Why hello boy in jockstrap... Yes please shake your moneymaker..
yep.. if you are looking for strippers you found them.. if you are looking for appropriately priced drinks for a stripper bar you also found them. Â If you also happen to be looking for a fun night in Boystown.. guess what you found it as well!!
Don't be uptight. Don't be rude. and Don't expect the cast of Magic Mike. Â Please for the love of god tip.. I see so many people standing around.. enjoying the show.. but not providing tips for anyone.. I doubt the dancers are making anything above tips.. so if you are enjoying give them a buck! Â Same goes for bartenders.. don't go cheap on them just because the drinks are pricey!
And my last request.. that will probably get me some heat... If you are a woman... please have at least 1 gay man with you.. this is a GAY bar. Â If you want to see strippers with your girlfriends before your wedding go to one of the shoes made for that.. This isn't. Don't insult our lack of marriage rights by flaunting it in our faces.
You know when sometimes morbid curiosity makes you do things?
Like taste spoiled milk?
Or look at an accident when you are driving on the expressway?
Or wear Jordache jeans in public?
Well, that is basically what this adventure was all about. Â I was with my two best friends, and we were walking to the train when one of them said
Bestie #1 :"Have you ever been in the Lucky Horseshoe?"
Bestie #2 & me (in chorus): "Um, NO!"
And being the brave and adventurous homosexuals that we are, we decided to go in.
We didn't have to pay a cover, but I was advised their might be a $2 cover. Â
$2 dollars? Â Yeah. You get what you pay for.
Inside of this establishment, the 1980's obviously exploded.  If you've been looking for those padded white or mauve faux leather barstools with backs - honey, they got em.  Mirrored surfaces?  Oh yeah. They are on it.  Its sort of  looks like a waiting room somewhere in Florida, that the Golden Girls decorated. *For the young homosexuals, Golden Girls was a comedy that was popular in the mid 80's, and early 90s.
The first dancer I saw was standing on the bar, wearing a jock strap that had seen better days. Â He was wearing sneakers though, so at least they are sanitary. Â There wasn't much of a crowd - but the bar tenders were fast.
The 2nd back room was much busier. Â There were more dancers, wearing more tired jockstraps. Â It was quite a sight. Â Then there was another back room. Â I didn't venture past here. Â I said we were brave and adventurous, not crazy.
As we left the bar, I passed lots of Burt Reynolds c. 1970 look a likes, and a couple of guys who looked like John Candy. Â No one tried to touch me inappropriately, so I give this place an extra star.
I highly encourage you to go in and have a drink. Â Everyone should get to see what I saw.
My friends and I (a mixed bag of straight and gay men and women) used to go here for years. This place is the best hot mess in the world. I wasn't looking for glitz and glam just drinks and mostly naked men. The strippers weren't perfect  looking but they sure did entertain! You know how most bars have the game playing on the TV...not here. Thank you Lucky Horseshoe for one of my first experiences of gay porn. I could not look away to save my entire life. LOL
Review Source:Yeah so I have never been in here but I live in the building directly behind and have a few pointers just from my outside observations. The back stairs/patio is often used for smoking, and it sure is not tabacco. From everything I learned in college its sure not weed. It leaves the taste of metal in your nostrils, and everything I learned from health class in high-school leads me to some ideas. I work late nights at a restaurant and it is not rare to see one, or sometimes numerous, people out there throwing up or passed out. For the sake of your neighbors, please try and keep the screaming at bay. And for the sake of people visiting Chicago, keep the creepiness inside the bar please. We are five blocks from wriggley where people from all over the country come to visit and you have people standing in font of your establishment making sexual comments at every patron who walks by. I understand these things may happen at every bar, but for the progression of lgbt hold yourselves to a higher standard.
Review Source:I'm torn about this place. I love the kitschy, sleazy atmosphere and it can be a very fun divey place, especially for Boystown. My problem is very specific: they charged me $3.50 for a club soda and told me it was their policy to do so. Same thing for tap water. Sorry, but I can't support a business that won't give water to its customers if they feel they need to slow down on drinking. That's all.
Review Source:ACK! Â The place is dark and way creepy. Â Their "stage" was a fold out table.
Also, the "dancers" looked a quart low on blood. Â One guy gave himself a wedgie to make his briefs look like a thong.
