Barracuda Lounge

More "Best Bar" Awards than any NY Gay Bar

Average Reviews

About

Barracuda Lounge, a venerable gay bar located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, is a celebrated spot in the LGBTQ+ community. Established in 1995, it has become a landmark for its vibrant atmosphere and diverse patronage. Known for its cozy ambiance, the lounge features comfortable couches and a small stage that hosts an array of events, most notably drag shows. Barracuda Lounge is renowned for its legendary drag competitions, including "STAR SEARCH," the longest-running drag event in NYC. This iconic venue has outlasted many others in the city due to its welcoming, no-attitude environment and its commitment to providing quality entertainment. The bar's popularity is evident in its lively nightlife scene, attracting a wide range of visitors looking for a memorable experience in the heart of New York City's gay culture.

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Reviews

3.4

Based on 327 reviews

Thomas

23:10 11 Jan 25

I pulled up at 1:50am sober and got denied entry because they "just did last call." I waited outside for my friends in the rain. The security is always rude. The bar staff is always rude. Only plus is getting ID'd when your hair is greying.

Jonathan Prince

04:32 15 Dec 24

Barracuda is almost the same as I knew it years ago. Except now there’s more women going to the bar which make it less Cruisy for gay men.

Portia W.

19:14 27 Nov 24

Come for cocktails cute local dive bar in a residential Chelsea neighborhood! We love it here thank you for the upgrade drinks and cozy sofas! Had fun by all!

Chris V.

03:19 27 Nov 24

Celebrating 30 Years of Barracuda Lounge - Chelsea's Iconic Gay BarBarracuda Lounge has been a cornerstone of Chelsea nightlife for 30 years, known for...

Daniel DeBrucker

22:58 23 Oct 24

This is by far the best happy hour in NYC! Who needs drama after work - well, there is no drama here! Amazingly friendly staff. Even better crowd. Super welcoming and fun…and no cover! Joshua is amazing!

Boo

22:55 23 Oct 24

Great place for meeting after work. Staff is amazing.Love the pool table.

Boo B.

15:58 23 Oct 24

Great place. Staff is amazing. Joshua is always friendly and attentive. Good music, positive atmosphere.

Kent Cozad

21:12 18 Oct 24

A great place for gay after work drinks. Super service, reasonably priced beverages and a friendly, diverse clientele. And did I mention the fun, efficient, intleeigent, helpful staff?

Michael T.

15:26 16 Oct 24

Excellent place for happy hour and to meet up with friends!! Funny, friendly staff, good service and a great 2-4-1 !!

Dan D.

15:26 16 Oct 24

Joshua is the absolute best! So friendly and sexy! Great happy hour and amazing groups of people. Love this place! Best service and the ambiance is perfect.

Patrick Y.

15:17 16 Oct 24

Great place, fun people. will come back again. conveniently located. best staff ever.

jas wr

16:40 16 Sep 24

Nice waitor! Great intimate drag show! Felt like a house party

Jaime G.

17:07 02 Jul 24

Fun bar, little quieter but strong drinks. The music was regular pop, but some oldies

Jay T Blondek

01:20 20 Jun 24

Dicey gay bar. Love the back room w the stage and the sofa style seating. 💯💯🔥🔥 always a fun time here.

Javier R.

23:02 02 May 24

Went in to grab and drink and the bouncer said they were not letting anyone else in at 2AM bc they did not like anyone else coming in even though they...

Ivan Saenz

05:11 13 Apr 24

Good bar but consistently terrible music. The DJ refuses to play any song released in the last 20 years. Doesn’t matter the day of the week, it’s always disappointing music.

