I love this bar so much STILL. Gay, straight, whatever - just behave. We always end up chatting with fellow Andersonvillans when we go here. Daily specials. If you love dogs (is there a person who does not?) go here on a Saturday! It's DOG PARTY! I try to pet as many pups as I can, but truthfully, they are catching up with their dog friends. The perfect description of this place was uttered by my good friend, the legendary John B (may he RIP). It's a casual neighborhood bar that just happens to cater to a mostly gay clientele. Go here, make new friends. Pet dogs. Quaff a few. read more

The SoFo Tap - Puppy party! - Gay Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Imagine being banned because of you called the ownership transphobic and racist due to their own actions. When I went here, I would CONSTANTLY either go through slower service bc the staff is more attentive to their conventionally attractive white male customers, or get subtle discrimination from white patronage. When I voiced this to owners Mike and Mark, they said I was "making false accusations" for something I EXPERIENCED bc it "wasn't seen on camera" or "the staff said it never happened". Never is accountability taken. The prior issue with staff is absolutely NOT an isolated issue: the reviews I am sharing say the same thing. They can't be found anymore because ownership uses their staff and followers to harass them, silence them, then ban them. When it comes to accountability, the ownership of this bar will be fast to call it out from others, but when it comes to THEIR actions, they will use DARVO to abuse their victims and silence them. This bar is absolutely NOT a safe space for black or brown women and trans folk. Please hold the ownership and other figures in power who enable this abuse accountable for their actions. They should not be allowed ANY access to positions of power. There's a new leather bar called Chicago Eagle. I'd recommend giving that a try. read more

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Popped in here on a Monday night and there was a small crowd here, but I just have to say, I love the modern feel of this place. Feels very clean! Their SPECIALS are to die for. I swear there is nowhere else in the Chicago area (at least that I've found) where you'll find daily specials that affordable. On a Monday night they had several specials, but we opted for the 'Big Ass Long Islands' which were huge and only $5 each. Considering inflation in 2022 as well as post pandemic pricing, this place and its daily specials reminds me of dive bar pricing from like 2015. You can literally munch of some free popcorn that cooks itself in the corner and change the music on the juke box as well. They also have a decent sized patio for those warmer days/nights! I'd love to come back here on a weekend and feel the vibe. I also must note that whoever the bartender was that took care of us as soon as we walked in, was very friendly and hospitable! I'll be back! read more

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Absolutely love SoFo! The bartenders are great, super friendly every time, especially Bee! Bee, is such a sweetheart, so open and energetic!! read more

Sofo is a decent gay bar with great drink specials, a nice patio, and a chill vibe (but those bathrooms need a serious upgrade). The staff are generally friendly. My major complaint is that I've noticed recently, depending on the bartender, they are refusing to provide the free tap water when requested and will only provide bottled water for a fee - even if you've been buying drinks the whole time. I've been told they don't have to provide free tap water because they don't serve food. For a chill, neighborhood bar, that's pretty offputting. read more

I decided to come here after dinner for drinks and I'm glad that I did. The bar wasn't too crowded, someone was having a birthday celebration. I had Tito Vodka and Cranberry Juice. The bartender was nice and friendly. Next time I come back, I will bring my boyfriend for some drinks and hanging out. read more

Trivia was fun, but many places do trivia and still know how to operate a bar. I ordered one drink and the bartender didn't make it right. Asked to have it replaced and they said the only thing they can do is charge me for another drink. I honestly don't think I've ever been to a bar that refused to replace a drink they made wrong. Recommendation: Try another bar. If you really who to do trivia, wait for a free round of shots. They seem to give those out a lot (ironic?). read more

It's hard to say that Bee was amazingly attentive and made a great drink while Jairo is staring at me. That said always an amazing time and great place. Friendly and wonderful. Thomas, Mathew (hola bonito), Jessica, lovely! read more

