The California Clipper

This place has been on my list of places to try for a while, so I decided to come on a leisure Sunday and check it out.I love the fact that I could sit anywhere. It wasn't super crowded, but there was a nice little crowd there to experience the live music. Their cocktail menu is pretty decent. I have a $5 Party Shot. Today, it was the PB&J shot with whiskey, strawberry, rhubarb, and lemon. For my cocktails, I had the Millionaire (crown royal) and the Stolen Kisses (rye whikey). The Millionaire was sweet and tart. You usually never think of Crown as being refreshing, but this was. Stolen Kisses was different - think Old Fashioned, but with umami. The menu describes it as "herbaceous," and that's pretty accurate. If I had to order again, I would stick with the Millionaire. Today's live music was provided by Phnx, and they were really good - very talented.Don't expect table service - you have to order at the bar. Since it wasn't terribly crowded, having 1 bartender was fine. Hopefully they have more or busier nights.#ImNotAFoodie #ImJustAGirlWhoLovesFood #YelpEliteSquad

I came here this past Friday for the first time. They were having a jazz show from 6-9 and a friend & I wanted to check it out. I will say that i really enjoyed my time here. The artists that played were super talented and had so much passion. The vibes were very vintage and had a great feel. The staff was nice and the drinks they made us were soooo good! It felt inviting and there was such a diverse group of people here. I absolutely loved the sign they had in the bathroom. I will definitely be back and will be bringing more friends to enjoy this wonderful bar.

The California Clipper is a great spot for cocktails! We went early on Saturday night, around 5:15, and were able to walk right in and have our pick of seating. Seating is plentiful and I loved the cozy booths. They had live music going and a great ambience. Drinks are reasonably priced for Chicago (~$15) and the bartender was making them strong. Service was good, although a little slow, as there were only 2 bartenders working and while the night started out slow, by 6:30 all the tables and most of the seats at the bar were full. The bar is dimly lit, which resulted in a great atmosphere for a date night! The bathrooms (which had complimentary menstrual products - a nice touch!) and tables were also all very clean. Even though this is an older bar, there were no sticky floors, grimy tables, or dirty bathrooms. I wouldn't hesitate in coming back!

This place was on POINT when it came to drinks, atmosphere, and music. The atmosphere felt equal parts refined and artsy. It has classic energy that has remained timelessness. The space brought out a client base with such diversity of age, gender, and identity. It felt very inclusive.

A classic old Chicago vibe. Took my son there to see his first gig. Staff, service & entertainment were top-notch. My son says: try the lemonade as it had just the right amount of lemon, sweet & ice.

So happy that they did not close down especially because I had only been a couple times before! This place has great vibes. You can say that it's the GreenMill of Humboldt park with handcrafted drinks and good live music to listen too. On this visit, they were throwing a Halloween party with 2 DJ's. We definitely danced the night away and had a lot of fun!

Super cool spot. Love the ambiance. Sat in a cozy booth. Came on a Monday night for some live music. Was incredible. Had an old fashioned was good.

richard was an absolutely incredible bartender, one of the best i've seen, he is a true whiz with all the stuff he does. my best friend took me to this place bc she went a week before and had a good time. i enjoyed it a lot! music is good, drinks are strong, and the red vibe is my favoriteeeeee, definitely coming back asap

We came here on a whim on a Friday. We've lived in the Humboldt Park area for years but never went here for whatever reason. It was poppin and we definitely will be back! The exertior is deceiving for sure, which is I guess their goal. Well hidden gem. We got two seats at the bar as people were leaving. The dance floor was full and all of the tables were full. We were very impressed with the vibe/atmosphere given this place is fairly large. The drinks are not over priced. I believe they charge $14 for any cocktail even one you name yourself. For instance, I ordered a vodka with lemon and it was $14 and obviously not on the menu.As I said, we'll be back!

I really like this place. A lot. In a "like you like you" sort of way. I've been through most of the cocktails on their list; they are well made, and I appreciate they keep the list tight and mostly classic. It has a chill vibe when there isn't live music, the booths are comfy, and the bartenders know their shit, so treat them well (especially since they don't do table service). It's my go to when I'm meeting friends in the city and we don't have specific plans in mind.