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Wrigleyville Watering Holes

What's baseball without beer?

Sunday Apr 13, 2008.     By Centerstage Staff

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You'll root, root, root for the Cubbies…but then what? There's no need to scramble for the last $5.50 Budweiser at the bottom of the ninth. Bars within walking distance seem to be the hood's biggest boon on game days. You'll find specials in less-expected locations, like $2 Old Styles at Cajun wunderkind Heaven on Seven. But if you're looking to sweat it out and slosh some beer with bevies of equally excited (or incensed) fans, here are some top spots to throw one (or one too many, as the case may be) back.

Vines on Clark
Brought to you by the same owners as The Cubby Bear, Vines on Clark, the hood's only rooftop dining venue, is a dressier way to enjoy the Wrigley Field experience. Trade the Old Style draft for a pink lemonade martini made with Svedka citron, Triple Sec, cranberry juice and sour mix, sit back and take in the cries of the crowd. On non-game days, take advantage of the free parking lot and watch American League competition on one of four flatscreen HDTVs that show any game broadcast on Comcast or DirecTV. The rooftop deck can also be rented for private parties on these days, when Lakeview locals capitalize on the quiet time to enjoy a Honey Weiss or Willy Wonka martini mixed with light and dark Godiva.

This American trattoria is staffed by alums from top tier restaurants like Spiaggia, Everest and Osteria via Stato and, consequently, specializes in Italian eats (try the garganelli with proscuitto, peas and red peppers). Paninis and salads provide fare for more the red, white and blue crowd. For high rollers, filet mignon is available at $18, but most entrees dip into the $10 realm. Martinis and wines average about $8. On a game day, it's an in-walking-distance bar that pleasantly refrains from raising its prices for the throngs of inebriated and thereby free-spending fans.

Redmond's
Redmond's, located just a few blocks from Wrigley Field, is a world away from its rowdier, raunchier neighbors. A neighborhood pub with the requisite long, wooden bar and sometimes-sticky floor, it is home to Wrigleyville's more sophisticated beer drinkers. Even on game days, the crowd remains somewhat reserved, seated at booths and opting for import drafts rather than the Pabst-drenched gauntlets found around the corner. It's got Bud Light, but also serves Blue Moon (and 11 other beers on tap). Instead of dripping bottles served from tubs by indifferent bimbos, Redmond's offers at least 25 different types of bottled beer slid across the bar by some of the friendliest bartenders in town.

The menu of more-than-just-bar-fare includes creative comfort food like Guinness stew and mac and cheese for prices only slightly higher than the more typical offerings at other bars in the area. A popular patio area seats about 50 people, and it's a great place for watching inebriated sports fans stumble by. The area around the bar tends to reign as a mostly standing-room-only space; there are more tables (and another bar) in a room towards the back of the building.

Mullen's on Clark
This is a sports bar in the classic sense: Five TVs and two big screen projectors play the game, while beer-drinking patrons play foosball, Golden Tee and darts (the real kind, with metal tips, so watch out!). Music plays at a raucous but not deafening volume, making Mullen's as suited to friendly conversation as it is for a little friendly competition. The backyard beer garden consists of several tables set up in the alley, offering a better chance of finding a seat and a smaller chance of having beer spilled on you. The upstairs party room is available for private parties, occasionally opening to the public on the most popular nights.

Servers are more attractive than attentive, making the rounds as often as the crowded room allows. A variety of beers are available in bottles and on tap, but the emphasis here is inexpensive domestic brews, made even less expensive by daily drink specials. With almost all the food in the less-than-$10 range, the menu includes pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and a dizzying array of breaded-and-fried appetizers.

Trader Todd's
Perhaps best known for being co-owned by Don Gibb, who played Ogre in the "Revenge of the Nerds" movies, Trader Todd's is more Animal House than nerd-fest. Parked out front is the "Tiki Transit," a converted minibus that acts as a free shuttle from Trader Todd's to Wrigley Field and back on game days, in case you can't make the three-block walk. Trader Todd's namesake beers are brewed in Wisconsin and include lager, red and pilsner varieties. A couple more mainstream beer varieties are available as well, but none are endorsed by Don "Ogre" Gibb himself.

If the shuttle isn't parked out front, you'll know you're at the right place by the sounds of karaoke echoing into the street. Playboy magazine named Trader Todd's "a great place for karaoke," and the singing begins at 9 p.m. every night. In the backyard, a converted sailboat acts as a bar. Though it's easy to get a beer at the Boat Bar, you'll have to head inside for the elaborate blender drinks that make karaoke seem like a good idea. Exotic specialties like The Pain Killer and the SoColada run about $8 per drink, while the Pacific-inspired food items on the menu almost all cost less-than $10.

Sports Corner
Let's face it. A dim, cavernous sports bar can be counterproductive to a day outside at the old ballpark. For starters, you can't work on your tan. Luckily, you can brown away at Sports Corner. Open windows and tables seating on the sidewalk along Sheffield creates a sports bar-cum-European cafe vibe, except patrons here swap coffee and duck salad for beer and chicken wings. Refreshingly, the Sports Corner makes a conscious effort not to pack its guests in like cattle. You can comfortably sit back and watch the droves of fans descend from the L station onto Addison and be glad you're not among the masses waiting in line to enter Gate D.

The shots are strong and the waitstaff is nice. Bouncers stand inside the door and chat with patrons (although they can get surly after Cubs games, whew!). A menu dotted with quesadillas, burgers and salads will fill your belly for a tenner, and is available until midnight. This is a diehard, Wrigleyville kick-it, toss-it, slam-it sports bar, from the sporty but simple decor to the baseball cap-clad bargoers. Still, everyone's friendly and everyone's here to drink until the Cubbies come home (or win) so it's all good times.