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Friday, June 24, 2011

Bar #10: Wrigleyville North

8pm, Wednesday, June 23
3900 N. Sheridan Rd.
Price of Old Style: $3.00 bottles

Over the years, all the bars near Wrigley Field have morphed into one type of bar: Lots of flat screen TV's, over-priced domestic beer, loud pop music, and filled to capacity with 20-something year-olds that may or may not be rude, obnoxious suburbanites. It's all part of the "Wrigleyville" atmosphere. Every bar is the same, except for a few exceptions: Guthries (board games), The Gingerman (hipster), The Piano Man (dive), and Wrigleyville North (another dive).

Wrigleyville North labels itself as a "sports bar", but it looks like nothing has changed there in 30 years. It's in a prime location, less than a block from the Sheridan Red line stop, a few newer restaurants across the street. I'm sure it gets busy on game days because the beer is so much cheaper, but I would prefer The Piano Man as my cheap pre-game destination.
















We purposely went on a day when there was no Cubs game, to get a true feel of the bar. It was Thursday, and it was pretty slow...only a few regulars were in there, and they were gone pretty soon after we sat down. It also didn't have much character...it just looked like they said yes to every beer distributor who offered to put up a neon sign...they were everywhere!

There is a house band, Justus, that plays every Friday and Saturday night...they seem to be a country/Skynyrd band with a somewhat loyal following. What they may be, is the only band in Chicago who plays behind the bar - now this is an interesting feature!















I hit up the restroom before we left, and was greeted with this pearl of wisdom - if you can't read it, it says "Prison Sucks! And the sex is overrated...." Good to know...

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