The Levee

I had an awkward time here. I wanted to love this bar so badly. The ambience is perfectly kitsch. I love all the shiny glitter, lights, and nick-​nacks. My problems were more practical in nature. The bartender seemed drunk and was bitter, ignorant of beer, and careless.
There is no draught beer. The can of beer he managed to scrounge up for me, he couldn’t describe the flavor of. The can was dirty or rusty when I received it. Revolution was the only beer they had in cans that was (IMHO) drinkable. It would be easy to stock up on some more rare and interesting brews.
And then he was too present, lamenting the many types of flavored vodka on the market now, among other things. I don’t want to be mean, but it was not fun and I will not be back.

Love The Levee. We go there often. Warren, the owner, couldn’t be more nicer. The bar with the windy brass edge is so cool. They have another room in the back that is used for private parties. The bar continues on to the back room which is pretty cool. I totally recommend it!

****************HAPPY 200^th REVIEW*******************
I came here for a friend’s baby shower. The food was catered (by her mom, amazing delicious Puerto Rican Food, felt as if I were back in PR) open bar, good music, the place is very spacious. It is ample parking around the facility. I would come back or maybe even have a party here myself.

«How did you end up here with two such gorgeous women?»
How can you not love a place where a man is capable of calling you gorgeous without being crass about it, even if the man in question is pushing seventy? After that charming introduction, he went on to regale us with tales of his wife (also a librarian like myself and my female friend, obviously this man has a type), his eleventy billion boats and his grandchildren. Typical bar conversation, to be sure, but the gorgeous deco bar and obvious history the place is steeped in elevated this simple interaction into a sort of tipsy poetry.
Further, how could I not love a bar where the patrons continually make me laugh until I snort? («Oh, that laugh! Marry me, please!» «Isn’t one librarian wife enough?» «Yeah, you’re probably right.») For a introverted misanthrope, there’s nothing more hard to find or sought after than a refuge where I can think, for even a little while, that this whole human race thing ain’t so bad.

This might be the perfect place to wear the $ 8 coonskin cap I bought at a truck stop in Iowa back in March.
I’ve long admired the bold and rugged spirit of the Great American Frontiersman, the type who moved west to the Rockies during an age when someone who wanted attention would simply shoot their pistol in the air– even in an indoor setting. Aside from using my plastic gold to buy a cowboy hat and a snap button shirt from Alcala (and later the aforementioned coonskin), I’ve never emulated anything close to, say, the 28-​month trek of Lewis and Clark. But in this Age of the Short Attention Span and Even Shorter Walking Strides, going just a few blocks west of all the Logan Square madness to find a quieter place feels like a big adventure.
Despite the westicity of the place, the ceiling is not riddled with bullet holes, and aside from a solidly blue collar clientele this is not what I’d call a dive. In fact it’s truly classy– on par with the Clipper, even, if much forgotten in the decades since this was the property of a successful showbiz star. The highlight is the winding brass rail along the wildly curvaceous barfront. It’s amazing how many rascals you can look in the eye (and everybody’s a rascal here, though of the friendly kind) and converse with at this bar, the counterpoint of the antisocial American-​style flat bar. And then there’s the sprawling back room, adorned with farm implements and featuring a pool table and darts. If you look hard enough (or drink hard enough?), I swear you’ll even find a full height basketball hoop inside what looks to be just a closet.
Between farming, shooting pool, making eye contact with strangers, and playing some basketball, I can’t think of anything else I could possibly want from a bar.

I went to the Levee ¹⁰⁄₁₅!
My friend Erica’s birthday, her boyfriends band was playing blues and they are AMAZING…
At first glance I thought… I’ve seen this place a million times… never. thought to walk in ever.
Will I be back HELL YES. Is it a Dive bar? ONLY THE BEST CLASSIC KIND! not in a cheap way but in a… we’ve been here forever and we had a lot of stuff. They were decorated for Halloween and it was SPOOKTACULAR! (corny but true) THEY HAVE A BIG PARTY ROOM where I resent not having my birthday there… but it’s PERFECT… and they have a jukebox.
I definitely recommend this place!

A great place to relax and watch sports or to hang out with your friends. Great staff, great jukebox and reasonably priced drinks. Plus, the stools in the front bar are the most comfortable ones in the known universe.
Bonus, if you ask politely they will put the Sox game on for you.

A great working class neighborhood Chicago bar. Friendly, no problems, not a meat market. Fantastic place to go if you want a drink and good conversation!

We went here for a friend’s birthday party and had a GREAT time watching the live band, drinking cheap drinks, playing darts, and dancing. The place is large with a big main room with a full bar and then a side room with bar games, more tables, and live music.
Everyone was very friendly and I can imagine feeling welcome there with a small group or a big party. Stop by if you’re in the area!

This is the perfect bar if you just want to relax and have a drink. The place is always filled with good people. The staff are very friendly. Tons of extra room in the back, perfect for having your birthday party. And last time I was there they just got a ping pong table. So it basically just keeps getting better. As a matter of fact, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place.

Good old working class Chicago bar. Baseball (probably the cubs unfortunately) on the tube, pool in the back. Classic Chicago tavern.