Second Story Bar
Tucked away from the hubbub of the street sits this unassuming gay dive. Stop by for a no-frills cocktail to be enjoyed while chatting with some locals.
Nominee for Best of GayCities '23
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Reviews
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dark and dicey
After a day of shopping on Michigan avenue I love coming here for a strong Drink, and maybe more. Very diverse clientele from young to old, and black to white. No judgement zone inside. You never know who might come to this bar. Can be a lot of fun!
...love this place!
Dive is right. Strong drinks, laid back vibe. A must when in Chicago
Downtown's Best Secret
I come to this bar every time I'm in Chicago. I love a good, unpretentious, divey gay bar (an endangered species), and Second Story is as good as it gets. This last time I took my husband, who is NOT a dive bar fan. He wasn't loving the fact that the entire bar is smaller than our living room (he has space issues), but after a couple of strong drinks and after noticing how diverse the crowd was (old men, young boys, big lesbians, lipstick lesbians, etc), he let his hair down and had a great time.
Fun bar but too cold
Fun vibe and crowd, stong drinks, good music ; but it's always way too cold ... bartenders keep the air on cold because they are hot behind the bar. Hint: when your customers are donning their winter coats, it might be time to think of their comfort vs your own
small local gay bar
Strong drinks, cheap. Nice mix of people, retail queens to millionaires in business