The Illini Inn is much more than a place for
pinball and
beer. It is a small and intimate
bar, where most
patrons are
regulars. Perhaps the thing that the Illini Inn is most known for is the
Illini Mug Club. This is a club that anyone can join. The
initiation consists of:
1) Pay $6
2) Sign your name in the
register to get assigned your number and sign your member card
3) The bartender ringing the bell and announcing that "We have a new mug club member!"
4)
Chug one 20 oz.
beer and the bartender rings the bell again once you finishing chugging your beer
5) The bartender asks you what your number is, and then you get another 20 oz.
beer to drink at your own pace
They keep your member card behind the counter. Every domestic beer in a mug is $2 and imports are $3. You have to remember your number at the end of the night, otherwise, you'll have to join again.
Another distinctive aspect of the Illini Inn is the amount of
graffiti everywhere. Almost every square inch is covered in somebody's initals, a message, a poem or doodles. The cover all of the walls, the bar, part of the ceiling, the bathrooms. . .everywhere. It's a unique history of its patrons. There are a lot of
license plates and
police patches since there is a
police training institute very close to the Inn.
There is also a great pizza place directly above the Illini Inn. It is called
Bonnie Jean's and it has the best thin crust pizza.
Bonnie Jean's also has very good
calzones and various other things on the menu. I would recommend having a mug or two first, then calling upstairs and ordering a large
pepperoni pizza and then continue drinking your beer of choice. It is an experience that can't be beat.