Map Room - Frequently Asked Questions

Hours: What are your regular hours? When is last call? Is the bar open every day?
Credit Cards: Do you accept them?
Food: Do you serve food? Can we order in?
Other alcohol: I know you have a great beer list, but I'm not a beer drinker. What else do you have for someone like me?
Smoking: How are smokers accommodated?
Private Parties or Beer Schools: Can we bring in a group for a private party or beer school?
Pub Crawls: We're doing a group pub crawl and want to stop by. Is it OK?
Café Scientifique: What's it all about? Does it cost anything?

HOURS
Map Room is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. We open in the morning for freshly-brewed coffee and fresh-baked pastries and sandwiches at 6:30 am Monday-Friday, 7:30 am Saturday, and 11 am on Sunday. Alcohol is available every day starting at 11 am. Closing time is 2 am Sunday-Friday, 3 am on Saturday. Last call is at 1:25 am Sunday-Friday, 2:25 am Saturday.

CREDIT CARDS
In order to improve our bar service and attention to customers, Map Room adopted a cash-only policy in 2009. We took this step mainly to eliminate the processing time required, especially for small orders. But we also had too many customers (primarily on weekends) who left without their cards and/or closing their tabs. ATMs are available on your left just past the end of the bar.

FOOD
Map Room does not have a kitchen. You are welcome to bring food (no outside beverages, please) or order food from a number of local restaurants. We have a large stack of menus behind the bar, so you have plenty of options. Ask your bartender to see them.

OTHER DRINKS
While we are justly proud of our beer menu, we're still a full-service bar offering a great selection of wines, top-shelf liquor, a couple of ciders, mead, and even two gluten-free beers. Our whiskies include: Red Breast (unblended Irish whiskey); Balvenie DoubleWood 12, Highland Park 12, Oban 14 (single malt Scotch whisky); Booker's, Blanton's, Basil Hayden's (small batch bourbon). White wines: Dominio De Eguren Protocolo 2009 (Spain), Dry Creek Chenin Blanc 2010 (Sonoma County, CA), Kiona Chardonnay 2006 (Washington State). Red wines: Cuvée Ste. Claire Pinot Noir 2009 (France), Bodegas Tarima Monastrell 2009 (Spain), Casa De Campo Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Argentina), Casa De Campo Malbec 2010 (Argentina), Alange Garnacha 2010 (Spain). Sangria: de la Costa (California). Sparkling: Pierre Delize Brut (France). Mead: Viking Blod (Denmark).

SMOKING POLICY
The Smoke-Free Illinois Act prohibits smoking on the premises and requires us to enforce the 15-foot limit from all doors, open windows, and air intake ducts. We are not targeting smokers, but we have been notified by the city and our alderman that we must be in full compliance or we risk fines and/or eventual closure. The best place to smoke is between the trees on the Armitage (north) side of the bar, because none of the windows on that side are ever opened. A special ash receptable has been provided there for your convenience.

PRIVATE PARTIES OR BEER SCHOOLS
We normally don't do them, although we may be able to accommodate groups during off hours or slower times. It's best to email Laura Blasingame and she'll be happy to work with you, even though in almost all cases this means she will recommend another location. Please do not call the bar to ask about these - email Laura. Remember, we are a small neighborhood tavern and cannot accommodate large groups without inconveniencing our regular customers.

PUB CRAWLS
Sorry, but we just don't have the space to accommodate groups. No pub crawls - ever. If you come with a busload, we'll have to turn you away at the door. Remember, we're just a small corner bar with a limited amount of room. We appreciate all the support we get from the beer community and try to help out whenever we can, but this is one thing we can't do. If you're really interested in taking a large group to a craft beer destination, Chicago has a number of other options (e.g., Revolution Brewing, Piece Brewery & Pizzeria, Goose Island Brewpubs, Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Rock Bottom Chicago).

CAFÉ SCIENTIFIQUE
Café Scientifique is an international forum that promotes the discussion of important and interesting scientific issues in informal surroundings. The Chicago Café has been meeting at Map Room every other month or so since 2006. This is a great event and the lecture is free, but we DO expect a 2-drink (minimum $4) minimum. We also want people to be able to hear the lecture and subsequent discussion, which is why we have to limit entry to 50 people. Once those tickets are gone, please don't even try to crash the space because we need room for our patrons and can't violate city fire codes. Tickets are first-come first-serve. Our sound system basically covers only the back of the room, so it makes no sense to hang around on the periphery and - you really can't hear. We want to make it a great experience for everyone, but once we reach capacity that can't really happen!

Please feel free to drop us a line, call (773.252.7636) or better yet, stop by!