Places we love: Four moon tavern

One of my favorite neighborhoods is actually not necessarily close to the shop: Roscoe Village. Located just north of Belmont Avenue and sandwiched between Western, Ashland, and Addison, Roscoe is a tight spot packed with a ton of good businesses and things to do on a Saturday night. 

One of those places is, without a doubt, Four Moon Tavern on the corner of Wolcott and Roscoe — pretty much right in the middle of the neighborhood. 

Four Moon is the quintessential Chicago corner bar: it is pretty tucked away, doesn’t usually get a lot of traffic from outside the neighborhood, and has a kickass beer and food menu. 

Inside, the bar sports wood-paneled walls, a long wooden bar filled with seating, a few tables, a backroom with more places to sit, and a pool table available to use for a few quarters. Knick-knacks line the walls and a good sound system keeps things moving with music picks from the bartenders. Two TVs are tucked into the corners to catch the game, but most people aren’t there to tune in. In warm weather an outdoor patio is available, too. 

I already mentioned the menu, and as far as corner bars go, this has to be one of the best. Tap beers rotate around local offerings, but two of my favorites are mainstays: Lagunitas IPA, and BBK, from the Wisconsin Brewing Company. Even if nothing else is hitting the spot these two always do. The bottle and can list has something for everyone, too, with everything from Belgians to Hamms (and Schlitz) represented. 

The food punches above its weight, too. Three items I would highly recommend are the meatloaf, nachos, and the reuben sandwich. The fries, which are always served in a huge mound, really pull things together and could be a meal in their own right if that’s how you want to play it. Sunday brunch is also a smart play —  the bagel and lox is one of the best around. 

Now that the weather is cooling off, if you find yourself in Roscoe Village on a cool Saturday evening, Four Moon is more than worth seeking out. You won’t regret it — and you may even become a regular. 

Four Moon Tavern
1847 W. Roscoe Street
Chicago, IL 60657

Places we love: o’shaughnessy’s public house

Joe’s might be located in Logan Square, but that hasn’t stopped me from exploring other parts of town for a good drink and a bite to eat on my days off. 

One of my favorite spots is O’Shaughnessy’s Public House up in Ravenswood. From the outside it looks like a simple Irish pub, and inside it is not much different. 

But what sets O'Shaughnessy's apart is great food, stiff drinks, and friendly service. The Guinness is poured right every time and Old Fashioneds are made exactly how I like them. 

Next time you’re in, I would recommend you try the Irish Barber sandwich, named for yours truly after many, many visits. Here’s how they describe it:

Joe Jr from Joe’s Barbershop took his favorite item and made it better! Dare to try it!

Rashers, black and white puddings, bangers, grilled onions, grilled tomato, mustard aioli, and an over easy egg on white bread. Served with breakfast potatoes or Fries.

Sounds good, right? The next time you’re in the mood for an Irish pub that knows what it’s doing, you know where to go. 

O’Shaughnessy’s Public House
4557 N Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640

Places we love: the bob inn

Here is a new series we’re going to run at the shop: the barbers will recommend places for our clientele. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked by a customer “what’s a good place to grab lunch?” or “where can I get a drink around here?”

So, starting here, I am going to recommend places that we all love at the shop and believe that you will love, too. 

Why can you trust us? Well, we see a lot of different people in the shop. We talk to them and we know where they prefer to eat, drink, and have a good time. We know our way around town, too, and we can recommend a spot for any occasion. 

Here is the first recommendation: the Bob Inn. 

We love the Bob Inn for a lot of reasons, but none more than this: it is about two feet from the shop. Never underestimate a bar that is so close to a barbershop. 

The Bob Inn opened in 1945 and has been a neighborhood fixture ever since. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Bob Inn is not a special bar. It is not even a particularly great bar. 

But it is the kind of bar that can only really exist in Logan Square at the corner of Rockwell and Fullerton. What I mean is that it is a neighborhood spot: everyone is friendly, and even if you don’t know names, you know faces. It is a cozy spot that is very lived in, and very authentic. If you’ve been searching for a quintessential Chicago dive bar, you’ve found your spot.

The Bob Inn is a welcoming watering hole where you can easily kill an afternoon or an evening (or even a whole day). And rarely for North Side bars, the Bob Inn is firmly a White Sox bar. 

