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Categories: Lounges, American (New)
Neighborhood: LakeviewBelmont (Purple Express, Brown, Red)
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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My name is Lauren and I like to brunch with my gays.
After brunching at Frasca's for a year, we decided that it was time for a location change. One of my fabulous friends discovered that Minibar offers a brunch buffet complete with bottomless mimosas for $20, so we knew we had to check it out.
It. Is. Fabulous. We had a party of 16 (it's group therapy time, ok?), and we were never without drinks. instead of bringing individual mimosas to the table, they brought carafes for the group to share instead. So much easier!
The food is quite good. I tried the bacon and cheese quiche (and gained 10 pounds) and the French toast. There are a lot of vegetarian friendly options, and it's a fantastic deal for just $20.
I'll definitely be back here again for brunch!
I would like to review the dining portion of this place (5 stars) and the bar portion (2 stars) separately...so we are in the middle with 3 stars overall.
The food is amazing. The bruschettas are just so fresh, tasty, imaginative, and the selection of variations is huge. A great deal in boystown. The pizza is extremely flavorful and imaginative. Some of the best food around and for a great price. The service for dinner is great too.
I hate coming here for drinks. The staff has to look like they are models (well, from the neck down as one reviewer truthfully told), and the drinks are WAY overpriced and you need 10 to get a buzz. The decor is really nice, I have to give them that.
If you want to hang out with a bunch of overly styled "bois" who are shallow, then this is your joint.
I took a couple friends here one night when they were visiting town, with the warning before walking in "this place is obnoxious, and clearly hires on pec size only, but its worth a drink... just to see".
My friends agreed. The eye candy was amazing, as long as you didn't look above the bar tenders massive shoulders, the drink was weak and over priced and even more embarrassing was that all the staff were wearing some stupid "army" camo junk, and one of my friends is an iraq war vet. He was not impressed, and nor was I. We overpaid for the weak drinks and left.
Its another example of overpriced mediocrity trying to be something better but missing the mark. The decor around the bar is amazing, sure, but this is Chicago... not LA or NYC. It (the bar) just seems kinda outta place here, but than again perhaps it was just me that was outta place in there because my body fat % is in double digits.
This is a super cute loungy place right in the middle of Boystown. The service was fast and friendly. I loved their cucumber water. And the vodka sodas we ordered were crisp and refreshing. Although I didn't taste too much vodka in there...and I didn't order top shelf or anything so that makes me think there wasn't much. I ordered the hummus platter and it was yummy! My favorite was the regular hummus and the baba ganoush (sp?). The roasted red pepper was good too but I'm just not a big fan, in general, of roasted red peppers. The drinks were totally reasonably priced...$6 for mine and $8 for my friend who requested ginger-infused vodka. I'd definitely come here again but next time I would try one of their custom bruschettas!
I wish life was always so pretty.
How did I end up at Minibar you ask?A cute straight girl like me? Cuz the service at Angelina SUCKED!
We went a few blocks over to Minibar and had fab service and good food at an outside table with a pitcher of bellinis.
I loved the croissant sandwich with hashed browns (a little salty) and a side salad with a great dressing (seriously).
My friend had the wagyu corned beef hash with hashed brown, poached eggs, and the same fab salad.
We could have stayed all day the staff was so friendly and the food so good, not to mention the wonderful weather.
more space and people dancing...nice improvement! went for a friend's birthday last night and he had a nice spot in the VIP section. the music was as awesome as always but now people actually dance!! great night
i was most recently here for a school event. it was a little small but the drinks were okay. the… Read more »
Hip music, the bar sectioned off just for me and about 40 of my friends, great bartenders, and exceptional service were only some of the great attributes that Minibar offered me on my birthday!!
Minibar literally sectioned off half the bar for my group at no charge from 8-10:30pm. The music playing was awesome and a good mix, but not too loud so we were still able to mingle and talk. The high tables allowed people to stand and eat. The food was delicious (this was my first time trying their food during dinner). I ordered appetizers for everyone and ended up spending much less than expected. The servers even staggered the times everything came out so that there was always food available.
They do charge $1 a slice to cut a cake, so instead I brought mini-cupcakes and they put them on awesome plates with fancy candles all around. It was completely elegant and beautiful!
