Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar

This place is so great, I’m bummed I don’t live in the city anymore.
The front room is a liquor store, so you can grab tasty drinks for later, and the bar is in the back – huge draft list, awesome cocktails, cool bartenders. They don’t serve food, SO I highly recommend ordering food at Pleasant House Bakery next door, and then eating it at Maria’s. Truly the best of both worlds.

Was excited to check out Maria’s after reading so much about it in a variety of Chicago publications. I was headed down to Bridgeport for a Christmas party and figured it was a great time to go!
Maria’s is a combination liquor store/​bar, or what they call a «Slashie» in Chicago. The liquor store is in front, and they have a great selection of craft beers and other spirits. Head through the door on the left and you’ll find the bar. They have a good variety of beers on tap and hundreds more available in cans/​bottles. Plenty of liquors to choose from as well in addition to some cocktails on tap too.
There’s a handful of tables in the back and some space by the bar itself, but overall it’s pretty small. I can imagine there’s a bit of a bottleneck when the place gets crowded. They have a bunch of board games available which is pretty awesome! There were some good jams playing the night we went; someone’s Mac was controlling the playlist.
Maria’s should definitely be on your Chicago bar bucket list. It’s quite different from most bars in the city and is worth the trip to Bridgeport to check it out!

they said get a bottle of malort… it’d be fun they said.
it’d be good they said… it’d be fun they said…
SHIIIIIZZZZZ only in chicago! this place is pretty cool though liqqy store in front — bar in back.

HUGE selection of beers, Fun environment. Enormous selection of bourbons and other fine spirits. Great place.

Maria’s is… fine, or as my three stars say, A-​OK. It has what you’re looking for in a bar: a solid list of beers on tap, knowledgeable bartenders, and a comfortable space to hang out for a while. That being said, I’m not sure that it’s worth all the hype! When it’s crowded, it can take forever to get a drink, and it’s certainly a bit dingy (especially the bathroom). I wouldn’t make a special trip here, but it’s a popular place with my coworkers, so I’ll come for the company more than the space itself.

I don’t remember the name of the drink I had (twice), but there was tea in it and it was amazing.

I swear I wanted to like this place and give it more stars. I really did. Coming in, I had high expectations, and perhaps that’s why I was underwhelmed. Esquire’s Best Bars in America. Timeout Chicago. Thrillist. Unilocal.Chicago Reader. You name it, they’ve loved this little gem as one of the best bars in the city of Chicago!
Reality check: it isn’t the best bar in Chicago. It isn’t close. It might be the best bar in Bridgeport, but really, who are they competing with?
Let’s begin with the service. Disclaimer: the owner up front is very sweet and welcoming and maybe had I gone in to purchase booze my experience would have been better. But the bartenders were disinterested in my date and me. Perhaps if my appearance had been more shabby and «hipster,» I would have garnered their attention throughout my evening when I needed a refill. The Marz beer I tried was original and creative, but it didn’t taste very good. Obscurity only goes so far if the beer isn’t tasty. My next drink, the Moscow Mule, running a cheap $ 7, tasted like a typical $ 7 Moscow Mule from River North or West Loop (trendy, overpriced neighborhoods). Well vodka, not very much of it, and a cheap taste. Pass on all fronts.
In fact, pass moving forward in general. I don’t live near here and it is not worth the trek. If I make the trek again, I’ll be stopping into Duck Inn.

One of my friends celebrated his birthday at Maria’s and I was quite impressed by the great hipster atmosphere this bar features. Not only that we had the time of our lives, but we also got the chance to drink some amazing cocktails. The bartenders surely love their job because they were pretty involved in what they were doing and the results spoke for themselves. The Heisenberg cocktail made me fall in love with this place, and when I tasted the sandwich I had ordered I knew that I would return to this bar as soon as possible.
The following day I went to Maria’s with my friends who were craving for a cold beer. We had a hard time choosing from the wide range of beer types featured in the menu, but this was certainly a sign that Maria’s bar is designed to suit every customer’s tastes.
If you decide to give this bar a chance, don’t forget to check out the patio. Its décor is so laid back and cozy that will certainly charm you. Just imagine a perfect summer night talking with your loved ones in a unique patio while drinking some of the finest cocktails in Chicago or simply enjoying a cold beer. That’s what Maria’s will offer you.

