Living in Tacoma, we rarely drive down south to Olympia to "go out" but since we were down there for a dinner party, we decided to check out the city center area. Luckily, we went during a spring art event which was a blessing and a curse (blessing in that Olympia seemed to be super vibrant and there was lots of activity and energy all around, a cures in that there was way too many people on the streets and it was a mess driving around). The one and only gay bar I found on yelp was Jake's and as a fan of Capitol Hill, Jake's did not really do it for me. Â It seemed like Tacoma's Silverstone's sister. It had its divey quality but sadly it just fell flat. As I mentioned in a tip, it was SUPER bright in there and majority of the crowd were straight girls with their super young gay guy friends. I was glad they were all having a good time though as I'm always a supporter of gay bars as a come as you are and have fun sort of place, perhaps I just wasn't feeling it that night.
I'd obviously patronize Jake's again if we ever come down here to Olympia but I can have the same experience at Silverstone or even The Mix up here in Tacoma.
The best, most unpretentious and fun club to go dancing! Jakes offers a large dance floor, a platform seating area above the dance floor, a ledge for voyeurs to watch everyone dance while they just stand there, tables all around the dance floor for sitting and drinking, a pool table, and a great full bar with two bar tenders on duty during busy hours at the front entrance (there is another smaller bar in back by the restroom area as well) They also have a hot dog/tots/burgers/other stuff food stand which gets totally swamped after last call!! (It's good stuff)
They tend to start off the night with 80's music and as the dance floor gets more and more packed, they start playing the current top 40 along with some old school faves that get everyone going crazy. They also have a neat outdoor smoking area with heat lamps above.
Tips:
1) They don't charge cover if you get there before 9:45. Get there early, get your stamp, and if it's too dead for your taste, go grab a drink or two somewhere else and then come back with your stamp, cover free! After 9:45, they usually charge $4-$5.
2) Most people seem to just tuck their belongings into a booth or along a ledge while they dance, but I have seen many people get things stolen this way, including myself. They offer a coat/item check that only costs $1/item. Use it! You'll be grateful you did later.
Hmmmm. I cant believe I am actually reviewing a gay bar. Â But here goes. Â It was my friends birthday and she wanted to go dancing. Â She wanted to go somewhere close so someone in the group suggested Jakes. Not knowing much about it other than it is a gay bar, I was game. I am always open to new places and am not homophobic so whatever.
The place is a serious dive. Â We got there and there were just a few people on the dance floor doing some odd robot dancing. Â Also, loved the guys in the speedos and fur boots. Â Hey, who isnt into wearing speedos in February??? ugh.
As the night went on more people arrived and it was just chill until some lady was actually fingering herself on the dance floor, not kidding. This was for God and everyone to see and it went on for at least one full song. Â After that was done she began grinding on her boyfriend until it looked like he was "finished".
I know that the staff there arent babysitters but DAMN, really? I want to dance not watch a porn show. How could staff not see what everyone else was seeing?
We arent prudes by any means but this was just crazy. Â We bounced a few minutes later.
Guess it doesnt matter what kind of bar you are in people will be stupid.
came here for the first time being new to Olympia and gay and looming for a club scene. came here on a thursday night with my girlfriend to find maybe 1%of the people being gay. but was pretty entertaining the DJ was pretty good rockin some older songs like salt n pepper and new top 40;s oh and gotta love Madonna wiyh the straight guy with no shirt crawling on the floor OMG so funny. Drinks are pretty cheap as well.
Review Source:i have some friends from oly that like to frequent here....so when in oly, I do as the olypians do....DANCE MY BUM OFF!!
This is a nice place to dance the night away...sometimes see drag shows...have some drinks. Â Prices are pretty standard and the staff is friendly....most importantly, they have a hot dog stand attached to them...'nuff said.
I used to attend Jake's every weekend but the past 2 years this place has really gone down hill, and fast.
It used to be a safe place for non-straight people to feel comfortable. I liked that it was a gay bar that was straight friendly. But now it seems that almost no queer people attend this bar anymore, it seems we have been pushed out.
The last couple of times I've gone, people were doing shady stuff on the dance floor. I even saw a girl giving a dude a handjob. Luckily I have't been around when some of the fights have broken out though.
The vibe of this bar has changed so drastically and it is no longer fun. It used to be a place to dance and be surrounded with people who understood you and who you felt connected with.
