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- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- DJ, Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Neon Cactus
Review Highlights
"Then there's the piano bar."
(in 11 reviews)
"5 cover on Thursday nights which allows for 32 oz."
(in 5 reviews)
"...whole family for football games and a night with big Bruce."
(in 8 reviews)
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Dhananjay V.
Fremont, CA
1/26/2012
What can you really say about this place? It really depends on the person and what they're looking for. I've never had a not fun night at this place. All costs considered, this place is still much cheaper than any other bar in the West/Lafayette area. 5 dollars for a cover, 5 for a cactus cup if you don't have one, and 3.50 for a long island. And trust me when I say to go with a long island. Just watching how much hard alcohol comprises those 32oz cups is enough to make your stomach lurch.
If you're single, best chance of getting laid, hands down. While many will tell you not to go on any night buy a Thursday, I have made the heroic effort to try a Saturday and it's honestly not too bad. The people are a little more interesting and there is a definite creepy sex vibe. Also, from what I hear, not only women, but men are subject to the occasional roofie (kinda doubt it). Nevertheless, I see no reason not to go on a Friday or Saturday except for the excess of townies and the occasional high schooler with a fake ID. -
Review from Heather H.
Glendale, CA
4/19/2011
On Thursday during the school year, awesome place. It is wall-to-wall bodies, but drinks are cheap and flowing. The piano bar is the most fun, just don't answer your phone or text while there.
I recently was a DD and the bartenders were super nice. Free Shirley Temple's all night and some chatted with me while my drunk friends smoked.
For those who do smoke, they have a walled in smoking room with tables. -
Review from Eve L.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2011
its cheap ... covers like 5 bucks... quarter refills
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Review from Mia M.
3/30/2011
If you're looking for a quiet evening out, don't go to the Cactus. It is loud. It is packed. The piano man is talented and amusing (probably even more so after you've had a few), but yes, I do agree that the junior high brand of humor gets old. Then again, I was sober. At the end of the evening, I felt as though I missed the cut-off age for having fun here by about seven years, but there were people my parents' age there having a grand ol' time.
This analysis leads me to believe that the amount of alcohol you consume and the rate in which you consume it is probably in direct proportion to the fun-ness potential.
So get yourself knee-walking drunk and let me know how it goes for you. -
Review from Jessica T.
Aurora, IL
2/26/2011
Bruce, the piano man, is amazing. My husband and I went went here during college. As alumns, we bring our whole family for football games and a night with big Bruce. Yes, it's definitely R rated, and yes, it's sometimes slightly uncomfortable, but it's SO FUN, and we, as well as our families, think it's hysterical.
We are leery about our time on the dance floor. If you're really drunk, it's pretty fun. But other than that, it seems silly. -
Review from Lauren V.
I graduated in 2007 but every year I keep coming back for more piano man! I've been to piano bars all over the country and nobody, I repeat nobody, can even come close to how awesome Bruce Barker is. He absolutely rocks it.
Thursday is the crazy night when everyone gets a little out of control and ends up missing classes the following day. Now that I'm old and have a job, we come on Fridays when we get into town and the show is still as great as ever! There's also a lot more room, easier bathroom access, and quicker drink service-maybe we compromise a little college craziness, but hey, we're old balls now so we're ok with that. -
Review from Bodie S.
10/10/2011
This club is a cultural shock more than anything. If you want to see hundreds of wasted college students dancing and having what seems like a really great time, I would highly recommend the Cactus. The drinks are ridiculously cheap on Thursday nights (which is the only night of the week really worth going) and there is seemingly no limit to the alcohol, other than your body's breaking point. Mixed drinks are around $1.50 - $2 for 32oz and Keystone is 25 cents for 32oz. Everything else is up to you and what you want to drink and pay for. It is, however, a $5 cover to get in, but the drinks and the entertainment more than make up for it. They do serve food, but I have never had the pleasure of eating it. The only other expenses at the Cactus is the legendary Cactus cup, which is $5 when you first purchase it and you bring it back each time you go unless you break it on your long walk home. It is located on the landing, so the walk is rather long. The winter gets pretty brutal, but there is a coat check in the building for only a $1, but it fills up quite fast. Thursdays nights are always very fun. Go with a group of people. It will make the experience all the more memorable.
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Review from Tara B.
Denver, CO
3/6/2009
Oh how I loathe the Neon Cactus. I felt scuzzy just walking in the doors. It's impossible to avoid when at Purdue though and I even found myself going there years later when my sister was attending. If you are going there for Bruce at the piano bar, you'll have a great time. Other than the gigantic plastic cups that were as good for drinking gallons of waters the next morning as they were for beer the night before - everything else sucks.
From the overcrowded jostling everywhere you go to the weak and flat tasting well drinks, it sucks beyond the telling. It clearly used to be some kind of roller skating rink or something but the desire to rub up against strangers has never been my style anyway. -
Review from Damian C.
10/19/2009
OK...
A day of tailgating caused me to be a little confrontational when they asked me for a second form of ID at the door (what's so suspicious about a 26-year-old on a college campus with an out of state ID???!!)
I was a little irrational when they asked me for a $5 cover... so mad, in fact, that I pitched a fit and left the bar (unfortunately, this was a dumb move because the rest of my group decided we should all go in 5 minutes and I felt like a dummy)...
However, I gotta admit that this place proved a lot of fun for my friends this weekend after a day of tailgating. Good music, cheap brews and a huge dance floor full of college kids and drunk creepers. Apparently there is a piano bar, too - woops.
The place also scores an extra star for the bartending who thought nothing of me ordering 3 shots of Three Olives Bubble Gum. For that reason alone we should have been escorted out.Listed in: Let's Go Back to College!
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Review from Adam C.
8/30/2007
The Cactus, hoss! I've been to this sumbitch so many damn times.
Much like the Western Wall in Jerusalem that is claimed by many faiths, the Cactus is claimed by both Purdue students and townies alike. You'll see lots of characters that you never see during the day here. Lots of dumb bullshit goes on here, and that's why I go.
It's cheap as fuck and entertaining as hell, but not in any traditional way. The dance floor is huge and offers plenty of opportunity to mess with people "grindin' on each other" and do a good amount of jackass dancing. There is a mechanical bull that I don't remember ever seeing anyone ride. There are a bunch of pool tables that are usually well-occupied by some sedentary patrons.
Then there's the piano bar. Fuckin' Bruce! He's been pulling that act for god knows how long, but the townies and drunk fucks love it! He's mastered the art of ridiculing random people based on superficial bullshit for sure. YOU PAID FOR IT!Listed in: Bullshitting Venues
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Review from Amanda W.
4/5/2008
The Cactus is the only dance club near Purdue and Thursday Mug nights are where it's at. A mug of Old Style for 10 cents ain't too bad, except when a drunk asshole on the dance floor spills his cheap beer all over you.
I had many a fun night at The Cactus despite some of it's lameness. The music is OK. I'd usually request stuff like Blue Monday by New Order. The DJ loved that stuff but it would clear the dance floor for some reason and you'd get people bitching about the awful cover of that Orgy song.
The people watching here is excellent. I always liked seeing the guys in drag or older ladies hitting on the drunk frat boys. Very amusing. -
Review from Rich Y.
San Jose, CA
11/16/2009
$5 cover on Thursday nights which allows for 32 oz. $1.75 wells and $.25 beers. DJ Tim Williams packs the spacious dance floor with good tunes and there is also a martini lounge and piano bar if those are more your digs.
I've started many terrible Friday mornings here, and I love it. -
Review from Marcie M.
12/3/2008
Back in the days when I was Big Ten hopping, I always managed to find myself enjoying the Neon Cactus, especially on Thursday nights. I would say that is the BEST night to go, but get there early if you want to get into the Piano Bar, which is awesome for FUN, live music. Bruce makes an ass out of sorority girls until they cry, beers are slung and you are PACKED in a room the size of a sardine can...doesn't get much better than that, right?
I spent many a weeks hanging out with my ex-boyfriend dancing into the night in the dance club area after Bruce was done with his banter, but the long walk home to his apt. SUCKED. The biggest downside to this club is that it is in some random strip mall much farther from campus than the strip of bars on Chauncey Hill.
That being said, if you attend PU or if you are visiting for a game, it's worth it for Thursday night fun. Cheap drinks and you get to keep the cup!! WAHHOOOO!! -
Review from Tom W.
IL
1/31/2007
Ah, the cactus.
It's fun. For the first two times you go there. Then it's just old.
The piano guy is just rude and obnoxious. Many will think its funny because its college humor. C'mon people, how many times can you seriously put up with songs about dicks and titties? It is just annoying.
Plus he's a Cubs fan.
The dance floor is a lot of fun. I always wound up seeing people at The Cactus that I haven't seen in since freshmen or sophomore year.
If you are going to go, go on Thursday nights.
The .25-cent Old Style is nice and cheap for when you don't have much cash.
4 out of 5 for the Cactus itself
-1 out of 5 for the Piano part -
Review from Samantha W.
Brownsburg, IN
2/10/2011
I miss going to this place fairly regularly on Thursdays. The drinks are super cheap and the place is so much fun with the right group of friends! Also, the piano bar is great though eventually you feel like you've heard it all before but it is still a lot of fun. Ah, I miss college.
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Review from Patricia N.
Indianapolis, IN
10/10/2010
When I was a student at Purdue, this was the place to go every Thursday night to have good drinks, dance, and see your friends. There's a $5 cover, and once you get a mug ($2.50), the drinks are only about $1.75. Of course, it depends on what you get. Long Islands used to be cheap, but now they're twice as much. It's a good deal considering that there's a decent amount of seating, Bruce and the Doctor can entertain you while you start to get drunk, then you can burn off all the energy you have left on the dance floor. ....Ahh great memories!
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Review from Krishna V.
Seattle, WA
4/2/2010
Came here on a Thursday. For a five dollar cover, the beer is practically free. Piano dude was awesome, and gave me a free song for being from Seattle. Although he thought I was Mexican and named Richie. The Mexican part happens often enough that I couldn't be upset.
