On Wisconsin!! This is the closest you are going to get to being in a Wisconsin Bar without actually being in Wisconsin. The food is great, the beer is cheap and game days for the Packers or Badgers are like none other. Be prepared to be cheek to cheek with the best fans in all of sports as it tends to get packed. I recently waited outside in 20 degree whether with more than 100 other people for almost an hour to get in when the Packers made the playoffs. This bar is more than worth the wait. If its a big game be prepared to arrive at least 6 hours early if you want to guarantee yourself a bar stool or table. Will's is definitely a little piece of God's country in the heart of Lakeview.
Review Source:This is my go to favorite bar. Haven't been to any of the Packers events but my BF is a huge fan, so it's inevitable.
The food I've had there.
BLT - Great.
Tater tots - Great.
French fries - Great.
Chicken sandwich- Not...great...pretty bad. Probably just an off day...?
Today i decided to go in and try the southern food they have. A Wisconsin bar in Chicago, wasn't expecting TOO much.
Chicken gumbo - Surprisingly actually really good. I prefer seafood gumbo but not being in NOLA or actually in the gulf, chicken is a good idea. The flavors were great, not TOO spicy but a nice bite, tasted authentic enough! My only complaint is there's too much STUFF in it, peppers, onions, celery, large chunks. If they made it the same but smaller dices, and less stuff, it'd be amazing! Served with the rice on top too. I was pleasantly surprised with it's flavor and authenticity.
Fried pickle spears - I've had better. They were still pretty great (how can you go wrong?) But the pickles were a little shriveled and there was too much breading.
Still good.
Next up, must try the poutine!!!
The service has always been decent-good. No complaints! Â Came in with my dog and they didn't allow dogs inside (understandable) but did on the patio. Despite it being January, they served me out there (it was 52 degrees though!) And were nice. It was actually great sitting out there, just me and my dog, with a pipping hot bowl of gumbo, popcorn, a beer and control of the flat screen tv. Love this place. Love love love the free popcorn.
The place to watch Wisconsin sports. Â Cutesy vibe and friendly staff. Â At halftime they have a fun raffle. Â Totally reasonably priced and reasonable, inexpensive food. Â However be prepared for the crowds which is probably stating the obvious - as in make sure you never go to the bathroom, which is obviously a challenge, or someone will take your seat. Â Also the drunk shenanigans at the end of the game are a bit much unless you are absolutely annihilated. Â Don't go out of your way to come here if you aren't watching sports.
Review Source:I play in the Wednesday night Euchre League at Will's, and thank god my friends taught me the game or I never would have discovered this awesome little neighborhood bar. The bar is really big, has good food and beer, and a really laid back atmosphere. I love the patty melt and the burgers. The cheese curds are just so so compared to curds I've had in Wisconsin, but oh well, beggars can't be choosers. When it's warm out, the patio is awesome. Definitely worth checking out.
Review Source:Impressed!! (I guess my review didn't post in April 2012 when I had originally wrote it!)
Night one of my our trip to Chicago and we stopped by for a drink. My family doesn't live too far from here so most of our night included family time... Needed to go somewhere close. WINNER.
People who work there, great sense of humor, very down to earth, makes me loath Los Angeles bars more and more.
Nice crowd, very busy, sports bar feel, but you can tell that there are a lot of regulars who love the place. Beer on draft... A pint is $4-$5.... And that's not just miller light or something.
They give you tastes tests of their different types of beer if you want to try something new, they check on you if you need anything. Overall, great place. Thanks guys for making day one of our night fun! :)
P.S. after giving us tips on local places to check out, the bartender took a shot with us. Maybe I've had crappy experiences and service at bars before, but this place was a winner in my book!
This is one of the well-established Packer/Wisconsin Bars in the city. Â So bears fans stay away. Â I came with the other students and it was a good experience. Â The food was about average and the drink specials were nice and cheap. Â They offer free popcorn when you sit at a table which was a plus, especially for starving students. Â The atmosphere was definitely like being in the backwoods of Wisconsin, which was nice. Â One huge disappointment was not having Spotted Cow Beer. Â But other than that, it was a decent place, just not for Bears fans.
