Lost Lake

Lost Lake opened in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago in January 2015. It is a partnership between Paul McGee, formerly of Three Dots and a Dash

Three Dots and a Dash

Chicago, IL

Bar & Restaurant

8.4

, and development group Land and Sea Dept. Martin Cate, owner of Smuggler's Cove

, is also involved in Lost Lake, particularly helping with their selection of sipping rums. Its design is less tiki, and more of a nod to the early, streamlined bamboo-focused era of Polynesian Pop escapism. Colorful fish floats hang in the front window, and one whole wall is wallpapered with a bold banana leaf motif. Fish trap lamps wrap the bar area, and the canted ceiling is covered with lauhala and bamboo. There is green vinyl booth seating toward the back, and a rock wall. The beverage program has been developed by McGee, with a mix of classic tropical cocktails and his own inventions. Land and Sea Dept. also own the connected upscale Chinese take-out restaurant, called Thank You. In late March 2016, a small electrical fire forced Lost Lake to close for a few weeks for cleaning and repairs.

Comments

Stacy

Stacy has visited Lost Lake.

March 11, 2019, 10:49 PM

Very fun and can see why it�s popular. While if I had to choose between this and three dots, 3 dots would win, but I�m glad we got to visit. Agree with other reviews that this place is low key and pretty unpretentious. Had the very popular and instagram worthy banana Daiquiri and it was great. Sorry collectors, they don�t sell mugs, but worth visiting for the solid drinks and food.

themeperks

themeperks has visited Lost Lake.

March 5, 2019, 9:10 AM

The three most important characteristics of tiki bars, in no particular order, are drinks, food, and ambiance.

Lost Lake scores particularly high in the drinks category, with some of the most complex, subtle, varied and interesting cocktails I've encountered. Also, be sure to request the rum list. Although it has not been kept up to date, there are hundreds of interesting rums to choose from. About half are available, and there are many more that haven't been added to the list. If you're a true tiki fan, then rare rums are a particular delight.

Most tiki bars offer the same pseudo-Polynesian fare, so it was interesting to see the menu at Lost Lake, which avoids all of that, and has some truly nice offerings. I hear from regulars that the food has improved over the years, and we certainly liked everything we tried. The Orange Sesame Cabbage was a particularly good slaw, and didn't even need the chicken we added. Pork dumplings and chicken wings were also both good. Our favorite was the green chili dip, which had just the right spice level. It was served with crispy wontons, radishes, and sweet potato slices. It was so good we had two orders.

The weakest aspect of Lost Lake is the decor, which is okay, but not at the spectacular level of Three Dots and a Dash or the Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale. The bar area theming is little more than banana leaf wallpaper, but the farther you go back the more interesting it gets. The back room has rock walls and puffer fish light fixtures.

For tiki mug collectors note that they offer unbranded tiki mugs; only the glassware carries the Lost Lake branding.

Service was friendly and attentive. If you're a tiki drink fan, Lost Lake is definitely a place that should be on your list to visit.