Ward Eight

So my bestie introduced me to Ward Eight. We’ve come here together, two years in a row to celebrate her birthday, but she’s also somewhat of a local.
Ward Eight is located at the border of Evanston and Roger’s Park on Howard. It’s crazy how stark the difference is. On one side of Howard is Chicago, you got some dingy bar and Popeye’s and questionable people hanging out. On the Evanston side of Howard you have lovely Peckish Pig and Ward Eight (not to mention Evanston street parking rates).
Anyway, Ward Eight is super small, dimly lit, and cozy. This time, after dinner at Peckish Pig, we made our way to W8 and sat at the bar, and oh how attentive the bartenders are! You can tell a lot of regulars come by because the bartenders knew so many people by name.
My bestie came here knowing she wanted their chocolate cake for dessert. We asked the bartender which drink would pair best with the cake and he suggested their Side Car. He was right. The cake was devine and the cocktail was strong. We arrived around 7:30 and ended up staying until closing. But during the entire time, both bartenders came by, chatted us up, as well as the sweet chef that works there! There was a steady flow of people. That night the bar was full but not packed.
In previous times we’ve ordered food and everything tastes great. Their brussel sprouts, and cheese plate are awesome.
Overall a great night and a great atmosphere for a date, catch-​up or just to hang out.

This place is nice we have been there a few times. Drinks are great service is great. My only reason for not giving them all five starts is we went there on a Friday night when it was supper packed. People were so packed together it was way to much. All over they had sings for reserved tables and even some High tops by the bar. If they had opened those tables up it would have been great. We also want to get a cheese plate and that would have been hard to hold while just standing packed together. Normally this does not bug me if the place take reservations which they don’t so I am confused as to why the seating was reserved? We live around the corner so we like to go to local places. But the bar was so packed we couldn’t even get to it to get a drink so just left with no drink no cheese plate. We went back to the peckish pig that we just can from and had more drinks and a place to sit and have cheese.

Excellent craft cocktails– I haven’t had any better! The service was great– we came during a slower time (before 10pm) and there was ample seating. We had their nachos and it was a lovely surprise. Everything was quite fresh and delicious. But back to the cocktails: they know how to do it. Period.

We were enjoying ourselves for most of the night. The cocktail list was varied and of high quality spirits. The staff was friendly and the crowd was not your average obnoxious Saturday night crowd. It had looked like we had found our Sable replacement up north. Until, some guy who kept saying «I can do this, I’m the manager» sat right on top of the bar next to us and started banging on this box drum right in our ears. To not sound like too much of a square, this was not the deal breaker. It was a little annoying at worst and kind of quirky at best. It was when this same «manager» kept asking the woman next to me to take off her bra, give him her bra, he can buy her another bra, etc… which someone had already done since there was a bra hanging from the nearest light fixture above the bar.
Really? It’d be nice for a woman, any woman, to be able to go out without being inappropriately propositioned (and yes, it’s inappropriate) to remove her clothing. Whether or not this woman was a friend of the «manager» or not, it’s grossly unprofessional at a business establishment that isn’t a strip club. Don’t think we’ll be back. It’s a shame that one douchey apple can spoil what was, until then, a great time with great service. Lame.

Place is small but nice, it gets a little too dark in there when it hits evening time. There wasn’t too many fruity or girly drinks there. I had the Mexican firing squad which was really good, I stuck to that. You do have to order your drinks/​food at the bar, which I think is a little weird, especially if it gets busy in there, you don’t want to be lingering over the person sitting at the bar if you are sitting on the other side. The only thing we tried for food were the meatballs, they were okay, lacked flavor. Read the sign before you walk in… I know for guys no baseball caps!

Ordered the vesper. Light and strong drink, goes down smoothly. Garnished with lemon. Fully enjoyed.
Not too crowded hear, or too loud. Great vibe and ambiance. Will definitely go again

Ward Eight is fantastic! I went here with a couple of girlfriends to grab drinks last night. We arrived around 8 pm and were able to grab a table right away. The lighting was dimmed by candlelight and the bar was bustling with people. Although it was bustling with people, it wasn’t overly crowded and never got overly crowded, which made for a great experience to fit Ward Eight’s cool, trendy, and intimate vibe. What I also loved was the bar set-​up. Instead of being served at our tables, you order from the bar/​bartenders. The bartenders were super attentive and great at suggesting options on what to order based on our preferences. I ordered a French 75 cocktail and a Fig & Farmers Cheese Sandwich. I was absolutely delighted with my choices. The French 75 is a light and bubbly cocktail, that is the perfect balance of sweet and alcohol. The fig and farmers cheese sandwich was delicious. I ordered it with prosciutto and asked for the fig on the side. It was the perfect balance of cheese and prosciutto– literally one of the best versions of this sandwich that I’ve had in awhile. The cheese was fresh and paired amazingly with the prosciutto, bread and fig. I HIGHLY recommend the sandwich if you come here and the French 75 of course!
Ward Eight is a perfect place to grab a great cocktail and tapas if you are in the Evanston area.

