Oakwood 83

Nicer on the inside than expected, with wood paneling kept in good conditions and a strong jukebox playing. Bartender was very nice on a Saturday night although she has a limited bar to work with. Definitely a place to talk to friends while nursing a very cheap (in taste) domestic.

A strong decent neighborhood bar in Chicago. There is an age limit in this bar from the one time I went and numerous times driving past it as everyone looked like they just either graduated college or high school. The place is cool yet small inside and beats any strip mall bar you will find heading East with good bar service and a laid back atmosphere. Across the street from another very popular bar in this hip area. Worth a visit.

The sign says ‘Open till 4am,’ but they were definitely open until 5am on the night I was here… so it’s got that going for it.
A friend (who is not from Chicagoland) brought me here to show me (who was born and raised in Chicagoland) what a «real Chicago bar» is like.
Thanks, condescending friend.
Sure, it’s blue collar Chicago-​y, but it also has wafting smells of toilet water that are hard to ignore. And I gotta be real, it didn’t seem all that different from just about any townie bar in Schaumburg. From the clientele to the terrible music they chose on the juke, to the super dark bar and dimly lit 80’s type diner area, all I kept thinking was that this place seemed plucked right out of the suburbs and got a break with that early morning liquor license… because who doesn’t love watching the sun come up over your final beer?
Props are due to the easy peasy street parking sitch, the really friendly and on-​point staff, the surprisingly decent craft beer selection they had, and it was nice that nobody made a face when my second and third round at the bar was a water. I could easily see where this would be a regular stop for locals, but a true slice of Chicago Americana? I don’t know about that.
Also, there should be a law about how many times drunk girls can play Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ in a row on the jukebox. Thank you a million times over to whomever broke the streak with a Pixies song. I owe you my sanity.
All in all, a solid 3.5. Everything you’d expect it to be from the outside is what it is on the inside. Not a terrible thing and as far as late, late bars go, this is actually one of better ones… maybe even your best option if you absolutely need to be out and about around the 4am hour.

Oakwood is definitely one of those places you go and then wake up Sunday morning thinking that you shouldn’t have gone to a 4am bar.
It’s strategically situated across from Fountainhead so when you’ve had your fill of fine ales and can’t really notice the taste of swill, this is a perfect spot. Overall the bar doesn’t offer too much in terms of beverage selection but gets by on vibe. It can be chill, it can be dancey, you can essentially make it what you want. I stumbled in here on a Saturday night and our group decided to start throwing down the dance moves to Wilson Phillips but it was great because everyone else was so tanked they didn’t notice how terrible it was.
I don’t consider 4am bars (outside of Hangge Uppe) real destination bars but if you’re in vicinity and need a place to booze it late, this place is decent and old school looking.

My son and I were out for a winter hike enjoying the snow. I’m from Philly, he lives in LA and we were in town for a family party. Meeting at Slim’s across the street for hot dogs with family members. We had enough time for a quick pop of something clear and alcoholic. The Oakwood 83 lit up one corner of the intersection. Gus and Victor were the only two guys in there on a Saturday night. Father and son ordered Ouzo and the gents comped us on a refill. I used to live in Albany Park back in the day, and lived as crazy and wild as a guy could manage in 1977. Some 35 years later, here I am back in Chicago, nursing a shot with my 23-​year old son. For me, sweet and poignant. The ghosts of Nelson Algren’s barflies and bums seemed to fill the empty seats around us.

nothing too special and the beer selection is bad. however, the bartenders are always nice and i like that there is a piano in the bar that you can play. i would never go out of my way to come here but since i work down the street, it’s a place to go in a pinch. i think my favorite part about this bar is the amazing half lady/​half tiger 1980s picture on the wall when you walk in.

Is Oakwood three-​star quality?
No. But it holds a special place in my heart, because every time I ended up there, it meant I had had a good long night of drinking and didn’t want it to end.
I’ll list the strange things about Oakwood that lead me to like it in some kind of perverse way:
it’s really a diner. So at 4 AM, when it’s packed full drunkies, you all hang out at the 80s fake wood diner tables and booths. But it’s like the diner isn’t really open. So you are actually hanging out in a closed 80s diner.
You always see the same characters every time you come. Oakwood has dedicated regulars, and the same guys will hit on you over and over again.
These same characters have no sense of manners. On more than one occasion, my boyfriend and I were pestered and bothered. These guys don’t care if you’re with your boyfriend, which is pretty hysterical.
On big nights out, like halloween weekend, this place is hopping at 4 AM. Peoples’ costumes are barely in place, no one can create full sentences, and everyone becomes best friends when masked with beer goggles.
This dive bar/​diner thinks nothing is embarrassing. So solo-​dancing to your jukebox tunes for five songs in a row is not frowned upon, or even given special attention.
You WILL witness a passionate argument or fight outside the front doors.
Now that I don’t live down the street, I certainly won’t be making trips to Oakwood. But if you live nearby, drop in, because this weird place is a stand out among the rated G vibe of Ravenswood.

