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Chicago · Venue

Burlington Bar

Chicago’s 150-capacity, 21+ bar-and-back-room venue, built for compact bills and close-range sets.

Upcoming shows
21
Capacity
150
Address
3425 West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647
Phone
(773) 384-3243
Next show
Wed, 30 Sept 2026
Official siteDirections
Burlington Bar in Chicago

About Burlington Bar

The Burlington is a 150-capacity, 21+ venue in Chicago whose defining feature is its split personality: a Wisconsin-themed front bar and a separate live room behind it. That scale gives shows a close-range feel, with the crowd gathered in a room conceived for modest bills instead of a full-sized club production. The venue’s own site presents it simply as The Burlington, with an ongoing schedule of upcoming shows.

A bar becomes a room

Brothers Chris and Greg Dandino opened The Burlington in August 2007. Their starting point was an ode to childhood summers in Burlington, Wisconsin: antler fixtures, church-pew seating, barn wood, exposed brick, a tin ceiling, and a chandelier made by Greg shaped the original bar. Chris described the aim as a big-house-party atmosphere, backed by a seven-night DJ program rooted largely in Logan Square selectors.

The decisive change arrived four years later. In September 2011, the Dandinos announced a conversion of previously unused first-floor space into a live room, with an October launch planned around modest bookings, private events, and dance parties. Local audio engineer Tony Lazzara designed the new PA. A September 29 soft opening paired Rabid Rabbit with Mystreater; plans for the first October weekend also named Darling and a country hoedown. By 2012, Time Out described the room as a new home for strong local indie-rock acts, while DJs continued in the main bar.

Small-room bills, front-bar reset

Today’s calendar ranges through metal, rock, hip-hop, alternative, R&B, indie, folk, and electronic shows, with multi-act lineups that suit the room’s compact capacity. The booking approach favors emerging-scale artists and scene-focused bills, a through line from the modest programming outlined at the live room’s launch. Expect the practical layout to matter: the main bar handles the social traffic, while the rear room concentrates the performance and audience in one tight space. The venue is 21+.

Sources

  1. The Burlington — The Burlington
  2. Old Style — Chicago Magazine
  3. Burlington Bar soft opening for back room venue! — Rabid Rabbit
  4. Music venues | 2012 Student Guide — Time Out Chicago
  5. Venue The Burlington, Chicago Illinois USA — ArtistAndFan

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