Places we love: Four moon tavern

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: the bob inn

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.