When most other restaurants and clubs close in downtown Evanston, young crowds flock to 1800 Club. A chic restaurant-lounge situated just outside the Northwestern campus, "The Hundo" caters to a mixed bunch of business types, Evanston locals and college students.
The bar offers mostly pub food – bruschetta bites, burgers and wraps – priced under $10. Specials vary daily, from dollar-dog Mondays to $20 "all-you-can-drink" Saturdays. In addition to domestic drafts, the bar also features an array of imported beers, including German, English and Irish lagers and ales on tap. On Tuesdays, get import drafts like Bass Pale Ale for $3.
Don't let the cheap prices fool you: this is no dive bar. Dark plush couches, burgundy walls and ubiquitous flat screens add a sexy, rich air to the tiny lounge. Patrons come to be seen, rub shoulders at the bar and catch a breath in the outdoor patio. Its intimate size and upscale embellishments make for a vibrant, inviting ambiance. The restaurant offers a rotating schedule of entertainment options, from live DJs and jazz to karaoke and trivia night. It is hard not to derive some amusement from all the bells and whistles at 1800 Club. There, on the flat screen, is a photograph of a chipmunk posed as a drunken beggar. On the karaoke stage, your roommate sings The Chipmunk Song. And you, well, you are fending off a drunken frat boy named Chip.
Reviewed By: Jina Hassan
