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A large, sunny seating area inside a wine bar.
A glass of wine can turn any hour into a happy one.
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

Where to Find Chicago’s Best Happy Hours

Tried-and-true drink deals all over town

by Naomi Waxman and Ashok Selvam Updated
View as Map
A glass of wine can turn any hour into a happy one.
| Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
by Naomi Waxman and Ashok Selvam Updated

In the grand scheme of things, happy hour is a relatively recent phenomenon in Chicago. Lawmakers only allowed drink specials in 2015, overturning a longstanding state law that barred the practice citing safety concerns. In the intervening years, locals have (unsurprisingly) embraced the phenomenon, sometimes using food and drink deals as a way to check out a spot that’s too pricey for a full meal.

For a breakdown of can’t-miss happy hours from Andersonville to Bronzeville, explore the map below. Schedules, prices, and menus can vary significantly with little notice, so patrons would be wise to check out a venue’s website before making plans.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar

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This Andersonville bar is known for multi-course dinners paired elegantly with wine or unique cocktails. Its happy hour regularly attracts neighborhood fans with deals on bubbly, cocktail shrimp, and oysters.

5553 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 654-1432
(773) 654-1432

Also featured in:

Eli Tea Bar

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This LGBTQ-friendly cafe and sober bar in Andersonville hosts plenty of daily events including drag bingo and trivia. The bar, which specializes in tea, doesn’t offer happy hour specials, but for those who want to gather without booze, Eli Tea provides a tranquil space without judgments.

5507 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 961-7111
(773) 961-7111
A person pours tea out of a teapot into one of three glass mugs filled with red tea, fruit, and cinnamon sticks.
Michigan-based Eli Tea has opened an outpost in Andersonville.
Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

Also featured in:

Nobody's Darling

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Nobody’s Darling has been a revelation since opening, bringing tons of energy to an otherwise quiet stretch of residential Andersonville. While this bar isn’t located near downtown, it has turned into a destination, particularly for LGBTQ Chicagoans. That vibe is more important than any drink special, thus making it a great choice for happy hour.

1744 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 654-3345
(773) 654-3345
A hand places an orange peel garnish inside a rocks glass on a bar top.
Nobody’s Darling is one of just two Black-owned queer bars in Chicago.
Garrett Sweet/Eater Chicago

Also featured in:

The Victor Bar

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The Victor Bar was a pioneer in bringing top-notch cocktails to a neighborhood tavern. Other bars have followed the template, giving drinkers a choice away from downtown for fancy drinks. The bar’s decor is meant to evoke Paris, and it’s an attractive, unpretentious spot to catch up with friends or meet for an early date. 

4011 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Le Sud Mediterranean Kitchen

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Diners and drinkers across Chicago beat a path to this French Mediterranean restaurant in Roscoe Village, and for good reason: excellent hospitality, attractive digs, and a transportive menu that delights year-round. Grab a spot on the patio (enclosed when necessary) for happy hour cocktails, wines, and small plates like Spanish croquettes.

2301 W Roscoe St, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 857-1985
(773) 857-1985

Also featured in:

Sleeping Village

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The team behind Logan Square’s Whistler unveiled this come-as-you-are Avondale haunt in 2018 and rapidly attracted a cadre of loyal fans with a sizable lineup of cider and sour beers, as well as a wide variety of live music acts. Happy hour specials are plentiful and vary throughout the week.

3734 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 654-3971
(773) 654-3971

Also featured in:

Mother's Ruin

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Mother’s Ruin is the Chicago outpost of a popular N.Y. bar that delivers on making this classy dive feel like a welcoming bar run by locals. There are daily food and drink specials (the food menu is criminally underrated with tasty burgers and fried chicken sandwiches). The danger here is coming for happy hour and feeling so great that you let your hair down and stay longer than anticipated. It might be a slow morning after.

2943 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Also featured in:

J9 Wine Bar

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This Lincoln Park wine bar thrives thanks to the after-theater crowd (Steppenwolf is down the street), plus after-dinner groups thanks to the myriad of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ restaurants in the area. It recently underwent a major expansion which makes it more comfortable when some of the world’s best wine producers show up to show off their brands for happy hour.

1961 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 982-2488
(312) 982-2488
A spacious and airy wine bar.
J9 owner Sonya Mlodzek grew up next to the property where the bar now stands.
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

Also featured in:

Dorian’s

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This Wicker Park bar sports the best sound system of any happy hour venue, as it was built around music. Concerts happen regularly on the stage, and customers will have to enter through an actual record store where patrons can thumb through vinyl on display. The bar offers cocktail specials Wednesday through Sunday. Check social media for the latest. Dorian’s is perfect for those who want to hear live music inside an intimate and well designed space.