Yes, the drinks are pricey, but that's because it's a nice place. But, let me tell you, their margarita was delicious. The bartenders/servers were so nice and took care of everything for me...thanks to them for helping me throw a wonderful birthday party!
Of course my friends are the ones who made my birthday a great night, but Minibar really exceeded my expectations and helped with the fun!
Not the worst, not the best...
Went here for brunch yesterday and the food is so-so. I ordered the…
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There's nothing mini about Mini Bar.
Clutching a $20 off coupon that the bar had adhered to my front door, I ventured over there this evening.
While I downed a bangkok-tail (Svedka Citrus, Zen Green Tea Liquor, Blueberry Stirrings and fresh lemon), I glanced over the menu which surprisingly sounded delicious for a bar.
Whenever I have a coupon I completely over-eat, so the night consisted of bruschetta (only $1 each because it was happy hour!), mini sliders, mini pizzas and a panini. Don't worry - definitely ended up doggy bagging most of it.
They've got $1 bruschetta nearly every day (as long as you buy a drink) and it's delicious! I had a pear and honey one as well as a prosciutto and brie one. Each one is big enough for sharing.
The great thing about this place is that they give you a rewards card on the spot to use for future purchases - you can earn points for prizes like free meals, and can even get $10 towards your purchase every Tuesday.
Even more importantly, our waiter was literally one of the nicest waiters I've had in a long while.
One thing I will definitely be back for is dessert. The baked bruschetta is a trio of nutella and kahlua soaked almonds; bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate sauce; and chocolate mousse topped with powdered sugar, sea salt, and caramel sauce round out this decadent plate. OMG.
Gay, straight or otherwise...anyone can appreciate a good piece o' man candy, eh? Methinks yes, indeed. Certainly.
And Minibar's got it in "bulk."
I only drank a Diet Coke...but it was the only buzz required to take in the scenery. Not just the boys! C'mon, seriously. The ambience is pretty posh. Apparently they just launched a new section near the back, and there's a bevy of seating options, dance floor, big bars, etc. Stylish.
And ya know, the guys are hot. That's their job. They do it well.
Minibar has knocked down the walls and expanded their venue to assume multiple identities. I first stopped in for a media event on Friday and stopped on their restaurant side and enjoyed a Bud Light and surveyed the scene. There were bartenders who looked like male models and the bar had pockets of people eating dinner and having a fine drink. There were several people out on the patio enjoying the nice breeze and comfortable Chicago night. My friend arrived, so I finished up my beer and rolled through to the other side.
On the other entrance of Minibar, the lights behind the bar were shining on the orange wall to match the orange bar and I was instantly taken to the New York Lower East Side lounge scene.
The music was some hip electronic beats and I was having a great time watching people stroll by and helping myself to some French Pear Martinis! Previously to Minibar, the only Martini that I'd ever want would be a chocolate martini since I hate olives and all saltiness when imbibing spirits, but their French Pear Martini opened up my eyes! Soft, smooth, delicious and filling to the brim almost to the point of spilling out the glass. It was one hell of a drink with fresh fruit added, and I appreciated the bursts of flavor.
I followed up my French Pear Martini and started rocking the Blue Cotton Candy Martini. Blue Cotton Candy? You've got that right. The bartender unleashed a giant plastic baggy of blue goodness and loaded up the martini glass and started pouring the martini and topped it off with some fruit peel for some extra citrus. Could the Blue trump the French Pear? You got it, it did it - amazing. In fact the cotton candy was also fresh since they keep a cotton candy machine in the kitchen!
After checking out the lounge side, we were taken down a level and walked down the nice wooden steps into their club side with red lights at the bar. It was spacious and the music didn't shatter my eardrums. Down here I helped myself to a Pink Cotton Candy Martini which was Blue's cousin who had a lot more kick, driving my buzz to new heights.
We were taken upstairs and the ceiling of the downstairs club area retracted, giving me a whoa cool kind of moment. The ceiling above us which was also an ornate art piece also flowed with a impressively dazzling display of light technology. Over upstairs was the fourth bar area with a blue feel and we were treated to tasty bruschetta featuring brie with apples, tomato mozarella and pesto, and vegetable paninis.
Overall, Minibar is setting itself up as the new and improved trendy spot to be in Boystown and gives you a taste of everything you'd like from restaurant to lounge to clubby. Be aware, it is in Boystown so if you are straight you may want to bring friends of the opposite sex. I was asked if I was a straight boy while at Minibar which had never had happened before but I nodded and confirmed that I was! Fun!
