21 Things To Do For Your 21st Birthday
Mark this milestone with Lettuce
Turning 21 is a big deal – it feels like the final rite of passage to adulthood, marked by a most notable milestone: The ability to now legally consume alcohol! Lettuce is here to help you celebrate this momentous occasion in style with 21 things to do for your 21st birthday across our restaurants.
1. Sake Bombs at Sushi-san
Step 1: Drop a shot of sake – original, yuzu or kimchi – into a glass of Asahi. Step 2: Chug! Step 3: Congratulate yourself on your first sake bomb. Kampai!
Make a reservation at Sushi-san – River North | View the Sushi-san – River North menu
2. Pizza, Patio + Party at Happy Camper Pizza – Las Vegas
You’ve gone 21 years without drinking a Big A$$ Lemonade, Clawbong or Chambong. It’s time to end that drought and enter your Three P’s Era: Pizza, Patio and Party at Happy Camper Pizza in Las Vegas. Read more about our newly opened destination on The Las Vegas Strip!
Make a reservation at Happy Camper Las Vegas | View the menu at Happy Camper Las Vegas
3. Live Band Karaoke + Group Drinks at Bub City
Order up a big plate of BBQ and the ultra-boozy Tropicooler (serves 2-3), then sing your heart out backed by a live band at Bub City in Chicago’s River North.
View Bub City – Chicago’s Menu | Make a reservation at Bub City – Chicago
4. Tropical Cocktails at Three Dots and a Dash
Take yourself on a tropical getaway for your 21st! Gather your crew, order up the tequila-based Sippopotamus (serves 2-3) (above) and bask in the cocktail haven that is Three Dots and a Dash. You have arrived.
View Three Dots and a Dash’s menu | Make a reservation at Three Dots and a Dash
5. Rum Flights at The Bamboo Room
Now that you’re a full-blown adult, it’s time to develop a taste for the finer things in life. An “Introduction to Rum,” one of the curated rum flights at The Bamboo Room at Three Dots and a Dash, is a great place to start!
View the menu at The Bamboo Room | Make a reservation at The Bamboo Room
6. Tequila Tasting at El Segundo Sol
There’s an entire “wall of liquid gold” at El Segundo Sol, representing the Las Vegas Mexican mainstay’s extensive list of tequilas and mezcals. Come for the agave spirits and margaritas, stay for the boho-chic vibes, legendary tacos and fajitas, and people-watching from one of the loveliest patios on The Strip. Be sure to pop by El Segundo Sol for Happy Hour every Monday – Thursday from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM in the bar area, check out the Happy Hour menu.
View the menu at at El Segundo Sol | Make a reservation at El Segundo Sol
7. Kir Royales at Mon Ami Gabi
Joyeux Anniversaire! With a Kir Royale in hand at Mon Ami Gabi, you can pretend you’re toasting the first day of your 21st year at a Parisian café with champagne cocktails and a French feast for the ages.
View the Mon Ami Gabi menu | Make a reservation at Mon Ami Gabi
8. Birthday Surprise + Rosé at Summer House – Lincoln Park
Celebrate your friend or family member’s 21st trip around the sun with the sunniest place in town – Summer House’s Birthday Surprise includes balloons and a Sprinkle Cake. And because it’s 21, add a bottle of Summer House Rosé for the table for a toast!
Learn more about the Birthday Surprise at Summer House – Lincoln Park
Reserve the Birthday Surprise at Summer House – Lincoln Park
9. Old Fashioneds at L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge
L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge recently celebrated its 25th birthday, so let’s keep the good times rolling! Raise a toast to your 21st with a round of L. Woods’ four beloved Old Fashioneds – Classic, Wisconsin, Chicago or Cherry. (Are you a February baby? Enjoy $10 Old Fashioneds all month long!)
View the L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge menu | Make a reservation at L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge
Mix up one of these favorites at home with the recipe for the L. Woods Cherry Old Fashioned.
10. Martinis at Shaw’s Crab House (make it a night out with your parents!)
Make memories with your parents with a celebration at Shaw’s Crab House. Ring in your 21st year by bellying up to the bar to sip the iconic restaurant’s Classic Martini and slurp a few oysters with the people who gave you life.
Make a reservation at Shaw’s Crab House – Chicago | View the menu at Shaw’s – Chicago
Click here to drink your way through more martinis at Lettuce!
Or, get the recipe for Shaw’s Classic Martini to get the party started at home.
11. $5 Late Night Happy Hour Cocktails at R.J. Grunts
R.J. Grunts has a late-night happy hour every Thursday – Sunday from 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM that Chicago magazine recently named the best happy hour in the city. Discover your signature drink by sampling all 10 classic cocktails, like dirty martinis, cosmos and old fashioneds, along with craft beers and wine for just $5 each (plus tax, gratuity not included).
View the menu at R.J. Grunts | Make a reservation at R.J. Grunts
Now that you’re of age, you’re free to explore all of the Lettuce happy hours available near you!
