The 12 Bt Gay Bars In D.C. | DCist

Contents:

• D.C.'S BT GAY BARS AND HANGOUTS
• THE BT GAY BARS WASHGTON, D.C.
• LICHT CAFé, D.C.’S NEWT GAY BAR, IS A COZY, ART-FILLED U STREET HIAWAY
• THE BEST WASHGTON DC GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS WASHGTON DC
• LOUD AND PROUD: WASHGTON DC'S BT GAY BARS © WHE HOE PRS/FLICKR | © WHE HOE PRS/FLICKR KATE MCMAHON 15 MAY 2020 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT AROUND 10 PER CENT OF ADULTS WASHGTON DC INTIFY AS LGBTQ+ – THE HIGHT PERCENTAGE THE UNTRY. DC SH AS THE NATN’S GAYT CY, AND YOU N CHECK OUT THE VENU TO GET A TASTE OF THE VIBRANT, PROUD SCENE. VIEW ALL TRIPS NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR BAR, GAY BAR, BEER SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT NELLIE’S IS THE QUTSENTIAL, RIGHT--YOUR-FACE GAY BAR THE BTLG U STREET RRIDOR. ITS SIZE AND LOTN MAKE ONE OF THE BIT GAY BARS DC. THE PLACE IS ALWAYS HOPPG – WHETHER ’S SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY MORNG. NELLIE’S MOST POPULAR FEATURE IS S WEEKEND DRAG BNCH. SIP MIMOSAS AND DE AT A BUFFET AS YOU WATCH STELLAR DRAG QUEENS STT ACROSS THE STAGE HEELS THAT SEEMGLY FY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS. TOWN DANCE BOUTIQUE BAR SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT COURTY OF TOWN TOWN DANCE BOUTIQUE IF YOU WANT TO GO WILD, TOWN IS THE PLACE. IT’S THE LARGT GAY NIGHTCLUB THE DMV AREA. WH MULTIPLE DANCE FLOORS AND LED LIGHTG, TOWN IS THE PERFECT VENUE FOR SANE THEMED PARTI AND TERNATNAL DJS. BUT BE PREPARED TO PAY FOR THE EXPERIENCE WH A $12 VER CHARGE AND EXPENSIVE DRKS.TOWN DANCE BOUTIQUE, 2009 8TH ST NW, WASHGTON DC, USA, +1 202 234 8696 TOWN’S ENTRANCE | © KATE MCMAHON THE FIREPLACE BAR SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT THE FIREPLACE FOR A DIFFERENT CHANGE OF PACE, CHECK OUT THE FIREPLACE; THIS DIVE BAR REALLY PUTS THE EMPHASIS ON DIVE AND FIRE (SERLY, ’S A FIRE HAZARD). THK STICKY FLOORS, SHABBY TABL, AND DRKS THAT ARE 90% ALHOL. YOU’LL E TO LOVE THE ROUGH EXTERR AFTER A FEW KILLER RAIL DRKS THAT ARE AMONG THE CHEAPT DC. THERE’S NO TAPS TO BE SEEN – BUT THERE IS A MORATE RANGE OF BOTTLED DOMTIC BEERS FOR $4.THE FIREPLACE, 2161 P ST NW, WASHGTON DC, USA, +1 202 293 1293 EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS BY TRAIN TRAVERSE STLAND’S MOST SCENIC LANDSP, OM WT AST TO EAST, TRAVELLG BY RAIL VIEW TRIP JR'S BAR & GRILL RTRANT, GAY BAR, LGBTQ BAR, PUB GB, WE, BEER, FAST FOOD SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT © ELVERT BARN/FLICKR JR’S IS YOUR AVERAGE IENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD BAR; ’S BEEN A STAPLE OF DUPONT CIRCLE FOR OVER THREE S. THE BRICK EXTERR AND HIGH CEILGS PROVI ENDLS ATHETIC APPEAL AND A ZY FEEL. BUT BE WARNED – ON WEEKEND NIGHTS ’S EXTREMELY NARROW SI, SO UNLS YOU MANAGE TO WIGGLE YOUR WAY UP TO THE VETED SEND FLOOR LOFT, PREPARE FOR LOTS OF BBG ON STRANGERS. BUT MAYBE THAT’S A GOOD THG? COBALT BAR, RTRANT SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT COBALT THIS THREE-LEVEL TABLISHMENT PROVIS A SUPERB ATMOSPHERE FOR MEETG PEOPLE AND CHATTG UP STRANGERS. THE FIRST FLOOR, APTLY NAMED LEVEL ONE, IS A CENT RTRANT THAT OFFERS BOTTOMLS MIMOSAS ON WEEKENDS. AT NIGHT, EAT A MEAL AND PLAY A ROG GAME OF BEER PONG, BUT THEN HEAD UPSTAIRS TO MGLE AT THE SEND FLOOR BAR AND GROOVE ON THE THIRD FLOOR DANCE FLOOR! THE PEOPLE AND MIC ARE DIVERSE – THE DJS PLAY A NICE BLEND OF HIP-HOP, REGGAE AND OTHER GENR BEYOND THE TOP 40 HS. WHILE DC SERLY LACKS LBIAN BARS, LADI’ NIGHT AT COBALT IS THE THIRD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH.COBALT, 1639 R ST NW, WASHGTON DC, USA, +1 202 232 4416 COBALT STAFF IN CAPAL PRI PARA| © TED EYTAN/FLICKR BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. ZIEGFELD'S/SECRETS BAR SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS NEW LOTN, SAME DRAG. ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS IS ONE OF THE OLST DRAG BARS THE UNTRY AND REGARD AS AN IMPORTANT LANDMARK LGBTQ HISTORY. BUT AFTER 40 YEARS, THE DUAL DRAG BAR AND STRIP CLUB WAS FORCED TO MOVE OM S HISTORIL LOTN – DON’T WORRY THOUGH, THE NEW VENUE IS ALMOST AS GOOD. UNFORTUNATELY ’S BEG FORCED TO MOVE AGA, BUT LIKELY NOT UNTIL 2018. GET WHILE YOU N! ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS IS KNOWN FOR BEG ONE OF THE FEW VENU THE UNTRY TO FEATURE FULL-ONTAL MALE NUDY. CATCH THAT UPSTAIRS, OR HEAD DOWNSTAIRS TO WATCH A FABULO DRAG SHOW FEATURG THE LOVELY ELLA FZGERALD, WHO JT CELEBRATED HER 34TH YEAR THERE!ZIEGFIELD’S/SECRETS, 1824 HALF ST SW, WASHGTON DC, USA, +1 202 863 0670 ZIEGFELD DRAG QUEEN | © CHRISTIAN LEZZIL/WIKICOMMONS BY KATE MCMAHON VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
• WASHGTON DC GAY DISTRICT: DUPONT CIRCLE
• BT GAY AND LBIAN BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS WASHGTON DC
• A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.
• WASHGTON DC GAY DISTRICT: DUPONT CIRCLE
• THE U STREET CORRIDOR FALLY HAS A GAY CLUB AGA

