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Chicago is positively bursting with Pride.
Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Where to Dine and Drink During Pride in Chicago

15 great ways to taste the rainbow and support LGBTQ communities

by Naomi Waxman Updated
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Chicago is positively bursting with Pride.
| Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images
by Naomi Waxman Updated

Pride Month is finally here again, providing many fun and tasty opportunities for Chicagoans to celebrate, appreciate, and support LGBTQ communities. Chicago Pride Fest is slated for Saturday, June 17, and Sunday, June 18; Pride in the Park will resume the following weekend on Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24, with headliners including Zedd and Saweetie. The 52nd annual Chicago Pride Parade will be held on Sunday, June 25, with a boisterous march through the Northalsted neighborhood (formerly known as Boystown).

While Pride is generally known for a festive, joyous atmosphere, an urgent tenor has only grown over recent years as right-wing activists have stoked a new wave of animosity against LGBTQ people (and by extension, Pride). Their political allies have followed suit by launching a tidal wave of bills targeting queer communities by banning gender-affirming medical care for trans youth, censoring discussion of LGBTQ issues in public schools, and restricting drag performances.

Check out Eater Chicago’s collection of community spots, rainbow food and cocktails, and delicious ways to raise funds for organizations that serve LGBTQ people.

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Hewn

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Evanston bakery Hewn is celebrating Pride with its rainbow croissants, which are available for pre-order in a four-pack for Pride Weekend, or Saturday June 24 and Sunday, June 25. A portion of sales will go to Equality Florida, the state’s sole statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization and essential advocate amid a recent cascade of anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida.

1733 Central St, Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-4396
(847) 869-4396

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Rewired Pizza Cafe & Bar

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Rewired in Edgewater is a reliable spot for Pride fun. This year the team is featuring numerous colorful food and drink options, including rainbow-hued “gay deviled eggs,” rainbow cake, Gay IPA from local brewery Marz, and Rewired’s signature Pride lattes with edible glitter. There are events, too, such as Big Gay Trivia on Monday, June 19, and Showtunes Sunday Brunch every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

1100 W Thorndale Ave, Chicago, IL 60660
(773) 360-1621
(773) 360-1621
A rainbow latte beside a tiny glittery rainbow cowboy hat. Rewired Pizza Cafe & Bar

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Nobody's Darling

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Nestled along a residential street in Andersonville, Nobody’s Darling — one of just two Black queer-owned taverns in Chicago — rapidly established itself as a community pillar and possible blueprint for the future of LGBTQ bars. That’s in addition to a nod from the James Beard Foundation, which in March named it a 2022 finalist for its outstanding bar program award. An expansion into a neighboring space is in the works, but meanwhile, the team will mark Pride with a drag brunch on Saturday, June 24 starring performers Sasha Love, Zamora Love, and Ebony. They’ll also host a Pride Parade viewing party on Sunday, June 25 with discounts on all women- and BIPOC-owned spirits, and rainbow mimosas for $8.

1744 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
A storefront bar with a rainbow flag.
It’s Pride all year long at Nobody’s Darling.
Garrett Sweet/Eater Chicago

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Alamo Drafthouse Wrigleyville

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Alamo Drafthouse, a Texas-based movie theater chain that landed in Chicago in early 2023, is channeling its Pride efforts toward fundraising for national LGBTQ mental health nonprofit The Trevor Project with optional donation add-ons to ticket purchases in June (Alamo will match donations of up to $5,000). A Pride Month film lineup includes Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Friday, June 9; The Birdcage and The Mitchells vs The Machines on Friday, June 16; and Rocketman on Friday, June 23. Its bar, Video Vortex, is also featuring a Pride cocktail menu with a portion of proceeds also going to The Trevor Project.

3519 N Clark St SUITE C301, Chicago, IL 60657
(872) 298-3961
(872) 298-3961

Slo ‘Mo Party at Sleeping Village

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Queer pop-up party staple Slo ‘Mo will present a powerful Pride celebration on Saturday, June 10 at Sleeping Village with a lineup of special performances and sets from local stars including Empress Darling Shear, Miss Angelica Grace, Messy Misdemeanor, VITIGRRL, and ICEY BBY. Party people can also count on food from Black lesbian-owned restaurant Taylor’s Tacos and plenty of mezcal drinks. Tickets and more details are available online.

