50 Best Bars near Riverside

“Amazing staff! Small hidden gem. Atmosphere is amazing and the drinks are phenomenal. They have specials every day of the week. Amazing ?“

“I'm a sucker for Heritage's Happy Hour Oyster for a while so had to circle back for the restaurant week. The whole experience was giving East meets West as it covers a good range of dishes/inspired cuisine. I was pleasantly surprised with how each courses was planned out, with very balanced flavor combinations, leaving me full but not uncomfortably stuffed. My favorite we're definitely the tuna crudo, braised beef and fiancier, hopefully that make the official menu one day. Overall great experience and the downstairs speakeasy space makes it so fun to eat and catch up.“

“It was cool. Met some friends on St. Paddy's Day for a happy hour drink. My beer was $6, and her ranch water was $9 (not sure what the happy hour special was), but it was a one and done with no issues. It's super dark inside even on a bright day, so if you are a day drinker, this might be your vibe. Not so much for me.“

“Amazing food! Loved flute seared tuna sandwich, can’t wait to go back.!“

“Smoky rooms, Punk music and Gothic VibeThat’s Warlord for youImmaculate is the word for this restaurant!Visited on a Sunday evening, ordered scallops, Sirloin for our appetisers. Ordered Fois gras too which had a bust of flavours in mouth and a must try. Got Ribeye for the mains and ofcourse had to get the burger. With just two ingredients this burger definitely is a front runner up for Chicago best burger. Lastly ended our dinner with dessert which met and matched the food expectations as other food.“

“I LOVE going to Ositos. It’s the perfect spot for brunch, dinner, or just for a drink to catch up with a friend. I have never been disappointed with food or drinks here! I highly recommend the quesaditzin (entree) and Palomaso (cocktail). Seriously the quesaditzin is so good, I crave It all the time!!!! Also, parking lot in the back is easy to miss, but it’s free! Lastly, the staff has always been so friendly!“

“This is such a great neighborhood spot. The service is impeccable. The food is delicious and they’re always mixing up new and unique drinks…coffee all the way to cocktails. I love that dogs are allowed out on the patio. It’s become a weekly walk stop on nice mornings for my pup and I!“

“if there was ever a better Watering Hole In chicago. This Is It, hands down. Chris and his staff are superior at every aspect of being a classy drinking establishment. I recommend it highly, and Shop local all you lovely Neighbors.“

“The pretzel was very good! Light and fluffy on the inside. The brisket taccos were pretty good they have a decent kick of spice to them. Beer is good, staff is friendly. A 1 star deduction for getting my fiancé her flight but then forgetting my pint, and no napkins or silverware when the food was brought out. (This is a bit arguable as we were at the bar.)“

“We stopped in for brunch on the recommendation of our son, who said he’d heard good things about the Wolfhound. He was right! Great food and atmosphere and the owner is a great guy!“

“I had the pleasure of being served by Andriy, and I must say he is an exceptional bartender. His attention to detail and creativity in crafting cocktails is truly impressive. He creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere, making every visit to the bar a delightful experience. I highly recommend trying one of his signature drinks!“

“Thank you for hosting Open Mic night. Wonderful experience. We’ll be back.“

“Loved the vibe here - very cozy spot with a neighborhood vibe. Only reason it's not five stars is that the espresso martini on tap was painful to drink. I wouldn't have ordered it if I had known it was pre-made. The irish coffee slushie drink my friend got was great, though.“

“la mejor comida mexicana y hondureña.“

“This is my absolute favorite neighborhood bar. They have Aviary style cocktails at Portage Park prices and amazing culinary fare. They have the best happy hour specials, and the staff is extremely nice and accommodating. The atmosphere wins the vibe check, and their music is always on point. Not that basic top 20 ish. I hosted my birthday party at their downstairs bar, which has a totally different cocktail menu. Our guests loved the venue and said the service was top notch. The owners are great!“