Now it just seems like a place to go and get really cheap alcohol to get belligerent off of.
Jake's is a huge disappoint these days, and I no longer go there.
Great place for inexpensive burger and sweet potato fries. Strangely if you want onions you have to got outside the hotdog relish stand. Beers are $2.50 which is not bad in 2012. I'm not gay but it is a gay bar if you can handle that so most are very friendly and no one have ever bothered me. Â Great bartender and short order cook. Convenient location. I am a frequent customer
Review Source:Ok, I'm not dropping 1 star because of the place and what it is.....or maybe I am??? Ahhh shit, I dont know....What I do know is I had a guy hit on me and that I was cut off because, "I dont fit in here" so says the bar keep. Â
Yes, I have cut enough trees in my years in the woods to build Jake's out of logs (1st strike in the Oly area), 2nd, my niece is a rockstar. Â Auntie Mary and Uncle Josh love our niece to death. Â And she HAD to come here to see her guy friend. Â So the fun begins.....i guess....
We walked down a narrow hallway, it was very compact with people all over the place. Â Some guy walked by and ran his hand across my stomach when he turned around, he said, "Ohhh I'm soryy... (looks at me).....Oh wait, no i'm not!!" Â Fucking seriously!?!?!?! Â I know I'm not on the right turf, but damnit, come on!!
I did the best to make the best of our time there, but every time I was bumped into I wasn't really the most at peace. Â The lovely Mary W. told me, "Let's get you a beer, maybe that'll help!" Â "Yeah, Sounds good, lets get a brew!!"
When we got to the bar with no wait, the lady working the bar looked at me and said that we should probably go. Â That we really dont "fit in there". Â Well no shit Shirlock!! Â That's preaching to the choir if I've ever heard it....I wasn't TRYING to fit in...sheeeesh! Â
Did I just review a gay bar? shit....
WARNING!! Approach with caution around the holiday seasons. Santa clause may have a package you didn't see coming. Â And I suggest not arm wrestling anyone with blush on, because I may be able to bench 200lbs, but I seen a few "ladies" that could bench press a cadillac.
I walked in once around lunch time for a quick shot of whiskey while waiting for a bus I missed. The place was empty with a few people sitting at a table, and a few at the bar. I put my cash on the bar and politely waited ... and waited ... and waited. It wasn't until I made eye contact with the bartender and he didn't budge away from his casual conversation. Guess who walked right out the door and has no intentions of going back? This chick.
Review Source:Update Update!!
Jakes now has Coat check on the weekends, wha whaaa?! It's a buck but well worth the price to not have your loins stolen chopped and traded for shitty dope from some artsy graffiti filled alley.
Congrat's jakes, give your self a pat on the back, down a jellow shot, and let the good times roll. You've graduated to 5-stars.
Now lets just work on more variety in the music choices :)
I am definitely a huge fan of Jake's, Â but allow me to explain. The drinks are yummy (not very strong though), the bartenders are generally pretty to look at and friendly, and the music is good. On the weekdays, it's a good place to people-watch and groove with the 3-5 people on the dance floor, all completely wasted and doing their own thing which last night consisted of a gorgeous man taking off his shirt and dancing with a older very short woman and an awesome hippie with dreads. Â Weekdays are fun and VERY queer friendly.
Weekends on the other hand can be a little crazy. The dance floor is hot and sweaty given that everyone from Olympia and the surrounding cities is on it and grinding. The cover can sometimes be a little much when the music is the same as on the weekdays (when it's free). And y'know, I don't go to bars to get -molested- on the dance floor by anyone, but especially perverted not-as-drunk men. Â Weekends are fun and nuts, but it's a different vibe and I don't blame the other queers here for saying it's not a gay bar at all. Sometimes it feels that way.
Still... it's friendly there for men to dance together, and any other combination. At least that has been my experience. And if they don't like that, just direct them to any sign that says "Queer Bar- Don't like it, Get Out."
The other night, the lights went down and the strobes came out. I danced sandwiched between sweaty Olympians while Shakira's hit "Hips Don't Lie" came on the loudspeakers. I found my groove and sang the words loudly, making up a dance that I'm certain didn't look as good as it did in my mind. A tall slender man who had the Oly chic look down (in a good way, trust this) smiled at me while the spotlights glared. I knew how I must have looked to him-- Jake's does us all justice when we just wanna shake our booties, dance, laugh, and find new friends. Hips don't lie.. And they won't!
