Richard’s Bar

So this place is the absolute divine destination for dive bar goers. Cheap drinks, geezer bartender, a gazillion years of smoke residue; done.
With an old marquee style menu and no, scratch that, zero frills, some good Tuesday afternoon drunken shenanigans will definitely find you if you saunter up to the bar.

If I had a bar in my basement (and I don’t even have a basement), I would try to make it a replica of Richard’s. That’s how much I love this bar.

Best juke box in the city. Bartenders provide some of the best banter you will find. Cash only and they allow you to buy some beer to take home. Stiff drinks and cold beers. Don’t ask for any special cocktails unless you want to get made fun of. I hope this place doesn’t go hipster. If cigarette smoke bothers you don’t go.

What The Godfather is to cinema, Richards is to Chicago dive bars. It’s a staple, it’s a classic, it’s every cliché word you can use. Most people will go once, and only once, but will usually walk out with a great story and continue the recommendation trend … Just do it. Cheers!

My friend and I went to this bar last night and had a great time! Tons of options for cheap beer (I had both blue moon and PBR, two of my favorites), as well as wine, hard alcohol, and limited mixed drinks. The bartenders are very friendly, the crowd is an extremely eclectic mix of interesting people, and they allow smoking. I had a great time. I’ll definitely be going back.

Simply the best dive bar in Chicago. High Life, jukebox and darkness.

A true throwback dive bar — and not the ironic kind that draws hipsters and world travelers.
$ 4 Old Style bottles (don’t ask what’s on tap, there is no tap), Sinatra on the juke box (music made since 1990 need not apply), video slots that spit out tickets and styrofoam cups full of used cigarettes, a food menu that consists of hard boiled eggs and potato chips, that’s how Richard’s rolls. And don’t even think about breaking out a credit card… greenbacks are the only coin of the realm.
Open early, open late, friendly service, and I defy you to be sober after spending $ 30.
Not for everyone, but definitely for me!

If you’re okay sucking down some secondhand smoke and the elevated potential for shoulder-​to-​shoulder tobacco and PBR enthusiasts, well… this throwback Thursday hangout will be your dive bar utopia. Cramped and dirty, yet this in-​your-​face watering hole manages to pack in the patrons begging for $ 3 Hamm’s and High Life’s. Bring a crowd and grab 12-​pack at the bar! Yes, they sell friggin’ 6 and 12 packs inside. Richard’s is the epitome of dive bar triumph, if you’re into the aforementioned sorts of things…

Smoking is an insurmountable obstacle (without banning it). That being said —
Most characterful bar in the city. I talked to a guy once who you would have thought was Steve Buscemi. STILL looks like some of the patrons are mob-​whatever. People you’d swear were brought up in the 1950s, although you know they couldn’t have been cause they’re not that old. Also a lot *nicer* inside than you’d think. I could go on, but they have more than enough to be #1 in their genre — except for that obstacle. But perhaps then they wouldn’t be fully… them; idk. On my list to go in early morning for egg in a beer when the cloud cover is down.

Solid no frills dive bar. It is so old school and irreverent you gotta love it. Smoking in the bar, cheap drinks, juke box, the mix of people from greasers with a chain wallet and cigs in their sleeve to men in business suits, to celebrities (I saw Lady Gaga there a couple years ago) all make this place a unique and special dive bar. It is where you can go to get away from the scene. It seems like while you are here nobody cares who you are, what your wearing, or really how much you got… blue collar, white collar, no collar. Love Bob the bartender.

Pretty much the main reason to go here is just that you can smoke inside, plus the cheap beer, i admit i sometimes social smoke, so i think its cool that theres still a place where one can smoke inside, granted it looks very smoky, but screw it, its part of the experience, if you have sensitive lungs then you’ll likely hate it, but i thought it was a cool experience, you can buy cigarette packs for $ 12 at the bar too

This place is so great, it’s like stepping back into time. The bartenders are very friendly, the jukebox is great, and the drinks are cheap. Great place to post up with a friend and catch up!

