If you’ve made a reservation (which I recommend doing), you’ll be whisked through the dramatically low-ceilinged, neon-tinged dining room to a round banquette. If you’re arriving late enough, you’ll see the blue lights bouncing off the stone buildings, and there will probably be a line and definitely a bouncer. (Take note of Firecakes, because you’ll probably need a donut the next morning after your tiki adventures. Though the bar’s address says it’s on Clark, enter via the alley on Hubbard, next to Firecakes Donuts. The faux speakeasy entrance is much more well-marked than it used to be when Three Dots first opened, but it’s still a little sneaky. Three Dots is the opposite of a casual neighborhood tiki bar: from your first steps past the glowing blue skull wall to its cavernous subterranean rooms, you’ll know to recalibrate your mindset and immerse yourself in the moment.

(Fun fact: acclaimed cocktail guru Paul McGee is the the co-founder of both of these Chicago tiki bars he departed Three Dots to open Lost Lake.) Three Dots and a Dashįor the opposite experience, head down to the River North neighborhood for a full-on dose of tiki glamour at Three Dots and a Dash. Though you can order delivery from the neighboring Chinese spot, my recommendation would be to walk down to Lost Lake’s sibling restaurant, Longman & Eagle, for beef fat fries at the bar. And two: because focus here is drinks only, with only a few chips and snacks on offer, you will probably want something more significant to soak up some of the effects of your potent sips.

Slapdash mom vegetarian