Bachelorette Party Bar/Club Suggestions

I am hostess of my first bachelorette party next month. I'm expecting a party of 8 coming from all over the country (I'm the only Chicagoan). I have pretty much everything figured out (I'm hosting dinner and brunch, and I think we'll go to de cero for dinner Saturday night because the bride loves Mexican food) except for a bar to take the group for the primary party. I was hoping to reserve a table at The Violet Hour in advance, but they won't play ball, and I'm certainly not risking the wait with a large group.

So I'm looking for recommendations for fun bars with good drinks that I can take a very eclectic group of people. I've lived here for over 4 years now, and certainly have favorite destinations, but the bride and I are VERY different when it comes to entertainment. She would prefer something high-energy but not too trendy, with good music and perhaps somewhere we could have a private table/area that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I would prefer to stay on the west side if possible, around Bucktown/Wicker Park/West Town. Downtown is also an option, as half of the group will be staying on Wacker.

One idea I'd had was Sonotheque, as I generally enjoy their music, but that would certainly be on the "funky" side of things for the bride. I haven't really done the dance club thing since I moved here from LA. I'm also thinking that I could take them to one place for cocktails after dinner (a la The Violet Hour), and then to another place for more drinks and dancing.

I'm a wine bar/dive bar/lounge kind of a girl, so this has been something of a head-scratcher for me. Any help would be MOST appreciated!

Bar Louie on Damen actually advertises Bachlorette parties. They must have a lot of experience with them. You could do worse.

As I understand it, the only way to do Violet Hour is to reserve the entire back area, so I don't think they do advance table reservations. I don't think 8 folks would meet the dollar minimum required to reserve that back area (I think that area holds like 15-20).

What about Bluebird? Good food, hip scene, nice wine list, full bar. If you got a table in the back you'd be a little bit secluded.

You could try Empire Liquors or Rodan in Wicker Park for drinks / dancing and may be able to reserve a table. Liar's Club may be a bit too "trendy."

tyrus wrote:You could try Empire Liquors or Rodan in Wicker Park for drinks / dancing and may be able to reserve a table. Liar's Club may be a bit too "trendy."

Brad at Empire Liquors is a fantastic bartender- he used to work at Violet Hour and left to pursue some other opportunities.

Not Bar Louie. You'll end up bored.

This may not be your style, but how about The Baton Show Lounge.

They have the most believable drag queens I've ever seen. I went to a couple of bachelorette parties there and had a great time.

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I'd love to take them to a drag show, but I think the bride wants to be really, um . . . straightforward?

I've contacted Empire Liquors, and they got back to me really fast. I like Rodan, but it gets so crowded on the weekends that it can be really hard to move at all. Still waiting to hear from Lumen in the Fulton Market district. I have never been there or to Empire, so I am crossing my fingers.