Review Source:Will's is a tough place to evaluate simply because the quality of the experience largely depends on the event going on. Â As a Wisconsin football fan, I love being here for Badger games, but it can also be really overwhelming.
What I can say is that the staff is friendly and they do a great job of pulling off the Northwoods theme. Â All I recommend is that you check before going if there is an event of interest or an event that might interfere with what you're looking for before going.
How can you give a place in Chicago that specializes in the Packers less than 5 stars? They have huge plastic cups of Leine's on game day for only $7. BUT, refills are only $5! They let you bring in your own food AND drink from other establishments, they let you save tables for hours, they raffle off awesome Packers gear at halftime and they play all the music from Lambeau live in the bar. How can you go wrong?
Review Source:Such a great place! I admit that I am a huge Badger and Packer fan so this place is just like being home in Wisconsin.
Their menu is great and includes all of my favorites ... being from Wisconsin I love the fried cheese curds and of course the brats.
The service is great and friendly and all the people in the bar were super friendly. I will definitely be there on Sundays to watch the games with my Packer friends!
Went to Will's on a Sunday night for a few beers. Â Saw a sign for open mic night, so we wandered upstairs....
** BONUS CONTENT: UNLOCKED **
...We watched a solid 3 1/2 hours of free open mic stand-up comedy, most of which was really good. Â I think over 75% of the audience is other comics (locals I've seen at other venues), but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in the front row. Â I didn't need another reason to love Will's, but they gave me one anyways!
I literally felt like I was in Wisconsin while at Will's Northwoods. Fish fry...check. Beer...check. Bar Die...check. Starting with the fish fry. The fish was fried to perfection and the tartar sauce was unreal. Moving on to the beer. Will's has plenty of drink choices...all with different types of beer flavors.
Last, but not least, the bar die. If you go to any bar in the Wisco, you are given the opportunity to play the best drinking game of all time, Bar Die. It's such an amazing game, because the result is ALWAYS a round of shots for the participants. Will's has this game and the bartender was really good at it (which is why my tab was so freaking expensive).
Overall, this is a slamming place and if you like anything about Wisconsin or the Northwoods, you will love Will's. Boom Hey
Cheap beer... Free popcorn... Pub Trivia on Weds... check, check, and check.
Wills is a great place. They have a very large patio and cute decor (if you're into the whole woodsy type of thing).
The only negative is the gross ass towels to wipe your hands with in the ladies room... ugh.
I'm definitely Not a Packer fan (Bears fan woot woot!), but I really like this bar. I have been here on 2 occasions. You may wonder why a Bears fan has been here twice. Well this Bears fan is also a good girlfriend. The bf is a Packers fan and he really wanted to come here. The first time was for the Superbowl last year. We arrived about a hr before the game and it was already packed! We were able to find one chair by the bar. They grill burgers and brats in the back for $2 each. You can't beat that! You can get a big old cup of beer for $7 and $5 for refills with the same cup.
The 2nd time I was here was this past weekend for the Bears and Packers game. The bf and I were running late and we got there right when the game started. I took a risk and wore my bears shirt. I gotta tell ya I was kind of scared. Most people were nice, but of course there were some drunk ignorant people. It also felt good to know that there were other fans in the building. Just a tip come extra early for any big Packer game because you will be standing the whole time.
I am not a Packer or Badger fan but this place is Camp Randall South. Â Great place, awesome decor inside, tons of great beers, and the beer garden is one of the best in Chicago.
There is a cougar, a moose, a deer, fish among other things on the walls at Will's. Â It has Summer Shandy and Coor's Batch 19 on tap, which is SWEET!
Played a random game of Flip Cup outside which was great and it doesn't get any better than the gigantic Moose outside.
Love this place.
