Woodlawn Tap
1172 E 55th St, Chicago, IL, 60615
Woodlawn Tap Menu
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Address :
1172 E 55th St
Chicago, IL, 60615 - Phone (773) 643-5516
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : No
Good For : Late Night
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Average
Music : Juke Box
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : No
Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
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Amanda D.
For what it is, it's an okay bar. I'm sure they are still in business due to the discernable lack of any bars or pubs in the Hyde park area. Beer selection is okay. They have Newcastle on draft, so that's a plus in my book. My advice to anyone who comes in...make sure you eat somewhere else first. The burgers taste like they are microwaved and served on Styrofoam plates. Like a picnic at grandma's house back in 1984. It's unfortunate because many "dive bars" are turning into amazing gastropubs. You just need a convection oven and an imagination. Also...it's cash only. Which I kind of get; the fees being crazy high. But for all that is good and holy, it's 2015 and I particularly don't want to carry cash in Hyde park after dark. They do have an ATM on site...yes, there are fees.
(4)Katie L.
The Woodlawn Tap, or Jimmy's, is fine. The drinks are cheapish, there isn't great selection, and the atmosphere is kind of dark and uninspired feeling. Most of the patrons are from the University of Chicago nearby, which can be good or bad. There are three other bars in Hyde Park, and honestly I don't personally feel like Jimmy's fills a niche that the others don't already have covered. It's got a bit of neighborhood lore, but eh, this is Hyde Park, what place doesn't. If anything this is the place you should go with a slightly smaller group, if you aren't affiliated with UofC (if you are just go to the Pub). I guess it serves food -- so if you don't want to bring your own, there's a plus.
(2)Far K.
A standard bar with decently priced drinks. The crowd is a bit louder during the day and younger during the night. Typical bar good morning extraordinary. The customer is fast and friendly. The interiors are rustic and cow boy themed. Good place to hang out with friends for some drinks in Hyde Park.
(3)Jovan W.
I've been going here for years, yes when we called it Woodlawn Tap. I go mainly for a quick delicious cornbeef on rye & fries. Yes, the music is questionable at times but stop whining and play something different or offer a win-win solution! It's a great neighborhood go to place.
(5)Billy H.
Nice dive college type bar. If you're looking for something cheaper than this is the place. Cheap $7 pitchers, and tasty swiss burgers and grilled swiss cheeses. You can get a pint, swiss burger, and fries all for about $10
(4)Nate R.
Everything you need in a neighborhood bar. Cheap high lifes, cheap dogs, Bulls were on and there were friendly people everywhere.
(3)Chelsea J.
Asked for two beers and a vodka soda, got served two beers and a soda. Had to pay for another vodka that should've been in there to begin with. Both bartenders were rude and put our money for the drinks in the tip jar and not the cash register.
(1)Arun A.
A staple for any UChicago student. A poorly lit bar with three separate rooms for you to find a table at. Stays open until 2AM. Beer and mixed drinks are pretty cheap (~4-5 bucks for a pint or well drink). Keep in mind that it is cash only.
(4)Desi M.
Pretty cool dive bar. Food doesn't really strike me as anything I would enjoy but their liquor selection and prices are great. Perfect spot for drinks and conversation, not too loud, practical layout, and good location. I will be back.
(4)Tamera B.
Woodlawn Tap is a great "no frills" dive bar. Our family of 4 stopped by for lunch and it was pretty empty, but the setup is nice and spacious. The decor is simple and "worn", but I think that's the look they're going for. The staff was really friendly and accommodating for our 2 little boys. They ordered sprites and the bartender added a splash of grenadine and cherries which they loved. The food was decent.....typical bar food. One large order if french fries was more than enough for our family. I wasn't too thrilled with the cheeseburger, because it's pretty small and the beef isn't high quality, BUT Woodlawn isn't trying to be a "gourmet" burger joint either, so I can't complain. My husband had a tuna melt and he said that it was very good. Our boys had grilled cheeses, which looked good and they gobbled them up. The prices are fantastic, so I can see why U of C students would frequent this place.
(3)Julianne Z.
Jimmy's is forever the place to be in Hyde Park and it has a great and cheap selection of alcohol. It takes cash only but they have some great eats too to go with those drinks. You can get a burger for $3 and a large plate of fries for $4.5. It is all U.Chicago students and it holds a special place in all of our hearts. A great dive bar and worth a visit. They even have lunch specials during the day!
(4)Rebecca S.
I like Jimmy's alright, because the prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is nice. But honestly, I will always opt for The Pub in Ida. It's a little more homey, although more expensive.
(3)Brian M.
Friendly, good beer, lots of space, all dark wood, sits up a little higher than street level. Prices are solid. Place is clean. Food is pedantic. Good place to hangout, but eat somewhere else.
(3)Erika G.
And then, it came to pass that the Woodlawn made my Reuben sandwich list. What a sandwich, for only $4.50! Super value! A good size, plenty of corned beef. The ratio of sauerkraut to beef is excellent. Could have had a touch more dressing, but that's a fine point - I like Reubens moist and SOUR. Buttery rye bread, and served very hot. Perfectly paired with a cold Schlitz. Delicious. I pop in here about every two weeks before radio. The remodel was a big success - it's much brighter and open, without losing the appealing urban grit. Same friendly bartenders. Same chill, academic vibe.
(5)Michael D.
Called Jimmy's on an afternoon one weekday: "What kind of beers do you have on tap right now?" [Silence] "...Hello?" "Yes." "Hi, what beers do you have on tap?" "We have a variety of beers on tap." [Silence] "And you won't tell me what those beers are over the phone?" "No." A-hole bartenders are something one may be willing to put up with at a bar with some combination of a killer beer list, great food, and nice ambience. Jimmy's has none of those things. Note to Chicago's bar/restaurant proprietors: if you opened up a good gastropub with a nice craft beer list down here in Hyde Park, you'd make a killing. There's really no competition to speak of -- Jimmy's is a prime example -- and there's a large (and growing) market for high-quality food and beverage.
(1)Vernon J.
My go to pub in the Hyde Park area. It's a small and intimate setting. The beer selection and specials are impeccable. Only thing is, make sure you have cash, they do not take credit cards.
(4)Vincent B.
A pretty common spot but not one of my favorites. The bar is pretty dark, the beer is not cheap (usually $18 for a pitcher), the selection is not that great, and there aren't that many spots to sit. I do recommend the reuben sandwich, its deliciously greasy; hot dogs and burgers are more basic. If you're a student, definitely go to the Pub instead; if you're not the Cove about 1/2 a mile down 55th is a better option.
(2)Roger C.
It may be a Hyde Park staple but thee service is mediocre at best and there is nothing all that exciting about this place.
(3)George R.
Overrated and a bit overpriced. Woodlawn tap is a last resort option when you want a drink and there's nowhere else to go and you're stuck in Hyde Park. They also closed their kitchen kind of early when I wen there. This place has a mixed crowd, but is pretty heavily U of C. I think Falcon Inn and The Pub are better Hyde Park bars.
(2)Janni V.
This used to be a go-to after work place when I worked in the area. Something to bitch about? Jimmy's. Something to celebrate? Jimmy's. Tossing your hands up in the air after something really frustrating happened? We'd joke about spending the afternoon lunching at Jimmy's. Joke. Yes. ;) This isn't a gastropub. You're not going to get your taste buds blown away by the burgers and fries and other dive bar staples you eat here. But you don't want to, either. You go here for the experience -- and to drink and chat with your friends. It's a great little neighborhood place, and I will cry real tears if it ever goes away -- even though I don't pass by it on a daily basis anymore. This is a place that knows what it's good at and just does it. Long live Jimmy's.
(3)Timothy E.
If you ain't local, keep on walking. That's how we felt. We left after sitting without ever being acknowledged.
(1)Mironda R.
