Horseshoe

looked up this place on Unilocal and it said it was open.
Just went by there last night and the place was closed. maybe it was an off night or what, but i dunno.

Just had the worst gyro of my life there, old dry and no onions!
Dead-​ass place, no music, like 8 people there … on a Friday night

Look! Another dive bar! Why yes. I’m definitely a fan.
A friend’s band played here, and me — true to form — showed up two hours late. True to form, they were still there. Yay! Bars that have live music, always a plus.
At some point, I let it slip that I had never enjoye. .. er. .. tried Malort. This sent my friend scurrying to the bar to get shots for the four of us at the table. And. .. bonus! Each Malort shot comes with a free Pabst Tall boy.
Well, Malort tastes like I puked, and then rinsed my mouth with black coffee and Nyquil. Maybe because I sipped it like a cordial, since I don’t do shots. Anyway, have I mentioned that it’s an acquired taste?
It was fun, though. Good owners, good times.

Good BBQ, Good rockabilly and country shows, Lone Star beer and a nice staff.

I was really pretty disappointed with this place.
I was expecting a country bar, with a country feel, and country music. Me and my wife stopped in on a Saturday night, and granted there was no show that night, but the fact that the bar tender was playing hipster indie music through their personal device was quite a drag. No juke box either, so you are at the mercy of whatever the staff finds satisfying, and if they don’t like country… well, its not a country bar anymore.
Nobody else was in the place, so we spent most of our time talking to her, and she was very nice, but I don’t think that she comprehended that this particular establishment wasn’t in Wicker Park.
Then, to add insult to injury, a couple more people came in that look like they got lost trying to find 6 corners, not to mention over half of the draught beers were tapped out.
That was enough.
On a positive note, they did have good food, so I gave them a couple of stars for that and the country décor.
If you are looking for a true country bar, and there is no band, this isn’t your place.

Good times with good BBQ sauce. The pulled pork was among the best I’ve ever had – they even toast the bun for you before dissolving said bun in succulent meat. The wings were delicious also and are a mere .25 cents on Wednesday. Their beers on tap (Harp, Blue Moon, Daisy Cutter, etc.) are 5 bucks with exception of a Bells beer which is $ 6.00.
Go but be warned it is loud on the weekends

Writing from the perspective of someone who has performed here, here are my (strong) impressions: terrible sound guy, flawed sound system (what was up with those effed up mics?), surly bartender/​possibly owner (why would you go into the service industry if you obviously hate talking to people?). Definitely not interested in ever coming back.

This is a total dive hangout, AWESOME. It used to be that they would have quarter beer nights on Tuesdays so that’s what kept me coming back every week. I’m not sure if that’s still the case, but when I used to go on Tuesdays the bar would be overflowing with college aged patrons carrying a tray full of beers for which they only paid $ 2.
Tables were extremely hard to come by and people were usually friendly enough to let you borrow a corner of their table to set down your tray of beers. Occasionally they would have a live band of some sort so that would be a bonus.
The bar is decorated with nostalgic beer cans and liquor bottles and is super dark and dingy looking. The menu is predominantly bar b que, though I rarely ever saw anyone eating. I did order a pulled pork sandwich once and I recall it being mediocre. I don’t think they bring in the crowds for the food, but for quarter beer nights it was a blast.

I am new to the city of Chicago and do not know of too many places yet. I went to this place last night because a friend invited me out for a free show. I did not try the food, but loved everything else about the place. First off, the place has free shows! What better way to meet people than a free show at a bar? They have $ 3 tall boy PBR’s… now with some of the places I have lived, this seems like a joke. I am used to paying $ 1 max for a tall boy. But this is Chicago, so it isn’t bad. The bar has a rustic feel to it, which I love. Everyone is really nice that was working. Finally, I don’t have to go all the way downtown to find a good place to hang out.
I am always in the market to learn about places worth checking out. I only know the people I work with in Zombie Army in the city right now.

I went there last night to see an Improv show and really was not sure what I was getting myself into when entering this «dive bar».
Anyway, my experience there was very good! They have friendly staff, good drink selections, great food, and pretty good prices. I had the house special, the Horseshoe, and while I have had better, it still was very good and much more affordable than most Horseshoes. Like I said, the bartender./server was very nice and helpful, but she was the only employee that I saw.
Still, I really haven’t been to a better «dive bar» that serves good drinks and food. I asked to see the menu and its pretty big for a bar.
I will go back because it was really fun!

This place is total hit or miss. I’ve only been there during Ribfest when it was packed because it was one place right by the stage and rain was occurring on and off. They have some great door size windows that open all the way to the sidewalk so I can imagine summer nights there could be really fun.
The other time I tried to take a friend there and it was closed on a friday night?
Finally I caught it on a good night when a band was playing from Nashville. I am from Kentucky so I really like bands that have a southern tinge to them and I had researched the particular band playing to make sure I liked them.
So I met a friend there and we caught two shows Adrian and the Fine Print as well as The Young Republic. Yeah both bands were awesome and this place has no cover! At the end of the night these particular bands went around and collected their own tips.
I think if this place kept up a facebook page to let people know when a good band was playing they might actually be able to get decent crowds to the appropriate shows. I felt like I really had to be proactive to find show listings. The best thing to do (if this venue doesn’t take a hint and get the word out) is to write down the dates from the flyers the bands have put up inside the bar when you’re in there.
I also really like the fact that they serve 3 PBR tall boys.

I really like this place, not only because it’s literally right around the corner from my house, but also because they’ve got good food and live music most nights.
It’s got a cool vibe too, basically a dimly lit dive bar with a Texas theme going on. You walk in, you have the stage to your left, at the front of the bar, (which might feature a punk-​rock band one night, then a country band the next). The bar area seats 10 people or so and they have good stuff on tap. They also have a few dinner tables/​booths in the back away from the stage if you’re mainly concerned with eating, and if you are, you’re in luck. They’ve got good ribs with a nice, smokey flavor. Good burgers and wings too, but I would definitely recommend the ribs if you’re going to order anything.
In summary, this is definitely my type of place. Local neighborhood dive-​bar that has live music most nights, good beer, and serves ribs? Oh, and it’s stumbling distance to my house? Check, check, check, and check. I like this place.

This is a good small venue for a show. The sound guy Ian hooked us up, and I was impressed with the acoustics.
It’s strictly BYOF (bring your own fans) because there was no foot traffic at all. There was a touring band from Denver last night (good stuff and nice kids) and if my band and our friends hadn’t hung around, they would have played to an empty house (well, except for the nice sound guy and the bartender).
There’s kind of a kitschy barn décor to the place — most prevalent in the bathrooms. They host karaōke on Wednesdays and a monthly songwriter showcase on third Fridays called Folk You.
We also had dinner before we played. They’ve got a fun drink special — $ 5 for a PBR tallboy plus a shot of whiskey. I didn’t partake, but that’s a good lil deal. They had serviceable versions of some yummy comfort foods like mac and cheese and collard greens. My husband had some brisket, too. (I don’t know what a brisket is. Is it a cow or a pig?) Either way, he liked it.
It’s a fun place. Strange that I never knew it was right in my own ‘hood before.

I literally fell into this place during a downpour at the rib fest. I was pleasantly surprised at the unique character of the place. Yes, everyone was drinking PBR, so I went with a Lone Star to be different. It was shit-​packed with loud revelers who were far too overserved. A lot of regulars who were a little rough around the edges, but we were having fun. I would like to return to try the BBQ which is reportedly excellent.

A place to go if you want a cheap can of PBR and a some good Texas BBQ or wings. I’ve been there quite a few times when I feel like avoiding the typical douche bars, where dudes are fist bumping. It’s a good starting place before a night of drinking. Pretty laid back atmosphere and the bands that play there have a range of styles.

what a fab little place. Good, stiff, and cheap drinks allow you to enjoy whatever comes on stage…
We were lucky enough to hear the Hooten Hallers. AMAZING! We loved them.

