The North End

Someplace warm. A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful men instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about a little place called NORTHEND.

I always love coming here after playing volleyball nearby and I'm into watching my sports on TV and I can always count on this bar to have the games on. Thank you guys and keep doing what you're doing!

Solid nice spot everyone is nice. Chicago institution

I recently visited North End and felt compelled to share my experience, particularly highlighting the remarkable professionalism of one of your bartenders. On what turned out to be a challenging night, North End team faced an incredibly difficult situation with a patron who displayed unacceptable and disrespectful behavior. Despite being subjected to unwarranted and degrading treatment, [Bartender's Name] handled the ordeal with extraordinary composure and grace. It is rare to witness such strength and patience, and NorthEnd team deserves immense credit for maintaining such a high level of professionalism under pressure. Their demeanor not only de-escalated a potentially volatile situation but also ensured that other guests at the bar continued to enjoy their evening. The management team should be proud to have staff members who uphold the establishment's reputation in such a manner. This experience has shown me the character and values the North End Team stands for, and I have great respect for that. I look forward to returning under better circumstances and enjoying the wonderful atmosphere that I know NorthEnd team usually provides. My heartfelt thanks to North End Team for their exceptional service.

Pride 2023. Stopped for a few drinks before the parade, bar was at about 10% capacity. Bar tender was extremely rude and condescending, except to my husband. Second bartender was super nice as he openly hit on my husband but ignored me altogether. Everyone was so great, to my husband. Even on the way out as I tried to say thanks for the drinks while they were talking to the back of my husbands head. I'm the brown one in the marriage so I get this a lot...in Wisconsin. There was nothing friendly about this bar. Which is sad because I deleted a good review I left when I used to live around the corner to write this one. If you're a regular here I'm sure you're grandfathered in, but I can't imagine what it's like for people who come from far away seeking a sense of community only to find the same dehumanizing attitudes they could have stayed home for.

You wanna go where people go, the troubles are all the same, you wanna go where everybody knows your name…. This is place to just have a beer play pool or darts and just relax. Sports gay bar. Yes we gays play and watch sports. Love the bartenders as they are always sweet and nice and make good drinks.

Fun gay sports bar, perfect for a couple rounds of darts or shots.

Came in for mother's day and was treated like an outsider... heard comments from the bartender and customers that we firmly didn't belong and their negativity and behavior felt aggressive and biased. Still said thanks for service and tipped. I was taught better customer service and personal service

Pretty great atmosphere for a Saturday night! Lots of people, good music, and two bars. There's pool tables and darts to play with your friends and plenty of seating. It was quite loud but there were a few games on the tv's. Drinks are good and not too expensive. Our bartender couldn't hear us too well but that's most likely due to not being use to the sound on our end. I'd recommend this place if you like hanging out with friends in a cool, trendy spot away from the business of wrigleyville!

I wouldn't even consider the North end to be a "sports bar." Yesterday for example University of Illinois is playing in the sweet sixteen ncaa March Madness and several patrons are there to watch (You can tell because they are all wear Illinois gear) and the bartenders have to be asked to turn that game on? It then gets turned on late. They refuse to play the sound of the game because I suppose Miley Cyrus is more important? I have been there in the past to watch sports such as Loyola in the sweet sixteen and same thing happens. Bartenders are not even aware of a local team being in March Madness. How does that even happen? Another major complaint is the sound of music is so loud one cannot even socialize at this bar. Forget about trying to play your own music as the juke box is almost always very likely booked up by the bartenders. Chicago needs a better gay sports bar than this. I will be taking my service elsewhere even if it is a straight bar.

