Home of legends such as Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and Willie Dixon, the Chicago blues scene has remained one of its top attractions. The thriving industrial city was the destination of the north during the ‘Great Migration’ of the first half of the twentieth century; a plethora of live blues hangouts were born, ranging from the comfortably mainstream to the downright dingy. If you’re heading to the states for a slice of Americana, here are some city highlights worth a look.

Not to be missed is the ‘House of Blues’, North Dearborn Avenue, which has hosted not only local blues musicians but the likes of Aretha Franklin and B.B King as well. With a three-division viewing structure, the House of Blues’ music hall is a spacious performance arena, which still allows for a sense of intimacy between audience and band. Adjacent to the music hall is the restaurant, where you can wash down a Southern style ‘mac-and-cheese’ with your choice of bottled beer or spirit at a reasonable cost. The blues club also houses one of the country’s largest folk art collections, making this restaurant-come-music and art venue a real cultural haven.

One of Chicago’s best blues clubs, ‘Buddy Guy’s Legends’, Wabash Avenue, offers the blues lover a more eclectic mix of music on a daily basis. Not just an arena where blues stars like Buddy Guy himself have played, the club has also hosted concerts by Kid Rock, Eric Clapton and John Mayer. Offering a choice of Southern and Cajun dishes, from spicy frog’s legs, catfish tenders to red beans and rice, the club is also a fantastic party venue, especially for the annual and popular New Year’s Eve Event. Tickets for live music are bought at the door: $10 on week-days, $15 at week-ends.

Lastly, at ‘Smoke Daddy’, West Division Street, you can see earnest, earthy blues any night of the week. Its name comes from the tangy, smoky sauce that gives the barbecues – served up in the Smoke Daddy kitchen – their trademark taste, and meals can come with however many appetizing sides you might want, from cornbread, fried banana to sweet potatoes. With a table-topped stage tucked in alongside diners, there just isn’t a bad seat in the house. This legendary blues kitchen really is a must-see; just be sure to arrive there early enough to queue up and nab yourself some space.

You can get yourself on board to Chicago for a reasonable price to check out the city’s hot spots. Most airlines will fly straight to the city, although a non-direct route may be cheaper. A good idea is to browse a comparison website like Cheapflights.com, who have already collected the cheapest deals from the across the internet for airline tickets and flights.