2Bears Tavern Uptown

Drinks are pretty inexpensive here. Lemon drops were $3 and house margaritas were $8. The house margaritas are straight tequila thou, they're very strong. There's also games you can play in the bar like smash Bros and Mario kart. And physical games like darts and pinball. Bit of a tight spot but not uncomfortable. Everyone fights over the jukebox so if you don't upgrade your songs to express, you'll never get to hear it played. Open late

Met up with a friend after work today with $8 cash to burn. Decided to get a Chicago Handshake, and I tipped the server $3 from the $5 bill. I wanted to wash down the taste of Malort in my mouth, so I asked the server for a glass of water. The server stated that serving a glass of water was not allowed and that patrons are to pay for bottled water. Considering I had a fixed amount of cash on me, I was not able to purchase a bottle of water. I also was not aware of this policy for this bar, so the server let me know it's for all the 2bear bars in Chicago. Never once have I ever visited a bar that absolutely refuses to provide a glass of water when requested, especially after having paid for an alcoholic beverage. It appears other reviews also mention this odd policy of not providing free water. The owners seem to be retaliatory to reviews that call out this unfortunate policy. I will stick to bars that provide free water instead.

Mediocre bar. No Long Island? But the margarita on tap it’s pretty decent. It was dead Friday at 6 o’clock. A lot of other better bars in the area in my opinion… used to come here, but I feel like this person went downhill. We left and went to another bar that had $10 Long Island and great music with less abrasive bartenders.

Friend had been hyping this bar up for awhile because they had Smash setups. Pull up a little after 1am and were there until they closed at 4. The whole time they didn’t set up Smash, Darts, or the popcorn machine despite multiple people asking. Get told that bartender doesn’t feel like setting up the games when he works the weekends. Big shame cause it’s a nice venue otherwise.

I love this bar but apparently they no longer let you play the switch games anymore on the weekends.. bummer because that literally was the only reason I came here.. fabulous drinks though..

My partner and I came into this bar on a Sunday for one drink as we were walking through Uptown. We stayed for 4 drinks. The bartender, Chris, was so welcoming and the other patrons were just as great. It's rare to walk into a bar like this and feel like you're at home. We were planning on playing some free games, but the popcorn, conversation, and drinks were flowing and we enjoyed our time too much to think about playing any games! Definitely a new favorite spot!

Bartender had to remind me that he works for tips when I asked for water at the bar. Been a server for 5 years and never said that to a patron for simply asking for water. Maybe he was stressed, I don’t know, tipped him for the the water, but inappropriate way to speak to a guest. Not a great first impression :(.

My partner and I visited last week while exploring neighborhoods in Chicago. We stumbled upon this bar on Monday evening during their Squabble Night. Our bartender, Matt G., was hands down one of the best we've ever had. He was incredibly kind, friendly, and served us some of the best drinks we've ever tasted. We’d definitely come back the next time we’re in Chicago.

Food: You have to order in, they do not have food here except popcorn which is free. Service: We've been here twice with a couple friends and it's quick, friendly, and a good experience. Ambiance: I like the music selection/jukebox. We get a table and play Nintendo, and then darts. Good times. It's a smaller venue, so groups more than 6, might be a challenge if you get there past 8pm. I wish they did have some food.

My friends and I came to this place prior to a concert that was right down the street just to have cocktails. When we walked in we were greeted with asking for our ID's by the bartender. He wasn't the friendliest but it was fine. There was plenty of seating and they were playing music. There were just maybe 2 other tables with people and a dog. They are dog friendly which I think is neat. Since the bartender was the only one working, we had to go to the counter to order our drinks and wait for them there. We didn't realize until we had been there for about an hour that this is a gay bar, which wasn't an issue for us but just letting you know in case it is for you!

I LOVE 2BEARS!!!! I really do. But my latest experience there was dampened by a bartender named DEAN!!! I'm a sensitive ass bitch. I usually decide my final tip based on overall service. Dean decided he was fed up and cut me off ( I wasn't going to get any more drinks LMAOOOOO) because I didn't tip enough??? (If I drank too much is one thing but he literally said he "works for tips") confused about this, I usually have a really nice time there :( Dean, not everybody is in a financial state to tip a lot, please understand this and go forward with love, I know you get paid hourly babe, we all do

My friend and I have been wanting to check this place out and we both live in the area so on a random Wednesday night we popped in and took advantage of the weekly specials for drinks while we played darts. The bartender behind the counter surprised me with a gin-infused drink since I didn't know what to choose and it came out great. He wasn't like overly friendly or anything, but wasn't mean at all. Just doing his job. The place itself was actually pretty nice. I know it's fairly new in the area so likely was remodeled or whatever inside, but even the ceilings were very ornate by the front of the bar area, and the seating around the sides just felt like I was in an upper class type bar in River North even. Glad to see this queer friendly space in Uptown who have great daily specials and free games in the back. Also very cool that they're open so late each night! 4am every night and 5am on Saturday nights!

