Woodlawn Tap

It may say "Woodlawn Tap" on the wall, but anybody who's been there knows to call it Jimmy's. This is a venerable Hyde Park institution, and should probably be visited at least once for that reason alone. In a study done by The Reader a few months ago, Jimmy's was found to have far and away the worst air quality in their entire sample of Chicago bars. I love Jimmy's, but I find it completely intolerable at night. In my opinion, the time to go is in the late afternoon, or for Bears games. In the afternoon, some sunlight comes in, the bartenders are happy to chat, and an interesting collection of regulars assemble after/during work. At night, the U of C students come in droves, and it's impossible to breath (I say this as a smoker!) or have a conversation with your friends. The $2.75 pints of Leinie's Red and the $6 Bombay Sapphire martini's are the best deals here. The jazz set in the back room on Sunday evenings is fun and free. more

Well, I'm actuallly not sure if the many Nobel Laureates at the University of Chicago actually do drink, but any who imbibe have definitely done so at Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap at some point in the last few decades. Jimmy's is a Hyde Park Institution, and is pretty much across the road from the University of Chicago, hence giving it quite a strong University flavor. Most days of the week, a large portion of the clientele will be University affiliated, but it has enough neighborhood and working regulars that it doesn't feel dominated by the college kids. more