Rev Up Your Weekend: Tune-Up Bar Revamps a Classic Avondale Auto Shop, Plus a Drag Climbing Show Hits First Ascent

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Avondale · June 5, 2026

Bricktown is shifting into high gear this June with two fresh reasons to get out and explore the neighborhood. Tune-Up, the newest bar to land in Avondale, has transformed the former Tepco Tune-Up auto shop at the corner of Belmont and Milwaukee Avenue into a retro-charming neighborhood hangout with a serious modern edge. The venue's 1,200-square-foot outdoor patio features an outdoor counter and pickup window built for seamless al fresco service — and potential future food pop-ups that could make it an even bigger draw. Inside and out, Tune-Up leans into its garage roots with a lineup of 11 mechanic-inspired signature cocktails, rotating seasonally, alongside curated local and international beers. Think "The Brakefluid" and "Anti-Freeze" — drinks as witty as the concept itself.

Meanwhile, over at First Ascent Avondale on North Spaulding Avenue, the neighborhood's beloved climbing gym is gearing up to host one of the summer's most talked-about events: Queers on the Rocks, an after-hours drag show on June 14 where performers take the experience literally — climbing walls and commanding the room in equal measure. It's a fundraiser for Queers on the Rocks programming, with tickets starting at $25, open to members and non-members alike.

From a bar born out of a classic tune-up shop to drag queens defying gravity on climbing walls, Avondale keeps proving it does community events like nowhere else in Chicago. Grab tickets for Queers on the Rocks in advance online before they sell out, and swing by Tune-Up to toast the season on that brand-new patio. Bricktown's summer is officially wide open.

Sources:
1. https://www.chicagofoodmagazine.com/news/patio-season-2026
2. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/03/21-things-to-do-outside-in-chicago-this-june/