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Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: LakeviewSouthport (Brown)
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I really like this place. The food is great. There is a salad with cranberries that is awesome ! It's not a fancy place by any means but the atmosphere is casual and comfortable; drinks are good and fairly priced.
Recommend.
Newport and its clientele seem to take a lot of pride in the fact that they're not located on Southport. And there's nothing wrong with that. But there isn't much sense in thinking this is some kind of offbeat dive. Drinks cost about the same, for starters.
The off-Southport spot does give the bar its biggest positive, though: there won't be crowds here. There's no need to throw elbows at Newport, and there's a pretty good chance you'll get a table. It's not a bad low-key joint to start or end the evening.
Avoid this place during fall Saturdays when it's full of dirty Michigan fans.
Apologies upfront, this review may not be helpful to MOST of you. However, it should be very helpful to the cooler segment of Chicago. And who might that be you ask? Well, the local University of Michigan diehards of course.
I'll be honest, I came here on Saturday on a word of mouth recommendation to catch a UM football game and for no other reason. As you Chicago sports fans know, the bar scene changes for following collegiate athletics every year. Currently, there are 7 bars that I PERSONALLY have been to that promote themselves as University of Michigan football watering holes.
1) Duffys
2) Mad River
3) Matilda
4) Moe's Cantina
5) Rockit Downtown/River North
6) Rockit Wrigleyville
& of course, here, Newport Bar & Grill, what we are discussing here today. Duffy's of course is the mother of all Michigan bars, but that caters to a crowd that is 21-24 years old. The days of waiting an hour in line to get into a bar to get a table before it opens are long gone. God bless those of you who are in your prime right now, enjoy it!
The best part about Newport you ask? It is truly a Michigan bar with the flags and music to boot, but it isn't forced and it's a crowd that spans a couple of generations with a laid back vibe. You don't have to rush to get there, and you can crawl right out of bed to go, because the only talent in attendance were the wives and girlfriends of the other Wolverine fans who came along for support. Not that I go for any reason other than the game, but at those other spots, you gotta pack your A-Game in your back pocket just in case a happy Michigan girl wants a little more than a High 5.
(get your mind out of the gutter, I meant a phone number or your post game agenda)
I recommend this for any game in which avoiding seating headaches is a plus to you. I'm a Take 5 Alumn, so this was a nice place to fill that void in my life now that they got shut down.
Cheap drinks, cheap food, friendliest staff in the world, and the brunch is in-line with pure restaurants, which is rare for a dive like this. It's a dive, but it's a dive that local residents and Michigan fans can call home. That's all that really matters, as every now and then we need a break from the fluff, Dog & Pony shows, bells & whistles. Go to Newport, and Go Blue!!!
I know they recently changed ownership again - so I'm hoping this place doesn't change too much. They have really surprisingly great bar food (great burgers and salads). Decent priced beer (usually a nice monthly micro brew selection - and $2.50 Busch Light!!). You can always grab a place to sit - and in the summer I love to have happy hour outside. Juke Box might be my favorite part.....
Newports is a dump run by a bunch of lazy people who are probably high most of the time. Somehow though they get away with charging Fancy Boy Southport prices.
This is a hole in the wall. My review is a bit biased, because I don't think I've ever entered this place sober.. and I definitely never left it sober, but for a hole in the wall, this place has good drinks and they are reasonably cheap. Digital jukebox can keep you occupied for hours while you drink. Don't expect too much eye candy here, but on the flip side, the place has a lot of friendly people. Drink up!
so i'm sitting up at the bar, waiting to pay my drink tab while my friends ganked a table from some parting cops, when what do i overhear?
bar patron: "this bar was voted worst bar in the world."
bartender: "the country, not the world. there's a big difference."
really? worst bar in the country? i can think of an easy dirty dozen more deserving of that title before i'd throw the honor newport bar & grill's way.
it was exactly what i was expecting on a cold october night. my friends and i gathered there at the reco of yelper stephen g. to watch michigan take on iowa. the place was packed with wolverines fans. and the beer was flowing. (yay! and yay!!)
any place that serves gameday brews in a stadium cup with that beloved block M emblazoned on one side gets my a-ok. and at just $4 for the first pour and $3 per refill, the deal was on!!
the menu is pretty standard. though my boyfriend's filet mignon minis were in a class of their own. seriously. filet mignon mini burgers! at the newport bar & grill!!! (he raved about them, telling me i had to learn how to make them. ha ha ha! thanks nb&g.)
i'm delighted to have another wolverine den to call home on saturdays.
