Silvie’s Lounge

Cool ass spot in beautiful ravenswood! Great atmosphere. Love the bartender working on Friday. Good customer service goes a long way. Prices are decent too check in on Unilocal for a 1.00 mixed drink! It’s super easy to get to as well right off the CTA brown line and plenty of parking if you drive too. Come down to Silvies!!!

My love for Silvie’s is because Silvie herself came through in a pinch in a big way. My smal, nonprofessionall a cappella group got displaced by our original venue (grrr, but that’s another review) and with less than two weeks to our scheduled show date, Silvie became our hero. Not only did she book us with short notice — no, she opened up the bar on a night she’s usually closed. She let us in as early as two hours prior to performance and let people stay a couple hours after we finished our short set. (And we had the Hawks game on a TV in the main bar area) So, for coming in as our guardian angel, Silvie deserves some love. It was extremely appreciated by 12 frazzled performers and one stressed out director! We hope our friends and family drank enough (and tipped heartily) in gratitude. Thanks!

I was weary of Silvie’s once I saw you had to leave a *positive* tip on Unilocal to qualify for their check in deal. I think they won me over.
Silvie’s is kind of dive-​y, but fun. They had a couple beer specials while I was there to see my friends’ band.
I suggest you avoid their cocktails. They’ve got a list, they’re all overly complicated and not very well thought out. I tried one that was basically a mint chocolate coffee concoction. It wasn’t very good. Stick to beer and you’ll be fine!

I’ve got to admit– previous reviews made me wary of Silvie’s. My boyfriend’s band was playing there, and none of us had ever heard of Silvie’s or knew anything about it. And the loyal Unilocalers we all are (2 of our group are Elite– gotta do what you know), we checked Unilocal.
Gotta say, though– Silvie’s is great.
The staff was lovely. We had our IDs checked at the door by the bartender, and set up on the stage. The layout is a little odd at first– it’s shaped like a U with a front room that leads into a dart area, and a side room where the band played. You could access the bar from either side, which was great. The bartender, sound guy and Silvie herself were all so kind to us, and told us how much they enjoyed having the band there.
Admittedly, the available liquor was a little weird– I didn’t expect to see apricot schnapps as the first shot special– but when a Two Brothers Sidekick is $ 5, you can’t go wrong. Come to think of us, they ran out of Sidekick because of us, but what can you do.
Everyone was nice, we had a blast, and we’ll definitely be back. It was low-​key, comfortable, and completely unpretentious.

What can you say about Sylvies that hasn’t already been said before?
Well nothing because they haven’t had any customers before tonight.
If you order a PBR, they offer 2 for $ 5 immediately. They can spot an alcy a mile away.
Not a bad experience seeing as it only had 2 patrons and 2 dogs.

Greatest spot in the neighborhood!

The definition of a neighborhood joint. I wouldn’t go out of my way for this one, but it’s a good spot for some live local talent. They have $ 2 PBR and $ 3 other generic beer (Miller Lite/​Bud). It’s cash only, so stop at an ATM to avoid paying the surcharge at the one inside.

This is a nice unassuming lounge to see live music. Very low key, cozy atmosphere. They seem to be very supportive of the performers (from what I’ve been told). Also, the bartender is good. Cool jukebox. There’s a dart room with several boards. The crowd is friendly. I only go for shows (it’s usually various kinds of music. Though the bands I’ve seen weren’t local but from out of state and rock) but they have open mic on Monday’s.

This place made me feel like I wasn’t in Chicago any longer, but in a bar in some small farm town out in the middle of nowhere. It just had such a non-​city vibe to it. So unpretentious, so unassuming. Just a simple spot to meet the peeps for some darts (they have ⁵⁄₆ boards) and to listen to some local live music in the back room. Honestly, I am sure all the tatted up CK’s will eventually find this place and RUIN it by asking for Morrisey and/​or some other sad Emo bands to fill the juke, but until then my peeps and I will make the best of a hidden gem…
Enjoy Suckas’!!!

