Red Line Tap

Red Line Tap is a cool little local dive bar. I came here for an event when they were hosting Funkadesi. This was a ticketed event and a good amount a people showed up. It was the perfect amount, not too crowded and not too empty.
We pre purchased our tickets but you could buy them at the door as well. I believe this bar is co-​owned or somehow connected to the Heartland Café. Very quaint and earthy. They have a bar on the left and then a separate area with tall boys, a stage, and a DJ booth on the right.
They have a TV but nothing like a sports bar or anything. It seemed like there was only one person working but he was doing a phenomenal job. Getting drinks, busing tables, you name it he was doing it.
I don’t believe there is a kitchen so ordering food may not be an option but I could be wrong.
Overall, this place is nice for an intimate performance like the one we attended.

We went to see Funk a Desi and staff and booze were both great!

My first time at the Red Line Tap was last night to see the Ohio band Wussy. Since I was there for the concert experience, I will start by saying this room sounds great. I cannot recall a cleaner sound from a rock band — ever. They had some trouble with one of the mics that led to a delay but I found the episode more charming than annoying. The staff were absolute sweet hearts. I had purchased my tickets for the Friday show and they honored them for the Saturday show. This is unheard of in my experience.
With a solid beer selection and friendly staff across the board, the only beef I have is getting street parking in the neighborhood. If you want to see the opening band, give yourself some time as the residences all have driveways so street parking seems quite restricted. We lucked out four blocks with a spot in Loyola Park.
Based on my experience, I hope more of the bands I follow consider Red Line Tap for a tour stop.

I love The Red Line Tap! They are booking more nationally touring acts with our local favorites… Jimmy Bennington Colour & Sound, Mike Finnerty & The Heat Merchants, The Alder Kings and more!
They also recently changed their stage location to better suit the musicians and fans alike! A very interesting venue that fits with the Glenwood Avenue Arts District, because music is an art too!
Recommended!

I came here, drank beer, and listened to music. They had dollar beers. If you want to drink beer, be around people, and listen to music, this is a place that does that. I would come here unless there is a similar bar closer to your house.

Been there several times before. Always loved the crowd and the bartender working. Not so tonight. I sat down with my wife and ordered a drink for her and I. After chatting with the locals, I overheard the bartender discussing the bears schedule and their remaining games. They were unsure of all the opponents, so that’s when I stated we (as in the New Orleans Saints because I am from Louisiana) played the bears in two weeks. The bartender looked at me rudely and stated in a sarcastic tone: «We already beat you». It was then that I proceeded to look at his shirt and saw it said Detroit Lions and not Bears. I stated to him that I was sorry but I didn’t see that he was wearing a Lions shirt. He looked at me in the most belittling way and said «well it clearly says it on my shirt «.
I know the bartender gets the benefit of the doubt a majority of the time, but this guy was a straight up asshole who was merely hiding behind the counter and the fact that he wasn’t in the streets when he insulted me in that fashion. I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for 15 years and this is only the second time I left someone with a lack of a tip other than a verbal one. Watch out who you disrespect. Watch out who you speak in a condescending tone too. You know nothing of me or anything about me. The next guy might not be as nice. Till we meet again.

Great bar, pool-​hall, and friendly staff.
Live music and a fun crowd!
My experience there was interesting, i walked into an interesting scene of folks enjoying the bar and pool hall. I had a seat, and the barley kindly served me a glass.
I watched tv, enjoyed the company of strangers whom are intellectuals, and networked a bit via social media.

I practically grew up here. Best damn bar in the world. Good cheap drinks, great live music several nights a week in all different styles. And the people! Finest human beings to walk this earth. Get yourself there right now, and if Brett’s tending bar, order an Ike Turner and thank me later.

Um it’s a bar… Shitty service & attitude but hey you’ll get drunk and probably have fun.

I went for the first time and my experience was great. Friendly staff, clean bathrooms, good live music. They have a pool table, dollar for a game. One thing I noticed and loved about this place, they have a water cooler with refreshing cold water inside. It’s the little things that sometimes make a big impression. Very happy relaxed crowd, I would recommend. And the drinks are cheap, they also have drink specials. I had a great time, think you will too!

My Jazz band The HEATMERCHANTS plays there once a month. We are ALWAYS treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. From cooperation loading in to a very good sound man to being served at the bar with friendliness and great humor to having a great enthusiastic audience to having an after gig drink to loading out we have never, ever had a complaint. I wish this place was near where i live. I’d be a regular there. I don’t understand ANY of the bad reviews at all. I LOVE dive bars to begin with. If you want something more sterile go downtown!!!