Alright, so I am a "fan" of the Newport. Deal with it.
It's divey, yes. Delightfully so, in face. But I love that there are multiple layers of peeps up in here. You've got the "townie" types ringing around the bar. You've got the (yikes) trixies/chads looming on their way to/from Sopo (gag). You've got normal people such as myself and my coworkers. OK, maybe not "normal", but I don't fit into either the former categories, so there ya go.
Not particularly cheap, but the bartenders were friendly, we were able to park ourselves at a corner of a bar and get drinks promptly. (yay for that!)
Bathrooms? Not the nicest, yet I never had to wait, and they were pretty clean. Very awesome when you've had a few beers and can't wait a moment longer.
Not sure if the music was coming from a juke box, but I am ashamed to say that I was busting out in song to both Carrie Underwood, then Beyonce, and on the way out the door, a little Offspring.
Bring a good crowd, and you're set for the night.
I really liked this casual little neighborhood bar!
The patrons were all really cool. This seems to be one of those "everybody knows your name" kind of places. The managers/owners are even cool to kick it with.
With any luck, I'll be back.
Cheap! Cheap! Cheap! We drank for hours--ate for hours (off and on of course) and braced ourselves for the tab of the century. Nope. It came out to be like $50+tip per person. This place will make you want to slap your grandma! *Aside: My coworker always says that 'It'll make you slap your grandma'--apparently in the South that means it's really, really good and I have been meaning to use the expression in one of my reviews for quite some time.
utter disappointment comes to mind when I think of this place...
At first glance a bar/laundry place seems like the ultimate combination, however it is the evil siren temptress of dive bars. The place is completely smoke filled (prior to the new law taking effect, although I can guarantee the smell still lingers). The servers have always been rude and completely ignore you for refills or things of that nature. Finally, the board games they have are unplayable due to their dilapidated condition. I've been places before that have had games in decent condition so I don't attribute it to unruly customers ransacking the games.
All in all, not a place worth going to, especially in the neighborhood. Plenty of better options on Southport and the lovable dive bar I hoped for in the trendy neighborhood remains to be found.
Avoiding the regular lunch stop near my job's Head Quarters, some co-workers and I decided to come here for lunch. Approaching this place you think it is some sort of Cub fan shack, but I try not to judge a book by it's cover.
The service was very great, Matt our server basically was very friendly, and talked to us while the food was cooking. We were the only table in the restaurant at 12:25 p.m. So it was pretty awesome to get "extra love" while waiting for our lunch.
I ordered the "Real Deal" Club that was made with shaved honey turkey, bacon, lettuce, and tomato all served on wheat toast. It was YUMMY! Oh yes--how could I forget? Cajun fries! They were really good, and I'm a fry snob.
So if you are in the area around Southport definitely check out this little gem off of Southport. I know I'll be back.
The laundromat is great - people working here are dope and really friendly. Watched my shit while I went to get a haircut. I tipped the lady phatty because she was real nice and even took out my laundry and put it in the dryer for me. You can also drop off laundry by the pound for them to do. In hindsight, it would've been cheaper to just do it by the pound but I was so stoked by how cool this lady was for watching my shit and folding my laundry (without asking!) that I tipped her some serious mad bling blinggg.
Lesson: To not suck at life, when someone makes your day by doing something kickass - repay it back ASAP and pay it forward to someone else. Then the world wouldn't be full of so many dipshits like the ones found at Mad River.
Once my roomate gave 2 homeless peepz $60... that's not being cool that's just being retarded. They probably went to buy some ciggz, alcohol and drugs..
