Furious Spoon Owners Will Turn Two Way Lounge Into Deadbolt
By Stephen Gossett in Food on Aug 31, 2016 5:38PM
Beloved Logan Square dive bar Two Way Lounge closed its doors for good this past Sunday, marking the latest phase in the neighborhood’s seemingly eternal state of transition. Just days later, news is trickling in about what we can expect from the former space.
The bar, which is now owned by the team behind next-door ramen spot Furious Spoon, will be called Deadbolt, and it will open this winter, according to a press release. Perhaps most notable is the involvement of mixologist Dustin Drankiewicz, of new-ish West Loop cocktail hotspot Moneygun, who will assist Furious Spoon owner Anshul Mangal and chef Shin Thompson with the drinks menu, set to include made-in-house mixers and classic cocktails. Food will lean toward traditional bar fare, a spokesperson said in an email.
The new management intends to maintain the integrity of Two Way Lounge while aiming for a modern, casual atmosphere and a traditional “bandstand” element, according to the release. The bar will also host occasional live music.
So it sounds like it won’t remain a true dive joint, but it won’t likely be overly conceptual either. That’s probably a good thing, considering Two Way Lounge was one of a precious few links to Logan Square’s pre-Restaurant Row Part II days, and anything too outwardly trendy would probably only alienate residents. (Although, as Eater points out, the tasteful post-dive bar is now a fashion of its own.)
Former Two Way Lounge owner Glenn Miller sold the bar earlier this summer. He reached out Furious Spoon after the death of a longtime regular at the bar prompted a decision to retire.