I was first introduced to Maria’s a few years ago when my bestie took me to Pleasant House next door (OMG, Pleasant House! *droool*).
I wouldn’t even necessarily call Maria’s a «dive bar». The décor, while pretty basic, isn’t indicative of a dive bar. You have your bar stools and you have tables in the back. No frills.
They have loads of craft beer on top, not mention a plethora of bottles, and a damn well stocked liquor section.
In all the times I’ve been to Maria’s, all the bartenders have been really cool. There’s no arrogance. pretentious nor hipster attitudes at all. And I like that on nights it does get busy, you’ll find a good mix of people: neighborhood folks, young and old, hipsters, people from other parts of the city, etc.
I can’t say I’ve been there when they’ve played great music. It’s generally whatever random DJ Apple Laptop of the week. But that’s not to say it’s bad music that ruins someone’s night. Stuff you can generally tune out.
Really, just go here for the drinks. Beers, cocktails, conversations… seriously, all VERY good. And to chime in with others that have stated: best Old Fashioned in the city!

My girlfriend and I were looking for a place a little out of the way to go unnoticed and to bring our considerable Connect Four game. Maria’s caught our eye. The idea of a divey bar with cheap drinks seemed right for a Chicago Fall Saturday afternoon.
What we got was not what we expected, but in the best possible way. Less dive, more hipster; more craft brew, less bottom shelf; a little more iPhone, less Android. A wide variety of board games were attractive, but we stuck with C4. We bypassed the considerable beer list for the standard selection of whiskey. As a crowd slowly trickled in, most tables were occupied, yet it still maintained a quiet cozy feel, far from the roving bands of college football ball fans bar hopping the north side.
One surprise was the eager server from the bakery next door bringing in trays of hot pre-​ordered meat pies for the bar patrons. Evidently, they had been featured on Check Please the night before and were struggling to keep up with the demand for flakey-​crusted meat delicacies. They looked good and smelled better, and had we not binged on corn beef sandwiches earlier, we would have been in on that. Oh, and the man selling tamales out of a ziplock bag…
Four stars only because bar service was slow (but still attentive) due to the overflow crowd from the bakery.

Best Kept secret in the City.
My boyfriend will freak when he sees this review because he wants to keep it a secret.
The bartenders know their stuff. The draft list is great!
And the Old fashioned OMG.
I’ve had an Old fashioned in Australia, New Zealand, Paris, all over the states and in the City.
So Far this is the best Ive ever had.
Also Sunday-​thursday they have happy hour from 4 – 7 for draft cocktails for $ 5 that are pretty god damn delicious.

If only this bar were closer to my apartment and more accessible by el!
The bouncer was super nice to my friend who needed to charge her phone. The bartender took my question about a cocktail seriously. The drinks were delicious. The shots were filled to the brim. The music was not obnoxious. There are board games. There are nuts for drunchies. I’m so glad I finally got to go.
Make your Maria’s Manhattan Black (with Averna).

One of Chicago’s Hipster bars becoming mainstream. Came here on a Thursday night & it was surprisingly crowded. The bartenders were slow thus ruining the vibe. Was disappointed to here the patio area is under construction but the DJ always plays decent tunes so we just chilled at the bar. Always stocked with great craft brews and the only thing close to domestic is PBR. Ahh yes, that delicious hipster juice. The front of the place is a retail section that carries quality bevs as well, so dont get confused when u walk in. Simply enter thru the door to the left behind the counter. You’re welcome!

Ok, I get why this place has been featured on TV.
Great beers.
Great whiskey.
Excellent bartenders. NO! I will not call them mixologists. This is a bar. But they sure can mix some great cocktails from classics to trendy.
Random shitty beer for $ 2? Sure. Why not? I got a Hamms, could’ve been way worse.
Next time I have to remember to shop up front first, take purchases to car, then visit the bar in front so I don’t forget to purchase 3 Floyds to take back home. Or Pipeworks. Or Spiteful. Or, well, you get the point.

Saw this place on esquires best bars in America and it looked pretty cool. Located in the middle of nowhere, there’s just a coffee shop next door other then that not much. I came here after a whitesox game so it was close by. The place is behind a small liqour store. The bar is almost as small as the liqour store. It’s dark but has a nice speakeasy feel. The draft list was amazing, they obviously get exclusive craft beers. People around my table were playing connect 4 and other board games. There aren’t much tables or chairs. And the bathroom was prb one of the worst I have ever used, maybe the size of one on a airplane. If your a local this place is not bad, but there are a lot better options for craft beer if u live outside of Bridgeport! Might be one of Americas unique bars, not «best».

This was a treat after having dinner down the street. Walking in ii a liquor store with oodles of craft beers, interesting décor and Maria. we were all asked for ID’s and wen tot the bar in back. Great dive bar with plenty to offer. The bar seating is smaller but works, there are tables and they were full of patrons enjoying themselves. Good standard dive bar. Bartenders are on top of there game and not shy on the pours. Friendly and fun for everyone. Good mix of people.
However the best part was talking to Maria and enjoying her stories and just knowing this was one wild chick in her day. And well it is still her day. We all chatted about various things, took some pictures with her. We just plain out had a great evening and met a great lady. Dive bar, liquor store and good times. If your in the area this is a must stop. If your not you need to plan a stop.

