My favorite place to visit for a night out in Boystown and usually come here when visiting friends in Chicago. First off, I can bring my straight friends here, and they feel right at home because the staff and clientel are so friendly and welcoming to both gay and straight people a like. The bar staff is amazing and always take care of you. The bar itself is super clean which is a nice change of pace from a lot of bars. It simply has an upscale, trendy look with staff that keeps the bar immaculate.
My favorite area of the bar to hang out in is the side area that has a long table and lots of tvs to see the videos. Also, the rooftop is amazing when the weather permits. I love showtunes night! Keep up the great work guys!
I came here on two separate occasions: the first time was a weekday around 7 pm. Â It was awkwardly empty, as they were renovating, and the only people present were a bunch of I'm guessing "regulars." Â We sat in a beautifully decorated wood-paneled room all by ourselves and drank delicious alcoholic slushee drinks.
The second time was on a bustling Saturday night, and it was PACKED with attractive men, and a number of women going out with their gay friends. Â I was hit on once by a straight man looking for someone to talk to, as well as ass-grabbed by a gay man (which was very flattering...I nearly turned around to say "thank you!" because when a gay man thinks you're cute, it means you're doing something right). Â
The place is super clean, the people are friendly, and drinks are cheap ($5 for those delish slushee drinks in a variety of flavors. Â I had some orange one that was fantastic, and a pineapple one that was also good).
Fun during the summer on a Friday or Saturday when the place is packed and the patios are all opened up. Also fun for musical Mondays if you love campy stuff, trust me it's more than just musicals playing on bar screens, there's a cult-like following who go every Monday and participate a la a tamer Rocky Horror. There's never a cover, so that's a plus, but there are also never drink specials, so that's a downer, that being said the drinks are about average price, and there's no card minimum, you can run it every time you get a drink if you choose. All in all, I've usually had a good time here, not exactly a get wild and dance kind of place, but fun all the same.
Review Source:Want to be in one of the nicest, clean bars in the city? Sidetrack is this place. A gay bar at heart, sidetrack is one of the largest and entertaining bars in the city. With weekly night specials like, "Musical Mondays" and other fun events throughout, this place always has a steady crowd and fun life each and every night.
What to drink is simple. Any vodka option is appropriate, but if it is your first time at Sidetrack, it's time for you to get involved and try a frozen drink. Each day they freeze up some new flavors, but they tend to have some of the favorites always pouring. The ketel one krush, and mount gay rum mai tai are two that I will vouch for till the end of time.
Back to monday nights. Probably one of the most amazing things you could ever see is Musical Mondays. The videos and music all make the night truly one to remember with glam, and glitz and ofcourse about 50 men singing along. Two usuals ofcourse is Springtime for Hitler and Defying Gravity. (both which have a life of their own and will stun and shock you if you are in the pit...the big area below the seating bar of the center area.)
Try this place out. This is a great gay bar, not snobs, no nothing to offend. Lots and lots of love.
Truly enjoy this bar. While not a particular fan of going on the weekends (über-busy and packed), my favorite days of the week are Sunday afternoons for Showtunes Sunday and Tuesday night for (formerly 80s night, which now blends into 90s night). Pretty good bar service and drinks are reasonably priced. Summer is when this place really shines with the great rooftop bars.
Review Source:A Chicago Boys Town favorite! You can leave Chitown and go live a few years in Madrid or Buenos Aires (like I did) and come back and its like coming back and getting a taste of your favorite place all over again and the stuff you loved about it hasnt changed and it has only gotten better.
It has the most extensive variety of drinks in Boys Town (well-edited selections of wine, beer, slushees, coffee, etc) combined with the greatest videos (Showtunes night is a favorite) and most friendly bartenders and staff.
In 10 years of going there off and on, Ive only had one negative experience with one of the doorguys not letting me in citing that I was too drunk(meee?) stating because he had observed me walk crookedly across the street--clearly this man had never gone Christmas shopping and walked miles through Michigan Ave in not the most comfortable Prada shoes while having had to juggle many shopping bags, but I digress, like I said, aside from this blip on the radar occurrence, everything else has always been world-class and its one of my favorite bars in the world and one that I will continue to go to again and again for many years.
