Four Moon Tavern

North Center / Roscoe Village, Chicago –

Looking much like the quaint single-family homes that surround it, Four Moon Tavern is a much-loved neighborhood den of beer and belly-warming fare.

Wood-paneled walls and the lengthy front bar make up most of the earth-toned front room, where stained glass mermaids mix with vintage neon signs, scattered children’s books, and other assorted (deco)randoms.

Daytime sees an optimistic crowd waiting for the game at nearby Wrigley Field, with blue-capped couples sharing plates of meatloaf over one of the seventy-odd beers on hand, though the regular crowd is more into suds and comfort food than stats and Cubs feuds.

After clocking out, troops of cheery girls gather at the high-tops to test their tolerance for the latest craft taps, as post-performance theater types drown their last dollars in bottles of New Belgium trippels.

Either for its homey simplicity or because it can be lathered with bacon, the grilled cheese is very popular, and weekends host a diverse crowd of easygoing Roscoe-ites devouring plates of the stuff at cluttered tables and chairs in the back room, or smacking stripes and solids at the lone pool table.

Weekend brunch is equally filling, with folks starting the morning with a quiche of the day and continuing it with a beer of the month or a $1.50 Miller. Day or night, Four Moon Tavern remains a pretension-free destination perfect for a few rounds, then a few more, and maybe a cavernous nacho bowl to go with that grilled cheese.