Tar Bar

Cockroaches. No thanks.

Based exclusively on the exterior, it's probably not a place I would wandered into on my own.  But a bunch of theater folks hang out here regularly and get their drink on, and people I know DJ here, so I make the occasional stop.  The drinks--while not cheap--are decent and don't leave you broke.  The interior is much, much more chic than the outside would lead you to believe.  It's tiny in a way that could be intimate if it wasn't packed, which it has been on most of the occasions I've been there.  It's located across the street from the Brown Line Western stop, but away from the major Lincoln Square strip, so it's often overlooked.

I've been here twice and I've enjoyed both visits (both visits were on a Thursday night).  Friendly bartenders, reasonable prices and a pretty cozy and fun atmosphere.  Great people watching and the men's room looks like all the magazines my dad "read" when I was a kid.  The owner told me they've been doing live bands on the weekends.  This may be cool, but this place is small, I considered that a warning more than anything else.  I think I would lose my mind if there were over 100 people in Tar Bar.  Otherwise, this place is good for a Thursday, and believe me, it gets plenty busy.