Some of the regulars ( more like irregulars ) looked like they'd murder you, then eat your di$*. Â Of course, I mean this in a nice way.
Yes, it's a male strip joint and is therefore pretty skanky. Â I dont know (or care) what the dudes do after work to pay their rent and to support whatever drug habit, if any, they have. Â They're not the greatest dancers I've seen but the place is still a shit ton of fun.
The bartenders are always so damn nice and friendly and they have a good selection of beer. Â The dancers are sassy and, yeah, not bad to look at. Â Work it yall.
I know I'm probably a hypocrite for saying this but ladies, please stay away. Â You straight girls with your bachelorette parties. Â This is where dirty old men go to get their rocks off and when you parade in with your feather boas, dumb plastic tiaras and annoying screaming, it totally kills the mood. Â In fact, just stay in Lincoln Park and leave Boystown alone. Â Gays are not a novelty act for you and should not be gawked at or interrupted as they're trying to get their swerve on.
Sorry.
Anyways, Lucky Horseshoe is a good time. Â Just beware of the creeps, but they're to be expected duh.
I finally gave in to my friends and went along to the Horseshoe last weekend. Â I had heard that it was a gay strip club, and somehow a 40something straight woman going there just didn't make sense, but I gave in to peer pressure and the promise of more red wine. Â
Listen, calling this place a strip club is ridiculous. Â There were hazy-minded men in jock straps, standing on the stages just kind of bouncing along with the music. Â I was thinking burlesque and was rewarded with locker room. Â No stripping. Â No dancing. No art. Â Â
One very important tidbit: do not eat the popcorn.
Maybe it was because I was blindfolded and dragged here on my bachelorette night by my girlfriends. Maybe it was because they already had lines of champagne on the bar for us when they un-blindfolded me and shoved me in while I was trying to run out. (I, unlike other inconsiderate drunk brides-to-be, know my place and typically, I know the patrons of LH do not want a group of loud, drunk straight women there).
But I know mostly it was because halfway into my champagne, the uber tan, strapping, S&M leather clad stripper was replaced by my husband-to-be gyrating on the elevated platform. NO JOKE. My best friend and he had been plotting with LH management for weeks and they actually let him do this resulting in...THE BEST NIGHT EVERRRR. He was making singles, fives and tons of compliments galore.
We got our own little corner in the back, the owner came out and everyone was VERY friendly. We spent the rest of the night giving back the cash Hubby had made in very interesting ways. We all learned a few acrobatic tricks we had not seen the likes of before and we had a fantastic good time. Granted, I've walked through before on a slow night and it can be scary to a lamb like moi, but this night it was glitter and stars.
Apparently the strippers gave my hubby lots of tips and pointers (ahem, yeah I bet) and we felt like we were leaving a group of great friends by the end of the evening. Thank you Lucky Horseshoe!!!
This place seems to get bad reviews for people that do not know what to expect. Â This is bar that you go to alone or with friends if you like to watch male strippers. Â That is it.
You can come with friends and they have tables in the back for groups to sit next to one of the stages. Â They have three bar areas complete with stools if you come alone. Â The bartenders are attentive and they will have a conversation if the place is not too busy. Â
The dancers vary from twink to muscle. Â The dancers have random schedules so you may not see the same dancer if you only go on the same day constantly. Â If you do want to see them again ask when they will be there next. Â
Some people review this place in a grim, disgusted manner. Â Usually because there is no dancefoor, deejay, and the fact that the dancers are getting more attention than they are.
OK, so I am not a gay man (obviously) but my gay friend had invited me to be his date for a wedding (which was OK) and we ended up here afterwards. I figured the least I could do was humor after a night of everyone thinking he was my husband! The place is a lot of fun. I actually was a little nervous that I would be accepted there but all the clientele were super friendly and fun! The have two "stages" where the dancers do their thing. They aren't wearing much, mostly jocks or thongs but they all had good bodies and were overall very hot! As the night goes on the dancing gets a little more steamy but I wasn't offended at  all! The drinks were reasonable although a little weak. The music was awesome though, great remixes of Britney, Madonna, Gaga et al. I'll defiantely go back with my friend if he wants too! P.S., one of my new gay friends informed me that a couple of the dancers are actually straight. Not sure if it's true but it's a nice fantasy! Jonny and Blake were gorgeous!
