Peek Inside Flamingo Rum Club, River North’s New Caribbean Cabaret

Some folks walking past Flamingo Rum Club over on Wells and Ohio streets may have seen the doors ajar, leading to a glimpse of the collaboration between Adolfo Garcia (Broken English Taco Pub, Early Society) and Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants. There’s a cabaret component to the project at 601 N. Wells St., and dancers have been rehearsing, providing a layer of authenticity to the Caribbean experience.

A rep didn’t provide an update to when Flamingo Rum Club would open, as the project was announced last year. The restaurant’s Facebook page only reads "opening fall 2016." They’re still in the hiring phase.

The food and drinks will have a Cuban focus, giving River North a second Cuban restaurant, as Havana is about an eight-minute walk south of Flamingo Rum Club. The Tippling Bros., the bartending duo that created the drinks for the now-shuttered Tippling Hall, are creating the cocktails for Garcia and Co. The interiors are meant to evoke Cuba during the 1940s and 50s. Look at the photos to see cement tiles imported from the Dominican Republic and there’s palm tree wallpaper near the gold leaf oval ceilings.

Restrictions between Cuban/American imports may have been eased, but reps are still tight-lipped about this project. Stay tuned for more.