Dorothy Downstairs

Dorothy is a comfortable cocktail lounge located below Split-Rail on Chicago Avenue. This queer-owned and -operated speakeasy beneath West Town fried chicken palace Split-Rail is back in action after two years of COVID-fueled hibernation, with wood-paneling, disco balls, pressed velvet wallpaper, an enticing array of plump burgundy-hued sectional couches and vintage lounge furniture.

While the club may lean LGBTQ+, "a friend of Dorothy" was a covert identifier for cloaked homosexual people in the mid-twentieth century, its underground doors are available to bar-goers of all backgrounds, proclaiming itself queer-friendly rather than exclusively gay. Check your preconceptions at the door, grab a well-crafted vintage drink, and get into the rhythm starting at 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Address: 2500 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, Illinois

Website: https://www.dorothydownstairs.com/