You may be tempted to go running for the door once you step into The Sovereign at 6202 N. Broadway (off the Granville stop on the Red Line), but fight the urge.

Sure, the bar decor is a little boring, but there is far more to this dive bar than meets the eye. Make your home at the bar and introduce yourself to Matt, one of the friendly bartenders who will chat you up and, if he likes you, will slide you shots of Jameson and give you extra chances to guess what number and suit is on the Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle cap*.

Do not forget to introduce yourself to David Packer (he goes by Packer), another bartender who will happily dance with you on the dance floor and belt out tunes played on the old jukebox in the back.

To ensure that the songs you want to hear (3 songs for $1) are played before you get too sloshed, we suggest making your selections early. You will want to take time to flip through the massive selection that covers everything from Tegan and Sara, any 50s sockhop diddy you could imagine, British Invasion tunes and oh-so much more.

The drinks may be cheap, but this place is cash only, so make sure you hit up an ATM before you go.

Oh, and FYI: On the last Friday of every month, Sovereign has a DJ take over and play 50s sockhop music. The dance floor is crowded, but the regulars at Sovereign are more than happy to dance alongside you, and more often than not, to dance with you! Enjoy!


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Hours: Sunday –Friday noon–2am; Saturday noon–3am.

*The Sovereign bartenders give you a shot at winning your PBR bottle for free. As they hand you the bottle, they will pop the top, which has a number and suit underneath (e.g. 10heart2) . It depends on which bartender is serving, but usually, if you can guess the number, then you have yourself a free beer! Good luck!

Dev x

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