50 Best Bars near Wilmette

“First time at Valley Lodge Tavern and it was an outstanding experience. Cozy atmosphere, great service, top notch management, impressive menu and food. Thank you!“

“Arrived at 8PM on a busy Friday night. We were seated immediately and service was quick to our table. Our appetizer was served quickly, but it took a little while for our entrees to arrive. The food was delicious - fried cheese curds, sliders, and a burger with fries. Restaurant was noisy, but not so loud that we couldn't have a conversation. One patron was loudly complaining that he was seated between two large parties and was unable to enjoy his meal due to the noise. We were happy with our visit, however.“

“10/10 Lobster Rolls! Great environment! Great menu options! Loved“

“The J. Parker has one of the best rooftop views in Chicago. The atmosphere was stylish and relaxing, making it a great place to enjoy drinks and spend time with friends while taking in the city skyline. The service was friendly, and the overall experience felt special from start to finish.“

“Fabulous addition to the neighborhood! A great spot to have a glass solo, meet up with friends, take a class, or bring a bottle home. They were super accommodating when I brought in a group of girlfriends, seating us at the back table with very attentive service. Very reasonable prices, too.“

“Just discovered a new cocktail bar in the Logan Square/Avondale area. It’s cozy, rustic, and has super welcoming vibe. The cocktails are unique and creative; great quality without the crazy price tag. I heard they have DJs on weekends too.
Pro tip: Don’t miss the famous tamales from Claudio, the Tamale Guy. 6 pieces for $12 is a steal.“

“The perfect bar, I fear. I can’t believe I have ANY pictures in this place because I’m always just talking to someone or playing pool or queueing up songs on the jukebox. There’s something about this place that you can’t really take a picture of: the people are always friendly and chill, you can tell it has a low staff turnover rate, the food is ALWAYS good. This is the kind of bar which would be the ultimate muse for a poet from the 1800s. My one drink photo is an espresso martini that was made with love, but know that they put just as much love into every beer they pour. It just isn’t as instagrammable.“

“A fun, energetic, atmosphere, and wonderful staff! Always a party!“

“Honestly I love the red neon aesthetic, I only wish the white light from the lobby didn't bleed in as much. I will note, this place is small, like you're not gonna fit more than 20 people in here if you tried, more often than not you'll only find 4-5 people in here, but that's a vibe honestly too.

One thing I need to note is the food, omg how is the food here so good? It's ordered from across the street and some guy brings it over in a bag and it's phenomenal and well priced.

Overall good place to bring a date or for a first time causal meeting“

“Highly recommended for first dates, or just going with a group of friends. Been here twice, and everyone there is super friendly, definitely a place to have a lot of laughs and make great memories. 10/10 🙌🏼“

“A Wrigleyville cornerstone with great drinks, and great vibes that has yet to give into the Nashvillification of the rest of the area. God willing, it never will! It has a wide array of craft beers and cocktails. The Old Fashion I ordered was perfectly crafted by my bartender Mattias. I haven't tried the food, except for the free hotdogs on gameday, but the pizza looks excellent and people were raving about the soft pretzel. They have fun events, as well as an healthy supply of boardgames. (Some of the pieces are missing, get over it, it adds to the charm) If you're looking for a true Chicago experience while you're in town - check it out!“

“This is one of my favorite bars in the city. I love that it's nearby my neighborhood, it's a lovely addition to the area. The food is delicious, I recommend the dill pickle pasta salad and the burger. The cocktail menu changes seasonally I think, so there's always something new to try. Cocktails are always nicely balanced and tasty. The staff is so friendly and I love the atmosphere. Busy on the weekends but weeknights are a bit quieter. Visit immediately.“

“Great Food and Friendly Service“

“It’s the orbit room with “hipster”. Still a great jaunt. Anyone who makes a whiskey sour with egg white is good in my book.“

“I never believed my life will change in such a manner. I saw a review on Facebook about Mrs Craig Vanessa trading skills and before then I have never risk money doing anything online with anybody because I think I was so wise and never want to be cheated but when I contacted Mrs. Craig Vanessa, she explained everything to me concerning trading and the profit I can make within a week I was convinced to give a trial and risked to invest $1,000 and I made a withdrawal profit of $9,000 within a week. I am so happy that I trusted her and she didn't fail me. You can reach her through WhatsApp via her Facebook: Mrs Craig Vanessa“

“Friendly staff, great place to be and the chips and salsa are so good!!!!“

“My first time here (new to Chicago) saw High on Fire and Negative Approach. Sounded great! Great staff, great room for music, hope to return many many more times!“

“We just moved the neighborhood and we have many choices for fun and food. Port And Park is Incredible the food is delicious. The service is genuinely extraordinary.. Then the ambience is warm and welcoming. Port And Park is our go to place!“

“G-Man has a great staff and we loved playing in the "back room!" Tip early and often !! 🐾🐾“

“Wonderful place and wonderful. Staff!! Wowwa the beer menu is ahhh Mazing!!“

“Came here as stop on our crab Rangoon crawl! Came at 5 pm on a Saturday night with a group of 10 and no reservation and the service WAS INCREDIBLE! Thought they would laugh us out the door but they immediately jumped into action and were able to configure a small seating section in the cocktail bar side for us so we could have our group huddled together between the bar and chairs. Great cocktails and cannot be more impressed by the staff“

“This spot is so special! Was so happy when it opened and it just keeps getting better! The patio rocks 🤩 service has always been top knotch and drinks are delicious! Come check this place out now cause it will fill your cup in more ways than one!“

