A Lakeview bar has come under fire over allegations that it does not serve women during peak business hours.
According to reports, Wang's, 3317 N. Broadway, has denied service to women not accompanied by men after 11 p.m.
The Huffington Post broke the story in an in-depth look at the bar, which shares a location with Wakamono sushi restaurant. According to the Huffington Post, a sign in the bar notes that women will not be served after 11 p.m.
More than half of dozen reports of gender discrimination at Wang's can be found in the bar's Yelp.com reviews.
Wrote one woman: "My girlfriend went up to the bar to ask for the drink menu, and he literally told her: 'I can't serve you unless you are accompanied by a man.' At first, she thought he was joking, so didn't know quite what to respond, but he kept a straight face and went about his business."
The Illinois Human Rights Act mandates equal access to public accommodations regardless of gender.
The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) has looked into the matter, said Mike Claffey, a spokesperson for the department, but so far no investigation is pending.
"We cannot verify the claims," said Claffey.
No formal complaint has been filed against Wang's, Claffey confirmed. As such, IDHR has not launched an official investigation.
An IDHR representative went to Wang's to follow-up on the allegations, however.
"We were told, and we were shown the picture [of the sign], but we haven't seen such a sign," Claffey said.
Claffey said that reports of the rule "certainly raised eyebrows," but that further investigation required a complaint to investigate.
Repeated calls to the number listed on the restaurant's website and Yelp.com page were not answered, and no voicemail picked up.