Definitely married to their dive bar identity. And not in a comic book sort of way, more of a Beavis and Butt-​Head way.
Look, it is what it is. It isn’t super clean but in all fairness, if you’re looking for clean you could go elsewhere in the neighborhood.
If you’re into live music, This one of few options in Rogers Park. I got buzzed here, so staff must do their jobs effectively. Prices are fair enough.
If you’re looking for the Ritz Carlton, this isn’t it. If you want to drink cheap beer and here some music, this place will do.

For the most part, this place is pretty decent as far as from a «what you see is what you get» perspective. They have a decent beer selection, as well as some rare whiskeys. I never really order anything else from there, so I wouldn’t be able to comment on their cocktails. Food can be ordered from the Heartland next door, and it’s nice that they take credit cards, as there are too many «cash only» bars in the city that have yet to enter the 21^st century. The pool table is also in good condition and only costs $ 1 to play.
The live music aspect is really a double-​edged sword for me. I don’t mind if I’m sitting around having a drink at my local watering hole while a 3-​piece band starts warming up and eventually plays, but I’m never going to RLT because of who’s playing that night. 9 times out of 10, it’s a band you never heard of (which is fine), but that will not stop the doorman from charging you at least $ 5 if you try going in anywhere near the start time for the show. This is especially frustrating if you had any thoughts on watching a late-​starting sporting event on one of their 2 TVs.

I understand this is supposed to be a dive bar, but there is no excuse for the condition this bar is in. I have frequented Red Line Tap for a about a year, each time I went I always said that was the last time. Most of the bartenders are friendly with the exception of one guy (I heard he is the owners son) who can be quite rude and seems like he hates his life. Overall the bartenders are pretty cool, but depending on who is behind the bar determines if they can make cocktails besides cocktails that consist of one alcohol and one mixer.
The bar is so filthy it is unbelivealbe, if you are there during the day (as I have been to watch football games) you will see dust and dirt literally caked on the some the bottles of alcohol, the counter tops, and the knick knacks that are on the shelves.
The bathrooms, were do I begin? Half of the time I have been there the ladies room was operable, the ladies room is pretty awful, it may or may not be clean, I try not to look to hard in the sink while I am washing my hands. The absolute deplorable situation is when the ladies room is out of order (which happens all of time). That means obviously you have to use the mens room. Uhh, urine is always on the floor, to the point that your shoes stick to the floor. After a while I would just hold it or go next door to the Heartland Café to use their ladies room.
On Sunday’s during football games you can order food from the adjoining restaurant Heartland Café. That is not saying much because I think they think that food that is healthful should not have seasoning or any flavor or appealing textures.
The last straw for me was when the bar down the street closed and the patrons that used to hangout in that bar all of the time relocated to Red Line Tap with their dogs. The bar is filthy enough without the dogs there. I am allergic to dogs, so the combo of the depressing atmosphere, the lack of drink options, the filth, the disgusting bathrooms, and the constant sneezing from the dog dander forced me to stop patronizing this establisment and go else where.

In the colder months we would frequent Red Line for Sunday and Wednesday dollar beer nights. PBR in plastic cups, nothing grand — but always great people, great music, and a good time. Really enjoyed the pool table and the crowd that it drew. I would say this is your local dive bar with a hipster feel but inviting to all sorts of people. Another thing I liked was that their regulars are clearly familiar with one another yet still very inclusive of newcomers.
Brought a few people that were hesitant to come due to its «sketchy location» but ended up having a great time. Five stars for a seedy but friendly local dive bar.