Jade M

10:52 04 Apr 24

From the moment I approached the entrance, it screamed sketchy vibes. I genuinely questioned if I was in the right place. Unfortunately, my instincts were spot on because once inside, the atmosphere was anything but inviting. The music was terrible, the layout awkward, and the overall vibe just off. This is definitely not the place to go for a fun night out or enjoyable drinks. Save yourself the trouble and find a different spot to spend your evening.

oneida torres

03:45 29 Jan 24

Went as a group with My two girl cousins and my gay guy cousin. My gay cousin was turned away for having a fake id when he didn’t. We asked the bouncer to get someone else to check his id because he obviously had no clue what he was talking about but he refused. Please get an Id scanner because your bouncer is an idiot

Lujhesca Borges

02:28 29 Nov 23

this is the type of place that is NOT WORTH coming to even if the drinks were FREE, it has been the worst service I have ever received, I can say that as part of the LGBTIQ+ community I would never return again, they are highly unprofessional, racist and classists, not to mention how bad the drinks were the liquor was not felt at all, my group of friends were celebrating someone's birthday and on several occasions we tried to request certain music since the place was empty to please the birthday boy and the DJ said he would not accept suggestions! TERRIBLEEEEE

Diamond M.

18:15 28 Nov 23

Bartender is RUDE! From the moment our group of friends arrived his demeanor was horrible. All around A HOLE! Not welcoming at all! . I'm sure by some of...

Sebastian Camacho

13:29 28 Oct 23

Last night I went with 3 friends, and the security man asked us for our IDs, we showed him our NYID with a photo and he said that that was not enough and that we should show him our passports, I answered him why should I carry my passport with me if I have my documents . He told me at least my passport photo. I found it so ridiculous that he asked me for a photo on my cell phone that could easily be Photoshopped than an official NY state ID in my hands. With my friends we decided to go to another bar where there are no rude people from the entrance. I am 35 years old, I have lived in NY for 4 years and I go to bars at least two or three times a week and they have never said anything like that.

Poison Alliance

17:10 13 Sep 23

I journeyed to this bar in the middle of the night. Got to the spot around 2 am on a Tuesday and I couldn't figure out how to get inside. I finally found the door and knocked a few times, but I guess they were closed. the hours online said they should've been open until 4.. Should probably update your hours online. I ran into another group who took a trip out to this bar who had to just walk back from wherever they came because their phones were dead. Maybe a hit or miss place during weekdays.

Jacob Singleton

00:46 26 Aug 23

a gay bar that tells you to “use your inside voice” and “dance quieter” 🤣

Yaron Travolini

06:05 15 Aug 23

Fwc G.

11:15 18 Mar 23

What a strange experience. There was a man sitting at the bar next to me jerking himself off and staring me down. Talk about uncomfortable. The bartender...

The Honest R.

19:14 13 Mar 23

A gay bar classic. The decor is fresh the bartenders are sweet and the drinks are strong. Excellent drag shows and a fun lounge vibe with very forgiving...

Vin Z.

17:34 23 Dec 22

A fun low profile neighborhood bar that has a great Happy Hour. Josh, one of the bartenders is very welcoming and friendly plus makes a perfect cosmo! What...

sonicjrjr14

00:15 04 Dec 22

Love this place! Cute Bartenders, great djs and drag shows almost every day. Favorite show has to be Star Trek nights on Saturdays with Heather Wood.

Ahsan Syed

05:04 27 Oct 22

Such a vibe! The performances were amazing, great dances, good drinks - highly recommend - all days of the week.

Kay&Marc McGhie

11:53 20 Oct 22

On a trip from Scotland with my best friend. The two of us had the best night. Queen Petti Cash was incredible! The staff were so friendly- from the bar staff charging our phones to the security guard making sure that we got into a taxi okay. The vibe was amazing, so lively even for a Wednesday night! Can’t wait for our next trip to NYC as we will back to visit our friends at Barracuda Lounge. Thanks again for such a great night!

Jonathan Prince

04:50 15 Sep 22

Love going to this bar, don't like the drag shows much. The owner need to have dance content instead of the out dated drag shows. The music is great, the drinks is a reasonable price, love the mix crowd of people.

