Nisei Lounge
3439 N Sheffield Ave
(between Clark St & Cornelia Ave)
Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 525-0557
- Nearest Transit:
Addison (Red)
Belmont (Purple Express, Brown, Red)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Thu, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
28 reviews
Neighborhood: Near North Side
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44 Reviews for Nisei Lounge
I now believe rumors of it "closing" was to generate more customers.
It worked.
Well played, Nisei.
Well played indeed.
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Nisei appears to be among a dying breed of bars, or in Wrigleyville at the very least. Situated just south of the Cub's ivy confines, it seems to miss the drunken debauchery that's so prevalent amid the strip of bars on Clark and Sheffield on game days. I went there after a game, and on the way I was dodging drunk men who were leering at me rather comically (side note: why do men only hit on me when they're three sheets to the wind? Am I really that unattractive?). I was worried that Nisei would be overfilled with the same, but to my relief, it was the same mellow place to get a beer and conversation.
The charm of this place lies in the fact that I've been to this bar less than a handful of times over a span of a year and the regulars and bartenders remember me and welcome me like an old friend and a regular. Seriously? I don't even get this at my regular coffeeshop where I've been a loyal customer for years. It's time to trade my daily coffee in for a daily Old Style. Too bad that coffee breath is more accepted in the working world than the smell of cheap beer.
And as most yelpers probably know, Nisei was supposed to close back in April, but due to a few snafu's, it will stay open until the end of baseball season. So GO! You won't regret it.
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Well, is anyone SURPRISED this place is closing?
It's the unique, loner, individual in a sea of sports bars. It just doesn't "go" in Wrigleyville, and I'm sure it has a hard time hanging with the "cool kids."
Alas, this review is far too late, as I really did enjoy this spot. Despite the odd lighting, it was actually somewhere I would go to Wrigleyville for, and that is saying quite a bit.
So, ta-ta Nisei. It was nice to meet you, and so long. Better to go out in style than conform to fit in, tis what I think.
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Why do all the decent, non gentrified, casual, friendly, laid back places have to close? SERIOUSLY?!!*!*!*!*! I WANT TO KNOW!
I rarely go out anymore, I cannot take the noise, however, when I do, I do not want to venture into a "fake" Irish bar. You know what I am talking about- if not, let me describe it for you.
1. Fake- or real- wood facade on the outside.
2. Gold lettering- often in the old English style (nice oxymoron- I know) with a name typically referring to either A. a building type B. a type of liquor C. something that sounds like the "home land".
3. Often ONE true Irish person who works in the bar- and tries to lend some authenticity.
If you are familiar at all with the current Chicago bar scene, quite a few places should be coming to mind. Don't get me wrong- I actually like some of them- but every bar does not need to be created by the same cookie cutter!!
So- the Nisei lounge- I am coming here a few more times before it closes. Why? I can come as I am. I do not have to get dressed up, made up, hair done. I can be myself. I can sit in the large front windows and people watch. I can talk with regulars, sip with friends, or enjoy a COLD brew by myself. The bartenders rock. The place is cozy and friendly. The prices are good. Pretension is nonexistent.
I hope the new owner keeps it real. Somehow, I doubt it.
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This bar is way too cool for Wrigleyville.
The non-pretentious vibe that permeates this place is a refreshing change from the annoying yupster joints that seem to pop up in the neighborhood like zits on a teenager's face. Large area with plenty of seating and a really cool pool table. The beers are cheap and the bartenders friendly. The only negative thing I could think of is that the music got SO loud I couldn't hear myself think. When I leave a bar and I feel like I got cotton in my ears, yep the music is too loud.
It's a shame Nisei has to close :(. Probably going to be bought out by another douchey sports bar and grill...boo.
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Hmmm...what to say that hasn't already been discussed? This is the tricky part and besides the bar is closing at the end of May (Yes! Just like everyone else also mentions!).
So I guess if you want some really great views of this place read everyone else's reviews. I would agree with pretty much all of the three and four star reviews.
But I would say I like this bar. They make a great amaretto sour and don't even look at me funny when I order it. This place is after all a beer bar so making an amaretto sour is probably not ordered regularly. Oh and they serve their tequila cold, just like tequila is suppose to be served. But if you need the "training wheels" don't forget to ask because they may just forget to offer it to you.
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Last I checked this place was still open. I like to chill here and play darts (which is apparently not the game of choice in Chicago bars...annoying). Sometimes after games there are a few annoying fanboys, but most the time it's pretty empty and really relaxed. I like it that way.
