Richard's Bar is a classic cash-only tavern for casual group gatherings and low-key birthday drinks at Milwaukee and Grand in River West, Chicago. It has a door on each street, opens early and stays open late, which makes it an easy meeting point for a group night out.
A group can use the narrow main room, where the bar runs along the north wall with mismatched stools, and a smaller adjoining room that takes overflow. Standing room is limited, so it suits a group that is happy to gather around the bar.
Drinks are simple: beer in bottles and cans, mixed drinks of no more than two ingredients, and the bar's own bourbon, vodka and gin. Food is limited to hard-boiled eggs. The room is dark, with a tin ceiling, photos of Sinatra and Rocky Marciano, mobster movie posters, neon beer signs and a jukebox of Rat Pack classics. Writers describe it as a relaxed, quiet escape from the noisier bars nearby.
For planning, keep in mind that the bar is cash only. It opens at 8am Monday to Saturday and at noon on Sunday, and stays open until 3am on Saturday. The Grand stop on the Blue Line is nearby.
A group night at Richard's Bar centres on the long bar in the main room, with a smaller side room for overflow. Drinks are simple and cash only, so a group can arrive, settle in around the bar and the jukebox, and pay as it goes.
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Affordable
Historic
Late Night
Open Late
491 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60654