Ph.D Pub

Ok…
If you have nowhere else to go this place is fine.
The patio is a cluster it looks like people brought chairs from their back yards.
The décor is ok and the ambiance is lonely. Everyone at the bar was friends with the bartender.
I saw a few people smoking in the back and I asked the bartender if smoking was allowed. He said…
«No but he’s a regular and he gets to do whatever he wants»
Incredibly unprofessional and disrespectful. I can see why this place is halfway out of business. The outside patio looks like someone’s garage. Only selected people get to smoke in the patio and there is no food!!!
Unless it’s a dive or a lounge most places have food!!! The place is huge!!! Oh wait you can «rent» a grill and make your own food in the patio/​junk yard they have on the outside.
Honestly this is such a waste of space!!! It has so much potential but it looks like a junkyard.
To top it off the bartender could not be bothered because he was drinking Coronas with his friends in the patio.
Oh wait when we came back in he couldn’t be bothered again because he was playing darts with his other friends inside the bar.
He was passing out free drink like they were going out of style.
The worse bar in the area by far!!!

This place is fun. Decent drink prices, the staff is very friendly, plus they have giant jenga & N64. Yes, I could drink cheap beer & play Mario Kart in my own living room, but my therapist says I need to get out more. Problem solved.

Matt is the best bartender I’ve met so far in Chicago. This bar also has Mario Kart 64, so 5*.

The name of the place sounds cool, but that is where the bucks stops. The bartender and server I had were unfriendly and rude. The drinks were just average.

Great place. Regular prices and long beer list.

Went on a morning before yoga lol and had a couple bloodies and a shot with my girlfriends on our unofficial «Bloody Mary trail» nothing too special about this bar or bloody but I’d probably Coms here again next time I’m around!

Nice atmosphere, very good patio area. Good selection of beers. They have a tent on the patio area for smokers when it’s cold outside. The patio area has grills so you can cook your own food there, which is very cool.

Really great spot in University Village near UIC campus! Décor is nice, staff is very friendly and drinks are great price. Also have a great selection of beers on tap and in bottle. Some really cool perks are that you can bring your own food and they sell cases and sixers of beer. They have Jenga available and darts for those who want to play some games too. Have got to know the bartender Ryan and he’s a great guy and very helpful. Also a great patio. They have drink specials everyday which you can’t beat. Definitely stop by this place for a drink if you’re in the area.

Came here with some friends to watch the Hawks game chill spot and not too crowded. The BYOF option was perfect. Moxee has some great food and is a short walk.
We had Ryan as our bartender and he was fun to chat with and made some good cocktails.
Great spot to chill out at.

Holy crap I miss staying in Pilsen and coming here — this place is, as Unilocal so eloquently puts it, «As good as it gets!»
We were sitting in our apartment in Pilsen and looking for a bar close by. We stumbled upon this gem and I couldn’t figure out how this place had almost 5 stars — that’s unheard of. I guess we had to come see for ourselves.
The first night we were greeted by Mike who kept us company and kept great conversation with us. He offered a LOT of advice on places to go, things to see and do in the area. I was stunned by how impressive their beer list was, not only cans and bottles but also amazing beer on tap.
The second night was even more fun than the first. We walked in and noticed a different bartender at the front… Mike came out of nowhere to welcome us back and make us feel at home with an intro to our bartender that night, Ryan over a round of shots. Wow, where else do you get treated like a regular on your second visit?! This night was also sick. Ryan did an awesome job of getting our drinks, making recommendations and helping us navigate what we were doing in Chicago.
The last night we met yet another new bartender, Ben. We asked about Ryan and were told he was on his way. Ryan later joined us and he and Ben did a great job of service and keeping us company — they have a great sense of humor and play subtle tricks on regulars there which is hilarious to watch play out. In true PhD form, we ended the night with a round of shots on the house (I was getting used to this — really miss my nightly free shot =/​)
We were really impressed by the atmosphere, drink list, lounge in the back of the bar and the outdoor patio (which I never spent any time on and somewhat regret it.) The one thing that makes this place absolutely incredible is the bar staff who I can’t wait to come back to visit.
If the weather is good, this place is poppin’ inside and out.

Well this pub was the highlight of my trip to Chicago. Mike, Ryan, and Ben were the best bartenders you could ask for. They were helpful with giving us tips for where to go and what to do. Though watch out for the one that apparently kicks them in the balls! Hahaha. It was welcoming environment and one we very much appreciated.
The place has an excellent Beer Selection. Tons of craft beers in bottles and a great tap selection.
The bar itself is very nice, love the outdoor part as well and the dart board. Plus the little lounge area with the books are nice touch to the place and it’s namesake.
Next trip back to Chicago I’m looking to stay near here so I can keep coming back on a nightly basis!

