River North’s First Dart Bar, Opening Tonight, Takes Aim at Boring Bars

River North’s bars can be somewhat homogeneous, and that’s something Point & Feather wants to help alleviate when the dart-focused bar opens Thursday night. Adolfo Garcia (Broken English Taco Pub) aspires to build a spot where the music goes beyond the top 40 and where party people sip on gin cocktails instead of just pounding Jameson or Fireball. And if they want, they can hurl a few darts inside the former Mercer 113 space at 113 W. Hubbard Street.

The 12 dart stations are part of the design; it’s not like an arcade bar — check out photos of here. Sure, the speakers will blare a radio-friendly single from time to time and bartenders will be more than happy to set customers up with shots of their choice, but Garcia wants to give the neighborhood a new casual option. After a shuffle last week, Garcia has brought in chef Ryan Wombacher (Hampton Social). He’s put together a straight forward, protein-packed menu with tomahawk steaks, pork, belly, and fancy gyros. The small plates are meant to be enjoyed while playing a game: There’s corn dogs, baos, and meatballs.

The drink list is gin focused. Emily deKanter, who created Garcia’s drinks at Broken English, has developed nine signature cocktails. “The Matcha Pea Shoot” mixes gin, thyme liqueur, egg white, lemon, sugar snap pea, and matcha. There’s six draft beers and all 16 wine selections are available by the glass or bottle. They’ll also have happy hours specials.

Courtesy of Point & Feather

While Garcia came up with the concept, Point & Feather is another bar/restaurant from Roman and Sammy Sanchez. Chicagoans know the brothers from John Barleycorn, Old Crow, and more. Sammy Sanchez was involved in the group that ran Mercer 113.

Check out the full food and drink menus below. Point & Feather opens on Thursday night.

Point & Feather, 113 W. Hubbard Street, (312) 595-0113, open 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Tuesday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday.