Green Mill Cocktail Lounge
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA historic Chicago cocktail lounge and jazz club whose identity combines live music, intimate nightlife, poetry, and deep ties to the city's Prohibition-era history.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, commonly called the Green Mill or Green Mill Jazz Club, is a bar and live-entertainment venue on Broadway in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. It is best known for jazz performances, an atmospheric interior, its long history on the same city block, and its association with Chicago's Prohibition-era nightlife and organized-crime mythology. The venue is widely regarded as one of the most important jazz clubs in Chicago and one of the country's best-known historic music bars. The business traces its origins to Pop Morse's Roadhouse, a saloon established by Charles E. "Pop" Morse at the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Broadway, then known as Evanston Avenue. Although later accounts often dated the beginning to 1907, city records place the opening in 1898. The saloon served visitors to nearby cemeteries and became an established neighborhood gathering place. Following Morse's death in 1908, his son-in-law Charles Hoffman took control. In 1909, Hoffman and his brother Frank expanded the operation with a beer garden and renamed it Hoffman Bros. Saloon. Real-estate developer and tavern operator Tom Chamales leased the property in 1910, renamed it Morse's Cafe & Garden, and later acquired adjoining land. In 1914 he replaced the original venue with a much larger two-story entertainment complex called Green Mill Gardens. The name referenced Paris's Moulin Rouge, while the green color was selected to distinguish the venue from a nearby red-light district. The complex included offices, a restaurant, an indoor ballroom, and an outdoor beer garden with a stage. A large rooftop windmill became its visual emblem. The venue also benefited from its proximity to Essanay Studios and attracted actors and other performers from Chicago's early film industry. The Green Mill's history became especially turbulent during Prohibition. In 1921, federal and municipal authorities sued the operation over alleged illegal alcohol sales and entertainment that continued after permitted hours. The federal case was dismissed, but the property closed briefly in 1923, and part of the site was sold to Balaban and Katz for development connected with the Uptown Theatre. The surviving business changed names several times, including Montmartre Cafe, New Green Mill Cafe, Ye Old Green Mill, and Lincoln Tavern Town Club. Some versions of the venue were ordered closed for Prohibition violations, while later ownership was widely reported to have connections to organized crime. The club's most notorious historical association concerns Jack McGurn, an associate of Al Capone's Chicago Outfit, who was reputedly a part-owner during the 1920s. Singer and comedian Joe E. Lewis was attacked after declining to renew an engagement at the club, an incident that later influenced the 1957 film The Joker Is Wild. Stories about Al Capone's preferred booth and underground coal tunnels remain part of the Green Mill's lore, although some details are difficult to verify and the present-day club occupies its current space only from 1935 onward. A fire shortly before the end of Prohibition severely damaged the building. After repairs and the return of legal alcohol service, the current venue reopened in 1935 as the Green Mill Tavern. The interior was remodeled in 1942. In the post-Prohibition period, the club presented major entertainers including Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Al Jolson, and Texas Guinan. Its fortunes weakened after World War II, and by the 1960s and 1970s it had become associated less with polished entertainment than with daytime drinking and drug use. Dave Jemilo purchased the Green Mill in 1986 and led a major revival. Under his ownership, it developed its modern identity as a serious, intimate jazz venue presenting local groups, touring musicians, vocalists, quartets, swing orchestras, and larger ensembles. The club maintains a strict listening-room culture during performances, asking patrons to silence phones and avoid disruptive conversation. It also hosts the Uptown Poetry Slam, which began at the venue in 1986 and is held on the third Sunday of each month. The Green Mill has served as a recording site for live albums by numerous jazz artists, including Von Freeman, Kurt Elling, Patricia Barber, Geof Bradfield, Ari Brown, Frank Catalano, George Freeman, Mike Allemana, the Mike Jones Trio, John Moulder, Sabertooth, and Matt Ulery. In 2019, comedian Whitney Chitwood recorded The Bakery Case there; it became the first comedy album recorded at the club and reached number nine on Billboard's comedy chart. The location has also appeared in films and television programs, reinforcing its status as a recognizable Chicago cultural landmark. A documentary titled The Green Mill: A Real Chicago Joint premiered in Chicago in February 2026. The business is also reported to be scheduled for a transition to longtime employees Jason Cole and Jill Skintges on June 19, 2026, marking four decades of Jemilo ownership.
