I was not made to feel welcome, and host actually sarcastically told me goodbye when I left

Amazing experience! The dancers were incredible and the staff was welcoming and professional. Great atmosphere and such a fun time. I'll definitely be back! read more

Love this dive bar spot. I have been to Chicago a few times now and it's a must stop every time. The dancers are really chill and approachable the bartenders serve a good drink and for the most part staff is all great. I would definitely recommend checking this place out if you are in the mood for a good show. read more

Very nice! Great hot go go boys and very nice bartenders. The doorman was especially nice and helpful.

Mathew is amazing. the rest of the staff is attentive and. dedicated to your experience. I recommend this place for a judgement free zone to be able to let loose and have fun. Chicagos best kept secret read more

Lioking forward to checking the place out! I hear its a real place to chill and get some tunes, cheap drinks, and dance the night away, 3am bar on Saturdays. read more

Wow, ummm, we stumbled on this place because I saw online that they were having a Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B night where they'd be playing their music for most of the day/night. As big fans of the two, we knew we'd have to give this place as try as we'd have never been here before. First off, was not expecting this place to be as big as it was. From the outside, this place is unassuming, but when you walk in, it goes way back and deep and even to the left. I didn't know what to expect, but this is like borderline a strip club, and if you're looking for a sugar daddy this might be your place, lol. It was quite the show observing older men doing what they were doing (use your imagination). Honestly, I enjoyed it because people watching is my favorite past time. The drinks were also pretty cheap... not sure if it's because of the night we went, but they were affordable but a bit watered down/sweet... ya know, the typical gay bar shit. Anyways, I think I may be back. Maybe I'll end up a sugar baby one day? read more

Super Fun place besides the covid restrictions. Cheap drinks, good music and 1/2 naked guys. What more do you need in a social outing. Good crowd and the staff was nice. Also John took all my money I had set aside for everyone else. read more

This was definitely a highlight of our visit. Every other bar we went to seemed to be busy and hyped. This one however had a more laid back atmosphere to it. A place where you could actually have a conversation with your friends and not wonder for the rest of the night what you agreed to. We actually had a hard time trying to pinpoint exactly what type of a space this was. We were torn between whether this place was a male strip club or a bear bar. We just couldn't figure it out. Regardless of what you feel this place to be, it delivers with comfort. Bartenders are on their game and do their job with a smile. The dancers were a little bit confusing to us. For as many dancers as there were, there wasn't much dancing going on. There is like one raised area that they swap out at, but a majority of the time they are in the crowd mingling with the clientele. It's a nice touch that makes if feel like an intimate place, but a little off putting to us at first. All and all, it is a great chill bar to go if you just want to sit and enjoy a drink. We enjoyed ourselves while we were here so much that we ended up here to wind down the night after hitting some other places. read more

0 stars. Let's just say both the bartenders and security don't do their jobs. The dancers are really nice. If u wanna deal with attitude all night just talk to staff. read more

So, as I walked to the door, a boisterous group of about 5 ppl walked out. However, when attempting to enter, I was told they were "at capacity." It pays to note that I'm black. #MakeBetterChoices read more

My boyfriend and I come here every other week and the vibes are always nice! The dancers are very friendly and always dressed to impress. Always having different theme nights and events. Never have had a bad experience yet! Reasonably priced drinks too. read more

Hi, I am a certified pilates trainer who loves bears. I love to watch bears on TV and in person, on my computer... everywhere! Let me tell you, this place has great bears. Super hairy and friendly looking. I would say that there were some cute cubs too, but mostly it was filled with adults. Watching them play with each other is my favorite. I was drinking a little bit and I did touch one, but he didn't seem to get too mad. This isn't quite a hands off place, more of a laid back and casual atmosphere. My drink was great by the way. I always take my white wine with ice cubes, and the bartender was happy to oblige me. read more

The Lucky Horseshoe Lounge - that's a bear! - Gay Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I come once in a blue moon for salacious people watching, usually when friends are in town. There is a lot to see and I'm not a judge of people, but it certainly attracts certain types, and it's an occasional reminder of a different side of life (for me). The last time I went last year I was surprised to actually enjoy watching the dancers, the quality was much higher than the past (usually bad dancers), there were a few that knew how to milk it for all it is worth. read more

Amazing dancers. Cheap drinks. Great bartenders. Friendly atmosphere. 10/10! Always a great time.

