The Blues Heaven Foundation is located in the building of the former Chess Records. It's on S…read more Michigan in Motor Row District - between 14th St. and the Stevenson Expressway, with the core from Cermak Road to 25th Street. My husband coordinated this visit for us. He emailed the non-profit and signed up for a group tour of the landmark on June 9th. Tours are only done by appointment. We were in the city during Chicago Blues Festival, so this was their very active time of the year. Our tour guide, the Executive Director of the BHF, was telling us how their was a private concert the night before. The tour is amazing, and starts on the ground level in their gallery (which has rotating works on display). Then you get to see Chess Records offices and also go upstairs to sit in the recording studio. From my gift shop, I bought a key chain and a tee-shirt for my husband. Proceeds go to the works of the Foundation, which include educational youth programs, assistance to musicians, and outreach to the community. Right next to the building is a small fenced off garden where concerts are held during the summer. Note: You can take still pictures but absolutely no video or audio recording. They are very strict about this and will remind you about it. No joke.

1st time in Chicago and Chess Records was my 1st point of interest to visit. Now, it's the Blues…read moreHeaven Foundation run by Willie Dixon's family. Our tour was run by Jacqueline Dixon, who did a great job. She presented its history with numerous facts and with great respect! Hearing all of her stories about Willie and his musician friends was absolutely fascinating. This is a must see and do...set up an appointment, get there on time and get a great history lesson about Chicago blues.

Loud but good service. Mixed crowd. Food was hot and the shrimp platter was good. Burger was NOT…read moregood. Drinks were strong and staff was kind.

Went there after having been in Chinatown and the teen wanted some different options for dinner. We…read moresat on the rooftop and it was great. There was a pool table, basketball net and a shower, assuming in case you are overheated. We saw a couple of the marathon runners use it. The food was great. When I saw people get an order of like 30 wings knew that was the way to go. Our server was excellent and she was spread pretty thin as she was covering a lot of tables.

I love this jazz club! Established in 1947, it's the oldest jazz club in Chicago and the second…read moreoldest in the country. As soon as I walked in, I could feel I was somewhere truly special. The dark lighting and swanky vibe creates a lovely ambiance. A variety of seating options, including sofas. Attentive service and excellent cocktails and mocktails. The musicians are incredible!

This place has a magical feel IF you're into jazz. If you aren't a jazz lover, you just may become…read moreone here. Well, I love jazz and it's a great place to be. I came here for the first time knowing my grandparents started coming here in the 50's for date night jazz. This place was founded in 1947 and you can see they've preserved this place to keep that same feel with all the greats from the past... Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Lonnie Liston Smith, Hugh Masekela, Dexter Gordon, etc. (those are my favorites!). I saw the Kyle Swan Quartet. They were absolutely amazing. You see young and seasoned musicians that are so talented. I usually go to Birdland in NYC but this place, Jazz Showcase, is better to me because it feels more welcoming and like home here versus a production at a theater. We interact with the artists here-- well, they interact with us and make us feel like we are at home and like we are supposed to be there with them, not a performance transaction. $25+ for a show and booking online was a breeze. It's comfortable here, chairs are good and there's sofas in reserved areas but the whole seating area has a great view of the stage no matter where you're sitting. The staff seems gracious and kind of everyone who visits and genuinely wants you to have a great time. They see very selective in their talent that performs here... but why wouldn't they when they've been here for so long and had the best artists perform here?! I came the night that The only downside that may be for some people is they don't have food... only drinks. Me personally, I ate before and don't come for food, I come for the jazz... but they've got beer, cocktails, and other spirits. Macallan and Laphroaig for those who need a good whiskey. Come here if you're ready to relax and listen to great jazz with artists who know their craft. I'm coming back with friends... or even alone. Yeah, it's cool like that. ***Side note: the GPS may take you to the Main Street and you may not see the sign right away and actually have to turn the corner on Plymouth and walk down that side street to get to the end of the block (where the dead end/no outlet is).

We had a great time, band was good, but the icing on the cake was Buddy Guy himself coming in to…read moreperform. We got to see the legend in action and he didn't disappoint!! Our waitress was attentive and refilled our drinks as necessary.

I always wanted to come and visit The Legendary Buddy Guy's for a night of Jazz. This particular…read morenight Toronzo Cannon was getting married at Buddy Guy's & after will be performing. I got there early to get a good seat close to the stage. It was a packed out night. Grown Vibes and some of the best performances. I enjoyed the atmosphere and show. The flip side is the service & food sucked. The server Katarzyna was rude and unprofessional. I understand it was crowded that night and service was slow. It was the attitude and demeanor and rudeness. The staff also seemed to be unorganized and unprepared on that night. I ordered the fish and chip and it was greasy and very salty. I did enjoy the performance of Toronzo. But, disappointed with the service and food.

