The Barracks Bar

Too bad it is closing soon ..after around 50 years in business at this location!

Wheelchair accessibility: It's accurate

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

Today was the last day. They're closing from what I heard.

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Fun Place unfortunately they are closing soon

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Friendly and frisky

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

July 2024: Downgrading my previous 4-star review to 2-star. The new bright outdoor lighting is insane for a leather/fetish/cruise bar. Somebody let me know when that's fixed and I'll be back. The other issue as previously mentioned is the Saturday/weekend events. Cover is at least $15 and for what? A DJ, a couple of dancers, and a sparse crowd. People here don't seem to want to pay a cover (or at least not that high). I was in another (major) city recently and it was $5 for their Friday night party at a bar very similar to Barracks.

Previous Review:

It’s fun and cruisy and often with sexy men. As another recent reviewer mentioned, the classic rock they play (especially at beer bust) is deafening and nobody wants to hear it. All my friends say the same. Get a new DJ please. The weekend events are hit or miss. Wish those could get a larger crowd. The tourists don’t seem to venture far from Arenas. But they should! Barracks is a fun bar with great staff.

Had a great time here on Wednesday evening for their underwear night. Very friendly bar staff. No food options, but a handsome ginger bartender made me a delicious Cadillac Margarita. My only gripe was that it came in a plastic cup. Brought cash, but was informed they accept cards as well. Interior lighting was very red and felt sexy. Open pool table. TVs had various videos of wrestling and tame, yet sexy horseplay. Patio lights felt much too bright for a cruise bar, but there were a lot of guys outside to talk to and flirt with. DJ had some good mixes but I never noticed a ton of people dancing. I did end up chatting with a very handsome brit that I hit it off with and took home. I’ve heard sunday fundays are a great time so I’ll be checking them out this weekend.
-Will

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Bad bartender never got to us on a dead night

Atmosphere: 4

Service: 1

I go there on Sunday beer bust, and it is full of men of all types of shapes sizes. There is fun activities and dancing on the dance floor.

Parking: So during beer bust and or events, it is really challenging to find parking unless you get there early.

Kid-friendliness: This is an adult bar, this is an adult gay bar, it is not kid friendly whatsoever. Because it’s a bar…..lol

Wheelchair accessibility: This bar is during events, not wheelchair, friendly, I repeat, not wheelchair friendly.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Always a good time when we visit P.S.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Love this place, such a great vibe

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

I often have a good time at the barracks, but a lot depends upon what is happening at that time. Saturday afternoons has a great bingo game with Burna Cross, and the bar staff is friendly and welcoming. It is a great cruisy bar, but sometimes people go to far... They have a lot of events, but often times there is a cover charge which sort of seems stupid. I can understand if there's a high-end DJ or some other really special event, but for regular local events? There should not be a cover. I realized the bar needs to make money, but a cover charge is not the way.

Kid-friendliness: No. No kids allowed. It's a BAR.

Atmosphere: 4

Service: 5

Trash bar and trash clientele

First of all, I want to say I love this bar. I go multiple times a week. However when they charge $50 to go in because they have a live DJ on a Friday night, it seems completely at odds with the mission statement posted on the wall in the patio. That statement talks about how hard we have fought to maintain our gay spaces and the respect we expect from people when they visit our gay spaces. I understand how bars need to make money but subcontracting party nights out to people who charge $50 a night prevents the regulars, who support this bar on the nights when there’s only 10 people in there, from being able to enjoy the weekend. I can get on board with $10 maybe even 15 if they have a decent DJ, but they have DJs every weekend. Some of them are free. I can’t understand how a bar that is free all week can justify $50 on a Friday night. I know from people who have worked there, they don’t make the money from those door charges, event planners do. So it doesn’t help support a business that is struggling in the rest of the week. When you look at how many people come on Sunday for the beer burst, and it’s free, it makes me think that there must be other ways for this bar to be successful without ripping people off at the door. Seven or eight dollars for a beer is already a lot of money. I will continue to come regularly when there is no door charge but it’s disappointing to have to go all the way to Palm Springs to go for a drink without a door charge on a weekend. When the doorman patronizingly says “it’s Palm Springs, we have no choice”, how come no other bar in the entire Coachella Valley is charging an entrance fee.?

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Palm Springs/Cathedral City leather cruise bar the hottest Sunday Beer

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

It is what it is :)