Late Night Bites

During the summer in Chicago, people come alive. This often entails staying out into the wee hours drinking, dancing, and cavorting, all activities that lend themselves well to hunger. While there may not be a 24-hour eatery on every corner, the city is still brimming with apt late-night dining destinations, prime for soaking up liquor or just satiating your cravings after hours of activities. Here are some of the city’s top spots for late-night eats:

Nothing satisfies late-night cravings quite like sliders. After a night of activity, people often just want a savory little nosh, and sliders fit the bill quite perfectly. Every Monday through Thursday from 10:00 pm until midnight, DMK Burger Bar offers a twilight menu of slider combos and mini fries. These mini burgers are basically diminutive versions of DMK’s regular burger favorites, such as one topped with chili-rubbed onion strings, Amish blue cheese, and spicy chipotle ketchup; and another with chorizo, guacamole, Sonoma Jack cheese, chipotle aioli, cilantro, and onions. There are also mini shakes on hand.

Speaking of sliders and DMK, Henry’s Swing Club in River North is a new dining and drinking destination from the same owners. And every night until 2:00 am (3:00 am on Saturdays), guests can get their late-night fill of fried oyster sliders, mini burgers, tuna melt sliders, and more. The comforting menu is ideal for sopping up alcohol, what with nachos, onion rings, poutine, tacos, pretzels, and more.

As the West Loop continues to draw more and more visitors for its ever-expanding cadre of restaurants and bars, the necessity for late-night eats rises. One surefire bet is High Five Ramen, the new eatery from Brendan Sodikoff open until 2:00 am. Seeing as ramen is a prime late-night snack packed with nourishing broth, hearty noodles, and succulent meats, High Five gets a thumbs up with its pork belly-packed namesake ramen, it’s Kanabo Spice “Demon’s Club” ramen with, and its special ramen with clam dashi.

Thanks to Slippery Slope, now dancers can snack between songs into the wee hours of the Logan Square night. The bar/club accents its bottled cocktail-focused bar with a small tamale/chili window, which has expanded its small menu to include mother-in-laws (tamales topped with chili), Frito pie (Fritos heaped with chili), and chili dogs. They’re the perfect savory, heady snack to fuel a night of frivolity.

If tamales and chili aren’t enough, then head around the corner from Slippery Slope to Boiler Room for greasy, floppy slices of pizza. The boisterous bar is the pivotal place to wind down a weekend evening, thanks to classic movies airing behind the bar, cheap beer and cocktails, and that pizza. Whole pies come in a dizzying array of offbeat flavors, but the slices keep things simpler. Try the signature Boiler Room slice with zesty giardiniera and meatball slivers, or the Purist with basil and balsamic reduction.

Still to come, Chicago is about to get a major late-night dining boon with the imminent River North openings of Mercadito Counter and Tippling Hall, both new entries from Mercadito Hospitality. The former promises late-night hours until 4:00 am, slinging tacos and Mexican-inspired hot dogs, while the latter will be open until 4:00 am or later.

DMK Burger Bar
2954 N. Sheffield Avenue, Chicago
(773) 360-8686
Website

Henry’s Swing Club
18 W. Hubbard Street, Chicago
(312) 955-8018
Website

High Five Ramen
112 N. Green Street, Chicago
(312) 754-0431
Website

Slippery Slope
2357 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago
(773) 799-8504
Website

Boiler Room
2210 N. California Avenue, Chicago
(773) 276-5625
Website

Mercadito Counter
738 N. Clark Street, Chicago
Website

Tippling Hall
646 N. Franklin Street, Chicago
Website