Dusek's Tavern And Dining Room

Dusek’s is a tavern-slash-casual restaurant in Pilsen that’s attached to Thalia Hall—a possibly haunted, 130-year-old theater (now refurbished music venue). The tavern side of Dusek’s is warm and laid-back like a neighborhood pub. One that’s so popular, reservations are needed for a table. But there’s usually space among people and their laptops at the bar, where you can order a seasonal pasta or a slightly salty burger.

The dining room side is laid-back too, but not “house a sandwich and a bunch of cocktails on tap” laid-back. Instead, it has a $70 four-course tasting menu, with delicious options like pork belly with burnt lime and a deconstructed banoffee pie. Downstairs is Punch House, a cocktail lounge serving literal bowls of punch where you can order from Dusek’s tavern menu. And next door is Tack Room, a bar where there’s live music on the weekend, that happens to be constructed over an old stable. Wherever you choose to eat, a meal at Dusek’s will get you a lot of history. And ghosts, we’re pretty sure.