Sadly, I've only been here once. By the end of May Nisei will be closed.... :(
I've never felt so at home at a bar before. 100% Chad and Trixie and yuppie free! I enjoyed making conversation with the friendly bartenders and met a few regulars. I love how they have a pool table because I never turn down a game and its an excellent ice breaker when meeting strangers!
If only I had known about this joint sooner!
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Please don't close Nisei Lounge! We barely got to know each other! I promise that if you stay open, I'll move to Chicago be a loyal patron.
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i guess its my turn to eulogize yet another bar.
its unfortunate we never know the true weight of a person or place until its no longer there for us to take for granted, but soon enough we will discover what we really lost.
Like a good friend, the name nisei will bring back memories, good and bad and help hold yet another common thread among some special people as we can look at one another and know we shared some good and not so good times here.
not as many as others for me, but still memories to be laughed about over a good beer at yet another bar that will hopefully be a place to create more special memories of friendship and laughter.
LAST CALL! ....
Amen.
====================
disclosure: mood; content and full...written under the influence of kumas;-)
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This is the kind of place where the bartenders are also regular patrons. You know, like Cheers, but with less Ted Danson.
When I first started coming here six years ago, all draft beer was $2.50 Monday-Thursday, but those days are long gone. I regularly pass up pretty enticing specials at the neighboring Dark Horse to drink at the Nisei, just because I like the atmosphere, which is mercifully non-frat boy and non-hipster.
Given the proximity to Wrigley Field, the crowd varies greatly by night, and by season. Sometimes I'll show up to find a chorus of drooling Bon Jovi fans singing "Living on a Prayer" and I promptly turn around and walk right back out. Other times the place will be dead and I'll end up watching The Simpsons on the ridiculously huge CRT above the bar.
The bathrooms are frightful and sometimes their Christmas decorations stay up through July, but the bartenders are great--friendly and efficient--and you can almost always find someone to shoot pool or throw darts with. I almost want to give the Nisei 4 stars for switching to the digital jukebox, but this place is like family, and with family, you forgive and move on.
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There are a lot of bars in the wrigleyville area that are exactly the same. This place is a diamond in the rough. It's a dive bar yes, but it's an especially good dive bar because there isn't another dive bar (worth a shit) for many many blocks.
The juke is fantastic. God damn, it's like my music collection at home with some CD's I don't own but always wished I did.
I'm always impressed when a dive bar has a large number of pool cues that are all straight. Not a single bent one on the wall. Impressive.
I guess I do have to mention this place is exceptionally smoky but I don't mind, I expect no less and it'll be a moot point anyway after 1/1/08. But there, I said it...in case that sort of thing bothers you.
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Kinda dirty. Kinda divey. Kinda cheap. I like it.
We tend to go here after a Links Hall performance - its never too crowded, and lots of locals hang out here.
The bathrooms are super gross, so after a few beers - you know you are going to have to use it. I think I have a perennial fear of public toilets anyway. Its a pot shot. Sometimes its clean, sometimes its not.
It tends to be smokey as hell in this bar, but that will end soon enough. As a smoker, I still go outside to have a ciggie (yeah yeah, I know its a disgusting habit, I know that its bad for my health, etc.)
If you can hear above the music and TV's, and other excited bar goers, super. If you can't - are you surprised? You're in a Wrigleyville bar.
I'd suggest going here to start, and then moving on. Get your buzz for cheap, and when you quit caring about how much money you are spending on booze, go somewhere a bit more swank.
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It's a long time since there's been anything Nisei about Nisei Lounge. Ask Alice S -- her dad and uncles used to drink here when it truly was a Nisei hangout.
On the other hand, I have a different definition of "dive" than my fellow Yelpers. I told a non-Yelp friend that we were meeting up here, and she seemed surprised. "It's kind of a pit."
Pit? Dive? Nisei is nice, comfortable neighborhood bar. Nothing glamorous, but nothing divey. Of course, I don't think Simon's is a dive, and Simon's makes this place look like the Four Seasons. L&L is a dive. Friar Tuck is a dive. Different Strokes was a dive. Now that it's Sofo, it's a nice, comfortable neighborhood bar.
But I digress.
Nisei is just what you want in a corner bar (even though it's not on a corner). Good selection of beers on tap, PBR if that's your idea of cool, a couple of pool tables and a rockin' juke box. Smart, friendly, and attentive bar staff. (If I was Joe Biden, I'd call them "clean.") Couple of TVs, good selection of regulars. A good place to hang out if you don't care about "the scene."
