related items
This bar is in a neighborhood seemingly untouched by time. There's a grocery store, record store and pet store all within walking distance, and none have names like Hy-Vee, Sam Goody or Petco. This watering hole isn't fancy, but it is comfortable, and full of long-time regulars.
What you won't get here: Service, if you're wearing a Vikings shirt. The bar has a strong Packers affiliation, with a helmet light hanging from the ceiling, plus framed prints of Lambeau Field and players past and present. You also won't get drinks if you want to use a credit card or checks (but there is an ATM that doles out cash in increments as small as $5, plus a $2 convenience charge). If there's a game on, you probably also won't get a seat at the bar.
Signature drink: Crown Bombs, a mixture of Crown Royal and Red Bull, are popular at $5. Other than that, domestic draws served in frozen mugs are the bar's biggest mover.
The vibe: Dark wood, few windows, open view of the kitchen. The bar doesn't seem like it has changed much in its 30 years of history, other than adding some high-def TVs. Next to the pool table, you'll find the tail end of a truck, which can swing down in case there's a Crock-Pot to set out. There's also a pinball machine from the Alec Baldwin classic "The Shadow," which has to rank alongside "The Last Action Hero" as the unlikeliest movie flop to get a pinball machine.
If you want food, there's a menu full of cheap burgers, sausage sandwiches, fish, shrimp and breakfast food. And by menu, I mean one - posted on a lighted sign near the bar.
The clientele: I took a seat at a table, and when a bar stool opened up, Bill (not Will, not Willy, but you can call him Billy) motioned for me to join him, then offered to buy me a beer when mine ran low. Maybe everyone else knows each other, or maybe this bar's patrons are just awesome ambassadors to new arrivals. And when you've got $1.50 draws all the time and free hot dogs during Monday Night Football, you're going to draw from a wide range of people.
So is it ...
A. E. 14th Street Tavern
B. Highland Park Country Club
C. The Locust Tap
D. Scooter & Bab's
Answer: Highland Park Country Club, 518 Euclid Ave.
