This Summer in Shots

Follow us on instagram at The Happy Hour Tour

In case you've been wondering, we're well aware that been seriously lacking in writing new Happy Hour posts. No, we haven't been spent the summer in a deep hangover. We both have just been extremely busy with work and life in general. However, we still enjoy checking out new places and wines so we do keep up with snapping shots on our instagram feed so here's a little taste of what we've been up to this summer. We hope you're all enjoying these last few week of summer! It'll be cool again before we know it so make sure to make the most of it. 

Cheers! JG & JB

Photo descriptions from L to R

Kicking off July with Fourth of July Jello Shots

Check out JG's home brewing buddies Metal Monkey Brewing! It's goooood.

Peach Sangria mixed with Bai for Pure Barre Naperville's Thirsty Thursdays in July

JG's birthday lunch at the ever so delicious County BBQ

Flying high with the Cooper's Hawk red wine flight

Staying cool with caipirinhas at Downer's Grove Chama Gaucha 

JB & JG reunited in Milwaukee for some grog cocktails & small plates at Blue Jacket 

JB enjoyed fresh cocktails at Allium

We hate to see summer go, but we'll be enjoying Apothic Dark all fall!

The Happy Hour Tour + Uber Chicago

Hello Chicago! I’ve teamed up with Uber Chicago to bring a great deal for first time riders. Now that the warm weather is finally upon us with BBQs, Happy Hours, and all types of events are popping up all over the place, waiting in the humidity for a taxi is not cute. Save time by booking a luxury ride with Uber!

• Download the free Uber app for iPhone or Android

• Register your new account. You will have to link a credit or debit card or PayPal account to complete registration.

• Upload a photo of yourself so that your driver can identify you.

• Let the Uber app find your location via GPS; select “Set Pickup Location”

• Choose your desired car type using the slider at the bottom of the screen

• On the next screen, tap “Request” and Uber will find you the nearest available driver. You’ll even receive a photo of your driver along with the make, model, & license plate of the car! No stranger danger here.

• While you wait for your car, you can also check the map to see the car in route.

My favorite feature is that the app allows you to select car type by how far it and you may also get a fare quote before completing the booking.

Remember when booking your ride, use the code “HAPPYHOURTOUR” to get your first free ride in a luxury car, up to $20. 

If you’re using the service in Chicago proper, use the promo code to treat yourself to a sleek black car. If you’re a suburbanite like me, you can also book a basic car and with the credit, your ride may be half-off just like a happy hour drink! 

Get your Uber deal while it’s hot! The “HAPPYHOURTOUR” Promo code expires June 30th.

Cheers!

-JG

Thanks to Uber Chicago for collaborating with The Happy Hour Tour. My first ride was complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Bull & Bear

Days: Daily drink specials / Mon.-Fri. food specials

Times: 3-7pm for food specials

Drink Deals: $5 beers to $35 sangria bucket! (see calendar)

Food Deals: Half-off appetizers

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Drink Up: For a busy bar, the service was amazing! Thank you, Frannie!!

Spill the Wine: The half-off wine specials are for bottles only, not for wine by the glass.

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Last night at Bull & Bear, Windy City Bloggers hosted a Happy Hour event along with Chicago Food Bloggers. 

Bull & Bear is a classy sports bar that I’ve been told can be a hot spot for the finance crowd. I definitely saw my share of suits, but I also saw plenty of casually dressed folks there to watch last night’s Chicago Blackhawks game. Towards the end of Happy Hour, people were gathering for the weekly Tuesday trivia nights.  If you’re big into trivia, you’ll definitely want to follow Bull & Bar on any one of their social media links for updates on monthly themed trivia nights, such as “Sex & the City” trivia night.

Source: Bull & Bear’s instagram 

Each day, Bull & Bear features different drink specials all night long. On my Tuesday night visit, the specials included half-off bottles of wine and $15 buckets of Sam Adams. While I love a wine deal, I would have loved more if there was a deal on wine by the glass. I chose to try one of their popular “Liquid Assets” cocktails ($11 each), the No. 4. It’s a cucumber infused Belvedere cocktail with muddled watermelon, lemon, & lime. The first half of the drink was and incredibly refreshing spring time drink needed for a cloudy day. However, the latter half of the drink fell a bit flat so I went back to my tried and true wine, Sauvignon Blanc at $9 a glass. 

