Setting out to create a ‘new’ dive bar is no simple task but Harry Nyholm, managing owner of The Cabin in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood, set out to do just that, taking over the space in 2015. Of course, hanging an illuminated Old Style sign over the door doesn’t hurt and Nyholmdid just that, bolstering the appeal of the bar by installing faux logs along the bar’s exterior to really drive home the bar’s theme.

Inside, the vibe matches the bar’s name thanks to an assortment of taxidermy distributed throughout a single room that looks like the interior of, you guessed it, a log cabin. Though the lighting is a little bright by dive bar standards, the space succeeds in setting a warm and cozy tone through an ample use of polished wood paneling. The area behind the bar features a hearth-style, faux-stone that houses a simulated fireplace to again underscore the bar’s theme.

Online reviews of The Cabin routinely cite a friendly atmosphere and this reviewer’s experience certainly matched that expectation with Nyholm introducing himself amid what was an obviously seasoned group of regulars engaged in a sweeping group conversation. The fact that Nyholm himself is so often behind the bar of the business he owns no doubt ensures the continuously friendly disposition of the environment, always a nice attribute to a dive bar on a first-time visit.

The community-first focus of The Cabin is maybe best exemplified by a fundraiser run by Nyholm for a long-time patron who suffered a hit & run injury while simply standing in front of the bar. A series of fundraising activities operated by the bar served to defray some of the considerable medical bills experienced by the victim.

It comes as no surprise that The Cabin’s calendar is filled with community-building activities like Fat Tuesday celebrations and pumpkin carving events. In addition to an annual anniversary party, The Cabin’s signature event is a yearly Beach Party punctuated by trucking in real sand to line the floor of the bar for a full day of flip flop-wearing revelry. Beach decorations persist beyond the single day of the event and each season brings with it a fresh update to The Cabin’s surroundings.

Chicago dive bar favorite glogg is served here when the weather calls for it, the drink a Scandinavian mulled wine concoction seen throughout the city, most notably at Simon’s Tavern in Andersonville. In addition to the usual dive bar drink favorites, seasonal cocktail menus rotate throughout the year, playing up the time of the year with drinks less expensive than Chicago’s often aggressive cocktail pricing.