Bar of the month

Clybar
2417 N. Clybourn Ave.

The Basics

Where you’ll find it: 2417 N. Clybourn. It’s one block north of Fullerton near the Clybourn/Fullerton/Ashland intersection. (773) 388-1877. www.clybar.com

When it’s open: Monday through Friday: 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.; Saturday: noon to 3:00 a.m.; Sunday: noon to 2:00 a.m.

Peak time: Clybar can draw a decent crowd for football games and on occasional weeknights, but the joint tends to get hopping on Friday and Saturday nights. ... They expect a decent dinner crowd once the kitchen is completed in a few weeks.

What you’ve heard: Cool neighborhood sports bar that can carry a lounge-type feel to it. ... A little off the beaten path from other establishments, which can often be a good thing. ... Clybar will have a brand new kitchen in the next two weeks. ... Friendly new owners and a waitstaff can make it difficult to leave.

History in short: The building has been around since 1854 and was known as John’s Tavern from 1948-1969. After that, it was believed to be called Dominick’s before being re-named Clybar in 2001. The current owners purchased it in December of ’06. The bar still features the original tin ceilings and the original top of the bar from when it was John’s Tavern.

Visual Aids

First impressions: The first thing you think of when you walk in is sports bar. But after you’ve settled yourself into a seat and have a drink in hand, you realize it’s got a lounge feel to it that can’t be denied. ... When the weather allows for it, a great outdoor patio is a good place to relax with a pint or throw bean bags, and the windows up front are often open when it’s warm. ... Five well-placed flat screens make it easy to watch the game from any section of the bar. ... Tin ceilings, brick walls, hand-carved dark woodwork, a mahogany bar that runs nearly the entire length of the establishment and some red tones and large, modern black lamp shades provide a nice touch.

The atmosphere: It’s a sports bar — even the owners will tell you that — but you can also head there and not be overwhelmed by sports whatsoever. ... It’s a laid-back neighborhood place that exudes class with its decorations and attitude. ... A new kitchen will change the scene a bit, especially when bringing a dinner crowd in during the early evenings.

What you’ll tell your friends: “It’s a great place to get together with a big group of people, like we did for my girlfriend’s birthday a few weeks ago. It can be crowded and still feel like you’re in your own little world in there.”
— Mark, 31

What the bartender says: “People generally don’t want to leave. We get a lot of people coming back the next day or the next weekend. ... It’s like a boys’ bar with a romantic feel with all the shades of red and low lighting. The staff is the kind that could hang out with anyone.”
— Lauren

The Experience

At your service: Several people we talked to may have come for the drink specials or to try out something new, but they came back for the service. ... It’s a group that is admittedly “heavy on the good times” and has a family-type feel to it. Bartenders and waitresses are not in short supply, and it’s not uncommon to see one of the owners jump behind the bar and start serving or slide in next to you and buy you a drink. ... There are no robots or clones working here. It’s a very down-to-earth staff.

Get your drink on: On tap, Clybar offers Guinness, Blue Moon, Stella Artois, Sierra Nevada, Sam Sdams Octoberfest, Millet Lite and Goose Island 312. A huge selection of bottles is a luxury a lot of bars don’t have these days. Included in the assortment are more than 20 varieties, which are often on a rotating basis, such as Left Hand, Newcastle, Skinny Dip, Mothership Wit, Leinenkugel’s Red and Sunset Wheat, Hacker Pschorr, Bass and Allagash White. A fully-stocked bar includes every kind of liquor imaginable and is heavy in tops-shelf options, especially whiskeys in the winter. Besides being able to pour a mean martini, Clybar’s specialty drinks include the 2417 Fun Punch and Ultimate Mai Tai.

Menu options: The folks at Clybar are revamping the interior and have added a kitchen, due to be finished in October. A full menu with an array of appetizers, entreés and desserts will be available. We’re told it’ll be worth it to come in just to try the homemade buffalo wing sauce.

Daily specials: Every day: $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon cans; Mondays: $2 Miller Lite bottles, $3 Stoli vodka drinks; Tuesdays: $2 Bud Lights, $18 martini and a manicure (during the summer); Wednesdays: $3 Sam Adams Octoberfest pints, $3 Effen Drinks; Thursdays: $2.50 Corona bottles; Fridays: Free pizza with drink purchase; Saturdays: $3.50 bloody marys and screwdrivers, $10 domestic buckets.

Who you can expect to see there: It’s a mixed crowd, typically made up of 20- and 30-somethings. A lot of people are drawn from a neighborhood that doesn’t have many other options, but a lot of the patrons travel several miles to be there.

It’s a good spot to … “get a martini and a manicure with your girlfriends during the summer — they can even reserve your own party of six or more.” ... “get away from the typical Lincoln Park or Wrigleyville crowd and find a friendly place that isn’t all about the numbers.” ... “expect the unexpected, where you walk in feeling like you entered an everyday sports bar, but leave knowing like you’ve found so much more.”

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