D.C.'S BT GAY BARS AND HANGOUTS

The natn's pal is home to a lively LGBTQ+ nightlife scene wh plenty of gay and lbian bars jt wag for you to jo on the fun. Larry’s Lounge is a gay neighborhood pub, wh always-affordable drks, solid happy hour specials, mouth-waterg pub fare (see: sweet potato tots) and one of the cy’s iendlit pats (you n brg your dog, too!).

Number Ne to the btlg Logan Circle urty of -founr Ed Bailey, who helped DC’s gay nightlife scene to grow durg his days as a DJ. Suated right the heart of Adams Man’s btlg 18th Street is Pchers, a gay sports bar, and A League of Her Own, the adjacent bar for lbian and queer women. 's evolvg gayborhood has shifted towards Logan Circle and U Street.

THE BT GAY BARS WASHGTON, D.C.

In Febary 2016, the Washgton Bla noted an "unual flurry of activy" wh the openg of four new gay bars, the majory of which land the U Street/Shaw/Logan Circle area. Those spots and more sports bars, dance clubs, and cktail havens are all clud Eater's round up of the District's gay-iendlit bars and hangouts.

LICHT CAFé, D.C.’S NEWT GAY BAR, IS A COZY, ART-FILLED U STREET HIAWAY

New gay dive bar Tra opened last year, urty of the team behd Town Danceboutique and Number Ne.

New to the Shaw/U Street gay bar scene is Uproar, which buted last year. The Bt Gay Bars Washgton, D. —our natn’s pal, if you’ve managed to fet—has been scribed as “the gayt place Ameri.

” As an epicenter, gay drkers n fd no shortage of optns, om sports bars to cktail bars to dance clubs, many of which are ncentrated near Dupont Circle and 17th Street, where gay bar-hoppg is prime. Perhaps the most unr-the-radar gay bar to outsirs, as well as the most polil of Washgton's gay bars, the Der is home to high-profile Democratic and Republin operativ who regularly put asi polics when they arrive for the party.

THE BEST WASHGTON DC GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS WASHGTON DC

Grab a Lemon Squeeze (the bar's mastay cktail), a pile of tater tots and ntle to a booth to see and be INFO →KNOWN FORfull menucheap datebar foodCobaltCobalt has long been a mastay on the District's gay-centric 17th Street Corridor.

INFO →KNOWN FORdancgcheap datefull menuDacha Beer GarnDacha isn't an official gay bar, but you wouldn’t know by the crowd.

In keepg, beware: It n get INFO →KNOWN FORcraft beeroutdoor / patbar foodDo's Bar at FlorianaIn the basement of an Italian rtrant off the very-gay 17th Street, Dupont Circle, is Do’s Bar. He's been servg drks and hostg at the ty hiaway for a now, and is beloved by the gay and straight crowds INFO →KNOWN FORcheap datefull menuJR's Bar & Grill The “grill” part of JR's Bar & Grill is mostly absent. Gay bar scene attractg polished polis and beefy at boys.