1939 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 687-9824
(773) 687-9824

Also featured in:

Sparrow

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One of the city’s best bars is tucked behind Rush and Division and Mariano Park. For drinkers fed up with those shenanigans, Sparrow is a moody spot patterned off of Havana’s rum bars. Find draft beer and wine specials Wednesday through Friday.

12 W Elm St, Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 725-0732
(312) 725-0732

Also featured in:

Rootstock Wine & Beer Bar

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One of Chicago’s top spots for a glass of wine and thoughtful food, Rootstock is unlike any other bar in the city thanks to a cutting-edge wine selection and a decor that’s part Europe, part New York City. This is the type of happy hour spot for those who aren’t too buttoned up.

954 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 292-1616
(773) 292-1616

Also featured in:

Le Select

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An over-the-top brasserie from James Beard Award-winning Boka Restaurant Group, Le Select is a dazzling visual spectacle in the former home of infamous clubstaurant Bottled Blonde. Bask in the glitzy, cavernous space at happy hour with $10 cocktails and wines by the glass, plus burgers, oysters, and other bites.

504 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 896-4504
(312) 896-4504

Also featured in:

The Drop In

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Neighborhood dive The Drop In, housed in the former home of shuttered bar The Swill Inn, makes for a fun hang with easy-drinking cocktails like the Disco Flip (mezcal, musk melon, cucumber, lime). It’s also home to NADC Burger, a pop-up collaboration from local pro skateboarder Neen Williams and chef Phillip Frankland Lee of behind omakase restaurant Sushi by Scratch.

415 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60654

Tribe Supper Club

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Those seeking a stylish happy hour setting and cocktails to match can check all the boxes at Tribe Supper Club, a bar, restaurant, and nightlife venue that channels the Caribbean in West Loop. Specials extend to both food and drink such as jerk chicken Caesar wraps and peach froze margaritas.

1239 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
(773) 580-8729
(773) 580-8729

The Loyalist

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The Loyalist offers ambitious diners with moderate budgets (ones that don’t allow for, say, opulent tasting menus) a chance to try dishes from decorated chefs John and Karen Urie Shields without breaking the bank. Located downstairs from two-Michelin-star sister restaurant Smyth, its happy hour is also attractive for deal-seekers with $11 cocktails and snacky bites.

177 N Ada St #001, Chicago, IL 60607
(773) 913-3774
(773) 913-3774

Also featured in:

More in Maps

Lone Wolf

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This bar is styled like a dive giving patrons along trendy Randolph Street a more casual breed of tavern that specializes in cocktails and beers from Three Floyds Brewing. The food comes from Claudio Velez, Chicago’s legendary Tamale Guy. Find daily cocktail, shot and beer, and other specials on late weekday afternoons with the exception of Friday when the specials start late morning.

806 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 600-9391
(312) 600-9391

Also featured in:

Bar Mar by José Andrés

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Operated locally by Gibsons Restaurant Group, Bar Mar is a splashy seafood spot that bears José Andrés’s name (he’s the famous humanitarian chef behind World Central Kitchen). The space is gorgeous with large glass windows and two bars on the first floor (the second-floor steakhouse is a separate operation). Bar Mar was made for the happy hour crowd. Find plenty of raw bar items and fancy drinks with elaborate presentations.

120 N Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 820-6602
(312) 820-6602

Also featured in:

Ceres Cafe

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Inside the Board of Trade building, Ceres Cafe carries a reputation for serving some of the city’s most powerful. It’s open for breakfast in the morning, which is a blessing or a curse. There are weekday specials, but a can of coke and glass of rum might be the most special drink offered at a Chicago bar.

141 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 427-3443
(312) 427-3443

Also featured in:

Nine Bar

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Nine Bar is Chinatown’s only dedicated cocktail bar, tucked behind a swinging door inside Moon Palace Express. The interiors are dark and loungey, with a few small tables for those seeking to indulge in the flavor-packed menu (the McKatsu sandwich and mapo hot fries are highlights). The drinks are also no joke, looking to Thailand and China for inspiration. Every visit to Nine Bar is a happy hour.

