Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Chicago / Illinois

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

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 favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

La Cantina Grill

4.9

4.9 (10)

$30 and under

Mexican

South Loop

About the restaurant

La Cantina Grill is one of Chicago's Favorite Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar. We have received numerious Best in Chicago Awards For 2010, 103.5 KISSFM Listners...Best Tequila & Margarita Bars.

Our Los Famosos Culinary Team, from Mexico, only prepares top quality dishes using only the freshest (delivered daily) ingredients for our guests. Our bar is always stocked with over 150 tequilas from Mexico and around the world to serve up our famous margaritas, sangrias & mojitos. We welcome you and all of our guests from Chicago & around the world to dine with us, at La Cantina Grill.We are La Cantina Grill, an authentic Mexican restaurant in Chicago’s South Loop. We are located near Soldier Field and McCormick Place at 1911 S. Michigan Avenue. We have a full-service restaurant, bar, outdoor patio, and offer carryout, delivery, and catering.

Top review

Jill

Dined 2 days ago

The food and service was good. There was a variety of menu and drink items. Food was prepared well.

Dove's Luncheonette

4.9

4.9 (23)

$30 and under

Tex-Mex

Bucktown / Wicker Park

About the restaurant

Drawing inspiration from bygone diners, Dove’s Luncheonette offers southern-inspired Mexican cuisine, alongside a tequila and mezcal-focused bar program.

interested in hosting an event or large group with us?
email vipevents@oneoffhospitality.com to book with us today!

Top review

Francisco

Dined 4 days ago

Service was great and food was delicious. Can’t ask for anything better.

Forbidden Root Restaurant and Brewery

4.9

4.9 (57)

$30 and under

American

West Town

About the restaurant

At Forbidden Root Restaurant and Brewery, Chicago's first botanic brewery, we brew craft beer inspired by nature. We love barley, water, hops, and yeast, and use those as a base to explore a rich world of wild ingredients.
More than just a brewpub, our restaurant and brewery offers seasonal dishes to highlight our craft beers and elevate your over all experience. Voted #1 Brewpub in America in 2022 and nominated again in 2024!

Top review

Hannah

Dined on Mar 27, 2025

The beers were great and the food was impressively good! I love this spot.

The Alderman

4.9

4.9 (230)

$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Pilsen

About the restaurant

Winner of the 2022 Jean Banchet Award for Best Bar, THE ALDERMAN is an intimate, 16-seat cocktail bar tucked away, behind closed doors, within Pilsen Yards. The cocktail list rotates some of its original cocktail features, while the twists on American classics are staples of the cocktail list.

With a plush velvet banquette and a 4-seat counter, it’s the perfect room for a night cap, a date, or a casual evening of one to several astonishingly good cocktails.

Top review

Emily

Dined on Apr 20, 2025

Some of the best drinks we’ve ever had, and we love a cocktail bar.

Theory Chicago

4.8

4.8 (363)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Near North

About the restaurant

Our goal is to make Theory your home away from home. Theory is a cozy, upscale sports lounge with an emphasis on comfort, good food, and great service. We can accommodate groups from 2 to 350 for dining and corporate events. Our menu features american cuisine with southern and Mexican touches. We hope to see you here soon.

Top review

Elijah

Dined on Apr 20, 2025

Amazing food! Great vibes and great spot to watch the games

Pilsen Yards

4.8

4.8 (1632)

$30 and under

Latin American

Pilsen

About the restaurant

Pilsen Yards is a bar-centric, music-driven, lively restaurant in the heart of Pilsen with an open air vibe and one of the best patios in the city.

Executive Chef Juan Gutierrez’s menu of inspired latin street food, from tacos to ceviches, hummus to carne asada is plated up next to a mezcal, tequila, & whiskey charged bar program.

With over 300 seats spanning across a spacious interior and expansive patio, Pilsen Yards is the perfect spot for a casual night out with friends, a lively weekend brunch, large parties, and private events of all sizes. Check out our tiny cocktail bar, The Alderman, on your next visit.

Top review

AshleyVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Parking is awful around the restaurant looked 20 minutes to park the car.

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Popular dish

SHRIMP

Popular dish

HEIRLOOM CARROTS AL PASTOR

Popular dish

FLAUTAS

Lazy Bird

4.8

4.8 (19)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

West Loop

About the restaurant

Located in the cellar level of The Hoxton, Chicago hotel, Lazy Bird is a cocktail and music lounge in Chicago’s Fulton Market District. Known for its extensive signature cocktail program, luminary bartenders, live music, and low lighting, Lazy Bird hums with energy every evening, making it the perfect start, middle, or end to a night on the town.

Top review

James

Dined on Apr 18, 2025

Great experience. Make sure when you book your VIP you ask for the section you want.

Jonny Cab's

4.8

4.8 (277)

$50 and over

American

Burr Ridge

About the restaurant

Jonny Cab’s is a VIP dinner experience in a premiere, modern setting. With live entertainment 5 nights a week, we strive to provide an environment where guests can unwind & enjoy the moment.

We were recently featured by Peter Wren for Hinsdale Magazine who wrote, "I think it's the sum of all these parts - the wine, the food, the friendly service, and all that great sound pouring forth from the stage - that's bound to win people over. As my wife said, 'I don't think there's any place like this in Chicago.' She's right, but thanks to this plucky group of wine-lovers and entertainers, there's now one sitting right in the heart of Burr Ridge."

Our delicious menu by Executive Chef Jeff Stahulak is a modern take on the traditional American supper club. As one diner recently put it, "we expected good music in a vegas-like atmosphere, but the food is your secret weapon."

Come see what all the buzz is about & join the party!

Top review

Toni

Dined 4 days ago

I love the vibe of this place, food was good, band was entertaining. but I went there to check out the new psychic night, it was a lot of fun! I highly recommend this place for dinner, dancing or just a drink and love that they have live entertainment often.

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Experience

Premium Seating – Best View in the House

Ranalli's- West Loop

4.8

4.8 (9)

$30 and under

Pizza Bar

West Loop

About the restaurant

Ranalli's is a longstanding neighborhood pizza bar, which offers guests delicious pizzas, iconic apps, and great drinks in a comfortable and communal setting. Guests can enjoy a variety of specialty pizzas, signature 4C appetizers, hearty sandwiches, and fresh salads along with craft beer and classic cocktails.

The space is lively and whimsical, featuring a dog-friendly outdoor sidewalk café and a custom mural by local artist Anthony Lewellen. It's a great spot for friends and family to gather and enjoy a tradition of legendary pizza and memories to come. In addition to a sit-down dining experience, Ranalli's offers carryout and delivery seven days a week.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Mar 22, 2025

Fantastic service from our waitress!! Thanks for being flexible

Rizzo's Bar and Inn

4.7

4.7 (78)

$31 to $50

Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service

Wrigleyville

About the restaurant

The Rizzo family has a long history in Chicago dating back to 1946 at a time when Wrigleyville was unrecognizable from what we all know and love today. The neighborhood has grown a lot since 1946 and the Rizzos has grown right alongside it starting at the very top, with Vincent Angelo Rizzo. Our family has worked from the ground up to open Rizzo's Bar & Inn. The restaurant pays homage to the history of Wrigleyville through the eyes of the family. We invite you to follow our journey through featured photographic memoirs, classic ballpark fare, and Rizzo family recipes, as well as an old-fashioned standard of service that will stand apart as a neighborhood institution.

Top review

Maggie

Dined on Dec 15, 2024

The service was awesome and the food was great! Awesome spot to be at for a buffalo bills game:)

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