The Best LGBTQ+ Bars In Philly

Sure, you could go to pop-up events like GayBINGO! or check out Philly Drag Mafia , but knowing where you can always get a drink and run into your ex while looking hot is essential. Philly has the Gayborhood and official LGBTQ+ spots, but no matter where you are in town you’re never too far away from a drag brunch, queer karaoke night, or dance floor full of people wearing mesh. These are our 13 favorite spots.

The Spots

Level Up Bar & Lounge

This is the Gayborhood's only Black-owned bar. And yes, at some point during bingo, late-night karaoke on Thursdays, or a drag show, you'll likely hear at least five Whitney Houston songs. The LGBTQ+ spot has a long bar, a few lounge areas, and goes full neon after 9pm. But it's not all glowing lights and cognac cocktails here. They serve decent wings (in over 20 flavors) and crab fries that you can snack on while deciphering what that straight couple in the corner meant by "we're just looking for a good time." It's the kind of welcoming place where you head out at 2am very sweaty and with three new friend groups.

Stir Lounge

Head to Stir Lounge in Center City when you want a beer or martini in an atmosphere intimate enough to unload all of your hopes and Kristen Stewart-filled dreams on an unsuspecting bartender. Although it’s lesbian-owned, the low-lit spot is open to everyone. There’s a wraparound bar where you can get affordable drinks that are boozy enough to make you forget you can’t dance during drag karaoke. It’s a small-ish space that feels a little more upscale than your average dive. Plus, when the DJ starts playing 2000s pop, and someone cute asks you to dance, you’ll be happy the dance floor can make you get up close and personal.

Cockatoo

Cockatoo in the Gayborhood is a sleek, plant-filled bar with floor-to-ceiling windows and pretty good reception if you’re still swiping on someone to join you here. While they make good cocktails—we’re fans of the citrusy sunrise rum punch—they’re probably the only place in town with prosecco, vodka, tequila, and 10 other options on draft. And during a night here or at drag brunch on Sundays, you can mix them all and create your own drink for $10. The tapas menu features empanadas, chickpea avocado toast, and yuca fries. But let’s get real—you’re not here for the food. You’re here to meet someone hot (whose profile you didn’t read after seeing the pictures) and drink lots of tequila.

Woody's

There are no low-key nights at Woody’s. On most nights, the bar has a DJ blasting a Rihanna remix and on Mondays, there’s karaoke and drink specials. It can get crowded with locals who made this their go-to spot, and groups of non-queer people who visit gay bars “just for fun.” There are lots of tables inside, so it’s great for any size group you bring, especially if you’re hungry and want to snack on beef sliders, hummus, and tacos. But for the most part, people go to this Gayborhood institution to dance, drink cocktails, and get sucked into a fun time warp where you look up and realize it’s 2am.

Tabu

If you’ve ever dreamed about going to a bar and romantically locking eyes with someone across the pool table during an Ariana Grande song, then you should go to Tabu. The Gayborhood spot is a full-on sports bar, with a lounge for live shows and game nights upstairs. If talking about Drag Race at the bar or looking coordinated on the dance floor isn’t your thing, they also have good buffalo wings to pass the time until the pool table is free.

Tavern On Camac

Tavern on Camac is a gay bar in the Gayborhood, and it’s one of those places that you only go to if you’re trying to have a big night out. Downstairs is a full-blown restaurant, with lots of tables and American cuisine. The main floor is a piano bar where the Gaybill Broadway Cabaret performs each Wednesday. And upstairs, It’s a nightclub, with strobe lights, loud house music, and dancing. So you can have any kind of night you want depending on the mood and your taste in Broadway tunes.

U BAR

You want to come to U Bar in the Gayborhood on Saturdays—it’s fun, you’ll probably meet some new people with the same kink as you, and even though the crowd is pretty energetic, it also somehow just feels like your neighborhood spot. The gay bar is open until 2am, with plenty of booths, colorful overhead lighting, high-top tables, and a glowing bar where you’ll probably have to yell extra loudly to order a drink. There’s a lengthy beer menu here, in case you want to have a few IPAs and a round of nachos while watching the Locust Street crowd walk by.

Knock Restaurant & Bar

Knock is a restaurant and bar in the Gayborhood with show tunes night every Sunday, trivia on Monday, and karaoke every Wednesday hosted by Iris Spectre (Miss Bob & Barbara's 2024). Besides the constant entertainment, they have a huge bar where you should drink Almond Joy martinis, South Beach cosmos, or just a glass of rosé. This is a fun and chill change-of-pace spot to meet, especially if you’re looking for someone to pay off your student loan debt. And they’re always playing great music that you can even hear on the sidewalk seating.

Queer Friendly Spots

Bob & Barbara's Lounge

Philadelphia may be the birthplace of America, and Silicon Valley may be the birthplace of technology that’s stripped us of our last bits of personal privacy. But, most importantly, this South Street dive is the birthplace of drag shows—it has the longest-running one in the country. Thanks to the metal Blue Ribbon signs, painted glass lamps, and worn out black leather stools, it’s as divey as it is fabulous. Just in case the cheap drinks and rowdy crowd don't sell you on the place, Miss Lisa Lisa and her queens put on a show every Thursday night.

Fabrika

Fabrika, a Fishtown spot serving up homemade pasta, often hosts live cabaret and jazz performances and drag brunches. The large dining space has a wrap-around balcony with a great view of the stage in the middle of the room, long lounge chairs and tables, lots of crystal chandeliers, and plenty of glowing purple light beaming down from the ceiling. While you’re here on a date night, you can order dishes like squid ink linguine and get some ideas for the bedroom from any of the shows.

Franky Bradley's

Franky Bradley’s is a two-floor bar where almost every night is different. They have open mics, drag shows, burlesque performances, and even live music. The popular bar is usually packed with a casual crowd on the first floor sipping beers and sharing mussels or cheesesteak egg rolls, but on the second floor, you’ll find a bunch of people dancing under a disco ball to whatever the DJ is spinning that night. Plus, every year they host the lively Snatcherella 3000 performance competition. So order a cocktail and sweet bourbon wings (they come out quickly) so you won’t miss your favorite part of the show.

Tattooed Mom

Tattooed Mom perfectly encapsulates South Street's grunge and chaos. The walls of this dive are covered in years of stickers, spray paint, and Sharpie, and it's possible you'd pass away before finishing a game of "I Spy." In addition to serving classic dive drinks, Tattooed Mom has a menu of over-the-top cocktails with cotton candy and Pop Rocks. They also make good burgers and vegan sandwiches, and host LGBTQ+ shows. Keep your eyes on the calendar for sapphic drag shows and karaoke night when someone grabs the mic and says Linkin Park was their gay awakening before belting out their song.