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This venue is closed.

Just a few short years ago, when this duct-taped dive still had “Lounge” tacked onto its name and a front-window sign that said “hipsters—go home,” the Southside drew a crowd of serious drinkers to its resolutely unpolished atmosphere and ultra-cheap drink specials. Then, perhaps to keep in step with the ever-changing neighborhood, the bar shut down for its own metamorphosis. Partners Murray Trider and Jay Cutler rolled up their sleeves and renovated the place themselves, refinishing the antique, 17-foot mahogany bar, repairing the exposed brick, stripping and painting the stamped-tin walls, and installing chandeliers and antique mirrors. The resulting space, while as diminutive as ever, delivers the nostalgic feel of a bygone era: a moodily lit hideaway appealing to bridge workers, hedge-fund managers and trendsters alike. While booze is still pretty cheap, even blue-collar types can appreciate the bar menu of specialty cocktails created with homemade, flavor-infused vodkas. — Amanda Pressner

Trademark Drink:  Southside Lemonade (fresh lemon and lime juice and Maker’s Mark)