3734 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 654-3971
(773) 654-3971

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Cesar's Killer Margaritas - Broadway

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A destination for — what else — margaritas, Cesar’s is putting its spin on Pride month with bright and boozy “pride-rita,” a concoction of strawberry, lime, mango, and blue curacao, throughout the month of June. Operators will donate 50 percent of proceeds to The Howard Brown Center, which has a location just blocks away from the bar.

2924 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 296-9097
(773) 296-9097
A rainbow margarita in a plastic cup with a Pride flag. Cesar’s Killer Margaritas

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The Goddess and Grocer

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Bakery and cafe mini-chain Goddess and Grocer has brought back its mega-hit rainbow cake, and the team is donating $1 from the sale of each cake slice to LGBTQ service and community center Center on Halsted.

1649 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 342-3200
(773) 342-3200
A slice of rainbow cake.
This rainbow cake has become a Pride Month staple in Chicago.
The Goddess and Grocer

Also featured in:

Dorothy

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The lesbian bar scene across the U.S. has dwindled over recent years but Chicagoans are fortunate to have two spots explicitly designed for queer women and the communities who love them. Dorothy, chef Zoe Schor’s subterranean space where all “friends of Dorothy” is celebrating Pride with a diverse lineup of events including rock ‘n roll burlesque on Thursday, June 8; a Queer Elder History Panel on Thursday, June 15; and Gender Variety: a Trans & Gender Non-conforming Cabaret on Thursday, June 29. A full list of events is available online.

2500 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Lez Meet on the Rooftop at the Emily Hotel

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Bars have long served as vital gathering spaces for LGBTQ communities, but a boozy experience isn’t for everyone. Pride celebrants can swap cocktails for mocktails on Sunday, June 11 at Selva inside the Emily Hotel with Lez Get Together, a sober event series for “lesbians, bi-women, and sapphic people.” The party will feature a menu of alcohol-free drinks and appetizers, as well as tarot readings, live artists, and music by Sparklmami. Tickets and more details are available online.

311 N Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 764-1934
(312) 764-1934

Also featured in:

Gaijin

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Chef Paul Virant’s (Vie) hip okonomiyaki restaurant is getting boozy with a Sour Candy cocktail (Haku vodka, yuzu, lemon, egg white, sprinkles) available throughout Pride Month, with $1 from each drink sold going to Howard Brown Health.

950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 265-1348
(312) 265-1348
A cocktail with the word “Pride” stenciled on top in purple letters. Kira Anderson/Gaijin

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La Josie

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The team at La Josie in Fulton Market is honoring Pride Month with a Celebrating You cocktail (orange-infused reposado, pomegranate, lime) and donating $2 from each sale to volunteer-run organization WayOUT, which raises funds for LGBTQ youth programs across the U.S.

740 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 929-2900
(312) 929-2900

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Mother Nature’s Drag Brunch at The Metropolitan

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The Metropolitan inside Chicago’s famous Willis Tower will host Mother Nature’s Drag Brunch on Saturday, June 10 as a part of its Secret Garden pop-up that gives the public a chance to explore what is otherwise a private club. Organizers promise “glitz and glam” with performances by Chamilla Foxx, Kimberly Summer, BoyJ, and Jforpay, as well as a la carte food and drinks. Tickets and more details are available via Tock.

233 S Wacker Dr 67th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 876-3200
(312) 876-3200

La Luna

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Pilsen restaurant and cocktail bar La Luna is hosting Drag Me to Brunch drag shows every Saturday in June with sickening (that’s a good thing) performances, bottomless mimosas, DJ sets, and a selection of Pride cocktails with proceeds going to the ACLU’s Drag Defense Fund. Reservations and more details are available via Eventbrite.

1726 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 248-8957
(312) 248-8957

Also featured in:

The Promontory

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MCEE Trina Truluv will host the Promontory’s Pride in the Sky rooftop party featuring DJs 1st Lady TayLuv and Darryl Garcon on Sunday, June 25. Patrons can expect both an outdoor patio and an indoor dance floor, as well as food and drinks. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

5311 S Lake Park Ave W, Chicago, IL 60615
(312) 801-2100
(312) 801-2100

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Jeffery Pub

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Jeffery Pub in South Shore has served LGBTQ Chicagoans since the mid-’60s, making it one of the oldest gay bars in the U.S. It’s also one of just two Black-owned gay bar in the city. Pride month is an especially festive time to stop by for drinks, dancing, and general revelry with an energetic crowd.