After we closed Nisei, I walked out onto Clark Street to catch a cab and was hit in the face with cold reality. Drunken 12 year olds walking down the middle of the street trying to hail cabs. Oh, that's right, we're in Wrigleyville! It is to Nisei's credit that it allowed me to forget that.
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Let me preface this review by saying that I'm a snob. I don't like dive bars. I don't hate dive bars, but if I had a choice I would go somewhere that doesn't reek of dirty ashtrays.
Let me share with you all a little conversation that Ronnie R. and I had at the beginning of the Yelp party.
Ronnie: I'm surprised you picked this place.
Me: I didn't.
Ronnie: Yeah, it's not really your type of place.
Me: No, it really isn't.
Ronnie: So, what do you think? Do you like it?
Me: Not so much. Sorry.
The reasons that I didn't like Nisei Lounge were my own, and not because of anything that the staff or the owners are doing wrong. Well, except the ladies bathroom. How come it smelled so bad?? There weren't that many girls in there that early in the evening and it was horrible! Light a match!!
P.S. - I forgot to add that I thought the bartendress was AMAZING!!!! She handled a pretty big crowd and I never had to wait too long for a drink. Plus, she did it all with a smile on her face. Too often at bars the bartenders get overwhelmed and start throwing a crappy attitude around. This didn't happen once. GREAT JOB!!!!
Edited 5/4/08 - I have been back to Nisei a few times since I wrote this review and I've really started to appreciate it. Ever since the smoking ban I have been enjoying dive bars a lot more than I could with all the smoke. Now that I can truly appreciate Nisei Lounge, it is closing. So sad. :(
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4 stars for a dive bar. Dont ever go here. Because if you do, and I am there, that will be one more person in this bar. And if I am in this bar, I dont want to talk to you, your friends, or anyone else. That kind of dive bar.
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this i live right by it and i never go there. i have been there 2 or 3 times and its always have pretty drunk people in there. they have pool and darts. the first time, they had prison break on the tv and it was really loud.
the good time is they have a jukebox but so do almost every bar in the area. so if you go here don't expect anything unique.
Every time I enter this delightful little hole of a bar, I get into trouble.
I drink too much. I spend too much. And most of the time, I'm on the giving or receiving end of some vaguely inappropriate groping. Too much.
So, yep, it's pretty much perfect.
What? You want more detailed, relevant info? Fine.
Pool tables, darts, jukebox and TV keep you busy.
Several good beers (and a few dirt cheap so-so beers) are available by the bottle or on tap to quench your thirsts.
The bartenders really do remember your name the next time you come in (Jen is awesome!).
It's got almost none of the spill over clientele from neighboring Clark Street bars, so none of the usual Wrigleyville attitude filters in.
Again, it's pretty much perfect.
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This place is so far off my beaten path that it needs it's own road!! Hah!
All kidding aside- Nisei was fun. I met up with the Yelp crowd last night and again had a great time. The beer was cheap and the bartender Jenn remembered all our names. How does she do that?
There are dartboards, a couple of pool tables and a jukebox loaded with all the tunes I wanted to hear. Couple all that with a few regulars that, while they were a little surprised at the crowd we brought in, quickly got into the swing of things and embraced us warmly. Translated- that means they bought me drinks!! Woo-Hoo!
They serve no food but you can order from a wide variety of restaurants- just ask Jenn to get the folder of selections for you. We had pizza delivered- it came within the hour and was quite good (at least the piece that I got- we Yelpers can scarf down food faster than anyone!!)
Even the bathroom for a bar like this was not bad. And the beauty of a woman bartender? When I told her they were out of paper towels in the ladies room- she had it fixed in about two seconds!!
Go for the cheap drinks but stay because it's a friendly neighborhood place where at least one person knows your name!!
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Came to my first Yelp meet-up event here. Nisei is the embodiement of "dive bar"..Smokey bar, dark and kind of seedy with regulars and bartenders who treat you as if they've known you forever! The bartender the night we were there, Jenn, was just awesome!
Two pool tables and a dart board take up most of the back bar area..I believe us Yelp-ers got in the way of a game..At least I think that was the reason for the guy to keep poking me in the ass with his pole...*pinky in my mouth*
I totally was into the "juke box"..awesome selection of tunes..Everything from The Band, PJ Harvey to ABBA! Nisei actually has a damn fine selection of tap brew..Not too many places that I frequent who have Rogue on tap...Also, thought it was a nice touch that they chose to keep the pint glasses in the fridge..nothing like getting your cold brew in a frosty mug!
