Tight; but enjoyable (... that's what she said) The club itself is actually fairly decent in size with it's main bar in the front and a secondary bar/ stage/ dance area in the back. In order to get to the back you'll walk past the bathrooms and under a very interesting 'bubble' light which will surely grab your attention. That being said, it's clearly a popular bar as there is usually a line to get in after midnight, and can be difficult to navigate until people start dropping from exhaustion from dancing or drinking too much :) The drinks seem decent and pricing isn't anything out of the ordinary for Chi-town. You can enjoy yourself with a small group here, but may not be the best location to really let loose if you're tagging around with more than five or six friends. You'll enjoy it never-the-less, but may find the crowds to be a bit annoying. Stay positive and open minded and you'll have a blast. read more

straight guy in a gay bar... never got any attitude for being a straight guy in a gay bar. trust me, I have at other places. came here with a big group of friends. Bartender was cool, I asked where the drunk straight girls were, he pointed them out and was really cool. Music is decent. people are friendly here, the group I was with was having a lot of fun. Ugh everyone here was doing fireball shots... they are so gross. Unisex bathroom... I don't know, kind creepy. This woman was staring at men, it was awkward. read more

Progress... more like regress! Failure and such offensive service. Been a customer for years. Wasn't even that busy but left immediately after The red head in an open onesie behind the bar used a mega phone through our entire conversation with our group of 6. After stating we could do all this without a mega phone he loudly repeated himself still using the megaphone. We took our happy selves somewhere else. In these times, love your customers and appreciate your customers for even coming out. There are much better uses of a mega phone! That's all. read more

I'm a straight guy that went here with a group of friends. Male & female. We had other plans that night that were ruined so one of my friends suggested we go here. I had never heard of it before and didn't even realize it was a gay bar, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. It was actually very chill and fun. Everyone was just doing their own thing. Good strong drinks, great DJ. A lot of old school hip hop was being played, I love it. I actually lost my phone here that night & the bartender held it for me til the next day. That left a very good impression on me. Overall nice experience. No cover charge either. read more

I didn't buy my own drinks (humblebrag!) so I didn't have any interaction with the bartenders. They were adorable, though. Progress Bar gets 5 stars for the music and the patrons. DJ played a vide variety of amazing music and, as a lady in her 40s, was exited to hear songs I knew. And that everyone loved them as well. I'm generally the observer when I'm out, but you simply can't be a wallflower here. Someone will encourage you to dance, even if you can't dance. There's a little bit of everyone here and as a straight woman I felt nothing but comfortable. As an out-of-town guest in Chicago, I was excited by how welcomed I felt in the city. read more

If you happen to get lost in the land of Boystown and decide you want to dance....Progress is the spot. Great music and enough space to dance your butt off while bumping into sweaty randoms (it gets hot up in here). Get here before 1130pm if you want to avoid the line. Also, shout out to the great staff working here, especially Nic and Dexter. My two favorite bartenders in Chicago. read more

Ive had good experiences before but this time i felt discriminated against by the doorman/boy. He was a young skinny white boy with reddish blondish hair hosting the door at noon on sunday july 5, 2020. So the owners are aware. Other people were standing and dancing by their tables but he only cane and spoke to people once i got up a large black man. We tested ourbtheory snd had a non large black person at our table stand up and dance and he only came and spoke to us once i stood up. I wouldnt have a problem with it because i understand the covid rules, but when they are only being applied to one person thsts different than everyone else there, yeah its a problem. Looking at other post this seems to be a common occurrence so do better and maybe i will patronize your establishment again, one of the few places in boystown that play urban music. read more

This spot is AMAZING! Great music. Great drinks. My friend and I had soooooo much fun and I'll definitely visit again on my next trip to Chicago. Very young crowd. Visitor friendly. Sweat. Butts. Boobs. Smiles. Hand in the air! I hate clubs but very much enjoyed Progress Bar. Treat yo self! read more

"Hey gurls Hey!" ('member me, now?) This place was the best! And not because everytime I told someone I just moved to town they bought me a shot. Really nice crowd with a crazy light fixture - above and beyond! "Everyone needs a chandelier!" Literally got off plane....dropped off luggage....went to happy hour. Boom done! Thanks for welcoming me... and see you soon, gurls! read more