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Review from liz h.
West Lafayette, IN
3/13/2007
I will have to mildly disagree with Tom W.
The Cactus *the crazy dance floor section* is fun the first two times, if you are drunk. Just definitely the college age crowd. And fun with groups.
The Piano Man, however, IS AMAZING. I have been there numerous times now and he never gets old. Every time is a little more fun than the time before and he tickles the ivories while tickling the funny bone. OOH YEAH! A fabulous place to bring visiting friends or a group of girls. GO, HAVE FUN, AND TELL HIM YOU'RE A VIRGIN. -
Review from Kay S.
Chicago, IL
11/27/2010
I love the Neon Cactus if only for its dancefloor - I'm a dancer, and I love dancing. The $5 cover and $2.50 cup plus drink make for $10 total all night (the first time you go). Two forms of ID at the door, not a problem. You get a stamp on your right hand after you've paid the cover so you can come back in, also a good thing. The piano bar always has a line, so get there early if you just want that.
The bad? If you're in there on a Thursday night with your mom, get her out by 11:30pm unless you want drunk college boys grinding up on her. If you're there any other night (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and you're a young girl, be prepared to be skeezed on by (much) older men. Bathroom lines move fast, but later in the night, all the thrones in the girls' are clogged because people don't know how to use appropriate amounts of paper - so empty yourself earlier in the night so the next time you'll have to go, you'd be home. -
Review from Theodore T.
San Diego, CA
10/28/2010
If Jakes is my Mecca, the Cactus is my Medina. 5 and a half years since I was a senior and it is still the exact same! The piano bar is still raging while you take down $1.25 long islands in your giant colored crock. I came back for the homecoming game and stocked up on some new cups...i did it legit, not like the cleptos that add to their collection every Thursday night. If you need to use a bathroom, go to Bdubs, its cleaner and youll have less piss on your shoes.
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Review from Tanya L.
Boston, MA
6/2/2010
This Purdue bar is ginormous on the inside. I love that inside the piano bar section, they have surfboards hung all around. I enjoy the fact that there are palm fronds that overhang the bar where you order drinks. I like the girly dance music they play. I also tremendously enjoyed the fact that Bruce, the piano player/guitar player, is so entertaining and knows every song pretty much known to mankind. I didn't mind being singled out and he didn't seem to mind that I borrowed his cowboy hat. He also let me strum on his guitar. I had a perma grin at this place when I came here. The only downfall is that when I came here, I felt a little old with the young college pups around me.
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Review from Dustin B.
Tucson, AZ
12/23/2007
After a couple of times there, I knew I hated it. The first time, I tried to keep an open mind, enjoyed the most of it for my friends. Second time, my friends insisted for me to go with them again... Yet again, I was bored, but I kept on a happy face. I know there will not be a third time, because the bar/club is B O R I N G. It's just one big huge floorplan with a dancefloor in the middle, bars by the walls... It's not "fun" or "cutting edge". It's pukey. Bunch of hicks go there... not my kind of thing. If you want to go somewhere and listen to music you hear all day on the radio, then it's the place for you. Unlike me, I like clubs that play all kinds of music, especially the "club" genre type. Not "Top 40" junk.
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Review from Nicky B.
Chicago, IL
8/8/2010
One of the 7 wonders of purdue, do not bother going Friday-Wednesday. Cactus Thursday is my favorite part of the week. It marks the start of your weekend. Every student at purdue is at the cactus on Thursdays so if big crowds arenot your thing, keep on walking. One problem I have with the cactus is that you are guarenteed to get shitfaced. Everyone who has ever gone has a "cactus" story. The drinks are basically free after you pay your $5 cover. Line is usually wrapped around the building between 8-10. Don't even think of getting in the piano bar at this time. There are many bars around the dance floor so getting your drinks are no problem.
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Review from Maurilio M.
Sacramento, CA
11/1/2009
It is the only spacious nightclub close to Purdue. Good place to go with friends for some nightlife. It's not great but not bad for West Lafayette.
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Review from Laurel W.
Chicago, IL
7/11/2008
As said in earlier reviews, the Neon Cactus is somewhere that gets old after 3 or 4 times. I never quite got why people went every week. Thursday nights are the only worthwhile night to go. $5 cover, and if you have one of the mugs, you get 10 cent beer or $1.75 well drinks. The mugs are 32 ounces so you're totally shitfaced after 2 or 3 cups. The townies can be entertaining until the decide that they want to be creepy and hit on you the whole night. Bruce Barker, the piano man, is fun, but if you want to see him during the school year, plan on getting in line at 7 P.M. (the doors open at 9:00). It's better in the summer when you can walk in and out as you pleased. The music kinda sucks, I wish that they played more dance type music instead of the Top 40 bullshit. In my experience, the Neon Cactus is no longer fun after around midnight, 1 A.M. at the latest. Everyone should go to the Neon Cactus at least once during their time at Purdue, but if you do not come with an open mind or a sense of humor (or really drunk so you can dance your ass off), then you probably won't have a good time.
