Parlour On Clark

I arrived to a half empty bar at 8:15p Saturday. The door guy charged us $ 5 each to walk in. There was a man singing with a guitar and karaōke, not worth a cover charge if that was the reason for it. There are a ton of gay bars and gay friendly bars on the north side and we don’t need to pay a «cover charge». And a cover at 8:15p? Drinks and clientele were fine, bar is clean. I hate to give a bad review to a gay-​owned business but I hate to feel taken advantage of.

Attention Chicago LGBT community! If you are looking for a great place to do pumpkin pie vodka shots, this is your place!
Pinnacle Vodka predominates the back bar real estate in all its sad and varied flavors.
But wait, just think of all the fun and inventive drinks that could await you! What? No drink list? Well hopefully you can direct the bartender how to use «campfire roasted marshmallow» vodka to make a tasty cocktail, because the bartenders here can’t make a drink to save their lives.
Well, maybe they make up for the terrible drinks with their warm and winning ways, you say? You’ll get to know the staff pretty well here because if you’re still around until the wee hours of 11 pm on a Saturday night, you will have the place to yourself. Why rent an expensive party room for your next birthday party when you can count on that every. single. time. you go?
So what’s Parlour’s secret? How do they get their place so neat, tidy and empty on a Saturday night? Shhhh, don’t tell the competition, but it’s because of their bartenders’ rude behavior coupled with the knockout punch of playing Spotify songlists WITH COMMERCIALS!
Pow! Zzzzzzzzz. I’m out like a light. Now that’s quite a powerful nightcap, Parlour.
Oh, and to «Robin C. «- Get a grip. Parlour is not a community center, it’s a BAR!

In early February, cabin fever was setting in, so we decided to finally venture out for a bit of neighborhood shenanigans. Parlour had been on our list of local bars to check out. It was exactly what we were looking for!!! Dakota was a warm, friendly, attentive bartender that had us talking & laughing for hours on a cold, snowy night. The music was terrific & as the night continued, the place started to fill with nice, fun people. It felt warm & comfortable. We will definitely be back!

Dakota is the best bartender! He makes this place so much fun! Karaōke nights are the best. The clientele is very friendly and diverse. I hope more people catch on to this place!

This place sucks! Bartender doesn’t know how to make a manhattan to save his life or what a «cracked» shot is! Their selection of vodka consists of nothing but the sickeningly sugary flavored Pinnacle brand. And where are the ladies? Isn’t this supposed to primarily be a lesbo bar? Came with 4 girlfriends on a Saturday night around eleven, sat right at the bar and by midnight the place was empty! We were the only people left! And the bartender/​DJ (using Spotify with commercials! wtf!) refused to play a request even though we were the only patrons left! Lose the boy bartenders, hire a female dj and maybe you’d have something. Would probably get better service and treatment at the straight bar down the block. We won’t be back!

Oh Parlour… how to count your crappiness…
1) Sad, sad drinks. Sure, they’re cheap. I like cheap! But wait… I also have taste buds. I would gladly shell out a little more dough for a well balanced, well made cocktail. Place some of the nice liquor out and teach the bartenders (or at least the brunette male who works Saturday nights) how to make a decent… anything.
2) Crowd control. Hey, those 6 people across the room really encroach on my space. Or not. Only once in the dozen times i’ve been there has been completely packed. Otherwise the room is pretty empty. On a Saturday night when people should be moving in, everyone is moving out and there’s no one there. Ghost bar OOooohhhoooh.
3) The rude staff makes you feel like a part of the family — if you’re watching Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or August: Osage County. Closing time is 2am and it’s 11:30pm and I just bought a round of shots (gave up on the mixed drink sugary «drinks»). The staff comes around and starts blowing out the candles and taking our water. Really? We just MADE A PURCHASE. Does it look like we are leaving? Oh, you want to close early since your 2 friends are here and you’re not used to having patrons? Hmm.
4) Crappy music on a Saturday night. When there’s a handful of people in the bar, the bartender leaves to play music. Then he puts on Spotify. 2 songs in and a commercial comes on. So if the sugary drinks, non-​existent patrons and rude staff didn’t kill the mood, a commercial sure can!
I really kept hoping that Parlours cute space and interesting art would be enough to win me over, but with the 4 points of crappiness above (I might have missed a few) it’s impossible. Sad to say that with my last visit, i’ve given up on Parlour. The all-​inclusive lesbian based bar that was Ts is long gone and there isn’t a replacement, not even a semi-​decent one. *sad face*

