Entry No. 41 — the Chicago file — filed under: speakeasy-bar
The Drifter
Hidden in the basement of the Green Door Tavern -- one of the few wooden-frame buildings put up before Chicago banned wood construction downtown after the Great Chicago Fire -- this Prohibition-era room sits behind a knickknack-covered door reached by heading downstairs from the tavern. There is no printed cocktail list: bartenders work from a deck of more than 100 hand-illustrated tarot cards, pulling a handful at random each night so the menu is different every visit. Through the evening the cramped room runs short burlesque, sideshow, and magic performances every hour or so.
The story
In 1872, builder James McCole framed a timber saloon at Orleans and Huron, just months after the Great Chicago Fire leveled the city. Before the timber even set, the city council passed an ordinance banning wooden structures downtown, locking this leaning two-story building in as one of the last wooden-frame survivors in River North. By 1921, owner Vito Giacomoni painted the front door green—a universal code during Prohibition that illicit booze was served inside—while his sons Jack and Nello ran a speakeasy in the basement cellar.
That basement sat untouched for decades until reopening in 2015 as The Drifter. Rather than polishing away the grit, the owners kept the damp brick, raw plaster, and cramped 37-seat layout. There is no master drink menu printed on paper. Instead, the bartenders work from a custom deck of over 100 hand-illustrated tarot cards, drawing a small hand at random each afternoon so the night's cocktail offerings are literally dealt by chance.
Throughout the evening, the low-ceilinged room operates as a micro-cabaret. On the hour between 7 p.m. and midnight, performers step into the tight center of the floor for ten-minute sets—a unpredictable mix of burlesque, sword swallowing, magic, and belly dancing. You end up sipping whatever cocktail your tarot card dictated while watching a performer work two feet from your knee, sitting underneath vintage curios like a bullet-riddled Pegasus sign.
What it's like
Head down the stairs inside Green Door Tavern toward the restrooms and look for the knickknack-laden wall panel. Give it a knock or push through, but do not expect to breeze in on a Friday night—the room holds under 40 people, and weekend waits at the door frequently top an hour. An $8 cover charge per person is added directly to your bar tab for the performers, flash photography is strictly forbidden, and seating is tight enough that you will be sharing breathing room with neighboring tables.
The move: Order whatever cocktails the bartender's drawn tarot cards happen to deal you, then stay for the on-the-hour burlesque set.
📍 Before you go Open Wed-Sat evenings only (closed Sun-Tue); small room, expect a wait on weekends.
- 📍 River North
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 676 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60654
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Headquarters Beercade River North — Located two blocks away, this free-play retro arcade bar makes a low-stakes holding pen while you wait out the line for a table downstairs at Green Door Tavern.
- Three Dots and a Dash — A subterranean tiki bar hidden down a River North alley five blocks south, offering a rum-heavy, tropical contrast to The Drifter's Prohibition-era basement vibe.
- Tao Chicago (former Chicago Historical Society Building) — Walk four blocks east to check out another survivor of 1890s River North architecture—a massive Richardsonian Romanesque fortress built just two decades after the Green Door.
Good to know
How do I find the hidden entrance inside Green Door Tavern?
Walk into Green Door Tavern at 676 N Orleans St, head downstairs toward the basement restrooms, and look for the knickknack-covered door set into the wall.
How does the cocktail menu work?
There is no static drink list. Each day, the bartenders draw a handful of cards at random from a 100+ card tarot deck, forming that night's rotating menu.
Is there a cover charge or reservation system?
The Drifter does not take reservations. An $8 cover charge per person is automatically added to your tab to pay the night's live performers.
When do the live performances happen?
Short, unannounced sets run roughly on the hour between 7:00 p.m. and midnight, featuring burlesque, magic, sideshow acts, or musicians.
What days is The Drifter open?
It operates Wednesday through Saturday evenings only, remaining closed Sunday through Tuesday.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Time Out · Wikipedia · Tripadvisor
last checked: 2026-06-23