Chicago

Buddy Guy's Legends

A famous, fairly large blues club with a Cajun/soul food menu and frequent big-name acts. Buddy Guy himself holds court every January.

Mon Tue 5PM-2AM, Wed-Fri 11AM-2AM, Sat noon-3AM, Sun noon-2AM·Cover Su-Th $10, F Sa $20

The Hideout

One of the finest drinking and hollering establishments in the U.S., the Hideout hosts the best in alt-folk, bluegrass, Americana and just plain hillbilly music. The place is a bit hard to find, hidden as it is next to the city's main north-side refueling station for garbage trucks, but it's more than worth the trouble. Of special interest to old-timey fans is the regular Tuesday night appearance of Devil in a Woodpile.

Tue 7PM-2AM, Wed-Fri 4PM-2AM, Sat 7PM-3AM·Outdoor seating

Kingston Mines

The larger of the blues bars on Halsted. Has a great set-up with two stages and two bands every night. One band plays for an hour on one stage then the other band takes over on the second stage for an hour — continuous music all night from 9:30PM.

Sun-Fri 8PM-4AM, Sat 8PM-5AM

Andy's Jazz Club

A nice and slightly less pretentious jazz club featuring straight-ahead performances nightly.

Mon-Fri 11:30AM-1:30AM, Sat 5PM-2AM, Sun 5PM-1AM·Admission: $15, Dinner: $15-25

Skylark

From the outside, it looks like an old-man bar that's been prepped for use as a bunker during World War II, but on the inside there's an excellent selection of cheap beer, pinball, a photobooth, some of the strongest $5 mixed drinks you'll find anywhere in the city, and tater tots — oh, delicious tater tots. If you have poor taste in movies, you might be delighted to hear that Skylark was featured prominently in the 2006 movie, The Breakup.

Sun-Fri 4PM-2AM, Sat 4PM-3AM·Wheelchair accessible

Kasey's Tavern

Excellent dive bar in historic Printer's Row. Extensive beer selection, disgusting bathrooms and "Absolutely No Dancing." Kasey's is good for a drink before or after a Sox game.

Sun-Fri 11AM-2AM, Sat noon-3AM·Outdoor seating

Sidetrack

A large, stylish, multi-room bar that makes a great place to start the night, with slushy drinks and showtunes on a big screen. (Sundays are sing-along nights.) Gay or straight (but predominantly gay), this is one of the best bars in Chicago.

Sun-Fri 3PM-2AM, Sat 3PM-3AM·Wheelchair accessible

3rd Coast Cafe

Once known as the Chicago meet-up spot for 2600, the computer hackers quarterly, 3rd Coast is an upscale late-night oasis amid blocks of impressive, silent Old Town row houses. Evenings feature jazz and solo guitarists, and the food is far above average for a cafe.

7AM-midnight daily

Bernice & John's

Bernice's Tavern

A laid back and particularly friendly Bridgeport dive bar with Thursday open mic nights that have caught on well with local artists.

Mon 3PM-midnight, Wed-Fri 3PM-2AM, Sat 11AM-3AM, Sun noon-midnight

Bernie's Tavern

One of the most popular bars with locals and out-of-towners alike. The rather small inside bar opens to a large back patio. Crowd has gotten younger the past few years, but you'll still find fans from ages 20 to 90 having a good time.

Sun-Fri 10AM-2AM, Sat 8AM-3AM

Blue Chicago

Live blues most nights of the week, except for Sundays. Has a sister club by the same name just a couple blocks away at 536 N Clark (312 661-0100, no music on Mondays).

Sun-Fri 8PM-2AM, Sat 8PM-3AM·Cover Su-Th $8, F Sa $10

Cafe Jumping Bean

Reputation has it that this is Chicago's warmest and most inviting neighborhood coffee shop. It certainly lives up to the name: tiny, and always jumping with people.

Mon-Fri 6AM-10PM, Sat,Sun 7AM-7PM·$2-6

Emerald Loop

Irish-style pub in an elegant setting, with large tables to accommodate business lunches. The food's good, breakfast included.

Mon-Fri 7AM-2AM, Sat 11AM-3AM, Sun 11AM-2AM

Empty Bottle

To Chicago as the Knitting Factory is to NYC, the Empty Bottle hosts a mix of touring indie-rock veterans, local bands, and occasional appearances by American and Dutch avant-garde jazz. The sound and the room are OK at best, but the people who work here (and their great taste in music) make it exceptional. They also program events in Logan Square and Portage Park, among others. If you're hungry before a show, step next door to Bite (see Eat).

Mon-Wed 5PM-2AM, Thu-Fri 3PM-3AM, Sat noon-3AM, Sun noon-2AM·$10-15, Mondays free

Exchequer Restaurant & Pub

Family-friendly pub with pizza and ribs, under the L tracks and covered in Chicago memorabilia.

