A brand new sports bar called Roundhouse is making its debut in Logan Square, located at 2535 N. Milwaukee Ave.
The new restaurant will move into the former home of The Rocking Horse, which closed during the pandemic after 12 years. Roundhouse, which is expected to open in October 2022, is the newest concept from Uproar Hospitality Group, led by Scott Horwitch, Rick Douglass, and Dante Deiana. Horwitch tells Eater Chicago the new establishment will be “a tavern that honors dive bars, but without the bartenders who snarl at customers if they ask them to tune the TV to a particular game.”
When the new sports bar opens next month, customers can expect major sports packages available on the bar’s 30 or so TVs. Although loyal fans of The Rocking Horse might not like these changes, Roundhouse hopes to eventually become an iconic neighborhood bar with a select, vintage aesthetic. While the bar’s layout won’t change, the hospitality group will lighten up the space and add garage doors to the front windows. The back patio won’t be changed until Spring 2023, but modifications are planned.
As for food, customers can expect an eclectic menu full of bar classics, such as burgers and wings, as well as fusion dishes like Italian beef fried rice and orange chicken sandwiches. The Chinese American influence menu, led by chef Ariel Bagadiong, is a nod to Horwitch’s beloved 20s, according to Eater Chicago. Bagadiong previously worked as an executive chef at Spin, Susan Sarandon’s bar in River North.
“We know there are folks who are going to watch the Final Four, that type of stuff,” Horwitch tells the publication. “Right now, there’s not necessarily a need or a want for a sports bar — it’s a little different for the area. But we feel we’re ahead of the curve.”
