Mao bar definitely lives up to its name!…read more Mao in Thai means drunk...but don't worry if you aren't looking to get smashed you can most definitely still have a fab time in the neighborhood! This is located inside Immm Rice & Beyond. It use to be BYOB but since they've received their liquor license they have pumped up their drink options. I love the fun cocktails with the unique housemade infusions. My fave is the "Cool Water" with a smoky and spicy kick that leaves a slight tingle to your lips! They also have a really tasty mocktail called Pinky in Love with lovely fruit notes- as well as a CBD cocktail and a variety of fun southeast Asian fruit drinks like Longan. On Friday and Saturday the bar stays open later with a limited kitchen menu. Great spot to meet up with friends and chat the night away. Service is attentive and friendly. Street parking is available.

The ambiance at Mao Bar was very cute and welcoming. Bartender Leow was pretty fantastic , the…read moredrinks were very delicious and balanced. The sticky rice, the rice tasted like jasmine and it was mushier than regular sticky rice would be, I would've preferred extra coconut sauce on the side to pour over my dessert but I could've asked. Either way just had drinks and dessert, it was a nice experience.

Larry's is a bar tucked in the lobby of a new apartment building on Lawrence. It's a chill spot to…read morecatch up with friends and be able to hear each other over the music. You can stay in the bar area or if you need more space, you could take your drinks out to the space in the lobby area. The bar area is small but there's plenty of seating and it wasn't too crazy busy even on a Friday night. I loved the aesthetic the red lighting gave to the bar space and the funky art on the walls. They had great cocktails at Larry's! They have a cocktail of the week and a dealer's choice. I highly recommend getting the dealer's choice. You tell the bartender the type of liquor and drinks you normally like, and they surprise you with something! The bartenders were amazing and whipped up a cool drink for me that was floral + tequila. I would definitely come back here!

Absolutely unbelievable. The staff handed my credit card to another patron, who left Lawrence's…read moreHouse with it. That is not a simple mistake--it's a serious security failure involving a customer's financial information. I was told the employee responsible was an alleged trainee, and that the person who left with my card was another employee elsewhere within Lawrence's House. If that's accurate, it's even more difficult to understand why my card wasn't immediately returned once the mistake was discovered. My tab was ultimately comped because the establishment no longer had my credit card to process the payment after giving it to someone else. I was also given a gift card, but I have no intention of returning after an incident like this, so it has no value to me. While my card was eventually recovered, that doesn't change the fact that it should never have left the building in someone else's possession. A business that mishandles something as basic as a customer's payment card raises serious concerns about its attention to detail, and I would encourage anyone considering this establishment to think carefully before trusting it with their payment information.

Very fun shotgun bar next to Lonesome Rose that was rocking 70s and 80s dance tracks on a Recent…read moreSaturday night. Excellent cocktails and complementary taxidermy

What an lovely discovery Sweethearts Bar turned out to be! The Doctor and I were looking for a new…read morehappy hour place to hang, and we came across Sweethearts Bar. The entrance to the bar is located to the left of Lonesome Rose, which gives it a hideaway feel. The décor is lovely and the vibe is cozy and chill. I kind of felt like I was in a Western bar with the big bull head starting down at me. I would say that for parties of 2 to 4, this is a good joint to hang out in, but any larger groups, I did not see a space to accommodate more than 4 people. The night we were there, they had a cool 80s playlist going and that was nice to sit and chair dance while drinking my cava. The Doctor liked the fact that the beer was really cold. And I loved that they had sparkling wine. There is a small section on the menu for food: chips/salsa, Chile con queso, guacamole, Heartbreaker Burger (Chorizo Smash Patty, Grilled Onion, Cilantro, Chile Con Queso, Pickled Jalapeno, Shredded Lettuce, Jalapeno Ranch, Sesame Seed Bun) and Truck Stop Nachos. I got the Truck Stop Nachos (Black Beans, Queso, Pickled Red Onions, Pickled Peppers, Tomato, Crema). You have the option to add Picadillo Beef, Chorizo, or Carne Asada as protein. But you also have the option to have it vegan. I went with steak. Overall this was a nice snack but would have liked a little more steak added to it. I am not sure if you can order from the menu of Lonesome Rose, but the next time we go, I will ask about that. And I have to remember not to call Lonesome Rose, Lonesome Dove (the novel and mini-series). The selection of cocktails is decent, and it is nice that they have non-alcoholic beverages as well. For those that like hard seltzers, they have those as well as a "Toke Cosmic Berry", which is a THC seltzer. Service was nice, the bartender was attentive and friendly. We will definitely be adding this to our rotation of happy hour places.

My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025!…read moreRestaurant: 59/50 Month tried: October Favorite dish: Fried Pickles We've heard so much about the legendary Carol's Pub and were happy to finally swing by for drinks and music. I can't really rate it as a full restaurant yet because we only had fried pickles, but the menu is small and simple and smelled delicious. The serving of pickles was HUGE! Fit for like six people, not just the two of us. And they were yummy. The artist playing when we went was great. I've heard the music lineup is always reliably good, as are the events. It's high on my 2026 goal list to come back for karaoke, bingo, and drag brunch.

Staple in the Andersonville area for the good old classic bar experience in Chicago. Great draft…read moreselection, good food options - though I will say their idea of tater tots is maybe a little unique (but still good!). Go if you want to catch the local game, go if you want somewhere low key and straightforward, go if you just want to experience local Chicago.

I love this bar so much STILL…read more Gay, straight, whatever - just behave. We always end up chatting with fellow Andersonvillans when we go here. Daily specials. If you love dogs (is there a person who does not?) go here on a Saturday! It's DOG PARTY! I try to pet as many pups as I can, but truthfully, they are catching up with their dog friends. The perfect description of this place was uttered by my good friend, the legendary John B (may he RIP). It's a casual neighborhood bar that just happens to cater to a mostly gay clientele. Go here, make new friends. Pet dogs. Quaff a few.

Absolutely love SoFo! The bartenders are great, super friendly every time, especially Bee! Bee, is…read moresuch a sweetheart, so open and energetic!!

Have never met a bartender so mean…read more The Temu Ed Harris made sure we knew we weren't welcome. Go for the stale Schlitz on draft, stay to be glared and sneered at. Oh, and don't be paranoid and think it's just you. He hates all of us.

Such a friendly place! Bartenders moved from Huttenbar in Lincoln Square after it closed, and it…read morewas so great to see them again! Beer was cold, vibes were great. The Bishop, a bulldog, greeted us and then laid right in the middle of the floor. We've been before and we'll be back!

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

This was so much fun! It's been on my list forever, and I'm glad we got a group to go. I did my…read moreresearch and wanted to check out the performance bar beforehand - PSA you do not need a ticket for this and can go enjoy drinks and tricks any time! This was so cool but intimate and small so not much space and fills up quickly. The speakeasy door is also so cool though a line will likely form outside right before shows so be prepared for that. The show itself was so impressive, as were the magicians that came up to your table to do tricks beforehand. Drinks were also great. The vip performance after the show was also nice and intimate. Everything was great and so much fun!

My husband and I bought Magic show tickets to celebrate a recent college grad in the family…read more We bought the front row tickets, which also gets you access to the VIP after show (30 minutes)! I thought the tickets were worth that perk alone in addition to being front and center. The talents were superb! I truly enjoyed every act. I loved the pre-show magic tricks at each table. It made the experience very intimate and engaging. I loved that the MC called out each and every celebration that night! There were food and drinks available for order, but kind of pricey (for example, ~$20+ for a shrimp cocktail). I ordered the earl grey non alcoholic drink, which was good!