I stopped into M Lounge for their Friday night happy hour after hearing about it from my friend's…read morecousin, who happened to be DJing a house set that evening. We arrived right at the start of happy hour, which made it easy to order drinks and grab a comfortable spot. There was even a caterer onsite selling food, it looked good, but we passed since we had just come from dinner. By 7 pm the crowd had grown, and the lounge was completely packed. The vibe was very local, with many people clearly familiar with one another, which gave it a laid-back, neighborhood feel. The drinks were strong, the music was on point, and the energy was just right for a Friday night wind-down. M Lounge is the kind of spot that would definitely be in my regular rotation if I lived in Chicago. Since I don't, I'll just have to make sure it's on my list every time I visit.

Use to be my favorite bar before finally closing the doors earlier this year! I suggest checking…read moreold photos for their ambiance & service. They didn't serve food. You could order food and eat at the bar!

Chill, unpretentious bar in the Loop. Kinda sporty, with carnival games and TVs in back, but not…read moreoverwhelmingly so. Good whiskey selection, and they have Templeton Rye ON TAP. What a country! They wouldn't pour me a pint though.... Great to visit on its own or for post Exchequer digestifs.

This bar is within a couple of blocks of the Art Institute, and I happened across it after getting…read moremy art history nerd on for a couple hours. I was hungry because I skipped lunch to maximize my time in the museum. I searched for bars and lounges in Yelp and ended up here. It was a good choice. Despite being a geezer, I am always a softy for cute and friendly servers. Yep, check that box. I was welcomed in a friendly manner, and I received very good service during my time here. Facing a good selection of beers and ale, some of which were unknown to me, my server was right on the money with a solid local ale recommendation. Wish that happened every time I came in to a new establishment. I needed something to eat, but didn't want a huge meal, so I ended up with the wings. They were meaty and the flavor I chose was outstanding. (Sadly, I forgot to write that down, nor did I write down the ale that I chose.) There were a lot of locals here, judging by the interactions with the staff, but I did not feel out of place as a stranger. I stayed for a couple of pints and left a very satisfied customer. Hope to make it back on my next visit to Chicago.

I've been to a few shows both at radius, and the smaller open spaces Cermak Hall, and I've always…read morehad a great time. Security moves pretty quick compared to other concert venue, and they have plenty of bartenders which keeps moving along. It styles itself in a large warehouse approach, which can hold larger crowds. If you're close to the stage, the sound is phenomenal, when you're little further back, there is some minor reverberations. It definitely doesn't have a cozy, or historic style feel like some of the other venues or clubs in the city. However, they're not trying to, they bring in big-time names, and it's always a fun time.

Came here to see Duke Demont and the dj sets before were pretty good. I would say the drinks are…read moreheavily overpriced because of the concert but my first time experience here was pretty fun. There was so much space and it started filling up with people but you could easily get out and move around. Drinks do get expensive and there is a coat check which organized in my opinion.

Hidden Gem of a Dive Bar. If you're looking for an alternative to Maria's in Bridgeport, just to…read moremix it up, this place is perfect. Also a fantastic place to bar hop. Cash only. Mildly sticky floors (But in the good dive bar sort of way), overpopulated wall decorations, and friendly looking bar people who've been curating the classic rock playlist since before George Bush ran for president.

Upon initial arrival, I'm not gonna lie - I was a little hesitant. Dive bars are my thing, but this…read moreone reminded me of one of those hillbilly country bars with sparse options in liquor and potentially boring vibes. One other bar patron was in. No music was playing. However...within five minutes, I could already tell I was going to like it here. Steve, who I later found out was the owner, was very hospitable & friendly, turning on music, catering to my silly request to see the stop light colors change, etc. Eventually, more people started arriving at the bar, including live music. Everything fell into place. It became a really great experience, where people were all friendly and welcoming. Bathroom was clean. Bar was clean. ATM works perfectly (it's a cash only bar). I love good bars and "good vibes" (and hate the phrase good vibes but whatever it works here ) and if the shoe fits, hey, enjoy it while you can! Oh and disclaimer - nothing wrong with a hillbilly bar, I tend to meet the best people at these hole in the wall establishments who've, ya know, actually lived their lives and have rich stories to share If I'm back in Chicago, this'll be a place I'll try to visit again. If you're local, better check it out. I'm an expert, trust me