The crowd at EZ Inn, on the western edge of Ukrainian Village, grows younger as afternoon fades to evening and the hipsters join the neighborhood stalwarts at the bar. What remains constant is the dive bar atmosphere and the smell of decades-old cigarette smoke embedded in the walls. Not to mention cheap drinks, darts and billiards.

Yuba, the Ukrainian bartender, will serve you domestic beers or vodka for $3-$3.50. Stop by on Sunday for a $2.50 bloody Mary (brunch not included): the owner, Zinn, claims he makes the best in Chicago. If this is your last stop of the evening, don't be afraid to ring the doorbell if the door appears locked.

This joint is a mix of blue-collar America and Eastern Europe. As such, the jukebox plays both Leonard Skynard and Ukrainian music. An Old Style sign sits in the neon window, and a patriotic, POW MIA (prisoner of war, missing in action) banner hangs above the pool table, while a framed portrait of a Cossack warrior from the Middle Ages watches over the bar.

Centerstage Reviewer: Jacob Wheeler