Gay Bars in Chicago, IL

“Thursday night Karaoke Cabaret with Bradley K8 Olsen is truly one of the best things happening in the neighborhood. Bradley keeps things up beat, and he celebrates every singer in the queue. It's so supportive and genuine. Go give your best rendition of anything, and the whole room will applaud you. I go nearly every week because it's just so much fun!“

“Intimate, welcoming and fun atmosphere. Karaoke night is a great time. 10/10“

“I never believed my life will change in such a manner. I saw a review on Facebook about Mrs Craig Vanessa trading skills and before then I have never risk money doing anything online with anybody because I think I was so wise and never want to be cheated but when I contacted Mrs. Craig Vanessa, she explained everything to me concerning trading and the profit I can make within a week I was convinced to give a trial and risked to invest $1,000 and I made a withdrawal profit of $9,000 within a week. I am so happy that I trusted her and she didn't fail me. You can reach her through WhatsApp via her Facebook: Mrs Craig Vanessa“

“Friendly staff, great place to be and the chips and salsa are so good!!!!“

“perfect place, friendly, easy on the pocket and the friendliest bartenders and customers. Makes a new customer feel at ease and welcomed.“

“Went to Replay Lakeview with a couple friends and it turned out to be the perfect low key spot. Ordered a 312 and a bourbon cocktail, then lost track of time on Street Fighter and a couple pinball machines. The free popcorn was a nice touch while we played. The place has that real Lakeview feel, funky without trying too hard, and the bartenders were super chill. Patio was busy but still felt like a neighborhood hangout. Solid night overall.“

“Toda una experiencia agradable! Bien divertido el bar!“

“I had so much fun here. The people are so kind and the music is awesome.“

“Super friendly managers and bar staff. Highly recommend“

“I have rarely enjoyed a more impressive visit to a bar I had never encountered. My friend suggested one option and assured me it was excellent, so we went. We had a good time, and I brought my sister, finding the same level of enjoyment. This place is remarkable. Thank you.“

“Hands down the highlight of our Chicago weekend. Brought friends visiting from overseas to the Served! Drag Brunch and it did not disappoint — the queens were hilarious and high-energy, the crowd was electric, and the whole room felt like one big celebration. Great food, strong drinks, and the performers genuinely make you feel part of the show. My friends are still talking about it. If you're showing out-of-town guests a good time in Chicago, this is the move.“

“We had an absolutely amazing time at Charlie's.

We got there around 11:00 PM and it was actually pretty quiet at first.

There was a drag show going on, and we caught the tail end of it, which was a fun way to start the night.

Our bartender was incredibly attentive all night.

To be fair, we are also very good tippers, so I am sure that relationship was mutually beneficial 😂

As the night went on, the place definitely picked up and the energy got better and better.

We somehow stayed until 5:00 AM.

This was almost certainly against the wishes of every organ in our bodies.

We are paying for that decision today.

But last night?

Absolutely worth it.

Great crowd.

Great bartender.

Great energy.

A very, very fun night.

Would absolutely go back.

Just maybe not until 5:00 AM next time.“

“Really love this place. Great atmosphere, strong drinks, and it's not terribly overstimulating like I find so many gay bars to be (spoken as a gay man). Service is good, drinks are cheap, what more can I ask for.

To people who complain in the reviews about Second Story only accepting cash: IT'S A CASH BAR!!! Not only is this fact publicly available online, there's an ATM downstairs AND every time I've been in here they've warned me at the door.“

“Pretty layback Music is great Ambiance nice and friendly I wish we have more places like this south side ❤️“

“I really like Atmosphere. It’s a nice option if the Boystown bars aren’t your thing or you’re just looking for something a little different. Everyone there, bartenders and staff, are really nice. Our favorite evenings to go are Sundays, particularly for Madonnarama and Planet Janet.

The vibes are always really friendly and it’s nice to have a bar create space for us to enjoy music and videos by artists who were major LGBTQ advocates. It’d be great to get a Gaga evening someday, but as it stands the Madonna and Janet Jackson Sundays are a lot of fun :)“

“Granville Anvil is a fantastic, welcoming neighborhood spot that consistently delivers a great atmosphere and top-tier service. It is a reliable go-to for a relaxing drink or a social gathering, and the experience is always dependable and enjoyable. I place an incredibly high premium on the cleanliness of service and seating areas, and I am consistently impressed by how tidy, well-organized, and professionally maintained this location is; it is clear the team here takes great pride in keeping the environment sanitary, orderly, and comfortable for all their guests. The staff is consistently friendly, efficient, and does a wonderful job of ensuring that service is prompt and that everyone feels welcome, even during the busiest parts of the day. If you are looking for a trustworthy, high-quality spot that prioritizes both a great vibe and professional cleanliness standards, I highly recommend checking out Granville Anvil“

“Came for the World Cup game, stayed because Jesse was a gem. Friendly, funny, and made the drinks even better. TVs everywhere, great drink selection, and (brace yourselves) a bar where the counters weren’t sticky. The bathrooms were spotless too. Whoever’s in charge of cleaning deserves a raise. I’ll definitely be back!“

“Drinks are cost too much money in these club and they don't have no way to sit down after spending money the music is just all trap music.

I wasn't feeling it at all and the cover charges are 20 dollars.To have good time with drinks and cover at the door you spend easily 100dollars before you know it.i won't be back soon.“

“The Lucky Horseshoe is a Chicago gay institution that must be protected at all costs. No cover, no outrageous drink prices, no pushy dancers, just a wholesome old school gogo boy bar experience. And as much as some gay guys complain, I love that women enjoy coming here, too. An inclusive LGBTQ space means folks who aren't just cis men appreciating hot guys. At the very least, bring $20 in cash to tip, we gotta thank these troops for their service.“

“I like their drinks, music and Service“

“Cozy wooden saloon bar with friendly bartenders and good drinks.
You can see from the art and historical posters that this has been a true community asset since 1971. It’s important we hold our spaces to account while still protecting them for their history and for future generations.“

“Loved it . Really friendly , relaxed vibe.“

“I always have a good time at Cell Block. All bar tenders/bouncers are friendly and helpful. It’s a great atmosphere and so far from personal experience, judgement free zone. Drinks are good and so is the music. Always my go to place when I visit Chicago.“

“ok don't come for me! so about 2 weeks ago was my first time ever in boystown ( im 39 ) 😆 I KNOOOOW! Anyway i had come into town early and ended up exploring chicago allll on my own for the day. Now keep in mind, i went to ALL the places in boystown 😆 WOW! I had asked around about karaoke and everyone said this was the place to go. I make my way there and i walk in and instantly was welcomed and people were talking to me and it was just so nice! yes its a BAR not a club, I loved that lol i was "Josh from Peoria " that night and i have never sang karaoke anywhere else but my hometown bar, i was so freekin nervous lol. but after a few of the THC drinks well i was good to go. im sober so it was really awsome that they have non alcohol drinks. overall i spent most of my night there. it was so welcoming and people were so nice and told me different places to go and things. I will definitely be back and ive soooo told my Peoria friends about yall!“

“Came here for drinks on a night out and ended up staying way longer than planned. Multiple levels mean you can find a different vibe depending on where you post up, grabbed a drink by the bar then wandered down to catch the dance floor later in the night. Genuinely welcoming energy, felt comfortable the whole night without any attitude from anyone. Good music, good crowd.“

“Best bar in Boystown with the best staff!!“

“es un lugar muy tranquilo se disfruta el ambiente la comodidad el show muy bonito los meseros todo muy bonito“