Daniel Pazos

16:45 27 Aug 22

This is my second time going here on the weekend after moving away and not coming here for years. Not much has changed, but I will say the people at the door need to relax. Especially the bald black guy, who takes his job and himself way too seriously. They act as though they are doing you a favor to go into that bar !! He asked for ID, which is fine, but there was nobody else in line when I arrived, and he was making me feel rushed to show it to him. I told him to give me a minute, and he says he’s not rushing me. My current ID is still from FL, so he proceeds to tell me we do things a little faster here in NY …. Really ?? I live in NY, and there is no one else in line trying to get in. Please just do your job. I don’t need your two cents. If I’m not drunk, and not causing a problem, do not disrespect me. I am the patron of the establishment, and you need to treat me with respect. No other gay bar in Chelsea does this. I won’t be coming back on the weekend due to this guy’s attitude.

Sabrina Peralta

04:00 23 Aug 22

This place excellent attention rich food and good vibes what you do not look for when you go out

Irwin Nayman

22:32 18 Aug 22

Barracuda offers good, reasonably priced drinks served by friendly, attentive bartenders. It's a great place to enjoy a drink and music, or venture into the back for a typically great show.

Per Risberg

03:19 17 Jul 22

I had the most wonderful time! Great staff, great drinks, great people, great drag show!

David Prado

14:18 27 Jun 22

This place was the perfect spot to get lost to the music. Props to the DJ for playing all the bops during Pride weekend! I had a blast in here dancing the night away. Oh and Greg! Sir Manager Greg was awesome and even on our way out introduced us to a sister spot nearby. Happy Pride!

W B

19:28 13 Jun 22

I have been here a few times and I've really enjoyed it. The bartenders are really friendly and made great drinks. Not a huge selection of beers though. It's never been really busy when I have went, except one Friday night, but even then it wasn't packed. I was still able to mingle and hear people speaking to me. The bouncer on one occasion wasn't waiting at the door when I walked in so he got up and walked towards me without saying anything so I had to awkwardly walk backwards outside of the door, then he gestured to see my I.D., again without saying anything. I thought he could have been a little more tactful, but he was just doing his job.

Keremy Jucharek

18:43 10 Mar 22

The clown DJ that works here will take your money during a drag show but not play the song you requested. At least there's no cover!

Max Hernandez

00:43 13 Feb 22

Went in there with some friends. It wasn’t what was advertised , it was very dark not very diverse and boring tbh. They have a discrimination thing against IDNYC tho so beware my friend couldn’t get in even though he’s well past the legal age and a great patron of other bars . I guess there better bars out there so we left to the better bar on 8th Ave and 19th st

John C.

20:59 25 Dec 21

This place is so great, it's one of the lastoriginal gay pubs in Chelsea with that neighborhood feel. I used to live around the corner and loved stopping...

Christopher Sgro

04:35 20 Nov 21

Purposely rude staff. We will not be back.

Michael

05:24 14 Nov 21

Cozy bar with some good drag shows. Ordered the same drinks from two different servers and they were different prices each time.

Johnny Capdevila

03:33 10 Aug 21

Bad Music and small place to dance

Micah D.

21:40 09 Aug 21

This seems to be a place where it depends on the night and the mood you're in. I came in, and while there were very few people, everyone was very kind...

James S.

21:41 06 Aug 21

This place is so awful it's a shame the pandemic economy didn't finally close it. What an awful relic of the 90s. You want to know the reason it's so dark...

stephen stanley

18:30 04 Aug 21

Its nice to go to a 90% hiphop and Caribbean only bar the boys are very good looking delicious eye candy

cristof campbell

01:42 03 Jul 21

It was pretty cold when I went.

Kwame S.

11:16 10 Jul 19

It's so dark in here. I think this bar is ok for happy hour specials and cheap drinks. However, the cash-only policy hurts my feelings. :)Aside from...

Meghan Reynolds

00:30 01 Jul 19

Had a really lovely time today after the Pride Parade! No cover charge, unlike the other bars we tried, though we did have to pay $6 to check our bags. Just a really welcoming, fun atmosphere. The bartenders were really sweet and attentive, and just really happy amd excited. They kept spraying the crowd with water which was so welcome, as everyone was dancing up a storm.

Rita J.

23:16 08 Apr 17

Hottest men in ChelseaYou will not be disappointed Please note the bar is cash only

Barracuda Lounge New York reviews from Google Maps, Yelp and WhereIsGay