OLD TOWN — A little thing like a fire couldn't keep Old Town Social from serving its grilled sausage and waffles and pouring its Ginger Buck.
Heavy smoke caused by a fire on the roof displaced patrons at the bar, 455 W. North Ave., at about 3:30 Sunday afternoon. It was out by 3:50, and the bar tweeted it would by 7 p.m.
Fire officials called it a "small" fire, but it spiked mentions on Twitter and aroused interest in the neighborhood.
A group of soccer fans, rooting for FC Barcelona had gathered at the bar for a 3 p.m. game.
Martha Onate, a Lincoln Square resident, had brought visitors from Barcelona to watch the game. When smoke was seen inside the bar, patrons were escorted outside. But not everyone wanted to go.
"I said, 'No, please, please, please,' we have to wait. We want to see the goal," Onate recounted. Barcelona was leading Spanish league rival Rayo Vallecano.
But not everyone took such an easygoing approach.
Michael Dues, 34, lives nearby and heard sirens and looked outside his apartment. The observer smoke "billowing" from the bar.
"There were flames shooting out up on the roof," he said.
