BAR GUIDE: 4 AM BARS
These are but a few of the hundreds of bar suggestions available at chicagoreader.com/ barguide. Bottoms up!
ALICE’S LOUNGE
AVONDALE One of the best worst decisions you can make on a Saturday night at 3 AM, Alice’s is quite probably the city’s best late-night karaoke spot. Filled with laser lights, fog, and the clever and off-color quips of karaoke keeper Fred Wood, the “stage” is often surrounded by a host of locals swigging domestics and singing along to every lyric of “Sussudio.” The weekends will get bonkers, but the bartenders (Alice included) are efficient and pleasant, and the door guy rules if you lay off the guff. On packed nights you’ll likely only get to sing once, so cozy up to one of the many baskets of snack mix and do some shots of Malort, just because. Trust me, the regulars will keep you entertained.
— KEVIN WARWICK 3556 W. Belmont,
773-279-9382. THE CONTINENTAL
HUMBOLDT PARK The 4 AM bar of choice for fashionable Chicago scenesters since it launched in 2006, this lonely outpost of hipsterdom on a vacant stretch of Chicago Avenue has such a reputation for late-night shenanigans that it’s widely known by the quasi-affectionate nickname “Mistakes.” A second floor offers ample seating and, when traffic’s sufficiently heavy, a second bar. The place to see and be seen (in double).
— MILES RAYMER 2801 W. Chicago,
773-292-1200. THE FLAT IRON | WICKER
PARK A cavernous, no-frills venue for drinking until the wee hours. There aren’t any bands or DJs, but there’s plenty of entertainment to be had watching the place turn into a punk-rocker meat market after enough shots are collectively consumed. Figure out a way to run off duplicates from the photo booth and you could make a nice living in blackmail. The people playing pool tend to be real serious about it, and during the day the window seats are prime people-watching spots.
— MILES RAYMER 1565 N. Milwaukee, 773-489-0011, theflatironchicago.com. JOE E’S UNFORGETTABLE LOUNGE | IRVING PARK The only 4 AM bar on Irving Park Road has a strong relationship with the Illinois Lottery, with a behind-thebar ticket machine and a self-serve on the floor. In operation since the 50s, it’s now run by the second-generation Joe E. and his wife. A refuge for stool warmers in daylight hours and the walking dead in the wee ones, there’s a bus shelter in front to sleep off the interminable five hours it’s closed every day. There’s free popcorn and pool, and three-dollar Bloody Marys on Sunday. — MIKE
SULA 4206 W. Irving Park, 773-2833422, unforgettablelounge.com.
THE LODGE | GOLD
COAST The bar itself is fine, with dingy wooden planks and pretty cheap drinks. But the prize is in the back, in a secret room called the Bullpen. It’s a long, narrow hallway with stone floors and exposed bricks, with a bar featuring a few beers on tap. Free peanuts and flash bowling; open till 5 AM on Saturdays. I may have vomited in the alley outside the door. —TAL ROSENBERG 21 W. Division, 312-642 4406, rushanddivision. com/the-lodge. OASIS | ROGERS PARK This large two-roomed bar is showing its age, but no one seems to mind or care—the crowd ranges from Loyola students to Alderman Joe Moore. There’s pool, but darts are the bigger draw; Oasis hosts regular tournaments, and the competition’s stiff. A small package store allows you to take out, but the selection’s limited.
— KATE SCHMIDT 6809 N. Sheridan, 773-973-7788, rogersparkoasis.com. SMART BAR | LAKEVIEW The club tucked beneath the Metro Cabaret is also the most popular dance destination in the city, booking cutting-edge DJs locally (Derrick Carter, Frankie Knuckles) and internationally (DJ Harvey, Omar-S, Ben Klock). The interior’s a bit clubby, but the dance floor is pretty big and the sound is unbelievable. —TAL ROSEN
BERG 3730 N. Clark, 773-549-4140, smartbarchicago.com. UNDERBAR | ROSCOE
VILLAGE As oxymoronic as it may sound, Underbar is a classy 4 AM bar. The inside is dark and candlelit, and the staff has a pretty firm handle on keeping the really drunk people out. The bar boasts an extensive selection of draft and bottled craft brews, and while the bartenders’ beer knowledge borders on snobby, they always keep the cheap PBR on tap. It’s a late-night stop without the shame.
— LUCA CIMARUSTI 3243 N. Western, 773-404-9363, underbarchicago. blogspot.com. VFW POST 7975
NOBLE SQUARE This Veterans of Foreign Wars hall transforms into a summer-camp rec center for grown-ups after hours. Your activity for the night is karaoke and the occasional line dance; your counselors are the friendly vets staffing the place; Bill the emcee is the golden-voiced camp director, replete with guard dog; and despite the puking, you’ll remember it fondly long after. The beer is cheap, the pool table is free, there’s food for sale, and sometimes free popcorn. — ASHER
KLEIN 1000 N. Milwaukee, 773-2525338, vfwpost7975.com. v