Oakland and East Bay Bars and Clubs - Gay & Lesbian Bars & Clubs
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San Francisco might be better known for having an awesome gay and lesbian bar and club scene, but Oakland has great options for those who want to stay close to home and avoid the trip across the Bay. Bench & Bar isn't exclusively a gay bar, but its all-inclusive attitude has made it popular with gays, straights and anyone looking for a great dance scene. The White Horse Inn is Oakland's only exclusively gay and lesbian club and serves up hot beats in a great atmosphere. Toss out that old notion that the San Francisco owns the gay night scene—Oakland is the Bay Area's newest up and coming hotspot.
Bench & Bar
2111 Franklin St., Oakland, California; Tel. 510.444.2266
For those of you that thought a trip across the Bay was necessary in order to get your Latin fueled dance party on, you're wrong. Bench & Bar in downtown Oakland has got you covered every night of the week with special gay dance club nights for both men and women, but Bench & Bar is not exclusively a gay club; the crowd is extremely diverse with Oakland clubbers just looking for a hip place to blow off some steam and dance the night away. Also, Bench & Bar does a kickin' happy hour from 2-7pm during the week to gear up for the hot club scene. |
Cabel's Reef
2272 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, California; Tel. 510.451.3777
Cabel's Reef is a shabby chic gay and lesbian bar where everybody pretty much knows everybody else—or maybe the ultra-friendly atmosphere just makes it seem that way, probably why this club is always crowded. Either that or it may be because Cabel's Reef attracts the most well dressed set of any place we've seen, and we're not talking three-piece suits here—go there on the weekends and you'll get the idea. The drink pours are heavy handed and reasonably priced, and the dance floor gets bumpin'. |
The White Horse Inn
6551 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, California; Tel. 510.652.3820
The White Horse Inn is Oakland's only gay and lesbian club, so it's no wonder they get high ratings, but if you're looking for a bar to hang out in your own backyard and don't feeel like doing the scene across the Bay, then The White Horse Inn is your destination. The White Horse hosts a varied cross section—multi-aged and multi-racial—of the gay and lesbian community in the East Bay; the drinks are reasonably priced, even though they seem to have stopped the heavy handedness; and it does still feel like a small-town gay bar even though it's been around forever. You can shake things up on the dance floor, if you're so inclined, or just chill out with friends near the fireplace. On the weekends there's a cover, so get there early. |
—Oakland nightclub reviews by Ryan Osterbeck
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