I have been frequenting both the salon and the bar here for quite some time now…read more I have never met a more community-minded business than Buzzed by Zea and it is all on account of Jerry and Lee and their friendly and welcoming staff - all of them willing to go above and beyond to support their friends, neighbors, patrons, and emerging businesses. Truly a wonderful place to get your style on over drinks. After Salon hours this place turns into a cozy little bar with wonderful cocktails and excellent service where you can actually have a conversation with friends. How old fashioned is that!? The venue is also an event space! Our theater company has now done two amazing benefits here and - wow, what an amazing event space this is. Three bar service locations, ample seating space, a cozy atmosphere, welcoming staff, and an upscale, luxurious feel to the whole place. We never get tired of coming here. But all of that together does not measure up to the heart and soul of the space brought to it by Jerry and Lee. Go. You'll fall in love too.

The menu reads like a cocktail connoisseurs dream. But the final product was damn near a neat pour…read moreof banna giffard. I tasted nothing else but the liqueur. Place is nicely designed & the prices are on the lower side but I swear I'm having the hardest time finding reasonably priced & greatly crafted cocktails

We have been to Elixir a few times and it is always a great choice for unique and delicious…read morecocktails! It is a cozy little bar with dim lighting perfect for a date night drink. The bartenders are always very friendly and check in often which is always appreciated. You're always immediately given little pretzels to snack on which I love as a unique touch. This time we both chose a more standard cocktail, but they also always have very unique and delicious seasonal cocktails which are always amazing! I would definitely recommend Elixir to anyone looking for a spot to grab a quick and delicious cocktail!

On our first night in Boystown, Jamie W and I were pretty overwhelmed by the crowds at Sidetrack…read moreand Roscoe's, so we ended up coming here to make Jamie's virginal gay bar debut. It was the right move because it had the kind of chill vibe we were seeking after a long flight from SFO. Fortunately there were two seats at the bar with our names on them. Figuratively speaking. They had quite a signature cocktail list on hand, and we felt it was our obligation to try as many as we could. At least that was what we said to ourselves as the evening wore on. Each cocktail was $14. We started with a couple of familiar libations. Jamie ordered the Mint Julep, a delightfully Deep South mix of bourbon, simple syrup, and fresh mint (photo: https://yelp.to/u-td8LdPLj). I went further south with the Pineapple Margarita which was emboldened by a tropically potent mix of pineapple infused tequila, lime juice, and agave (photo: https://yelp.to/V-Sf6Q_2qK). We got a bit bolder with our second round and found mixed results. Jamie had the Not Your Mom's Daiquiri which amped up the margarita by blending pineapple-infused tequila with Bacardi 8-year rum. Along with fresh lime and simple syrup, this one definitely had more of a kick (photo: https://yelp.to/1ZijDf6wMV). However, my order, the Pontiac Pony, was a spicy miss for me. It was a rather oddball mix of apple-cinnamon infused vodka, pear liqueur, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and ginger beer (photo: https://yelp.to/5dQoFdzG98). There was just a harshness that didn't sit well on my tongue. Oh well, the mellow vibe was cool. COCKTAILS - 4 stars...three out of four cocktails were aces, just one clinker AMBIANCE - 4 stars...very chill, fairly quiet for Boystown SERVICE - 4 stars...cool bartenders TOTAL - 4 stars...check it out when you take a break from your Boystown cruising RELATED - Exploring Chicago? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/44c4CZO

If you only know of the Kurdish people or culture through the news, it's time to remedy that-- head…read moreover to Avaspi for drinks and snacks at the generous Happy Hour or for a full dinner. The beautiful bar is set back in the glowingly dining room that has a painting of the Kurdish area in Turkey from where the owner comes from. Remixes of contemporary tunes gives a kind of clubby feeling inside, and the large sidewalk patio (on the side street) to enjoy the season is a completely different vibe. It's not just another variant on Mediterranean/Middle Eastern/ Persian cuisine, though you'll find familiar salads, spreads and cuts of meat. The presentations and flavors are different. The friendly (and easy on the eyes) staff will guide you through the menu. Very nice wine list as well as creative takes on standard cocktails (some mocktails too) complement the meal. Come in a group so you can sample many things; I assure you it'll all be good. Loved the calamari and the meze plate on this last visit. Grilled haloumi and shrimp were great previously. Easy to get to so get going!

An absolutely standout meal, each dish better than the next. The stuffed dates, however, were about…read moreas spectacular as anything I've had. A perfect place to go with a group to try as many different things as possible. And don't sleep on their happy hour, which makes the experience even better!

What a cool spot!! The outdoor patio was awesome. We then went downstairs to the Devious Lounge…read more It had a great vibe. Andy, our bartender, was great and made excellent recommendations for both food and drink. Will definitely go back!!!

Cool atmosphere, nice vibe with bar space and seating upstairs, downstairs and on the patio…read more We only stopped for a quick drink but would love to return to try the food, especially a burger. Looks like burger specials during the week. My only gripe was the Parisian old fashioned I ordered came with the big ice cube but was served in a small plastic cup so the cube was over the rim and made it a little challenging to sip. I am wondering if disposable cups are just used on game days perhaps? It was too chilly for the patio for us, but there are a lot of places to sit outside.

