Schoolyard Tavern & Grill

The food was good. It was just normal bar food. Nothing exceptionally amazing about this restaurant but nothing bad by any means. I would totally go back there. It’s a hidden gem of Lakeview.

The Schoolyard has a great patio and I love that it’s dog-​friendly. Last time I came, our server brought our dog a dish of water and the doorman came over to give her a treat. They have pretty good food (I usually get the turkey burger) and decent drink specials. They use disposable cups for water and other drinks, which I don’t like because it’s not environmentally-​friendly, but that’s really my only complaint. I’m glad to live within walking distance of this place!

The food is great, I usually get the southwest salad as a wrap which is delicious. The staff is really nice too and very attentive. I like coming to this bar knowing the food and service is constantly good. Wish they were on Groupon more often ;)

Went here as the final stop of a combination birthday-​Kentucky derby barcrawl. We called ahead and reserved a section with no problems for about 30 people. Nice layout with a bunch of seating options. Didn’t get any food, so no comment about that. The drinks were not as strong as I had hoped for.
Overall, it’s a good sports bar which is close to Blue line. Typical Chicago prices. But unfortunately doesn’t stand out too much.

I love the Schoolyard! This is my go to Chicago Marquette Game Day Bar! As a proud Marquette Alum, I can’t always make it back up to Milwaukee for basketball games so my next best bet is to swing by Schoolyard. I have been frequenting the game day viewing parties here for YEARS and have seen the interior undergo a major transformation. Gotta say, I love the look of it now. It’s a great place to watch a game, with more TVs than you know what to do with.
The menu is great. The tots are my spirit animal. The drinks are tasty and the specials are a great deal. The MU Stadium Cups are basically all I drink out of at home because, lets be honest… adulting can be a challenge at times and sometimes the only matched set of drink ware that you are going to have is plastic in nature. Deal with it… it’s a thing.
The staff is always friendly and attentive and every time I have gone there has been a solid crowd. Other than that, all I can say is MU RAH RAH!

Was at Schoolyard for a buddy’s birthday party. His wife bought out the place on a Saturday night. The drinks were poured well and they had a nice beer selection. The burger and buffalo chicken «sliders» were tasty, as was the fajita bar. I can’t speak to the pricing or portion sizes from the regular menu, but the food was quite good pub grub. Lots of TVs and a nice back room. I can imagine checking this place out if I’m on the Southport Corridor in the future.

Schoolyard is one of the best bars on the southport strip. I can’t even count the Sunday’s that have been spent here either watching football or just hangin’ with the gal pals. The best part about schoolyard is the bar food. Who doesn’t love good bar food? Let me tell you what, Schoolyard has what you’re looking for when you’re cravin’ some not-​so-​good-​for-​you yet insanely delicious food. I’m a sucker for a buffalo chicken anything and lucky for me Schoolyard has 3 options: the buffalo chicken rolls, the buffalo chicken wrap, and the buffalo chicken French dip. They’re all good, but oh my god that French dip. Melty cheese, juicy shredded chicken, and blue cheese to dip. You have to try it! I’ve also had the falafel wrap and it’s great too– a little spicy and very flavorful.

I’ve got a secret for you.
During busy times (read: probably any time there is a game, a happy hour, more than a few people??!, etc.), if you order a mixed drink (read: any shot of liquor in any basic mixer) you will automatically be given a tall (read: in a tall glass with double the soda, not double the liquor) at a surcharge of $ 2.50 (maybe more? who knows?) UNLESS you specify you want a short glass (read: same amount of liquor, less fizzy empty calories).
I know not everyone is a math guy like moi, but a bar has to be out of their flipping mind to think that $ 9.50 for a 7&7 (or any mixed drink with subpar, cost-​cutter liquor) is anywhere close to reasonable (read: your signature cocktails cost less than that) and it is exactly what my friend called it: SCAM. Now while I usually just take my lumps and move on my more-​vocal friend called it for what it was. Full disclosure, she was able to negotiate the price to $ 7 each (what would have been the normal price, and this was after we paid and signed the credit card) which was good move by the manager, however, what an absolute annoyance and, again, scam.
It really sucks because this place has a heck of a corner patio, has been a destination for my friends and I many times in my decade in Chicago, and has an awesome menu. Just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Guess I’ll stick to the part of Southport North of the Brown line.

Tonight had a horrifically offensive night against women. My sister in law was here and a guy reached over and tried to unhook her bra while sitting at the bar. We were able to stop him, but to no real avail. The guy was clearly friends with the bartenders so no one AT SCHOOLYARD seemed to care. God forbid the bar take a stand against guys who think women are meat. But no Schoolyard sanctioned his actions with the Schoolyard bartenders and door staff offering shots and drinks to the predator. I’m so appalled that this bar allowed sexual assault at its core and tried to satiate not the victim but the predator. It’s horrific. I cannot believe I can’t give No stars. This is so so horrific.