I feel like I should finally review Will's after multiple visits...ok, a few of them were late nights, but now that I've also been there earlier, for food and also for a baby shower (yes, I said baby shower)....I feel it's time to get on to reviewing.
Aside from the whole Wisconsin tie (I suppose it's not the worst state...), this is a dive worth diving in to (lame statement...I know!).
Anyway, Will's is a no-frills spot on an easy to miss corner in a mostly residential area a bit south of Belmont. Â Parking may or may not come easily (I recommend not driving there anyway), but once inside, you'll be glad you visited.
Cheap beer, pool, a patio and a friendly staff? Â What more can you want? Â The vibe is friendly and very laid back. Â I really like the patio area (aside from the last time I visited...when it was about 9,000 degrees). Â
Don't come here for a polished atmosphere or 5-star cuisine - come for friends, fun and some drinks (and pretty tasty bar food). Â
I have to take them down a notch in my scale for 2 reasons...both regarding the bathroom. Â First of all, I'm not sure how any female can use the bathroom because the stalls are basically the most miniscule things I've ever seen. Â Secondly, please upgrade to hand dryers versus those gross fabric things. Â I'm pretty sure those are extinct now (and have been for 20 years).
Anyway, I'll be back!
Bottom Line Up Front: The whole town knows I had an awesome time.
My friends had a party here during Fourth of July weekend in the Beer Garden. The weather was beautiful and a flip-cup tourney broke out. As a result my review will be completely lacking in relevant details.
From what I remember the Beer Garden was BIG... like, empty lot big. Lots of picnic tables and room to spread out with their cheap beer specials.
The rest of the night was a little hazy. I remember a stuffed moose head and I can give a detailed description of the men's room toilet/tile floor, but not much else. I suppose you should view this positively, because it is an indication of how much fun I had (admittedly at the staff's expense - thanks for cleaning up, guys).
I have absolutely no connection to Wisconsin or the Packers (aside from hoping to marry Aaron Rodgers along with thousands of other women), but I love this bar. A kicked-back vibe, cheap beer, free popcorn, strong drinks, green and yellow everywhere (I'll pretend its for my Oregon Ducks), free darts, and cheese curds--whats not to love?
And during warm months, the beer garden is a perfect place to kick back and watch the game (like I need to tell you what game that would be). Rabid insanity on game days, but a super chill and friendly crew of people on any other night. So yes, non-Wisconsinites (I don't even think that's the correct term), Will's can be for you as well.
Will's is hands-down the greatest Packer and Badger bar outside the great state of Wisconsin. It also happens to be dangerously close to my apartment, and one of my favorite places to drink away a summer afternoon.
The place is packed during any Wisconsin game, but still manages to be reliably friendly and fun. If you're a semi-recent UW grad, you're guaranteed to run into at least 3 familiar faces from the streets of Madison. Thought you'd never see that Friday-night 'Brats dance partner again? Joke's on you. If they live in Chicago, they're here. This leads to lots of happy, hilarious, and only sometimes awkward, reunions.
An aquarium of lake fish, hunting trophies, wood paneling and northern memorabilia lend to the northwoods theme. It could easily be mistaken for the basement of any of my Wisconsin family members (though they only dream of having several delicious beers on tap).
Will's is also a great stop when it's not in a WI sports frenzy. Free darts and popcorn, a Euchre league and excellent beer specials make a perfect casual hangout. The expansive and comfortable beer garden has TVs, which staff will change to any channel you request. PLUS Will's has the best cheese curds I've found in northern Illinois, besting Culver's.
If you go during a Wisconsin game, keep your cup! The first beer is $7, with refills at $5. I've been drinking out of the same Will's cup for a year and a half and saving a few dollars every time. Hooray for dishwashers, and hooray for Will's.
I had the fortunate experience of attending the Viking Packers game here last year and had a blast of a time. Â As a Bears fan I did not have a true interest in this particular game...I just enjoyed the lively crowd hoping Brett Favres head would roll across the tv.
