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

Avaspi is one of the best restaurants I've been to in Chicago. My party of six split 6 appetizers…read moreand 3 entrees. Mediterranean Meze - very flavorful blend of 22 ingredients according to our waiter. This dish was truly unique. 5/5 Grilled Halloumi Meze - delicious cheese with olives and garlic bread. 4/5 Stuffed Eggplant - savory and creamy dish which actually might be even better served hot. 5/5 Calamari Meze - Excellent and tender. Not chewy at all which was nice. There were a ton of olives which I didn't think complimented the calamari. Overall, still 5/5. Mushroom Tava - mushrooms were cooked perfectly and were delicious. One of my favorite dishes of the night. 5/5 Stuffed Mushrooms - this dish fell flat on flavor and had more of the typical mushroom texture. 3/5 The Hunkar entrée initially was extremely salty. I mentioned this to the waiter and they remade it, which turned out great, so I'm hoping the salty dish was a one-off. 5/5 Our waiter was very friendly and attentive throughout. The restaurant itself is also casual upscale, so nice for most occasions. Avaspi exceeds expectations and I highly recommend this excellent Mediterranean restaurant.

Our first time eating at Avaspi, I doubt we'll return. The…read morefood was pretty good, the cocktails (especially the avaspi lemonade) and wine selection, were tasty. The service - inept. After 20 mins and us asking food runners 3 times to get us a waiter we finally got assistance. We ordered the meze platter to start and very clearly stated, no nuts. The waiter said "we only use walnuts", we responded, no nuts. The food arrived and 2 of the 4 dishes had nuts on them, when I pointed it out to the waiter, he said "they're only on the top"! It was as if he was trying to be funny? Or sarcastic? Anyway, decent food, poor service.

Came before a game at Wrigley Field. Alex was busy due to pre game crowds but was amazing. Greeted…read moreus warmly and had an actual conversation with us. Food was delicious and perfect for a pre-game meal. Will definitely be back. The ambiance is more of an upscale bar vs a dive sports bar.

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

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*

Ginger martinis are excellent. As are most the other cocktails. Fries are crack. Burger is delish…read more Great music, great service, great quality. You will pay though! Worth it!

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.

Fine food across the street from Wrigley Field. Not wanting the standard ballpark fare of pizza or…read morehot dogs we opted for the wonderfully unexpected food at Mordecai. The restaurant was gorgeous and laid out well. Kinda fancy. We sat at the bar and had some drinks and split the lamb shank. Every head in the restaurant turned when they brought out that shank fresh from the oven. It was huge and aromatic and presented very well. The taste was even better. Wow! Only served on Sunday night and we were so glad to be there then. Great place for fine food and drink before a Cubs game. Can't be any closer to Wrigley! Best food in Wrigleyville!!!

Fantastic burger and really great cheese curds. The cheese curds also had fried pickles which I…read moreloved. Service was great, everyone was very welcoming and kind. They had tvs at the bar but still a great more upscale feel for the area.

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.