Manage your expectations and this is a solid 4-star experience. I mean this place really could set the stage for Freddy vs Jason XX. Long hallways, multiple rooms, old (some torn) chairs, stools, and booths, and of course the darkness *cues scary music soundtrack* A couple of us went here for some low fuss drinks. There were not that many people there when we first arrived, so we had some leeway to rearrange some stools in front of the window in the back room for some good ole fashioned peeping tom action and conversation. Totally would go back again.. but again.. manage your expectations. It's a dive of all dive's.
(4)Hana W.
As cat cafes go, this was very lacking in cats. l felt misled.
(2)Kyle F.
Here on vacation; saw the other reviews and had to give it a try. This place is really the epitome of dive bars. Dark. Smells like the 70's. Inexpensive average beers. Strange dudes hanging solo at the bar. I love it. I will stop here every time I'm in Chicago.
(4)Zachary O.
Like so many other places I end up t in Chicago, this place is cash-only. And I know that's not reason alone to not like a place, but it is a pain. Aren't we all supposed to be able to pay for everything with our phones now? I am partially kidding, but seriously, just get a credit card machine. Other than that, it's just kind of ok. The drinks are really not as cheap as you'd expect. I think you can go over to the Falcon on 53rd and get a pitcher for under $10 while a pitcher of Sam Adams here will run you around $20. Food is fine, usual pub fare. Bartenders are hit or miss; couple of nice ones, a couple of real assholes. Also no jukebox here, which kind of bothers me as that's usually one of my favorite parts of going out. If you're from out of Hyde Park, I certainly wouldn't recommend making the trip to go here. And if you already are in Hyde Park, there are better places to go.
(2)Ellen M.
Very divey, stale beer-smellin', dark place. Just about everything I ever wanted in a bar. It reminds me a bit of Murphy's in C-U. I heard that the bartender is ordained, which seems appropriate.
(4)Laura W.
Jimmy's is kind of a UChicago/Hyde Park institution. Small, dark, usually not crowded, a good place to meet someone after work or later. Not too many frills but the bartenders are nice as long as you don't order something ridiculous (I'm thinking a Long Island Ice Tea at like 7 pm...I've seen a bartender straight up refuse to make a girl that drink). It's got that dive bar feel without the dive bar grossness. There's also a lot of local, super friendly patrons. It's just such a nice place to go and have a drink with a group of friends and catch up. If you're a student, you usually end up running into somebody you know too. I also have a soft spot for eating a nice grilled cheese after a few beers because that's one of the main things that taste better than skinny feels, and they have a pretty good grilled cheese. OH-it is cash only. There's an ATM in the corner of the bar, but it's caused a slight delay before. Personally cash only makes it easier for me to NOT overdrink so I don't mind at all.
(4)Allison M.
So from the reviews here, it looks like Jimmy's is the kind of place that you either love or hate. I get it. If you didn't go to UChicago, chances are high that you will hate it. That's cool. In that case, you can go drink your beer at your North Side dive bar where the chairs aren't ripped and the floors are clean. And if you did go to UChicago and you hate it, that's cool, too. Jimmy's can bring out the worst in people, especially during rat's nest that is finals week and thesis-writing time. And in that case, I understand that you want to move on, so move on to your North Side dive bar where the chairs aren't ripped and the floors are clean. I understand. But for those of us who still believe in Jimmy's, I have only two words to say: grilled cheese. Go order the grilled cheese, eat it with gobs of ketchup, and drink it with your beer. Revel in its simplicity. Enjoy it with your friends. Spend less than five dollars on it. And you will be happy.
(4)LJ R.
Living in the Hyde Park vicinity I find it important that I partake in all it has offer, woodlawn tap is my old faithful...for now anyway. Cheap drinks, comfort food, a plethora of seatting to host old high school buddies and live bands on Sundays make woodlawn tap a favorite spot of mine. I've been a couple times and always enjoy myself. It's perfect for meeting a friend after work or hanging with a large group. I would of gave it 5 stars but I'm not a fan of the music and wish they had a jukebox.
(4)Jen C.
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.
(1)Sarah W.
to be filed under "where the locals go." A fancy bar this isn't. But if you want to go where the drinks are solid, the food is surprisingly delicious, and the previous bartender worked there for FIFTY-ONE YEARS (and you wonder why they still call the place Jimmy's!), go here. Cozy with good, relaxed vibes. A perfect version of your neighborhood bar.
(4)arpan s.
Burgers were good. Service sucked. Not very friendly and courteous staff. Good beer selection. Delicious burger and polish. Service is very important though. Felt Unwelcomed. Wife as well. Cash only.
(2)Rachel R.
It's a dive bar, so if you want something fancy you'll be very disappointed. Drinks are strong enough, but slightly overpriced. Two back rooms, and a standard bar menu. It's rather dark and can get loud. Good for social gatherings. Not a romantic spot at all.
(3)Jacqueline T.
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.
(4)Benjamin J.
Average bar. Took 5 minutes for them to even acknowledge me at the bar on a quiet Thursday evening. No welcome or greeting, no beer/food menu, just a moody bartender that told me he needed to see my ID. They've EVERY right to ask me for it, but not in a tone that suggests I was an enemy of his ancestors in a previous life. Beer selection is horrendous. The closest thing they have to a local beer is a Miller Lite. Disappointing to see they couldn't offer a craft beer or at the very least - Goose Island! Disappointed to have such a dismal experience after reading such a vast array of good reviews for this bar. The only highlight is that the bartender knew how to pour a Guinness.
(1)Oliver M.
"Morning, wood." What is a crude attempt at wordplay to some is a way of life to others. Wood, kindling, fire. What burns furiously the previous evening is nothing but a mess of ashy memories come morning. Come morning, there is no wood. I've met Jimmy. He's a honorable friend. He lives in a world where thank you notes and hand shakes are commonplace. A smile is always appreciated and a hug is never "too much" or "too soon." The Woodlawn Tap has hosted many folks over the years. From Mayors to Presidents and every dirtbag in between, there is nothing this bar has not seen. On a brief and personal note, as a college undergrad in the 1960s - far from my native Chicago - out in the endless cornfields of Iowa, I formed a group. Let's call it a club, the University called it a menace. Whatever it was, it prospered. This group "Friends of Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap" built quite the following until I was found to be embezzling funds and betraying my duties as club treasurer. I had a serious gambling problem at the time, many big bills in debt. The hole appeared to large had it not been for the trusting members of FOJWT. This led to my eventual transfer from the school. Soon after, I resigned in disgrace. However, much like Nixon, I did some good things along the way (China, anyone?). And Jimmy never forgot me. He never could.
(5)William R.
Decently priced beer. Haven't had the mixed drinks, but the atmosphere and ambience don't inspire confidence in the tenders' ability to make a cocktail. The cheese burgers are on a par with McDonald's, which makes them great if you've had a lot to drink, but I wouldn't have them otherwise.
(4)Eric S.
I met my fiance here. Saul Bellow drank here. But Jimmy's still kind of sucks. The pitchers are expensive, the food is terrible for you, and the back room smells like poop. Jimmy's is what happens when you have a near monopoly on bars. And that there monopoly is a big part of why I moved out of Hyde Park.
(3)Suzanne E.
Some things never change, except for modest improvements to the front windows. Jimmy's is an especially welcome feature of the neighborhood after the ruination of Harper Court and with the coming debacle at McMobil. Soaked in history but no longer fogged by cigarette smoke, with interesting stuff to look at everywhere, and just enough light to read by and see your (overly meat-intensive) comfort food and stare into the depths of your drink. From Kingsley Amis's ghost story, The Green Man: "Jack stared into his drink, not what I would have called a very meaningful move on the part of somebody drinking what he was drinking, and said nothing." The unfortunate Jack was drinking his customary Campari and soda; I don't know whether Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap runs to that, but I had to share it. My own choices there have packed more meaning; e.g., they do an excellent Manhattan, and some years ago they branched out some in their wine options. In the 1980s a friend reported asking what kind of wine they had and being told, not unkindly, "red, white, and pink." I only wish the only vegan option was not their highly addictive French fries.
