Whether called Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday is celebrated around the world as a last chance to enjoy decadent food and party before the Lenten fast begins. Chicago doesn’t go all out for the occasion like New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro, but you can get a taste of those traditions at area bars and restaurants offering entertainment from samba dancing to burlesque shows along with special menus featuring gumbo, king cake, daiquiris and hurricanes. Don a mask and some beads and head to one of these 35 spots for some delicious revelry.
All events and specials take place Feb. 13 unless otherwise specified. Check out our Paczki Day guide if you want to celebrate Polish-style with some delicious fried treats.
The Loop and Near North Side
Carnivale
Celebrate Brazilian Carnival with samba dance performances and a special menu. 5-9 p.m. 702 W. Fulton Market, 312-850-5005, carnivalechicago.com
The Chicago Firehouse
The steakhouse’s seventh annual Fat Tuesday party features a performance by the High-Hat Second Line, red beans and rice, a spicy crawfish boil, seafood gumbo and a beignet bar for $59. Add on a hurricane or Sazerac for $16. 5:30-10 p.m. 1401 S. Michigan Ave., 312-786-1401, chicagofirehouse.com
Shaw’s Crab House
Share a Fat Tuesday shrimp boil for two including a pound of shrimp, andouille sausage, sweet corn and potatoes for $50. Big Dog Mercer performs in the oyster bar from 5:30-9 p.m. 21 E. Hubbard St., 312-527-2722, shawscrabhouse.com
Storyville Chicago
The River North restaurant offers a taste of New Orleans year-round and it’s celebrating Mardi Gras with a masquerade bash at 10 p.m. Feb. 16 and 17. Tickets are $40 and include three drinks, burlesque performances, piano bar karaoke, tarot readings and party favors. Come on Fat Tuesday for free beignets during happy hour and live New Orleans jazz from 5 p.m. to midnight. 712 N Clark St., 312-741-9786, storyvillechicago.com
Tanta
Peruvian and New Orleans traditions come together with a king cake pisco sour topped with blue spirulina, turmeric and dried dragon fruit served throughout the week of Feb. 12. A portion of the proceeds from the drink will be donated to Pachacútec Culinary Institute. 118 W. Grand Ave., 312-222-9700, tantachicago.com
Taureaux Tavern
Get a taste of New Orleans all month long with gumbo ($9-$14) and boudin sausage croquettes ($12). The Loop restaurant also offers a $16 green and purple Fracture de NOLA cocktail made with mezcal, melon and maraschino liqueur Feb. 12-16. 155 W. Van Buren St., 312-624-8778, taureauxtavern.com
North Side & Northwest Side
aliveOne
The Lincoln Park bar pours $5 Abita Purple Haze raspberry lager and $6 daiquiris and hosts a comedy variety show at 9 p.m. Take advantage of happy hour from 5-7 p.m. when everything except shots is half-price. 2683 N. Halsted St., 773-348-9800, aliveone.com
Big Jones
Chef Paul Fehribach has extended his New Orleans-focused Chicago Restaurant Week menu through Feb. 14, offering gumbo, jalapeno cheese cornbread, duck and oyster etouffee, and winter bread pudding for $42. You can also order a la carte Mardi Gras specials including sizzling jambalaya ($32) and po’boys ($18-$25) along with Sazeracs, peach daiquiris and hurricanes. 5347 N Clark St., 773-275-5725, bigjoneschicago.com
Central Park Bar
Get in the spirit with $6 hurricanes and a half-price happy hour from 5-7 p.m. 2924 N. Central Park Ave., 773-698-6063, centralparkbarchicago.com
Cody’s Public House
The West Lakeview bar plays New Orleans-inspired music all night and offers a free buffet from sibling restaurant The Rambler Kitchen + Tap featuring gumbo, jambalaya and cornbread. Drink specials include $8 hurricanes and Sazeracs and $4 Mickey’s Grenades. 1658 W. Barry Ave., 773-799-8217, codyschicago.com
The Duplex
Executive Chef David Rodriguez offers an $18 shrimp po’boy with duck fat fries. 3137 W. Logan Blvd., 773-697-4153, theduplexchicago.com
Fat Cat
The Uptown bar’s chef was born in New Orleans and he’ll be preparing his family gumbo recipe along with shrimp po’boys and beignets. Zydeco music will be playing all night and Fat Cat will also be handing out beads and mixing hurricanes, punch bowls and Sazeracs. 4840 N. Broadway, 773-506-3100, fatcatbar.com
Jerry’s Sandwiches
The Lincoln Square restaurant serves a long list of New Orleans-inspired specials through Fat Tuesday including $13 hurricanes and Sazeracs, $17 shrimp and oyster po’ boys, $16 roast pork belly muffulettas and $9 praline cheesecake. 4739 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-344-9379, jerryssandwiches.com
Junebug Cafe
Grab a king cake for six to eight for $25 through Fat Tuesday along with other French and Creole bites such as beignets ($5-$9) and chicken and smoked sausage gumbo ($8-$11). 4042 N Milwaukee Ave., 773-930-3265, junebugchicago.com
Lottie’s Pub
Bourbon Street comes to Bucktown with gumbo ($8) and hurricanes, Cajun chicken sandwiches and Cajun shrimp tacos ($10) offered Feb. 8-13. 1925 W. Cortland St., 773-489-0738, lottiespub.com
The Owl
Kick things off with half-price drinks from 5-8 p.m. and keep the party going until 4 a.m. with $10 daiquiris, 2521 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-235-5300, owlbarchicago.com
