John Barleycorn has three locations in Chicago. All three double as restaurants with full menus during the day and bars with djs and dancing at night. The space is large and full of televisions... More

John Barleycorn has three locations in Chicago. All three double as restaurants with full menus during the day and bars with djs and dancing at night. The space is large and full of televisions playing sporting events. They also carry the traditional bar fare. The chicken burger isn't very good - some sort of odd flavoring there. But the regular hamburger is good. Nothing out of the ordinary here, for the most part you will find you're cliché Lincoln Park/Wrigleyville/Northside hangouts.
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This place would've only gotten 1 star, if I didn't know a friend of a friend of a cocktail waitress who got us great deals on drinks. I went there with a group of girls, and I think we were the... More

This place would've only gotten 1 star, if I didn't know a friend of a friend of a cocktail waitress who got us great deals on drinks. I went there with a group of girls, and I think we were the only girls in the place. It was a regular sausage fest...guys spilling beer, cursing and spitting on the floor. While I may have thought that was slightly hot back in grade school... not so much anymore. This is a guys guy bar. The music is okay and the drinks and food are good. But I won't be going back.
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But that's not a bad thing! Barleycorn's is supposed to be, like, THE place for "trixies" and "chads" (if you read craigslist, you will know what these are) but after going there for the first time,... More

But that's not a bad thing! Barleycorn's is supposed to be, like, THE place for "trixies" and "chads" (if you read craigslist, you will know what these are) but after going there for the first time, it kind of felt to me that I was in just another bar. I didn't really feel there was anything that made this bar more or less trendy than any other. It was pretty big and people just pretty much stuck with those they came in with - there wasn't much mingling, or as the case could have been, flirting or attempted hook ups or anything. Not to say this would never go on here, but I didn't pick up on it. I thought it was kind of chill, although I might add that service from the lady bartenders was a bit chilly in itself.
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Well, if you’re looking for a yuppie/college age meat market, this is arguably ground zero in Chicago (the location in Wrigleyville is gaining steam, however). Here’s what springs to mind when I... More

Well, if you’re looking for a yuppie/college age meat market, this is arguably ground zero in Chicago (the location in Wrigleyville is gaining steam, however). Here’s what springs to mind when I think of my way-too-numerous visits to Barleycorn: 1. A long line to get in, highlighted by a number of guys (during cold weather) shivering because they didn’t wear their coats (dude, we’re just taking a cab to the bar, no coat needed) 2. A packed interior with people wriggling about to get to a bartender or friends across the room (I’ve also been witness to the drink-order-by-cell-phone, which actually is not a bad idea when the place is jammed tight) 3. Lots of beautiful people acting a little ugly thanks to the power of alcohol I’m not trying to bad-mouth the place—just the opposite. If you’re single and looking for college-aged hotties and/or new graduates (this location happens to be a big DePaul magnet), you’ll have your pick of the inebriated litter here. Now, is it worth waiting in the long line that undoubtedly forms outside Barleycorn every Friday or Saturday night? Well, that depends on how desperate you are to get inside. So if you go, beat the crowd to reserve a table and some chairs.
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