The new Ethyl's Beer & Wine Dive at 324 W. Racine Ave. in Chicago's Far West Loop is more than the "dive bar" that partners Scott Harris, Donnie Kruse and Luigi Negroni are calling it. I'd call it more of a retro roadhouse, with it's Route 66 era theme and kitschy accoutrements.
It turns out that Ethyl is not a woman's name but a gasoline anti-knock additive touted by gas stations of yore. The restaurant, formerly Stanley's, is located near the source of the old Route 66, which ran from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif. Occasionally people who didn't get the word that the fabled route no longer exists stop in at Ethyl's in hopes of locating it, Kruse said.
Locals in the know are more interested in Ethyl's food and beverages, which include tangy hickory-smoked ribs with sweet chili glaze and watermelon/jicama salad, Chicageaux gumbo with andouille sausage, crawfish, shrimp and catfish and a UIC flame burger with roasted green chiles, jalapeno mayo and pepperjack cheese. A large list of beer in cans, which the partners claim are the best containers for beer, is available, along with an interesting cocktail selection of everything from frozen concoctions served with umbrellas to serious martinis and Manhattans.
The interior provides a blast from the past with formica tables, pinball and shuffleboard games and a photo booth. Ethyl's definitely is a good place to get your kicks.
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