In Force · Chicago

From 16:00 · CT

Tonight

Two cheap stops, the walk between them, and the last train home. Pick a start and we’ll line up the night.

Just one place? See what’s cheap near you right now, and how long you’ve got.

The evening

Walks are timed along the grid at an easy 3 mph. Two stops, not three: a third is where a plan becomes a schedule somebody has to obey.

879 nights that work

  1. Woodie's Flat → R.J. Grunts

    17:00–19:00 Woodie's Flat, River North · 20:00–22:00 R.J. Grunts, Lincoln Park (16 min walk), after 44 min with nowhere to be

    $11 printed across both, before tax, tip and anything else.

    $6-7 22oz fatpours, weekdays 5 to 7pm · $5 classic cocktails, beers, and wine 8-10pm

  2. Bub City → Celeste

    16:00–16:59 Bub City, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (1 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    $5 food and drink specials · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  3. Il Porcellino → Celeste

    16:00–16:59 Il Porcellino, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (1 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    $6-9 bites, $6-8 pours, weekdays 4 to 6pm at the bar · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  4. Barrio → Celeste

    16:00–16:58 Barrio, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (2 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    $9 margaritas, $5 beer, $5 bites, every day 4 to 6pm · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  5. Nonnina → Celeste

    16:00–16:58 Nonnina, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (2 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    $9-19 bites, $9 wine and cocktails, weekdays 3 to 6 and 8pm to close · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  6. RPM Italian → Celeste

    16:00–16:57 RPM Italian, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (3 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    Cocktails, wine, and small plates from $8 · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  7. RPM Seafood → Celeste

    16:00–16:57 RPM Seafood, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (3 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    $10 cocktails and $5 beers at the bar · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  8. Siena Tavern → Celeste

    16:00–16:57 Siena Tavern, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (3 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    $4 sliders, $9 cocktails, $12 pizzas, every day 3 to 6pm, bar only · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  9. Theory → Celeste

    16:00–16:57 Theory, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (3 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    $5 bottles, $3 off apps, $35 buckets, Tue to Fri 4 to 7pm · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  10. Matilda → Celeste

    16:00–16:55 Matilda, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (5 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    $10 cocktails and $7-12 bar snacks · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  11. Shaw's Crab House → Celeste

    16:00–16:55 Shaw's Crab House, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (5 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    Half-price oysters and $5-10 drinks in the Oyster Bar · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

  12. The Kerryman → Celeste

    16:00–16:54 The Kerryman, River North · 17:00–19:30 Celeste, River North (6 min walk)

    One of these doesn’t print a price, so there’s no total.

    $6 Guinness, $5 shots, $7 Titos, $15 fish, Friday 4 to 7pm · Rooftop happy hour, Wednesday to Friday 5 to 8pm

These are the top 12. 867 more work too, ranked the same way.

Sorted by time sitting down. Anything that outlasts the last train goes to the bottom, not away: you can still do those, you’re just getting a cab.

What this can’t tell you

Whether there’s a table. Whether the kitchen’s still on. Whether the second place has a line at nine on a Friday. None of that is in any record we can fetch, so none of it is claimed here. A place we can’t put on the map is left out too, because the walk between two stops is the whole trick and a guessed one would still print as minutes. How a deal earns a light.