It was easy to return to the Twin Anchors
Written: Jul 23 '02 (Updated Jul 23 '02)
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Pros: Great burgers and ribs, great beer, great ambiance, great tunes, great price
Cons: limited menu, not very handicap-accessible, can be crowded
The Bottom Line: Great burgers, great ribs, great beer, great ambiance, great tunes, great price. What a country!
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| Saxguy's Full Review: Twin Anchors |
Lately, my wife has been obsessed with the movie, “Return to Me”, a romantic comedy with portions filmed in Chicago. A neighborhood restaurant called “O’Reilly’s” was where many of the scenes were set. A net search identified the restaurant, which, in real life was the “Twin Anchors”.
Located at 1658 North Sedgwick, it is a short walk from the heart of Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. It’s really a corner bar with a restaurant inside.
My wife insisted on going, so off we went on July 5. Having read that there were often long lines on weekends, we arrived before the kitchen opening at 5pm. Getting in was a bit of a problem. My wife gets around in a wheel chair and there were 2 big steps to get in. Once in everything was fine.
We settled into one of the booths, actually the one used in the movie, and the adventure began. The decor is speakeasy, but there is some modernization with signed pictures and restaurant reviews on the wall. They have a long, well-stocked bar, with 5 booths in front of the bar, a number of tables in the dining area in the back section and two tables outside. Then there’s the juke box. The juke box has it’s share of popular music, but mostly consists of crooners - Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, along with a few jazz selections.
The bar is a neighborhood bar in every sense of the word. Dress is “come as you are”, with workingmen arriving in T-shirt and shorts, preceding the flashy yuppie types who started arriving after work.
While perusing the menu, the waitress brought us a basket of breadsticks and black bread. There really wasn’t much for appetizers. Chili is available and I had a cup on my second visit (more later). I chose a cheeseburger (choices of cheese are American and Swiss) with raw (grilled also available) onions. My wife got a full slab of ribs. We each choose onion rings (choice of french fries or baked potatos) to go with. They have a couple of steaks available and a grilled tuna sandwich as well.
The draft beer list is extensive. It had a good smattering of imports and domestic microbrews. We shared, in turn, a Stella Artois (from Belgium), Boddicker’s from the British Isles and Goose Island Honker’s Ale from Chicago. While waiting, I set up several cuts from Old Blue Eyes,
among others, on the jukebox.
The food arrived. My half-pound burger was done to a perfect medium and tasty. The lettuce, tomato and raw onions were fresh. The onion rings were crisp and hot. My wife’s ribs, with the tangy sauce, were truly “melt in your mouth”. While I cut them up a bit to make them easier for
my spousal unit to eat (and me to swipe a couple), there really weren’t any utensils necessary. The slab was HUGE and my wife needed my help in finishing it. The tangy sauce which my wife ordered was full of flavor with understated heat. Later, my wife ordered coconut/pineapple
cheesecake for dessert, which she described as adequate.
All the time we were there, she was drinking in the sights and the sounds. When the yuppie crush came in, the jukebox had no chance against the noisy conversation. A line for dining seemed to be forming. We were nearly done, though. The service was nice. Low-key, but attentive. That dinner cost $45.50, including the tip and the beers.
Then, last week, my wife’s sister arrived from Italy for her annual vacation. My wife had here watch the movie. So, on Monday, off we went. Same time, before the kitchen opened. The hostess remembered us and asked my wife about being back again.
Our experience was pretty much the same, except we all had burgers this time. We tried some other beers, Anchor Steam and Bell’s Oberon Ale as well as the Stella. The burgers were wonderful as was the juke box. My wife had french fries this time and I had the chili, full bodied, with sneaky, moderate heat. It went perfectly with the beer. The chili was sneaky in it’s heat, and full-bodied. My wife said her french fries were crisp. The total was about t
he same.
We had a tremendous time each time, and there aren’t a lot of places we can say that about.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations have the ribs and burgers, play the Sinatra, get there early.
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
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