2401 N. Western Ave. (2400N, 2400W)
Chicago
(773) 276-9730

"Travel the world without leaving the corner"

Since 1979, Quenchers has been eradicating thirst on the fringes of Bucktown with its massive selection of brew. Add to it a loungey back room hosting music and comedy, phenomenally good chili, and a laid-back atmosphere, and you've got one of the best saloons in the city.

Originally designed as a Lincoln Park bar for Bucktown and Logan Square young professionals, Quenchers started life as a "fern bar." Quenchers opened at a time in America when the term "microbrew" held no meaning and Coors and Berghoff were the closest Chicago had to anything alternative to the major labels. Once Earle Johnson became involved and ultimately the owner of the bar, Quenchers began offering a variety of beer rivaled only at the time by Ranalli's and the Weinkellar in Berwyn, with eight beers on tap and 40 in bottles. Since then, many have bars have followed suit but few offer the atmosphere and variety of beer that Quenchers does, which has grown to 16 taps and over 200 bottled beers. If you get to know Earle, ask him to show you his collection of over 300 tap handles that line the basement's ceiling planks.

Quenchers is often mistaken for being in Logan Square but is located in Bucktown just south of the Kennedy, on the northeast corner of Western and Fullerton. Not much else of interest is located nearby, so cab it over and keep your eye out for the Quenchers wooden sign with name in gold lettering. Step inside the cloud-muraled front room (painted by Quencher's former "bartender, artist, contractor, plumber, chef, electrician, stage manager, sound baord operator, and Scotch drinker" Shawn Thomson) and if you love beer, your eyes will light up as you see chalkboards proliferating the space above the "L" shaped bar, illustrating all 200+ beers available from, literally, all over the world. I found such notable brews as Thirty-Three Export from Viet Nam, Xingu Black from Brazil and Synebruchoff Porter from Finland. Marvelous. The front room also has six televisions, electronic darts, a few couches, and the inevitable Golden Tee machine.

Step through the trophy-cased passage to the back room, and you will find an elevated stage to your left adorned with tiny white lights on a red curtain. Plenty of comfortable couches and a coffee table are located in front of the stage for you to take a load off in. Check out the large case of "brewiana" consisting of a diverse collection of beer steins and glasses. Elsewhere in the room are a variety of World War II relics, an old phone booth, giant painted flowers, and a stone carving of Roman soldiers. Both the front and back rooms offer plenty of space and a low-key crowd. For the hungry, Quenchers does not have a full-blown kitchen but there is a lunch menu offering sandwiches and Earl's famous chili, and free popcorn at night. Entertainment is available six nights a week with jazz bands and comedy provided by Mock Dock and Gaseous Play. Shows come on at 9:00 p.m. and there's never a cover. Notable annual events include the three-mile "Walk to Wrigley" (an eleven bar pub crawl), the "European Beer Tour," and the Quenchers Artificial Baseball League. Quenchers also supports local sports teams and is often host to Bike Winter and Critical Mass meetings (both Chicago bicycle-related groups).

For its efforts, Quenchers has become notable nationwide for its variety of beer and atmosphere, was one of only 12 bars rated Four Mugs (top rating) by The Official Chicago Bar Guide in 1994 and 2001, and was even featured once on "Wild Chicago" on WTTW Channel 11. Quenchers is a great place to visit, day or night, and is one of Chicago's classic bars. For more information, beer menu and upcoming events, check out the Quenchers website.

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

[back to the Chicago Bar Project]

– written by Sean Parnell

"Penguins running away from polka" according to my girlfriend following a recent Polkaholics show at Quenchers