United Nations of Beer

Cove Lounge, Chicago

by Matt Morgan
(Beer Delegate, IL, USA)

Cove Lounge
Chicago, IL, USA

The Cove Lounge, Chicago is a shot-and-a-beer joint located just off the lakefront at 1750 E. 55th street in Chicago's Hyde Park neighbourhood.

Don't bother looking for a website on this bar; to the management, a website is where spiders live. It's honestly just a well-kept secret, where people go to get the real news of the day, or drink away what they already read.

For most, it's just a stop on the way home and there are regimented drinkers whom you could set your watch by and not lose a minute.

The humble exterior of The Cove Lounge, Chicago is reminiscent of the movie Barfly (Mickey Rourke, Faye Dunaway) and if Booker T and the MGs were to be playing as I entered, I'd be looking for set lights and camera.

The marquee over the door deigns invitation with its lights blazing the word "cocktail" (if they weren't always burned out) into the cityscape.

Take notice as you walk through the door (covered in red wooden shingles) of the Moby Dick era harpoon over the bar and the green and red harbor lanterns at either end.

Any given night, you'll find the regulars pontificating and passing rider legislation on the latest "Man laws". Some bright minds and dim wits share philosophy within the confines of this throwback bar.

The clientele ranges from elevator mechanics, off-duty cops, firemen, and down-on-their-luck hippies (need a painter?) to teachers from the neighbourhood schools.

Let us not forget the University of Chicago patronage, for where would Hyde Park be without the University, or The Manhattan Project?


These bright-eyed-fiery-synapsed kids usually pour in at the beginning and very end of semester, and often on weekend nights, ordering the Blue Moon beer on tap (I thought college kids were supposed to be poor?).

The Cove does take checking IDs very seriously, as per the city mandated vacation they took in July 2006.

The Cove Lounge, Chicago offers 28 bottled beers and four on tap. Of the bottled variety, Karlavocko beer (click for review), a Croatian import, really stands out.

Most of the other patrons, who are putting back the Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite and Budweiser, do tend to marry their domestic brews to a nice brown liquor of some sort.

Some of the other refrigerated offerings include the English Newcastle Brown ale, which is rather flat but more than makes up for that in taste, Guinness, Bass, and Amstel Light to name a few.

What is it about Red Stripe? I mention it because this beer confuses me. Totally void of significant flavor, this import is hardly worth the bottle deposit you can receive in most surrounding states (not IL).

As for the tap beers, the Cove has MGD, Budweiser, Blue Moon and Heineken. All domestics at the Cove are $2.75/pint or bottle and $6.25/pitcher. The imports are $3.50/pint or bottle and $8.25/pitcher.

The Cove Lounge in Chicago can be a really easy place to get comfortable, and despite what you'd think of borderline dives, this bar is very clean. Just don't hassle the help because they will put you out on the street (Melissa, you bitch!).