Rainbo Club

Cool bar, especially since most of division is trying to imitate wriggleyville at this point. Definitely more chill during the week and probably not worth a trip on the weekend unless you are faded, but they Still have a 2 dollar pbr and a photo booth, which is pretty hard combo to best in this area.

I’ll be the first to admit that the main reason I like this place out of sedimental value. Memories of drunken nights conversing with strangers turned good friends over cheap drinks before stumbling back to my apartment cast a warm glow on this otherwise unassuming bar.
If you live in the neighborhood, there’s a good chance you’ll run into someone you know here. If you don’t know anyone, there’s a good chance you can meet some interesting people willing to engage in silly conversation.
I get a «kick» out of the kitschy décor and mean, old man bartenders slamming strong, $ 4 mixed drinks in front of me. I’ve excitedly brought friends here who don’t quite see it with the same romantic glow that I do and ask, «So… why do you like it here again?». They’re usually the same type that nervously glance around and pull out their Iphone while grimmacing at their surroundings.
I love this place because this place will transport you back in time. No TVs to glance at during lulls in conversation. Not much to distract you, period. It actually, you know, forces you to have a real conversation with the people around you. It’s a no frills, no nonsense bar. The type which is a quickly dying breed. Don’t expect to find a place to sit unless you arrive early or on a weeknight. The only food is when the tamale guy unexpectly shows up. Expect to get drunk and have a few laughs with no more than $ 15 – 20 dollars.
I love Rainbow Club!

I had the opportunity to visit Chicago again… and I thought I’d bring my wife over to Rainbo Club, as I’d originally had a good experience. It’s a cool little bar.
This update is specifically for the bartender who was working on Thursday, September 24^th.
My advice: Lighten up, Francis. Life is not that bad. You can be nice to paying customers. Making people feel unwelcome is not good business, especially when you only have a handful of people in the bar.
Still like the bar interior — but you guys need to rethink how you engage with customers.

The bartender with the manbun is a real manbunghole :(

I really like this place. The patrons are rather friendly. The bartenders come off as as all gruff and surly though. People call this a «hipster bar». It is really just a lot of nice people who are pretty expressive (tats, piercings, self expression). Not a yuppie bar, which is a good thing. Cheap beer too. 2 dollar PBR? yeah! Fun pinball machine too.
I would like to bring the bartenders a bottle of Prozac to share behind the counter. They always seem sad and down in the dumps

I have been going to the Rainbo Club for years. Usually get a flat beer but it’s cheap so whatever. Love the photo booth and music. Went there last night and was kicked out for using the wrong bathroom. Does it really matter? Lots of bars and restaurants have unisex bathrooms, even Target has one, why does it matter? The bouncer with a braid in his beard and he’s uptight about who uses what bathroom? When I asked him why it was a problem he could not even come up with anything… he mumbled something about women being beaten. What?

80’s arcade games, inexpensive drinks and a photo booth! What else do you want from a bar? In true dive bar fashion, this is a cash only bar. I have to be honest, I don’t always feel hip enough to patronize bars like this one (or Richard’s). But there was a group of bachelorettes wearing neon wigs, so…

Went here on 22 June around 7:30 PM with my brother. My brother is just regular enough here that he knows the bartenders’ names and they kind of know his face. Although it definitely has a hipster ambiance, I liked it for its simplicity. I ordered their Monday boilermaker special (Pabst and some unidentified Irish whiskey — probably Jameson) and was satisfied to pay only $ 4 for that; most other items seemed inexpensive. I found the service to be attentive and efficient. It was fairly busy there — it seemed like it is an after-​work hangout for people in the neighborhood. The clientele were also fairly social — we had a nice conversation with a fellow customer. If a divey bar is fine, Rainbo Club is recommended.

Despite what some of the other reviews say (and what bar doesn’t have a more annoying crowd that goes in on Friday/​Saturday nights, vs. other nights?), I always was a fan. Nice and cheap, the décor inside is cool, and it’s fun to visit a bar that’s been featured in a movie before (High Fidelity). Also a plus that it isn’t as douchey and annoying, as a lot of the other nearby bars on Division. *looks at Easy Cocktail Bar, 50/​50, etc* Finally, it’s a non-​issue to me if a bar lacks a TV.
Did I miss the Lite Brite sign they always had up inside here on my last visit, or is it still hanging inside here? Either way (will double check for that, next time I visit), cheers for Rainbo still being around. Sad that gentrification and changing trends have slowly taken away other neighborhood bars in this area, and in different parts of the city (i.e. Club Foot, Hungry Brain). This is more like 3.5 stars to me (minorly preferred Hungry Brain, for reasons such as I liked their staff slightly better, & that they had a smoking patio), but I’ll round up to 4 to counter the negative reviews.
side rant: disappointing Unilocal still doesn’t let you do half star reviews, when Untappd (beer app) recently began to allow for quarter star reviews. at least allow half star reviews, please Unilocal

PBR on draft for $ 2. What else needs to be said? Ok, also it’s a hipster haven. Make sure your jeans are tight, your beard is scruffy and you’re doing something ironic. Cash only.