So this is my hangout… its the place I go to for drinks. Dakota is one cool gay bartending dude. Plus he usually plays the coolest videos or movies while rockin’ out in the dj booth. And while there’s always the hope of some patrons getting super drunk and making out or maybe, just maybe thinking the big black guy might be fun to join us… im there for the giant sexy arms of bartender Erin. anyways, i suggest going for those who want a chill relaxed time with good music. plus its a great atmosphere… not to mention the best egg nog drinks in the world.

I have been to this place a few times and didn’t really enjoy myself. The drinks were cheap and they had specials on Friday nights. Its not their fault that they offer a ladies night and there aren’t any ladies BUT they shouldn’t call it ladies night at all… I’d like to go there once and sit down to chat with a nice lady… hmmm maybe I’ll give it a go again…

Walked in on «ladies night» and there were 3 women, and 7 guys after 10pm. Sat down at the bar for 15mins waiting for the bartender to stop chatting with her friends to serve us… but gave up because she never bothered to even glance in our direction or acknowledge us in any way. Big let down… thought this would be a fun lesbian bar but it lacked both women and staff pouring drinks.

I came on a Saturday night, and there was a local music event going on, which was tons of fun. The crowd was nice, the bar inviting, and music excellent. I was reminded of one thing I love about living in the midwest (that just doesn’t happen on the east coast), which is that everybody here is super friendly. I introduced myself and instantly made a bunch of new friends. I definitely recommend checking this place out, especially if you want a gay bar that seems to have a great lesbian crowd (which can be hard to find at lots of gay bars!)

I think Time Out Chicago said it best:
How does a Far North Side taproom open during a recession-​stressed economy and become an instant success? Credit a neighborhood hungry for a low-​key and friendly LGBT bar with an all-​inclusive vibe, solid DJs and indie queer performances to keep things interesting.
This place has a great vibe. It’s small and welcoming. I felt like I was home as soon as I stepped into it. And when I saw the clandestine room tucked into the far back corner, well, I wanted to move in. Any place that has a well decorated and dimly lit clandestine room immediately goes to the top of my list!
There is a small stage that houses some awesome queer performers. I strongly urge you to for an open mic session or whenever they bring performers in. Well done, to the person making all of this happen! It is appreciated by the community.
My only gay beef with the joint is that it is soooo far North and I wish it had more than one lesbian night a week. Can’t a lezbo get a full-​time lezbo bar up in the hizzy? I had the same complaint in SF. Did you know that SF has only one true lesbian/​dyke bar in the entire city. I love you gay boys, but damn you guys are everywhere ;)
Parlour is the shyt! And so far, it is one of my favorite lesbian hangouts in Chicago.

Ladies night was a little dead but the bar is totally cool! The art on the walls is super fun and the drinks are priced fair which can be hard to find in the city.
Like I said I went on ladies night and well no ladies to chat with… little sad

Zo is the best DJ at this place — great EDM jams! Really creates a hot scene!

I went here on New Year’s Eve so I would guess my experience was atypical. I’ll update (if necessary) the next time I visit. After my first visit, there will definitely be a next time.
My husband and I just moved to the area and we were looking for a bar to ring in 2013. The first place we went was at capacity. We were about to walk by Parlour when a guy outside – whose boyfriend tends bar there – told us they had $ 1 wells that night. So, we decided to give this place a try and I’m glad we did.
The bartender remembered our drinks and all I had to do was give him a nod every time I wanted another. I tip well and he started making ours a bit stronger which I appreciated.
The décor is a bit divey but if you want a pretentious gay bar then go to Boystown and find any one of the clone bars and enjoy a night of mediocre drinks and mediocre people. Maybe I’m being to harsh but it was refreshing to be in an environment without pretense. No one was staring us down and undressing us with their eyes and no one was looking down on us like we didn’t belong. It was a chill place with decent music and good drinks. There was about a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ mix of dudes and girls. I don’t mind because… Hi! I’m married so I’m not really there to pick up dudes. I just wanted to have some drinks with my guy and maybe chat up a few folks.
Check this place out!

