Carola’s Hansa Clipper

Love this place. Great beer and good people. Usually very low-​key, which is my style. But even when it gets hopping, it’s a great time. I always bring visitors from out of town here. Very much a neighborhood bar. Awesome bartenders. Go there. Now.

Stopped in here for a round of Würzburger Hofbräu recently, served in half liter dimpled mugs. The beer was fresh and tasted good, that’s usually all I need at a dive bar. Sure it’s dark and lacks the kitsch of the Brauhaus and Huettenbar, but it’s a nice place to escape and drink some quality German biers.
During the World Cup Germany game the crowd skewed younger, the Dead Kennedys played on the jukebox, and there was a general convivial atmosphere.
The décor was spartan, but not without some interesting old maps of Germany, flags, and fun stuff behind the bar. I’d return here again, it was a fun time.

Carola Hansa Clipper’s bathroom is dimly lit in a soothing kind of way. Though the doors are thin, the loud music in the bar will drown all but the worst sounds you’ll be making. On entering, you have the choice to use an old urinal if all you need is number 1. The dim lighting also gives it a relaxing, comfortable, and homey feel that is complemented by the non industrial toilet and the roll of paper towels for hand drying. The tile is pretty plain and the floors are a little dirty but the dim lighting masks it. I would say it lacks color but it fits with the feel of the bar. I personally enjoy the it though it lacks distinguishing features that would make it a grade A bathroom. Awkwardly placed sink, decent graffiti on the door, and tp a step or two above the worst. Lastly, I pity the fool who follows you in, as this enclosed space lacks a fan. B–
Favorite piece of graffiti: «Smoke school, stay in pot.»

It’s hard to believe a dive bar could still exist in the gentrified, breeder neighborhood ofLincoln Square, but it does. And I have an affection for it. Nothing special, but that’s kind of what’s special.

The Clipper is one of my favorite bars! I used to live down the block and stumbled across it with a friend during the Bears/​Packers playoff game. Awesome beers, fun jukebox and amazing bartenders! Always my go to place!

Really love this bar and have come to know and love the variety of bartenders that know how to take care of their regulars: Natalia, Alan, Davor, Christine, Danny, and the latest treat Tara who fills in as needed.
All the bartenders know how to get the crowd going whether it be Alan and Davor with their music, Natalia and Tara with their no nonsense comedy balanced with charm and care, Christine with her adorable charm and attention, or Danny with his knowledge.
They all bring something to the table and while regulars don’t need to Unilocal,I think I should to let sabotage reviewers ADDY and DHARMA F know that they don’t speak for anyone at Carolas Hansa Clipper but their sinister selves.
Come in join us… Captain Ahab, Jack, Uncle Patrick, Liam, Brian, Wine Guy Chris, Werner, Adam, and more… lots more!!!

My kinda bar!
There are so many personalities here between the different bartenders and customers that come in here. If you liked the tv show cheers, you will like The Clipper.
Plenty of sports on the screens and some really good beer. I enjoy dark beers and Herder is my favorite here.

I came here with a friend on Tuesday. It is tiny and it was, as expected, pretty desolate, but there is something charming about how small it is and how few people were there. The bar tender, Max, won my friend and I over with his mixed drinks and great conversation. He was all about making sure we had a good time. This is a no frills place, the drinks are to the point, but Max looked up the recipe to any drinks we requested that he did not know how to make. He told us that the owners are old school and only one bar tender works there at a time. This place is a total dive bar, in the best way possible. I will be back for sure.

I am a man and I come here to drink beer. It has changed a lot since I came here in the late 1990s and they had an old guy playing guitar in the corner and singing in German and playing a mix of goofy American pop hits from the 60s and 70s. In those days there were a lot more posters on the wall of German film directors and very a old German guy and old Greek guy clientele. The place has now trended to Baltic guys and girls and yet the place is as friendly as ever. It is still mainly a place for men to go and drink beer, and they have good German beer on tap as they always had.

I do not live in this neighborhood but a friend invited me one evening to catch up and have a drink. I was impressed with their beer list, is it extensive-​no. Is it elite-​no. But they do have German beer so if you aren’t too choosy stop here. The bartender was a sweetheart and knowledable about the beer selections. They have a jukebox. I am not sure if the selections available are awful or if the patrons are to blame for the awful music. I was having a decent time with my friends until an old German marine chasatised a friend of mine. I like my German beer but I’d rather avoid Nazi sympathizers. I’ll stay in Logan Square.

A place for the elite dirtbag edge of hipsterdom. Drunken people getting frisky with each other on the barstools, and a bartender who spends most of his time selecting crappy music from the jukebox (the kind where you don’t need to have a mullet to appreciate it, but it helps). The sound has that lovely combination of annoyingly loud and amazingly bad quality. If you don’t mind listening to bad music on blown-​out speakers wheezing and thumping at high volume, this is the place for you. Decent beer selection though.

