Old Town Ale House

Open since 1958, the Ale House has had plenty of time to develop character. It looks like the living room of an old woman who's cross-addicted to antiques and books. Japanese masks hang behind the bar and on the back wall is a giant papier-mache face that once graced the front of Figaro's, a defunct local bar. There's also a mural of regular customers, painted in the 1970s, and the ''Old Town Ale House Book Sharing Library,'' a case of paperbacks that patrons can borrow. ''You don't have to buy a drink,'' said a bartender named Sharon recently. ''You don't have to leave a book. Some guy came in here yesterday to leave a bunch of books. He said, 'I always take some.' People read everywhere in here. Nobody bothers you. It's not a meat market.'' The Ale House has the endorsement of the actor who played the most famous barfly in television history, George Wendt, who drank here . . . and the Ale House has his picture to prove it. (Wendt is second only to Jim Belushi in number of pictures displayed in Chicago bars and restaurants.)
| Hours | Outdoor Seating |
|---|---|
| Noon-4 a.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m.-5 a.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 a.m. Sunday. | No |
| Bar Style | Parking |
| Neighborhood, Chicago classic. | Street |
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Old Town Ale House is located at 219 W. North Ave. in Chicago
Old Town Ale House
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