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Three separate yet equally important elements are at play here – bikes, beer, and barbeque. Like a reverse mullet, the Shop is business in the back – a working garage populated with rows of motorcycles – and party in the front, where a relaxed little bar and café services a crowd that skews more fixie than Harley. Friendly staff deliver generously poured cocktails, while the beer selection is meager but functional: Killian’s is the only draft on tap, but Blue Moon and cold cans of Bud reign supreme with the no-frills clientele anyway. Paper plates heavy with Elgin sausage, pulled pork, and smoked ribs are also crowd-pleasers, and the kitchen serves them up at an impressive clip. Venture up the skinny spiral staircase to reach a cozy parlor room ideal for group conversations, laptop lounging, or spying other people’s rides in the garage below. — Ray Rahman

The Shop further utilizes its nifty space by regularly booking live shows. Bands work their magic on the same greasy floor the mechanics do, wedging amps and drum kits between the crowd and the bikes. It’s very likely the only place in town you can watch a rock show play out in front an army of motorcycles.

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