Checking out Chicago’s Santa Baby Bar, a pop-up for holiday spirits of all kinds
Hundreds of Santas parachute down from the ceiling at Santa Baby Bar in Wrigleyville as part of the venue’s 2025 decor. Adventuresome Co. photo.
It’s that time of year again, when the elves are hard at work, Santa is gearing up for the big day, and people are preparing for holiday madness – and testing out themed pop-up bars in cities across America.
One of those pop-up bars is Santa Baby, a takeover of a multi-level Chicago bar in the famed Wrigleyville neighborhood (which is also hosting this year’s Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville, but more on that down the road). In 2025, and as the pop-up approaches a decade in business, you can bet this year will be another festive celebration, with decorations covering the venue indoors and out.
Along with holiday-themed drinks and bar foods, throughout the season, Santa Baby Bar will play host to live musicians, a bar crawl, a wreath-making class and more. You can learn more by heading to its main website. That’s also where you can see the full menu, but while the bar will be open on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the food menu will be much more limited on those dates.
We made a reservation for six and waited only a couple minutes before being brought to a high-top table. The $18 cookie shots didn’t land quite as well as Santa’s sleigh, but the signature cocktails were a hit, from the single-sized ‘Clausmo’ to the medium-sized ‘Yule Mule’ that serves a couple of people. The mega-sized sharable drinks – which our server said has 24 ounces of liquor in them – run for up to $210, depending on the mix you choose. Be sure to look over the whole menu if you’re wanting a cocktail, as there are also many other drinks to choose from, such as holiday-themed margaritas, shots and frozen beverages, along with several alcohol-free options! Bar-style appetizers, salads, pizzas, a few entree choices and desserts are also on the menu (though we decided to stick with drinks and explore the rest of the bar once the bill was paid).
This year, the indoor section of the bottom floor is mostly high table and bar seating, with separate themed sections. The middle floor features a separate bar and a stage for live performances. Head on up to the third floor for a patio-style bar, as well as an outdoor space with lots of photo opportunities! A spacious outdoor area and another side bar are also accessible on the ground level.
For tables, reservations are required and, at least in years past, fill up quickly! When making a reservation, keep the following in mind:
Table time is limited to about 90 minutes and 6 people
Larger groups can either book multiple tables and request – but not be guaranteed – seating next to one another, or can book a cabana or similar by contacting the bar (as of publishing time, you can email parties@santababybar.com to do that)
For online reservations, a per-person deposit of $10 is required at the time of booking, and will be applied to your final bill
Changes and cancellations are allowed, but no-shows and late cancellations will forfeit their deposits
Santa Baby Bar also mentions on its website that some nights will have a separate cover charge, starting at $5, which will include one alcoholic beverage for adults or a small treat for kids
If you’re not wanting to reserve a table, another option is a new ticket partnership that provides standing room-only access to Santa Baby Bar, along with one or two drinks, depending on the ticket purchased. The tickets allow you 90 minutes of access to the patio and rooftop on the top floor of the bar, with the lowest level starting around $18. Closer to Christmas, tickets start at closer to $30 including fees. Any implemented cover charges are included with these tickets.
You can also try walking in without a reservation or ticket, but allowances will depend on capacity at the time of attempted entry. Walk-ins can only access the second floor and rooftop, without any table service.
Santa Baby Bar, on Clark Street, is the holiday baby of what is now Stolen Saddle Wrigley, formerly Bamboo Club and Deuce’s Major League Bar. To make reservations at Santa Baby Bar Chicago, head to this OpenTable link. Details on the patio-only experience are available here, which is where you can also purchase tickets.