My girlfriend and I frequent this bar during the week to grab a drink and play pool. Bartenders are incredibly friendly and attentive. The vibe at this place is top tier. One half is quieter with a pool table and some older folk who want to enjoy a drink and chat, while the other half is much livelier with a younger crowd playing darts and pool. 10/10 experience

I have long loved this bar. From the long standing single stall restrooms honoring gender queer and non-binary people, to the darts, to the mad respect for gays who love sports and decently priced drinks and chill vibes, this is the best day drinking gay bar in Chicago, but their greatest accomplishment may be installing the high powered blow dryers. You see, I went to use the rr yesterday and needed to have a poop, anyway when I was done they were out of toilet paper, so I panicked, but because it was a single stall, I was able to use the sink and bidet my b hole. Anyway, then I realized there were no paper towels, again, normally I would have had a panic, but to my surprise and delight, there was a new high powered hand dryer at waste height, with a quick bend and snap I was able to get gale force, warm winds blowing over nether regions and thanks to the optical sensor and auto dry function, I was sparkly dry in no time hands free, no wet spots in my jeans. 10 out of 10 would recommend. Other bars with just toilet paper are simply homophobic.

Nice bar. Friendly staff. The space is small and intimate. Great place to go with friends.

Have been here a couple of times now and it's a friendly neighborhood bar in the Boys Town area of a Chicago. Lots of guys here and a handful of women. This is a place with fun music, pool tables, and a pretty large bar. The drink specials are good and a large enough beer selection. Seating can get sparse as the place fills up, so look for a spot at the bar if you plan to sit and sip for a while. They don't serve any food, just drinks here. There are nice taco and pizza places within a block if you want to bring a little food in to nosh with your drinks. Lovely atmosphere and this is where the boys are! Fun night here and very lively.

Dishonest bartenders. I've been a member of the Hasted community for more than two decades and this bar has long been one of my favorite "non scene" spots to go until last night. As a former Halsted Street service industry employee, I'm familiar with a lot of the inside baseball that happens on the other side of a bar, which is why I was reluctant to write this review but it's also why I feel I need to. Having arrived with two other friends yesterday, I ordered us a round of Jameson shots and Bud Light cans. The bartender, whom I had never seen before, told me the bill was $60. I was a little surprised by this. Typically Bud Light goes for $4--6 and Jamo shots are pretty standard at $6 a pop. She then condescended me by explaining that Jamo shots were $8 apiece and "welcome to Chicago." I paid and did not tip her. Even at 8 a pour, that makes the Bud Light cans $12 each. That's not "welcome to Chicago." That's not even "welcome to New York." That's a shitty bartender trying to pad her tab with tips she can't earn on her own merit. Way back when, this place used to be run by a decent guy that made sure the bathrooms were clean and the whole bar didn't smell like a urinal cake. It was a great place to chill out and meet people and play a few games of darts or pool. Now it's headed right down the same path Spin took and it's sad to see such a great spot ruined by trashbag people. There's nothing here you can't find anywhere else. Lakeview has a ton of pool halls with well-maintained tables. Plastic bar darts are within arm's reach at any other bar. Free popcorn is pretty much standard these days. Oh, but wait--there's ONE thing North End has that you won't find anywhere else.... An $8 shot of Jameson with a $12 can of Bud Light. Save yourself some money and pay $6 per Jamo literally anywhere else and $4-6 per BL. Also, tip your honest, witty bartenders. Let the awful, shit ones wither on their poisoned vine.

Definitely improved from the last encounter I had with them. Pool table is upgraded music on point and everyone friendly. It was definately a good time. Good Job.

My partner and I went here April 10. Opened a tab on credit card. And was given my card back. Had some drinks. Total came to $105. I left a 20 tip on my card for a total of $125. The next day I checked my bank. I had the 105 charge an extra $54 charge for April 11 and a $6 charge on April 11 at a bar across the street ( cell block ) that I've never been in. I have called over and over, to get an explanation,no one answers. I had to freeze my card.

A large group of us was enjoying the game and a few of the drag queens (who appeared to be endorsed by the bar) offered a 50/50 raffle. Several of us bought in with more than a few bucks and after the supposed time had come and gone, they were nowhere to be found. Super lame experience and makes us all question the owners and staff who were supporting this shady operation.

