Finally got to visit on a day they were actually open! Me and a couple friends had some delicious…read morecocktails, and the bartender was super helpful and friendly. Definitely you do over.

We went out with Park Ridge friends last weekend and they took us to this charming bar. I read a…read morefew reviews that said that Pines Room has a small town vibe. I disagree--I am a Chicago boy and it has a big city hidden gem quality about it. In fact, they promote themselves as a speakeasy. Of course you can get any cocktail you want, but my husband and I both opted for a special strawberry cocktail made with Hendrick's gin. It was refreshing, not too sweet, and garnished with a dehydrated lemon slice. Perfect! Our friends both ordered old fashioned cocktails that looked equally as good. It was a Saturday night and this tiny bar was jam-packed. We had to stand, but it was okay because we had only stopped in for one drink before heading to another restaurant for dinner. The bartenders were friendly and efficient. Prices are not inexpensive, but average to what you'd find in a downtown Chicago restaurant. If you''re looking for a cool place to hang in Park Ridge with a craft cocktail and have a small bite (they have a limited food menu, too), Pines Room is the place.

I received a warm welcome when I entered the door. The front area of the restaurant was full so we…read morewere led to the back, enclosed patio. There was a funky smell at first (the wood, the alley?) but we eventually just got used to it. I would suggest something to battle the smell. The waitress mentioned the specials for the night and when she said Short Rib, I was sold. It was delicious. Only sad thing is that the average person will probably never take leftovers home. The portion, as pricey as it is, is just right for one person. The margarita I had was good and the Tres Leches dessert was a perfect ending.

I was in the area and wanted something close to me and this popped up. I walked in and was…read moreimmediately greeted. It's a smaller space so I opted for the bar so I didn't have to wait. The bartender was friendly during my encounter. I ordered a nonalcoholic margarita, crispy potatoes with crema, and the flautas. The margarita was tasty and came in a cute jar, definitely picture worthy. I had the potatoes as starters, they were good but the spice was there. I was able to save half. The portion sizes are decently big. I really enjoyed the chicken flautas. The chicken was seasoned well and juicy. The green sauce on top was also my favorite part of the flautas. It's a little pricey but was able to make two meals out of it.

Ward Eight was a place we frequently visited when we lived nearby many years ago. We were in the…read morearea recently and decided to stop by...we discovered this gem from our past has only gotten better! High quality and innovative cocktails, reasonable prices, and a chic/classy ambiance make Ward Eight must-visit! I tried two cocktails when I was at Ward 8: Remember the Main and Vieux Carre. Both were decadent, delicious, and boozy. Triple threats! I loved them both, but the "Remember the Main" was different from drinks I've had before, so that was my favorite. My husband had a local beer. They have beer, wine, and NA options for folks who aren't into cocktails. They also have food which looks scrumptious, ranging from high-end appetizers to full meals. We did not come prepared to eat, so we'll have to come back again to try food in the future! The staff were welcoming and professional. The space was clean and Gatsby-style chic. There is plenty of seating and an outdoor space for when it is warmer. It is a fancier places, so prices are higher. But you pay for the higher quality ingredients and innovative recipes. If you enjoy cocktails and cozy cocktail bars, Ward Eight is definitely the spot for you!

Cocktail was neither worst nor the best rendition of a Vieux carre that I've had. I've said it…read moreseveral times that many things that originate in New Orleans are hard to replicate outside New f the big easy. I got the feeling that the staff were putting some effort into their craft. The place was crowded & there was even a live band performing. The bar had some above average bottles such as Hibiki & Bookers. I was pressed for time but there were at least three more menu items I would've tried.

this place is very family, friendly, has video games for pretty much all ages, a really nice area…read morereserved for private bookings, and also caters to the adults with two bars. There's Apple space to move around and very bright and lightly. The food choices are pizza, chicken tenders, cheeseburger, sliders, fries, cookies, and drinks. The service is bar none where they're so helpful and inviting.

Kind of a hidden arcade. It's easy to pass by. There's plenty of parking in the side, gravel lot…read more Be careful, they have a sign that says it can get muddy on a rainy day. We never interacted with staff. Most of them were behind the small bar. I'm not sure what they serve, but they didn't look too experienced with cocktails. There were no kids when we went. The place was clean, and I like how you can redeem prizes yourself via the machines.

