Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Chicago / Illinois

OpenTable

Updated October 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Chicago / Illinois? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Bub City

4.8

4.8 (1504)

$31 to $50

Barbecue

River North (Chicago)

About the restaurant

Bub City is the destination for barbecue, whiskey and live country music and is open for lunch, dinner, weekend brunch and late night dining. The Southern spot offers house-smoked BBQ, more than 125 different whiskeys from well-known and independent distilleries throughout the country and live country music.

Top review

Glenn

Dined on Oct 5, 2024

We’re in From Philly. Bibs City was very good food, superb service & reasonable prices

The Village Vintner

4.8

4.8 (290)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Algonquin

About the restaurant

We invite you to experience a casual dining atmosphere with an elegant selection of food, handcrafted wine & house brew. We proudly feature a wood fired pizza oven, which allows us to offer you gourmet pizza, delectable flatbreads, tender smoky ribs, and many other mouthwatering wood fired entrees. When you arrive, both a full service bar and separate wine & beer tasting bar await you. Try some of our handcrafted wines or beer while you enjoy a tempting appetizer at our tasting bar. Don’t forget to ask about our Wine & Mug Club membership options, too!

Top review

Karen

Dined 4 days ago

The restaurant is very nice and clean. Surprisingly quiet. We could actually enjoy a conversation without having to talk over the table next to us or annoying loud music. Service was great. Food was even better. Tried lots of beer, I have no complaints

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Popular dish

White Pizza

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery

4.8

4.8 (391)

$30 and under

Gastro Pub

River North (Chicago)

About the restaurant

At Centennial, our passion is craft beer and our focus is simple: to celebrate craft beer. Beer can bring people together on a common ground and has the ability to create a community. Beer can elevate food. Beer is culture.

We feature 56 taps with a selection of 36 rotating craft beers. In addition to our taps, we feature a high volume of beers available in bottles and cans, as well as a curated selection of craft spirits and wines.

Centennial also features chef-driven food with an emphasis on craft beer. The menu focuses on beer pairings and incorporating beer as an ingredient. Centennial also features smoked, char grilled, and wood-fired ingredients.

Top review

Jodi

Dined 3 days ago

Food was good, but the service was even better! We will return for sure.

Piece Brewery & Pizzeria

4.8

4.8 (8)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

Bucktown / Wicker Park

About the restaurant

Currently only accepting reservations for parties of 6-16 online. Reservations for parties greater than 8 are very limited and large parties might be split into multiple tables. Please walk-in for small party availability.

At Piece Brewery, the spirit of piece, love, and harmony are infused into every bite and sip. Nestled in a skylit loft, this vibrant establishment seamlessly unites the flavors of award-winning, New Haven-style thin-crust pizza with the the longest continuously-operating and most award-winning brewpub in Chicago, a tradition that has been upheld since 2001.

Whether you're savoring a slice of our renowned pies or sampling our diverse range of house brews, every visit promises a symphony of taste and community. As the sun sets, the atmosphere transforms into a lively sports-bar setting, creating an unforgettable experience where great food, great brews, and great entertainment converge.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Jul 20, 2024

Great location , pizza and beer . Plenty of room do our party

Happy Camper Pizzeria Wrigleyville

4.8

4.8 (934)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

Wrigleyville

About the restaurant

Happy Camper Wrigleyville is located just blocks away from Wrigley Field. The year-round patio, rooftop bar and vibrant decor provides guests with a variety of unique dining experiences. There’s not a better combination of pizza, booze, vibes and happiness in the whole universe than what you'll get here.

PLEASE NOTE: Minors must be accompanied by parent or guardian.

We only accept Credit Card. No Cash.

Top review

Sylviavip

Dined 3 days ago

We had great service. The food could’ve been warmer.

