Wednesday 16th of June 2010 12:03:05 PM

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What a great place to stop in and have a beer. I have NEVER been disappointed at the fine selection of taps and bottles, which rotate fairly regularly. Over the last year they have really kicked it up a notch, becoming a destination for good beer in the South Loop. In fact, I don't believe they have a single macro-lager even available! (I could be wrong, they might have some cans of something in the back of the fridge).

Recent draft list included (nothing wasted):
Harpoon Leviathan
Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversery
Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier
Atwater Double Down
Rogue Hazel Nut Brown Nectar
North Coast Pranqster
Lagunitas IPA
Stone Levitation
Stiegl Paracelsus
Lost Abbey Red Barn Ale

Their bottle list (42) is also impressive, especially their Belgian bottles (21) and bombers (9).

Friday 4th of June 2010 10:46:32 PM

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10/09
Stopped in with a few other beer nerds this evening. There was a black/white/red noir style mural on the façade, sort of Sin City-ish. Inside, the space was a long and narrow Chicago style bar. There were lots of patterns on everything, from the baroque wallpaper to the geometric wood panels, to the stenciled up bathrooms. I wanted to stare out the window or watch the TV to let my eyes relax. Dark reds and black walls. In the front there was a small booth that we took over in the front window. Further back there were a few larger open ended booth tables, and table seating in the back. The bar was long and seated 20+. There were 3 flatscreens mounted behind the bar, muted thankfully. Above the bar was a nice arched bow, and minimal shelving displaying the bottle selection.

Beer list was solid, on tap was Night Stalker, DFH 90, Nosferatu, and a few other standard crafts, no macro. There was a healthy selection of bottled Belgians, including Cantillon. The flipside of the list was all 12 oz. craft, some good stuff from FFF, Goose, North Coast, Ska, and others. Founders and Bells were slim. It was definitely a nice handpicked list, but it seemed like there were a few omissions like Founders, Bells, Flossmoor, Half Acre, and Metro (just my personal preference, not to nitpick). They did have Sofie and Dreadnaught, which were a couple gems.

Service was attentive and quick. The crowd seemed a little younger, and it was sort of a trendy neighborhood place. I'd return and try more of the food (thanks Wil for sharing the tasty quesadilla!), and hit Kaseys in the same trip.

Saturday 29th of March 2008 02:07:36 AM

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Some people who still maintain a weblog on a service which I have abandoned have been promoting a monthly after-work get-together at a bar in central Chicago. Villains is one which has been getting more frequent selections. I may not utilize their weblog service, but I am still interested in them, and this also has the plus of getting me out there for other people to meet.
Villains is on a genuinely desolate block of south Clark St., between Harrison and Polk. There is construction of [what else] luxury condominiums on the west side of Clark.
It tries to present itself as a 'bad boy' venue, but that's all for show. The numerous flat screen high definition televisions torpedo that identity. The beers on draft run the spectrum from Pabst Blue Ribbon, to Goose Island, Kalamazoo Royal Amber, and Radeburger.
The layout is similar to that of a bowling alley, with the long bar being the left gutter [if you will]. It opens up wider in the rear half, just beyond the washrooms. There is a pool table and a Golden Tee video game there.
Food is available. It's mostly hamburgers, with turkey and vegetarian models. I considered the beef burger average.
The keen advantage here is its proximity to public transit. The Blue Line “L” La Salle | Congress station is 2¾ blocks north & west. The Red Line “L” Harrison station is 2 blocks east. The Loop “L”'s La Salle | Van Buren station (& the Metra Rock Island District terminal) is 4 blocks away. Lastly, the #22 Clark bus runs all the time from here. But you will have to cross the street and stroll back to Harrison (for a *southbound* bus) because it begins its terminal loop here [via Clark, Polk, & Dearborn].