Sidetrack (Chicago)

Sidetrack
Map
Address3349 North Halsted Street
Chicago, Illinois
United States
Coordinates41°56′35.4″N 87°38′57″W / 41.943167°N 87.64917°W / 41.943167; -87.64917
Opened1982 (1982)
Website
sidetrackchicago.com

Sidetrack is a gay bar on Halsted Street in Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois.[1]

Description

Sidetrack is a two-story, 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) bar that spans eight storefronts.[2] It has six rooms and a rooftop deck.[3] Sidetrack hosts themed video nights.[4][5]

History

Sidetrack representation at Chicago's 2013 pride parade

Established in 1982,[6] Sidetrack is owned by Art Johnston and Jose "Pepe" Peña,[7][8]

In 2013, Sidetrack boycotted Stoli Vodka over Russia's anti-gay laws.[9] In 2023, the business announced stopped selling Anheuser-Busch products as part of the Bud Light boycott.[10]

Reception

The Chicago Sun-Times has called Sidetrack "one of the world's top gay bars".[11] Sidetrack ranked first in Time Out Chicago's 2023 list of the city's best LGBTQ+ bars.[3] Sidetrack has been called the "most popular bar in Illinois" by BuzzFeed and "one of the 50 top gay bars in the US" by Yelp.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bergquist, Kathie; McDonald, Robert (2006). A Field Guide to Gay & Lesbian Chicago. Lake Claremont Press. ISBN 978-1-893121-03-4.
  2. ^ Alderton, Matt (June 25, 2022). "'In finding each other we started developing power': A look at Midwest's largest gay bar". USA Today. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Vire, Kris; Eanet, Lindsay (May 23, 2023). "The 30 best LGBTQ+ bars in Chicago". Time Out Chicago. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  4. ^ Ring, Trudy. "A Love Story That Birthed an Iconic Gay Bar and a Lifetime of Activism". The Advocate. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  5. ^ Tiebert, Laura (July 8, 2005). Chicago For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-7645-9996-5.
  6. ^ Jackson, Steven; Nargis, Jason. "Making Chicago's Boystown". Curious City. WBEZ. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  7. ^ Trotter, LeeAnn (June 27, 2023). "'Art and Pep' documentary tells story of gay couple who owns Chicago's LGBTQ bar Sidetrack". NBC Chicago. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  8. ^ Alpasan, Eunice (June 22, 2023). "'Art and Pep' Tells the Story Behind Iconic Gay Bar Sidetrack, Documents the Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights in Chicago". WTTW News. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  9. ^ Saviano, Anne Marie (July 27, 2013). "Chicago gay bar 'Sidetrack' boycotts Russian Vodka". WGN-TV. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  10. ^ "Popular Chicago Bars Won't Sell Anheuser-Busch Beer Over Response to Mulvaney Ad Controversy". NBC Chicago. May 5, 2023. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  11. ^ O’Donnell, Maureen (May 19, 2017). "Chuck Hyde, dead at 55, helped Sidetrack bar become a Boystown standby". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  12. ^ Balof, Brad (July 20, 2021). "The Dog Days of Summer at Chicago's Sidetrack". The Advocate. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.