When American servicemen returned home from World War II, they brought with them stories and souvenirs from the South Pacific. This newfound interest, and a need to escape drudgery and horrors of WWII, led to the establishment of tiki bars across the country, including in Chicago, during the 1940s and 1950s, and all the way into the 1960s.
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| Swiss Chalet, Bismarck Hotel, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Antonio's Steak House at 1528 N. Wells Street, Chicago |
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| Bamboo Inn Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge at 11 N. Clark Street, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Cafe Bonaparte Sheraton, Blackstone Hotel, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Cafe Bonaparte Sheraton, Blackstone Hotel, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Camellia House Restaurant, Drake Hotel, Chicago |
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| Cape Cod Room, Drake Hotel, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Cape Cod Room, Drake Hotel, Chicago |
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| Club El Bianco at 2747 West 63rd Street, Chicago |
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| Elizabethan Room, Congress Hotel and Annex, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Fireplace Inn at 1448 N. Wells Street, Chicago |
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| Glass Hat Restaurant, Congress Hotel, Chicago |
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| Henrici's Restaurant at 67 West Randolph, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Honolulu Harry's Waikiki at 204 Wilson Avenue, Chicago |
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| Jacques French Restaurant at 900 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago |
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| Kon-Tiki Ports Restaurant, Sheraton-Chicago Hotel at 501 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago |
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| Kon-Tiki Ports Restaurant, Sheraton-Chicago Hotel at 505 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Kon-Tiki Ports Restaurant, Sheraton-Chicago Hotel at 605 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago |
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| Kungsholm Scandinavian Restaurant at 100 E. Ontario Street, Chicago |
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| La Tour Cafe Francais, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Martinique Restaurant and Drury Lane Theatre, Chicago |
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| Myrtlewood Bar, Indian Room, Blackhawk Restaurant, Chicago |
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| Porterhouse Room, College Inn, Sherman Hotel, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Sayat Nova Armenian Restaurant at 6465 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago |
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| Shangri-La Restaurant at 222 N. State Street, Chicago |
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| Southwest Inn at 4501 South Cicero Avenue, Chicago |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Stouffer's Top of the Rock, Prudential Building, Chicago. |
30 Vintage Postcards Show Chicago’s Restaurants in the 1950s and ’60s
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| Stouffer's Top of the Rock, Prudential Building, Chicago |
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| The Three Graces Blue Fountain Room, Hotel La Salle, Chicago |
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| View from the Allerton Hotel, "Tip Top Tap" Cocktail Lounge, Chicago |