A New Bar With Frozen Mojitos and a Miami Vibe Is Coming to Wicker Park This Month

A bar designed to bring a lighthearted Miami vibe to Wicker Park will open late this month with custom graffiti art and draft cocktails. Wynwood, named in tribute to Florida’s outdoor street art destination Wynwood Walls and the trendy surrounding neighborhood, is slated to open at 1560 N. Milwaukee Avenue on July 26. The opening is timed to coincide with this year’s Wicker Park Fest, which runs through July 28.

Wynwood’s walls will feature graffiti art, such as images of elephants and a woman with flowing hair, by local painter Fidel Rodriguez of Artspace 8. Co-owner Samantha Lukaszewski, a former bartender with 15 years of experience in the Chicago bar industry and current branding expert at Diageo, described the aesthetic as “graffiti glam,” and said the art is designed to “pop” but not overwhelm. A photo of a wall that appears to be inside the space is available on Facebook.

The 5,000 square-foot bar, which formerly housed longtime neighborhood bar High Noon Saloon, seats 75 inside and includes a small cafe patio. Bright pink upholstered couches will be available for lounging, as well as high top tables and bar seats. A vintage mirror placed above the bar will reflect the art on the wall behind, allowing customers to take in the designs from a range of vantage points. The space also includes a DJ booth, and Lukaszewski said owners are considering tropical-themed sets for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Lukaszewski is still developing the bar menu, but said that there will be three draft cocktails as well as a frozen mojito. Draft options will include a colorful tropical drink, a Maker’s Mark 46 Old Fashioned, and a spicy Paloma. Bar staff may collaborate in the future with mixer-purveyor Fever Tree as well. The bar menu also offer low-ABV and trendy zero-proof cocktails in an effort to create a welcoming environment for all. “We want people to feel like don’t need to drink to feel like you’re a part of the community,” Lukaszewski said. “It’ll be a place where everybody feels welcome.”

Wynwood’s food menu will highlight familiar American bar fare with a few Miami additions, such as a Cubano sandwich and ceviche. Customers can also expect a burger, tacos, and wings, though the menu is not yet finalized. Wynwood will offer limited food and drink options during Wicker Park Fest, Lukaszewski said, as part of a larger effort to let the bar develop organically. “We want to let the neighborhood see us and see what we need to do for the neighborhood as well,” she said.

Stay tuned for more as Wynwood’s opening date grows closer.