I wanted to really love this place, based on the claim of 475+ bottles and drafts, but it fell a little short of amazing this past Saturday night. Props to Maria herself being in the front liquor store part checking IDs! Also enjoy that the front is a liquor store so you can continue the party at home! As mentioned in other reviews, there is no food served here, but there is a pot pie place close by if you’re feeling peckish enough to bring food in.
Close to 500 beers, and yet 3 times we managed to select a beer they were out of; almost comical by the time they go check and come back and tell you they don’t have it several times… makes me question the appearance of vast choice and extensive inventory vs actual availability and seemingly sparse stock for some of these brews. I understand it’s hard to keep a list that long current, but maybe you could list on the chalkboard things you know you don’t have and save people some time?
Mixed crowd, from the young hipsters to middle aged adults hanging around. The music was way, WAY too loud; you should be able to have a conversation with people at your table without screaming when you’re at a neighborhood bar. Blaring music is for dance clubs. And I’m under 30, so it’s definitely the bar’s volume issue. Take it down a notch and it would be great. I also wish they had more variety of ciders; Ace cider is my personal least favorite brand and what they mostly serve, tastes flat to me. They also have 2 flavors of Vander Mill, which I think is better.
I’ll definitely go back on a weeknight to check it out when it’s not prime-​time, and hope the volume and stock experience might be improved; the beer list is great even if they’re out of some kinds.

Adjectives: Neighborhood Find, good beer selection
Dish: steak and ale pie from next door, $ 2 shitty beer of the week
I really like this hole-​in-​the-​wall neighborhood find. There is a liquor store in the front, but you can’t drink purchases on the premises. Maria’s is completely focused on curating a great beer selection, at the expense of any other thing you are looking for in a bar. Sparse decoration, dark lighting, and a few board games are available, and thankfully there is not TV blaring. They don’t serve any food, but you can bring in food or get something from the wonderfully tasty Pleasant House bakery next door. (You can even order next door and get it delivered to Maria’s.)
There is a hipster, minimalist, community bar vibe to Maria’s that makes it great for a serious beer connoisseur with a good conversation. However, I find that the lack of food options and a limited liquor and wine menus are limitations to my enjoyment of Maria’s.

Went to Maria’s on Friday with pretty low expectations and walked away with plans to come back ASAP!
Maria’s has a liquor store up front where you can find a solid selection of local craft beers to take to go, or head on back to the community bar, where everyone can find something that suits their fancy — from the $ 2 mystery shot, $ 2 shitty beer (bartender’s choice) to an array of malort and ginger beer cocktails. I loved the mix of drinks available, the diversity of people in the bar (not just hipsters!), and the best part of the evening: delivery from Pleasant House Bakery next door for some steak and ale pie.
Only complaint was that they only had one bartender at 5pm on a Friday and the place was hoppin’. It took awhile to get our drinks, but it was worth the wait!

There’s Something About Maria!
Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar is a one-​stop shop located in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, IL. In the front is a tiny liquor store where you can buy booze to-​go & in the back is the «community bar» where locals in the neighborhood come to drink but has gained major popularity amongst hipsters & others from all-​around as the bar has been featured on various TV shows & in magazine articles.
Maria’s offers a gemload of beer, liquor & specialty drinks. Roll the dice & order a «$ 2 random shitty beer» could be a goody or could be, well shitty! Maria’s gets packed on the weekends & seating is sparse. There are only a few seats around the bar, a few tables & is mostly standing room only, but there’s an outside patio too.
FYI: Maria serves complimentary Korean-​Polish BBQ on Mondays! Don’t be cheap, leave a big tip!
The best part of Maria’s is Maria, the owner, who is a fellow Korean! She’s pint-​sized but mans the place & cards you when you enter the front in the package store. She’s the Korean boss of Bridgeport! I hope I have ½ the looks, spunk and spry she has at her age! The modest mama hugged me as I was leaving & said «I don’t know why the TV shows come here & shrugged & said I read about it in an article on an airplane magazine.»
Maria’s is one of my fave bars in Chicago.
There are no bells & whistles or bright, shiny lights at Maria’s. It’s just your down-​to-​earth, neighborhood bar that sells a ton of good beer & liquor but has a certain undeniable, eclectic charm. So stop in and have a drink with the coolest Korean in Chi-​town & see for yourself, there’s just something about Maria’s!