In the Summer, the rooftop is also a favorite!
This is where I always start my night! I remember my first time here I was amazed at just how big the place is! There is nothing like this in San Francisco, it might even be bigger than the Abbey in LA. On the weekends it's always popping, and in summer I like the upstairs deck area. There's never a long wait for drinks, and, relative to California at least, the drinks are cheap!
Review Source:WTF has happened to Boystown. It used to be so much fun. Great music, happy people, sexy boys...and all around positive energy. After having such bad times the last few times I went out, I asked my gay best friend what was wrong. I guess all the cool gays have moved to Andersonville or downtown. Boystown is now for old bitches with more muscles than brains and tourists who don't know any better.
Sidetrack is no exception. Both  the clients and employees are RUDE to female customers. An obviously over-served male customer spilled a drink over one of our coats hanging on the back of a chair. I then told him and his friends to pay attention to what the were doing and they told us to "fuck off".  I told an employee what happened and he said he couldn't do anything about it. I said that was bad customer service and his response was "Great...why don't you go tell my manager. He's over there." And he then pointed to who looked like a manager.
The music here is horrible BTW. If your Grandma learned how to work an Ipod, this is what her playlist would sound like.
+1 star for having the best slushees ever. I don't know how they manage to taste so good and still have so much alcohol in them.
Like many others have said, showtunes night is outstanding fun. On holiday 3 day weekends, they'll often have a showtunes on Sunday, which is great. This having a job thing kinda gets in the way of going out on Monday nights! The bartenders here are quite friendly, mix strong drinks, and the prices are reasonable for a Lake View bar.
Review Source:Door Guy: I need to see your ID, please.
ME: Okay. (produce and show ID, very happy he said please (I am all about manners)).
Door Guy: Now I need to check you backpack for drugs?
ME: WTF? Really? Like I carry keys of coke and meth around in case I need to make a sale. Â Yeah, no thanks.
I really have never had a good experience here. Â My Latino brothers avoid it like the plague and I think for good reason. Â If I wanted to brings drugs or a weapon, I could certainly get it in without it being in a backpack. Â AND, since you are not checking women's purses, peoples cargo shorts (summer) or the multitude of pockets in winter coats, you policy of checking me for drugs is a bit pointless. Â
Does Sidetrack really have that much of a drug problem?? Â No other bar or restaurant seem to have a problem. Â I find it ironic on a day when 2/3 of their bar is closed off, that they would work so hard to keep people with money (um.. that's me) from coming in and spending it. Â No worries, plenty of other places who want me, my money and my backpack (that, for the record, only contains work materials and a laptop).
Cheers!
This place is so much fun! I went here on a Monday night with some other friends who had never been and we were delighted to be there for video night. We all ordered slushy drinks, the black cherry was outstanding, I could get in a lot of trouble drinking those! The staff is friendly but can be a bit intimidating at first (they get a lot of regulars). The crowd is amazing and everyone sings along to the videos. I don't have to worry about creepy frat boys either! It's perfect for a night catching up with the girls.
Review Source:Love Sidetrack! I always have a good time here with my friends. The first time I came was during Market Days when they were serving some absolutely essential slushies. The times I have been back on weekends have been guaranteed fun. The drinks are strong, the people are nice, and it has always been packed! Definitely check it out if you are in Boystown.
Review Source:First time in Chicago, first time at Sidetrack and what an awesome experience! I'm not a big drinker, but wanted to go out one night while I was in the City. We wandered into Sidetrack after reading the reviews and heard about the Showtunes (my favorite). We walked in to one of the largest, nicest places I've ever seen. What an amazing, large space. It was a Sunday night so it wasn't packed so I can only imagine what it looks like on Fri/Sat. Multiple bars, rooms and some of the friendliest people I've ever met.
I had every intention not to drink, but noticed the Frozen Drinks they serve... some frozen cherry goodness (there were other flavors too) that reminded me of a Slurpee. Yum! Couldn't even taste the alcohol, but definitely got a nice buzz from it! Totally hit the spot and made my night that much more fun!
I've been to many video bars in many states and Sidetrack is by far my FAVORITE! The vibe is awesome, the people are friendly, the drinks are great and the videos were fantastic! Â You guys do it right! I had a blast and can't wait to get back to Chicago for my next adventure!
