Don’t misunderstand me. This is a dive bar in every sense of the words. The tables are a couple decades old, the whole place could use a good scrub-down, and the atmosphere has a grimy, gritty feel to it. And yet, this is perhaps the most no-nonsense, most ordinary place you could ask for in the heart of the Loop.

Cal and Fred Feirstein are brothers and co-owners of Cal’s Liquors, just a block south of Luke’s Italian Beef. This liquor-store/bar has been in business since 1947. The booze in the store is cheap, and the drinks in the bar are low-priced and strong. On the weekends in the bar, you can catch live bands performing. The acoustics may not be great in the tiny pub, but the friendly mix-and-match crowd more than makes up for that.

And that’s it! No frills, no gimmicks, just good drinks, good prices, good prices, and a good crowd. Once you’ve got all that, who cares about the décor?

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) jasmined

Cal’s Liquors: 400 S Wells St; 312-922-6392
Sun – Weds: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thurs – Fri: 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Street parking difficult
Public trans: Bus # 1, 7, 11, X28, 126, 145, 151
Brown/Purple/Pink/Orange Line train (LaSalle)

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

And just why is this establishment called a “Bikini Bar”? Because all the female bartenders wear skimpy two-piece bikinis every night, all year long. The Hooters franchise has got nothing on these ladies.

If you can manage to peel your eyes away from the wonderful women who leave very little to the imagination, the bar looks like your typical testosterone-driven, friendly dive bar. Dimly lit and rough around the edges, Crabbby Kim’s is decorated with baseball memorabilia, hanging surf boards, cheesy baseball-shaped light fixtures, sports-tuned televisions, electronic dart boards, neon beer signs, pin-up posters of scantily-clad women, and of course, “Golden Tee.” Blue-collar domestic-beer drinkers make selections from the occasionally-plugged-in jukebox full of ’90s hits.

And just in case you’re wondering, the extra ‘B’ in Crabbby’s was due to a printing error. A t-shirt company misprinted the bar’s name, and the surly owner didn’t want to wait for a reprint, so the name stuck. Rumor has it, Kim’s so crabby, he deserves the extra ‘B’ anyway.

But really, did I have to say much more than “girls in bikinis”?

(Check out all kinds of guy-related stuff throughout the b5media Travel & Culture Channel at Flyaway Cafe.)

Photo credit: Todd Ehlers

Crabbby Kim’s Bikini Bar: 3655 N Western Ave; 773-404-8156
Mon – Fri: 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Sat: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m.
Sun: 11:00 a.m. – 12 midnight
Street parking difficult
Public trans: Bus # 49, X49, 152

Post from: The Chicago Traveler