This place is great alittle small but great to dance at. But my complaint is that one of the bartenders was really rude. I went to the bar to ask for some water, and he said no you have to buy a bottle, then I asked for ice... he said I had to pay for that too! I thought this was ridiculous because in the past there I've been able to get tap water. So I found another bartender and he gladly gave me tap water and was very nice. Look I get it if you have a certain policy on water, but obviously you don't you were just being a power-tripping jerk trying to rip off thirsty drunk people. Dont fall for this people! This happened on 10-2-14 read more

Ive been going to Scarlet for a few years now and I cant even count how many times I stumbled to dance the night away. However, ever since they added the new renovations done inside, I cant seem to enjoy the music anymore. The so called EDM music they played is filled the same old pop songs. What happened the club music where you can get low. Play some Hip Hop and if Scarlet is going to play some EDM, start playing songs that aren't mainstream... yessh! I understand most gays like top 40 crap, but have some mix ups and dont keep changing the song after only 30 seconds of playing. Get better Djs. read more

The woman taking money at the door did not give my friend his change for the cover. When he approached her about it she asked security to ask us to leave. Not a great handling of the situation and I'm very annoyed to see it taken to such an extreme. Bad customer service. read more

To be honest I didn't known this place existed, until I noticed tons of people staring at its big windows. I was curious so, I took a very close look and saw the most fine-looking Go go-Girl dancing like she didn't care. That is why I decided to take a peek inside. For being after pride parade there wasn't a line to go in. The decor reminded me of a Sea food restaurant (but, in a good way) not too specious, but it definitely gets Packed! The Music here is popping, because they play tons of "Today's Hottest Hits." The trademark of this place I believe it has to be the dance area next to and on top of the couches next to the big windows, which is Packed! with a huge diverse and lively crowd. This is a "MUST GO PLACE" Place during Pride Parade. read more

Loved the feel of this bar, and the Scarlet Martini (with POM!) was amazing. They definitely have generous pours, because I only had *two* drinks, and early, here, and the next day I was paying for them. The people here are nice, not pretentious at all, and very fun to talk to. My only regret was not getting the number of the hot, and possibly straight (!) , guy I was talking to... But I'll definitely be back. Extra stars for the complimentary coat check!! read more

40 ounces in paper bags, Scarlet I simply can not with you! It was super crowded when I went there, don't know if it's always like that. But I will say, I somehow managed to escape without having someone's booze spilled all over me. Had this been Clark St, I would have had more alcohol on my shoes than in my system. Decent prices as well. $5 will get you a long island you won't soon forget. Well actually, you might forget. Depends on your tolerance. And dancing with guys that don't want to grab my butt or my chest. Always a plus in my book. I gave it 3 stars simply because I'm not a fan of packed spaces, the bartender was kinda ignoring me until my friend came up, and this is my first time here, so I need to reserve some judgement. I wouldn't be against going back. read more

Nina M and I live for this place. We had to ban ourselves for awhile.... thank jebus I dont usually have Sundays off. Sunday AFTERNOON dance parties after brunch. $12 bottles of champane. Gay FRIENDLY men. Not crowded. My kind of place! These afternoons turn into wild nights that lead to nothing but trouble and fried ravioli. Yea I said it. Fried ravioli! Sacrlet you have my heart. read more

Best music selection in Boystown! And they serve Long Island iced teas in mini pitchers- anything mini immediately wins me over. Only downside is the wait for the women's restroom, so don't wait til the last minute if you really have to pee. Otherwise you'll always have a good time coming to Scarlet. Check out their schedule because they often have theme nights or performers, which will totally enhance your experience! read more

I've been here many times and have absolutely loved every second of it. However last night I brought my sister and her friends for their last night in town. My sister got kicked out even though she was not all that drunk. The DJ, whose name is Bryce told me to get her out so I was. Security proceeded to come and they were a lot nicer. Bryce consistently had his hands on my sister aggressively and when we got close to the door, I kindly told him I had it from there. He proceeded to shove my sister out of the door and then he got really rough with me. He shoved me into the wall, hit my head, and landed on the space heater that burned my back. I've already been to the doctor, have a concussion, and am extremely triggered by the entire experience. Not only this, but I was misgendered the entire time. I voiced that my pronouns were they them and it was fully disrespected as the DJ explained what happened(explained it so wrong) and constantly said she/her. He claimed I fell, when I absolutely did not and have witnesses to prove that. It could've been handled a whole lot more maturely. I could have gotten my sister out on my own without being aggressively grabbed. I am disgusted and hurt physically and mentally. I will never be back to this bar and will make sure anyone I know that goes there knows this story. Truly sad that one person can change your experience of a bar you really enjoyed. We have been there almost every themed Taylor Swift night, Gaga night, etc. Very disappointed and upset. Do not recommend. read more

