About the Bluebird Inn

Roots

In 2000, Bluebird Inn owner, Jason Burrell, established the Long Room with his business partner and friend, Clark Fowler. For the fifty years prior to that, the bar space was a packaged-goods store and neighborhood shot and a beer joint called Bluebird Liquors. This liquor store/tavern combo is affectionately referred to as a “slashie” by us Chicagoans. Although the Long Room did not carry on the liquor store operation, its mission was to uphold the Chicago tavern tradition along with a spruced up aesthetic and an elevated sense of service and hospitality (and no TVs). Over the next 15 years, the Long Room established itself as a friendly neighborhood tavern.

COFFEE AND FOOD

In 2015, the Long Room was reimagined. The space was redesigned and rehabbed (new paint and floors, artwork, a large-scale mural in the backyard, etc.) and the Long Room transformed from a nighttime-only tavern to an all-day European Cafe inspired experience; a community gathering space for beverage, food and fellowship. In the space next door, once a sub shop and then office space, Jason built out a full kitchen and brought in a rotating cast of local chefs for weekly Sunday pop-ups and established a shared residency for The Biscuit Man serving breakfast and lunch, and Beard & Belly providing dinner. Meanwhile, the bar was renovated to accommodate a full-scale coffee house. The result was an establishment where you can enjoy a broad range of experiences from starting your day with breakfast and coffee, a beer on the outdoor patio at dusk or a late night cocktail if you're looking for a nitecap before turning in for the evening.

Biscuit Man Takes Over

In 2018, Beard & Belly left the Long Room to develop their own brick and mortar restaurant, which opened in the Edgewater neighborhood in mid-2020. Since their departure, the Biscuit Man has taken over the entire operation, serving up deliciousness from early morning until late-night.

An Inn is Born

In late 2019, after a year of rehabbing the apartments above the Long Room, Jason opened the Bluebird Inn, adding the final piece to his vision.

The Inn

The Bluebird Inn consists of two spacious and elegant 3 bedroom/1 bath units and a dreamy 2 bedroom/1 bath loft on the top floor. The 3 bedroom units are bright, cheerful spaces with unique designer wallpaper in each bedroom. Both flats have private rear balconies overlooking the intimate, enclosed beer garden of the Long Room which sits under a bold floral mural by Northern California based artist and former Chicagoan, Leah Tumerman. In summer, the space is adorned with vibrant flowers, perennial grasses, climbing vines and herbs. There is also a charming and unique semi-private 2 bedroom/1 bath loft on the top floor with custom wallpaper produced from original works by Leah. Furnishings and fixtures for the inn were thoughtfully conceived and executed by Erin Boone, founder of Chicago-based design firm Boone Interiors.

All of the details in the spaces were carefully crafted as a love letter to this great city. Enjoy books written by Chicagoans or based in Chicago. Relax and listen to records from our deep collection of Chicago-centric vinyl. The bulk of the LPs and 45s were provided by local used record shop Electric Jungle. Many of the framed prints on the wall were created by Chicago artists. Sip your morning coffee or tea from striking ceramic mugs crafted blocks away by artist/educators Samantha Hostert and David Trost from Lillstreet Art Center.

Chicago is a city built around a spectacular network of neighborhoods and over 18 miles of stunning lakefront with beautiful beaches, parks and trails for running, walking and cycling. Bluebird Inn is located in Ravenswood, a quaint walkable community with great independent shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. A couple blocks away along the Ravenswood Corridor, you can stroll Malt Row, where you will find some of Chicago’s finest breweries, tasting rooms and distilleries. We are also within walking distance of some great neighborhoods like Lincoln Square, Southport Corridor, Roscoe Village and Wrigleyville. With two CTA buses on the corner, an active rideshare zone, and the Brown Line 'L' Train and Divvy rental bikes a couple blocks away, getting to the lakefront, downtown or other great neighborhoods like Andersonville, Uptown, Rogers Park, Logan Square, and Humboldt Park is a breeze!

Whether you are here for work, to visit family and friends, or to explore the sounds, tastes and broad range of vibrant energy that Chicago neighborhoods have to offer, please make yourself feel at home here at Bluebird Inn!