The Burlington

Removed from the well-populated bar village sitting just east on Milwaukee Avenue, the Burlington—which had a hefty stake in the neighborhood's realm of hip prior to the recent gold rush—reinvented itself by adding a well-booked, acoustically sound back-room music venue (donation usually requested). And the low-key, dimly swank bar portion of the space has certainly benefited from the addition, because if you go to a rock 'n' roll show, you're drinking. The beer selection is modest but satisfactory, with ten beers on tap and a selection of microbrewed bottles. No worries, though, cans of PBR are available for only two bucks a pop. Locals and regulars are almost always the ones spinning records, which adds a cool sense of community and camaraderie to the spot. (http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/burlington/Location?oid=837186)