Best Nightlife in Hickory Hills

"The coffeehouse-meets-restaurant concept, Beatrix, is known for healthy meets delicious menu specials, fresh-squeezed juices and an appealing coffee and pastry counter. Launch lunch with a freshly squeezed juice (Power Greens or a Blueberry Basil Smash sound good); and if you're going light, try a snack of hummus, tuna crudo, Kung Pao cauliflower; or go all out with luscious glazed salmon; chicken meatballs; warm pot roast sandwich; giant chopped salad; poke bowl, or a burger. There are gluten-free items, cocktails and an incredible coffee and dessert menu, too."

"You’ll struggle to find a more reliable brunch spot than Beatrix. With multiple locations around the city, the friendly chain of cozy cafés offers fresh-squeezed juices, brunch cocktails, and an outstanding breakfast menu. The all-day eatery focuses on healthy and affordable options with anything from light & fluffy lemon pancakes to steak chimichurri & eggs."

"Serving dishes inspired by Lettuce Entertain You’s test kitchen, Beatrix’s caramel pie is a delicious departure from the classic apple or pecan pie."

"This no-frills joint tempts passersby with lacquer-skinned roast ducks hanging by their necks in the steamed-up window. The menu is expansive but inexpensive: The Pei Par BBQ duck and the Hong-Kong–style barbecued pig are sublime in their simplicity, savory and slick with fat. Chinese broccoli arrives jade-green and crisp, and the beef chow fun comes out charred and tasting of the properly smoking wok."

"Located a bit farther north of the city (in Uptown, and easily accessed via the Red Line), Sun-Wah offers what might be the best Peking duck outside of Asia. At it’s priced at a steal – the off-menu Peking duck meal is just $32. One duck can easily feed 2-3 people (4 if you order an extra appetizer or two) and includes a full duck with crispy, crackling skin carved table-side."

"Featured on Food Network, Sun Wah BBQ is home to some of Chicago's most delicious Hong Kong-style BBQ dishes. Their most famous off-menu course is the beautifully roasted Beijing Duck which is brought to your table and expertly carved."

"West LoopWhen this West Loop pioneer opened back in 2003, the elegant yet approachable eatery quickly made a name for itself thanks to sleek communal tables, a forward-thinking wine list, and, most importantly, the juiciest medjool date dish the Midwest had ever encountered. Plump dates undergo the full hog treatment here, plied with spiced chorizo sausage before being wrapped in a thick slab of bacon, fired until crisp and crackling, and doused in a warm piquillo pepper tomato sauce that practically demands a hunk of good, freshly baked bread. Don’t think, just order.How to book: Reserve via Tock or order take-out and delivery via DoorDash, GrubHub, and Caviar."

"Besides the inside of Trencherman topping our (hypothetical) most impressive decor list, its food is also flawless. The restaurant aspires to be a community meeting place with swanky drinks and finer bites. Their eggs florentine — offered at brunch — is a local fave."

"Long before every restaurant of any ilk added a fried chicken sandwich to its roster, Honey Butter Fried Chicken swung open the coop with its sustainably raised, house-butchered and fried to audibly crunchy, golden brown chicken. Add that creamy compound butter featuring regional honey and this OG chicken sandwich still rules the roost. Chicken is fresh and local (never processed or frozen), brined and double-battered before lolling in non-GMO, trans-fat-free canola oil."

"Chicago is not without its fried chicken staples, and while we could never choose an all-time favorite, Honey Butter Fried Chicken is our latest craving. You’ll find this deliciously sweet yet savory chicken in Avondale, and whether you’re a wing family or a chicken strip family, there’s something for everyone at this kid-friendly restaurant. Have a picky eater or a vegetarian?"

"A perennial North Side favorite, Honey Butter Fried Chicken comes from a pair of talented chefs whose chicken specials delighted the underground dinner scene. These crisp and skinless pieces of meat come with the restaurant’s signature honey butter."

"The Annoyance Theatre is (proudly) edgier than the other comedy bars in the Windy City — think buckets of fake blood, actors stripping down to their underwear, and wacky premises for improv shows. The theater’s first big hit was its original musical, “Coed Prison Sluts,” which ran for 11 straight years, and then came back to the stage in the late 2000s. Although the musical isn’t currently being performed, you don’t need to fret — the theater has replaced it with plenty of other bawdy shows."

"The Annoyance Theatre & Bar is in the process of moving their venue, but it is well worth following their updates to see when they reopen. They focus strictly on improv shows, from all out themed shows to witty comedians doing their best one-offs. They usually enter the night with the mentality of ‘there are no rules’, but the rule of ‘no comedian can refuse a drink’ comes into play on occasion to transform an already hilarious comedian into a hot-mess that entertains like no other."

"Although fairly new to the North Shore, this downtown Evanston spot has quickly become a favorite. We love their Pan-Fried Chicken and Cabbage Potstickers and the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, but I also encourage you to look in the “Shang’s Authentic Flavors” section, where you’ll find the Sichuan Fish Casserole (sea bass and napa cabbage in a Sichuan peppercorn broth), Tomato Stir-Fried with Egg (real comfort food!), and Northern-Style Peking Pork Chop with Sweet & Sour Glaze."

"Dolo Restaurant & Bar never freezes any ingredients and even has live seafood for hungry patrons to eat. Close out the meal with an exclusive Dolo durian pancake. With so many options, Dolo is a place you and your friends can return to constantly, each time with a different delectable experience."

"A post shared by Dolo Restaurant & Bar (@dolorestaurant) on Mar 23, 2018 at 2:32pm PDT. Situated in Chicago’s Chinatown, this is a place to go if you want some tasty and very decent-sized dim sum portions. Give their barbecue spare pork ribs, Pork siu mai dumplings or Pan-fried eggplants a go."

"Dolo Restaurant, a modern, stylish spot in Chinatown, specializes in from-scratch dim sum and live seafood with fusion-style dishes dotted across its menus. The hip space with TVs ..."

"Description: Coda di Volpe, located in Lakeview, is the epitome of consistently-delicious Italian food. Serving wood-fired pizzas and classic Italian dishes, you really can't go wrong with heading over to this place."

"Located in the luxurious Raffaello Hotel in the heart of the city, Pelago is a hidden gem. It puts a modern twist on traditional Northern and Southern Italian pasta and seafood dis..."

"On Chicago's Gold Coast is Pelago: a modern Italian restaurant that is stylish and upscale. Pelago serves a delicious lunch of contemporary takes on Italian classics, like minestro..."

"They combine to create a modern dining experience at Pelago. Simple yet soft colors and refined elements, highlighted by the..."

"The Helen Brach Primate House is yet another extension of the Lincoln Park Zoo and is home to primates of varying shapes, sizes and colour. The area is made in a way to imitate the natural habitat for the primates to make them feel safe and familiar at the place that they are residing in. It was opened back in 1927 which finally underwent an extensive renovation in the year 1992."

"An alternative to Lincoln Park is Chicago Zoological Society's Brookfield Zoo, located in the nearby western suburb of (you guessed it) Brookfield. Brookfield Zoo is spread out over 200 acres and offers larger, cage-less exhibits such as Tropic World, a massive indoor habitat with three distinct environments, filled with primates from around the globe. 1st Avenue and 31st Street, Brookfield, Ill., 708-688-8000."

"Brookfield, IL—25 minutes from The Loop Opened in 1934, this 216-acre park is home to more than 2,300 animals of 450 species. In 2021, the zoo welcomed a pair of new lions, brothers Brutus and Titus, who are easily visible near the north side of the zoo. The Dinos Everywhere exhibit features more than 40 animatronic dinosaurs, showing kids what these giants may have been like millions of years ago."

"Spend a day at Chicagoland’s largest zoo and meet some of the world’s most charming and fascinating creatures. This 216-acre nature parks is filled with a wide variety of animals, plants, and even an animal-themed carousel – so your kids will find plenty to enjoy. Don’t forget to take a ride on the Motor Safari tram, explore the “Great Bear Wilderness,” and pop into the “Butterflies!"

"Lincoln Park Zoo is a renowned 35-acre zoo in Lincoln Park and a hotspot for tourists. It’s the zoo’s pavilion, designed to provide shelter for open-air on-site classes, that offers such a fantastically picturesque snap. With the design drawing inspiration from the appearance of a tortoise’s shell, the stunning curved wooden pavilion elegantly frames the Chicago skyline."