This place is actually fun. It's strange that I had walked by hundreds and hundreds of times having never gone in... a few weeks ago we decided to give it a whirl. we stayed for awhile... went back this weekend. It seems to be a pretty laid back crowd, slightly older (30-60 seems average) crowd. A lot of the "I'm 38 wearing abercrombie still" crowd too. They recently upgraded their TVs and now have nice huge 60" LG plasmas throughout. It was a fun social place to watch the Grammys... did someone say... porn star bartender with his own dildo named after him?

The North End, at the end of Boystown and at end of your night, offers a poor selection of drinks at an uncompetitive price. It pairs poor service and low quality with such delicate finesse that you mistake it for gross incompetence... but I assure you, dear friend, is done with great attention to detail. To not just be world's worst gay bar, but also the world's worst dive bar is their only true and lasting ambition.

North end is a wonderful bar full of wonderful people. The drinks are well priced, the service is fast and friendly, even when I maybe haven't deserved it. The place has become my favorite place to unwind by playing darts before headed home. They always have great specials and flamboyant, vibrant people. Thanks for being a great neighbourhood bar.

North End is easily one of my LEAST favorite bars in Boys Town. The only time I will step foot inside is when we are required to play there for our dart league. Otherwise, I avoid it like the plague. The bartenders are usually friendly... and there are a couple jerks that work there too... but they are SO STINGY. We'll be there a couple hours for league night and never get anything free. On top of it, they measure one shot into their $6 drinks. INSANE. We were there last week because of the dart league and they had run out of Miller Light on tap... the only cheap-ish beverage you can get there. Are the dudes cute? Not any cuter than any other bar on Halsted. Do yourself (and your wallet) a favor by going elsewhere.

This place is awesome! A gay bar with a truly divey atmosphere!! There are darts and pool. Also, I dare you find a better price for drinks at any other gay bar in Boystown. The music also won't give you a migraine and you can hold a conversation with others without screaming or using sign language. I will definitely be back!

There is nothing I love more than when a bartender handles the following statement with aptitude and zeal. "I don't know what to have. . . you pick". Bookended by my husband and our favorite gays, we were on a fairly explicit mission as part of "Emily D., Acting Out 2009, Sponsored by Grey Goose". I've taken to falling in love with shots again. We did several. Jaeger, Red-Headed Sluts and Hottie Bartender's specialty: Washington Apple. I inquired if it had Pucker in it, which is clearly rhetorical. He thought I was cute, but here I still have to pay. We could have easily gone the way of oblivion and karaoke'd to several showtunes but opted to hop to the next location. I want to come back and introduce myself to the bar hop wearing the "I Love My Penis" shirt. There's more to that shy soul. He really needs to come out of his shell. Tragic. I love the North End. That's what she said.

Step back Crew... The North End has the classic, grungy sports bar feel, and you just simply don't! [Stepping back away from being a bitchy gay.] The North End has plenty of TVs, pool, darts, sometimes karaoke and everything you'd want from a social straight bar, yet it's gay. For those who are new to "the scene" it's a good starter bar where you can go comfortably without intimidation. The bartenders are down-to-earth and will actually chat up a conversation. Another plus is the bathroom isn't too nasty and has a door which closes *phew*. Note: If you're there at closing time, they will throw your beer down the drain so you better chug it.

What? You have a problem with me? You actually want to fight right now?! How about this? Follow me to North End, hit the punching bag game and if it says I'm stronger than you, let's fight! Okay, I'm definitely not a fighter, but where else can you go to hit a punching bag to show how strong you are?! (Or in my case, not strong; just don't tell anyone my secret) This is definitely my favorite chill bar in Chicago! There are pool tables that aren't broken, dart boards with all the pieces, TVs everywhere, and great drinks! I may live farther South, but traveling to the North End is no problem for me when I know how wonderful a time I will have!

If you're a pool player, go to this bar. Don't waste your time at any other bar in boystown or wrigleyville. If you have a friend, or if you're alone-- you'll find others at this bar. Also three dart boards, very tall beer glasses and a laid back unimposing atmosphere also raise this bar on the scale. Not the typical gay bar-- it's very straight-friendly as I have found on fridays and saturdays. The barstaff is hit or miss-- the cute ones are the slowest servers, while the average-joe types are the nicest and fastest to serve you. The best ones there right now are Chad, Frank, and George. Also, they'll put on any game you wanna watch. During the day this is a GREAT hiding spot if you just want to sit, drink, and watch a game.