Review Source:Ahh yes, I'm actually reviewing the Lucky Horseshoe. Â On this first and probably only visit, I didn't get lucky nor had to jump on the back of a cowboy to wrestle for a horseshoe. Â To be frank, my gay movie night buddies and I grabbed some din-din at Halsted's and then wanted to check out the newly remodeled Spin. Â Well Spin was closed and you know what's conveniently across the street...oh yes, the Lucky Horseshoe. Â None of us naive twinks had been in there so we thought we'd give it a peek while waiting for the twilight bingo hour at Charlies.
It just so happened that we visited on Noche de Reggaeton. Â It couldn't have been a better night for me, being the Latino adorer that I am. Â The "M" shaped bar that seemed to not have changed since its aged grand opening was surrounded by much older men who seemed like frequents and knew the strippers by first name (or alias, who knows?!). Â The dancers just jammed on their 4'x4' box for 2 songs each in their 'chones' (as my boyfriend would say--or undies/jock straps) repeating the same moves over and over to the rapid-tongued Spanish rap. Â I won't complain a bit, except for the overpriced drinks that I am guessing pays for the dancer's time. Â I love me some hot, muscular Latinos... Â In case you're wondering it was a Monday evening (who knows if every night is a Reggaeton night though).
Hey baby, I'm gonna give you my .02Cents and your gonna give me kiss on the cheek and then come over and rub my leg. Is that ok? Let's get a little frisky then head to the back bar and watch some porn? Oh, you have a private dressing room in the back you want me to follow you to? OK sir. You want me to snort what? No thanks, you can buy me a drink though...
Ok so prices are good and the strippers can be good as well. A fun haunt sometimes.
I only give this place an extra star because the bartender was nice, fairly quick and had cold Miller Lites. Other than that.... WTF!?!??!
Waiting for the Naked Bike Ride, my friends and I decided to jump in and grab a quick drink. Not minding gay bars or anything, but wow... no. A little stage is set up in the middle where guys are dancing in thongs or jock straps, many need to work out. Sketchy, yes. Icky, yes. TV's with Disney's "The Little Mermaid" playing while not a mere 20 feet away there is a man gyrating his body causing me to laugh way too hard in my head at the juxtaposing humor of the situation, yes. Oh Sweet Jebus yes.... Making a B line to the door ASAP as soon as our beers were done, yes. 3 showers later and I still don't feel clean.
A friend and I came here, seeking the mythical dancer "G.Lo." What we saw was... something else. A drugged-out looking dancer in a white thong, white athletic socks, and white sneakers marching in place on a lighted platform. Just marching, marching. Sometimes he would lift his stiff arms and make grabby hands at the old dudes watching him. The best part was the CD player was broken, so "Don't Cha?" by the Pussycat Dolls played on repeat. Marching, marching, marching.
All this, and they had a freaking automatic pourer. Give me a break!
You know in the movie Seven, when the guy at the sex club is forced to wear the knife penis suit and kill the prostitute? This place looks exactly like that club!!!!!
This place is a total creepfest, but that's what makes it GOOD. It doesn't pretend to be anything other than a sleazy dump, unlike the majority of bars on Halsted.
The first time I went to the 'shoe, one of the dancers was chewing gum and watching the TV above the stage (it was playing Moulin Rouge, obv) while he made a half hearted attempt at dancing. Also, he was wearing kneepads. It was so beautiful, I nearly cried.
Places like this won't exist much longer, and I'm sure it won't be long until this is replaced with a condo building or another stupid video bar with overpriced drinks and terrible music playing.
Embrace the seamy underbelly of gay history before homogenization destroys it entirely. Come for the totally uncomfortable atmosphere, stay to pick up an off duty Chicago cop/married man/serial killer.
*shudder* Â Everything you would expect from a gay strip club - MAJOR sketchy dancers (ghetto unfabulous), seedy clientele - makes us miss Madrigals *tear* that much more. Â
With that said, on my 2nd visit to "the Shoe", this past w/e, I did notice, few and far between, some attractive dancers - I guess this is the trickle down benefit of running the "good place" (aka Madrigals) out of town. Â
My mantra for this stuff, "you want to hang with the sleazebags.... then live like the sleazebags".
