Bar of the month

The Other Side
2436 N. Clark

The Basics

Where you’ll find it: 2436 N. Clark. Just north of Fullerton next to The Pasta Bowl. WWW.theothersidebar.com. (773) 525-8238.

When it’s open: Noon - 2 a.m. Sunday through Friday; Noon - 3 a.m. Saturday.

Peak time: Getting some rollover from the dinner crowd at The Pasta Bowl each night, this place is never empty. On weekends, the sports TV schedule often determines how busy things get early in the day, but the $5 pizzas and tasty Bloody Marys are big on Sunday afternoons regardless. Weekends get crowded later in the evening.

What you’ve heard: A cozy neighborhood hangout with great specials and a great jukebox. ... A lot of the people here have been coming for a long time. Tough place to leave once you get hooked.

History in short: The owners opened the Pasta Bowl in 1996 and picked up the lease for the vacant storefront on “the other side” of the restaurant in 2002.

Visual Aids

First impressions: The Other Side doesn’t follow any rules in terms of being a specific type of bar (sports, Irish, lounge), which is refreshing in a way. The front half has four tables next to the open window overlooking Clark St., followed by a narrow section with a custom-made oak bar. The back boasts lively red walls and retro decorations with more seating. Golden Tee and Silver Strike Bowling and a collection of board games usually occupy customers.

What you’ll tell your friends: “A lot of good food, good drink and good folk. You can tell a lot of friends hang out here together quite a bit because they feel comfortable.”
— Gary

“It’s like a utility infielder — a bar that covers all the bases and can be whatever you want it to be.”
— Tim

The Experience

At your service: “You can tell the staff here has a lot of fun doing what they’re doing. They’re out to make the customers have fun too.” — The Bostonian
“We’re always asking for input from our customers, and we take it seriously.” — Taylor, manager

Get your drink on: The Other Side offers up a full bar and a total of eight beers on tap, including Berghoff’s Red Ale, as well as MGD, Miller Lite, Blue Moon, Bass, Harp, Amstel Light, Bell’s Oberon and Stella Artois. Nearly 30 bottled selections are available as well, including Woodchuck Cider, Corona, Newcastle, Fat Tire, Rolling Rock and Peroni.

Menu variety: You’ll find a solid mix of pub grub, with a little something extra mixed in. Loaded potato skins, a nacho platter, wings, chili cheese fries and a spinach and artichoke dip are common starters, along with a fried pickle. Yep, you read that right. The Detroiter, a half-pound Black Angus burger, is a favorite of patrons, as is the build-your-own pizza. Sandwich options such as the Southsider pulled pork and the Governator, a stack of smoked turkey with lettuce, red onion, avocado and honey mustard dressing, are plentiful. Most everything on the menu is between $4-$7.

Specials: Monday: $5 large one-topping pizza, $2 Labatt Blue bottles; Tuesday: $10 buckets of Labatt Blue, $3 burgers; Wednesday: $10 large pizzas with unlimited toppings, $10 all draft pitchers; Thursday: $3 Sol bottles; Friday: $4 Amstel Light drafts; Saturday: $5 large pizzas (until 7 p.m.), $5 Ketel and Red Bull; Sunday: $5 large pizzas (until 7 p.m.), $4 Bloody Marys and $4 Screwdrivers, $8 Miller Lite and MGD pitchers. $4 Jager bombs every day.

Who you can expect to see there: Usually a 25-to-35-year-old crowd. Plenty of Lincoln Park locals looking to relax and unwind with friends. Notre Dame and Michigan State fans can fill the place in football season, and a Silver Strike Bowling league on Tuesdays is a popular attraction with its cash prizes.

It’s a good spot to … hit on a Sunday afternoon. Comfortably crowded, (we’ve always gotten a seat), great atmosphere, you can catch any sports game, enjoy the best Bloody Mary in town — that was a consensus amongst the gals — and order tons of $3 and $5 items off the menu. ... Our favorites include pizza, mozzarella sticks and deep-fried pickles! You can get full very fast, on a limited budget! And if that’s not for you, you take three steps to the right and order from The Pasta Bowl. You can’t go wrong.” — Debbie

What the manager thinks: "We’re just a friendly, laid-back neighborhood hangout where people come to relax and unwind after work without blowing their whole paycheck. We try to make sure there is something for everyone, and as a result, the list of ‘regulars’ continues to grow. The crowd, the music and the mood can vary depending on the day, but one thing’s for sure: If you stick around for more than one (and you’re not a jerk), someone — staff or customer — is bound to buy you a drink!”

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