False advertising for some of my friends, but a pretty decent dive bar nonetheless. Despite the name and the fact that there’s always mostly dudes inside, Rainbo Club is a hundred percent a hipster hang. Not the glorious gay bar one would think it would be.
It’s dimly lit, drinks are cheap, and there’s several entertainment features such as pinball and a photo booth. They only take cash and the staff is a little snooty, but that’s kinda what you’d expect from a place that pretty much pours PBR for free.
They rotate some local artwork on the walls which is cool, and you’re almost always guaranteed to see an awesome ironic shirt or some sweet facial hair on one of the customers.
Overall it’s a pretty entertaining experience and the drinks are cheap. That’s good enough to make me a fan.

Great bar. Unassuming and unwelcoming on the outside but a hipster groovy party on the inside. They have a stage here, I wonder what performs on there? I guess this used to be an old strip club.
Alright alright alright! They also have a photobooth where you and your bestie you met 10 years ago can take some fun shots. Our first Warhol like pic is titled «not a rug».

This place was much bigger than I thought and more crowded than I thought. But, it is a pretty cool bar. The history here is pretty great and the bar itself has a one of a kind design for sure.
Many legends have passed through their doors (you can read more here):
Pretty good beer selection for a dive bar. I think I had Allagash White for $ 5 which is definitely a good price considering the massive gentrification along Division.
Would I go back? No doubt. Find a booth and chat the night away in a cool space.

This place smells like an abandoned basement. The inside looks very old-​school and has very dim lighting. This place is simply full of annoying hipsters. In fact one of those hipsters stepped on my shoes and didn’t even apologize.
And what about the bartenders? Ahhhhh, yes, the bartenders seriously need to get off their rag. It was crowded and loud while I was ordering a drink, the bartender couldn’t hear me, and asked me to speak up. I spoke up, and the bartender got pissed because he assumed I was shouting at him. He gave me the death glare, got me my drink, and he slammed it on the counter. I paid for my drink and he slammed my change on the counter as well. Sorry a-​hole, but there’s no way in hell you are receiving a tip from me. I’m never coming back to this place ever again!

I’ve been walking past this place for a little over 10 years and it is nearly impossible for me NOT to go in every time. I love this place. It is so low key — the bar tenders are always awesome — just a very cool place you should check out if in the area.

I’d give this place five stars if the clientele weren’t such hipster pricks. I go here because the drinks are cheap, the dread-​headed doorman/​sometimes-​bartender Eric is a nice guy, and despite the prickiness of the hipsters, it’s a good place to people watch. Just don’t try to strike up a conversation with a stranger unless you’ve got an angle, the more pretentious the better.

When the bartender heard that I was Swedish, he refused to let me pay for my glass of Absolut Vodka that I had just ordered. Needless to say, I really enjoyed this establishment. Thank you friendly bartender! I had a great evening.

Wow, Unilocal reviews hate this place?! I loved it though. I was in the city meeting friends and had been to a few stuffy establishments, so it felt just great to step inside and hear a jukebox and see people getting shitfaced.
Rainbo Club is apparently where these particular Chicago friends of mine choose to spend the very end of their weekend nights out on the town. I’m not sure if it is open later than most places, or if it is one of the few true dive bars in the area, but it was packed when we arrived at nearly 2am. True to the dive bar genre, the bathrooms were nasty and the crowd was diverse and interesting.

Next time you bait and switch a guy from 2 ipas (9 bucks), pour him 2 pbrs (4 bucks) and then charge him 9 bucks, then TRY AND DO IT AGAIN, maybe don’t yell at the customer for telling you about it. That makes you an a-​hole and a cheat. Sorry if you’re having money issues but that’s actually illegal.
After 8 years of patronage, I won’t be back.

Awesome low key place for perfectly mixed drinks for a sweet price. Love the vibe of the place — it’s got spunk and character that you don’t usually find in bars these days. Enjoyed how I could actually have a conversation in here without having to yell.
Black and white photo booth costs $ 3 and is totally worth it. Will definitely come back here if I’m in Chicago