City Guide: Chicago Gay Bars & Nightclubs

The U.S.'s third largest city has a healthy-sized gay community, and serves as the Midwest's hub for gays of all ages who want to savor the freedoms that cosmopolitan city life offers. Chicago's thriving gay scene is primarily concentrated in two areas: East Lakeview aka "Boystown" (left), and Andersonville—which is farther up the city's north side. This city has tons of bars and clubs, most of which close at 2:00 AM (3:00 AM on Saturdays) and a few stay open
until 4:00 AM (5:00 AM on Saturdays). The after-hours bars are almost always packed after the regular bars close. 

Check out out extensive list of Chicago's watering holes.

3160
3160 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-327-5969
Pleasantly janky piano bar hosts middling-to-entertaining cabaret.

With wood trim last updated in the mid-’80s and bad carpeting, this is the place you start off suspiciously ridiculing, but after a few drinks served by boys in short-shorts in the comfortable mixed atmosphere, you end up staying for more rounds than you intended. The frequent cabaret shows vary between terrible and brilliant, or both simultaneously.

Bobby Love’s
3729 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60613
773-525-1200
Popular, tiny überdive bar known for karaoke and eccentric owner.

Sleazy karaoke nights are less fun now that drinks prices have soared, but Bobby himself might be on hand decked out in Liberace bling and angling to touch you in places you’re pretty sure aren’t appropriate.

The Call (formerly Cattlecall)
1547 West Bryn Mawr
Chicago, IL 60660
773-334-2525
Comfortable but generic gay bar on the north side that can’t quite find it’s footing.  
 
The Call started as an attempt at a gay cowboy bar on the far north side (away from its main competitor, Charlie’s) but it has recently been rebranded and downgraded into a plain ol’ gay bar with a dance floor, coat check, and garden-variety house remixes. The most frequently complimented attribute is its location, so expect a crowd of local homos who aren’t up for the effort of trekking down to Boystown. The club is strict about not going over capacity (200 people), even if it doesn’t seem crowded on the inside.   

Cellblock
3702 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60613
773-665-8064
Now more a neighborhood bar for leather men just looking to throw darts.
 
Leather-light. Cellblock used to have three functioning bars, including “the yard” for playing and a room with bootblack chairs, but nowadays they hardly open up anything for use. A good, friendly place to drink with leather folk and nearby homos. 

Charlie’s Chicago
3726 North Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60613
773-871-8887
Gay country-western bar is serious about loving cowboys and wants you to be too.
 
Come early in the night to learn the line-dance routines, so you can come correct: you might be asked to leave the dance floor if your two-step isn’t keeping time with rest of the crowd. Ironic and earnest cowboys mingle until midnight on the weekend, when everyone takes off their shirt to flood the floor and dance to after-hours house mixes.  

Capitol Night Club
4244 North Milwaukee Av
Chicago, IL 60641
773-685-1194
Saturdays are “Krash Chicago,” circuit party nights with DJs, videos, and stage shows.
 
This popular Polish nightclub gets taken over every Saturday night by a roving party of Latin drag queens, twinks, and go-go dancers as part of Krash Chicago. Capitol Night Club also hosts periodic lesbian parties, too. A slice of intersecting queer Chicago communities, with more diversity than the average Lakeview boy bar. 

Circuit
3641 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60613
773-325-2233
Ginormous nightclub throws decent theme parties, but not many surprises.
 
One of the bigger dance clubs in the city, with long running Latin nights, girls nights, drag, and stand-up shows. Surprisingly clean bathrooms, average size/price drinks for Boystown.   

The Closet
3325 North Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-477-8533
The place you go to warm up for the evening or have one last desperate round for the night.
 
The name is about the size, not level of outness. On any given night you’ll see a motley crew of lesbian softball teams, twinks, trolls, escorts with their johns, queens, and lipstick lovelies packed into the tiny, homey space.  When the 2:00 AM bars close, homos go to Berlin, dykes head here.

Cocktail
3359 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-477-1420
Corner bar to catch the run-off from the main throughway of Halsted. 
 
Fancy contemporary decor, well-made drinks, and shirtless dancers (who are generally classier and more attractive than those down the street at the Horseshoe) on the weekend. A tiny dance floor in back, but this is more where you refill between the other clubs up and down the main strip of Boystown. Generally accepted as the safe place to take straight friends who are gay-bar virgins.

Crew Bar and Grill
4804 North Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60640
773-784-2739
Gay sports bar with full menu and daily specials, though might disappoint hardcore fans.

