The name first appeared officially in 1850 and was swapped out in 1853 for John Evans, the Northwestern founder and later governor of the Colorado Territory, who also ordered the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864. The tavern on the corner of Sherman and Grove borrowed the old name and puts that history right on its website, which tells you something about the place: it's a neighborhood bar that pays attention. It sells itself as the quintessential neighborhood bar, and the bones are there. There are 20 beer taps, heavy on Evanston and Chicago breweries like Sketchbook, Half Acre, Maplewood, Old Irving and Revolution, plus four wine taps, a short classic cocktail list (a Sazerac made with FEW rye, a mezcal paloma) and big-screen TVs placed so the game doesn't drown out the conversation. Ask about the $6 beer of the month and the $5 'Old Man Beer' of the day. The one-page menu covers the tavern basics and does them right.
The risotto fritters with sriracha aioli and the house burger, two smashed patties with cheddar and garlic-mustard aioli, are the fan favorites. Hand-battered cheese curds and fried pickles go with any beer, and the house sundae comes with a note that the sundae was invented in Evanston. Save room for the homemade carrot cake. Ridgeville is open 4pm to midnight Tuesday through Thursday and noon to 1am Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. Call ahead for takeout.
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