“An absolute gem.I reserved the back lounge room for my birthday and it was the best decision ever! It was easy to communicate via their Instagram, and the room was reserved and ready to go. They even let me bring a cake and hire a caricature artist to come! We played bingo, had delicious cocktails, and admired the decor and items for sale (I now own a rainbow pin striped shirt!). I would HIGHLY highly recommend this place for a birthday, an event, or just to swing by for drinks!My highlight of the night Mark and Jana who smiled the whole night, made us delicious cocktails, and made our group feel at home. Loved their drink recommendations, too. Thank you, Consignment Lounge! Will continue singing your praises to everyone I know and can’t wait to come back.“

“Dance vibes and good food.. recommend the fish tacos“

“Stopped by after a performance at the Stan Mansion. Very cozy and friendly. Wished they had some beer on draft but they have an extensive list of bottles and cans, many unique or hard to find. Clean men's room too. Patrons were quiet and respectful of everybody. Will go back.“

“The service here is great! The owner really put love and it shows. It's beautiful and the perfect place to play Pin ball my all time favorite. The food here was tasty and yummy to. Really hot and came out fast we got some appetizers and some beers and two mixed drinks.“

“Was there for a birthday. We were seated inside not on the patio. When the monsoon type storm hit the staff did an amazing job accommodating those that were on the patio. The city-living branch of our family thinks it's well worth the trip out here to LGP. A wonderful restaurant.“

“Absolutely adorable decor as you step into this neighborhood local joint, filled with music legend memorabilia and tv's lit with tunes from Queen. The menu is simple with each burger having its own personality. Each sandwich can be made into a chicken sandwich or a meatless veggie option as well. Had the curds and Parmesan fries on the side. Cute trivia cards to entertain you and your table guests. Was excellent quality food, and wonderfully friendly service.“

“Great food and service is so friendly ❤️“

“Tom (not Todd) is the best bartender. This place has the best vibe. Can’t wait to go back.“

“Awesome retro bowling ally with awesome drinks and great staff.“

“Very beautiful location in a very nice neighborhood“

“we had an awesome lunch/dinner here! the burger was awesome! the fries were thin and perfectly salted, super yummy! the garlic knots were SO good, the three of us ate the full large size-we thought we would have leftovers Lol. my party shared a truffle shuffle pizza which they said was really good, a parmesan cream based pizza with truffle oil. they had some old arcade games for free play which was awesome!! the staff was very friendly and helpful! safe to say we will definitely be back!! ☺️“

“Nice place , im having a Sunday funday for sure!“

“Went there on a weekday with my bestie, and everything was great. Servers were very attentive and made great recommendations. Try the watermelon margarita and the nashville hot cauliflowertaco-so good! All of the salsas are self-serve and were delicious too! We didn't realize we were there during happy hour hours, so that was a plus. We sat near the patio doors and were able to enjoy the weather at the same time. Last but not least, try their house brand tequila, "Fino"..the owner told us why it was called that and it's a pretty cool acronym. You'll have to go check it out if you want to find out :)“

“Great outdoor spot, great drinks...fun!“

“Ended up finding this spot on accident. Glad we did! Great neighborhood bar with excellent food and drinks. Found our go to spot when in town.“

“I’ve never been to a more welcoming bar, even the customers go out of their way to say hello, we’ll definitely be back!“

“I popped in just to meet my friend but then I had a dirty martini and now I am OBSESSED with it. You don’t expect much from a dirty martini right? It’s dirty. That’s it. Yum. And this was…… so good. Something about this dirt. Cuz I asked the bartender and he was saying something about the brine, it was somehow floral? He said the brine - not the vermouth. Idc. I just want another one. And then there’s the story: which I never got right, so I will irresponsibly spread it around here to generate more sensation. Something about… the original owner was tragically shot and died on the premises, in the bar. The wife shuttered the place and went upstairs for sixty years. The new owners kept the interior, the bar has original wood work and features. It is o. L. D. In a good way. I have no idea if that story is accurate or true. But I loved believing it while I was in there. What a great thing to be so surprised by a bar on division in wicker park! I love Chicago!“

“Good drinks, food and staff.“

“Excellent food and service. Fantastic atmosphere:)“

“I've been knows the number of times and I've always liked it. They've done a lot building out the rear space and that's nice to have expanded area because it was a little bit tight before. They have a stage in the main area which allows them to have entertainment.“

