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.

What a usual experience! I'm standing at the door, trying to determine if I'm even in the right…read moreplace. It seemed as though I were standing in front of a salon. I entered, and an greeted by a salon smell. It was not overpowering and was arguably pleasant, and but I see a bar to the left, so I am in the right place. Fair enough, I have a seat. This isn't them being cute with a theme, there is a bona-fide salon here, though it does not operate as late as the bar and was tucked away behind a curtain. Speaking to a regular, it is possible to have a cocktail while having your hair cut (or maybe waiting at some point in the process?) But I digress. I ordered a Taxi Dancer - an extremely pleasant whiskey-based drink that was spirit forward without being overwhelming (though I drink whiskey neat, so take this with a grain of salt). It had a perfect level of sweetness, and a little spice (not heat). The vibe here is upscale, modern, and bright. The bar staff is friendly and welcoming to newcomers and regulars alike. I also love that their prices seem to be reasonable, all things considered. The aforementioned cocktail is $16, which is fair considering the quality. While on that particular night I only had the one, I will be happily adding Buzzed by Zea to my cocktail bar rotation when I feel like going out for a night on the town.

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

This place is good. Legit good food. Went for the first time the other night and was very happy w…read moreservice, food, atmosphere etc. Will be back for sure.

Came with our friends and food, service and ambiance were all great. Had the stuffed mushrooms,…read morehalloumi, and meat platter for two. Everything was amazing. Our server was great and our friends were so happy with the food.

I am so excited to have Pilot so close to my apartment. I came here on a Saturday afternoon and got…read moretwo flights and the steak frites. There wasn't a single beer that I didn't like. The bartender and servers were super friendly. I can't wait to come back and try even more beers, especially during the summer. Also I strongly recommend getting a flight when you go - they give you 10% off to-go beers.

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.

RUN DON'T WALK HERE! First of all the decor is very cute inside and our food was PHENOMENAL! My…read morehusband got eggs potatoes bacon and the sour dough and loved it all. I had the egg sandwich and will be dreaming about it until I come back and get it again. I got a simple salad and it was delicious. They locally source their ingredients and you can tell. They also bake their own bread and it's divine! Such great food! *we made an open table reservation for 8:45 and it opens at 9. They are also closed Monday and Tuesday but everyone there is so nice*

Super cute brunch place with great service and delicious food! I went here today for brunch with a…read morefriend. Paid parking right outside the restaurant was easy to find at 10am on a Sunday. Our server was super sweet and answered all of our questions about the menu. We both got lattes, which tasted great. My friend ordered the root vegetable hash and I went with the monte cristo. Both were delicious but the star of the show was the rosemary roasted potatoes! Service was prompt and they also had lots of sweets/treats to choose from. Will definitely be back!

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.

Went for happy hour! $9 cocktails from 4-6! I got the old fashioned and my friend got the coco…read moremoquito. Both were delicious and had really complex flavor profiles. The atmosphere in here was so cozy. I loved how they had decorated for the holidays and had nice soothing red lighting. Will definitely be coming back to try the small bites and more cocktails!

Had a lovely dinner here with friends - everything was on point, the beef Wellington was delicious…read more(I enjoyed it more than the one I had at Chicago Cut) and the service was excellent. We were surprised it wasn't business after a cubs game. The space is lovely as well, and not too noisy to hear each other speak.

My husband and I popped by for some casual drinks on the weekend. They had a bunch of holiday decor…read moreup which was a very nice ambiance and it was nice and warm inside but not too crowded. We didn't have food, only drinks as we came straight from dinner. We asked our server for recommendations that weren't too sweet. I got the gingerbread milk punch and my husband got the their take on an espresso martini with mezcal and Japanese coffee. I got the milk punch cold, and while good I think getting it warm would've brought the spices out more. Definitely wasn't too sweet though and tasted like there was no alcohol in there!! The drink my husband got I LOVED!! Usually I'm not a mezcal espresso martini gal but it was just smoky enough, complex, and delicious. When we go back, I'll be getting that next! Bonus: our server was so nice and helpful!! She gave great recommendations based on what we were asking for and was friendly. Overall we liked Mordecai and will be back when we're feeling a more upscale cocktail bar vibe.