Newport Bar is a great local watering hole. The drinks are the cheapest on the block and the staff is very friendly and super competent. Great place for a laid-back crowd for a fun drink. Lots of TVs for sports watching and great tatertots.
The best low key bar in the neighborhood.....hands down.
Amazing friendly staff, above average bar food with HUGE portions.
This is a hidden gem on Southport. It is hardly crowded, the food is good, it's not that pricey, and the wait staff is attentive. I go there during brunch time and to eat late after baseball games, etc.
You can go and watch just about any sporting event and still have a conversation. I think you can also order ahead and get food to-go, which I have not done yet but plan on it. I recommend the omelets, the coffee (weird, I know) and chicken cesar salad. My boyfriend likes the chili and the burgers.
Update: 11/6/07...was just at the Newport this past weekend and was reminded of how much I love that place :)
Probably one of my favorite places in Chicago for food and well just go in the place and you will see what I am talking about.
No nonsense place, great drink specials every day, even during cubs games and even during the weekends.
Brunch is great on the weekends and awesome if you are hungover.
Matt is hysterical and so is the phrase STOP PLATE TECTONICS in the men's stall.
I do my laundry next door so I always pop in for a beer and THE PENGUIN. The best and biggest salad in Chicago. Meat, lettuce, all the fixings and Fries on top. You can't beat that, they also have lots of board games and the service is always friendly.
wandered into this place, had a blast - good beer specials, standard bar food (came quickly and was tasty), they put on whatever game we wanted, etc. Very fun neighborhood bar which was kind to a few outsiders.
Laundry and liquor can best be described as a necessity and a vice. Both can include soaking and high levels of liquid. It depends on who you are to determine which one's the necessity in your life. But you have to wear clean clothes, right?
The atmosphere in this joint was decent. On the sundries side, the guy behind the desk was helpful and friendly enough. The rates were cheaper than the place I usually go. The reason for coming to this new laundromat was the allure of watching the NBA playoffs while washing. The problem is that it doesn't quite work like that. The l-mat building is sans screens which is both misleading and sort of a let down.
For your viewing pleasure, walk through the connecting hallway to the Newport Bar, a dive bar in the best sense. Dark, dank, stumbling drunks wanting to drop a load... of clothes, that is.
I had a couple of beers (one draft, one bottle) while the Lakers made a team look like the Washington Generals - in the first half. (Lakers did go on to choke in Cubs-like fashion..) There's food at Newport.
It looked and smelled OK, I just wasn't hungry. As a WHITE SOX fan, I could see being here in Wrigleyville while that other Chicago team was playing.
Speaking of crazy mobs, I loved the side-by-side pics in the men's restroom of two of the best known gangs: the Sopranos and the Chicago police (not all, but, you know, most). If I could only aim higher.
How can you not love a place where you can grab lunch, drink alcohol and do your laundry!?!?!? You have to love this concept! I didn't spend much time there as we were thirsty and only had time for one. It seems to be a very laid back kind of place which gives it a thumbs up in my book! They also had Heineken on special for $3/bottle today so they get more points too.
This bar is perfect for a weekday night... there are always beer specials and their salads are HUGE and cheap! The place is never packed so its a great setting to unwind in even if you don't have laundry to do!
If every laundromat had a bar attached, I probably would not walk around in week old clothes. (Just kidding). But this is a neat concept. The bar itself is rather large and kind of dark, with a pool table, a couple of dart boards. It seems to be pretty much a beer and shot joint, but that suits me perfectly. I did not have anything to eat, but a few other people who were did, and the potato skins look like something that I would like to try on a return visit. And there is a large shelving unit filled with board games to use while drinking and waiting for your laundry to finish. This is a great place to show up wearing jeans and sneakers, and not get frowned upon. The bartender was very friendly, and pretty prompt. Definitely will make a return trip here.
While I have never actually done laundry here, this is one of my favorite bars, in fact all my friends feel this way. Great food (try the mozzerella sticks and turkey burger) and I love having a couple beers (or a lot of beers) The best part though are the games. I have won many games of Cranium at this bar. I love the atmosphere and playing some board games with good friends while having a beer and a bite to eat. The best!