The Rambler Kitchen + Tap
Compete for cash and shots by playing a New Orleans-themed version of name that tune music trivia at 7 p.m. Gumbo plates or dirty rice with cornbread, Sazeracs, hurricanes and Pimm’s cups are all $8. 4128 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-799-8881, theramblerchicago.com
Smack Dab Chicago
The Rogers Park cafe celebrates Mardi Gras with mini king cakes ($10), red beans and rice ($18) and jambalaya ($13). 6730 N. Clark St., 872-241-9111, smackdabchicago.com
West Side & Near West Side
Alliance Bakery
The Wicker Park bakery offers a 10-inch green, purple and yellow king cake for $40. 1736 W. Division St., 773-278-0366, alliancebakery.com
The Cauldron
Don some beads and take advantage of drink specials including $12 margaritas, $7 well cocktails and $4 Modello at a Mardi Gras bar crawl stopping at Black Hole Bar and Whiskey Business from 2-10 p.m. Feb. 10. Tickets are $25 and include a souvenir beer koozie. On Fat Tuesday, the wizard-themed bar offers hurricanes, Sazeracs, jambalaya and beignets, and hosts a variety show from 8-11 p.m. 1612 W. Division St., thecauldron.io/chicago
Easy Bar
Stop in for a slice of king cake from Scafuri Bakery and if you find a baby inside you’ll win swag from New Belgium. The Ukrainian Village spot offers $4 beer, seltzer and cider all night and everything is half price from 5-7 p.m. 1944 W. Division St., 773-227-4644, easybarchicago.com
Fatpour Tap Works
The Wicker Park bar gets decked out with beads for a Mardi Gras bingo night featuring $10 wings, $5 local fatpours and giveaways. 2005 W. Division St., 773-698-8940, fatpourwickerpark.com
Frontier
The West Town restaurant hosts its annual shrimp boil ($49), which includes all-you-can-eat shrimp, corn, potatoes and king cake, plus an Abita or hurricane. Extra beers are $5 and Sazeracs and hurricanes are $9. 6 p.m. 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-772-4322, thefrontierchicago.com
Ina Mae Tavern
This Wicker Park icon offers a full week of festivities leading up to Fat Tuesday including $10 frozen daiquiris and drag bingo Wednesday, half-price New Orleans cocktails Friday, and $12 po’boys Monday. Doors open at noon Feb. 13 for a shrimp boil, $12 jambalaya and $20 frozen hurricane yards, plus music from the Four Star Brass Band and a burlesque show at 10 p.m. 1415 N. Wood St., 773-360-8320, inamaetavern.com
Mac’s Wood Grilled
Try a $5 bottle of Louisiana-based Abita Beer Company’s Mardi Gras Bock along with fried shrimp, andouille sausage and chicken po’boys served with Cajun fries ($15-$17) Feb. 9-13. 1801 W. Division St., 773-782-4400, macswoodgrilled.com
Time Out Market Chicago
Lizzy J Cafe and Everything Countz team up for a New Orleans-inspired dinner ($75) including seafood bisque, Cajun pasta, Creole Cornish hen with dirty rice and red velvet funnel king cake. The party starts with a drum line complete with beads you can toss. 5:30 p.m. 916 W. Fulton Market, 312-637-3888, timeoutmarket.com
Tuman’s Tap & Grill
Pair a serving of shrimp & andouille sausage gumbo ($15) with a $10 Illuminated Brew Works Slushy Thing #10 Hurricane Edition draft. 2159 W. Chicago Ave., 773-782-1400, tumanstapandgrill.com
South Side & Near South Side
Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern
The New Orleans-inspired sandwich shop from chef Erick Williams serves $10 hurricanes and Mardi Gras punch and king cake from Virtue pastry chef Becky Pendola while the Four Star Brass Band performs. 5215 S. Harper Ave., 773-675-8767, daisyspoboychicago.com
Norman’s Bistro
The Cajun restaurant hosts a bash featuring a live brass band and DJs. $25. 6-10 p.m. 1001 E. 43rd St., 773-966-5821, normansbistro.com
Suburban and multiple locations
Deerfields Bakery
Chocolate- and almond-filled king cake is available for $23 along with Mardi Gras-themed cookies ($3.50-$3.95). 201 N. Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove and 813 N. Waukegan Road, Deerfield, 847-520-0068; deerfieldsbakery.com
Double Clutch Brewing
The brewery serves chicken and andouille gumbo and frozen hurricanes and hosts live music at 7 p.m. Feb. 9 and 10 and bingo at 7 p.m. Feb. 13. 2121 Ashland Ave., Evanston, 224-999-6850, doubleclutchbrewing.com
The Graceful Ordinary
Show off your most flamboyant clothes during a four-course Mardi Gras brunch ($100) including beignets, seafood etouffee, king cake french toast and two cocktails. Beads and masks are provided. 11 a.m. Feb. 11. 3 E. Main St., St. Charles, thegracefulordinary.com
The Matrix Room
Executive chef Alonso Beckford serves Mardi Gras-inspired dishes including seafood gumbo, shrimp and grits, king cake and banana beignets. 808 S. Route 59, Naperville, 630-581-7200, matrixvenue.com
Prairie Moon
Get a taste of New Orleans Feb. 9-13 with specials including red beans and rice ($5.95-$8.95), jambalaya ($16), shrimp and crawfish etouffee ($21) and Sazeracs ($14). 1635 Chicago Ave., Evanston, 847-864-8328, prairiemoonrestaurant.com
Shaw’s Crab House
A Mardi Gras menu offered in the oyster bar Feb. 8-13 includes seafood gumbo ($8-$11), shrimp po’boys ($17), shrimp and crawfish etouffee ($27), and bananas foster ($12). 1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, 847-517-2722, shawscrabhouse.com
Samantha Nelson is a freelance writer.
