Woodlawn Tap

Unlike many of these reviewers, I do not get a nice cozy "neighborhood bar"-type feel here. Nor is it some kind of "cool" dive bar. There is no juke box, no dart board, no pool table. The music is generally terrible, if it is even on. The entertainment consists of inaudible sports TV in each gigantic room. It's just an over-sized bar with the smell of chlorine, walls painted black and lots of seating with uncomfortable chairs. Most of the bartenders are self-righteous jerks. Anyway, I've been coming here for almost 6 years and will continue to do so because this is Hyde Park and we really aren't allowed to have too many nice things to choose from here.

OK, I get it... it's a "dive bar."  So maybe I bring cash instead of credit.  And maybe I expect the digs to be old and faded.  And more importantly, I like classic bar food and a cold beer.  It doesn't have to be a craft beer, it just needs to be cold and not Bud Lite.  I get it.  I even like it.  

HOWEVER...

Waiting 20 minutes for a beer is not part of being a dive bar.  It's part of bad service.  I greeted one of the bartenders as I walked in and asked him if I could sit anywhere and get served, and he said, "Sure."   I walked past the crowded main bar and found a seat in the next room.  20 minutes later, and nothing.  No greeting, no menu, nothing.  I wasn't expecting Starbucks-esque pleasantry, I just wanted someone to bring me a beer.  I couldn't even find a bartender or server to flag down and get their attention.

I think next time I'll just head to Skylark on Halsted instead.

Who doesn't love Jimmy's? And it will always and forever be Jimmy's. It will never be the Woodlawn Tap.

The drinks are cheap and the food is great. I highly recommend the grilled swiss cheese. This is where the academics go when the coffee shops close--or when they don't need coffee-type strength. It's not uncommon to see students here "working" on their B.A. theses and the conversation you'll overhear probably will not be about sports. The lighting and the decor aren't the best, but the bartenders are friendly and if you're looking for a neighborhood bar-type feel, then look no further.