A northwest Illinois ‘Cheers’: Stockton bar and grill has been a staple for 30 years

STOCKTON – If you ever wondered where Sam Malone from “Cheers” wound up after the sitcom’s highly-rated series finale in 1993, check inside a Stockton bar and grill.

For three decades, Dan Bergman has seen some people at The Corner Tap do a double take: Are they seeing a fictional former Boston Red Sox pitcher, or a longtime local businessman behind the bar?

Whatever the case may be, Bergman has taken his resemblance to actor and sitcom suds-slinger Ted Danson in stride, and even leans into it with a good-natured smile, creating an atmosphere where friends are family and where everybody knows your know name — even when they give you someone else’s.

“It’s like in ‘Cheers,’ everyone calls me ‘Sammy,’” Bergman said. “Everyone knows everyone, and we’re all kind of like family.”

The Corner Tap will observe 30 years of business in October, but it’s been a bar for much longer than that, “since at least the ‘40s,” Bergman said; it was previously known as B&L’s Friendly Tap before Bergman, originally from Chicago, bought it upon moving to the area to be closer to family.

Folks not familiar with the place might do a double take outside, too. If not for the tell-tale signs of a tavern, out front and in the windows, you might think it’s someone’s house: a brown-two story with a small yard out front and a fenced-in backyard — but that homey vibe fits well with a place where the welcome mat is always out.

“It’s a lot of hours I work, but for the most part the people that come in are happy and interacting with each other, and I enjoy doing that,” Bergman said. “I’m kind of a smart-ass, so maybe people will laugh, and we get a lot of humor out of that as well.”

All sorts of foods — pizzas, burgers, salads and a variety of sandwiches – make up the menu, and there’s also a few items for the kids as well. Some of the appetizers include mini tacos, cheddar cheese balls, broccoli bites and jalapeno poppers; and for the salad lovers, there’s tossed salad and a chef variety with ham, steak or chicken — plain, buffalo or Cajun styles. The sandwich selection includes chicken cordon bleu, egg salad, a Reuben, Philly, Italian beef, and even a chicken strip sandwich.

Wednesdays are taco days. Lunch specials, such as meat loaf, lasagna, and hot beef and mashed potatoes, also are available, and they bring people through the door just as much as the beer does.

“We get a lot of people who come in during the lunch hour for our specials, because they know they’ll get something like what someone will cook for them at home,” Bergman said. “It’s the same here.”

Burgers come with one-third or half-pound patties, and for those who like them hot, there’s a Mexican burger with jalapenos and nacho cheese. The farmer fries — ground beef with fries and nacho cheese — are another menu item that can come with various toppings.

The pizza oven fires up just before 5 p.m., and with Bergman’s roots, it’s no surprise that there’s Chicago-style pizza on the menu. It’s a popular seller that comes in 10-, 12- or 14-inch sizes. Along with the usual gamut of popular toppings, there’s also sauerkraut, jalapenos and Canadian bacon and pineapple. Thin crust and pan style pizzas also are available.

“Most of the pizzas we sell are thin crust, but with the Chicago style, you had better like cheese if you want to order one of those,” Bergman said. “The sauce is on the very top of the pizza after it’s cooked, instead of the bottom. We get a lot of people who order them all of the time.”

One of the specialty pizzas is a Reuben style, topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing and two kinds of cheeses. The pizza has the luck — and leftovers — of the Irish to thank for its place on the menu.

“One year, after St. Patrick’s Day, we had a lot of leftover corned beef and cabbage, and one of the girls who worked here said, ‘Let’s make a Reuben pizza, just like a Reuben,’” Bergman said. “It has thousand island dressing, Swiss and Mozzarella cheese, corned beef, and that is one hell of a good pizza, we sell a lot of those, too.”

Taking a tip from a waitress is typical of Bergman’s approach to running the bar. His team of 15 cooks and waitresses is a big part of his bar’s success, and they enjoy the friendly and fun atmosphere there.

“It’s not successful just because of me, though,” Bergman said. “If I didn’t have the employees I’ve had for 30 years, I wouldn’t even be here.”

Bergman has seen his share of people come and go through his 30 years, and he’s even rubbed off on some of them, who’ve carried some of what they’ve learned from him to other jobs, whether it’s his sense of humor or ideas for the menu at their own bar and grill, like the Reuben pizza

Caitlynn Snyder has been a bartender at The Corner Tap for 12 years, and is one of Bergman’s most experienced employees. She’s taken a liking to his humor and understanding, she said.

“This guy right here [points to Bergman], to know ‘Sammy,’ he’s the most caring, probably the best person you could work for,” Snyder said. “He, all around, would drop anything for you.”

In the bar’s fenced in back yard, there’s shaded seating, restrooms, cornhole boards and a grill, space that can be rented out for private parties or other events. Inside, gambling machines are available for those who want to try their luck.

After 30 years in business, Bergman has found the formula to keep his customers happy, creating a place where folks are happy to raise a glass and say “Cheers!”

“I hope they make some friends, enjoy themselves and want to come back,” Bergman said. “Maybe you’ll want to be friends with some of the people and want to hang out with them.”

Order up

The Corner Tap, 128 North Main St. in downtown Stockton, is open from 10 to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 to 1 a.m. Sunday. Pizza orders begin at 5 p.m. daily.

Find it on Facebook, go to cornertapbar.com or call 815-947-2067 to place a carryout order or for more information.