Welcome to Scarlet, where once you hit 28 years of age, you officially feel old. Oh, Gentry... why did you ever leave? Scarlet isn't awful, but it's also not great. The bartenders are friendly enough, but the drinks are a wee much, and the place is small... t i n y. It's nearly impossible to move, but I suppose that's part of the ambiance. read more

I have yet to have had a bad time here...Scarlet always knows how to party!! The people here are so friendly and welcoming, not to mention so fun! The bartenders are quick and make some strong, delicious drinks. The atmosphere is elctrifying and fun. The music is absolutely perfect. I'm a big EDM fan and yet I can't stand DJs that only play beats and never songs the whole crowd knows. At Scarlet every song is one probably everyone knows and can dance to. It's fabulous. My only gripe is how small the space is. Maybe that's what makes it so different and special, but I hate barely being able to move let alone grab a drink! Otherwise Scarlet is a dance lovers paradise, with the fabulous crowd to boot! read more

Scarlet charged my credit card without authorization. I ordered 2 cheap beers on the same tab then left. I get home to find out my credit card has been charged somehow with two separate receipts - one for my actual transaction and one for a transaction that never took place. I've only stopped in once before and it was fine. My second time in was this past weekend. The service was really bad - bartender ignored me to the point where I honestly should have just taken that as my cue that I was not welcome, but I waited because I just wanted a drink for my friend and I. When I finally got to order, the bartender played this weird back and forth game like I was speaking another language - telling me he couldn't help me because I needed to order drinks, when all I was saying to him was my drink order and repeatedly had to tell him the same order - a miller lite and a pbr. That really shouldn't be complicated. Bartender finally gets my drinks- a miller light and a pbr, and I paid by card. HUGE MISTAKE. I'm in the process of filing a report because I have TWO separate billing charges on my credit card, when I only signed one receipt for my two beers, and definitely did not tip the poor service. The second charge is for more than the first charge, and is completely unauthorized. read more

This bar is so small but is probably the most fun bar in all boystown!! They have the best music of all bars/clubs around!

First time my boyfriend and I went, paid $5 cover and then we were greeted with a tube of liquor, and this is when my boyfriend high-fived the host. Lots of smoke, great crowd, great drinks and excellent music. No wonder there's always a looooooooooong line, it's absolutely worth the wait. Can't wait to return. read more

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This bar has been remodeled since their fire last year. They still brought back the same great nights. They are well known for their Thursday night parties (FRAT Night) still and have great specials on beer and mini-pitchers of Long Island Ice Teams. This is a great bar that you can get away from some of the uppity types that invade many bars. Not so stuff in here! read more

We went there on a Thursday night. $5 Long Island pitchers? YES PLEASE. It was a great crowd, everyone was super friendly. It was PACKED though, and unfortunately we went with a bunch of straight guys who weren't interested in dancing, so we moved on after a pitcher or two. An interesting fact: they have a flip cup table! This is the second bar I've seen in Chicago that offers flip cup. I didn't know that bars provided drinking games, it's kind of amusing. Reminds me of college! I will definitely come back here one Thursday, hopefully with a crowd more down to hang out and dance :D The only downside other than the crowdedness was that there was nowhere to put our coats or purses because the place was so tiny! read more

I really like Scarlet. It's much more chill than other boystown bars, but still gets crazy from time to time (read - Thursdays, later at night Fri/Sat, and Sundays). Some of the other bars in boystown (I'm looking at you, minibar) have a very specific 'clientèle' where everyone looks like carbon copies of each other. Scarlet is the opposite of that, a delicious hodgepodge of the community and visitors. It makes for an interesting night, whether it's more quiet, or packed to the hilt. I enjoy coming to Scarlet to start and/or end my night out on Halsted. The bartenders are all friendly and attentive. Practical things: - Easy coat check, right by the entrance - Two bars, one in the front and one in the back - They have LOTS of events, check out their fbook page - You can also have your own event there, for pretty competitive pricing - No Cover, ever! - single stall bathrooms, always clean, always stocked read more

I came here yesterday to celebrate my Friend Nina's promotion... I loved it here, it was soo much fun.. $12 bottles of champagne..heck yes I'm there... Sunday Fundays are the best.. the bartenders are soo nice and fun!! everybody was really nice, very good vibe and crowd.. I will be coming here more often. read more