Went here to hear a talk by the group Chicago for Chicagoans about the streets of our city. It was…read morea great space for a discussion about Chicago history, it's a speakeasy! Walk down the hall, knock, say password through peep door, wander in. It is a small space with the bar right there. They had a menu of 4 drinks to choose for our evening. Delicious An array of seating choices are spread out and there is a piano in the back corner. Would like to come back to check it out on a regular night.

Great space and great friends if you can find it. I would recommend. Look for the hole in the wall…read moreand don't be a dick.

This place is a hidden gem! We love the wood (oak) interior…read morewhich feels like more hip but still friendly like a local diner. We went in for a Saturday or Sunday brunch and were able to walk in. The service was overall friendly and fast. The French omelet was heavenly. I am usually not an omelette person generally prefer a regular fried egg because I find the homogenous mixed egg to be a bit boring but with the filling inside this was a perfect balance of taste. I didn't get to take a pic to accompany it but the potatoes were also delicious. I can't wait to revisit

Very busy for brunch! Diner vibes. Definitely need a reservation if you are coming for brunch on a…read moreweekend. Service was a little slower than I would expect. I got the blueberry maple latte and it was delicious. On the sweeter side so keep that in mind. I would reorder every day if I could. For food, I ordered the Monte Cristo. This is not really a traditional Monte Cristo. They made the sandwich with bread that was a little too thick and added Dijon mustard. The mustard was all I could taste even after smothering it in the maple syrup they give you (they did not add the fruit jam that is usual for the Monte Cristo).

Oriental themed bar. Delicious Happy Hour drinks. I had the matcha martini. Very delicious…read moreinteresting combination. The yuzu chicken wings tends to be more on a sweeter side. The crab Rangoon was good. Vegetable spring roll must have. Friendly staff. A must try.

Nice cocktail bar with food and fast service. We sat on the patio and got drinks within 5 minutes…read more The cocktails are great. This is a more upscale experience and the price reflects it. Bumpin music and lively crowd. In my fiancé's words, he calls wangs "Zany, robust, timeless" Ps the scent of crab rangoons from other tables will make you order some too.

A calm and cozy environment in the heart of Wrigley…read more We chose this spot before going to see a short film and we are so glad we did. There was some major drinking event going on and while the streets were wild, Mordecai did not participate. We were seated promptly with reservation and greeted by Avery who was sweet, kind and helpful with getting us familiar with the menu. We ordered cocktails which both came to us balanced and tasty, I can always appreciate when there is craft ice for an old fashioned! The Arancini was so tasty, very happy they did not overdue the Saffron We ordered the Mordecai and the deluxe burger which both came out delicious and finished every bite. It's also mentionable that some rowdy types tried to come in and the hostess did be sure to verify that behavior did not disrupt their patrons which we were very happy to see. Thank you for caring about the experience of everyone! Overall a great spot and we will return in the future!

AMAZING FOOD DEAD CENTER OF EVERYTHING!…read more I was visiting the boys town area with a group of 10 people and looking for a trendy, cute, restaurant with a promising menu - thank god we found Mordecai! The restaurant itself is cozy and trendy and the service was excellent despite our large group. I had the half dozen oysters and the beef tare tare to start. Both were amazing, but the real star of the dinner was the steak. You guys, the steak was cooked perfectly and also was packed with flavor. It came with a smear of this unctuous, umami sauce and hints of garlic. If I could, I would eat this everyday. Our server was really attentive. Her pacing was perfect and she was very personable. Again, she did an amazing job considering the size of our party and how often we were ordering cocktails. The location was also great! At first I was a bit weary about how far away from Boystown it was, but it was a nice 10 minute walk back. It gave us time to digest our food. Overall, an amazing experience. Will definitely go there every time in Chicago.

Really fun holiday decorations for their "Rudolph" experience. Beautiful decor! Very friendly…read morestaff. The food was just okay but the drinks were quite tasty. I love my hot chocolate and mocktail, and I appreciate that we were given water bottles as soon as we entered. The meatballs were a bit dry and the sauce was lackluster. The burrata was okay, but I wasn't expecting it to be ice cold. The truffle fries were great. The ambience and decor were fabulous and made up for the food. I'm glad I stopped by.

Lovely Sunday funday at this establishment. Came to have a few cocktails with my husband before the…read moreend of the day. This venue was decorated to the max for the upcoming Christmas holidays. Every nook and cranny has Christmas all over it. Even though turkey day hasn't happened, we were into it. For this occasion we sat at the bar. It was slammed. Only two bartenders and one bar back made for a long wait. I only ended up getting one cocktail because by the time they got around to the asking again, I was ready to go. For drink I order the Prixkly B*tch which was a play on a prickly pear margaritas. It was good and well balanced. For food, I ordered the Spinach Dip with was served pipping hot with crusty toasted bread. It was really delicious. I wished I grabbed the meatballs too but we had dinner plans. All in all, cute venue and would return. Scored a super cute selfie with my love and we had a good time. An added benefit is that Wrigleyville Christmas Market is up and popping across the street. Cool event but be prepared for parking as it is crowded over here while the Christmas events are going on in this area.

Victor Bar is very cute!!…read more I was very impressed by the cocktails and the service from Caesar was phenomenal! Definitely will return!

We stopped by the Victor Bar after dinner on Saturday for our first visit. It is a small place with…read morea booth running the length of the bar and stools along the bar. We had to wait for a few minutes for a seat but got scored two seats at the bar. We tried several cocktails including a dealers choice one based on green chartreuse and one with mezcal, both of which showed off the bartenders skills. Highly recommend!!