Fritzy’s Tavern

Just an unassuming little neighborhood joint, with a friendly bartender.
They have pool, occasional live music and booze. What else do you come to a bar for? Great location for a quick drink before seeing a show at the Raven theater, ‘cos it’s RIGHT across the street.

A dope little dive. Pool table, juke box and cheap drinks (for the North Side). It’s definitely my favorite place in the neighborhood. Watch out for it getting crowded up by theater folks on nights when the Raven Theater across the street lets out.

My regular haunt! Great people! Bartenders too. 5 TVs free pool table and darts.
The Jack Daniels is always fresh, never stale!

Truly a great Chicago dive bar. We had a great time playing pool, which is free, and they had some great local beers on tap. Lots of laid back «regulars» who were friendly and we didn’t feel like we were invading their place. Will definitely make this a regular spot.

Great neighborhood bar. My «go-​to» when I’m looking for friendly bar tenders and regulars.

Wow a true dive bar. Haven’t seen one yet since I moved to Chicago. The other «dives» I’ve been to are primarily run over with hipsters and novelty bar-​goers, but not Fritzy’s. I actually want to give this place 3.5, but Unilocal won’t let me do that darn it.
I have to admit, I felt a little uncomfortable walking in. The patrons are clearly regulars and I felt a tad out of place. But once I started sipping on my ice cold beer, my worries slipped away.
What I liked: really friendly bartenders, a nice man (perhaps the manager?) offered us food from their pool tournament, cheap booze, and friendly patrons.
The only reason I didn’t give this place 5 stars is because it was eeerily quiet. I don’t like to shout over music, but I also hate whispering in a bar — give me light tunes, or a Blackhawks game or something in the background. There was a jukebox, but after picking a few songs, it was silent again. The other issue is that there is a bit of a weird smell. Not sure what it is, but I have a sensitive nose so it kind of bothered me. There was also a guy next to me eating which I’m sure added to it. But these are minor things! My husband loved the place and had no complaints.
I’ll definitely swing by again if I’m in the neighborhood.

Fritzy’s is a super good neighborhood dive bar. The crowd is local, welcoming and warm (do not judge them by appearance), as are the bar staff and the owner Karen who introduced herself. The $ 2.50 PBR can special is pretty awesome and one drawback is the fairly limited selection of US craft beers. Plenty of TV screens to catch sports and a free pool table. We went along to catch the jazz, which is once a month and it was fairly decent. You can also order food from the diner next door (Alexanders which is pretty decent) and enjoy it in the bar area.

Wow. I walked in here on a whim, solo. Showed my I.D. Walked to their ATM, and having trouble taking money out, the lovely owner– helped me with the tricky machine.
Ordered my drink and got settled. I was there for 3 hours (till closing time) talking, laughing, and having a great time. I felt extremely welcomed. The owner and the bartender were very friendly! I got invited for their event for the next day, which was sweet. Unable to make it, I came back the following day. Again the bartender on this Sunday shift was super nice and talked to his patrons like we were all good friends. Not to mention the knowledge and suggestions of different beers, he knew and got me to tasting.
I’m happy that Fritzy’s Tavern is just across the street from me, and I’m soooo happy that it is my local Tavern.
Stop reading this and go get a drink at Fritzy’s Tavern!

The former Champions was bought by a former bartender and now it is even better than ever. A friendly neighborhood bar with many local regulars, and on the weekend theater patrons from the Raven theater across the street. And you can still order food through the secret window from the diner next door.

Fritzy’s, the former Champions, now owned by its’ former manager, is as welcoming and friendly as ever, and now has live music on some weekends. Say ‘Hi’ to Karen, you’re sure to become a regular instantaneously.