Queen Mary — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

In Wicker Park, where Division Street once housed seven bustling taverns, a remarkable resurrection story unfolds twice weekly. Queen Mary Tavern's oyster happy hour—Sundays 3-7 PM and Mondays 5-7 PM—offers $3 oysters and $9 classic martinis in what may be Chicago's most storied drinking establishment.

The backstory reads like urban legend made real. Mary Kafka operated this Polish tavern with her husband in the 1970s until family tragedy struck, prompting her to shutter the business and leave it virtually untouched for nearly 40 years. When Matt Eisler and Kevin Heisner of Heisler Hospitality finally convinced the 92-year-old "Queen of Division Street" to let them revive the space in 2015, they found a perfect time capsule.

Much of the original 1970s woodwork remains—bar counter, back bar, wood-paneled walls, and slatted ceiling—creating an authentic maritime atmosphere that feels like a ship's cabin. Kafka, who still lives upstairs, approved of the restoration, beaming at the results "like he's her grandson."

The concept celebrates British maritime drinking traditions, highlighting navy-strength gin and rum—the preferred spirits of British sailors for over 300 years. The backbar focuses especially on gin, rum, and Scotch whisky, with bartenders happy to create custom cocktails.

Fair warning: seats fill quickly, especially in nice weather, and seafood may sell out before happy hour ends. Smart drinkers arrive at opening time or ask about the Daily Grog—Queen Mary's ever-changing rum punch that's usually cheaper than main menu cocktails.

The quirky programming extends beyond oysters. Tuesday movie nights feature free popcorn and themed cocktail specials, with films projected on the back wall at 8 PM. The signature Navy Strength Old Fashioned blends cask-strength rum and gin with Demerara and Angostura, while the rotating Daily Grog serves seasonal citrus and spice over crushed ice.

The unique dual-sided peninsula bar allows patrons to sit facing each other, while three enormous booths accommodate groups of eight for serious merrymaking. Maritime touches include mermaid coat hooks and purse hooks under booth tables, plus modern amenities like electrical chargers.

This isn't just happy hour—it's historical preservation with a side of bivalves, where Chicago's drinking past meets present in perfectly...

I was so excited to come here to celebrate my 24th with dollar oysters. And though the oysters did disappoint, the service did not :)

Our waiter made sure we had an incredibly intimate dining experience. He did not check up on us once.

I love flirting and so did our server. He was definitely playing hard to get. It was incredibly hard to get his attention. Understandably so, it was super busy. So busy, that when we did catch him, he had one foot out the door the entire exchange. His urgency to leave made our time together all the more thrilling and gave me this really unique feeling—the feeling that I did not belong there.

This was confirmed when we were approached after paying by someone else who worked there, who reminded us that we were young and that at an “adult establishment” like this, you tip the quality of the service you received. Never in my life have I felt so incredibly seen. Not only did he recognize that I am young, but that I did in fact tip the quality of the service I received.

Overall, dining here was a once in a lifetime experience. I will certainly never come here again in my lifetime. The treatment I received for being young was definitely special, and I urge other young folks to come here and...

I popped in just to meet my friend but then I had a dirty martini and now I am OBSESSED with it. You don’t expect much from a dirty martini right? It’s dirty. That’s it. Yum. And this was…… so good. Something about this dirt. Cuz I asked the bartender and he was saying something about the brine, it was somehow floral? He said the brine - not the vermouth. Idc. I just want another one. And then there’s the story: which I never got right, so I will irresponsibly spread it around here to generate more sensation. Something about… the original owner was tragically shot and died on the premises, in the bar. The wife shuttered the place and went upstairs for sixty years. The new owners kept the interior, the bar has original wood work and features. It is o. L. D. In a good way. I have no idea if that story is accurate or true. But I loved believing it while I was in there. What a great thing to be so surprised by a bar on division in wicker park! I...