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Get down like it's 1950s Southtown.

Monday Jun 27, 2005.     By Pete Beatty

Bars + Clubs Feed

Dress: A clean polo shirt, blouse or throwback jersey will rocket you to the sartorial master class at Jimmy's.

Best way to get there: The Garfield No. 55 bus stops right outside; you can pick up the No. 55 at the Red or Green Line, coming from downtown or further north/south.

Vibe: Pretty grimy; Jimmy's combines a traditional corner dive with a college bar (albeit attached to a college renowned for its anti-social students). Jimmy's is dark, occasionally very loud and certainly very smoky, and the bartenders might not seem that excited that you and your money are there. Jimmy's is one of a few survivors of urban renewal along E. 55th Street, and apart from the color TVs and Radiohead on the stereo, not much has changed here since the 1950s.

Quick tour: The front room has a long bar, food service and a collection of tables; the center holds another bar, a non-smoking room and video games. The back room is about the same as the front room, except with a small stage.

Crowd: If it's not prime time, the population is a mix of grad students, younger profs and Hyde Parkers of all ages; on the weekend, it's filled with medium-rowdy 21-year-olds marking time between keg parties.

Night to go: No drink specials, but Sunday afternoon and evening host live jazz sessions in the back room. To avoid the hedonist-nerd crowd, try a Sunday or Monday night; to sample the fauna at its peak, stick to the weekend.

Claim to fame: The list of academic and literary celebs who have boozed at Jimmy's will get any wannabe literati's motor going, but those days are mostly over. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the fact that you won't ever be served any manner of Budweiser at Jimmy's, owing to some feud from time immemorial.

You'll feel like you're in: Colonial Williamsburg for boozehounds. This is how people used to get down everywhere. If you had to pick one set of rooms to represent Southtown in a beauty pageant, this would be it. You might not win the pageant, though.

Music genre: Pounding, pounding rock music, as chosen by the bar staff. Most nights, the conversation drowns out the stereo, rendering the whole issue moot.

Beyond the barstool: Jimmy's goes large on classic bar food: Burgers are small but tasty, and the grilled swiss cannot be denied. A fairly sizable sandwich menu is available, along with huge servings of fries for $4. The front room TVs are usually tuned to sports; beyond the tube, there's Golden Tee, pinball and assorted video games, as well as a cigarette machine, which is like a video game, if you've had enough beer. A word of warning: Jimmy's has no ATM, and only accepts cash, so come loaded or be prepared for a decent walk down the street when your billfold hits E.

On the shelves: Like a time machine to your grandpa's liquor cabinet, you'll find Old Crow, Old Smuggler, Old Whatever. You may not have heard of the brands but they all drink just fine. Call drinks are very cheap, typically $3-$5, and beer isn't exactly overpriced, with pitchers $8 and up. Pints start at $2.50. Be advised that the bartenders frown on especially silly cocktails.

Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap at 1172 E. 55th; (773) 643-5516. Open 10:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday-Friday; noon-3 a.m. Saturday for the 21+ crowd. Never a cover.