Best Gay Clubs in Dallas: A Guide

Best Gay Clubs in Dallas: On the third weekend of September each year, Dallas‘ yearly Pride festival takes over the city, bringing with it a variety of events that include a big festival at Reverchon Park to a procession down the Cedar Springs strip. But the good times don’t stop after Pride. After all, Dallas boasts one of the country’s largest gay communities, and as such, it has a bustling and varied nightlife culture that belongs to the LGBTQ community.

The majority of the act is located along Cedar Springs Road in Oak Lawn, Dallas’ accepted gayborhood. There are hundreds of nightclubs and bars (as well as stores and cafes) here, each with its own distinct ambiance and many within easy reach of each other.

Do you want to let it all out on the party floor? Then head to Station 4, a massive nightclub with incredible music and a spectacular motion-sensor light show. The drag shows at the Rose Room upstairs are also an essential visit.

Want something slightly extra relaxed? After that, proceed a few blocks to the Grapevine Bar, a hip gay dive with cheap drinks, outdoor games, games of pool, and a fantastic roof deck. Thinking of all-inclusive resorts, the downtown Don’t Tell Supper Club is a unique restaurant, nightclub, and performance venue for guests looking to elevate their night out.

10Best provides the inside scoop on where to locate the best gay event scene, whether you want to dance the night away, watch a drag show, or catch a game at a local dive.

ROSE ROOM

Station 4 may be Dallas’ best dance gathering, but the Rose Room, the Southwest’s leading performance location for gender fantasy, can be found upstairs. The lavish performances, which take place Thursday through Sunday evenings, involve the creme de la creme of both local and national crossdressers, featuring iconic artists such as Layla LaRue, Cassie Nova, and Asia O’Hara. Want to direct your inner diva? Every Thursday night, the Rose Room holds the “Rising Star” competition, in which drag queens from all across Dallas compete for cash prizes. Not only do superstar pretenders visit this establishment, but so do actual stars. Katy Perry recently stopped by for a visit while on her Evidence Tour stop in Dallas.

Suggested for Gay Clubs because The Rose Room hosts some of the top drag shows in the nation as a whole.

STATION 4

Station 4 (or S4 as residents call it) is definitely one of the town’s greatest and largest gay clubs for dancing, with midnight house and hip hop frenzy Thursday through Sunday, as well as fantastic drag events and contests in the Rose Room above. This broad, multilevel nightspot boasts many bars, a cutting-edge music system, and lights generated by performers on a motion-sensing, metal dance floor. When you need a break, you may relax in a VIP Lounge and watch the celebration from above, or indulge in some fresh air from a rising two-story balcony. Cutting-edge DJs and a number of daily events, from gay bingo to dress contests, make this a popular hangout for a primarily homosexual (and young) humanity, but it’s also open to anyone looking to have an enjoyable time.

Station 4 is one of Dallas’ hottest and finest dance clubs, and it welcomes gays, homosexuals, and all that in between.

ROUND-UP SALOON

With reason, this iconic Cedar Springs attraction has been dubbed the nation’s best gay country western dance club. The saloon has many specialized bars, a roof patio, and a large wood stage with enough of space to boot-scoot and disco dance the evening away. It also produces a monthly calendar of activities, ranging from RuPaul’s Drag Race watch parties to chili cook-offs, poker games, pageants, and even bachelor auctions. Not to point out that the establishment has some of the better karaoke evenings in town. As if that weren’t sufficient, there are daily drink deals, as well as all-day happy hours and late-night howdy sessions. This location is not only a favorite rest stop for locals, but it also attracts famous people like Lady Gaga.

Suggested for Gay Clubs because, In Dallas, The Round-Up Saloon is the best gay club with a cowboy design that is also straight-friendly.

THE GRAPEVINE BAR

One of Dallas’ hidden secrets, this ultra-casual local hangout draws a crowd as varied as its unmatched furniture. The Grapevine Bar named the top straight bar by Dallas’ top gay journal and top gay pub by one of Dallas’ clear magazines, is everything you’d expect a comfortable sipping hole/dive to be further: The drinks are extremely affordable (the specialty is frozen cocktails prepared with Everclear), the atmosphere is pleasantly cheerful, and the pub hosts some of the most effective celebrations in town. There’s also a cool roof deck where you can drink and take in the view of the city. And any establishment that has ping pong, billiards, and a basketball court gets an A+ in our book.

Suggested for Gay Clubs because The Grapevine Bar is the ideal location to relax with an array of friendly people.

