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Totally COOL place!
+cool music
+tasty drinks
+friendly staff
+awesome atmospere
+great crowd!
NO COMPAINTS)
I'm a single, straight man living in the city... and I love Q Bar. I've only been on $1 Tuesdays. Unlike most dollar deals in San Francisco, this place isn't just Olympia, Hamm's, and High Life. Well drinks are only a buck here on Tuesdays.
Add that to the fact that if you like electronic music, this place will be rocking your favorite tunes. I came here for the first time on friend's birthday, and this is what I had to say to the birthday boy:
"Happy birthday, Eric! I freakin' love this place. The drinks are cheap, there's a smoking room, everyone is super friendly, and I know all the words to every song!!!"
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im strait but ive been here so many times.
drinks are cheap, music is good and the crowd is .... fun.
castro tends to scare away some, i embrace the funness!
Q bar gets a 5 star rating because they have the BEST lesbian party in the entire city and it is held on Tuesday nights! Thank you Thank you Thank you Q bar ...from all the lesbian ladies of San Fran!
It's official, I'm in love! In love with Q that is. It's so great, I just can't take it. $10 pitchers? Yes sir, may I have another? Oh and we did. They play the best mixes. Such a wide variety from 80's to current . I couldn't sit still. My booty was a shakin'. It's so easy to spend hours in here and not even realize it.
I confess. I'm more comfortable in a gay bar knowing that I'm not going to get hit on by sleazy, dirty and annoying guys. I can just sit back and relax with my friends and drink my drink.
The guys at Q were oh so mighty fine. Especially that bartender with the tats and piercings...oh my! Great eye candy.
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I came here on a Friday night with a group of friends. Great atmosphere, cheap drinks, and friendly people =) I enjoyed the vibe and music.
Minus one star because the place was...SMALL. I wish it was a little bit bigger...the dance floor at least haha.
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Oh shnike. If I lived in SF you would have to pry me away from this place with a crowbar. We wandered in to a wicked happy hour (2-for-1 or drink deals), a DJ, and superior service from the 2 bartenders. We didn't mean to get wasted...but we did. Thanks Q Bar. That was fun.
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While dragged in...I was pleasantly surprised.
Awesome little dance club w/ a DJ who played all '80's tunes all night for a mere ten buck tip. The crowd was gay as could be, but happy and gay! A smoking area in the front, great pours on the cocktails, and just plain fun.
A great stop in the Castro if you like to dance and blend.
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This place is a gem to San Francisco. By far my favorite bar in Castro. Free to get in is always a plus. The DJ's know how to spin and the drinks are fab for being so inexpensive (hello...BEST Vodka & RedBulls ever!). The little smoking area up front (outside) is really convenient so you don't have to deal with leaving and then trying to get in again just to have a quick drag or two. This is the perfect club for those of us girls who are attached and want to get their grind on. As far as my man is concerned...gay club = threat free! I'll miss this place, as I have sadly, not found any place as rockin as this one in LA.
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I like Q - Bar, but can have bigger place
Dollar nights. A mess.
Music is fun, crowd a little too hipster for me, but dollar drinks makes up for it.
Don't go to the lady bartender. Her drinks are weak.
I'll be gay and to the point:
YAYS:
In the heart of Castro
Modern decor
Great outdoor patio area
Good music (mainly hip hop and top 40)
Friendly crowd
BOOS:
Weak drinks
Dance floor is CROWDED, but you can always dry-hump.
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I went here twice while in San Fran... I don't know why. It seemed like everyone was always there. This place was horrible.
1. It's small and crowded.
2. The DJ was horrible. BOTH times. I can't remember the last time I heard such lousy music. He was soooo bad. WTF was he playing anyways?
3. Some kids were all cracked out and ended up spilling their drinks all over my jacket. Thanks guys
4. Cash only. Whats with SF and cash only bars? I lose that shit too easily.
5. Sometimes they actually charge a cover.
The bartender was very nice but the crowd sucked, the DJ sucked, and the B.O. was ridin high.
This place is the best bar on Castro Street. There is an incredibly diverse vibe. While any night is fun (with great music, [relatively] cheap drinks, and a full house), Monday is the night to head over to Q Bar. Their $1 well drink Monday night deal is unbeatable, and it draws a fun, energetic crowd.
I would recommend this bar to anyone who spends time in the Castro--it is an absolute gem.