(5)Erica N.
Rude bartender. Not a fan.
(1)Jason H.
Ever wanted to visit a bar that's divey but filled with majority students and professors? Yea, me neither. But Jimmy's is pretty much a staple in Hyde Park. One, for the loyalty of it's University of Chicago student population and two, because it has no clear/popular competitor within a 1-mile radius. If you want divey, traditional and casual Jimmy's Woodlawn is your spot. Even though the bar food taste like it was cooked with strip club heat lamps, the drinks are pretty strong and moderately priced and the staff is very nice and welcoming. No one comes here for the food though.They come for the whiskey, beer and college population atmosphere! The only thing you need take away from this review is to "Keep your expectations extremely f*ckin LOW and your alcohol tolerance extremely f*ckin HIGH!"
(4)John K.
ON a weeknight: 5 stars. Weekend night: 1 star. Having been a few times recently on a Friday night, I've had to take away one star for every 30 douche bags at the bar. Loud, obnoxious, and nowhere near cute. Get out of my bar, you U of C hipster wannabees! Let me eat my delicious grilled cheese sandwich in peace!
(3)Pete R.
Nothing special for most tap connoisseurs, but the mandatory basics like Guiness and Bass are there. First place we've seen in a while that actually has Leinie's Red on tap - which holds a special place in our hearts as our first real foray into craft beer way back when. The place was filled with older Mount Carmel alum spewing coach speak and teasing jabs over alternative pop tunes this Saturday afternoon. Although we didn't eat this time, we saw some of the sandwich orders come out and all looked and smelled adequate, in part because of the modest list of mostly 'Chicago-style' sandwich/appetizer choices available. Impressive, the dirt cheap prices (nearby college students must love it) and the high praise from plaques on the wall including Zagat and TripAdvisor, although MetroMix apparently said it best.... great 'Low Key Bar'.
(3)Marnie R.
Jimmy's, or as the sign out front says, the Woodlawn Tap, is a very spiritual place, and has been a great neighborhood bar all of my life. And I do mean all of my life; my earliest memories include staring out my bedroom window at Rockefeller Chapel. While the building I was living in has been knocked down and replaced Twice!!!, Jimmy's is still there. My dad worked on his PhD. at the U of C, and much later on I went to the Lutheran School of Theology for my masters, and came back and got my DMin. degree at one of the other seminaries. So the place wasn't just full of U of C students and professors, it was also overflowing with theologians, pastors, neighbors, lawyers, doctors from the hospital, and everyone else you can imagine. It was kind of weird for me as a young adult because I never knew when one of my parents or brothers might walk in, or the janitor from St. Thomas Apostle, across the street, where I had gone to school. Before I started seminary you could count on my best friend and I being there a couple of nights a week -- and like everyone else I know, we met a lot of guys. It doesn't fit the place, but one night we had the pleasure of allowing a couple of construction workers pick up the tab for a few hours. One guy bet the other guy he wouldn't toss down one of those "game" drinks. The first guy had his and rushed to the John to improve his health. The next guy followed, but he did a better job of keeping his act together by making sure that the bathroom door was open and the seat was up, before he gulped down a shot of cheap whiskey, followed by cheap wine, with another shot of whiskey closing the deal. He made it in time -- in time to watch me follow their example, except for the fact that I never needed to leave the table. Unlike what some folks have said, I believe Jimmy's has great bartenders. Back in those same years, a couple of guys had invited themselves over to the table my friend were sharing. After a while they were no longer charming and delightful, or at all cute and funny -- and they were very intimidating. One of the bartenders who knew us had evidently been keeping an eye on us. He quietly came out from behind the bar, nodded at the gentlemen at our table as he pulled up a chair next to me, and pulling me just a little close as he put his arm around my shoulder, he leaned towards them and almost in a whisper said: "This is my wife you are sitting with. Please be careful what you say to her. You see, she is pregnant with our first child." I don't know what direction they went because they were now somewhere in another world. Jimmy's is a neighborhood place where all are welcome, as long as they are neighborly. I have enjoyed the company classmates, people I grew up with, as well as folks like Rev. Dr. Joseph Sittler, Dr. Mercia Eliade, and so many other well known scholars there. The U. of C. Provost used to take his little boys there after church while their mother was in choir rehearsal. That was so way back when that he recently retired as the president of Carthage College, and those two young men are long out of the nest. On a Sunday morning you were also likely to run into two elderly ladies from Sweden, who were also members of the church, and are now enjoying all the lutefisk they want in paradise. Yes, you also go to Jimmy's for beer, and the rule is the professor you are with always buys the first round Most of us are attracted to the place because of the great company you will share. ...but let's not forget the food! The Reuben sandwich is still just as good as it was 40+ years ago, as well as the fries, the burgers, and grilled cheese sandwiches. For me it is still the family bar, and when my siblings come to visit from the west coast and east coast, one of the things under the must column of the to do list is to visit Jimmy's. Even so, things change. I took my daughter down to Hyde Park for a hearing on the situation between Palestine and Israel, and being a good mother, it was a "must" that I take her to the family bar, especially since a good Reuben is her favorite sandwich. It being the middle of a Saturday afternoon, the bar was empty. The one lone bartender kept staring at us. I figured he wanted to make sure my then under aged daughter would not be drinking. We ordered Reubens and coke. He stared. We talked seriously and we laughed. He stared. I asked about the new owners, who had been my classmates in grammar school. He stared. We left and it wasn't until we were almost back in Oak Park that I finally figured out why he was staring at us. Because the event we had gone to Hyde Park to attend was interfaith, I was wearing my clerical shirt. He must have been wondering why a pastor would bring her daughter into a bar. I guess because a lot of other pastors in clerical collars knew where to find a good sandwich and a cold one, and I was just following their good example, because they had taught me well. Jimmy's: a Reformation Tradition!
(5)Laura A.
Ugh, words cannot express my views on Jimmy's. literally THE ONLY reason I have ever gone there is because The Pub closes randomly for like 3 weeks in August (side note -- if you are some how affiliated with the University so you can go to The Pub DEFINITELY go there instead of Jimmy's...better, beer, better food, take credit cards, the people who work there are nice...everything about The Pub is better). and before you get on me about not liking Jimmy's like, "oh, but it's a dive bar, what did you expect?" it's not like I am really fancy or have super high expectations, I actually really like The Pub and it is far from the best bar in Chicago. Dive bars are fine, but Jimmy's is smelly, the food is awful (although reasonably priced), and their beer selection is worse. maybe you have to be a pretentious snob of a "scholar" for the irony of Jimmy's to be so awesome that you actually like going there. also many of the employees are pleasant but the one bartender (shaved head, glasses) is a TOTAL DICK.
(1)L B.
Even though I went to school here, yesterday was the first time I ventured to Jimmy's, as an alumna. I have to say I was expecting worse! This place has potential. You do get that UofC feel, intelligentsia, bla bla bla, along with the sense of history/Hyde park/smell of old wood and memories. However- just like UofC, somehow something is missing/lacking. Maybe if one adds little more social context and content- like mike night Thursdays, bla bla bla- i mean the university is right there so much potential to extract from creativity and all they have is live music on Sundays ??? in that cool back room with a perfect stage. I mean, come on. There could be more content going on there even for a university + Hyde park dive bar.
(4)Candice G.
Perfect. Little. DiveBar It's hard to express why in writing because I find myself remembering the packed to the brim first room, the dirty tables in the unlit 2nd room, and the feet smell of the hotter than Puerto Rico third room but trust me, even with those things, "Jimmy's" is still muy bueno and 5 star worthy. Trust me, I'm a doctor. They have a great, and I mean GREAT beer selection, including Fat Tire, Alpha King, and Gumballhead, the music is tops, the bartenders are HOT!, and the patrons are just a bunch of rockin' Joes. AND I even met another neon orange haired girl there sooo there you have it. A bar where neon oranged hair people can live in harmony. Oh, and there's a game room... and I'm a sucker for a game room. See you soon, Jimmy's!