I think I found where they shot all the 1980s-​era interiors from «Boogie Nights.»
Step into this place and you’ll fall back in time, «Land of the Lost”-style.
Do a Google image search for «Nastassja Kinski snake» to see the most prominent image in the bar.
I looked at the drink menu and asked for a Rolling Rock. They didn’t have it. I asked for a Heineken. $ 5. $ 5! For a bottle? Later, I asked for a Woodchuck Cider. Also $ 5. Nothing on tap.
The jukebox gives you one song for a dollar. One.
All of this makes me long for the Old Town Ale House.

I think you have to manage your expecations with this place. It’s a late night bar plain and simple. You have to know that people are going to be drunk and to embrace it and make fun of them for it. The bartenders are nice, its never super packed, the prices are reasonable, there is plenty of space to sit or stand, and the jukebox is packed with great songs. Its not going to win any style points for décor or smells but just go if you need a few more late night beverages before you pass out and thank me later

This place has a really late liqour license… that’s about the only thing I like about this place. My gf and I are almost always approached by some weirdo when we are just trying to have a late night drink. Two more notes… prices aren’t bad… and there’s a jukebox.

This place always smells like urine. There is always a patron ready to start an argument… or a brawl.
In the past three years this place has been flooded with some pretentious hipster trash. The owner realized this, and raised all the prices as if the place had gotten nicer. I knew this place was headed downhill when they replaced their old school jukebox with one of those digital bastard machines. I miss the old Oakwood that was filled with thugs and trannies at 3:30AM.
On the bright side, they will serve you even if you should already be in the hospital having your stomach pumped.

I’ve concluded I can no longer go to the Oakwood 83, I’m just too old and end up feeling like crap for 2 days later. No more 4 AM bars for me. (I really need to remind myself of this rule at 2am after drinking all night. Too bad rules seem to be thrown out the window when one is drunk at 2am…)
This place was a lot different 7 years ago, and it’s a shame since I did like it better then.
I asked the husband «Want to go see a tranny bar down the street»? «Of course» was the answer returned to me.
It was a Friday, so maybe it was the wrong night, or they could have simply moved on to a new bar. But it’s now a bar for twenty somethings with no trannies to be found… bummer.
(*Seinfeld disclaimer of «Not that there’s anything wrong with that». There isn’t, to each his/​her own. But it was fun watching my really drunk friend hit on them back in the day.)
It’s still the same cheapish drinks, same divey look, but just not as much fun any longer. Who knows, maybe it’s just me, after all we did come here after seeing Yo-​Yo Ma play at Ravinia. I’m just not in the same place I was 10 years ago.
If you’re in your twenties and arrive wasted, you’ll probably have fun here. If not, good luck with that hangover the Oakwood gives.

If you’ve never been to the Oakwood the only reason you WOULD go is because there isn’t anywhere else TO go. People don’t go to the Oakwood because they love it, they go there because its the only place in the area to get wasted til 4am. If that is your goal, I’m sure you’ll have a fun time. If you want to hang out with a bunch of people that probably should have gone home at 2am, this is your bar. If you’re lucky, on the weekends you might even find some belligerent d-​bag to get into a fight with. The men usually out weigh the woman a solid 3 to 1, and the drinks are fairly expensive (not crazy expensive, but more than they should be). If I could create a slogan for Oakwood, it would be something along the lines of… «Oakwood: because you’re too drunk to know you probably shouldn’t be here.»
*Please note, this doesn’t apply to their Thursday comedy night. I have never been, but its definitely very different than the normal crowd.

By day, a casual dining restaurant — I have never eaten there. At night though, the Oakwood is an after hours bar. The punters usually show up at about 1 am and stay until at least 4 am.
During the after hours portion, The Oakwood transforms into the bar from the original Star Wars movie. The attentive bar staff quietly provides effective and satisfactory service to the scores of drunks who pack the place. The clientele during the after hours, is a diverse group spanning every age, race, socio-​economic background and level of inebriation.
Bad music (selected by drunks from the juke box) typically blares overhead, but at a reasonable volume. Mostly, the drunks remain in their little groups of cohorts and things seem to remain fairly civil. During the day, many of the patrons are normal human beings, but eventually, if the cloud of drunkenness encompasses them enough, they will be drawn to The Oakwood at the end of the night — one of the few places where one can drink till 4 am in the Lincoln Square/​Ravenswood area. Additionally, they tend to turn a blind eye towards behavior that might draw stares or get you thrown out of other establishments.
I’ve never seen a fight or anything too disturbing. Those who patronize tend to be able to handle their alcohol, but it is not uncommon to see pukers in front of the establishment, or see the terrible debris of defeat on the pavement outside, the next morning.
It seems that some use The Oakwood as a venue to attempt to pick up some company for the night… probably not difficult to do, as most of the people there are wasted, but no guarantees on the quality, coherence, or mental stability of the person you meet there… best to remain focused on your drinks and not to attempt to purvey talent (or lack thereof) from this establishment… you may get quite a bit more, or quite a bit less than you bargained for. Very few good things have come from a night at the Oakwood… usually, you finish your time there having had a neutral experience and with a lighter wallet the next day.
I wouldn’t say avoid, but I would say be prepared and be intoxicated for sure.

