On the positive side, the music here is good. But that's probably the only upside.
Living in Boston, I've learned to adjust my expectations - I don't go to a club thinking that it's going to be on par with NYC, Miami, LA, Vegas, Paris, etc. Cover charges, dress codes, pat downs, etc, you know what you're getting into if you go to a place like this. But, no matter where I am, I would expect service to be respectful unless given cause for it not to be.
So, be warned: Bijou probably has the most pretentious bouncers I've ever met in my life. On my most recent visit, it actually seemed like these guys were going out of their way to be horrible. Congrats management on assembling the city's most power-tripping, apathetic white males to 'guard' your doors. I know these guys deal with a lot of drunk people, but in all of the cities I've ever been to, I've never seen bouncers be so nasty without provocation.
They were being extra about the sidewalk, but I appreciate that they don't want any issues out front or to attract police notice. For the most part, I get it, they deal with drunk people and are just following the rules. But, I was part of a group with a table, and arrived after everyone else, so my friend came outside to bring me in. When we went to the door, the bouncer was nasty saying that my friend could come back in but I hadn't been in yet so I would have to go get in line. I look down to the "line" and there is no one waiting, but just another bouncer at the end of a walkway barrier. If there were actually people in line I would get it, but ok, fine, if you want to exert your power by making me walk 25 feet down and back just to go through another person, even though there is no one waiting down there, then ok. But, you don't have to be aggressive and nasty to us- I was shocked at how he talked to my friend- I've never seen anything like that when he was doing nothing wrong- it seemed like he was purposefully trying to intimidate him. I have never been made to feel almost unsafe or threatened by a bouncer before- I was worried he was going to start something with my friend, who is a big guy too. Hoping that was just a one off issue, I say fine, and walk down to the other end.
When I get down to the other bouncer guy, he's now in the process of arguing with a girl who was drunk. They are busy exchanging insults and talking in circles; he's refusing to let her in. I couldn't care less, but as a sober and paying customer, you'd think he'd tell her to hold on while he checks me to let me in. He does stop to let in two girls that he clearly knows as they hug and then he tells the drunk girl who's now even angrier that they are regulars. Meanwhile, I'm still standing and and waiting in the cold in a nonexistent line while this guy plays favorites and continues to return insults with drunk girl. During this, I see the same rude bouncer from before telling my friend he can't wait for me in the doorway (problem solved if someone will just let me in your stupid gate).
At this point, I'm getting annoyed and am almost ready to leave rather than deal with this ridiculous situation. I make one last effort to get this guy's attention and say hey, my friends are inside with a table, I'm just trying to meet up with them. Then he goes, oh you're just by yourself? Ok, go ahead. Uhmmm if you had bothered to respond to my attempts to talk to you while you were insulting drunk girl, you'd know that.
Once inside, I was underwhelmed with the crowd and the badly designed space. Wet floors and broken glass weren't cleaned up quickly at all. And when it comes closing time, the bouncers were back in prime form. I'm not mad at you if you're just doing your job, but the attitude/comments from the bouncers were absurd- all of them clearly on a power trip and happily being as nasty as possible to people.
Why spend money to be treated badly when you can just go to another mediocre club where you can be treated with dignity/ like a human being. I had low expectations for this place, but somehow they still managed to shock/surprise me at how terrible of a place this is.
Hopefully this review saves someone else from an experience like mine. read more