(5)Blake B.
Not sure why the great reviews. Staff was rude and ignorant. Cheap yes, great no! Free parking was the best thing about the experience. No one greeted or explained we must order at bar... Just starred at us... Lady at bar, total snob. Ordered Reuben with extra sauce... We don't serve sauce on it, what comes on it? Everything.... Really customers enjoy this? Large fry was enough for three though...
(1)Heather S.
Before I came to Chicago I needed to know possible places I could hang out at while my friend was busy with class. Perusing the Hyde Park area on Yelp I quickly came across Jimmy's Woodlawn. I recall sending a text that said something like, "Oh, good I found a bar - it looks like my kind of place. Thanks Yelp for helping me find a home anywhere I am." Little did I know that Jimmy's is everyone's kind of place. Full of students & professors from the U of C and various other University's/Seminary's in the area - Jimmy's was even kind of crowded late on a Wednesday night. Cheap pitchers, bar food, and plenty of seating... I can see why this is a neighborhood favorite. Jimmy's definitely had that divey appeal. It was a perfect low-key spot to enjoy a beer & a pleasant conversation. I'm glad I had the chance to check it out while in town.
(4)Rona H.
This is a great place. They have multiple rooms that are very dark. One room can be used exclusively when musicians perform, and another one can be used for sports viewing. This is the quintessential University of Chicago hangout besides the Pub. The bartenders are friendly, and the prices are great. It's not the cleanest place, but that's part of it's charm. Lots of fond memories here :)
(5)Danielle D.
Jimmy's is a Hyde Park treasure. It's a great place to meet up with friends and chill. I often find myself ordering more food than I do drinks. Jimmy's does have a good selection of tap (my choices are Fat Tire and Guinness), but they do an amazing signature grilled cheese ($2.25) and the standard tasty fries. It really hits the spot! (Note: Jimmy's does brunch on the weekends. Not recommended. Better off going to Valois or Original Pancake House instead).
(4)Ryan O.
Apparently this place used to have almost toxic levels of smoke in the air, but nowadays it just has the normal dive-bar vibe. A classic Hyde Park/UChicago institution, the Woodlawn Tap (or Jimmy's as it's more commonly called) is a popular student hangout but draws professors and other neighborhood folk too. Solid beer selection, a great grilled cheese, and familiar, friendly faces behind the bar.
(3)Erin B.
Solid Dive Bar. The bar is huge, and has an eclectic group of patrons that come in to hang out here. I came here for lunch (one of my colleagues owed me lunch!) and let me tell you...this is the most perfect place to come when you're nursing a hang over! Love it! The bartender was nice, and he gets bonus points for having a 'Hawk hat on that I wanted! I'll be back when I'm in the hood!
(4)Anne S.
What Hyde Parker doesn't like Jimmy's? Any day of the week that you feel like having a drink and hanging out with your friends, this is the place. I can walk home and I always run into people I know! Drinks are strong and cheap, which is the best combination! The cheeseburgers and fries are so so good. Even after having a huge dinner I find it hard to resist one of their cheeseburgers to go with my whiskey and ginger-ale!
(5)Ashley C.
This place isn't five star dining, usually dark and packed to the brim with people...it's a typical pub. The staff is friendly, the drinks aren't bad and the prices are just right, considering the clientele of this place. I've had a few meals there, in a dark corner, usually with a guy after a concert, night out or event...and while the food wasn't memorable, the fries are little bits of potato heaven. As long as they are fresh. If you get not fresh fries, you will miss out on the magic that is Jimmy's...um, I mean Woodlawn Tap. So make sure you get fresh french fries. I've had burgers here too, that were consistently OK. Not finger licking, but if you're drunk enough, it'll take the edge off the hunger pangs going on in your belly. Served with melted cheese on a toasted bun, it's warm and somewhat juicy. Just make sure to not order it over medium. If you do, like my friend did, you will end up picking at a piece of beef looking leather. I usually hang in the room that is meant for the musicians, and when it's not loud full of music pumping, it's just quiet enough to actually hear the other person. When the music is pumping, make sure to take notice of all the friendly patrons. People here don't start mess, they are just out to have a good time. You come to Woodlawn because you're in the area and are turned off by the wanna be kara-chokey at Bar Louie, don't want to sit at Starbucks and The Cove is too scuzzy for you. You come here because you want good drinks, good music, good company and a good time. But you stay for the GREAT fries.
(4)Chuck M.
Do you remember that cheap dive bar near your college that was always busy and had good cheap food as well? To me, that is the Woodlawn Tap, or Jimmy's, as it is popularly known, in a nutshell. Jimmy's refers to a bartender who worked there for over fifty years. This place isn't super clean, and it doesn't try to be either, but the bartenders are quite efficient. The food menu is not fancy, but it's delicious. I recommend the cheeseburgers or the bratwurst. Beer selection is pretty decent, although I always feel like drinking PBR when I'm here - they have quite a few imports as well. Last word of advice - it's a cash only establishment - but if you come here without realizing it, they do have an ATM machine available inside.
(4)Douglas H.
This place is pretty okay. Although many reviews class the Woodlawn tap as a 'dive' bar, it seemed more of the 'hipster' ilk to me. That said, the distinction might not be so important. I was drunk enough upon entry that I have no complaints.
(4)Ziggy I.
A consistent (if unexciting) dive. Jimmy's is always what you remember, never exceeds or fails to meet expectations. Certainly not worth the trip if you don't live in Hyde Park. Sure, the beer on tap will occasionally be flat, but you drink it anyway without complaint. Sure, it's annoying that they don't take cards, but you put up with it. Sure, the French fries are nasty, but you still order them. You never plan to return; you just sorta end up at Jimmy's again, some time down the line. And it's the same old dump as the last time. And you feel fairly OK about that.
(3)Jay S.
On the fab yelper, Sabrina M.'s, recommendation, my husband & I went and parked ourselves in Woodlawn Tap for awhile during our visit. Yes, this IS your father's bar - indeed! There was a big party on the chirpy collegiate side of things that didn't seem to go with the bar...but other than that, the mellow & varied crowd was very nice. We sat at the bar in the corner room, next to a great old timer who would only nod at me and were served by a fantastic older man who - to my mind - is the definition of a dive hunk. He looked & carried himself like a retired fireman. Trim, self-assured - funny & no nonsense at the same time. The food was cheap and looked good, but we'd just had Army & Lou's - so we couldn't eat. A nice, stiff 7&7 was $5. Very good. This IS a true dive - you can see the layers of decor from the past decades colliding on each other, the smoked windows say 70's, an empty but cool vintage cigarette machine sits in another room, bathrooms that make you wanna hold it. You can tell the rooms have evolved, this is not a studied attempt at some "look". A must for those touring the finer dive bars of Chicago.
(4)Andy M.
This is an old dump in the University of Chicago area. They don't have many bars to choose from and this explains why this place has been around for a long time. For some reason it is listed as top bars in Chicago and I thinki it is just a Hyde park neighborhood token bar thrown in. The place is dark and dirty and really doesn't offer anything more than any suburban dive dump.The bartender was very unfriendly and there was not much to choose from on tap even though it is on the name of bar. A tleast they had Bloomington's beer nuts.
(2)Cassie S.
Jimmy's is not a nice bar. It's not a place to see and be seen (unless maybe you're a Hyde Parker and you're there around the holidays - then you'll run into lots of people you know). It is, however, a great chill place to meet up with friends - especially on a weeknight or during the summer. Weekends during the school year can get a little crowded with the U of C crowd. Also, one of the rooms is freezing in the winter! In sum: cheap bar food, cheap drinks - not really sure how they could go wrong. (note - this is a cash only place, and there's not a bank ATM nearby)
(4)Glen S.
Please don't come in here expecting to order anything except a whiskey shot and a beer chaser. This is your dive bar in the heart of Chicago. The food is a lot better than I was expecting and I'll tell you what, they don't hold back when you order a drink. If every bar could be like this, there would a lot less "jersey shore" type people in the world.
