Houndstooth Saloon

WRIGLEYVILLE, CHICAGO –

Named in homage to legendary University of Alabama coach Bear Bryant and his signature houndstooth hat, Houndstooth Saloon may be in the heart of Cubs country, but there’s no doubt it’s a pure Alabama bar and headquarters for homesick Southern transplants.

A mournful basset hound on the sign now wears the checkered cap, and the pattern repeats itself throughout the venue’s three rooms, interspersed with an occasional deer antler chandelier and retro poster of Bryant himself.

Although there’s always a contingent of Cubs fans hanging around, especially for home games, University of Alabama football games bring in a good crowd of alums and other Alabamans looking to catch the action on one of twenty-six TVs, while Texans can find their fellow statesmen on Cowboys days.

Country music lovers with or without a bona fide Southern pedigree flock in for Country Night three days a week, when a sea of rowdy regulars in ten-gallon hats stand brim-to-brim to down drink specials and tap their booted toes to the deafening country twang. The music is just as loud on other nights, though the crowd tends to be mellower, content to settle in at the simple wooden tables, dig into a burger, and check the latest scores.

An obvious Dixie spirit keeps the scene lively at Houndstooth Saloon, where anyone with a hankering for ‘Bama football or loud country music will find a great hoedown in the wilds of Wrigleyville.