Cas Hardware Store

The owner has never been very helpful or friendly and the items I have bought have always been bad. I bought string once for candles that the owner assured me was 100% cotton, but when I tried to use it for wicks, it melted like plastic. I returned it and he first told me I couldn’t, but I reminded him he had said it was cotton and that it couldn’t be cotton, so grumpily he took the return. They have also cut keys for me that didn’t work. Just now I called to ask if they had a product and was told they were closed, no response to whether they had the product (why answer the phone then?)
I want to like them for being a «mom and pop» small business, but the service and quality has always been bad.

Came in to have a duplicate key made and they did it in less than 2 minutes for less than $ 2! Key worked perfectly when tried at my apartment! (And I didn’t even have to take it off the key ring)

Old fashioned mom-​and-​pop hardware store. You don’t see stores like this as much anymore, and the owners (well, I assume they were the owners) were genuinely knowledgeable about their wares and about general DIY. I can say this from my experience there, as well as overhearing (eavesdropping?) other customers’ inquiries. Great little place. Nice selection of merchandise, too. More merch selection than the chain store down the street. Wish I would have taken a picture of the inside of this quaint hardware store gem.

Thank you, Unilocalers! I never would’ve found this place, if not for the reviews here. I needed a vintage Stiffel lamp switch replaced, as I busted it in too vigorous detarnishing. The owners were incredibly fantastic. I, of course, ripped off all the felt on the bottom, to try and open it myself and «just tighten up a loose wire». I have no idea about electrical! So, I was just creating more problems, haha. Came in to pick up the lamp — new switch replaced, a perfect matching brass exterior switch (which he said he only had black the day before), felt replaced on bottom, plus he made it a 3 way, which it had not been in many years! All this work? $ 20! Seriously? What a wonderful and lovely pair of owners! I had fun talking to them on both days. Very, very happy to patronize such a great, little business.

I run an appliance repair business and sometimes this hardware store is closer than the other ones in the area. Unfortunately, their selection, and knowledge, is very limited so this is not the place to go with any less common problems. On the upside, if you do have a common problem this place is cheaper than the other hardware stores in the area.

A fantastic store, with helpful proprietors who know the stock intimately. Despite the small size the selection is very good. Of course, it’s not as broad as the much larger Clark-​Devon Hardware a mile north, but unlike at Clark-​Devon, you won’t have to wander around looking for a staff member for twenty minutes, and I’ve been happily surprised at how often a quick stop at Cas has been able to save me a trip to the larger store.
The lamp repair service is fast, reasonable-​priced, and good. I brought in a globe lamp, probably thirty or forty years old at least, with a broken rotary switch and was dismayed to learn that I’d have to replace the entire socket assembly – but it turned out that Cas had a suitable socket in stock and they were able to have it fixed by the next day for $ 20 parts and labor. (I hear that ordinary rewiring is even less expensive.)

Love this place! Mom and Pop shop (literally) both of them are always there and are always helpful. I have never walked out of there without what I need. Sign inside says it all «if we don’t have it, you don’t need it»

Pretty cute place. They are obviously doing something right to have survived the test of time (and with high ratings at that). Service here is excellent… as a guy who wants to feel handy but lacks the experience and knowledge to buy the right thing at a hardware store, I appreciate the staff’s knowledge.
One drawback is that they are CASH ONLY. There is a US Bank across the street and an ATM around the corner, but this limitation means you’re probably not going to go on a huge shopping spree here. More likely, this is a neighborhood hardware store that you probably go to when you just need one or two items. For that purpose, it’s excellent.

This week while cleaning my apartment I took down off the wall a professionally framed HUGE Andy Warhol Brillo Poster from 1970 that had been hanging in my kitchen ever since… while scrubbing it clean and using windex on the glass I applied too much pressure and the glass broke in half… looking on Unilocal for frame services I came across the positive reviews for Cas Hardware… I am so HAPPY that I went up there! Cornell the owner not only cut me a new piece of 26″ X 30″ glass but he also took out the old glass and installed the new… I was expecting to spend at least $ 50-​$ 100…when I picked it up the bill was $ 16.00 tax included !! AMAZING SERVICE. I went back the next day with a ripped screen that had been on my back door and Cornel removed the screen then installed a new one… the cost for that service was $ 14. Super Nice Mom & Pop Store in Andersonville! I will be back very soon!

These are old Chicago buildings and they have occasional break downs. No need to tear the building down just a few small fixes here and there. With these old buildings, sometimes old parts needed and they are hard to find now and days. That’s where these old school mom and pop places come in handy. They usually have anything and everything, old and new, to fix your place right up. Cas Hardware is just this sort of place. There is even an old European couple who runs it, they are super nice and helpful. I grew up in places like this so I’m used to the flow of things. You just tell them what you need and they will find it for you. Looking around won’t do you any good, trust me they know better then anyone where things are. The only two others things you need to know is that things are cheap here and that their hours vary. At their age I think they deserve to decided when to go to work. I hope places like this stay around forever and they will with your help.

We love this little mom & pop shop. They aren’t open very late so we have to make a note not to put off picking up what we need (and they can’t bail you out if you blow something up late at night), but otherwise it’s incredibly nice to shop at a store with friendly owners. They cram most of the usual hardware stock into this little place and are very helpful if you have questions.
They’re also pet friendly. When the boyfriend popped in while walking the pooch he poked his head in the door to ask if it was ok to bring the her in. They responded with something along the lines of:
«Yes, yes! We for WHOLE family!»
:)

Quintessential neighborhood hardware store. Super helpful service. Prices fair for mom. and pop place. Open until 6 which is later than Ace on Broadway

I first avoided this store because they didn’t accept credit cards, but sometimes Home Depot is just too far to travel to. I don’t know what I was thinking, this place is wonderful. Tiny and crammed with nuts, bolts, and faucets; the nice old owners provide wonderful customer service and know their store. I walked away satisfied, and will most definitely come again. Highly recommended.

