The Giant Penny Whistle — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

As a frequent patron of TGPW - I have the BEST time when I’m here. I come for the music and to dance - period. I’m an old school house head and they are only place I know that STRICTLY plays Chicago House.

EXCEPTION: Monday is Industry Night and it’s Emo’s in denim, boots and black, playing pool

— NEGATIVE stuff @ the end if you want to skip down

I can come here in shorts or leggings, a tank and sneaks w/o worrying about how I look or who I’m going to impress. I respect the djs, bartenders, security and other patrons. I keep to myself, get in my zone and dance - I don’t want dudes touching me (tho they try), not here to make friends or look cute. I come to dance and practice choreography- that’s it! GPW hands down is my kind of scene, dark, regulars, angry bartenders who deal w/ drunk idiots every night and are over it. Yeah! I don’t blame them…

After reading multiple reviews from ppl pissed that the bar staff threw shade because they didn’t tip and ‘they shouldn’t work a job where they live off tips… well don’t use a service (in the USA) where the staff is TIPPED for a living! Get drunk, dance and hang out home w/ a bottle! Don’t knock the staff for getting upset when they have to tip out and PAY TAXES to get you drunk! These are the 1 and 2 star reviews! Ppl literally showing they are out of touch with what a server/bartender actually HAS to do…

If you like a dark bar, locals, buck (hot 🥵) security, waiting 30mins to empty your bladder, bartenders who serve good drinks and most of all Chicago House,(true, deep, ghetto, juke) the TGPW is for you.

Life isn’t a handout - it’s what you are of it! Respect people and the environment and it will do the same.

These reviews are valid but also telling about the poster. I don’t know the staff at the PW, I just go there to dance but even I can see through the BS. Racist? I’m an old white lady - I treat them w/ respect and have never had a problem… maybe because I don’t expect them to treat me like I’m on the VIP list…

By far best music, best vibe for regs (who spend their paycheck here), best security who keep 85% of usbsafebfrom the other 15% who think the world owes them something…

Just dance and STFU! If a dude touches you… respectfully push him away and keep dancing, tell security and move on. You’re at a ratchety club, what do you expect? Same ppl that hate 5-0 but call them when their neighbor called them by the wrong pronoun 🙄

‘Lay it down’ & ‘Get Down’ at the Giant Penny Whistle. Come drunk, order 1or5 more and dance that’s all I can say!

Maybe I’ll edit when I have a bad encounter here but that’s yet to happen.

Rant over… dance, drink, repeat

Note!

They NEVER stay open till close 100% cleared out by: Wkends expect 1:45 LC - 1:30a wkdys 1:25 LC - 1a

(I’ll edit when needed)

Edit: don’t expect them to stay open till close or last call. Expect them to close at 1:25. My gripe is if I’m the DD picking up girls and I can’t get to them, they don’t care. Not cool, not safe, especially w/ patrons they know by face and I come here to pick up often. Not looking to drink or anything just make sure my friends...

I visited GPW shortly after the bar first opened and really enjoyed my visit. They really did a great job fixing up the space, and you can really tell that the owners cared about preserving the history of the building. It's very casual; lots of places to sit and relax, and a nice stage area that I hope to see a concert at in the near future. There is also a pool table in the front of the bar area, and a photo booth in the back. You can order food from La Esperanza up the street and they will deliver it to you. Pilsen really needed a spot like this. My only complaint is that I'd like to see their beer/drink menu expand, but I'm sure that will come in time, as the business did just open a month ago. I'm looking forward to visiting GPW again in the near future.

Also, for anyone who is confused by the negative reviews this place is getting - a local anti-development group is attempting to "cancel" this business for opening without the alderman's blessing, despite their having gone through the proper channels with the city. They do this with every new business that opens in Pilsen. Many of these people have not visited the bar, and they do not seem to care about the efforts they have made to both preserve the bar's past life as Tito's Hacienda nor do they care about the connections they've made with other local businesses and residences. Those reviews are from a vocal minority and do not speak for the majority of Pilsen residents. My friends and I have been looking forward to this place opening since 2019, and we are excited to have GPW in the...

So, normally I’d be super against a bar like this coming to Pilsen because it’s already morphing into logan square’s entitled sibling, with couples toting $3k strollers around like it’s common when it never happened before 4 years ago.

But my friend made a really good point that if they brought in very local music, it could be a decent thing for the neighborhood since there’s nothing like empty bottle or the such. So we decided to check it out, and I’m sorry to say that this place is absolutely not the type of place that would be good to have in the neighborhood. I doubt they’ll ever bring anyone experimental or creative to perform.

From the trombone chandelier to the disaster of a name, it’s like someone rich wearing pre-ripped jeans tried to steal everything from skylark except it’s charm. They got the same bar, photo booth, booth seating, green walls, etc. Only difference is they charge 4 times more for a drink and you can’t hear any of your friends talk over the bad music.

It’s definitely a huge step in the direction of douche in my opinion and will only bring loud aggro brosefs to the area. They have cool cups tho, they stack perfectly.

Edit: there are tin ceiling tiles on the walls that are freshly painted green, and considering that fad has only developed recently (in Logan square type areas) I am betting it’s not “original”. Cool if the bar is tho. No thanks about the...