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Bamboo
Bernie's
2247
N. Lincoln Ave.
773-549-3900
Review by Maggie Anderson
| You might think Bamboo Bernie's is just another bar on the Lincoln Avenue strip. I once had the same idea. So what? Another bar filled with yuppies and DePaul students. Another area with no place to park. However, there are a few things that set Bernie's apart. From the outside, Bernie's is deceiving. The building looks like it's made of washboard metal and the lettering seems to have been painted on in a hurry. Greetings from men in pagan masks made me feel like I was entering a voodoo world. The front bar does give off a mystic aura. It's dark and everyone speaks in hushed voices. However, venture a few steps further and you'll find a well-lit area that feels like a sports bar. The floor is hard and cracked and uneven like a basement floor. There are benches to dance on. And there's a volleyball court! The middle bar is also where one can purchase a fishbowl. A fishbowl is a fifteen dollar bucket of blue alcohol. The bartender will provide you with as many straws as needed and a plastic shark to drink out of -- if you wish. The back bar is equally as dark as the front bar, but it's 3 times louder. The back bar is a mini nightclub where the D.J. plays the music that's on the billboard charts. Last Friday night, he was playing TLC and Ricky Martin. The back bar also has benches that people often jump up and dance on. Bamboo Bernie's attracts a large, young crowd (mostly college students) because it's a 4:00 bar, but also because it accomodates three different types of nightlife -- all in one structure. Phil Lapetina, a 22 year old government employee, advises, "You gotta play volleyball -- and you gotta drink the fishbowl -- at least once." |