Progress Bar Chicago

We only had cocktails in the late afternoon before everyone comes into the place. We had a great bartender that made great suggestions for places to go.

MUST! No cover charge like most bars do in Chicago .First time here and I love it. They play very good music r&b, rap, gossip, just a good mixture of music. The environment was nice and bright with great details. The drinks are very inexpensive I spent less then $30 and they are very good. I don’t remember the bartender name but he was African American tall he make very good drinks. He accommodate everyone very quick and efficient. They also have areas where you can sit if you find somewhere to sit. They have tables against the walls as well. Overall I recommend

If you want to go out in boystown and not be surrounded by clones of me and my cousins, then this is the spot. Chill night or lit event… the drinks are good and vibe is accepting.

I have a blast at this place every time I’m in town. I love the mix of music! The drinks are a bit pricey but overall I enjoy the establishment.

I absolutely hands down love this club/bar!!! Ive been coming out of town just to come here for the music, comfortable atmosphere, and a non dress code like most clubs. I definitely recommend coming here 🤞🏽💯‼️. The security be on guard for when things do go down or people are too sloppy which is very rewarding! Friendly people as well! 🩷

Cute bar with great musical choices. Good priced drinks and great visual installations. Def come here for a more melanated Boys town experience complete with friendly patrons and great vibes

DJ during Pride was absolutely terrible; only played EDM versions of songs instead of just playing the original song.

Terrible, terrible, terrible. Security mistakes situations, and cheap ghetto bar that should close instead of Furious Spoon or the one across the street next to Roscoe. Roscoe is way better.

The manager Chris was extremely rude and did not accommodate me with another drink was extremely sarcastic and told me that they did not make the drink and to go to the front of the bar. I will not be returning back to Progress.

I use to love progress but the current bar manager Chris(I think that’s his name) has the worst attitude I’ve ever experienced in a bar. It’s like he goes out of his way to be rude and nasty. His attitude is definitely shedding on the other bartenders. My entire experience was ruined and honestly I’m going to give progress a break for a while.

Bouncer really rude and racist, very aggressive towards customers. Im very scared to go back.

The Music is Everything!!! They play something for everyone. Was here on Saturday 9/2/23

Came down from another state trying to find cool queer places and figured progress bar would be nice. Walked in wearing my mask, sat at the bar and when I didnt have my drink order immediately ready the bartender and his little bun coughed at us and started complaining about lockdowns with the other people at the bar. My sister has lupus and Id like to not kill her for my anniversary vacation. Not to mention the cheapest drink they have at all is $9. Everywhere else Ive been has been almost half the price. This place sucks. It was a Monday, this bartender shouldnt have a job here anymore. Was in here for less than 5 minutes.

Miss crowd usually with good DJs and a great staff.

Now I see why they do a NO CHARGE...WARNING!!!!PHONES GET STOLEN HEREattended on a Thursday night for my girls birthday and Dj announced an iphone had gone missing so I kept checking making sure mine wouldnt go missing..Wasnt even drunk!!!We went through the crowd to get from the dj back to the bar to sit and my phone was no longer in my purse so i pocketed practically cause it got taken out my purse.I let the DJ know and security and they said they couldnt do anything and didnt even announce it anymore.4 other people after me spoke up about they phones going missing too security did nothing and its a small place for them not too .So all they did was kick everyone out and closed the place.Sounds iffy like they knew!!!We was so mad cause now no one could catch a Lyft without they phones we was outside trying to figure it out and no apology no help we just got kicked out.Things have really changed in boys town.My girls and I always go cause we wouldnt have nasty guys gripping on us but that night it was full of them we had to walk away from.What ever happened with gays & gals

The bar manager was very rude and nasty . Please spend your money somewhere you feel comfortable and welcome.

Now this is the best club/bar that i have been to in the state of Illinois. Heheheh. Drinks good. Music great. Vibe awesome.

This is an extremely racist establishment. I am a white guy and security told my black friends they could not come in but I could. We are all from out of town and wanted to drink mingle and have fun. But this racist establishment ruin my friends experience. How disappointing, we will never patronize this place and I will be letting everyone I know please don’t go to progress because racism in there is still very real.

