Circus-of-Power

Off up to Chicago next Friday ....weekend date to watch Buddy Guy. Friday is for fun and beer,Saturday Blues music to make the soul weep ...so I'm looking for suggestions watering hole wise for the Friday festivities ...I'm travelling with 3 basic rednecks who have stipulated no wine or cocktail bars and no fake Irish or English pubs (bad experiences elsewhere in USA have made for a tough criteria)

So far the only place that looks promising is Monks Pub .. W. Lake St

So if you know Chicago and some good basic and non tourist style places... give us a nod ...

Thanks in Advance

tonrob

Get Goose Island in while you can (Brewery tap, under threat of closure - the pub not the brewery):

http://www.gooseisland.com/pubs/pubs.asp

For general beery gen when traveling:

http://beeradvocate.com/

Duncan Roberts

Two Brothers has good stuff. http://www.twobrosbrew.com/

Schnorbitz

Not a fake Irish pub - a genuine one. Traditional English brekkie with Colemans mustard and REAL bacon - http://www.fadoirishpub.com/chicago/

chartreuse

There's a good fake Irish place on Printers Row that does very nice buffalo burgers.

wtkp0u

Hackney's - http://www.hackneys.net/locations/chicago/map/

Kasey's further up the same block is a decent local bar (no food) - http://www.kaseystavern.com/

Both walkable from BG's. Not walkable from BG's (well it is only 2 miles) is Celtic Crossings - no TV's and no food. It's an Irish pub.

chartreuse

That's the one. My memory is a bit poor because, last time I was in Chicago, I was getting totally destroyed with these ICE agents, when these two girls from the local PD decided to pretend to be prostitutes, in an attempt to entrap us.

Hiro11

If there's one thing this city knows, it's bars:

http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs
http://www.yelp.com/c/chicago/bars
http://www.chibarproject.com/

A few favorites (mostly Northside places):

http://www.piecechicago.com/flash/index.html - it's a brewpub that serves some of the best locally brewed stuff. Also has great New Haven style pizza. Relatively large place.

http://www.hopleaf.com/ - tons of good beer on draft, specializes in Belgian and local brews

http://www.maproom.com/ - a bit of a bohemian place with great beer and a neighborhood feel.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-duke-of-perth-chicago - 75 single malts, tons of good English and scottish brews, a nice low key place.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/lemmings-on-damen-chicago - another solid neighborhood spot...

http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and...134652/content - a good Irish bar

etc...

Hiro11

My local brewery!

A few other good beers from the midwest that you'll find in most places in Chicago:

http://www.bellsbeer.com/
http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/
http://threefloyds.com/
http://www.capital-brewery.com/

Circus-of-Power

Thank you one and all ...some interesting choices ...will report back if anything really tickles our fancy ...

dzial67

Go to Billy Goats Bar under Michigan at the Wrigley Building near the bridge over the river. Best bar in town, always our first port of call when in Chicago.

Duncan Roberts

My local brewery! Well, one of them. I think Two Brothers is the best Chicago brewery based on what I can get here. Their wet hop beer is great, heavy-handed I think it's called.

Circus-of-Power

Agree with the Two Brothers being the best local Chicago brewery .....Praire Path being my favourite beer .