30 Best Bars in Chicago, Illinois

A favorite after-work watering hole with a substantial bar menu, Andy's Jazz Club has live music ranging from swing jazz to bebop.

Relocated from its original location a few doors down, Buddy Guy's Legends has a superb sound system, excellent sightlines, and more space to showcase Grammy Award–winning blues performer/owner Buddy Guy's collection of blues memorabilia. Look for local blues acts during the week and larger-scale touring acts on weekends. Don't miss Buddy Guy in January, when he performs a monthlong home stand of shows (tickets go on sale one month in advance). There's also a substantial menu of Cajun and Creole favorites.

This place may have toys and knickknacks around the bar (including a case of macabre baby-doll heads), but when it comes to booking rock, punk, and jazz bands from the indie scene, it's a serious place with no pretensions. Grab some grub next door at Pizza Friendly Pizza before the show—the thick Sicilian-style squares, created in collaboration with fine dining vet Noah Sandoval, are among the best pizza bets in the whole city.

A Chicago institution, the legendary Green Mill has stood sentinel in the Uptown neighborhood since 1907. Deep leather banquettes and ornate wood paneling line the walls, and a photo of former patron Al Capone occupies a place of honor on the piano behind the bar. The jazz entertainment (appearing nightly; cover charge required; cash only) is both excellent and contemporary, as are the monthly poetry slams. 

The Hideout, which is literally hidden away in a North Side industrial zone, has managed to make country music hip in Chicago. Players on the city's alternative country scene have adopted the friendly hole-in-the-wall, and legendary local acts like Wilco and Andrew Bird have been known to use the crowd here as a sounding board for new material. Late-night DJ sets, stand-up, and even the odd square dance round out the entertainment offerings.

Though its name implies otherwise, House of Blues actually attracts big-name performers of all genres, including jazz, roots, gospel, alternative rock, hip-hop, world, and R&B. The interior is an elaborate cross between blues bar and ornate opera house. Its restaurant has a satisfying Sunday gospel brunch. 

On a given night at Rosa's Lounge, you'll find Tony, the owner, working the crowd. He moved here from Italy out of a pure love for the blues, and what makes his club special is a gritty authenticity that some of the sleeker city center blues establishments lack. Stop by and partake in Rosa's winning mixture of big-name and local talent, stiff drinks, and friendly service—the same since it opened in 1984. Take a rideshare after the show, as this corner of the neighborhood can be a bit rough around the edges at night.

The Chicago Blues Festival leaves no doubt about it: Chicago still loves to sing the blues. Each June, the city pulses with sounds from the largest free blues festival in the world, which takes place over three days and on five stages in both Grant Park and Millennium Park. The always-packed open-air festival has been headlined by blues legends such as B.B. King, Koko Taylor, and Buddy Guy.

This North Side bar and music club brings in the crowds thanks to a good sound system and a great space for solid rock, alternative-rock, country, and rockabilly acts plus live local comedy during the week. On the Kitchen side, guests can order up salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and desserts. The well-earned popularity of the Belmont location spawned spots downtown on the Riverwalk and a Cantina location at Navy Pier.

In an upscale part of downtown, Blue Chicago has none of the trademark grit or edginess of the older South Side blues clubs. What it does offer is a good sound system, a packed calendar that regularly features female vocalists, and a cosmopolitan audience that's a tad more diverse than some of the baseball-capped crowds at Lincoln Park blues clubs.

For a walk into history, stop by the Blues Heaven Foundation, which occupies the former home of the legendary Chess Records. Breathe the same rarefied air as blues (and rock-and-roll) legends Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, and the Rolling Stones, all of whom recorded here. Check out the Chess brothers' private offices, the recording studio, and the back stairway used only by signed musicians. Be sure to see the eerie "Life Cast Portraits" wall showcasing the plaster heads of the Chess recording artists. Tour hours are 12–4 Monday through Saturday.

Once a metal factory and later a taxi cab repair shop, this 18,000-square-foot industrial conversion has an invitingly funky restaurant and bar up front. But the main draw is the midsize music room that accommodates 700 concertgoers—good for an up-and-coming underground act, or a higher-profile touring band looking for an intimate feel.