There’s much to be said about any bar which transports you back to a time when smoking was allowed, there were no DJs and when drinks were dirt cheap. What is there not to love about a jukebox with old classics, a laid back environment that is open as early as 7am seven days a week and a core group of down to earth regulars who can hold their own and cheap prices?!!
Drinks are practically given away when purchased by the half dozen. Single beers are $ 3 – 4 each, but Six 12oz bottles or cans are only $ 6 – 8. Hard ciders are $ 4. $ 6 mixed drinks. If you like draft beers, there are none. In addition to extremely affordable drink prices, drink tickets are passed out at random which can be redeemed for a free drink. I would be lying to say the tickets are passed out to every single patron but the prices are so low that there should be no hard feelings even if you are not extended a drink on the house offer.
Need protein? Hard boiled eggs $ 0.75 and Planters salted cashews are $ 1.00.
If you forgot your smokes, you can buy them here too for 12 bucks. There is a no smoking sign in plain view but it’s a real smokers paradise and the association for tobacco free living’s worst nightmare. Upon entering, I apparently misjudged the amount of smoke inside and quickly realized it once I left. I seriously smelled like I had just finished fighting a few fires. I had to open the windows on the ride home to prevent a smoke inhalation injury.
Smoke aside, I absolutely enjoyed every other aspect of this joint. It was a great time had by all.

Jesus if you don’t go here you’ve missed Chicago great jukebox lots of dancing. There is no smoking unless you want to God this is a great place good prices nothing politically correct. Get your car detailed across the street and have a great meal at la scarola. This is America. Don’t miss it I think it’s Bob who has been here forever

Complete dive bar, but always a lot of fun. Only thing you’ll regret about going here is the next morning when your close smell like you puffed 10 packs of Reds!

Love it good company good pours good overall — it’s my go to when in the city cum down for good time 80s at its finest a flashback !!!

Amazing dive bar. Super friendly people. Cheap drinks. Classic juke box. If you smoke you can buy cigs.

Solid and inexpensive drinks. Smoking allowed. Rotary telephone behind the bar. Great juke box. Lots of regulars. Everything a great dive bar should be.

Great bar to come to if you miss the good olé days when you could sit at the bar and smoke a cigarette with your beer.
You can do that at Richards.

OLD SCHOOL
This is everything a dive bar should be. Drinks are super cheap (even the good stuff), not only smoking is allowed but they sell smokes (even the bartender smokes), cash only, full of regulares even early in the morning.
Besides the fact that you will probably spend everything you saved on drycleaning your clothes, the atmosphere probably can’t compare to anything you can find anywhere else in the city.
Definitely a must try, at least once.

One of my favorite bars in this part of town. Old school Chicago joint. Seems like nothin has changed here for 40 years (including some things that maybe should have changed).
This is kindof an old guy bar, in the best way.

Stopped by during a recent visit to Chicago. Inside and outside, it looks like a dive bar teleported here from 1974. It might look a tad intimidating for newbies, but it’s got a great, relaxed atmosphere. Friendly bartenders, diverse crowd, rat pack on the jute box and hard-​boiled eggs. It’s got it all. You might your ass kicked however, if you refer to anyone behind the bar as mixologists. or order something fancier than a beer and a shot.
Oh, and the hand written «no smoking» sign is ignored by all. If you wanted to reminiscence about what it smelled like after a night of bar hopping in the 20^th century, this is the place to be.

Stopped by during a recent visit to Chicago. Inside and outside, it looks like a dive bar teleported here from 1974. It might look a tad intimidating for newbies, but it’s got a great, relaxed atmosphere. Friendly bartenders, diverse crowd, rat pack on the jute box and hard-​boiled eggs. It’s got it all. You might get your ass kicked however, if you refer to anyone behind the bar as mixologists or order something fancier than a beer and a shot.
Oh, and the hand written «no smoking» sign is ignored by all. If you wanted to reminiscence about what it smelled like after a night of bar hopping in the 20^th century, this is the place to be.

My fav. bar in the city. I have to admit a bias as I know someone who works there. There’s nothing like having a double shot of Rumple Minze at 7:30AM and having people glance in the windows as they walk down Grand Avenue with a look of ‘what the heck? Who drinks at this time of day??’ And me with a cig hanging out of my mouth. It’s an olde school joint, but my one time there was very memorable and I recommend it for anyone in the area.
Fun stuff!

This bar definitely knows who it is! Smoking is allowed, you can buy cigarettes and beer to go– it was like entering a different world! It wasn’t my kind of scene, but it was very popular to those who were there! Crowded, we had to get a table near the door. We ended up staying for just one drink, since majority of us didn’t have cash and they bar didn’t take credit cards. It was an interesting experience, to say the least!