I just spent a really low key night there, where I sipped on a few reasonably priced Red Stripes ($3). The bar was largely unimpressive with decent service and good classic rock. Overall, I had heard good things, and while I have nothing negative to say about it, I also really don't have anything positive to say about it either. Really, just another night getting drinks.
The Newport is a pretty funny place. It's my local laundromat, and it's a bar. Try to top drunk laundry! They have tons of board games to pass the time on laundry day or anytime. Each day there's a different beer special, even on weekends. The food is pretty ridiculous (just huge platters of fried something), so I just stick to the beer. Great place to watch a game. The TVs aren't HD, but no matter where you sit you can see them. Oh and if you're dressed to go to typical bars on Southport, it's really funny to come in here and watch the regulars' heads turn!
A nice break from the typical Wrigleyville/Lincoln Park crowd. Imagine the craziness of a bar/laundromat/game room combination - you pretty much have it all! It is definitely a dive bar, which I always appreciate. I even think I was able to get drunk on about 20$, which hasn't happened in a long time in Chicago!
If I didn't have laundry capabilities at home I would probably come here more often. As it stands, I've only been there a handful of times. Once was on the Saturday of Halloween a few years back. There was a party going on there and my boys and I joined sans costume. We had a good time and the beer was pretty cheap from what I remember. The whole bar/laundry intrigues me, however I am of the sort that requires laundry in my building in order for me to live there, so I never got to try out this concept.
I like this place, I really do. I like that it's low key and even on a big game night (such as the Final Four), you can still find a table. They even have a a pool table in the back, next to the jukebox. Service was good and the food was awesome. Though, it might have just been that I had a craving for some bar food. Either way, I was satisfied. Good place for friends to chill and have drinks.
This bar is pretty fun. I little divey, but still a blast. Also, they have board games, which is always good times, and plenty of seating.
Great bar. Very laid back in an otherwise (sometimes) annoying part of town. There are lots of board games-my personal favorite being the edition of Trivial Pursuit they have-I was surprisingly good. There are always good beer specials and the food is pretty nice as well. They close the outside area too early, but the inside does the trick. Check it out if your in the mood to just hang out, drink and play some games without having to get all gussied up.
I'm going to start becoming a regular to this bar/grill. Now, I like my vodka tonics and every place I have ordered one since moving to Chicago they have been ridiculously overpriced and small. I LOVE this place simply because they do it right. I can order a pint sized strong vodka tonic for only $5 which is a steal. The first time I went there was in the early afternoon after work with my roommate Elaine. I had a blast. Had a couple of vodka tonics watched Jeopardy on the big screen and talked to Brian the bartender who is a pretty awesome guy. Went back yesterday and ordered the turkey burger with onion rings. The turkey burger was decent, the onion rings were definitely worth the 2 extra bucks. Elaine ordered the teriyaki grilled chicken sandwich with Cajun fries...that was goooood. I really could ramble on forever but I'm gonna stop. If you are looking for cheap great drinks, friendly service and good food go there.
Previous reviewers have mentioned the drink sizes as a plus at this bar... I whole heartedly agree anything mixed you order is at least pint sized! This place is a good break from some of the other bars in the area with expensive drinks and overcrowding. In fact we came to this bar on the night I first visited it because the bar we had orginally planned to go to filled completely up before we got there... I didn't realize you could do laundry here too (awesome Idea!) I'll probably be coming here in the future.
Went there tonight with a couple other people for some food. The food was great, had some wings, really good, turkey reuben-awesome!, everyone in our group loved their meal, you even can get tater tos instead of fries yaay! Service was good, atmosphere super casual, like one of the other reviewers said- everyone here is dressed super casual alot of them are doing their laundry next door. Enough tv's around to watch whatever you need without it being obnoxious (I'm not into places that have like 40 tv's, you only can watch so much stuff), the only complaint are the bathrooms- womens is just really run down, kinda dirty, and I'm told the mens, well I was told "just don't touch anything" Definitely will be back for some good (and well priced) eats and drinks!!!
Food Specials
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
$4 x $4 Every Day
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Dry Cleaning & Laundry
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