Thank you for a great night in Chi-Town!
Showtune Sundays, where have you been all my life?
I don't really go out on Sunday nights (I'm old like that), but when I decided to nut up and meet a few friends here, I found my bar heaven. I can drink vodka sodas and sing along with Evita and Fame and Cabaret til my heart's content. And drool over hot men with nice bodies. Of course, they don't want anything to do with me, but that's even better!
The place was packed the night I was there, which is a tall order when you have a place of this size. Seriously--massive: I'd like to get the square footage on this puppy. I needed a trail of bread crumbs to find my way back from the bathroom.
I'm totally coming back on nights when I decide to not be old and crabby. Barbra is calling (singing?) my name
Sidetrack (NOT "sidetracks") is one of those bar-within-a-bar type of places. Â Several bars to choose from including a rooftop bar and some of the nicest bartenders in town.
Kathy is my favorite. Â (Tuesday-Thursday evenings.) Â She makes em, makes you laugh and makes you stagger. Â I love her.
Can't say much about the nights here, but happy hour is just that....happy.
If you drive, pay the meter or the City of Chicago will surprise you with either a ticket, a boot or a tow.
I didn't realize it until I was here for Market Days, but Sidetrack and I have a long history together. My first experience in Chicago was here several years ago. It was February and it was cold. My [new] friend Mark taught me about the metaphor for love that Donna Summer was talking about in "MacArthur Park." Ha, not literally, but I digress...
One of the things I love about this club is its size... and I'm a size queen, so take my word on this. It's big. I'm not sure it knows how to use it, if you know what I mean. Anyway, it's still fun to look at and sometimes I like getting lost inside the chaos that can occur here. You never know what you're going to find. In May I ran into two Atlanta friends who were randomly there (independent of each other). Hmm...
Sidetrack is an ENORMOUS bar. Â Like get lost from your friends enormous. Â Keep your cell phone charged or you are never gonna see those mo fos again. Â
There are multiple bars, one in each room it seemed. Â Plus there was an upstairs bar. Â This is where a nice bartender let my friend borrow a bottle opener to pry the wedge off the bottom of her shoe. Â It seems the other shoe had inadvertently lost the wedge, so she needed to get back on even footing. Â
Smoking outside which is fine, but if you stay out too long and close to closing time they will not let you back in to retrieve your friend. Â So you will have to put the text messaging into play in to find them. Â
It is packed full of good looking men, good looking women, bartenders with good pours, and people having fun. Â What's not to love? Â You like big things, don't you? Â Then check out this big big big bar.
Rejoice, the homosexual bartenders are friendly toward heteros. Â What a classy place...I mean this would be the place to convert heteros if you believe American Christian Jihadist propaganda....that's called sidetracking or getting off topic. Â Back to the bar. Â This place is a gem, it supports great causes, makes great drinks and is one of the nicest bars in the city. I can't say enough great things about it so I won't say anything else.
Review Source:OK, so I cannot believe I've been living in this city for years and only now do I go to Musical Mondays. Alas, that is how it is.
I'm so glad I discovered it because...
1. Um, hello?? MUSICAL THEATRE SONGS playing on a giant screen with a bunch of hot (albeit gay) men serenading you from every angle as you belt out the girl's part. Â
2. Alcoholic Slushies. that's right, they are sweet, intoxicating, and addictive. Try the red one.
Now, why only four stars? This place is a ton of fun and I'll be back but I had to stand in heels for four hours. This place gets PACKED and no one leaves, so while the guy in comfy converse got the last seat on the bench by the end of the night I wanted to rip my ankles off. This place needs more chairs!! Oh, and more room in general because as much as I love singing men, when they are drunk and/or sweaty it's not fun to have to squeeze by them to visit the itty bitty bathroom at the back of the bar.
I stopped in Sidetrack the other night after a long break from the Boystown bars to say hello to a friend who was visiting from California. Unfortunately, I was greeted at the door with an inexcusable and questionably legal 'hello.'
