Best Intentions

Best Intentions reopened in 2023 after a three-year closure and returned exactly as its regulars remembered it: a knickknack-filled room on Armitage with funk and soul on the speakers, a packed patio in back, and cocktails priced around ten dollars that are better than most of what you’d pay fifteen for elsewhere in the city. Shots of Angostura bitters come from a dedicated tap. The Wondermint Malted — a grasshopper variation through a frozen cocktail machine — is a house signature that sounds gimmicky until you order one.

North America’s 50 Best Bars placed it 48th in 2024 and called it “a beloved neo-dive with a thoroughly Midwestern vibe,” which is accurate but undersells the drinks. The smashburger is six dollars and is the best version of the bar snack concept on any block in Logan Square. Come in on a Thursday when it’s still manageable.