Bar #11: Dram Shop

9pm, Thursday, June 23

3040 N. Broadway

Price of Old Style: $3.00 bottles

I'm not sure if the owner of the Dram Shop is a lawyer, or just very creative:

Dram (def): I small unit of liquor, usually in reference to whiskey

Dram Shop (def): legal term for a liquor store or bar that sells alcohol

Dram Shop liability (def): law in 38 states that makes the bar partially responsible for any injury caused by an intoxicated person who was at their establishment.

The Dram Shop is a classy dive located south of Belmont on Broadway Ave., a busy and congested part of Lakeview. What I mean by "classy dive" is that it really isn't a dive at all, just a great bar that doesn't try to be anything at all and reaps the benefits. When we arrived there, every bar stool was taken so we were regulated to a table in the back. On the back wall were pictures taken by the owner of the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention, except there was a note saying that his camera was confiscated during the riots, so these pictures were taken the next day of the aftermath. Not as exciting...

The bartender, Christian, was the hero of the night. Not only was he chatting up the patrons swilling their $2 PBR's at the bar, but every 10 minutes he would walk over to the jukebox to play some more tunes, and refill his stock of PBR from the cooler in the back. He even took some time to chat with me when I came up to the bar and ordered our drinks...solid bartender at a solid bar. He probably was the one who made the sign in the women's bathroom to remind them to watch out for flying darts...

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...