My friend Connie and I went too North End today since I'm off on Mondays. And had a great time with Joe who was the bartender on duty. Great guy, beautiful personality. You need to take care of him. He made our early evening quite wonderful

North End is a gay bar without the attitude. I'm not much one for primping and posing at the trendier bars on Halsted, so The North End is a nice option for hanging out in a relaxed, low-homo-pressure environment. My experience here has been drinking beer and throwing darts with friends. Check out the pool tables, dart machines, and popcorn machine. Everyone is friendly and you'll feel welcome as a newcomer. Very cool.

Oh honey child! I am no stranger to gay bars and with the amount of gay friends that I have, I might as well just open one myself! If I did, it would probably be like The North End. The North End is a great sports bar, but I could see it also being a great dance club. The patrons weren't twinks or what I like to call "gays of the bitchy variety", like you would see at other gay bars. They were just nice folks hanging out at a bar. The bartender was my favorite. He guessed that I was from Milwaukee by my beer selection (which was NOT Leinenkugel's or Miller, btw.)

If you enjoy watered down drinks & ignorant hipster bartenders with cheap imitation Buddy Holly glasses and ill fitting plugs then this is the place for you! I'd much rather go to a "straight" sports bar....at least the guys there are hot.

Thank goodness for this place. Not much else to say that hasn't been said, I just wanted yelp to know I'm down with the North End too. ^ _ ^

Having perused the various locations in the Lakeview/Boystown area The North End is probably the easiest to handle. The bartenders are courteous and personable, the prices are average, and they are not campy/trashy like a few more well traveled watering holes in the area. Cons: the noise level can get to an obnoxious level for no apparent reason, regardless of the TV/sound system. While Karaoke is fantastic, the few times I have been to TNE for it the volume on the microphones was deafening. I'm not totally interested in a screeching rendition of Womanizer by Britney's tone-deaf drunk twin.

This is the gay bar for all of you gay men out there who would rather not deal with all the typical crap that goes down at gay bars. I'd list all of that, but if you are looking to avoid it, you know what I am talking about. The North End is your gay Cheers. It's cozy and laid back. The bartenders are friendly. The clientele is respectable. It's a great place for grabbing a beer with your friends. It's a little detached from your typical gay fare, but that works in its favor. If you are looking for you next favorite gay bar, this is it. So why not five stars? I hate when gay bars get big heads.

Top 3 reasons to visit The North End: 1. Free pool on Wednesdays 2. Friendly & fast bartenders 3. Laid back atmosphere

Great local bar with daily specials and friendly bartenders. They also have dart boards, pool tables, lots of tvs for those sports lovers and games

This is my favorite gay bar in the city. People here are (mostly) so laid back and unpretentious that you'll almost forget that you're hanging out on Halsted. Don't get me wrong; the place is filled with gorgeous guys. (And, unfortunately, the random straight guy who is so lame that he's unable to pick up women at a hetero bar.) And they play a lot of Madonna. And you will get air kisses from the (sometimes shirtless) bartenders if you're a regular. But there's pool tables and darts and the beer is cheap and there's free popcorn and it's usually not TOO crowded and everyone is pretty down-to-earth and friendly. Love this place!

I don't typically like sports bars. Honestly, I don't. Never a fan of Roscoe's in Phoenix, didn't bother with the GYM in West Hollywood. Just not my thing. Somehow, this one works though. The crowd is pretty good looking for Chicago, the drinks tasty, and cheap. It's a decent place. Drinks could've been stronger, so four not five stars.