On weeknights, appetizers are half-off from 3-7pm, such as pretzels and truffle fries. We received complimentary guacamole and grilled chicken & veggie quesadillas bites.  The guacamole was especially tasty with a few chopped strawberries on top. The strawberry addition was something I had seen or never tasted before, but it was a welcomed experienced. On my way out the door, I commented that I wish I had tupperware to bring some home with me. It’s seriously not to be missed.

Like any great blogger Happy Hour, it was always great to connect with people and talk about our love of food & drink and the agony of getting a great photo of both. It was great to finally meet twitter buddy and fellow wine enthusiast Windy City Epicurean, whose drink of choice was a Riesling. It was also great to chat with the ladies of What R U Wearing, Arin of Heart of Chic, and the always fabulous hostess with the mostest Kit of The Kittchen.

Since I went to Happy Hour straight from work, I used Uber service to transport me to and from my office. I also chose to use Uber to avoid that madness of me finding my way around Chicago’s River North. I was pleasantly surprised that my Happy Hour pick up arrived in under 5 minutes… and complimented on my outfit! Since I was arriving back to my office after hours, I really appreciated the offer to wait until I was secure inside, a courtesy that usually only comes from family & close friends.

If you’re new to Uber and want to check it out, use promo code HAPPYHOURTOUR to get your first ride free, up to $20. 

Thanks to Uber Chicago for collaborating with The Happy Hour Tour. My ride was complimentary. All opinions are my own.

-JG

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Bull & Bear

Neighborhood: River North

431 N. Wells 

Chicago, IL 60654

312.527.5973

www.bullbearbar.com

twitter.com/bullbearbar

This Month in Shots: April edition

Photo Descriptions from Top to Bottom, L to R

Pre-Happy Hour Tour drinks with Cupcake's Red Velvet

JB's Happy Birthday Happy Hour Tour selfie

Prosecco cocktail at Black Sheep

Birthday Brunch at Bavaria

#MondayMotivation

Thorny Rose Sauvignon Blanc for office Happy Hour

Riverwest Stein at Milwaukee Brewer's game

Strawberry Margarita at La Cuchara

JG stocked up on wine for Scandal finale

For more shots of our Happy Hour life, follow us on Instagram at @TheHappyHourTour!

Cheers!

Jennie & Jessica

FAME

Days: Monday-Friday

Times: 5-7pm

Drink Deals: $5 glass of wine, $5 Beer & Shot combos

Food Deals: $5 small bites

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Drink Up: The drinks, food, & service is outstanding. The 90s jams are nice addition, too! 

Spill the Wine: The crowd doesn’t get bumping until after Happy Hour.

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Chicago's Wicker Park recently got a new bar on the block named FAME. Ever since I learned of the new bar (with a Happy Hour!), I couldn't wait to check it out. While some people like to wait until a bar or restaurant has had time to work out any kinks, I prefer to check out new places soon after their opening. Like a good first date, everyone is usually on their best behavior and eager to please. 

Sure enough, FAME did not disappoint!

FAME stands for:

F - Food

A - Art

M - Mixology

E - Experience

Starting with food, FAME's Happy Hour offers $5 small plates. Arriving right at its 5pm opening, I was ready for dinner and ordered the flatbread gyro pizza while I waited for a friend to join me. The flatbread pizza is essentially an opened faced gyro sandwich, just not as messy. It's served on toasted pita bread which makes it sturdier than the average gyro sandwich.  I wolfed down the pizza so fast that I was a little embarrassed, but hey, it was that good! Other $5 bites offered are include grilled cheese, ramen noodles, and chicken pineapple flatbread pizza.

