In honor of its 75th anniversary, Chicago’s Billy Goat Tavern will sell 75-cent cheezborgers and beer today.
In 1934, Greek immigrant William Sianis wrote a rubber check for $205 to buy a saloon at 1855 W. Madison St. known as the Lincoln Tavern. After a goat wandered inside one day, Sianis made it his mascot, growing a goatee and changing the name of the place to the Billy Goat Tavern. It would go on to be Chicago’s most famous bar and grill.
Billy Sianis
The Goat’s reputation was only enhanced by a 1964 move to a belowground spot on Lower Michigan Avenue, near the offices of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune. The Goat became a favorite watering hole for local journalists, who mentioned it frequently.
Billy Sianis’s nephew, Sam Sianis, took over the business on his uncle’s death in 1970. In 1978, Billy Goat regular Don Novello penned a skit taking off on the order routine of Sianis and cook Bill Charuchas for “Saturday Night Live” and John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Loraine Newman made the call of “Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No fries — cheeps! No Pepsi — Coke!” household words throughout America.
In honor of the Billy Goat’s 75th anniversary, LTHForum reports, the Chicago City Council will honor Sianis with a congratulatory resolution, and all Billy Goat locations (except O’Hare) will be selling cheezborgers and beers today for 75 cents.
in the ’70s, ‘the goat’ was our destination five days a week for lunch and drinks after work. we — writers, editors, guys in the mailroom — would get together, talk about about the news, what was going on in our lives, what we wanted our lives to become, over a beer and a burger on a kaiser roll. it was a great place to create and articulate our dreams. since then, many of us have gone on to pursue, sometimes fulfill those dreams. i hope the goat’s beat goes on.
thanks, leah, for this blog. you are a great source for insider foodie news!