It was very crowded but friendly group. Â Beer specials were very reasonable and allowed a purchase the cup with discounted refills option. Â
The staff was friendly and the bar allows for you to bring in food or order and have it delivered here. Â A good time was had by all...to bad I missed both of these games this year.
You can take the girl out of Wisconsin but you can't take the Wisconsin outta the girl! Recently moved from Wisconsin to Chicago and actually live less than 3 minutes away from this beauty of a bar!
Never have I ever felt more welcome in a bar, than this one. Although, crowded (very crowded) at times, it is still just awesome. I feel like I am in a cabin in the middle of the woods and not some bar in the middle of Chicago. Did you see the size of that Moose?!
You can't go wrong with this bar. Packer Sundays, Trivia Tuesdays, Two dollar High lifes on Tuesdays, STEEL tip darts AND FREE POPCORN? What more could a person want out of life??
Also, game day specials for Packers/Badgers games. $5 souvenir cups of beer, $2 brats/burgers and the awesome cheese and sausage tray! NOM NOM.
I'm in LOVE.
I was born an Iowa Hawkeye fan and I bleed black and gold but gosh dang it this Wisconsin bar is so much fun! Since moving from Iowa to Chicago the number of Wisconsin folks I've become good friends with is rather astonishing. Good people I tell ya. I've been one of probably two people in this bar donning Iowa gear during an Iowa vs. Wisc game but I've always felt welcome by patrons young and old.
The place can get insanely busy, we're talking body to body during Wisconsin games and Packer games (yes, I'm a Packer fan!) so getting their early (and I mean early!) is in your best interest during those games. Getting drinks from the bar has never taken me too long though, people who come early to stake out a spot at the bar before the big games are always regulars happy to help you squeeze in for a cold beer. The bar even hands out cheese and sausage trays during Packer games! Great way to make friends by sharing a piece of cheese and a Ritz!
The place goes crazy during games. Team chants, cheap burgers and brats (long lines for these), the whole nine yards. They have drink specials everyday of the week, some that pair up with trivia nights, etc. All Badger and Packer games have $5 32oz. cups of Miller Lite and Leinenkugel's.
Even for an Iowa girl, and looking at the rest of my family, a should be Bears fan, this Badger/ Packer bar is the cream of the crop in the city of Chicago.
I love the idea of a Badger bar, or anything Wisconsin-themed. Â It's a fun northwoods-themed place, and feels a lot like any small town Wisconsin bar in terms of decor and kitsch.
What's not awesome is how incredibly crowded it is, and how insanely loud they play the games. Â I really wanted to enjoy the WI-UNLV game last weekend, but I was pretty miserable since the TV was so loud (I promise I'm not a big baby - several other patrons were holding their hands over their ears too). Â Lines for the bathrooms were extra long since they're all single-stalls, and it's hard to even tell where the line is since the whole place is so packed. Â They can't possibly be abiding fire codes here, with how many people they let into the small space.
Also - they have a raffle at half time. Â The announcer is so annoying, and loud, and it takes forever for people to bring their # up since the place is so crowded. Â I don't know how it's possible, but they were definitely calling numbers roughly 1-1000... and if that means there were 1000 people at Will's I almost believe it.
Like I said, it has a fun theme, and a couple hours before the game it's great. Â I'd 100% rather be watching it in my living room though, which is a pretty harsh statement coming from me, since I hate sports and bars/drinking is really the only thing that usually salvages it for me.
All in all, this is the last place I'd want to be in case of a fire or ecological disaster.
Sometimes the August heat gets to me and I just wanna be kickin' on a Wisco lake with a cold Leinie and the loons a-calling. Then I shake out of it and grab a beer at Will's.
Pros:
Taxidermy
A giant friggin' Moose in the side yard
Cheap burrs
Free popcorn. POPCORN!
They got a pool table too.
