The Brass Rail
3796 5th Ave
(between Evans Pl & Robinson Ave)
San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 298-2233
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 2:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Best Nights: Mon, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: Yes
19 Reviews for The Brass Rail
Well I came here with a couple of friends for Manic Monday. It was my first time ever being to a gay bar. But I had lots of fun considering the drinks were only 80 cents. Covers 3 bucks before 11 and then 5 dollars after. The bouncer was really nice he was begging my friend to pole dance. When I got in we got drinks that didn't even take long to get. I love how everyone was really nice and would tell the bartender I was waiting first so he could help me out. The musics not really my style, but I danced anyway. The male go-go dancer was super cute he really worked that pole. Other than that I had a really good time. Not somewhere I'd be a regular to but it was a good experience.
oh yah BRING CASH they don't take card at the bar or for cover.
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The Bangles: Manic Monday: 80s Night
This place jumps on Mondays. Mix in cheap drinks, sweat bands, fanny packs and A-ha in the background - That spells a party. Ernesto, Assan, Justin, Francis, Jennifer, Nina and I beat the crowds by arriving early and loved the vibe. The place was packed with Affliction T-Shirts, Spiky Hair and Big Glasses.
What a night!
I even had a chance to drink their newest addition to the menu 'Absinthe' w/o the hallucinogen. Tell you the truth, I failed in finishing the drink. (Call me sucker) I tried sipping the sugary concoction but I could not even down half of it. Yikes.. Justin took one for the team and gulped it like a rock star.
Will I go back? Absolutely, but not before I get my 'Members Only' jacket from my mom.
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Ok - so realizing that the purple and gold homo-haven is the epitome of same-sex rendezvous and late nite lezzy-love-nest in San Diego, I am not going to pretend that i "didn't know it was a gay bar". I won't stand before you and yelp about how i just randomly waltz into this place and wondered why the male bartender wore a silky, backless, pink cut-off tee and capris or why the clientele just happens to be a little more Y-Chromosomy than usual. like so many other yelpers have claimed about Bourbon or pecs, bullsh!ting that they "didn't know" that F@G-staples like these were of the "alternate lifestyles". whatever - i knew what i was getting into, and i jumped into the fun as if i were straight from the Castro District - and liked it... A Lot. for my maiden venture into the homophilactic house-o-fun i thank my buddy Norman R. for it was his birthday, and since it lie on a Monday, more specifically a MANIC MONDAY i had the most fun in a bar or club that i have ever had in a bar/club this side of the border. 80cent drinks 3 dollars cover, 80$ VIP/bottle service - need i say more? it was fabulous, more like FAAAAABBULOOUUSS!! more lesbian action than a girls-gone-wild video, unfortunately each lesbian weighed about 250...either way, if you get a group of your buds and venture into a cultural plunge you might find yourself enjoying this place, i was afraid of it for YEARS, but i would be down for another visit in the future, not really by myself, but with Friends, this place was pretty awesome.
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Manic Mondays. 'Nuff said.
80s music. 80 cent wells. $80 bottle/vip service. Being a product of the 80s, what more could I wish for? A few things actually. 1. As a hetero practicing female, I wish this wasn't a gay bar only in the sense that not too many "straight" clubs play enough BLACK Michael Jackson or SLUTTY, PRE-MOM Madonna songs. 2. I wish the tranny behind me didn't have perkier tits than I do. 3. I wish I could work the pole as good as the "gayle" (gay male) go-go dancer. But that's besides the fact. I would have given The Brass Rail five stars... but I decided to take one away due to the fact that there were sooo many beautiful men who had absolutely no interest in me or my vagina.
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I come here with my uncle and I LOVE IT! I have so much fun! The people are beautiful, music is great, the bartenders take care of you! Saturday night is my fave night! I always meet a nice girl!
I keep on hearing about Manic Mondays, I think I'm going there tonight...........I will let you guys know how it went!
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I have two words for you: Manic Monday.
The only day I've ever been to Brass Rail is Monday, but you wouldn't know it was a Monday if you walked in at 11:30pm. The place becomes packed like it's a Friday night - a guaranteed four day weekend for all! Manic Monday is 80's night where the cover and the drinks are 80 cents, and the music is all 80's. The bar has an awesome setup where there are no chairs around it, so it's easy to walk up and get a drink (although you'll still wait if it's crowded, of course).
An extra little bit of awesome: they have a cell phone booth. Like a phone booth but so you can talk on your cell phone. I always laugh at that. Isn't that why text messaging was created?
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I never had so much man-gina rub up against my body ever! I had a super-awesome-tastic-fun-time here yesterday (Manic Monday). Cover was 3 bucks and the drinks were super cheap. It's cool because there's a mishmash of people from gays and lesbians to some hot ass trannys and your straight friends who go with you. Not disappointing at all!