I came upon Jakes after rustling through the other bars they had down in Olympia. Clearly it is not the place for me but I stuck it out. I couldn't find a place that sold Stella Artois until I hit Jakes. I mean it was definitely the place for me. They had a pool table, Stella, and a dance floor with a pole in the middle. Awesome.
Review Source:They should call this "FAKES". It was a Saturday night, and my fags and I were just trying to have a good time. But everyone in there was straight and humping each other. Not a gay bar on the weekends and it is really sad. The music was pretty much really terrible hip hop that I hear at the gym.
Review Source:Jake's... you make me feel like dancin'! Â Pretty cool place. Â Good dancin' music and a friendly vibe here. Â Lots of regulars who genuinely like each other. Â Gay, lesbian, whatever... everyone feels welcome here. Â
It's a little divey, sure. Â But we all need a little divey now and then. Â Just keep a lookout for the renegade busboy who will swipe your drink before you've finished it. Â Gah! Â
Bring friends (and/or make new ones) and whoop it up.
I absolutely LOVE this place! I had heard all about it before I was 21, but once I actually got to go in, oh man. Every time I go here, I have the best time of my life!
The drinks are reasonably priced, the dancing is top notch, and the people are just amazing. All the girls go there because they want to get their groove on and don't want to be bothered by all the icky boys. When you dance in a gay bar, the guys leave you alone (if you're a girl) because you're not gay, and if the girls want to dance with you, its flattering! I just have a rad time EVERY TIME, and everyone should go to Jake's. Just a $4 cover charge, and the line is never too long.
We tripped down to Olympia for some fun on a friend's birthday, Â 4th ave appears to be the place where it all happens. Â Cover was decent at 4$ I believe, they have a couple of pool tables, and booths etc. Â Dancing starts early here we got here around 9:15, and the dance floor was starting to fill up. Â This place gets packed, so if you want a table come here early.
Good mix of top 40/dance music.
I had a fabulous time at this club! Â There was nothing too out of the ordinary with Jake's compared to other gay and lesbian bars I have visited in other states, except that people were so frickin friendly. Â I am not sure if it's the Northwestern culture but I fell in love with the friendly people in Olympia, WA. Â My friends would be shocked to hear this coming from me, because I'm used to being content with the company of rude and abrasive people. Â In fact, I may be one of the rude and abrasive people but somehow I wanted to be a kinder and friendlier person after visiting Jake's.
Since Jake's is one of the only lgbt clubs in Olympia, WA, it drew in women and men and everyone got along!
Perhaps Jake's was a great place once, but I've run into many other customers there who had bad attitudes and felt like sharing (not so at, say, Voyeur, even though the latter has a decidedly gloomier crowd) and I can't shake the fact that the local creepy, straight Internet swingers have decided, successfully (and not uncommonly, unfortunately), that gay bars = sex bars, and that it's the venue for their various unprotected overtures at one another in a semi-public space. Â I just don't want to be around that.
Review Source:I'm a straight girl and I like to dance. My good friend, Miss A know this and this is where we ended up.
The only gay bar in Olympia? Wow.
Good times, but there is a bit of a sketchy vibe. Miss A mentioned something about watching my things, because they had a tendency to disappear.
The music is pretty damn good. And there is nothing like dancing with really cute boys and not having to trip about trying to hook up.
I had one of the jello shots. I believe the flavor was yellow.
Is it too much to ask for a great place to dance?!?!?!
This has been my first visit back to Jakes in over a year's time, and for good reason. Â On my last visit, mere minutes before the lights went on and it was time to go home, I was dancing blissfully with my beloved girlfriend. Â Our fun evening of "shake your tail feather" came to an abrupt halt when someone threw a glass directly at a fellow dancer's face, causing it to shatter and splatter glass bits all over the dance floor. Â The poor girl who took the blunt of the violence was helped slowly to a booth while I investigated my girlfriend and me for any serious damage. Â We both suffered minor cuts and were now reeking of whatever cocktail the perpetrator was consuming while scheming about their cowardly plan. Â The staff that night didn't do anything to help us and seemed more concerned with ridding our presence from the club. Â
So that being my rant, I told many in this town of how Jakes has turned into the type of place that just attracts violence and headache. Â This wasn't always the case, I remember a time when I quite enjoyed coming here and would frequent regularly. Â But I also remember when they played music other than Top 40 garbage. Â I was fond of the mix that once existed here between new wave, popular, and hip hop. Â Now Jakes is just a whore for whatever is popular and seems to play it without hesitation. Â
On my recent visit the music was danceable, but just boring and very much the same regurgitated shit that gets played every night in every other cliché club I have ever had the misfortune of visiting.  Free advice:  stop playing Closer by Nine Inch Nails, Trent produced much better songs and I am sick of seeing sweaty drunk people grinding their shit on each other, it's like watching sweaty buffalos humping.