Elbo Room, a multilevel space in an elbow-shape corner building, has a basement rec-room feel. Talented live bands add a strong dose of nu-jazz, funk, soul, pop, and rock seven days a week.

Although it's a 30-minute schlep west of downtown Chicago, FitzGerald's draws crowds from all over the city and suburbs with its mix of folk, jazz, blues, zydeco, and rock. This early 1900s roadhouse has both great sound and sight lines. There's a menu of fantastic barbecue fare from Babygold, the adjoining restaurant. During the family-friendly Sunday brunch, it's paired with live acts that run the gamut from classic country to New Orleans funk.  

Among the performers at this fun spot are dualing pianists who encourage the crowd to belt out popular songs. Walk-ins are welcome, but weekend table reservations can be purchased in advance. Table reservations range from $60 to $275 for a table of four ($40 of which can be applied to your bill); semiprivate and private party packages for bigger groups also available.

In 1968, Kingston Mines went down in Chicago history as the first blues club to open on the North Side, and it's hosted luminaries like Koko Taylor and Junior Wells. Though it's since moved to bigger digs with not one, but two stages, it still offers the same traditional sounds and late-night hours as the original club. Have something you need to get off your chest? Work it out at the Sunday evening open blues jam.

The owners of Lincoln Hall transformed a former movie theater into an intimate concert space with great sight lines, an excellent sound system, and a wraparound balcony with seating. The booking is always on point, so it's worth taking a chance on a lesser-known band. A separate bar up front pours preshow pints from local breweries.

The second-floor ballroom hosts all-ages rock shows put on by the team at the Empty Bottle, plus other live performances and assorted special events. The acoustics aren't the best, but the hip younger crowd it draws doesn't seem to care. For those 21 and over, there's a full bar.

Martyrs' brings mostly local rock bands (and the occasional major-label act) to North Center, a small neighborhood sandwiched between Lincoln Square and Roscoe Village. Music fans can see the stage from just about any corner of the bar, while the more rhythmically inclined gyrate in the large standing-room area. A mural opposite the stage memorializes late rock greats.

Nearly everyone who passes through Chicago plays at Metro at some point, from the best local bands to international superstars looking for an intimate club show experience (including bands like Metallica and Foo Fighters). It's among the best places in town to see live music, whether you're packed in on the main floor or above the fray in the balcony. In the basement is Smart Bar, a late-night dance club that starts hopping after midnight.

Since the 1960s, The Original Mother's has been a local favorite for cutting-edge music and dance-'til-you-drop partying. The subterranean destination was immortalized by Demi Moore, Jim Belushi, and Rob Lowe in the '80s rom-com About Last Night.

Built as a "tied house" in 1903 by the Schlitz Brewing Company (whose logo still adorns the exterior), Schubas Tavern favors local and national power pop, indie rock, and folk musicians. The laid-back, wood-paneled back room is the perfect place to hear artists who are just about to make it big. The attached and appropriately named restaurant, Tied House, serves creative comfort food.

You can catch small indie bands, DJs, and local acts at this concert space that also doubles as a coffee shop in the morning and a beer garden (with dozens of options on draft) in the afternoon and evening. 

Check the letter board over the front door of this Wicker Park storefront for a list of the rising indie rock and hip-hop acts playing there soon, often on their first Chicago gigs. Chances are good they'll be playing a larger venue the next time through. Locals also come for the popular Thursday reggae nights and regular open-mic events.

This is the place for infectious live reggae, world-beat music, and Caribbean cuisine Tuesday through Sunday. Take a breather at the bar and sip a signature Famous Wild Hare Rum Punch or a Jamaican Red Stripe beer.

Located in the Irving Park neighborhood, about 15 minutes northwest of downtown, this place showcases rock, as well as some Irish, Celtic, and country music, in a large concert hall with a separate, busy pub. By day the hall is used to show soccer and rugby games from the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Double Door is a hotbed for music in Wicker Park. The large bar books up-and-coming local and national acts from rock to acid jazz. Unannounced Rolling Stones shows have been held here. Door No. 3, a lounge with a speakeasy theme, occupies the basement.