Flatbread Gyro Pizza ($5)

The art in FAME definitely gives off a "this is a hip place to be" vibe without coming off pretentious, the only thing I was worried about prior to my visit. I don't do hipsters. FAME is a nice space with high ceilings, murals painted on the walls and hanging works of art.  There are a few original pieces, along with some pop culture inspired pieces such as Jimi Hendrix lyrics beautifully painted in a foreign language. If art is really your thing, the pieces are also available for purchase for a pretty penny.

JG working a fashion piece of art - Peter Pilotto for Target

Rockstars not only inspire some of the art, but they also inspire the mixology menu. With drinks named The 27 Club, Almost Famous, and Smooth Operator it makes me want to go cruising with the windows down, music up, listening to the best of the 70s & 80s, sans drink of course. Unfortunately, the cool cocktails are not on the Happy Hour menu, but they are totally worth the $11 price. After a $5 glass of house cabaret, I ordered the Doppleganger cocktail, made with Tito's vodka, strawberries, basil, balsamic, lime & honey. Any long time Happy Hour Tour readers know that I just love a cocktail with fresh strawberries and the Doppleganger is another one to add to the list - thanks to that fresh basil and balsamic mix! If you're just sticking to Happy Hour, there are also $5 glasses of white wine and beer & shot combos.

The Doppleganger cocktail ($11)
  Tito's vodka, strawberries, basil, balsamic, lime & honey

Overall, my experience at FAME was a great one! In addition to the 70s & 80s inspired drinks and music playing, FAME also played one of my favorite genres - 90s hip hop! When my friend Stephanie & I weren't busy sharing crazy dating stories for her project So This One Guy, we chatted with FAME’s Events & Marketing Coordinator, Hakim. We talked about our favorite cocktails and things we look for when we go to new bars. My answer? Cocktail samples! When a place is known for mixology, I'm always eager to try the drinks, but I don't want to shell out over $10 per drinks just for a taste. I’d really love if places did cocktail flights, like they do with beer and wine. So far, Houlihan’s is the only place I know to do so. Hakim took note and later gave me sample of hip hop 90s named, Rum-p Shaker, a rum cocktail mixed with orange zest, sage, and ginger beer float! The Rum-p Shaker is a nice crisp cocktail that was a welcome alternative to the usually too sweet rum cocktails at most places.

Rum-p Shaker cocktail ($11)
 Rum cocktail mixed with orange zest, sage, and ginger beer float

If FAME keeps up the great cocktails and service, the paparazzi may be stalking this place in no time!

-JG

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FAME

Neighborhood: Wicker Park

2015 W. Division

Chicago, IL 60622

773.227.1110

www.chicagofame.com

twitter.com/CHICAGOFAME

Get Your Drank On: St. Patrick’s weekend - Chicago

St. Patrick's Day 2013. Two drinks are better than one!

Since St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Monday this year, most bars & restaurants are kicking off their celebrations starting this Saturday, March 15th. While any fun loving establishment is sure to have St. Patrick’s weekend drink & food specials, finding those deals can sometimes be harder than finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Luckily, I was able to track some down!

Cheers!

Jennie

CHICAGO

Crossing Tavern - 2548 N. Southport Ave.
Green Beer specials
Opens at 9am on Saturday, March 15th. Free breakfast sandwich for those who arrive between 9am-10am.

Epic - 112 W. Hubbard St. 
$4 Bud Light, $5 312 beer, $5 Jameson shots
Opens at 8am on Saturday, March 15th, with $5-6 breakfast sandwich specials. At 12:30pm, a costume contest kicks off for Sexiest Leprechaun (we need to see photos!) and Best Overall costume. There will be a DJ so you can do your best Irish jig!

Fame - 2015 W. Division St. 
$7 Guinness bottle & Irish shot combo
Opens at 12pm on Saturday, March 15. This new bar on the block will also be serving $5 corn beef flatbreads. DJ here, too!

Lottie’s Pub - 1925 W. Cortland Ave.
$25 drink package includes Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and Miller & Coors drafts
Drink package is for 9am-1pm, Saturday, March 15th. RSVP is required for the event. Chicago Fire often films at Lottie’s Pub so if you’re lucky maybe you’ll spot some of the cutie cast members!