This is a great neighborhood bar, gay or straight. Prices are pretty reasonable and the bartenders are nice. Great place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with the family over drinks and free Chicago Style Hot Dogs. Since they have bubbles, you know this is going to be a win win for me #bubblequeen. It gets crowded very fast, depending on the day or the event. For those that like popcorn, they have a machine and do it fresh. Now if they brought in some caramel popcorn, that would be amazing. There is a lovely patio out back that is great for hanging out when the weather is nice. I love that they allow you to bring in your own food, if you wish. It is also dog friendly...not a deal breaker for me, but some owners seem to think that the love they feel for their dogs is shared by all having a drink. There are various drink specials during the week as well as themed events during the week. Keep in mind, this is a gay bar, so don't go on the night they do best d*ck pic if you don't like d*ck pics. That said, this is a fun place to hang out with friends for drinks, even if you aren't gay. read more

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An A plus on general ambience, and fair prices. The crowd, mostly bearish is largely white males who know each other with no desire to interact with others. Very few men of color, especially on Sundays. The few that do don't stay long, perhaps sensing they are not wanted. As a man of color, I got some hard cold stares, and won't be back. read more

This used to be our Sunday funday destination but things have taken a turn for the worse. Takes forever to get a drink. Your bar staff is over worked and under staffed to the detriment of your patrons. The staff are hard working but drowning in mismanagement. read more

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The quality of staff has really plummeted .... Was there today 12/17 approx 12:30 PM DITZY bartender and bar backs chatting loudly about KFC, ignoring customers. 1 drink and I needed to leave before their gross energy wrecked my day. Left $0.00 tip. Don't pay for bad service ! The owners really need to do a quality control. read more

Chill place with a nice patio area for hanging out. Bartenders are chill. I don't know if it was because I was there with a party or free hotdogs on the weekends but I was sold on that alone read more

This is a really great place, I used to come often when visiting in past years or working sometimes in Chicago. They have a great outdoor patio and the barman last night were friendly. They have good drinks specials and the place is clean and welcoming. This is down to me and not the bar but I kinda felt like I didn't fit in. I am bearded and bearish and this was a bear night but it felt like everyone there knew each other. If I lived here this would the bar I would want to come to all the time once I got used to it. read more

Hope you know the bartender. If you don't he'll spend a lot of time talking to everyone else while ignoring you. If you're in the service area he'll brush past you to help someone on the other side who just walked up... even though he saw you waiting there for the past 7 minutes while he was chit-chatting with folks. It wasn't busy, so maybe because I wasn't a regular?... or perhaps cause he didn't like my outfit? It was the second time I'd gone to the bar and waited.... And waited.... When it wasn't busy. Perhaps I wasn't welcome there? Who knows the reason. I don't... because I got tired of waiting and took my money to another bar. Great way to run a business! I'll be sure not to come back. read more

A buddy and I had stopped into the SoFo Tap after having dinner at a nearby restaurant for one cocktail. Please note, we had arrived early in the evening.... around 8pm so the place was quite empty. Unfortunately, all of the stools at the bar were being occupied so we decided to sit at one of the tables - so glad we did. We had continued to drink wine (I know.... wine at a bar.... but it the Pinto Grigio was decent). The bartender was very friendly and quick with the drinks. The patrons (men and women) seemed like everyone was having a good time. The music and videos were at the right level, however, throughout the evening, the sound was turned up to make it a party atmosphere. At a certain time, the barback will remove all of the chairs so everyone will be standing instead of sitting. Obliviously, we did not stay for just one drink. My friend kept running into people he knew. Enjoyed meeting new people and more cocktails. Great people watching! By the time we finally left, the place was not as busy but still fun. We were not able to check out the patio, hopefully, next time we will be able to enjoy the patio. I look forward to my next visit and would highly recommend this bar! read more

Ok cute space, though it gets crowded fast. Patio is nice, but keep in mind it closes at 11 due to neighbors Not enough bathrooms read more

This is your neighbourhood bar. It's like Cheers, but cleaner and with less straight people. SoFo has daily specials, is dog friendly, and let's you BOYFood. It's everything you could ask for in a bar. The staff is talented & kind, and VJ Thomas is always pumping out the most amazing mixes on the TVs. There is something to do at SoFo every night of the week. Why aren't you there already? read more

Great neighborhood bar! Defiantly a daddy bar. Good music and environment.