Crew Bar and Grill features table service, adequate bar food, and about a thousand flat screen TVs, some tuned to obscure sports like college wrestling, others tuned to Project Runway (it is a competition). It jinxed itself by claiming itself the “world’s greatest bar,” and instead, landed squarely in “pretty good.”

Edgewater Lounge
5600 North Ashland Av
Chicago, IL 60660
773-878-3343
Andersonville gastro-pub that’s not technically a gay bar, but always a bar with gays present.
 
Unpretentious neighborhood bar with eclectic mix of music, straights, and queers, all there for a friendly drink and delicious snacks that are way above usual bar food. Daily specials include sirloin burgers, BBQ ribs, and pepper beef brisket; fried plantains are considered “light fare” on the menu. Outdoor seating on the sidewalk is popular, and there are big tables in the back if you’re in a group.

Handlebar
2311 West North Av
Chicago, IL 60647
773-384-9546
While not technically a gay bar, this is a longtime hotspot for homos on the northwest side.
 
Come mingle with savvy bicyclists and older hipsters over delicious food (veggie-friendly, but excellent meat too), a full bar, and large, well-crafted beer selection. Where gays go for brunch when not in Lakeview. A good place to drink at night too, especially the giant back patio with table service.  

Hideout
1354 West Wabansia Av
Chicago, IL 60622
773-227-4433
Popular music venue among those in the know also hosts dance parties, including monthly queer parties.
 
Chances Dances takes over DJ duties on the first Saturday of every month, occasionally with drag and homo dance performances sprinkled in. Lots of PBR drinking and sexy, scruffy hipsters who are extremely open-minded—if the straight ones don’t take you up on the offer to make out, at least they won’t mind you doing it next to them with someone else.

Hunters Dance Club
1932 East Higgins Rd
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
847-439-8840
Suburban gay bar with a big patio—about the only thing special or worth enjoying if you’re out this way.
 
Hunter’s has a sister branch in Palm Springs, but the Chicago one is technically just outside of the city. If you’re stuck in the suburbs and just need a drink with some of “the family” (albeit the slightly odd side of the family), this’ll do, but don’t make a special trip out here. There’s an infrequently used dance floor, but the patio is heavily trafficked by smokers and those looking to take their flirting outdoors.

Hydrate
3458 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-975-9244
Converted several years back into a slicker, younger, more shirtless version of Roscoe’s.
 
The bar that always feels (or tries to feel) like a circuit party, great for being shirtless and crammed up against other naked torsos pulsing to a 4/4 beat—but it doesn’t have much to offer anyone else, so make sure you’re in the right mood. The best spot to find prettier, younger versions of the boys at Roscoe’s, you’ll also encounter strong slushy drink specials on the weekends and long bathroom lines.

InnExile
5758 West 65th St
Chicago, IL 60638
773-582-3510
A hybrid suburban/neighborhood city gay bar.
 
Mellow southwest side neighborhood bar with good drink specials and charming bartenders. It perks up a bit on the weekends: Friday nights feature dancing by the Men of Chicago Beef and on Sundays the bar hosts karaoke. No cover, free parking, $3 Blue Moon pints every day of the week.   

Jackhammer
6406 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
773-743-5772
A shinier version of next-door neighbor Touche.
 
The name and scene might be daunting, but generally a friendly community leather bar with strong drinks and gay porn pulsating from every television set. If you make a new friend and he invites you to join him in the Hole, don’t be afraid to follow him down the winding staircases to the secret back bar and sticky playroom (leather required here, though shirtlessness sometimes works in a pinch).

Mary’s Attic
Upstairs From Hamburger Mary's
5400 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60640
773-784-6969
A purple attic with a bed, centrally located in Andersonville.
 
The beloved gay chain Hamburger Mary’s came to town and brought an upstairs venue with it. Weekly karaoke, bingo, cabaret nights, and special events, plus a mixed crowd that constantly changes (though frequently trends toward the lesbian side), this is an easy-going bar ideal for setting up camp with a group of friends. 

Minibar Ultra Lounge and Cafe
3341 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-871-6227
A slick restaurant-lounge with an inexplicable VIP section, good-looking bartenders, and overpriced cocktails.
 
Where the bois are. Good specials on food and drinks during the week, but on the weekend, be prepared to throw down a lot of change and even then you won’t leave more than slightly blasted. Good DJs, but the red-hot bartenders are probably straight, so don’t get your hopes up too high.

