Bars+Lounges : USA : IL : Chicago : The Map Room
About The Map Room
Hundreds of travel books and guides line the shelves of this globe-trotter's tavern. Peruse that tome on Fuji or Antarctica while sipping a pint of one of the 25-odd draft beers. The Map Room's equally impressive selection of bottled brews (more than 200) makes this place popular with beer geeks as well as the tattered-passport crew. Tuesday is "International Night," featuring the food, music, and spirits of a certain country, accompanied by a slide show and tales from a recent visitor.
The Map Room Review By Merisa T. : New York, NY
To quote Karen O., "Map Room, they don't love you like I love you." Seriously, Map Room, I love you. Why you gotta be so far away?
Okay, this is the best place I've ever been. I'm not kidding. I love everything about it. We have some good beer bars in NYC, but they don't even come close. (Well, maybe Blind Tiger, but the latter's West Village location means it's always unpleasantly packed and waaaay too many people pop in in search of a Stella. I don't get it either).
First of all, it's so amazingly neighborhoody. We easily pulled up to the bar on a Sunday and there were people languidly reading the newspaper while enjoying their beers and/or coffee, idly chitchatting, and just hanging out. The large windows were open, allowing the nice, late-summer Chicago breeze to waft in. It was so easy. If I lived in Chicago, I'd live in Bucktown just so I could while away my Sundays at the Map Room. No, screw that, I'd just live in the Map Room. They recently renovated, right? I think it's because they were building me a little loft in the back.
And the beer! Oh, the beer.
They have New Holland's Dragon's Milk which is the most wondrous thing ever invented. This is the first place I had it and it swept me off my feet immediately. They are always changing their selection, which is pretty cool too. I like to try new things. I think they have a full bar, but seriously, don't even go there. The beer list is too ridiculous and impressive to waste your time on Bloody Marys and screwdrivers.
I feel like they played the entire Joy Division/New Order catalogue while we were there, which means good taste in beer AND good taste in music. Double awesome.
They say the Map Room is a traveler's tavern, so it made sense that we stopped there with all our luggage on our way to the airport (it was THAT important to me to go to there). So glad I did. This Traveler will be back.
Contact The Map Room
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+
Address 1949 N Hoyne Ave Chicago, IL 60647 | Phone (773) 252-7636
Contact Frommer's
Sources : The Map Room Photo | The Map Room Information | The Map Room
0 comments: