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    Midtown Barfly

    3.7 (60 reviews)
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    Alex L.

    There aren't a lot of unique music venues in Sacramento. Midtown Barfly has thankfully filled a void, especially for those seeking certain types of music you wouldn't usually find elsewhere. At least now I know where to go when I want to see a Cure and Sisters of Mercy cover band night. Nestled in the back of what used to be the original Bacon & Butter, this is a great club to get your dance on with like-minded folks. I wasn't sure what to expect after literally passing by here hundreds of times, but what I got impressed me. The sound system was on point, the bads (at least on that night) super quality, the audience energetic and the drinks reasonably priced and stiff. Minus the awkward dance moves of the guy beside me most of the night, which is no fault of the establishment, and I can say it was a great evening. Besides maybe the Zebra Club, consider this your best alternative to Ace of Spades or the Golden 1 Center.

    Beautiful lights on the tree by the DJ booth at FACTOR IX inside Midtown Barfly
    Michelangelo S.

    Midtown Barfly Demonstrates Spectacular Event-Music Range! SITREP This venue is a top-notch mid-size venue (capacity 250-300 peeps) and Sacramento is better for having it. It's gone through a recent management change and left it's old name "Club 21". There are MANY events that take place here and go on at this venue of which I am not an expert, so I am restricting my comments solely to: (1) The New Weekly "FACTOR IX" which just had it's grand opening this past Sunday, promoted by DJ Bryan Hawk of ASYLUM fame; (2) The Weekly Tuesday Night "SWING 21" Nights; and, (3) The Monthly Gothic-Industrial-EBM event "REVERENCE" hosted by and put on by DONAVAN and JASMIN and their DJ crews. THE SET-UP I. FACTOR IX. Since Asylum formerly @ The Rage since 1994, and then this past year at The Park Ultra Lounge, has found a new reincarnation as FACTOR IX here at Midtown Barfly, and I think every one is excited about the Sunday night void being filled again. Spinning the best in Gothic-Industrial-EBM, FACTOR IX kicked off into high gear this past Sunday as it had it's FIRST Grand Opening. There is another grand opening promised in the near future when the venue's licensing allows for the 18-20 year old to join in as well. II. SWING 21. JOHNNY and his swing-dance team of instructors are the best in Sacramento, if not Northern California. TINA, HEATHER, BOB, MICHAEL, etc., have all been outstanding instructors in some of the most popular Swing-Dance venues across town. I started taking lessons from JOHNNY and TINA and MICHAEL "back in the day" when they instructed at the old "815 L Street" Club (now closed). They also continue to instruct at other local venues, including the "BALLROOM OF SACRAMENTO" (but that is another review). The Tuesday night crowd is one of the friendliest and most helpful when it comes to learning the basics of East Coast Swing, the Lindy Hop, the Shag, the Carolina Stomp, the Charleston, etc. etc. What is so cool about swing-dancing is that you can learn the basics of everything you need to know in 1 HR, really! III. REVERENCE. This crew of Darkwave 80s, EBM, Gothic-Industrial DJs are some of the most fun you will find anywhere in a hap'nin dance club! Regular DJ hosts DONAVON and JASMIN put on am impressive monthly dance gig that always has an eclectic crowd and brings in so many fun people to dance with (and sometimes gawk at with mile-high mohawks, and Siouxsie and Robert Smith make-up styles). And the rotating door of spectacular GUEST DJs is no less impressive! One of the best DJs ever is visiting DJ SKARKROW from San Jose. I've become wonderful friends with him and his lovely girlfriend JULIE. When they are up at bat, the music takes an inter-dimensional turn into aural-realms that I've never heard of before but love. It's awesome to hear wonderful music selections from the Netherlands, Germany, England, Austria, Mexico, Japan, etc. that never get played in any mainstream club. THE LOWDOWN The Midtown Barfly has a lot to offer on a wide variety of musical fronts!