I came here the day after memorial weekend....right before the prop 8 rally. It was pretty mellow. The beer (draft) comes in a solid frosted mug! The proper way to serve a drink and the bartender is simply adorable... Great conversation and great company. What else can a gal ask for... Oh the ladies room had this slight vibration when entering, *wink* when you are feeling a bit tipsy with all these hot men around...what more can I ask for right? Another cold beer waiting for me!!! *woot*woot*

The only saving grace is the sweetheart of a bartender who introduced me to the bar-a brunette, maybe red haired bartender who was so sweet. The other bartender - some brunette chick - told my boyfriend he wasn't allowed to get served. My boyfriend is turning 29 - is actually someone you can actually look up on Wikipedia - and because his ID was cracked, she said he couldn't be served - even though he's been served the last year and a half with that ID. THEN she said that I, nor my friend, could be served because he was with us. WHAT?! He's already been served for not only the last year and a half, but IN YOUR BAR. What bar asks you for ID's once you're already inside and drinking? Really? We left, and we will never go back. When our friends visit, we will not suggest that place, even thought it started as a cool dive bar. Even once my boyfriend gets his ID fixed, we will never go back. She was so rude and mean that we will make sure every friend that ever visits us will never visit the dive bar with the shitty, rude bartender.

OK, so this past Saturday night, was a night of many first for me. (All of which, I really enjoyed!) My first experience at a gay sports bar (nothing at all like the gay bars I'd visited in DC). My first encounter with Hacker-Pschorr; and what a sweet encounter it was (just refer to review below). And lastly my first sports obsession, the World's Strongest Man competition - this blows my mind. Anyhow, back to the actual review. I had a fabulous time here. The bartenders were very friendly. The mugs were tall, frozen and filled to the top with fresh beer on tap. Fun music, plenty of visual stimulation and most importantly great company. So a big thank you to my buddy Justin and to The North End for helping me experience my many firsts!

Went there after brunch at F O'Mahoney's. Very nice bartender, great set up to view the games and lovely, lovely Hacker Pschoor Weiss on tap in a fantastic frosted mug. They even had hot dogs and chips with all donations going to BEHIV. Again, if friends want to go and I'm up for the ride south, I'm there. Had a great time and if I lived in Lakeview I'd definitely frequent it more often.

I really like North End! I'm the "Illini football season ticket holding, Cubs game going, Cardinals hating" kind of gay guy so drinking cold cheap beer in a laid back gay sports bar a couple of blocks from Wrigley (and a world away from Roscoe's) is my idea of a good time. I have been to North End on many occasions and I've never had a bad time. My favorite nights are when it's not completely packed (this can happen on some weekends) and you can actually get a bar stool and enjoy a conversation with the bartenders. North End is also close enough to Charlie's that by the time the rest of the queens have hauled it down Halsted from Sidetrack and Roscoe's you'll already be inside the bar before the cover charge while the cowboys are still line dancing. It's also right next to Buck's which is also a GREAT time. I'll take the NORTH END of Halsted anyday!

Do you like beer? Do you play pool? Do you like darts? And occassionally you like to sing kareoke and play wii games??? THEN YOU'RE HOME.

I love getting a bulls-eye -- don't you? Well, that's exactly what you're gonna get when you go to this gay bar in Chicago. It has dart boards, pool tables, and other games to keep you content and hap-hap-happy for hours. It is located on Halsted St. -- on the north end (get it) of the bacon strip we like to call BOYS TOWN. Speaking of bacon, this bar is meaty. The mensssss inside the joint come in every shape and form. A lot of the local gay sports clubs meet up here after their games -- all schvity and dewy from some man-on-man scrumming. Oh my. Just the other day while I was enjoying a drink with some friends -- a rugby team ran naked thru the bar and beer got poured on them. That sounds like my kind of Saturday night. I kid --- i would rather that happened on a Tuesday night. And if you are a sports-minded gay, they play sports games all da damn time. You would be in heaven. I don't give two shizzits about sports, but I like the laid-back vibe of this place. And I love darts. So give it a chance. On Friday night, the next door bar - Bobby Love's - has Karaoke. You couldn't ask for a more exciting time. Give them a looksies.

