Smaller Sports bars/Pubs (Chicago, Lincoln: credit card, house, food)

[J.Garcia]

I'm coming to Chicago in a few weeks and I'd like to hit up some pubs or smaller, relaxed type sports bars. Great food is a must! I like the feel of places with cozy woodwork and exposed brick. Not cold, modern types.

I'll be between Lincoln Park and Jefferson Park, so anywhere in between will do. Day or night.

Thanks

[Drover]

There are a lot of good places that meet your needs in Lincoln Park during the day, particularly around the corner of Halsted and Diversey. The thing is, their "relaxed" atmosphere vanishes at night as the places fill up with fratboy meatheads who chug beer, bump chests and high-five each other.

Ginger's Ale House on the corner of Ashland and Grace in Lakeview is probably the best European soccer pub in the city, and maybe all of the Midwest. I'm not sure how relevant that is in the middle of February though. Good Irish grub there though.

Others in Lincoln Park/Lakeview include Dark Horse (Sheffield near Newport), Kendall's (Lincoln Avenue near Belden/Orchard), Gamekeepers (corner of Lincoln, Armitage & Sedgwick). Up in Jefferson Park you've got Crystal Inn at Austin and Gunnison. Four blocks south of Jeff Park along Milwaukee Avenue, you've got Hops & Barley on Milwaukee at Montrose in Portage Park.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Drover

Ginger's Ale House on the corner of Ashland and Grace in Lakeview is probably the best European soccer pub in the city, and maybe all of the Midwest. I'm not sure how relevant that is in the middle of February though. Good Irish grub there though.

What?!? Better than the Globe on Irving Park Road? Impossible!

The Globe Pub in Chicago, IL - AOL City Guide (http://search.cityguide.aol.com/chicago/bars/the-globe-pub/v-190162 - broken link)

[Lookout Kid]

Actually, I just found out that Ginger's Ale House and The Globe have the same owner... I think they are on equal footing in terms of Euro Soccer cred.

[Chinolala]

The Abbey Pub on Elston Avenue

[J.Garcia]

Who's got the best food?

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by J.Garcia

Who's got the best food?

Try ***-zies on Clark near Wrigley Field. It has pretty good food overall and it is pretty laid back when the Cubs are not playing in-season or off-season. The place is better when it is not so busy, so now would be a great time to go there. Try to go there early in the evening or late afternoon.

No credit cards accepted however.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Drover

...Four blocks south of Jeff Park along Milwaukee Avenue, you've got Hops & Barley on Milwaukee at Montrose in Portage Park.

I went to this place recently.

$4.50 for Guinness and $3.50 for a bottle of Old Style in Portage Park? I can pay that in Lincoln Park or Lake View and there will be a hell of a lot more (hot) women around.

Most places in Portage Park charge $2-$2.75 for domestics. I know places where I can get domestics on special for $1.50.

I admit the hipness factor of bar interior surpasses any bar (although it is not very original at all) within 3 miles (which is a good thing but yet a bad thing), but I was not impressed with the snobby atmosphere given off from the patrons.

It is like they dropped a typical wannabe hip snob bar from the lakefront into Portage Park and filled it with wannabe hip snobs from the northwest side.

[long101]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I went to this place recently.

$4.50 for Guinness and $3.50 for a bottle of Old Style in Portage Park?

Old Style? Really? Didnt think people still drank that stuff

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by long101

Old Style? Really? Didnt think people still drank that stuff

Some still do though even hardened blue collar guys like me are often drinking frou-frou beers like Fat Tire.

35 years ago if you walked into a tavern like Bottles and Cans, the Lakeside, the Seagull or the Yellow Dog, full of boilermakers, fitters and ironworkers, you'd see 90% of the guys drinking Styles, often as a chaser to a shot of VO (welder's whiskey, vertical and overhead).