Will definitely be back..Not sure if I'll become a regular as I already have my dive! Nisei is definitely a nice respite from the "sports bar" mania that is Clark St. in Wrigley-ville!
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I fear that this place may have me cheating on the other local dive bars in my repertoire!
I really like Nisei Lounge. I feel it's a rarity to find a place in Wrigleyville that isn't overwrought with drunken buffoons who believe this neck of the woods is just an extension of their frat houses... that they left 10 years prior.
Good selection of brews on tap as well as bottles, friendly staff, spacious location, pool AND darts, excellent company - what more could a girl ask for?
I do have to agree with Amy about the bathroom situation. It smelled like a Bulimic Convention rolled through town before we got there. Ick!
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five stars for the memories. warning, this is sappy.
long, long ago, when many of you were still out in the ether, i used to come to this bar with my dad. it was filled with his friends. some were professionals, some were golf or bowling buddies, many were jap. amers. and they were all my "uncles". they let me sit on the pool table and roll balls about, sit on the barstools and let me light their cigars, and drink my "kiddie cocktails". i realize now as an adult, with all the restrictions of bar rules and regs., and the intolerance of adults towards children in general, much less in a bar atmosphere, that this experience was a rarity.
and a life long lesson learned here was when someone would phone the bar and roland would answer "no, haven't seen nish, (or jiro, or bob), tonite", when they'd be sitting three feet in front of him. heh. an early lesson about checking up on your guy at their hangout, white lies, and bartender/buddy confidentiality.
it's a totally different scene now, but it's still unlike any other for me, and i'll be sad to see it go.
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I had fun here. It's represents a dying breed of a bar. Simple, damn fine COLD beer, not a lot of frills, good service, pool tables and dart boards and the local game on. I've driven by here so many times with barely a nod in it's direction, now I will notice a little more and make my way in a bit more often.
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This is one of the few tolerable bars in the Lakeview/Wrigleyville area. I've been going there for the past 7 years or so and have always had a good time. The drinks are priced fairly, the music selection is good, and I make use of the dart board.
It's definitely a laid-back, casual atmosphere, but I wouldn't exactly call it a "dive". Come here if John Barleycorn's is not your thing. :)
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One word: Comfortable.
A fan of the dive bar, I'd have to say that this one's my favorite. Not exactly a regular (anymore), but let's just say I've had many late nights here, chock full of inexpensive booze, trips to the jukebox, rounds of pool and great conversation. On some visits, my pal MO & I (almost certainly hungover) would just sit and stare at the jumbo screen TV behind the bar, condensation-laden bottles lounging right along with us. Great place to hang w/the hubby on a Sunday afternoon after a late Irish breakfast at the Oak, or stop in for darts night to feel the (slight) charge of competition in the air.
The atmosphere here is cool and unpretentious. Sure, it can be a little rough around the edges, but isn't that part of the dive bar appeal? Despite that, I've never had to worry about being hassled by creeps. Bartenders are just the right amount of friendly and seem to recognize when you do want a refill and when you don't want conversation.
Go to the Nisei, kick back and relax your ass off.
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Had a great time at this bar at my first unofficial Yelp event last night! And I don't even drink beer! Their vodka-cranberries surpassed my expectations, and even came with a cute, little lime cube in them. For my hubby that DOES drink beer, they were incredibly cheap. If you're looking for ambiance I wouldn't recommend it, but definitely a great place for a group event.
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To me the best dive bars make you feel like you aren't really in a bar, but hanging out in your friend's basement playing pool and listening to music.
That's the vibe I got an Nisei. They beer was cheap and cold, they had a good selection with hefewiezen and Rogue on tap, the bartender (Jenn) was awesome and really quick depsite running the bar herself with a large crowd, and the jukebox had some good tunes.
Oh and I met some awesome yelpers, so what more could I want?
- - -
Goodbye Nisei. I never went there as much as I should have, but you I will miss it. My last outing was just as much fun as my first - I drank cheap beer, I talked to awesome yelpers, and I got waaaayyy to drunk.
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My favorite bar in the city. I love this place so much. It's a refreshing isle of normalcy in an ever-expanding sea of generic, stale, uninspired wrigley bars. There used to be a barbershop with a back door that opened up into the bar--and one time it opened up and Moises Alou walked right out of it.
If you don't like the smoke, the music, or the bathrooms (they were a LOT worse before the remodel) then you can leave. There are plenty of other bars within a block or two. But I, for one, will always love this place.