The bar manager that he proclaimed to be was very rude and disrespectful towards me. I asked for some tap, as I have sensitive teeth and the bottle was very cold and also not a brand I drink, and I was told ordering water doesnt pay my bills. And rudely pours me the smallest glass of water he could. Then when he was confronted he proceeds to ask why Im upset and arrogantly says what you trying to get Me fired. There was a line outside Im sure your bills are being paid. That ruined my evening and my whole experience for this place. Its poor taste and tacky. This is not first time Ive encountered rudeness unwarranted.

Bartender was really nice and the ceiling art was cool, lively bachelorette crowd

Its Simply Not The Same Anymore. Dont Recommend this place. I feel like it would be more strict on Identification (But Passport Is Fine right) on a busy day but on a slow day really. Ill just take my business elsewhere.

I’ve been coming here for years and I have to say that this weekend was one of the most disappointing and saddest I’ve had at this location. Security there has become extremely homophobic I can not believe how the tall security guard with the beard looked at me and my partner and the smirks and the sh*t talking he was making with who ever he was talking to about us is unacceptable…..he might as well should have called me the F-bomb. I will not sit here and be ridiculed at a place that’s supposed to be for us. It’s so hard to talk to a manager here or someone in charge! I will be spreading this information.And I noticed someone posted something similar to my experience. During the same weekend with the same bouncers!Honestly I wonder if they have the proper paperwork, certification and legal documentation to run security legally.????? Can’t be hard to find out….

The club be popping on Sunday’s for the black community however we have been asking the DJ for songs and he not able to deliver, Hispanic be getting the lastest however the black community want more recent song they be playing songs decades back. Better Songs this coming Sunday I be spending up to $400 on sundays I want to hear better music

No more covid restrictions! Place was packed. Fun dancing and good music!

Omg I had the worst experience of my life at this establishment. I can’t believe the way they treat their clientele it’s absolutely absurd. I waited in line for over 45 minutes and the security personnel were completely unprofessional and rude I definitely will not be coming back!!!!!

This place has good music and a nice atmosphere. The night I came here was insanely packed though. To the point where it was hard to even move. However, it was still a very fun time with a friendly atmosphere. The bartenders were scarily fast and somehow managed to keep up with the crowd. Come here on a less busy night and theres plenty of room to dance.

Fun bar for dancing and drinking. The bartenders here are always very friendly and quick. I rarely find myself waiting too long for drinks. I also love the lights in this place. They are a mass of regular light bulbs which makes them look almost cloud like.

Great music but bartender is so mean. Man bun and tye dye shirt was rude and would make really mean comments saying we were a hassle and causing problems - we wanted four white claws on one tab and 4 shots on a different. Which we said to begin with. Overall unkind.

Went to progress last night for Halloween. Was in line for over an hour which was no big deal. My group and I finally made it to the front. I had my Carmax and vape pen in my hand as I’m showing the Hispanic bouncer my ID, he literally does not say a word about my vape pen. Literally everyone in line was smoking something. We get inside progress for some time. I witness other people smoking their vape pens inside as I occasionally use mine. Was in progress for about an hour when All of a sudden a different bouncer comes to me aggressively asking me what’s in my hand as I’m dancing. It was my Carmax and pen I was holding. I tell him, he tells me I need to leave all rudely. I asked him can I throw my item away he responds rudely with a no that I need to get out now as he is pushing me at this point. Remind you other people were using their pen or even drunk in this club. As I’m leaving out with my group I asked the Hispanic bouncer by the door what’s their protocol for pens since he didn’t say anything about mines he lies to my face and said “I asked you to put it away”. I did not have a great experience last night. There was not need for the other bouncer to be rude to me especially since I was kindly asking what the issue was. I will not be back for a while. My father works for the city I’m reporting the two bouncers.

The food was great but a ball from the Chandler hit me

Great service! Bartender was helpful picking out a drink for us!! The owner was there was very friendly and more than accommodating making us feel like home! Highly recommend !!! Can’t wait to go back!! Ty for great experience

One thing about Progress: its consistent!A lot of the nightlife in the NorthHalsted/Boystown is wishy-washy. Progress always has great music (usually a live DJ rotating HipHop/RNB/Top40) and a live crowd of people actually dancing. Many clubs in the area dont get a lot of people dancing.Progress is always the first place I hit up if Im going out. And definitely the first place Ill bring friends who are visiting from out of town.