I go to this bar for Sunday night karaōke with Sue, and I think it’s up there among the best karaōke places I’ve been to, and I’ve been to many across the country.
Why is their karaōke so good?
1. Sue is a friendly, enthusiastic DJ (KJ) who does not have any arrogance or aloofness, which is a problem with some karaōke DJs. She is down-​to-​earth and unpretentous, and truly seems concerned about the quality of the sound and making your song sound absolutely the best it possibly can.
2. The song book has many tens of thousands of choices, enough to satisfy anyone, from every decade and genre.
3. The sound system is quite good. A bar can have a great song book and a nice DJ, but if cheap speakers or mikes make you sound terrible, what is the point? Sue has invested in a lot of good equipment and the effort does pay off. And she does care… she adjusts the system while you are singing to try to increase the quality of the performance. She is attentive to such things.
4. It’s a friendly bar, with a good bartender, drinks that are not unreasonable in price.
5. The crowd does seem to care about the music and the singers more than many other places. In some bars, there is no apparent interest in the crowd in what is being sung. Everyone is just mingling, flirting, talking, getting drunk. There is some of that here, but there are a number of people who really do pay attention to what’s being sung. They are faithful to the Cardinal (but sometimes neglected) Rule of Karaōke: Applaud After Every Performance.
6. If you get hungry, Deluxe Diner is right next door, with anything you could want. It is a great restaurant, and the bar has no problem with you getting food and eating it while you watch the singing.
All in all, you can’t beat Parlour for an enjoyable night of karaōke, and what’s even better is it starts earlier than most…7 p.m. usually. So you can get in four hours of songs without staying up into the late night and early morning. Some of us do like to sleep.

Drinks are fine, and reasonably priced. However, the crowd can be hit or miss, and sometimes might be empty for a while. Lipstick Thursdays is a mixed bag, as well.
Last time I went, the DJ had nothing I wanted to hear (all top 40 pop stuff), and no one was dancing anyway. :|

eh.
there’s something not quite right about the atmosphere here, but i can’t put my finger on it. as my sister put it, «it just feels like a room full of people.» i can never get situated here. i feel out of place, in the way, not sure what to do with myself. even if i’m there a couple of hours, i can’t shake the feeling that i just arrived to the party.
the music made me feel old. i can’t complain about the clientele, but i can’t say that i fit in either. the few times i’ve been here it’s been full of gay men older than me and lesbians younger than me.
a few redeeming qualities are what keep it from slipping below the 3 star line.
1. amazing art on the walls… and it’s for sale. :)))
2. friendly staff. patient and knowledgeable when helping us indecisive folk figure out a drink. i ended up trying a few fun concoctions w/​different flavors of vodka.
3. it’s clean.

Great bar! Fabulous! A neighborhood bar that just happens to be a gay bar. Great décor, great drink prices, a sassy, cute attentive bartender and great music (read: Madonna). This strip of Clark needs something and maybe Parlour is leading the charge.
I went here for a birthday party last weekend and the drink special /​package was excellent. Or maybe I just like saying «I’ll have the package.» Maybe that’s just me, but you will like this place. If you ask me, and you are reading this, so you did. So, go!
I really like it here. It’s friendly and warm.

I live nearby and the bars in this area are less than impressive so i was looking forward to The Parlour opening.
Well, it is clean.
Not much more I can say except this isn’t my kind of place at all. I’m not a big fan of pounding music in a tiny bar. i went in and couldn’t move… very difficult to get a beer.
Try again, Edgewater.

I love this place! its a straight girls dream to hang out with such wonderful men.
Its so classy, the details are amazing.
Fag Hag martni is a must
Please open one is Laguna Beach

I LOVED this place. It’s cute, clean and has room to dance. A group of us went out to «lipstick» Parlour’s ladies night. Now, if you’re a lady in your 20s looking for people in a similar age range, this might not be the best thursday night pick up spot as most of the clientele seemed to be closer to 40. However, if you’re looking for somewhere unpretentious and less hipster to have a drink and shake your butt, this is a great option.