“Recently went here for the first time. I particularly enjoyed the Coffee Blossom and Oaxacan Forest Wildflower traditional meads but there were a wide variety of flavored meads too, all of which were great. The owner was more than happy to tell us the story of the business and answer all of our questions about the process, ingredients, etc. I'm looking forward to going again in the future!“

“First time here, amazing service and food was delicious. Owner or manager came to every table to check in and thank us for coming in and support this business. I will definitely be back. So good!!!“

“First time there and would definitely go back. We were in the area and looked up Polish restaurants. This was the closest so we decided to try it. The food was genuine and spot on for authentic cooking. Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for authentic Polish food.“

“Cole's is the quintessential Logan Square neighborhood bar. Owners Dustin and Morgan cultivate a warm, friendly and welcoming environment. Cole's is a nexus of activity; there's almost always a live event going on, from comedy open-mic to punk shows. For pool players, they have a pristine, newly re-felted free table. Affordable drinks, excellent draft cocktails, affable staff. Love Cole's.“

“Going to corner bar is an experience for the select of Chicago. Big shout outs to Jamie, Bill, and Shawneice who keep the vibes going, the tequila flowing, and a dart board that can easily enthrall the whole bar. If dive bars with funny, caring, silly people aren’t your thing - steer clear!“

“John is a great guy! And you cant beat the sevice or the ambient feel of a chicago neighborhood bar. We dont go often enough but when we do its spot on...Fyi John thanks for recovering the bithday girls purse( phone) and jackets .....she was a little buzzed ?“

“Visited Chicago and my best friend took me here because she said it was really good and she wanted to come again. She was not wrong. It was delicious. We got the burrata, the Caesar salad to share. Both were absolutely tasty. The Burrata came with peaches, which was the perfect pairing. I got the linguine with prosciutto and that was so good. I wish it had more cheese in it since it was melted in the wheel of cheese but it was still delicious.The owner even came over and checked in with us and I thought that was nice touch. The only critique I could give was that it was a bit loud in there and the waiter was a tad slow for us, but overall a really great experience.“

“Excellent old school Ukrainian Village bar. No sign on the front which is already a good sign (no pun intended). Great drink prices and great bartender, Clayton. Had a Bell's Two-Hearted, bought a t-shirt and continued my bar crawl. Great first stop.“

“Stella's is the perfect divey Ukrainian Village gem. Great mix of typical beers/booze plus some polish staples, yum. Stella herself is the real reason to visit, she is the absolute best. There's games, boppin touch tunes, and pups are allowed! What more could you want in a bar?“

“Everything about this bar is amazing!!“

“Amazing little bar tucked behind Midway airport. Best Polish food around! Pierogis are to die for! Goulash soup, potato pancakes,& more! They have a Polish sampler platter that has a taste of everything you could want!! Go! Eat! Enjoy!!“

“This was our first time here and it was absolutely incredible! We didn't know it was happy hour (3-5PM, M-F) and it was a welcome surprise. The chips and dip plate was awesome. The vibe and decor is immaculate, every staff person we interacted with was attentive and kind, the food and drink were great, and they gave my husband free ice cream for his birthday. I truly can't wait to return!Dietary restrictions: My friend is a vegan and they had a lot of dishes to accommodate this.“

“Discovered this place while biking to catch the BNSF back to Chicago. Usually would bike past to hop on the train at Western Springs or LaGrange Road. But one day I stopped short and popped in here. Really impressed by the selection of beer, wine, and whiskey. Before the Derby, they had three different bottles of Blanton's Bourbon. I asked for a smell (it's not Jimmy John's, I know) and they obliged me without so much as a blink of the eye. Quite an impressive wine selection. They are serious about their libations and happy to share their knowledge. I really like this place. Good vibe and great drinks. Check it out. Not sure why some clown gave it two stars. But reading that review, it's the poster who is confused, not the establishment. Cheers!“

“My friends and I were able to make a reservation for 12 people here one night. The wine and food are amazing. They were also accommodating for different checks!“

“Been going for many years and every time has been consistently great, food always cooked as asked and very good steaks. Alternatives are also good and waitstaff has always been really good at suggesting other options and explaining well. Will definitely keep coming back!“