Love the 80's night! Keep the free cigs and cheap wells coming. I miss seeing Willie the go-go, where's he been? All I gotta say is, they need to be open for happy hour! I miss the pool tables, but appreciate the new lounge areas.
This place used to be so crappy inside. The remodel looks really nice, but no one is there.
I guess you are supposed to go on Monday nights. That's nice for people who don't have to get up before noon on Tuesdays.
We stopped in for a drink after dinner on a Friday night... it was about 9pm... we were the first patrons to walk in the door. The bartender was nice enough to put the baseball game on the TV for us.
But Brass Rail is not the kind of place for chillin with a beer and watching a game, I don't think. It's supposed to be a party place, but where's the party?
BR is the new Monday hot spot for gays and their friends. It's 80's night with 80 cent drinks and $80 bottles. It used to be 80 cent cover, too, but tonight it was jacked up to $3. It doesn't take too long to get the cheap drinks. When they first started the promotion a month or so ago, it took FOREVER, but they responded with more bartenders!
The 80's music is awesome! The singing DJ is a little angry for my taste, but she definitely serves it up when she performs. They usually play a Debbie Gibson song in the mix, but tonight I'll hear it "only in my dreams."
Now for the negative...and it's a big one to me. Two stars off for not letting laypeople sit on the cushy seats. They are all reserved for bottle service. OK, I understand if people want bottle service, then maybe they can get priority for booths, but how are you going to rope off every single cushy seat, even when they aren't reserved and no one is sitting there. There's nowhere to sit if you aren't getting bottle service.
And tonight a lot of the booths were empty!! But if you tried to sit in one, a big goon would appear to encourage you to get the hell up now.
I hear Universal is pulling the same "seats are for bottle service" shit, and it irks me to no end. I moved here from New York where bars and clubs actually have comfortable seats for ALL of their patrons. And now that I've tasted sitting, I won't stand for this any longer (literally and figuratively)!
Give me cushy chairs or give me death!
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This place could be cute if they changed the outside of the building. The poor people of Hillcrest are plagued with that hideous corner exterior. Plus another BIG problem here is the security they've hired. They think they're working a red carpet event at the Oscars instead of standing out front a dive bar in Uptown. They're rude and unwelcoming. Plenty of other choices in the area. Keep moving.
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I'm not gay and I live nowhere near San DIego but this is my favorite place to go when I want to feel the music through my body and dance until they kick me out.
My close friend and I were pretty annoyed with the high covers and lack of variety in clubs up here in the Valley (Silk/Eagle's Nest...got old really quick) and started venturing South. Seeing as how he'd lived in San Diego for a chunk of his life and knew the Hillcrest scene quite well, this was one of the first clubs he took me to to have a taste.
We plan it so we're there for Saturday night, Latino night (Noche Latino Americano w/ DJ Ruben Casas (of Bacchaus Hous) & DJ KLaus). Oh yeah, he gets to look at his lovely Latinos and I get to dance to the awesome music. Sometimes the main dance floor is a bit too crowded for my liking but then I just dance on the bottom floor (only one step separating the two).
My friend and I have gone to The Brass Rail when he's dressed in drag (after one of his shows) and while the lovely Rich did a double-take at first, and a few others scowled, we were both welcomed and not treated any differently.
I like that if we wanted we could sit down in a sort of lounge area, but we usually park it with one of the standing tables seeing as how I rarely sit still long enough. There's also an outdoor patio area where all the smokers go but on the extremely packed nights it's a great place to get a bit of fresh air. Or talk to an incredibly handsome bouncer dude, Rich (hey, I was thrilled to find a straight guy), who remembers us each time we return.
Both my friend and I have great service at the bar and when the guy didn't know my beloved Lynchburg Lemonade, he quickly learned (and remembers on following visits). I know it's a small detail, but I'm particularly fond of their tall skinny glasses for my mixed drinks as they're easier to hold when dancing or walking around. Of course, no preference whatsoever when I'm downing shots for the sole purpose of feeling beyond buzzed.
Bathrooms are ok...nothing special, but at least they have doors that lock and a supply of TP, a step up from many other places where I've had to get creative in that department (Rich's, Bacchaus House).
The only con for me is they shoo ya outta there around 1:30AM - 1:45 AM which with a $7 cover is completely lame. Of course, if you're winding up your night and show up after 1AM there's no cover. Sweetness!
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BRASS RAIL HAS REMODELED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! comprende?!?!
$2 drinks 9 - 10pm every second friday [that's my night! come!]
anyway
they got rid of ALL their crowd, ALL their DJs, ALL their insides, and started ALL over. so if you heard anything bad, it is OLD.
