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Categories: Dance Clubs, Gay Bars [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Market East, Avenue of the Arts SouthI had the lasagna from Tommy D. and it was delicious! A generous portion for the price with lots of meat. The sauce was good and very fresh and home made. I thought it was seasoned very well and not loaded with salt or msg. The pasta was just the right tenderness and the cheese blend was so good. Definitely a good dish.
I also had the loaded fries and all I can say is YUMMM!! Cheese and crispy bacon makes the loaded fries a great snack!
Woody's would've gotten one star if it wasn't for 3 reasons:
1-The chef who moved the food towards the Italian side is great. You get good food for a great price. The loaded fries are always great, with lots of nice crispy bacon, and always perfectly cooked fries. The Eggplant Benedict for Sunday brunch is awesome, lightly breadded and tasty eggplant, perfectly poached eggs, served on garlic toast. Yummy!
2-Austin, the bartender, is one of the most pleasant bartenders in Philly. He can handle the off customer without being rude, and is always serving your drink with a smile. He can handle a mobbed bar without breaking a sweat, and always manages to get to your order quickly.
3-The nice older bartender with the glasses and the mustache who works days (sorry I forget your name!) Always pleasant, and always full of funny stories.
If it wasn't for these factors, Woody's would get one star. The bathroom perpetually smells like nursing home urine, the rest of the bartending staff are rude, especially the one muscle queen with the crewcut that isn't Austin.
On a side note, I am happy to hear that they recently hired another great bartender from the area, Anthony. With that addition, maybe the rest of the staff won't seem like such jerks
I will always feel at home at Woody's. I've been coming here for 10 years- the 1st time was back when I was in high school, with my fake id. Through the years, I have developed deep bonds with many gays. They will always be the ones to comfort me and dry my tears. I have many times come to Woody's heart broken, in tears, only to leave happy and smiling. I was destined to marry a gay man.
It's the old standby you constantly bitch about but always go back to. Beers are much cheaper than DC gay bars, and the crowd is definitely not as clean cut (not necessarily a criticism, just an observation).
I haven't been to Woody's in quite some time. So a friend and I got roped into going this past week. I will say it was a good time. We had the pleasure of hearing some good tunes to dance to, ya know every now again I like to "drop it like it's hot". :)
There are a few bar areas to hang out in and buy some drinks, the dance floor portion will cost you 5 extra dollars. Shot's are 7 dollars each, and drinks are 5 each. The staff is pretty friendly. Expect to see beautiful human beings dancing around half naked. Wonderful!
I dunno. Friends had given Woody's high praise. Maybe my expectations were too high or maybe Woody's was having an off night on that particular date. I dunno...
First of all, I get there, with friends, expecting it to a big place. What a disappointment when I discovered that the size of the place is no different than those in DC. I mean, come on!
Plus, there wasn't that many people (ok...men...that better?) in there. Maybe the cold scared them to stay in their little brick huts.
All I know is that I gotta go back and check it out and see if Woody's is better. I sure hope so.
Totally fun!! Great dance music and lots of hot men and women!!
One of the best gay bars I've been to yet!! This place has everything...two huge bars...a dance club...and HOT SHIRTLESS MEN!!!! need I say more? What's even better is that unlike other gay clubs I've been to, the music they played was actually danceable (I hate that long techno shit)! LOOOVE IIIIT!!!
My issue with Woody's is the same issue I have with all the Philly gay bars: THE MUSIC. I get it, this shit is bananas, you brought sexy back, all the while wishing your girlfriend was a freak like the Pussycat Dolls. I'M GOOD ON THAT. It's bad enough that I initially knocked off 2 stars before realizing that it's not a Woody's specific issue, more of a problem with the clubs around here.
The drinks are standard gay bar drinks, meaning that they might be a bit pricey, but after a few, you're ready to start flashing the bar. And they're good. I've rarely had a bad - let alone, undrinkable - drink at Woody's. The service has always been great for me, even when the bar is packed on Kiddie Night. Their bouncers are GREAT! I had an incident with a very hammered friend who was flagged, and the bouncers were super understanding. As I sat there apologizing profusely, their attitude was very "NBD, everyone gets shitfaced now and again." Very cool, because I've been around some bouncers who were real pricks. Can't comment on the food because I'm honestly always a little afraid of eating "real food" at a bar. Maybe I'll stop being a wimp about it one day!
