Local Saloon With Historical Ties Still a Favorite in the Village

Various members of Michael Harte’s family have been in the bar business since the 1960s, so it’s only natural that he now owns a bar as well.

, 9858 S. Artesian Ave., has been around since 1984, when Harte’s parents purchased the bar, and it has stayed in the family for nearly 27 years. Harte began helping run the bar in 1989, when his father passed away, and now runs it with his wife Carol after his mother died in 2010.

“I grew up in a bar. I’m 51 years old and I’ve always been in a bar,” Harte said. “It’s one of my family’s businesses.”

A friendly neighborhood saloon that sees and serves everyone from retirees, college students, the after-work crowd and police officers, Harte’s Saloon is definitely a staple in the area.

“We get a mix of people in here,” Harte said. “It’s known as a police bar (as well). It’s a neighborhood place. Everyone knows each other.”

Harte said the saloon tries to keep its crowds entertained and pleased by offering several different entertainment options during the week. They host an open microphone night on Wednesdays, a house band on Thursday nights, and a variety of bands on Fridays. While the saloon doesn’t have a large menu, according to Harte, it satisfies appetites with always-on-hand pizza and hotdogs.

Even though Harte can run the bar with one hand behind his back after so many years in the business, he spent 25 years as an engineer, he said.

“I was always working around here with my mother and father,” he said.

Now that Harte has children of his own, they too work at the bar in the free time.

“My kids are all involved in it now,” he said. “One of them bar backs and they clean up at night. There’s a lot of family here.”

It’s good to be around family, especially when the economy is as touch-and-go as it is now. While the liquor business hasn’t been hit as hard as other professions, Harte’s Saloon has definitely seen a change in business over the past few years, Harte said.

“We were affected by the economy just like everyone else,” he said, but “we do have our regular crowd and a good following. Customers stick around."

The business is housed in a building that has seen a few economic wrinkles come and go, Harte said, adding that it is one of the oldest buildings in the Village of Evergreen Park. It is rumored to be an old Al Capone hangout, although Harte hasn’t been able to confirm that. Harte also suspects, based on old tales passed down to him, that the building was also a brothel at one point.

“It’s an old building, but we’ve updated it,” Harte said.

The exterior of the building was also featured on “Chicago Overcoat,” a 2009 gangster movie, Harte said. According to him, producers wanted to feature the interior of the bar but it wasn’t able to happen due to time constraints.

While the saloon hasn’t participated in events like parades in Evergreen Park lately, it brings the community to them through “car shows” that begin at the saloon. Customers with muscle cars and antique vehicles can frequently be found at Harte’s, where they jointly leave for real car shows.

“There’s always a muscle car here,” Harte said.

Harte's Saloon is also a favorite among birthday pub crawls, Harte said, with many Western Ave. pub crawls either beginning or ending at the saloon.

For more information about Harte’s Saloon, call (708) 424-2618. The saloon is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Sundays and 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. the rest of the week.