Hydrate
BOYSTOWNS HOTTEST DJ LINE UP AND BEST 21+ DANCE CLUB!Average Reviews
About
Hydrate Nightclub is Chicago’s premiere destination for shows, music, dancing, and the best late-night party in the city! Hydrate opened for Pride Weekend in 2003, and quickly developed a national and international reputation for bringing the best DJ’s to Chicago and for its powerful sound and light experience.
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Reviews
Based on 387 reviews
Ebony Chisholm
01:58 01 Dec 24
I had a deeply disappointing experience with one of the security guards at Hydrate. My friend felt unsafe due to the guard’s behavior, which came across as unprofessional and intimidating rather than reassuring. A security guard’s primary role is to ensure safety and comfort, but this was not the case during our encounter.I strongly recommend they address this issue through additional training to ensure their staff can fulfill their responsibilities with professionalism and care. Everyone deserves to feel safe, and unfortunately, that was not our experience.Matthew S.
17:46 02 Oct 24
1. This pitiful place relies on two single-occupant restrooms. The lines are ALWAYS long, and the wait is tormented bladder agony. The multitudes dancing...Edwin Gutierrez
19:29 29 Sep 24
The big color guard on the entrance was getting rude with everyone for no reason, they need better guards. Also, the Moscow mule was disgusting as well, needs better bar personnel.Michael Christopher
14:58 16 Aug 24
Awesome place to have drinks, dance, and meet new people and have fun with friends. The staff is helpful and friendly.Clementina
00:48 16 Jul 24
This place is full of darl humor lust drunkeness swear words adultery and time wastingthe wages of sin is death you need to repent and stop having worldly things because hell is a lonely place of suffer sufferingdont abuse Jesus's graceMike U.
14:04 06 Jul 24
This bar is good I just feel like if it's a gay bar then there should be more guys then girls thereKimmie R.
15:44 11 Apr 24
I really enjoyed myself here and will go back. What did I like? There were so many other straight women there and I'm like yes they get it. It's a place...Jonathan Cisneros
09:29 06 Apr 24
I didn't care much in the moment but my black girlfriend physically pulled out of the main entrance of the bar right after entering simply out of disgust of the attitude of the black miserable doorman running Hydrate on April 5, 2024. I find it a funny story in hindsight; for a better dancefloor and chill staff hit up Charlie's or Roscoe's. Cheers!Alexis V.
21:11 20 Jan 24
It was my first time here and I had blast! Went in completely alone and vibed with some really cool people and I loved the music it was one of those nights...Checyn H.
21:37 01 Jan 24
The music is perfection! Although they only accept cash..so be prepared but the atmosphere is everything here and worth it better than any other clubs in...Ulysses C.
23:10 25 Dec 23
haven't been here in a long time so I figured I'd check it out. I asked the lady at the bar for a vodka tonic and she made vodka cranberry. when I...Gay M.
21:25 15 Dec 23
my STRAIGHT son came here with his fiancé and 3 months later we found out he was having a afair with one of the GAY workers.Brandon Hunt
08:33 05 Dec 23
This places is amazing on Mondays the staff is awesome, crowd is awesome, the DJ plays all the right music you can’t go wrong coming here. But come early to avoid cover charge. Other then that it’s a 10 out of 10 definitely recommendMichelle Hanlon
20:58 03 Dec 23
Awful, unwelcoming crowd, and no one was dancing. Chicago gay scene has been very trans exclusive so far, but this was the worst yet.Manuel M.
09:15 26 Nov 23
Title: A Vibrant Nightlife Experience with Room for ImprovementRating: Hydrate, my favorite bar/nightclub in Chicago, never fails to deliver an...Jennifer C.
21:27 15 Nov 23
Ahh I had so much fun here when I went. I'm honestly starting to love going to gay clubs because I feel so much safer as a cis & straight woman than at...Chloe S
22:02 09 Oct 23
Michael the bouncer turned away my girlfriend with a very legitimate ID, claiming it was a fake, and misgendered her several times. rude and unprofessional, even for the lousy bar that it is.gigi hadid
16:58 21 Aug 23
I like the vibe and atmosphere of the bar. The drag shows are fun to watch while getting a drink. The dance music is good but I wish they played more of a variety of music other than electro, but other than that it is a nice place to check out when you're out in Boystown.Justin Wilson
20:14 12 Aug 23
Doorman was rude to me for no reason. It's Market Days and my feet were killing me. I was going to buy a drink while I was there, but got turned away because I had a bottle of coke. Fair enough, that's a common rule "no outside food/beverages", but after I chugged the coke, threw away the bottle and came back to the same enterance I was at seconds ago, he told me to go around and enter from the "other side" of the pillar. Even that isn't horrible to me, but it was the condescending tone in his voice, as if I was an idiot, even though he almost let me in from that side of the pillar. And he's just a pillar! There was no line or anything. So instead I went to the frozen yogurt place down the street to rest my feet.Looks like there are a lot of negative reviews of bouncer/doorman customer service anyway.Rebecca Z.
12:29 29 Jul 23
Every time i come here it is always shady as hell. The workers there are extremely untrustworthy and scam artists so count your money if you pay cash. I was...Juan Avila
07:01 24 Jul 23
100% unprofessional. Was only looking looking for a friends keys and they would not allow me to look even though I had a stamp. I tried to explain the situation and they assumed the worst. 100% will not return with these HORRIBLE bouncers. Train your staff at the door better. Will 100% tell everyone to not go to this location.Gabriel Graceffa
08:42 16 Jul 23
Bouncer at the door just held his hand out to me and stared at me. I asked him multiple times what he needed from me, whether he wanted my ID or was collecting the cover, he just stared blankly at me until he told me to step aside if I wasn’t ready. “Line full of people waiting to get in.” He said, while I still had no idea what he wanted from me. Horrible.Dashay Williams
04:08 01 Jul 23
I honestly don't understand how this place has any less than 4.5 stars. Other that how small it is, this place is great! Everyone I've interacted with was nice, especially Matthew when I came a month ago (love you)! Also, there's no reason this place should be empty at 11 on a Friday; they play too much good music! Yall are sleeping on this place!Anike Oke
23:40 26 Jun 23
Drove an hour and waited an hour in line for only one of my 10 friends turned away with no explanation. Simply told “they’re not coming in here.” Asked multiple times what their reasoning was - had none. Even the security guard mocked the fact that my friend was crying because it was her birthday and said that they don’t care. How can you be this discriminatory and rude to patrons? We all left and went to Fantasy down the street.ty b.
21:28 02 May 23
Very very spotty with days you go. Not super inclusive but I love shoving my big body in the door to get hit on by bears yaaasssss! The dancers are always...Scott Grawitch
16:44 17 Apr 23
My favorite gay bar in Chicago! Always a fun time on their dance floor!Parris Hobbs
15:35 02 Apr 23
They bring in great international DJs. Excellent house music and dance club if that is what you are looking for. The best of the clubs imho on north Halstead when you are truly looking for a good dj, house music vibes and dancing. Best gogo dancers I’ve seen in Chicago as well. It’s a party 🎉 ! We went for a good drag show on a Saturday night too hosted by one of RPDR alums. Great show and a better space for drag than some of the spaces I’ve seen in Chicago.Maggie Metanoia
14:09 01 Jan 23
All this place needs is better customer service! Most staff are rude and obnoxious. Tell me why it’s ok for bar runners to grab clients coats and purposefully throw them on the ground? She refuse to give me her name and instead rolled her eyes and convinced another little man (Nathan) bar runner to try and kick us out of the bar for no reason at all. Very entitled white people if I do say so myself. They clearly hate theirs jobs and take it out on the customers. Then the manager (Kyle) tries to convince me that the coat incident was surly an accident. Trying to gaslight what I saw. What poor service, I wasn’t even there for 20 minutes.Domino Flannie
19:07 04 Sep 22
$10 cover charge for a Saturday. Its mostly males there but music and drinks are goodjose cosme
16:32 02 Sep 22
if u are racist and old the best place for ya drinks are nasty and expensive believe me its better placesJoseph K
19:09 21 Aug 22
Rude bouncers at the door took my ID, made me wait outside because they thought my ID was fake. I went to reach for another form of ID in my wallet, and the bouncer said “You have a fake huh?” Got let in, but not after hearing “It’s a really good fake” from another genius at the door. If you don’t know how to tell if my real ID is in fact real, you’re in the wrong job booAda A.
13:31 06 Aug 22
I love this dance floor. Around midnight to 2 am this place comes alive. The front bar seems small and doesn't so it justice, the bathrooms are small and...Greg B.
22:49 30 Jul 22
Bouncer was such a rude person. Would give zero stars if I could. Do not recommend again.Preston Jones
08:11 10 Jul 22
Grayden the manager took good care of my cousin and I❤️ Highly recommendDanielle H.
18:07 14 Jun 22
Fun bar with super affordable drinks! A new Chicago friend recommended it and the party was *alive* on a Sunday. Thanks for hosting!Sam W.
14:23 04 May 22
Pretty pricey, music is pretty clubby and remixed, so if that's your style you'll enjoyAshley Purcell
16:20 24 Apr 22
Get here early to avoid cover charge. Sometimes unsure what the cover charge is for…Lots of Go Go dancers. They also do drag. Several different bars to get drinks from. Rarely wait long to get to the bar.Dance floor is typically packed. Club music type. Front bar is good if you need something a bit quieter.Been going here for a long time. Boystown Staple. Stop in and check it out.Michael B.
20:53 22 Apr 22
It's really inappropriate to say you will charge cover at 11 on your advertisements and then start charging cover at 10:30.Ian Pierce (Moose)
06:15 06 Apr 22
The drag show was awesome. Came here for 31st birthday over the weekend and my fiancé and I had really good time:Steve N.
12:00 11 Mar 22
Absolutely appalled. I had some friends visit me from Wisconsin for the week. Bouncer denied one of my friends entry and took her out-of-state ID. It's...Anthony J.
06:29 03 Feb 22
Super fun like disco dance hall. Plus coat check! Good staff etc fun time. Cost check is $2.Anthony J.
16:54 09 Jan 22
Fuck these people. I have been to hydrate a billion times. Curse them and anyone who patrons that fucking dicks of a place. Shit on all y'all.Andre G.
10:06 03 Jan 22
Great place and wonderful staff. This is my Monday night spot and the management and staff is amazing. This club is well worth my drive every week....Marcus Wade '93
17:34 24 Dec 21
Amazing atmosphere. Proof of Vaccine Required. Always a cover charge$$$. Friendly staff and great music selection. Highly recommend!!!Brenda C.
20:12 18 Dec 21
If I could give this place 100 negative stars I would! Some family and friends where suppose to go out tonight and meet up here but when one of my best...Keenan Johnson
17:47 18 Dec 21
Door staff took my ID claiming it was a fake. Their explanation as to why they thought it was fake was that they simply knew (some form of clairvoyance I suppose). Chicago police were ultimately able to get my ID back after verifying it. I would have considered returning; however, there was no apology from Hydrate after falsely confiscating my driver's license. Unapologetically rude and unprofessional.Like other reviews remarked, there's a myriad of other clubs that have cheaper drinks, friendlier environments, and most importantly better music. Roscoe's, Berlin, and Sidetrack are great choices. Save yourself a headache and some money by avoiding Hydrate and their bumbling idiots.Desiree Cowling
05:14 30 Nov 21
If you want to go to night life establishment that is taking covid and the covid vaccine seriously I highly suggest this bar. In order to get in I had to have my vaccination card and my mask. After that the rest of the evening was smooth. I was able to watch at least four drag queens perform. Drinks were reasonably priced. Bathrooms are all genders welcome. An staff was very kind and helpful.Desiree Cowling
05:14 30 Nov 21
If you want to go to night life establishment that is taking covid and the covid vaccine seriously I highly suggest this bar. In order to get in I had to have my vaccination card and my mask. After that the rest of the evening was smooth. I was able to watch at least four drag queens perform. Drinks were reasonably priced. Bathrooms are all genders welcome. An staff was very kind and helpful.Mervet Molinari
03:08 17 Oct 21
Don’t give them your money. The staff is unprofessional. The place is highly overratedJeff T.
16:46 22 Sep 21
We paid to get in during Market Days. They said we could take a cigarette break outside but didn't warn us there was no in/out privileges. It smelled bad...Oly S.
15:30 07 Sep 21
Fun place !!! Great music!! Sexy go go dancers !! Ohhh and Amy's ( front bar) special cocktail is a must try!! Is a jolly rancher taste to itRyan F.
16:10 28 Aug 21
Such a fun place such friendly staff. Amy is amazing, Mark was so sweet to me when i visitedAlexander Hernandez
05:05 17 Aug 21
This is a cute bar that is more chill than their neighbor bars because it’s easier to have chat in and have conversations with new people. It has decent music and lighting Just be careful of the people who chat with. Met what I thought was a nice guy and his gal pal. Added me on Facebook, was disappointed I was taken so he had the audacity to message my boyfriend through FB and told him that I tried to pick him and his boyfriend up(who wasn’t even there). He tried ruining my relationship because I was already taken 💁🏽♂️bk
00:29 13 Aug 21
cool lasers and great show, but bad DJ lol, the only “pop” song he managed to squeeze into his set was turn my swag on…felt a little 2009 in therebk
20:56 11 Aug 21
cool lasers, bad DJ lol, the only “pop” song he managed to squeeze into his set was turn my swag on…felt a little 2009 in thereGeorge W.
20:59 05 Aug 21
Awful. The music was atrocious and my drink was flat. All that for a jab? Joke.James Z.
15:10 26 Jul 21
BEWARE THE VICIOUS LMK BOYSTOWN CABAL!!! YOU MAY BE NEXT!!!This place is a nightmare. Another LKH Management debacle that overlooks late night STABBINGS...Brianna Sanders
09:12 24 Jul 21
Not a good experience. They need way more diversity in every aspect. ESPECIALLY MUSIC, it should be able to reach all of their audience. I like the lights but the smoke has to go. Similar do what others said, go somewhere else.agnes m.
21:19 22 Jul 21
Literally disgusting. The bartenders were so rude and the staff all around were so uncomfortable and passive aggressive. I just don't understand? You're out...John E.
01:43 12 Jul 21
I am having an issue with a credit card charge from Sunday morning, July 11th at 3:07am. I tried to reach out via phone to Hydrate, however there is no...Akis A.
03:11 11 Jul 21
I am visiting from New York. Worst gay bar I have ever been at. Matthew Lopez the bartender is the rudest person I have ever met. He slipped something in my...Alex E.
22:53 19 Jun 21
Would give 0 stars if I could. Only come here if you want to waste your time. They have a policy that you need to show proof of vaccination to get in, but...Whit
18:30 15 Jun 21
Used to be fun but went recently , door staff isnt friendly or welcoming to all, Requires vaccination to enter.Dill Y
03:01 05 Jun 21
Rude inconsiderate take yourself over to sidetrack or roscue way betterAlso looking at both of the others I mention if they have a negative review they will see the comments and will ask and try to improve and make their customers happy this place won’t even consider it!Joe Lovelady
15:34 22 May 21
Do not! Go here! Spend your money somewhere else. Owners are the absolute worst. Staff is awful and rude. Place is filthy. Your better off going somewhere else. Don't waste your time.Nathan Bambenek
12:28 16 May 21
Great drag show, however, they are not upfront about the $10 cover at the door, and, this venue feels very whitewashed and fatphobic. You walk into this club and there is absolutely no one that isn’t skinny and/or white. I hope they work on diversity and inclusion efforts.Luis Manon
19:18 10 May 21
Staff is rude and there is preference amongst different customers (not sure based on what). It was very difficult to get a drink despite having a table. Was ignored by manager and he was extremely dismissive. Definitely would not recommend.James Z.
12:08 14 Mar 21
BEWARE THE VICIOUS Mark Liberson/LMK BOYSTOWN CABAL!!! YOU MAY BE NEXT!!! This place is a nightmare. Another Mark Liberson/LKH Management debacle that...Dario I.
12:01 07 Mar 21
I frequent this place, or used to? I've gone back once since the pandemic and I'm glad to say that they're doing well with social distancing and following...Cruz Sobers
09:21 15 Feb 21
I've been to butter 3 times and have fun every time I am there. I love the crowd, and I love their music selections there!Jason F.
15:14 06 Mar 20
Been coming to this place for years for its friendly atmosphere and hot bartenders. When you go, find Laz, he's the mega-hot that makes the Hydrate's...
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