Pippin's Tavern

Wait, Pippins Pippins? The iconic Irish dive? They serve food now—and it’s good? Yep. The original Pippins opened almost 50 years ago on Rush, closed during the summer of 2020, and has since reopened in a much larger space. They’re still in the Gold Coast, but Pippin’s 2.0 has a robust food menu filled with dishes that are surprisingly interesting and also very good. For example, you can order a tasty corn dog filled with tender veal sweetbreads, juicy beef heart meatballs on a bed of creamy polenta, and a wonderful fried chicken sandwich that comes with tater tot fries that remind us of eating perfectly crispy McDonald’s hash browns when you’re hungover. 

While the food is great, Pippin’s still feels very much like a bar—it’s mainly high-top and bar seating, has just a few tables for groups, and smells like stale beer. For that reason, we wouldn’t go here for a first date. But if you’re looking for a drink and a relatively affordable meal in the area (almost everything is under $20), it’s a great option.