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    The Academy

    4.0 (18 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 5:00 PM

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    Services - The Academy

    Bartending services

    Catering services

    On-site management services

    The Academy Photos

    THE ACADEMY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Reviews With Photos

    Back patio
    Joe R.

    A great venue for socializing, or small events. This little gem for the LGBTQ+ community is novel in North America. It's multiple floors and environments create candid conversation with the backdrop of good social connections with top grade elixirs.

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    1 month ago

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    1 year ago

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    Nate B.

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    5 months ago

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    10 months ago

    It was pretty bad experience, not a good club at all. they were so rude to us and my friends.

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    Nate B.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    Nate B.

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    Nate B.

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    4 years ago

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    Ask the Community - The Academy

    Review Highlights - The Academy

    The owners are doing a "labor of love" - and while I'm sure the original intent was a private club for gay men, they've been very welcoming to the women's community.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    SF Eagle

    SF Eagle

    4.0(227 reviews)
    1.0 miSoMa
    $

    SF is home to the last of the old school gay bars complete with the necessary levels of one on one…read more"entertainment". I made two visits during Rubber Weekend in March of 2025 and had a great time including at the closing ceremonies held at Eagle. Good prices and nice patio!

    My partner and I visited the Eagle SF on Sunday during Dore Alley. We paid the admission fee and…read moreentered around 5:00 p.m. At one point, we needed to use the restroom, but the lines inside were extremely long. We decided to use the portable restrooms outside instead. While we were waiting in line, the outdoor area was closed off. When we tried to return, we were told we couldn't re-enter unless we waited in a very long line and paid admission again. We explained that we only needed to go back inside to retrieve our checked clothes, but we were still told we would have to wait in line and pay a second time. That was completely unreasonable. After some discussion, the staff asked to see our coat check ticket and said one of us could go inside to collect our belongings. However, when I tried to enter, another staff member stopped me and again insisted that I had to wait in line and pay a second admission fee. Eventually, I was allowed to go in, retrieve our clothes, and leave. The lack of communication and coordination among the staff turned what should have been a fun experience into a frustrating one. Better communication and a more reasonable process for guests who simply need to retrieve their belongings would have made a big difference. I will avoid going to the Eagle SF in the future.

    Photos
    SF Eagle
    SF Eagle - Interior

    Interior

    SF Eagle

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    Jolene's Bar - Nice drinks

    Jolene's Bar

    3.8(121 reviews)
    0.9 miMission
    $$

    I have really loved coming here, but over time I feel like it's kind of lost its spark. I took a…read morebreak from going and noticed that the room where the DJ used to be has these decorations from the ceilings that seem out of place. I hope they'll remove them, honestly. I wanted to write a review after visiting Gossip Grill in San Diego because it was so lively there. I think it's less busy here now, but don't know exactly why or if I'm just imagining it. I love playing at the pool table when it's only two bucks and have had a lot of fun playing with other people who I'm just meeting for the first time. I think I would give this place another star if the music were more consistent. It's subjective to me, but I didn't enjoy the DJs that were playing EDM music/mixes. I've been here many times, but of all the bars I've been to in the past, which I'll say is not many or too often, the music was not great here. Regardless, the past two or three times I've brought friends here, I really actually had a really great time. It wasn't super crowded and I had the breathing room and space to talk with my friends and fiancé more. The bathrooms were easy to access. Amazingly, even when it's slow, they'll have dancers up on the bar, which is always cool to see. I saw a Meetup group that was here recently, if you're interested in finding them to check the bar out with.

    I went for kpop night and it was LIT! Tickets were $15 cash at the door or $10 online (didn't know…read moreif we were going or not so didn't get them early, unfortunately). We went a little early so we didn't see much movement until around 11 or so. Drinks were a little expensive at around $20 each (tip included) but were tasty and the bartenders were so friendly and fun. Music was great, though the music variety was a little lacking. Though it was kpop night I thought I heard the same artist throughout the whole night. I didn't try the food, though there was an instant ramen bar and boba. My favorite part was the decor, which was very tasteful. I felt safe there and loved the drag show. I saw there was a 90's-00's pop night so I'll definitely hit it up again!

    Photos
    Jolene's Bar - The most important and beautiful area of this establishment...THE HIGH QUALITY H2O department! Follow instructions....OR ELSE!