Great neighborhood bar! The service has always been wonderful whether its a Tuesday night on the patio or a Saturday night inside. It has great music, a decent beer selection and awesome food. The fish tacos are the best!

This is a U of I bar
We came here before and after going to the pride parade. It was quiet before and only slightly busy after. We were able to get bar seats without any problems both times. This is a nice bar that is modern and open to the outside areas. The windows provide this nice atmosphere and the clean interior accepts the sunlight very well.
Service was nice and beer was beer. Maybe I would come to see a U of I game if my Buckeyes were on a bye week.

Schoolyard 75 jalapeño drink was really refreshing and the patio is chill and nice with cute lights… definitely get the queso dip is will rock your world! I dont know what’s in it but the flavors are foodgasmic! Thank me after the dip! @jamiemurtaugh

Came here on a Saturday night, it was around 10:30 but my friend and i were surprised that there weren’t more people in the place. They had a dj playing music but no one seemed to pay attention to him. Also, the crowd was a tiny bit older than your typical bar crowd. We ordered a John daly fishbowl which was pretty good and huge. The staff was really attentive. Seems like a good place to come to start out the night.

Really great patio, really great food, and really great drinks! We ordered the barbacoa bowl and the Mediterranean veggie wrap with the hummus and guac appetizer and all were very well put together.
The patio is cute welcoming with pretty good capacity.
They also have a decent beer list and drink list as well.
I’ve been trying to hit this place for a while, and now I will definitely be back!

I’m a sucker for the menu at any Four Corners bar — They all (I think) have some version of the Southwest chicken salad, which is
and easily one of my favorite salads on a bar menu ever. Get it. You won’t be sorry.
Service is great. The patio is really nice. Location works. I’m a fan.

Cute neighborhood bar. Have watched my fair share of Bears, Cubs, Bulls and Blackhawks games here. Not the biggest place but the service is good and the prices are reasonable.

Service of bartenders is good and the fish tacos are tasty. This is a good spot to stop for a few beers a shot and a smile.

Caitlyn welcomed into the bar twice with open arms! Her ability to pour the tastiest glass of water is truly a talent worth having! If you haven’t had a glass of water at Schoolyard, obviously you haven’t lived. I’ve been to other establishments where there have been other additions like hair, residue from the last water aficionado. But at Schoolyard did their part to make me feel like I was drinking a Voss!!!
Come to Schoolyard for a great glass of water!

I love this place! The managers both the GM Casey and manager Jason are great. I had my company event here in February and it turned out well. My only concern is that their event coordinator Bridget is not the greatest because she doesn’t necessarily put the customer first. Luckily when I shared my concerns with the managers they valued my business enough to find a way for my company to work things out without having to involve her. Now that that issue has been resolved I can’t wait for summer and to continue coming here because they’re also great for my family time too. They have a wonderful kids menu. And all the food I’ve eaten has always been great especially the sriracha sandwiches. The cherry on top is that they have a great drink menu that, as a former bartender, I would definitely recommend checking out.

Good bar to meet a few friends at to get the night started. We got a few beers each as well as a fishbowl. They had older music that brought us 25 year old back to our youth of the late 90’s as well as music videos to go with it! We were able to get a table to sit down and catch up which was nice.

Schoolyard’s a good option to grab some drinks in a good atmosphere and at pretty good prices as well. Only issue I’ve ever had with Schoolyard is that if you try going during a weekend day, it’s always too busy.
One of Schoolyard’s best strengths is its appetizers. I’ve never had a bad appetizer, they’re all great bar food. I’m a huge fan of the queso, the portion size is enormous and the flavor is top notch. Definitely split this with another person or two.
I’ve had the burgers and they’re good, not the best, but they’re good and I like them. Schoolyard also has some pretty sizable salad options if you’re feeling in a healthier mood.
My only complaint is that because Schoolyard is both an Illinois and Marquette bar, it’s always filled with alumni and finding a place to sit can be impossible if there’s a game about to be on, already on, or was on earlier.
The reason I love Schoolyard tho — Not Your Father’s Root Beer… on tap!!!

Do not go here during a game, any kind of game. Pub crawl stopped here when there were several games going on… It was insanely busy. If you do choose to go there during these times, you will have to wait for a while, you may get a table or counter, may.
Food is your typical bar food. I thought the stuffed onion rings would be a win… ah, not so much. oh well, my own fault for thinking they could be crispy stuffed with chili and other goodies. They were flavorful, just really limp.
Good selection of beer and specials on the board… God forbid if you ask one of the bartenders for the specials, she will direct you to the board as she did to countless schmoes before me. I giggled cause I already knew the specials. Girl comes prepared to drink and eat.