Last summer, I saw a post from a friend on Facebook where he said he was having adult beverages at the outdoor beer garden at Moody's Pub in Chicago. I asked him later on what he knew about the place. "Best beer garden in the city in the summertime," he told me. "And they have excellent burgers." I put Moody's on my "Restaurants to Visit" list and while in Chicago awhile back, I was able to stop in and have lunch at Moody's Pub.
Moody's Pub dates back nearly 60 years when partners John Kahoun and Ray Zago opened their little tavern on North Ave. just west of where the new Northwest Expressway (now the Kennedy Expressway) was being built. The place was named after Kahoun's maternal grandmother who had a farm in Iowa. After that place burned down, Kahoun and Zago moved to a new location further east on North at Larabee Ave. in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.
After a second fire caused Moody's Pub to close in 1967, John Kahoun bought three parcels of land along N. Broadway that were formerly used car lots and had a new building built to house the new Moody's Pub. Kahoun had a buddy from college design the building complete with the signature high arch over the front door. An apartment over the pub housed the Kahoun family for a number of years.
Kahoun built the bar and the booths in the place, as well as building the fireplaces that were a signature part of Moody's Pub. And once the new Moody's Pub opened in 1969, Kahoun purposely kept the lights low so that people would have a feeling of intimacy.
With a wrought iron fence around the property, Kahoun put in a beer garden - an idea he got when he was in the service in Germany and a holdover from his second location - and it became a hit with the Edgewater neighborhood residents and with students at nearby Loyola University. Business was so good at the new pub that within six months Kahoun was able to pay off the loan he took out to start the place. Moody's Pub has been going strong ever since relying upon an affordable menu that Kahoun once said was "recession-proof". Now into his 80's, Kahoun turned the reins of Moody's Pub over to his son, Jake, a number of years ago.
It was around 1:30 when I pulled up to Moody's Pub on a cold and cloudy day. (see map) I was able to find on-street parking just around the corner from Moody's and went inside. I found a place with wooden beams across the ceiling and a combination of wood, stucco and brick along the walls. Now, when they say they keep the lights low for an intimate atmosphere, they aren't kidding. Even with using my flash to take pictures, the place was still dark, to say the least. I don't know how one could get a feeling of intimacy with the lights that low, unless you were going to neck with your sweetheart in the place. I had to use the flashlight app on my smart phone just to look through the menu
There were two fireplaces burning brightly in the place giving it somewhat of a cozy atmosphere. But with even the lighting level so low in the place, the flicker of the fire was evident in the back of the restaurant. I took a seat near the back fireplace and picked up a menu to look through. My server for the day - Eduardo - came over to greet me and asked what I would like to drink. I was sort of surprised to see a lack of selections for draft beers. They did have Anchor Steam on tap and I got one of those. However, the beer that was served to me was a little warm and a little flat in taste.
I did take a gander out into the beer garden that, of course, was closed up for the winter months. What I saw were a pile of tables and chairs pushed together in a corner and a number of trees with small brick walls around them in a courtyard. I found this picture on the Moody's Pub web site and saw why my friend likes going to their beer garden in the summer time. With leafy trees and an inviting space that defies the fact that its in the heart of a major metropolis, it's easy to see why Moody's is such a popular place in the warm months.
Burgers rule the roost on the menu at Moody's Pub. But they also have other sandwiches such as a grilled chicken breast, a fried fish sandwich, and even Moody's own Sloppy Joe sandwich. They also have a couple steaks on the menu, as well as pork chops, chicken, fish and fried shrimp.
I ended up with the Moody Burger - a half-pound beef patty cooked over an open-flame grill that is next to the bar area. I asked Eduardo to add some Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms to the burger. It was presented to me open-faced with a gob of sliced mushrooms on top of a burger that was blanketed in Swiss cheese. I leaf of lettuce and a tomato slice came with the burger, but I discarded them and put the sesame-seeded crown on top of the burger. A large side of fries came with the burger, too many for me to even think about eating all of them.
The burger was big, thick and juicy. For a flame-grilled burger, it had a wonderful taste and it was not overcooked at all. The bun was spongy and held together very well with all the juices coming out of the burger. It was definitely a multi-napkin burger. The taste of the Swiss cheese was prevalent in each bite and the sautéed mushrooms had that great earthy flavor that went very well with the burger. My buddy was right - this was certainly an excellent burger.
Established in 1959 and at their N. Broadway location for nearly 50 years, Moody's Pub was one of those great finds for an excellent burger served in an old-world pub setting. I was sort of dismayed with the selections of beer on tap and the Anchor Steam was a little warm and a little flat in taste, but I couldn't complain about my burger or the large quantity of very good fries that came it. The service was prompt and efficient, and the atmosphere was, well, dark. But I guess that's part of Moody's allure and one that's been a winning combination along with their burgers for years. I may have to go back in the Summertime to spend some time in their beer garden.
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