Best Gay Bar 2009 | Homme Lounge | Bars & Clubs | Phoenix
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Best Gay Bar

Homme Lounge

The stylish Homme Lounge sets itself apart from other Valley gay bars by hosting an array of events for all kinds of people. In addition to the stereotypical house and electro dance nights with rippled, shirtless men, the club's also home to the monthly goth/industrial Sadisco* events, a weekly hip-hop night called "So Paid" on Thursdays, and the metrosexual hipster weekly "Party Foul!" on Fridays. Celebrated local DJs such as Kevin M.O.B., Tricky T, and Craig Citizen spin hot tunes while patrons enjoy cold drinks, and the scene is so diverse that newbies often wander in and party into the wee hours before even realizing they're in a "gay" bar. Gotcha! Go ahead and get down. Really. It's okay. Nobody's watching but that hungry-looking bear.

Best Lesbian Bar

zGirl Club

We're not saying all lesbians are lushes, but good drink specials can go a long way in attracting hordes of hot gay women. zGirl Club's got specials almost every night of the week, including two-for-one well and domestic bottles on Tuesdays and $2.50 pitchers on Thursdays. And despite its modest dance floor, the club always manages to get booties moving, with a little help from the turntable stylings of veteran DJ Domenica, who spins everything from hip-hop to electro-dance mash-ups. There's also karaoke on Thursdays and the occasional speed-dating event. The drink specials are good for those, too.

  • 4301 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, 85013 Map

Best Dive Bar

Roadrunner Lounge

Lauren Cusimano

A humble confession: When we discovered this place, we rushed back to the office to see what we had written about it. Nothing in the archives. Well, friends, The Roadrunner Lounge shall not be ignored ever again, because it's soooo good. This rundown piece of you-know-what on Hayden Road north of Osborn Road is just steps away from Carlsbad Tavern, next to a curious Dutch-Chinese market, and across the street from a (for real) Starbucks. Things are definitely disconcerting from the outside — it seems as though the windowless joint is a mob front — but enter the decently lit spot in order to throw some darts, shoot billiards, and drink down a cheapo cocktail that's never shy on liquor. If enough word is to get out, the Roadrunner could very well be the next spot where south Scottsdale hipsters flock, though we prefer it to be our own greedy little secret.

Best Lounge

The Crown Room

The name of the game here is chillaxing, which patrons seem to do in spades. Although this Scottsdale nightspot sits only a few blocks from the Scottsdale club hubbub of places like Axis/Radius and Pussycat Lounge, it feels like the usual crowd of d-bags and trouts is miles and miles away. The Crown Room is almost atypical of Old Town in that the staff and doorman don't seem to care whether you're not wearing Christian Audigier. They'll serve you just the same. There's a DJ, of course, but the mixes tend to be more downtempo. The drinks? Kinda pricey, but at least you don't have to fight your way through bodies stacked 10 deep around the bar to get them.

Best Hotel Bar

The Living Room at the W Scottsdale

Of all its many amenities (30-foot-long martini bar, handcrafted artisan cocktails, posh Mid-Century Modern furnishings), the main benefit of spending an evening at this lobbyside salon at the W is the nonstop cast of characters who parade by you. There's the ditzy chickadee with the fake-bake tan who's had a little too much to drink and can't seem to navigate walking down the stairs from the second-floor pool area in stilettos. Following her is the herd of spiky-haired, collar-popping bro-zillas who are running game on every piece of trim in sight. And we swear we saw DJ Jazzy Jeff (of Fresh Prince fame) checking in. We kid you not. But if being a looky-loo loses its flavor, the den-like lounge is stocked with a library of art and travel books.

Best Fire

Lon's at the Hermosa

Jackie Mercandetti

Don't make the mistake of hightailing it home after dinner at Lon's, a longtime favorite restaurant of ours. Instead, saunter onto one of the patios around the old joint and curl up (alone or with a loved one) on a comfortable chair or couch. Now, experience one of Arizona's warmest, coziest, and most romantic settings. Perhaps (on certain nights) a friendly, acoustic guitar-playing minstrel will serenade you. For sure, you'll soon be mesmerized by the smells of the desert, the crackling of dry mesquite in the fireplaces. We know we don't have to tell you not to forget a nice after-dinner drink. By the time you actually do step into your car, you may feel as if you've been on a mini-vacation — right here in town. Every night at Lon's is a special event.

Best Smoking Patio

Smokey's Bar & Grill

This Main Street spot doesn't look like much from the outside, but there's a grip going on inside this laid-back, off-the-radar watering hole. There's live music basically all the time, an 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. happy hour every day of the week, and awesome video games like Big Buck Hunter. Then there's the bar's namesake, an indoor smoking patio that's accessible from the main room. It's well ventilated and there's plenty to gawk at, such as a vintage television tuned to infomercials and dudes/dudettes choking down cancer sticks on Bike Night (as in motorcycles; you'll see plenty of 'em on a Thursday).

Best Hookah Bar

Harem Lounge

If I Dream of Jeannie's magically delicious heroine had a secret lair, it would be the Harem Lounge. Part coffee shop, part hookah lounge, this Moroccan-themed strip-mall jewel is bathed in sumptuous red light cast by stained-glass lanterns that twinkle in the sexy loft above the cave-like shop. Soothing, exotic beats blare in the background as customers mellow with water pipe in mouth. Homemade chai, coffee and Middle Eastern appetizers are all on the menu, but the main course is the shisha offered in more than two dozen flavors, including black licorice, cola, and double apple. Though the hookah prices are a bit steep, we think the ambiance and late night hours — until at least 1 a.m. daily — more than make up for it. Plus, there's a ton of cozy seating arrangements inside or outside on the huge outdoor patio, so you can always tap a couple of friends to rock this Casbah with you.

Best Bar to Avoid Downtown Drama

Renee's Grand Avenue Tavern

You saw your ex hanging out at downtown's Lost Leaf, but she didn't see you — under no circumstance do you want to cross paths with her — so you head over to the Bikini Lounge and run into the dude that's dating your ex. Ugh. You should just go home, but you're dolled up and rocking a sweet pair of drinking shoes. Where to? The answer is about three miles west of downtown on Grand Avenue at Renee's Grand Tavern. The spot looks a bit different from its previous incarnation — Renee's closed for six months so that new ownership could upgrade the outdoor fireplace and other cosmetics — but the place still rules. Plus, they're bringing it with some super-cool entertainment and club events six nights a week. You may not know anyone at this off-the-radar drinkery, but, hey, that's how you prefer it tonight.

Best Bouncer

Ami Johnson of Modified Arts

You wouldn't think an all-ages, alcohol-free music venue that doubles as an art gallery would need an aggressive bouncer, but Modified Arts' Ami Johnson has stories that suggest it does. Like the story about the time some guy pulled a knife on her for giving him a small bottle of water instead of a large. Or the story about the time two bums dented her car fighting outside, pummeling each other until she chased them off. Or the story about the time a guy stole the venue's hand stamp and tried to sell it back to her. Through it all, Johnson, who's also probably the smallest bouncer in town, maintains an admirably friendly but firm attitude that'd be a great lesson to other doormen in town, most of whom work in much nicer neighborhoods. In fact, we're pretty sure she ought to teach a certification course for local bouncers.

Best Of Phoenix®

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