Bourbon Street Pub

A great place!  The dancers were hot, the drinks awesome!  Great place to celebrate my 40th birthday!!!

We came here a few times whilst in Key West. It was pretty quiet Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in early April although Saturday was definitely the busiest. The inside bar allows smoking (not being illegal here I suppose that's to be expected but it is deeply unpleasant when most of Europe are now smoke free and unpleasant when it's been years since you last had to put up with it).

The back garden has loads of space, not that there were loads of people there. It's men only and we witnessed some rather atrocious behaviour by some of the customers when an older woman came out with her male friends. She was shouted at and escorted away by a customer, the staff didn't do anything to save her embarrassment  as she was booed and then cheered whilst being led back inside.

At this point we were in no mood to stay any longer. We left as the inside rooms were getting busier... it didn't feel especially gay inside. Lots of tourists doing the 'gay bar' thing on Duval St gawping at the male dancers.

I suppose I'm used to a far better gay scene in London so am always a little disappointed visiting gay bars abroad. Having said that, one of the bar tenders was extremely friendly and drinks were cheap enough, especially during happy hour.

I have been told by good friend who on occasions attending Fantasy Fest, that if I am to vacation in Key West one day be sure to check out the spectacle that is Bourbon St Pub, which is, among other things, one of regular sponsors of the festivity.

I think I read it somewhere this place is less inviting, and I concur. I mean. I get it. I get this place. You called yourself Bourbon St Pub (even though my memories of Bourbon St. in NOLA is nowhere close to what I've experienced here.) Even without anyone telling me what this place is really about, I get it. It will be hard not to. They are not exactly subtle about it, and they will literally, and physically, dangling it in front of you.

It's not like this place is unfriendly. Au contraire. The people who are officially associated with the bar have been top notch friendly. I'm just not too fond of the type of crowd this place tends to attract. Persistent, and way overboard friendly advances, even to someone like myself.

No, I'm not afraid of the advances, it's actually quite interesting; but now I kind of know how pretty people feels like in the clubs that gets constantly hitting on by people you want nothing to do with.

Safe to say, I enjoyed the experience, but perhaps this maybe as they said "once in a lifetime," because I don't think I need another visit.

P.S. Oh yeah, if you enjoyed yourself past the front portion, you might as well go a little further and check out the Garden Bar. It's very... revealing.