Came for Mother's Day brunch with some of my fellow friends of Dorothy. All of our Mothers were thousands of miles away, although some of the other male customers dressed up as "Mom", adding to the atmosphere and netting themselves a $50 gift certificate.
I normally don't like gay restaurants, especially trendy joints with modern and hip decor, but this one I enjoyed, for the friendly service, 187ml bottle of Moet & Chandon White Star for only $15, and the vegetable panini, which was healthy enough to feel no guilt, and greasy enough to tame my hangover.
I can't believe I am giving this 5 stars, because this kind of place is really not my scene, although I felt so welcome and had great company and just a really lovely brunch overall, anything less would not be fair.
Minibar, girl, you worked it out.
when i find myself in overpriced, mediocre "hot" spots such as this, i'm always glad that i have my trusty gatorade bottle full of bourbon to rescue me!
the place itself is cute, and while all three bartenders were total butterfaces, the butter looked real good. the company was also exceptional, and i wish i could have stayed longer.....
but when i order a jim & ginger ale and you charge me $7 for the weakest drink ever (seriously, you have to use a jigger and you can't even fill it up to 1 oz????), i can't stick around to throw my money at you. then, when i take a few sips and politely ask if it would be possible for you to pour a little more jim in my drink, your bitchface shrivels up and you say, "i'll ONLY charge you $4 for that."
not my scene.
This is probably one of my favorite locations in Boystown. There is a pretty good selection of wine, and they make some pretty good mixed drinks as well. The bruschetta is a really good deal if you get there early enough. If you don't get there early, well its still a pretty good assortment. Until they introduced the sliders there probably wasn't a lot for a guy who only eats burgers and hot dogs. The pot pie happens to be my favorite, its actually difficult to try other entrees because I like it so much.
The best feature of this place is probably the atmosphere and the hot staff; but you can get that from other reviews :-)
Hubby and I ate here last night. Vunderbar! The bruschetta is TO DIE, as is the Balsamic salad (fabulous), the pork entree (my GOD), any sandwich (hubby had the Reuben panini) and then the cheese plate.
Drinks were spot on. My husband had a gin gimlet ("the only kind", so says he) and it was shaken at the table and served beautifully in at least an 8 ounce martini glass...so my lightweight hubby was out of it for the night except to eat and grin weirdly at everyone passing by on their way to the restrooms.
Service was exceptional and at no time did I feel like "Hey Straight...get outta here", which was nice, because I bet they get a few obnoxious Lincoln Parkies on occasion.
I would eat here everyday if I could. The bruschetta Happy Hour makes me VERY HAPPY. Everything about this place was wonderful. The staff are all attentive and the owners very kind. They know their stuff. Kudos to Minibar.
I'm not sure what's up with all this "pretentious" business, but what I find is a solidly middle-class mixed gay/straight (mostly gay) clientele. You play nice...they play nice. You sling attitude, you get less accomodation from them.
C'est la vie.
I wish I could say that I went into Minibar with an open mind, but I'd be lying. For so many reasons, Mini isn't my scene, but since reviews are supposed to help people decide whether or not to go there, I'll sum up the top 10 reasons to go to Minibar:
1. Fake/spray tanning has made you orange or inappropriately brown fr the midwest, and you don't want that fact to make you stand out or feel out of place.
2. You take 4,800 pictures a night of yourself and your orange friends to post on Facebook with captions like "OMG don't we look hot? WASTED!"
3. You wear dress pants to bars.
4. You have 8% body fat, still call yourself fat and want to be reassured by others of the same ilk that someday, somehow, you'd totally be hot enough to work behind the bar but for now, you're just a sad heifer.
5. You think that gay-for-pay is hot (and it is, visually) and don't lose a bit of your dignity when you tip a guy who will never fuck you $10 for a $12 drink.
6. You find it totally acceptable to have deafening dance music playing in a bar where there is no room to dance.
7. You secretly shit yourself when you hand over your credit card to pay for a $15 drink and pray to Prada that it's not maxed out after buying your outfit for the night that you will never wear to Mini twice.
8. You want to be encouraged to blatantly objectify and sexually harrass without guilt the staff members of places you go.