When I was asked to show my ID, the doorman radioed to someone inside that a "bag is on its way." Â As I followed two transsexuals with gigantic handbags into the bar, I was stopped and informed that I would need to check my bag. I told them that my cell phone, my keys, my wallet, and my iPod were in the bag, and that I would prefer not to leave it with them. This bag to which I refer is a Nike drawstring knapsack that is smaller than almost any handbag a woman (or transsexual) would carry.
I was told that I could either check my bag or not go into the bar. I told them that it was my purse. I indicated that women were everywhere, transsexuals not discounted, and that I didn't agree with their double-standard based on gender. The guy I was speaking with was simply doing what he was told, and so I asked to speak with the manager. Right after offering to allow them to search my bag.
WELL, here's where the story gets GOOD.
The manager came to the front and met with me. He listened as I pointed out the discrepancies in their policy. And then, when I asked why women are allowed to carry purses and men are not, he boldly proclaimed "BECAUSE WOMEN HAVE A VAGINA, SO THEY CAN CARRY PURSES, AND MEN DO NOT, SO THEY CANNOT."
I cried 'foul', noting that this was a GLBT establishment and should be ashamed of their hideous gender-discriminating policy. I asked if they actually preferred men to carry their wallets so that they could be pickpocketed more easily.
Mr. Manager told me that if I was "going to be a bitch about it" then I was welcome to keep my bag and just go in.
Thanks, I feel vindicated now.
Change your ignorant policy, morons. Support your community.
My first gay bar!! How exciting.
My friend (who is gay) and I came here on a Saturday night. There was a short line to get in, but it moved very quickly. This place was huge. I got lost for a second. We ordered drinks from the upstairs bar. I had a vodka soda and my friend had one of the slushie drinks. The prices were pretty reasonable and my drink was strong. I did sometimes feel as though I was getting dirtly looks like wtf are you doing here.
The dj played mostly top 40 hits and you can watch videos of the songs he's playing. I saw some crazy shit go down, but it was pretty entertaining to watch.
Girls beware the bathroom is dark and there is only one stall. I don't understand why there isn't light in there. I couldn't see crap.
Our first night in Chicago's boys town found us on a nice modern patio deck at Sidetracks. Â Chicago's gay scene is bustling and this place seemed to be the newest, largest and nicest, with plenty of different areas to explore, or hide with that cute new boy you just met.
Bring ID, and wear something nice.
Consistently the best run bar of any persuasion in Chicago.
Excellent staff, many of whom have been there for 10, 15, 20 years or more....and a generous sprinkling of new team members who tend to be easy on the eyes.
Virtually never a cover (exceptions for three or four special events per year), fair prices, and good pours.
Huge space, classy decor, immaculately clean. There's no stale beer stench here...EVER.
They never have specials. And they don't have to. If you want a dollar drink there are plenty of other options. Â But if you want a warm atmosphere, good entertainment, excellent drinks, and equally good people, I'll see you at Sidetrack.
I don't like slushie drinks... I'm not 5. However, I love booze and will try just about anything. A friend said I had to try one of the slushie drinks because it will knock me on my ass... and that it did.
HUGE bar... like reallllllllly f'n huge. Bonus for the rooftop patio/deck!
Super clean. Super nice staff.
The Gayborhood knows how to treat a lady like myself. :)
Hands down the largest gay club I've seen in the mid-west if not the entire country. Â Sidetrack has multiple rooms with different floors each pumping out a different but none-the-less cruisy vibe. Â The people are usually friendly and the drinks are cheap! Â Then again living in San Francisco everything else seems appropriately priced. Â
The drinks are heavy, the boys are hot, and the club is bumpin'.
The pinnacle of gay bars in Boystown. Â If the thing adds on any more, it'll need to break out of ZIP code 60657.
Monday night - very busy for showtunes night. Â Beers were a little pricier than elsewhere ($4.50 on a Monday? Â Really?) but something has to pay for the upkeep of this enormous building. Â The sad part is that I wasn't able to check out the upstairs patio, as it is closed on Mondays.
(One thing I will say - whoever writes the smoking ordinances needs to think a bit before putting them into law. Â The bouncer politely told some people to move 15 feet away from the entrance. Â Only problem? Â By the time you're 15 feet away from their entrance, you're less than 15 feet from someone else's entrance in a city like this. Â Duh.)
