Danny’s Tavern

This place is an institution everyone must go at least once. Every night is different but always a great time.

As someone who is very proud of her southside Irish heritage, I love St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. I’m nearing 30, so I like spending the day having a few beers with friends and enjoying good company. To cap off our night, we stopped at Danny’s. Because I was wearing a green beaded necklace, they refused to let me inside. It was obnoxious, to say the least. We took our money elsewhere and will never be back.

I love this place. Always a fun option for your night out any day of the week. The atmosphere here is unique. The dj’s are always playing great music in a variety of different genres. The bartenders are super friendly, and the drinks are priced right. On weekends this place can get super packed so if you like to dance this is the place for you!

Terrible customer service. I called this place because I was hoping I could bring my large group by before it got crowded. I did this because I didn’t want to be too much of a pain in the ass for everyone there, including the staff and I was really excited to check this place out for my birthday. (even if it had to be at an earlier time) Well, I found out that the owner hates trolleys and does not allow them. No exceptions, not even early arrival. This wouldn’t have been an issue if he could have told me this in a polite way. He basically said he knew my kind of people and said verbatim «If it sounds like I’m social profiling, then it’s because I am.» He told me that he was the owner and that I am the one trying to get into HIS bar. He didn’t want to stir things up on FRIDAY NIGHT. Dude has his way of managing his bar, I get it. But what happened to being a bit professional to getting your point across? I was calling because I was looking forward to going to his bar, we weren’t trying to cause any problems.
Here is a line he could try, «We don’t take trolleys. There are no exceptions. We have had issues in the past with trolleys. Thank you.» Done.
LESSON TO BE LEARNED: The owner hates trolleys and DOES NOT ALLOW TROLLEYS. He also hates all social media platforms and phones.

Didn’t let us enter on St. Patrick’s day because we were wearing plastic Irish things. Didn’t get the memo that pretentious people don’t live in Wicker Park anymore.

We always have a blast at Dannys! It is spacious, casual, fun and the drinks are affordable. Whether you want to dress up or down, this place welcomes all and you’re guaranteed to have a fun night of drinking, dancing and socializing. The environment is awesome.

So many good memories at this place. Cheap drinks, intimate space, and great music.
Classic dive bar!

Best bar in Chicago. Every city needs a Danny’s. The blueprint for a perfect night out. The atmosphere cannot be matched.

Where oh where do I start. This ladies and gentlemen is my favorite bar in the city of Chicago, and until a different place changed my mind, my favorite bar in the world.
Danny’s Tavern would be what I would create if I would make a virtual bar in my imagination from scratch.
You turn into the residential street ‘Dickens’, from the commercial ‘Armitage’, and you notice that between hundreds of apartments there is ONE house that isn’t a place someone lives, but instead is a bar.
And WHAT a bar. Mixed drinks are strong and are just $ 4. Once you go inside its like you’re in some artists house, except all the lights have been turned off. There’s little sitting areas and rooms all around with little tables and stools and the only thing lighting everything are candles.
Friday and Saturday nights this place is packed and if you arrive after 10:50pm expect a line. There is a dance floor that will be packed, but full of non pretentious, super friendly people. Also I challenge you to be able to recognize more than 3 songs in a single night that the DJ plays. This place prides itself on obscene unknown music.
They spin only and only live Vinyls. There is no dress code. You’ll probably end up being the odd one out if you dress up or even normally.
They are cash only.
Come on a Friday or Saturday with about $ 25. Come alone or with someone. Your life will never be the same.

