A Stranger Things-Themed Pop-Up Bar Now Exists to Make Your Nerdiest '80s Dreams Come True
Head over to The Upside Down and channel your inner Eleven.
Time to step away from the Dungeons & Dragons, grab your BMX, and pedal like the Demogorgon is hot on your heels over to the Stranger Things pop-up bar in Chicago. The Upside Down is a temporary watering hole of the most thematically-dedicated kind, and it’ll be welcoming insanely excited (and photo-happy) Netflix binge-watchers through the end of September.
To answer the most burning question, yes, there are obviously Eggos—in both mural and garnish form. The walls boast some kick-ass paintings of the most beloved characters (RIP, Barb) and the signature Eleven’s Eggos slushie combines bourbon, lemon, orange, cranberry, and maple syrup, with a toasted waffle slice right on the rim. Not feeling super breakfast-cocktail-y? Try the tequila-loaded She’s Our Friend & She’s Crazy or the gin/pineapple/lime/Ancho Reyes/Hellfire Shrub concoction dubbed the Mouthbreather.
But you don’t even need to wait for the booze to kick in to feel all trippy when soaking in the bar’s hella-detailed decor. Look upward to see the kitchen furniture on the ceiling. A replica of the alphabet wall (complete with blinking Christmas lights, natch) will let you go full Joyce Byers—the intensity of the messages you receive just might depend on the number of slushies you’ve had.
Stroll outside to pop your head into the Castle Byers fort, or just own your indoor-kid vibe by hanging in the A.V. Club corner. Protip: Watch out near that chain-link fence for the Hawkins Laboratory energy department…
If you can’t make it to Chicago because you’re too busy coughing up supernatural slugs (bummer), never fear. People are going to be Instagramming the crap out of every single inch of this place, so the vicarious living starts now. And there’s even more cause for celebrating on your couch—the second season of the show hits on October 27. Thrilling, indeed.
