Behind Swedish culture and the S.S. Normandie, maybe the third love of Simon’s Tavern can be seen just above an etching of the famed ship in the bar mirror at the center of the space. An amazing Schlitz lamp depicting a mermaid sitting atop the world can be found here, the first of multiple Schlitz sightings. This is not the cluttered dive bar set of decorations but rather a very clean and purposeful collection of items, many of them holding the nautical theme found through Simon’s Tavern. The wall opposite the bar features a set of murals with the original depiction of regulars in a hunting party scene commanding center stage. One famed activity at Simon’s Tavern is to hunt down the five animals depicted in the mural (no easy feat). Framed photos of the bar through the years can be found along this back wall where additional hightop seating provides overflow from the bar.
No mention of Simon’s Tavern is complete without a sentence or two spent on Glogg, a mulled wine-based concoction served here in traditional warm fashion during the winter months and iced or slushee version in the summer. The house recipe is a secret, of course, and provides Simon’s Tavern with not just another unique element to be appreciated but an additional connection to its Swedish roots. A wooden booth in the bar’s front window provides one of the better views of not only the entire Simon’s Tavern space but also the summer weather Glogg machine when in operation.
And as if Simon’s Tavern needed additional reasons to visit, live music takes over the space on a roughly weekly basis, other events like vinyl music nights sometimes offering incremental entertainment. Out back, blue and yellow chairs and stools (naturally) can be found on a small back patio just through an ancient hallway housing the bar’s two bathrooms. Glass opaque blocks just as in the bar’s front window can be found in each bathroom.
The accolades and stories flow from there, including a visit by Anthony Bourdain and a reputation for being haunted, but even without the heritage, Simon’s Tavern is clearly the dive bar king of its neighborhood. So connected with Andersonville and so connected with its Swedish roots, the experience of grabbing a drink here feels like it means a little bit more and bears the weight of more than just an Old Style in a Chicago neighborhood. Inspired by and committed to the prosperity of the bar’s Swedish neighbors, those good vibes have translated into an experience that today is one of the purest and most elegant dive bar drinking experiences to be found in Chicago.