Just went here for food and drinks for the first time last night. This place is a stunner! Great ambiance, very capable bar service, finely crafted cocktails, bacon-​stuffed dates that reverse the traditional bacon-​wrapped date equation, and a flatbread with cinnamon apples on it that somehow managed to be awesome instead of annoying. If this place were in my neighborhood, I’d make it a regular stop.

Ward Eight was okay. I liked the interior design and our server was really nice. The drink menu was solid (albeit, not cheap) and the food was tasty. The reason I’m giving ⁴⁄₅ stars is that the food menu could be better. It’s too centered around «small plates» so I’d definitely not recommend going here for dinner. The food menu is basically a snack menu. Anyway – totally solid!

Ward Eight has been hanging out on my bookmarks list for a bit now so we decided to drop by for a drink after an early dinner the other night. It seems like we came in at just the right time, for us anyway. When we were on the way to dinner, the place was packed. It seems like we hit that sweet spot over the dinner hour when there weren’t so many people there. Lucky us!
We settled into one of the booths and took a look at the drink menu. One of the staff members promptly came by to give us some water and explain the specials. Apparently we came in on a night they were running specials on Pappy Van Winkle of all varieties and even flights. I didn’t choose that because, well, I’m not very smart. I have been kicking myself for missing out on that ever since. Oh well, next time (one can hope!).
We decided on the Creole and the Malik. They were both delicious and well balanced. With cocktails like these, I could have stayed and made a night of it… if only we hadn’t decided to drive. Boo!
We found the atmosphere to be warm and inviting and the staff was super friendly. The prices are pretty reasonable too. I’m definitely coming back and leaving the car at home!

Possibly my favorite cocktail bar in all of Chicagoland (yes, even competing with watershed). It’s pricey but I think it might actually be worth it for once. Food menu is slim, to the extent that I almost took off a star. But I managed to sample four cocktails and liked every damn one of them so… I guess I’ll round up. The space is a bit small and the tables a bit rickety, but we had no problem getting out group of six squished around a four top relatively quickly. Overall, this is one of those few places that makes me wish I lived on the north side. If you are so lucky as to be nearby, you should go.

The sherry flip is by far the best cocktail I’ve had. It’s like a much creamier and mellower form of sherry.
I used to get the whiskey flip a lot at Ward Eight, but the sherry flip is my new go-​to drink here.
Aside from the sherry flip, I had a flourless chocolate cake. The cake was not too sweet and the dark chocolate taste is very pronounced. Definitely worth ordering!

As all of my friends will tell you (in an annoyed tone), I’m obsessed with Tiki Tuesday’s. I love scoping out all the cocktail bars that feature this fun weekly celebration and Ward Eight is one of the best yet. The drinks were boozy, delicious and the presentation was spot on. I came with a friend who prefers sweeter, lighter drinks and the bartender made sure to whip something up (not on the menu) based on her taste pallet. We both loved our drinks and the atmosphere was cozy: sophisticated, but not stuffy. My only complaint is I wish this place was closer to downtown and not such a hike to get to.

Standouts:
Classic Louie Armstrong and Ella
Excellent old fashioned — huge no frost ice cube, perfectly balanced. YES!
Friendly bartenders
Good ambiance — dark and sexy and relaxing
Street parking
Argula and pear flatbread (although the pear was a touch too sweet)
Blood and sand cocktail — a bit too sweet, but still good.
Not as great:
Empanadas — to be fair, the crust was fabulous, but they were really just stuffed with mashed potatoes (not that I don’t like mashed potatoes, but some spices would be nice)
2 other cocktails — one involved sherry and bourbon? but was primarily sherry — too much sherry in fact. Also, the Manhattan — small, and too bitter for my taste
The booths are amazingly uncomfortable because they’re too shallow — and that from a short person. God help you if you have long legs. Seriously. Next time, I’ll try to grab the padded booths near the front
Prices are a bit high, but no higher than any other hipsterish bar.

In a word: delightful. I’m so glad that Cody, Anders et al. (of the late, much-​loved In Fine Spirits bar) have created this home for their work, although it’s no longer Rogers Park’s best-​kept secret and can be a bit shoulder-​to-​shoulder on the weekend. The cocktail menu is an excellent map for explorers, and if you’re feeling truly adventurous, just ask them to surprise you — best case, you’ll find a new favorite, and at the very least, you’ll learn something. The sherry flip is particularly good on a cold day.
There’s a tongue-​in-​cheek dedication to authenticity here best exemplified by the flaming, multi-​straw tiki drinks that are just as well crafted as their Manhattans. I’m not a paper umbrella girl myself, but if you are, drop in on a Tuesday sometime.
Draws a younger crowd on the weekends, but nothing rowdy (this is Evanston, after all).

