Best Live Music Showtime Restaurants in River North
4 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Mastro's Steakhouse
High-gloss steakhouse-lounge hybrid with live music and big-format plates.
Notable Picks
8.6
Mastro’s combines a clubby, multi-level steakhouse with a live-music lounge where big martinis and seafood towers lead into classic steaks. It’s loud, spendy, and built for nights when the priority is spectacle as much as the plate.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bone-in ribeye, Seafood tower, Warm butter cake
What Makes it Special: High-gloss steakhouse-lounge hybrid with live music and big-format plates.
#2
Bub City
8.3
Bub City is a high-energy country bar and BBQ joint known for live music, whiskey, and game-day platters in the heart of River North. The kitchen leans into hearty smoked meats and shareable snacks, making it a go-to for nights that blur from dinner into drinks.
Must-Try Dishes:
Giddy Up Fries, 18 Hour Beef Brisket, Brisket Chili
What Makes it Special: Loud, country-leaning BBQ bar where whiskey, live bands, and hefty smoked-meat plates share the spotlight.
#3
Storyville
8
Storyville turns brunch into a New Orleans-inspired party with beignets, shrimp & grits, chicken & waffles, and bottomless mimosas in a dark, theatrical room. It skews louder and more social than traditional brunch spots, especially when live music or weekend programming kicks in.
Must-Try Dishes:
Classic New Orleans Beignets, Blackened Shrimp & Grits, Bananas Foster French Toast or Chicken & Waffles
What Makes it Special: Cajun-Creole brunch with beignets, bottomless mimosas, and a nightlife-adjacent atmosphere.
Worthy Picks
7.7
Kitchen Karaoke is a late-night takeout window on Hubbard serving Korean-inspired street snacks alongside sidewalk karaoke. Guests grab spam musubi, bulgogi fried rice, dumplings, and hot broths to fuel bar-hopping and singing until the early morning.
Must-Try Dishes:
Korean Meltdown bulgogi grilled cheese, Eddie’s fried rice, Kimchi street dumplings
What Makes it Special: Street-facing Korean-inspired snacks paired with open-air karaoke on Hubbard.