PERFECT FOR

Anyone who starts counting the days to Halloween on November 1

START WITH

The Fernet shot and Busch Light combo, a nice change from the Chicago Handshake of Malört and Old Style

The best Chicago dives feel like walking into someone’s well-worn living room, and in most cases, that takes decades to achieve. But Electric Funeral (named after the Black Sabbath song) hit the ground running. Opened by the duo behind Jackalope Coffee, the friendliest spooky bar in town has an effortlessly cool and welcoming vibe that can best be defined as “if the Munsters had a rec room in the ’70s.” Wood-paneled walls adorned with the finest Halloween decor, concert posters, and cheap beer ads surround as you knock back your beer and a shot (opt for that over the just-fine tiki-ish drinks). Your ears fill with a hard-rock soundtrack — that is, if the stereo hasn’t been turned down for a Z-grade horror movie. On one visit, I watched a deliciously awful piece of cinema called Bad CGI Gator deliver on the promise of its title. 3529 S. Halsted St.