venue Whirlaway Lounge

If Whirlaway Lounge feels like a pre-gentrification Logan Square neighborhood dive, it's only because it actually is one—the Jaimes family has had run of the place since 1980, although a recent remodeling job cleaned up the smoke-stained ceiling tiles and beat-up loveseat substantially. Even with the pool table gone, the basement rec-room feel of old remains in the faded Chicago sports memorabilia adorning the walls, complemented by a handful of TVs usually tuned to local sports and the stash of board games kept behind the bar. Longtime regulars may decry the bar's slightly updated look, but one taste of the complementary stale popcorn and it's hard to imagine how anything about the place could be remotely new. Beer enthusiasts beware: Whirlaway stocks 40 varieties but serves none from a tap.