There aren’t too many options I found in the city of a hardware store that would do repairs, so this store truly is a gem!
I’m so glad I found this place.
Sure I can rewire that vintage lamp myself, I’m pretty handy.
but then of course I’d have to find brown lamp cord, new socket, and plug, in some ways that’s just too much trouble. Why would you need to when Cas Hardware is there to help!

Honestly, this store is magic. They’ve always had what I needed, and the prices are often lower than what I’m prepared to pay.
ALSO, have a lamp or appliance that needs rewiring? They’ll do that too. Just brought them an old lamp with a broken switch and they had it fixed in a day. For $ 8. Where can you find that anymore?
And yes, the couple that own the place are adorable.

Great little neighborhood hardware store!
I’ve gone to make copies of keys a couple times, and it was cheap, quick, and painless. Once I got a key that ended up not working when I got home, but they were fine about recutting it for me. I’m a happy customer so far, and if I find myself in need of any hardware store related goods, I’ll definitely check out Cas Hardware before stopping anywhere else.

I went here last summer to find a way to fix my clogged drain (ah, the days of living with roommates). I had already tried several liquid plumbers, bleach, plunging out the tub, a coat hanger to fish out hair… All of the classic quick fixes. I went here for the big guns, folks.
The store was organized in a way only someone who grew up around hardware stores would know how to navigate, so fortunately, the owner (who looks like a total grandfather-​type) is more than willing to hear your hardware ails and offer a solution or three.
I went in with a look of determination and a few dollars in my pocket, and left the store with some plastic hook device, a drain snake (a nice addition to my lesbian tool-​box, if I might say so myself), and a few dollars still in my pocket.

I went in here to get a set of keys made. When I say «set» I mean copies of half-​a-​dozen keys, keys of all sizes and shapes (well, maybe not shapes — but the keys definitely included a padlock key and a mailbox key). I was beaten to the key duplicator by another customer, but that didn’t stop one of the helpful employees from pulling me aside, asking what I needed, and getting my key duplication going right away. The awful sound that the key machine made aside, I was very pleased with my experience.
While waiting for my keys, I walked around the shop. It’s been around forever — dozens of years, family-​owned and operated — and has the hardware relics to prove it. They sell all sorts of devices that were probably useful in the 1980s (e.g. a small plastic thing that plugs into your corded phone that allows you to turn without twisting the cable into knots), as well as modern tools. They even have a small selection of kitchen gear (can-​openers, bottle-​openers, etc).
I couldn’t really tell if the prices on tools and parts were great — I’m no expert — but the keys were a buck-​and-​a-​half each, and done with great speed. I went home and tested them all and had no problems. Had I any issues, I could have taken them back to be re-​cut, free of charge.
The most important thing to remember about Cas (h) Hardware is that it is Cas (h) only. Luckily, I read up on this place here. I could see some plastic-​only people being really disappointed.

Matthew S, nailed this review… and as much as I want to steal the «heavy eastern European accent» wording, I’ll pass as I couldn’t hope to do a better job.
This old school hardward store sits smack dab in the middle of Andersonville on Clark and is what could be considered a traditional hardward store… in otherwords, nothing in here is sexy like in a Lowes or Home Depot. This place is where you go when you need good ol’ hardward items… and by the looks of it, some of the items have been sitting on the shelf a long time.
Prices are inexpensive and the store has only a few aisles. The woman manning the store the day I was there showed me exactly to the items I was seeking.
Lighting is reminiscent of my grandmother’s house… just bright enough to see what you are looking at but dim enough to make sure the power bill isn’t any bigger than it has to be. Also, this is a cash only store and they make sure you know it at the register with a big homemade sign to the left. It is a great little store in a great little part of town.

me: «Hello! I just moved into my apartment, and want to change the shower head. The one I bought doesn’t fit on the old stem!»
Cas Hardware «Oh-​kee. Brink with you de shower head, we fix you up goot!» (should be read with heavy eastern European accent!)
me «Super!» (to be read with a heavy fag accent!)
And they did fix me up good.
He asked me for the shower head, and he went into the back for about 1 minute, and came out smiling, he had found the perfect fitting nut.
They treated me so well. I felt like their gay Grandson. With the plumbers tape, and washer, my total was $ 1.78. He explained how I should wrap the stem with plumbers tape, and even provided me with a small drawing on a little sheet of paper, because I obviously seemed inept.
At the cluttered, and well worn check out counter, I realized I only had a $ 10, and I hate breaking a bill for this sort of thing. I DID however have an Altoids tin full of change in my murse (that’s a man purse, for the uninitiated). The woman at the register said to me:
«Eeets oh-​kee. Just pour eet on the counter. Take you time» and smiled.
And further, encouraged me to use pennies. And I did take my time. Counting has never been a forte of mine.
She rang me out, and even put my purchases in a tiny little brown paper bag, smiled and told me to «call eef I have more questions». awww.
I love this shop. I like it because I don’t have to shop when I go in. I tell them what I want, and they go and get it.
This was just the best experience I’ve had here. It’s a total Mom & Pop shop — and I also think that you time warp to 1950 when you go in.
AND, I fixed my shower head when I got home. Now I can shower with several water spray options: Alone, or with company.
Thanks for helping me get laid Cas Hardware store!