LOUD AND PROUD: WASHGTON DC'S BT GAY BARS © WHE HOE PRS/FLICKR | © WHE HOE PRS/FLICKR KATE MCMAHON 15 MAY 2020 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT AROUND 10 PER CENT OF ADULTS WASHGTON DC INTIFY AS LGBTQ+ – THE HIGHT PERCENTAGE THE UNTRY. DC SH AS THE NATN’S GAYT CY, AND YOU N CHECK OUT THE VENU TO GET A TASTE OF THE VIBRANT, PROUD SCENE. VIEW ALL TRIPS NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR BAR, GAY BAR, BEER SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT NELLIE’S IS THE QUTSENTIAL, RIGHT--YOUR-FACE GAY BAR THE BTLG U STREET RRIDOR. ITS SIZE AND LOTN MAKE ONE OF THE BIT GAY BARS DC. THE PLACE IS ALWAYS HOPPG – WHETHER ’S SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY MORNG. NELLIE’S MOST POPULAR FEATURE IS S WEEKEND DRAG BNCH. SIP MIMOSAS AND DE AT A BUFFET AS YOU WATCH STELLAR DRAG QUEENS STT ACROSS THE STAGE HEELS THAT SEEMGLY FY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS. TOWN DANCE BOUTIQUE BAR SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT COURTY OF TOWN TOWN DANCE BOUTIQUE IF YOU WANT TO GO WILD, TOWN IS THE PLACE. IT’S THE LARGT GAY NIGHTCLUB THE DMV AREA. WH MULTIPLE DANCE FLOORS AND LED LIGHTG, TOWN IS THE PERFECT VENUE FOR SANE THEMED PARTI AND TERNATNAL DJS. BUT BE PREPARED TO PAY FOR THE EXPERIENCE WH A $12 VER CHARGE AND EXPENSIVE DRKS.TOWN DANCE BOUTIQUE, 2009 8TH ST NW, WASHGTON DC, USA, +1 202 234 8696 TOWN’S ENTRANCE | © KATE MCMAHON THE FIREPLACE BAR SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT THE FIREPLACE FOR A DIFFERENT CHANGE OF PACE, CHECK OUT THE FIREPLACE; THIS DIVE BAR REALLY PUTS THE EMPHASIS ON DIVE AND FIRE (SERLY, ’S A FIRE HAZARD). THK STICKY FLOORS, SHABBY TABL, AND DRKS THAT ARE 90% ALHOL. YOU’LL E TO LOVE THE ROUGH EXTERR AFTER A FEW KILLER RAIL DRKS THAT ARE AMONG THE CHEAPT DC. THERE’S NO TAPS TO BE SEEN – BUT THERE IS A MORATE RANGE OF BOTTLED DOMTIC BEERS FOR $4.THE FIREPLACE, 2161 P ST NW, WASHGTON DC, USA, +1 202 293 1293 EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS BY TRAIN TRAVERSE STLAND’S MOST SCENIC LANDSP, OM WT AST TO EAST, TRAVELLG BY RAIL VIEW TRIP JR'S BAR & GRILL RTRANT, GAY BAR, LGBTQ BAR, PUB GB, WE, BEER, FAST FOOD SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT © ELVERT BARN/FLICKR JR’S IS YOUR AVERAGE IENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD BAR; ’S BEEN A STAPLE OF DUPONT CIRCLE FOR OVER THREE S. THE BRICK EXTERR AND HIGH CEILGS PROVI ENDLS ATHETIC APPEAL AND A ZY FEEL. BUT BE WARNED – ON WEEKEND NIGHTS ’S EXTREMELY NARROW SI, SO UNLS YOU MANAGE TO WIGGLE YOUR WAY UP TO THE VETED SEND FLOOR LOFT, PREPARE FOR LOTS OF BBG ON STRANGERS. BUT MAYBE THAT’S A GOOD THG? COBALT BAR, RTRANT SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT COBALT THIS THREE-LEVEL TABLISHMENT PROVIS A SUPERB ATMOSPHERE FOR MEETG PEOPLE AND CHATTG UP STRANGERS. THE FIRST FLOOR, APTLY NAMED LEVEL ONE, IS A CENT RTRANT THAT OFFERS BOTTOMLS MIMOSAS ON WEEKENDS. AT NIGHT, EAT A MEAL AND PLAY A ROG GAME OF BEER PONG, BUT THEN HEAD UPSTAIRS TO MGLE AT THE SEND FLOOR BAR AND GROOVE ON THE THIRD FLOOR DANCE FLOOR! THE PEOPLE AND MIC ARE DIVERSE – THE DJS PLAY A NICE BLEND OF HIP-HOP, REGGAE AND OTHER GENR BEYOND THE TOP 40 HS. WHILE DC SERLY LACKS LBIAN BARS, LADI’ NIGHT AT COBALT IS THE THIRD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH.COBALT, 1639 R ST NW, WASHGTON DC, USA, +1 202 232 4416 COBALT STAFF IN CAPAL PRI PARA| © TED EYTAN/FLICKR BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. ZIEGFELD'S/SECRETS BAR SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS NEW LOTN, SAME DRAG. ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS IS ONE OF THE OLST DRAG BARS THE UNTRY AND REGARD AS AN IMPORTANT LANDMARK LGBTQ HISTORY. BUT AFTER 40 YEARS, THE DUAL DRAG BAR AND STRIP CLUB WAS FORCED TO MOVE OM S HISTORIL LOTN – DON’T WORRY THOUGH, THE NEW VENUE IS ALMOST AS GOOD. UNFORTUNATELY ’S BEG FORCED TO MOVE AGA, BUT LIKELY NOT UNTIL 2018. GET WHILE YOU N! ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS IS KNOWN FOR BEG ONE OF THE FEW VENU THE UNTRY TO FEATURE FULL-ONTAL MALE NUDY. CATCH THAT UPSTAIRS, OR HEAD DOWNSTAIRS TO WATCH A FABULO DRAG SHOW FEATURG THE LOVELY ELLA FZGERALD, WHO JT CELEBRATED HER 34TH YEAR THERE!ZIEGFIELD’S/SECRETS, 1824 HALF ST SW, WASHGTON DC, USA, +1 202 863 0670 ZIEGFELD DRAG QUEEN | © CHRISTIAN LEZZIL/WIKICOMMONS BY KATE MCMAHON VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

