For anyone craving the old‑school feel of Wrigleyville before high‑rise hotels and chain eateries took over, a short walk south of the ballpark lands you at Nisei Lounge, a dive bar that proudly claims about 75 years of service to Chicago’s neighborhoods.
History rooted in resilience
The bar’s name, Nisei, comes from the Japanese term for second‑generation immigrants. Its founder, Hiroto Hirabayashi, was among the roughly 30,000 Japanese‑Americans who relocated to Chicago after Executive Order 9066 forced the removal of more than 110,000 people of Japanese descent from the West Coast during World War II. Hirabayashi received a liquor license in 1946 for a location on North Clark Street, where the Nisei Liquor Store first appeared in the city’s Yellow Pages.
By the late 1950s the business had shifted to its current home at 3439 N. Sheffield Avenue. While the exact year of the move is debated—Yellow Pages listings show a Sheffield address in 1959 and a longtime staff member, Patrick Odon, cites a 1951 listing—the bar has remained a fixture on that corner for decades.
A dive bar that embraces Chicago culture
Unlike many modern sports venues, Nisei doesn’t line its walls with flat‑screen TVs. Instead, patrons gather around the bar to watch the game in a setting that feels frozen in time. The establishment’s website proudly declares three certainties: it is “Chicago’s finest dive bar,” it sits one block south of America’s best ballpark, and its name is pronounced “Knee‑Say.”
Over the past 15 years the bar has become known for its inventive takes on Malört, the famously bitter Chicago spirit. From a banana‑Laffy Taffy infusion to a hop‑infused version the staff calls “a crime,” Nisei’s experiments range from the celebrated to the hilariously disastrous. Odon, director of beer and baseball operations, says the bar was the first to deliberately infuse Malört, a practice that began when candy‑cane leftovers were tossed into the liquor during a Christmas season.
Community and continuity
Owners Craig Morrall and Brian Pistorius bought Nisei in 2010 and have kept its character intact while adding a lively social‑media presence. Regulars appreciate the bar’s “killer air conditioning and very strong steam boiler heat,” which, according to Odon, helped the venue survive the neighborhood’s rapid development and the rise of upscale hotels.
When asked how Nisei has endured, Odon notes that the bar offers a nostalgic alternative to today’s pricey entertainment options: “Much of the area around Wrigley Field has been steamrolled. Nisei is a throwback to when the Cubs couldn’t draw a million fans and your dad could afford to take you to a game and drink an Old Style.”
Looking ahead
To mark its milestone, Nisei plans a series of celebrations after the baseball season ends, featuring a “robust celebration of Malört infusions,” a retro beer showcase broken down by decade, and several charity events. While details remain under wraps, the bar promises a mix of its “greatest hits and greatest failures” for fans to enjoy.
Whether you’re a lifelong Chicagoan, a baseball devotee, or a curious visitor who mispronounces the name as “Nice Eye,” Nisei Lounge offers a slice of the city’s history, a taste of its iconic bitter spirit, and a reminder that some neighborhood institutions thrive by staying true to their roots.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
