2Bears Tavern Uptown

Nice place but the bartender ruined it for all of us, he was snobby and rude. He was the only one working. Gigantic disappointment

I came in and tried to order a drink. The bartender complained to me because I was at the bar near the entrance and blocking the entryway for people even though nobody was trying to get by. I ordered in the spot he wanted me to order from, and he ended up pouring me less for drinks I ordered than everyone else and compared to a round a friend ordered thereafter. He was not friendly at all.

Used to be a good spot along with the other spots that are owned by the whole 2bears group but they have really dropped the ball and are losing a customer base of people who just want to drink, have a good time, and banter. They don’t carry any big name brand alcohol and in light of the D.M. scandal of 2023 stopped carrying certain brands of alcoholic beverages. While I think it’s their business and their choice, the bartenders are just so poorly equipped to offer alternative drinks. Like if you’re not gonna give me what I ask for, offer alternatives. They just stare at their phones in far more apparent empty bar spaces than before or just stare into empty space. They get angry if you ask for something they don’t carry. I actually asked for Bombay tonic, they didn’t have bombay. I asked for don julio, they didn’t have don julio. I asked tor hornitos, they didn’t have hornitos, i asked for heineken, they didn’t have heineken. This location and the uptown locations are all declining. Haven’t been back since my experience— these venues were actually good hangouts… I hope they read these reviews and get feedback from their own bartenders and choose to change up their business strategy before they end up closing down.

Cute spot, with a fun vibe! Bummer it’s so small, would love if it was just a little bigger, would make hanging out and playing games just a little more comfortable. Similar to some other reviews, had a quick mildly abrasive encounter with the staff, but thankfully nothing that would deter me from going again… hope it’s not a trend, just an odd moment. Prices seemed decent and would recommend for small groups!

First time here on a date night with my boyfriend. Loved the decor and styling, nice seating areas, friendly crowd, but the bartender on Saturday was quiet rude and seemed as if he didn’t want to be bothered. Left a bad impression for a first timer. Bummer too because we were hoping to find a regular bear bar to mingle at. And don’t use flat or stale ginger beer from the can you’ve had sitting open on the bar for god knows how long. Gross.

Really judgmental bar-tender made me and my partner feel super unwelcome. The place smelled like a toilet too. We couldn't stay for long because the smell and the service was un-bear-able.

Stopped here several times over labor day weekend while in town. Very friendly bartenders, free darts, pinball and video games. Decent selection of beers on tap and a pretty good selection of liquors. Shots are fair. Part of the same group that owns SoFo and The Meeting House, so we saw many of the same bartenders on different nights at each location. This location seemed to stay open the latest, 4-5 am. Crowd seemed fun, not cruisey, and the age range tended to be younger but not exclusively so.

Stopped in for my first time recently and I have to say, it was a disappointing experience. Don't get me wrong, the one drink I had was good, but when you have staff there dropping the "n" word every couple of seconds in casual conversation, and the bartender does nothing about it saying "oh, he works here but he's not on the clock" that says volumes. No apology, no heads up to the coworker saying "hey, chill out with that word", nothing. My friend that was with me (who is white) was even more offended than I was. We had to leave. Cute sign by the door saying "hate is not tolerated here" but.... yeah I won't be back.

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