Ok, this is a gay club....? Â Right? Â I am not really sure anymore. Â Sure I see pride everywhere, sure I know about the strip shows and beautiful drags queens. Â But come Friday nights you get that douche bag, predatory guy bragging in the bathroom about how he is going to roofie that fine bitch on the dance floor and take her home. Â I get it, having people like this in your bar is uncontrollable, but at least your making money off of shit faces like this, just too bad it compromises the only decent place to dance in this town.
Beyond that lets actually talk about you as a bar.  Dumb-ass clientele aside, I have a soft spot for you since I have had many memorable nights inside you.  However, at the end of the night when the lights come on your staff  transforms into colossal rude jackasses.  They storm the floor yelling in people's faces to "get the fuck out".  It's usually at this point that I regret tipping your bartenders any money, especially if I get treated this way when I am just waiting outside the women's restroom for my partner to make sure she makes it out of the club safely. Â
I have my complaints, but in such a dumpy little town beggars can't be choosers, so I will be back...... Just know you could be so much more, you could be unique and have an outrageously beautiful persona, and instead you're just the lesser of evils.
I used to frequent Jake's because the DJ's were good, the staff was awesome, and the patrons were always friendly and were out just to have a good time. I met many people here who are still friends to this day and thank Jake's for providing a safe, fun environment.
However, the patrons have changed, as has the vibe, which probably goes hand in hand. It has become increasingly drama filled. Is this because of the straight crowd? Well I don't know because I am straight and very docile. I have been coming here since it opened looking for a place to dance without a bunch of punks. Over the years, sadly, that has changed.
I never saw physical fights at Jake's but I have seen quite a few within the last two years. It's sad to see one of the friendliest places in town be effected by stupid Neanderthal behavior.
That being said I still like it and enjoy the Drag show on the last Saturday of every month, $2.00 Jello shots, and Karaoke. Plus their happy hour is one of the latest in town running till 8pm. It is still, to me, the premier dance club in Olympia. That's not saying much since there really is only two, but still.
I just feel like it has changed and is not nearly as enjoyable as it once was. So if you go to Jake's be mindful of where you are. Lets get this back to the way it used to be, peaceful, fun, and most importantly accepting.
Yes, its a gaybar. Â I myself am a hetro-sexual male and I love Jakes.
The drinks are cheap, the bartenders are pretty speedy and they appreciate the tips unlike a few other places around town. Â The music is pretty good on most nights with the only exception to this being the fact that most of the music is oriented towards the gay crowd. Â But again its a gay bar. Â The dancing is off the hook. Â Usually Friday and Saturday nights its packed and poor ventilation makes the place a little musty like most dance clubs. Â But the atmosphere is great.
They do have an outdoor area for those that wish to smoke, however it is a pretty small space. Â But when its cold outside they are nice enough to keep it heated.
The hotdog stand infront which is open on Friday and I believe Saturday nights can either be a godsend or your worst nightmare depending on your stomache. Â For $3 you can put a footlong in your mouth that will be juicy, tender and tasteful.
There is an ATM located on-site and the bartenders only take cash so pull out as much as you can. Â To avoid the $2 ATM fee I recommend getting cash from a no fee ATM beforehand.
Sunday night it is usually very slow, but they do offer their pool table open for free for those of you that like to play pool and listen to Melissa Etheridge.
Jake's is the ONLY gay bar in Olympia. Â This is what they have going for them. Â At least in some small way, we can feel comfortable. Â I really have a good time here. Â The music is good and the bartenders are generous (particularly if you are). Â My only complaint is that since it's one of the only places in town that has dancing, there are a lot of straight people there. Â Now, that may be good if you're straight. Â If you are not and you want to pick up a cute girl or guy - it can sometime be a bit more difficult than at the bars in Seattle. Â
All in all, great place to be. Â And don't miss the drag show on the last Saturday of the month. Â Get there early if you want a table.
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