216 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 225-4081
(312) 225-4081
A green cocktail in a tall collins glass with a red dragon print.
Nine Bar is Chinatown’s first devoted cocktail spot.
Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

Also featured in:

Bronzeville Winery

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It’s a new day at Bronzeville Winery with the spring arrival of chef Lamar Moore (Eleven Eleven, Currency Exchange Cafe), one of the highest-profile Black chefs in Chicago. The pretty, polished spot obviously leans toward wine and features a list from star sommelier Derrick Westbrook.

4420 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60653
(872) 244-7065
(872) 244-7065

Also featured in:

More in Maps

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Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar

5553 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640

This Andersonville bar is known for multi-course dinners paired elegantly with wine or unique cocktails. Its happy hour regularly attracts neighborhood fans with deals on bubbly, cocktail shrimp, and oysters.

5553 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 654-1432
(773) 654-1432

Eli Tea Bar

5507 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640

This LGBTQ-friendly cafe and sober bar in Andersonville hosts plenty of daily events including drag bingo and trivia. The bar, which specializes in tea, doesn’t offer happy hour specials, but for those who want to gather without booze, Eli Tea provides a tranquil space without judgments.

5507 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 961-7111
(773) 961-7111
A person pours tea out of a teapot into one of three glass mugs filled with red tea, fruit, and cinnamon sticks.
Michigan-based Eli Tea has opened an outpost in Andersonville.
Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

Nobody's Darling

1744 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

Nobody’s Darling has been a revelation since opening, bringing tons of energy to an otherwise quiet stretch of residential Andersonville. While this bar isn’t located near downtown, it has turned into a destination, particularly for LGBTQ Chicagoans. That vibe is more important than any drink special, thus making it a great choice for happy hour.

1744 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 654-3345
(773) 654-3345
A hand places an orange peel garnish inside a rocks glass on a bar top.
Nobody’s Darling is one of just two Black-owned queer bars in Chicago.
Garrett Sweet/Eater Chicago

The Victor Bar

4011 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

The Victor Bar was a pioneer in bringing top-notch cocktails to a neighborhood tavern. Other bars have followed the template, giving drinkers a choice away from downtown for fancy drinks. The bar’s decor is meant to evoke Paris, and it’s an attractive, unpretentious spot to catch up with friends or meet for an early date. 

4011 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Le Sud Mediterranean Kitchen

2301 W Roscoe St, Chicago, IL 60618

Diners and drinkers across Chicago beat a path to this French Mediterranean restaurant in Roscoe Village, and for good reason: excellent hospitality, attractive digs, and a transportive menu that delights year-round. Grab a spot on the patio (enclosed when necessary) for happy hour cocktails, wines, and small plates like Spanish croquettes.

2301 W Roscoe St, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 857-1985
(773) 857-1985

Sleeping Village

3734 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

The team behind Logan Square’s Whistler unveiled this come-as-you-are Avondale haunt in 2018 and rapidly attracted a cadre of loyal fans with a sizable lineup of cider and sour beers, as well as a wide variety of live music acts. Happy hour specials are plentiful and vary throughout the week.

3734 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 654-3971
(773) 654-3971

Mother's Ruin

2943 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Mother’s Ruin is the Chicago outpost of a popular N.Y. bar that delivers on making this classy dive feel like a welcoming bar run by locals. There are daily food and drink specials (the food menu is criminally underrated with tasty burgers and fried chicken sandwiches). The danger here is coming for happy hour and feeling so great that you let your hair down and stay longer than anticipated. It might be a slow morning after.

2943 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

J9 Wine Bar

1961 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614

This Lincoln Park wine bar thrives thanks to the after-theater crowd (Steppenwolf is down the street), plus after-dinner groups thanks to the myriad of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ restaurants in the area. It recently underwent a major expansion which makes it more comfortable when some of the world’s best wine producers show up to show off their brands for happy hour.

1961 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 982-2488
(312) 982-2488
A spacious and airy wine bar.
J9 owner Sonya Mlodzek grew up next to the property where the bar now stands.
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

Dorian’s

1939 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

This Wicker Park bar sports the best sound system of any happy hour venue, as it was built around music. Concerts happen regularly on the stage, and customers will have to enter through an actual record store where patrons can thumb through vinyl on display. The bar offers cocktail specials Wednesday through Sunday. Check social media for the latest. Dorian’s is perfect for those who want to hear live music inside an intimate and well designed space.

1939 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 687-9824
(773) 687-9824

Sparrow

12 W Elm St, Chicago, IL 60610

One of the city’s best bars is tucked behind Rush and Division and Mariano Park. For drinkers fed up with those shenanigans, Sparrow is a moody spot patterned off of Havana’s rum bars. Find draft beer and wine specials Wednesday through Friday.

