How to Turn the Chicago Water Taxi Into a Makeshift Booze

For Chicagoans, the Water Taxi is a summer rite.

But here’s a little secret: it’s a rite made better with booze.

And so, we present to you a stop-by-stop guide for turning the Chicago Water Taxi into a makeshift booze cruise.

Inside, you’ll find the best places to eat and drink at each stop, from North Ave. all the way to Chinatown.

Before you climb aboard, a disclaimer: Alcohol — not allowed on the Water Taxi. That said, better make each stop count.

The stop: North Avenue
The place: Pizzeria Bebu
The walk time: 9 minutes
The vibe: A casual joint with big windows that let the sunlight in and tables that have a full view of the kitchen, where nothing short of pizza magic happens
The drink: A bottle of JB Adam Cremant Rose
The snack: You don’t have to kick this whole tour off with a sausage and broccoli rabe pie, but you won’t regret it if you do

The stop: Chicago Avenue
The place: Centennial Crafted Beer and Eatery
The walk Time: 10 minutes
The vibe: A wood-and-brick mecca to craft beer spread out over two floors
The drink: Off Color’s Sparkles Find (Some) Trouble or Metropolitan Brewing’s Magnatron make for some refreshing, sessionable beers
The snack: Pork Rillons, smoky, crisped pork belly bites served up in porter mustard

The stop: LaSalle (River North)
The place: River Roast
The walk Time: 10 seconds
The vibe: A patio with a prime view of the river, literally seconds away from the dock
The drink: The H&M, a concoction of blanco tequila, aperitivo, grapefuit, lime and mint
The snack: Golden Gobbets, basically the perfect cross between a chicken nugget and chicken finger

The stop: Michigan Ave.
The place: Noyane
The walk time: 7 minutes
The vibe: A comfy rooftop lounge located on the 21st floor of the Conrad Hotel dedicated to all things Japanese
The drink: Sake Sangria, a divine take that mixes sake, sparkling wine, watermelon, grapes and Eu du Vie
The snack: A round of sushi rolls for the table — don’t miss the Sasori roll

The stop: Riverwalk Clark Street
The place: City Winery
The walk time: 4 minutes
The vibe: Probably one of the best places to drink and people-watch Downtown
The drink: The Riverboat Margarita, because how can you not?
The snack: A plate of cured meats and select cheeses

The stop: Ogilvie
The place: Proxi
The walk time: 7 minutes
The vibe: A very handsome and welcoming space developed by the James Beard award-winning design firm Meyer Davis
The drink: The Don’t Chouette It, a celebratory drink with aperol, bubbles, blood orange and Champagne ice cubes
The snack: The Wagyu Sirloin over a Thai herb salad, and roasted rice powder

The stop: Chinatown
The place: Bonchon
The walk time: 8 minutes
The vibe: A no-frills South Korean fried chicken chain that’s the latest toast of Chinatown — expect wait times 30 minutes or higher. It’s worth it, trust.
The drink: At this point, water. You’re gonna need it.
The snack: Approximately all the Korean fried chicken

Meet your guide

Michael Nolledo

Michael Nolledo is the former Deputy Editor of InsideHook and the founding editor of the Chicago edition. He is now the Editorial Director of the Reference desk at Insider.