Muskyfest (and the crowning of the musky queen... raaaar)
Cons:
No food (well, minus frozen 'zas cooked in a toaster oven)
Gets crowded
Packers fans
Far from pub trans
More Packers fans
But honestly, if you wanna get Northwoods action without having to drive to Sheboygan (let alone spell Sheboygan) swing by Will's ol' drinking hole.
Just don't try to ride the moose.
I've been through Lincoln Park Zoo and Wrigleyville millions of times and have gone up and down through crazy town watching legitimate idiocy here there and around the block five times. A few weeks ago I went through Yelp to compile a list of darts with corkboards that I have not yet visited and Will's Northwoods Inn was on TOP of the list. Great reviews, detailed web site with excellent pictures, a Packers bar? So what? Football season is over!
After hitting up the all-you-can at Durkin's, I convinced six friends to follow me out to Will's Northwoods Inn and we got to the back area to play darts. Unfortunately the tables had reserved signs everywhere even though no one was there. We began to shoot darts and the bar darts were actually sharp. The corkboards were in good to excellent condition with the center board being the best. The scoreboard was the smooth plexiglass with white pencil and damp towel - great!
The came in the birthday party, a manager let us know that they reserved the table and that we would have to move, the birthday girl was nice enough to let us stay so it was not a problem. We continued to play darts and I enjoyed the decor from the giant ass moosehead mounted up on a far off wall and the giant overhead collection of antlers that hung over the darts. There is a feeling that you're in a cabin when you're at Will's Northwoods and it's rather comfortable.
Despite their comforting trappings, the people that reserved the party prove to me why the next generation of people coming out of college will be designated: The Dumbest Generation. One girl was telling the other girl, "Get the %#$!$ out of my face! I %@%!%! hate you!" A very unattractive one kept trying to hit on my friend and would not leave us alone!!! After I asked what she thought of that fact he had a girlfriend she snapped back at me, "I don't see any ring, what the $R!$@! do I care?!"
Arrogant, bunk, and full of self-entitlement, I was ready to run her through with a dart right then and there! Then as we threw darts the Lakeview DePaul trash did not give us an inch to throw. Very bad dart etiquette as we had no space to play and people found it inconceivable that we brought out own darts and kept asking us to use our darts that we brought to the bar even though there was a set of bar darts (that were sharp mind you) I just wanted to scream!!!!!!
I went to the back bar to get a glass of water to calm down. Nope, surrounded by idiots from the party and no bartender in sight after five minutes. GREAT! Fury just reached a new level and I couldn't stand it anymore!!!! I was trapped in a sea of college kids and had no way out!
Bars are a business and people can choose to run their business any which way they like. You can't control who walks into the bar or how they behave. I spend more time than I should in bars and my favorite bars are where the owner will come out, chit chat with people about anything and everything. These are the bars I come into time and time again across winter, spring, summer, autumn, and back again because I know the people that run it are great people and friendly as hell and I am willing to tolerate the bs because of it.
After finishing up a match of darts I moved me + 6 over to yet another dart bar. Playing darts is my favorite hobby, but I will have to try to come back when it is less crowded!
First let me establish my bona fides... I was born in Wisconsin and I lived there, in and around Green Bay, for 18 years. I went to Vince Lombardi Middle School and my mom now lives up in the real northwoods of Wisconsin (almost the U.P.). So I think I'm qualified to judge a place's Wisconsinness.
Will's is as Wisconsin as you can get without making a trek north of the border. Lots of wood, dead animals. Packers stuff, UW stuff. One of those cloth towel thingies in the bathroom that no one likes. The only way you can tell you're in Chicago is 1. you can breathe (you can still smoke in bars in Wisconsin...yuck) and 2. the prices. But I don't think they could even pay their rent if they charged real northwoods prices here!
This is the place to go in Chicago to watch a Packer game, if you can take the crowds. It does get packed! If you want a table, go several hours before kick-off. However, despite the crowds you could still generally navigate around, get into the bathroom, and get drinks from the bar (if you're willing to lean over some strangers). With the exception of one tool (who probably should be medicated) and his friends (see Bailey H's review) everyone was pretty nice.