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I have to admit this is one of the only bars in the Castro that my partner & I enjoy. We had a great time this past weekend! We met some of the most unaffected people, which was so refreshing. Genuinely nice looking and friendly to boot, that never happens, and we have gone a few times, so I don't think it is just a fluke. Love those two for one specials. The interior design is so much better than it's last incarnation as The Bar on Castro. I really prefer the blue lighting to that horrific red that makes everyone look as if they just stepped out of the Red Robin! Our bartender Steven was the best. He was so attentive, and gave us some recommendations for restaurants that he enjoyed, always kept our drinks full, even when it got busy. Truly, one of the best experiences that we have had in the Castro. Thanks, Steven.
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Nice bar, great music, good bartenders -- BUT, this place had the WORST BOUNCER/SECURITY DUDE at the door.
He is a big homophobic thug. I was walking down the sidewalk with a friend who was walking too close to him, and he quickly yelled: "watch it faggot" with complete disdain...!
It's just not cool when you're a 35 to 40 year old dumb straight man, who is the bouncer of a gay bar, and you're calling the clientele of that same bar a 'faggot'.... Isn't it part of the bouncer's responsibilities to protect the patrons of the bar he works for?
What's wrong with this picture? I'd post his name, but he refused to tell me what it was. I haven't seen him around lately, perhaps the management grew a brain, and fired his sorry ass????
Cash Only!!!
My Favorite Queer Club in SF has always been and will remain Qbar aka the old B.O.C.
It's a local spot and an SF Staple. It's where you bring your out-of-town chums. It's small and personable. The lighting system is cool. The DJs are 95% of the time on point and glitch free. The tatted, dark-haired female bartender who serves next to the DJ booth is your best bet. The smoking patio is great for people watching.
I don't mind how crowded it is until someone flagellates.
Check out Ladies Night on Tuesday's for the Half-Off drinks all night and the sexiest bartender- next to the DJ booth
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Happy hour is great since you can sit outside and people watch. Definetly less crowded when compared to the Cafe and Badlands but there is actually AC.
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Same bar, new name:
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Oh, and for you alcoholics out there the Monday night drink special is $1 drinks vs. the old special of 80 cents. Now it will cost you an additional dollar to get pants shitting drunk.
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Not bad, not bad...
Still carries the vibe of BOC, but with a WHOLE new spirit.
The new decor is great, it brings the vibe of the Redwood Room at the Clift, but with a homo touch.
Last experience?
I was feeling a little hungover, maybe a little too drunk for the past few days. And for that I always settle for a Cucumber Martini ... and here, their Q Cumber was no different.
A bite, but still refreshing with the mint and cucumber it was good. The bartender, however didn't know what it was and had to browse the menu.
UH... I'll forgive that one.
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Ah, another gay bar review by yours truly.
In it's former, this venue was pretty disgusting...meaning when it was the former BOC before she rose to "stardom" over on Church and Market.
Now, the venue has taken on a whole new life altogether, and I can't tell you how great it is, personally. It's still the size of my closet, but the new lighting effects, plasma screens behind the bars and what sounds like a new and updated sound system, give this place a completely NEW feel.
I usually only frequent this place two nights a week. Wednesday nights for Booty Call and Friday nights because there's no cover all night. The drinks are always cheap and power packed, and I like their arry of specialty cocktails. Although once I had a blueberry mojito and tasted like something from under the kitchen sink.
Live and learn, kids. Live and learn.
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For a "gay bar" there were a lot of straight people here, but whatever. Supposedly people go to bars to meet people, but as far as I could see everyone was hanging out in the groups they came with--whatever to that, too. I visited on a Thursday night and it wasn't that crowded, but from the other reviews it sounds like Saturdays get crazy busy.
The only thing that matters as far as I'm concerned is that I met my new favorite beer here--Longboard Lager. WOW. It just keeps going, and the flavor is perfectly balanced between sweet and bitter (in my opinion). On top of how awesome it tastes, it was a great deal. Q Bar also has a great Happy Hour going. Go for Happy Hour, ride the Longboard, you'll love it.
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You!
I wanna take you to a gay bar,
I wanna take you to a gay bar,
I wanna take you to a gay bar, gay bar, gay bar.
One pleasant evening in early June, I was taken to a gay bar for the first time. I was dressed in a suit after a heavy day's conferencing. People in here were dancing in their underpants. My suit & sweaty partially exposed crotch were in far too close proximity for me to be comfortable. It felt a little bit like this:
http://farm3.static.fl...
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"That must be a fire hazard."
"Someone better call the fire depo."
"Oh good lord it was like 20 degrees hotter in there."
Q on Saturdays is the place to go if you'd like to die swathed in bodies and sweat. There is LITERALLY not one foot of space to move around in because they let anyone and everyone in.
