Halligan Bar

2274 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60686
(773) 472-7940

I liked the place more than I thought I would. I went here with an Irish-American buddy of mine who a.) is younger than I am and b.) is an accomplished drinker. I wanted to get something to eat. He wanted to drink. I acquiesced and we sauntered over to Lincoln Park for some brews. Since I wasn't getting dinner, I got my friend to agree to an early beer. We got there at 7:45 - pm (he is that hardcore but an am time would have been brutal for me).

The bar has a very familiar layout. It's on a corner and fills the space brilliantly. The crowd at that time of night was a little older. When I walked in, I fumbled for my wallet/id and the bouncer looked at me, furrowed his brow and waved me in. Come to think of it, I should have written a crappy recap for that slight. At least HUMOR me that I still have some youth left. Bastard. Anyway...I took a seat at a high top past the bar, took off my coat and got a load of all the games being played (college and pro basketball). Since all the college games were Big 10/12 and I am a SEC kinda guy, I didn't pay much attention but I appreciated the set up.

My buddy arrived shortly thereafter and we started drinking. It was a Friday, so I settled in with the $3 Blue Moons (served with orange slice, of course). That was my drink of the evening. My buddy kept changing drinks - but that was so he could keep going back to the bar to flirt with the very attractive bartenders. Wow. Those women were all REALLY nice looking. They also seem to be pretty friendly and attentive.

After three or four beers, we got hungry so we decided on a food run. Not wanting to give up the real estate, we went one by one to get food. Do this. This place gets packed in the blink of an eye and if you don't wanna give up your seats, keep a man at the table. My buddy got Potbellys. I, who can't eat beef, went to the hot dog place next store and got a Chicago style and a Dallas (chilli cheese) style dog - and chilli cheese fries. It was a dark day in the John William bathroom that next day but this recap isn't about poor food choices fueled by alcohol on an empty stomach. It's about Halligan - and the bar was fun.

By the time I had finished my food (and got the sense that my digestive system wanted to discuss the matter) and a couple of more beers, it was about 11:30. I couldn't believe I had been there for nearly four hours. Granted, my buddy and I kept ordering (and, at $3 a pop, my tab wasn't bad at all considering I was there for four hours), but no one ever hassled us to leave, buy more, etc. By the time we left, the place started to get really packed and much younger. I don't think I would have enjoyed myself by then. But, for an early place to grab a beer (or six) and watch some sports and eat some brought-in greasy food, Halligan is a nice spot.