One of a few places open at 1:30 on a Monday night in an unfamiliar (to me) area.
We cruised down to the city on our bikes and after a while got hungry (and thirsty).
Saw some people inside so we parked up and gave it the old college try…
The inside is pretty cool. A bit nicer than I expected, actually. They have a sweet looking lounge area with a school-​themed bookshelf and coffee table. Comfy bar chairs and other seating in the back.
I had a watermelon moonshine cocktail and my friend had a beer. I thought the cocktail was adequately strong and overall pretty tasty.
Everything here seems a little pricey, I know it’s the city but apparently UIC/​Taylor Street warrants a little bit more hefty pricing.
As mentioned in other reviews, it looks like you can bring your own food, have stuff delivered, and even grab a drink to go from their giant fridge (at a likely higher than your corner liquor store price).
Our bartender was pretty cool, he gladly welcomed us in even ~25 minutes before close and warned us about last call just in case.
I would imagine on a certain Friday or Saturday night when class is in session this place gets popping.
4/​5, unique.

Ph. D is a neighborhood bar. It’s not always crowded and the bartender rotation is always consistent. The bartenders there are always friendly and the patrons are usually from the neighborhood. Making for a very laid back atmosphere.

I wish this place existed when I was going to UIC, but when I started there nothing existed south of Roosevelt. Now there’s tons to do. Morgan’s is now closed, but this little pub is one of many newer bars that fills the gap well.
I’m not a beer drinker (*gasp*), but the beer list here is extensive. They also have a beer flight where you can pick 4 from the list to try. The cocktails were tasty and served in a mason jar. Decently priced too.
Drinks only for this place, but they have a pretty sweet deal with Connie’s Pizza. You can get a discount on your food to have it delivered to the bar. I believe on Tuesdays there is free Connie’s for all patrons too, which is like a holy grail deal for college students.
There are plenty of places to sit, indoors or outdoors. The patio has a fire pit/​smoker, there’s a grill (maybe for grilling parties?), and a place to play bags. I came with a group of friends late at night, and service was ok. We were greeted by the waitress who decided to smoke and take our order at the same time (time warp to 1995?), but she was pleasant enough. Definitely a decent place to hang back and grab a drink though.

To be honest, I did not know what to expect before I came to PhD Pub. Part of me (a large, large) part was fully expecting to see a room full of the blonde ponytail guy from Good Will Hunting, but it was nothing at all like that. I was actually mildly disappointed by that development, but it is what it is.
So, yes, it is a college-​y bar. College students unwind there, but they do so in a chill way. And the place actually drew a decent mix of all ages on the night we stopped by. The crowd was friendly and energetic, the bartenders were talkative and attentive, and the décor was laid back and welcoming. I don’t believe they have a kitchen but I did see a few delivery guys stop by, so food is covered. Decent list of beers on tap with most of the Chicago staples covered. There really isn’t any aspect where PhD came up short.
We definitely had a good time, and we definitely will be back.

I had a great impression of the place at first, Emily the bartender is amazing. I had to say though, the owner a very old guy is mean and very bitter. He was extremely rood and when my was friend tipsy Hd kick us out into he cold and flipped me off and said «go fuck yourself». This is after we spend well I’ve d$ 200 in his bar Nd made friends with everyone but him. He seemed like a. Rey bitter old man.

When I saw the Ph. D Pub sign, I thought this would be a bar/​lounge where the UIC professors would go to sip on red wine and Cognac while reviewing thesis’ and dissertations. I was delusional. The only décor that connects with the name is the bookshelf containing an array of books — but it’s too dark to read in there. Other than that, it’s just a bar…
Well, not really. According their website, they have a large beer garden in back with cornhole. Kind of like a bars in Wrigleyville without all the shitheads.
Drinks were good and inexpensive, the bartender was friendly as were the customers so that is always a reason to go back.

We came to Pd. D after an event at the UIC Pavilion. It is in walking distance from UIC, so yea!
Not at all pretentious. Good beer list, with specials. Good servers. Outdoor area has some heaters which is pretty nice. Prices reasonable.
They have no food (no kitchen) so you have to ask the server for menus to local establishments that deliver to PhD if you are wanting food.

This place is in a great area with lots of foot traffic yet it was kind of empty when we arrived. A group of us went for some drinks and realized why no one goes in there. A quick shout out to the security guy cause he was on his game. He carded efficiently and politely which is nice. We arrived starving only to find out that they don’t serve food at this bar. BUMMER! However we are allowed to bring in outside food, which we did. The server was nice but a complete mess! She came to our table maybe 3 times. Dropped off menus, took our order, brought our drinks then disappeared. One of our guys actually went to the bar twice to get more drinks because our server never came back. She did come back in the end to charge our cards but that was it.
One thing that did gross me out was that some of the glasses smelled like wet dog. Not the greatest smell in the world.

I am not a college student, and this place is pretty obviously aimed towards the UIC crowd. I still, however, appreciate what they are doing. ’cause it’s not a college bar in the «ohmahgawd drunken frat party,» it’s the college «sit back, drink a beer, and play a game of bags on the patio.»
The patio rocks. The beers in mason jars rock. Of course, the patio is of limited use in the near future, though there is a neat fire pit out there so maybe they can salvage a few more months out of it.
Friendly people, super laid back. Hope it does well.