Hi there, fellow Kibbitzer!

Welcome to our wifi free bookstore, bar, and cafe, located in the quaint and cozy corner of Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, right next to the east side of Bucktown, and right across the street from Chicago’s favorite pizza, Pequod’s.

We have local, domestic, and imported beer, delectable cheese plates, Johnson’s Real Ice Cream, all sorts of games, and books, of course!

Our WiFi free bookbar (not to be confused with ‘FREE WiFi’) is partnered with the non-profit, Kibbitznest - a 501(c)3 nonprofit devoted to encouraging face to face communication and open spaces for discussion, so expect to find all sorts of live events here, including a seasonal Liberal Arts Discussion Series led by professors from our collaborator, University of Chicago Graham School, poetry open mic nights, live music performances, book clubs, and the occasional comedy show!

Pop in when you can, unplug from your screens, enjoy breaking free from the internet, and have a chat the old fashioned way - face to face!

Our cafe and book bar comes with the Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times newspapers, for free to read at The Nest.

Keep up with the times with a cup o’ joe or a frothy pint of beer!

We might seem like a serious institution with discussions and books and no wifi, but underneath it all, we’re all about having fun - face-to-face with the people we care about the most (or even complete strangers!).

As a gamebar, we have plenty of game boards and card games ready for you to enjoy with your cheese plate, chicago style hot dog, or a few of our fine and carefully selected beverages.

There are no time limits on our games and you can even B.Y.O.G.! Just remember: As long as your payin’, keep playin’!

So you’ve never used one of these before?

Don’t panic, friend!

As this beautiful post card by local artist @bekindandcreate says, “You will be okay, I promise.”

We’re one of the few remaining places that has old school typewriters available for use and as a paying supporter of Kibbitznest, you can use it all you want!

Let us know if you need help loading paper into the typing machine and we’ll be right over to assist you on your writing endeavors.

Whether you spike your tea or not, we’ve got you covered.

Try a classic hot toddy without tea, or ask for any of our flavored teas to pair with locally made Almighty Spirits Whiskey.

Our favorites at the bar are English Breakfast and, if you’re looking to spice things up, Chai Tea.

Being partners with a nonprofit that supports unplugging and engaging in Face-To-Face conversation, we try to discourage cellphone use whenever possible.

But as a wifi free cafe bar and a business that needs to make a profit, we need to allow some room for folks to come around and take photos, because, let’s face it, social media is a great advertising tool.

Despite our needs to keep up with the times, please feel free to take your phone out to share photos of the cozy and eclectic atmosphere of our book bar here in Lincoln Park, but once you’re done, we kindly ask that you keep your phone in your pocket or purse.

Be sure to tag us when you can, and let everyone know how much fun it was to unplug and chat face-to-face!

Thanks!

As a paying customer of Kibbitznest Books, Brews & Blarney, you have access to Rummikub, Guess Who?, Set, or good old fashioned Backgammon.

There are plenty more games with varying intensities and, if you can’t find what you want, you can either suggest a new game for us or bring your own game!

In the mood for charcuterie, cheese, a local Chicago micro brew, or even a low price book?

Well there’s nothing to fear and loathe here! (see what I did there?)

Kibbitznest has all of this and more. Our salami (‘salumi’ if you’re fancy and want to say the plural of salami) and cheese plate hits the spot with our hand-sliced gourmet dried charcuterie with mortadella and your choice of one of our carefully selected cheeses.

We also carry some of Chicago’s favorite beers by breweries like Marz Brewing, Revolution Brewery, or Off Color, and if you haven’t heard or tried a Porter Beer Float yet, you have to try one.

Our bookstore sells used books and new Liberal Arts titles at very fair prices, and the profits all support our nonprofit partner, Kibbitznest, so that they can host discussions and presentations in one of our lovely event spaces with professors and doctorate students from The University of Chicago Graham School.

Our book bar is a unique place where books, local Chicago ice cream, and tabletop games meet to create a wonderful medley of entertainment and interconnectivity with your fellow humans.

Boggle, Settlers of Catan, Scrabble, Munchkin, and Guess Who are just a few of the board games that you can feel free to use while imbibing here at Kibbitznest.

Some might consider us a game or tabletop bar, but we like to think that we are so much more than that. We’re a space where people come together to celebrate being together and growing beyond our technological limitations.

No WiFi means more creative thinking, more engaging conversation, and more awareness. Next time you’re in the Lincoln Park area, come by our bar and give it a try!

As an internet-free bar, we try to support an open and friendly atmosphere to our customers. This is a place where we can all open up, express our opinions, and learn from each other - no matter what background you might be from.

This is all to support an environment where ‘not internetting’ is fun, casual, and friendly! So come on by and tell us your stories, ask us about ours, and maybe even come up with a few more to spread around!

Beyond beer, cocktails, food, and books, we also sell a variety of knick knacks!

In this image we have our hand-made peace signs, but we also have mugs, games, cards, art pieces, and plenty of other fun gifts! Our inventory is always changing, so swing by our bar and take a look around - you’ll be sure to find something you’ll love!

Focusing on your writing can be difficult when you have a thousand other apps that are telling you what to do.

Break free from the shackles of modern technology with one of our many typewriters, where it’s just you, some keys, and a sheet of paper as your canvas. If you choose the Kibbitznest as your third place, you’ll find that we provide the perfect environment for creative thinking - free from the distractions that surround us every day and surrounded by thought-provoking pieces of art, interesting conversation, and academic literature. Whether you consider us a cafe, a bookstore, or a bar, you’ll quickly realize that we are here as a central hub for the intellectual, artistic, and productive community of Chicago.

Grab a drink, have a chat, listen to some music, and let the words fly.

Chicago has many wonderful independent bookstores strewn throughout the streets, and hidden in corners of some of the most iconic neighborhoods that make this city great.

Each bookstore has something a little different than the last and we like to believe that we’re keeping this tradition strong.

Our focus is on Liberal Arts and Academic books, as well as a variety of used books across all genres. This comes with the strong relationship that we’ve built with the University of Chicago Graham School and our dedication to face-to-face expression of diverse ideas. We believe in the knowledge that is attainable through dialogue and we think that a large source of questions and theories derives from well-researched books from various university presses.

Through a multitude of opinions and a groundwork of mutual respect, a common truth will often reveal itself. As a Liberal Arts bookstore in Chicago, we are proud to say that we are using everything in our power to make sure that our community grows together. Through community classrooms, open floor debates, device-free activities, and presentations of original research, we’re seeking to start an epistemological revolution. Try joining one of our Liberal Arts Discussions to see exactly what we mean.