So the next time you are in the shop for a cut, walk a few doors down and grab a cold one at the Bob Inn. Tell them Joe sent you — they’ll know who you mean. 

Sixty8 has everything you need

For a long time at the shop we would outsource our grooming and styling products. Everything from pomade to aftershave was someone else’s product. There is nothing wrong with that -- I know a lot of good shops that use high end products -- but it just wasn’t our style. 

So beginning in 2013 I started working with laboratories to develop the shop’s own line of hair and grooming products. And to pay respect to our history, I named it Sixty8 after the year my dad opened the shop.

What makes Sixty8 special? For starters, it is made right here in America. Our products have no added scents, no unneeded chemicals, and no ingredient that doesn’t work. In short: no BS. 

A lot of guys who come through the shop like to use pomade, so we made a light hold and a heavy hold. Both are water-based, which means they come out easy, and will keep you looking good all day. And for the traditionalist, rockabilly types, we also offer a petroleum-based pomade. 

A lot of guys also have beards and need to maintain them. For them, we offer beard oil (unscented of course) and two aftershaves that will be familiar to anyone who has been in the shop: green citrus and bay rum. For those who do take it all off, we offer old-school single blade razors, also made in the USA, and shave oil. 

The next time you come into the shop looking for grooming products, give Sixty8 a shot. You won’t regret it.

By appointment only

If you’ve been coming to the shop for a while, you know that we used to be strictly first-come, first-serve. Back then, if you asked me about making an appointment, I was adamant that would never happen and the shop would stick to tradition and accept walk-ins. Business was good and appointments just didn’t make sense. 

Then Covid happened. 

When the pandemic hit the shop was forced to close, like pretty much every other business out there. For obvious reasons, when things reopened guys were hesitant to come in. Business definitely took a hit, and to make things worse, it was unpredictable. 

Eventually we switched to an appointment system. We are never going back. I’ve definitely had to eat my words from before the pandemic, but appointments are here to stay. They offer more predictability for both barbers and customers and as a result, the peaks and valleys of business that are natural in barbershops are smoothed out a little. 

We’ve made it easy to make an appointment, too. Just follow this link. You’ll be able to see which barber is available and when, and pick what kind of cut you want (or a shave). The system asks for your credit card information, but you will not be charged unless you are a no-show. 

Walk-ins are still welcome, of course. We could never fully do away with that system. But if you want to guarantee your cut on your schedule — make an appointment.

Chicago’s Award winning barbershop

Back in 1968 when Joe Sr. opened the barbershop in Logan Square, accolades and awards were never on his mind. He believed in great haircuts at reasonable prices and creating the best shop in the neighborhood. But being in business for more than half a century generally means you’re doing something right.

The service and quality we are known for have been around since Day One, and it’s still true today. When I took over the shop Joe’s began to be recognized for the top-notch service we have always provided. 

Between 2010 and 2016 Joe’s won Best of Chicago honors every year from the Chicago Reader. In 2012, Details Magazine named Joe’s one of the best barbershops in America. For our 50th anniversary in 2018 the City Council passed a commemorative ordinance recognizing the shop. In 2020, the shop was featured on the cover of the book Baberbshops of America - Then and Now by photographer Rob Hammer. 

Obviously these awards are nice, but we don’t wear them on our sleeves. But they recognize something important: that Joe’s provides quality cuts you can rely on. And we’ve been doing it for over 55 years.

Shop talk

If you’ve been coming to the shop for a while you’ve probably got your cut memorized: “5 on top, 3 on the sides, and make it work together.” Maybe your barber knows your cut too, and he just asks if you want your usual.

But if you are new to the shop, or new to barbers in general, learning some basic barbering terms will go a long way towards getting the haircut you want every single time. 

Here are a few to get you started:

• Taper: When hair gradually changes length as it goes from the side of your head down to the end of your hairline. 

• Square or round neckline: exactly as it sounds like. We usually do rounded necklines, but if you want a square one let us know. 

• Clipper numbers: The higher the number, the less hair the clippers will take off. The scale runs from 1-8 and denotes eighths of an inch per number. So, a 2 will take off a quarter inch, a 5 will take off five-eighths of an inch, and so on. If you are not sure what number to start with — ask your barber! Our shop motto is “you can’t put it back on, but you can always take more off.” 

• Fade: A tighter taper that transitions from longer to shorter in less space. We don’t do fades, so please do not ask for one. 