Rockit Burger Bar - 3700 N. Clark St.
$4 Green Beer, $5 Guiness & Jameson, $7 Car Bombs
Starting March 15th through St. Patrick’s Day, Rockit Burger Bar will celebrate the holiday. Food specials are priced from $4-14, including a St. Patrick’s Day Burger topped with corn beef and sauerkraut.

WEST CHICAGO SUBURBS

Bar Louie - 22 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville, IL 60540
$4 Green Beer, $5 Irish Whiskey, $6 Car Bombs
The drink specials will last all day long, all weekend! Other Bar Louie locations are sure to have specials just as good so be sure to check out their site for your local Louie. 

Mullen’s Bar & Grill - 3080 Warrenville Rd., Lisle, IL 60532
$4 Green Beer All weekend
Mullen’s will also feature Irish grub and different plans playing though out the weekend. Check out their Facebook page for music lineup.  

Have a deal not to be missed? Please free free to email or tweet us at @HappyHourTour! 

Diag Bar & Grill

Days: Daily

Times: 5pm-2am (Weekdays) / 11am-2pm (Weekends)

Drink Deals: $4 Beers, $5 House Wine & Margaritas (check menu for specific days)

Food Deals: Half-priced appetizers, 5-8pm, Fridays

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Drink Up: There’s something for everyone, with a variety of daily deals. 

Spill the Wine: No wine spillage here. The service was great!

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Happy New Year, fellow Happy Hour fans!! As you can tell, I’m one of those folks who continue to say “Happy New Year” well into the first few weeks of the year if we haven’t had a chance to catch up. With this being the first post of 2014, it’s about damn time we catch up!

If you haven’t been following us on instagram (and you totally should be!), you’ve missed out on some good dranking. Over the holidays, JB visited with family in Springfield, while I boozed it up with family on Memphis’s Beale Street. JB & I also got together for New Years Eve and celebrated the Irish way (also known as lots of Jameson) at Quigley’s Irish Pub.  Now that the holidays are over, we’ve both been scratching our heads on which Happy Hours to check out next… and then I got an invite for a Happy Hour event with Chicago Blogger Network at Diag Bar & Grill.

Diag Bar & Grill is a high end sports bar located in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. They are known for their beer, with an inventory of 50+ bottled beer and 20+ on tap. Lucky for me, they also have a fully stocked bar, including a variety of wines and I enjoyed the House Cabernet ($5). Diag Bar & Grill doesn’t have a specific Happy Hour, but they do feature a drink special for each day of the week. Serious boozers may want to check out Diag Bar on a Friday night for a $20 fishbowl cocktail or Saturday & Sunday for the $15 mimosa pitchers and $15 buckets of domestic beer. 

I visited on a Friday night and even though I wasn’t hungry after a super-heavy lunch, it was nice to know that Diag offers half-off appetizers from 5-8pm every Friday. There is also machine with complimentary popcorn that was conveniently located near our reserved section. 

The service at Diag Bar & Grill was pretty great, especially for servers needing to keep track of our group who were constantly on the move to socialize. The servers were even sure to check on people when their glasses were low and so I was never without a glass. 

While wine is usually a highlight of mine, I must say that the best part of the night was the socializing. Typically at a blogger event, there’s less talking and more photo taking, instagraming, tweeting, facebooking, etc. but in this case there’s wasn’t a lot of posting because everyone was so busy chatting with new friends. I had a great time meeting Kitt of The Kittchen, Desi of Fashionlingual, Danielle of Allusional, and Chloe of Chloe Cline, and the hostess with the mostess, Jill of Jess & Jill. Next time, JB will have to come down from Milwaukee to get in on the fun!

Bloggers aside, it appeared that the regular crowd was a pretty culturally diverse group of folks in their 20s and 30s.  The crowd appeared fun, but not rowdy, as I saw one table get TWO fishbowls. Clearly, they knew how to hold their liquor because things were pretty mellow on that side of the bar… or maybe they just passed out. Either way, I’d definitely visit Diag Bar & Grill again with bloggers, with friends, or maybe even a date.