7041 S Jeffery Blvd, Chicago, IL 60649
(773) 363-8555
(773) 363-8555
A closed dive bar. Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

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Hewn

1733 Central St, Evanston, IL 60201

Evanston bakery Hewn is celebrating Pride with its rainbow croissants, which are available for pre-order in a four-pack for Pride Weekend, or Saturday June 24 and Sunday, June 25. A portion of sales will go to Equality Florida, the state’s sole statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization and essential advocate amid a recent cascade of anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida.

1733 Central St, Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-4396
(847) 869-4396

Rewired Pizza Cafe & Bar

1100 W Thorndale Ave, Chicago, IL 60660

Rewired in Edgewater is a reliable spot for Pride fun. This year the team is featuring numerous colorful food and drink options, including rainbow-hued “gay deviled eggs,” rainbow cake, Gay IPA from local brewery Marz, and Rewired’s signature Pride lattes with edible glitter. There are events, too, such as Big Gay Trivia on Monday, June 19, and Showtunes Sunday Brunch every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

1100 W Thorndale Ave, Chicago, IL 60660
(773) 360-1621
(773) 360-1621
A rainbow latte beside a tiny glittery rainbow cowboy hat. Rewired Pizza Cafe & Bar

Nobody's Darling

1744 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

Nestled along a residential street in Andersonville, Nobody’s Darling — one of just two Black queer-owned taverns in Chicago — rapidly established itself as a community pillar and possible blueprint for the future of LGBTQ bars. That’s in addition to a nod from the James Beard Foundation, which in March named it a 2022 finalist for its outstanding bar program award. An expansion into a neighboring space is in the works, but meanwhile, the team will mark Pride with a drag brunch on Saturday, June 24 starring performers Sasha Love, Zamora Love, and Ebony. They’ll also host a Pride Parade viewing party on Sunday, June 25 with discounts on all women- and BIPOC-owned spirits, and rainbow mimosas for $8.

1744 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
A storefront bar with a rainbow flag.
It’s Pride all year long at Nobody’s Darling.
Garrett Sweet/Eater Chicago

Alamo Drafthouse Wrigleyville

3519 N Clark St SUITE C301, Chicago, IL 60657

Alamo Drafthouse, a Texas-based movie theater chain that landed in Chicago in early 2023, is channeling its Pride efforts toward fundraising for national LGBTQ mental health nonprofit The Trevor Project with optional donation add-ons to ticket purchases in June (Alamo will match donations of up to $5,000). A Pride Month film lineup includes Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Friday, June 9; The Birdcage and The Mitchells vs The Machines on Friday, June 16; and Rocketman on Friday, June 23. Its bar, Video Vortex, is also featuring a Pride cocktail menu with a portion of proceeds also going to The Trevor Project.

3519 N Clark St SUITE C301, Chicago, IL 60657
(872) 298-3961
(872) 298-3961

Slo ‘Mo Party at Sleeping Village

3734 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Queer pop-up party staple Slo ‘Mo will present a powerful Pride celebration on Saturday, June 10 at Sleeping Village with a lineup of special performances and sets from local stars including Empress Darling Shear, Miss Angelica Grace, Messy Misdemeanor, VITIGRRL, and ICEY BBY. Party people can also count on food from Black lesbian-owned restaurant Taylor’s Tacos and plenty of mezcal drinks. Tickets and more details are available online.

3734 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 654-3971
(773) 654-3971

Cesar's Killer Margaritas - Broadway

2924 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657

A destination for — what else — margaritas, Cesar’s is putting its spin on Pride month with bright and boozy “pride-rita,” a concoction of strawberry, lime, mango, and blue curacao, throughout the month of June. Operators will donate 50 percent of proceeds to The Howard Brown Center, which has a location just blocks away from the bar.