Every once in a while, I find myself at the Oakwood after hours, and I have mixed feelings about the place. I’ve had great times there, met fun people. I’ve also been there a couple of times when everyone looked like they wished they were dead.
Standard, cheap beer. Some of that cheap beer may end up in your lap. You will meet interesting characters. There are also assholes banging on the piano despite being unable to even play chopsticks. It’s open after most places are closed, and the crowd is mixed.

This place really cracked me up. I was surprised to find a bar open this late right in my neighborhood. After all the usual spots did final call at 1:15, my friends and I wandered over to continue our late night drinking. Upon entering the bar, I swear the music screeched to a stop as the men swiveled around in their chairs to gape at us. It was like a nerdy dating show or something. Within seconds my friends and I were followed and forced into odd, drunken conversation. There was a really creepy vibe to the whole place, but it was a lot fun, too.
Very nice bartender. Even at 4:45 AM they weren’t kicking people out. Come here after you’ve had a few so you’re not so uncomfortable, but otherwise this is an interesting and extremely social bar.

you are «A-​OK» in my book. After living in the area for about a year and a half, i finally worked up the courage to come into this shady-​looking-​from-​the-​outside-​4-​am-​bar.
Pro’s: open till 4am, jukebox, reasonable drink prices — especially considering you wont be having too many more by the time you get here, interesting clientelle and great people watching, surprisingly ok bathroom
Con’s: lots of creepy dudes that prey on you — and they’re hard to get rid of
me and two of my girlfriends came here after closing another bar — it was an interesting experience. everyone kinda turned and stared at us when we first walked in — fresh meat for the guys? it was creepy. We walked over and ordered 3 drinks right away. Immediately hit on by a dude when i walked to the bar — woooooah buddy! chill out! anyway, I’m married — i tried to shrug him off and my friends and i found a little table to hang out at. Bar guy and his friend kept staring at us. creepy. we tried to ignore it… but you just can’t. he came over — he talked — and talked — and talked. his friend came over — he talked in a –i’ve had way too much to drink but really don’t know it yet sort of way. We somehow got rid of them. I spent most of the night trying not to laugh at everything around me. It was fun.
We met a handful of really nice people — but there were an awful lot of weirdos too. The thing that makes it so strange is that there is so much liquid courage running through everyone’s bodies. what do you expect for a bar that’s open till 4 am?
The experience here will be whatever you make of it –as strange as it was, i enjoyed myself– i have a feeling i’ll be coming back again soon with a big group of friends which will surely be a good time.

I’ve stumbled into this place on my way home (roughly 200 feet from my back door) and was amazed at the crowd after 2 am. I recently discovered why this is an attractive place. This is due to the fact that it’s open till 4am, which attracts local bar tenders and staff after hours, and people who live in the area on their way home looking for a couple more drinks before calling it a night. Oh, and the prices are decent as well.
Personally this bar is right up my alley. Aside from the place smelling like my grandparent’s basement and the possibility it is a front for an illegal business — I enjoyed my experience. Cheap beers, pleasant bar tender, and a rowdy crowd.
They sport a long bar and an abundance of seating if you’re looking to stop by with a big group. Seriously you could throw a banquet in this place.
If you live close to this place go check it out after leaving your last water hole of the night. Most likely you will be hammered, but who cares, slam the rest of the beer and get another one!

The only reason why I venture into the Oakwood? It’s open REAL late (or early depends on how you look at it) and right by my house. Yup… no other reason.
I heard they sell food… but from the looks of it, I am not that adventurous to even go there.
Drinks however, can’t be messed up too much, especially at 3 am on a Sunday morning right?
Given these facts, don’t expect much. This is definitely the place where you get one more for the road and call it quits.

Got to the bar around two in the morning after last call at Quencher’s and my friend thought that Oakwood was the low key environment he was looking for and was pleased. It was relatively empty and a Bud Light and Heineken cost $ 9. My friend compared it to being in his parents’ basement as the wood paneling on the wall looked of the 1970’s. In the corner there were video poker and a jukebox people kept feeding money.
As the night wore on more and more people rolled in and the bar all of a sudden became packed to the brim. There were some cute girls there but it was also a kielbasa festival as the P. to D. Ratio was somewhere between 1:25 and 1:20. There are always weird locals who are there by themselves trying to pick up girls or do whatever the hell, that is why Oakwood gets three star.