Andy C.
Yelp
A new Tuesday night, due to a changing work/life situation. When left to my own devices and without a host (or quasi room mate) to "entertain" me, I will do one of two things: seek out a completely decadent and over indulgent place, spend quite a bit of cash money and either feel edified by that expenditure or let down. The alternative, completely diametric, and more entertaining thing to do - is to look for where the locals drink, preferably slashie style (both bar and liquor store in the same place). While not a slashie - the Chipp certainly didn't let me down from a "let's just take it easy" perspective.
Location: 5 out of 5
Literally down the street (half a street) from my new Tuesday night digs. Walking is easy, street parking is available, and if you must take public transportation, the blue line and/or the Chicago bus are not so far away.
Decor: 4 out of 5
Exactly what I was looking for in a neighborhood joint. Unpretentiously and unironically divey with a pool table as others have mentioned (which wasn't being used), a simple and somewhat sticky bar, old timey cash register where you have to punch physical tactile keys to get it to work, and old posters, signs, remnants, and memories of bygone times and now hard to find beer manufacturers adorn the somewhat dark and just a little pungent interior. In full transparency, I happened to go on a day when it was in the 90s with high humidity, so perhaps this contributed to what I perceived to be just a little bit of stickiness and dampness.
Quality of Drink Available: 1 to 5 out of 5, so we'll split it and call it 3, depending on how you want to approach things.
This one is an odd one for the following reasons. I've been hard pressed to find a place that has Hamm's on tap, but Chipp Inn does. But wait...look to the left and to the right, and you see a beerscape that's as varied as the clientele. 5 Rabbits makes sense because we're in Chicago. Lagunitas has a Chicago connection now but we're getting a little bit more "upscale." Founders? Whoa...crossing all sorts of sociobeerconomic (see what I did there?) boundaries here. This was evident by the other patrons when I went: a younger "hip" couple consuming sandwiches they had brought in and a few blue collar regulars.
The same range goes for the liquor collection, and while you won't find any haut couture, i.e., boutique flavored vodkas, you'll see an eclectic mix of whisk(e)y, bourbon, and vodkas. And how could I forget that on Tuesday evenings, you can get the poor man's boilermaker for 4$ featuring Beam and the BEAST?! I should also mention that they have Blatz in cans, which is rare(r) now in Chicago.
Price: 4 out of 5
As someone has mentioned already, it's cheap but not THAT cheap. 2.50 for a Hamm's draft, 2 bucks for a can of Blatz. Not breaking the bank by any means, but not quite liquor store singles cheap. I'm not in tune to what the specials are each evening yet, but 4 $ for a Beam and Beast seems reasonable, and I imagine that much entertainment can arise from watching the over consumption of such options. Remember that this place is cash only, though an ATM is available.
Customer Service: 4 out of 5
Friendly guy behind the bar who made small talk well. Didn't get into any deep conversations about life, love lost, dogs, politics, corruption, etc. but it doesn't mean that we won't get there one day. For my first visit - talking about Hamm's, the beer refreshing! and Blatz was a good introduction to this bar.
Overall: 4 out of 5
Worth a visit if you're in the area, and I'll gladly go back to drink old school beers in peace, make small talk with the barkeeps, and hopefully watch and observe the shenaniganry that inevitably accompanies 4$ shots and beer combos. Keep it classy, keep it safe, and remember that you can bring in your own food (or have it delivered).