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Mac's Menu Revamp Inspires Bold Mural at Landmarked Schlitz Bar

By Alisa Hauser | July 23, 2015 1:30pm
 Mac's, 1801 W. Division St.
Mac's Undergoes Rebranding, Major Menu Overhaul
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WICKER PARK — A bright, hard-to-miss mural that appeared last week along the side of a Landmark Division Street bar that was founded as a Schlitz-tied tavern signifies a rebranding and menu revamp, according to its owner.

"The neighborhood is changing a lot. I just wanted to offer more quality food, locally. I am concerned about food supply," said Tom Magee, the owner of Mac's, a bar and restaurant at 1801 W. Division St.

Pointing to a chicken that "has fire coming out of its butt" painted along the wall in a piece by street artist C3PO, Magee explained that it reflects the addition of rotisserie chicken to Mac's new menu, which will be available beginning Friday.

Tom Magee, owner of Mac's at 1801 W. Division St. (Photos by Alisa Hauser)

Tom Magee walks along the side of his bar, Mac's, sporting a bold new mural.

The antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken from Harrison Poultry Farm in Glenview will be served in one-half bird portions, marinated and roasted over hickory and oak. Served with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes, the dish will cost $14, according to a menu draft.

Magee said that C3PO's original mural is tied to the menu changes at the restaurant, which has not had any major upgrades since opening in 2001 next door to Bob San, a neighboring sushi bar that is closing Aug. 2 and selling its building.

No longer called "Mac's American Pub," the 80-seat corner bar, named for Magee's grandmother whose maiden last name was MacGuire, will just be called Mac's, Magee said,

A new burger logo, with the tagline "wood grilled" reflects the addition of burgers made with meat from Fairbury, Illinois' Slagal Family Farm, which will cost around $12.

Burgers will be available in seven varieties, including topped with bacon and eggs, mushrooms, guacamole and more. Patrons can choose from artisan cheeses such as Gruyere from cheesemonger Emmi Roth in Monroe, Wisconsin; Full Cream Baby Swiss from Baltic, Ohio-based Steiner Cheese; and White Cheddar via Burnett Dairy in Grantsburg, Wisc.

On the heavier side, the new menu also offers a 12-ounce New York strip steak from Piedmont cattle, "a leaner cut with less cholesterol," Magee said.  The steak is served with mashed potatoes and chimichurri sauce for $25.

Appetizers include fried pickles in coin-shaped slices, Chicago-style hummus with giardiniera and a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

The corner building, built in the early 1900s, became an official city Landmark in 2010, a measure that Magee embraced, Crain's reported at the time.  One of 57 "Schlitz-tied" taverns that the Milwaukee brewery opened in Chicago around the turn of the last century, the Mac's building features Schlitz's iconic globe logo on its front facade.

 

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