Mon-Thu 11AM-11PM, Fri Sat 11AM-midnight, Sun Noon-9PM

Gold Star

An old, speakeasy-era bar among the Division nightlife that now caters to a younger crowd, but hits all the marks: cheap beer, a good jukebox, pool, and cheap beer. (Also cheap beer.)

Sun-Fri, Sat

Jake's Pub

A good place to recover from shopping binges at the Century Shopping Centre and its neighbors (see Buy). Jake's has a good beer selection and dependable jukebox. Dogs are not only welcome — they're encouraged.

Mon-Fri 3PM-2AM, Sat noon-3AM, Sun noon-2AM

Kristoffer's Cafe and Bakery

A warm, large space with a range of sandwiches, drinks, and baked goods. (They call their seven varieties of tres leches cakes a family specialty.) You will find free Wi-Fi and flyers for every art opening in the area.

Mon 7:30AM-3PM, Tue-Fri 7:30AM-5PM, Sat Sun 8AM-4PM·Lunch $5-8

Lemming's

Comfortable neighborhood bar with local art to be seen and games (board & video) to be played. Look for the "Lemming's" sign by day and the "Schlitz" by night.

Mon-Fri 4PM-2AM, Sat noon-3AM, Sun noon-2AM

Maria's Packaged Goods & Community Bar

Longtime Chicago scenester Ed Marszewski and his brother Mike have re-launched their mother's stalwart bar and liquor store as a community bar. Expect regular performances from 90s no-wave and post-rock bands, electronic artists and performance artists. Ed's connections to the art scene are broad and deep (he's thrown parties at venues ranging from warehouses to the MCA), so the entertainment should be good.

Sun-Fri 11AM-2AM, Sat 11AM-3AM

Mitchell's Tap

Lots of different kinds of beer, bowling, golf machines, and frequent live music.

Sun-Fri 11AM-2AM, Sat 11AM-3AM·cover on Sa only: $3-5

Nisei Lounge

Local cult favorite with an interesting Japanese backstory. No sushi here; just a great bar with a few pool tables.

Sun Tue-Fri 11AM-2AM, Sat 11AM-3AM, Mon 6PM-2AM; open at 11AM on game days

Phyllis' Musical Inn

Everyone feels welcome at the Musical Inn. Outdoor seating is packed on Division in the summer, which is why this is one to know — few people are aware that a great beer garden lurks behind the tall stone fence next door to Phyllis', which looks like a garden variety dive bar at first glance. (Befitting the name, there are bands here sometimes.)

Sun-Fri 3PM-2AM, Sat 3PM-3AM

Second Story Bar

It's no small feat to find this place — look for the pink-lettered sign up on, well, the second story. Inside, you'll find a gay bar that falls on the fun side of sleazy (or the sleazy side of fun), far more of a dive than you would expect in these surroundings and the perfect antidote to hotel bars.

Sun-Fri noon-2AM, Sat noon-3AM

Simone's

Good food (especially the Mexican-influenced Pilsen Burger), but go for the beer: while their mixed drinks cost more than Skylark and aren't nearly as strong, they have an absolutely spectacular collection of beers on tap and in cans/bottles. That, and the decor is done out in this bizarre steampunk-pinball machine theme. They have good DJs spinning on most nights and trivia nights on Tuesdays.

Sun-Fri 11:30AM-2AM, Sat 11:30AM-3AM

Spectrum Bar & Grill

The Greektown location means that ouzo and saganaki have a place among the usual bar & grill fare.

Mon-Fri 11AM-4AM, Sat 5PM-5AM, Sun 5PM-4AM

Ten Cat Tavern

The kitty on the sign is cradling a ten-ball because there's pool to be played here, but in most other respects, this is someone's apartment that happens to have a bar in it (and a pretty good backyard).

Sun-Fri 3PM-2AM, Sat 3PM-3AM

The Hangge-Uppe

The best bar in the Rush/Division nexus. Drinks aren't over-priced, the decor is cool, and there are two floors for dancing, depending on whether you prefer retro or modern beats.

Open 7PM; Sun-Fri to 4AM, Sat to 5AM

The Long Room

A low-lit neighborhood lounge with a casual atmosphere worth settling into for a while — and, yes, it's a very long room.

Mon-Fri 5PM-2AM, Sat 5PM-3AM, Sun 7PM-2AM

The Map Room

Their motto is "Don't be lost," but you may as well give in to their disorienting collection of exotic beers. Their tap selection is one of the more extensive in the city, with surprises for even the most jaded beer drinker: extensive draught and bottle menu, including a cask-conditioned selection, but occasionally unfriendly management.

Mon-Fri 6:30AM-2AM, Sat 7:30AM-3AM, Sun 11AM-2AM