Loved it — I will come back. Went early on a Saturday night (8:45pm) and got a booth right away, plenty of seating. Tried the French 75 — really well done and Fish Bowl — SO Good! I like light, refreshing drinks, so they worked well. Small plates were nice — enjoyed the bacon wrapped dates (yummy) and Marcona almonds (great snack w drinks). Had the flourless, chocolate cake — was rich and creamy and a nice pecan crust.

I went to Ward Eight after dinner for my cousin’s birthday. It’s a cocktail lounge, kinda small of a space with a small open kitchen but HUGE flavors in their cocktail drinks.
It was a bit crowded on a late Saturday night, but the décor and vibe was a hipster feel. The place is pretty dark so if you’re looking at a menu you will have to be like me, turn on that flashlight cell phone please. There’s no TV here, however there was some background music. This is truly a lounge place to force you to talk to your peeps.
In the middle of the place, there is a long top table for standing only, but you can put your foot on a metal bar across the bottom of it. But no fret, there are enough seating lounge areas on the sides of the room benched tables and compfy lounge chairs. Up front, you can also sit by the full view window. There are also comfy bar stools along the bar as too.
They have premium shelf liquor for their mix drinks or on the rocks. You’ll be paying about $ 10 a drink but you won’t be disappointed. They do serve beer here but why get that, you got to try their cocktails. They make them strong and really tasty.
As I watched the bartender mix our drinks, he looked like more of a mixologist. He was very entertaining measuring drinks, lighting things up, shaking things up.
I ordered my go to cocktail Moscow Mule and hubby ordered one of their signature drink called the Doctor.
Mine came is a copper mug (SWEET) with beautiful cubed ice. I mean squared ice cubes topped with a bunch of fresh mint! It was so well made I’d get it again for $ 10 bucks!
Hubby’s «Doctor» cocktail drink was made out of Jamaican Rum, Swedish Punsch, and fresh lime shaken like crazy until poured into a small glass that formed a beautiful foam on top. It’s a pretty strong drink, more of a sipping drink if you chug it you’ll really need to see a doctor in the house.
Someone bought the birthday boy a special drink called a Scorpion Bowl. It was a designed scorpion bowl that was holding a flamed lime. I’m not kidding a flamed drink to drink! I didn’t try it, but it looked like it had fresh citrus in it and my cousin said it was good and strong.
I enjoyed hanging out by the bar to watch them make all kinds of drinks and oh yeah to also sit too, lol! I even saw one guy used like a perfume spray that smelled like citrus as a final touch to one of their cocktails… impressive.
One kewl thing that happened that night was the owners/​managers who heard there were so may birthday celebrants in the place they ended up giving everyone a round of shots and announced everyone to sing happy birthday which was a nice touch.
They also serve some appetizers for snacking. My other cousin ordered their baked dates with gorgonzola cheese, bacon crumbs and micro greens on top of strips of prosciutto with a reduction balsamic glaze. It was ok, but I prefer my typical bacon wrapped dates any day.
Overall, I’d come back here again if I’m in the area and try their other signature drinks.

Checking in again over a year later. While most places in the course of a year can really jump the shark, Ward 8 is still banging it out. Their classic cocktails are still superb. Still in my book the very best Old Fashioned and Manhattan in Chicago. Cody and Andres are such craftsman that all you have to give them is a base spirit and maybe 1 other descriptor and they can customize a cocktail that is sure to please. I recently went in and asked for a cocktail with Orgeat syrup and Bourbon and they concocted this amazing drink that was a cross between a Tiki drink and a mint Julep. Superb.
And for the Whiskey buffs they have an exceptionally well curated selection of fine Whiskies. For the bourbons they ETL, Barterhouse, Weller 12, 1792 and a bunch of other very great Bourbons, and they select some of the best International Whiskies like those from Japan. The Nikka line of products including the Taketsuru 12 and the Yoichi 12 are both featured, as well as several other Scotches and ryes. All at an incredibly great price.
I’m so looking forward to the summer when their patios open and they get live music going again (hopefully). If you haven’t been here its a must visit

What’s not to love about Ward Eight? As soon as you walk in, you are transported to an amazingly romantic speakeasy setting. The guys behind the bar are such unbelievably cool looking lads and that they can make mean cocktails is just cherry on top (all pun intended!).
The food menu is small but has all that you need to accompany your decadent cocktails. My favorite of course is the charcuterie board and my advice to you is to relish every bite, every sip and when the glass is empty — just order another one! Bonus outdoor seating when it’s warm outside!

Met a friend for drinks and it’s a good thing that we decided to meet at 5:30 because it was packed by 6. First and foremost, it’s so cozy and unpretentious… a great place for a first date or meeting a friend. I tried the Hemingway, which was amazing. And we ordered a ‘double date’ — dates wrapped in bacon and dates baked with blue cheese. So yummy… also, was it just me or were all the bartenders and staff good looking?