Little Joe's

Little Joe's Since 1946, Little Joe's has been serving the Little Italy and UIC neighborhoods. Upon turning 18, Little Joe (Jr.) took over for his parents.

Little Joe's is a family-owned bar established by Joe and Connie Assenato in November 1946, two weeks after the current owner was born. Joe has run (and owned) his parent's bar for 52 years and loved every minute of it. Little Joe's has a tight-knit community of regulars, but new-comers are always welcome. We will be happy to cater to your group, and if you come in alone, you'd be hard pressed to

leave without a new friend. Little Joe's Circle Lounge, nicknamed "Joe's" by its patrons, has been catering to UIC since the day the university opened. You'll usually be able to find a student, professor, TA, or staff member sitting at the bar chatting with one of our fabulous bartenders. Joe's is also a favorite for the neighborhood residents of Little Italy, who enjoy the company of their neighbors and any new friends that may stop by. Little Joe's is proud to serve low-priced beer and liquor Monday-Saturday, and if you can't find something you like, one of our knowledgeable bartenders will be happy to recommend something to you. Stop by anytime and you'll be greeted with a warm smile and a cold drink. Hope to see you soon!

-Joe

06/03/2026

In honor of Riley, we’ll be collecting pet supplies throughout the month for the animals at Anti-Cruelty Society.

Stop by for a drink, bring a donation if you can, and help us make life a little brighter for some very good pets.

Bonus trivia points for donations on Trivia Night. 🐾

05/05/2026
05/04/2026

Revenge of the 5th — tomorrow.
All Star Wars Trivia at 8.

This is the bar you’re looking for.

05/04/2026
05/02/2026

It’s Derby Day. 🐎
5:57 PM = the most exciting two minutes in sports.

Two minutes? Not enough.
Come stretch it out at Little Joe’s.

Dress up, drink up, make a day of it.
Closed at 9PM for a private party — don’t miss your window.

04/01/2026

Little Joe’s turns 80 this year.

Since 1946, it’s been a staple of Little Italy.
Generations have passed through these doors, and although the current owners have only been here for less than 10% of that time, they bought the bar from the original family and have poured everything into this place to make their favorite bar what you see today.

But the truth is…
it was never really ours to keep.

It belongs to the people who have filled it, built it, and kept it going all these years.

So as we head into our 80th year, we’ve decided it’s time to start sharing it.

Later this year, we’ll be selling off pieces of Little Joe’s.

Not to one person…
but to anyone who wants to own a part of it.

We’ll be releasing a limited run of coasters made from the old bar top.

It’s white.
It’s synthetic.
But it has already held more drinks than you will in 10 lifetimes.

You can trust it with yours from now on.

We’ve held onto it long enough.

02/02/2026

It’s Groundhog Day.
Six more weeks of winter.
(Or not. Even the groundhogs can’t agree.)

If today ends up repeating itself,
make sure you spend it somewhere good.

If we were stuck living the same day over and over,
Little Joe’s is where we’d want to be.

The Chicago Blackhawks are on tonight.
We’re open.

12/17/2025

Thank you to everyone who came out and made our Ugly Sweater Christmas Party such a great night. We love this neighborhood and nights like that remind us why.

The fun continues today, and tomorrow starting at noon we’re hosting our Holiday Staff Party. Doors open early and all proceeds support our incredible staff.

Hope to see you back at the bar. 🎄❤️

12/13/2025

Outside it’s freezing and everyone’s complaining about the cold.
Inside it’s warm, the drinks are flowing, and your friends are suddenly in a great mood.
Saturdays were made for Little Joe’s.

12/04/2025

Put it on your calendar now — December 18th!
From 3 to close, the bartenders will be switching off and celebrating with our friends, regulars, and anyone lucky enough to stumble in for the first time that day.

Come ring in the holidays the only way we know how at Little Joe’s — by throwing a party.
Our holiday cocktail menu will be in full swing, La Katrina will be serving up the best food around, and we might even have a drunk Santa… if we can manage to catch one. 🎅🍸

All proceeds from drink sales go to our amazing staff!
So come in, celebrate, and help us drink the bar dry. 🍻🎄

11/30/2025

We rolled out the winter red carpet for you…
Okay, fine we shoveled and salted.
But that was hard work too.
The bar is open, come warm up with us!

11/22/2025
11/19/2025

With the colder weather settling in, a good bowl of soup feels just right.
La Katrina is offering not only their incredible Birria Ramen, but also four house-made soups.
Grab a seat and warm up with a bowl, then stay a while — tonight we’ve got Anime Night, great music, and all your favorite drinks.

11/18/2025

Limited sticker run just dropped.
This week only, grab a drink or some food and get a free Little Joe’s sticker while they last. Just make sure to send us photos of what or where they end up.

Trivia starts at 8 tonight.
If your team is the smartest in the room and you’ve got a little luck on your side, you could pull the Queen of Hearts and walk out $600 richer.

Address

1041 W Taylor Street
Chicago, IL
60607

Opening Hours

Monday 4pm - 12am
Tuesday 4pm - 2am
Wednesday 4pm - 2am
Thursday 3pm - 2am
Friday 3pm - 2am
Saturday 11am - 3am
Sunday 11am - 12am

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