For years, the bar banned dancg but fally relented after a of prsure by patrons—not that there's much room to dance; between trivia nights and happy hour, n be packed cheek-to-cheek most of the INFO →KNOWN FORcheap datedancglive micLarry's LoungeYou won’t fd Larry’s Lounge listed on any gay bar map of Washgton, D.

Not officially a gay bar, not officially a straight bar, Larry’s is jt Larry’s.

WASHGTON DC GAY DISTRICT: DUPONT CIRCLE

C’s gay muny. They’ll merely check on you om time-to-time to make sure you’re still alive and to brg you ee INFO →KNOWN FORcheap datebar foodoutdoor / patNellie's Sports BarWhen Nellie's first opened 2007 at the rner of 9th & U Street, NW, some wonred if a gay bar uld thrive a lotn so far removed om the center of Washgton’s gay nightlife scene. But, as the cy’s gay muny has moved east, Nellie's (named for the owner's grandmothers—y, multiple grandmothers) now the most popular gay bar all of D.

BT GAY AND LBIAN BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS WASHGTON DC

Though 's billed as a sports bar—and ser sports fans fely e here to tch a game—the TVs rarely factor on DJ nights when crowds pack Nellie's rooftop INFO →KNOWN FORsportscheap datelive micdancgfull menuNumber 9When the owners of the wildly popular gay nightclub Town Danceboutiqe set out to open a cktail bar, they named honor of their nth venture together. The space—prevly a rather unspirg gay bar—was rernated as a dim, morn lounge wh a foc on ser cktails. Gay women are always hard up for great bars, and recent years have seen the closg of long-tablished lbian jots many ci.

While that le is gone ( creasgly wel gay men, as long as they rpect the bar as a space for women) you will still fd a..

A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.

INFO →Town DanceBoutiqueThe District's largt gay dance club, Town Danceboutique (known as “Town” to lols) is the place meet someone new. Like a gay-Amerin Moul Rouge, Town is a glterg maze of baret, gogo boys and edy shows that create a sort of what-uld-happen-next circ atmosphere.

Owner Spencer Hurd moled Licht after his favore gay fé Mannheim, Germany. His dream: lnchg a cktail bar moled after his favore gay fé Mannheim, Germany. “The goal is to foc on the classic cktails, rather than jt vodka-sodas and rose Kennedys, as you may get at other gay bars, ” he says.

Licht Café is a reference to the spiratn om his go-to gay spot Mannheim, but also reflects his ial zy space. “I love art and sign, ” Hurd says, “and I wanted to make the bar unapologetilly gay. “I want the to be a bid edgy—this is a part of gay culture.

WASHGTON DC GAY DISTRICT: DUPONT CIRCLE

The U Street NW strip’s gay bar scene is on the up as of late. Kiki owner Keaton Fedak, the former general manager at nearby gay bar Dirty Goose, will expand Kiki to the next-door space that formerly hoed dive Dodge Cy. “We’re hopg to make a gayborhood Shaw, ” he told Eater last month.

THE U STREET CORRIDOR FALLY HAS A GAY CLUB AGA

Meet Kiki, an Excg New Gay Bar Replacg a Pair of Shuttered Shaw Div.