Worst bar to come in pride day No one checking if someone is cutting like which is what I witness several people cutting in n after an hour I just left n went to sidetrack which they had someone specifically checking for "cutters" so I appreciated that read more

What a great place with awesome mixing of music. The bartender Gabriel was very attentive and made great drink. Thank you for the great times. We will definitely come back. read more

Pros: great( music and drinks), good vibes no drama, everybody getting along with each other. Cons: Need a bigger bathroom it's way too small and for a person who has a it's very hard plus you're wearing tight clothes and one fall and we're done for the night read more

This place is what you make of it. Some nights it can be a great place to catch up with friends and just have a beer. The limited but cozy dance floor is great when you're feeling the music. Great and kind staff! read more

Probably my fave club in boystown cuz the music is poppin!! They play pop music as well as old school house, reggae, hip hop, trap, everything! I wish the layout of the club was better tho cuz it's like a small hallyway by the front bar then a small dance floor the a skinny hallway to the back are with another bar & another small dance floor. I like a more open space so when people walk thru they don't bump into u as much as ur trying to dance. It can get pretty hot in here too even with the AC on but if u stand by that side door under the vent, good grief charlie brown!, u can feel that AC blowin down on u & cools u off! will be back for pride events even tho i know it'll be a madhouse!! read more

So so soooo fun! I loved this place. Just walking in, you can automatically sense the fun environment. There's plenty of space to dance and the bars are pretty big too. Bartenders are friendly and the music is very cool. There is one unisex bathroom which is fine but kind of dirty (as most places would be). Had a great time here and got my dance on! read more

This is easily the best bar in boystown right now. I absolutely had a blast here with my friends. The music was amazing. It was packed when we went in but their staff was still really fun and polite. The vide there was just awesome. I don't think I've been to a place like that for a while. It's like how Minibar used to feel like 3-4 years ago. Super cute boys and girls everywhere. Bathrooms were clean. For being packed I never felt overwhelmed. We will be back for sure! read more

One of the few places in Boystown that plays hip-hop music! I'm sad I didn't get to visit here more, very popping place right on the corner. Nice extremely big but the music makes up for it. I loved it here, you will definitely want to check it out if this is your genre choice and looking to have a good time. read more

Fun, fun, fun. Energetic atmosphere, friendly bartenders, good music and feels safe, not slimy like some other clubs I've been to. Can't wait to go back. read more

One of my favorite bars in boystown. Never a cover, drinks are reasonable price, inclusive to all genders, good music, and friendly staff

Had a great time here last night until I realized my credit card was stolen. I spent the whole day calling them to see if it had been turned in or if had been held behind the bar and no one answered the phone. Literally called six times. I'm not going to drive an hour back to the bar to see if they MIGHT have my card, so I ultimately ended up cancelling it. ANSWER YOUR PHONE! read more

If you like dancing then this is one of the good places to be!!! High energy people who do some serious dancing! After eating scrumptious food in Chicago Diner, dance for an hour or two here to burn those calories!!! read more

We stumbled upon this bar and ended up dancing our arses off!! Great DJ's, music, staff and customers! Everyone looked to be having such a great time!! Will be read more

Came here for the first time on Sunday! Dj heavy was playing the music and he did a awesome job loved it! I don't know if he is regular and when his sets are but he was playing all the right music that's for sure ! I would come to all his sets! The decorations are very nice everyone was friendly! We had a good time! read more

New bar in Cocktail's old spot. Decent enough, clean and a bit stylish. To "A A" below me, can you grow up please? Your post is like reading a high school's girls Xanga. read more

I went to Progress Bar two nights in row and, although I was from a different country and feeling a little unsure of what drink to order and what the hell a pint was, the bar man was exceptionally nice. I wish that I could've gotten his name because he'll always be someone who I will think fondly of when I think of Boystown. Really relaxed place to drink and catch up with friends and the fact that the music actually consisted of pop and 80s songs makes me love this bar even more. I hope to God that if I ever return to Chicago that this bar is still running because it was a great couple of nights :) read more

The staff is not friendly or welcoming. Lately, the bar has been very slow and nothing seems to be going on. Much better choices down the road. read more

Not only is this bar usually over capacity and too packed to enjoy yourself the security is rude and the tall door guy begs for money to skip line. This is supposed to be a no cover bar! This place is trash. read more

