A Free Drink at Old Joe’s
000 Lincoln, IL, Part One
Old Joe’s • Lincoln, Il • Day Seven
Day Seven started in Lincoln, Illinois, obviously named for Abraham Lincoln.
Long before he became our 16th President, Lincoln participated in the town’s planning while he was council for the Chicago and Mississippi Railroad. As legend has it, when he learned that the town would be named for him, Abe objected and quipped, “Nothing bearing the name of Lincoln ever amounted to much.” We’ll see, Abe. We’ll see.
His image and name are everywhere in the town, including on a giant mural of the Lincoln Penny on the side of a building.
Lincoln Penny mural and Old Joe’s
Old Joe’s Store Front
Like many of our stops on Route 66, it was clear Lincoln had seen better days. There was a solid semblance of a town center with a gorgeous courthouse, the iconic Lincoln Theater, and some well kept and apparently thriving businesses. On the edges were blocks of abandonment and near abandonment with businesses surviving, struggling to survive. Lease opportunities abounded.
One of the surviving businesses was Old Joe’s bar.
Painted on the glass above the doorway, the OLD JOE’S sign drew my attention. The vintage Stroh’s Beer sign added some additional character. Unfortunately, there was a delivery truck and a pickup truck in front preventing me from getting the composition I wanted — and trust me, it would have been award winning!
As I was about to move on, I bumped into Rick, who offered, “The people in Old Joe’s were great!”
“Wait… what?”
“You haven’t been inside?”
“No!”
“Let’s go!”
A woman stood behind the bar. She wore a bright pink tee shirt with “Old Joe’s, Lincoln IL” screened on the front. On the back of the shirt read, “Old Joe’s, WHERE IT’S Standing Room Only Everyday.” Grammatical choices aside, I looked around the tiny bar. There wasn’t a table, chair, or barstool in the entire establishment. Yup. Standing room only.
At the bar were two gentlemen; one middle aged, one probably mid 20s.
In front of the younger guy was a can of Old Milwaukee beer and a shot glass filled with brown liquid of unknown proof. It was 9:30am. My generous guess is he was unwinding after a long night of third shift tedious labor. Did I mention it was 9:30am?
$2 a shot
The older guy asked me, “Can I buy you a drink?”
Now a younger me might have accepted. A really younger me definitely would have accepted. A really, really younger me might have accepted AND hung out for a few hours. But I’m old. And it was 9:30am. I politely declined. “No, thank you. Too early for me.”
“Doesn’t have to be alcohol,” he replied. “Grab a coke from the cooler,” he insisted.
Caffeine at 9:30am is not only socially acceptable, it is encouraged. I accepted.
Rolling Rock proudly served
Even with its intentional lack of seating, Old Joe’s was dripping with neighborhood bar charm. There were no taps to pour trendy IPAs — only bottles and cans of the standard American lagers. And I did not see a menu. No food is served at Old Joe’s, which tracks with the whole standing room only thing.
Then there was the wall of shelves behind the bar. It was a potpourri of bottled liquors, beer bottles representing those available, Old Joe’s swag (I should have bought a pink tee shirt), novelty bobble heads (I think I saw one of George W. Bush), and photographs from (I assume) the bar’s history and its people. There was also a good number signs and stickers, novelty or not. Some highlights: A bumper sticker from Bad Frog Beer stating “FLIP ME OFF!,” another bumper sticker proclaiming, “SOUNDS LIKE BULLSHIT TO ME”, a hand written sign saying “$2 a shot,” and another stating “Effective May 27, 2016, there will be a $30 charge for all returned checks.” Holy shit, Old Joe’s takes checks! Rick and I were probably the only non-regulars to grace Joe’s in quite some time.
All of that, plus the neon beer signs and antique rifle hanging above the shelves made for fun photographs and a memorable stop.
With a Coke-a-Cola in my belly and our fill of photography, Rick and I thanked our hosts and made our goodbyes. As a parting gift, the older guy tossed me a plastic Old Joe’s token coin, “Good for one beer.”
Next time I’m in Lincoln, Illinois, I will be sure to redeem it — no matter what time of day it is.
Damn, I should have bought a tee shirt
000 About This Series
From April 12 through April 20, 2025, I was on a Route 66 Photography Adventure (The Trip) with three good friends and like minded photographers. This series is recap of The Trip in stories and images.
All of the images were shot on that historic road or within a couple of miles of it. Neither the images nor stories are necessarily presented in chronological order.
Enjoying the series? Drop a comment.