9. You find it helpful for #8 if said staffers wear uniforms, or in this cases, puniforms that show max body parts.
10. You can't ever imagine yourself being, like, 29 (in age or waist size).
They named themselves after that overpriced gizo-moid that spits out $27 Heinkens in hotel rooms. How clever...not.
Watch out the Miller High Life man gonna come in an' clear you all outta a the High Life! Common sense!
One extra star for NOT being in San Francisco. One MINUS star for San Francisco prices - $11 for a Bacardi Mojito my ass-jito-hole.
Caveat: I haven't experienced late night at Minibar, so this review is based solely on the food and early night ambiance.
We were strolling along Halsted in search of an early dinner at about 6 PM and stopped into Minibar because the menu looked good. The dollar bruschetta was amazing - creative, well-executed flavor combinations on large slices of bread. Three was enough for our twosome. This is a daily special! I'd like to make it a regular happy hour spot.
The mini pizza and caesar salad combo is the way to go for your entree. The salad is large, the dressing is delicious, and the eggplant pizza I got was wonderfully hearty. I also tasted the pesto shrimp pizza, and it was just as good.
The decor is so chic and the food so classy that you'd expect much higher prices. Minibar is a great value.
I haven't had the food here, and I've only been here once (much like most places I've checked out in Chicago, simply cause there are too many new places to try!). I enjoyed this place quite a bit, because I basically love gay bars, cause I love most gay men, and I love NOT getting crowded by vulturous, creepy guys at bars.
The bartenders were all shirtless, and I didn't mind that one bit. ; )
I had brunch at Minibar one Saturday morning with a lovely group of lesbians. The bruschetta was freakin' off the hook (yes, I said it) and my sandwich was awesome. My taste buds were satisfied.
After the fifth round of drinks, our group got pretty loud and raunchy ("She didn't use a turkey baster?!"). You think we would be cut off. Nope. Our hottie server brought us some free shots.
I now want to spend every Saturday morning like that: Lesbians, tasty foods, and tons of champagne.
We really wanted to like Minibar, since we've been trying to find a neighborhoood brunch place to go to (aside from Nookies). Overall, the food was decent, but the staff & service were really bad. My gf and I came here for a casual Sunday brunch around 2p. We asked to sit outside, and found us sitting at a dirty table (apparently, they didn't feel the need to clean immediately after someone left.). Luckily, the host did come and wipe down the table right away. We were later handed the BRUNCH menu. The menu had a good selction of sandwiches or paninis (you can pick one or the other), and we saw that this option also came with their home-made pita chips. For once, I was trying to be healthy and really wanted the balsamic salad for $8, to only find the waiter say that they don't have salads for BRUNCH (hello, I'm looking @ a brunch menu), but they do have salads for dinner, which is $3 more. Um, hell no. I opted for the prosciutto with arugula and fig panini. We also shared a carafe of mimosas between the 2 of us @ $20 - not too bad.
When our food came out, it came out with romaine lettuce drenched in cesar dressing. first of all, didn't the menu say it came with home-mad pita chips, and secondly, if i wanted salad, i would've gotten dressing on the side. we asked the waiter why our entrees didn't come with pita chips, and he said, "oh, we don't do pita with brunch." WTF?? Then don't put that in your brunch menu!!!
The waiter's name was Thomas..make sure you don't get him!
Thankfully, the panini was decent, and you can't really mess up mimosas, hence the 2 stars.
Yay shirtless pretty bartenders! And they're nice. There's also some pretty decor. Decent enough service. But it tends to get too crowded and loud for my tastes, and I usually don't end the night here.
Minbar, Minibar, Minibar ...
This is where I come to examine the rippling bodies of men in booty shorts (and little else) to determine what areas to focus on in my own gym routine.
It is also where my bangin' booty gets fondled by men whose outfits cost more than my annual income.
... and last night they were giving out little sailor hats to match the "Welcome aboard the SS Minibar" theme. I mean, come on. That's just cute.
Oh, and it's basically two bars in one due to its bizarre setup. And they have strawberries as part of their drink garnish trays which gives me something deliciouis to steal/eat if your boyfriend isn't available.
... wait. Scratch that last part.