It's fun and the typical Philly gay bar for out of town gays.
OK, first of all, I am not gay - I am a straight, married, corporate chick with a young kid and a pug dog - and I LOVE WOODY's.
I come by myself on Wednesday Nights for the best cheap Italian food around - and an Arnold Palmer.
The gay community is alive & well at Woody's and the DJs have the tunes pumpin' - but I go early and have a quiet little dinner. Usually I get the fabulous Chicken Francese or Marsala. They serve the meals with fresh bread, a plate of Olive Oil and a roasted long-hot pepper.
The crabmeat salad - appetizer or entree size (I get the small one and it's still huge) is fresh and tasty. The pasta is al dente.
And... the eye candy is a bonus - even for a straight-chick like me.
First time I went to Woody's was when MSTRKRFT was spinning and it was a cool place with shirtless bartenders. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time I went with my gay friend and it was a cool place with shirtless bartenders.
Drinks are expensive. The company, fun. Potential to meet everyone in the gayborhood, high.
The first floor is where you go to get drinks and mingle, but if you like to dance your rear-end off, the second floor is THE PLACE to be. Everyone is uber-friendly and loves dancing. Downside is that you have to pay cover to get onto the dance floor. I kinda just move with the ebb and flow of the place. Chill out on the first floor, then move up to the 2nd floor bar outside of the dance floor area and chat it up with new friends and finally, pay cover to get onto the dance floor. Afterwards, everyone heads over to the Midtown diner.
An all around good time that I can only do about once a month (if even) because too much fun in one night = hangovers the next day.
I prefer Woody's around Happy Hour. The bartenders are cool and I always have great conversations with friends when it is less crowded. I've been a patron of Woody's since 1998. My first time in a gay bar with some friends I worked with in Jersey. A very sexy 33 year old man approached my 18 year old self on the dance floor and proceeded to dance with me. He was hot by my inexperience. We danced very close and there was a bit of groping. He asked me to come home with him. I said I have to go back with my friends to Jersey. He offered to drive me home the next day. He just wanted to get off. I was like no, but here's my number. There were a few courtesy calls, but he wanted one thing that night. No big deal.
Woody's has always been a love-hate with me. When planning to go out, I try to go somewhere because I think it tired and played out. After circling the gayborhood, I always end up at Woody's to end the night. Now, under new ownership, Woody's is still the place to be on Wednesdays for the 18 and up crowd upstairs and the chicken hawks downstairs. Thursday is the latin night if you like it a spicy! Friday is your Midtown Village alternative if you do not wish to trek it up to Shampoo for Shaft Fridays.
Also, now they serve brunch in the cafe which is a nice cozy place for your gay friends to chat about last night's debauchery! So, go Woody's now Go! This establishment will always be a part of every gay in the tri-state area! Long Live Woody's!
Omg. I remember 4 years ago, going to woodys for my first time on wed. college night and having the most amzing time of my life. From, the hottest assortment of men I have ever seen in one place, the most banging and groovy music, and just the friendliness of everyone, just made woodys a great place to be.
My friends and i danced from when we got there, to when the bouncers almost had to forcibly get us to leave :) Another one of the best things about this place is that you always make new friends, and that hesitation is not even a word that would dare look for a home in this club. its like a carefree, laidback environment in which you can just have fun and relax.
Oh, but thats not even the best part... currently, it has gotten even better because there are poles, and there are men dancing on those poles! Grecian godlike men...and I have to admit, I've lost more than a few dollars to their g-strings, and I'm not even a little ashamed. lol
Basically, need a fun night out with the girls, or guys, or both, come here. you wont be disappointed!
Well slap my ass and call me Shirley...I am surprised to say that the best dancing in all of Philadelphia can be found at Woody's. And I (at least up until last Saturday night,) was not one to be found shaking what my mama gave me on the dancefloor.
Aside from the fact that you have to pay a cover to get onto the dance floor up on the second level, I had a smashingly good time. Everyone there was so nice and it was great to go to a place with my friends and not get harassed by drunken men trying to play grab ass. Sure, the drinks were pricey and nobody was offering to buy them for us (another bummer, because free booze is the one nice thing about going to those wacky hetero bars) but who cares - we danced the night away to some of my favorite '80s songs and watched boys gone wild, Philly style.