-JG

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Diag Bar & Grill

Neighborhood: Lakeview

2856 N. Southport

Chicago, IL 60657

773.404.8400

www.diagchicago.com

twitter.com/DiagChicago

Holiday Shopping Happy Hour Guide – Chicagoland

Chicago's annual Magnificent Mile parade 

It’s no secret that I love to shop just about as much as I love Happy Hour.  For that reason, JB & I have composed Happy Hour shopping guides for our new homes of Chicagoland and Milwaukee for the busiest shopping time of the year.  This season, I’ve got you covered if you’re shopping around the 900 Shops on Michigan Ave, The Shops at North Bridge, or any of the many shops in between.

If you’ve been so kind to continue to follow us from the west coast, be sure to check out the shoppers survival guides for Los Angeles, too!

Happy Holidays!

JG

Fleming Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar – 25 E. Ohio St.

Day: Daily specials features for “the 5 for $6 til 7pm menu”

Time: 5-7pm

Drink Deal: $6 cocktails, glasses of wine

Food Deal: $6 appetizers

PF Changs – 530 N. Wabash Ave.

Day: Mon-Fri

Time: 3-6pm

Drink Deal: $4-5 Beers, $6-9 Cocktails & glasses of wine

Food Deal: $3.25 dumplings, dim sum, and then some!

Pippins Tavern  - 806 N. Rush St.

Day: Daily

Time: All Night Long

Drink Deal: $3.50 Miller High Life

Food Deal: N/A

Pops for Champagne - 601 N. State St.

Day: Mon-Fri

Time: 3-7pm

Drink Deal: None listed on their site, but hopefully there’s a champagne deal or two!

Food Deal: $1 oysters

Seasons 52 - 55 E. Grand Ave.

Day: Daily “Flights & Flatbreads” menu 

Time: til 6pm

Drink Deal: $15-20 Wine Flights

Food Deal: Signature Flatbread included with your wine flight!

Streeter’s Tavern - 50 E. Chicago Ave.

Day: Daily

Time: All Night Long

Drink Deal: $5 Sailor Jerry rum drinks, $5.50 Jim Beam drinks

Food Deal: N/As

Weber Grill - 539 N. State St.

Day: Mon-Fri

Time: 3-6pm

Drink Deal: $10 Bourbon Flight

Food Deal: Half-priced Bar Bites

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If shopping in suburbia is more your thing, check out on of my favorite shopping malls….

Oakbrook Center 

Oak Brook, IL

Antico Posto

Days: Tues & Thurs.

Time: All Night Long

Drink Deal: $20 bottles of wine (Tues) / $5 Glasses of Wine (Thurs.)

Food Deal: N/A

The Cheesecake Factory 
Days: Monday - Friday
Times: 4-6pm
Drink Deals: $4 House Wines and Select Beers; $5 Specialty Cocktails (including Long Island Iced Teas, Mojitos, Margaritas, and more!)
Food Deals: Discounted Appetizers – many priced at $5 

Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse - 2015 Spring Rd.

Day: Daily

Time: All Night Long

Drink Deals: $7 Absolut cocktails for “Absolut Friday”

Food Deals: N/A

Houlihans 

Days: Sun-Thurs

Times: 4-7pm / 9pm-close (all day on Sun!)

Drink Deals: ½ off Draft Beers, House Cocktails, & Long Island IcedTeas

Food Deals: Appetizers starting at $6.95

Wildfire 

Day: Friday

Time: 3-5pm / 9pm-close

Drink Deals: $7 Cocktails in Martini Lounge

Food Deals: Half-off Appetizers

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The Promenade Bolingbrook 

Bolingbrook, IL

Bar Louie 

Days: Monday-Friday

Times: 4-7pm

Drink Deals: See calendar for daily specials

Food Deals: Half-off select small plates

Gordon Biersch

Day: Sun-Thurs.