My first time at Minibar was because a friend dragged me in. My second time I was returning because they mix a mean martini. Minibar has a lot going for it, nice design, a good number of attractive men, good music, and one heck of a friendly owner (he almost always seems to be there and always comes by and says hello to everyone). As far as I am concerned though, the best part is the drinks, and that is why you should go. For a drink snob in Boystown it doesn't get much better, though Firefly is a serious contender.
After all the good words, why not the five star? The music is way too loud. I have no scientific evidence but I think it may be the loudest bar in Boystown. To the point where it can turn an otherwise great bar unenjoyable at times. I wish they would keep the volume just a little bit lower so you could actually hold a decent conversation.
Great place for a little girls night out dinner- two of my friends and I stopped by pretty early on a Saturday (7pm) and our reservation was definitely unnecessary (but better safe than sorry right?). The wait staff was very attentive without being pushy- we were given plenty of space to pick out what we were going to drink, but didn't have to worry that by asking for a minute, we were going to be waiting 10. (actually later in the evening when we switched up drinks, we asked for "like 15 minutes" and were given EXACTLY that- nice!). The seating by the window was great- felt like being outdoors without having to have pedestrians and traffic on top of us. There is not a ton of seating right there, but if you get there as early as we did, you'll be fine
The food was also much more generously portioned than I had anticipated. I would HIGHLY recommend the bruschetta- for $12, you get a selection of 4, and each selection has 4 pieces. Yes, that's right, 16 pieces total. Now they aren't gigiantic pieces, but perfect to share with the table and get a variety. I loved the tomato, basil mozzarella, and the apple-brie combo was also pretty good. The hummus plate was also really nice with 3 varieties (only one of which I thought was kind of blah- but the roasted pepper was excellent), and I would definitely get that again. One of my friends adores cheese plates, which I can usually do without (I am not a fan of fancy cheeses in general and would rather have my cheese in nacho form :)), but I thought it was also a decent size, although out of the 3 that would be lowest on my list of recommendations.
Bottles of wine were reasonably priced too- for under $60 each we had all that food, plus shared 2 bottles, plus each had a martini. For 3-4 hours of Saturday night fun, I don't think that's too bad! We never felt rushed out or pressured to keep buying more drinks
We didn't stick around until whatever time the place turns into a meat market, but I would definitely come back! While I don't necessarily love the idea of going places where no one is going to find me attractive, its nice to not have to worry about that element either ;)
Headed to Minibar for Sunday brunch. We're early risers, so after running some errands we arrived at 10, before they got really crowded.
My husband and I shared the grilled cheese and tomato pannini which was good. The side salad came swimming in a great tasting Caesar dressing, I just wish there had been less of it on the romaine.
Prices were reasonable, and $20 for a carafe of mimosas was a good deal, but didn't quite make up for the fact that our service was slooooooooow. So slow. I think our server must have forgotten to ring in our order. By the time we ate and paid the check it was 12:30.
We weren't in a hurry, but if we'd been really hungry there would have been trouble.
Another con- the music was really, really loud for a Sunday morning. I know it's boys town, so I can't really complain about the dance music soundtrack, but the volume! Thank god I wasn't hungover!
UPDATE: Sorry, they open at 11 not 10!
What a great find in my hood! First of all, this is the spot for happy hour! $1 bruschetta happy hour deal is perfect if you want a perfect meal pairing with your happy hour cocktail. When we visited for dinner, I ended up having the bruschetta plate as my meal- you choose 4 from a list of 12 or so different kinds, all fabulous! And it's more than enough for a meal. BF had the chicken pot pie which looked more like a souffle and he said tasted like something Julia would make- all wonderful butter! We also split the hummus and cheese plates with our companions. Both plates were diverse, fresh, and flavorful. For drinks, we had champagne, Pinot noir, beer, and I myself sipped on one of their signature cocktails. I forget the name but it included that new tea liquor. It wasn't amazing but I enjoyed trying something new. The staff was prompt and friendly. Ambiance made me feel cooler than my usual setting so that was fun too. We will definitely be back to take advantage of the happy hour deals or just to try more types of bruschetta, they were so good!
I have to say this this is still one of my favorite. bars on the halstead strip. Yes all the things people say about it are true.... its a bitchy bar, with fasionestias and gay for pay bartenders..... but compared to most of the watering holes along the Gay Mile this one has the best interior design, general concept, and ability to attract a better more... shall I say "Edited" patron. I personally love going there because im a profound believer in dressing to go out, be that a movie, dinner, motor cross rally, or a bar! YOUR GOING OUT, Put your best foot forward! I'm not saying wear your ball gowns the grocery to buy a loaf of bread, but being self aware never hurt any one! You'll find great fashion inspiration here!
