Nightlife
Save for a few designated dry wards (usually determined by vote), nearly every neighborhood in Chicago boasts at least a couple of bars. When tallied up across the city, according to a writer with the Chicago Bar Project (www.chibarproject.com), there are about 1,800. They vary from old-timey kinds of places to red-velvet-rope hot spots. They fit every style, mood, personality, and budget. They have live bands and DJs or loads of flat-screen TVs; they let you come as you are or require some fancier duds; they have long wine lists and handcrafted martinis, or just cheap beer and spicy wings. Some focus on entertainment, while others complement cocktails with gourmet dining menus. A few are practically brand-new, and others are long-established institutions. With so many options to choose from, you could try a different place every night. Or hop around to several in one night—and into the wee hours of the morning, as some are open until 5 a.m.
Nightlife - Performing Arts
Before tackling this chapter, I thought about how to distinguish it from other sections. After all, “the arts” could feasibly encompass everything from the culinary arts to the visual arts, from local music acts to comedy troupes. So, to give it a shape and style of its own, I confined the category to traditional theater, music, and dance venues and ensembles. Plus, I included art and indie movie houses in a sidebar. You’ll find all the other aspects of arts in other chapters; for instance, comedy clubs and blues clubs are in Nightlife; art museums are in Attractions & Museums; and a bit of information about Chicago art galleries is in the Shopping chapter.
First, about those theaters: There are more than 200 of them in Chicago, from storefront theaters presenting shoestring productions to incredible Loop venues showing million-dollar Broadway-style spectacles. Chicago’s theater scene pulses with an energy all its own, making it one of the best places to be an actor at any stage of one’s career and perhaps even more thrilling to be an audience member. Find out why Lookingglass Theatre won a Tony for best regional theater; snag tickets to a production at the Steppenwolf, where a long list of now-famous actors earned their stripes; see Shakespeare done right at one of the top tourist attractions in the state; catch a Tony-winning musical at a historic Loop theater; or get down-and-dirty and up-close-and-personal with some of the most cutting-edge ensembles on stages across the country today.
The Chicago dance and musical groups included here garner international acclaim and represent all forms of dance, from classic to contemporary, ballet to tap, and music from an a cappella choir to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Because Chicago has so many amazing live-performance venues, those are scattered throughout too. They are the places that play the welcoming host, whether to a rock band or to an off-Loop theater troupe, and their calendars are always full of fascinating and entertaining events. When it makes sense, costs are included, but in most cases, no prices are given, as they vary depending on what’s going on and when. Now, go ahead, take your seats and enjoy the show.
1. Big Star
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (773) 235-4039
Address: 1531 N. Damen Ave.
Description: Expect a wait for service and a stool at this tequila-happy hangout; tables are few, though warm months open up the spacious front patio. The vibe is low-key hipster (this is Wicker Park, after all), sporting simple concrete floors and honky-tonk tunes. With co-partner Paul Kahan of Blackbird fame behind the scenes, you won’t be disappointed by the Tex-Mex menu, either, including a mouthwatering pork belly taco and amazingly inexpensive homemade guac and chips. Cocktails with fitting names like the Stockyard Pony and Sarsaparilla Springs accompany an intriguing list of mostly 5-buck bottled and on-tap brews; an extensive list of true Kentucky-made whiskeys, and a couple dozen tequilas and mezcals. Open daily for lunch, dinner, and late-night.
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Address: 2210 N. California Ave.
3. Bonny’s
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (773) 486-8480
Address: 2417 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Description: Walls covered in wood paneling (exterior and interior), red lights, stiff drinks, a chalkboard of inexpensive craft beer options—plus, the requisite PBR on draft, if you must—guys in baseball caps shooting the breeze on simple black swivel stools. It’s all part of the laid-back charm of this casual beyond-the-fray Logan Square hang. What people love is that it’s open till 4 a.m. (Sat till 5 a.m.), has a photo booth to capture those inebriated poses with your posse, and conversation-level danceable DJ-spun ’80s and ’90s mixes. What isn’t as great: the cash-only policy (there’s an ATM by the bathrooms), but that’s the way it is at this neighborhood bar. Open Sun through Thurs from 10 p.m., Fri and Sat starting at 9 p.m.
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Address: 1002 N. California Ave.
5. Fountainhead
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (773) 697-8204
Address: 1970 W. Montrose Ave.
Description: This trendy corner tavern had its Ravenswood neighbors practically knocking down the door before it opened—they needed something like this (there’s not much bar action around), and it delivers for them happily. The Ayn Rand novel of the same name doesn’t have much to do with this place, say the owners, except the “craftsmanship” that they aim for in their food (mussels, burgers, mac and cheese) and drink. A mahogany bar, fireplace, hardwood floors, and ambient lighting attract young couples and groups of friends. Sample from the impressive and ever-evolving list of small-batch and craft brews on tap and in bottles, or the wicked-good whiskey menu. Open from 4 p.m. Mon through Fri, plus lunch on Sat and brunch and late lunch on Sun.
6. Late Bar
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (773) 267-5283
Address: 3534 W. Belmont Ave.
