Stanley's Tavern, Back of the Yards

Surprised to see Stanley’s Tavern, an old Back of the Yards institution since 1935, never surfaced on LTH before. Or really any publicity, save for a great Mike Sula history/review in early 2008 (http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/wa ... id=1212870). But it’s no wonder that the place remains off of people's radars—there is no website, phone book entry, or even a sign outside the bar. Interestingly enough, though, you should have every idea what to expect when you walk in.

That is a smile, a point to the hand-scrawled menu (which on my visit consisted of the main dish: smoked butt with cabbage, potatoes, and beets, and two soups: chicken and dumpling, and beef barley), an encouraging word/drink order taken from the man behind the bar, and a comfortable seat either at the bar, or at one of four tables in the place. Peering back you can see into the kitchen—it reminds you of home, and home is more than a theme here. In fact, Grandma’s house is simply the only way to describe the place. The smoked butt will never blow anyone out of the water—six slices of meaty ham, boiled potatoes hovering over a little pool of butter, a giant half of a cabbage and a bread basket could have been pedestrian. But between the horseradish on the side, the toothsome cabbage and the buttery potatoes, this is old fashioned cooking taken to its most time-tested and perfected execution. Filbert’s sasparilla-like root beer is the perfect foil, and comes from just a few blocks away.

After I asked the bartender whether there was a set schedule for what dishes were offered on certain weekdays, I got the reply: “Wanda cooks whatever Wanda feels like that day. Sometimes it’s breaded chicken, sometimes it’s prime rib. But you should come back for the breaded chicken—when we serve that, people line up.”

And sooner or later, out came Wanda, wandering in from the kitchen. She stood at our table and jested about college, following your passion, and what being a brainiac actually means. Wanda’s fiery sense of humor was endlessly charming, and she promised us that if we called the Wednesday before we would come, that the Thursday dish would be breaded chicken, just for us. Her niece piped in that Friday the dish would be fried perch. I said, “That makes sense, fish Friday.” She replied, “Nope, just what Wanda felt like making.

Unfortunately, this review serves as a little Save This Restaurant call as well—the bartender encouraged us numerous times to spread the word, as business is “getting a little slow,” and after we were handed numerous pens celebrating Stanley’s 75th anniversary to give out to our friends, I think their message was made clear.

I think it was a recent review of Girl and the Goat that said the food perfectly pays tribute to Chicago within its dishes. Well quietly, Stanley’s has been and is doing the same, within its dish, singular. Large servings of hearty vegetables and pork (whose source may well be a meat warehouse a few blocks away) with a Filbert's root beer and Vitner's potato chips can't do more to epitomize Chicago and Back of the Yards- not to mention Wanda's been doing local well before it was hip. And between the portions (pounds of food) to the genuine familial interactions between the bartender, owner, waitress and diners, Stanley’s will remind you a thousand times of the way things were (and still are, for many people) around Chicago, at your grandparents’ house. In these times, great comfort food and conversation is well worth the $6 price of the daily main dish.

Wanda should be expecting a call from me requesting the breaded chicken. At a place where everything but the main dish is predictable, Wanda’s even willing to change that to make a customer happy. And I can’t help but believe that everyone walks out happy from Stanley’s.

Stanley’s Tavern
4258 S. Ashland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60609
773-927-0033

Thanks for that nice post. I'd been meaning to post on Stanley's and some other southside taverns that serve a workingman's lunch. Unfortunately I forgot about it long ago. I only have time now to post a couple pictures from Stanley's taken in Oct-Nov 2007—corned beef & cabbage and meatloaf with taters & corn. Go to Stanley's!

Stanley's is the sole survivor of Chicago's legendary "Whiskey Row" - the dozens, if not hundreds, of saloons that flanked Chicago's Union Stockyards. The business was established in 1924, and moved to its current location [directly across the main Stockyards gate] in 1935.

Stanley’s is open Mondays through Fridays (10:30 AM to 8 PM) and is closed on weekends. Daily lunches feature a hot plate "special" made the old-fashioned way. Crowd favorites include Meat loaf, mashed potatoes & corn / Stuffed cabbage, mixed vegetables & potato salad / and traditional Turkey dinners. Homemade daily salads include coleslaw, potato salad, cucumber salad and/or tomato & onion salad.

Stop by and say hello. We are proud to call thousands of men and women who built Chicago into what it is today both our friends and our customers.

I dig the .beer website address:

http://www.stanleys.beer/

I feel like this is LTH year one. What a nice series of posts about a place I've never heard of but is now on my short list. Great to "discover" an ancient spot.