**** Update/​edit**** I got a rude message from the manager. I guess I understand why the people who work here are so rude. When you have terrible management, your employees will be lousy. Not only will I never ever go here, but I’ll also never go to Heartland Café solely because I’ve heard that they’re owned by the same people. Also– someone named Everett from the bar emailed several other venues and blacklisted this band because of the bad reviews. Not good form.*****
I really hope the manager or owner reads this for the sake of this business. Your employees are complete and utter (word that I will refrain from using so Unilocal doesn’t remove my review). I have never been to a place which requires customers to survive and been talked to and treated so rudely. Literally in my entire life. The sound guy is just mad at the entire world and treats everyone that he comes across like they just stole his wife. First of all, I was with a band– two girls loading in a full drum set. Those things are incredibly heavy if you can imagine. We had walked for .5 mile in like a million percent humidity because it had just rained. The guy not only didn’t offer to assist in any way– I had to specifically ask where to go whole he stared at us blankly– but he told us «you need to hurry» & «make it quick». Um hello dude this stuff weighs a good 80 pounds at the very very least. Chill. You can wait 5 minutes. Then since I wasn’t technically in the band he kicked me out of the back, very rudely. His overall tone was demeaning and horrible.
The first band had some major sound issues with one of the monitors. It was so bad that they had to stop and couldn’t go on until it was fixed because it was killing everyone’s ears. But the sound guy who was so rude to everyone? Had left on his bike. The bartender who didn’t know much about sound had to come to the rescue and figure it out. Well the sound guy finally showed up then cut the bands set short by HALF even though they couldn’t play for 10 to 15 minutes because he had decided to leave the building. Then he was completely rude to the band about it! I saw a band member try to shake his hand and he literally wouldn’t shake it. I’ve never seen a guy so rude in my life.
The door guy was much more polite but wouldn’t let someone who had just finished playing drums for 45 minutes was outside with her own gear with a cup of water. «No beverages outside». Dude– it’s water, and it was backstage– not technically outside.
To be fair– the only other employee here was the bartender and he seemed nice enough.
Moral of the story– don’t be rude if you want continuing customers. I actually live very close and if I had liked the place I would probably be a regular.
*Update: Someone from the bar commented and I didn’t want to leave it unaddressed.
The person said that the sound guy didn’t leave that he was helping the second band load in. This is a lie because I was helping the second band load in and they were completely finished loading in by the time the first band started– because i watched the first bands entire (very short) set. I physically SAW the sound guy ride off on his bike. So the sound guy is lying to you. Also– the first band most certainly did NOT cut their set short. Everyone in the bar could hear the band ASK the sound guy over the mic to let them play more songs since they couldn’t play with the sound issues earlier. I’m sure they would be very upset to see that comment because they weren’t to excited to get their set cut short.
Second– the comment states that the sound guy isn’t there to help load band’s gear in. I believe you’re missing the point of my review– no band actually thinks the sound guy or any other employee of a bar/​venue is there to help with their gear. The point I was making was that he unlocked a gate– then didn’t even bother to maybe hold it open like a decent human– to a really long alley area. We had never been there before and he didn’t bother to tell us WHICH of the 5 doors we should put our stuff next to where they can load into the stage. We had to ask ANOTHER band member because the sound guy wouldn’t answer us, other than «make it quick» and «please hurry.»
Third– i just don’t believe that the police issue tickets/​violations for water. You can’t make me believe that. Especially since we’re backstage not even technically outside of the building.
Fourth– I most certainly will not be back because the «i’m sorry you didn’t enjoy your time» but here are all the excuses for bad behavior to your customers just goes to show that this place won’t improve. I get there are rules that people must follow and sometimes they suck– but didn’t we all learn manners in 1^st grade?

What a crap hole. I get that this is a dive bar, and I’ve been to my share of them and I like them because they’re casual and relaxed but this place is not one of the good ones. The good: they have good beers on tap such as Cain & Ebel (Two Bros) and some Goose Island beers. Kudos on that. They also have an interesting shot called the Ike Turner. $ 8 gets you a slap in the face from the bartender and a shot of whiskey. It’s pretty entertaining seeing someone get it, though why you would want to pay someone to slap you is beyond me. I’m sure there are plenty of people who would slap you for free, but hey, it’s the north side. People will pay for anything.
The bad: oh where do I start. Let’s start with parking. Good luck. It’s right by the Red Line (obviously) so if you are able to take public transportation, please do so. If you’re not from the area, you’ll be circling the neighborhood for a good half hour before you find something and you’ll be walking a ways to get there. A church on Ashland and Morse has free parking until specified times every day, so that’s a good option.
I had to pay $ 7 to see my boyfriend’s band play. On a Sunday. Are you serious? The bar was empty and they still charged cover. There was a festival going on but no one was coming in and there were only two local bands, so that’s a little much. The bathroom was the scariest thing I’ve ever been in. Tiny little toilet and sink, writing all over the walls and mirror. It’s only the one toilet, so good luck if by some miracle this place is crowded. By the end of the night, there was no toilet paper, so I used paper towels. Shadiest bathroom ever.
As for other random annoyances: some guy was allowed to bring his giant dog into the bar. At first I thought it was a service dog, but then it was let off it’s leash and started going up to people looking for food. I love dogs, don’t get me wrong, but what if there is someone who is afraid of dogs? Is it okay to have a huge one roaming around the bar freely? Me thinks not.
After my bf’s band was done, I helped move equipment to the back so the stage could be clear. Once I was done, I stood in the back for not even two minutes, and was told by one of the employees that I couldn’t be back there. So it wasn’t a problem when I’m moving stuff, but once I stop, then there’s an issue? They were the last band to play, the bar was dead, and I was obviously with them so what’s the problem? That annoyed me a lot, especially since another girl was back there not doing anything, but she wasn’t told to leave. Maybe if I had worn my hipster gear, he wouldn’t have said anything but since I didn’t fit in with their scene, then clearly I was going to steal my bf’s equipment and cause havoc. Whatever.
This place is a dump. If you like to drink piss beer ($ 1 PBRs) and feel uncomfortable, come on down. There’s no excuse for such a crappy bar. It has some nice quirks, but not enough for me to ever consider it «cool.»

