One of the top bars in Chicago! They are very innovative and know how to draw a crowd! They are always switching it up on you, so you never know what to expect. The performers are exceptional! And it’s the bar you want to be at after hours!!!
We love Charlie’s!!! This bar makes us feel at home every week from the wonderful bingo hosts to the shadow contests on Wednesday’s!! This bar has been home for a long time and the staff has always been the most spectacular especially the managers Ralphie and Adrian.
Ended a night out with the girls here and had so much fun! We danced and enjoyed the upbeat music and party atmosphere! The line at the bar was fast and Adrian behind the bar was the best!
Charlie’s is a great bar and welcoming to all. Charlie’s also does a lot for the community with fundraisers and nonprofits. I love Charlie’s!!
The great vibe and the best staff! Love the line dancing and free lessons on Wednesdays from 7 to 10. Bingo Mondays, awesome drag every night.
One of the best gay chicago bars in the business. Great music, drinks and very cost friendly. Also the entertainment that is provided by the drag queens is one of the best in the strip. Also a big plus is they are a late bar closes at 4 a.m. Love Charlie’s Chicago!!!
Management should reconsider their business approach in how they operate.This is a fantastic bar, awesome events, and incredible staff members! The staff members are the nicest people I have met in the bars in boystown! I come here very often for the dance portion when it starts at 1:30am and I even boast to people about how great it is. I even recommend to others that it's one of the bars they have to experience.Unfortunately, after coming here so often for so long, a few major issues persist in which gets exhausting to experience every time which is making me reconsider not coming here and not recommending this bar to everyone that I have been and going forward.The coat check during high volume times absolutely needs 3 people working coat check or double than what they have been. Will literally spend an entire hour or more waiting to check and uncheck belongings every time; that 30m - 1+ hour wait is expected per trip to coat check; meaning, 30m - 1hr to check in and an additional to check out. Additionally, during high volume times, the coat check also takes drink orders on top of an already excessively long wait for coat checking / unchecking. Drink orders should not be permitted at coat check during high volume times.You have a ton of line jumpers at coat check and the polite and respectful people get shoved aside easily and don't want constant confrontation from drunk or other forms of inebriated people for my own safety, so the wait is even longer.Another major issue, sometimes, you need to step outside for fresh air, but you will have to wait back in line to get inside Charlie's after you already did your fair share of excessive waiting to get in to the bar on top of the excessive wait times for coat check and the bathroom. They stamp you when you walk in, so that's how the bouncer and Charlie's staff members can identify already checked in patrons. If you step outside in the winter, cause you need to step outside regardless of the reason, you aren't going to wait in the line for coat check to go outside for 5m cause you might as well go home at that point and then to repeat all the excessive waiting again.Not much to do about this but, the lines to the bathrooms during high volume times are just as long as the coat check and to get into Charlie's, the bathrooms can't handle the high volume of patrons, wish they could expand the building a bit to increase bathroom capacity. If the other resolvable issues didn't exist then I likely would not complain about the bathroom issue.All of these issues are explicitly regarding the high volume times between 1:30am - close when the dance portion is active. Generally, Thursday - Sunday but especially Saturday.
Love getting there early on Fridays. love all the staff they are just awesome and beyond nice thank you guys for a awesome night. Can't wait in 2 weeks to head back
NEVER GO TO THIS BAR. I went to Charlie's last night and all of my friends that went into the bar before me showed their proof of vaccination on their phone and got in just fine. I tried to do the same and the bouncer told me that I had to have my physical vaccination card with me. I simply was wondering why I was the only one that needed that and after going back and forth with the bouncer, he tackled me to the ground and I got a concussion from hitting my head on the concrete. This was a horrifying experience and I hope that no one else has to go through it.
A place with good music, amazing people. All the employees are so nice, the bartenders and security. Their shows are great. More than that they helped me when I needed their help. Thank you for everything!