For a Saturday night, the place was lightly populated, though as we were finishing drinks, a large mixed group rocked up and the atmosphere grew livelier. I bantered with a couple of guys stationed on stools while Tito figured out a ropey-looking Coors Light on one of our three rounds. Tito liberally poured from the decent liquor selection into short glasses. A few 12-ounce jugs straight from the freezer welcomed Bud Light and Coors Lights from the tap. Our smiling barkeep, Tito, was welcoming and remained attentive and grew chatty as our visit went by. My first impression was of a scrupulously clean neighborhood wattering hole. Guys bellied up to the bar, couples chatted, and an older mixed group sat watching the Cowboys’ preseason labors. The long bar leads to the back of the room where there are a few high tables and stools strewn throughout. On entry, we were greeted by a well-lit space with chessboard tiles on the floor and a pool table up front.
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The building is a utilitarian, standalone, white, windowless rectangle –– more art installation or forgotten bunker than a place of revelry. Our first stop was 515 Bar (515 S Jennings Av, 81), one of the last holdovers from the scene that was. Only a few years ago, the Gayborhood – a smattering of places on or around Jennings Avenue on the Near Southside – looked ready to blossom but seemed to die out atop the smoldering ashes of the Rainbow Lounge after that beloved institution burned down back in 2017. One recent hot and sweaty Saturday night after a long day of imbibing beer and devouring tacos at a house party, three hardened divers and I set out to find signs of a gay-bar scene in town.