12 W Elm St, Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 725-0732
(312) 725-0732

Rootstock Wine & Beer Bar

954 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

One of Chicago’s top spots for a glass of wine and thoughtful food, Rootstock is unlike any other bar in the city thanks to a cutting-edge wine selection and a decor that’s part Europe, part New York City. This is the type of happy hour spot for those who aren’t too buttoned up.

954 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 292-1616
(773) 292-1616

Le Select

504 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654

An over-the-top brasserie from James Beard Award-winning Boka Restaurant Group, Le Select is a dazzling visual spectacle in the former home of infamous clubstaurant Bottled Blonde. Bask in the glitzy, cavernous space at happy hour with $10 cocktails and wines by the glass, plus burgers, oysters, and other bites.

504 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 896-4504
(312) 896-4504

The Drop In

415 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60654

Neighborhood dive The Drop In, housed in the former home of shuttered bar The Swill Inn, makes for a fun hang with easy-drinking cocktails like the Disco Flip (mezcal, musk melon, cucumber, lime). It’s also home to NADC Burger, a pop-up collaboration from local pro skateboarder Neen Williams and chef Phillip Frankland Lee of behind omakase restaurant Sushi by Scratch.

415 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60654

Tribe Supper Club

1239 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607

Those seeking a stylish happy hour setting and cocktails to match can check all the boxes at Tribe Supper Club, a bar, restaurant, and nightlife venue that channels the Caribbean in West Loop. Specials extend to both food and drink such as jerk chicken Caesar wraps and peach froze margaritas.

1239 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
(773) 580-8729
(773) 580-8729

The Loyalist

177 N Ada St #001, Chicago, IL 60607

The Loyalist offers ambitious diners with moderate budgets (ones that don’t allow for, say, opulent tasting menus) a chance to try dishes from decorated chefs John and Karen Urie Shields without breaking the bank. Located downstairs from two-Michelin-star sister restaurant Smyth, its happy hour is also attractive for deal-seekers with $11 cocktails and snacky bites.

177 N Ada St #001, Chicago, IL 60607
(773) 913-3774
(773) 913-3774

Related Maps

Lone Wolf

806 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607

This bar is styled like a dive giving patrons along trendy Randolph Street a more casual breed of tavern that specializes in cocktails and beers from Three Floyds Brewing. The food comes from Claudio Velez, Chicago’s legendary Tamale Guy. Find daily cocktail, shot and beer, and other specials on late weekday afternoons with the exception of Friday when the specials start late morning.

806 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 600-9391
(312) 600-9391

Bar Mar by José Andrés

120 N Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606

Operated locally by Gibsons Restaurant Group, Bar Mar is a splashy seafood spot that bears José Andrés’s name (he’s the famous humanitarian chef behind World Central Kitchen). The space is gorgeous with large glass windows and two bars on the first floor (the second-floor steakhouse is a separate operation). Bar Mar was made for the happy hour crowd. Find plenty of raw bar items and fancy drinks with elaborate presentations.

120 N Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 820-6602
(312) 820-6602

Ceres Cafe

141 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604

Inside the Board of Trade building, Ceres Cafe carries a reputation for serving some of the city’s most powerful. It’s open for breakfast in the morning, which is a blessing or a curse. There are weekday specials, but a can of coke and glass of rum might be the most special drink offered at a Chicago bar.

141 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 427-3443
(312) 427-3443

Nine Bar

216 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60616

Nine Bar is Chinatown’s only dedicated cocktail bar, tucked behind a swinging door inside Moon Palace Express. The interiors are dark and loungey, with a few small tables for those seeking to indulge in the flavor-packed menu (the McKatsu sandwich and mapo hot fries are highlights). The drinks are also no joke, looking to Thailand and China for inspiration. Every visit to Nine Bar is a happy hour.

216 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 225-4081
(312) 225-4081
A green cocktail in a tall collins glass with a red dragon print.
Nine Bar is Chinatown’s first devoted cocktail spot.
Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

Bronzeville Winery

4420 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60653

It’s a new day at Bronzeville Winery with the spring arrival of chef Lamar Moore (Eleven Eleven, Currency Exchange Cafe), one of the highest-profile Black chefs in Chicago. The pretty, polished spot obviously leans toward wine and features a list from star sommelier Derrick Westbrook.

4420 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60653
(872) 244-7065
(872) 244-7065

Related Maps