continue a quite promising afternoon.  It was really nice out so we headed to the beer garden.  It was great (it even possessed actual garden-like qualities such as vegetation) however, no one around us had menus.  . .sign #1 of potential bad service.  Eventually, another diner got up and borrowed menus from his neighboring table.  Sign # 2 that bad service is a-brewing.  When Mike suggested that we bounce, I wasn't so quick to comply.  I wanted to give it a chance!  I even pulled out the  "at least we have water" argument.  Apparently Mike had gotten it from the bar himself. . . you guessed it sign # 3. . .
STILL I wanted to stay. Â Just when I was about to voice this, I saw the cook walk out from behind the counter and SPIT directly on the ground. Â INSIDE the bar. Â Disgusting. Â If he's going to do that in plain view, imagine what he does when no one is looking?!!!? Â I will never be back to find out. . .
HOW did this bar only wind up with 3-1/2 stars? I'm willing to admit that the food isn't the most amazing (basing this on some pretty average cheese quesadillas)... but the atmosphere, the beer garden and the beer list more than compensate for lackluster food.
It is a great place to hang out with friends. The crowd is diverse - and a little on the older side. Plenty of places to sit - including the patio option. Their patio freaking RULES!
I'd usually give it 4 to 4-1/2 stars, but I'm adding an extra because the German judges were too harsh.
I like the Village Tap. Â It's always a safe choice, being nearby. Â There is a really quaint, enclosed beer garden in the back with picnic tables, a huge ivy covered brick wall, and a cool water fountain. Â They also have a photo booth - good times.
VT has a good selection of specialty beers, and when you're looking to be a little cheap, $2 PBR cans. Â The food is standard, nothing to write home about, but I always seem to enjoy the crowd. Â The people always seem to bring a chill, laid-back vibe.
And Robert H - I haven't noticed an overabundance of backward hats on my visits, but maybe I haven't been looking hard enough.
I don't frequent the joint and have nothing particularly unique to say about the place, but I like it.
I like the year-round beer garden.
And how, for the most part, its a neighborhood bar.
If I lived in the area, I'd probably find myself there more often.
(June update: Five stars because I have a newfound appreciation for the beer garden and now, having sampled lots of the food, am seriously impressed with the menu. And the beer selection. I am all about the Village Tap!)