We also laughed ourselves silly at the shirtless bartenders...honestly, that may have been the highlight of my evening (that and the fact that no less than three different men asked us if we were from "America's Next Top Model." I think it's time to get a new cultural reference, guys). Shirtless, hairless man-boys serving me drinks? Pure comedy gold.
I'm not one for gay bars or clubs or what have you, despite my penchant for... well, for being gay. Woody's, for me, is no exception and in some cases, it's the epitome of why I don't go for gaycentric social scenes.
Most times that I find myself there, I've been overwhelmed by the amount of young, screaming boys and old, gawking men. I've also been subject to very assertive guys who need direct rejection because they don't "get the hint" when I'm not interested.
One good thing about Woody's though, is Dave P's Snacks party on the 1st and 2nd tuesdays of every month. There's always great music and a more tolerable crowd, as Dave P brings a more chill and relaxed, dare I say, hipster crowd, that just wants to have fun without being in anyone's face. Also $1 PBRs until midnight are my favorite.
All in all, you'll only ever find me at Woody's during Snacks, and even then, I'll probably be avoiding you.
Woody's is probably the largest gay bar in Philly: it's got three or four different rooms and gets pretty packed at night (you won't miss it with all the people hanging out on the sidewalk). My boyfriend and I went there both nights that we were in town, and had a pretty good time. Lots of friendly people (though a slightly older crowd than at other places) and relatively cheap drinks: always a good combination. They have computers upstairs with free internet access (which I always find a bit weird in a bar... why would one want to come here to spend time online), and I was given a friendly reminder by some random dude at the bar not to give in to the temptation to check my email... "social suicide!", said he. There's also a dance floor upstairs, though you have to pay to get there on the weekend (wtf?!). Good place to mingle with the locals while getting your drink on.
still the cheapest beer at a homohaven. ($2 domestic drafts at happy hour! w00t!) good enough dance floor.
Oh Woody's... This place is crazy. You've got half naked men dancing on stages with dollars hanging out of their underwear, loud music, three bars, and gay men everywhere. I've had a good time both times I've been here, but didn't really enjoy the how the staff treated me and a few other girls while we were waiting for the bathroom. Overall, this is a fun place, but can definitely be overwhelming. There's a cover charge to enter the upstairs dance room, I think about 5 dollars. Have some drinks and go with friends and dance your ass off, and I'm sure you'll have a fun time.
Woody's has one of the best dancefloors in the city, and the recent change of ownership has brought a new energy to the place. There is a friendly vibe, and you can really find anything you want. The pub and main bars are for drinking and chatting, or you can Yelp at one of the computers upstairs in the cyber bar! For picky drinkers, stick with the lower level bars - the more "veteran" bartenders work down there - they know how to make anything! Plus you can order yummy bar food too - we all know what happens after a few strong drinks on an empty stomach!
As far as the dance bar goes, there is a latin night, country/western night, and 18+ night. Fridays and Saturdays are packed with locals and tourists alike, and HOT strippers!
Enjoy!
This bar is very commercialized. This is not the BEST GAY BAR in philly but it is one of the originals. The bartenders are not very friendly. But some of the patrons are the friendliest! I met some new friends there and they are great!
Food is pretty good and the drinks are LOADED! Expect to pay the price for the drinks. I would stick with the cocktails. Get your money's worth.
What happened to Woody's?! I haven't gone to Woody's in a couple of years and recently went on a Friday night. The dancefloor was changed, the stadium seating was gone, it was surprisingly clean, and there were go-go boys?! Was I in some weird Twilight Zone, did I get roofied on my way to the dancefloor, or maybe it was some kind of blunt trauma to my head that was causing me to halucinate all of the changes... The dancefloor was packed as usual and the drinks were doubly potent! There were even hold-over ravers on the sidelines of the dancefloor bobbing dubiously to a remix of Beyonce's "Get Bodied" - much love to the DJ for making me appreciate "Pat your weaves ladies"!!
btw---does not accept credit cards--- but okay so, i am not gay.......but we decided to check woodys out because there was a DJ that we wanted to see---and it was a girls night---so what could be any better than a gay bar? haha......also it was a lame tuesday night...but by the time we left there, the dance floor was going crazy!! Service was pretty fast for drinks yay.....and everyone was cool and was all about having a good time ! I will definitely be back at some point. Im going to have to try their food asap.....karen f is making me hungry.
