Drink.
Boystown is the oldest officially recognized gay neighborhood in the United States and is home to many of the hottest Chicago gay bars! It’s one giant party strip along N Halsted Street in Northalsted. While a few bars dot the surrounding streets, you could easily bar hop up and down the main drag all night.
With that much competition, drink specials are everywhere, making it perfect for those on a budget. Most happy hours kick off around 5 pm, just in time to mingle with the after-work crowd—and who doesn’t love a man in a suit?
There’s something for every gay man in Boystown. From twink, drag, and bear bars to cocktail lounges and dive bars, whatever you’re into, you’ll find it in Boystown.
The second Chicago gayborhood is Andersonville, which is adjacent to Boystown. This area is known for its more relaxed Chicago gay bars—as well as Chicago’s premier go-go bar, Atmosphere.
For those of you looking for something more off the beaten path, sprinkled around the city in Uptown and Rogers Park, you’ll find other gay venues that offer a more laid-back vibe away from the mainstream scene.
Filter your night
Smartbar is on the top west corner of Boystown on N Clark Street. It’s a late-night party club where some of the most cutting-edge DJs on the planet guest-star with resident DJs.
The venue is open four days a week: Thursdays from 9 pm until 2 am, Fridays and Sundays from 10 pm to 4 am, and Saturdays from 10 pm to 5 am.
Facilities: Bar, Dancing
Meeting House Tavern in the Andersonville gayborhood is a place to relax and unwind with your friends. Entertainment includes gaymes nights on Tuesdays, Karaoke on Thursdays, and DJ-led house-music dance parties on Fridays and Saturdays. THC and CBD drinks are on sale.
Closed Mondays, meeting House Tavern is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5 pm to midnight, Thursdays and Fridays from 5 pm to 2 am, Saturdays from 2 pm to 2 am, and Sundays from 2 pm until midnight
Facilities: Bar, Karaoke
REPLAY Andersonville, while not an exclusively gay bar, is LGBTQI-friendly and does host Pride weekend activities. For the rest of the year, it is a laid-back sports bar with arcade games and an extensive comfort food menu.
REPLAY Andersonville is open daily, Mondays through Thursdays from midday until midnight, Fridays from midday until 2 am, Saturdays from 11 am until 2 am, and Sundays from 11 am until midnight.
Facilities: Bar, Restaurant
The team at Progress Bar in Boystown wanted their bar to stand out amongst the crowd. And it does! It was engineered to be visually impactful and conceptually
profound in almost every way. The place feels like it flows and breathes. Resident and guest DJs provide the vibe. If you only get to visit one bar, make it this one.
Progress Bar is open six days a week: Tuesdays through Fridays from 5 pm to 2 am, Saturdays from 3 pm to 3 am, and Sundays from 1 pm to 2 am.
Facilities: Bar, Dancing
Sister bar to 2Bears Tavern Uptown, The Sofo Tap is south of Andersonville Gayborhood. Like the other bar, bears and their dogs are most welcome here. Trivia and karaoke nights and bear beer blasts are held weekly.
The Sofo Tap is open Monday through Thursday from 5 pm to 2 am, Friday from 3 pm to 2 am, Saturday from midday until 3 am, and Sunday from midday until 2 am.
Facilities: Bar, Karaoke, Leather Bar
Big Chicks in Uptown is an LGBTQI-friendly bar serving southern food. Omelets, biscuits and gravy, and burgers are on the menu. During the week, it’s a chill-out bar; on the weekends, resident DJs pump up the beats.
Big Chicks is open daily, from 4 pm to 2 am on weekdays and 9 am to 2 am on weekends. The kitchen hours are 4 pm to 10.30 pm daily
Facilities: Bar, Restaurant, Dancing
The Glenwood in Rogers Park is conveniently located near the Morse subway exit. This friendly gayborhood bar hosts weekend DJ-fueled parties and has trivia and karaoke on other nights of the week,
The Glenwood is open Mondays to Fridays from 3 pm to 2 am, Saturdays from 3 pm to 3 am, and Sundays from midday to 2 am.
Facilities: Bar, Restaurant, Live music, Dancing, Karaoke
Jackhammer in Rogers Park has been an important venue for the LGBTQI people of Chicago. Mostly a leather bar, it welcomes everyone and believes in education and community engagement. Various weekly events include karaoke, themed Tea Dances, and cigar socials.
The venue is open five days a week. Wednesday to Friday from 7 pm to 4 am,
Saturday from 7 pm to 5 am and Sunday from 3 pm to 4 am.
Facilities: Bar, Dancing, Karaoke, Leather Bar
Not officially a gay bar, but as it’s a cocktail bar in the Andersonville gayborhood with handsome bar staff, it may as well be. Every Sunday the bar has a fundraiser for a different local charity.
Marty’s Martini Bar is open daily: Monday through Thursday from 5 pm to 2 am, Friday from 4 pm to 2 am, and Saturday from 2 pm to 2 am.
Facilities: Bar
Atmosphere in Andersonville is a go-go bar with daily entertainment. Weekly events include RuPaul Drag Race viewing parties, stripper bingo, DJ-led flashback dance parties, and Saturday night go-go boys.
Closed Mondays. Atmosphere opens Tuesdays to Thursdays from 6 pm to 1 am, Fridays from 6 pm to 2 am, Saturdays from 3 pm to 3 am, and Sundays from 3 pm to 1 am.
Facilities: Bar, Restaurant, Live music, Dancing, Drag Show, Go-go show
The Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club in Boystown hosts nightly dinners, drag shows, and weekend drag brunches. As for the show, think Old Hollywood meets South Beach. The food offered includes classic appetizers, burgers, pasta, and meat dishes for mains, followed by delicious desserts.
The Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club has shows six nights a week (closed Mondays) between 6 pm and 11 pm and on weekends. There are two brunch sittings from November to April and three from May through October.
Facilities: Bar, Restaurant, Drag Show
Since 1983, The North End at the very top of Boystown has been serving masculine, non-scene gay sports guys. It’s very laid-back and has zero attitude. Craft beers are poured from the tap, and sports screens are scattered about.
The North End is open Monday through Friday from 3 pm to 2 am, Saturdays from 11 am to 3 am, and Sundays from 11 am to 2 am.
Facilities: Bar
Roscoe’s in Boystown caters to a younger crowd and has been entertaining Chicago gays with drag shows for almost 40 years. Special events include RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing parties, where former contestants host the festivities—tickets must be purchased in advance.
Roscoes is open daily: Monday through Friday from 4 pm to 2 am, Saturday from 12 pm to 3 am, and Sunday from 12 pm to 2 am.
Facilities: Bar, Restaurant, Dancing, Drag Show
Dance the night away—at least until 4 am—at Hydrate in the heart of Boystown. Hydrate features drag performances early in the evening, and after 11 pm, the resident DJs keep the party going well into the night.
Hydrate is open five days a week. Mondays from 8 pm to 2 am, Thursdays and Fridays 8 pm to 4 am, Saturdays it closes an extra hour later at 5 am and Sundays it’s an early open from 2 pm to 4 am.
Facilities: Bar, Dancing, Drag Show
Club Escape is located in Pocket Town. It is part show lounge featuring classy drag shows and part dance club with a hip-hop and house vibe. Be sure to try one of their signature cocktail pitchers.
Club Escape is open four days a week: Thursday, Friday, and Sunday from 10 pm to 2 am and Saturday from 9 pm to 3 am.
Facilities: Bar, Dancing, Drag Show
Destinations
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