“The Gaslight Club in the O’Hare Hilton Hotel is a relic from Chicago’s past. The 1920s-themed restaurant and bar used to have locations across the city and the globe. Now, the O’Hare club is the only location left.
“Patrons no longer need a golden key to get into the restaurant, waitresses wear slightly more modest uniforms and the menu offers more than just steak and a baked potato. But the soul of the Gaslight Club is still alive, said owner Ray Dabizljevic.
“‘People walk in here, and they feel really intrigued. It’s like stepping back in time,’ Dabizljevic said.
“Before there was Hugh Hefner, there was Burton Browne; and before Chicago was home to the very first Playboy Club, there was the Gold Coast Gaslight Club.
“The club was decorated to resemble an early 1900s saloon with ornate red wallpaper, nude oil paintings and live jazz…Outside every club [which grew to 30,000 members across the world] was a gas-lit tavern.
“Though the hotel and the restaurant underwent a total renovation in 1992, the Gaslight Club was made to look almost exactly the same. The old speakeasy is now an art deco dining room, and the gaslit lantern had to be removed, but a grand chandelier, now more than 100 years old, still hangs in the crystal room. One longtime employee, now in her 80s, still sings at the club a few times a week, Dabizljevic said.
“Because all of the other locations have closed, the O’Hare club is a bit of a hidden gem, Dabizljevic said. He encouraged people to come out and get the full Gaslight experience.” (DeVore, Block Club Chicago, 10/18/24)