Everyone wants a pub to call home like the Boston bar depicted in the 1980s sitcom “Cheers.” I’m lucky to have found this just a couple blocks from DePaul’s Loop campus – in Miller’s Pub at Adams and Wabash. With its warm atmosphere, consistent quality in food and service and strong drinks, Miller’s fuels me through many long school days.
Inside Miller’s, Chicago reclaims its status as a “small town.” Patrons, ranging from young adults to retirees, escape their ant-like daily grind. At the bar, people no longer experience fleeting interaction like bugs merely bouncing feelers off each other in passing. Millers, open for several decades, is where real interactions occur over rejuvenating brews served by staple employees.
Fellow classmates meet me at Miller’s on a weekly basis, whether for a study session or just a bite, and we always connect with fellow guests around us. Drinkers and diners constantly engage in conversation; eavesdropping is by no means frowned upon as long as you have input of your own.
Many regular guests are drawn back by the friendly service, especially from Michael at the bar. He not only recognizes the faces and names of his loyal visitors, but also keeps track of what the regulars drink. On occasion, he is known to be generous with the free-hand pours.
At Miller’s guests can pick their poison from a small book of drink options, featuring dozens of micro-brews on tap and even more picks (popular and obscure) in bottles. There are a few specialty cocktails, both hot and cold, but nothing quite warms my day like their signature Irish coffee. That and, of course, the shots aplenty.
The menu offers a range of deliciousness, from pub classics like crispy fish ‘n’ chips and juicy burgers to Greek delicacies like Grecian chicken, spanokapita and an addicting hearty egg-lemon chicken soup (avgolemono). Even when my day does not allow for a sit-down experience, I often swing by Miller’s for their egg-lemon soup to-go.
Diner-style family recipes include chicken pot pie, boiled beef and Brussels sprouts, steaks and chops. Frequent guests rave about the baby-back ribs. Everything is guaranteed scrumptious and daily specials add to the abundance.
I can disappear in Miller’s for hours, especially with its cozy glow from chandeliers, stained glass fixtures and neon bar signs. The bar stools are cushioned and comfortable. Portraits of bar patrons and pictures of famous visitors line the walls (like Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe). The dull roar of an always-packed bar and dining area sooths me after (or in the midst of) a long day.
