You might be too old for trick-or-treating, but a good old-fashioned Halloween party never goes out of style. Just don’t waste your valuable costume-planning time rounding up paper decorations and cleaning your apartment. Instead, throwa bash at one of these prime private party spots.
Lotties Pub
1925 W. Cortland st. 773-489-0738
Once a hangout for Chicago gangsters, this Bucktown pub packs a mobster punch with an excellent downstairs party space and a checkered past. The incomparable Lottie was a neighborhood fixture, and, legend has it, her bar was host to underground parties that featured all manner of debauchery in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. The brick-walled basement, long since relieved of its duties as a prostitution den and gambling hall, got a flashy makeover in 2004 and now sports sleek fixtures and a private bar.
Capacity: 75
Cost: Three-hour bar packages for $20-$40 per person.
Fine print: $150 non-refundable booking fee; 30-person minimum.
Reserve: 312-735-1967
Small Bar
2049 W. Division St. 773-772-2727; 2956 N. Albany Ave. 773-509-9888
Have a taste for some Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere Farmhouse Ale? Small Bar delivers with a lengthy beer list that will please even the pickiest beer drinkers. (Don’t miss the extensive lineup of Oktoberfest offerings.) The Logan Square location, which offers more than 100 beers, suits smaller, more intimate gatherings. The Division Street outpost can accommodate larger parties and boasts more than 190 beer options. Got a group of true connoisseurs? Small Bar will custom a drink menu to suit your tastes.
Capacity: Logan Square: 10 people inside, 60 people in beer garden; Wicker Park: 120 people inside, 40 people in the sidewalk cafe.
Cost: Three-hour bar packages for $30-$75 per person.
Fine print: No deposit and no minimum at Logan Square location; small deposit and minimum depending on package and party size at Wicker Park location.
Reserve: 312-952-7530; smallbar@aol.com
Seven Ten Lanes
1055 E. 55th St. 773-347-2695
Here’s your chance to revive that Big Lebowski costume and sport it with pride. This Hyde Park bowling lounge offers private bowling with food and drink packages. Seven Ten will even furnish live, costumed scorekeepers, adding extra flair (and accuracy) to your Halloween bowling bash.
Capacity: 20-450
Cost: Two- to five-hour bar packages for $20-$57 per person; food packages $15-$50 per person. $10 per hour for a scorekeeper.
Fine print: $500 deposit, applied to final bill; $125-per-hour room fee. Food and drink minimums start at $400.
Reserve: 773-472-1601; parties@spare timechicago.com
Black Duck Tavern and Grille
1800 N. Halsted St. 312-664-1801
This sleek Lincoln Park tavern is home to a cozy basement party room with a fireplace and fully stocked private bar. Bring your own tunes (CDs only — this old-school spot’s not equipped for iPods yet) or screen a scary movie on the flat-screen TVs to up the ambience at your Halloween soiree.
Capacity: 50
Cost: Three-hour bar packages for $25-$40 per person; food options available for an additional fee.
Fine print: $200 deposit, applied to final bill; no room fee. Minimum depends on package selected and number of guests.
Reserve: 312-497-9101; amy@blackduck tavern.com
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metromix@tribune.com
