Monk's Pub
205 W. Lake St. (200N, 200W)
Chicago
(312) 357-6665

Heralded as having the best chili in the Loop, Monk's Pub, located on the Corner of Lake and Wells, provides a great refuge from the hustle and bustle when you're downtown. I recently found occasion to frequent this North Loop establishment while on an afternoon lunch reprieve. Okay, I didn't really find occasion, I created one, but nonetheless, I stumbled upon a place that I can definitely recommend without hesitation.

I was actually on the North side of Wells, ambling back from an errand when Monk's caught my eye. I strolled in casually, thinking that I would just have a look, under the guise of needing an ATM. It was certainly no lie that I needed cash, but I was informed by the Maitre'd that there wasn't an ATM in the establishment, but one could be found next door in the convenience mart, and "would I come back for lunch?" to which I promptly replied – "absolutely." That is pretty much all it took.

True enough I found the ATM, returned to Monk's and was promptly ushered in. My preference was to sit at the bar and have a bite and a pint. I had worked up a thirst hot-footing it over to the West Loop with the sun beating down on me and a cold beer in the early afternoon seemed so, well, perfect.

The chili is the specialty of the house, but I could have none of that given that I had just boiled myself outside, so I ordered a pint of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, an absolutely gorgeous open-faced Italian beef sandwich and seasoned curly fries. I couldn't have been more pleased, but then I found that the beef also had some of the tastiest gravy on it that I had ever eaten. I wasn't sure if that was a normal ingredient, but I decided to roll with it. Conclusion: heaven on a bun.

But, I digress. Here's what the rest of the menu has to offer – for apps and sides the fare is pretty pub-standard (also available for carry-out). Hummus, nachos, nuggets, wings and the like litter the starters section. The burgers were equally as tempting, with the more interesting combos registering in as: the olive burger, the jalapeno burger, the chiliburger, the teriyaki burger and the Mediterranean burger. There are at least six different salads that you can order, a couple of other things from the grill and "ocean fare," which is listed as fish and chips and the shrimp platter. Monk's also features Chicago style specials and pizza after three p.m.

Now for the good stuff. First let's start with my friend and yours, beer. As far as domestics go, there are eight – including Old Style. Twelve imports, including Hopf-Weiss, Molson and Tecate. Six on tap: Guinness, Killian's Red, Special Export Lite, Michael Shea's Amber, Honey Brown and Bass. If you are hankering for something from the vine, that is pretty standard too: Blush, Chardonnay, White Zinfandel, Chablis and Merlot. For those delighting in something a little harder, there is a beautifully stocked bar, sans cheesy "shot" material. Kids, these people aren't messing around. There's not one bottle of frat house drizzle to be find- much to the delight of those who take their scotch, bourbon, or what-have-you to heart.

While you are consuming your bevy, there is certainly plenty to behold. What originally drew me to Monk's were the gigantic dark wood doors with large brass handles out front. In fact, the entire area is constructed with tons of dark wood. Just like any typical pub there are the usual beer signs, but Monk's owner also seems to have a pincheon for movie stars, as photos and movie posters of stars of yesteryear and the more recent past line the walls. There are also unique lanterns and light fixtures scattered throughout the entire establishment, including the very classy Tiffany-esque Schlitz fixtures. Two televisions at the bar cater to the lunchtime business crowd with the CNBC ticker, but there is a large screen TV propped up over a Wurlitzer-like jukebox. There are also various barrels and hand-made wooden signs advertising different elements of Monk's menu, including one barrel that says "chardoney." If that is some sort of old-English spelling, then I apologize, but that's a new one on me.

The bar is really spectacular. Being a solo diner I was afforded the opportunity to take it all in. After I checked out the selection, I noticed how big it really was. It is positively sprawling. Even with all of the modern extras that are included, like computerized seating charts and tabs and beer coolers, all of the nooks and crannies that are filled either with liquor or quirky brick-a-bract items just add to the quality of the bar proper.