The hurtfulness of a bartenders actions and words inspired this review. My grandmother passed away and I began drinking more heavily. Coming to this bar became a ritual...and in one of my last visits I played her FUNERAL song on the juke box. The bartender conspicuously engaged in a conversation with a customer about his dislike for my music, and when I announced the symbolism of the song the room fell silent and he just walked away.. No apology. No accountability. Just a dismissal of my feelings--completely indifferent to the emotional disruption he created for me. My other issue with this bar: the lack of tolerance. I announced myself as bisexual in a conversation with another patron when the SAME bartender that scrutinized the funeral song chose to say, "honey, you're not bisexual. You're GREEDY". Never--not even in straight bars--have I endured such unwarranted judgment around my sexuality. That, along with the rat I saw run in the bar a months ago, are all reasons I rate this bar a "1". (They did get rid of the rat problem. But they didn't get rid of their biphobia and rude-bartender problem)

It seems like The North End is a place that most people frequent in Boystown, especially if you are a sports fanatic. I have been here several times. I love the big glass mugs on tap, especially the local beer 312. There are several pool tables and darts to keep you entertained. However, most people are glued to the television screens. I like this place because you feel like you are right at home drinking and watching all your favorite sports teams.

I realize Market Days is a busy weekend but I expect my bartenders to be attentive and mostly sober. Not so drunk he mistakenly throws out full drinks when my boyfriend and I are talking. This should be a safe environment. Very disappointed tonight.

Nice bar to watch sports as well as billards and darts with other guys. Friendly bar staff as well.

This place is fabulous. I'm a sports bar kind of gal, so I'm always open to the type of atmosphere The North End offers. Saturday night my beau and I ran into a few of my friends who were headed out. Am I ever glad we joined them! I just love the, dare I say, head bartender, George. He's been there for about 17 or so years (I was drinking when he told me so I might be a year or two off), which in my world makes him a staple in the community. He's just fabulous, caring and hilarious. Although his job is to keep the drinks flowing, he makes the experience fun and memorable, which to me, makes The North End a new favorite. Pool tables are a plenty considering the bar size and I do believe I spied a dart board, or two, I can never be sure. And from what I hear, the specials are pretty decent, but I'll have to get back to you there.

Bartender was more drunk then the entire bar. My friend and I asked for a chilled shot of tequila, we took it, and it tasted like the shaker hadn't been washed in days! So disgusting I will NEVER go back!

If you want a nice relaxed night out without all the Boystown pretentiousness of a few other places, head to North End. It's a layed-back gay sports bar with enough video screens to keep you entertained all night. It's a good place for darts and pool also.

HORRIBLE bartenders big guy with beard and blonde girl and heavy set girl) They are so consumed with talking to each other and texting on their cell phones. I always hope for improvement so I always try it when in town but ALWAYS dissatisfied. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME. I wish I could give zero stars

WILL NEVER GO TO THIS BAR AGAIN. Management advertised that they would show the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight--EVEN CONFIRMING VIA DIRECT MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK--and canceled the day of without any announcement! This is yet another BS Boystown bar that claims to be a "sports" bar when in actuality is just another place on Halsted to be served watered down, overpriced drinks.

Even for sports fans, there is such a thing as too many big screen TVs in one space. Also, this place is poorly laid out and the space between the bars where the dart boards and the pool tables meet results in an awkward bottle neck. As a result, it's difficult to play bar games without awkward encounters. In addition, I have found some of their patrons and a select few involved in management/ownership of the space to be rude and bigoted. As a result, I now go out of my way to avoid this place entirely. I prefer Cell Block, or Charlie's, or Sidetrack. That said, if you do have the misfortune of finding yourself there, there are a couple great bartenders who should be treated well.

What a great place all the bartenders are great. Always an awesome time. Best gay bar in boystown. Always have a great time at The North End bar! Thanks guys... Shot of Jager or Jamo anyone?

Draft beer is what to order here. Cocktails are served out of a gun. TVs tuned to all Chicago sporting events as well as major national one. Inexpensive pool and darts as well. Popcorn machine is usually available, free. Ample bathrooms as well.