Drunk friend calls me at midnight on a Thursday.
DF: Get out of bed and get over to Carola’s.
ME: Hell No. I’m in my pajamas.
DF: You have to get over here. You are never going to believe how drunk the bartender is. She can’t open the register, and she’s slurring and stumbling.
ME: I’ll be there in 5 minutes…
(5 minutes later, I walk up to the bar and witness Drunk Bartender still at the register)
ME: Hi, I’ll have a Spaten
DB: Shoots me this look as if to say, Can’t you see I’m busy? But gets me my beer.
DF: Yep, she’s been at the register since I called you.
DF and I proceed to have a good time with a few more beers. She never did get that damn register open. We threw down some $ 20’s and went home happy.

What a cool crappy little bar. They have some german beer, german posters, and … weird frozen drinks. Not sure why you’d get that here. It’s pretty small, and the bar tender was drinking behind the bar (always a good sign). Some great people watching as the majority of the people there seemed to be locals (read: drunks) and lifers. Unassuming, unpretentious, un-​full of annoying people.

Who knew that you could get frozen cocktails for $ 5 in this tiny little bar in Lincoln Square? After imbibing on about a pitcher of ‘em, I do now. And, the Monday night bartender actually loves making them! Sigh… my hangover was totally his idea ;)
They serve huge steins of German beer that, for some reason, pair perfectly with some Johnny Cash on the jukebox.
This watering hole may just be the most divey of the bars in this neighborhood, but I for one really dig its quaint atmosphere with outdated, ugly wood paneling and random décor strewn about with neither rhyme nor reason. This bar has its group of dedicated regulars, and don’t be surprised if one of them buys you and your friends a round as they did for my group! Behold: the generosity of strangers at the Hansa Clipper.

Was in the neighborhood looking it over as a place to live and loved it! If I lived in Lincoln Square THIS would be my hangout. Genuine, sweet patrons and waitstaff and of course great German pours! A place my Irish grandparents would have loved! Think: Moose Lodge meets a sweet neighborhood bar … great, great place.
Hope you will be my new neighborhood bar soon in my new neighborhood, Sweet Carola’s. Cheers!

This bar is awful. The wood paneling is creepy. The atmosphere is creepy. The music, particularly the live music, is dreadful. The beer list would have to be, like, unbelievably amazing to make up for all the other things I don’t like about this place. It isn’t. It’s not even the best bar in the area for drinking ’til your dead – that would be ricochet’s, or that one place by the rockwell stop that may or may not have a name.
I don’t understand why people go here. There are at least ten bars within 4 blocks of this place. Go to one of them instead.

Hansa Clipper, you have made a few more fans. Three more, to be exact.
I wandered in around midnight with two girlfriends, intent on improving my skills around men… because, Unilocal,I am hopeless. I freeze, I stammer, I forget to make eye contact. In a word, I become my HS freshman self all over again. But, Melanie V. and our resident troublemaker friend, Pok, were on the case. All we needed was a bar with a good collection of men to chat up, yummy beer, and some seats.
Since we were in the hood for some good KBBQ at Woo Chon, the ladies suggested Atlantic as a starting point. We walk in and walk right back out. Repeat performance at three other joints. But, the night was back on track when we walked into Hansa.
Men to chat with, a jukebox, a super attentive bartender rocking his cute, Croatian accent, and a $ 12 tab for three girls feasting the night away on Henny and coke, Stella, and Julius. Could I really ask for more?
Umm, yes, I could. The bartender? He’s got moves! The man dances and well!

Interesting! Having walked by this «dive» numerous times, wifey & I gave each other that «look» this afternoon while walking by. By that «look» I DO NOT mean the I love you look, but the I want a cold beer «look!» Yes, we, or I, am a raging alcoholic:)
Nevertheless, we walked in, and were greeted by a dog. Okay, this is cool, now we sit at the bar, and the friendly German lady explained what beers they have. I went with the dark, and wifey had some lighter beer that I cannot pronounce? Shame, as I am German… I should know this stuff, right?
All in all, fun patrons, doggies running freely and frolicking, cool bartender whose BAC level was probably higher than Andy Dick in his prime, and we got to meet the infamous regular, «Hanns.» Hanns didn’t speak, but was graciously greeted by the other regulars. He had a confused, open mouth stare… not a retarded look, but just highly inebriated «100 mile stare» look if you get my drift.
Cool place when you’re in the mood for this kind of dive bar scene… I will return!

This bar is 2.5 stars. Nothing special. Average beer selection. Go here for an average night.
Jukebox is one of those LAME only-​the-​one-​popular-​song-​from-​the-​album ones. And the internet connection was not working.
You cannot even liven up this place with some cool tunes.
I was there on a Saturday night, looked like a mix of locals and those like me who were left wondering how and why I stopped on in.

Ah, the Hansa Clipper… a bar that has been in Lincoln Square forever! Back in the day, they had a «Piano» in front where a guy named «Victor» would play his tunes! His name was Victor! How do i know that??? Because they had a sign in the window made out of cardboard saying «now playing… Victor» They also had a pool table! well, the Piano and Victor are gone as the pool table. I think Victor must have died by now!!!
Our group stumbled in on our pub crawl, it was the 2^nd stop of the night. I think we pretty much freaked out the bar and bartender!
She was firing out beers fine… then out came the Jaeger Bombs… oh boy! Poor lady, nice… and actually did pour a very nice bomb! Props to Joanne!!!
I have been coming to Hansa Clipper for years… always good to pop in! Give the neighborhood bars some love!