11/06/09

Amazing Laid Back Beer Bar

by dprager0528

Clark Street Ale house is a welcome respite from the general river north / gold cost douchebaggery. It is a no frills bar with an amazing beer selection, cozy tables, and a good low key place to hang with friends.

There is also a good chance you'll see some dogs mulling around, as they allow pets!

I love this bar, and you should too.

• Pros: Great Bar, Great Beer Selection, Allow Pets!

More than 25 seasonally rotating taps make this vintage-style spot a favorite of beer lovers and the after-work crowd.

by Jennifer Olvera

The Scene
Scuffed wood floors, art-deco wall sconces and an Old-World mural depicting good-time bar antics give this low-key hangout a classic air. River North professionals and nearby high-rise dwellers stop in for post-work drinks. A post-collegiate crowd with well-tuned taste buds yuks it up in the vine-covered beer garden, which turns into a people-watching hot spot in summer.

The Draw
A grand mahogany bar offers discerning patrons a mind-warping selection of libations including 95 hand-crafted beers--25 of which are on draft--and include seasonal offerings from regional brewers such as New Holland and Bell's. There are also more than 40 scotches, ranging from sublimely mellow to earthy and dark, as well as wines by the glass. Jukebox tunes are fairly pedestrian, so expect to hear jam-band rock.