Food specials, beer list draw fans to Midcity in West Chicago
Midcity Cocktail & Supper Club's name is misleading as the bar emphasizes beer over mixed drinks and the food menu is small. Name aside, though, Midcity — located at 124 W. Main in West Chicago — is a laid back spot where you can catch live music or sports while trying a new brew.
Motif: The small bar area features a dark wood bar lit by suspended blue lights along with tables with brown leather stools, TVs turned to sports and a mural depicting a Red Line El stop. Midcity's two electronic dartboards are used for tournaments Mondays, where a $5 entry fee gets you a shot at the pot, which can get up to $900.
The back room holds a stage and more tables, with walls lined with beer signs and photographs of the area dating back to 1916. The space has also been used to host plenty of private parties for occasions ranging from graduation to retirement. The bar plans to redo its back patio before it opens for spring, removing a fence to add room for bags games.
Crowd: The crowd is mostly over 40 during the evening, with 21- to 30-year olds coming in after 10 p.m. Thursday is the busiest night, with the crowd growing as the night gets later. Games also bring in plenty of fans, since it's one of the only local spots with plenty of TVs. Lunch demand has been inconsistent, so Midcity has been considering just opening later.
Food: The bar's menu is actually a checklist where diners mark what they want. Burgers are the focus here, so the format is a particularly convenient way to keep track of all the possible toppings including some odd choices like pepperoni, peanut butter, chorizo and mango relish. You can also get particularly good fried pub grub like sweet potato fries served crispy and very hot and mac and cheese bites which have a comforting gooey taste; both served in generous portions for the price. The nightly food specials are great deals, like half-price burgers Wednesdays and a $4.95 fish fry Fridays.
Liquid consumption: Midcity has an excellent selection of 38 craft beers, including Rogue IPA on draft and a massive collection of bottles including BridgePort Hop Czar and Ebenezer Ale and Spoetzl Brewery's Shiner Wild Hare. Daily drink specials include $10 domestic buckets Friday and $1 domestic drafts Wednesdays.
Service: The only person working when we were there was one of the owners, and while he was splitting his time between tending bar and waiting tables, drinks and food still came out quickly.
Music: DJs spin Thursday and bands play either Friday or Saturday.
Parking: There's plenty of free street parking available nearby.
Overall: Since opening in October, Midcity Cocktail & Supper Club has provided a new hangout for beer and burger lovers, as well as sports and music fans of all ages.
Midcity Cocktail & Supper Club
124 Main St., West Chicago, (630) 473-0245, <a href="http://midcitysupperclub.com">midcitysupperclub.com</a>
<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday