Chicago's Living Jazz Landmark
The Green Mill has been open continuously since 1907, making it one of the longest-running cocktail lounges in the United States. The bar's original Art Deco bones — curved booths, mirrored panels, carved woodwork — are entirely intact. This is not a reconstruction or a revival. It is the real thing, still running, still packed every night.
During Prohibition, the Green Mill was a speakeasy operated by Al Capone's associate "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn. Capone himself was a regular, and Booth 1 — the corner seat with clear sightlines to both exits — was his preferred spot. That booth still exists. You can sit in it. Staff will cheerfully point out why the exit sightlines were so important to a man in Capone's line of work.
Jazz has played here without interruption since before most of today's musicians were born. The Sunday night Uptown Poetry Slam — which the Green Mill has hosted since 1986 — is credited with pioneering the art form globally. On other nights, the house bands rotate through bebop, swing, and contemporary jazz. The music starts late and runs later. Come after 10pm if you want the room at its best.
What to Expect
The Green Mill is a proper cocktail lounge, not a craft bar. Drinks are generous, pricing is honest, and the bartenders have been here long enough to remember what you ordered last time. Classic cocktails — Old Fashioned, Sidecar, Manhattan — are executed cleanly. The house gin fizz is worth ordering twice.
The room holds around 200 people at capacity, and it fills up on weekend nights after 11pm. Arrive before 9pm to secure a booth without stress. The bar stools along the curved mahogany counter offer the best view of the stage, but you will be close to the speakers. The booths in the back are quieter and allow actual conversation between sets.
A cover charge applies when live music is playing — typically $6 to $12 depending on the act. This is one of the great values in Chicago nightlife. There are no other bars in the city where you get this level of musicianship for this price in a room with this much history. The best live music bars in Chicago include newer establishments with better sound systems, but none match the Green Mill for atmosphere and legacy.
When to Go
The Green Mill earns its reputation on weekend nights between 10pm and 2am. This is when the jazz is best, the room is full, and the energy matches the history of the place. If you want the bar to yourself and the music at a manageable volume, come on a Tuesday evening. The musicians are still excellent. The crowd is a fraction of the weekend size.
Sunday nights host the Uptown Poetry Slam starting at 7pm. The slam runs until around 10pm, after which jazz takes over. It is one of the most authentically Chicago experiences you can have in a single evening. Arrive at 6:30pm to guarantee a seat for the slam portion. After the slam transitions to music, the room loosens up considerably.
The Green Mill is a short walk from the Argyle and Lawrence Red Line stops. Parking in Uptown on weekends requires patience. Take the train, especially if you plan to stay until the 4am close — which, if the band is right, you will.
The Green Mill is on our short list of bars that every serious drinker should visit at least once. It is not the most technically accomplished cocktail bar in Chicago — The Violet Hour and The Aviary both surpass it on that front. But for sheer atmosphere, history, and the particular pleasure of sitting in a jazz bar that has been doing exactly this for over a century, the Green Mill stands alone.