• High and tight: Short on the top and shaved down the sides and back. 

• Ivy League: One of the most old school cuts, right up there with a buzz cut. Hair is kept short but just long enough to part. 

• Hippie Killer: A shop speciality. You know the long mops that guys grew out during Covid? When it’s time for those — or any long hair — to come off, we call it a Hippie Killer.

Every cut comes with an old fashioned straight razor neck shave, complete with a hot towel. 

Knowing these terms will help you tell your barber exactly what you want and you can leave looking your best. 

A barber’s old fashioned

Did you know that each barber here at the shop can cut up to 10 guys’ hair — sometimes more — every day? With each cut taking almost an hour, that’s a lot of work. 

After a long day on our feet it’s nice to sit back, relax, and have a strong Old Fashioned to help reset for the next shift.

Here is my personal recipe that I like to kick back with after closing up for the night. Most Old Fashioneds use bourbon, and that’s totally fine as far as that goes. 

But for me, when I’m at home and want a quick drink that I know is going to be good, I go for rye. The hotter flavor keeps the drink alive a little longer than bourbon. It also does a good job reminding you that you’re drinking a cocktail. 

I prefer High West rye, but go with whatever tastes good to you (or whatever you have available). I also like to measure my bitters and simple syrup with a bar spoon to make it consistent. But as with a lot of things, build your cocktail to taste. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 oz rye 

1 dash bitters 

1 dash simple syrup

½ oz water

Add the simple syrup and water first, then add the bitters and stir together until everything is dissolved. Add the rye last. Serve on the rocks. 

Cheers. 

Logan square’s barbershop

Chicago is a big city with a lot of neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has several barbershops — including Logan Square, where we have been in business since 1968. 

Yes, Joe’s Barbershop Chicago has been around for more than 55 years, cutting hair for generations of men in Logan Square. Our little shop was established by (and named after) Joe Caccavella all those years ago, and well before Logan Square became the neighborhood it is today. 

As with a lot of the most important things in life, Joe’s comes down to family. From 1968 to 2010 Joe, Sr. ran the shop on his own (with the assistance of the other barbers he hired, of course). But in 2010, Joe Caccavella, Jr. earned his barber license and joined the shop full time. A few years later he purchased the shop from his father, keeping it in the family for a long time to come. 

But just because Joe, Sr. transferred ownership doesn’t mean he isn’t still around. Quite the opposite: he still takes walk-in customers four days a week in the same chair he has used since 1968.

Why is any of this important? Family run businesses are getting more rare these days, and 55 year old family run businesses are even rarer. Practically none of the businesses that were open in Logan Square when Joe’s opened are still around. But Joe’s is — and it is still in the family. 

That kind of institutional knowledge, longevity, and assurance of a job done the right way is extremely valuable when it comes to something as personal as your appearance. 

All of this is a long way of saying one thing: Joe’s Barbershop is Logan Square’s original, family-owned, barbershop. Stop in and see the difference for yourself.

how to maintain your hair cut

One of the questions we get the most at the shop is how often guys should come in to maintain their cuts, and we always have the same recommendation: six weeks. Anything longer than six weeks and the cut that you left happy with last time will look like a mop, and anything shorter just isn’t worth it. Like a medium rare steak, six weeks between cuts is the sweet spot to stay on top of your game.

Hair grows faster than you think, no matter how much or how little of it you have. In barber school (and the internet), they emphasize that hair can grow as much as 1 / 8 of an inch per week, or half an inch per month. So in six weeks your hair is growing back almost one full inch — which is more noticeable than you think, too. And if you wait eight weeks to come back for a cut, almost two months, your hair will grow back at least a full inch or more. 

But it’s not just the hair on top of your head growing back. It’s your sideburns, neck line, taper, and part. Everything needs to be maintained regularly to look your best. 

We understand that Covid made a lot of guys lose the motivation to get regular cuts. After all, if you’re working at home most of the time why bother to see us more than you need to?

But at Joe’s Barbershop Chicago, our philosophy is one everyone can relate to: “look good, feel good.” And it’s true, isn’t it? Who doesn’t feel better walking out with a fresh, professional cut? 

Making a habit of maintaining your cut will help you look cleaner — and feel better in the process, too. 

In the next post, we’ll talk about how to communicate with your barber to make sure you get the cut you want — and avoid something you don’t. 

In the meantime, book your next haircut at Joe’s here.