“Awesome retro bowling ally with awesome drinks and great staff.“

“Dance vibes and good food.. recommend the fish tacos“

“They super Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!“

“Amy was so sweet :) Good vibes here.“

“My husband and I are visiting from Arizona and were meeting some friends in The Glen. We planned on going to The Yardhouse, but thought it was too noisy. Saw the reviews for The Oak and we were so glad we did. The burger I had was the best burger I have ever had, our friend felt the same. My husband and our other friend had the rueben, they loved them also. We left the restaurant and we were going to take individual pics, then this really nice guy offered to take a picture of all of us. He was so very nice. Guess what, he was the owner. We will definitely be back on our next visit here and our friends will be back sooner. Great food!!!!“

“the wings were so good absolutely delicious food and nice staff , good for hangouts and good beer“

“Came into town just to watch Euros at this bar. Brian and the crew were outstanding bartenders!“

“la mejor comida mexicana y hondureña.“

“Wow. I had the soup/stew. It was great. Don't miss the garden. Koi pond. Lester the owner has stories. This is where waiters and waitresses go.“

“Such a great place! Had so much fun. Highly recommend.“

“My favorite neighborhood bar. I think it flies under the radar a bit with all the other good bars nearby (Bitter Pops, Butchers Tap), but it's great. $2.50 PBR is pretty unbeatable, the food is great (buffalo flatbread is my go to!), tons of TVs for watching sports, and darts. They also have weekly comedy shows in the back which are super fun. Bartenders have always been super friendly and service is fast. 10/10“

“Craft beer, Great Atmosphere & Location, staff is awesome and Kyle just makes you feel like you have been going there for years. A must before any Cubs Game!“

“Paddy's truly offers the best bar food around, and the atmosphere is second to none. A big shoutout to Jen, Amy, and Amy Lynn, whose friendly service always makes you feel right at home and appreciated!“

“The penultimate neighborhood bar with plenty of characters, shenanigans, and fun! It's our "Just One More" place. Bikers, Rock Stars, and Divas will feel right at home. Live music most weekends, outdoors in the summer in a large parking lot. Everybody who knows, goes there. John & Sparklyn are good people!“

“DRAM is the neighborhood spot to grab a drink and chill“

“Sovereign Liquors is a reliable neighborhood go-to that consistently offers a great selection of products and a shopping experience that is both convenient and well-managed. Whether I am stopping in for something specific or just browsing, the inventory is always impressive, well-stocked, and easy to navigate. I place an incredibly high premium on the cleanliness and organization of retail spaces, and I am consistently impressed by how tidy, well-lit, and professionally maintained this location is; it is clear the team here takes great pride in keeping the environment sanitary, orderly, and welcoming for all their customers. The staff is consistently friendly, efficient, and does a wonderful job of ensuring that service is prompt and that everyone feels assisted. If you are looking for a trustworthy, high-quality spot that prioritizes both a strong selection and professional cleanliness standards, I highly recommend this location“

“Olive Black is a great casual neighborhood cocktail lounge. Not pretentious but serves up a menu featuring six (+?) pages of martinis and speciality cocktails, alongside a good local beer selection. They also have tvs (for sports games), a jukebox, board games and food, but the best part is the staff! The owners are super friendly and accommodating.“

“Great place. Very friendly staff.“

“Best bar in the city. Friendly. Good beer.“

“Found this gem by accident while waiting around, and I’m so glad I did. The hospitality was incredible. It’s the ultimate local spot with a welcoming atmosphere. Thanks to the kind bartender and all the guests who made me feel at home.
​P.S. Sorry again to Aneta, the bartender!“

“We hosted my husband’s 50th birthday last weekend there and I can’t say enough good things!!! From start to finish an incredible experience and so much fun! I plan events for a living and working with Ma O’Briens was the easiest, most helpful and amazing experience.“

“Looking forward to visiting again 😊😊“

“A pleasant neighborhood brewery, bar, and restaurant. We generally order burgers or fish and chips, and enjoy a local beer with our meal. We ordered soft pretzels for our ap, which came with two amazingly good dpping sauces - yum!
Great casual spot.“

“These guys accommodated my large group of 20 last minute as we could not extend the reservation we had at another private room karaoke. We did have some waiting involved while they cleaned the room but they have a nice bar menu. The room was really well cleaned and really spacious with leather booths and a large screen.

To use YouTube, they have to cast from a phone connected to their wifi (just tell your attendant to do this). You will also need to use Google translate via camera to read the large remote to control the TV volume and potentially an echo that seemed to occur with one of the microphones. It took my group a minute to figure this out but otherwise really fun place!“

“I just walked out of the door and am so glad that God sent us there. We tried 3 places prior to walking in CheSa’s doors which was a definite blessing. We had the catfish skillet, bourbon peach cobbler franchise toast, chicken sausage and scrabbles eggs w/cheese washed down with a breakfast martini. Absolutely delicious and with the owner/chef being very warm w/great hospitality. We’re definitely going back.“

“Waited 15 minutes to be acknowledged, 8 more minutes to have order taken, and another 10 minutes to get the drinks. Really?“

“New owner’s are friendly. Staff is great New menu is awesome. Just a great place to hang out!!!“

“Rogers Park Social is an absolute standout neighborhood staple that perfectly captures a welcoming, vibrant, and sophisticated atmosphere. It is the ideal place to gather with friends for a craft cocktail or to enjoy a relaxing evening in a space that feels both polished and genuinely inviting. The quality of their drinks is consistently top-tier, and you can really taste the care and expertise behind everything they serve. I place an incredibly high premium on cleanliness and the overall maintenance of a venue, and I am consistently impressed by how tidy, well-organized, and immaculately kept their space is—it creates such a professional, stress-free environment that makes every visit a truly positive experience. The staff is consistently friendly, highly skilled, and does a wonderful job of ensuring that every guest feels right at home. If you are looking for a reliable, high-quality venue that prioritizes both atmosphere and professional standards, I cannot recommend Rogers Park Social highly enough!“