The Mad Tapper

Northlake, United States

3

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 708-344-8870
Address:
121 E North Ave, Northlake, IL, 60164
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.4 miWalmart Northlake Commons
1.1 miBerkeley
1.4 miBellwood
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Map

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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Music
DJ, Juke Box, Music Videos
Good For Dancing
Yes
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Wed, Sat, Sun
Coat Check
No
Smoking
Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
No
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 10:00 am – 2:00 am
Closed now
Local time (Northlake) 02:32 Thursday, 12 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 10:00 am – 2:00 am
Tuesday 10:00 am – 2:00 am
Wednesday 10:00 am – 2:00 am
Thursday 10:00 am – 2:00 am
Friday 10:00 am – 3:00 am
Saturday 10:00 am – 3:00 am
Sunday 12:00 pm – 2:00 am

Description

Specialties

Welcome to The Mad Tapper, your neighborhood sports bar in Northlake! Conveniently located along North Avenue, this local hangout features a friendly staff with great food and drink specials every day of the week. No matter what the occasion, The Mad Tapper has got you covered!

Whether watching the game with friends, unwinding after work or going out on the weekend– The Mad Tapper offers the perfect combination of a laid back and lively atmosphere all in one! Stop by and grab a drink from our fully stocked bar while enjoying our famous buffalo wings with handmade sauces. Bring your friends or make some new ones when you join us for karaōke, Ladies Night on Wednesday or live DJs every Friday and Saturday.

Our newly renovated space also features an ungraded menu and multiple HDTV’s with none stop sports, especially during football season! Whether a longtime resident or first time visitor to Northlake, we invite you to visit The Mad Tapper for a truly a one-​of-​a-​kind experience!

History

Established in 1999.

The Mad Tapper first opened in Northlake, Illinois in 1999. As the only bar in town, we’ve been proudly serving the Northlake community for nearly 15 years. Our goal is to provide a casual, friendly atmosphere where you can sit back and enjoy the game with friends. Whether you’re a regular or new to our establishment, we look forward to serving you!

Meet the Business Owner

Aneta O.

Business Owner

As the owner of The Mad Tapper, Aneta knows the business from the inside out. She started as a bartender and loved the business so much that she eventually took over a few years ago. Aneta has been working hard to improve the experience for her customers and maintain the fun and lively atmosphere that the Mad Tapper is known for. You can still find her behind the bar serving up drinks from time to time, so make sure to come by and say hello!

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20 reviews of The Mad Tapper

