Was looking forward to a nice Jazz bar experience. Too bad the experience was ruined by the very rude and aggressive staff that openly ridiculed and mocked patrons. Extremely unprofessional staff. Try hiring new staff that treats customers like actual human beings instead of inconveniences.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Vee Bee
Unimpressed. For something as “iconic” as the green mill it leaves a lot to be desired. The jazz musicians did a fab job and the waitress was very kind and attentive. $10 cover and the man at the front door let us know of the rules, no flash photo, or loud talking during the set. Fair. But the looks we received from the people and the bartender just made it feel very unwelcoming. I guess the jazz population is as pretentious as it seems. Probably won’t recommend, or go back. Also if you’re going for a show, get there early. Seats fill up quick. But there’s plenty locations in the city with great options and better service and ambiance.Service 3/5 (all the waitress who was the only real highlight)
Absolutely did this as a tourist, Al Capone spent time here and that's about all they have going for them. Picture is of Capone's booth, looking back towards stage
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 3
Joe Sullivan
Don't believe the reviews on bad service. It's worse than you think.Jk. Go give them a shot. The Saturday Paper Machete show is really fantastic.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Mark Erspamer
One of the best jazz clubs in Chicago! Cash only bar and would check website to see if their is a cover charge. If you want to see the artist would recommend getting in early to secure a seat near the stage as the place fills up quickly and then is standing room only. Amazing acoustics so not a bad space to sit or stand in the bar. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Hunter Wilhelm
Was having a great time until the bald headed bartender (grey shirt on 4/25/24) with too much facial hair decided to literally yell at my cousin for moving a chair. It’s fine it can’t be moved but his aggressiveness was too much, especially for people who are first timers. He seemed like he was unhappy with everyone there and was not very friendly to anyone. I’d try again but hopefully don’t have to deal with this bartender.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
S Beechner
My absolute favorite jazz club in the city. Its literally like walking back in time to the 1920s. An amazing atmosphere and strong drinks as well.
Liam Poczatek
I'm a fan of Green Mill genuinely. The atmosphere is great, and while it can get crowded, you assume that's the case when going in.A few days ago I went into Green Mill to dance and spend time with friends, the waitress that comes out and services around the dance floor and the tables does a great job, but since she's only one person I went to the bar to get some waters for my friends and I.I went to the bar to order some waters, and the Bartender made me feel bad for not drinking, (I don't drink alcohol), then later on I went over to get napkins from the bar, and got treated poorly by the Bartender again.As someone from a recovering family, I'm not forgiving when someone treats people poorly for not drinking. I adore the waitress, and I really appreciate the historical preservation of this place. But the heavier bartender with the burly beard, not a vibe. 3 stars for this place is a testament to how great other things there are.I believe an improvement for the place could be allowing people to self-serve water, the staff is there to make money on tips, the high majority of those tips are coming from everything other than water, so let the people that genuinely need it to have it without getting in the way.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 2
kennedy o'keefe
Absolutely awful bouncer, literally started yelling from the get-go. Thought my friends real ID was fake and immediately tried to take it without knowing for sure. This guy has the biggest ego and I honestly feel embarrassed for him and the rest of the staff. So many bad reviews online and clearly no change, it’s sad they’re ruining the legacy of such a cool place.
This was my first time there and the atmosphere was beautiful everybody was so nice but it was so packed I was celebrating my birthday and come to find out it was somebody else's birthday 97 years old George Freeman birthday the music was beautiful if you ever go there get there early check the calendar to find out who's playing that night you'd be surprised
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
laura powers
Caught Ari Brown here for some jazz. A cool atmosphere that brings you back to a different era. Variety of seating. $20 cover. Was very full when I showed up about 11pm.Parking: Close to the L
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Mayia Giannakou - Kaisari
The band and the ambience were great, though the bartender was extremely rude and racist! And none from the personnel reacted And I now see that he has this attitude and reaction often, so I assume that the owner and/or managers do not care about his behavior!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Eileen
Beautiful amazing place. I love how hardcore the bartenders are and if you’re offended by getting shushed during a performance, theres plenty of other bars that lack a sacred respect for music you could go to. However, I wish they would feature current artists. Miles Davis said something along the lines of musicians play other peoples music, while artists create something new. Chicago has an incredibly rich music scene and I find it sad the green mill pretty much only features what are essentially cover bands…….jazz isn’t dead !! It’s still being created anew!
Anand Rangarathnam
Amazing bar and music. The biggest disappointment was the manner of the staff and bartenders. The jazz music was outstanding. I loved the vibe of the place. It was very crowded (we went on a Sat night) and not a ton of seating. The bartenders were really aggressive. That was a big let down for an otherwise nice experience. The place is great and has a lot of potential if they work on treating paying customers right.
