Lincoln Square Lanes Sports Bar and Grill, Chicago

Four. That’s how many lanes co-owner Dick Drehobl removed when renovating the near century-old Lincoln Square Lanes in late 2012. But those lanes didn’t go to waste. They’re now the bar tops in the alley’s new sports bar and grill. Inside the new and improved space, patrons can marvel at made-over lanes as well as a variety of other activities, from pool tables, shuffleboard, and arcade games to live music played three nights a week from a stage framed by a 204-inch projection screen. Twenty flat screen TVs also surround patrons as they enjoy craft beers poured from 18 taps at the bar or savory fare chefs in the new kitchen cook up including a lobster roll with fries and a brunch pastry puff smothered in country gravy. Dick and his team have also gone to great lengths to jazz up the interior décor, removing paneling to expose the alley’s brick walls, removing the drop-ceilings to reveal it’s tin tiling, and installing three large windows for added natural light. But all the new décor and amenities haven’t taken away from Lincoln Square Lanes vintage vibe. [_Chicago Magazine_](http://gr.pn/14bQzfN) describes the remodeled alley as “…80s roller rink crossed with The Double Deuce from Road House.” And Dick was careful to keep the original “Lincoln Square Recreation” mural above the lanes, which was discovered a few years back during an experimental aboveground architectural dig.