The evening begins at the Lincoln Lodge, a steward of the independent comedy scene since 2000, and at this point, has achieved icon status in the Chicago comedy circuit. But that didn’t materialize overnight. In fact, the theater you’re going to was 20 years in the making.
As the comedy lore goes, Lincoln Lodge started in the back of Lincoln Restaurant, a now defunct pancake house and their namesake. After 20 years of bouncing between temporary venues and launching the careers of superstar comedians, like Hannibal Buress and Kumail Nanjiani, they finally have this permanent space, which now anchors a burgeoning nightlife scene right off the Western Blue Line station. 
If you want to know where the next generation of comics are hanging out, then grab a drink in their lounge any night of the week. I’d wager that at least half the people here are comics or performers of some kind and will probably be on stage at some point in the night.
Next to their lounge is a long hallway where you’ll find three theaters with multiple shows happening almost every night of the week. You’ve got a mix of open mics, nationally-touring stand up comics, sketch shows, roast battles, and our personal favorite — a comedy cooking competition where two pairs of comedians team up to tell jokes while simultaneously cooking a meal to be judged by professional chefs.
The night is just beginning, and following the words of a wise man who once said, “after the show is the after party,” you’re taking the after party a block away to Remedy, a late-night neighborhood cocktail bar that still feels classy at 4 am.
To give you a sense of the drink menu, they have a thoughtful house cocktail lineup topping out at $13. If it’s not a cocktail kind of night, it’s also the type of place where you can get a beer and shot combo special or one of their non-alcoholic options like CBD-infused sodas and N/A spirits.
Depending on the night, you might also run into any number of events they’re hosting. It could be a pop-up market, drag show karaoke, or, like on our night, you can partake in private tarot reading.
Shout out to @alita_labrujita, who hosts this standing tarot reading session on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Now it’s getting really late, and you have a decision to make. You can either 1.) chug some water and head home or 2.) capitulate to that small voice inside your head telling you it’s okay to indulge in late-night onion rings and hot dogs because you’re going to work out really hard later.
Continuing with option 2, you’re just a few blocks away from Jr’s Red Hots, a late-night (open until 3am on Friday and Saturday) burger and hot dog shack that’s been around for over 70 years.
In the dead of winter, you’re probably not too excited about waiting outside to grab some food. You’re in luck because Jr’s attaches a temporary vestibule to the front of the stand to protect customers from the cold. There’s also a heat lamp inside blasting sweet sweet warmth while you wait for your food.
Speaking of food, this place has almost all the hits you want in a late-night food menu. You’ve got hot-off-the-grill cheeseburgers, Chicago hot dogs, and Maxwell Street Polishes. They also have tamales, cheese fries, pizza puffs, Italian beef, and pork chop sandwiches.
For less than $6, you can get a Chicago hot dog and fries. Not a bad deal to end the night.