Crouching tiger, hidden germs!
It’s called Google Maps, bitch!
Why is betch better than saying bitch?
She basically looks like a plant that doesn’t get enough water, with her dried out looking hair and plastic face, and she’s like, skinny, but not in a good way?
Instead of texting, why don’t you just, like, Morris Code me. (Yes, Morris. Not Morse)
These are but a selected few of the gems that I was privy to while waiting to get in last night. 20 min wait after 2300. That’s 11pm in military time. That’s plenty of time to catch up on the goings on of the girls behind me. By the way I really hate waiting in line. Once you get in though, I think it’s 80% worth the wait. And 80% translates to my 4-​star review. But anyway…
You’ve probably heard it all before. Line to get in. Bar in front. Dancing in the middle. Hot. Plenty of seating, if you can catch some bench that is. I won’t bore you by regaling you with retold tales of nights gone awry. The pluses, however are that even if the bar is packed like the lower holds of the Titanic, the service really isn’t too slow considering. My bar mate suggested, in jest,(haha! gest and jest in the same sentence!) that I maybe should wave my bills at the barkeep. We shared a laugh after I lamented the fact that the standard US bill is not sized for attention, but would have been better suited for said purpose if the bill was printed prior to 1923, when the dollar was 40% larger? Yes I am a nerd.
One of the quirkier things to note at Danny’s was that a well whiskey coke was priced differently between the two ‘tenders. Difference of a buck, but made me have to change my order up depending on who got to me first.
They played disco and some other obscure-​ish funk. I leaned into someone’s ear and said, «Does anyone even know what we’re listening to?» I was met with a prompt and stern «Yes. And this shit is coming back, just you wait.»
The dancefloor was filled with rhythmic swaying and not so rhythmic pelvic thrusts designed to annoy the men AND the women. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a full blown ass print on your lower back.
Nothing.
Like, I can tell what kind of underwear you brought into the bar. And you should not be wearing the 4 strapped sack holder out of the house.
Aside from the Chads and brahs that decided to grace us with their ballerino like skills, it was genuinely fun and I’d go here again. Even if, while cutting the rug, I was unaware of the terrible breakdance battle going on behind me and someone rolled right into my legs, conjuring a rapid fire sequence in my brain of images of NFL friendly-​fire teammate on teammate preseason ankle injuries that occurred earlier in the day. Who decides to battle on a house partyesque living room floor? Towards the end of the night they started to get into some ATCQ and I liked that. Better late than never. And when the beat jumps off and the people in the room start jumping, it literally takes you back to the days of going to a house party when you were afraid the floor was going to cave in. But you were too drunk to care enough.
To sum it up? A little hot. A lot dancey. Cool people. Other than the broiest of bros. Cheap drinks. Ca$h ONLY. Party at Danny’s crib!

My preferred place for a night out in Chicago! You can’t beat the cool mix of reggae, hip-​hop, R&B, Soul, and other genres that the DJ’s mix up. It feels like walking into a bustling house party. Bar in the front, big open room for dancing, and several rooms off to the sides for sitting, chatting, etc. It’s very dark and cozy with lots of candles and some DJ lights. It’s always a great mix of friendly people too, so come to dance or come to watch the fun!
Don’t forget to bring cash and there may be a line, but I’ve never waited too long.

Awesome chill out bar. Get a schwitz and just sit and chilllll. Can spend a whole night here

Cash only means cheap drink prices! $ 6 for a Moscow Mule is a pretty good deal in my book. The bar is fully stocked with whatever you’re drinking for the night. The dance floor had a large fan and an AC unit to keep the place cool. Only downfall was that it’s got a small capacity so you will have to wait outside like you’re trying to get into a VIP club downtown. Unfortunately for us, we had to wait outside in the rain. Womp Womp! But we’ll still come back!

Came here for my sister’s birthday. Good music selection, DJ’s spinning vinyl. Cash bar=cheap prices! This place had to be good if there was a line outside & it was. Come see for yourself!

Neighborhood spot full of personality. If I lived nearby I would go there all the time. They have IPA blah blah beer AND Schlitz!

Like this place a lot. Come early to avoid standing in line outside as it is pretty small. The exclusivity is probably one of the main reasons why I like Danny’s. Some reviews trash the bartenders here but the guy who served us was super cool and fast. Good and weird selection of beers. They have some specials for 3 and 4 bucks and they’re not crappy beers either! Pretty strong pours on the gin and tonics as well. If you want to dance there’s space for that, and if you want to talk to whomever joined you here there’s space for that as well. Cash only though, and the nearest ATM is about a block and a half away I think. Very cool joint.

When my friends told me we were going to a «house bar,» I wasn’t sure if that meant the bar was in a house or if the bar played house music. Apparently, it means both! Danny’s is a great spot to go do… whatever you want. Like other Unilocalers have said, it’s basically an awesome house party. There’s space to dance and there’s space to just chill w/​some friends and get your drank on — whatever floats your boat. The drinks are cheap, and they have a good selection of beers. Despite the fact that this place can get pretty crowded, the bartenders are fast (major props). Get to Danny’s early or risk waiting in line outside. Danny’s has a nice chill vibe to it. I wish I found out about this place earlier! I’ll definitely be coming back.
Note 1: this place is cash only, so be sure to grab some cash beforehand (the closest place to get cash is the 7 – 11 around the corner)
Note 2: it plays all kinds of music — house, reggae, deep funk, etc

This place is everything.
If you are looking for a non-​pretentious place where they spin vinyl that you have no idea what it is but it makes your ass shake.
You want to try a $ 3 beer from Thailand and dance for the sake of dancing this is your place.
Cant wait to be back. Its like the house party I always wanted to attend

