1351 W. Addison St. (3600N, 1400W)
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 477-1821

Editor's note: the bar at D'Agostino's was recently remodeled and looks spanking gorgeous. There are plenty of cocktail tables and seating at a long banquette in the rear and I was especially impressed by the nicely appointed metal ceiling.

"Pizza and Pub"

D'Agostino's is one of the best family-style pizza joints in the area. The pub attached to it, really more of a family tavern, is not a bad place to take in a Cubs game (if you don't have tickets) or to have a game of darts.

The pub itself has a family rec room atmosphere with faux wood paneling, white and black linoleum flooring, and a drop ceiling. Walk in through the double doors and you will see a long wooden bar on your right and seating up front and along the sides. If you get a seat by the windows, you can not only watch the game but also the pre and post-game Cubs throng or Southport Avenue shoppers and bar hoppers. Seating by the bar is limited due to the large serving area where waitresses fulfill drink orders for patrons in the dining room. Curiously, there is no waitress service in the pub area. As a result, the bartenders spend the majority of their time serving the waitresses while you'll wait several minutes even if there's no one in line at the bar ahead of you.

In addition to the game and people-watching, check out the Cubs memorabilia, stained glass lights around the room, plastic pitchers hanging above the bar, lighted Old Style sign in the ceiling, and a curious Harbor Cove wooden sign. If that's not enough for you, entertain yourself with video poker, darts on a regulation board, or on the Pac Man and Space Invaders arcade games. While Cubs games are broadcast, D'Agostino's is not a sports bar. I once watched the NCAA finals there and instead of putting the sound on, cheesy hits from the 80's filled the room. Free popcorn is also available, but if you're hungry, get yourself a table in the restaurant area. Over a red and white checkered tablecloth, you can enjoy inexpensive and plentiful amounts of food. Their thin crust pizza is excellent, their pan pizza superb (rivaling that of my favorite Pizzeria Due and My п), and they serve a mean veal parmigiana to boot. The main dining area features numerous low-slung tables underneath a model train that circles above.

To supplement the Cubs spillover crowd, patrons tend to be older, neighborhood family types. On a recent visit following a Cubs game, several married couples were heard discussing child bearing, while their rugrats run through the bar. For fun, take your metal bucket that your beers came in, put it on one of these kid's heads and watch them bump into the walls.

Since 1968, D'Agostino's has been a fixture on the corner of Addison and Southport, just on the outskirts of Wrigleyville. It's a great place to get some cheap Italian food or to have a beer before or after Cubs games. The sidewalk cafe also beckons in summertime. For more information, check out the D'Agostino's website. Mangia, mangia.

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– written by Sean Parnell