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 Spectacular female impersonator show |
436 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60610 United States +1 312 644 5269 http://www.thebatonshowlounge.... thebaton1969@yahoo.com |
Boys will be boys, girls will be girls, but here, boys will most definitely be girls. For more than 27 years, owner Jim Flin has been putting on incredible, Las Vegas-style shows featuring men decked out as various stars and characters, and, in this business, no place does it better. You might be surprised to find that most of the crowd is not gay. In fact, Flin estimates that only about 25 percent of his customers are gay. People from all walks of life, from in town and out of town, come here for this most unusual form of entertainment. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Techno Funky Bar Get Down & Rowdy |
954 West Belmont Avenue Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 348 4975 http://www.berlinchicago.com/ info@berlinchicago.com |
The heyday of Belmont Avenue's punk scene is long since gone, but Berlin is somewhat of a holdover from the area's Bohemian past. No longer punk, Berlin has a gay and lesbian clientele and holds attraction for many others, as well. If you like dark, loud and eclectic, this is a safe bet. There's a disco night once a month, so you may want to call ahead to see if you should wear your bell bottoms. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Low-key gay bar |
5024 North Sheridan Road Chicago, IL 60640 United States +1 773 728 5511 bigchick@core.com |
This gay tavern has a "neighborhood bar" feel that lacks the bells and whistles of the trendier Halsted Street gay bars. For many of the bar's clientele, that is a selling point, not a hindrance. Also popular are the 50-cent midnight shots on the weekends and free Sunday dinners. On weeknights, Big Chicks is popular with the after-work crowd, where regulars saddle-up to the bar and have a pleasant chat with the bartenders. The place is packed during the weekends, so it is easy to find entertainment in the crowds. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Ellen Morrison |
 Photo: erin landry |
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Deer on the wall, men on parade |
3439 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 525 1125 |
Deer heads, elk heads, all sorts of mounted game peer down on you as you nurse your drink and talk to the guy sitting next to you. As far as the Halsted strip gay bars go, this one seems rather tame. In fact, one of the major attractions is not the bar within, but the storefront where you can see the parade of men as they stroll by. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Casual neighborhood gay bar |
3301 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 477 4066 http://www.buddiesgaygrubpub.com MrTbud@aol.com |
This casual bar and grill is a great place for gays and lesbians to start the night in the Boys Town nightclub strip or to escape the crowds in the dance clubs that dominate the area. The customers are friendly, as are the bar employees, especially when tipped well. Meanwhile, the adjoining eatery is popular, particularly for Sunday brunch. Try the Panini Milan with spinach, turkey and herbed boursin cheese grille, pressed in old world "big bread," with a side of cole slaw for $7.25. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Where leathermen do hard time |
3702 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60613 United States +1 773 665 8064 http://www.cellblock-chicago.com cellblockchicago@aol.com |
Located in the heart of the Halsted area gay nightclub circuit, this leather bar has been a lively nightlife hotspot for years. It's where leathermen come to "do hard time." There are three sections to the bar— the Front Bar, the "Holding Cell" and the "Yard." The Front Bar offers a pool table, a pinball machine and darts. This is also the area where patrons usually meet and hang out. On Saturday, Freddy Baines DJs, and on Sundays DJ Dominic spins the sounds of popular hits from the last three decades. Hang out in the Yard area during the warmer months, and sip a bottle of your favorite brew under a starry sky. The Cell Block palys host to Chicago's leather, levi, bear and fetish communities, and sponsors the Cell Block Gay Community Scholarship which is awarded twice each year. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Get away from it all |
1530 East 75th Street Chicago, IL 60619-2111 United States +1 773 667 6454 |
You will be welcome here. The bartenders almost insist on it. In fact, all newcomers are given a tour around the bar. Part of the welcoming process will probably include an introduction to some of the regulars, many of whom are gay men in their 30s or 40s. When the host, Jackie, is on duty, jazz, house and disco music, as well as prizes and food, are served up to grateful patrons. Other times, the bar is more laid back, with customers here to enjoy card games. Thursday is women's night, though many of the male regulars join the party. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Start a night in Boys Town here |
3359 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 477 1420 |
This retro-chic gay bar has a good selection of microbrews, exposed brick and all the joy that a night out in Boys Town can bring. The front room is fashioned for cocktails and conversation, while in the back, dancers pack it in to dance for celebrity DJs. On Monday nights, there is usually a lesbian crowd. Tuesdays, the bar offers a martini menu, while the weekends are all about the dance scene. On Sundays, giant Bloody Marys are on special. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Piano bar catering to upwardly mobile gay men |
3320 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 348 1053 http://www.gentryofchicago.com/ |