First bar I went to today, I asked for a Manhattan and the bartender looked me in the eye and said I don't know how to make that. I told him what he needed and with even worse attitude said we don't have any of that. Please hire professional,more mature and licensed bartenders. read more

What a dive! Popularity = Line Attentive bartender and staff. The special $5 Long Island Iced Tea and Blue Hawaiian on a pitcher is a hoot. The music is choppy with mish mash rhythm that makes it difficult to do a continuous high energy dance, but touchy feely dirty dancing works right? ;-) The fabulously slender and trim Boys are the source of envy with their HOT bods. read more

We were meeting up with a group of friends after dinner and they suggested Scarlet as it would be less packed at that time of the evening so we'd have an easier time finding each other. Definitely was easy to find us as the bar was pretty empty at 9:30pm when we got there. Perfect though, we were able to get the drinks flowing and get a head start on our buzz. The bartender was attentive and mixed a pretty strong drink - kudos to him. You can also sit and watch the TV - they had Hedwig and the Angry Itch playing and it was more than a little fascinating. As it gets later in the evening they remove the bar stools to get ready for the packed house and the dancing. The DJ spins all the festive dance tunes you are hearing on the radio currently and mixing it with a more techno beat. Add vodka+red bull and you'll be feeling the beat in no time. The place will get packed...and it will be packed full of hot boys which makes it that much more festive! Special shout out to the door guy with the sexy hipster glasses and the fabulous faux hawk spiky hair...every time we stepped outside for a moment he was shooting the shit with us and adding to our fun time. And didn't card us every single time we went back in. Loved him. Definitely give this place a try when you are going barhopping on Halsted St. You'll be glad you did. read more

The music was great.i went here on Friday night and there were many people there but I don't think it was crowded. read more

Scarlet - Gay Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Gay bars are the best bars, especially for women like me. I'm personally engaged and hate always being bothered by total douches who want to tell me how pretty I am, I just want to dance and hang with my friends. So Scarlet it is for me. The place is super fun. Drinks are decent prices-I ordered a screwdriver for $5.25 and it was delicious! The music is pretty good, all very top-20esque with the typical trans beat, so very fun to get loose to. All the gorgeous gay men make you want to dance and just have fun-props to them, they make the place what it is, but of course. I had such a fun time there, and I can't wait to go again. FYI: The bathroom was super clean. It is a little small so expect crowding, and trouble getting in and out, but my advice is to get in, grab a drink, find a spot with your friends and dance the night away. :D read more

Although they close in 11min they won't let me wait to use the bathroom even though I had already been waiting for about 10min. This is ridiculous it should not be a problem I was here for quite a while and spent money to refuse to let me go to the bathroom even though I had already been waiting is disrespectful!! read more

Good time. Although I miss DJ Dolo, the new DJ is good. The day I go is Sundays. I went March 30th Had the most amazing bartenders and time! !! read more

This bar is everything!!!!! They were my favorite until they started the $5 - $10 cover though but I still love going! The music is ALWAYS THE BEST! Perfect mix of all you want to hear out at the club that most bars & clubs miss because they focus solely on what playing on the radio now! This DJ at Scarlet knows his shit!! Crowded as fuck always though. The people that come out though are usually really awesome though! The bartenders are nice & usually fairly attractive & dance on the bar sometimes but what turnt gay bar doesn't ? Lol read more

The girls and I happened to pass by and decided to give it a try, not knowing that it was a gay bar...no wonder why there were so many good looking guys. In any case, the DJ played great music (House) and the bartender was nice. We danced a little bit but decided to leave because we wanted a different scene :-). read more

So I'm one of 'those guys' that goes out on a Wednesday night. Yeah. Even though it was basically empty, 1:00am and just my friends and I, we had a great time and the bartender, Tom(?) (I was a little out of it, ahem) was really sweet and talkative. The mug concept that they have is really interesting--they use a beer pint mug and then put mixed drinks in it; they cycle through specials (taking one dollar off for the special) and it's A LOT of alcohol for $5. The music wasn't loud, there was lots of room to stand and my friend loved his Scarletini (the name made me gag too). Check it out! read more

Small but packed with fun! Dj's keep it pumping, pop up celebrity appearances, themed nights = the funnest (is that a word) bars in boystown. Sunday liquid brunch with $12 champagne - you can't beat bit! read more

Scarlet Is amazing! The team was very welcoming and ensured we had a great time! The staff was professional and ensured they were attending to all my friends! The drinks are delicious! I have visited this bar, several times throughout the last two years and the level of service is exceptional! I would recommend this bar for anyone!! It is definitely a great time for anyone to enjoy! Thanks! read more