SUE ELLEN’S

Sue Ellen’s, the sister club of nearby JR’s (as shown on the reality show Dallas), is undoubtedly one of the nation’s top lesbian haunts, though it takes delight in offering hospitality to people of all faiths. The pub has many flat-screen TVs, pool tables, individual lounge sections, a huge dance floor, and a gated terrace out front. There are live bands playing throughout the week, as well as a range of events that include comic nights and open jams to a Tuesday Tease “queer variety show” with drag kings and queens, circus performances, and burlesque. On Fridays, keep a look out for the passcode (posted on Facebook) to get free admission.

Suggested Gay Clubs because Sue Ellen’s is the top place for ladies who like ladies.

JR’S BAR & GRILL

This huge multi-level sanctuary at the city’s gay crossroads is a fantastic location for drinking and an outstanding location for a party. JR’s has been attracting an eclectic crowd of gay, lesbian, heterosexual people, and the like for its hospitable environment and busy party calendar of events, which includes all from DJ evenings and drag shows to dress competitions, pool competitions, and music release parties. Every night of the week, a variety of discounted drinks ($2 schnapps tooters, jelly shots, and cherry bombs, to name a few) keep the party going. And the upper balcony offers some of the best-observing others on the sidewalk. It’s no surprise that this place is always overcrowded.

Suggested for gay Clubs because Jr’s is Dallas’ top homosexual bar, entertaining both gay and straight guests.

DON’T TELL SUPPER CLUB

Caters to gay, straight, and everything in between is Never Tell Supper Club, a trendy eatery and nightlife facility boasting sharable gourmet food, creative cocktails, and crazy entertainment. Regular burlesque shows, aerialists, contortionists, illusionists, and even fire breathers performed in the enormous, moodily illuminated two-story space. Every party is unique, and the fun goes on all night including Music and dancing. Expect smoked hamachi sashimi and BBQ pork sliders, as well as grilled fish and beef, on the food list. Oh, they also do Sunday drag brunches as well. What’s better? There is no entrance fee unless it is an exclusive event. Thursday through Saturday evenings, dinner and shows are available.

Don’t Tell Supper Club is a good idea for Gay Clubs because it provides an out-of-the-ordinary sensation.

WOODY’S SPORTS & VIDEO BAR

Woody’s, a local hangout, is the greatest place in Cedar Springs for laid-back feelings, outstanding guest observation, as well as some of the finest drink deals in the area. The bar, which covers two stories, manages a variety of events, including sports watch parties, casual mixers, drag acts, and comedic video evenings. On Tuesdays, there are show tune sing-alongs, on Wednesdays and Sundays, there is karaoke, and on Thursdays, there is a funny variety show presented by drag diva Jada Pinkett Fox. When it’s time to show sports, 25 HD televisions distributed across the bar and terraces allow you to watch up to 15 various athletic competitions at once. The pub also gives back to the community by donating to local LGBTQ amateur athletes and service groups.

Woody’s is the greatest spot for boys who seek a more laid-back vibe in a gay club.

THE MINING COMPANY

This bi-level haunt (previously referred to as the Throckmorton Mining Company) has been a Dallas tradition since 1978 and is an iconic spot for beginning or ending a night on Cedar Springs. TMC is open Tuesdays through Sundays and boasts weekly DJs, an outdoor dance floor, games of pool, and, most significantly, plenty of smoking hot go-go boys. The party doesn’t stop inside the club, it spills out onto the outside patio, which provides fantastic observing other possibilities down the strip. Combine it with hot bartenders, affordable beverage prices, and without a cover charge. It’s no surprise that this area is always crowded during the week.

The Mining Company is suggested for gay clubs because it gathers broad LGBTQ clients and is the sole venue in Cedar Springs with go-go guys.

THE HIDDEN DOOR

Yes, it’s as divey as they come but, The Door, as regulars affectionately call it, has been a fixture in Oak Lawn for more than three decades, and it’s understandable why. In addition to being one of the friendliest gay pubs you’ll come across, this establishment is extremely well-liked among the bear community. While there aren’t any specialty drinks that are shaken here, they do make some fantastic bloody Marys and sell Jell-O shots for $1 in all the shades of the rainbow. Along with regular beer fests ($.75 drafts), daily drink specials, all-day happy hours, and continuous activities like weekly cookouts, pool competitions, stand-up comedy, and drag shows, the pub keeps its patrons occupied.

Suggested for Gay Clubs because The Hidden Door is the gayborhood’s Cheers, with everyone knowing what you’re called.