I give this an extra star for hilarity. Â Where else can I get hit on by a greaseball gogo dancer who apparently gives "back rubs" for $200 on the side and swears "I don't have sex with guys, don't worry, I like women"? Â I came here with a friend to meet up with one of her friends who was in town. Â For some reason, whenever this guy is involved we always end up at some bizarre location. Â Gato Negro anyone? Â Anyway.... the people watching is hilarious. Â Nothing like watching a grandpa hug a young hustler or a homeless looking dude sticking his hand in the back of another guy's thong. Â Gotta love it. Â What I don't gotta love is the gin and tonics that taste solely of tonic with extra lime to hide the lack of gin. Â If I came back, I'd make sure I'd already had a few and then stick to beer while laughing it up.
Review Source:Ah, the Whore's Shoe.
Once upon a time, this place was my Cheers. Hard to believe. I lived on Roscoe and Broadway, and met two of the owners, Sophie and Rene, when they worked at another strip club called the Inner Circle, down around Broadway and Fullerton. So when they opened the Horseshoe, just a couple of blocks from my house, I started hanging out there. It was a clean, well-lit place where the bartenders knew your name and your drink, and you could have an interesting chat with the guy next to you or even the dancers. Because it was strip club, the sexual tension was directed to the stage, so it was easy to talk to the other patrons. And because Sophie and Rene had a strict no hustler policy, the dancers were a fun group of guys. I even had my birthday party here for several years, and everybody -- men and women, gay and straight -- felt welcome.
That seems like a hundred years ago.
Now Sophie and Rene are both gone -- from the bar and this mortal coil -- and their third partner, who started instituting changes even when they were still around (calibrated pours on the bottles, no free drinks), has turned this place into little more than a whorehouse. Now most of the strippers hustle on the side, many to support their meth habit, no doubt. It is far less woman friendly, and the place smells of desperation. If you're someone like me, who thinks sex should be fun, this is not the place for you. If you're a married man looking to check out hustlers, give it a try!
Not very female friendly...It is what it is...a male stripper bar. Â A few hotties, but most are the male equivalent of skanks. Â Have a bottled beer 'cause they water down the liquor...and then still use the automatic pourer? Â
Most of the  skanky bartender's have nooo personality.  This is closet-case heaven.  Look no further for  your Priest, Doctor,Cop  or Dad!
Oh yeah, the decor is a step above other dive bars on the strip. But  how about a little maintenance?  Especially the johns.
EVERYTHING Christiana mentioned is what makes this place so amazing! Â In almost every other US city these kinds of places have been shut down or gentrified out of existence, so patronize this place while it lasts! Â No, not you Christiana, haha. Â It sounds like it was even more exciting when she was there - I'm jealous! Â But yeah, if you don't like homo strippers, of course you shouldn't go to a gay strip club in Boystown! Â Lucky Horseshoe is probably the most fun bar on Halstead, if you're in the mood for seediness, of course.
Review Source:In a word: horrifying. Â Just imagine a male junkie stripper with track marks, wearing white sweat socks and a thong and dancing to Lil' Kim and you will have saved yourself a trip to the Lucky Horseshoe.
You know the movie 'Seven', with Brad Pitt, about that creepy serial killer guy who punished people for being guilty of the 7 sins? Â They could have shot that film on location here. Â Seriously. Â It's like a scene straight out of hell.
What can you say about half naked gogo boys that hasn't already been said? I am always searching for new talent. I have been going to the Horseshoe on and off for about 6 years. There are very good moments but as of late it has been rank. The "ladies" room smells of ass, the gay porno on the back screen is circa 1970 and the boys are not up to par. Back in the day we had muscle men dancing on the 2 stages, however now they are hairy, small men who cannot dance. The good thing is that turnover is huge here...it is hit or miss. With the spring season coming soon..let's hope they turn it up! Check it out, free admission so if they are dogs...off you go. Once again ladies, no wedding veils and plastic penises around your neck!!
Review Source:For years I never even noticed this place, its so unassuming looking. I knew that a friend's roommate was a regular there. When a (female) date took me in there years ago, I was like, oh yeah. A gay strip bar, of course. It's dark, long, cavernous, and appropriately seedy. They seem to have a range of dancers that appeal to most tastes (perhaps not the bears ;). I'd say the only appeal if you're straight is your womanfriend gets turned on by that sort of thing. When I was unemployed a few years back, I threatened that I would apply for a job there. Sorry folks, I found another job!
Review Source:
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