Oddly, you can pay with a credit card, but you have to close out after every drink. Â Huh? Â Makes no sense to me at all.
All in all, it's a great space, fun people, always busy and with a crowd, and really, like I say, the pinnacle of Boystown's bars. Â Why only 5 stars? Â I think it takes itself a little too seriously as said pinnacle. Â It comes across in their pricing, and somewhat in the attitude of some (not all) of the staff that I interacted with. Â Remember - if you have to continue to prove you're great - you're probably not anymore.
I was visiting a straight friend in Chicago, and he was nice enough to go to Boystown with me. We started at Roscoe's -- mainly because of the pitchers of Long Island iced tea (that and the dance floor really were the only thing redeeming about that place). But, alas, I had a difficult time talking to anyone there -- I mean geez, you'd think you were in a straight bar with the amount of women at Roscoe's.
Thankfully we live in the 21st century, so I pulled out my phone and Googled for a better place to go. Sidetrack looked promising, and it indeed was. It's so big and spacious. (If a "grenade" starts talking to you, you can always use the line, "Well, I'm going to go see what's going on upstairs [or downstairs].") The decor is so modern and clean; it didn't feel sleazy, yet I still felt comfortable wearing jeans there. The bartenders were friendly and attentive. I was there when the musical theme was Soul Train stuff...ehh, that was okay I guess. I'm not much of a fan of 70s music, but at least it's something other than the latest video by Coldplay.
It's just an awesome bar all around. There's no attitude (I guess part of that is because you Midwesterners are so awesome and friendly). Sidetrack is a kick-ass place to have a drink and meet people.
I need to update this to reiterate my love for this bar.
Sidetracks is my perfect place. Â Seriously.
There's friendly bartenders. Â Dance music playing and people be-bopping along. Â The rooftop is AMAZING.
It's been a long hard year of wedding planning so after that final "we're finally done (I think...)" meeting, we treated ourselves to cocktails at a very much missed hang out. Â
And it was like coming home again. Â
The pours are heavy and the service is sweet. Â And on a warm day where you want both a drink and a slushy, come nab one with some vodka in it here! Â
My favorite thing ever though is Sunday nights. Â There's nothing better than singing your favorite show tunes with people you don't know but already love! Â
They've redone some stuff yet again to keep it fresh and gorgeous. Â So come with me, pull up a bar stool and *sigh* Â Welcome to a good life.
I LOVE THE GAYS! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE -- therefore I LOVE this place. Filled with ridiculously hot men who shower you with compliments and treat you like gold and they are NOT trying to get into your pants. I love Sidetracks. I love Boy's Town. I love the gay men (and women) at this place -- so welcoming, so kind, so sweet, so nice, so personable. LOVE!
Every gay person I have ever met has treated straight people with respect, kindness and without judgment. Maybe we can learn something from them. Equal rights for all. :)
I find it nearly impossible to believe I haven't reviewed this gigantic homosexual bar.
Not that the homosexuals who go here are gigantic. I mean the bar itself is HUGE! Last night, I was dragged out of the confines of my comfy Andersonville flat by my super tall and gorgeous friend. Â On second thought, some of the homosexuals were gigantic.
Upon entering, we went to the "far side" as usual, but I ended up in a few new places inside that I didn't even know existed.
Ok, lets back up and start from the beginning. Â To start, Â they check your ID. You walk into a sea of huge video screens, all playing the same video at the same time. Ironically, different parts of the bar have totally different feels. The outdoor patio feels very Miami. The back bars feel like a back home bar....the big bars in the middle feel like a crazy club. Even though there isn't really a dance floor, people are still getting their dance on....and some of the boys like to pretend they are on the cat walk, cheered on by their cronies.
For a change of pace, I decided to just drink Ginger Ale. I wanted to take in the bar sober. Admittedly, I just wanted to be 100% alert to see if I got hit on. I find myself very attractive. So, the question was, do others?
My answer came about an hour later when a Paris Hilton look alike came up to me, tapped me on the shoulder...and when I turned around...she made an air circle around me and said "This look works..."
Great. A girl thinks I'm cute. Just what I was hoping for.