Only come here if you want to have your things stolen... My phone was taken out of my pocket. The staff did NOT care. I tried multiple times to ask if my phone was returned and kept receiving the same response to come back the next day. They do not answer the phone ever. Their voicemail is set for you to report stolen items, which means it happens quite often. It was only after that I heard from multiple other people that they had things taken out of their pockets as well on a multitude of other nights. Bouncer was a total ass. Will not be returning and neither will any of my friends I was with. read more

This was my group's second stop before hitting up Roscoe's around midnight. According to the pro gay bar hopping friends, Progress doesn't have that great of a dance scene compared to Roscoe's, which is located across the street. But if you are with a big crowd, I would suggest hitting up this place since it is less crowded and you won't have to bump elbows for dance space. read more

Not lying, one of the most shady gay bars in Chicago (and I've lived here for 5 years). The bartenders play favorites, the music is mediocre (at best), and I was kicked out because some hoodrat snacked the hat off my head- and I was to blame. Truly a shame of what we as gays look for in a dance club: a place of equality and inclusion... go to roscoes. Or my place. read more

This is a Boystown neighborhood bar. Stopped in for a beer with my cousin after dinner at The Chicago Diner.

Came during pride rest weekend. The music they play is great. Everyone is having a great time and dancing. Overall, lit af. Bathrooms are small however, and you may be waiting for quite a long time read more

Not my favorite boystown bar, but still lots of fun. I do wish it was bigger and had more room to dance; thats why I got out! Great bartenders, great drinks, great music, great company! I do love the huge window so you can people watch. Is there ever anyplace better to that? read more

Progress has generously sponsored our kickball teams through the Stonewall Kickball League. We play on Sunday's and then head to Progress afterwards to socialize and have a couple drinks. The music has been fantastic. Drinks are always good. Prices are standard for that area. It's a great place to make new friends. I feel people are friendly. This isn't my first time to Progress. I have been there before but I wanted to send an extra kudos for their generosity to our league. read more

Pretty space, okay service, mediocre crowd and atmosphere. I've never had a GREAT time there. And I always get yelled at by some guy while using the UNISEX bathroom. Sorry, guys, we don't like it any more than you. read more

Why does it matter who you opened your tab with? Was treated like a lesser human because I didn't go back to the original bar tender I opened my tab with. When I closed my tab, the bar tender was so rude and made the original bar tender close my tab and double waved me away from the bar. He was a short little man with a hat. What a shit show poorly ran establishment. Unfortunately was my first time in and definitely my last. read more

Gay, straight, black, white or pink. This is my new favorite spot in Boystown. The service was great, the cocktails free-flowing and THEY HAVE SUPER NINTENDO complete with vintage Mortal Kombat. And tons of eye candy. read more

Me and my friends went there last night and had so much fun. The drinks were reasonably priced. I'd say be careful with your personal belongings. My iphone was stolen from my pocket, whoever did it was a pro. I spoke to the security as soon as I knew my phone was gone but he just shrugged his shoulders. read more

My nee favorite place. Good music. Good crowd. Very friendly DJ...he actually came and talked to us and asked what we wanted to hear.Drinks were the usual price of bars in the area. and best of all its free! I got time for that! and its poppon no matter if its a friday or a sunday. its the spot to be apparently. read more

I have been here so many times, but I must give a terrible review and say that I will never ever return. I was there for one beer; the bartender was hostile to me the entire time. I was entirely undisturbed by anyone but he told me I had to leave right away. I closed my tab, on his orders, and left. When I was outside, I explained to the doorman why I had left so quickly, and I pointed to the barman, that piece of shit -- and he waved goodbye, sarcastically, with a "fuck you" grin, at me through the window. Have you ever been so insulted? I used to love coming to this place. Up and down the block, I have a reputation for being considerate and kind. I was pleasant and friendly tonight. And I remember Val, who was (and is, I wish I had seen him) a treasure. But that asshole I dealt with was a poor replacement and a shitty human being. He sucks -- oh man, does he suck. Do not go here. Ever. To judge from tonight, you'll be made to feel like a piece of shit. If I could give zero stars, I would. If I could give negative stars, I would. I would have that guy fired, if I could. How dare he embarrass me, an old friend of this place, a former friend of this place, like this. Because of the way this guy treated me, I now hate a place I used to love. read more