Ike & Jonesy's

Doc Weesner has watched a generation grow up in his 28 years as general manager at Ike & Jonesy's. In the early years, strangers would tell him stories of how they met their spouse at the famed downtown bar and grill. Later, they would boast to Doc about how much fun they had there celebrating their divorce party, dancing under a ceiling plastered with more than 400 record-album covers. Today, a new crop of patrons shows up to bite into one-pound burgers or sip from one of 13 draft beers, and find Doc to tell him that their parents—former regulars—send their regards.

More than just time has lent Ike & Jonesy's this cozy essence of familiarity. Its décor is mocked up with '50s and '60s flourishes, from the giant Marilyn Monroe sign that soars over the sidewalk café along Jackson Place to the old-fashioned booths featuring tables made from old pinball machines. Its menu harbors classic favorites such as breaded tenderloin and steak sandwiches that keep regulars popping in day and night. They'll casually lounge with a cup of homemade soup as the sun cuts across the afternoon sky. At night, they'll pry the bartender for cocktails that are as fun to drink as Capri Suns are to stab.