Your prissy friends will call Roscoe Village Pub a dive. Smoke saturates everything, the posters on the wall have gone yellow, the televisions get bad reception and the space, as a whole, feels 30 years out-of-date. But then you'll have some friends who vouch for its greatness. You could argue for either side; but, in the end, they're both wrong.

That's because the Roscoe Village Pub is simply exactly what a corner bar should be—an unpretentious, friendly place that knows you, knows itself and doesn't need to put on a show. It has a decent beer selection, a well-stocked liquor shelf, classic bar decorations, a friendly atmosphere, a nice juke box and a pool table. Its name to the contrary (the doorstep reveals it was once known as the Addison Inn, anyway), it's not out to define the neighborhood, only to offer locals cheap drinks and give them a place to sing karaoke a few times each week (Thursday and Saturday).

You want Fat Tire on tap? You've got it. You want a grainy Cubs game spread across too many TVs above the bar? You'll find it here. It may not be a destination spot, but once you do find yourself a Roscoe Village Pub, you'll envy the neighbors who can claim it as their corner bar.

Centerstage Reviewer: Mac McCormick