Gay dive bars will never be the same for me.
Tucked away from the beaten path, la envidia appeals to the more colourful and queer of Oaxaca's locals. The staff definitely didn't seem thrilled to see some tourists in for happy hour but in all seriousness, I get it- we're obnoxious outsiders. If you're a gringa like the likes of me be respectful of what the locals have going on here- it's a dying breed of gay bar in the rest of North America and it relies on a special local aura to keep it going.
Dark, exceptionally dingy and reminiscent of those places your mother warned you against, I wish I could be a less obtrusive regular here. For a couple sweet hours my partner and I sat at low little barstools and enjoyed 13 peso beers and mezcal that makes your nose hairs actually burn. Oaxacan queers party hard.
Finally, entering the washroom I was greeted by three cockroaches, zero toilet seat and among the more questionable bars of soap I've seen in my life. It was a bit of an anxious pee session, lemme tell ya. These facilities are not for the faint of heart. Stop here for the booze, not the glamour. read more