This is a bittersweet review as this establishment recently closed. But I still feel the need to…read moregive them their props as I was definitely going to add Lost Never Found (LNF) to my rotation of places to hang out at. I happened to discover LNF during a Yelp Event when LNF turned into Rudolph's Bar, a jolly holly Xmas Extravaganza! I do not believe there was a single spot in the bar that had not been covered in Xmas decorations. It was total sensory overload to the point I did not put up any directions 2025 because I had seen enough at LNF. HAHAHAHAHA! On the strength of the food and drinks that night, I decided to go back once all of the Xmas hoopla was over. Going back in 2026 was a more subdue, but enjoyable time for me. As I mentioned in my 2025 review, even with all the Xmas decoration, the overall vibe was a step up from the typical bars around the Cubs playground. I would have loved a regular girls night out there instead of the last hurrah of me and The Queen. I had mentioned to her about the cocktails and the pizzas I had during the Yelp event and we decided to stop in before heading to the Alamo Drafthouse for a movie. Me and The Queen go the Spicy Sausage pizza and those fries, since I talked about the food to her. Again it was really good, with the crust still being nice and thin. The Queen did not think it was all that spicy, but she eats Hell Ramen Level 4, so I do not look to her for confirmation of hotness when it comes to food. We had cocktails and The Queen (because she was driving) had a Margarita made with a zero proof Tequila. I have to say it was not that bad and I got one and added Prosecco to it...delish. Me and The Queen had a great time chatting, eating and drinking at LNF, but were both sad that we were going to miss out on the opportunity to turn this into one of our rotation hangouts. But I will always be grateful for them introducing me to their Red Bull Winter Spritz. Since that Yelp Event, I have bought three cases of Red Bull Sugar-Free Fuji Apple and Ginger Winter Edition Energy Drink to make the cocktail. Not sure if it is exactly how they did it, but it works for me. So long LNF, it was good knowing you, even if it was for a short time. Deuces!

My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025!…read moreRestaurant: 63/50 Month tried: November Favorite dish: I would not eat here again Woooof. We had a reservation for 9 am the day of the Michigan/Northwestern game at Wrigley Field. Figured we would have a quick brunch then go enjoy the pre-game atmosphere. Well, when we had been sitting for nearly 30 minutes with no server to be found, we started to get nervous. She finally came over and while she was sweet, really just nothing went right. A food runner brought out a tray that appeared to have all of our orders, but then only served one plate before walking away. It was a solid 10-15 minutes before anyone else's meals were brought out, and even then it was one plate at a time every few minutes, not the rest of the order at once. And everything was cold. Every single item. The chicken and waffles felt like it came out of the fridge it was so cold. And the worst part - we had a member in our party with a severe nut allergy, who told the server 3 times. She noted it, and made sure he would get white toast instead of wheat. When his meal came, there were two huge pieces of wheat toast with visible nuts across his ENTIRE plate. Touching every piece of food. He said again that he was allergic, and they just removed the toast and handed the plate back. It had already touched everything! Since at this point we had to leave soon for the game (and because we now couldn't trust a kitchen that doesn't understand a nut allergy), we just had them remove his order from the check and he didn't get to eat. The server did take 20% off the total bill and gave us a gift card to make up for our terrible experience. Like I said, she was very nice and trying her best. She was just at the mercy of the kitchen being behind and screwing up. But as a Wrigleyville restaurant, you MUST be able to handle lots of customers on a game day. That's like the one thing Wrigley bars need to be good at. This is just not an environment I would choose to be in again, especially for the steep prices. We'll use the gift card for drinks at the bar on a non-game day, and wipe our hands of Lost Never Found.

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!!

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

I am a lover of speakeasy's, but not all are created equal. Some are fun and interactive, while…read moreothers are just go up and sit down. The Gatsby was not one of those spots. They give you clues on how to get upstairs and into the room as well as a password, which was so fun! Our server was amazing and played the part of a 1920s speakeasy very well. She recommended drinks to us, which was highlighted by the Nora Old Fashioned that our server helped create. It was amazing!! We also had the truffle pizza and shrimp cocktail that were booth yummy. The ambiance, especially at night with all the candles on, was perfect. I'd highly recommend coming here if you like these types of places. Well done Gatsby!!

What a cool speakeasy! So mysterious, so demure, and yet so chill. They served up one of the best…read moremocktails I've ever had. While I can't remember the name, I do know it had ginger, honey, lemon and a nice kick to it as well. By the time my friend and I got there, the kitchen was closed but I can't wait to return again to try out their food. If there drinks were any indication, I'm sure their bites are just as delicious. I don't want to give anything away from the entrance experience but just know it's really, really cool.