OsKar is a whiskey-focus cocktail bar in Evanston, and they have seasonally rotating menus on class…read moreand modern twists on drinks. We came here to check out a popup from Chef Ben Janasiak, the Hatchet Burger - the menu offers the Smashburger, the Chimkin Patty, the Chicken Caesar Wrap, and Tater Tots. We ordered the following: +the Smashburger came with 2 patties, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, pickles, and burger sauce +the Chimkin Patty was prepared with a seasonal vegetable fritter, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and remoulade +and, the Tater Tots, which came with a side of spicy ranch Make sure you go between 4:30 PM and 9 PM to get your burger fix! Staff were friendly, and the place was cute - loved the wooden bar area. Metered street parking can be found in the area. +Hatch Burger pop-up +friendly staff +metered street parking in the area

As a former restaurant/craft cocktail owner in Lincoln Park, I'm shocked Oskar's only has 2 reviews…read moreas it's got a lot going for it. The cocktail menu caters to many tastes, they make their own bitters, shrubs and syrups, they have a diverse collection of small batch producers and clearly a staff who know what they're doing! As a mixologist who now only plies his trade at home, I was extremely impressed!! Not that the lack of reviews seem to be hurting their business - the 3 attempts I made to visit, only one was successful (they were too busy the other times). I stumbled upon Oskars by chance - but man, am I ecstatic that I did!!! This is a gem that would easily do well in Chicago's trendiest hoods. Its interior is extremely cozy and inviting/welcoming - it reminded me of a cocktail establishment in London's brick lane neighborhood. I'm looking forward to coming back with friends as this is a cocktail bar that will impress Chicagoans and out of towners alike - and more importantly, I don't have to venture south to have a great cocktail anymore!!

Came here for dinner and the vibes were honestly sooo cute. The whole place has that coastal,…read morebeachy aesthetic and it feels super fun for a girls night, date night, or just somewhere pretty to sit and yap over food. We ordered the shrimp tacos, truffle parmesan fries, and the vodka pasta. The shrimp tacos were definitely the star for me -- super flavorful, fresh, and had a nice little kick without being too much. The truffle fries were also really good and easy to share, especially with the extra aioli on the side. The vodka pasta was creamy, comforting, and just one of those solid dishes if you want something filling and reliable. Everything came out looking really nice, portions were decent, and the whole meal felt like a cute little dinner moment. The ambiance definitely adds to the experience here too -- it's one of those places people come to for the vibe, but the food still holds up. Overall, I'd come back especially for the tacos and fries. Cute trendy spot for dinner if you want good food and a fun atmosphere.

We've often walked past this place and thought it looked cute and yesterday we decided to finally…read morego to it. What a mistake. I'm going to first say that I think they might have something wrong with their back of the house. I say this because yes the service was not great. The waiter seemed to really not be trained properly as far as when to stop by the table and what to ask and prolonged our supposedly quick lunch by way too long because he was so distracted by other things. But the back of the house thing, there were four of us. We ordered five things and only one of the dishes was normal. The Burger. Quite good. Everything else felt soggy and undercooked. I don't know why this is. But one of the things we got was a pizza and the pizza was so wet and soggy that we couldn't even pick up the slices. Didn't eat any of it, just sent it back and the funny part is is 10 feet away from us there was literally another table with a similar pizza that they did the exact same thing but they didn't send it back. Theirs was just left on the table uneaten as they walked out. The menu isn't interesting enough to make us ever want to go back and to top it off there's a 18% service charge put on there that is the tip for the server but doesn't say gratuity and we asked about that and it turns out it's the gratuity that's already included in every bill. This place is a mess. Maybe this isn't represent other locations but this location is a dumpster fire.

In honor of Women's History Month I would like to update my review of Nobody's Darling to state…read morethat the lovely owners of this fine establishment are still doing their thing. Nobody's Darling is not just to have a chat and cocktail, they offer quite a few events for folks to attend. Below are a few examples of the swinging times you can have there. In 2026 I am so happy that they are still in business and thriving. The vibe is still cool, the menu for the cocktails is still exciting and the crowd is eclectic. Wine Down Wednesday Unwind midweek with Happy Hour 5-7pm $7 glasses of wine $20 bottles Thursday: Pitch Your Peeps Help your friend find love (or vibes). Pitch them to the room - all relationship styles welcome. Feel Good Fridayz w/ DJ All The Way Kay Start the weekend right! Happy Hour 5-7pm DJ Kay live 8-11pm Sunday Karaoke All Day Happy Hour starting at 2pm Karaoke 5pm-8pm Sip.Sing. Repeat. Empanadas by De Luna Empanada 7pm-10pm DJ Gloria on the decks Cocktails flowing all night Friday, March 20 DJ Set 8-11PM