Unlike everything else, the walls, however, are not made of wood, but of brick and in some places are spackled solid in a light tan color. Lining the walls are wooden booths, only breaking to reveal a very open kitchen, where the wait staff shuffles in an out to grab orders. They are notified by the ring of a bell and summoned to pick up their grub. Not one of those bells that you slap either, like a disgruntled short-order cook (although these cooks might well have been), but a dainty hand bell, which seemed so much kinder to the ear.

Those not lucky enough to get a booth seat can still find plenty of accommodating tables for large groups or small. You get the feeling that Monk's is a great after work place too since there is a pool table, (kept under wraps during the day) a Golden Tee, and an all-around laid-back atmosphere. One thing that did cause me to pause for concern was the fact that back in this same area lurked some sort of medieval torture device. It could have been my imagination, but I don't think so. It was garishly anchored to the back wall to the far left – all chains and black wrought iron. Your guess is as good as mine.

While I was there, I noticed that the wait staff was friendly and patient. I did find humor in one of the waitresses behind the bar. She seemed to be none to impressed with the customers that were under her charge since she kept yawning, loudly, about every two minutes as she shuffled back and forth to make drinks. But, everyone I encountered was very nice, and I can't complain, since I got a free menu out of the deal as a souvenir, which I gladly accepted.

Monk's isn't a swanky, Loop bar, thank goodness, but it seems like cool, comfortable and unassuming place to hang. Just as Metromix suggests: "You may come in with your suit-and-tie attitude, but it won't be around for long." A neighborhood pub, without what one would typically define as a neighborhood, Monk's is definitely a great place to grab a pint – and catch your breath in the Loop.

~ Have a good story relating to this bar? E-mail it to me. ~

[back to the Chicago Bar Project]

– written by Julie Thompson

[Editor's Note: if you like Monk's Pub, be sure to check out Friar Tuck in Lakeview and Moody's Pub in Edgewater.]

Reflections on Monk's Pub from fans of the Chicago Bar Project:

"This place was originally a tiny dark bar on the south side of Lower Wacker just immediately west of Clark St. They moved somewhere around 1971 because of building demolition at that corner. The original place was a great, dark subterranean hang. Owned by a guy named Joe, with a cook named Paul who would get drunk and ticked off and could be seen slamming brats onto the grill from across the room while swearing loudly. The 'new' Monk's was just a huge box of a room, very little character, but one of the few 'ordinary' bars downtown back then. There was a porno bookstore next door to the east and there was a common door between Monk's and the bookstore. You could have a few drinks and head into the bookstore, a real sleazepit. A lot of off-duty cops and FBI agents hung out in Monk's. There was a story about some lowlife approaching the bar late one night, all the cops got 'itchy...' and sure enough the lowlife pulled a a gun to rob the bartender. Apparently the guy was shot multiple times... don't know if this was 'urban legend' or not. I quit working downtown in the late 70s and haven't been in Monk's since then."

– Tony E., October 14, 2003

"I was reminiscing about the six years I lived in Chicago, when I used to go to this once-wonderful pub BEFORE they renovated it – can you guess where I am going with this? As it happens, I have seen this before, so it shouldn't be such a surprise to me at the advanced age of 35 to see successful establishments simply ruin utterly what is the most charming aspect of their business for the sake of 'modernization' and 'renovation.' At one time, this was a slice of Chicago of the 50's or 60's, completely untouched by the present as blocks and blocks around it were torn down and replaced with sterile office towers. It was really my favorite lunch spot, kind of a hole-in-the-wall, even darker inside than the outside suggests, with dark wood everywhere, intimate tables lit by banker-type lamps, and it was smaller, tables lined up along an L-shaped corridor, with an entrance on Lake and a separate entrance on the street under the El. It was a construction worker's kind of place, beer and burgers, a real refuge from the corporate hustle bustle of the Loop. I live in New York now, and on a March weekday several years ago, I popped in for lunch, and was totally disgusted with what they did! I will NEVER go back – it is no longer Monk's Pub to me. It's now no different than Bennigan's. Sorry I can't agree with your assessment, but I just know you would have liked it the old way better had you seen it. Thanks!"

The old look: