Part of the Gay Chicago Guide — bars, events & things to do.
Chicago, Illinois
Rogers Park's leather and cruise bar, with a basement called The Hole.
Jackhammer is Rogers Park's leather and kink bar, a multi-level LGBTQIA+ destination that's been part of Chicago's scene for more than two decades at 6406 N. Clark Street, up at the far north end of the city. Upstairs runs as a regular bar with a patio, free pool and darts, and room to actually hang out; downstairs is The Hole, a darker, louder fetish space with its own bar, DJ, and dance floor. Across rooms like The Rec Room and The Den, it leans into leather, gear, and self-expression without the attitude. This is a 21-and-up, late-night kind of place, and it's a destination rather than a walk-by: most of the gay nightlife clusters down in Northalsted, so Jackhammer draws the people who want kink and fetish culture rather than a video bar. Come for a drink on the patio early or for the basement after midnight, depending on the night you're after.
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