Grace and Leavitt Tavern

Kudos to a great welcoming bartender to a impromptu gathering. We had a group of life long St. Ben’s friends meet and the crowd kept growing. The bartender never lost a smile as we expanded and was a great host. He made a wonderful night for us all leaving with great memories. Thank you!

My favorite neighborhood bar. Low-​key enough that you can belly up to the bar, happening enough that there’s always someone to talk to. AND… Free popcorn!

Easily one of my favorite bars in the city. Its nestled in the middle of my neighborhood and is a real treasure. Its such a cozy environment inside with the holiday décor and traditional touches. The beer selection here is awesome! This is our go to spot for some beers after work on a Friday, a stop when we are walking our dog on the weekdays, or a chill Saturday night out to listen to some classic rock and eat popcorn.

I almost hesitate to review this place cause its the local bar… off the beaten path, awesome service, great atmosphere, super cool owners. My new favorite place, and living in Chicago that’s saying a lot. Awesome place.

Tried it once again after me and the girls decided to duck out of a party last night. We regret that.
The place has so much upside potential, but some of the little things they do wrong just ruin the experience. We love the beer selection, but hate tripping over dogs all the time. The one thing that drove us out last night is the same bald guy with the gravely voice who is constantly making crude comments to and about women. We’re not prudes by any stretch of the imagination, but this guys just ruins a great night almost every time we go in. Maybe the bartender needs to quit pouring him shots! We’ll go back, but just head over to O’Donovan’s if this guy is around.

Overall a great neighborhood bar. Great beer selection. Nice vibe. Sometimes have live music, which is awesome.

Had a great time here. The service, atmosphere, and drinks were all top notch.
As a bar it’s very cozy and comfortable with a laid back crowd.
Beer selection is very solid for a small place like this, emphasis on local breweries like Half Acre, Begyle, Three Floyds. Selection is listed by style on a chalkboard wall. Saturdays are $ 4 cans, even pints. The Bloody Mary I had was made with a homemade mix and a choice of rim salt, including a smoked one which was excellent.
The bartender and regulars were friendly and made conversation easily. I was welcomed even though it was my first time in. I’ll definitely return when in the area.
I love the idea that neighborhood taverns are being kept alive, and this is a great example of that preservation in action.

I loved this place. Definitely a nice neighborhood spot.

Great local hangout for watching Bears games, even if the Bears absolutely suck. Complimentary jambalaya when I was there a few weeks ago.
Friendly staff, friendly patrons, overall felt like home-​away-​from-​home.

This is our go-​to neighborhood bar. It has that classic Chicago tavern feeling, but every since the new owners purchased it about a year ago, the beer and wine selection now is as good as the atmosphere. The customers and bartenders are chatty, contributing to a neighborhood feeling. This is a great place for old timers and newcomers alike.
Also, there is often «Food Truck Fridays» which bring food trucks to the bar for a family meal. Check those out, too!

Not really sure what to think of this place… I give it 3 stars for the beer selection alone.
This place reminds me of that Goldie’s place on Lincoln Ave in North Center where the one guy was the bar tender, door man, all purpose everything person. Well, I had a similar experience here.
My friends were having a gathering and the special was from 12:30−3PM. I made it there around the 2:45 mark, said my hellos and headed for the bar around 2:54. The woman behind the bar took so long to get to me it was a couple minutes past 3 and she would not allow me to take advantage of the special. You would think that the fact she saw me standing there waiting on her slow service that she would have at least let me have my first drink @ the special rate. Luckily it was only a dollar difference between the actual cost. I waited quite awhile for my final drink as she decided to go outside and socialize without making sure the two handfuls of people in the joint was taken care of.
I’m sure this place is a gem to the people in the area, but I probably will not return as it is quite a trek for me to wait long periods of time for a drink in a bar that isn’t even crowded. As I mentioned they have a great beer selection and I had a great time with my friends. If you have a dog, you can bring it inside FYI

Old school tavern smack dab in the middle of two-​flats, apartment buildings, bungalows & single family homes in the North Center neighborhood. Even is this place sucked it would be awesome! By the way, it doesn’t suck… not in the least.
Beer…good. Servers… good. Patrons… the best part.

I live around the corner from this place and noticed it several times around the holidays. I’m a sucker for bars with Christmas lights, and this place called to me.
I went there last night with two co-​workers and we walked in behind another gentleman who was greeted by his first name. You could tell it was that type of bar immediately.
We introduced ourselves to Peter, the bartender, and Karen, who were both very friendly. Peter supplied us with menus to order some dinner (that you can have delivered to the bar) and made a fresh batch of the best bar popcorn we’ve ever had.
We stayed for several hours enjoying their extensive beer list and vowed to come back as soon possible.

