Yak-Zies Bar & Grill, Chicago

"Jak sie masz." This Polish greeting, often spoken by Kenny Miller to his young son after a long day at work, always came out a little off when the boy responded. "Yak zies," then, was naturally the phrase Miller thought of after signing the lease on a basement saloon in '66, when everyone told him the business would never work.

His critics couldn't have been more wrong. Now with locations on Diversey and Clark, Yak-Zies has been a staple of the Lakeview-Wrigleyville corridor for decades, and—with a reputation for saucy wings and solid drinks—it shows no signs of going away anytime soon.