There's nothing good to drink here. The beer selection is pretty basic and not at all exciting, and it seems the draft lines aren't cleaned often enough; the taste is off and I get a headache easily when drinking here. Order a liquor drink (vodka soda, for example) and the bartender will not ask what kind of vodka you want. This is important because the default vodka is some atrocious off-brand swill that I wouldn't even touch in college. It wouldn't take much effort to make this a solid place. The crowd is right, the patio is nice, it's just a bit too divey- and not in the good ways. read more

I recently spent a couple of evenings at Sofo, as I was hosting a friend with a dog. This is the most dog-friendly bar I know. Not only are dogs allowed in, but there are almost always dogs in the bar. If dogs are not your thing, this may be a problem. If not, come on down! Or up, as the case may be. Sofo is basically a casual corner bar that happens to be gay. As others have mentioned -- both positively and derisively -- it's a mixed crowd that tends to skew a little older. It's a sad comment on the gay community that we still want our old and less-than-perfect to be shuttered away somewhere. Sofo is very welcoming to all, including straight women and men. The prices are a bit higher than the atmosphere would lead you to expect, which is one reason this bar had never become my regular haunt. But the bartenders are friendly, you can almost always always find a seat, and the back patio is hoppin'. Come with a friend or make a new one at the bar. Especially if you have a dog. read more

Yuck. WTF happened to SoFo? I know it was sold and all but, man, it's a completely different bar. What I loved most about SoFo was that it was like a typical neighborhood/sports bar. But now it's got some crappy theme every night. Also, when did it become a bear bar? I walked in on a Thursday at like 8pm and the bartenders were walking around shirtless, their bulging bellies and man-sweaters on display for all to "enjoy". Lastly, and the main reason I'm downgrading my original review, we were asked to close our tab because the bartender was going off duty. While we've never been asked that before, we obliged. We were rewarded with a triple charge! It eventually remedied itself... but not for *6 days*. If we were some brokies (which thank goodness we're not), having $72 tied up for 6 days in mistakes made by a bartender (who shouldn't have asked us to close and reopen our tab in the first place) could have been bad news. As it was, it was annoying to have to follow up on and frankly, I'm over SoFo if this is what the new owners are bringing to the table. Oh, but they have a popcorn machine. Yay. read more

How refreshing! A lesbian bar with *gasp* "normal" lesbians! I've been to quite a few lesbian bars in my time and most of the time they are dives and/or full of drama. This bar was neither a dive and had no drama. We had a total of 4 beers and some fries on our bill for $21.50. Not too shabby for downtown Chicago. The waitress was fast. The food was ok, but honestly I'd like to have an actual meal before judging it further. There are vegetarian options available. I'll definitely return here when I'm in Chicago. read more

I love the bartenders here - Jeremy, Jessica, and Mike are my favorites - and the drink specials are really unbeatable. I usually stop in here for karaoke with Scott, or just whenever it's chilled out, and I've been meaning to see the Monday live-singing drag show, The culture of the bar is kinda iffy sometimes though. I get grabbed a lot and the staff seems to care while also not having any kind of idea what to do about it. They give stern warnings but don't really follow up because it happens time and time again. I don't understand why they never throw people out for that kinda thing. I know it's kind of ingrained in gay culture that we should just let fellow gay people grab at each other but that doesn't happen as much at places like Berlin or Charlie's or Mary's. The bar is cool though. Whenever someone invites me along, I definitely go. read more

We went here for a brief drink on a Friday after a night of board games. The bar is located in Andersonville, a part of Chicago that has finally arrived, and has a great amount of other bars and restaurants in the area. The ambiance is reasonably laid back, and I was delighted that while the music was a little bit loud, I didn't have to scream to be heard. I had a very large cider, which came with a $9 price tag. Not bad, not amazing pricing wise, but any bar that has cider on tap gets extra points with me. I love beer, but variety is the spice of life. The barstaff were extremely pleasant and seemed to be enjoying the customers at the bar, a rare occurrence in many of the bars in Boystown where the staff is inundated with orders and just seems to scowl at anyone who approaches. Overall, great place to have a quick pint of whatever you choose. I look forward to visiting in warmer weather when the patio is open. read more

