Located steps from the junction of the Chicago River branches and just outside the edge of the Loop-proper is Coogan's Riverside Saloon, a bland, just-the-basics bar that seems to get by on its view of the river from the handful of windows on the room's west side.

Drinks aren't exactly cheap—domestic bottles will set you back $4.50, imports are $5.50, and a pitcher of anything is $20. The only drinks on tap are imports, if that makes the price easier to swallow. Bass, Harp, Guinness, Hacker-Pschorr and Blue Moon are all on draft, as well as Smithwicks and Magner's Cider. Grab your boss and his corporate credit card, or meet a client for "lunch" and expense it. Nothing makes Miller High Life taste good at this price.

A meager menu includes (among others) Italian beef, corned beef, ham, turkey and pork roast sandwiches at $5-$7, but (shockingly) don't expect to find wings or mozzarella sticks. If you don't feel like dealing with any wait staff, Coogan's offers a cafeteria-style setup as well so you can grab a bite quickly and then dash back to work.

The room is well lit and seems bigger than it actually is, much like a Bennigan's without the garage-sale junk on the wall. The staff is nice enough and service is quick, and Coogan's might be an all right place to hide out on a rainy afternoon. It's not a destination place by any stretch of the imagination, but aside from that river view, doesn't dish out anything you can't get at another couple dozen places in the city.

Centerstage Reviewer: Karl Klockars