Wish the bartenders were a little more consistent and not changing every 2 minutes so that those among us that come on a nearly weekly basis were not treated as if we had never set foot in the bar...... it gets a little tiresome

One of 2022's newest additions to the Uptown bar scene is the 2 Bears Tavern, a lively dive for the ever deserving people of the area that might want to stray away from the Boystown scene. While it may get a little cramped on the inside, the bar is filled with friendly smiles, great selection of music, clean restrooms, and some excellently priced drinks. Lot of prime choices on tap, along with some extra strong cocktails to keep you nice and happy to keep the party goin until 5am! (Which is how long they're open until) 2 Bears is located conveniently near the Wilson Red Line too. Easy place to get to for meeting up with friends, or if you want to have a drink or two after work. Very nice vibe in there for any individual. Walk towards the back of the bar and you'll see some arcade games, Nintendo Switches/Mario Kart and darts to play. They also have some specialty priced drinks as well. No food menu here though, however you're welcome to bring your own outside meals to eat. I had a pleasant experience here overall, and I'm happy to see the community flocking to new businesses like this in this quasi-post-pandemic way of living we're trying to adapt to.

My partner and I dropped into Chicago's newest gay bar for beers. We saw their specials on an ad and made the trek to Uptown to visit and see what it's about. The bar has a confusing vibe. We were expecting it to be a little grungier but this place is polished. It's called 2Bears Tavern and their logo makes you think of a more outdoorsy/rough vibe, but the rest of their branding and design when you arrive is more Great Gatsby with their stained glass windows, Art Deco signage, gold accents, and fancy leather drink menus. I've been waffling between 3-4 stars because the staff was nice and quick to help. My main issue is that their specials aren't accurate and they didn't care to fix their mistake. As a self-proclaimed "value driven bar," they charged me $20 for two "half-price" mugs of draft beer. Even though the menu says 1/2 off all drafts, it apparently only applies to pints and not their larger mugs. I'm into having more gay bars everywhere so that pushed me into giving this a 4 star review vs 3, but beware when they charge you if you order a special. It might depend on the day, bartender, or way you order, if you actually get the special pricing. And don't forget to dress up (not down) for this posh "bear" bar.

Clark was so helpful and accommodating. I was by myself for a bit and he made me feel welcome and appreciated. Very polite and always knew exactly what I ordered and when I was ready for it. Plus he was able to do side work and cleaning without making me feel isolated.

This bar racially profiles. Horrible bar. Came in with a group of like 10 people, only one was black. Only carded her. She was in her 30s, everyone else was around 22. We all thought it was super strange she was the only one carded out of all of us so we left. Tonight came in with some friends. We are all white, and 22, none of us got carded. Our black friend came in when with us, he's in his mid 30s. He was the only one carded. He didn't have his ID cuz he's not used to being carded, and they kicked him out. Itd be one thing if they carded everyone, as they should cuz it's a BAR!!!! but to have BOTH experiences I've been here only card the black people I'm with... sooo nasty. Will never be back, and will be telling everyone the same. Not to mention I'm 22 but look very young... why aren't you carding me? This place should be shut down.

Brand new bar to the neighborhood! Came here with my BF and friends for a night cap after dinner on a Tuesday evening. Staff was extremely friendly and fun. The space is really cool and can be intimate or for a group. They offer a full bar and drink prices are reasonable. Would definitely go back as a local neighborhood bar without needing to go into Boystown

Absolutely love coming here for a late night drink. As I am in the service industry myself it's always so nice to have a place to enjoy a drink once I'm done with work. I love the option to play the Nintendo switch there with the retro Nintendo games. Always a great deal going on daily with super friendly staff. 10/10 would recommend

Friendly staff and great drinks at great prices. Daily specials and free pinball games are just a few reasons to check this place out.

This new tavern overall is almost perfect! There are just a few little things that would have made this new tavern absolutely perfect. Myself and my other friends were there on Sunday around 3 PM. We all agreed that we did not think anyone would be here after 10pm due to the location. (We hope we are wrong) The bartenders were great, especially the trans bartender!! The bar manager was there however he was not interactive with any of the customers. It would have been nice for him to say hello and thank people for coming in. I definitely recommend this new tavern! Please go check it out!

Really pleasant vibe. Great addition. Service was a bit slow but not terribly. Seating can be tough but eventually worked out. A good option to see.

I live in the neighborhood and just stopped by. Great bar: great service and very good specials. Welcome to the neighborhood, so glad you're here!

This long awaited new lgbtq+ owned and operated tavern just opened last night from the owners of The Meeting House and Sofo. It's a really neat place, cozy, comfortable and open late till 4am. They a have a good selection of beers whiskeys and cocktails. With darts, pinball, and video games in the back I can see myself spending many more long nights here. Especially now it's important to support local small businesses and support local service industry! Welcome to the neighborhood 2Bears Tavern!

I had such an AMAZING TIME. But the host Nicole was such a breath of fresh air in this scene all the hearts to her