Murphy’s Bar

I drove by Murphy’s no fewer than a thousand times before venturing inside. Although the big fake rock entrance out front may be enticing, there isn’t anything as breathtaking inside. It’s a blue collar, boilermaker kind of bar. You’ve got both kinds of beer, Bud and Bud Light. If your appetite’s actin’ up, you can order a toaster oven pizza.
Although I grew up in the Quad Cities, Murphy’s has a feature that, as a current resident of Chicago, I can’t get over. A parking lot. Obviously no one in Chicago has the space or cash to afford a lot, but it’s different in the QC where everyone drives and there are no cabs. Its very presence may seem a bit of a safety hazard, but to someone who’s been out of town for a while, it’s a friendly reminder of the local culture: there’s plenty of room for you here, but you’d damn well better be responsible for the time being.