12. Sangria at Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba! and Lil’-Ba-Ba-Reeba!
Opt for a birthday brunch of tapas and pitchers of sangria at Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba! or Lil’-Ba-Ba-Reeba! It’s the adult thing to do. Plus, enjoy $20 pitchers of sangria every Monday at Lil Ba-Ba-Reeba! (plus tax, gratuity not included).
Make a reservation at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! | Make a reservation at Lil’ Ba-Ba-Reeba!
13. The Cellar Door Experience at The Oakville Grill & Cellar
Eager to learn more about wine? Invite your inner circle (up to six guests) for a curated wine experience at this intimate wine-tasting room inside ultra-chic Fulton Market restaurant, The Oakville Grill & Cellar (Diplo is a fan). It’s quite possible you’ll develop a lifelong love affair with wine after savoring select pours from a rotating monthly vineyard’s current selection.
Learn more about The Cellar Door at The Oakville | Make a reservation at The Oakville Grill & Cellar
Looking for more wine experiences at Lettuce restaurants? Check out our guide here!
14. Boozy Lunch at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
Weekday birthdays do not equal boring! Take a well-deserved afternoon birthday break and head to Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in Chicago and order their 3-Course Lunch available for $39.95. The menu includes first-course options like Ahi Tuna Tartare, Oysters on the Half Shelf, Crab Bisque and more. For the second-course choose from Colossal Lump Crab Cake, Fried Chicken (perfectly crisp and juicy), Petite Filet Mignon and more. For dessert choose from Key Lime, Peanut Butter or Havana Dream Pie and make a wish! Be sure to toast to the occasion with a classic cocktail like the Hemingway Margarita or a Seasonal Gin & Tonic.
Make a reservation at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab – Chicago
Discover more lunch spots near you!
15. Negronis at il Porcellino
Every month, il Porcellino serves up a new spin on the classic Negroni. Learn all there is to know about this iconic cocktail at one of River North’s coziest Italian restaurants. Opt for the Multi-Choice Negroni or pop in for happy hour during the week at the bar, check out the il Porcellino happy hour menu.
View the menu at il Porcellino | Make a reservation at il Porcellino
Which cocktail best suits your zodiac sign? Click here to find out!
16. Party like a celeb at RPM Italian and RPM Steak
Snag a bar booth at celeb faves RPM Steak or RPM Italian and party like John Mayer, Justin Fields, Miranda Lambert and more at one of these swanky River North spots. During RPM Steak’s Happy Hour Monday – Friday, 4:00 – 5:30 PM, celebrate with a Tini for Two and a Wagyu Smash Burger for $20 each, plus tax (gratuity not included). Monday – Friday, 4:00 – 6:00 PM at RPM Italian (THE place to be during Lollapalooza every summer), knock back $8 select glasses of wine and cicchetti.
View the RPM Steak menu | Make a reservation at RPM Steak
View the RPM Italian menu | Make a reservation at RPM Italian
17. Spritzes at Pizzeria Portofino
Live la dolce vita on the Chicago riverfront! Spend your 21st day-drinking with your whole crew at Pizzeria Portofino. Tuck into delectable pizzas, pastas and salads while sipping large format spritzes or specialty cocktails that serve 6-8, then ask that friend-of-a-friend who owns a boat to swing by to pick you up.
View the menu at Pizzeria Portofino | Make a reservation at Pizzeria Portofino
Click here for more ideas on where to go for group cocktails!
18. Get Groupies at Aba – Austin or Austin Miami – Bal Harbour
Gather your own groupies for a birthday celebration with Aba’s large-format Groupies cocktails, available at Aba – Austin and Aba – Bal Harbour, each serving 4-5 people. Savor your first moments of real adulthood with the Shady Beach, Locals Only, or the Paloma Picante.
Make a reservation at Aba – Austin | Make a reservation at Aba – Bal Harbour
19. Half-Off Monday Wine at Wildfire
Make the most of a Monday birthday – and every Monday after that! – with 50% off select bottles of wine at the ultimate all-occasion restaurant – Wildfire! Make more birthday wishes come true with a giant slice of Triple-Layer Chocolate Cake.
View the menu at Wildfire | Make a reservation at the Wildfire location nearest you
20. Margs + Margs Party
How about some Margheritas and Margaritas for your 21st? Host at home by ordering in your favorite pizzas from Saranello’s, Osteria Via Stato, Pizzeria Portofino, The Oakville Grill & Cellar, Summer House, Happy Camper Pizza – Las Vegas or Antico Posto, then whip up a batch of margaritas to enjoy surrounded by loved ones, stumbling distance from your own bed.
Explore the best pizza options from Lettuce restaurants across the country!
21. Post-Birthday Bloody Mary of Choice
The morning after your 21st birthday is likely going to call for a Bloody Mary. We’ve got a ton of options to get after that hair of the dog, from a refined take like The 1871 at Miru at The St. Regis Chicago (get the recipe here!), to Beatrix‘s spicy version garnished with brown sugar bacon.
