This first spot is for all the 80s and 90s kids looking to relive their childhood. We’re at the Stop Along restaurant in Wicker Park. It’s a casual burger and pizza place decked out in comic book pop art and nostalgic toys that line their bar.
While the fun atmosphere helps set the mood for this Sunday Funday, we’re here for their burger, and it isn’t just any ordinary burger. It’s the closest thing in Chicago to an “In-N-Out” burger.
It’s two thin patties with melted American cheese, grilled onions, tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, and thousand island dressing. For you West Coast transplants, this might not be the exact same thing, but it’s pretty damn close.
Head a few blocks down Milwaukee Ave, and you’ll be at your next stop, Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club, a nearly 17,000 sq ft warehouse that makes you feel like you’re on a cruise ship in South Florida.
What do you do on a cruise ship? You play shuffleboard, and this place has ten full-sized courts to choose from. Here are some notes about the shuffleboard courts to help you get started.
– Courts are primarily walk-in and first come, first served
– If there’s a wait, they limit play to one hour
– $50/hour
– If you haven’t played before, they’ll give you a quick tutorial before you start.
If shuffleboard isn’t your thing, there’s still loads of stuff to keep you occupied.
After you walk in, take a lap around the space to check out the digs. Aside from the shuffleboard courts, there’s a long table of multiple giant connect four games, a rack of costumes to play dress up, and if you’re still hungry, they feature a different food truck each week that they park right inside.
After you had your fill of games, we’re going to dial it down a bit. You’ll continue to follow Milwaukee Ave until you hit the Robey Hotel. You’re going up to their 13th floor to hang out at a cocktail lounge with one of the most incredible views of Chicago. Here are notes about the place.
– When you walk into the hotel, take the stairs to the second floor and check in with a host who will take you to the “Up Room” on the 13th floor.
– There’s an outdoor space that wraps around the lounge. If you’re here just for that, no sweat; just tell the host.
Enough of that. Let’s get to the rooftop pictures.
This shot looks southeast at Chicago’s skyline, where you can see the Willis and Hancock buildings in one go.
You’re also right above the Damen blue line stop. You can catch trains passing by, and people watch from up high.
There’s this small tower outside that you can actually enter and hang out in.
Here’s a shot from inside the tower. Heaters are installed above the seating to keep the space nice and toasty.
Sometimes if its too windy or raining, they close the outdoor space. Luckily, big windows encircle the lounge so you can still get a pretty good view from inside. 