Wagner Hardware

They used to give out rulers to kids who came in with their parents. I still have mine.
My mom goes here all the time and can’t tell me about her home improvement projects without humming Die Walkure.

The feel of this shop is sorta like a mom-​and-​pop store. Very friendly service, very homey feel. Excellent location. I have no other hardware store to compare them to for prices, so from what I experienced, it is an excellent establishment.

Another reliable hardware store with great service! The only downside here is the prices, which are 10−15% higher (at least) on most things than you’d pay elsewhere… if they were to have your needed widget elsewhere, that is.
Wagner’s has paint, plumbing things, all sorts of house repair things, tools, and every nut, bolt, and washer under the sun. The back counter is a marvelous place — an employee will actually help you match your screw/​nail/​whatever to what you need/​want to purchase, rather than leaving you to paw through bins and hope that your doodad isn’t metric. They also cut chain and duplicate keys back here, politely and efficiently.
Wagner’s gets my business when I’m not quite sure what I need, or when I need something a little out of the ordinary. Their hours and parking aren’t always convenient, but their Rice Village location definitely can be. Besides, we all know that I’m a sucker for service.