I’m from out of town, and a friend of mine recommended this bar to me. I visited this bar on Jan.29th and ordered 2 shots from the ginger bartender with glasses. He smelled like cigarettes, unfriendly, and made me feel unwelcomed. The man playing the music and the door guy are very Friendly.

A smaller location, but had a good time. One of the few places that played a nice diverse mix of music. Went both on a friday night and for sunday funday and enjoyed. Big plus in that the drinks were pretty good and pleasantly surprised by how inexpensive they were considering I bought multiple rounds for a small group of friends. Watch out for pick pockets though and card scammers.

Came on a Tuesday not bad. They have industry pricing. Music was good. And the place was lively. Nice environment. Staff could been a little nicer and that would have been 5 stars.

First time here on 9/3/2022. DJ kept skipping Nicki Minajs verses. I mean come on...youre in Boystown. Feed the gays what we want. Will update stars when I hear more Onika.Update 9/17/20222They played Nicki tonight and didnt skip her verses. Will continue to update review. There were 2 fights here tonight chilee 😭Update 10/22/2022They played Nicki again and didnt kill her verses. Barbz were in the house and we love to see it! Love it ❤

Never a cover, but that means drinks are high. I love the space inside the bar. I would consider this a place to get up and dance most of the time. but its a nice place to bring a date for drinks with one another. overall, nice place!

Trabian is literally the best bartender in this entire establishment. He was extremely friendly, very enthusiastic and, overall, made my experience an 11/10. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND HIM if you want really good drinks (he has his own creations) and hes always a pleasure to converse with. Greatly appreciate Trabian and the work that he does and you will NOT be disappointed with him. Ask for Trabian at the door for the immaculate customer service! Appreciate you greatly Trabian!! -Steve & Brad 😁😁😁😁

The staff is completely dismissive, off-putting, un-professional and unresponsive. Both the manager and door staff embody arrogance. My friend came to inquire about a lost wallet and both the door staff and manager did not try to help. The manager said I deal with 30 lost wallets a week, its not an urgent matter Your wallet was stolen, its not here. When I told Justin that the issue was not longer a matter of whether or not it was there, but a matter of tone, empathy and demeanor. I dont enough space to truly convey my complete discontent.

Great place to meet friends over a drink and dance. The crowd is awesome and very diverse. The staff is absolutely wonderful and the Mgmt is great as well. If u want to have fun, drink and dance, this is the place to go.

Drinks were horrible, music horrible, crowd horrible. Never been to a bar that was so empty, which may be due to the controversy of this bar no longer playing rap music (which doesnt bother me) but atleast replace the rap music with something catchy! The customer service was good it was just a boring bar.

Great DJ and bartenders!! Love the Asian Bartender!! Always has a big smile and super friendly.. only thing I don’t like it’s that they don’t answer phone calls at all, or return as a matter of fact.. whether it’s to leave a good compliment or ask about a lost object. Smh

Its okay. DJ went back 2-3 decades before he played more Latinx music. By 1230, he had missed many classics and contemporary Latinx hits. 😭😭😭Also, all the bartenders were guys... Sooo, Progress??? To be fair, bartenders were POC but the lack of diverse music was just too telling to ignore. If this is the most diverse place Chicago has to offer, Im pretty disappointed. But they do have really thoughtful, angsty quotes on their TVs.

Ive never been disappointed when coming to Progress Bar. They always play great music, have tons of dance floor space, and their bartenders DEFINITELY know how to how pour a drink. So, A+ all around for PB and Im glad its Boystowns newest addition.

Awesome experience! The line was worth the wait, great music, great vibes! Highly recommended!

Enjoyed the music but it was so crowded, making it hard to enjoy.

Declined me because they thought my vaccine card was fake. i’m fully vaccinated. i can attest with my doctors that i am FULLY vaccinated. get better staff who are qualified for this.

Nice bar but it gets crowded to the point where it is so hot and humid, there is water dripping from the cold water pipes on the ceiling. A great place to stop in if you have already had a few drinks!

Another great location to dance. There is enough space to move but can get overly crowded when busy. The light fixture in the front room is an interesting addition.

It has a very nice vibe. Free to get in. Good music. It is hard to get the bartenders attention but the drinks were delicious.

