Frank and Mary’s Tavern

Nice old school neighborhood bar. The go to place if you want a homemade lunch! I will definitely be back in to try the meatloaf.

Spur of moment stop by after parking in front and heading to Pete’s for a haircut. An amazing old school, gem of a bar — and that’s exactly what it is. A bar for fans of bars. Late afternoon, some regulars hanging out. Friendly and willing to shoot the shit with a stranger.
Food was amazing! Chicken schnitzel w mashed potatoes and some corn. Not pretentious. Servers in styrofoam container which might be due to me catching lunch at the very end. and which doesn’t bother me at all. It was SO good! The guys there weren’t shy about sharing how good everything else was. Meatloaf on Thursday?
There was laughter after someone described it as an old man bar. Perfect. Makes fun of itself. So go and be yourself and enjoy.

Best bar in Chicago with little competition. Frank and Mary’s is the my go to spot for cheap drinks, Great people and home style cooking!

Great little place to enjoy a cold beer and have a hearty bowl of chili. Good prices and good people.

Just got home from the Frank and Mary’s chili cook off! It was my first time there and I really had a great time! I really enjoyed the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Frank was a wonderful, gracious host and Rosa, the bartender, was great. The chili cook off was a lot of fun! I loved trying all the chilis! I will definitely be back!

I just opened a Barber Shop down the street from Frank & Mary’s, and I saw a bar a couple doors down from me, so I decided to take a peek, because after work, I sometimes like to have a cocktail after a long day. The staff there are awesome and very welcoming. Nice prices, nice drinks, old school neighborhood tavern, regulars from the neighborhood. My kind of place. The lunch time specials are great as well. Get there early to get some comfort food, cause it goes fast. I am in for the long haul at Frank & Mary’s. Keep up the good work folks.

Great for lunches
11am — 2pm Mon thru Fri.
ON TAP Three Floyd’s & Revolution BBK & Kutscher Alt

My young friend Jenny and I (her mom is the sister of my best friend from HS) went for a delicious Friday lunch today at Frank and Mary’s Tavern, at 2905 North Elston. As others have pointed out, look for the Old Style sign outside. Jenny and I usually met downtown for lunch, but after Chicago Mag had an article on the decline of the Chicago tavern, we wanted to go to Frank and Mary’s. I met Mary at the «beauty shop» Mary and I both frequent, and I wanted to go there after hearing about the wonderful lunch offerings. Today being Friday, there were myriad fish offerings (cod, perch and one other) and roast pork. You could get a half and half, which I did of fish and pork, rounded out by wonderful homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, home made so good cole slaw, delish tartar sauce and icy cold beer or pop. I also enjoyed a cup of tasty home made chicken noodle soup.
And Mary is the great cook and such a nice gracious lady. We perched up at the bar for our lunch, like pretty much everybody else. Mary is very personable and fun. Frank was also very kind and gracious, I was having so much fun I had two beers with my lunch. The very affordable tab was $ 15, with lunch and the brewskis. Please keep in mind you could also order a smaller plate. I took some of my great lunch home.
I am an older gal and am a Chicago native, and I know a winner when I see it — I really like Mary and Frank and their clientele, and their enjoyable food, old — time feel and just a great lunch and time. I will be back, for sure!!! Jenny is brilliant and such great company, and she loved it too!

Love this place! I went here for the first time today (on a friend’s recommendation) to try the meatloaf. Amazing! It’s just like mom used to make (only better… but don’t tell MY mom that!) The slice was nice & thick and it was juicy and full of perfect flavor. The mashed potatoes & gravy were delicious, too. Mary, you do a wonderful job in the kitchen :)
Lunch is only served 11 – 2, I think and there are one or two offerings on rotation throughout the week. Next time, I want to try the chicken schnitzel (I think that’s on Tuesdays).
When I walked in, I felt a little awkward at first because the place was full of regulars, but they all gave us such a warm welcome – one regular even brought us our drinks – 2 RC Colas (When is the last time you’ve had an RC Cola?!)
Since it was lunchtime, parking was super-​easy for us… I am not sure how parking would be at night. I want to go back on a Saturday night for Bingo and cocktails, so I’ll report back then :)

Mmmm, the food.
Interesting beers — the first time I had Leinenkugel’s was here. The bartender was so sweet, I had already had a couple beers and was really tired of them. I wanted something yummy… she suggested a Berry Leinenkugel. Yum.
I appreciated the suggestion and her great demeanor.
She was tipped well ;)
Parking is rough, it’s all street parking.
Pretty cool little almost-​dive type bar. Great people though.
Don’t pick up the «cougars» here though… I’ve heard some accounts from some close friends. Don’t do it.

This is a great hidden gem. Mary makes home cooked meals for lunch every weekday and it is like the food your grandmother used to make, it is just an unbelievable treat. Frank her brother bartends. It is a very nice family affair with inexpensive drinks and unbelievable food.

Dreadful looking on the outside, but fantastic on the inside. Great friendly bartenders, amazing jukebox and great prices.
It’s a little out of the way for me to make it my neighborhood bar, which is kind of a shame. I really enjoyed my night here.

