Ship's Cafe

Culled from: Drury, John. Dining in Chicago, New York: The John Day Company, 1931, p. 190.

Note: The Newberry Library holds the personal papers of author John Drury.

SHIP'S CAFE, 913 Rush Street

Probably one of the craziest — and therefore popular — eating establishments in Chicago. You may carve your initials on the wooden table top if you like. Glossy photographs of movie stars decorate the walls. Triangular flags drip from all parts of the ceiling like icicles. Real candles sputter on the tables. Portholes adorn the walls. At the rear is the Pirate's Den — small, dim, and full of painted skulls and cross-bones. Donald Austin, the entertaining proprietor, says he knows what the public wants and he gives it to them. The Ship's Cafe has recently become popular among the younger element of fresh-water sailors — ^the lads who man yachts along the waterfront. Aside from the novelty atmosphere offered here, Donald serves good sirloin steaks, lake trout, and whitefish. His prices are standard and his place is open for luncheon and dinner. Delaware 0683.