Gay and straight alike can find a little something to amaze their eyes at the Lucky Horseshoe. The drinks are a bit overpriced but the floor show is a lot of fun. It seems like a lot of regulars mixed with a lot of newcomers to boys town. read more

The Lucky Horseshoe Lounge - Great little performance dance floor in the middle of the bar. - Gay Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I come here about once a month with my buddies to have a drink and look at some boys. However, we recently came here and learned that the original owner passed and his partner has kept the bar opened. However, since the ownership passed hands, the original rules do not apply anymore. The go-go boys can not show anymore skin then what you can see on the beach...and you can tell business is being impacted...there are less go-go boys and less patrons except the usual suspects. The boys are also restricted not to have any lap dances from what I was told. This is really sad. This was such a good place to have a bachelor/bachelorette party but if the boys can't strip...then what is the point!! I hope this gets resolved soon and the city gives them their license to take it off again...soon!! read more

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! read more

What do you people expect at a gay strip club??? The Shoe rocks. It's a freakin' blast. If you're a pretensious jerk, you're not going to like it. So don't go in and then write terrible things online about a well established honest business. You yelpers are a bunch of a**holes. read more

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!!! read more

I don't know why people look down onto this place. Yeah, it's sleazy, it's a strip bar. What exactly do you expect? Is there a classy gay strip bar somewhere that I'm not aware of? Let me know, I'd like to see how that works. Lucky Horseshoe is predictably what it is, a strip bar. Go-go dancers, dancing at various stages, the bar charging you a little bit more for the show. Brides-to-be and their friends giggling loud and openly. The quality of the strippers are average and yes they crowd the sugar daddies because let's keep it real, they work for money. I mean, we all do, don't we? And tip the strippers, that's what you're there for. You are not doing anyone a favor by being on your high horse or being shy. If a strip bar is not your thing then don't go. read more

Usually have a good time here. Most of the dancers are great. On weekends though too many girls go here expecting all of the attention, and many of the dancers give their attention to them then guys, although its a gay bar. Dancer accidently knocked into me spilling my drink but refused to admit it was his fault and bartender thought I was starting a fight and called security on Sat night of Market Days. Really??? Never had this problem before. It was the short bartenders in main bar area in the front who raised his voice and assumed I was starting a fight. I know it was busy but the dancer who was obviously straight and focusing more on the girls near me...and the bartender was such an inconsiderate asshole. Like i said I enjoy going usually and this was a one time incident. But as a regular customer, I was angry that I wasn't even listened to and that girls got more attention then the guys. read more

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. read more

This place seems to get bad reviews for people that do not know what to expect. This is bar that you go to alone or with friends if you like to watch male strippers. 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. They have three bar areas complete with stools if you come alone. The bartenders are attentive and they will have a conversation if the place is not too busy. The dancers vary from twink to muscle. The dancers have random schedules so you may not see the same dancer if you only go on the same day constantly. If you do want to see them again ask when they will be there next. Some people review this place in a grim, disgusted manner. Usually because there is no dancefoor, deejay, and the fact that the dancers are getting more attention than they are. read more

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. 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. 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! 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. 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. read more

I finally gave in to my friends and went along to the Horseshoe last weekend. 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. Listen, calling this place a strip club is ridiculous. There were hazy-minded men in jock straps, standing on the stages just kind of bouncing along with the music. I was thinking burlesque and was rewarded with locker room. No stripping. No dancing. No art. One very important tidbit: do not eat the popcorn. read more

Ahh yes, I'm actually reviewing the Lucky Horseshoe. 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. 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. Well Spin was closed and you know what's conveniently across the street...oh yes, the Lucky Horseshoe. 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. It couldn't have been a better night for me, being the Latino adorer that I am. 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?!). 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. I won't complain a bit, except for the overpriced drinks that I am guessing pays for the dancer's time. I love me some hot, muscular Latinos... In case you're wondering it was a Monday evening (who knows if every night is a Reggaeton night though). read more

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! read more

Are you fucking kidding me? Who gave this place only 3 stars? It's 5 stars when it's closed! There aren't even words, or biblical phrases to describe how amazing this place is. I could try but, wow, I couldn't hold a candle to the real "live" experience. Ugh, I'm going to faint! Just go, you'll love it. There's seriously something terminally wrong with you if you don't love it. Trust me, you'll be planning your next visit before you even leave. Hey, and damn good Asian take out next door. Bulgogi and shit, good crab Rangoon too. It's a little slice of heaven. read more

This place was unlike any gay bar I've been to before! There's a few different rooms to explore and each has a separate undie-clad male dancer in the center. It's pretty dark inside as it should be ;) Drinks are pretty cheap so that's awesome. We didn't stay long because there's not really much to do but stare at the dancers which I can only do for so long. Stopping by here was quite a unique experience--I'm glad I did. read more

I've been going to the Lucky Horseshoe since I moved to Chicago in December of 2010. I'm from the south... and having lived in both New Orleans and Key West... I've seen my fair share of these sorts of places. Lucky Horseshoe is by far my favorite... if you go in there with realistic expectations. The dancers range from off-the-charts-hot to attractive-in-their-own-way. Some are friendly and talkative... others are men of few words. But I really enjoy myself when I go. It is what it is. Go in there with an open mind and a generous heart (and lots of single bills to decorate the guys' g-strings). :-) read more

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. read more

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! read more

The Lucky Horseshoe Lounge - the front of the restaurant - Gay Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I somewhat vividly remember a few details when I first stepped into this bar. I was newly 21 and I guess it was a decent experience except for the condescending bartender. I guess I'll begin with why I give this place one star. My friend and I walk to the back and watched a couple of the dancers. We were ambushed and interrogated by one of the bartenders asking to see our IDs. I guess it is your job, but don't you think we would have been kicked out right before we even stepped into the facility? He then proceeded to say we needed to order a drink when we already did the second we stepped into the bar. He didn't ruin my night, but I can't say the same about my friend. We just left after that. The part I feel like I imagined was that one of the bartenders at the front kept looking at me. We would lock eyes for a couple of seconds and I would turn my head away. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I looked like I was 12 or if he was a tad bit remotely attracted to me. read more

I have been going to the Lucky Horseshoe off and on for many years. II have always felt welcome there and everyone, both employees, dancers, and customers have been friendly. One time I paid for my drink with a $20 bill but the bartender gave me change for a $5. The bartender did not believe me when I complained. Ever since then have always made a point of telling the bartender how much money I am giving him when I pay for drinks. I'm glad I started doing this because I got shortchanged again at the Lucky Horseshoe just a month ago but when I reminded the bartender how much I had tendered he corrected the mistake. read more

Tragic!!! Night of the living DEAD The bar it's self is fine, but . . . the crowd acts like they are all friends that have gone down to the tavern to talk & laugh very loudly. they pay no attention to the dancers, and make it difficult for anyone else to either. As for the dancers, they are cute enough, but not very good dancers, & no enthusiasm. One might ask if the dancer aren't enjoying themselves because if the crowd, or is the croud acting that way because of the dancers????? Either way, it's not the kind I'd go go boy bar that we enjoy. read more

Yeah no. Like 1000000% no. Bad music, bad drinks, bad aesthetics. Every time I go in there I want something new. Even if they put a flower on the bar it would be a better place. The dancers don't even dance, they just sway back and forth and smile at the oldest man with the biggest wad of cash in his hand. I don't care for their attention, but honestly. It's for trashy men who can't get some anywhere else. Excuse me as I go to Hydrate and actually have a good time. read more

I went in for a quiet drink ... and all the waiter boys started taking their clothes off ... FABULOUS ... must be great beer :-D ... !!! ... Sooo ... I thought i would see if the effects of the drink would work the same at a local burger bar and the Seven Eleven ... but my luck must have run out [or sobered up] ... As sadly the staff all remained clothed ... :-( read more

It was OK. The drinks are strong and the prices aren't too bad. Some of the strippers were hot, some were OK, and some needed to put a paper bag over their heads. Quite a range of ages and looks amongst the strippers. No nudity. A thought - a few women/girls were present. They were giggling and commenting on the boys doing the strip dances. Ladies, this is a men's bar. A GAY bar. Your presence was a real boner killer. Go somewhere else for getting your jollies, please. Didn't you look around and see how annoyed all the guys were? Or if you do insist on visiting a gay bar, go on a Monday night at 7pm, not a Saturday night at midnight. read more

EVERYTHING Christiana mentioned is what makes this place so amazing! 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! No, not you Christiana, haha. It sounds like it was even more exciting when she was there - I'm jealous! But yeah, if you don't like homo strippers, of course you shouldn't go to a gay strip club in Boystown! Lucky Horseshoe is probably the most fun bar on Halstead, if you're in the mood for seediness, of course. read more