Great drink specials (they change throughout the year). One’s I have enjoyed are 2 dollar tall boys and well drinks, or 1 dollar Miller High Lifes.
The cover usually isn’t worth it unless you know who is playing. But there is no cover on Tuesdays, and there’s always live Bluegrass on Tuesday nights.
Street parking is basically non-​existent. Good thing it’s right by the Morse Red Line stop… hey maybe that’s where it got it’s name (for those who don’t know how to get there except by bike – which is okay, I guess).
A neighborhood bar with enough dive to feel comfortable your first time here. The bathrooms may be something to complain about, but I don’t think you want to spend too much time in there anyway.
Oh yeah, the staff is pretty cool and laid back as well. Say hi!

In my estimation Red Line Tap is like a smaller version of The Empty Bottle. Dark, smelly, dank, and even a little dirty, it’s seriously JUST like being at a The Bottle. They have live music. And hipsters! And even that one random guy who insists on surfing the web on his laptop in a corner table. (This practice never ceases to amaze me. A computer in a bar? Is this necessary? But I digress…)
I ventured clear up to Rogers Park (way out of this Noble Square girl’s comfort zone) to see Unilocal’s resident rock star Kyle H. and his band Certain Stars perform at the International Pop Overthrown Festival at Red Line Tap. After circling the surrounding blocks for an extended period of time, I was lucky enough to score a street spot. For future reference, take public transportation. Parking is a beast in the neighborhood.
The sound was great, if a smidge too loud. Christ I’m getting old if I’m saying things like the sound is too loud in a bar, but whatever. It was too loud. The temperature is incredibly hot. So much so that I was actually breaking a sweat while I was watching the band and it wasn’t even that crowded in the bar. I can only imagine it’d be like a sweat lodge up in there at full capacity.
The bartenders are great. I’m trying to lay off the sauce a bit these days so when I ordered a soda water with lime the bartender looked taken back a bit, but filled up my glass gratis. How very nice of him. Fear not: I tipped him well.
The crowd is your northside hipster crowd for sure. I’m down with these peeps so I had no trouble settling in at the bar, chatting with my friends and doing a little people watching. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and the energy was great. It felt like a local hangout that just happens to have rockin’ live music. Can’t beat that, eh? My kinda place.
While I won’t venture up to Rogers Park often (it’s SO far away!) I’d definitely go back to Red Line Tap. Or shall I say Empty Bottle Junior?

Played a show here recently for the International Pop Overthrow Festival and had a great time! Even though I graduated high school a year before the «You Must Have Been Born In» sign, I still got carded. Sweet! The doorman, soundman, and bartender were super nice, with no hipster or hippie laziness! Sweet again.
They have Galaga and Ms. Pacman and a pool table (for those times that you’re not catching up with lots of friends over their solid beer selection).
Bathrooms are a one-​man-​at-​a-​time operation, and the lock on the door is negligible. Hence the sign «Please Knock First». How about, «Please fix lock»? A little Mr. Fixit attention goes a long way in my book!
If you’re hungry, order food from the Heartland Café and it will be delivered to you. Delightful! Parking is horrendous around here. It was suggested that you can park at the Howard Red Line lot for two bucks, then CTA it. Good suggestion for the future.
Solid 3.0 stars with room to grow!