Other nights Q is tons of fun. I was here for the Pink Party a few months back and had a seriously awesome time. The drinks were fiery yet drinkable and the music was fab.
Later after seeing the train wreck that is Badlands I'm much more partial to Q. The fact they have no cover is just the brandy on Alexander.
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i like that place. Very chill place for a bisexual person. Mix Crowd. Good drinks, Staffs friednly and open minded
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WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?
So, maybe I'm a bit biased, being as Bar on Castro was the very first real gay bar I ever went to, and I've been going back once or twice a year when I'm in San Francisco. It's a bit of a tradition with an old friend. I pick her up, we take the Aunt and the Grandma out to dinner, than hit up gay bars until the sun comes up, with BOC always being our starting point.
(oh, wait, the G-ma doesn't come for drinks, but back in her more mobile days, she probably would have.)
Fuck. Now it's called "Q Bar"? Whatever. So they changed the decor. I liked it better when it was all dirty and red. Now it looks like the interior of a tacky French discoteque. All of this I would be cool with...except...
We order our drinks. Few of the same bartenders...one is wearing a tank top and has obviously hairy shoulders. Barf. This isn't the East Village, buddy. But, whatever, same quick, friendly service, and the awful trash cans under the bar have been removed...okie dokie, I can live with this...
...we slide over to the dance area. Within five minutes some obnoxious straight guy comes up and grabs my girlfriends boob. I do the one move I remember from my years of karate and snap his wrist behind his back until he apologizes and limps over to go hit on some lesbians.
The busboy comes through. I understand that it probably becomes a hassle to deal with fetching dirty glasses between hordes of drunks all night, but that's why they hired you, small little twink, to do it. It's so you can slip through them easily. Barreling through with your elbows spread out and stomping on people's feet and sighing SO LOUDLY that I can hear it over the pulsing dance music and the inane chatter of a bunch of queens is hardly fostering a welcoming and entertaining environment, buddy.
So we edge over to the dance floor. Some kid has his shirt off and is dancing intently to the beat. Too intently. His flailing arms are smacking hats off lesbians heads, fruity drinks out of the gays hands and then he stumbles up behind me and attempts to rub his sweaty torso on me.
NOT COOL. People are audibly complaining. Where the fuck is the bouncer? The guy remains on the floor for a good 10 minutes, knocking in to things, drool coming out of his mouth, molesting people. I mean, I realize this is San Francisco, but Come ON! Finally, hairy-shoulder-bartender to the rescue, they kick him out.
After all that sheer brilliance, we edge over to the bathroom where some prepubescent kid "accidently" humps me while I'm washing my hands. By the time we emerge the place has gotten so packed that there is literally, no way to even dance on the dance floor. People just kinda stand awkwardly crushed up against each other and jerk back and forth.
It's too hot. The crowd is full of college-aged kids. Q Bar lacks the diversity of people that was always at BOC. It's beginning to make me feel like a grumpy old man...not even a faded old queen, just a grumpy old man. How sad for a place that gave me some of the best times back in the day.
...
To be perfectly honest, the entire Castro felt kinda' dead. It's because for a brief, glorious moment we all grew up and got married, isn't it?
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Q Bar is still The Bar to me except with fancier decor. I always have a great time when I go at night. I also went during happy hour and was surely happy. $2.50 well drinks and none of that smaller glasses business going on, gotta love that. It didn't get busy, in fact we were the only ones there for a while, saw a few regulars come in. The bartender was nice and didn't hold back when pouring alcohol. Cheers!!
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Unfortunate new name but all the things I loved about the old BOC are still there - the great bartenders and BOOTY CALL.
The crowd is still a bit intimidating and rowdy on the weekends but Wednesday night is super fun. They had Lawrence Petty DJing last week and I hope they make him a resident. He played some amazing music - the perfect balance between gotta get up and move and bob my head while I sip my cocktail...
The men to boys ratio was a little weak for me but my friends are chicken hawks so they were in heaven.
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"Meet the new bar, same as the old bar"
Q Bar is pretty much the identical twin of its predecessor,
the Bar on Castro... and by identical twin, I mean, they both
were born in a dumpster addicted to crack... but unfortunately,
this baby is still looking to be saved from its dumpster stew
Well drinks were only $3 bc of its opening promotion...
and there was no cover charge... so if you're looking to get
sloshed on a budget, this is the place to be
The music was good... but the crowd has changed
and most likely has atrophied a bit due to BOC's move...
