So you’re hankering for a bar with deer heads on the wall and peanut shells on the floor, but you can’t face trekking up I-90 to the Dells? Take heart. Chicago and its environs are home to a shocking number of bars that would seem right at home in our neighbor to the north.
Will’s Northwoods Inn
3030 N. Racine Ave. 773-528-4400
Giant stuffed cats, deer heads, birds and fish stalk the interior of this Lakeview spot, which almost seems like a taxidermy shop masquerading as a bar. An enormous framed Sports Illustrated cover of Vince Lombardi lets Wisconsinites know they’re welcome. Sports fans of all ages discuss the latest game with friendly bartenders and stop by for fish-fry Fridays, when two pieces of cod with fries and coleslaw runs $8. Looking for even cheaper eats? Check out the free popcorn machine in the back room.
Four Moon Tavern
1847 W. Roscoe St. 773-929-6666
The collection of dead animals at this Roscoe Village hang may pale in comparison to Will’s, but it’s got enough dark wood and neon signs advertising Wisconsin-brewed beers to make cheese heads feel right at home. Plus, a small room in back offers a comfy green couch and chairs that could be straight out of a Dells’ hotel room. The pool table and outdoor seating also are big draws for neighborhood locals of all ages.
Grizzly’s Lodge
3832 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-281-5112
If the wooden bear and the tree framing the doorway don’t clue you in that you’ve arrived at a little piece of Wisconsin, the canoe hanging from the ceiling of this North Center spot might do it. A row of very casually dressed customers line the barstools, while an outdoor beer patio provides plenty of space for the non-barfly contingent. But don’t just come to watch Wisconsin games and drink the wide selection of draft beer; for the hunter in you, Grizzly’s offers ostrich burgers, elk steaks, quail and blackened alligator.
Resi’s Bierstube
2034 W. Irving Park Rd. 773-472-1749
Small, dark, cozy and filled with beer-loving Germans, this North Center pub can’t be beat for a sausage and a brew. Whether you go for the bratwurst, smoked thuringer, knackwurst or weisswurst, be sure to order a side of the enormous potato pancakes. In place of weekend trips to Wisconsin, a good summer project might be trying the dozens of beers on tap and in bottles; start with the strong collection of Weiss beers.
Timbers Charhouse
295 Skokie Valley Rd., Highland Park. 847-831-1400
Compared with driving hundreds of miles to the Dells, the 25-mile hike to Timbers seems like cake. And why go farther when there are sport-fishing trophies, antler chandeliers and meat-lovers’ options aplenty at this Highland Park lodge? If the trip here helps you work up a drinking appetite, settle into chairs made of fake twigs (don’t worry, they’ll support you) and toast a few cold ones to conserving gas money.
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metromix@tribune.com