(4)Ermelinda C.
A whole in the wall, but one of the best neighborhood bars if you live in Hyde Park. The best part about Woodlawn Tap, aka Jimmy's, are the super cool and laid back bartenders as well as the fact that this is not a one-age only kind of bar: you really see students as well as faculty and passersby drop by - REFRESHING!!!!! Cold pitchers of beer are always coming and not too badly priced either.., even for a student.
(4)Val B.
Stopped in to Jimmy's for a quick bite with a friend who works in Hyde Park. Jimmy's isn't luxurious, but it's doing its schtick properly: cheap, cheap food (think $2.50 cheeseburgers), decently priced beer ($4.50), music loud but not too loud to have a conversation. This is no gourmet cheeseburger, but at $2.50 no one is expecting one. My burger was cooked crispy, with thoroughly melted cheese and a slightly toasted bun. My amiga said the buns are hit or miss - sometimes they're soft/regular, other times they're hockey pucks. We got the hit version and enjoyed our burgers. The fries were meh - a large is enough for several people to share, and we probably would have been happy splitting a small (but we're two relatively small girls). Fries were 'meh' because they weren't very salty and were almost over-fried - a little too dry and crunchy, quick to get cold and hard. [Insert "that's what she said" joke?] Since I go to school in HP, I'll surely be back to the Woodlawn Tap someday in the near future. I won't complain.
(4)Cerene P.
Kool Beans! My job is moving to the loop so my department decided to have one last after work get together before the BIG MOVE :) I wasn't too thrilled about the whole thing at first, but I decided to be positive and give this shindig a try. And to my surprise, I (WE) had a BLAST!!!! The parking is sparse, but what else is new. They reserved a nice sized room for us in the back that had a little opening with a connection to the bar so whenever we needed anything we would flick a light switch and someone would come and take our drink orders. How cool is that! We did get a little carried away with flicking the switch but hey it was a good time and the bartender was making mad loot. Overall a good time was had by all.
(3)Tamara G.
When I think about it, a lot of my life has gone down at Jimmy's. It is many things to many people, and it should be a destination if you want to understand the neighborhood (but that's another question). I never had the vaunted long, philosophical conversations with professors that the U of C guides like to tout. But there is definitely a good thing going on here--more so than the Ida Noyes pub, Jimmy's gives you the feeling of being able to shed your various academic identities and just be a part of the community. Isn't that what a good neighborhood bar should do? Jimmy's is like a dive bar with a PhD. If they're serving Fat Tire and Three Floyds, then they've upgraded since my undergrad days. Still, gin gimlet and Jameson on the rocks are my drinks here--something in the vibe demands liquor.
(4)Rachel F.
If you're looking up reviews of Jimmy's on Yelp, it's probably not the right bar for you. It's true that it's a great dive bar - cheap, frequently quiet enough to talk, and full of people you might like to talk to - but really only if you live in the neighborhood or go to U of C. The smoking ban has made it a hundred times nicer, but still not a place that I would consider a "destination." The only right reasons to go there are because it's pretty much the only bar within five miles, or because almost everyone you know is already there on a Saturday night . . . which, in a sentence, begins to explain why I moved out of Hyde Park.
(3)Aurore L.
I feel bad. Awful. Horrible then. And most of all - terribly guilty. I went to Jimmy's (the former name of the place, and everybody keeps calling it that....if fun comes to die at U of C, it's not the case for habits) tonight. Alone. Well - with a friend. But without Reuben (my hubby for those of you who don't know that crucial piece of information) So far every time he suggested to go to the one and only bar in walking distance from our place I would just look at him. NO EFFING WAY, my eyes would say. HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU. Sounds horrible, right, like the perfect shrew who is emasculating her husband with a simple stare. But just wait a second. I am not a shrew, or a witch or a bitch. I am just an instructor at the university and would rather drive 20 miles than being seen drinking in front of her students. Call me old-fashioned if you want but really the thought is just repulsing to me. When Mary suggested for us to meet there tonight I was less than elated. But I agreed. And was pleasantly surprised. First thing: no student around. Just a lot of 40 something hanging out and drinking beers. Nice. I did meet someone I knew, but he offered me the Fat Tire I had just ordered. So I guess it's a good thing to go to a place where you are likely to find people you know..... Mea culpa...mea culpissima... It's cheap, clean, smoke free and close to home. I will probably be back, and enjoy the scenery. Hubby in tow.
(4)Jeanelle S.
To me, Jimmy's is what a dive bar should be. There are no frilly specialty cocktails. They don't have the most fully stocked bar. There's no slick decor. They don't take credit cards. There's no slick promotions or specials. There are few stilettos. It's just a great local haunt that gives a decently priced pint and a stiff drink. Their cheeseburgers are insanely greasy in the best way possible (I dream of them, no lie), and having been a Hyde Parker for the greater duration of my life, I'm almost always guaranteed to run into SOMEone I know. I guess you could kind of call it my own version of Cheer's. There's four fairly distinct sitting areas depending on what kind of atmosphere you're after. There's a jukebox and tunes from the bartenders' iPods. There are coat hooks and plentiful seating to eliminate the need for pretentious coat check. There's even a cigarette machine for those of you who smoke. (Though the smoking ban is one of the best things that happened to this place... You'd never be able to leave without smelling like an ashtray before. Now it's just good drinks and laughs and burgers and fries) It can get a little more obnoxious on the weekends when school's in session (and it becomes a bit overrun with the coeds escaping the place where fun goes to die), but all in all, I enjoy it. A lot. You get your bang for your buck, there's usually sports on the telly, and they have a cure to the certain hangover you'd have if you didn't indulge in their perfectly awesome cheeseburgers and fries. Jimmy's, I really don't know what I'd do without you...
(5)Barbara D.
Bad experience here...it was so crowded I couldn't find a seat, the crowd reminded me of a controlled frat house and the place was so darn smelly. No wonder my Hyde Park buddies and I do not frequent this place. Are there any other choices besides old Woodlawn tap or Lucky Strike in this area....? The only thing that makes this bar cool is that Bukowski use to visit it back in the day.
(1)William S.
People, I am a dive connoisseur. Jimmy's is tops. (no, I don't know anyone who actually calls this place Woodlawn Tap, but that's what I hear is written on their tax bill) You walk in here, you can get a meal's worth of fries and a bourbon double for $7. I don't need to say more, but I will. Jimmy's is a place for three kinds of people: folks like myself, the dive lovers, the unpretentious lovers of the joint (or its captive audience), and characters. You'll find all three in ready supply here, huddled between the black, glossy walls at wooden-veneered tables on lounge chairs over Fat Tire and Jimmy's superfine fries at the best, and Old Crow and a burger at the worst. The jukebox throbs, the TV babbles, and the whole place is humming with the muddling conversations of everyone else through the four rooms of the place. I've eaten filets with the mayor and drunk wine older than I am in places older than most of the city, and I'll come to Jimmy's in a heartbeat, spend $20, and stumble home full and happy. The bartenders can be curt, but are courteous, attentive, and efficient. The pours are generous. The food is pub food, but the fries are something I dream of in the early afternoons, in the waning hours of my workday. By now, you already know if this is the place for you. Get off your ass.
(5)Seth P.
A great neighborhood tap in a great neighborhood, full of all kinds of characters. Live bands in the back room on Sundays, no cover. Blues in the late afternoon, jazz in the evening. A little inside info -- the Woodlawn Tap is really known as Jimmy's. And the bar food (straight up hot sandwiches and fries) is good and cheap.
(5)Ashley R.
There's not a thing wrong with Jimmy's. The fact that no one calls it its actual name. The tasty and cheap food and drinks. The chill atmosphere and the fact that they always have the game on. It's a great place to relax--unassuming and fun. Plus the music isn't too loud, so you can actually talk!
(5)Teej T.