Give your regards to Broadway—in Chicago. This has been a popular Halsted Street experience for years for a more professional sort of clientele not wanting to pose at the Manhole and many of the other Boys Town gay dance bars. Live entertainment is featured daily, with the singers relying heavily on show-tunes and other standards. Another downtown location is at 440 North State Street, +1 312 836 0933. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Jennifer Gregory |
 Gay friendly joint |
5400 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60640 United States +1 773 784 6969 http://www.hamburgermaryschica... |
In true showgirl style, this flamboyant eatery offers ambiance, quick bites and drinks for those with alternate lifestyles. However, its popularity has extended to the heterosexual community as well. Bold colors, horizontally-hung posters, snug booths, and a stylish stilleto shoe on each table (to receive the bill!) make quite a rebellious statement. The TV projects RuPaul videos as patrons munch on sandwiches, chunky chicken starters, pizzas and burgers with names such as "Buffy (The Hamburger Slayer)". Desserts like Strawberry Shortcake and Brownie Sundae abound as well. If this is your kind of fun, the recommended drink would be the Bloody Mary, of course! Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: diaper  |
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Popular gay men's spot with live dancers |
3169 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 404 3169 |
At the corner of Halsted and Belmont sits this nondescript looking building with black mirrored walls to block the view within. This gay bar marks the start of the Halsted strip, and it is also one of its more popular locales. Male dancers are featured daily, but men come here to drink and socialize in the art deco interior just as much as they do to admire the bodies on stage. This is a pretty casual place, all-in-all, with the casual prices to go with it. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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The name says it all |
1948 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60614 United States +1 773 871 3339 |
As the name implies, this is a gay bar. In fact, it is one of the few holdouts in a neighborhood that was once dominated by gay bars. (The main area for gay nightlife has now moved North on Halsted between Addison and Belmont.) But if the gay headquarters for nightlife has moved to a trendier area, the folks at Manhandler don't mind, since few people would accuse Manhandler of being trendy. In fact, this windowless bar with no dance floor does little to attract the guppies (gay yuppies) who frequent "Boys Town" to the north. What you will find is a friendly bar, a vast porn collection shown on TV monitors and some leather-wearing men. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Popular Boys Town dance bar |
3458 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 975 9244 |
This gay bar is not for everyone, especially if you are looking for a quiet place to have a drink and talk with friends. With porn on the monitors, a shirts-off or leatherware-only policy off the entrance to the dance floor on the weekends and monthly "underwear parties," this is perhaps the most "aggresive" bar in Boys Town. If you're in the right mindset, it could be a lot of fun. There is a $5-$8 admission Monday through Saturday, and $2 admission on Sundays. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Gay dance bar |
3356 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 281 3355 http://www.roscoes.com roscoes@aol.com |
On weekends, the front bar is packed with gay, young urban professionals checking out the club scene. In back, the dance floor is equally crowded. During the summer months, the patio offers a place to escape the noise. The granddaddy of Chicago's gay bars, Roscoe's has been around for years and is one of the most popular stops on the Halsted strip. Admission is charged on Saturdays, after 10p. It's free on other days. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Neighborhood watering hole |
157 East Ohio Street, Suite 2 Chicago, IL 60611-3107 United States +1 312 923 9536 |
Above the Armenian restaurant Sayat Nova, this neighborhood pub and gay bar is dark and filled with denizens who visit the place with a regularity frightening to even the most jaded of barflies. The busiest hours are right after the workday finishes until approximately 8p, no doubt in part because of the scarcity of bars in the area. The place picks up again after the bar-hopping crowd finds its way home. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Gay video bar |
3349 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 477 9189 http://www.sidetrackchicago.com info@sidetrackchicago.com |
This bar's owners have built "The Field of Dreams" for Chicago's gay community. Much like the famed mythical baseball field, "if you build it, they will come"...in droves. This video bar has more than tripled its size since it first opened. But night after night, an eclectic mix of athletic types and club-kids pack the place in. The big-screen TVs show a mix of musicals, comedy and retro 80s videos. But, as with any other self-respecting gay bar, the best watching isn't on the screens, but in the crowd. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: David Cobb |
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Foxy's ghost? |
800 West Belmont Avenue Chicago, IL 60657 United States +1 773 327 7711 http://www.spin-nightclub.com/ spin@spin-nightclub.com |
This bar has done everything it can, from sponsoring shower contests to in-house palm readers, to become one of the hottest gay dance spaces in Chicago. But much of its acclaim still comes from the fact that the bar was previously Foxy's, which was one of Chicago's more popular clubs, with celebrity sightings every weekend. Spin would like to be more of the same, though it has long since renovated the formerly dilapidated interior, giving it a slick and shiny feel. The dance floor is intimate, but DJs play the same music week after week. Admission: $2-3, Average cost per person is US $15. No booking necessary. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Stephanie Dana |