    Dale P.

    This is a fun place! And it's a great place to learn to swing dance. Place is clean and very eclectic. There is a live band once a month. Swing lessons every Tuesday night. Salsa lessons every Wednesday night. The people are cool! All levels and skills are welcome. This is a really fun crowd. It gets crowded though. We can be found here most every Tuesday night. Hope to see you there.

    Salsa Wednesdays at Barfly

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    8 years ago

    Had and great time and the dance instruction was so much fun. I will definitely be going back!

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    6 years ago

    My wife and I have only been here once but there was good deals on drinks and the Dj was dope. Good vibes and awesome folks.

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    11 years ago

    Oh, how I love their SalSa nightsSs! There's always a nice crowd, good music, and tasty mArgaritAs =)

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Midtown Barfly

    Where can I find deep House music in sac? What nights and? Want to avoid top 40's. Thx!

    I'm looking for the same!! Anyone know of a place?!

    Is there salsa on Friday nights?

    Yes! $10 cover charge

    Is this an 18+ club and can I get a price of entrance?

    18+ with wristbands for being 21 and the entrance price varies by day/event.

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    Review Highlights - Midtown Barfly

    $5 gets you in and an hour long lesson with Nicole Lazo and after enjoy social dancing until 1 am.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Dive Bar

    Dive Bar

    3.2(988 reviews)
    0.8 miDowntown
    $$

    After leaving the Crest Theatre, my girl and I walked across the street to The Dive Bar to end the…read morenight. Security checked our IDs at the door, and once we walked in, the bar area was packed. Luckily, there were reserved booths nobody was using and my girl, and I sat there since the main bar was crowded. It actually worked out perfect for us. It gave us space to sit, relax, and have a good conversation without feeling cramped. We ordered a couple of colorful drinks that were nicely balanced and flavorful, not too overpowering, and easy to enjoy. The music was hip-hop which is right up my alley, so the vibe was definitely on point. What really stood out was the atmosphere. I've never been in a bar quite like this where jellyfish were hanging from the ceiling, and a whole underwater theme. I was told a mermaid appears over the bar at certain times, but sadly, I didn't get to see her this visit. Overall, it was a great spot to end the night after the movie. Good drinks, good music, and a unique sea-themed vibe. If I return, I will hope to see a mermaid

    If you want to be charged a cover to get into a place where you'll be comepletely ignored by…read morebartenders, harassed by security and patrons and allegedly have to worry about your drink being accompanied by something a little extra...just so you can see a "mermaid" swim around in a fish tank then this is the perfect place for you. The bar tenders have horrible customer service even when the bar isn't busy. It seems like they rather hang out and chat with regulars and friends than serve paying customers. The security guards we're blatantly discriminating against my friend for no good reason. Also, security apparently accepts bribes at the front door to let people in, so much for safety. The drinks were in my opinion overpriced and didn't taste good. Maybe I'm biased because my whole experience here put a complete sour taste in my mouth. Then, to top it all off my friends and I were being harassed by two patrons who had clearly been overserved the entire time we were there. We had no choice but to leave and we will never be back again! After visiting I wanted to leave a review because I felt other people should steer clear. To my surprise, I read reviews here that mentioned almost the exact experience we had. So, this is not an isolated incident and Dive Bar has not taken our comments into consideration. Disclaimer: I did not have this experience, but it was very disheartening to see all the reviews, tik toks, reels, etc. I found after visiting Dive Bar in which women and men are claiming to have been roofied. This may or may not be true, but it can't be a coincidence this many people have had the same experience. There needs to be an investigation into this bar. I myself will be placing a call to the BBB and I hope that anyone who has had that experience feels empowered to speak to the authorities.