History
Green Mill Cocktail Lounge began as Pop Morse's Roadhouse, a saloon opened by Charles E. "Pop" Morse in 1898 at Broadway and Lawrence Avenue in what is now Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. After Morse died in 1908, his son-in-law Charles Hoffman assumed control and expanded the business with his brother Frank. The operation became Hoffman Bros. Saloon in 1909. Tom Chamales began leasing the property in 1910. He first used the name Morse's Cafe & Garden, then transformed the site into Green Mill Gardens after acquiring neighboring land. Completed in 1914, the new complex was a substantial entertainment destination with a restaurant, offices, ballroom, outdoor beer garden, and stage. Its name evoked Paris's Moulin Rouge, while a large green windmill on the roof supplied the principal visual motif. Actors from the nearby Essanay Studios were among its clientele. The venue encountered repeated legal and ownership problems during Prohibition. Authorities sued in 1921 over alleged liquor violations and late-night music and dancing. Although the federal case was dismissed, the property briefly closed in 1923. The western portion of the site was sold to Balaban and Katz and eventually became part of the Uptown Theatre development. The remaining business reopened under the name Montmartre Cafe and subsequently passed through several names and ownership arrangements. It was later known as the New Green Mill Cafe, Ye Old Green Mill, and Lincoln Tavern Town Club. This period created much of the club's enduring mythology. The New Green Mill was reputedly connected to organized crime, and Jack McGurn, a figure associated with Al Capone's Chicago Outfit, was reported to have held an ownership interest. The assault on entertainer Joe E. Lewis after he rejected a contract renewal became one of the most famous episodes linked to the venue and later inspired The Joker Is Wild. Stories about Capone's booth and escape tunnels remain part of the club's public image, though the accuracy of individual details varies and the present-day club occupies its current location within the building only from 1935. A fire in 1933 caused extensive damage. After reconstruction and the repeal of Prohibition, the business reopened in 1935 as the Green Mill Tavern. A 1942 remodeling altered the interior. The post-Prohibition club hosted major figures such as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Al Jolson, and Texas Guinan, and became a more conventional entertainment venue. Its performance business weakened after World War II. The Batsis brothers acquired it in 1940 and sold it to Steve Brend in 1960. During Brend's period, the venue's reputation deteriorated and it became associated with heavy daytime drinking and drug use. Dave Jemilo purchased the Green Mill in 1986 and restored its role as a serious live-music destination. The modern venue is centered on jazz, with programs ranging from small ensembles and vocalists to swing orchestras. Its operating culture emphasizes attentive listening, and audiences are asked to silence phones and refrain from talking during performances. The club also became a recurring home for the Uptown Poetry Slam, which began there in 1986 and continues monthly. The Green Mill's current cultural importance extends beyond nightly performances. Artists including Von Freeman, Kurt Elling, Patricia Barber, Geof Bradfield, Ari Brown, Frank Catalano, George Freeman, Mike Allemana, the Mike Jones Trio, John Moulder, Sabertooth, and Matt Ulery have recorded live material at the venue. Whitney Chitwood's 2019 comedy album The Bakery Case added a comedy milestone. The club has appeared in numerous films and television programs, including Thief, High Fidelity, The Lake House, and Chicago Overcoat. A documentary about the venue premiered in 2026. A transition to longtime employees Jason Cole and Jill Skintges was reported for June 19, 2026.
- 2026
Documentary premiere and planned ownership transition
[1]The documentary The Green Mill: A Real Chicago Joint premieres, while a transfer to longtime employees Jason Cole and Jill Skintges is reported for June 19.
- 2019
First comedy album recorded at the club
[1]Whitney Chitwood records The Bakery Case live at the Green Mill.
- 1986
Dave Jemilo begins the modern revival
[1]Jemilo purchases the Green Mill and reestablishes it as a leading Chicago jazz venue. The Uptown Poetry Slam also begins at the club.
- 1935
The current venue opens
[1]After repairs, the business reopens in its present space as the Green Mill Tavern.
- 1933
Fire damages the building
[1]A major fire causes extensive damage shortly before the end of Prohibition.
