McKellins

I live stumbling distance from here and won't patronize it.  Beer selection is lame, and it just doesn't feel welcoming at all.   If you're not into sports, don't go here.

Stopped in here for a round of celebration drinks with some friends. The bartender was attentive and friendly, the Christmas decorations were still up and it was a good time. The 'regulars' were concentrated at the other end of the bar and not too friendly, but definitely didn't bother us at all. We're definitely coming back!

I've been coming here off and on since my early 20s. I've never been a regular but they have a crappy pool table and cheap beer and good bloody mary's, so it was a place to go to watch a Bears, game, have some beer and get some food from a local spot.

I've never had a problem before except for one other time but after this past Sunday I'm done coming  here.  

I will preface this by saying I don't know if the bar owners and employees are racists; perhaps not as they sponsored my friend's soccer team many years ago (a mixed team of black and white guys). I've been here with a few friends before when it was dead and we never had any problems.  However, this past Sunday I was watching the game with a couple friends (white guys) and an older white dude turns to me after Devin Hester drops a pass and says "fucking n*****". I think you can figure out the racial epithet. This was the second time a older dude said this at the bar during the season and this time my friends couldn't calm me down and let this guy have it. I called him out and we got confrontational but I decided it was better not to punch the guy and get arrested.  He then listed off every racial and ethnic group he hated (used all the deogetory terms in the book). I told him to go fuck himself, my friends calmed me down and I left at half time.

I won't be going back to this bar. This is the second bar I've been to in the area that seems to be a haven for bigoted white folks. I've been here a few times when someone of color is in the bar and I see certain white guys give dirty looks.  I'm just not going to give business to a bar (or any establishment) that puts up with this behavior. I'm not going to sit idly by while people spew racist crap and I think a bar should not allow it nor condone it or create an atmosphere for this behavior. Most of the crowd who hangs out here knows each other and this place is just a safe haven for people who live in a diverse neighborhood as West Rogers Park feel comfortable saying certain offensive things.  I've seen other guys who I know are racists and say crap like this openly because they were at another local establishment I used to go to (before I left for the same reasons...the bar is no longer is biz).

I could have handled the situation better and calmly talked to the guy about why I was offended but I was pissed and wasn't having it. Either way, I'm taking myself out of the situation and not spending another dime here. It's not worth it. There are other bars in the area that don't cater to a crowd that grew up in the area but still holds ridiculous views about people who do not look like them.

If you think this is the place for you, then by all means have fun. I'm not telling people they can't have these views. It's pure ignorance and it drives me nuts. It's a free country but I'm not going to be around it.