Chicago Clubs and Bars?

[Jack619]

Does anyone have any suggestions for clubs or bars in downtown Chicago?

Thanks.

[Willie Escalade]

For a minute there, I thought that title said "Chicago Cubs and Bears"! :lol:

Seriously, I'm interested as well. I may be in Chi-town later this year.

[Somedude21]

I've heard that El Gato Negro somewhere on Irving Park has trans nights. Not sure on what dates, though.

[Yoda Rules!]

I've heard of a showbar called the Baton Lounge but I beleive its more of a place to watch stage performance. I beleive that alot of beautiful girls perform though.

[poleskr]

The straight clubs where you're most likely to find tgirls is Sound Bar or Crobar. In Boystown, you can find them at El Gato Negro, Berlin or Circuit.

[BrendaQG]

Chicago isn't like NYC, their aren't many bars/clubs that cater just to transsexuals. Their used to be but not so much any more. I know of three places. Circuit nightclub is basically a gay bar but you will see transsexuals their. Hydrate has a drag review on Wendesday's, last I heard, many transsexuals there. Both of those are on North Halstead street. Both are nice places. Clean, good neighborhoods :-)

Then as has already been noted their is another place up the street, around the corner and literally across the tracks from the main gay strip, El Gato Negro. That is one place where it is all about transsexuals/queens all the time. Opinions of it are mixed though. I personally have had nothing but good times there.

Which place you will like depends on your state of mind. If you would mind having gay males in the mix then don't go anyplace on Halstead st.

[TsVanessa69]

Not too many options, but a few. Now this El Gato place is not a club, its a prostitution spot, thats it. So no clean floors, dirty restrooms, overpriced watered down drinks and burnt up hookers, mostly girls who"party" hint, hint. So no class, no dj, no pretty girls. The bottom of the barrel.
Now we have Green Dolphin on Mondays, a straight crowd with many beautiful ts.
Circuit has a show on Sundays, latina, Mondays, mixed, and Thursdays, latina.
Also on thursdays we have Hamburger Marys, more intimate, smaller crowd, beautiful ts.
And there is Crobar on saturdays,which is straight with many beautiful, passable ts.
Also coming up,my girlfriend andI host meet and greet socials in our apartment, ,but those are more private invite only events.
We also will have aclub that will let us host our events in the summertime.

[sexyshana]

El gato negro is HORRIBLE and very scary!!!
I've been twice just out of curiosity and will never go again. There's also Berlin on sat nights with a mixed crowd and good music.

[TsVanessa69]

El gato negro is HORRIBLE and very scary!!!
I've been twice just out of curiosity and will never go again. There's also Berlin on sat nights with a mixed crowd and good music.
I love your dress the other night Shana, it was hot.

[sexyshana]

Thanks girl... it was great seeing you.
I also saw you perform thursday night at circuit but left before the show ended.
XOXO

[poleskr]

I would have to agree with Vanessa and Shana. El Gato is pretty nasty. Only go there if you are desparate. I prefer to meet ts at Green Dolphin on Mondays or Crobar on Saturday nights.

[TsVanessa69]

I would have to agree with Vanessa and Shana. El Gato is pretty nasty. Only go there if you are desparate. I prefer to meet ts at Green Dolphin on Mondays or Crobar on Saturday nights.
And I prefer to meet guys who go to Green Dolphin and Crobar over a chaser who frequents El Gato

[Gmanfromthechi]

Where club can I hope to see u around at Vanessa? ;-)

[TsVanessa69]

Where club can I hope to see u around at Vanessa? ;-)
Tonite I will be performing at Hamburger Marys, on the corner of Clark and Balmoral! Showtime is 10:30

[sexyshana]

I will try to make it tonight... might come alone. Melissa has school tonight and my boyfriend is out of town.

[jennifer_dresser]

El gato negro is HORRIBLE and very scary!!!
I've been twice just out of curiosity and will never go again. There's also Berlin on sat nights with a mixed crowd and good music.

*twice* "just out of curiosity". Sounds like there is a story there..... What made you go back if the first experience was so bad?

[sexyshana]

First time I went out of curiosity since I had just moved here from LA.
Second time I went to take a friend who was visiting me and had heard of the place and wanted to go... I tried to tell her how awful it was but she insisted.
We went had an awful watered down drink and left.
btw she hated it too.

[Gmanfromthechi]

I see some pretty sexy tgirls at crobar when I got on saturdays, and theres also a few at vision on sat.

[TsVanessa69]

First time I went out of curiosity since I had just moved here from LA.
Second time I went to take a friend who was visiting me and had heard of the place and wanted to go... I tried to tell her how awful it was but she insisted.
We went had an awful watered down drink and left.
btw she hated it too.
You forgot over-priced for that watered down drink

[borhino]

I have to ask, what is scary about El Gato? I've been there twice (and I don't own the place or have any financial interest). But scary? It's kind of a dive bar and yes almost everyone in there is looking to "party"...But I didn't feel like I was going to be jumped and rolled.

And to my eyes there were at least a couple nice looking T-girls hanging out. I didn't go home with any, because I never feel going to someone else's place is a safe move - but there were several ladies there who were not Nasty.

Also the band that is there on Thursdays is pretty darn good. If you're worried about the water downed drink - Have a beer. They aren't cheap, but $6 isn't that out of line for that general area.

To each their own - and I'm not saying the other places mentioned aren't nicer, classier etc. I just don't think this place is as awful as it's made out to be. If you want to see nasty I can tell you about a couple of stripper bars in OKC that you wouldn't sit down in without wearing a body condom. :)

[will_able]

This thread got me pumped up to go out, so now I have to decide between seeing some ladies at crobar or going to vision where I like the music better (not tonight especially but better than crobar pop mashup)

[will_able]

I am not going to go to it but I though some might be interested...
Miss El Gato Negro Pageant May 11...
http://www.elgatonegrobar.com/MEG08-POSTERe.gif

[piratezeke]

Well I went to the "event," if that's what they want to call it. $15 cover and 3 drink minimum for what was essentially a slightly dressed up version of their normal Sunday night show. I don't want to bash one of the few TS clubs in Chicago, but come on folks! If you're going to charge $30+ dollars to get in don't offer the same thing you get for free the other 51 Sundays of the year.

As for the general nature of this club. I also wouldn't classify it as scary. My complaint is that nothing much seems to happen. They promise and talk a good game, but not much is delivered. The band is good, but there's no dancing. There aren't any big screen televisions. It's kind of sit around and wait for someone to "flirt" with you. I think if they tried a little bit they could make it better, but they don't seem to try much.

You see all these clubs in LA and NY and it's just lacking here. Even a strip club type place like Divas in SF would be welcome (though that will never happen here)

[borhino]

The club is what it is; though I was a little surprised they only had five ladies in the pageant (from what I was told). And while thirty bucks won't kill anyone, it does seem a tad high for five contestants.

We have very lackluster GG strip clubs in Chicago. I can't see anything more exotic having any chance. The one thing I never understood is there are places in Illinois that have been far more open-minded about adult activities than the big city (Chicago). For instance, there's Big Al's strip club in the heart of downtown Peoria. In fact there were some really nice strip joints in central Illinois which is a fairly conservative area.

Also for years there were/are places around the state (some still active) with massage parlors etc.

Is there someplace in Illinois other than Chicago that has a decent club/bar?