Time: 3-6:30pm / 9pm-close

Drink Deal: See current deals at location

Food Deal: See current deals at location

Mago Grill & Cantina 

Day: Mon-Thurs

Time: 3-6pm for food / All Night for drinks

Drink Deal: $5 Margaritas (M&T), $5 Sangria (W&Th)

Food Deal: $5 Appetizers

Fado Irish Pub

Day: Monday-Friday

Time: 4-7pm

Drink Deals: $5 House Wine or Beer (changes monthly)

Food Deals: $4 Snacks

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Drink Up: Hey perverts, you're guaranteed a three-way. Get a beer + wine + appetizer for $10! Seriously, this is promoted as a 3-way. Tee-hee!!

Spill The Wine: Don't spill anything here. Drink up all the great cocktails, food, and service!

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True Happy Hour Story: I've almost sworn off River North Happy Hours. I love the bar and restaurant lined streets but some places seem a little too "Places for Sugar Daddy to Take You"-slash-PRETTY WOMAN shopping scene for me and my wallet... and I lived in Los Angeles for 10 years... and I work in the entertainment industry. However, when Mallory, the Events Sales & Marketing Manager for Fado Irish Pub reached out to me about checking out the River North location, I had a good feeling.

On a Wednesday evening, I met up with Mallory to find out what Fado Irish Pub's Happy Hour is all about. Due to my previous experiences locating bars & restaurants in River North, I left plenty of time to actually find the bar but it was so easy, that I arrived a few minutes early. I took a seat at the bar, reviewed the menu, and let the bartender know that I would be waiting for my party. The staff was attentive and checked on me more than once during this happening Happy Hour with lots of different types of crowds. A big plus considered I once waited a solid thirty minutes for a drink at a non-happening Happy Hour even WHEN I was meeting their marketing team!!! 

Once Mallory arrived, Happy Hour really got started! Instead of ordering one of the beers or house wines priced at $5, I ordered the non-Happy Hour priced Fado Jameson & Crabbie's Ginger Beer cocktail ($10). I'm a big fan of Jameson so I felt the Irish whiskey was a must for an Irish pub. The drink was light, crisp, and not too bubbly for someone not a big fan of beer and this rare alcohol ginger beer was on point! The drink is definitely worth the purchase, but I advise all boozers be cautious. The drink goes down so easy that it's sure to catch up with you!

For eats, we split an order of slow roasted Pork Belly ($4) and Thin Cut Chips, topped with Harp Larger Cheese Sauce and Bacon ($4).  The chips can be ordered thin or thick cut, served with a sauce, or topped with 4 other combos. One thing's for sure: when it comes to flavoring Fado Irish Pub is big on Guinness and Harp Larger. They’re added to mayo, BBQ, cheese and ice cream! Next time, I'll have to save room for a Guinness ice cream dessert. 

Since moving back to the Chicagoland area, I've long been on a year-long search for a place that reminds me of my beloved LA bar, The Woods and I feel that Fado's Irish Pub filled the void that night. Everyone that Mallory introduced me to was super friendly and welcoming (with strong handshakes!), just like staff of The Woods would be anytime JB & I introduced anyone to the bar. While waiting for Happy Hour to start, I eyeballed bar regulars and a crowd so cool and diverse enough that anyone can feel welcome whether it be after-work drinks, a date, or a group meeting up before a Chicago Fire game. On my visit, I learned that Fado often serves as a pre-game bar and bus stop before folks hop on the bus to games.

The Fado Irish Pub Activities Board

Once Happy Hour came to a close, Mallory gave me a tour of the full location. On the upper level, there are more booths and an actual bar that the owner had shipped over from Ireland. Backstory: It's the bar where the owner and his father used to drink together in the old country. Cheers to that! For a bar so cool and historic, I couldn't believe this bar is part of a chain! Fado Irish Pub also has locations in Austin, Denver, Miami, and many more.

In addition to Happy Hour, Fado has lots of other activities and specials going on from brunch to trivia night to DJ's to sporting events. Check it out and tell 'em JG sent ya!

-JG

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Fado Irish Pub

Neighborhood: River North

100 W. Grand Ave.

Chicago, IL 60654

312.836.0066

www.fadoirishpub.com

twitter.com/fadochicago