Best Late-Night Activities Beyond Bars In Chicago
At the end of a long workweek, it's time to unwind with your friends or significant other. However, it seems like all you've been doing lately is bar hopping. It's time to mix it up some! Instead of visiting a bar, try listening to live music, bowling or shooting some pool. At these Chicago locales, you can get great food and drinks while doing something interactive, other than just watching what's on the big screen TV at the bar. Enjoy an evening out that you and your friends can all enjoy, while doing something fun.
Bowling
Diversey River Bowl
2211 W. Diversey Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 227-5800
www.drbowl.com
Show off your bowling skills while enjoying the night at Diversey River Bowl. This popular place right on Diversey Avenue is an after work and weekend favorite. Along with drinks, the joint serves up a full menu from appetizers and salads to build your own burgers and pizza. To top it off, Diversey has some really great bowling.
Bocce
Pinstripes
7 Oak Brook Center
Oak Brook, IL 60523
(630) 575-8700
www.pinstripes.com
You don't have to be in Italy to play bocce! Not many places have a bocce area, but Pinstripes is a place where you can enjoy this European game in good ole Illinois. Pinstripes has a high end menu, but features a dinner or drink special everynight along with the affordable happy hour choices. There's even an outdoor firepit that you can enjoy.
Related: Best Outdoor Concerts To Look Forward To This Summer In Chicago
Billiards
G-Cue
157 N. Morgan St.
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 850-3170
www.g-cuechicago.com
Shooting some pool with your buddies has been a decade-long way of spending an evening, and for some it's helped them transition from the same old bar scene to something more interactive. Get your game on at G-Cue on Morgan Street and enjoy an evening of sharpening up your billiard skills. For some eclectic fare, order off of the bar's Greek menu, which includes great tasting lamb and salad.
Drive in Movie
Cascade Drive In
1100 E. North Ave.
West Chicago, IL 60185
(630) 231-3150
www.cascadedrivein.com
Back in the fifties and sixties, going to a drive-in movie was the perfect way to spend an evening with your friends. With the closure of most drive-in movie theaters, it's pretty difficult to find one in the Chicago area. However Cascade Drive In in West Chicago on North Avenue has managed to withstand the test of time. It's well worth the visit--you get to take in a double feature while barbecuing some burgers and dogs in Cascade's picnic area, complete with grills for cooking up your own "dinner and a movie" meal. Just remember to hit the ATM before arriving; like the 50s, the drive in is cash only.
Live Music
Buddy Guy's Legends
700 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 427-1190
www.buddyguy.com
Chicago is known for the blues, and people from around the world go see it performed live. Enjoy this Chicago classic with your friends at Buddy Guy's Legends on Wabash, where there are a variety of acts that perform afternoons, evenings and weekends. Buddy Guy's serves up a southern Soul Food menu; try the crab cakes and the chicken and sausage jambalaya. Hear the blues live while eating delicious food at Buddy Guy's Legends.
Angela Hazen lives in Oak Park, IL. She has worked as a model in Chicago and studied broadcast journalism at Columbia College Chicago. She has traveled to Europe on several occasions, and keeps her readers up to date with local and international style, shopping, fashion and beauty trends. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
