Inside: The Bad Apple

There’s something refreshing about the kind of spot that has condiment caddies instead of cover charges.

Meet the Bad Apple (continue below for review) and the Rocking Horse (click here for review), recently opened in Logan Square and North Center, respectively. With plenty of beer, burgers and fries, these two bars are proud of their low-key settings -- and early crowds suggest their neighbors are too.  

THE CROWD
Leave your heels and A-game at home. This burger-noshing crowd is focused on conversation over rounds of beer, as opposed to watching the game or scoping out the next table over.

THE LOOK
Craig Fass and Mandy Franklin (who used to run Lakeview’s Cooper’s) along with Ronnie Khoshaba, all neighborhood residents, named this bar after a menacing apple figurine they’d tote along on trips. Apple-esque red globe lights hanging from the ceiling, rustic wood benches and tree trunks painted on the walls also give a nod to the name. Adjacent to the bar, a game room features Ms. Pac-Man, foosball and, coming soon, shuffleboard.

THE DRINKS
The Bad Apple takes its brews seriously, with the beer geek glassware to match. 15 rotating draft picks, including harder-to-find special series craft brews such as New Holland’s light and fruity Black Tulip Trippel or Goose Island’s hibiscus-laced Fleur, are accompanied by helpful flavor descriptions. And prices are cheap, specifically Arcadia Angler’s Ale or Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold for $3.50.

THE EATS
Beer also makes its way onto the food menu, from a juicy burger topped with porter-glazed mushrooms to the Pig & Pint ($9), a tasty pretzel roll sandwich of ale-brined pork dripping with rarebit, a Welsh-style Swiss cheese sauce. If you only have $5 to your name, there’s the PMO and PBR ($4), a white bread sandwich of house-cured pickles, mayo and onion served with a can o’ Pabst.

BOTTOM LINE 
North Center has its share of no-frills bars (Wild Goose, Gannon's), but the Bad Apple sets itself apart with and outstanding beer list featuring hard-to-find Belgian imports and the latest from Half Acre, brewed just down the street.

Lisa Arnett is the Metromix nightlife and shopping producer. lmarnett@tribune.com

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