Any grad student can recognize a bar frequented by his peers. And it's usually a damn good one. Woodlawn Tap/Jimmy's is a fantastic dive bar with crusty local patrons, disaffected grad students, and the occasional deluded undergrad in a tight polo shirt (dude, you know who you are, and no one was impressed). The bartenders were both friendly. The older one very kindly pointed out that my card wasn't gonna cut it, but then nicely directed me to the ATM; the bartender with a fro was giving me serious fro-petition. Great stuff. They mix a nice jack and coke, and apparently the Miller Lite pitchers are cheap. Like my grad student friends. Sigh...
(4)Tish N.
All of my friends live in Hyde Park and we get drinks there often. I like the fact that it's just a nice place to get drinks. You don't have to get all dressed up to have a drink and burger with your friends. The burgers are straight to the point. Delicious and bad for you! The drinks are inexpensive and really good. The best dive bar in the world, I'm sure.
(5)Sabrina M.
So, you know, old-heads like me still call this place Jimmy's, and this place is just like home. This is a no-frills joint -- cash only and don't ask for some crazy kind of new-fangled martini. This IS your father's bar, and that's a good thing. Get a Manhattan, or a Rob Roy, or a vodka tonic with a twist. Jimmy's is a straight-no-chaser kind of joint and in the name of Saul Bellow, let's hope it stays that way!
(4)Allison E.
What can I saw about "Jimmy's" that hasn't already been said? I love this place. It's dark, It's sticky, It smells kinda strange. BUT the drinks are super cheap and the cheeseburgers rock my weekends. It's sometimes hard to find a place to sit/stand as it draws a lot of U of C students on the weekends. They also have live Jazz/blues on Sunday's. The folk are good. At least they are my type of people. Occasionally uppity in their perception of their own intellect and often kinda weird, but so am I, and I'll take a good conversations over a drunken dance party any day. Not everyone "gets" Jimmy's and it's definitely not for everyone. I don't find it to be populated by frat folk ever really. I mean it's Jimmy's, not John Barleycorn. Occasionally, I will see a blond in heels and a sparkly tank top looking very uncomfortable and wonder if she didn't get lost on her way to Lincoln Park. Overall, if you're casual, prefer conversation, and don't find mixing with the awkward smart kids, then this might be the place for you.
(5)Eva D.
As a University of Chicago alum, Jimmy's (aka Woodlawn Tap) holds an extra soft spot in my heart. It is the quintessential dive bar-- the gold standard in shady , hole-in-the-wall joints, if you will (old Sports Corner came close). Ok so to be honest, I don't drink beer. I'm not even sure I've ever had a drink at Jimmy's. But I can assure you, friends have enjoyed many a cheap pitcher there. Besides, it is about the atmosphere not the drinks. It's super chill and pretty much anything goes. And now 3-4 years into the smoking ban, you can actually see your friend sitting across from you. (All you U of C old-timers, did you even know they had pictures hanging on the wall? Neither did I until like 2008). My favorite Jimmy's story has to be when my friends and I brought a life-size cardboard cut-out of Cal Ripken Jr. there with us one random weeknight (not sure why--this is the sort of bizzaro/lame/awesome things we did as undergrads). No one gave us a hard time and we definitely got more than a few laughs (yeah, imagine that happening in Lincoln Park!). I recommend to any/all. Definitely worth a stop if you're ever in the neighborhood. A few college friends are back in the city for the summer, and a trip down there is a the top of our to-do list. Ps if you ever try the krautdog, lemme know how it is!!
(5)Sam L.
It was a nice atmosphere and not crowded, I will assume it was because it was Thanksgiving weekend. Drink was good and prices were reasonable!
(5)Natalie W.
Jimmy's is OK. Its really spread out, which is fine, but can feel lonely when there's no room in front and your small group of friends is relegated to an empty room in the back. I wish they had darts.
(3)Rich F.
Don't hate on Jimmy's! Okay so theres nothing special about it other than its the only bar in Hyde Park within a stone's throw of campus aside from the campus pub. It used to be really bad before the smoking bad, like hazardous bad and smoke generally doesn't bother me. But its better now. Also jazz on Sundays is phenomenal! The locals who come out are better than House of Blues/Kingston Mines and many other jazz bars. No there aren't any specials to speak of, but due to its strategic location this place doesn't need them for clientele. At least the drink prices are reasonable.
(5)Kris M.
Ohh Jimmy's. Anywhere I can go in a hoodie, ripped jeans and unwashed hair and STILL feel like I'm not one of the shadiest characters in the joint is fine by me. As others have said, it's not necessarily a "destination." It's the only bar within a mile or so, though, so it's convenient. And cheap. When I say cheap, I mean: last night my boyfriend and I ordered a Sam Adams draft, a whiskey (granted, it was Old Crow), and a large order of fries-- and it was $11.00. You can't beat that. I appreciate any laid-back sort of place without pretense, and Jimmy's defines that genre. Want to watch uptight intellectuals have a few too many and start shouting about Wordsworth? Head on down. Feel like chatting with a local regular who's always dressed like he came from the Y in 1955? Done. This place has character galore, a decent beer list, and cheap prices. Go be a part of something glorious. **One note: they don't take credit cards, but do have an ATM in the back. Save yourself the convenience fee and pay cash.
(4)Nicholas V.
What can I say...I'm a fan.
(4)Joe W.
This is my favorite bar in Chicago, since the Cove got rid of the jazz juke box and the piano. I grew up in Hyde Park when this was one of the only bars available. With more experience, I've come to appreciate it for its own virtues. Most bars are way too noisy and crowded, Jimmy's you can actually sit and have a long, satisfying conversation. What's more, the crowd is a wonderful collection of locals, lifers, oddballs and intellectuals. Now that Hyde Park is more famous than ever, this is a great venue to meet a cross-section of its citizens.
(5)Carole C.
This is a neighborhood bar that pours a healthy three finger drink at a bargain price. It doesn't take any credit/debit cards but if you are strapped they have conveniently added an ATM at the back of the bar. You don't see a lot of people getting little tropical drinks with umbrellas (don't think they have umbrellas) but you will see a lot of beer, boiler makers, and drinks on the rocks. Before you over do it, slow down and order some of the best french fries around...better than McDonalds! The burgers are good too...simple grilled burgers, nothing high end, but after a few of their three finger drinks you need some grease to lube you for the next round! It's dark, it's a kinda dive, it's roomy, service is quick, top shelf liquor is there and poured generously. It's smack in the middle of Hyde Park, next door to Starbucks if you need a doppio to sober up! Well worth a visit if you are tired of being ripped off for $17 martinis!
(4)Amanda Y.
A great dive bar in Hyde Park. When my husband lived in Hyde Park, we frequently hang out at Jimmy's. The bartenders are great and the drinks are reasonably priced. There were always a great mix of people and we can usually pick out the undergrads from the crowd. This is definitely one of the places we miss the most about not living in Hyde Park anymore...
(4)Mark W.
Great dive-bar with a college feel. Only thing missing is a pool table... Or darts
(3)Gene W.
The Woodlawn is a slightly above average bar made more attractive by the fact that there really isn't an epic destination for boozing in Hyde Park. Sometimes I like that fact, sometimes I don't. As with any business in the area, the Woodlawn attracts a pretty diverse crowd, and there in lies most of it's charm. The drinks are average price, the music isn't irritating, but doesn't stand out, and the service is a little lackluster. The back bar is a nice idea, but seems a little underwhelming. The bar does give off a relaxed vibe, which I like, and seems like it wouldn't be a bad place for one to achieve the status of regular. That being said, if you don't live in the area, it may only be worth the drive if your fiending for a "kraut dog".
(3)Kyle H.