Was looking forward to a nice Jazz bar experience. Too bad the experience was ruined by the very rude and aggressive staff that openly ridiculed and mocked patrons. Extremely unprofessional staff. Try hiring new staff that treats customers like actual human beings instead of inconveniences.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Unimpressed. For something as “iconic” as the green mill it leaves a lot to be desired. The jazz musicians did a fab job and the waitress was very kind and attentive. $10 cover and the man at the front door let us know of the rules, no flash photo, or loud talking during the set. Fair. But the looks we received from the people and the bartender just made it feel very unwelcoming. I guess the jazz population is as pretentious as it seems. Probably won’t recommend, or go back. Also if you’re going for a show, get there early. Seats fill up quick. But there’s plenty locations in the city with great options and better service and ambiance.Service 3/5 (all the waitress who was the only real highlight)
Recommended dishes: Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, Modelo Especial
Absolutely did this as a tourist, Al Capone spent time here and that's about all they have going for them. Picture is of Capone's booth, looking back towards stage
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 3
Don't believe the reviews on bad service. It's worse than you think.Jk. Go give them a shot. The Saturday Paper Machete show is really fantastic.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
One of the best jazz clubs in Chicago! Cash only bar and would check website to see if their is a cover charge. If you want to see the artist would recommend getting in early to secure a seat near the stage as the place fills up quickly and then is standing room only. Amazing acoustics so not a bad space to sit or stand in the bar. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Was having a great time until the bald headed bartender (grey shirt on 4/25/24) with too much facial hair decided to literally yell at my cousin for moving a chair. It’s fine it can’t be moved but his aggressiveness was too much, especially for people who are first timers. He seemed like he was unhappy with everyone there and was not very friendly to anyone. I’d try again but hopefully don’t have to deal with this bartender.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My absolute favorite jazz club in the city. Its literally like walking back in time to the 1920s. An amazing atmosphere and strong drinks as well.
I'm a fan of Green Mill genuinely. The atmosphere is great, and while it can get crowded, you assume that's the case when going in.A few days ago I went into Green Mill to dance and spend time with friends, the waitress that comes out and services around the dance floor and the tables does a great job, but since she's only one person I went to the bar to get some waters for my friends and I.I went to the bar to order some waters, and the Bartender made me feel bad for not drinking, (I don't drink alcohol), then later on I went over to get napkins from the bar, and got treated poorly by the Bartender again.As someone from a recovering family, I'm not forgiving when someone treats people poorly for not drinking. I adore the waitress, and I really appreciate the historical preservation of this place. But the heavier bartender with the burly beard, not a vibe. 3 stars for this place is a testament to how great other things there are.I believe an improvement for the place could be allowing people to self-serve water, the staff is there to make money on tips, the high majority of those tips are coming from everything other than water, so let the people that genuinely need it to have it without getting in the way.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 2
Absolutely awful bouncer, literally started yelling from the get-go. Thought my friends real ID was fake and immediately tried to take it without knowing for sure. This guy has the biggest ego and I honestly feel embarrassed for him and the rest of the staff. So many bad reviews online and clearly no change, it’s sad they’re ruining the legacy of such a cool place.
Service: 1
Long time spot for jazz and spoken word poetry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
This was my first time there and the atmosphere was beautiful everybody was so nice but it was so packed I was celebrating my birthday and come to find out it was somebody else's birthday 97 years old George Freeman birthday the music was beautiful if you ever go there get there early check the calendar to find out who's playing that night you'd be surprised
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Caught Ari Brown here for some jazz. A cool atmosphere that brings you back to a different era. Variety of seating. $20 cover. Was very full when I showed up about 11pm.Parking: Close to the L
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
The band and the ambience were great, though the bartender was extremely rude and racist! And none from the personnel reacted And I now see that he has this attitude and reaction often, so I assume that the owner and/or managers do not care about his behavior!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Beautiful amazing place. I love how hardcore the bartenders are and if you’re offended by getting shushed during a performance, theres plenty of other bars that lack a sacred respect for music you could go to. However, I wish they would feature current artists. Miles Davis said something along the lines of musicians play other peoples music, while artists create something new. Chicago has an incredibly rich music scene and I find it sad the green mill pretty much only features what are essentially cover bands…….jazz isn’t dead !! It’s still being created anew!
Amazing bar and music. The biggest disappointment was the manner of the staff and bartenders. The jazz music was outstanding. I loved the vibe of the place. It was very crowded (we went on a Sat night) and not a ton of seating. The bartenders were really aggressive. That was a big let down for an otherwise nice experience. The place is great and has a lot of potential if they work on treating paying customers right.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chardonnay