Gay Bars in Fort Worth: The Rainbow Lounge And Beyond

The first thing many gays and lesbian seek out when visiting Fort Worth are the city’s gay and lesbian bars. Fortunately, there are some vibrant, active and interesting ones worth visiting.

Whether you’re looking to meet the perfect guy or an amazing gal, if you’re the same sex as your intended, there’s a gay club in Fort Worth where you can meet up and perhaps hookup.

Fort Worth doesn’t have a gay neighborhood, so the gay bars in Fort Worth are spread around a bit. The infamous Rainbow Lounge and some other popular clubs are located in the Near Southside while a couple of other well-liked hangouts are in East Fort Worth.

Getting To Know The Rainbow Lounge

Easily the hottest gay club in Tarrant County, the Rainbow Lounge has plenty to offer for both guys and gals. With world-class lighting, attractive staff and good drink specials, this is a see-and-be-seen kind of place where you can plan to spend the whole evening.

The décor is fun and modern, and so are most of its regulars.

Located in an unassuming brick-and-rock building that once housed the city’s longest-operating gay and lesbian bar, the 651 Club, the Rainbow Lounge drew national attention just after it opened in 2009 because the Fort Worth Police and state alcohol officials raided the bar looking for licensing violations — and injured patrons in the process. The raid resulted in apologies to the club and the gay community in general as well as much more business for the struggling new club.

The Rainbow Lounge’s owner has also become something of a gay mogul, buying up properties in the neighborhood of the Lounge’s 651 Hemphill location and developing new venues.

And The Rest

The Rainbow Lounge is just one of several gay bars in Fort Worth. We won’t bore you with a complete review of all of them, but here are some important details about the others:

Best Friends Club
2620 East Lancaster
Fort Worth Weekly’s 2010 critic’s choice award winner for best gay/lesbian bar. A fun place, we think.

Changes
2637 East Lancaster
Located near Best Friends, this club features male dancers most nights.

Crossroads Lounge
515 South Jennings
A small and casual place with billiards and a jukebox, Crossroads is located in the same neighborhood as the Rainbow Lounge.

Percussions Lounge
426 Jennings
This club claimed Fort Worth Weekly’s 2011 critic’s choice for best gay/lesbian bar. From the same guy who brought Fort Worth the Rainbow Lounge, it’s also just down the street from it.

1851 Club
1851 West Division, Arlington
Once a cousin to Fort Worth’s venerable 651 Club, this Arlington club offer karaoke some nights and has billiards too. It’s the only gay club in Arlington.

Don’t Blink

While the current list of gay clubs in Fort Worth has remained stable for some time now, things change quickly, especially in unstable economic times. Don’t be surprised if some of these clubs are out of business before you get through the door. There’s no reason to worry, however. The patrons at the remaining clubs will gladly direct you to any new ones.

While Fort Worth doesn’t have one gay neighborhood, the gay bars in Fort Worth seem to be settling into two distinct parts of the city. Fort Worth isn’t too large, however, for you get to both parts of town in one evening.

Just remember to take a cab if you’re in for some serious drinking.

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