Places we love: Revolution
Having good beer so close to the shop is a blessing and a curse. It’s one less good watering hole that’s basically next door to the shop. All of us here will miss it.
Well, I wish I wrote this one sooner. With the news that the Revolution Brewing taproom on Milwaukee Avenue is closing I wanted to take a second to say how much we love them at the shop.
Revolution has been around for a while. They’ve been in that Milwaukee Avenue location since 2010 -- not quite as long as the shop has been in the neighborhood, but not a bad run for any business.
Do you remember what the beer market was like 16 years ago? It wasn’t great! Revolution was one of the first local craft brewers that really helped revitalize beer as well as the neighborhood. 2010 was a bad time economically, too, and Revolution really helped anchor the area.
It sucks that they are closing the taproom. They’ve always had a great lunch menu and even better beer and having them nearby has been great. Take it from a barber: having good beer so close to the shop is a blessing and a curse. It’s one less good watering hole that’s basically next door to the shop. All of us here will miss it.
On the bright side, their Kedzie Avenue taproom will remain open. In the meantime, go visit the Milwaukee Avenue location after your next haircut. They close for good on December 14.
Places we love: alarmist Brewing
Do you ever walk in somewhere and just know it will be good? A place where the beer flows, the bartenders and brewers are friendly, and the atmosphere puts you at ease. Alarmist Brewery on the northwest side hits all of those notes, and then some.
Do you ever walk in somewhere and just know it will be good? A place where the beer flows, the bartenders and brewers are friendly, and the atmosphere puts you at ease.
Alarmist Brewery on the northwest side hits all of those notes, and then some. I started stopping in a few years ago when I would ride around town, and after a while I became a regular. And for good reason: their beer is some of the best in the city. Don’t take my word for it. Their hazy Le Jus was the first ever hazy to win gold at the Great American Beer Festival back in 2018. And their pale ale Pantsless won bronze in 2020.
Alarmist is more than just beer. They whip up one of my favorite Old Fashioneds and do other cocktails, too. They also often set up a projector to watch the Bears and other sports, and in good weather their outdoor patio is one of the best around.
Fortunately for everyone, Alarmist and their award-winning beers are often available in the shop’s beer fridge. Book your next cut now — and enjoy some Alarmist on us.
Places we love: Four moon tavern
Four Moon is the quintessential Chicago corner bar: it is pretty tucked away, doesn’t usually get a lot of traffic from outside the neighborhood, and has a kickass beer and food menu.
One of my favorite neighborhoods is actually not necessarily close to the shop: Roscoe Village. Located just north of Belmont Avenue and sandwiched between Western, Ashland, and Addison, Roscoe is a tight spot packed with a ton of good businesses and things to do on a Saturday night.
One of those places is, without a doubt, Four Moon Tavern on the corner of Wolcott and Roscoe — pretty much right in the middle of the neighborhood.
Four Moon is the quintessential Chicago corner bar: it is pretty tucked away, doesn’t usually get a lot of traffic from outside the neighborhood, and has a kickass beer and food menu.
Inside, the bar sports wood-paneled walls, a long wooden bar filled with seating, a few tables, a backroom with more places to sit, and a pool table available to use for a few quarters. Knick-knacks line the walls and a good sound system keeps things moving with music picks from the bartenders. Two TVs are tucked into the corners to catch the game, but most people aren’t there to tune in. In warm weather an outdoor patio is available, too.
I already mentioned the menu, and as far as corner bars go, this has to be one of the best. Tap beers rotate around local offerings, but two of my favorites are mainstays: Lagunitas IPA, and BBK, from the Wisconsin Brewing Company. Even if nothing else is hitting the spot these two always do. The bottle and can list has something for everyone, too, with everything from Belgians to Hamms (and Schlitz) represented.
The food punches above its weight, too. Three items I would highly recommend are the meatloaf, nachos, and the reuben sandwich. The fries, which are always served in a huge mound, really pull things together and could be a meal in their own right if that’s how you want to play it. Sunday brunch is also a smart play — the bagel and lox is one of the best around.
Now that the weather is cooling off, if you find yourself in Roscoe Village on a cool Saturday evening, Four Moon is more than worth seeking out. You won’t regret it — and you may even become a regular.
Four Moon Tavern
1847 W. Roscoe Street
Chicago, IL 60657
Places we love: o’shaughnessy’s public house
What sets O'Shaughnessy's apart is great food, stiff drinks, and friendly service. The Guinness is poured right every time and Old Fashioneds are made exactly how I like them.
Joe’s might be located in Logan Square, but that hasn’t stopped me from exploring other parts of town for a good drink and a bite to eat on my days off.
One of my favorite spots is O’Shaughnessy’s Public House up in Ravenswood. From the outside it looks like a simple Irish pub, and inside it is not much different.
But what sets O'Shaughnessy's apart is great food, stiff drinks, and friendly service. The Guinness is poured right every time and Old Fashioneds are made exactly how I like them.
Next time you’re in, I would recommend you try the Irish Barber sandwich, named for yours truly after many, many visits. Here’s how they describe it:
Joe Jr from Joe’s Barbershop took his favorite item and made it better! Dare to try it!
Rashers, black and white puddings, bangers, grilled onions, grilled tomato, mustard aioli, and an over easy egg on white bread. Served with breakfast potatoes or Fries.
Sounds good, right? The next time you’re in the mood for an Irish pub that knows what it’s doing, you know where to go.
O’Shaughnessy’s Public House
4557 N Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
Places we love: the bob inn
The next time you are in the shop for a cut, walk a few doors down and grab a cold one at the Bob Inn. Tell them Joe sent you — they’ll know who you mean.
Here is a new series we’re going to run at the shop: the barbers will recommend places for our clientele. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked by a customer “what’s a good place to grab lunch?” or “where can I get a drink around here?”
So, starting here, I am going to recommend places that we all love at the shop and believe that you will love, too.
Why can you trust us? Well, we see a lot of different people in the shop. We talk to them and we know where they prefer to eat, drink, and have a good time. We know our way around town, too, and we can recommend a spot for any occasion.
Here is the first recommendation: the Bob Inn.
We love the Bob Inn for a lot of reasons, but none more than this: it is about two feet from the shop. Never underestimate a bar that is so close to a barbershop.
The Bob Inn opened in 1945 and has been a neighborhood fixture ever since. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Bob Inn is not a special bar. It is not even a particularly great bar.
But it is the kind of bar that can only really exist in Logan Square at the corner of Rockwell and Fullerton. What I mean is that it is a neighborhood spot: everyone is friendly, and even if you don’t know names, you know faces. It is a cozy spot that is very lived in, and very authentic. If you’ve been searching for a quintessential Chicago dive bar, you’ve found your spot.
The Bob Inn is a welcoming watering hole where you can easily kill an afternoon or an evening (or even a whole day). And rarely for North Side bars, the Bob Inn is firmly a White Sox bar.
So the next time you are in the shop for a cut, walk a few doors down and grab a cold one at the Bob Inn. Tell them Joe sent you — they’ll know who you mean.