Description: Considering this Avondale bar doesn’t even open until 10 p.m. and serves practically till dawn, its name fits just right. Whether you fit in here is up to you: Goth reigns, along with a little punk, ska, and even 1980s flashback. For instance, you’ll feel right at home with hot pink hair, a mohawk perhaps, ripped stockings, and thigh-high black leather boots. Such attire would be especially suitable for Saturday’s Planet Earth night, a beloved New Wave club night spawned by veteran DJs Kristine Hengl and Dave Roberts nearly two decades ago for other clubs until they opened Late Bar together a few years back. Cash only. Open Tues through Sat; closed Sun and Mon.
7. Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (773) 890-0588
Address: 960 W. 31st St.
Insider Pick:
Description: It’s not fancy, but this Bridgeport bar and liquor store has an artsy grass-roots feel—overhead lights made from beer bottles, a tin ceiling, local artwork along the walls, and an easy merging of old-timers and young. There are 18 taps, literally hundreds in bottles and most sold in their store coolers too, from Ace Pear Cider to Three Floyds Zombie Dust. Plus, fun reasonably priced cocktails like the Marszewski Mule (Smirnoff vodka, lime juice, and Goslings ginger beer), named for brothers Ed and Mike and mom Maria who own the place. Look for drink specials like dollar-off deals. The liquor store is open from 11 a.m. daily; the bar is open from 4 p.m. daily.
8. Matchbox
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (312) 666-9292
Address: 770 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Description: Plan to get up close and personal with the people around you at this long and skinny—just a few feet wide at its narrowest—River West favorite. Bartenders banter, strangers become friends, and the drinks are top-notch. They’ve been mixing classic gimlets and old-fashioneds, and fruit-infusing their alcohol since before it was trendy again; be sure to request a brandy-soaked cherry (or two). Open nightly.
9. Moe’s Cantina
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (312) 245-2000
Address: 155 W. Kinzie St.
Description: Lots of space, lots of flat-screen TVs for sports-watching, made-from-scratch caipirinhas, margaritas, and mojitos, plates full of shareable Latin-influenced nibbles, and gaggles of pretty young things dressed to party. Located in River North, this Moe’s (the original is in Lakeview, 3518 N. Clark St., 773-248-0002) is perfectly placed for letting loose after work and then hopping on the nearby El for the ride home. Huge retractable doors open up for an indoor-outdoor experience when it’s warm. Be patient: When it’s packed, as it often is after 10 p.m. on the weekends, it might mean waiting a bit for that drink. Open from lunch through late night.
10. Sheffield’s
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (773) 281-4989
Address: 3258 N. Sheffield Ave.
Insider Pick:
Description: Close but not crazy-close to Wrigley Field, this handsome bar in the Lakeview ’hood has been in business since 1980 and was one of the first bars to offer craft brews. It still has a rock-solid list of bottles like Lagunitas IPA, Left Hand Milk Stout, and Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale, as well as an equally interesting selection of nearly 20 beers on tap. The menu gives great descriptions, so go ahead and experiment. Order some of their mouthwatering barbecue (the sauce was created right here) and grab a seat out back during summer for a perfect combo. Or sing for your supper at the bimonthly open mic night. Open daily for lunch, dinner, and late-night (kitchen closes a few hours before the bar).
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Address: 960 W. 18th St.
12. Sweetwater
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (312) 698-7111
Address: 225 N. Michigan Ave.
Description: A solidly work-friendly Loop location at South Water Street and Michigan Avenue attracts hungry crowds at lunch and happy hour to this stylish sports bar. Huge street-level picture windows (i.e., good for people-watching), curved booths, long communal high tables, finished cement floors, stone-brick columns and walls, and the glow of 23 flat-panel TVs draw them in. The 70 beers are conveniently categorized by type—like white and wheat, lambics, fruit-infused, seasonal—and comfort-bar-food menu runs from entree-size salads to juicy burgers, chicken potpie to lamb chops. Gluten-free options too. Open Mon through Sat for lunch, dinner, and late night; Sat and Sun open for brunch through dinner.
13. B.L.U.E.S.
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (773) 528-1012
Address: 2519 N. Halsted St.
Description: Go ahead and get the blues at this DePaul University area club, whose claim is as “the oldest blues bar in the world with live blues 365 days a year.” Sure enough, musicians like Otis Clay, Eddie Clearwater, Big Time Sarah, and Pistol Pete pack ’em in early at this cozy spot for honest-to-goodness goodtime blues. And if you’re not a blues aficionado, there are enough regulars to get you up to speed. On Sunday, get more blues for your buck with reciprocal admission to Kingston Mines. Cover $5 to $10. Open nightly at 8 p.m.; music starts at 9:30 p.m.
14. Blue Chicago
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (312) 661-0100
Address: 536 N. Clark St.
Description: Its River North locale makes Blue Chicago a lively treat for tourists. Try to save a table at the far end of the bar to get a closer vantage point for the totally local, often female singers who belt it out from the intimate stage. But the excellent acoustics make any seat a good seat. There’s no food here, so eat before or after. Cover $8 on weeknights, $10 weekends. Open nightly.
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Nightlife
Address: 700 S. Wabash Ave.