Salsa & Bachata at Drink Nightclub, Schaumburg

Drink Nightclub is a large nightlife venue on East Algonquin Road in Schaumburg, in Chicago's northwest suburbs, and its Latin Wednesdays have become a fixture for dancers who do not want to wait for the weekend. Doors open at 7 PM, a salsa lesson runs at 9 PM, and the cover is a flat 10 dollars. The night spreads across several rooms: the main room leans into Salsa, Bachata, Merengue and Cha Cha, the Absolut room plays Cumbia, Guaracha, Retro and Rock Pop, and the Garden Bar mixes Hip Hop, Reggaeton, Top 40 and R&B, so a mixed group can split up and still have a good time.

This is a full club setup rather than a studio, so expect a real dance floor, a bar, and a crowd that grows through the evening. The included lesson and the steady salsa and bachata rotation in the main room make it approachable for newer dancers, while the multiple rooms give experienced social dancers plenty of music to choose from. Being in the suburbs, it comes with the upside of straightforward driving and parking compared with downtown spots.