The walls are adorned with paintings akin to Tom of Finland, and motorcycle boots sit atop the bar to collect the bartenders' tips. Inside, the front bar is huge and provides plenty of seating. The signature steel truck bed of an entrance has been removed recently to allow bar patrons to step outside for a smoke. Founded in 1958 as the 'Gold Coast,' the city's first leather bar, it is truly a piece of Chicago history. The 'Eagle' can be found in New York City, DC, Atlanta, Phoenix, Denver, Minneapolis, and more. This bar probably deserves a post by itself because it's not just a bar, it's an institution. The pinnacle of Chicago's leather scene can be found at the Eagle. It also is the meeting place for several clubs, including the Great Lakes Bears (hairy, husky men), Windy City Gay Naturists (nudists), and M.A.F.I.A.
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Touch' hosts benefits, fetish parties, beer busts, and cookouts. Dark and windowless, the bar caters to a typically older and weathered crowd, except on theme nights (which there are plenty of). Everyone is familiar with the concept of a dive bar this is just the gay version. If you're ready for a heavier leather scene, just two doors north of Jackhammer is Touch'.
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The bartenders might be shirtless, the dancer on stage will be pants-less, and the men on the TV screens will be… well, you get the idea. There are a variety of events and drinks specials throughout the week, but don't come if you're overly modest. While the bar still touts itself a 'leather bar,' you'll find people from all walks of life here. On the weekends, guys (and a few gals) fill the tiny dance floor in the front room. This recently renovated bar now has a brightly lit back area with a pool table and old-school arcade games, as well as a smoker-friendly patio. Dance music is heard occasionally, but the guys here just subtly bob their head to the beat.Īnother light-hearted approach to the subculture is Jackhammer in Rogers Park (north of Pressure Billiards). The room is dark and perhaps intimidating, and men in chaps sit on stools around a bar with a friendly (and usually shirtless) guy slings drinks. Located on Halsted Street, the bartenders here have seen people of all kinds walk through the door, from the macho mustaches to the giggling girls wandering in from next door Kit Kat. However, the Cell Block is probably the softest approach to the leather world.
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With its dark fa'ade and daunting name, you might hesitate going in. One of Chicago's well-known leather bars is the Cell Block. Just leather in all shapes and sizes: everything from a simple leather jacket to a full-on leather outfit. (In fact, many conjecture that the leather world emerged from the biker culture in the late 1940s.) There are no Harleys involved here though. If you're unfamiliar with this scene, think of the stereotypical biker bar. There are entire subcultures dedicated to expressions of masculinity and the body 'anti-image.' Take, for example, the leather culture. If you think all gay men are lisping, fashion-conscious, and limp-wristed, you'd be sorely mistaken.