Billy Goat Tavern has always been a hangout for Chicago’s reporters. Every bar stool has a story. The original Billy Goat on Madison Street attracted reporters who covered events at the Chicago Stadium across the street.
When Billy Goat moved his tavern to its current location under Michigan Avenue, reports flocked to the new subterranean Goat because of its close proximity to the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times headquarters. If you’re not bellying up to the bar, have a seat at one of the red & white checkered tables near the bar or on the other side of the grill in the “Wall of Fame” section. This area features photographs of local celebrities and yellowed articles written by famous Chicago newspaper columnists from the nearby Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times like Dave Condon, Bill Granger, John Kass, Rick Kogan, Richard Roeper, Rick Telender and Irv Kupcinet. One of the largest “displays” is dedicated to the legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning Trib columnist, Mike Royko, and is comprised of photos, columns, and a memorial written by Royko following the passing of Billy Goat Sianis himself. In it, Royko declares Sianis the “Greatest Innkeeper in Chicago.”
Royko was often found each day after work, holding court down at the Billy Goat. He would entertain crowds by espousing local politics as the “voice of the little guy.” Most of his reader and colleagues would say that he was “Mr. Chicago.” His columns would consist of stories that described the different events and characters that brought out the true Chicago. Sam and Billy Goat Sianis acknowledged Mike Royko as a part of their family and he treated the Billy Goat as his home. Royko wrote many articles about events that happened at the Billy Goat or about Sam and his adventures.
