Most of the gay bars Fort Lauderdale is known for sit a few minutes north of downtown on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors, where you can walk from a disco dance floor to a drag stage to a cabaret lounge in one evening. The bars below are LGBTQ owned or LGBTQ focused, and everyone is welcome at all of them. Each listing sticks to the music, DJ, drag, karaoke and show nights that the bar publishes itself, so you can choose a night out by what is on stage.
Quick Picks
- Best for drag shows: Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar, Wilton Drive.
- Best for dancing: Hunters Nightclub, Wilton Drive.
- Best for live cabaret and piano: The West End Lounge, Wilton Drive.
- Best for country and line dancing: Scandals Saloon, NE 6th Avenue.
- Best for karaoke: Hunters Nightclub, Wilton Drive.
Hunters Nightclub
Hunters Nightclub at 2232 Wilton Drive is the Drive’s main dance club, with a video bar and a dance floor that runs late. Karaoke hosted by Don Casteel runs Monday and Tuesday from 8pm to 2am, while DJ Trevor Oldroyd plays the video bar on those nights from 7pm to 11pm. Wednesday is a country and western two step and line dancing night for all levels.
Friday is billed as Für Friday, with DJ Sol from 5pm to 9pm and DJ Ed Talks from 9pm to 3am. The dance floor also opens Thursday at 9pm and Saturday from 9pm to 3am, and Sunday is the Classic T Dance from 4pm to 2am. Happy hour runs weekdays from 3pm to 8pm. Best for people who came to dance (get directions).
Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar
On the Drive since 1997, Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar at 2266 Wilton Drive pairs a full kitchen with the busiest show calendar in Wilton Manors. It opens at 11am daily, and two for one happy hour runs 11am to 8pm, or all day on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday the main stage has Daisy and the Divas at 8:30pm and House of Alibi, the bar’s late drag show, at 11pm. Wednesday brings Kings, a drag king show, at 9pm.
Monday has Daisy Does Trivia at 8:30pm and the 5 Minutes of Fame open stage at 10pm. Thursday is LIT Thursday, Friday has Alibi Angels at 8:30pm, and Saturday runs Megamix Rewind at 8:30pm, with Latin nights in the Monkey Bar room late in the week. A good first stop for visitors who want a show with dinner (get directions).
The West End Lounge
At the south end of the Drive at 2100 Wilton Drive, The West End Lounge is a cabaret style music lounge with a stage and a serious cocktail list. Musical Mondays run from 7:30pm to 9:30pm, and Sunday afternoons bring a free performance from 3pm to 5pm. It opens at 4pm Monday through Saturday and 1pm on Sunday, closing at midnight most nights and 1am on Friday and Saturday. Suits a date night or anyone who prefers a vocalist to a DJ (get directions).
Scandals Saloon
A short drive off Wilton Drive at 3073 NE 6th Avenue, Scandals Saloon is the area’s country and western gay bar, with a dance floor built for two step and line dancing and a website that lists dance lessons alongside its music. It opens at noon every day. Check the bar’s own calendar for lesson nights before you go. Best for anyone who would rather learn a line dance than stand at the bar (get directions).
Ramrod
Ramrod at 1508 NE 4th Avenue, just south of the Drive, is a long running Levi and leather bar that never charges a cover. A DJ is in the booth Tuesday through Saturday from 10pm and Sunday from 5pm, with a light show on Friday and Saturday nights, and a monthly dance party on the first Saturday brings guest DJs. Open daily from 9am to 2am, and to 3am on Friday and Saturday, with the back patio bar opening at 3pm. Best for the leather and bear crowd and anyone curious about it (get directions).
Pub on the Drive
Pub on the Drive at 2283 Wilton Drive is a casual neighborhood bar, opening at 9am with pub food, weekend brunch from 9am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, and holiday parties posted on its events page. It stays open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 1am on Friday and Saturday. A good place to meet friends before the shows start up the street (get directions).
Rosie’s Bar and Grill
Rosie’s Bar and Grill at 2449 Wilton Drive is a restaurant and bar with a Key West style patio and an outside bar. Sunday Funday brunch runs from 10am to 2pm, and the kitchen is open until 10pm most nights and 11pm on Friday and Saturday. Use it for dinner before Hunters or Alibi, both a short walk south (get directions).
Planning a Night on Wilton Drive
Wilton Drive is the main street of Wilton Manors, and The West End Lounge, Hunters, Alibi, Pub on the Drive and Rosie’s all sit along it, so one parking spot or one rideshare drop covers most of the night. Ramrod and Scandals are a short ride away. Street and lot parking along the Drive fills up on weekends, so a rideshare is easier and saves anyone from driving home. Friday and Saturday are the busiest nights, Sunday afternoon is the traditional T Dance and brunch day, and weeknights are the time for karaoke and trivia. A simple plan is dinner at Rosie’s, a drag show at Alibi, then dancing at Hunters. For more ideas, see our guides to the best bars in Fort Lauderdale, karaoke bars in Fort Lauderdale and Fort Lauderdale and Broward DJs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best gay bars in Fort Lauderdale?
Most are on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors: Hunters for dancing, Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar for drag shows, The West End Lounge for live cabaret, and Pub on the Drive and Rosie’s for food and drinks. Scandals Saloon and Ramrod are a short ride away.
Where are the gay bars in Wilton Manors?
Nearly all of them line Wilton Drive within walking distance of each other. Scandals Saloon on NE 6th Avenue and Ramrod on NE 4th Avenue are the main exceptions.
What are the best bars in Wilton Manors for a night out?
Start with dinner at Rosie’s or Alibi, catch a show at Alibi or The West End Lounge, then dance at Hunters, which stays open until 3am on Friday and Saturday.
Where can I see drag shows in Fort Lauderdale?
Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar has the fullest weekly schedule, including Daisy and the Divas and House of Alibi on Sunday nights and Kings, a drag king show, on Wednesday at 9pm.
Which Wilton Drive bars have karaoke?
Hunters runs karaoke every Monday and Tuesday from 8pm to 2am, and Alibi’s Monday night 5 Minutes of Fame open stage starts at 10pm.
Header photo: Jessica Chesler, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