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Lake Villa, IL
beautiful katrina is the best! fantastic attitude and very attentive, no one is left without a drink! the place is packed and she is on top of it! great place, great girl
Place rating: 5
Cicero, IL
Excellent place nice people, cold great food u can’t ask for any thing else. i meant cold beer.
Place rating: 5
Columbia, MD
Great little dive bar and you should stop in for the AMAZING wings and drink specials! Wonderful service, clean, and friendly.
Out of town and looking for a little spot for some eats and drinks close to our super 8 hotel. This place is a quaint little dive bar that has exceptional service, a chill atmosphere, and some of the best wings I’ve ever had! I would most definitely come back when in town! Also has a pool table and open mic night on Wednesdays.
Place rating: 1
Melrose Park, IL
I honestly don’t write reviews often, but after last night July 24th I feel compelled to share my review. My wife and I had talked about checking this place out in the past, so last night we decided to go in. It wasn’t busy at all, but we thought the place had potential. Then we met the bartender… She was one of the rudest people in the service industry I have ever met, not to mention the probability that she was self medicated is very high. They made last call while my wife was in the bathroom. When she came back she asked if she could have a drink. The bartender refused to give her one, even though she had just served one of her regular patrons his last drink. We were probably there for 30 minutes total, and that was already too long. In conclusion, we will never be coming back and do not recommend this place to anyone. The customer service in this place is non existent. So, if you want to go out and have a good time go somewhere else!
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
The place is straight dive. I remember the days there was carpeting on the posts. Eww. I come here when my friends are in the mood for getting drunk über cheap. I’ve had the wings in the past which were a-​ok in my book. I’ve also had the steak tacos bc my friend raved about them. Definitely not rave worthy IMO. They were overpriced and came with lettuce and tomato two things I loathe on a taco. The place used to be popping on weekends, but this past Saturday they’re were maybe 8 of us in here and guess what? We all knew each other. No newbies around these parts. It’s either oldies or late twenty something’s/ early thirty something’s in town for a meet up with old fiends from the neighborhood.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Took awhile to get ‘em but… great wings! $ 6 for about 10, pretty good price. The buffalo equivalent flavor, they don’t have strict buffalo, was spicy, tangy and delicious. Wings were hot and good-​sized.
Very divey place owned by a blond, blue-​eyed Polish gal of all people! Find your local day drinkers and other assorted colorful characters here.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
This is a nice neighborhood bar. I went in there on Wednesday and they had a special on wings. Beer was cheap and the music was good.
Place rating: 1
Berkeley, IL
This place is a hole in the wall. Dirty, dirty, dirty! Did I mention that it was dirty? I drinks are expensive and the food is crap. Its an older folk bar with no life.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
We went there for one reason, and one reason only – WINGS! Totally worth it! It was a bit of an older crowd. A Bears game was on and they were a tad on the loud obnoxious side, but the food complete made up for it! Definitely will go back, maybe carry out next time!
Place rating: 2
Melrose Park, IL
Rating says enough. Drinks are a tad overpriced for what the bar is. I don’t consider $ 16 for a bucket of 5 Heinekens a «special» price. Place is a little on the dirty side. Predominately older crowd, especially during the day and weeknights. If you are going there to eat your best bet is to go with the wings (above average) or whatever is on Special that day. Bartenders are one of the things this place has going for it. Always courteous and attentive. If it wasn’t so risky to drive to/​from this place (DUIs), it probably would’ve gotten another star. Take that for what you’d like. Overall, place is just okay.
Place rating: 2
Elmhurst, IL
new ownership still a bad suburban bar. This place is not very clean and kept up. The burger I had was so awful and spongey all I could take was a couple of bites. The service was absolutely horrible and this really is not a place to be unless you are realy thirsty for beer in Northlake. The place is so dark and dim that maybe that is a good thing.
Place rating: 4
Melrose Park, IL
I’m a big fan of their wings! Good after work spot with TVs everywhere.
Place rating: 2
Lincoln Square, Chicago, IL
The Mad Tapper is our sponsor for our softball team. I try to come after every game, unless its too late. I like it here. it’s not fancy, but there are lots of TVs to watch and games to play. They have pool, darts, & the punching bag game! They always have good drink specials, I think it’s $ 13 for a domestic bucket right now. That’s a pretty good deal. The food here is also a lot better than you would think for a bar. The wings are great. I love hot, saucy, bar wings and this is the spot for them. Why go to wing stop across the street when you can come to the tapper for a beer & wings & fun.
Place rating: 1
Naperville, IL
WOMEN BEWARE. A friend of mine was rufied here in 2009 and then assaulted by 2 guys. The police did very little to investigate.
I personally never had any major problems when I went, but I always went with guy friends who I trusted. So just be careful. I’ll never set foot in this place again.
If you’re hungry, the pizza was decent and cheap.
Place rating: 3
Melrose Park, IL
For your run of the mill dive bar the Mad Tapper actually has some pretty good food. Wing Wednesday’s are a favorite. I’d be more than happy to pay regular price for these lil bits of chicken heaven but on Wednesday they’re only .35¢ They have a great variety of sauces. I prefer the hot BBQ. If I was in the area and looking for a place to grab lunch the Tapper would definitely be on my radar
Place rating: 4
Oak Lawn, IL
I have to admit the price is right here. The nachos are awesome and so are the wings.
Place rating: 4
Elmhurst, IL
Absolutely phenominal for a percieved dive bar. Yes, it is under new ownership with a little darkness and a lot of dankness but it is AWESOME. The new owner is friendly, personable, and hard working (she doesn’t use her good looks as a what can you do for me attitude). Her bartenders are friendly and they all keep to a local atmosphere. I recommend this place to any and all who want a few beers, shots, laughs, and fun. Food is good but I wouldn’t bring a child in on a Saturday afternoon because it is still a little rough around the edges!
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
I used to go to The Mad Tapper whenever I visited my friend that lived in Northlake. Every time, I’d ask myself: [1] Why would anyone ever want to live in Northlake? (no offense, of course); and [2] Why are there people here that are absolutely shizz-​faced at 4:00 p.m. What did I miss?
Nowadays, working just next to Northlake, when I pass the Mad Tapper (or «Mad Taps» as we used to call it; we were dorks), I ask myself: [1] Why would anyone ever want to work just next to Northlake?; and [2] Why am I on an errand after work and not sitting in The Mad Taps, already drunk at 4:00 p.m.
I ask myself that second question because, for what it is, The Mad Tapper is a fun little bar. The clientele are, um, interesting; the drinks are affordable; and it’s divey without being thoroughly creepy. I haven’t been there since the ownership changed hands, but, for me, it’s definitely worth returning to. Unfortunately, my friend that lived in Northlake no longer lives in Northlake, and, well, I can’t yet justify calling friends or family to come pick me up in Northlake because I’ve been bombed at Mad Taps since 4:00 p.m. But, believe me, I’m working on reasons.
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
This place is such a dive, I fall on my face soon as I walk through the door. Haaa, get it? I took a dive. Yeah, I’m lame.
But that’s not my beef with this place. Heck, I don’t mind a good dive (kind of an oxymoron there?). They serve their purpose in society. But this place goes WAY overboard with the country music, and overzealous Cubs fandom. The combination of the two can be more annoying than watching a weekend marathon of all things Fran Drescher.
Some good things I can say about the place are the bartenders/​staff are pretty friendly, and the food is quite decent for a dive bar. Even though I’ve only had the wings. They were pretty tasty, and the smell of them can make you hungry.
I come here once every couple months to meet people for a drink, but it’s not really my type of place. But if you like local dives, country music, cougars, and guys with mullets, «The Tapper» is your kind of place.
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
We used to hit this place after work for drinks many years ago. So, it’s Wednesday wings so we went there for lunch. It was weird. Lots of people drinking at 1pm. I probably wouldn’t go again. The food is OK and the service is fine. There are definitely better places for lunch.