I was at Scarlet last night and encountered a very rude bartender. While ordering a bottle of champagne along with water I said "May I please have a glass of water?". The bartender then continued to tell me "Say please!" over and over again before they would get me a drink. It was really loud so it was hard for us to hear each other. I told them I already said please. I was completely taken aback by their behavior. The bartender then gave me the water and after refusing to say thank you after being rude to me they said "You're welcome". It would be one thing if they said this to everyone that ordered and didn't say "please" but that wasn't the case. Everyone else who came to the bar and stood next to me, he had no problem getting their order or a hard time. As a trans woman of color, I felt personally attacked. I don't know what I did to that bartender or what their problem was with me. I was completely disgusted they would do that to a customer and expect to get away with blatantly being rude. We tipped when we ordered drinks. All my friends and including I were in great moods, not obnoxious or crazy drunk. What gives? When you unfairly treat a customer it comes off very personal. I understand people have bad days, it would have been different if the bartender was treating everyone else poorly but they didn't. I'm not sure if it's because of my race or because I appear to be a woman in a male dominant bar (I do not care for gender labels) but it really hurt my feelings. The bartender had purple/blond hair with a long bang and shaved head. I tried to see their name-tag but it was too smoky to see in the bar. read more

Absolutely the worst and most immature bar in Boystown. Very unorganized. Bad drinks, dirty bar, Pretty sure it's full of under 21 year olds and music is horrendous. 30 seconds of songs and they cut it. Door staff is also rude AF. AVOID, it's ratchet and not in a fun way. read more

l. Love. This. Place. Within my top 3 favorite bars worldwide... maybe it helps thats its more conveniently located to my house that some of the others i've been to - ha! Usually a good crowd, but always friendly bartenders and staff. Drinks are reasonably priced and the atmosphere is cozy... not overwhelming large like Sidetrack. They often have events that mix it up a little bit. One of my favorites is "Liquid Brunch" on Sunday afternoons. Perfect if you're done with brunch, but not quite ready to let Sunday Funday end. Scarlet can be extremely crowded on certain nights. Definitely crowded in a good way, but you might want to have a drink beforehand or if you're going in stone sober have a shot or two with the bartender! read more

Oh my gosh! Had so much fun here last night, I just had to blog about it! Had the best service from the boy behind the bar (Jack) and met two of the nicest guys on the floor, (Austin and Tyler). Can't thank you enough for the great service, laughs, and the tequila! I will be back, can't wait for bottle service next time! This place is my new favourite BoysTown bar! read more

One of the better boystown bars, really great lighting and music. I'm not always in the mood to go dancing, but when I am this is my pick.

Great atmosphere even for an old man like me... LOL . Great music and ample room to dance. Had a great time with good friends during Pride. Can't wait to try it again. read more

Scarlet - Gay Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Did not enjoy at all, bossy people, lots of aggression of the bouncer. My wig fell off, and people laughed. cry..... read more

If you wanna be in a cramped space with a 100+ sweaty people bumping into you and stepping on your feet while you dance to the current hot songs and old school (early 2000s) classics....Scarlet is the place to be. Coming here you know that the music will be on point and you are gonna dance your ass off. What more can you ask for from a club?! read more

Stop two with David S. and company was Scarlet. I believe Scarlet came out of the Gentry on Halsted, when it went out of business. This is the smallest of the Chicago gay bars I've been to and it's still pretty big, a great space, I thought. They have this cool stained glass art work, scarlet lighting and decor (shocker?!) but it all looks very sexy and chic. The drinks were really good, and some of their trademark cocktails had quite the spate of interesting names I have to say, sadly, I'd had one to many drinks to remember what they were. I do remember laughing about them with Andy F. and David though. The crowd was pretty cool, diverse and I definitely got checked out by a hoot of cuties and another spate of not-so-cuties. Always fun and very flattering! :-) I really enjoyed the music here, mainstream pop/rock, and a dance, good times all around! read more

Scarlet - a stained glass window in a bar - Gay Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Strong drinks, great music, and being surrounded by mancandy. What more can a girl ask for?? I'd call Scarlet a more sophisticated chic bar. The crowd was slightly older than Roscoe's and everybody seemed to be having a great time. It wasn't too full when we came by (I think it was 11pm?), but it filled up quickly after that. I stuck to my good girl drinks, but will definitely come back to try their other cocktails. This is the type of place to throw back a few martinis. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, but sultry at the same time. The bathroom has this great hook lock that makes it seem dungeon-ey. But it was at the top of the door, which makes it impossible for a shortay like me to lock the door. I will definitely be back to play. read more