3.5 stars.
Some of the best little-​known BBQ in town, despite a few setbacks…
I’ve long had a sneaking suspicion that Horseshoe is a cover for some sort of illegal trafficking ring. Why? Their promotion is so bad that it could be considered counter-​promotion. Case in point: They have some of the best (and most unique) BBQ in the city, yet they fail to pop-​up on anyone’s list of top BBQ joints– instead they seem to be content being seen as a Texas rockabilly bar serving cheap Pabst when the real highlight of this place is not the kitschy, overdone bar environment, but the food. Also, their food and drink specials change so often and with such little press that it is impossible to know what to come for on what night. Because of this I, and I am guessing others, attend the place a lot less than I normally would. But let’s get to the food:
–The frito pie is amazing; a bowl of beanless brisket-​chili topped with fritos and cheese and served with corn muffins. The one complaint is that they try to get away with too-​fatty pieces of meat by hiding it in the chili. Lean up the brisket!
–The hot wings are fucking awesome. Some of the best around. I’ve ordered them three times, unfortunately the last time they came out room temperature. There seems to be someone in the kitchen who knows exactly how to prepare a dish, but does it on his own time…
–The BBQ sauce: Probably my favorite BBQ sauce in the city– they put two bottles (a spicy and a mild) on your table. This thick sauce is not as sugary as it is smoky, and it is full of a dark chile (ancho?) flavor and has a coarse (not syrupy) texture.
I could go without the overdone feaux-​Texasness of the place, but the bartenders are friendly, the drinks are reasonably priced, and the music is good (lots of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, etc.).
Usually dead on weeknights. Haven’t tried the main dishes because they are a little pricey for a cheap bargoer.

Strange circumstances and the great need for beer is what got me to finally check out the Horseshoe. This and a crappy time at Xippo down the street. Lucky for us there was a country group on stage and they were just getting ready to start. I’m guessing they are local since a couple of their songs were about the Apache motel which is also on Lincoln a bit north of the Horseshoe. Funny that one of the song lines indicated that two hours is actually cheaper than purchasing just one. I’ll leave the other details to your imagination; the Apache motel is remembered for it’s nasty rooms, freaky deaky rates and in the past a hooker haven. Beer prices were just right and even though they offer decent beer there are plenty of people supporting shitty beer. Old style and PBR’s. for how long people? Before the band played there was a bevvy of lovely ladies, mostly two’s and threes, ages mid twenties and older. Then the band composed of older gentle dudes started and out went the cuties. Music was decent and overall we had a nice time. The bar is not a big place, so unless you are throwing a party and renting out some space, avoid taking a large crowd.

I had my birthday here in October and the staff was GREAT! Our numbers changed from 20 down to about 12 and then back up to about 30 (damn people who don’t RSVP on Facebook!)
They helped us set tables up, served our incoming guests in a timely fashion and made sure we had enough room, all on a busy Saturday night!
The music was great. I got ribs and they were GREAT! Also, +5 for having Lone Star.
I was missing Texas and the atmosphere + hospitality + music + food really gave me a great birthday away from home. Thanks Horseshoe!

*Snob Alert*
I miss the Horseshoe of four years ago. I miss Bluegrass Brunch even though I know it was nowhere near cost effective. I miss the rockabilly kids running amok. The dudes in bands, the scooterists, the blue collars. I don’t know what Horseshoe changed, but it’s a lot less cool now.
$ 3 PBR tallboys on the weekends, decently-​priced food, good brisket and great bbq sauces (hot and sweet, thick and thin). My ¼lb cheapo burger was said to come with fries via the menu but when I was asked for a side, turns out, that side was in place of them. So I ordered fries separately. Bah.
Nice staff, Lacking in the details. It’s just ok. Bring back Bluegrass Brunch and then we’ll talk.