It's also one of the few remaining bars with a designated
smoking area... although I think they should forsake the ashtrays
who hang out in that area and open it up to make the bar less cramped..
it's definitely a bar looking for an identity... maybe someday
we can wean it off of crack and it will find its potential
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This bar was o.k. The $3 cover charge wasnt bad. But it was horribly cramped inside once it started picking up. Its even a hassle just to get to the restroom. I really didn't like that.
The music was good. When I came to SF I expected to hear lots of good electronic dance music. This place delivered! I WANTED SO BADLY TO DANCE. But there was no room. whatsoever. Could barely manage a simple side 2 side step. It bugged the crap out of me. Very hot!!!
Drinks were blah. I ordered a Vodka n Redbull and barely tasted the Vodka.
I would go back for the music, nothing more.
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$1 drinks on Monday and free crotch rubs by the clientele... what's there not to like?
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Ladies Night is the night. Good times!
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I think, perhaps, I burned myself out in my early(earlier) twenties. I mean, going out 7 nights a week for 5 years does take a toll after a while. This, paired with my new recession behavior (I hide the cash in my mattress) means that I don't go out as much as I used to. Call it old age, perhaps I'm just seasoned (or burnt), or just tired of things gay gay gay.
I used to live a few blocks from BOC and would go mostly because of the convince factor. A dance company I was a part of had a short lived gig go-go dancing there (Imagine me dressed up like a little native boy shirtless in a loin cloth and a big feathered headdress). After a long enough time I started to get friendly with some of the bartenders. The Wednesday night Booty Call party ended up taking a place as my favorite night out. If you haven't been, there's a weekly photo set done in the back room where you can get your picture taken. The host, Juanita More, is one of my favorite people. Ever.
I went to the opening of Q bar last week. Noticeable changes included the color switch from red to blue, the removal of the optical illusion mirror wall behind the bar that drove me nuts, the back seating gutted out, and those TERRIBLE tabled hung from poles that every drunk idiot tried to dance on (I'm still shocked that on one ever died). Other than that, it's the same bar, the same bartenders, and the same Juanita.
I'd still go here before I'd go to the sadlands.
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Ugh, fine! I'll admit it. I'm slowly warming to this place.
I don't know if it has to do with the completed renovations, or what (seriously, the new color scheme is a lot less "manic panic" than it used to be), but I kinda dig it....
I've only really ever been during the middle of the week, when its not terribly busy, so I can only speak to that crowd...but yeah, you got me, Q Bar!
Though, maybe its just than when you hold this place up against the "New" BOCs, Triggers, Badlands and Toad Halls of the world, its luster just starts to shine a little brighter? I guess that I don't have such a problem with that.
I never liked the BOC. Not one little bit ( I don't like the new BOC, either, but that's a… Read more »
Remodeling? What remodeling?
Actually this is more of a comfort. I miss the old BOC and it's nice to know it's (kind of) still around.
Be warned though, it is kind of a motley crew...like the kind you would find riding AC transit through Oakland on a Sunday morning.
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I'm not always a fan of change and the same applies here. Going through a remodeling, the staff was split in half, its dirty and the music is still just okay.
Bartenders are still great!
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Awesome atmosphere, great decor, good good dance music, but its pretty small so when it gets crowded you cant get too crazy on the dance floor without knocking people around. But it definitely has a good crowd, bartenders were slammed and were moving around faster then the drunks on the dance floor breaking glasses on the bar, it was like watching the energizer bunny on crack. good times. And there is a coat check, ALWAYS a plus...cause it gets HOT and sweaty in there.
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Love the face-lift. I definitely prefer blue lighting to red lighting, it's just more pleasant to be in.
Can't wait for the new nights now that they have their entertainment license. QBar will blow Bar on Church away, although I'm not sure if BOC can be any farther away than it already is from the rest of Castro....
Dana, you rock.
PS. If Dana asks you "What do you think?" referring to the bar's new looks, don't answer "Jack and Coke."
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Was there at 9:30 on Friday night. Missed happy hour, but got a specialty mango mojito anyway. It was great! A good size, very minty, with a lingering mango taste at the end. Good music, people were starting to dance. There was a very drunk couple sitting next to us who just couldn't stay off each other, and in the process kept hitting out table and spilling our drinks blah!
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WHOA!!! I came here on Saturday night? According to everyone i went with, yes i did. No cover on a Saturday?? sweet! I don't remember much about this place other than the purple neon lights, the throngs of people i was somehow able to maneuver through to get to the ledge right under the speakers, dancing on this ledge and using the pole to keep me from falling, and taking another shot of alcohol which would have made that my 9th drink. I sure did have fun though and dancing is good exercise. I have to burn off those 9 drinks somehow. I'll be back when i'm less drunk so i can actually give this place a real review.
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