Three Dots and a Dash

Loved this place!
I had wanted to go since I read about it and was not at all disappointed!
A bit hard to find the entrance, but I guess that is by design
The skulls (not real) on the way in are a great touch
The menu was perfect, the staff super nice. I did not have any food but the drinks were AMAZING!!!
Really thoughtful recipes with fantastic execution
Exactly what we were looking for!!!

Although we had a reservation we had people standing all over our table. It took 10 minutes for someone to ask us what we wanted to start off with. However the atmosphere was really nice and vibrant.

This is a really awesome tiki bar! The décor is done very, very well, not at all cheesy.
The drinks are great! They even look complicated to make with several ingredients, fantastic garnishes and served in really, really awesome cups! I was fascinated watching the bartender make them for a while. His level of focus and his perfectionism as he measured, stirred, and garnished each drink perfectly! Lol These drinks, I tell you, look complicated to make, they are not just thrown together AND are definitely potent and delicious. It definitely slows your consumption so sip and enjoy them. I can appreciate that, because this style of fruity drink can be usually consumed in 5 minutes because they usually only taste like juice. (At least by me ;)). Well worth the $ 13 price tag.
We did not get any appetizers, but what I saw coming out of the kitchen look great. I would love to go back and try a few.

I’m never eaten here and truthfully this is not somewhere I would think of eating at (Sorry if they have awesome food and I’m not giving them a fair chance).
Three Dots and a Dash is all about the cocktails. It’s a tiki lounge theme’d bar with an extensive menu of very decorated and well crafted drinks.
Since the drinks are a bit more expensive (but worth it) this is most likely a place you will want to start off your night prior to going to a «normal» bar with «normal» priced drinks after.
Some of my favorites include:
— Bunny’s Banana Daiquiri
— Painkiller No. 109
— Poipu Beach Boogie Board
Your best bet is to go with a group and have everyone order something different so you can try them all!

I was surprised when my friend and I came here one weekend in the summer and the line moved quickly. I love that this place is underground (entrance in a dark back alley), but heck, you had me at tiki bar! How random. We only had time for a couple of drinks. They were really strong, pricey, and took forever! It was well worth it though. Watching the bartenders make these well crafted concoctions was part of the fun! Look up on the way out, you will see a wall of skulls. Creepy and cool! Next time I am in town, I will definitely be back, and will hopefully have time for dinner.

First, some tips:
1. The entrance is in the alley behind Bub City and the Rick Bayless restaurants.
2. If you’re going on a weekend, you better have a reservation if you don’t want to wait several hours to get in.
I like Three Dots and a Dash a lot! The tiki aspect is really unique in the Chicago bar scene and it’s a nice get away during the long, cold winter. The décor is really well done, although it is more upscale/​industrial than Lost Lake, Three Dot’s hipster cousin in Logan Square. Both times I’ve been service has been prompt, albeit a little pushy. Drinks are tasty, well presented and come in some pretty sweet mugs (which you can buy for infinity dollars on their online store…) Music sets a good vibe without overpowering conversation.
Three Dots and a Dash should definitely be on your Chicago bar bucket list. The uniqueness alone pushes it to a 5 star rating for me. You might just want to try it on a week night though!

I would say this is the top bar that we end up taking friends or family visiting from out of town as it is a really well done tiki bar with a cool vibe and ambiance. But beware as the drinks are super potent! My go to concoctions would be the Jet Pilot or Dead Reckoning. They do offer small bites if you’re looking to snack, but definitely would not think to do a full meal here. I’ve had the coconut shrimp which was super tasty! If you’re looking to get a table, be sure to book a reservation in advance!
Always a good time here! Go go go! ‘Til next time, cheers!

Now that there’s a Tiki bar near me in my own city — Three Dots and a Dash’s environment really opened my eyes on how Tiki bars are done. I wish the one near me was as amazing as this one :(Three Dots and a Dash really set a high bar.
The entrance is in the back alley. Kind of sketch, haha. But if you see two lit torches, you’re there!
The bartender we had, Alex, was super cool & fun. The ways he made the drinks were very eye appealing. I was actually standing majority of the time … time flew by while Alex made different types of drinks. I was barely tired from standing. I’m not a bar person, so I have no idea how bartenders get their groove, but sheesh — Alex was solid.
The bar itself is pretty big. I could see a ton of people around & they had several stools. We were told there was a long wait for a table, so. off we went to the bar. Even inside, the tiki decorations looked cool.
My buds who had the drinks were satisfied. Each drink was nicely decorated & looked like a piece of art. The pictures listed on Unilocal are accurate. One guy ordered the Treasure Chest — thing costs like 400 bucks! It was huge though. It’s worth it IF you’ve got several folks with you.
I’ll be back!