Maybe I'm biased because I worked here for a year and had a great time. Or because I grew up in Hyde Park and after years as a kid watching my mom leave for Jimmy's on Friday nights I couldn't wait until I was 21 so I could finally go to Jimmy's too! (It's hard enough for kids whose mom isn't on a first name basis with every bartender and neighborhood regular to get in there underage!) But all I can say is this: Jimmy's is the greatest bar of all time. Sure, between the ages of 21 and 24 I went there at LEAST five nights a week after my closing shift at the Medici (we even had a "countdown til the Jim" sign that we would pin up at the beginning of every shift as a means of counting down the hours until we could finally post up at our favorite bar), and yeah, I definitely drank too much. But now that I've finally moved out of Hyde Park, there is nothing I miss more. Every time I go to Jimmy's now, which is once a month at the most, I sit down at the bar and everything just feels right. From the stool against the wall in the west room to the stools at the end in the east room to the five stools in the middle room (our own personal bar), any seat is a seat I feel at home in. A High Life from Justin, a Jameson on the rocks from Al, a dirty martini with three olives from TJ, a less-dirty martini with one olive from Vyto, a Fat Tire from Matt Martell or a perfect lemon drop martini or vodka gimlet from Matt Calhoun... I can never go wrong. Although I still wish they would've taken my idea to print out membership cards and become a private club so I could STILL SMOKE. ;-) I will never feel more at home in a bar as I do at the Jim. You may think that's unhealthy, but to me it's just home.
(5)Clare M.
This place is awesome. Saul Bellow drank there while a student and professor at U of C. Dylan Thomas would stop by when he was in town. If those two aren't enough to sell you on the quality of this establishment, you're not impress-able. Anyone affiliated with the u of c has been here and gives it high marks. Here's why: 1. Cheap beer 2. Decent selection 3. Good atmosphere 4. Good location. If you're from out of town and looking for an authentic Chicago experience, go to to Jimmy's. If you live in Hyde Park, go to Jimmy's. If you're over the meet-markets of the northside and overly trendy smoke and mirrors of downtown clubs, go to Jimmy's.
(5)Karolyn S.
Great people, great cheeseburgers, great bar.
(5)Melvin T.
I love that Justin fella on the bass on Sundays. He is just so . . . dreamy!
(5)Lindsey S.
I can't even begin to describe in words how much I absolutely detest this place. I loathe Jimmy's. I vehemently abhor it. I despise this cesspool of smoke, cheap alcohol and pretentious pseudo-intellectual conversations carried on by the most obnoxious and socially inept group of individuals I have ever encountered. I was forced to go to Jimmy's (aka Woodlawn Tap) numerous times during my year at the University of Chicago, primarily because it is one of only about three bars in Hyde Park, and pretty much the only one any students go to, but honestly, I would have just as soon stayed home, and I usually ended up sneaking out early. As far as I can see this place has no redeeming qualities. It is dark, dingy and most likely THE single most smoke-filled bar in all of Chicago. The drinks taste like crap and the food is totally grease-ridden. The service is inconsistent. Some of the people who work there are nice and some are assholes. I actually had a bartender tease me about where I went to undergrad! (Let's see...you're a bartender and I'm in grad school...yeah makes perfect sense). As for the patrons, I suppose my opinion of them is a reflection of my impression of U of C students in general: they are intelligent to a fault. Their focus on academics supersedes everything else in their lives to the point that they are incapable of carrying on a normal adult conversation without trying to one up each other with tales of professors they've worked with, schools they've studied at and theories they're working on. Even in a bar, a place where people come to have a drink and unwind, it was nearly impossible to come here without hearing the most pretentious and affected conversations known to man. I'm all for discussing intelligent topics, even when alcohol is involved, but seriously, give it a rest once in a while and don't make other people feel bad for wanting to talk about something other than Freud, Nietzsche or Kierkegaard.
(1)MsHydePark C.
This bar may not seem like much at first glance, but there is just something special about it. It's like Hyde Park's Cheers-- full of characters, endearingly gritty, with a good beer selection and cheap (and strong) cocktails. The crowd is always eclectic and never too college-y....whether you're a 20-something student, a middle-aged southsider, a non-university local, or an out-of-town visitor, you won't feel out of place.
(5)Andrea G.
Oh Jimmy's how I love thee, with your University of Chicago crest over the bar, seemingly endless pitchers, fantastic fries, and great staff. May you never accept credit cards (it's part of the feel, okay! thanks for adding the ATM!), and may you always open at 11 AM and play live Jazz on Sundays. I can't wait to come here for lunch the day I turn in my B.A.
(5)Matt S.
I don't know what happened to the other guy who worked there (I hope he was just having a night off or something, because I miss those Manhattans "the good way), but the guy there last night made the best I'd had since moving here from Boston. I told him that. Then I had two more.
(5)Hannah J.
I have a large soft spot in my heart for Jimmy's since I spent a large part of my last two years of college there. The bartenders are great and there is a large set of regulars that make the bar feel very homey. The food is the best kind of shitty dive food you can find anywhere. Small selection of cheap beers, but it all just contributes to the great dive atmosphere. I've missed Jimmy's since I moved away from Hyde Park!
(4)Emblem P.
I have mixed feelings about Jimmy's. On the one hand, I've had good times there with my University of Chicago friends. The staff is friendly, the grilled cheese sandwich always hits the spot, and the occasional live jazz night is a great addition to Hyde Park's limited cultural scene. On the other hand, my heart can't help sinking a bit as I walk into this monument to American segregation. The University is an island: a white stronghold in a predominantly black neighborhood, despite proclamations to the contrary, and despite the University's considerable recent investment in the community. Segregation is a phenomenon most prominently felt in the evening, when people shed their facades, kick back and relax with a few drinks. It's then that we want to get comfortable with "our kind." In our case, it seems that we students are not so comfortable with "neighborhood people." It gets worse. Jimmy's, in fact, exists today precisely due to the students' claiming it as their own space. The bar survived the urban renewal of Hyde Park in the 1950s, which demolished most of the neighborhood, because "several students who lived nearby wrote pleading letters to the Hyde Park Herald to act as an advocate for those who wanted to have 'just one place to get a beer.' While 55th Street did certainly have its share of bars (approximately 20 alone west of Woodlawn Avenue), others felt that the bars were only for 'the basest elements of our community.'" (Images of America: Hyde Park, Illinois. By Max Grinnell, 2001. p. 119). In other words, Jimmy's exists because of blatant classism, smacking of racism. What a sad emblem! I don't think the current ownership has that much to do with encouraging this, as it's the students who've decided, for more than half a century, to make Jimmy's their refuge. And I am surely overstating the case, because there are always a few neighborhood regulars, and it's not like any of the current students wrote those letters to the Hyde Park Herald, or even that all students did so back then! Furthermore, I definitely don't criticize anyone for wanting to go to a place where they have a good chance of bumping into their friends. That's not racism. All things considered, though, there are hard facts: Jimmy's ongoing purpose is segregation, to create a space within a space. You never see anything close to as many students in any of the other Hyde Park bars, excepting the campus Pub (gross!). And so it goes. A few blocks east on 55th is the Cove. No grilled cheese sandwiches, but just as friendly, more laid back, and more reflective of Hyde Park's diverse constitution. I'd rather drag my friends there.
(3)Kat W.
i absolutely LOVE that a lincoln park trixie despises Jimmy's. What more could I say? Only that I cried the day Jimmy died. May his dirty and smoke-filled bar and disabled toilets live on in his memory... and may I continue to find myself drunkenly wrestling football alumni in 55th street as I leave.
(5)Kevin N.
Oh my Mary dis place makes me recosme my yeers in Hyve Perk. I use live der until Obama begum famous. Don't gert me wrung, but he make it to famous place. But dis baar is very gut and have many beer. Only problem is sometime weird people from locale universe enter and are all weird. Too many men and ladies talk about physics. Only problem. Have one of the sandwerch mit core beef and sauerkrat. Mmm durmy durm!
(5)Heckle H.
I for one LOVE a good dive bar. You can always find a place to sit, drinks are cheap and the people-watching is plentiful. Sunday night's jazz jam is definitely something to experience. Uhm did I mention cheap drinks?! Cheap drinks.
(4)Violet T.