Only for those in the ‘know’ there are no signs (Other than Old Style Cold Beer) on this great lunch spot. Home cooked meals by Mary herself. Each day is a different home cooked special, with a potato and vegetable. Half or full order options. Simple, home cooked American comfort food. Frank and Mary are great people. Lunch starts at about 11:30 and food may run out by 1pm, so get there early.

First off, I ‘ve known about this place as a dart player for many years. just recently, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy the food there for lunch. I go on Thursdays for the best corned beef and cabbage dinner west of Manny’s Deli. Frank and Mary, the brother/​sister combo are the most down home friendliest people you will ever meet. And import bottles are $ 3 on Thursday! Great place to go get started of a 3 day weekend or just to treat yourself a little early.

This place will become part of a future list of «Places which make you feel you’ve gone to Green Bay.» (And I mean that in a most loving and supportive way.) I had lunch there Friday for the second time ever.
The Green Bay or Wisconsin thing, really, is the lack of a sign except for the large Old Style one sticking out of the front of the building. (In Green Bay, you can find rows of bars on one street with only beer signs, but usually these are «Pabst» vs. Old Style). The other Wisconsin thing, besides the stuffed deer heads, is the ease and friendliness and camaraderie, which I think is a most uncommon thing in Chicago bars. Both times I’ve been there, both patrons and owners are eager to chat you up and editorialize on anything from what’s on TV to Iceland, head cheese, the character of French Canadians, or that airline that’s now charging to use its airplane bathrooms. We touched upon all of these yesterday. And watched that program on TV where that guy travels the world seeking out strange foods. Not the most appetizing lunch entertainment, but a great source of chit-​chat.
They serve lunch from 11AM-​2PM weekdays only, and usually just a couple of dishes and a couple of homemade soups. My friend James had roast pork, with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I thought I would try their perch fry. Well, I wish I’d had the roast pork. It appeared to be very generous and juicy portion. My pan-​fried perch was cold and tasteless. Last year I had a fantastic plate of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes which was wunderbar, but the perch, along with the «frozen veggie medley» was disappointing. So, if you can go there for a weekday lunch, its best to stick with the roasted meats and potatoes, but skip the veggies unless they making something fresh. Great deal, though. $ 13.00 each for «big comfort food» lunch and two Dog .er Old Styles apiece. And the camaraderie and conversation… priceless!

Oh I had my first «Frank and Mary’s» experience today… The broccoli cheddar soup was nothing short of fantastic. It was green and cheesy, a truly wonderful porridge.
They only serve this soup on a Friday, but I told Mary as she hovered over me (like a mighty Lioness eyeing a wounded diseased gazelle) while I ate, that the gospel of the green leafy soup-​like substance must be spread to the masses. While porridge didn’t need the five separate dustings of salt and pepper, it sure bolstered both the appearance and the zing factor.
The other individual who partook in this feast guzzled down this mixture of milk, water, mushy greenish brown cubes (From stumps of the broccoli plant), and full on clumps of cheese (dancing around the bowl) faster than I could swirl my spoon around the ghoulish mixture. I could go on and on about how savory this soup was, but one should read no longer and head to the Tavern instead. Stay tuned more reviews on this fare because this little jewel of a restaurant cannot be muted by the nay sayers…
My only regret was not being able to dine on the Goulash. Mary ran out of just moments before our arrival. I could only imagine what this woman could do with double minus «canner» grade beef (these are the cows who die of old age in the fields before being butchered and turned into catfish feed) and a dash of paprika…

So, where do you think old doods who used to be asskickers in their prime go to to have a drink? I think they’d come here and continue to kick other old dood’s asses while they’re drinking. Frank and Mary’s Tavern is a nice little hidden away place that’s only identifiable by it’s Old Style sign outside.
We went here for their lunch (only served between 11A and 2P) and my it was superb. I had meatloaf and some chicken dish that i forgot the name. The mashed potatoes, green beans and beets were wonderfully done. Reminded me of all my friends’ grandmothers’ (mine didn’t cook American food) dinners. Everyone there was friendly and nice. I did notice some serious Dart trophies…(steeltips, ftw).
Anyway, great food, wonderful people and a nice place to hide. Fonzy thumbs up to Frank and Mary.

Good taxidermy is hard to find in this side of Chicago, but if you’re strong enough to force open the dysfunctional front door, you’ll find yourself looking eye-​to-​eye with a pair of stuffed bucks. This welcoming neighborhood bar is frequented by an eclectic mix of folks. Young Latinos, friendly neighbors keeping their drinking habits steady into middle-​age, and one guy who looked like he just swam in from the Elston River, which is what I call the nearby Chicago River after I’ve had a few drinks. The jukebox has something for all of these rascals, from classic rock to old soul to hip hop. If you stop by at lunchtime, there’s a deal with home cooked food, which could be meat and potato dishes, sandwiches, and/​or pasta. Mixed drinks are served long and tall, beers are dirt cheap.