OLD OLD OLD!!
like LITERALLY, they got rid of EVERYTHING. for a few months, you could go there on a friday night and there would be no one! they really did completely gut the place! they are trying hard to get a new name for themselves.
perhaps "omisexual" ? ? haha
they are now a mixed crowd venue. some gay nights, some goth nights, electro-80's nights, indie band nights, etc
go to fashion whore, for $2 drinks from 9 - 10, a fashion show, and dancing to electro/80's every second friday:
www.clubfashionwhore.com
yay self promotion... haha
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So I wrote my first gay bar review about Bar of Castro today and got to thinking... "hmmm when was the first time I ever been into a gay bar?"
See what had happened was that while living in San Diego (6 years ago) I worked for my Uncle who had this lending company. It happened to be located in Hillcrest. I'm walking down the street and all I can hear is hip hop... bumpin' DMX. I was like whhhaaattt??? I walk by and see a group of fine looking sistas hanging outside... I'm like whhhaaatt?? I got to get into this joint. Bouncer looks at me smiles and says, "$5 cover" still smiling when I walk in.... hmm... I'm thinking they even have nice friendly bouncers. I pay the $5, walk in, buy a drink and start to scope the place out. Girls dancing wtih girls (typical).... guys dancing in a circle (typical)... guys holding up the wall (typical)... The bartenders are all clean cut, music is banging and then it happened.
I look in the corner and there's two doods making out and grinding, wtf? What kind of straight club is this? Then I see some girls making out... Heeeyyyy ;0)... then some dood walks by and pinches my ass. I must have looked soooo fricken confused because the bartender looks to me and says, "you know this is a gay club right?"
"no I didn't... I saw all the girls and-"
b,"ya, they are gay too"
me, "Nooooo" putting head on the bar
b, "It's ok you are not the first to get confused"
me, "I got to go I got to go... damn they fine too."
b, "look, here's your $5 back. Oh and the guy that pinched your ass."
me, "ya?"
b, "he does that to all the straight guys"
In my head I'm thinking back.... "oooh that's why the bouncer was smiling so damn much."
I wonder if Brass Rail is still a hot spot? I wish I remember that bartenders name because he sure didn't have to give me my $5 back.
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it is not that i don't like gays...
in fact, one might even say i have "mad love" for those of the homo persuasion.
it's that, are you fucking kidding me, I AM NOT GOING INTO A BAR IF DRY ICE STEAM IS PUFFING OUT THE FRONT DOOR WHEN I WALK IN AND I CAN'T SEE A SINGLE THING.
it was either dry ice steam or sweat or hot breath. either way, ew.
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This so-called gay bar is a fraud. It is NOT gay-friendly.
The bartenders appear to be straight and hostile to gays. And the service stinks. What bar can't serve a Bloody Mary "because we don't have any mix"? This is the type of place where the bartender has to approve of what you're drinking before he'll serve you. No thanks.
I also think this bar is a major liability to the Hillcrest community and gay scene. It is the oldest gay bar in San Diego outside of downtown, but you'd never know it from the attitude of the people working there.
There are ethnic theme nights (YAWN) on the weekend that bring in a crowd so rowdy that they have to have five security guards blocking the sidewalk just to keep the patio patrons (like zoo animals) under control.
People leaving these theme nights often puke, litter, create a disturbance and cause problems in the Rite Aid parking lot across the street.
The gay community ought to rise up against this travesty. But no. We're all "metrosexual" now, and we think that tolerating anything and everything shows that we are the equivalent of brilliant Harvard graduates and New York sophisticates. How lame. Wake up, you idiots!
And they even have the nerve to charge a cover...Well, at least the bathrooms are nice.
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I went here Friday night for the first time in a while and this place is completely different. Newly remodeled, GREAT house music, and a weirdly mixed gay/straight crowd. Sorry, but the place was a dump before...it kind of had a lingering smell of pancakes. Drinks are still dirt cheap, and the place has history, so I'll be checking it out again in the future.
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As my fellow Brass Rail Review noted Gay is the Way at The B.R. but its Hillcrest, what do you expect. However what differs from other local clubs is on the new Thursday nights the rainbow flags are lowered and the rotating weekly lineup of Latino dance and Punk Rock(perfect combo, I know) hosted by SD's own Mono Mono provides a chance for all to enjoy the night life of Hillcrest. They are currently undergoing improvements so get ready for a new look to go with the new feel.
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With a name like Brass Rail, and a motif that includes florescent pink lights, it's not hard to figure out this place's target market. Queer as queer can be!
Expect loud house music, flashing disco lights and random ass-grabbing. As a straight gal, I've only been a few times, but I always have fun. The dance floor is vast and inviting.
Quick side note; the Rail just added a new Thursday night featuring live, Latino music by this crazy dude named Mono Mono...I can't wait to check it out!
I think I might be a gay man trapped in a straight woman's body.
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