At this point, I decided to have my Ginger Ale with a little Orange Stoli. The bartenders were exceptionally friendly, and despite the amazing crowds, the service was really fast. The bar is so tidy, and I really appreciated that.
The crowd was amazingly diverse - lesbians, gays of all shapes and colors, straight girls, older men. I even saw a tranny. Good for you girl, rock that Beyonce honey colored wig.
As the evening rolled on, I realized at age 32, I am a senior citizen in the gay community. I also realized that my pallid skin shone like a blazing sun in the sea of spray tanned homos. I also realized that I should go to the gym more often, because my flat stomach isn't ribbed for pleasure like most of the other immaculately plucked and shaved boys.
But on the flip side of the coin, my differences made me stand out. I'm not sure I want to look like that flock of gay flamingos. As fun as they are to look at, I'm not sure I want to be one.
Some day my prince will come. Twice. And hopefully, I'll be responsible for it.
Give Sidetrack a try. It's a great bar, with a super fun vibe.
Looking for a great night of fun? Â Well apply your "Hairspray" , "Grease" back your hair, and check your "Moulin Rouge" Â in the mirror as Sidetracks Showtunes Sunday night is more fun than a "Cabaret"!
Sure. Â There are "Wicked" good looking men all around, some of them may even be "Jersey Boys" , but the singing and the song commentary (got to get me a list of what shout outs go with what song!) will make you wish you had a permanent seat to "Rent" at Sidetracks!
I was one of the few "Dream Girls" in the place but that's fine with me, cuz the place was a "Poseidon Adventure" all night long!
Service was outstanding (friendly bartenders that took good care of me) who were not "Phantoms" of the Opera, but who were always where I needed them to be and with a drink in their hand.
Valet parking ($10) on this night was a bit of a "Titanic" as they needed more people but got it under control by the time we left.
If singing "Springtime for Hitler" in a group setting doesn't make you laugh- stay away. Â There is a "Chorus Line" of people to get in here who are looking to have a great time singing Showtunes and laughing with each other. Â "Mama Mia" ! I had a good time!
I recently had my first night "out" in Boystown (oh, ha, let the stupid gay jokes from suburban Kansas girl begin). To break me in, my friends took me to Sidetrack, and I'm looking forward to many happy returns this summer.
With that in mind, a warning to all who patronize this glorious establishment: I am  completely obsessed with you.
I have never seen more incredibly gorgeous, completely unavailable men in one place than I did here. And for some reason, I didn't mind the latter. Somehow charming even when butts are being gratuitously groped, polite -- my foot was stepped on no fewer than four times, and in every instance I had a gushing apology that almost certainly involved the word "sweetie" -- and everyone easy on the eyes, to boot! Even the older men. I wish I were exaggerating.
Classic Paige moment of the night: A group of pretty girls (unaccompanied by any men) was weaving through the crowd. They looked as out of place as me. Already overserved, I asked my friend in much more than a stage whisper, "Yeah, but they're straight, right?!" The leader of the pack looked back and yelled, "YES!" And I nearly fell over.
Scene.
So, add vodka-infused lemon slushees, generous bartenders and dance music videos to the man candy, and you've got yourself one very. Fun. Night.
I mean, I never *really* mind having beautiful men all up in my space, but in this case, I was ecstatic. Oh, Sidetrack. I'll be back. Maybe for showtunes night.
There's a broken heart for every queer at Sidetrack...
The first time I came here, a couple of decades ago, it was Showtune night. As I walked in the door, a clip from "Oklahoma" was playing, and the boys were belting out "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning." I immediately flashed on hundreds  of high school Lauries, weeping in their rooms and asking their diaries why the boy playing Curly wasn't interested in them.
You're pretty, honey. Curly's just a big fag.
By the way, if you're a true Chicagoan, you call this bar "Sidetracks." Like the Jewels.
We love love this bar!!! Â The gorgeous gay bar in Chicago!!!! Don't you think? Â :) Â We've been here many times and always fun . Â They have a lot of cute, hot and handsome bartenders in the boystown.
The slushy was just perfect.  Yummy!!!  Now, this place is not popular only LBGT community but ,it's also  famous for straight couples.  BRAVO
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