Neo
2350 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
773-528-2622
Bisexual goths and industrial music, with dollops of leather, cross-dressing, and friendly freaks thrown in for fun.
 
Not a gay bar per se, but boys in makeup and girls in leather corsets are standard fare, so if you like wearing all black and dancing to Nine Inch Nails, you are always welcome here. Thursday is the popular New Wave night.

Roscoe’s
3356 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-281-3355
The standard average for Boystown bars.
 
Everyone has a story from Roscoe’s. Pitchers of vodka lemonade, drag queen bingo, a packed and sweaty tiny dance floor—you can sit by the window and watch the parade of Saturday night go by, or lurk in one of the many nooks. The right drinks can be cheap and strong, so ask around to find out what everyone is ordering.

Scarlet
3320 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-348-1053
Small dance club is twin sister of Minibar across the street.
 
After sustaining massive fire damage, Scarlet has rebuilt and people are still not coming. Good DJs, the usual overpriced drinks of the Halsted strip, and a halfway decent mix of patrons, but nothing special to make it take off…Yet?

Scot’s
1829 West Montrose Av
Chicago, IL 60613
773-528-3253
Cash-only bar with good jukebox located right across from the brown line CTA stop.

There’s a rainbow flag outside and photos of wieners on the wall, but this could be any neighborhood bar. Weekday martini specials are popular and much appreciated, as are weekend afternoon parties centered around sporting events or holidays that feature free food.  

Sidetrack
3349 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-477-9189
 
A full-on frenzy of massive gayness in the middle of Boystown, it’s known for show-tune nights, multiple floors packed with homos, as well as slushy drinks and bartenders who ignore the women trying to order them. On a bad date? Go here to lose him in the crowd. 

Simon’s
5210 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60640
773-878-0894
One of the oldest bars in the city, Simon’s is famous for the glogg (and free corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day). Though it’ll have more straight people than other bars on the strip of Clark in Andersonville, the homos that love microbrews and indie rock jukeboxes will be there too. 

Spin
800 West Belmont Av
Chicago, IL 60657
773-327-7711
Contentious cornerstone dance club recently remodeled to be L.A. sleek.
 
Spin offers all the usual culprits: pool, videos, multiple bars and dance floors, drink specials, trivia nights, and drag. This bar would probably be taking over the city if once a year they weren’t being boycotted for shady incidents (like ejecting the wrong patron after a drunken fistfight). Famous for packed Wednesday nights (dollar drinks) and the shower contests on Fridays. 

Subterranean
2011 West North Av
Chicago, IL 60647
773-278-6600
Chances is a dance party which functions to bring together the varied LGBTIQ communities of Chicago and Subterranean has been hosting these packed parties for years, as well as burlesque, drag, and steampunk fashion shows. The downstairs bar has a smaller dance floor, the upstairs bar has a stage and there’s a third-floor balcony to take in all the sights.  

Touche
6412 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
773-465-7400
The old-school leather bar sister to next door’s Jackhammer—start off over there, but end your evening at Touche.  

Town Hall
3340 North Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-472-4405
The ‘only straight bar in Boystown’ isn’t really that straight.
 
A dark tavern with wooden saloon chairs and mirrored decor, the jukebox is filled with indie and classic rock, old country, and old-school Stevie Wonder. Onstage shows included; live music, improv, open mics, and an audience made from a cross-section of every north side demographic all chugging PBR together.

Velvet Rope
728 West Lake St
Oak Park, IL 60301
708-358-8840
Fancy and classy joint that isn’t quite jumping yet, but has a popular Sunday brunch.
 
A good spot for a round of drinks with friends if you’re in Oak Park, but not a destination party spot (yet?). Friday night karaoke gets going late, and on Sunday try the popular Diva Bingo Brunch, featuring the irresistible combo of mouthy drag queens and bottomless mimosas.

Wild Pug
4810 North Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60640
773-784-4811
Well-decorated and cozy bar in afternoon, dance floor and drinking for unpretentious nights.
 
Saturday afternoon dog meet-ups happen weekly from 3:00-6:00 PM (an indoor dog park with liquor!), but at most other times, this posh place is filled with patrons who like to drink on the couches by the fire. Staff is friendly and supportive of the new homos moving into the Uptown area, hosting theme nights, karaoke, and dance parties that change from week to week.  

Take a jacket when headed to the Civic Center festivities. Around 4pm, the world's biggest natural air conditioner turns on, and you'll be glad to have that extra layer of protection when the fog rolls in.