There are always great boys to look at..... and I mean "look at" because no one really talks to each other here unless your with friends, its all about the pose! haha. The drinks are much stronger (which is why I don't mind the higher prices) and for the most part the atmosphere is always great on the weekends! I also have to second Maggie R. in a previous review where she said that the bathrooms are clean! Their not only Clean but Design Conscious, who doesn't want a little something pretty to look at while your peeing!
In closing its a great place to start the evening because everyone's cloths are freshly pressed, their hair is still in place and the Make-up hasn't been smudged. Grab a couple of stiff drinks, enjoy the view before it gets to cloudy and once the Gay for pay bartenders de robe, catch a glance and continue with the next phase of the
tour de boystown!
Minibar is probably one of my favorite bars in Boystown... It connects to the restaurant next door (Winebar), which I suggest checking out as well. Cool modern decor: this is probably one of the fancier bars in the area.
For fun than it's neighbor Sidetrack, which has too many posers imho. Minibar is small, but the atmosphere is always fun, the crowd is friendly (as is the staff), and there's a lot of eye candy. I especially like hanging out in the back where they have couches and coffee tables. Be warned, though, that the drinks are a bit on the expensive side for Chicago... but you can always walk across the street to Roscoe if you're on a budget.
Arnab M and I were hoping to go to Firefly, but when the wait turned out to be 45 minutes we decided… Read more »
I was attending a performance of the HILARIOUS "I Saw You" show at The Town Hall Pub across the street from minibar so popping here for a bite to eat and a beverage or two was perfect.
It was early on a Wednesday so no one was around really which was fine with me. The more attention I can get from a server the better. We were told about the $1 bruschetta specials on that day along with the $5 glasses of wine. Cool! I was perusing the bruschetta menu which made my mouth water. There were soo many things to choose from! Out of 11 choices, we ordered 6 different ones. I figured they'd be bite-size you know, and I was hungry!
It was a toasty afternoon and we were sitting on the patio. So a nice chilly Sauvignon Blanc was very refreshing! Too bad our server didn't mention that wasn't one of the $5 wines!! That would have been nice instead of paying $9. So, be sure to clarify if you go! Then our plates started coming out....oh my! Each piece of bruschetta was HUGE and cut into 4 smaller pieces. I am talking like the size of your hand. This is what we ordered:
-pear and cambozolz with honey
- smoked salmon, capers, red onion and crème
-brie with apples
-ricotta, dates and pistachio
-prosciutto, figs and brie with mint
-marinated artichokes, feta and sun-dried tomatoes
Every bite was wonderful and each ingredient was fresh. We had also put in an order of sliders (pulled bbq pork -YUM and buffalo chicken- quite a kick!) AND a cheese plate before we knew how much food we were actually getting. We could not even finish it all. They say on the menu that the cheese plate has "huge portions" of three cheeses and they were not kidding. The plate was packed with toasted focaccia, grapes, dried fruits and nuts. It was WAAAYYY too much for 2 people. Any one of these things would have been plenty. These bite-size meals are extremely generous.
I think the Wednesday night special is the way to go for an outdoor patio experience in this neck of the woods!
Yikes! Straight girls beware! I pretended I was Cho-gay just to avoid the eye-rolls.
And the worst part? I LOVE the drinks and the hot doormen.
Chicago's straight scene really ought to move away from irish pubs and backwards caps... ugh.
This place creeps me out a little. Maybe it's the overt sexual tension, maybe it's the trendy-to-the-point-of-having-a-too-tiny-beer-sele ction thing (I feel like a social pariah when I have to order overpriced cocktails and have no idea what they're all about). Maybe it's the glittery gold-ness everywhere. I generally feel very at home in Boystown, with my Boys, but Minibar is one of those places I will never understand. It's sweaty, crowded, brimming with a bizarre mix of ungodly attractive marvels of human evolution, and creepy, lurking middle-aged closet-cases leering at the hunks behind the bar.