    Photos
    Dive Bar
    Dive Bar - Inside

    Inside

    Dive Bar

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    The Jungle Bird - Jungle Bird

    The Jungle Bird

    3.8(841 reviews)
    0.4 miMidtown
    $$

    We stopped by there yesterday! What an amazing place!!! Ginger was awesome!!! It's a hidden gem!!read more

    This little piece of Hawaiian paradise is so much fun! Now that there are a few tiki bars in town…read moreto choose from, the Jungle Bird still holds its own for some kitschy tiki vibes. Think dive bar meets aloha: it's crowded and dark, nicely furnished and decorated with island style, and serves amazing tropical drinks and food. We went recently for the Aftershock 2026 promotion night. First 100 drinks were on them, and they had a raffle for a pair of tickets! There was a long line when we pulled up, but luckily, my friend was able to snag a reservation right at the start of the promo. (Pro tip: always MAKE RESERVATIONS!) I know it's just a bar, but they are so busy most nights, you will be grateful you got in right away and get to sit down at a table. They also have a patio for more seating. The bar itself is small and is right at the front, so it's crowded right as you walk in. The host stand is to the right. Service was very welcoming and polite albeit slow, just for the fact that it was a very busy night. The mai tai and pina colada were delicious, fruity, and strong. We ordered Spam fried rice (my favorite), chicken potstickers (OK), and the coconut shrimp (good and not too sweet). We shared that between 3 people and it was a good snack while we sipped on our tropical drinks, but we were still hungry when we left. It's a good portion for 1-2 people for a meal, and prices were average.

    Photos
    The Jungle Bird - Cocktail made with Ube

    Cocktail made with Ube

    The Jungle Bird - Interior seating

    Interior seating

    The Jungle Bird - Piñaiquiri and Plank Walker

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    Piñaiquiri and Plank Walker

    ForePlay

    ForePlay

    4.6(54 reviews)
    0.1 miMidtown

    Excellent stop to cool off after wandering the Saturday Sacramento Midtown Market!…read more SITREP Located right on K Street a block down from the Midtown Market's main channel up & down 20th Street, ForePlay is a fun stop that is full of LOTS of distractions of fun and drink to escape the heat. THE SETUP It would be imprecise to call ForePlay just an arade because it also brings in some of the fun carnie elements you'd catch at a State Fair. One of the more eclectic elements is the axe-throwing range! Tons o' fun. FULL BAR The most beneficial aspect of this stop was the full bar, which - after a couple of hours of heat in the sun while wandering the Midtown Market stalls - was a wonderful treat. Coool beer! There is random parking along the streets and some rare off-street parking lots, but limited parking during events. THE LOWDOWN This is a great stop from to duck into from the heat, or for groups making the rounds. I enjoyed watching a bridal shower when I was here!

    Sad to report this place wasn't somewhere I plan to return…read more Half the pinballs machines didn't work. Three of the machines got the ball stuck and wouldn't allow me to keep playing. With each game costing one to two dollars I felt a little ripped off I couldn't even finish my game of three balls. The pool table me and my friend played on was quite frankly disgusting. Tons of stains on the table and felt peeling. The balls all chipped and scratched. Also there was some issue with something being stuck when the game was first setup with my friend putting it together but I wasn't paying attention. He had to flag down a worker to help resolve the issue. I get it, things are pricey these days, so a newer business has to find a deal when they can, but at least find a way to improve an already overly used item. I don't expect brand new pool tables, but at least tables that look like the business cares Not to mention the ground and walls were just dirty and gross. Seemed like nobody is really cleaning the place. All the tables tops seemed sticky (if you know you know). The velvet lounge just kinda seemed like a random thrown together area, but maybe on a slow Monday it didn't feel right with lack of people. The workers were great and gave great service, just sadly all the half run down amenities that is supposed to make this place great, makes it pretty lackluster. I guess come if you want the axe throwing?

    Photos
    ForePlay - Arcade games pool table & tables

    Arcade games pool table & tables

    ForePlay - Signs

    Signs

    ForePlay - Signs

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    Signs

    Midtown Barfly - danceclubs - Updated May 2026

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