Great drinks and no douchy "bro" energy to be found anywhere. I love this bar. The staff is so…read morefriendly and the vibe of the entire experience was very appealing. It's thought of as a gay bar and clearly that's a lot of the clientele, but all are welcome. Cocktails are delicious and run about $15 each. Pretty standard pricing. They have a good selection of n/a drinks and a menu for lower alcohol cocktails as well. Great neighborhood bar

My sister and I occasionally like to 'shmorgezborg' and we did just that at Bar Siena early today…read morefor lunch. And it's located in Old Orchard so perfect if you want to shop right after Decorated with Christmas lights draping from the ceiling Bar Siena offers a shirk dining experience. And I just have to mention that the service is outstanding and attentive. We decided to go with a plethora of dishes starting with their fried calamari to share. Perfectly tender with a light batter and served with both a house marinara and lemon aioli. Personally I LOVED the lemon aioli but the marinara not so much. I was just expecting more of a robust flavor from it. I chose my main from their 2 course lunch which is a pretty damn good deal. I chose the Baby Gem Salad and their Siena Smashburger and I knew I made a wise decision. The Gem Salad was actually the perfect lunch size and the burger...whoa. I know my burgers and this one was a good smash burger. It wasn't 'glammed' up like some burgers which I appreciated. Just the right amount of sauce and simple condiments. Next menu item...the Prosciutto and Fig Pizza. Ok today I learned that Bar Siena has major Neapolitan pizza game. The marriage of flavors drive me crazy. The difference maker on this pizza was the fact that they used real figs. Not fig preserve or fig jam but the real deal. Everything about this pizza was a home run. The crust, the toppings and even the arugula! I'm not a fan of arugula as I find it to be a little too pungent but I don't know what they did but this was so smooth and that pungent flavor was absent. Man just writing about that pizza and burger makes me excited to eat them again. Glad I have leftovers lol. Yeah def going back whenever I can!

Not impressed with this place. Went here for mother's day brunch and service was pretty lackluster…read more Overcharged for one extra coffee. And at the end there was a random 1% fee which wasn't explained. Tip was taxed too which since it's mandatory is treated as revenue so whatever. Tax is also higher because it's in a mall...lol. Now to the food... Overall was decent but the salmon was dry. For the price I don't think I'll be back next year.

New favorite cocktail bar in the city!!…read more It's the perfect spot for a winter night-- the bar has moody lighting, an outdoor fireplace, and phenomenal cocktails. We tried a couple of drinks and our favorites were the espresso martini and the n/a garden smash. The espresso martini is a must order! It's clear and made with chocolate and a coffee foam. We got to speak with the beverage manager Alex and he told us all about how they make all of their syrups and juices in house, the drinks do not contain any major allergens, and many of them have no added sugar. You can tell that eveyone here is very proud of what they do!

Enjoyed my drinks here. Very complex & sophisticated cocktails albeit a neighborhood bar feel to…read moreit. I briefly discussed the bartenders "r&d" stuff currently in development why also challenging him to go off script for a custom cocktail that was delicious. Small but mighty & the price point for these types of cocktails is unheard of these days. I'll be returning asap to delve further into the menu but as of now this is a high priority for cocktail aficionados such as myself.

It was surprisingly crowded on a weekday night so we sat at the bar. For my drink I got a spicy…read moremargarita and it was really good--very refreshing with a kick. For appetizers, we got the sesame rolls, and they were super soft and fresh. I also tried bacon wrapped dates for the first time (so I have nothing to compare these to), and they were alright but I thought the cheese was sort of overpowering. For food, I got the brick chicken and it came with a side of crispy cottage potatoes. The chicken with the garlic thyme jus went well together, and the potatoes were so crispy and delicious. The sticky date cake almost tasted like pumpkin bread because of the spices I was tasting. Overall the food was good, but I wasn't blown away by anything I ordered. Although our server was really friendly and helpful, I felt that the service was lacking and it took awhile to be checked on to order our drinks and food, but maybe they think it's best to just leave customers alone and allow them to take their time. He also gave us our check without asking if we wanted dessert or anything else. He apologized and made sure to ask if there was anything else we needed before we left which I appreciated.

We visited for a birthday celebration and had a solid experience overall! We started with the…read moreartichoke dip; while it was very flavorful, the portion was quite small, a bit too salty, and didn't come with enough chips (though we easily ordered more). For mains, the salmon was cooked to absolute perfection--juicy and not overdone at all--and the smashed burger was wonderfully juicy and paired great with the waffle fries. Tip: Happy hour runs Monday-Friday from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM, but it's strictly bar-seating only. If you are celebrating a birthday, your dessert is complimentary! Our waitress, Ann, was incredibly attentive and friendly, and the noise level was low enough that we could actually hold a conversation. There's valet parking!