Similar story to Lindsey A. — except I was there to play! I realized, being carded as a bandmember for the first time of our tour at Sylvie’s, that I had left my ID at home. Sylvie explained for like 30 minutes about the legal implications of me being in there and we had to pack up and cancel the gig. (I’m 27). I’m particularly bummed because we could have played a set during the time that she was lecturing us. I understand the hard-​line attitude of a place of business, but let’s just say I don’t want to do business with Sylvie again — our conversation was long, one-​sided, and bizarre. Two stars for a good stage and good sound system. Read the other reviews…

Silvies is still weird and still kind of charming.
They recently redid and improved the interior. It sounds better, the stage is bigger, and the new silvery wall paper looks pretty cool. The stage is now in the back of the room, and the lighting and sound systems are both really nice for a room that size.
Silvie’s husband is still micro-​managing everything (in a well meaning, but nonetheless overbearing way). Still, it’s a nice room for a local show. It’s cute, comfy and fun. Silvie and her husband are sweet and like music and the people who play it.
Fan.

I don’t get the complaining about the drink prices here. It’s not cheap but no more expensive than any typical Chicago bar, and I’m sure the same complainers would gladly plunk down $ 8 for a beer wherever all the trendy people are hanging out this week. Now if they just had beer on tap rather than just bottles I’d have nothing to complain about.
If you play you’re not going to get tons of free drinks, but they will pay you. Also the stage is huge and the monitors are powerful, almost crushing. I don’t know if they always have the same sound guy, but when we played he was on top of the right vocal levels.
I’ve played and seen several shows here and the owners and staff have always been awesome. Just don’t go in there acting like a doofus and you won’t be treated like one.

Went with my boyfriend to see his friend’s band play there on Friday, and while I may have tons to say about that, that’s not totally relevant. What is relevant is that though the bartender was friendly, she also took FOREVER to recognize my presence and proceeded to help people who were coming up to the bar after me about four times over (mostly men, so I’m guessing she did it for the tips?). It took one guy finally pointing me out for her to come over and get our orders. I kept trying to flag her down, and I had my money out too. Trust me, was not being rude, but was not being a wall flower.
Anyway, all that aside… drinks are insanely cheap here. If you want a cheap drink, don’t care too much about service, and don’t mind seeing a (likely) crappy band play, then go here. Otherwise, It’s not really worth going out of your way for.

I’m assuming the broad sitting at the empty bar on her laptop was Silvie. If so, I find her neither charming, nice nor ‘great.’ She’s an old hag with an agenda.
I lived in North Center for four years before moving to Andersonville and never once stepped foot in Silvie’s. I’m not sure why. But last night, a friend and I were en route to a birthday party and I mentioned I’d seen dart boards inside Silvie’s, so we decided to grab a beer and play a game before hitting the party.
We walked in and NO ONE was there, except the broad at the bar. We smiled, she looked at us and asked what we wanted … Uhm, a beer? Maybe a game of darts? I asked in return, «Are you open? We just wanted to get a drink.» She mumbled something — maybe about a band? about us? I’m not sure. Then she asked for our IDs.
We handed our IDs over and she asked how old we were and when we were born. I’m 28 and my friend is 29. Thank you for the compliment that we look young, I guess, but check the effing ID and move on. She hands me mine back and then looks at my friend’s and proclaims «the liquor commissioner would not accept this.»
It was a state-​issued Illinois identification card. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, HAG?
She proceeds to give my friend a 2-​minute lecture about how some bars/​establishments might accept the ID but she wasn’t going to take the risk.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???
Minute 3 starts and my friend took her ID out of Hag’s hand and says, «You know what, you just lost business and two customers who will never come back here again. I’ve never been treated like this. It’s a state-​issued ID.» and we walked out.
We went to the Globe (my favorite North Center staple) and had not one, but two, drinks there and talked to the bartender who straight-​up said everything that lady said was straight outta her ass.
When we finished, we walked back by Silvie’s — it was still empty and Silvie or whoever that woman was, was still sitting alone at the bar with her laptop.
I wouldn’t go back here if you paid me.