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Experience

CHARITY F*CKIN' BINGO

Experience

Northwestern Football at Wrigley Field

Experience

Northwestern Football at Wrigley Field

Three Dots and a Dash

4.7

4.7 (1765)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

River North (Chicago)

About the restaurant

With a secret alleyway entrance, Three Dots and a Dash is a speakeasy-style take on the traditional island bar—ready to transport you to the glamorous bygone eras of Trader Vic, Stephen Crane and Don the Beachcomber. Descend underground to discover a subterranean hideaway featuring a rum-soaked menu of more than two dozen classic, modern and original tropical cocktails and a selection of island fare. We are a 21+ venue.

Top review

Katievip

Dined 5 days ago

Three Dots and a Dash has been on our "must visit" list for a couple of years. I am so happy we finally made it to Chicago to try it! The atmosphere was great and was such a fun bar. We tried the Three Dots and a Dash (obviously had to!), the Tropical Itch, the Pearl Diver, and the Royal Hawaiian Breakfast. All the cocktails were absolutely amazing and we loved the presentation. We tried only a few food items, the crab rangoons and the coconut shrimp, both were good, the shrimp were definitely our favorites. Service was ok, but it was busy in the bar.

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Three Dots and a Dash (Deposit Required)

Moe's Cantina Wrigleyville

4.7

4.7 (44)

$30 and under

Mexican

Wrigleyville

About the restaurant

Moe’s Cantina is located in the heart of Wrigleyville just steps away from the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Moe’s offers a menu of shareable small plates, traditional full-sized entrees, signature tacos and a cocktail list featuring house-made sangria, handmade margaritas, premium tequilas, and more. The cantina features exposed brick walls, concrete-topped bars, an open kitchen with wood-burning grills, a stunning rooftop bar, retractable glass garage doors, a state-of-the-art sound system and a plethora of HDTVs showing the day’s top sporting events!

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Jul 20, 2024

The best place to have fun, really enjoyed my time & it was worth it spending a Friday night in there. Definitely going back soon.

Maple & Ash

4.7

4.7 (4304)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Gold Coast / Streeterville

About the restaurant

Maple & Ash is an innovative take on the traditional steakhouse – mixing a modern aesthetic with authentic service to deliver classic wood-fired dishes. With a sumptuous menu crafted by two-Michelin-star chef, Danny Grant and a wine program named one of "America's Best" by Wine Spectator, Maple & Ash finds a way to celebrate every moment. It’s more than a restaurant, it’s an experience.

Visit us online for additional reservation availability - www.mapleandash.com

Top review

Misavip

Dined 6 days ago

Loved tower hour! Will be back again soon for the tower hour specifically

La Barra - Riverside

4.7

4.7 (949)

$31 to $50

Italian

Riverside

About the restaurant

La Barra Riverside is brought to you by Mary and Pat Leone. We feature sharable Italian small plates, award-winning pizza, great wines and hand-crafted cocktails. The beautiful space includes a private dining room and a gorgeous outdoor patio. Please be aware that our kitchen closes at 9pm Tuesdays - Thursdays and Sundays. On Fridays and Saturdays, our kitchen closes at 9:30pm. Join us for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm-3pm.

Top review

Theresavip

Dined on Oct 5, 2024

Really enjoyed the flatbread special. My husband had his usual sausage and peppers and really enjoyed that! Disappointed that our favorite Sabrina wasn’t working though.

Cultivate by Forbidden Root

4.7

4.7 (41)

$30 and under

Brewery

Lincoln Square

About the restaurant

Cultivate by Forbidden Root is a cozy brewpub and botanical inspired restaurant & brewery that serves elevated food as well as its own carefully crafted ales, wine & and craft cocktails. The second Chicagoland brewpub from Forbidden Root!

Top review

Craigvip

Dined 4 days ago

The food options are excellent with creative combinations of vegetables and sauces. We shared four dishes and found them all excellent and offered plenty of food. If there was any drawback, it would have been nice of the dishes were staged out over more time --- something we probably could have asked for.

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Experience

Happy Hour

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