Chicago's Best Bar Food

When one thinks of a bar, visions of colorful cocktails, foamy beer and community bowls of mixed nuts come to mind. Besides the usual potato skins and jalapeno poppers, bars don't generally pride themselves on their delicious food, though some Chicago drinking holes have taken the idea of bar food above and beyond their guest's expectations.

LuxBar
18 E.

The owners of Gibsons Steakhouse opened this simple, elegant neighborhood pub with above-average bar food. What else can you expect from the owners of Gibsons? They try to use fresh, local produce and natural, organic ingredients in their food. Instead of out-of-the-box frozen food, LuxBar serves dishes like tuna tartare with fried won ton chips, buttermilk fried chicken, Filet mignon sliders and Kobe beef burgers with foie gras—not your typical bar food. Their signature cocktails and martinis are made with fresh squeezed-to-order juice. Some of their specialties include seasonal Mojitos, the Lemonhead Martini and Pimm's Cup. It's an all-around great place to visit often.

The Village Tap
2055 W. Roscoe St.
(773) 883-0817

With 26 beers on tap, including Midwest micro brews, a year-round beer garden and daily specials, the Village Tap is perfect for an inexpensive night out with a group of friends. They offer a variety of traditional bar food, with appetizers, soups, salads, grilled entrees and sandwiches. They also have several vegetarian selections such as falafel sandwiches, veggie burgers and a hummus appetizer. The variety is sure to please any palate. Their beers are affordable and can be served by the bottle, pint or pitcher. Their bar food prices are also inexpensive, with daily in-house specials like $6.95 BBQ pork chop sandwich or $8.95 steak sandwich.

Bar Louie
3545 N. Clark St. (Wrigleyville Location)
(773) 296-2500

Bar Louie has multiple locations throughout the city, each serving fabulous bar food and drinks. After a night of drinking, nothing sounds better than a heaping helping of delicious food, and Bar Louie is a great place for just that; the grill stays open extra late on weekends (3 am Friday, 3:30 am Saturday). Besides a large selection of signature martinis, 14 tap beers and a developed wine list, they offer homestyle bar food like a blackened catfish sandwich, the Luigi steak sandwich and the Vesuvio chicken sandwich. For those who want a small snack with their pint, the dip trio is perfect, with guacamole, salsa and queso.

Twisted Spoke
501 N. Ogden
(312) 666-1500

Described by the owners as a family biker bar, the Twisted Spoke is a fun place to get awesome cocktails and outstanding bar food. The Road Rush Mary, a hot and spicy Bloody Mary served with a beer chaser is a bar favorite. Bourbon lovers will be happy to know that Jim Beam is on tap at this rowdy bar. The bar food here is hearty, with barbeque and meat loaf dishes, sandwiches and the favorite burger the Fat Boy—a ½ pound beef patty with a choice of cheddar, swiss, grilled onions, bacon and bbq sauce served on a garlic toasted egg bun. Smut and Eggs happens every Saturday night from midnight to 2:30 am, where diners can enjoy ordering from the breakfast menu while watching vintage 70's pornography. In addition to their great bar food, they also serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Goose Island Brew Pub
3535 N. Clark St. (Wrigleyville)
(773) 832-9040

Goose Island has been brewing beer in Chicago since 1988; it's a popular microbrew in bars and restaurants.  With two Chicago locations, this pub is universally loved in the city because of their superb-quality brew and extensive menu with fabulous bar food. Appetizers include award-winning chicken wings, cheesy quesadillas, baked pretzels and mini-sandwiches. They also offer a large variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, specialties and burgers. Their well-designed menu offers selections that pair nicely with their fresh-made beers like Honker's Ale, Nut Brown Ale and 312 Urban Wheat Ale. They also serve brunch on the weekends, something you generally don't expect from a bar.