Lots of fun and that’s all you can ask from a place like this.
Packed full at 9p on a weekday which was no surprise. As plenty mention the single drinks are $ 13…but super boozy and worth it. I had a Boogie Board which satisfied my love of cherry/​grenadine. Friend had a Jet Pilot which definitely makes you feel like you’re flying…
Drinks are super sweet/​sugary, of course, so I’d never come here for more than two. But it’s definitely a fun place worthy of your time — and no, the entrance isn’t that difficult to find, people.

Oh my gosh i love this place! My friend and I were looking for a place to eat on NYE and somehow got a 6pm reservation at Three Dots and A Dash for 4 people. Crazy! First time here.
Not the easiest place to find let me tell ya. We walked around in 0 degree weather with no coats looking for the entrance. After asking about 4 different people, we finally figured it out. But this is part of what makes the place so cool. Right when you walk inside, you walk downstairs to get to the restaurant.
Right when we walked in (15 min late because it was so hard to find), they told us they were doing last call because they were closing down at 7 to prep for NYE. We were confused because the lady on the phone told us we could order drinks until 6:45 so we spoke to a manager who was very friendly and let us order two rounds while we were there.
DRINKS: We asked the server for her recommendation (great server!) and ended up ordering the Zombie Punch. It was so delicious and such a cool concept! It came in a big skull head and there were four huge bendy straws so we all just shared and sipped it. Then ordered another one. Oops. Never had a drink like this before!
FOOD: We ordered the Luau Chips with Pineapple/​Avocado dip, Thai Fried Chicken and the Hanali Spring Rolls, which were both delicious! So tasty. it was perfect too because none of us were that hungry and really just wanted some light bites.
It is fairly expensive but such a cool spot with great food, drinks and vibes. I’ll be back!

LOVE Three Dots! This place is perfect for starting your night, hosting a bachelor/​bachelorette/​birthday party, having a happy hour, or a date night.
From the creative and beautiful drinks, to the delicious eats, Three Dots has a little something for everyone. I’ve tried several of their cocktails (not on the same days – they are STRONG) and their chicken bites are to die for. The service is always attentive and helpful, and the ambiance is trendy, yet festive with a tiki bar motif.
This place gets extremely crowded, but they do take reservations – I highly recommend making one! You won’t be disappointed in your experience here.

Highlights/​Lowlights
1) «secret”/hard to find entrance gives this place a fun twist
2) super fruity tropical drinks
3) spacious set up
We visited Three Dots and a Dash super late on a Sunday. I knew from friends that the bar was one that has limited labels and is hard to find, but WHOA is it hard to find. My fiancé and I walked around the block a few times before discovering the entrance in a little back alley. In our opinion, it just adds to the fun but if you are looking for somewhere more straight forward this maybe isn’t the place for you.
After you walk down the stairs, you enter a huge bar/​restaurant space. Because we were there late, there were plenty of tables open. The space is way over the top decorated tiki creating a fun but a little gimmicky of an atmosphere.
We were starving and hoping to get some appetizers but unfortunately the kitchen closed at at midnight. However, it was a Sunday night so this seems pretty reasonable. The drink menu boasted tons of big fruity/​sugary tiki cocktails. The cocktails are big, but you are definitely paying for the size. This isn’t a place for cheap drinks.
If you are looking to try something unique in the downtown Chicago area, this is a fun place to try.

I’ve been wanting to try this place for a long time but have a small tolerance for lines which gets even smaller when its winter. This was a good option for happy hour especially being able to arrive there just a few minutes before the opening and we could get a table. (Apparently, they now take some reservations which would be a good option in the future.)
It is a little difficult to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for. The entrance is off the alley by Hubbard. Since it is somewhat speakeasy-​ish, the sign is small but just look for the line. Once you get in, it has a nice décor which goes with the ambiance.
Being a newbie, I relied a lot on our waitress to pick a drink. When she suggested the Mai Tai, I must have looked skeptical, but she assured me iit was amazing and most other places don’t make it right. It was the best Mai Tai I’ve had. It wasn’t too sweet at all but was fresh and light. My sister had the Bunny Banana Daquiri which was a boozy smoothie (and came with a banana dolphin). Both drinks definitely pack a punch. Finally, we shared the Dead Reckoning on recommendation. The rum, port, pineapple, vanilla and bitters played very well with each other. All of the drinks were well-​balanced and boozy but smooth.
The drinks aren’t cheap at $ 13/​cocktail but are fairly in line with the area. They also offer punch bowls which would be good for a group. While I wouldn’t wait in a really long line, it was a good experience and I’d definitely go back.

