The Blue Ox

Unassumingly perched above the hobnobbing and fraternizing of Chicago's downtown loop sits The Blue Ox. A country inspired watering hole which has all the garnishing to make you feel at home on the range even as you sit (or stand rather--there are only four chairs and a small couch) 39 floors above a bustling metropolis.

Proprietors Michael Porrit and Frank Oles have spared no expense to decorate their establishment with remembrances of the great outdoors. Whether it's the fake wood and stone wallpaper, fake window, moose head, stuffed squirrel, bones of some sort, bear skin rug or impressive four foot long wood bar, you can not help but be taken back to a time when men were men and chocolate fountains didn't exist (which they do in the Blue Ox).  

Of course a bar that sits 39 floors up does have its pitfalls. There is a noticeable lack of fresh air due to the fact that the windows don't open. As a bar that hopes to recreate the outdoors, fresh air and "wide open spaces" (which The Blue Ox has none of) would seemingly be of the utmost importance. But this ironic contradiction in ambiance is the very reason the word charming exist. On crowded evenings, even as sweat pours down your back and you inhale another gulp of thick, musty air,  you can not help but feel a sense of freedom that was surely felt by the settlers of Chicagoland, back when it was more land than asphalt.

On any given night regulars can be seen frequenting The Blue Ox for a beer after work, or just a quick hello--this is a bar where everyone literally knows your name. But it's true uniqueness is shown every now and again with the throwing of a surprisingly well organized theme party. Themes range from suggested attire, to farewell parties, to lets-just-get-drunk-as-fuck, and they should never be missed and seldom are by anyone within in shouting distance.

The Blue Ox serves an assortment of beer, wine and liquor which vary day to day, week to week, party to party and on the amount of money available at prep time. It's a sure bet though that some kind of Bud product (including the plant) will be readily available.

Due to its hours of operation, which are usually between 4pm and 8pm--give or take several hours, it is the ideal location for both a drink at the end of a long day and the first drink in what you are hoping to be a very reckless night.

Truly one of Chicago's hidden gems, The Blue Ox serves up good time after good time, great views and without a doubt, great (if not very foggy) memories.