Carola's Hansa Clipper

My kinda bar!!
There are so many personalities here between the different bartenders and customers that come in here.  If you liked the tv show cheers, you will like The Clipper.  
Plenty of sports on the screens and some really good beer.  I enjoy dark beers and Herder is my favorite here.

So the first time I have ever been to this place was a Friday night earlier this month. Not the nicest bar in the world decor wise but that's fine, some of my best times have been had at dive bars. What made this a one star experience (really a ZERO star experience) was the bartender(s). The lady (though I think it is insulting to the word to describe her as such) working the bar called last call and my friend and another man at the bar ordered one last drink. Not 30 seconds after last call, the bartender was screaming at people to get out of the bar, it was closing. My friend and the gentleman sitting next to her inquired as to why they could not finish the drinks they had just purchased and were met with a string of venom and profanities that was mind boggling considering both my friend and the guy next to her had done nothing except ask a question, and were both sober! I encouraged my friend to leave with me, but the bartender kept insulting her, calling her all kinds of things I cannot repeat on a public forum. At this point I responded to the bartender in defense of my friend that she should "watch what she says"  because "you never know who the customer is that you are massively insulting". At this point I became the target of all kinds of inappropriate gender slurs and profanities from both the original bartender and another woman who randomly appeared behind the bar, neither of whom I had exchanged any communication with that evening except to say "vodka tonic please". The door man (who overall was super nice and who was the only professionally behaving individual that evening) encouraged us to just let it go and leave the building which we did. While waiting for a cab, the larger female bartender came back outside to call us some more names before locking the door, at which point I became infuriated because WTF?! You want us out of your bar soooo bad so you can close, but you have time to come outside and insult your customers some more? I proceeded to make an (albeit uncalled for) inappropriate hand gesture towards the bartender through the window at which point she comes outside AND TRIES TO FIGHT ME! Literally got up in my face with her large stomach touching me (ew!)!!! (For perspective here, she is probably pushing 190/200lbs and I am 5'3" and 135lbs) Once again, the only reason this crazy sociopath didn't punch me in the face is because the doorman was there to stop it (though there is nothing he could do about her spit ending up on my shirt). I think my favorite part of this situation was how she kept asking "Are you in the industry?" in between insulting me and my friend. For the record, yes, I was in the industry for almost 10 years as a bartender, server, cocktail waitress, and manager. Never under any circumstances did I (or anyone I know for that matter) ever TRY TO FIGHT MY CUSTOMERS! I NEVER, in 10 years, experienced ANYONE who behaved like this for no reason. We were not drunk, we were not rude or insulting, and we payed fully and promptly and tipped (regretting it now). This was the must unclassy, embarrassing  display of unprofessional behavior I have ever encountered in my 27 years of life. I will never be back to this bar, and I will make sure everyone I know in the Chicagoland area knows why.

Place, people, BEER, ALL PHENOMENAL! You can't get any better pure German beer then from this esteemed establishment. I made a really dumb blotto move when the bartender was not back there, listening to a friend's idea (no excuse), and leaned over to pour myself a beer. (Of course to pay for it!) I got forcibly thrown out of there faster then you could say "boo!" My fault, just a moment of sheer idiocy! (1stx for everything as they say.) I will miss this great place - been there maybe 20x over the years - as sure not welcome back; the bartender and manager were quite angry. Ooops! My sincerest apologies!! My loss but don't make it yours: VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! GO THERE & ENJOY!!!