Cheap drinks fun atmosphere

The MEANEST bartender I’ve ever seen! Talking about the bald, old man with glasses.
Let me start this by saying, as a former bartender, that 1 of the most important things when serving a crowded bar of people is speed. One can’t leisurely make drinks when there are tons of people waiting.
Rewind back to Friday night, he very unnecessarily yelled at my partner while we were quietly waiting for him to come back to us after he has told us he’d «be right with us», then proceeded to make drinks for people down the bar who hadn’t been waiting as long as we had. We made 1 slight move to get closer to the bar, he turned around and YELLED at us for being aggressive when the girl next to me was waving her money at him to get his attention.
Rude, slow, I would never give them a dime of my money.
DON’T SUPPORT THIS INCOMPETENT MAN. Bald, hipster old man with glasses.

Okay so I went on a Wednesday which is arguably not the best night to judge this place. I’m told on Friday and Saturday nights there is a line to get in. But on a Wednesday, feel free to spread out.
This place is dark. Like really dark. Like who was that? Where did you go? Dark. But it has this really cool speak easy feel. It is essentially the first floor of a house. The front room is the bar. Past that there’s a large open space, which is clearly the dance floor on any other night and then there are three smaller «rooms» or nooks with tables.
The drinks are strong. I’m seeing a lot of reviews that say the drinks are cheap. I had an old fashioned for $ 8. So yeah cheaper than a lot of other cocktail joints in Chicago, but I wouldn’t call that cheap.
I feel like I’m being generous with 4-​stars. There isn’t much to Danny’s, but I guess that’s what I liked about it. It’s a simple, straight forward spot. You can get your boozy cocktail, find your dark little nook, and hang out. I cannot be generous enough to give it 5 stars. It’s cash only and doesn’t have an ATM. Be sure to hit your bank up before getting to Danny’s.

Super cute bar… I loved the little tables scattered throughout the bar with its little dim candles. It’s got a very intimate feel to it. I go here for their once a month Off Chances event on the 2^nd Tuesday. They’ve got great music, gender-​neutral restrooms, and the bartenders are always so friendly. Love it!

I’m not sure how to review this place, so I will give it a solid «3.» It’s essentially a hipster dance party in a dark and dank old house smack in the middle of a regular neighborhood block. Drinks are relatively cheap, and it’s cash only, kids. There are couches and chairs scattered about. It gets packed, and there is typically a small line to get in (but no cover).
They pride themselves on only spinning vinyl, and they have theme nights such as «Smiths/​Morrissey» or «70s Soul.» And they also pride themselves on playing deep tracks that the majority of the drunken dancers have never heard before. (Don’t expect to hear «How Soon is Now» on Smiths night, is all I’m sayin’.)
You sort of feel like you are at an aging frat party, with the series of dark rooms, the couples nuzzling on the couch, and the dancing on a sticky wooden floor. And quite frankly, I’m getting to old to feel comfortable in such an environment, no matter how «hip» it might be. Also, I sort of hate dancing most of the time, especially to music I don’t know.
So while I’d recommend Danny’s to a certain type of scenester, and I appreciate the vibe they are going for, it’s unlikely I’ll ever be back.

A bunch of local dudes had told me how fabulous Danny’s was and described it as such — «it’s like a house party, with a great DJ, people dancing, and cheap drinks!» They were spot on. After my first visit, I’ve gone back, and back, and back, AND BACK.
I tell my friends I’m in love with a guy named Danny. He’s a lucky one. I pay for my own drinks in this relationship with CASH ONLY, I rarely speak to him since I’m always so busy dancing, and within minutes, I’m wasted and ready to go with him. Danny loves me and I love Danny. Never a dull time with him.
Seriously, people, go. You won’t regret it. The crowd is a bit mixed and you might end up asking yourself, «is this guy/​girl cute or are these just my beer goggles?» since it’s just so damn dark in there but as long as you let loose and keep it cool with your buds all while dropping a beat to some great jamz, you’ll be good to go!
Loveeee Danny’s.

Shame on me for just now discovering the awesomeness know as Danny’s.
I was celebrating a friend’s bday and she had a large group so luckily I found a nice open space in the very back of the place. Very dim lit and looks like someone’s apt the way the interior is setup. The place kinda reminds me of one of those NY speakeasies… love it!
The mid section of the place transforms into a serious dance party which is cool because the DJ was doing the damn thang as he played one of my favorite joints («Come Clean» by Jeru The Damaja). I wound up buying the guy a drink for playing dope shit. I had such a good time here that I drank up all of their Ciroc Vodka. The only issue I have is that you have to keep going to the bar to get drinks vs being served, but we made it work.
I see why people love this place… good drinks + smooth setting = good time