I can definitely spend a small amount of time here if one of my friends wants to drop in, but it's a quick and superficial stop along the way to a more comfortable destination, in my opinion. But I am a straight woman, so the bar isn't exactly catering to my taste, you know? It could totally be someone else's cup of tea.
(Or, cup of $15 European vodka with peppermint-infused wheatgrass and melon flavor shot--on the rocks.)
I've never been here even remotely sober. Not even a little bit. Ever. That said, here's what I hazily remember liking about the place:
The layout is interesting, i think it gives the space a cool flow.
The bathrooms are clean. Both the men's and the women's (don't ask). Clean bathrooms are very very important.
The atmosphere and decor are very chill.
The best parts of the bar are, as everyone has stated before me, the hot hot shirtless bartenders. Because if I'm at a "Water, water everywhere-not a drop to drink" kind of bar, you damn well better let me stare at hot half naked men all night. Even if it sets me into heat. But that's more of the problem for the lucky bastards that get my drunk texts.
Went to Minibar for a friends Birthday Celebration, a continuation. The servers were quick and kind, and plenty of Eye Candy!
Beyond packed, but enjoyed seeing guys actually dress up a bit to go out, and looking damn sexy.
After a drunken bar crawl, we mysteriously made our way to boystown. We needed some food and decided to give minibar a shot. I know they have hot bartenders, and strong drinks, but I had no idea about the food. It was amazing. I had the chicken mash and it might be one of my favorite meals Ive had in Chicago, its seriously that good. I could spend a whole day here, get a meal, wait for the hot bartenders to come out at night and get hammered. Can't wait to go back and try this pure deliciousness again.
For Minibar Ive used a very objective set of guidelines to get to its four star rating. It gets… Read more »
OK ,I guess this is my wild-card bar. You can tell I love the dives from my other reviews, but this place fills a void in the gay community well. Halsted just doesn't have any bars that would qualify as Chic! It is very sleek, and the crowd is pretty. Drink prices are high, but they are strong and are justified by the money they put into this place. If the bartenders are straight, they sure do a good job of flirting and kissing up---and isn't that what a bartender is for? Just lie to me and pour!
I am not moving into this place but I am stopping by occasionally to suck up some youth. And, I will do the talking!
We visited Minibar every day of our trip to Chicago. Super-friendly staff, and Stu is the best owner I've met. He knows how to take care of his guests. Great service. We loved the brunch (crispy bacon! Woo-hoo!). My favorite bar in Chicago, there's no need to go elsewhere.
Oy. Minibar!
I avoided this place like the Devil until my ex and his partner conned me into going here. No! Aiiie! My TJ Maxx outfit just will not do! EVERYONE has that shirt on the rack, because there were multiples!
Then I had to sit through an insufferable conversation where my ex's partner flirted with the waiter on how this "other table" wasn't "cute enough to be here."
Atmosphere is nice. And I'm sure there is some screening process to make sure that every person who works here is hot, hot, hot.
But for us gays from "Middle Earth" aka that special place where a Miller Lite draft isn't that bad, you know the rules of basketball, and are cute but not just back from the latest sale on Oak Street, it's not quite the scene.
Prices average-to-mid. Food good. Scene is uncomfortable -- at least for me.
For what it's worth, the next time my ex and partner asked me to catch drinks at Minibar I said I had plans -- and those plans included watching Will & Grace Season 3 on DVD with a bottle of bacardi and a pack of Camel Lights.
Go to a less pretentious bar. Unless status is your thing.
Here's a place full of gorgeous men who smell great.
The decor is contemorary and sleek, and the fantastic beats will have you bouncing your head as you sip your beverage.
I was also impressed with their infused vodkas... I only tried the ginger, and it was pretty tasty. I'm sure the long island ice tea can make quite an impact!
The bartenders are sweet and very very good looking. Overall a hip place to spend with my favorite boys!
This bar sucks and I totally do not understand all these glowing reviews. The drink prices are ridiculous and the crowds are awful. AWFUL. It seems like word's out amongst the gay douches in this city that Minibar is the new place to stand around and act like a douche. Good riddance. No one at Sidetracks misses you.
And all those hot bartenders? Straight.
American Table Menu
Neighborhood: West Loop
Weekend Brunch
Neighborhood: The Loop
Neighborhood: The Loop
Category: Physical Therapy
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Gay Bars
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Gay Bars
Neighborhood: Irving Park
Category: Nightlife
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Beaches
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