    The most important and beautiful area of this establishment...THE HIGH QUALITY H2O department! Follow instructions....OR ELSE!

    Jolene's Bar - The front door. Come on in.

    The front door. Come on in.

    Jolene's Bar

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    Badlands - Front entrance

    Badlands

    3.2(656 reviews)
    0.5 miCastro
    $$

    Great music and drinks. There's a dance floor. Service is excellent. Music slaps here! Great…read morevibes! Highly recommend with my most respectful regards.

    IS THIS A PHONE STEALING FACTORY OR A CLUB???? LMAO. I haven't been here since pre-COVID, and…read morehonestly I had a great experience until my phone and wallet were stolen. On Pride weekend. Wow. Badlands is either willfully ignorant of this rampant issue or potentially complicit -_- I get that there's always been a bit of a seedy grungy vibe, but the insane amount of pickpocketing at this location is just absurd. All this security and surveillance for WHAAATTTTT PROS: - Cheap and decent drinks - Throwback music + Top 40s always - Staff are super friendly but now IDK if that's a front to lower your defenses - Security line goes pretty fast considering how packed it was CONS: - Not ventilated at all. It's HUMID and the mirrors are fogging up with steam - Need to take a photo before entry for "protection" but this is baffling considering our current administration and LGBTQ safety overall - Very grimy... I hoped they'd improve this since reopening - WELL, the glaring pickpocketing issue lol. The DJ halfheartedly mentioned to watch out for pickpockets mid-set, but by the end of the night, EVERY OTHER GROUP we passed by had someone saying something like "my phone/wallet's gone!", easily 20+ people. Meanwhile, the staff is roughly pushing everyone out with complete disregard to the panic Thankfully I'm able to replace everything with little inconvenience and wasn't too stressed in the moment, but now seeing the other reviews how this has been a regular occurrence for them for years (and targeting women/femmes also...), this is ridiculous. I went to the Sac Badlands for years and nothing like this has ever happened. If you want to risk coming here, present as male or use a phone tether I guess!

    Photos
    Badlands - Dance floor

    Dance floor

    Badlands - Bar

    Bar

    Badlands

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    The Stud - Montage of images from The Stud

    The Stud

    3.2(9 reviews)
    1.4 miSoMa

    The Stud is my favorite bar in San Francisco. While it often hosts some very gay male heavy play…read morenights and parties, they also have many trans and femme centric events as well. Don't be shocked if you show up on a Wednesday night after 9 and the cover is 20$, this venue hosts weekly play parties. If parties with a darkroom aren't your vibe, there are plenty of events here that are more for dancing and listening to great electronic music. Please don't come here if you aren't open minded and friendly, this is a bar for meeting new people and socializing when there's not a party happening. The bartenders here are amazing people and a personal draw for me. They have an outdoor patio that is open for daytime parties occasionally and the back is currently being renovated to create another dance floor/stage area. The Stud doesn't serve food but there's an amazing dim sum spot across the street.

    The Stud is back. It was hard to miss at its old location at the corner of 9th and Harrison because…read morethat's where everybody turned right to drive through the city. But its doors shuttered in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Now it's back relocated to the space that I fondly remember as Julie's Supper Club. It's still a good size space with multiple rooms, a second bar, and a patio. I came by early in the evening during their soft opening phase. There wasn't any prominent signage, and I just walked in to see just a handful of customers at the bar. I got a smoothly spiky $11 Tequila Sunrise which I took with me as I walked the space (photo: https://yelp.to/J-XZJEOVHj). They were still setting up, and I was having flashbacks to the fabulous drag shows they used to hold, in particular, Trannyshack hosted by the late, great Heklina. I still remember a classic Judy-Barbra duet that had me in tears. I look forward to seeing more shows here. Refreshingly, it's run by a cooperative which is probably why it survives today. DRINKS - 4 stars...a nice pour AMBIANCE - 5 stars...spacious enough for appropriate cavorting SERVICE - 5 stars...everybody's so happy to be here TOTAL - 5 stars...The Stud is BACK! RELATED - Exploring western SoMa? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2H0vGTV

    Photos
    The Stud - Main bar

    Main bar

    The Stud - Patio

    Patio

    The Stud - Wall art

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    Wall art

    The Academy - social_clubs - Updated August 2026

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