Great atmosphere, great prices and a great time!
The service was great and the customers there were cool.
This place was just bought by new owners so we will have to see what they do with the place.

Great atmosphere, great prices and a great time!
I never knew this bar existed, but I visited recently for a friend’s party and had a blast.
Clearly there are some regulars here, but they seem pretty welcoming, so I imagine that newbies are invited, too! If only this spot had food! However, I think you can bring food in from other spots, so that is a plus.
Definitely a cute spot in a cute neighborhood!

I had this reviewed under Grace and Leavitt Liquors a long time ago:
Figured I should move it and update the review.
First off, this is a classic Chicago old-​man bar and not a dive.
Old-​man bars are a dying breed in Chicago and typically are corner neighborhood taverns on quiet streets. The original clientele of these bars were working-​class families that used the tavern as their social gathering spot. Typical hours were from 7 AM to Midnight so the tavern could serve the regulars who worked both the day and night shifts.
As neighborhoods changed in the 1970s-​1980s, these taverns slowly went away as did their customers. Mayor Daley’s home rule law let local neighbors vote many of them out of existence as well. The few that are left are clean, well-​kept, and still serve as neighborhood gathering spots. G&L fits this bill as it is still home to the many City of Chicago workers who live in the St. Ben’s neighborhood. The locals and bar staff are all friendly and great to hang with.
Dives are great places as they tend to be more run-​down, in out-​of-​the-​way locations, and with more hard-​luck characters that bring the edgy vibe. G&L is more like the place your grandparents went when they were young.
My grandparents used to go to their neighborhood tavern back in the depression and pre-​DCFS years and would leave my mom, then a baby, home alone after she fell asleep. When my mom found out about this when she was an adult, she confronted my grandmother with the question, «who was watching me when you and dad were at the tavern?!» To which my grandmother replied, «God was!»
All in all, a great place to drink when you’re looking for the kind of place to have a conversation, play some games, and get your shine on for a minimum amount of cash.

Ever since moving to North Center, one thing i’ll admit is that the area has a knack for some sweet dive bars. And G&L definitely falls under that umbrella. When I first walked in, my first impression was that it was a neighborhood joint with a clickish clientele. But as far as the latter goes I was wrong.
The locals are quite nice and welcoming, and the bartenders are great and drinks are pretty cheap. And who is a sucker for a local dive with inexpensive booze? This guy. This place is one of my favorites in the hood, and if you check it out im sure you’ll agree.

A super low-​key dive on a quiet street, the perfect place to just kick back and have a few. Lots of locals, nice bartender, cheap beers, firefighter memorabilia adorning the walls… perfect neighborhood watering hole.

This is a good neighborhood JOINT– First thing you need to know is that they open at 7:00 AM EVERY day except Sunday. Alcoholics Paradise! They always have great domestic beer specials and I have never even seen anyone order a cocktail in this place. Gotta be careful who you talk to or what you say because a lot of these «Locals» bite especially if they don’t know you! Lots of Firemen, Retired Firemen, Retirees, Etc. and most have a strong opinion on just about any topic. Actually, it’s fun to sit in there and interact-​everyones really cool! They even watch Jeopardy religiously every day… GTFJD

The G&L isn’t just a kitschy dive bar, it’s a staple in the neighborhood. After living — literally — three doors down for several years, I realize how great a find it really is. Cheap drinks, friendly bartenders and patrons, free food almost every day and a homey type of feel you just can’t get anywhere else. I’ve stopped by a number of times to borrow some ice (and maybe a quick shot) and they are always happy to oblige neighbors and patrons.
Plus, how many bars do you know that open at 7am? This old standby has been a watering hole for the 3^rd shift Firemen that work down the street at the Grace Street Firehouse. Ah, now the ‘Fire Escape’ makes sense… oh, Grace and Leavitt start with ‘G’ and ‘L’? This one’s come full circle.
So, next time you’re in the ‘hood, stop by and experience a little time capsule of the real Chicago.

I was driving down Grace yesterday morning and made mental note to come to this bar. I didn’t think I would actually make it that same night. So glad I did.
This little dive, for some strange reason, smells like Big Red cinnamon chewing gum (maybe a one-​time deal, I don’t know), which brings back so many good memories for me that it put me in a happy place from the moment I walked in the door. And no, it was not just some Glade air freshener. I am convinced they were pumping out pure Big Red.
Aside from that comes that laid-​back crowd and friendly bartenders I love on a lovely tree-​lined street. Found street parking easily. Played Magic Touch for a while. They also have a (digital) jukebox. I’ll definitely be back.