Woody's is ok. There's nothing terribly special about it.
The problem is that it's the only really big gay bar in Philly (althoyugh 12th Air is kind of big in a weird way). So the gays are all kind of forced to go there and have gotten used to it.
From what I hear, the owner has somewhat selfishly and greedily elbowed out any competition from potential new gay bars which is sad.
Having lived in Philly for many years and now living in SF, it is clear that Philly really does need some diversity in its gay night life.
(sigh)
But admittedly, this is where I end up usually because no one wants to go anywhere else.
Woody's is a great time! I've been there a few times and have always been impressed by the DJs. It could definitely be overwhelming at times but everyone is cool, people are dancing and having a good time. Also, the "Snacks" party on Tuesdays w/ Dave P is awesome!!! Like others have said about Woody's, arguably the BEST DANCEFLOOR IN THE CITY!!! Hands down, bar none, it's a straight up get down every weekend.
Despite my gayness, I generally oppose going to the gay clubs, but one of my friends was dying to go to Woody's to shake his homobooty. We picked up two friends who, unbeknownst to me, would become the life of the Woody's party. We ended up being the first ones there. Apparently I missed the memo about being fashionably late, but that's why I'm a lesbian and not a gay man. Eventually tons of people floated in - guys, girls, hags, straights, and gays alike. The dancefloor was packed, and the next thing I knew I was dancing on some sort of stage. WHAT?! Yes. An older straight woman, my lifeoftheparty friend, and I were above the crowd. Dancing. Only at Woody's could this be acceptable. There was eyecandy for those inclined to almost naked men psuedo-stripping. It was an okay time.
I used to go to Woody's on Wednesdays during their 18+ nights back in my college days and would have a decently good time. The door cover was a bit steep, but hey, I was in college so everything outside of free was a bit steep. The staff and doormen were friendly, and the general vibe had far less attitude than your average gay bar. Surprisingly for an 18+ night, there weren't too many creepy old men leering at the pretty young things dancing. The music was your standard club fare, thankfully less heavy on the house stuff.
so... my friend's and i went to this place i had never been before and it was ridiculously hott!!!! the dj was awesome. that's what i love the most about clubs, is da djs, and they had an dj that was sooo hott. the five that they charge for upstairs club part, it's well worth it. i had so much fun. i can't remember the last time i had that much fun at club. and... o.m.g. the men dacing on the stages and serving shots was the sexiest men i have ever seen in my whole lifetime. like, i didn't know men can get thoes perfect bodies like that. they also had a very big dance floor. whenever i needed a seat, i always found one. i like that about place, a place that has seats. just in case women, like me, get a little too tipsy, and gets tired of standing and falling over, can have a seat for a few minutes. i....love....this.....place!!!!! i will be back!!!!!
If you are looking to go dancing, Woody's is straight friendly and plays a lot of typical house uncha-uncha. Latin night can feature 6 merengues in a row and then 6 bachatas in a row before venturing into a little salsa action. People watching is terrific and it can be a lot of fun whether or not you drink. Usually $5 cover for the dance floor.
fine big gay bar, though i'm always surprised to see guys there surfing manhunt, shouldn't they be cruising instead?
I've always had a weakness for Pennsylvania boys. The thing about Pennsylvania boys is that they each exhibit their own special kind of cuteness depending on what part of the state you are in. You've got your classic Pennsylvania Dutch boys, you've got your Pittsburgh boys, and the cutest boy I've ever met (aka horseboy) was from Emmaus near Allentown. Philly boys are HOT!!! They tend to have slightly darker features than the rest of PA boys, and there's a strong Italian influence as well. Woody's is an awesome bar. Ok, PA beer aint that great; I didn't care for the Yuengling lager (on tap), and the ESB I had wasn't great either, but I switched to Stella and everything is A-OK. They also have Amstel light for those of us watching our figures. Woody's has free internet upstairs, so not only am I the first to yelp Woody's, I'm doing it while i'm still here drinking! Awesome! Cute boys everywhere! Too bad the bars close at 2AM!
Neighborhood: Washington Square West
Category: Gay Bars
Neighborhood: Washington Square West
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Washington Square West
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Gay Bars
Neighborhood: Washington Square West
Category: Gay Bars
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