Five Star Gets Three

By Hanna Aronovich in Food on Jun 28, 2006 8:42PM

If bars were ranked on a four-star scale, Five Star would get three big gold ones. Located at 1427 W. Chicago, Five Star is a relatively new addition to the neighborhood. Opened in May, the spot already draws a trendy, but laid-back crowd. The place is casual enough to wear jeans and Chuck Taylors, but upscale enough to show up in an after-work suit and tie and fit right in.

The window-lined front wall provided a nice street view and some fresh air. Quilted, cushy booths and ornate mirrors along the left face the long, mahogany bar. Intricate patterns and vintage tattoos cover the walls in the cozy, lounge sections in back. We also saw the obligatory rock poster or two. The music covered a range of rock - we heard Iron Maiden, ZZ Top and the Clash in a 10-minute span. Oh yeah, and there’s a stripper pole.

The menu, developed by Chef Jason Paskewitz, features slightly done-up bar food: specialty burgers, tempura chicken fingers and pulled-pork sandwiches. Bourbons are a focus here; Five Star has 30 American varieties and 14 bourbon-based cocktails. Specials run Monday through Wednesday and include $2 Schlitz, Tecate and Old Style cans, 10-cent wings and 50-cent mini sandwiches.

Drinks were priced somewhat reasonably. Our rum and diet was $7, although we could’ve sworn it was only $5 the weekend before (maybe they’re still adjusting their profit margins?). Service was quick enough, but not exceptionally friendly. Not a big deal, though – quick trumps friendly in our book.

We stuck around Five Star for a couple hours before heading out. Bars were made for hopping after all, so we cabbed it around the corner to get a few more stops in before the night ended. However, we dug the décor and the crowd at Five Star and definitely plan on stopping by again. Maybe we’ll see you there!