So I've been missing Crew since it closed shop last year, and when I remembered that the owners of Crew also owned the SoFo tap, I figured I'd go get my fix. The SoFo Tap definitely has that neighborhood bar, everyone knows each other feel. I strolled in on a random weeknight and after a few seconds of everyone assessing the straight guy and his girlfriend, it was business as normal. The Staff: Friendly and fun. They're about as chatty or non-chatty as you want them to be and I appreciated that. It wasn't super busy, but I appreciated the attentiveness . The best part of course was the amazing music selection and the videos on the TV. I haven't heard some of those songs or thought about the videos in a few years. Everyone was really into it and by the end of the night, I felt like I fit right in with the regulars. I'll be back to take advantage of their patio. read more

One of my favorite bars in Andersonville. Been a patron for this bar for years and I always have a great time. It's kinda laughable on other reviews that the drinks are "pretty basic" it seems like when people visit a neighborhood bar they have such high expectations. This isn't a bar in downtown Chicago this is literally a neighborhood bar so come in with an open mind and don't have such high expectations. If you want fancy drinks go downtown. This establishment is your friendly neighborhood bar South of Foster (SOFO) they have weekly specials and what I love is the free burgers and hot dogs on Sundays, a bunch of my friends play volleyball and this is the sponsor bar so we usually come here after the game and just have fun. During the summer the patio is open and it's always nice, you can bring your dog to the bar and you can also order delivery food which is pretty awesome. A good selection of drinks and specials I've been a patron for years it's always a great time! read more

The SoFo Tap - Gay Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really enjoy the space. Good beer selection. Not too loud. It's a little disconcerting that the music videos don't match up with the music playing. It's not a showstopper but it's confusing after a couple of cocktails. Friendly bartenders and staff. I really like it here and would go back without hesitation. Plus, lots of eye candy amongst the customers and let's face it, that's why we are there. read more

Sofo was alright about 5 years ago but let's face it: This place sucks now. The bartenders are slow as f*** and you spend the majority of the time waiting in line - whether the bar is crowded or not. The last time I was here, the bartender came outside to ask me to go in and close my tab because of a shift change. Why he couldn't just do it himself and bring me the receipt to sign was pretty idiotic, but whatever. Anyway, I went in to close my tab and waited 20+ minutes to learn that he added 20+ percent to it because he decided I had walked out and 'the system just does that.' No, it doesn't. read more

Fairly cool place with a nice crowd. My friends and I came here twice while visiting Chicago and had fun. The crowd was friendly and skewed bearish the nights I was there. The only drawbacks were limited restroom capacity (there was always a line) and being somewhat short, I had a hard time getting a beer. If you're tall and hot, the bartenders will always serve you first and be happy to ignore anyone else, regardless of how long they've been waiting for a beer. read more

Great cozy, comfortable LGBT friendly & embracing bar in the city. Good staff and nice back patio.bar, when the weather is good! Trivia, karaoke, and soeciak.events as well as daily specials. read more

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I have lived in the neighborhood for over 10 years and when SoFo came along, it wasn't Earth shattering, but it was a nice, casual bar with good service. I have been a frequenter there for a while, however, since it has become the Sofo Tap (apparently changed owners) the last few times I found the service rude and very slow. Most recently my friend and I walked in on a Saturday night around 9pm; the bar was sparse with customers. There were three people behind the bar. We were never greeted and stood at the service part of the bar for ten minutes. Finally, after not even being recognized that we were there, I convinced my friend we should leave. Only a small group in the corner was being served and they apparently knew the bartenders well. A gentleman next to us at the bar, with a disconcerting expression, said he had been standing there longer and nobody ever even acknowledged him. I won't be back, I don't think my friend will be either. read more