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As a beer-and-wings kind of girl, this bar blows all of Wrigleyville's d-bag watering holes out of the water. Old-school dart boards, decent beer selection (i.e. Rogue on tap) and good music -- what more could a girl want? Wait, there's more -- Bags in video game-format and good old fashioned, classy photo hunt. I think I'm in love.
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Had a great time here on 4th of July Eve, aka the 3rd of July. Two pool tables, two dart boards and a nice little selection of beers has me interested in coming back. It wasn't loud, crowded, or obnoxious as so many of the other Wrigleyville bars are.
Big ups (nod to Ali G) to the bartender who managed a good-sized (and thirsty) crowd by herself.
Ah- good tunes on the jukebox too.
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This place is the sh*T- 2.00 PBR's on tap, real cork dart boards, and two newly felted pool tables in a neighborhood that screams: "hello John Barleycorn, I'm a tool"
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"Nisei" is Japanese for "second-generation" -- colloquially, it refers to the children of original Japanese immigrants to America. Nisei Lounge is a relic of the Japanese neighborhood Wrigleyville was, long, long ago.
These days, Nisei Lounge offers little to the actual nisei. They've got a few bottles of Kirin in the cooler; the walls sport a couple pieces of garage-sale Edo prints.
It's sort of like being an Irish person at Bennigan's; you're struck with cognitive dissonance at a place that celebrates your heritage without being the least bit interested in it, but two beers in, who cares? The pool table's open.
It really is a good neighborhood hangout, and as noted above, it is a million times better than the frat-boy monkeyhouses which typify the neighborhood.
Nothing official, but neighbors provide sporadic free wifi.
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Haven't been here in a while, but great bar, great bartenders and an excellent jukebox! I think it was rated 2nd in the city at one time. I used to live around the corner and sometimes I would get just a bit too shineboxed, but never any worries as the bartenders were always watching out for me. Most of the time, it was void of the frat boys that usually litter the Wrigleyville bars, which made it a nice place to frequent, actually finding great conversation with real people with actual personalities. I'll have to come back next time I'm in town as places like this are a dying breed.
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A geat little neighborhood hangout near Wrigley with a surprisingly great beer selection. My latest trip there they had Chimay bottles (really?) and stuff from Rogue and New Holland on tap. Rounded out with darts, pool, a friendly staff and a great jukebox. A bit of a dive, but the surprisingly comfortable kind.
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Thank god there's a real bar in this area. Its not my neighborhood but Its good to have the option when I'm in that part of town. A buddy of mine and I stopped in the other night after work to have a couple pints and some whiskey and it was the most comfortable place I've been in Chicago so far. Just a great place relax and have a drink. Its a welcome option to the other post-college yet still remarkably college-ish bars in the area.
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good divey local bar that doesnt fit into wrigleyville, and I mean that in the most complimentary of ways. very good selection of beers and other tasty alcoholic beverages (e.g. Mike's) at good prices. friendly bartenders and regulars. totally the type of place I used to hang out in college, and should frequent more often now for the health of my wallet.
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weeee.
i liked this place a lot. had i known about it when i lived in lakeview, chances are that instead of just meeting ronnie r. a year ago, i probably would have met him 4 years ago!!
small (but with 2 pool tables), nice staff, a bit smokey...nice tap and bottle selection...
i can't say what it's like during a cubs game...but i had a sweet time. thanks jen!
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Ive been going to this bar, like many regulars, for years and have to say that it is the most real bar in the Wrigleyville area. I mean you have other pretenders that try to look after true locals but they dont come close.You come in here and you have a shit-load of great beers to choose from, then you can shoot some stick on one of two pool tables or throw darts on one of two dart boards. Have a shot(Ill have a rumple!) with the owner or bartenders and wash it down with some suds. Some say dive I just say home!
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Just checked out this place for the first time last night, for a few happy hour drinks before a show at i.O. There was also a Cubs game, and the neighborhood was absolutely teeming with game attendees. Surprisingly enough, this fairly spacious pub held little to no pregaming fans, which was a BIG BONUS. There were a couple, but they kept to themselves at the pool table. They also have a nice big flat screen, where they showed the Simpsons, WITH audio (but put the jukebox on during Seinfeld, booo). I was very pleased with the place, until I realized they were charging me $4.50 for my bottles of Miller Lite (!!). That is completely unacceptable anywhere, and ESPECIALLY in a bar that employs little to no 'ambiance' for your boozing pleasure. I loved the bartender, though, and will go back for my happy hour drinks I'm sure... I'll just be sure to ask for "your cheapest beer, please," next time.
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