Cell Block

This bar has become our sponsor bar for darts and I loooooove it. Matt and Mark behind the bar on Thursday nights are awesome and they take good care of their customers. We’ve hosted a few dart league events at Cell Block and everyone has gone above and beyond to help us out! Love this bar and the guys who run it!

I want to like this bar. But the service sucks and the prices are sky high. This should be my neighborhood bar and yet the bartenders ignore me. No cover keeps it ryo one star.

I don’t go out very often, but I find it impossible not to have a great time here. If you don’t like the big crowds and attitude further down the street, this place is a pleasant change.

People who are looking for the Cellblock of years past ‘The Leather Bar in Boystown’ will be disappointed at first… then they will quickly realize that it is now one of the greatest neighborhood gay bars in Chicago. It’s still got a fetish ‘tint’ but in reality it’s just a great place to get a cheap beer, a good shot and amazing conversation with a great assortment of locals! Neighborhood folks, local industry from neighboring business, and people who just want a low key, relaxed place to kick back and chat it up. The staff is brilliant… You will be Facebook friends immediately. Love them all! Greg, Mark, Dustin, Kelly, Matt… the best crew in Boystown who know you by name… and by drink! Looking for a local bar to call home away from home… Cellblock has got your name on it!

I went to the Cell Block because I wanted to try a different leather bar in Chicago. The staff and bartenders had so much attitude it was ridiculous. It was even more disappointing to find the manager Mike was the main source of turning their nose up on customers that were not regulars. I was completely ignored and had to ask several times for another beer, very bad service. I could understand if the place was packed but this was not the case. Avoid this place and only go there if you want the stereotypical gar bartender attitude. Perhaps this is why their business has declined!

This is one if my favorite spots in boystown. If you want to go to a bar with your friends and just have a chill night out this is the spot. We play darts and pool and it’s the perfect spot for that. The drinks are inexpensive and the bartenders are great. They do there best to make you feel welcome!
If you are looking for a packed bar and a place to meet a lot of new faces this is not the bar for you.
Look past the smell and have a blast!

This bar is new to me — me being new to Chicago. Feels and looks and sounds and smells like it might have been a really fun place at some distant time in the past. I understand they once had a «back room» here. Too bad it’s not still there. I couldn’t enjoy this place because if all the idiot Twinkie bois who had to drag their stupid obnoxious faghag girl-​friends along. Is no place sacred and all-​male anymore???

Okay. If you want an experience … This is the place.
Keep your mind open.

This is one my favorite bars in Boystown for a few reasons. The bartenders are amazingly friendly and make an effort to remember your name. The clientele is laid back, not pretentious, and not sceney. I feel comfortable coming here for a drink alone and just striking up a friendly chat with someone. Great neighborhood local place.

I have been to this bar three times.
I wanted to make sure that I gave it a fair shake, before I wrote my review.
The first two times that I visited, it was super smelly. Kind of like sewage, or you know when you make chicken, and forget to take your trash out? That kind of smell that makes you catch your breath?
Yeah, that kind of smell.
There is this one old guy that I always seem to get behind at the grocery store. We must shop on the same cycle. He smells really bad too — but I don’t think he notices the odor anymore.
It’s kind of like that. The stink has been there, and I tolerated it twice — one drink at a time.
I recently paid a visit during that patch of 90+degree days we had. I walked into the bar, at about 11pm. There were about 12 people there. No AC — and the smell was so bad, that I had to put my hand over my mouth and nose, and walk back out.
The first two times I was there, I do not feel that I was over charged for my drink — the bar tenders were really nice, and the stool I sat on at the bar didn’t wobble.
I don’t know if I can extrapolate more than that.
I reapplied my cologne on all my pulse points as soon as I left. I was worried the stinkiness would stick to me.
I crossed the street, and went to Bobby Love’s…and watched drunk homosexuals sing karaōke.
I highly recommend the Cell Block to all of those who have no sense of smell.

My friends and I stopped for one drink (shot!) and this was a small bar that I could have spent more than the five minutes I spent there.

Go when MARK is working — FUCK THE YUM FUCK! I am giving it a 4 — they loose 1 star due to the smell

Cell Block has a great bartender in the back on weekends – always ready to give a great suggestion as to what to drink. I’ve never had a drink (even mixed) cost me over $ 5 at this place on weekends, so it’s not overpriced like most of the Boystown bars are.
As to the décor, yes, it’s a little seedy looking, but looks can be deceiving. Yes, there can be some guys walking around in leather chaps, or underwear and chains, but c’mon…it’s a leather bar. So it’s not as fashion-​forward as Sidetrack – there’s no problem with that.
It’s also nice to find a bar that’s not too overcrowded, that doesn’t play the music too dang loud, and that you can hold a conversation in. It definitely won’t be for everyone’s taste, but at least everyone is welcomed when they enter. It’s definitely not as exclusionist as some of the other places on Halsted.

Cell block is a great neighborhood bar. Its a little place where you can go get a few drinks with out breaking the piggy bank. The staff is always friendly and ready to offer you a refill. There is no dance floor but that doesn’t stop the crowd from dancing to a good tune once in a while.
If you’re looking to grab a few beers with out all the over the top glitz then Cell block is just right for you.

Not a bad little bar. I’d consider it a «dive bar» but it’s a nice relief from the typical loudness of the area.
On my visit we had several basic, yet good drinks. We also had nice conversation with the bar tender and several other patrons while watching the Olympics in high definition. We were also able to play a fun round of Wii Bowling!

Im becoming more or a Monday night regular here and I must say I HATE BARS, CROWDS and LOUD MUSIC… Its nice you can have a conversation and play pool and darts and have a few reasonably priced drinks which have a good amount of booze in them. Very friendly bar staff and a fun clientele…

I love this bar. I wish it were a little more popular… not sure why it isn’t, but that won’t keep me away! Friday and Saturday nights are the best when Mark is bartending! He’s my favorite bartender in Chicago!

This place was great in its heyday, but not it’s like an old gay man in Palm Springs — on life support. It explains why most gay life for cruising occurs online!
Music? — they were playing Karen Carpenter songs on NYE this year!
Back bar porn? — Tired fisting vids that no one looks at except to practice being bitchy.
Bartenders? They seem to employ needy sloppy fatsos who want to focus on being Belle of the Ball vs. being bartenders and making some tip money!
Verdict: Make this a fern bar, send the bartenders to other rehab-​type jobs and put the current version out of its mercy!

Honestlly had reservations about going into cell blcok. This bar always gets a bad wrap as being creepy and discusting. I actually found it to be quite the opposite. First off the people at the bar (at least on weeknights) were all friendly and actually had some class and kept there hands to themselves. The drinks here actually have booze in them unlike over at other bars on the street. The bar tenders are cool and the atmosphere was very laid back. I found this to be a great bar to go and chill with friends because we could actually hang out, play wii or darts and not have to deal with the divas at the other bars on the street. All in all a fun night out and worth a shot or maybe a few shots!!!

Cell Block in Chicago. A Chicago Classic. Cellblock seems to be hanging on to a leather world that is getting smaller and smaller. But, on weekends a leather family can still be found hanging out. The place is dark and has many rooms for lounging and drinking. Depending on the night, Dance music or country classics can be heard jammin out the speakers.
Once a month Cellblock hosts bear night called Furr, that in resent months has packed the place to the gills. The night features a live DJ and drink specials all night long. Furr is on the 3^rd Saturday of the Month