I never appreciated Jimmy's until I spent a summer at U of Illinois, where the bars are filled with overconfident frat boys buying you drinks, overprocessed blondes who drink until they drop, and jerks who won't take no for an answer. You don't have to put up with any of that crap at Jimmy's-- you just get your liquor and you drink it, and anything else that happens is up to you. Hooray!
(3)Justin S.
It's what happens when Alpha Delt's "Bar Night" Wednesday crowd grows up and turns 21. Avoid at all costs.
(1)J. N.
Woodlawn Tap seems to be hit or miss. I love the diversity in clientele and the overall barfly grittiness... The bartenders are never really that friendly with us and the place does smell something awful... (Possibly all the hot dogs, burgers, and grilled cheese being fried up in the back...?) Overall it's a dive bar - sometimes its lots of fun, sometimes it uncomfortable and not so fun.
(3)Matt D.
Anyplace that can get the U of C kids out of their funk is OK by me. Jimmy's place has probably saved lives, which is a miracle considering the establishment. Cheap food, cheap beer, and priceless people. I loved coming here when I lived in Hyde Park (not that choices were in abundance, but I'd have come here even if they were).
(4)thomas n.
Albert Einstein drank here. Enough said.
(5)John H.
This is a dive! It is supposed to be a dive. It does not pretend to be anything else!. Bar owners who want a degree in dive-ology come hear. The comments from others miss the point. Condemning this bar for its filthy kraut dogs or weak drinks is like saying the sears tower is just too tall. People at U Of C go there because they can. They think because they do it well, but they are not social butterflies as some would assume. They do not rap or bust-a-move on the dance floor. So why criticize them for enjoying a bar that accepts them in torn shorts and filthy T-shirts. When I went there in the seventies I though high fashion was my soiled underwear. I wore a suit when my dad came to take me out. Clothes were something like an after thought. So Jimmy's worked for me. I had more important things to think about like how I was going to pass my exams for classes I never attended. (Class attendance was optional in those years). This bar was the perfect place to go to contemplate the wasted life we were all embarking on. There is no happy hour. The best nights are the ones you don't go there. Outdoor seating is available on the curb by the fire station.
(5)Sarah H.
I heard once that the U of C Hospitals did a study of the air quality inside "Jimmy's" Woodlawn Tap and found it to be more contaminated than the air within one hundred feet of an erupting volcano. I haven't the slightest idea if this is actually true or can be factually substantiated, but my instincts are inclined to affirm this assessment. Jimmy's is a smoky, hazy, maze-y, dimly lit, brooding sort of bar where the intellectually moody and intense argue theology over pitchers of cheap beer and baskets of french fries - every air molecule in the place is laden with alcohol, grease, smoke, and grime. Which is only to say that those students with fresh and pink lungs and minds might find the atmosphere uncomfortable - graduate students, professors, and hardened locals will slip into Jimmy's like their favorite pair of work boots.. sure its dirty and worn in spots, but it still fits in all the right places and you can't quite bring yourself to give it up for something newer and of admittedly better quality. The drinks are reasonably priced, especially the beer when shared in pitchers among several friends. The food is also cheap, but due to some strange and unstudied scientific phenomenon, it cannot be consumed without at least 4 drinks already in the stomach to aid the digestion process. But, god forbid you run short on cash before you purchase your fourth drink, there is a friendly (and shockingly bright) ATM in the back corner of the front bar. The "scene" matches the black walls and heavy air - no rowdy and carefree undergraduates here, only the wise and heavy-hearted gather here to discuss politics, watch sports (although this is no sports bar), forget about life, and kill themselves slowly with the deliciously intoxicating mix of toxins found only within the walls of Jimmy's and those first hundred feet of an erupting volcano.
(3)Bill R.
Let's face it, if you're a U of C student, there aren't many options & this place carried me through undergrad.
(5)Gil N.
Hmm...after reading some of these reviews I'm starting to have second thoughts. I'm going to go with MY experiences at the Tap. It's dingy, definitely a dive. That being said, I've always enjoyed myself. The drinks are good, and they're cheap. I've seen different crowds everytime I've gone. From locals to students. They've had games on at times but I'll also been there with rock music playing. It's my favorite spot for a drink in Hyde Park. Granted I'm from the north side so everything the other reviews mentioned may be true, but if you're in the neighborhood and are comfortable in dives, check it out.
(4)Zach H.
It's the most popular bar in Hyde Park, so the fun and lively crowd of students, professors, and scattered locals make it worth going. The beer and liquor selection is average, as well as the prices. They do have good food that is pretty cheap however - a necessity after the third pitcher. They gotta do something about the decor though - black walls, industrial looking furnishings... it's not cozy to say the least. Open til 2am most nights.
(3)Katy H.
I love Jimmy's like whoa. I used to hate it because of the smoke, but now thanks to the new smoking ordinances it's an awesome place to hang out. It's full of dark corners and tables for groups of friends. The bathrooms are clean and plentiful, service is fast, and beer is cheap, since they're certainly not spending their profits on decor or advertisement... It only gets four stars because I actually prefer the Pub, because the food and beer are better, but Jimmy's is way closer to my apartment, and as far as public bars in Hyde Park, Jimmy's is where it's at. The food is greasy but delicious, the staff is not as obnoxious as a lot of these comments would have you believe, and the beer is tasty, with six or eight kinds on tap, including fat tire.
(4)Gloria E.
This is a great place to go for fun in Hyde Park! It's even noteworthy on Yahoo's trip planner. If you think this is just your average bar, you're wrong. There are many rooms to sit in with your friends and while they serve a few staples like fries and junk to eat with your beer, what you really come here for is the atmosphere. It's always a good time at Jimmy's! I never came here until this past summer, but I really wish I'd spent more time here in my first three years fo college. The only reason they lose a star is because they card hard, a little too hard if you ask me. I'm 21, and my ID is real, so I'm a little annoyed when the man at the door decides to look long and hard at my ID, then at me, then at my ID then at me and tells me it's almost expired and that i can't come in with it once it expires in a tone suggesting it's a hand-me-down ID. Obviously, this place is packed with a lot of college students, many who don't go home too often, if my FL ID's about to expire, chances are I'm waiting to get home and renew it.
(4)Meg O.
Heavy wood paneling and Hyde Park crazies sitting at the bar...ah, what isn't there to love about Jimmy's (I mean, really, who actually calls it 'The Woodlawn Tap')? As a member of the Chicago Chorale, one can usually find me there every Wednesday night. As a citizen of Hyde Park, it is one of my few local choices to grab a beer. Since The Cove is filled with even more Hyde Park crazies, Bar Louie is, well, too Bar Louie, and The Pub is super annoying on Trivia Night, most days it seems like Jimmy's is the only bar in Hyde Park. And for one's sole choice, it is pretty darn good. One can get pitchers of Leinenkugel's Red for a song, but they also make terrific bloody marys, slow gin fizzes, and Tom Collinses. The food is good too. The Kraut dog is a great fix for anyone who adores sauer kraut, the fries are crispy, and the bbq is moist and tangy. My group almost exclusively sits in the front middle room, a throwback to those old days when this was the non-smoking room. This is also the best room in which to have intimate conversations. Another thing I appreciate is that the bathroom is clean. I don't know why they no longer can serve Car Bombs, but that's not too big a deal. After all, we are in Hyde Park, not some ruckus frat party up on Clark...
(4)Johnny S.
This is a decent bar, but the blackened walls have to go.. itsnot cozy or welcoming. This place needs redecorating, perhaps some more UC memorabilia, or something of interest. Otherwise good service and fair prices. I just feel like I am in limbo when i visit here, unless there's a live Jazz show.
(3)Arjun C.
What a rank place, but this is a very central part of the University of Chicago experience, so I give it 5 stars. Mix of HP locals, undergrads and humanities grad students who tend to be anti-northside. Actually as deals go in Hyde PArk, the Pub at Ida Noyes on campus has a surprising number of amazing deals -- like a $7 pitcher of Sapporo. Have to be a member to get in though.
(5)