The Motel Bar
600 W. Chicago Ave.
312-822-2900
Check-in: You have never stayed in a motel like this. The Motel Bar is retro, but it’s a retro free of green shag carpeting, dirty brown couches and wood paneling. Instead, the room is decorated with spacey light fixtures and roomy circular orange booths in a color you might remember from “The Brady Bunch” kitchen. Nice touches include a pool table in the back and a jukebox by the door playing an eclectic mix of tunes from Thelonious Monk to The Clash.
Room service: The reasonably-priced menu actually calls its food “Room Service,” but again, it’s not filled with dishes you would find in a motel. Many items are ironic twists on nostalgic comfort foods. Grilled cheese and tomato soup, for example, is called Petit Artesianal American Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup ($7). Enough for several to share as an appetizer, the sandwiches are cut into finger-sized crustless circles and served with a small urn of good soup. Other highlights include a tangy, flavorful BBQ chicken sandwich ($7), meaty wings packed with heat ($8) and french fries that arrive with a subtle but tasty truffle-infused, garlicky aioli ($5).
Mini-bar: The old-timey drinks are the stars of this bar. The Motel Bar serves up Singapore Slings ($8), Tom Collins ($7), Gimlets ($8), Gin Rickeys ($7) and other retro libations you could imagine characters in a John Cheever novel imbibing. All the drinks we tried were strong and expertly made as well as fun.
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Service: Wait staff was efficient and friendly.
Smoking: Nothing unusually stinky, like pipes, cigars or clove cigarettes.
Check-out: A great place to kick off an evening with some fun drinks and appetizers without breaking the bank.
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