Silvie’s is a unpretentious place with a comfortable atmosphere. We were amused (and en-​buzzened) but the drink special, which was something like $ 5 for a cocktail AND a shot. Silvie’s gets extra points for having an open mic night, and will always have a special place in my heart because…
It was at Silvie’s that I first heard the song In Spite of Ourselves, a very fun John Prine and Iris Dement song that was performed at Silvie’s by my late, amazing friend Dan and a lovely-​voiced friend of his.

BANDS: don’t play here. This is hands down the worst venue in the city of Chicago.
If you’re a brand-​spanking new band desperate for a place to play, try Ronnie’s or the Elbo Room. It’s just as easy to get a show there, and even though they’re not great places to play, they’re still a head above Silvie’s. Hell, invite people to hang out in your practice space, just don’t play at Silvie’s. The doorman is a total dick to the band and to the fans. There’s signs posted everywhere telling you to NOT drag your amps across the floor and NO photography or audio recording and DON’T do this and that. The only things that get miked are vocals. Nobody hangs out at Silvie’s regularly, nobody wanders in there looking to hear new music. It’s a fucking scam.
FANS: encourage your favorite bands to not play here.
Especially if you don’t want to have to pay $ 1 for a glass of water (which I believe is illegal). Or $ 3 for cans of PBR. Or if you like your fire exits to be not barricaded (which I KNOW is illegal). Or if you like to go see bands in a welcoming atmosphere.
Fuck Silvie’s. I feel bad saying it, because it’s clearly a little mom-​and-​pop bar /​venue. But I’m going to say it again.
FUCK SILVIE’S. They need to rethink how they treat their customers, and how they treat the bands that play there — you know, we’re the only reason anyone steps foot in that bar.

I loved it here! There is nothing about the bar that made me feel welcome. The surly doorman is dickish, not in a «this ID from Manitoba is a fake» kind of way but more of a «everyone in the band needs to get their hand stamped at the same time, I’m not gonna be stamping peoples hands every five minutes all night» way. Everyone who arrived at the show spent their first ten minutes commiserating over how much of a douche the doorman over $ 3 PBRs. Note: calling that a special does not make is so. I guess it’s better than $ 5 Bud Lights.
The bar is plastered in home office printed signs telling you what not to do. It’s like high school, or maybe the DMV.
Do you like bars that charge pregnant ladies $ 2 for water? I thought so! Don’t worry, you can still pay for your water if you aren’t knocked up as well.
The best one can figure Silvie’s is trying to drive itself out of business in some sort of Goldman Sachs-​style scheme. I almost never give out 1 star reviews but in this case I’m more than happy to.

Play here if you’re a band!
(1) Silvie and Danny renovated the place, the sound is good, the stage is good, and the sound man is well-​versed, and can handle both experimental and standard types of music.
(2) Independent booking is easier here than at other bars. If you negotiate with Silvie about a particular bill, and present a full bill to her, she will actually consider it, and your show can go on as planned, with an actual concept or theme behind it. She will book with an agent when she needs to, but if you want to actually work with a bar owner to put on a successful evening, this is a place to check out.
(3) They actually pay you based on how the entire night works.
There is a severe lack of independent venues in Chicago, and frankly, with the renovations made to this place, this is a potential gem sitting near the Brown Line.

Came here for the Dr. V concert and felt it was a great way to showcase a classic American, college targeted, music bar. My friend and I loved it. Everyone was nice, drinks were average price and all of the bands playing that night were very good. We walked away with a few CDs.
Place could be set up better to accommodate clients and it was stuffy. That’s my only complaint.

Intimate music venue & old school bar. This is a «shot & a beer» place, and their drink specials reflect that… I think an Old Style & a Jameson shot was $ 5. They even have a little pizza oven and will fix you a frozen pizza right at the bar. Their mySpace page (
) has an updated calendar of the band lineups. Also check out the video on mySpace of some brothers dancing at Silvies:
happy drinking my friends!