The Saloon is a multi-chambered, low-lit hotspot that is well known for its shower platform, an elevated bathing enclosure for dancers in the buff to show their stuff. As Waltenberg intimated, âÄúitâÄôs upscale, but not too serious.âÄù Hosting 18+ nights every Friday, Jetset is open to club kids who can still plan on getting loose. ÂÄú is gay, straight, whatever,âÄù Waltenberg said. JetsetâÄôs low-key style attracts a diverse crowd. With a nod from the City Pages as the âÄúBest Gay BarâÄù two years in a row, Jetset has earned a reputation with its creative drinks and refined atmosphere. ÂÄúThe crowd here is pretty hip, young and attractive,âÄù seven- year bartender Alex Waltenberg said. If all the gay bars were a group of friends, Jetset would be the one who never needs their hair held back after a long night out. It was also the runway where the career of Bebe, first season winner of âÄúRuPaulâÄôs Drag Race,âÄù first took off.Īdditional signature 90âÄôs events include a foam party on the third Friday of every month and 18+ nights Wednesdays, Sundays and the third weekend of each month. Laying claim as the only bar with a drag show lounge, the 90âÄôs drag queendom is reasserted through its shows every Tuesday through Sunday and the ever-popular âÄúLa FemmeâÄù show on weekends. ÂÄúItâÄôs extremely gay- and straight-friendly with a very welcoming atmosphere,âÄù entertainment manager Bobby Matthews said. While a diverse crowd may populate each venue, it is the character of the special events and programming that distinguishes each bar as what could be a house of twink or muscle-daddy domain.ĭespite being two decades past its titular signature, the Gay 90âÄôs has remained a stronghold of the downtown gay bar scene since opening in the âÄô50s, branding itself as âÄúthe premier bar for everyone.âÄù Since the dawn of the dance remix, Minneapolis has managed to sustain a gay bar culture as vibrant and multifaceted as the people who frequent them.