LAKEVIEW — There are bars with decades of history in Wrigleyville, but checking off your first 10 years is still a pretty great accomplishment.
Houndstooth Saloon is celebrating 10 years at 3369 N. Clark St. during a party Friday complete with free appetizers, giveaways and a rare Goose Island draft.
Celebrating the trademark houndstooth fedora worn by University of Alabama coach Bear Bryant, Houndstooth Saloon has close ties with Alabama alums. That, combined with being "one of the first Southern country rock bars on the North Side," set the bar up for success, said owner Niko Konstantoudakis.
"We're really cognizant of taking care of our guests," Konstantoudakis said. "They have plenty of choices" on the crowded Clark Street strip, so "we want to be the nicest bar in Wrigley."
There's a comfortable ebb and flow of business in the neighborhood, despite the quiet during the Chicago Cubs offseason, said Konstantoudakis, who also owns Dark Horse Tap and Grille nearby.
"The intensity of the season really brought people back to Wrigley that hadn't been here for awhile," he said. "Now we're even busier during the season, but maybe in the offseason a little less busy."
Still, with the Cubs enjoying the best postseason since 2003, "they're no longer perceived as losers," which means Wrigleyville filled up on game days, Konstantoudakis said. But Houndstooth is there with its tater tot "tachos" and pub food 365 days a year.
"We're very happy with how we serve not only the Cubs crowd, but the neighborhood, too," Konstantoudakis said. Which is part of why he's looking forward to thanking all those customers at the party Friday.
The party starts at 7 p.m. with 10-cent Goose Island drafts and 10-cent Jack Daniel's cocktails until 9 p.m. That's when they'll tap the limited-release 2015 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Raffle and giveaway prizes include a foosball table, a dartboard set, an acoustic guitar and a record player.
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