Finding the right bar to please your whole crew and keep them partying can be tricky. Everyone should feel comfortable wherever they choose to go to drink, dance, let off steam and enjoy their free time, regardless of who they love. We’ve rounded up the seven best LGBTQ bars in Chicago that you must try.
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954 W Belmont Ave. / Website
This unique destination is both a late night dance club and an art gallery. The bar boasts its pan-cultural identity and plays electronic dance music along with hosting live performers and drag stars. There’s always a new and different event going on at Berlin, keep up with their Instagram to stay posted on all the festivities.
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6406 N Clark St. / Website
Head to Jackhammer for the ultimate kinky nightlife. The main level features a dance floor and bar, while the basement is home to The Hole, a leather and fetish club. All guests over 21 are welcome in the bar and safety is highly championed throughout the BDSM club. The inclusive club even offers classes for patrons to get educated about kinks and determine their own. To plan your fit, head next door to the conveniently located leather and kink shop, Leather 64Ten. Check Jackhammer’s Instagram to stay up to date on closures and events.
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7041 S Jeffery Ave. / Website
Hailed one of the oldest LGBTQ bars in the country and the only Black-owned gay bar in Chiago, this bar is definitely worth a stop. The dance floor is always lit with revelers, strobing lights and drag queens both professional and amateur. Open every day of the week, there’s always a dance and a drink to be had at Jeffery Pub.
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1511 W Balmoral Ave. / Website
Enjoy a variety of classy martinis at this tiny hotspot. Its calm, vintage interiors are a far cry from the strobing lights of other Chicago LGBTQ establighments. Between the wooden bar, ornately framed and hung artwork, the warm multi-tier chandeliers and the large wine bottle display, drinking martinis in Marty’s just feels right.
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1744 W Balmoral Ave. / Website
Known as one of Chicago’s few lesbian bars, there’s so much more to Nobody’s Darling. Try an array of aptly-named, tasty craft cocktails like the Frido pisco sour, the Kahlo margarita, the Eartha Kitty, and a variety of more. The menu also has a section for alcohol-free cocktails sure to please your whole crew.
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3356 N Halsted / Website
Head to Roscoe’s for classic drinks and lots of drag shows. The front of the location is a bar while the back is a dance floor and nightclub. The bar is known for hosting regularly boisterous viewing parties for RuPaul’s Drag Race and hosts its own drag events weekly as well.
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3349 N Halsted / Website
For fabulous nightlife and equally fabulous frozen cocktails, head to Sidetrack. The massive location has multiple floors of lounge areas, dance floors and bars, along with colorful lights and ample Insta-worthy locations. There’s even a rooftop deck for warm days. Check out their lengthy drink menu, which features multiple flavors of mules, a variety of cocktails, non-alcoholic CBD drinks, and their famous frozen cocktails.
Photography by: Brielle French / Unsplash.com
