Billy Goat Tavern   

Truly a Chicago institution, Billy Goat Tavern promises one of the city's most unique dining experiences. But if you're unaware of the restaurant's history, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, Billy Goat is hidden in the murky depths under Michigan Avenue, you're yelled at when you walk through the door and the menu has about four items. Rest assured, it's all part of the Billy Goat charm. A Piece of History: The Billy Goat is uniquely Chicago. Greek immigrant William "Billy Goat" Sianis opened his restaurant across from the old Chicago Stadium in 1934. The Billy Goat moved to its current digs on Lower Michigan Avenue in 1964 and became an immediate hit with hard-drinking journalists. Legendary columnist Mike Royko was a regular and wrote several pieces extolling the virtues of the Billy Goat. But what really put the place on the map was a mid-70's 'Saturday Night Live' sketch featuring Chicago-native John Belushi. Belushi played a restaurant manager who barked at patrons, "cheezeborger, cheezeborger; no fries, chips; no Coke, Pepsi." Try to order anything else and you were out of luck. Come On In: While the sketch may seem exaggerated, it's actually fairly faithful to the way the Billy Goat operates (of course, cynics will say that employees only act that way because patrons now expect it). Descend into the restaurant and you're immediately accosted by an employee offering "double cheezeborgers." Although they'll sell you a single, it really seems to break their hearts. The burgers are well worth the sideshow -- served on a thick Kaiser bun, these babies are dripping with grease. The Billy Goat isn't the place to sit down and enjoy a fancy meal. This is the place to gobble down a burger, chug a quick drink and then head for higher ground. Unless you're a journalist on deadline, you're probably not going to hang around the dim, wood-paneled confines for long. Today's Goat: Sadly, market pressures have forced the Billy Goat to deviate a bit from the classic "cheezeborger, cheezeborger" menu. Select locations (there are several throughout the city) now serve fries, and Pepsi has been replaced with Coke. But it's a safe bet that the Billy Goat will never stoop to serve anything remotely healthy. We can all take comfort in that.