Three Dots and a Dash
10 June 2018
Love the alley entrance and skullwall as you descend down the stairs. Was warned that it gets crowded at night, so have always gone on the earlier side and haven't had a problem getting a table or seat at the bar. Consistently have had some of my favorite drinks, I think they lean toward sweeter palates.
Drink notes: 1) 3 dots and a Dash: mild, great crowd pleaser. Pineapple and orange (tangerine to get needed sweetness), rummy spice, amazing 2) Saturn + Negroni: gin/lemon/passionfruit, clean finish, light 3) Zombie: great cinnamon flavor, balanced, strength well concealed
Another visit (3/27/19): 1) Camp Anawana - overproof rum with toasted marshmallows yet somehow not too sweet, strong in every way, not for tiki novices 2) Mai Tai - Rum forward but balanced, homemade orgeat, overproof float, unique but also traditional enough to be good
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Tiki Bar
Three Dots and a Dash
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Opened in August 2013.
Three Dots and a Dash was the creation of star bartender Paul McGee, in partnership with Lettuce Entertain You, a Chicago area restaurant group. The bar is named for the classic Don the Beachcomber drink, itself a WWII call for victory using the Morse code for "V." The focus at Three Dots and a Dash is on cocktails, but it also delivers on the special Polynesian Pop details we've come to expect... most notably on the beautifully detailed souvenir mugs. There is a small menu of food, including a flaming Pu-Pu Platter.
In November 2014, Paul McGee left Three Dots and a Dash, and in January 2015 opened Lost Lake (However, Lost Lake is closed since January 2022).
The Three Dots and a Dash space is divided up into several sections, including The Bamboo Room (an exclusive 22-seat bar-within-a-bar opened in 2019). Led by Beverage Director Kevin Beary, The Bamboo Room was recognized as one of Esquire’s “Best Bars in America” in 2022. An ode to rum and rhum agricoles, the menu is composed of refined and focused rum drinks presented across multiple cocktail styles. Separate menu shown below...