Let’s face it. There’s no stopping the rapid-fire gentrification of Bucktown. Fortunately, there still are a few places where "neighborhood" isn’t just a real estate qualifier and "dive bar" is a badge of honor. Leave behind your blazer or sparkly clutch and head to these six spots, where the everyday prices are inherently good deals. Your wallet will thank you. Ed & Jean’s Gallery Cabaret Western Tap Marie’s Rip Tide Lounge Bob Inn
Johnny Loftus is a Metromix special contributor. metromix@tribune.com
The scene: No phone, no taps, no ice and, occasionally, no hours—no problem! With a sign made of stick-on letters and decor that falls somewhere between "basement storeroom" and "don’t ask questions," Ed & Jean’s manages to be opposite of everything in the immediate vicinity, and a true piece of (charmingly dilapidated) bar history.
The characters: The namesakes, obviously: The elderly couple still tends bar or can at least be found somewhere in the room watching TV. There’s also a sampling of barflies—hey, can they afford the rent around here?—and an increased runoff from Bucktown and Wicker Park’s trendier joints.
How low can you go? Prices are as liberal as the hours of operation, but a round (two bottled beers, whiskey and water) rarely exceeds $10.
The Corner (pictured)
The scene: The new incarnation of former bar Rich’s First One of the Day might have a more boring name, but the crowd is as welcoming and lively as ever. Plus, there’s a stuffed boar head wearing a crown mounted over the bar. Could you really ask for anything more?
The characters: Young neighborhood professionals (and your occasional grandpa figure) populate the long bar and large tables toward the back. Dogs often hang out at The Corner, too, and they’re just as friendly as the human beings.
How low can you go? $1.75 Miller Lite drafts, $4.75 Miller Lite pitchers, cocktails for $4 or less.
The scene: Random art and lively clutter is always on tap here, from the live music board written in a colorful spectrum of puffy paint to the handmade sign proffering cheap pizza.
The characters: Pockets of support for whatever musician is onstage at the moment, plus the off-duty doorman from some other bar, the kids who look like rejects from "Of Montreal," and the motorcycle enthusiasts. And the guy clutching his guitar at the end of the bar. He’s just there to play the blues, and he’ll tell you all about it.
How low can you go? $2 PBRs, plus daily specials (called "Beer buys beyond belief" here) such as $5 pitchers of Leinenkugel on Thursdays.
The scene: The wood-paneled walls have seen better years at this one-room bar tucked into a stretch of largely vacant Western Avenue storefronts. There’s a TV and occasionally music, but neither can drown out the steadfast hum of people drinking professionally.
The characters: Day laborers peel small bills from piles of messy cash, and it seems like someone at the bar is always covered in plaster dust. And then there’s the occasional couple searching for the Map Room.
How low can you go? $2 domestics.
The scene: Marie’s long ago achieved legendary dive status, mostly for its late-night license (4 a.m. Fridays, 5 a.m. Saturdays) and "amenities" such as the ’70s-era electronic shooting range game (which may or may not work depending on the night) and jukebox crammed with left-field radio hits from the ’50s and ’60s.
The characters: Tiny, elderly Marie has been known to settle at the end of the bar to chat with whomever before retiring to bed upstairs. It’s often near-barren until 1 a.m. or so, when last-drink refugees storm in. On Sunday evenings, expect a few boozy randoms and free reign of the juke. Then again, if you’re at a place like this on a Sunday night, maybe you’re the boozy random. Save us a seat.
How low can you go? $3 domestics, though prices can vary depending on who’s behind the bar.
The scene: Though not technically in Bucktown, this nearby Logan Square hang is worth checking out if only for the wide, cushy stools that can withstand a full Sunday of NFL. The mood is light, the classic rock is loud, and the smokers outside are plentiful.
The characters: Talk sports and you’ll fit right in, whether trading Blackhawks stats with the bartender or crowing with the regulars about Kyle Orton’s beard. The Coffin Banger DJs on Thursdays, bringing out the ’hood’s younger, newer denizens to drink to a cross-section of ’60s trash, old school ska and girl group lovin’.
How low can you go? $2 PBR and Old Style, plus $3 for most imports.