The place attracts a nice looking crowd for special events, but the service has been lacking. The last time I was there, my friend and I stood at a station with cash in hand as the bartenders ignored us and actually waved people around us to serve them first. After 15-20 minutes of suppressing my reflexive eye roll to the point of inducing a migraine, we were grudgingly acknowledged and served before quickly scampering away with our beers as not to annoy them any more than we already had. If I hadn't known better, I would have sworn we were in a episode of Seinfeld. I'd give this place one star, but the crowd and the space are pretty nice if you don't plan on ordering a drink or interacting with the staff in any other way while you're there. read more

Now that I work in the area, Sofo has become one of my favorite after-shift establishments. More often than not, my coworkers and I stay until close. Ryan is fantastic, funny and attentive. They have some great specials, including $6 double-pints and $15 bottles of wine (try the incredible sauv blanc). And as others have stated, the dog friendliness is an added bonus. read more

When I moved 2 blocks from here I expected SoFo to become my go-to bar. It would be, if the bartenders could be bothered to leave conversations with their friends for long enough to serve the customers they don't know. Paul was nice, I would go there any time I knew he was working. But since I dont know his schedule, I'm giving my tip money to people at bars down the street. read more

This is a hard review to write because I have such mixed feelings on this place. Overall it's a fun neighborhood bar with several fun themes nights - Bear, DILF, Otter etc etc and the crowd is good looking if you like older furry men. The new owners really are trying hard to make it something. The back patio is a very fun place to hangout. On the other hand I have never seen any attempt at good customer service or relation skills there. There used to be a really rude nasty bartender there (who has now moved away) and I complained to the owners about him but nothing was done. The service is notoriously slow (just like lots of these reviews state), no one has trained their bartenders how to take multiple orders at one time. You spend a lot of time standing in line. (especially on the patio), That last straw was really last night. It's a hot humid night. I was out on the patio. I bought several drinks and over tipped for them. My friends bought a round and shots. I asked for a glass or water and the bartender refused saying he can only sell me a bottle. They really don't care about their customers. It's sad because everything else is really working there. I certainly hope this isn't the expectations of their servers/staff at their new cantina down the block. read more

Bartender couldn't bother to smile, ask how I was doing or even check back in with me. Was there early (7ish) on a Wednesday when they were not at all busy. Tending bar is more than just mixing a drink! Try creating community. read more

A great place with nice ambiance! Yes, the drinks are a bit pricey, but they also have a nice heavy pour. Most of the bartenders are attentive and friendly. One of them has the personality of my shoe, but at least he will come when called. What makes this place rock is the patrons. If you don't want the busy, crazy and pretentious places down in boystown, head over here for a pint and a game of pool or darts. The colors and decor make it nice and vibrant, yet relaxed. Oh, and I would definitely consider it a gay-friendly neighborhood bar. Most of the guests are probably gay, but many straight couples and friends in the area stop on in too. read more

I'm not one to formulate a review without first reading other ones just to make sure I didn't miss anything, perhaps experience my own biases, and I have to say, I'm really surprised so many people have terrible experiences. I've visited The SoFo Tap, I would say, a decent amount of times. It has become my husband's and my bar to go to when we don't know where else to go. I've have never felt disrespected by the bartenders or any of the personnel. If anything, i feel they're friendlier than many other bartenders in the gay scene. One example is Danny Beers, we met him on our last outing with family, and he treated our group with such courtesy and respect, very attentive. Shout out to him for making our night a very fun one! I will say about the negative reviews though, they're right about the jukebox and the music there sometimes. The staff is all to eager to switch the music if it's not to their liking. read more

I've been here several times, but I particularly enjoy this bar if you're looking for a laid back gay bar on a Sunday afternoon. My partner and I stumbled in here during the summer while apartment searching/bar crawling (hey, you gotta check out the local pubs when looking for some new digs!) We ended up staying here for hours playing pool, talking to the Sunday regulars, and enjoying the welcomed neighborhood dogs that came in. More recently I came here on a Friday night. As others have said, the bartenders are extremely friendly and the crowd is much more laid back than any gay bar you'd find in Boystown. Come here on a Sunday for a relaxing afternoon bar scene (and bring your dog!) Or on the weekend for a nice alternative to Boystown. read more