Bucktown Hamburgers & Haunts

1. The StopAlong

Exit the Western Blue Line stop and walk two blocks south down Milwaukee Avenue to your first stop of the evening, aptly named The StopAlong. If you live in the area and prefer to get there by foot, the restaurant is located across from the Milwaukee/Leavitt access point of The 606 Trail. The brick building would blend in with the other beautiful storefronts and residential buildings on the block if it weren’t for the bright yellow patio chairs out front and neon sign above the door reading “PIZZA & BURGERS.”

New York-style pizza and griddled burgers comprise the menu and have helped project The StopAlong into the spotlight. The space is small and full of ‘80s and ‘90s pop culture nostalgia. Taylor Hammond, who owns the restaurant and opened it in 2016, grew up in the 1980s and wanted patrons to feel like they’re stepping into a time machine when they enter the restaurant.

Graphic comic book artwork lines the walls, and you can find a museum’s worth of retro movie and videogame memorabilia behind the bar, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures and a Super Mario lunchbox. Venture to the back of the restaurant, where you’ll find a few vintage arcade games to play.

Vibes are high, and it’s time for some food. There are 15 “house” pizzas on the menu as well as the option to build your own pie. One of their most popular pies is the Major Payne, topped with spicy tomato sauce, pepperoni, jalapenos, garlic and cilantro. Buttery garlic knots and a cold beer are welcome sides. The StopAlong also has a full bar complete with a draft list and cocktails.

While the pizza deserves recognition, it’s the cheeseburger that has gained The StopAlong such a following. According to Hammond, the double-patty smash burger is inspired by California’s In-N-Out burger. The patties are smothered in their own brand of special sauce and topped with American cheese and caramelized onions. The burger consistently tops “Best of Chicago” lists, rivaling cult-favorite Small Cheval, which has a location just down the block.

The StopAlong recently opened a second location in Logan Square, steps from the California Blue Line stop. This space is larger than the original location and has a back patio with a firepit and picnic tables perfect for hosting larger groups or parties. Once you’ve cleaned your plate (because you will), it’s time to head across the street for our next stop on tonight’s adventure.

2. Graveface

Your next destination is located directly across the street on Milwaukee Avenue. Amid the vibrant restaurants, coffee shops and pilates studios on this block stands a decidedly mysterious and gothic storefront. Painted across the window is a large white skull and horror-movie-style font reading “Graveface Records & Curiosities.” If you are intrigued, that’s the point. Step inside to begin exploring.

The front room of Graveface is dedicated mostly to vinyl records, ranging in genre from indie rock to punk to jazz to metal. But what’s more intriguing is the non-vinyl items sold – horror-movie memorabilia, gothic artwork, taxidermy animals and an obscure collection of DVD and VHS tapes (what look to be mostly indie horror flicks). You could spend an hour perusing the numerous oddities in the small room.

In the back of the shop, through a curtain that looks like the entrance to a carnival funhouse from hell, is a mini museum featuring a curation of items relating to circus sideshows, cults and serial killers. The price of admission is $10 and includes a guided tour. The pièce de résistance is an exhibit dedicated to John Wayne Gacy that includes a recreation of his death row cell and a collection of his original paintings.

Enter a dimly lit room filled with artifacts from infamous secret societies, satanic cults and circus sideshows. Learn about Anton LaVey, a musician turned founder of the Church of Satan, and view photos from one of his “black masses” that incorporated elements of burlesque performance, live animals and Satanic rituals. Turn the corner, and you’ll find yourself in a hallway dedicated to some of the most notorious serial killers and cult leaders in history including Charles Manson and Jim Jones. Graveface does a good job of curating lesser-known details and interesting artifacts surrounding these figures, like the collection of personal checks signed by Charles Manson that hang framed on the wall.

The tour ends with the exhibit on Chicago-born serial killer, John Wayne Gacy. Crews Boyette, who works for Graveface, explained that the recreation of Gacy’s death row cell was built by a movie-set producer with painstaking detail down to the room’s dimensions. The walls display paintings of clowns and Disney characters that Gacy created while on death row and that his sister donated to Graveface years after his death.

If you’ve made it through the tour and haven’t been scared off yet, it’s time to take the edge off with a cocktail or two down the street at one of Chicago’s artsiest dive bars.

3. Gallery Cabaret

Tucked into a residential area of Bucktown one block south of Armitage Avenue is a quirky-looking spot that is much more than your average dive bar. The gray stone facade, small windows and bright neon “beer” signs portray a cozy hideaway, especially on a cold Chicago evening. Once inside, the first thing you’ll notice is the stage toward the back of the bar underneath a large marquee that reads “Gallery Cabaret.”

The friendly staff explained the origin of the bar’s name — owner Kenny Strandberg loved music and wanted to open a cabaret and his wife Darlene wanted to open an art gallery, so they compromised on a bar called Gallery Cabaret. Since it opened in 1988, the bar has remained a manifestation of their shared vision as it’s home to nightly live performances as well as a venue for showcasing local artists’ work. Kenny, who could be seen regularly tending the bar and sharing stories with patrons, passed away in 2020 at age 82 and his son Mike now owns and operates the Bucktown bar.

Lola, a bar manager at Gallery, expanded on the bar’s commitment to community arts, explaining there’s some type of live performance every night of the week. Mondays feature big band jazz bands, Tuesdays are a comedy show followed by live jam sessions, Wednesdays feature original singer/songwriters, Thursdays are open mic night, Fridays and Saturdays host local bands, and Sundays are open mic night. Part of the bar’s mission has been to provide a space and opportunity for local artists to get discovered — back in its early years then-unknown band Smashing Pumpkins used to drop by its open mic nights.

Lola explained how over the years, the bar had to evolve along with the changing vibe of the neighborhood (i.e. the gentrification of Bucktown). What was once a grungy dive bar mainly serving pitchers of Leinenkugel now has an extensive draft list with over 75 percent hailing from local brewers as well as bartenders trained to mix up a range of specialty cocktails. While these offerings appeal to many patrons, what you come to Gallery for is the fun, friendly atmosphere and to see a lively performance. It’s the perfect spot to end an eventful evening and to remind yourself why you love Chicago so much.