2924 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 296-9097
(773) 296-9097
A rainbow margarita in a plastic cup with a Pride flag. Cesar’s Killer Margaritas

The Goddess and Grocer

1649 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Bakery and cafe mini-chain Goddess and Grocer has brought back its mega-hit rainbow cake, and the team is donating $1 from the sale of each cake slice to LGBTQ service and community center Center on Halsted.

1649 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 342-3200
(773) 342-3200
A slice of rainbow cake.
This rainbow cake has become a Pride Month staple in Chicago.
The Goddess and Grocer

Dorothy

2500 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

The lesbian bar scene across the U.S. has dwindled over recent years but Chicagoans are fortunate to have two spots explicitly designed for queer women and the communities who love them. Dorothy, chef Zoe Schor’s subterranean space where all “friends of Dorothy” is celebrating Pride with a diverse lineup of events including rock ‘n roll burlesque on Thursday, June 8; a Queer Elder History Panel on Thursday, June 15; and Gender Variety: a Trans & Gender Non-conforming Cabaret on Thursday, June 29. A full list of events is available online.

2500 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Lez Meet on the Rooftop at the Emily Hotel

311 N Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607

Bars have long served as vital gathering spaces for LGBTQ communities, but a boozy experience isn’t for everyone. Pride celebrants can swap cocktails for mocktails on Sunday, June 11 at Selva inside the Emily Hotel with Lez Get Together, a sober event series for “lesbians, bi-women, and sapphic people.” The party will feature a menu of alcohol-free drinks and appetizers, as well as tarot readings, live artists, and music by Sparklmami. Tickets and more details are available online.

311 N Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 764-1934
(312) 764-1934

Gaijin

950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607

Chef Paul Virant’s (Vie) hip okonomiyaki restaurant is getting boozy with a Sour Candy cocktail (Haku vodka, yuzu, lemon, egg white, sprinkles) available throughout Pride Month, with $1 from each drink sold going to Howard Brown Health.

950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 265-1348
(312) 265-1348
A cocktail with the word “Pride” stenciled on top in purple letters. Kira Anderson/Gaijin

La Josie

740 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661

The team at La Josie in Fulton Market is honoring Pride Month with a Celebrating You cocktail (orange-infused reposado, pomegranate, lime) and donating $2 from each sale to volunteer-run organization WayOUT, which raises funds for LGBTQ youth programs across the U.S.

740 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 929-2900
(312) 929-2900

Mother Nature’s Drag Brunch at The Metropolitan

233 S Wacker Dr 67th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606

The Metropolitan inside Chicago’s famous Willis Tower will host Mother Nature’s Drag Brunch on Saturday, June 10 as a part of its Secret Garden pop-up that gives the public a chance to explore what is otherwise a private club. Organizers promise “glitz and glam” with performances by Chamilla Foxx, Kimberly Summer, BoyJ, and Jforpay, as well as a la carte food and drinks. Tickets and more details are available via Tock.

233 S Wacker Dr 67th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 876-3200
(312) 876-3200

La Luna

1726 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60608

Pilsen restaurant and cocktail bar La Luna is hosting Drag Me to Brunch drag shows every Saturday in June with sickening (that’s a good thing) performances, bottomless mimosas, DJ sets, and a selection of Pride cocktails with proceeds going to the ACLU’s Drag Defense Fund. Reservations and more details are available via Eventbrite.

1726 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 248-8957
(312) 248-8957

The Promontory

5311 S Lake Park Ave W, Chicago, IL 60615

MCEE Trina Truluv will host the Promontory’s Pride in the Sky rooftop party featuring DJs 1st Lady TayLuv and Darryl Garcon on Sunday, June 25. Patrons can expect both an outdoor patio and an indoor dance floor, as well as food and drinks. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

5311 S Lake Park Ave W, Chicago, IL 60615
(312) 801-2100
(312) 801-2100

Jeffery Pub

7041 S Jeffery Blvd, Chicago, IL 60649

Jeffery Pub in South Shore has served LGBTQ Chicagoans since the mid-’60s, making it one of the oldest gay bars in the U.S. It’s also one of just two Black-owned gay bar in the city. Pride month is an especially festive time to stop by for drinks, dancing, and general revelry with an energetic crowd.

7041 S Jeffery Blvd, Chicago, IL 60649
(773) 363-8555
(773) 363-8555
A closed dive bar. Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

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