Stanley K wrote:Stanley's is the sole survivor of Chicago's legendary "Whiskey Row" - the dozens, if not hundreds, of saloons that flanked Chicago's Union Stockyards. The business was established in 1924, and moved to its current location [directly across the main Stockyards gate] in 1935.

Whiskey Row around 1910


Stanley's, northwest corner of 43rd & Ashland, 2007


Stanley's is a great place that I haven't visited in far too long. I plan to stop by soon, hopefully on stuffed cabbage day.

Do they serve food all day, or is it only at lunch? I would happily eat dinner there tonight if they serve it, but stepping out for lunch doesn't work for me.

Rene G wrote:

Stanley K wrote:

Lunchpails! So that's what they looked like. I've come across the word in old books from time to time but never visualized them, just took it as an old-fashioned way of saying "lunchbox".

Just called and asked--lunch stops at 2 o'clock, no dinner served. This makes me sad, as I'll have to wait until summer to get in there for a meal.

Do go--for the atmosphere, for the experience, for the people, for the history, and for the working person's lunch (i.e., inexpensive and filling), but keep your expectations about the food low. It is what it is.

Oh, no worries--I still love dinner at Valois, and fondly recall meals at the Ohio House coffee shop. The notion that some of my forebears might've eaten at this very bar will lend a flavor few other places can.

Roger Ramjet wrote:Lunchpails! So that's what they looked like. I've come across the word in old books from time to time but never visualized them, just took it as an old-fashioned way of saying "lunchbox".

Those lunch pails look very basic. Some were probably repurposed lard buckets. Of course, once emptied of lunch they could be filled with beer—the original growlers. Some lunch pails were more elaborate, with nesting inserts inside (see some examples in the second photo in this Smithsonian Magazine article). Even more elaborate were the rectangular metal carriers, some having a drinking cup fitted on top. A fascinating item is currently for sale on eBay—an old Dinner Pail brand lard bucket from Swift & Co (headquartered in the Union Stock Yards). Unlike the usual round lard containers, this one is shaped like the fancier rectangular lunch boxes, and even features a hollow cover that could be filled with liquids or ice. You would have been the envy of Whiskey Row if you showed up toting your lunch in one of those.

In my daily commute, I oft overlooked this place. Enlightened as I now am, I see it everyday, and yearn for summer when I can make it in for the lunch hours. My longing gaze recently happened across--gasp--the actual name of the bar painted on/right above the door, along with a sign about lunch hours. Hopefully, clarifying the name and the food offering stirs up a bit more traffic.

I finally stopped in today, one of my first summer lunches. Meatloaf was on special, and my colleague and I both enjoyed it. Presentation was identical to the picture above, and honestly, pretty good. Two beers and two plate lunches came to 20 bucks, including salad and bread. The bar was fairly full at 12.30, thankfully. The food is simple, home-like, inexpensive, and filling. They were out of cucumber salad, regrettably, but I'll be sure to get it on my next visit, and soon. Definitely not many places left like this anymore--Schaller's is close, but Schaller's is more strongly identified with the White Sox than the Stockyards. Worth a stop to keep this true neighborhood institution going.

mtgl wrote:I finally stopped in today, one of my first summer lunches. Meatloaf was on special, and my colleague and I both enjoyed it. Presentation was identical to the picture above, and honestly, pretty good. Two beers and two plate lunches came to 20 bucks, including salad and bread. The bar was fairly full at 12.30, thankfully. The food is simple, home-like, inexpensive, and filling. They were out of cucumber salad, regrettably, but I'll be sure to get it on my next visit, and soon. Definitely not many places left like this anymore--Schaller's is close, but Schaller's is more strongly identified with the White Sox and the Stockyards. Worth a stop to keep this true neighborhood institution going.

Did you happen to notice what the beer selection was? I'm guessing Miller Light and Old Style, but who knows, maybe locals Marz and Lagunitas!

They did actually have a few craft bottle options. No Marz, but definitely some Lagunitas--I believe Little Sumpin' Sumpin' and maybe the Pils and IPA? There were one or two other brewers, plus Krombacher. They're in a cooler opposite the bar by the back door. Not significant, but better than expected. I'm generally quite the beer snob, but given the setting, I opted for a $1.50 draft of Miller Lite. Felt right at home.

MY FIRST POST! and it goes to my favorite local bar STANLEYS!

I love coming to this place. It truly feels like home. The food is perfect homecooked meals at a reasonable price and the characters that hang out here make it the special place it is.

Go on a Friday late afternoon and enjoy complimentary polish sausages, tuna salad, pickles, and lunchmeats for all the hungry drunks and have a good time.

at $1.25 for a beer and about $2 for a shot theres no reason not to visit this piece of Chicago drinking history.