Amazing!!!
Would love to have this kind of establishment in Atlanta, better yet, I wouldn’t mind investing into opening up a business like this in buckhead.
Location was a bit sketchy, with the entrance located in a back alley, but once you’re in, you’ll be amazed. We waited out at the bar area waiting for our table, drinking delicious speciality drinks. Not only are the drinks served beautifully, they taste great with nice kicks of alcohol. We tried the banana daiquiri, pain killers 109 & 639, as well as the mai tai. Mai tai was pretty strong and the daiquiris were delicious to go bananas over. My favorite was the pain killers 109, however! It’s just so dam* good! Would highly recommend it.
Did get a sip of the the 3… & — drink and Pieces of 8 and it wasn’t as good as it appeared. They were more on the bitter/​sour side.
Ambiance/​décor was nice, bathroom was clean, and the crowd wasn’t crazy and annoying. Definitely would come back here when back in Chicago.

Had our Christmas Eve party here in Tuesday. The chicken was good but the short rib on coconut rice was outta the park. I am not one for fruity drinks so I am a bad judge of them. Others said they were good

There’s a reason this place has a reputation as one of the best Tiki bars in America!!! It rocks. Quintessential tiki. You enter via the alley and it’s underground. Complete refuge from the cold above!
I had the signature cocktail, followed by the Dead Reckoning. Fantastic. Looking forward to moving downtown so I can go more often!

We went on a weeknight at 8pm and there was already no where to sit so we did the standing room bar and ended up sitting at the bar after about 15 min. I’ve heard so much about the cocktails here and I was so excited to go!
The bartenders Ryan and I believe it was Danny? Were cool and made very good drinks. One of the best Mai Tai’s I’ve ever had.
Expensive but that’s to be expected and the atmosphere and quality of drinks was worth it.
My experience at this bar was negative but not because of the service. The patrons at the bar were not friendly at all. I’m a very sociable person, I like to go to bars to talk to people and have a good time. We tried to talk to like 5 different people at this bar and they all had the crappiest attitudes. One guys exact words when we asked what he was drinking was «Oh it’s a cocktail, there’s liquid in there…» We were just asking because the drink looked cool, he was such a jerk.
It was just an unfriendly environment and I was uncomfortable. Not sure what it was exactly because I’ve been out to lots of places around the area and didn’t have this same vibe.
I feel bad because I know it’s not the the bars fault how their patrons behave but because of the snobbish attitude I got from my fellow drinkers I will probably not return.

Dimly lit ambiance with a tiki bar theme. Besides the location being non descript, not sure how this is a speakeasy…(they are on open table). Overall, you go for the experience… it’s only good for drinks, bad for dinner.
I tried the Dead Reckoning which, frankly, had more ice than rum. My friends’ Painkiller 639 was very yummy… so I’ll probably get that next time.
We shared the pu pu platter which had 6 preset samplings of the regular menu. The best was thai fried chicken… there were a few items that were not so great like the coconut shrimp (no flavor), and the ribs (super dry).

Living a block and a half away from this place is SO. DANGEROUS. for me. Fortunately, it also means that I can walk home from here just on muscle memory, a fact I have now proven to myself more than once. Of course, to say I was «walking» and not «staggering» would probably be a teensy fib.
I’ve been a fan of tiki since before it was hipster-​cool, and this place is the real deal. Three Dots and a Dash features face-​melting drinks, beautifully presented, a liberal use of fire and dry ice, never-​in-​real-​life Polynesian décor, and a menu of outstanding Pu-​Pu nibbles, also with more fire. I absolutely love this place, and I’ve had some fantastic times here. It was at Three Dots and a Dash that I saw my first light-​up-​label bottle of Dom Perignon. I’m both delighted and ashamed of that fact, and really, what more could you ask from a tiki bar than wonderment and remorse in equal parts?
Be warned though: Prepare to spend some money here. Your basic drink is $ 13 here, and after a couple of those, you ARE going to make some bad choices and spend considerably more on something that «serves two.» I don’t think we’ve ever gotten out of here for less than $ 100.
Also, unless you love the velvet rope, shun this place on weekends. You’re going to wait in line for a good bit, just for the privilege of standing five-​deep at the bar with people in tight clothes who are WAY more drunk than you.

Six ladies visiting Chicago, Tiki Bar, alleyway/​speakeasy entrance, a fun menu with a variety of special drinks, and friendly, helpful bartenders. WIN!
High end, speakeasy bars with craft cocktails are all the rage all over the country, but I can do without the attitude, lights so low you can’t see your friends 6 inches away, and the ridiculous price tags.
This place is much more my style! We entered through an alleyway and were led through a door and down two flights of dark stairs, and under a skull-​covered wall into a cheery Tiki Bar! We took our places at the bar and were immediatly greeted by the bartender. He did a great job explaining the menu to us and helping us decide what to order based on our preferences. Each cocktail was then individually crafted with a dash of this and a splash of that, finally garnished with all sorts of fruit, umbrellas, swizzle sticks and other goodies.
This is a very fun and unique bar. I would definitely return the next time I’m in Chicago!