Zerrooo(I’m not sure how to spell it) was an amazing barmaid! Her signature drink needs to go on the menu Hellooooo! I had my people drinking it and bystanders as well. It was a mix of orange and something clear(can’t giveaway the secret ingredients😭) but progress stop sleeping on my boo!☺️😚

I came to visit this bar and I’m from out of town. It was just ok. Maybe the night I went it wasn’t as poppin but not my scene either. The music wasn’t the best. But I can see why people like it.

Carlos F. Was great. Went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. Thank you and good af drinks.

The drink prices vary depending on 1) Who the bartender is and 2) How intoxicated you are. Id rather take my business to another establishment that wont take advantage of me. Get it together, guys. This isnt a good look.

Love this place,always have a great time and meet awesome people too.Music its outstanding Saturday nights are lots of fun.

Music is pretty trash most times but what can you expect when Caucasians control the music 😂

Great dancing atmosphere, fun music, good vibe!

So fun

The bartender didnt know what flavor a liqueur they have on the shelf was. Pick another bar, yall.

Went here for NYE. bumping all night and service was great. plenty of staff, well organized, quick(even for water), and strong drinks!

Stumbled in on a Friday night. Music was great. Bartenders were quick. Cant wait to return.

Last night was my first time and I had a blast. Great music, large crowd, no cover!!!

I want a manager to contact me because this was the worst service ever! Unless you want to go out of business the ginger w the beard should work there because he won’t service ppl that don’t tip him

Me and my Wrigley family always enjoy ourselves when we ger together here the must is amazing everyone is friendly cant wait to see u guys

Christopher is the best!!! Hands down!!! 🥳🥳🥳

This is an extremely xenophobic bar they kicked us out with the cheap excuse that you’re allowed on the bar for 90 min even tho we were consuming drinks galore and there were other tables that arrived before us apparently because they are friends with the bartender they’re allowed to stay longer maybe because we had a straight couple in our party they needed to kick us out very sad for my first visit to Chicago

Very fun place with a diverse crowd of people. Staff was exceptionally attentive during my visit.

They seriously need to hire better bartenders because the one that we got yesterday was so rude to my friends and I!

Progress? More like regress. I have never met staff as un-supportive and degrading. Avoid if possible.

Stopped in Halloween night. Really busy. Fun people watching, definitely a young persons place.

No cover! Great dance spot if you dont mind small spaces.

DO NOT trust the bartenders with your credit card! If you visit this establishment, use cash.

Horrible service !! Rude bartenders and managers

Good music & really cool ceiling! Always very crowded on weekends though!

Drinks weren’t terrible but they weren’t good. Bathrooms were filthy on another level.

The energy of the crowd was awesome, will definitely be back

The name does not fit the establishment!! Certain people of color is not welcome at this bar!! Do not spend your money here!!

Great selection of music dj is on point good vibe/ambience

The food was cold and the hosts were not very friendly. Would not recommend

Cool space and good music, but service is horrible.

Good spot. Modern decor. Good beer selection.

They tell their DJs not to play hip hop music. Very questionable.

Good spot great music chill ppl

Odd vibe. Just too much. Service was atrocious. Not going back

This bar is the stuff!!! Josue is the best bartender in boystown

No cover. Thats good

Drinks were weak but so was the music 😩.

Meh, ghetto.

Great time with fun music and good people

This place still has a long ways to go before I trust them again.

Great place. Miss it. Will be back for sure

Racist wont play rap or nicki minaj

Ghetto. Nice looking bar, but the patrons ruin it.

Great people and even better music.

Its a racist bar...Thats all I needed to know.

Why does it smell so bad in here 🤮

👍👍👍

Great atmosphere great music

Fights every night, disgusting crowd

Best bar gay or straight.

Corny music, rude bartenders

Horrible experience while I was in town

Val is amazing. That is all.

👍Good place to have great time

Always lit when I go

Ok

Racist

Absolutely amazing

Great place!

Love this place!!

Very good restaurant, I really liked the place, the excellent service they gave us, the waiters, the drinks were quite good, a very good atmosphere in the bar, the staff who work at the bar are very kind to us without a doubt I really liked the bar - but it also has very good food.

Prices are somewhat high but they have impressive decoration with thousands of light bulbs.