Roscoe's Tavern — Restaurant in Lake View Township

This is my first review on google, but I'm so disappointed in my experience last night at Roscoe's Tavern I had to write something to see if things can change back to how it was before the pandemic. Before the pandemic a few things about Roscoe's made it stand out. 1) it was usually free before 11. 2) they had an awesome dance floor that was usually packed with a little mini stage on the side that allowed folks to show off a few moves and everyone was always great about sharing the space. 3) I felt this kept the bar side the more chill side where the music was maybe more top 40 so you could go over there and dance and Chill. Last night was none of those things. There was a cover which was 11, and covered the drag show we didn't know was even happening. Figured maybe we came to close to 11pm or somehow missed the cut off but now, it was 10:50 when we arrived and there was a cover. No mind, I don't mind helping out. Then we got there and the dance floor was packed with people just standing around because the drag show was... a drag. We attempted to watch the show but it was just people talking. No laughter, no dancing, really nothing at all. They had put a huge stage in the dance floor and put up pipe and drape which made the space smaller. No matter, dance floors are supposed to be packed, but no entertainment? Did we miss all the dancing and singing and laughing? So we went to the other side where we saw other similar groups of people searching phones for another option. Some we saw eventually across the street at Progress Bar. And don't get me wrong, I love a good drag show. I'm a musical theater and Brittney Junkie. TRUST ME, I work in the entertainment biz and I love a good show... but no one was dancing, and each time we looked at the bar TV which had the Drag show on it just looked like people where standing around. No clapping, no moving, it seemed stiff. No matter, it's almost midnight, no way they will be doing this all night. They gotta open up the dance floor. NOPE, next thing we see if 3-4 more drag queens being rushed back to the stage and hear someone yell at them that they are on soon. Geez, so maybe they might let people dance for an hour at the club on a friday night. We left. At the 11 at the door, and decided anywhere was better than Roscoe's. Sad, friday seems like a busy night and a great before and the dance floor and bar always seemed packed. Perhaps I came over on a bad night? We were there for 90 min trying to wait it out, and maybe when we looked back at the drag show we just missed the big moment or the big laugh? Maybe if they just made you pay for the drag show and had a ticket sales between the bar and the dance floor? Hey, what if people could still go and enjoy the bar, and after 11 everyone pays cover. No matter, probably won't be going there again anytime soon, when I used to go...

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the treatment I received from one of your bartenders, Bryce, during my recent visits to Roscoe's in BoysTown, Chicago. I’ve been a regular customer, and I usually enjoy my time at your establishment. However, my recent experience with Bryce left me feeling disrespected, alienated, and genuinely upset.

A couple of weeks ago at Roscoe’s, Bryce blatantly ignored me at the bar despite my repeated attempts to get served. I waited far longer than other patrons, only to watch him serve others who came after me. When he finally did acknowledge me, it was to inform me that the bar was closed, effectively dismissing me without any regard.

This was not an isolated incident. Tonight, at your Taylor Swift Night, I was dressed as a rainbow, celebrating and trying to enjoy the atmosphere. Yet again, Bryce ignored me and gave me a look that I could only interpret as disdain, as if serving me wasn’t worth his time or effort. When I addressed the issue to another bartender, Clayton, that Bryce was ignoring me, I was once again brushed aside, as though my concerns didn’t matter.

This may seem like a small interaction to some, but to me, it speaks volumes. I’ve been wrestling with a lot of fear and anxiety regarding how I am perceived in public spaces. These experiences bring to the surface a deep fear of being ignored, marginalized, and deserted by others. It isn’t just about a drink at the bar; it’s about feeling like I don’t belong or am unwelcome in a place that should be inclusive and accepting.

As a queer person, I go to spaces like Roscoe’s to feel safe and embraced by the community, not disregarded. Bryce’s behavior made me feel exactly the opposite – like I didn’t matter. It’s especially painful because I come to these spaces to escape feelings of isolation and rejection that many of us face in our daily lives.

I expect better from establishments that claim to support diversity and inclusion. Bartenders should treat all customers with respect, regardless of who they are or how they express themselves. No one should ever feel invisible or unworthy, especially not in spaces that are supposed to be our sanctuary.

I hope that my experience will encourage you to address this issue and ensure that all patrons feel respected and welcomed, regardless of who they are. I want to believe that this was an unfortunate anomaly and that steps will be taken to ensure it doesn’t happen to...

IN SHORT: AWFUL place for visitors... especially those of color!! Go across the street to Sidetracks instead.

I generally dont write reviews and when I do it is to support local businesses. Unfortunately, in this case, it is to write about the rudest service I can recall ever experiencing. A group of us visiting Chicago from Atlanta visited Roscoe's for a friend's birthday and to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The space was pretty much empty and since there was about 15 of us we figured it would be a perfect spot to enjoy a few drinks. Unfortunately, and for no clear rhyme or reason, our service not only failed to meet our expectations, it failed to meet even the basic levels of respect. The server was avoidant, impatient, disinterested, unbothered and downright rude. He also spent time laughing at our confusion and frustration with another employee. We could not figure out for the life of us, why we were being met with such vitriol and mean spiritedness.

Although nothing racially insensitive was stated, there was a clear difference between his interaction with our group vs the interaction he had with the other patrons. There was also glaring difference between our group and them.... we were all people of color.

We decided to take our business elsewhere. Before leaving however we asked for a manager to discuss our concerns . As it turned out, the manager (whose name is Kyle) ended up being that other employee that the bartender was jeering us. Kyle met us with the same indifference only stating that he had just got there. Not only apology or even an acknowledgement of what had just transpired.

We ended up walking across the street to a bar called Sidetracks. Sidelines was AWESOME! Great energy and...