- 1926
The venue reopens as the New Green Mill Cafe
[1]After a court-ordered closure of the Montmartre Cafe, the business returns under a new name and ownership reportedly connected to organized crime.
- 1923
Part of the property is sold
[1]The garden portion of the property is sold to Balaban and Katz, contributing to the later development of the Uptown Theatre.
- 1921
Prohibition-era lawsuits begin
[1]Federal and Chicago authorities bring legal actions alleging unlawful liquor sales and entertainment after permitted hours.
- 1914
Green Mill Gardens is built
[1]Tom Chamales replaces the earlier venue with a large entertainment complex featuring a ballroom, restaurant, offices, beer garden, and rooftop windmill.
- 1909
Hoffman Bros. Saloon expands the business
[1]Charles Hoffman and Frank Hoffman add a beer garden after Charles Hoffman takes control following Morse's death.
Products and positioning
A historic, intimate Chicago jazz club and cocktail lounge positioned around serious live performance, heritage atmosphere, and an authentic connection to Uptown nightlife history.
Live music · 1986
Jazz performances
The Green Mill's central offering is live jazz in an intimate club setting. Programming includes Chicago-based groups, visiting performers, quartets, vocalists, swing orchestras, and other ensemble formats. The venue's listening-room norms, including requests that patrons silence phones and avoid loud conversation, are part of the experience.
Hospitality · 1898
Cocktail lounge and bar service
As a cocktail lounge and bar, the Green Mill serves alcoholic beverages and refreshments alongside its entertainment program. Its bar environment is closely tied to the historic interior and the venue's identity as a classic Chicago nightlife establishment.
Poetry and spoken word · 1986
Uptown Poetry Slam
The Uptown Poetry Slam began at the Green Mill in 1986 and remains a recurring spoken-word event. It is currently scheduled for the third Sunday of each month, extending the venue's programming beyond music.
Recorded entertainment
Live recordings
The club has hosted live recordings by a range of jazz artists and ensembles. These recordings use the venue's distinctive room and audience atmosphere as part of the performance document, helping establish the Green Mill as a recognized recording location as well as a concert venue.
Controversies
1926
Court-ordered closure of the Montmartre Cafe
A judge ordered the venue closed for violating Prohibition rules before it later reopened as the New Green Mill Cafe.
1921
Prohibition liquor and entertainment allegations
Federal and city authorities sued the Green Mill over alleged illegal alcohol sales and music and dancing after the permitted hour. The federal action was dismissed, but the episode contributed to the venue's Prohibition-era notoriety.
1920
Joe E. Lewis assault
Joe E. Lewis was attacked after refusing to renew a performance contract at the club when offered a better engagement elsewhere. He survived a severe throat injury, and the incident later influenced the film The Joker Is Wild.
Brand decisions
2026
Planned transfer to longtime employeesM&ABackground
After four decades under Dave Jemilo's ownership, the club is reported to be preparing for a change in ownership.
Action taken
Jason Cole and Jill Skintges are reported to be scheduled to take ownership on June 19, 2026.
Aftermath
The reported transition is intended to continue the venue's operation under longtime employees, although its eventual post-transition strategy is not documented here.
1986
Reposition the venue as a jazz clubStrategyBackground
The business had declined after World War II and was associated with daytime drinking and drug use under earlier ownership.
Action taken
Dave Jemilo purchased and revitalized the Green Mill, emphasizing jazz performances and attentive audience behavior.
Aftermath
The venue regained national recognition as a leading Chicago jazz club and added a long-running poetry program.
1935
Reopen after fire and ProhibitionStrategyBackground
A 1933 fire damaged the building shortly before Prohibition ended, creating an opportunity to rebuild the operation around legal liquor service.
Action taken
The repaired venue reopened in its current space as the Green Mill Tavern.
Aftermath
The reopening began the continuous modern-era operation in the current section of the building.
1914
Build a larger entertainment complexStrategyBackground
Tom Chamales sought to expand the saloon operation after leasing the property and acquiring adjacent land.
Action taken
The original venue was demolished and replaced with Green Mill Gardens, a two-story complex with multiple entertainment and hospitality spaces.
Aftermath
The larger format established the Green Mill name and created the architectural and entertainment legacy associated with the site.
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