Where Else Lounge

The Where Else Lounge (often referred to later as Where Else Bar & Grill) was a neighborhood bar and hangout spot located at 1190 E. Higgins Road in Elk Grove Village. While exact founding and closing dates aren’t widely documented, it was an active part of the village’s nightlife for many years prior to its eventual closure.

What It Was Like

The establishment operated as a casual bar and grill, offering a full bar with drinks and typical American pub fare, such as burgers and sandwiches — a setting where locals could grab a drink, enjoy a meal, and socialize.

Its atmosphere was that of a classic neighborhood lounge: laid-back, informal, and a place folks in the village would stop in after work or meet up with friends on weekends. Regulars from the community remember it as a spot where people knew each other and where neighborhood camaraderie was part of the draw.

Social Hub

While Where Else wasn’t a large nightclub or destination venue, it served as one of Elk Grove Village’s local bars where residents would gather for casual drinks and conversation. It wasn’t particularly tied to the larger LGBTQ history of nearby venues like Hunters/Phoenix Bar & Nightclub on Higgins Road (another long-standing bar that became a suburban LGBTQ destination), but it shared in the tapestry of local nightlife that shaped the community’s social scene over the years.

Location & Legacy

The business was situated on Higgins Road, a corridor in Elk Grove Village that for decades hosted a variety of lounges, bars, restaurants, and clubs — places where local life spilled out into evenings and weekends.

Over time, tastes and business patterns in suburban nightlife changed, and like many neighborhood bars, Where Else eventually closed, leaving behind memories among patrons who saw it as a familiar social spot.

In Local Memory

For those who grew up visiting Elk Grove Village in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, Where Else Lounge is remembered as a quirky, friendly place — not a flashy club or major entertainment venue, but a comfortable, unpretentious bar where neighbors could relax, catch up, and grab a drink without having to travel to the city.