Mirage Tavern, Investigative journalism restaurant in River North, Chicago, United States.
Mirage Tavern was a restaurant on North Wells Street that a newspaper used as the location for an undercover investigation into city operations. The operators documented interactions between staff and municipal inspectors through careful observation.
In 1977 the Chicago Sun-Times newsroom purchased the location to conduct a two-month investigation into bribery practices among city officials. The undercover operation systematically exposed violations and corrupt payment schemes.
The restaurant became the centerpiece of a 25-part newspaper series that exposed widespread bribery practices among Chicago city inspectors.
The location sits on North Wells Street in the River North neighborhood and is no longer accessible for visits as a historical site. Those interested can explore the surrounding area and learn about the neighborhood as it was during that period.
The project used hidden cameras and double bookkeeping to document bribery payments in detail. Journalists worked under false identities to observe inspectors accepting cash directly.
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