This is a bar, not a bar and grill and they do not sell food. During Packer games they grill out brats and burgers and hot dogs, but you have to wait out in the cold to get them and there can be lines...but there is a big flat screen TV outside so you can continue to follow the game. Also, from what I saw the burgers came off on the rare side, so if you like a well-done burger I wouldn't eat these. But hey, it's free! Just be aware this isn't a restaurant.
I can safely say now that I've discovered this little piece of "back home" right here in Chicago, I'll be visiting again. Too bad they don't have a bubbler.
OK...I am not even a Wisconsin fan but I LOVE THIS BAR! Â It is such a shit bar, which I say lovingly, and has great drinks, HILARIOUS bar staff, pool, darts, free popcorn, you can control the music (bonus). Â It has a great patio in the summer, too, and they are really into neighborhood appreciation. Â
Just look for the giant moose peeking its head over the hedge. Â You can't miss it...and you shouldn't!
The only thing that would make this bar more Wisconsin-like would be charging Wisconsin prices for the beer. Â
Plenty of stuffed animals (including a badger) and old fishing notices, such as one of a 1963 Â walleye competition, are on shelves and the walls.
Leinie's on tap, Simpson's on tv, no annoying un-invited conversation from other patrons, and a bartender with a cigarette permanently attached to his lips.
Maybe there is only food here during game days, because they don't have a kitchen. Â You can order pizza, though, or bring food in.
This is the kind of bar you want to stop in on your way home from work for a pint or two.
I vote Will's "Best place to take your Midwestern Father who is afraid of sushi, city people and mohawks for a night of drinking in Chicago."
Free popcorn machine. Bonus if you love Wisconsin. Tucked away in a residential street (Racine just south of Belmont). A nice garden area to sit and conversate amongst the humid air in the summer, complete with the largest freestanding moose sculpture/creation I've ever encountered.
Decent beer selection, dartboards, pool tables, TV's, friendly staff. The food is marginal, you are better off filling up before you come...(Gino's East is down the street, among others). Â
Parking is atrocious...though the west side of Racine is non-permit. (Every other street is permit after 6pm, and the meter people are hawks, don't attempt unless you like valeting your car for $50).
Go Badgers and Moose! My Dad loved it.
Wills has a Moose outside.  That right there is pretty cool.  I have been here a bunch but the most memorable occasion was definitely Musky Fest '06.  There were Musky queens, drunkards, free brats, live music  - all these things mixed together = one serious recipe for good times.
Recently, I stopped by Will's for a night of dart-watching (Lame, I know. Â I don't play darts. Â I didn't really watch darts either come to think of it. Â I guess I just wanted to say that they have dart boards). Â Darts woo-hoo! Â
My one complaint about Will's is the $20 credit card limit. Â I call BS. Â No way does that fly with me big Willy!
I saw the Packers win here. Â Will's has complimentary cheese curds, cheese and summer sausage platters, beer-soaked grilled brats, hot dogs and cheeseburgers. Â
It's a little scary to be a Packer fan when you live in Chicago, but when you're at Will's, no one will mess with me in my Green and Gold Starter jacket circa 1995. Â Plus, the chandelier made of antlers is incredible!
The place feels like a... well, like a northwoods inn. Â Lined with Packer memorabilia and Bart Starr/Vince Lombardi posters. Â Cheap Leinenkugel!
GO PACK.
GO PACK GO!
as a wisconsin transplant, i have found football season in chicago to be hard for me. praise the lord in heaven (for he created cheese) for wills. it's so great. best place in the city to watch the pack or the badgers (GO BIG RED!!) they have burgers and dogs and brats every week for the patrons. raffels for packer and badger tix and CHEESE AND SUMMER SAUSAGE!! it's my kind of place.
oh and they have a musky fest. classic.
i can't wait for football to start again!
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